Hi all,

I'm curious about a design/UI trend I've been noticing over for a while: a 2-10px bar/rule/strip of color at the top of websites, buffering the page from, presumably, the browser's toolbars. Is there a UX purpose for this? Does it serve a practical function as well as a formal/aesthetic function?

For reference, see these sites:
http://www.informationarchitects.jp/en/
http://www.alistapart.com/
http://ilovetypography.com/

What's their purpose?

Thanks!

I can't see any practical use for it, it seems purely aesthetic.