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There is no shortage of inspiration for web designers, or any designers for that matter. Web design differs from traditional design in a way where web design is the way we browse the web, while normal design can be associated with anything; like the look of your tea cup, or something.

You want to be in charge of what you’re building, but sometimes good ideas just don’t seem to be flowing as smoothly as they could be. For that, there are hundreds of places to go online and offline to find inspiration for your next web design project.

We’ve gathered up a couple of them, and hopefully you’ll join us and help populate this list to new heights as we go. Some of these, you’ll know of – while others might be new to you, but take each one with a grain of salt, as each provides different context and category list.

99designs

Why not go straight to the source, right? 99designs features a ton of submissions and projects for plenty of categories, it will keep you busy and inspired for months, literally! It’s okay to steal ideas, as long as you’re able to add your own touch of flavor to them. Make them unique, and if you feel like doing so – give the inspiring person credit, otherwise – enjoy.

99designs is the world’s largest online graphic design marketplace. For more than 5 years they’ve been connecting passionate designers with customers who need quality, affordable design services.

The Design Inspiration

Ironic, isn’t it. We’re looking for web design inspiration, on a website that’s called design inspiration. Well, maybe not that ironic. Either way, this lovely website will show you plenty of design examples of what other developers and designers are making, and perhaps open up ways of possibility for you. At the end of the day, we don’t really know everything that’s possible with our set of tools. We might as well learn.

Minimal Exhibit

Minimal Exhibit is a gallery that exists to showcase the best websites that feature a minimalist design style. Minimalism can bring great elegance, beauty, and usability to a website, so you’re bound to find some great inspiration here. We love minimal designs, so we felt entitled to include this particular showcase website in the list, have fun.

Pinterest

At first, it seemed like a regular photo sharing website, with some added social features. But now, Pinterest has grown into this social giant, and actually ranks among the most visited social networks in the world. What does it have to do with design? Well, we suppose – everything. Look for web design pins through the search function, or get inspired by the trending results which are always changing. There is something for everyone.

Smashing Magazine

If you’re after some more technical inspiration, perhaps Smashing Mag can help. It’s not going to be looking at pictures all day long, but actual insights into the process of designing a website and the many new technologies that enable to build unique and one of a kind projects. Read both old and new articles, see what you can find. Highly recommended source for insight and inspiration.

Webby Awards

The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet. Established in 1996 during the Web’s infancy, The Webbys is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS) — a 1,000+ member judging body that includes Executive Members comprised of leading Web experts, business figures, luminaries, visionaries and creative celebrities, and Associate Members who are former Webby Award Winners and Nominees and other Internet professionals.

You’ll find all kinds of products and design concepts through browsing all the past and current Webby entries, it will take time; but there are some really good design concepts to find.

Dribbble

It would be silly to have a post like this for finding web design inspiration, without mentioning a website that encourages people to share their own inspiration and projects that they’re working on. This is a goldmine, and it would take you a lifetime to go through all the submissions on this site. Look for things that really grab your attention, and then try and see if you can come up with something of your own!

Awwwards

For many, being featured on this website is a dream come true; while for web designers, it is a great place to see the current design trends, and also to see what people actually like, and rate as good design. With that in mind, you can take your knowledge and apply it to your future projects, clients will be happy!

Chrome Experiments

Quite possibly, a client of yours wants a browser specific project, and for those particular cases – the Chrome Experiments website comes in VERY handy. Nonetheless, it also gives a glimpse of what is to come in the future, and how we can better prepare for it. Websites are soon going to feel a lot more lively, that’s for sure!

A List Apart

Hundreds of insightful, intellectual and enjoyable articles from this website. Many of the worlds leaders in web design and development have made their contribution to this site, and we highly recommend it for both inspiration and insight in what is going on in the industry.

Conclusion

Inspiration is everywhere, don’t be too hard on yourself for not feeling up to the task of designing something new, great ideas take a lot of time to form and mature – sometimes, you don’t even know you’re coming up with something great, only when you’re so close to it do you realize where things had been heading all that time. We hope this list of sites will inspire you to look at new ways of doing things! 🙂