1. Unaligned elements
Headings that start 3px left of the paragraph, icons that sit at different heights, cards of slightly different widths. Individually invisible; together they make a site feel cheap. Fix: a column grid and a spacing scale, and the habit of turning on layout guides before every review.
2. Tap areas that are too small
Links and buttons under 44px tall on a phone get mis-tapped, which users experience as the site being broken. Apple and Google both specify around 44 to 48px minimum. Fix: pad the target, not the text; a small link can sit in a large tappable box.
3. No button hierarchy
Every button the same bold orange, so the user cannot tell Buy from Cancel. Fix: one primary style for the main action, one secondary (outline) for alternatives, one text-only for minor actions. A screen should rarely have more than one primary button.
4. Generic stock photos
The handshake, the laptop on a white desk, the smiling headset. Visitors recognise stock instantly and trust the page less. Fix: real photos of the team and the work, even imperfect ones; product screenshots; or well-made illustration. Our company page uses the actual team for this reason.
5. Following trends blindly
Glassmorphism, neumorphism, giant cursor effects, scroll-jacking. Trends date fast and often cost usability: neumorphic buttons have poor contrast; scroll effects break on phones. Fix: adopt a trend only when it solves a problem for your users, and test on a mid-range Android before shipping. The web design trends piece sorts the durable from the disposable.
| Mistake | Check | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Alignment | Turn on grid overlay | Everything on the grid |
| Tap targets | Inspect element size on mobile | 44px or larger |
| Buttons | Count primaries per screen | One |
| Photos | Reverse image search your hero | Zero stock matches |
| Trends | Test on a mid-range Android | Works without effects |
Common questions
- What is the minimum tap target size?
- Around 44 by 44 CSS pixels, per Apple's guidelines; Google's Material recommends 48. Anything smaller produces mis-taps on real phones.
- Are stock photos always bad?
- Not always, but generic ones are. A specific, well-chosen stock image that fits the content can work; a clichéd business scene signals that the company has nothing real to show.
- How many button styles should a website have?
- Three is enough: primary, secondary and text. Fewer styles make the important action obvious and the interface easier to maintain.
