Some UX/UI trends should have disappeared years ago—but they’re still here, dragging your product down. Discover what to ditch and what to replace them with for modern, human-first design.
Every year, the UX/UI world declares certain trends “dead.”
And yet—scroll through enough landing pages or mobile apps, and you’ll still see them.
Ghost buttons. Scroll-jacking. Endless carousels. Overcomplicated dark modes.
Why won’t these outdated patterns go away?
Because bad design doesn’t always look bad.
Sometimes, it looks “trendy.”
Other times, it’s just been handed down unchecked from one handoff to the next.
At Qquench, we’ve seen these legacy patterns cause real damage: confused users, dropped sessions, mistrust.
Here’s what we’re done with—and what we use instead.
UX of Scroll-Jacking: Let Me Scroll, Don’t Take Control
When you hijack a user’s scroll to match your animation timeline, you’re not innovating.
You’re breaking trust.
Users expect control. Scroll-jacking takes it away. It’s disorienting, inaccessible, and almost always unnecessary.
Instead, we use delightful scroll triggers—moments of interaction that respond to the user, not override them.
Nielsen Norman Group agrees: Don’t Break Scrolling Expectations
The Endless Carousel: Pretty, But Pointless
Carousels feel like a “safe” choice for showcasing multiple features or products.
But most users never click past the first slide.
They:
- Reduce visibility
- Confuse focus
- Kill performance on mobile
We opt for modular content layouts and scrollable cards with progressive reveals. Cleaner. Measurable. Accessible.
Data shows this too: CXL Conversion Research on Carousels
Form Fields That Think They’re Fancy
Floating labels. Hidden form fields. Microcopy that disappears after the first keystroke.
Cool in theory. Frustrating in real life.
We use high-contrast, persistent labels, thoughtful helper text, and one action per moment. No guessing games.
Inspired by: Luke Wroblewski’s Form Design Best Practices
Dark Mode for the Aesthetic, Not the User
Dark mode can be fantastic—for users who need it.
But slapping on dark mode because it “looks sleek” can create accessibility issues, readability strain, and brand confusion.
Our dark mode strategy:
- Only where contextually relevant
- Contrast-tested
- Optional for users, not default
See how Apple’s guidelines differ from trendy one-size-fits-all approaches: Apple Human Interface Guidelines
The Qquench Difference: Pattern-Breaking with Purpose
We don’t reject design patterns just to be edgy.
We replace them with modern UX that works for brains—not trends.
We design:
- With clarity, not clutter
- For memory, not motion sickness
- With accessibility as the standard, not the bonus round
Because good UX isn’t about looking like a Behance shot.
It’s about feeling right, every time.
If your product still carries any of these legacy trends, it’s not too late.
Start by asking:
“Is this helping the user?”
If the answer is anything but an enthusiastic yes—it’s time to let it go.
Design isn’t about following trends.
It’s about leading users—clearly, kindly, and confidently.
Let’s ditch the fluff and build what works.
