Introduction
Design is everywhere. We see different designs on a book cover, a cafe menu, the exterior and interior of our car, in architecture, on websites, and just about everywhere else.
On top of that design is always evolving and it never fails to provoke our emotions. For instance, some designs make us feel happy, some make us feel like something is trustworthy or that a concept is futuristic and more.
But where do we look for design inspiration when we’re experiencing a creative block? We’ve compiled a few websites that can help drive your creativity. Ready to get started? Let’s go!
No 1:
If you’re looking for quick inspiration, Pinterest offers a great variety of all sorts of designs from websites to graphic and more! The suggestion feature right below the search bar is also helpful as it makes the search experience smooth. Not to mention its layout that shouts, “ideal mood board”! The best part? It’s 100% free to own an account and you can even create multiple boards and pin images accordingly. Pinterest also has a mobile app version, so whenever you need inspiration – just whip your phone out.
No 2:
Behance
Whether you’re looking for a platform to feature your work or trying to find inspiration – Behance is a platform that allows you to do both. New creatives from a variety of design fields are also curated and featured daily – you name it – from architecture, graphic design, fashion, photography, and more – allowing you to feel inspired instantly!
Behance also offers Adobe Live, where they cover easy-to-understand tutorials. Leading creative agencies even scout for great designers on Behance, so, if you’re looking for some exposure, this is the place to be!
No 3:
Dribble
Looking for a design community? Then you might want to check out Dribble! Although the platform features are quite similar to Behance, Dribble acts more of a community-based site where designers alike are able to work with teams, sell their designs, join the weekly Dribble warm-up, and even host a meet-up session. You can find all this under the Explore section on the menu. It’s basically like a subreddit specifically for design on a much larger scale.
“But what if I’m only looking for design inspiration?”
That’s cool. On Dribble, you’re able to follow designers that you admire, create multiple folders and add what you find inspirational to them accordingly. There’s a list of creatives you can check out too ranging from print design, mobile, UI/UX, typography, and more – it’s endless!
On the other hand, if you’re looking to hire, just click on the menu bar where it says “Hiring Designers?”. There you’ll be able to list your job opening. Also, if you happen to stumble upon the work of a designer you really like, you can hire them right away by just clicking the “Hire Me” button. Such a user-friendly platform, don’t you think?
No 4:
Adobe Create
Create by Adobe is an online magazine by creatives for creatives and it’s available on both desktop and mobile app. If you’re looking for a daily dose of inspiration or searching for step-by-step tutorials this is definitely the platform you want to check out! This platform is filled with a plethora of things to learn; from the basics of illustration to creating engaging motion graphics, and more. That’s not all, Create also provides incredible resources and events that can help you improve your work so that you can achieve greater designs. Not to mention, there’s a library of stories by design experts you can read and get inspired by their work and ideas! Not bad right?
No 5:
Design Week
If you’re looking for quality news in the design industry, Design Week can provide you just that. Used to be the UK’s leading design magazine, they’ve now switched to online only – which is great considering now you can access the website wherever you are via your mobile! To this day, Design Week continues to bring users high-quality, well-written news tapping into not only graphic design but also on branding, digital, product, and more. Also, if you happen to be on the lookout for career advice, Design Week also shares guides and tips on creatives works! Inspiration, guide, and advice? You want it, you got it all on this amazing website!
No 6:
InspoFinds
InspoFinds was originally a limited-edition book before they extended their online presence. If you’re into branding, this site is like heaven on earth. Though not as well-known as other design platforms, InspoFinds holds a library of visually pleasing and fun-to-explore articles that features small and big brands alike! If you’re interested in their latest limited edition book, you can look for more details here.
No 7:
UX Collective
UX Collective is a Medium-Based blog platform. Their website contains an array of insightful articles from designers working at the coalface of user experience. This blog focuses more on UX, usability, visual and product design. UX Collective helps designers and viewers to stay in the know, learn how to be productive, and think more critically about their work by consistently highlighting the work of other designers throughout the industry. This site also offers excellent advice about everything from empathy mapping to the principles of icon design.
Pretty cool, right? So the next time you hit a design roadblock – take 5 and visit these platforms to get a boost of inspiration. You can even start building your own mood board from these websites and see how it changes your creativity.
Besides, it’s always good to undertake more research, as it helps you to stay fully informed on the current trend and insights, while at the same time push your creativity to new frontiers.
If you are interested in us helping you out with your UI/UX design, we would be delighted for a quick chat. Drop us a note at hello@admiral.digital.
