These days, they have recognized that they cannot continue to treat half of their users like dirt, so the number of projects with international usability tests is up significantly in 2001. They are looking for a strategic approach to interacting with their customers. The Web can help them learn to be better to their customers in the real world. But they have to put systems in place to make this happen that go well beyond a Flash animation. I did not find all that many that were worthwhile.
Today there are so many that it's impossible to see and read all the good stuff.
Independent content is alive and well. High end design is flourishing. Five years ago, I was not thinking about Web standards. Three years ago, when we launched the Web Standards Project , it mainly appealed to developers who were frustrated at having to code everything three or four different ways. The whole issue of Web standards is no longer mysterious to most Web designers.