Introduction

Website design trends come and go. Some stand the test of time and enhance user experience. But other trends quickly go out of style or get implemented poorly, creating a bad user experience. Avoid letting design trends backfire by watching out for these 5 cringeworthy website mistakes.Falling for flashy gimmicks that frustrate users, using too many fonts and colors creating visual chaos, failing to optimize for mobile devices resulting in poor usability, cluttering layouts with excessive ads and popups leading to distraction, and implementing complex animations that slow down performance are some pitfalls to steer clear of when designing websites. Keeping things simple, functional, and user-friendly should be the priority.

1. Unreadable Color Schemes

Vibrant, bold colour palettes are trending in website designs. When done right, lively colours attract attention and bring energy to a site. However, poor colour choices can make text unreadable. For example, red text over a green background strains the eyes. Some colour combinations lack sufficient contrast. Iridescent, neon hues may dazzle but cause accessibility issues.

Takeaways:

– Test colour schemes to ensure text readability. Use colour contrast checkers.

– Avoid pure reds and greens next to each other.

– Employ shades with enough contrast between background and text colours.  

– Make sure colour schemes work for those with visual impairments.

2.Complex Rotating Carousels

Image carousels spotlight content in a rotating slider. When kept simple, they work well to feature promos or announcements.But overly complex carousels with too many images, glitchy transitions, and tiny navigation dots frustrate users. They may not notice how to stop the slider. Out-of-control carousels feel like distracting carnival rides.

Takeaways:  

– Limit carousels to 3-5 images max.

– Allow sufficient time to view each image before auto-rotating.

– Make navigation indicators prominent.

– Avoid transition effects that are too jarring.

– Place carousels thoughtfully, not at the top of every page.

3.Overbearing Multimedia

Video backgrounds, 3D objects, and parallax effects add multimedia flair to websites. When applied to enhance content delivery, multimedia engages visitors’ senses.But gratuitous animation and effects for the sake of trends bog down performance. Distracting multimedia obscures other page elements. It detracts more than adds value for users seeking information.

Takeaways:

– Use multimedia and motion thoughtfully to aid understanding.

– Avoid slow-loading resource-heavy elements that delay page display.  

– Prevent animations from interfering with reading text and clicking buttons.  

– Don’t let effects overtake a website’s core content and purpose.

4.Clunky Mobile Menus

Mobile navigation menus must adapt to compact screens. Off-canvas slide-out menus work beautifully when designed well. But clunky menus requiring too many taps overwhelm mobile users. Non-intuitive labels, unclear hierarchy, and menus that block content frustrate visitors.

Takeaways: 

– Structure mobile menus simply with the clearest top categories.

– Use familiar labels like “Menu” instead of cryptic icons.

– Animate menus for clear opening and closing actions.

– Position menus so they don’t obscure too much content.

– Eliminate mobile menus if a simplified bottom bar navigation will suffice.

5.Anything That Causes Motion Sickness!

Yes, websites can actually give users motion sickness with dizzying designs. Excessive movement and disorientation disrupt user focus. Parallax scrolling, 3D effects, video sliders, and other frenetic elements make some nauseous. Stick to subtle, natural motion like gentle scaling and fading transitions.

Takeaways:

– Avoid intense movement, spinning, or simulated 3D effects.

– Allow users to easily pause or stop motion.

– Give opt-out alternatives for those sensitive to motion.

– Remember websites don’t need to be amusement park rides.

Conclusion

Sometimes website redesigns introduce design trends that do more harm than good for usability. If your current website is riddled with obnoxious design elements that drive users crazy, a website revamp is in order.Partnering with a professional web design agency can reset your website to be trendy yet functional. Through strategic UX design planning, they can incorporate styles that engage users rather than turning them off. The goal is finding the sweet spot between trendy web design and human-centred interfaces that accomplish business goals. Don’t let flashy trends undermine the purpose of your website and value for visitors.With careful testing and user feedback, you can leverage the latest web and UX design trends to create a site that uniquely represents your brand while optimising for usability. Move forward with trending design elements that add value. But avoid cringe-worthy mistakes that make users bounce in frustration.