Archived Edition of Chromatic Musings

14 big mistakes made in web design

Good things to consider, if you're thinking of building a web site.

1. Believing people care about you and your web site.
2. A man from Mars can't figure out what your web site is about in less than 4 seconds.
3. Mystical belief in the power of Web Standards, Usability, and tableless CSS.
4. Using design elements that get in the way of your visitors (aka Confusing Web Design With Sex).
5. Navigational failure.
6. Using Mystery Meat Navigation. [with the small caveat: "There are certain sites that are allowed to use MMN: music, band, movie, art, experimental, fashion -- sites where making an impression or being cool is mandatory. It's OK because nobody really cares about these sites and their purpose isn't really about making money."]
7. Thinking your web site is your marketing strategy.
8. Site lacks Heroin Content.
9. Forgetting the purpose of text.
10. Too much material on one page.
11. Confusing web design with a magic trick.
12. Misusing Flash.
13. Misunderstanding graphics.
14. AFFrontPage.