10 Web Design Flubs

There is so much that can be said on this subject. The rules of web design are not written in stone and are in constant change. A never-ending metamorphosis of technology, creativity and resources. With that said there are some things most know NOT to do, the crimes of web design. Here we present ten of those crimes, but in no particular order.



Bad Icky Fonts

Papyrus, Curlz MT, Mistral and the notorious Comic Sans. Every designer cringes at the thought of utilizing these fonts. The worst part, fonts like Papyrus are gaining a following and being used in businesses from coast to coast, "its so organic looking!". Case in point: papyruswatch.com


You Are Compressing the Life Out of Me!

The Governator is not pleased. This image once was a 8kb Jpeg, now it is a mere 4kb Jpeg. Half the file size, but at what price? Lets keep those images loading quick and keep them from looking too 8-bit.


Your Stock in Stock Photography

Such an inspiring image. A stern looking man in a business suit surely there are THOUSANDS of applications for this image! Yes and thousands of websites already are using images just like this. Nothing says "I didn't try" like a website stuffed full of cheesy stock images.


The Sound of Music

That sound, oh that sound. Like the eery sound of imminent death from Jason Vorhhees (ch-ch-ch ha-ha-ha) that annoying, uncalled for music playing on your website does not sound "classy" to everyone who visits. Do yourself a favor and give your website the silent treatment.




Your Website After These Intros

Nope, no one wants to see how well you can animate an intro screen to your website, especially if they are a returning visitor. Nothing turns someone away quicker than an intro screen.


You Want to See Another Page? NO.

If a visitor cannot navigate your website, you may as well call it a day. Roads without signs never helped anyone. Keep your navigation apparent and consistent!


Flash Abuse is a Crime

It sure does look cool, no one would deny that. Flash websites allow for an immense amount of creative freedom and open the doors to so many possibilities when creating a website. The drawback? Flash websites are slow to load, can be unsafe for information and search engines do not like them. Using Flash is acceptable, but only in moderation and when appropriate.


Let That Text Breathe.

Typography is your friend on the web. Scanning webpages has become commonplace for most web users and having readable text is of the utmost importance. Give a little time and effort to your text. Line spacing, kerning and short paragraphs help us all.




The Endless Registration Form.

There is nothing wrong with registration forms, they allow us to gather information on from our interested visitors in exchange for something, a trade-off. If your registration form takes up an entire page and reminds people of a form from the DMV, good luck getting it filled out.


Know more web design no no's? Leave a comment, maybe in Comic Sans if your feeling it or discuss this with us on Twitter @spring_above