CSS Zen Garden - The Road To Enlightenment

Who remembers CSS Zen Garden? I do. As if it was yesterday... I remember first gazing my sights on a simplistic but visually stunning webpage demonstrating what all websites in the future could look like.

CSS Zen Garden broke the norm of the websites we were used to seeing at the time - crowded blocky tabular-based layouts that lacked personality. It was a revelation and a turning point in web design standards!

As described within the content of every CSS Zen design, its ethos was clear:

The Road To Enlightenment

Littering a dark and dreary road lay the past relics of browser-specific tags, incompatible DOMs, broken CSS support, and abandoned browsers.

We must clear the mind of the past. Web enlightenment has been achieved thanks to the tireless efforts of folk like the W3C, WaSP, and the major browser creators.

The CSS Zen Garden invites you to relax and meditate on the important lessons of the masters. Begin to see with clarity. Learn to use the time-honored techniques in new and invigorating fashion. Become one with the web.

CSS Zen Garden pathed The Road To Enlightenment for me in an entirely different manner - deciding my career.

Having completed my degree in Information Systems at university in 2006, I was at a crossroads as to which IT field I should specialise in. University seems to prepare you for anything apart from how to apply yourself when you exit the final doors of education into the real world.

CSS Zen Garden changed the trajectory of my career. Originally, I considered entering the field of Consulting to then changing my mindset into garnering interest as a Web Developer instead. This has had a lasting effect. Even after 18 years, I am still involved in Web Development. I tend to focus more on backend functionality rather than look and feel.

The CSS Zen Garden community spawned a variety of other designs from talented Web Developers that encompassed a design flair. But the design that started it all, 001, will always hold a special place in my heart. The unforgettable Japanese elements - the Itsukushima Shrine, water lilies, and a blossom tree.

All the designs have stood the test of time and even through the age of modern web browsers and high-resolution screens, they still present a timeless look that fills me with nostalgia.