This month’s collection of the best new sites is a mixed bag. Positivity remains from last month’s edition, and what we’re seeing is designers being far more ambitious for the experiences they create. We have a couple of sites helping to alleviate the damage of war, some unusual approaches to topics that are normally very dour, and some excellent portfolios to be jealous of. Enjoy! Sarah Fatmi Characterful illustration and desktop...

Sometimes it’s easy to feel like the world is going to pieces all around us, especially when we’re doom scrolling Twitter between news alerts every few minutes. But if we step back a little, things may not seem so bad. On the web, we see companies and individuals taking a positive stand, making changes, and carrying on despite challenging circumstances. So in this month’s collection, we celebrate confidence and accentuate the positive,...

This month’s collection of the best new sites released in the previous four weeks might seem like a mixed bag, but if you look carefully you’ll see distinct themes emerging. Full-page images and videos are back with a vengeance, and designers are embracing large-scale 20th century-inspired typography from Art Nouveau to ’80s corporate. Here are the sites that grabbed us this month. Enjoy! I Killed a Cactus I Killed a Cactus is a beautifully...

Welcome to the latest edition of our top 20 sites of the month. In this February’s collection, the overall feel is lighthearted and optimistic, as we are seeing the positivity of a new year persisting across the web. There is a continued inclination towards warmth and personableness and away from a more corporate, impersonal feel. We see this most in the color palettes used and in the use of illustrations as accents to add character and charm....

So here we are, in a brand spanking new year—time for looking forward with fresh ideas and renewed hope for the year ahead. We are kicking off 2022 with a mixed bag and, we hope, something for everyone. Whether you’re looking for inspiration to update your site or a fresh approach to work for a new client or want to spend a little while browsing around some corners of the internet you might not usually, welcome to the first collection of the year....

2021 has been both memorable and instantly forgettable. Pop stars were freed from modern-day servitude, some people tried to overthrow democracy, and we all vacationed at home. Despite the weirdness of the times, the web kept growing, kept changing, and kept on pushing boundaries. We saw a wealth of new sites launch or relaunch with significant updates. Here are the 50 best sites launched on the web this year. Enjoy! Crusta C In April, seafood...

As a UX designer, you get to work on creative, rewarding, even life-changing projects. It’s an industry with flexible working and countless opportunities. All this, and you get paid well too. It doesn’t matter if you’re not a creative prodigy, or a tech grandmaster; you can learn to become a UX designer with the right mindset, a few tools you pick up along the way, and some committed learning. By the time you’ve finished reading this...

Welcome to this month’s round up of what has caught our eye on the web. As it’s November we’re going to help chase those winter blues away with some color. Color does so much of the heavy lifting in visual design. It can create a mood, reinforce a brand identity, establish a hierarchy, differentiate sections, highlight type or reduce it; color even makes a statement by its absence. Good use of color isn’t just about getting the most appropriate...

We’re well on our way to Hallowe’en already, and it’s time for another collection of websites that have caught our eye. It’s a mixed bag of candy this month, but nothing that should make you scream with fright. Enjoy! Tether This single-page site for forthcoming cycle safety system Tether uses a balanced combination of hero video and illustration to explain its features. Wayfinder  Wayfinder is a game about our connection to nature...

Welcome to this month’s collection of what’s making the web look good. This time out we’ve got some new brands and some rebrands, and we’ve got some good examples of branding continuity across media. Branding continuity doesn’t just mean putting the logo in the corner and using the same colors and type. It’s about capturing the brand identity, the personality of the brand, so the user identifies it even if the logo isn’t immediately...

Google Fonts may be the single most significant contribution Google has made to the evolution of the web — yes, more significant than search, advertising, or analytics. Google Fonts gives every business access to a visual voice with which to distinguish itself. Fonts can be downloaded for use in design software and then embedded using best practices for a consistent experience on the web. If there’s anything wrong with Google Fonts,...

From 45,000-year-old cave paintings to 21st-century space rocket diagrams, illustrations have long played a significant role in human communication. Pictures cross-language and literacy barriers, allowing people to understand and communicate complex moods and feelings that they cannot in words. When we were little, we could understand and appreciate E.H. Shepard’s illustrations of Winnie the Pooh and friends long before we could...

Often, when designing a website or branding, it is easy to get wrapped up in the details–typography, graphics, color, the grid–and lose the bigger picture. Of course, these things are vitally important, but they are building blocks that go together to form a greater whole. A good website creates an impression; it tells a story. And all the various elements involved, from copy to hero image to type choices, combine to create that story....

This month we have a variety pack for you. There are all sorts, from the most conservative layouts and structures to more experimental navigation. And we see how even the most traditional and functional websites can connect with users through mood-enhancing color schemes, clever font choices, and illustrations. Non-functional–that is, purely decorative–details can really improve the user’s reaction to a site when applied sparingly....