Web Pages That Suck - learn good web design by looking at bad web design

Submitter comments: Good tools, really sucky web site.

I went to the Estwing tool site to look up warranty information. Since I block Flash I was greeted by “The Estwing Web site requires the FREE Flash player. Please download Flash now.”

Assuming that I had found a sucker I unblocked the site.

Your eyes are drawn to the hammers at the bottom of the page. Not true mystery meat navigation because, for the most part, the users of the site should be counted on to be able to ID the tools. At the very least it’s overly cute navigation and a totally pointless effect for the sake of cool.

Put your cursor over the Products drop down menu. Isn’t that cute, too? I am assuming someone thought the bounce was “hammerish.”

Select a hammer, any hammer. Instead of a picture of a hammer with its characteristics you get another Flash movie. Since you cannot move the hammer around to see it at different angles, this seems unusually pointless even for a Flash site. Note those circles with the + mark in them. You are instructed to mouse over (them) for more information. Navigation instructions are always a sure sign of web design “quality.” You don’t need Flash because there is plenty of space to put text info on the page.

Oh, note the animated flag! Not a gif! An animated Flash flag.

It would not be difficult to make this purely informational site look nice and be useful without using any Flash. Using Flash for everything on this sort of site is complete nonsense.

Vincent Flanders’ comments: I found it difficult to select a hammer. Unless I was really careful and moved my mouse just right, I couldn’t select the hammer I wanted information about. It’s even worse after you get the correct hammer. Try to select another hammer and the chase is on.

I really hate to say this, but the Flash flag doesn’t bother me because it’s promoting “Made in the USA.” What I object to is throwing a flag up just to have a flag. A lot of Midwest industrial company web sites needlessly feature flags. I’ve never heard of an industrial company — or any company that manufactures a real product — that’s unpatriotic. Have you?

Estwing