S2E17: Why inconsistent layouts wreck your UX

Discussing Stupid: A byte-sized podcast on stupid UX

In this episode of Discussing Stupid, Virgil and Cole tackle a quiet killer of user experience: layout inconsistency.

From university websites that feel like ten different brands stitched together to internal systems that change button locations with every page, inconsistent layouts confuse users, break trust, and derail digital goals. This episode dives into why it happens, what it costs, and how to start fixing it.

They also explore:

• Why inconsistent layouts are often a sign of deeper organizational problems
• How users feel bad design before they can explain it
• The difference between visual theming and layout consistency
• What a consistent structure looks like across homepage, sections, and detail pages
• Why a style guide is your most underrated asset

Whether you’re building a public-facing site or an internal portal, this episode will help you recognize the hidden ways layout chaos is holding you back—and how to clean it up.

For more conversations about digital strategy, UX, accessibility, and all the ways we get it wrong (and how to get it right), visit www.discussingstupid.com and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.

(0:00) - Intro

(2:22) - Where layour inconsistency happens the most

(4:57) - The difference between theming and consistency

(7:24) - Structuring consistency in layers

(10:57) - Why inconsistency hurts your organization

(13:12) - Layout chaos as a symptom of deeper issues

(15:22) - How to start fixing this issue

(16:51) - Outro

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