Finding that spark of creativity and inspiration for your web design is a key challenge in your industry. Everyone is seeking new ideas and designs that will allow them to stand out from the crowd and establish themselves as an expert in their field. When you feel like your design inspiration leaves something to be desired, consider turning to some of these sources for more.
- Home Design Blogs and Magazines
The functions of design are relatively similar across the board, so the things that inspire your home design will likely also inspire your web design. Flip through home design magazines, subscribe to home decor blogs, create Pinterest boards of your favorite home decorations, and observe the design elements used in landscaping as you drive through affluent neighborhoods.
Some highly recommended blogs and online magazines worth subscribing to include:
- Amber Interiors
- Coco Kelley
- Savvy Home
- Coastal Living
- Better Homes & Gardens
- HGTV Magazine
- Country Living
- Elle Decor
As you peruse these publications, not only will you glean some ideas about colors, balance, form, and function to use for your website, but you’ll also adopt some great ideas for your home!
- Awwwards
There’s no better resource on the internet for web design inspiration than Awwwards. This site is dedicated to finding the best designs on the internet and displaying them for your viewing pleasure. You can easily browse through different categories to see their favorite websites of the day, favorite uses of colors, favorite uses of scrolling, and more.
Obviously, you don’t want to copy these designs point blank, but you can pick up several things here and there by perusing these striking websites. You’ll learn new things about your craft and get ideas for balancing your ideas.
Pinterest is a wealth of ideas, color combinations, and creativity if you know how to use it. Not only is it a great place to build your personal brand and showcase your work, but it also lets you see the work of others.
Use search phrases like “colorful web design” or “beautiful restaurant web designs.” You can narrow your search phrases depending on the projects you’re doing. Then, create a few Pinterest boards where you can store ideas. Just make sure they’re secret so that your clients don’t see them when they check out your board. Visit these boards whenever you need some ideas.
- CSS Nectar
CSS Nectar only features the best of websites on its pages. They have a triple-vetting process so you know you’re viewing quality site designs. Submitters must pay a fee to submit their websites (which they probably wouldn’t do if their sites weren’t very good), then a team of creative individuals review the work, and the community votes on the best sites to make live.
Because of this detailed process, you have a collection of top-ranking sites at your disposal whenever you’re in need of design inspiration. These hand-picked sites come from all different backgrounds and styles, so you’re likely to find samples that closely match your own style.
- Product Hunt
A less traditional, but highly beneficial method of finding inspiration is the website Product Hunt. It’s designed to showcase the latest and greatest tech products, like mobile apps, websites, and other tech creations. Its database is filled with websites from all walks of life, letting you see different designs and styles to meet your needs as a web designer.
Product hunt is also useful because you’ll see brand new product designs. These products will be highly innovative – pure creativity in action! As you peruse the content on these sites, you’ll spark the creative portion of your brain and develop great new ideas for your website.
- The Great Discontent
A less conventional method of inspiration is found in the pages of the online and print magazine The Great Discontent. It’s a beautifully designed publication showcasing excellent photography, color schemes, and balanced text-to-image ratios.
The website’s design is just the beginning of its creative boundaries. The Great Discontent features words and portfolio work of artists and designers all over the world. It centers on new beginnings, using your creativity, taking design risks, and leaving your mark on the world. After reading a few pages, you can’t help but be inspired!
- A List Apart
A List Apart is another highly inspiring publication that started as a humble online publication with a few select designers on its mailing list. It’s since grown into a massive online publication with thousands of subscribers seeking design creativity. Its articles and examples are top quality and designed to make you want to do and be more.
A List Apart is designed for those web designers who want to get out of the rut of templated web designing and move on to more innovative and risky ventures. It’s one of the best design journals on the web, and you’re guaranteed to feel more motivated after flipping through its virtual pages.