Design ruts, we can’t avoid them but how do we beat them? Sometimes a breath of fresh air or
a check-in with co-workers will do the trick, but what happens when you’ve exhausted all in-
house options for inspiration? Worst of all, what do you do if you work at home alone…in your
sweatpants?
Fortunately with the web we all have access to the latest trends and cutting edge work, you just
have to know where to look. To help you out I compiled my favorite sites that pull some of the
best work from designers around the world, from the beginners to the top notch. Check out my
go to sites:
Inspiration for the tiny details of UX/UI:
Here you can browse through a thousands “shots” (snips of designs) and best of all, you can
engage in conversations with the designer about what you like and dislike. Once a dribbble
member you can upload your own shots do the same! All in all it’s a great site to admire the
skills of others while putting your own work out there.
A great site for quick breaks:
Like Dribbble you get to browse snippets of designs, but here you only view two at a time and
you vote which is best. It’s a great place to take a mental break and get the chance to play “I’m a
super powerful design director” with each click.
Where I always ask “how did they do that?”
The sites that Awwwards features never cease to blow my mind. Nearly every layout is totally
unconventional, exquisite and best of all, functional. Most even leave me spellbound on where
these people are getting their developers.
I want to be him!
The Great Discontent is a journal that has great interviews with the top creatives in the design
industry and the risky roads they took to get where they are now. Most articles are lengthy but
well worth the read, especially if you need some moral support before taking a leap!
Get local.
Another way to get inspiration is to check out what other local firms are doing in your area.
View their work, read their blog posts, follow them on twitter and pick their brains in person
at design meet ups! For starters follow us @ICScreative and check out our latest site launch for
CityTable! http://citytableboston.com/
We hope to see you (and your work) out there!