We're Sorry, This Post Does Not Exist
I recently was tasked with the job of creating a standard 404 error page for a client of ours, and was left wondering, "What style should I go with?"
The Classic:
Blockbuster.com
YouTube.com
CNN.com
The Tastefully Entertaining:
Woot.com
FourSquare.com
SaintArnold.com
The Directional:
PopCap.com
Coca-Cola.com
Carsonified.com
Eonline.com
The Completely Off the Wall:
AdultSwim.com
ComedyCentral.com
Aardman.comI started thinking of all sorts of creative ways to tell users they were in the wrong spot… but then I realized who my client was and I sadly decided on The Classic. Maybe someday I'll get to create a fun and engaging error page that has a monkey holding a baby or something else ridiculous on it.
Sigh… One can dream.
In the meantime, have you come across some well-done custom error pages? Please share!
Maxine Ramirez is a Technology Team Lead who enjoys looking out for new and innovative web technologies. She keeps balance by playing tug-of-war with her dog Petey.
Comments on "We're Sorry, This Post Does Not Exist"
March 11th, 2010 Laura
Everytime I saw this on the homepage, I thought it was an error!!! Great post!
March 23rd, 2010 a
Maxine, How about this one...? "You've reached a page that exists but needs your input to be visible." The page begin to interact with the users mouse movements and begins building, painting, what have you & then links appear & video windows & places to input name, age, birth date, license numbers etc... then everything goes black then white! Long Pause...then a dot, bleeping @ center stage, it begins a song and dance & then THROWS is arms out singing about human powered helicopters as it arms become wing-blades, yes WING BLADES not sling blades & our winged-dot begins hovering when a measuring stick superimposes to measure the height of the hover, 2, 2.5 meters threeeeeee meters 3.1 meters A CLOCK appears showing 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, SPEEDS to 52, phases to 57, 58, 59, 60 SECONDS as the clock CONTINUES! ONE MINUTE:23, 24 25, headlines appear from the wing blades to become a crowd of people cheering WHITE OUT... THIS PAGE HAS BEEN SPONSORED BY, LEO - Low Earth Orbit - HPHP - Human Powered Helicopter Project. http://www.facebook.com/pages/LEO-LowEarthOrbit-HPHP-HumanPoweredHelicopterProject/327959900370?ref=ts ...AND...why NOT sell 404 ERROR pages to advertisers that create 'time consuming BRANDING type 404 ERROR pages? Thanks for allowing me to share this invention, patented under the FREE TRADE & PATENT OFFICE OF inioneUNIversal, linc. an ideasign™ by i-dea™. Your friend who does exist, a b of i.
March 23rd, 2010 a
Maxine, How about this one...? "You've reached a page that exists but needs your input to be visible." The page begin to interact with the users mouse movements and begins building, painting, what have you & then links appear & video windows & places to input name, age, birth date, license numbers etc... then everything goes black then white! Long Pause...then a dot, bleeping @ center stage, it begins a song and dance & then THROWS is arms out singing about human powered helicopters as it arms become wing-blades, yes WING BLADES not sling blades & our winged-dot begins hovering when a measuring stick superimposes to measure the height of the hover, 2, 2.5 meters threeeeeee meters 3.1 meters A CLOCK appears showing 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, SPEEDS to 52, phases to 57, 58, 59, 60 SECONDS as the clock CONTINUES! ONE MINUTE:23, 24 25, headlines appear from the wing blades to become a crowd of people cheering WHITE OUT... THIS PAGE HAS BEEN SPONSORED BY, LEO - Low Earth Orbit - HPHP - Human Powered Helicopter Project. http://www.facebook.com/pages/LEO-LowEarthOrbit-HPHP-HumanPoweredHelicopterProject/327959900370?ref=ts ...AND...why NOT sell 404 ERROR pages to advertisers that create 'time consuming BRANDING type 404 ERROR pages? Thanks for allowing me to share this invention, patented under the FREE TRADE & PATENT OFFICE OF inioneUNIversal, linc. an ideasign™ by i-dea™. Your friend who does exist, a b of i.
March 23rd, 2010 Stef
haha - good article. i love the funny approaches. its like "making fun of your own mistake" ;)
March 25th, 2010 adam
Awesome post!
April 9th, 2010 Charles Xavier
Can you bring back some Riccobene's from Chicago!?