Web is quite a new place to draw history from and learn from there. However, there are some websites that have successfully established a legacy in such a rapidly evolving environment of the web. Drudge Report is one such website that has been holding up the standard since the beginning of its time and is still doing pretty good. In fact, it tops the list. Founded in 1996 by Matt Drudge, it started off as a subscriber-based dispatch.

But what makes a website like Drudge Report, with an outdated feel, one of the best designed news sites that has ever lived?

The trouble is understanding the fundamentals of design and what it really stands for. Instead of it just being pretty with glossy buttons and a colorful theme with great hues, there are other things that makes a design create relevance to the purpose of its existence.

On the basis of its core functionality and usability, Drudge Report is nailing all those skeptical looks with the following web design development tactics that are simple.

Timeless Design

A lot many people talk about timelessness of the design but they are unable to pull it off. Drudge Report has perfectly pulled off this aspect by ensuring the staying power is there without being time stamped. The ALL CAPS headlines have been surviving each and every trend and era, design do’s and don’ts. It is neither old, nor new, it’s just Drudge with black and white monospaced font and a generic list of links.

Good Clutter

Drudge ensures that headlines are always ALL CAPS but are sometimes italicized and if there’s something big that’s happening, the infamous siren warns you. Then there are three columns containing headlines only some of which have photos with them and some that don’t. If a particular headline is sensational or controversial, it will be colored in red. Not to forget the big ad right on top of the website, with others sprinkling down as you scroll down. Stories aren’t even grouped which makes it all the more interesting as your eye darts around for something interesting as you wander and make random discoveries.

Renowned Brand Name

Everybody knows “Drudge” because of the efforts of the site to have developed a renowned brand name throughout these years. It is always the first to break the stories and often becomes a source for news reporters to check what’s going on. Also the design is absolutely unique that beats all other design and development elements of the news site. This creates a massive recognizable brand. More news websites could learn How to Create a Strong Brand Identity Design from Drudge.

Easier to Maintain & Manage

The website is overall super easy to maintain as there is no fancy CMS, rather no CMS at all. Edited by hand, the overheads are minimal, say thousands in a year, but provides even greater returns, say millions in a year. To add to the wise approach, Matt Drudge himself runs the website with one other guy who happens to be a part-time contributor. Since the design is overall simple and it’s a one-page website, there are less people required and minimum technology utilized.

One-Pager

Drudge Report is a website that consists of one page only. Each visitor is directed to and is completely focused upon one page only, zero distractions. By doing so, Drudge ensured that there’s zero load time and no buffering. One page with three columns comprising of pieces of news that reveals instant content. This makes it Google-fast – impressive, isn’t it?

Breaking News Actually Feels Like Breaking News

Breaking news on any other news website could be just anything, even unimportant matters that sometimes people would care least about. Breaking news, however, on Drudge Report is really a breaking news that you just want to know more about. It’s newsworthy.

Now you know what Drudge Report did what others didn’t. The way all the content, load times and overall UX has been affixed in this website is simple yet inspiring. Grab on to these lessons to apply in your designs and spread the word!