What most site redesigns get wrong—and how to do it differently.
Most site redesigns fail because they start with the wrong question. The focus keyphrase here is site redesign, and that phrase often triggers a cosmetic mindset: “We need a new look.” But design isn’t decoration. A smarter site redesign begins by asking: What’s not working, and why?
Why Surface-Level Site Redesigns Fail
It’s tempting to treat your site like a brand mood board. New fonts, bigger images, bolder colors. But if your bounce rate is high or conversions are low, aesthetics alone won’t fix it.
Too often, businesses jump into a site redesign because the site “feels outdated.” That instinct isn’t wrong—but the remedy usually is. A fresh coat of paint on a broken layout is still a broken experience. What users care about is clarity, speed, relevance, and trust. Your design should serve those things, not just impress visually.
Start Your Site Redesign With Strategy, Not Style
Before you change a pixel, map the purpose. What are your users trying to do? Where are they getting stuck? What do you need them to understand, believe, or do?
Audit your content. Revisit your brand positioning. Study your analytics. Then and only then should you begin rethinking the structure and design.
That shift in mindset leads to better outcomes because it grounds decisions in goals, not guesses. It’s not just about starting a site redesign—it’s about starting with clarity.
Real Talk: The Redesign Trap
Here’s the tough truth: most “bad” websites weren’t the result of bad designers. They were the result of rushed strategy, unclear goals, and internal politics.
Avoid the trap of:
- Designing by committee
- Skipping user research
- Focusing on trends over usability
- Confusing visual flair with effectiveness
Instead, align your site redesign effort around outcomes:
- Clearer messaging
- Simpler navigation
- Stronger calls to action
- Better performance across devices
Who’s Doing It Right?
Here are brands that approached their site redesigns strategically:
- Stripe: Clean, developer-first design that evolves incrementally based on use cases, not trends.
- Figma: Clear, consistent messaging paired with high-performing UX patterns.
- Airbnb: User-led design, where every update reflects customer behavior and friction points.
- Notion: Their redesign clarified the product offering while keeping the core experience simple.
- Linear: Razor-sharp focus on clarity and performance. No fluff, just fast, functional design.
In Practice: How We Do It at PlanetFab
When clients come to us at PlanetFab asking for help rethinking their website, our first question is always: Why now? We don’t touch visuals until we understand the audience, messaging, and conversion journey. It’s a method we’ve applied to many of our clients—including Noodle.com, when we redesigned their website.
Sometimes, the solution isn’t a full site redesign. It’s rethinking the homepage hierarchy, improving page load speed, or rewriting key messaging. We treat the homepage like a strategic offramp—it should guide visitors through the rest of the site with clarity and intent. If they only see your homepage, they should still walk away knowing exactly what your business does.
Good design is the output of good thinking—and that’s what we focus on at PlanetFab.
If you’re planning a site redesign, clarity and user insight matter far more than aesthetic trends.
Curious how this applies to your brand? Let’s talk.
