A screenshot of an old website shows more than an outdated color palette. It can reveal assumptions about screen width, connection speed and what a visitor was expected to click first.
Compare the layout, not just its age#
When looking at an archived page, ask which task the page makes easy. Is navigation visible? Can the main text be read without zooming? Does the design depend on a fixed desktop width? Those questions are more useful than assuming a newer screenshot is automatically better.
The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine is a useful starting point for dated examples. Captures can be incomplete: a missing stylesheet, script or image can make a page look different from what its visitors saw.
Responsive design changed the comparison#
A modern layout often rearranges its content rather than shrinking the entire desktop page. Read MDN's responsive-design introduction for the underlying ideas.
A video montage can be a starting point, but it helps to examine the pages themselves. Look at navigation, text measure and the small-screen layout before judging the decorative details.
