The best 404 pages for clever web design inspiration

The best 404 pages have become an art in themselves. They're part of a website that a brand hopes nobody will ever find, but they need to be there in order to minimise the risk of losing potential leads when the inevitable broken link arises. Clever 404 almost almost act like Easter eggs – hidden treats buried in a site – and that feeling of having found something unique can overcome the user's frustration of not getting to the page they wanted.

The idea behind behind the best 204 pages is usually to provide enough surprise, amusement or entertainment to stop the user from automatically hitting the back button or exiting the page, which may mean the end of their journey on the site. And to do this while actually reinforcing a brand identity through a memorable, perhaps even shareable, user experience.

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Ruth Hamilton

Ruth spent a couple of years as Deputy Editor of Creative Bloq, and has also either worked on or written for almost all of the site's former and current print titles, from Computer Arts to ImagineFX. She now spends her days reviewing mattresses and hiking boots as the Outdoors and Wellness editor at T3.com, but continues to write about design on a freelance basis in her spare time.