Why Standardized Website Design Is a Feature, Not a Flaw

A design-focused argument published on DEV Community contends that the growing visual similarity among websites is a positive development rather than a creative failure. The piece draws on Jakob's Law, which holds that users prefer new sites to work like the ones they already know, reducing the mental effort required to navigate unfamiliar interfaces. The author distinguishes between expressive projects — portfolios, art installations, brand experiences — where originality serves a purpose, and functional websites that operate more like software tools. For the latter category, consistent conventions such as top navigation, recognizable buttons, and standard checkout flows allow users to focus on their goals rather than decoding the interface. The article traces the shift from the early web's brochure-style pages to today's browser-based applications, arguing that design standards should reflect that evolution.