404 Error Pages

Imagine you are trying to locate a specific page and end up with the dreaded 404 page. 404 is a type of HTTP response status code and appear due to broken links or pages that don’t exist. As a UX writer, the challenge with 404 pages is how to turn them from a negative into a positive experience.

Scenario

Medi is a leading meditation app. Much of the traffic to the 404 page comes from several broken links in various forums across the web.

Medi’s brand voice is:

• Helpful but never pushy
• Welcoming to all audiences
• Relaxed with a quiet confidence

Medi’s mission is to bring mindfulness, clarity, and inner peace to their users. This is reflected in every word they use. They strive to create an online oasis for their users and they’re careful to keep their messaging positive.

Challenge

Create a new 404 page for desktop according to Medi’s style guide. Get users to download the mobile app.

Solution

• Landing on error pages are frustrating experiences for users so I offered help to them in the form of Get help at our MediSolution Center.
• To stay on-brand, I used words like “calm” and “cool”, and the colour blue for the icon and text.
• I try to turn this around into a positive experience for the user and drive conversions by encouraging them to download the app so they can enjoy free monthly trial sessions.