Why Your UI Looks “Off” (And How to Fix It)

#webdev #frontend #ui #uidesign

Sometimes your UI looks fine… but still feels weird. Off. Not polished.

Here’s why — and how to fix it fast 👇

1. Spacing is all over the place

If your UI feels messy, it’s usually the spacing.

Fix

Use one scale everywhere: 8 / 12 / 16 / 24 / 32.

Just doing this makes the whole design cleaner instantly.

2. No clear text hierarchy

If all text looks the same, nothing stands out.

Fix

Think simple:

Big = important
Medium = supportive
Small = details

3. Colors are too strong

Bright colors everywhere make your UI feel “beginner”.

Fix

Use soft neutrals.

Save bright colors only for ONE thing: actions.

4. Things don’t align

Even a good UI looks amateur if items don’t line up.

Fix

Left-align. Use a grid.

Your entire UI looks 2× more professional immediately.

5. Shadows are heavy

Harsh shadows = cheap UI feel.

Fix

Use soft, barely-there shadows.

Or skip shadows and use spacing instead.

6. Too many borders

Borders everywhere create noise.

Fix

Use contrast instead:

Slightly darker background
More spacing
Light shadows

7. Not enough breathing room

If your UI feels cramped, this is why.

Fix

Add more padding than you think you need.

Whitespace = premium.

Quick summary

If your UI looks “off”, fix these:

Spacing
Text hierarchy
Color saturation
Alignment
Shadows
Borders
Whitespace

Small changes → 90% UI problems fixed✅

For 10%, wait for part II

Top comments (6)

William Morris • Dec 20 '25

Great list. Two things I would add: I agree with using soft neutral colors, but maintain contrast! What looks trendy and modern to your eyes on your expensive monitor goes invisible on cheaper monitors, or monitors at the wrong angle, and definitely for users of low vision.

Stronger colors for actions: absolutely! Shippo, for example, uses softer colors for their buttons, and every action you could take on their website looks disabled.