The Case for Ugly Websites
Open ten new portfolio sites. Count how many have the same template, the same giant serif headline, the same buttery smooth scroll. We'll wait. (We won't have to wait long.)
Some of the most interesting design thinking on the internet lives on sites that look like they were built during a fever dream. That's the point. When there are no rules, you finally learn what the rules were for.
A curated gallery of neo-brutalist websites. Raw layouts, default fonts, colour choices that feel like a dare. Ten minutes here and you'll realise how much of "good" web design is just everyone copying each other politely.
Thousands of Winamp skins from the early internet. Chaotic, hand-made, deeply personal UI from people who had no design system and no fear. Design history nobody teaches. Ideas nobody's using. Free real estate.
The iconic 90s kids' drawing app, back in your browser. Yes, the sound effects are included. No, you won't get any work done today.
An experimental generative art playground. No onboarding. No explanation. No "book a demo" button. Just vibes and pixels.
The counterpoint: a showcase of delightful UI moments and micro-interactions. Proof that weird and polished can live together. Delight just has to be intentional, not accidental.
Ugly is a perspective. Interesting is not.
Real Designers Don't Gatekeep series. More finds every week on @two.sleepyheads.
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