Website (Over) Design – The Dangers of Over-Engineering

Food Delivery Website

The Temptation of Standing Out: How Over-Engineering Can Hurt Your Website

The temptation to make your website stand out is natural. Who doesn’t want their site to feel innovative and unique? But while many ideas seem cool in theory, not all of them translate well into practice—especially when it comes to user experience (UX). And this isn’t just about tech novices; even experienced users can get frustrated by overly fancy designs. (If you’re a fan of horizontal scrolling, no shade!)

Two Common Ways Websites Overdo It

  1. Too Many Features
    A website has countless elements to consider, and it’s easy to get carried away with ideas. But a site that tries to do everything often ends up overwhelming its audience. Even a handful of standout features can create a cluttered, messy experience.

  2. One Overcomplicated Feature
    Take horizontal scrolling as an example. Unless your site’s purpose is something unconventional (like the creative experiments seen on The Pudding), this kind of deviation can frustrate users. It breaks from convention and risks losing their trust—or their business—before they even get started. If your site’s behavior isn’t intuitive, visitors might not stick around to figure it out.

The key takeaway? People rely on learned behaviors from years of browsing the web. Your site should work with that knowledge, not against it. You can be cool without forcing users to rethink how websites work.

Keep It Simple (It’s Not the Same as Minimalism)

Choosing simplicity in web design might sound boring, but it’s incredibly effective for your business. And let’s be clear: simplicity isn’t minimalism.

Simplicity is about removing unnecessary clutter—keeping only what’s essential. Minimalism can be simple, but not all simple designs are minimalist. The real question to ask yourself is whether your fancy features actually serve a purpose. If they don’t, they’re just getting in the way.

Looking cool shouldn’t harm your user experience. After all, the whole point of looking cool is to improve the experience.

The Benefits of Simplicity in Web Design

  1. Speed
    Fewer files, smaller sizes, and cleaner code mean faster load times, which also reduces server costs—especially for large or popular sites.

  2. Scannability
    With fewer distractions, users can focus on what actually matters. A study from Nielsen Norman Group found that concise, scannable content improves usability. While the study is older, it aligns with how most people engage with content online today.

  3. Navigation
    Simplifying your site’s structure makes it easier for visitors to find what they need. Too many call-to-actions (CTAs) or menus only create confusion.

  4. Accessibility
    Overly complex sites can exclude users with cognitive, motor, or visual impairments. Simpler designs—with proper color contrast, captions, and easy navigation—make your site usable for more people.

  5. Mobile-Friendliness
    Fancy features often break or feel clunky on smaller screens. Simplicity ensures smoother functionality across devices.

  6. Maintenance
    Simpler websites are easier to update and debug. When issues arise, fewer layers of complexity make them quicker to fix.

  7. Cost-Effectiveness
    Overengineering drives up development and maintenance costs. If a feature doesn’t add real value, why pay for it?

Complexity vs. Familiarity: What Users Expect

A Google study on website first impressions found that visual complexity and prototypicality significantly affect user perception. Prototypicality refers to how well a website matches what users expect based on its category.

For example:

  • A homepage should look like a homepage.

  • An insurance website should look like an insurance website—not a fitness brand or productivity tool.

When a website doesn’t align with these expectations, users often reject it—both consciously and subconsciously. Even if they figure it out, mismatched design can erode trust and create a less enjoyable experience.

The Role of Cognitive Fluency in Web Design

Cognitive fluency is the idea that people prefer things that are easy to understand. The more mental effort required to process something, the less enjoyable it becomes. Websites that align with user expectations let visitors focus on their goals instead of struggling to navigate.

Related principles include:

  • The Mere Exposure Effect: The more familiar something is, the more people tend to like it.

  • Miller’s Law: The average person can only hold about 7 (plus or minus 2) items in their working memory at once. Some researchers argue this number is even smaller. Overloading users with choices or information disrupts their ability to process your site effectively.

The Dangers of Overengineering

Overengineering happens when a website becomes unnecessarily complex, often for the sake of “perfection” or a “cool factor.” Here’s how it typically happens:

  1. Overcomplicated Features
    Features that don’t align with user needs or solve nonexistent problems. If you’re designing for imaginary scenarios instead of real ones, you’re overengineering.

  2. Inefficient Planning
    A lack of clear goals or research can lead to tacking on unnecessary elements during the development process.

  3. Legacy Bloat
    Older websites often accumulate features and content over time without regular cleanup. This can turn them into unmanageable beasts.

  4. Lack of Ownership
    When no one takes charge of maintaining focus and coherence, every idea gets implemented without regard for the bigger picture.

Keep It Cool and Usable

Overengineering is a costly trap that confuses users and diverts resources from essential functionalities. Simplicity, on the other hand, enhances UX, saves time and money, and helps your site serve its ultimate purpose: delivering value to your audience.

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