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

 

Worst Websites of the Year

Worst Websites of the Year: 2012-2005

bad websites are like sinking shipsWorst Websites
of 2012

Worst Websites of 2011

Worst Websites of 2010

Worst Websites of 2009

Worst Websites of 2008

Worst Websites of 2007

Worst Websites of 2006

Worst Websites of 2005


Daily Dose of Bad Design (Daily Sucker)

Current Examples of Bad Web Design Presented Daily (direct link)

Bad Web Design

Overview (direct link)


Good Web Design


Web Design Checklists


Subscriptions

opens in new window
My Google + Page

subscribe to my rss feed
Subscribe to RSS feed

Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Twitter

Articles


Everything Else

The Daily Sucker - Current examples of bad web design

The Daily Sucker

Sites featured in articles like Worst Websites of 2010 often are redesigned, which explains why some sites mentioned in my articles don't match their current look. The Daily Sucker features current examples of bad web design which haven't been fixed (yet).

If you see a site that you think sucks, email the URL to me. No personal pages (personal pages are supposed to reflect the individual's personality and artistic freedom) or web site designers (it would look like a conflict of interest), or others of their ilk.

If I think there's some merit to your selection, I may post it along with some commentary. If you know of a site that qualifies, let me know.

Sabletine Fine Pastries – Example #2 of Bad Web Design for March 14, 2011

March 14th, 2011 3:03 am by Vincent Flanders

Submitter’s comments: I like what they have and am still going to go in and check them out for a snack, but their website needs help.

First, the Mystery Meat Navigation is a problem.  I HATE having to click through a site to “see where I’m going to end up” because no one thought to label any of the links.

Their Contact page has everything BUT any way to contact them electronically/via email (which only makes an business with a web presence look Mickey Mouse and unprofessional).

Did you note that their Catering Menu is from 2009 – which either means that they don’t update things often, haven’t changed it in two years or are careless and changed the menu but not the title of it/link to it.  Either way, questionable.

Vincent Flanders’ comments: The “navigation” on the subpages consists of clicking on the “Back” link or on the logo. Not every effective. Also, if you have your monitor set in portrait mode, the lunch menu is down toward the bottom of the page. The menu is an unmarked PDF file.

Sabletine Fine Pastries

Posted in Daily Sucker |


Bear Flag Wine – Example #1 of Bad Web Design for March 14, 2011

March 14th, 2011 3:03 am by Vincent Flanders

Submitter’s comments: I love this site because the designer chose to randomly scatter the navigation across the home page. They even worked the links to Facebook and Twitter into the confusing and ultra-busy artwork.

Vincent Flanders’ comments: I like the fact the site doesn’t insult your intelligence by making you fill in your birthday before you can enter. We all know that today’s six-year-old is smart enough to make himself look like he’s 21.

I also like the artistic choice of colors, but I hate everything else. Nobody should be forced to scroll horizontally. It took awhile for me to figure it out since I’m not used to trying to figure out where the navigation is located.

If you click on “Find Us,” it’s impossible to get back to the home page. Even hitting the [back] button doesn’t help. The problem with offering News is that you need to update your news. The last news item was from September 22, 2009.

Bear Flag Wine

Posted in Daily Sucker, Usability, Web Design, Worst Web Sites |


Davide Cernuschi – Example #2 of Bad Web Design for February 28, 2011

February 27th, 2011 9:09 pm by Vincent Flanders

Submitter’s comments: This site defines Mystery Meat Navigation. Good luck finding ANYTHING on this one

Vincent Flanders’ comments: Just because you’re a great photographer doesn’t mean you have a license to use Mystery Meat Navigation—or any other stupid technique. Yes, I know you’re an artiste, but c’mon. This is pretentious crap.

Oh, and why is the URL “theosbrinkagency.com?”

Davide Cernuschi

Posted in Daily Sucker, Usability, Web Design, Worst Web Sites |


The Serene Experience – Example #1 of Bad Web Design for February 28, 2011

February 27th, 2011 9:09 pm by Vincent Flanders

Submitter’s comments: We’ve been asked to do a job for a masseuse, and so we’ve been researching their competition, and have come across what is possibly the worst site in the world – ever!

It’s full of every bad thing you can think of – cheesy music, butterflies, seagulls, and swans flapping all over the site, sparkly stars, growing flowers, a mad blue background, and it’s absolutely smothered in crap images.

Vincent Flanders’ comments: Well, at least you can read the text.

It’s a classic example of Mistake #6 from Biggest Mistakes in Web Design 1995-2015Have you ever seen another web site? Really? Doesn’t look like it. I call this type of design the “I haven’t taken my antipsychotics in a while school of web design.”

The Serene Experience (Mildly NSWF. Tasteful photos of nude women.)

Posted in Daily Sucker, Usability, Web Design, Worst Web Sites |


Allen College – Example of Bad Web Design for February 23, 2011

February 23rd, 2011 10:10 am by Vincent Flanders

Submitter’s comments: Look at this website for Allen College. I am especially amused by the green menus that appear when you move the mouse over the headings in the blue section near the top. I wonder who picked out that color?

Vincent Flanders’ comments: Wow! The only possible reason this color exists because it’s the school color. I guess the thinking process was, “Let’s make the sliding menus hard to read so visitors will get frustrated and leave.”

I love how the menu gets blocked by the text. And, of course, there are problems with the contrast of the text on the background. (This site gives a really great visual demonstration of contrast.) If you won’t take my word about the need for contrast, take Alistapart’s. Between the two of us, you’ve got the alpha and omega of web design telling you to wo/man up and make your site readable.

For the final word on contrast, here’s a very good article.

A great resource for understanding contrast

Allen College

Posted in Daily Sucker, Usability, Web Design |


« Previous Entries Next Entries »