23 Sep 2008

Bad Ideas That Refuse To Die

Over the years I’ve encountered some stubbornly persistent web site myths/mistakes. At the risk of offending past/present/future clients, here are the ones I get asked to implement most often:

Launching external links in new windows

There’s still a surprisingly widespread perception that new windows mean you can keep visitors on your site and therefore improve its performance.

Inappropriate use of dropdown menus

Fancy navigation that immediately exposes the site’s structure can be great for knowledgeable users who know what they want; it’s often a poor choice for introducing products/services, where you need to lead users through a process of gradual discovery and interaction.

All-Flash sites

Hybrid HTML/Flash sites are usually a superior option in the long run, but design-led businesses find it hard to let go of full control of text rendering, transitions, etc.

Important information in PDFs

“We’ll just stick all that into a PDF.” PDFs are great for printing and packaging up a large amount of content into a single file, but using them for core content is a mistake.

Splash screens

This one can be tough to deal with, but I try to find ways to combine the purpose of the splash screen (visual impact, setting the tone) with that of the home page (offering introductory content and navigation options).

A decent developer knows when they’re being asked to do something that might be a bad idea. A good developer can understand the reasoning behind the request, even if they disagree with it. A first-rate developer knows how, and when, to use that understanding to steer towards sensible solutions.

I don’t think any of us ever feel we’ve truly mastered that last bit.