Error 404 – The article you tried to reach couldn’t be found on this server.
“Wait, what?” is probably the usual response to getting to this part of the internet. Yup, you’ve found yourself inside the error-404 limbo realm.
Luckily, technology has advanced far enough to let us customize this disappointing page, making it less discouraging. While the result is a definite “no” to whatever it is you’re looking for, at least here, it’s still cool to see that the web designers behind the website took some time to address your feelings.
Let us show some examples of cute, artsy, funny, and relaxing solutions for this inevitable obstacle. Here are five examples of the best 404 pages:
Table of Contents
1. 404 Page by Joan Phillips
Standout Features:
- Maze aesthetics
- Isometric design
- Clever visual symbolism
One of the best 404 pages today was created by Joan Phillips. The design replaces frustration with a smile thanks to its exciting composition.
It features an isometric design with three components: A red message conveying you've hit a dead end, a huge "404" that takes most of the screen, and a button below it that takes you back to the homepage.
404 is presented as three separate mazes with big walls forming the numbers. It's a clever symbol of a visitor lost in a maze.
2. Zoom 404 Error Page by SOHUNTS.NET
Standout Features:
- Digital art blended with real-life photography
- Large, bold font style
- Cosmic atmosphere
SOHUNTS.NET's concept for the infamous page is the next item on our list of the most creative 404 error pages. Similar to the previous entry on this list, the project is based on the concept of getting lost, only this time, the theme is outer space!
The composition uses a heavy bold font style for the typeface and the numbers that expand across the screen. The numbers are centered on the screen with a photo of an astronaut hovering on the hole in the middle of zero.
The design encompasses many overlapping shades of blue and white curved lines. It's combined with real-life visuals like the astronaut. The person is accompanied by two planetoids on either side of them. These elements are deliberately blurred to highlight the concept of feeling lost.
3. Digital Garden
Standout Features:
- Shifting colors
- Subtle background visual
- Thick, groovy font style
The following distinctive 404 error page design is found on Digital Garden's website.
The design's central point is the word "oops!" over the massive "404" in the background. It features a bolded font style and colors that change rapidly, providing a relaxing, colorful experience. Below is a short copy explaining to the visitor that the page doesn't exist.
Lastly, a bright green CTA button redirects you back to the main page.
4. 404 Error Page by Design by Nidhi
Standout Features:
- Minimal illustrations
- Soothing wilderness theme
- Pastel color palette
Another intriguing concept on our best 404 error pages list is created by Design by Nidhi.
This design features beautiful minimal illustrations representing a natural landscape like trees, mountains, birds, and clouds.
The blobby visual embracing the green trees and bushes is built on a pastel color palette that presents a delightful setting for the big black "404" message in the middle. The rounded CTA button inviting you to head back complements the coloring of the trees' lush leaves.
5. 404 Page by Sumaya Mehzabin
Standout Features:
- Dazed and confused theme
- Dark and laid-back
- Dynamic visual elements
Sumaya Mehzabin's 404-page design includes illustrations of a girl and a guy levitating in the night sky filled with stars. Between them is an attention-grabbing red button that takes you back home, and above it rests a translucent 404 text.
The visual elements are dynamic as they hover up and down slowly, setting a dazed and confused atmosphere that's dark but still laid-back and soothing.
Aside from the people, there's also a Bitcoin icon and some other digital and business-related icons surrounding them and complementing the overall flow of the design.
6. Root of Pi LLC
Standout features:
- Playful 404
- Straightforward
- CTA to return to the homepage
The infamous error page on Root of Pi’s website combines valuable information and fun illustrations.
The 404 part is depicted interestingly. The font’s edges are bolded but rounded, so the message doesn’t give off a sharp, too-serious vibe. The “0” has a smiley face in it. Then on top is a doodle of a girl with indistinguishable facial features sitting, facing toward you. On both the left and right, we can see small green blobs close to the 4s.
Beneath the creative 404 lies the usual information that this page cannot be found and an option to help you return to the homepage. The header and footer remain intact, offering you more options for your next step.
7. The Blue Creative
Standout features:
- Minimalistic
- Illustrated 404
- Blank space
One of the best 404 pages is The Blue Creative, which opted for a more direct, minimalist approach with their broken page. We see a blank white space on it with just the most informative elements in the center.
An illustration of a ginger girl with blue pants and a yellow t-shirt accompanies the grey 404. She’s standing in front of the “0.” Her face is slightly annoyed, and her arms are raised as if wondering, “Where’s my content?”
Below the code and the girl, you’ll find your regular explanation that you’ve ended up on the wrong page. The only aspect that breaks the simple design is the small white stick figure in a blue circle at the bottom left side of the screen. When you click it, you’ll find that it offers accessibility adjustments.
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