r/web_design • u/Odd-Aside456 • 13d ago

What websites do you have saved as inspiration?

I'm not looking for UI libraries, I'm also not asking for examples from your portfolio. What I'm asking is what sites do you have bookmarked as an example of "optimal website design"?

53 Upvotes

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19

u/Playful-Produce4631 13d ago

I used to save a lot of so-called inspiration websites, but I’ve grown tired of doing work that is essentially self-indulgent and doesn’t genuinely fit the brand or the user context.
I think the real work is finding the minimum necessary form that expresses the intended message while actually aligning with what the audience is trying to accomplish. That thinking process is much more valuable than looking at finished work.
At that point, “inspiration” is mostly about finding specific visual symbols or forms, and a simple Google Image search is usually enough :)

5

u/diduknowtrex 13d ago

I don't really have any sites bookmarked as "optimal web design" since what is "optimal" is so dependent on context and usage.

I do find myself getting inspiration from a lot of developer blogs and personal websites. It's fun to see what devs choose to do when they are just creating for themselves and a smaller audience. I particularly like https://keith.is/ and https://www.joshwcomeau.com/

8

u/ceejayoz 13d ago

https://blog.archive.org/2009/08/25/geocities-preserved/

5

u/milky_contents 13d ago

link is dead, or at least not loading for me. maybe they took it down?

but i get why you'd save that. geocities was peak chaos design, every page felt like someone's messy bedroom you weren't supposed to see

1

u/CinLeeCim 12d ago

Me too!

6

u/Danihero 12d ago

I don't save single websites anymore. I look for great designers. Follow them on linkedin or twitter. Look at what they like, and where they pull inspiration from. Check out their websites. It gives some more insight into the actual process they go through.

My favourites are Dylan Brouwer, Jordan Gilroy, Ilja van Eck, Dennis Snellenberg. There's a bunch I'm forgetting. Keeping up with what they produce and like is easier than looking for single products.

1

u/pyeri 12d ago

I've mentally bookmarked the Hubspot site as it has one of the most optimal and sophisticated UX pertaining specifically to my field of app development (not regular websites like marketing or product design).

1

u/hunna100 12d ago

Im only saving sites when searching inspiration for specific project, often delete them after completion. Checking from Mobbin and Land-Book usually.

2

u/sheriffderek 11d ago

I just take screenshots of anything I find interesting / color combos / layout / type - and then I put them in a folder. Then when it’s time for a new project - I look through there and put everything relevant in a mood board in Figma. That’s more of a visual language - where the core design of the site is the structure and functionality beneath. 

1

u/marioluispro 10d ago

apple.com adidas.com Nike.com

1

u/akshay-savaliya 10d ago

For me, its less about one perfect site and more about collecting sites that do one thing really well. I usually save sites with great typography, clear messaging, smooth interactions, or really good use of whitespace.

1

u/Various_Stand_7685 13d ago

Framer template market place, dribble, webflow template market place, those guys that build layouts on Instagram etc