Any obsolete software or business or design trend in the web designing industry is scrapped immediately as web designing is a part of web development industry which is highly creative and is undergoing a constant process of renewal and innovation every day.
New techniques and trends are surfacing every now and then and only those web designers are able to generate pleasing designs who stay focused and updated. Following are the 10 most obsolete web designing techniques that no longer work and every web designer must stop using.
Drop shadows
Drop shadow option in Photoshop often provides a layer of dramatic shadow which might have pleased the viewers in the past but doesn’t do so any more as it takes away from the seriousness and reality of the text. Therefore drop this technique and play with darker backgrounds if you want to use shadows as darker background makes the text seem more important.
Bursts
Not a long time back, everything that needed to be dramatically highlighted such as discount offers and dramatic announcements were used with the burst effect. However if you’re still using it, you should know it doesn’t work anymore and more sophisticated options are now available.
Excessive cursive text
While cursive text has been a hit in the past and has helped web designers portray information in a vintage style, too much of it if used today has proven to put off viewers who prefer simpler fonts and straighter text alignment unlike their older counterparts.
The gloss effect
How can one forget the shiny gloss that was often used to add a sense of being premium to any component on a website! However the current success mantra in web design is ‘go minimal’ which is why it is recommended that the gloss effect be dropped for more sophisticated and simpler matte look.
Emboss
The emboss effect was a success in the 90’s and early 21st century but it soon faded away as viewers got taken away by simpler texts and minimum effects websites. So say no to emboss and yes to minimalism and experimentation.
Bevel
Gone are the days of bevel. Web users now prefer straighter and more uniform lines and edges. Too much of slanting puts off the web viewer of today.
Too much Graphics and no text
Web users today are more intelligent and want adequate text to accompany the graphics. So only graphics is no longer an option and should be completely removed from your mind as a web design technique. Make sure you integrate graphics but support it with intelligent text as well.
Clutter
While putting too much information and options on the home page might have been successful just a few years back, it is not so anymore. Web viewers today prefer very neat and clean web pages that have ample empty space which gives a sense of minimalism and highlights the importance of what little is there.
Splash Page
Do you still provide a splash page before the home page? If yes, it’s high time you discontinue this practice. Splash pages are no longer considered ‘impressive’ or ‘catchy’.
Blinking text
While the blinking text might have been an attractive effect in the past, it renders a sense of non-seriousness and insignificance in today’s times. It has been replaced by no-frills text and limited colour-palette designs.
