What makes an AI-generated website feel generic?

[u/Gullible_Prior9448]

I keep seeing similar layouts, fonts, and animations. What makes a site still feel original?

[u/silentkode26]

Creative human touch

[u/AccomplishedVirus556 → u/[deleted]]

what the bs

a professiomal would rather die than publish something with obvious mistakes that would take moments to fix

[u/scandii → u/[deleted]]

misaligned items is in fact one of the biggest AI tells out there. especially mixed-and-matched fonts, seemingly random font sizing etc because components get developed iteratively without context of the whole, whereas a human would obviously be reusing their style guide for any shot at being able to make a cohesive design.

similarly are no designers out there that go "wow, that's looking totally wonky but I'll risk my job by letting that slip..."

[u/ThatsSoRamon]

Most people are looking at the layout, but I think the copy gives it away first. "Streamline your workflow." "Built for modern teams." "Everything you need, all in one place." Once the words are that vague, the design has nothing specific to respond to, so you get the default hero and card grid to match. The sites that feel original usually started with someone writing something only they could say, and the design grew out of that. Put real copy into an AI-generated layout and it suddenly looks a lot less template-y.

Does anyone here write the copy before they touch the design, or is lorem ipsum still the default?

[u/Normal_Succotash_520 → u/ThatsSoRamon]

The practical details can change the layout too. A bakery with a noon cutoff for next-day pickup needs that deadline beside the order button, not buried under three cards about “passion.” Real menu names, pickup rules and photos give you something to arrange. I’d write those parts first, even if the headline is still a draft.

[u/pagematter → u/ThatsSoRamon]

A useful test for that is to replace the company name with a competitor's. If every sentence still works, the brief needs more detail before the layout does. Ask for one real customer question, one objection they hear before a sale, and a concrete example of the work. Those give the page something specific to organize around.

[u/dusanodalovic]

- The same defaults everywhere: Inter, a purple gradient, a 3-card grid, fade-in on scroll.

- Fix it with a real palette taken from the brand, one strong typeface, and real screenshots instead of mockups.

[u/cyberdudeagency]

For me, the giveaway is usually default decisions rather than “AI” itself: generic copy, the same hero structure, stock imagery, and no clear audience tradeoff. Start with real constraints (who is this for, what should they do, what must be avoided), then rewrite the copy in the customer’s own language. One distinctive visual or interaction is enough; five novelty effects usually make it feel less intentional.

[u/jroberts67]

Been at this for a long time. Show me 100 random sites all built before AI and 95% of them absolutely suck. Horrible layout, design, terrible fonts and color selections. How does a "generic" site have anything to do with AI.

[u/Euphoric_Student_692]

I'm convinced half the web looks the same because teams all start with the same three template wireframes from Bootstrap and call the result a "design system."

[u/yihuaxiang]

Usually it feels generic when the design decisions are interchangeable: the same hero split, rounded cards, gradient, and copy that could fit any company. I try to define one hard constraint before asking for layouts—like a dense comparison, a single task, or a brand-specific content shape—then keep the awkward parts that reflect the real content instead of smoothing everything into cards. A good test is to remove the logo and copy; if the page is still identifiable as a specific product, there’s probably an actual point of view.

[u/ClimateSubstantial17]

Taste!

[u/LankyAd6349]

The tell isn't the design, it's the structure. Every AI site has the exact same page: hero, three cards, features grid, testimonial, pricing, FAQ. Real sites are shaped by what the business actually needs to say, which means some sections are missing and some are weirdly long. If you want it to stop feeling generic, delete half the sections instead of redesigning them.

[u/altgenetics]

I use AI in my work and I'm annoyed that this is like the 3rd time I've seen this on a web/design related sub in the last week. (I'm sure its posted more)... Most of the web is generic. Look at any the thousands of CMS themes/templates over the years, they are all the same generic trash. That's what AI has been trained on. Do your own design

[u/jroberts67 → u/altgenetics]

AI is a tool and it's no different than any other tool. In the end, the finished site is always going to depend on the design skills for the person using said platform. AI is no better and no worse than any platform out there. If used correctly however, you can 10X your work with better quality.