No web designer ever starts out with the intention to create a
website that's burdened by mistake after mistake. However, good
intentions never ensure success, which is why many websites all over the
Internet are plagued by web design errors that simply repulse site
visitors from ever coming back...and with good reason!
You know you've encountered these annoying websites when you surfed
the Internet because they always suffer from the same problems. They're
full of slow-loading web pages, extremely small or extremely large text,
the ugliest color combinations you've ever seen, external links failing
to open in new browser windows and pop-up windows galore.
As a web designer - assuming you're a web designer who wants to build
your reputation and credibility - your number one goal is to enhance the
user experience of any site visitor. A person should feel so
comfortable on your site that he wants to keep coming back for
more...and more...and more...
Try to contain your temper as we list the worst web design errors to avoid at all costs.
The Curse of the Slow-Loading Web pages
When visitors come to your site, they want an efficient user experience
that's characterized by fast-loading web pages. No one wants to wait
several seconds for a webpage to finish loading all of its graphics!
That just makes for a frustrating user experience. Besides, patience
isn't a strong suit of a site visitor - nor should it be.
Here's an example of a torturously slow-loading site that will make you want to scream:
Scobleizer.
Even though it's by a guy who worked as a technology evangelist for
Microsoft, Robert Scoble, that didn't help the site avoid the curse of
slow-loading web pages!
If your web pages load in a slow and irritating manner, check to see if you're causing one of two huge errors:
Graphic files that are excessively large
Excessive overuse of graphics in general
What you should do is keep the amount of graphics on your webpages to
a minimum...unless, of course, you know how to include lots of graphics
without sacrificing efficient load times.
Really Small or Really Large Text
One of the most common and aggravating design errors is the inclusion
of too small text on webpages. Sure, small text lets you fit together
lots of information, yet that's negated by the fact that it's extremely
difficult to read. This is particularly true when you look at small text
on a high-resolution monitor.
On the flipside, there are sites whose web pages have really large
text. There's no silver lining here: Large text just looks absolutely
unattractive and amateurish, too. Large text becomes a real nuisance if
you're looking at it on a system that features low resolution such as
800 by 600 pixels.
How do you avoid falling into this trap? Just compare the text you
use on your website to other sites, and be sure to ask various people of
different ages if they're able to comfortably read the text on your
site from just a few feet away from the monitor. If they can't, you've
got to correct the issue.
Here's an example of a site with hard-to-read small text:
Y Combinator's Hacker News. Here's an example of a site with excessively large text:
Kk Designs.
Horribly Ugly Color Combinations
A big part of an enjoyable user experience is looking at a site with a harmonious and inviting color scheme. That's why ugly color combinations are hard to forgive.
Check out this example of horrid color combinations on a website. It's the UK's
Reading Borough Council's website. Note how boring and drab the color scheme is, mainly because its color combination is based on just one color.
Sometimes, simplest is really best: Color combinations that use, for
example, black text on a white background are easy on the eyes and nice
to look at due to minimalist effectiveness. In addition, standard link
colors appear easily. To do a little more, you can always utilize a
graphical bar on a webpage and even include one or two interesting
graphics on a webpage, so that they possess a colorful appearance
without giving up each webpage's readability.
Links Fail to Open in New Tabs or Browser Windows
Some websites let links to other sites open in the same tab or
browser window while other websites allow their links to other sites
actually open in a new tab or window. This may just be a matter of
personal preference for some, but to many more, external links that fail
to open in new tabs or windows are just annoying. They're also
confusing because you can't see at a glance where you've just been.
If your site's external links open in a new tab or window, a site
visitor will feel more in control of his user experience. He'll be able
to quickly reference where the new tab or window opened up to without
losing track of what webpage sent him there! Such a browsing experience
provides superior organization to a person and, thus, more comfort.
The Scourge of Pop-Up Windows
If there's anything as irritating as a plethora of graphics on a site
that slows its load time to a crawl, it's the presence of pop-up
windows that have the user frustratingly clicking away to close them as
soon as they appear. Still one of the classic thorns in the sides of
site visitors, pop-up windows are, at best, a distraction, particularly
if they're just for ads!
Think of it this way: As a web designer, you want your site visitors to
focus on your content and be impressed by it. You do this by providing
extremely valuable content. However, pop-up windows impair the ability
of users to concentrate on your content, and they may also drive them
away. Further, pop-up windows infect your site with a low-quality
appearance. If you want more site visitors, you definitely don't want to
make them associate your site with spamming, which pop-up windows tend
to be viewed as.
Here's an example of a website with intrusive pop-up windows, even though it's popular:
1-800 flowers.com.
Click on various menu tabs and categories of flowers on the site, and
be prepared to encounter the aggravating "See all gifts in your
recipient's location" pop-up window! If you're really lucky, you get to
see the pop-up window prompting you to chat with a customer
representative.
You're Better Than These Web Design Errors!
Avoid these worst web design errors at all costs! Your reputation as a
web designer is on the line, after all. If any of your web design
projects include some of these mistakes, then your credibility can take a
hit, which is not what you want. You want to project yourself as a
highly competent web designer who knows what he's doing.
In addition, your commitment to your
principles as a web designer should absolutely forbid you from
committing any of these design errors. Your number one job is to make
sure a site visitor has the best possible user experience when he comes
on a site designed by you. He won't get that user experience he deserves
if any of these errors are present on your site. So take inspiration
and design a site with user experience first and foremost in your mind!
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