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The Art of the 404/Broken Link Page

by Leila Brillson on September 12, 2009 at 04:01 PM

Here's a key to good design: Think about things everyone has grown accustomed to -- mugs, mice, modems -- and give it a breath of fresh air. Keep it engaging, functioning, but eye-catching. For geeks, the place to re-energize and stretch their creative legs is the old fashioned '404' page. Usually displaying a message like "File not found," "Link Broken," or "No Such Page," these notifications have frustrated us all in our Web wanderings. The rare page that strays from the norm by offering up a witty note or humorous story helps to lighten the annoyance of getting lost on the Web.

EConsultancy broke down the best of 404 pages, highlighting key needs, like retaining visitors, or effectively sending them to another page on the site. Writer Jake Hird points out, "Customising the 404 page of your website to make it more appealing and more helpful is a great way to improve experience and capture users for longer." His examples include the simple graphic of Heinz and the existential diagram of NextWave, both beautifully designed.

Here are a few we'd like to add to the list:
[From: EConsultancy.com, via Urlesque]

Tags: 404, broken link, BrokenLink, humor, top, web design, WebDesign

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