Hazel Friedman
`THE most godawful-looking site at the Loeries.” This is how co-founder of the Mail & Guardian, eM&G editor and compulsive surfer Irwin Manoim describes his website, which won a Loerie for best website design. This is the first time that an editorial design has won an advertising award – and probably the last, according to Manoim.
“There is a blithe assumption ad agencies are responsible for creating Internet sites,” says Manoim, who insists he does not possess a designing or advertising bone in his body. “Our website was the most undesigned site to be shown at the awards, compared with the elaborate animated pics, drop-shadows, twirls and curls decorating the other sites. In fact, it was deeply embarrassing to see our design on the screen.” He adds: “Perhaps the judges perceived it as an example of the `less is more’ principle. I suppose the fact that it actually works was a point in its favour.”
In 1995 the M&G established the first newspaper website in Africa. Today it serves an average of 15 425 pages daily and attracts as many as 4 513 visits per day.
And now that Manoim has unwittingly achieved acclaim in the lucrative fields of advertising and design, is a career change on the cards?
“I haven’t exactly been inundated with job offers,” he says.