The case against the template look

Everything looks the same because everything is built the same. Five ways to break the pattern without breaking usability. This is sample content — replace it with your own article in the CMS.

Starting with a blank tab

Most projects begin with a template in someone’s head. We try to start somewhere else: a walk, a photograph, a piece of music, a building. References from outside the screen give a site its own gravity.

From there we prototype in motion first. A site that moves well usually reads well, because motion forces you to decide what matters and in which order.

What we keep coming back to

Clarity beats cleverness, but cleverness earns attention. The best sites hold both: an unmistakable idea, executed with restraint, on a system that a small team can maintain for years.

Takeaways

Find the place, design the path, animate the moments that matter — and leave the rest alone.