Designing Websites For Exploration
May. 18th, 2026 11:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rionaleonhartI've occasionally mentioned my fan websites on ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
smallweb check-in posts, but, now that I've got five of the things, I thought I might make an actual community post about them!
My websites are:
- Balamb Garden, about Final Fantasy VIII
- Silent Hill, about Silent Hill 2
- Kira's Tokyo, about Death Note
- Hope's Peak Academy, about Danganronpa
- The Website That Goes Wrong, about Mischief Theatre's Goes Wrong productions (e.g. The Play That Goes Wrong and The Goes Wrong Show)
For a long time, I thought I wasn't capable of making a website; I know very little about web design, and I couldn't work out how to structure it. And then I remembered a type of website I'd spend hours happily browsing when I was a kid at the turn of the millennium: websites that were designed to feel like you were exploring a physical space. Although these websites were structurally complex, they were often very visually simple, meaning I'd probably be able to create one even with my limited HTML skills.
When I gave it a go, I had a lot of fun making a website in this style! And... then I made four more, so it's possible I had too much fun.
If you take a look at any of my sites, I hope you enjoy them! And I'd be interested to hear from anyone else who has thoughts about 'exploring a physical space'/'choose-your-own-adventure' website design. Do you remember websites in this style; do you have one yourself; have you ever considered building one; is there anything you particularly like to see from this type of website, or any advice you'd give to someone who's interested in creating a website in this style?
smallweb check-in posts, but, now that I've got five of the things, I thought I might make an actual community post about them!My websites are:
- Balamb Garden, about Final Fantasy VIII
- Silent Hill, about Silent Hill 2
- Kira's Tokyo, about Death Note
- Hope's Peak Academy, about Danganronpa
- The Website That Goes Wrong, about Mischief Theatre's Goes Wrong productions (e.g. The Play That Goes Wrong and The Goes Wrong Show)
For a long time, I thought I wasn't capable of making a website; I know very little about web design, and I couldn't work out how to structure it. And then I remembered a type of website I'd spend hours happily browsing when I was a kid at the turn of the millennium: websites that were designed to feel like you were exploring a physical space. Although these websites were structurally complex, they were often very visually simple, meaning I'd probably be able to create one even with my limited HTML skills.
When I gave it a go, I had a lot of fun making a website in this style! And... then I made four more, so it's possible I had too much fun.
If you take a look at any of my sites, I hope you enjoy them! And I'd be interested to hear from anyone else who has thoughts about 'exploring a physical space'/'choose-your-own-adventure' website design. Do you remember websites in this style; do you have one yourself; have you ever considered building one; is there anything you particularly like to see from this type of website, or any advice you'd give to someone who's interested in creating a website in this style?
