OVERVIEW
France
initially lagged behind with
the Internet, mainly because
it already had its own national
network, Minitel. Nevertheless,
over the last couple of years,
Internet use has risen sharply,
providing a market for a rash
of agencies to spring up. An
increasing number of global
agencies have French offices
- such as Ogilvy Interactive,
whose somptuous Paris office
was featured in last month's
"Cool place section".
However there's also a number
of smaller design boutiques
who are creating imaginative
work. The French education system
helps: "We have several
excellent art schools which
specialise in digital creation
and computer image," says
Chman's Claire Giard.
STYLE
"French
Web Designers have the ability
to step back,"says JohnJohn's
Christine Boulanger. "Their
work may seem to be more conservative
but it's made up of a rich artistic
and literary culture. This could
become a durable value in the
often flashy, artificial and
ephemeral Internet World."
One
key influence is France's rich
tradition of comics (dessins
animés). In France, they're
taken very seriously. It's no
surprise, therefore, to find
some fantastic animation being
produced by French agencies,
who very quickly latched into
the entertainment possibilities
of Flash.
There's also the influence of
cinema - another form of popular
culture which is arguably taken
more seriously in France. Many
Web designers started off in
the French film industry, and
continue to be informed by the
dynamics and visual language
of cinema.
