Community & Inspiration articles

It’s that time again, readers. We’ve got a variety of sites, here: presentational and simple, colorful and nearly monochromatic. We’re also doing something a little new: we’re including the platform each site was built on, according to my best guesstimate. At least the WordPress ones are easy… Enjoy. Note: I’m judging these sites by how good they look to me. If they’re creative and original, or classic but really well-done,...

Shapes and typography are two elements that can add a lot of impact to a website design project even when they don’t always occupy the greatest amount of space. How to design shapes and typography with a little extra something is definitely on the trends radar this month, with plenty of projects using this concept. Here’s what’s trending in design this month: 1. Bubbles and Blobs Loose shapes without clearly defined forms are showing...

Hello readers! It’s March. As is tradition, I’ve gone and collected a bunch of interesting portfolio designs for your perusal. It’s an eclectic mix this month. You’ll see some plain and basic good design together with sites that do interesting things with 3D graphics. Enjoy! Note: I’m judging these sites by how good they look to me. If they’re creative and original, or classic but really well-done, it’s all good to me. Sometimes,...

One of the best things about spring can be website design. Warmer air seems to put designers in a brighter bolder mood, and that shows in this month’s roundup of trends. From bolder color choices with a lighter feel—less heavy black and white—to images and type that draw users into a poster or movie-style experience, inspiration is abound. Here’s what’s trending in design this month: 1. Poster-Style Homepages Full-screen homepage...

Hey everyone! It’s February, and you know what that means: Hallmark executives get bonuses! Also, people make a special effort to show love and affection to those they care about, which is cool too. The theme this month is minimalism and motion designer portfolios, pretty much. Enjoy. Note: I’m judging these sites by how good they look to me. If they’re creative and original, or classic but really well-done, it’s all good to me. Sometimes,...

When I graduated from art school, I didn’t have a position waiting for me, so I moved back to my childhood bedroom in rural nowheresville. Opportunities there were thin on the ground, so after months living off my parents’ ever-diminishing goodwill, I packed everything I had into a single bag and hopped on a train for the city. I set about pitching my portfolio to some of the better agencies; I got plenty of interest, but no actual offers. As...

Sometimes design trends are tough to see, even when you are looking for them. This month is no exception with trends that include use of circles in design, split screen layouts, and dark backgrounds with light text. These elements might seem like common design tools but when used in similar ways across the board, distinct trends start to emerge. Here’s what’s trending in design this month: 1. Circles The implied meanings and associations...

And it’s here! January 2018 has arrived in all its cold, cold glory, and I just spent the first few days of it looking at portfolio sites. I do it all for you, dear Readers. I do it all for you. This month doesn’t have a particularly specific theme, unless you count pretty much every variation of minimalism. There’s nothing completely new, and nothing completely old. I’m seeing more and more effort being made to strike a balance between...

If you are bored with everything you’ve been toying with in design projects, the start of a new year is a great time to try something new. While the end of the year, can be a slow season when it comes to web design projects, the start of the year is often when new work and concepts come to life. It can also be the start of a few new design trends such as simple corner branding, skinny vertical sidebars and peachy color choices—all of which are popping...

Jingle those bells, people! It’s December, and Santa brought you portfolio sites. This month’s theme generally seems to be minimalism with a splash of geometric decoration. I mean, there are quite a few design styles represented here, but I’m starting to spot a new/old trend coming on. Well hey, a new trend would be just in time for January. Anyway, have a scroll down the page, and enjoy. Note: I’m judging these sites by how good they...

It’s that time of year again: The season of peace, goodwill and ‘what can I possibly get Eric/Joanna/Clare/Michael/insert-name’. It’s the first day of advent, and there are just 19 shopping days left until Christmas! But never fear, if you’re struggling to find the perfect gifts for the designers in your life, we have some creative suggestions for you. Whether you’re looking for the office secret santa, or your very significant...

Header navigation menus can often be overlooked when it comes to inventive and creative web design. But as the primary way users explore and interact with your website, investing in engaging header navigation means site visitors spend more time on your site and end up seeing much more than just your landing page. There’s no point having brilliant web design on your inner pages if your header doesn’t make it easy (and fun) to click through...

There are basically two kinds of portfolio websites nowadays: those with asymmetrical layouts, and those with background images that change when you hover over the name of a project. At least, that’s kind of how it feels this month. Now, these are not bad-looking sites by any means. There are just a lot of them. I thought we might be done with the bandwagons for a while; but they’ve come back with a vengeance. I’ve tried to minimize the number...

If you’re a fan of this monthly design trends series, there’s a strong possibility you’ve seen a trend or two that you just didn’t like. And that’s OK. This month, each of the three trends should be design conversation starters. While the visuals look cool, are they readable and usable? (Questions every website designer should ask when undertaking a project.) Take a look, see what you think about these trends and decide for yourself....