Some may ask, “Do people still need a website?” Well, I’m still very much a believer that you definitely need one {cough-cough because Substack and Instagram could shut it down tomorrow}. So, creating a website that is unique to you, your industry, and your product/offering is super important.
Being a designer myself, I like to look at various things for inspiration beyond just Pinterest. I’ll look at editorial layouts, packaging inspiration, marketing campaigns, a film’s title sequence, signage... and then, of course, websites dedicated to actual website inspiration.
That said, I keep a short list of places I return to and thought I’d share them with you along with a few designs I recently saved!
This one immediately caught my eye with the embossed effects and texture, but then instantly pulled me in further with the fun {very seamless} transitions. I always will love a site that feels almost tactile, so this one was worth sharing.
This one gives me vibes of my Swan Showit Template, but more modern. That said, I love the bold text, the movement, and the center alignment of each element. It feels easy to scroll through and well-balanced.
I love how clean and modern this feels (and interactive)! It feels like you are shopping at a store and picking up a product to look at more closely. Not only that, I especially notice the left locking of the product description section and how the product title stays behind the actual images.
This is a great one to browse through for inspiration beyond just the homepage.
I mostly just saved this one because I like the hover effects. From the blurred text to the image that appears on the bottom right. Clean, simple, impactful.
Overall, this site is kind of busy and almost too interactive for me; however, I did like the banners scrolling and the hover effects on the section below. I think there are a lot of sections on the site that can be used for inspiration (but maybe not all together ;)
I’m inspired by a few things on this site. I love the simplicity of the homepage that showcases the portfolio, the bottom locked title which changes on hover, and the dot grid background (you’ll see each element is aligned with the dots).
I love an illustrative-inspired website, especially when it’s in a whole different industry like this one. They chose a blue that stands out (yet still fits the industry), used seamless transitions that feel immersive, and incorporated the illustration perfectly throughout the site.
This one, like Friends of the New, is straight to the point with a portfolio homepage and bottom title. However, I love the serif font mixed with the italicized version and the creative hover effects for each piece. I’m also taking note of that bold footer ;)
I had to throw this one in that I created for a client :) I’m obsessed with the textured background and letterpress effect, the modern text layout, the subtle line movement, and the movement of the images. It was fun to create!
In case you wanted to peek around for your own website inspiration, I thought I would drop a few sites I start with.
Typewolf: This was one I used a lot for inspo, but it looks like they haven’t updated it in a while :(
Awwwards: Love this one, and find a ton of great sites on here.
Recent.Design: I’ll peek on this site from time to time.
MaxiBestOf: This is great for both websites and fonts :)
SitesofSites: These are very creative websites, which is fun!
There are plenty of well-saved websites on both Pinterest and Cosmos, but you might need the right search terms to find them…
editorial portfolio website design
minimal photographer website layout
one page website scroll design
interior designer website neutral
type-led homepage design
creative agency website dark mode
warm typographic website
brutalist agency website
motion website design
[COLOR] website (more for Cosmos).
You can always add the layout ‘word’ to the search too: (grid, full-bleed, sticky nav, split screen) or a niche (wedding photographer, ceramicist, coach) so you're seeing sites created for actual businesses in an industry.
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.