Community & Inspiration articles

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....

Every designer loves breaking the rules every now and then. This month’s web design trends highlight some of the rebellious spirit in ways that look amazing. The key to all these rule-breaking designs is that the rest of the interface is simple and actually follows the rules. From text that doesn’t stay in its “container” to oversized design elements to odd ball geometric shapes, let’s walk on the wild side… Here’s what’s...

Greetings, Readers! Yep, it’s that time again, that sweet, beautiful time when all the kids go back to school and there is a daily eight-hour window when I can play online games in peace. But instead of doing that, I wrote this article about portfolios you really should be checking out. This month, what now feels like “classical” minimalism is back in fashion. Sites mostly feel modern rather than post-modern, and we’re partying like...

Sometimes you can just look at new website projects and see what designers are thinking. You can feel the mood. This month’s trends reflect that concept with bold color choices, a collapse of the traditional hero header style that’s been popular for a while and dark animated patterns that are just a bit mysterious. What do you think? Are you ready for thinner typography options, more elaborate detailing and icon-style logos? You might...

Animated page elements are super common on landing pages and startup websites. But they’re not always talked about in design circles because the idea of “animate on view” isn’t covered a lot. I use the phrase scroll-to-view because it seems like an accurate description. Basically as you scroll down the page new animated elements come into view. It’s not a technique that works for every website but it does add a nice touch into certain...

Hello readers, it’s August, and that joke I made about the heat last month has come back to bite me. On the upside, we have a whole bunch of new portfolios to check out. This month, there is no real theme. Design styles are pretty much all over the place, so there’ll be a little something for everyone. Enjoy! Laura Trouiller To start off, we have a simple, elegant portfolio that starts and ends with great type. The imagery, while minimal, fits...

If the dog days of summer have you longing for a change of scenery, this month’s web design trends are the perfect start. While minimalism has been the “it” style of late, more designers are beginning to shift toward more details and features within the layout. The striking design patterns that we are beginning to see are a fresh alternative to the stripped-down styles we’ve gotten used to. What do you think? Are you ready for thinner...

Hello WDD Readers. It’s July, and is it hot in here, or is it just these awesome portfolios? This month, it seems that post-minimalism and brutalism are giving way to our love of things that look pretty and designery. That’s a word now. Oh, you’ll still see a few sites that embrace the "artist" aesthetic pretty hard, but those portfolios mostly belong to artists. But many designers, it seems, have starting mixing the collage-style presentation...

This month the focus is on design elements. Many recent trends have involved user patterns, color or typography, but here it’s all about subtle techniques. Essential trends to take note of include downpage navigation, boxes as a design element and plenty of vertical lines and movement. Here’s what’s trending in design this month: 1. Downpage Navigation Designers seem to be in quite the experimental phase when it comes to navigation...

Welcome readers, it’s June, and the Brutalism bug is back. No, really. After disappearing into the phenomenon I called “post-minimalism”, plain old Brutalism seems to be making a comeback. Oh, it’s had a few refinements; good designers would never let their brutalist sites actually look bad. But the underpinnings of the style are definitely there, and present in more than a few of this month’s entries. Beyond that, it’s a fairly...

Sometimes a simple design tweak can move your website design from ordinary to trendy. Each of this month’s trends is that type of technique, from tiny typography to geometric features to blurred imagery. Any of these techniques can work in a new design project or as an adjustment to an existing design. Here’s what’s trending in design this month: 1. “Tiny” Text Does it seem like oversized typography is a thing of the past? Smaller,...

The Internet has certainly been through a lot over the past 20+ years. We’ve watched web design change from the most basic of HTML markups to complex JavaScript, CSS and HTML5 coding. But remembering the past can be fun and that’s why, this Thursday, we’re throwing you back to the 90’s for a look at some of the worst (or best, depending on how you see it) website designs of the decade. 1. ARNGREN Where to start with this site? It appears that...

Hello everyone! This month is a much more colorful month than the last few have been. It feels like designers have been shying away from the monochromatic beauties of months past, and are letting loose with the color palette. I for one, am not complaining. I love my black-and-white-and-maybe-one-other-color affairs, but it’s nice to see some variety in the mix. And now, the portfolios:   Unconquered Unconquered is a pretty metal name,...