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

Submitter’s comments: I found this website from an ad in a website that is about genuine food. I trusted the ad, thinking the website must be good if it’s on this type of website.

However, upon seeing the site I see only: “click to read.” Then I see lots of buttons, making me feel that using the website is complicated.

Then I actually read the content. The content does not suck.

Apparently, the website is done is a format which is used in newspapers that you can read on the Internet and catalogs for websites that sell stuff.

The website is unusual in that it has no content except for the “click to read” part. Usually, you can read the content immediately.

Did I mention the website’s content uses words that I don’t know what they mean—even if Swedish is one of my two native languages?

The website uses a mechanism where the website can be scrolled up and down and to the sides, which I don’t know if that exists on other websites.

Vincent Flanders’ comments: What’s wrong with this site can be summed up in three words: “Flash. Flash. Flash.” Geez.

Chef in a box

Submitter’s comments: Focus, people, focus. Organize a bit – try a real menu. If you have your first page filled with almost-every-conspiracy-out-there, most visitors just might think you are more than eccentric. The site does give some warning:

To best understand this site, we highly recommend the classic movies “They Live” think of it as a partial documentary. Also see “The Matrix” and think of it as an analogy of life on earth. (Ignore the two sequels).

As a two-for-one, visit the sister site for knowledge of health and conspiracies not influenced by those nasty extra-terrestrials using us as batteries.

Vincent Flanders’ comments: Another great example that fits in with my article: Over-the-top Websites. There is a wonderful warning on the home page that would fit right here on WPTS:

WARNING!

If you get upset, stressed or angry after reading anything on this site, do this simple kinesiology technique called EMOTIONAL STRESS RELIEF

Great idea!

Meta-Tech

Submitter’s comments: Sure their audience are contractors and weekend-warriors looking for that one item that will turn their garage into next “Binford workshop of the week.”

And their prices for items such as angle grinders, ratcheting tie downs and pneumatic tires probably can’t be beat.

Still, you’d think a company with over 400 stores and 20 million loyal customers could do a bit better than posting to their homepage a regurgitation of the printed flyer that fills our mailbox (and later serves as a drop cloth for our paint).

Or at least leverage jQuery for a bit more than nagging users of IE 7 that their browser is as crufty as the home page currently displayed — like say collect analytics on which coupons catch the visitor’s attention?-)

Vincent Flanders’ comments: Gee. I thought Flyer websites were a thing of the past.

Harbor Freight Tools

Submitter’s comments: This is one of the worst active website designs I’ve ever seen.

It takes up literally less than a quarter of my screen, and all 8 (yup, just 8) pages are the same ridiculous size. Oh, except for the one that has the completely mismatched tiled gradient background image that was clearly made to fit that teeny viewport.

I don’t even remember having a screen small enough for that to make sense, especially by the time websites became a “thing.” Do yourself a favor and don’t be tempted to look at the page source; it’s guaranteed to make your brain start dribbling out of your
ears. And yes, they’re still a functional company.

Vincent Flanders’ comments: I don’t believe the site is that “active.” As the photo below shows, the home page was last modified on March 24, 2005. It isn’t an active site if it’s been eight years without a redesign.

The header tells us the home page was last modified eight years ago and looks like it was designed back in the 640×480 days of the web.

This is another one of those “I hope they don’t depend on their website for business” websites. I suspect they don’t need the web. Still, the site sucks.

Gorwood Systems

From Seth Godin’s blog Dilbert understands design.