The New Question You Should be Asking About Your Website
I’m about to say something that miiiiight be pretty controversial in the world of website design.
But hear me out.
When it comes to websites, I’m finding lately that sometimes… “bad design” can be better than beautiful design.
I say that in quotes because honestly, it’s not BAD bad design if it’s working on some level, right? And that’s exactly what’s happening.
What I mean is this: for awhile now, we’ve been seeing a LOT of the sameness in website design — clean, professionally designed websites that feature full-width photos and editorial-esque font pairings and sleek color palettes. And to be honest, I also love this aesthetic; it looks super profresh and put together, and I just know that the website I’m on is backed by a company or person who cares about presentation.
HOWEVER… we sort of lost the plot somewhere along the way.
All of these sleek, clean-looking websites are starting to feel the same on some level. Not totally unlike (don’t throw your drink at me) the idea of templates or even AI-generated websites feeling overly similar these days.
(And that’s coming from someone who loves a good template; just make sure you integrate some of YOU into the finished product.)
We’re at a point in website design where almost anyone can create a beautiful, sleek website. But too much of anything starts to feel… boring. And nothing stands out.
So this is where we have to consciously remind ourselves: a website’s job isn’t just to function as a pretty billboard. It’s to make the right person feel like they’re in the right place and guide them to the right thing. And if a “messy” website accomplishes that and the pretty website doesn’t, the messy website wins every time.
Now, when I talk about a “messy website” and “bad design” — this doesn’t mean to toss all design principles out the door and throw up a subpar website willy nilly. But it does mean to take a beat and look at your site through the eyes of someone who’s visiting for the first time:
Does the brand seem trustworthy, based on the website?
Too many “sleek” websites are coming off as scammy or impersonal these days.
Does it seem as though there are real humans who CARE behind the company?
This is a HUGE differentiating factor right now.
Does it come across as different or better than similar companies out there in some way?
How are you standing out in your industry and how is that being showcased online?
Is it memorable?
This is also a big one with all of the sameness in website design these days.
Good design matters. But how we measure good design also matters.
The question is shifting from “does it look professional?” to “can I trust this brand?” and “does this it feel as though the person or company on the other side of this screen even cares?”
If you’ve been holding back on launching your website until every layout is “perfect,” understand this first and foremost: clarity in your messaging and personality behind your brand is probably doing WAY more for you than you even realize.
With love, this is your permission to just launch the dang thing.
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Listen, I know designing a Squarespace website can feel overwhelming.
Like, REALLY overwhelming. (Especially when you're trying to do it between client calls and actual life stuff.)
If you're reading this and thinking "this all sounds great but I literally don't have time for any of this," I hear you.
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P.S. If you end up designing your Squarespace website using these tips, I'd love to see it! Tag me and show off that gorgeous site you created.
