How we’re moving towards a leaner, simpler web

We should start applying the KISS (keep it short and simple) principle to websites. A website should only be as complex as it needs to be to complete its mission. And for most cases, simple websites are generally better. That’s the short version.

They load faster. You find what you came for. You read. You click. You buy. As much as page builders try to sell you on unlimited design flexibility, having a more complex design just for the sake of it doesn’t solve anything.

Sometimes you want more on a site than a simple text and some images. You as a user want to feel something. Apple’s product pages do that beautifully. The animations. The scroll effects. It storytelling at its core and a simple text document just wouldn’t cut it, and I see that perspective.

But most sites aren’t telling a story. Especially in industries like food, local services, or events, webdesign often gets in the way the content. A restaurant site with ten full-screen sliders, a cookie banner and giant popup doesn’t bring anything to the table if the user ends up searching the opening hours for 5 minutes. And yes, we have all been in this scenario.

Design should follow purpose, not the other way around.

And while I do believe that ultimately the concept of each website completely controlling what the user is seeing will get replaced (my thoughts here are following shortly in another text!), that doesn’t mean that (for now) all websites should look plain or stripped down. The web thrives on personality. Color, playfulness, creativity, yes please. But again, don’t make that stand in the way of function.