Whimsical Website Club

The web needs to take itself less seriously. It's barely out of its twenties and suddenly it's all like "I can't make fansites for hippos anymore, I have businesses to run".

It used to be cooler. It used to be weirder.

As Sarah Drasner puts it in “In Defense of a Fussy Website”:

While we’re all laser-focused on shipping the newest feature with the hottest software and the best Lighthouse scores, I’ve been missing a bit of the joy on the web. Apps are currently conveying little care for UX, guidance, richness, and — well, for humans trying to communicate through a computer, we’re certainly bending a lot to… the computer.

I really liked that post, so I made small website meant to showcase how a more personal web could look like, and hopefully give someone else inspiration to make their own corner of the web a bit weirder.

More whimsy, please!

The Whimsical Web

Introducing: The Whimsical Web - a curated list of sites with an extra bit of fun.

I’ve collected a few of my favorites to start, but anyone can add a site to the list if it’s fun, quirky and personal.
Just open an issue on Github and let me know.

Let’s see some fussy websites!

Webmentions

What’s this?
  1. André Jaenisch
    Let me finish bringing kids to bed and then open an issue. Can I vote for sites I like, too? Or only those I author myself?
  2. Max Böck
    both are good ;)
  3. André Jaenisch
    Yes, I have two children ;-D
  4. Jet Holt
    I love this, and it makes me want to bring forward my (much ignored) site redesign. Some of these sites are so - well - cute!
  5. Nico van Zyl
    More of this, please.
Show All Webmentions (15)
  1. Charles Bauer
    Now I can stop bookmarking them and just browse this directory or suggest additions (and compare with the selection of @piccalilli_ newsletter). Another great project from @mxbck, thanks a lot! 💚
  2. Mario Sommer
    this is awesome! the web needs more personality! ✌️
  3. Doug Tangren 🐑
    I ❤️ the little jiggle effect in your header
  4. Max Böck
    try clicking "joy" 😉
  5. purple x moss
    this really makes me feel better about the style i gravitated towards for my personal site even though i might redo it. i also love sites that pay homage to early 2000s Xanga/LiveJournal styles.
  6. Dennis Hagemeier
    Awesome websites with just those little "extras" 😁
  7. 😍
  8. Michelle Barker
    Love the latest @piccalilli_ issue on creative websites piccalil.li/newsletter/47/. Between this an @mxbck’s Whimsical Website Club mxb.dev/blog/the-whims… you got me all inspired to get creative with my personal site! 😄