May 1st Reboot : History

May 1st, 2000 - A group of digital design sites disappear from the screen, unannounced. A series of frontpages surface in their place - differentiated only by colour, branded with the words 'MAY 1st REBOOTING' in capitals across a corner of the screen.

For a relatively small group of people, the sequence of launches that followed marked a tectonic shift in notions of collectivity and creativity on the Web. Such a self-conscious gesture of intent broadened the very notion of a design community noticeably, and instigated a general reinvigoration of work done for personal sites. The very idea was a visible move toward a new conception of community, a more public awareness of competition, and perhaps unknowingly, toward a stronger sense of place.

The May 1st Reboot was a spontaneous, coincidental and significant event. It involved the sheer coincidence of a number of designers working in the same studio, moving in the similar social circles, gearing up for their own respective relaunches.

It stimulated the beginnings of a debate that continues into this year - a debate that broadly concerns the merits and possibilities of artistic endeavour on the Web at large, and more specifically how that can reward and motivate both the design community and its audience. As an 'event' occurring across cyberspace, geographically and physically spread across an eclectic group of cities, it demonstrably manifested the scope of web design as a communal concern.

It remains to be seen to what extent this conversation can be extended and amplified via this year's reboot - coincidentally geared to coincide with a large conference in Barcelona just two days later. The intention remains unsullied, and the challenge clear: to continue the beginnings of an evaluation and exploration of this infant medium, and its' growing understanding of community.