7 Tired Web Design Trends That Make You Look Dated

The one thing we can be sure of about the internet is constant change. Something ahead of the curve at the start of the year can become tired or stale by the end of it. Web design trends fade and evolve constantly, so if you’re using any of these tired tropes, your website may need a bit of a makeover!

Here are seven web design trends to quit in 2024:

1. Unwanted, Persistent Popups

While browsing through your website, if a user is interrupted by something on the screen, especially if it’s information that may not interest them, it creates a negative user experience.

Site owners added popups to increase conversions, newsletter subscriptions, or offer incentives and promotions. Bad popups show up immediately as you access a site or require a user to accept or reject a promotion/offer. Popups are great if you use them for something unmissable, like a flash sale, but add them in a way that does not completely derail the user’s website experience.

2. Stock Photos

Professional photography is the best way to go for branded, high-resolution pictures of your products. Real images show diversity, are more relatable, and positively impact a website visitor. Believe it or not, even the most novice eye can detect fake/posed stock imagery. In some scenarios, it might make economic sense to use stock photos. If you need to use stock photos, stay away from the generic and overused ones used across the web. When using stock images, try showing ideas or deeper pictorial references rather than people.

3. Inconsistent fonts

Using too many fonts across your website can be tempting, considering the many beautiful fonts available today, but avoid the temptation. Too many fonts can confuse your user and make your content appear very cluttered. Imagine a page where the header, body, menu, and footer have different fonts––that’s too many! This is an easy one to fix. Select a clear and easy-to-read font across your website. You could select a font and use its bold, semibold, regular, and italic iteration for different sections like headers, tag lines, product descriptions, etc. Doing this lets the user distinguish between the content and maintains your brand’s aesthetic.

4. Inaccessibility and Lack of Inclusive Design

If your website is not accessible, it can’t cater to a portion of the population that may have temporary or permanent disabilities. In certain jurisdictions, your website must comply with the accessibility standards laid out in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Is your website accessible and compliant? With an inaccessible website, you may not just be losing out on potential customers but might also be at risk of legal action.

Read the full article here: