Modernista’s siteless site – an agency that ‘gets’ the new web

One of those ‘I wish I had thought of this’ moments happened today. I discovered the website of a Boston-based advertising agency, Modernista. The agency is known for its work on Hummer and the re-design of the BusinessWeek website. The agency’s website unnerves you for a second – making you wonder if you have landed at someplace you shouldn’t have been. The approach: create a ‘site-less site’ that relies entirely on public resources. In other words, create a website as the consumer sees it.

The page has a menubar on the left that directs visitors to the agency’s work: print advertising on Flickr, their YouTube Channel and so on. I think this is clever stuff. It endears the agency to potential employees and clients – who seek agencies that go beyond the traditional way of thinking. It is ironic that several Indian agencies do not even have a website. And when websites are designed there is almost a pattern: intro, about, work, contact. Modernista still has its older versions of the websites on view.

While all this is commendable, Inspiration Room Daily has cleverly pointed out that Modernista’s YouTube channel has no friends, its Twitter page has 121 followers but its not following anyone. However, it is a commendable move – one that sets the agency apart.