Jan 30 2009
6 places to go when you need some design inspiration
How many times have you sat down at your desk to begin a new web project, only to stare at a blank monitor, or a blank piece of paper? Unless you give up your web design career early, you will hit this roadblock at some point–and it really does suck (especially since you can’t bill your client for the hours spent looking for inspiration).
How do you break out of “designer’s block”? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, however, a good place to start is to be inspired by others. I’ve compiled a list of 10 great places to go when you are in need of a little design inspiration.
Check out the links below for some inspiration:
Alberto Cerriteño- An illustrator and designer. Not only is his work brilliant, but his website’s main page and his designs demonstrate what’s great about the latest cut-out, hand-worked trend. (Note: His illustrations are cool, but the illustrations webpage is not inspiring.)
Alberto Cerriteno
Toucouleur - This blog is just damn cool. It’s in French, which makes it über-cool. I many not understand any of it, but that doesn’t detract. Another example of the hand drawn movement, the images, header, colors, and unexpected layout make this blog trés magnifique!
Toucouleur
CSS Zen Garden: Retro Theater - I love CSS Zen Garden. And I love this iteration. I’m always a fan of a good fixed background. (The key word is good.) This one is pretty sweet.
CSS Zen Garden: Retro Theater
Dean Oakley - This site incorporates two of my favorite elements: a fixed background and a horizontal design. This is a good site for some outside-the-box inspiration.
Dean Oakley
The Un-Mom - This blog shows what can happen when you incorporate pop culture elements into your design effectively. Any serious blogger should take the Un-Mom’s example and go the extra mile to have a unique theme.
The Un-mom
Pikaboo - Yet another foreign website, and another one utilizing a fixed background. This one, however, is animated. This site does a good job of blending CSS, javascript, and Flash technologies to create a simple, yet compelling design.
Pikaboo
I hope you found some of these, if not all of them, interesting, fun, and inspirational. Do you have a site or blog you go to when the design inspiration well runs dry? Share in the comments!
Rachel did a great job!
Since I was talking about design inspiration, checking out other designs seemed appropriate.
You do bring up a good point, however. Sometimes you have to step away from the computer to get your inspiration.
Thanks for the comment, hope to see you back here.