Why Humor And Pop Culture Belong In Creative Web Design and Development

Marketing for businesses has seen a rise in memes, humor, and pop culture references since the end of 2024. This trend is growing even more today, and it is not just small brands hopping on board. Bigger names are embracing it too. The main reason why we see this is that businesses are now being seen and expected to show up as humans.

Posting in first-person, adding humor, and blending pop culture make a brand feel relatable, especially on social media and web content. But why stop there? If it works so well for engagement, why not bring that same energy into other parts of digital marketing, like creative web design and development?

In this post, we are diving into how memes and pop culture references are making their way into websites and why that is a good thing.

Businesses acting more like humans: The trend explained

We are social creatures, and we're built to look for the human connection even in business. This mere fact is a core reason why we're attracted to content that speaks like humans, not AI, and why businesses adopt everyday lingo in their marketing campaigns. 

Relatability

When brands communicate more human-like, they become easier to connect with. Using familiar language, humor, and authentic tones helps even the most complex products or services feel more accessible and relatable.

Emotional connection

Content that feels real and speaks directly to the audience’s experiences can create lasting impressions. Whether through humor or sharing real stories, these moments make brands more memorable and can build a stronger emotional bond with their audience.

Building trust

Today’s consumers value transparency. They want to know there are real people behind the brands they engage with. By showing the faces behind the company and sharing personal stories or experiences, brands can build trust and foster a deeper, more genuine connection with their audience.

Enhancing engagement

Humanized content, such as behind-the-scenes glimpses, team member spotlights, and authentic stories, tends to generate higher engagement. Video content featuring real people often outperforms generic corporate posts, leading to more meaningful interactions and broader reach.

Encouraging brand advocacy

When customers feel a personal connection with a brand, they’re more likely to share their experiences and recommend the brand to others. This kind of organic advocacy is invaluable, helping to grow brand awareness and loyalty.

How to humanize creative web design and development

A web design that feels relatable and personal can create deeper connections with customers. Here’s how you can gently infuse a more human touch into your creative web design and development:

1. Keep your language light and understandable

Using clever taglines, everyday language, or a hint of humor can instantly make your content more relatable. A friendly tone helps break down barriers and welcomes visitors to your website.

2. Add visuals that reflect personality

Incorporate meme-style graphics, pop culture nods, or subtle animations that align with your brand's tone. These visuals add life to your web design, making it more engaging without overwhelming the user. A well-placed graphic can add warmth and support your messaging beautifully.

3. Bring faces into the experience

Highlight real people. It can be your team, your customers, or your community. This move adds authenticity to your site. Using actual faces instead of stock photos helps users feel they’re connecting with humans, not just a business.

4. Show, don’t just tell

Use playful visuals or short animations to explain how something works. Infusing a bit of humor when walking users through complex topics makes your content more approachable, especially in web development or technical service pages. It also helps make your site feel more responsive to user needs.

5. Speak like a human, not a robot

Drop the jargon. A conversational voice that sounds like you’re talking to a friend can go a long way in building trust. It's okay to keep things professional and personable. Your audience will appreciate the balance, and it could even support your search engine visibility when balanced with thoughtful SEO.

6. Embed culture and personality

Let your values, team culture, and personality shine through your content. Whether through behind-the-scenes moments, mission-driven messages, or casual updates, sharing who you are beyond what you do deepens connection. It adds a layer of optimization for a more memorable brand presence.

7. Make interactions enjoyable

Little details like animated icons, fun hover effects, or playful pop-ups add delight without disrupting functionality. These small, thoughtful touches are especially powerful for e-commerce websites where user experience is key across every mobile device.

While brands can never be truly human, they can cultivate a more human-like presence by focusing on authentic engagement, emotional intelligence, and personal storytelling. The goal is not to pretend to be a person, but to act in ways that are relatable, trustworthy, and emotionally resonant.

Examples of big brands successfully humanizing creative web design

Major brands are making their websites feel more human by using friendly language, real visuals, humor, and pop culture references.

Slack

Slack uses playful copy, quirky illustrations, and subtle animations to make its site feel warm and approachable. The tone is light and easy to understand. They avoid corporate jargon, which helps make their tools feel simple and user-friendly.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite’s site is clean, fun, and full of personality. They mix in memes, social media trends, and user stories to connect with digital marketers and highlight their expertise.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs adds personality through fun team photos, casual language, and interactive graphics. Their homepage is direct but playful, helping break down complex SEO tools in a way that's easy to relate to.

Zendesk

Zendesk focuses on real customer stories and outcomes. Their messaging is clear and benefit-focused. Instead of stock images, they use real visuals that show how people use their services.

IBM

IBM uses interactive features, storytelling, and short animations to explain complex tech. Their design makes tools like Watson AI easier to understand and more engaging to explore.

Watch out for common mistakes in humanizing website design

While adding humor and warmth can enhance your brand, humanizing creative web design and development needs to be done thoughtfully.

1. Forced humor risks

Using jokes or memes that rely on niche references or hard-to-get humor can alienate audiences. What’s funny internally might confuse or offend visitors, especially across cultures. To put it simply, “If you have to explain a joke, it’s not funny.”

2. Exclusion through over-personalization

Hyper-targeted content can make new visitors feel like outsiders. Balance relatability with inclusivity by using universal language and clear call-to-actions.

3. Cluttered “personality”

Adding too many humanizing elements like excessive emojis, conversational pop-ups, or autobiographical content creates visual noise. This undermines usability, particularly on mobile.

4. Neglecting core UX

While humanized copy and imagery matter, they can’t compensate for slow load times, poor navigation, or inaccessible design. Users prioritize functionality over charm.

5. Inauthentic brand voice

Sudden shifts to slang or Gen-Z lingo (if mismatched with your audience) appear disingenuous. Maintain consistency with your existing brand guidelines while evolving tone.

6. Overused stock “human” imagery

Generic photos of laughing teams or staged diversity backfire when visitors can’t connect them to real employees or values. Use authentic photos/videos of actual staff and customers.

How to humanize website development responsibly

Adding a human touch to your website can make a big difference, but it’s important to do it with care. One helpful way to start is by testing your humor with a smaller audience first. This gives you a chance to see what really clicks before sharing it more widely.

It’s also a good idea to keep accessibility in mind; things like alt-text, captions, and easy keyboard navigation help make sure everyone can enjoy your content. And while a fun, conversational tone can make your brand feel more relatable, it’s still important to keep things clear.

Simple, straightforward calls-to-action make it easy for visitors to know exactly what to do next, even when your website feels a little more playful. At the end of the day, the goal is to connect, not confuse, so every playful element should still serve a purpose and support a great user experience.

Here are other related reads to help your website development: 

• 2025 Website Content Planning Made Easy: Your Ultimate Guide

• 11 Reasons Why You Need A Website For Your Business And How to Build One

• Content, SEO, & Design: Essential Website Elements For A Solid Online Presence

Creative web design and development service for you

Humor and pop culture aren't just passing trends. When used well, they make your brand feel real, relatable, and unforgettable. It's not about being silly. It's about being human.

A website that reflects your personality while staying clear, accessible, and easy to use is what truly connects with your audience. And that's precisely what we do at The Bellamy Co.

If you're ready for website design services that show off your brand, build trust, and get results, we're here to help.

Book a free discovery call and let's bring your vision to life with creative web design and development that works.