The best 5 websites for design inspiration and how to use them
Design inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes.
It doesn’t matter if you’re an illustrator working on a glossy magazine cover or a graphic designer working on a logo mock-up for your client’s latest product. The right kind of inspiration will always help you come up with creative and unique ideas for your projects.
But sometimes you need some help getting inspired. Luckily, there are a TON of great resources for design inspiration.
(Our personal favorite is Muzli, the ever-updating resource for design inspiration served fresh.)
There are a TON of places to get design inspiration—and that can be overwhelming.
Well, we want to help. That’s why we talked to a few professional designers to find out exactly where they go to get inspired.
8 places to go for design inspiration (as suggested by professional designers)
The designers we talked to:
- Greg Wilson. An NYC-based graphic and motion designer.
- Chad Michael. An award-winning branding, packaging, and product designer.
- William Meadows. A creative director and customer-centered design lead for ACC New Zealand.
Between the three of them, they have a few decades worth of design experience and acumen—not to mention an encyclopedic knowledge of the best places for design inspiration.
You might be surprised at how often they go offline for inspiration. Big lesson: Don’t be afraid to venture outside away from your computer to get inspired.
With that, let’s jump in.
1. Travel
Source: Unsplash
From William:
“I’ve done a lot of solo traveling (upwards of 60 countries by myself). To me, this is about expanding my ‘visual library’ but also getting time to challenge some of my deeper rooted assumptions. As a design researcher, one of the key elements is reflecting and knowing yourself. There’s no better way to do that than adapting yourself to a new context.”
Travel exposes you to new cultures, people, and experiences. It’s no wonder professional designers like William use it as a source of design inspiration as well. By immersing yourself in an area that’s far from home, you break out of your comfort zone and open your eyes to new possibilities in your creative projects.
Tip: Scout for last-minute flight deals and head to a city you’ve never heard of or planned on visiting for a weekend. Ask locals for restaurant recommendations, take long walks, and keep your headphones in your pocket while you focus on these new surroundings.
Go deeper: How traveling for a year changed a remote worker’s life
2. Take walks
From Greg:
“As a creative, it is so easy to get lost in your head. For me, I go on walks or bike rides to clear my head and soak in my environment. I find inspiration everywhere from tags and murals to weird cars to nature and architecture.”
Sometimes the best way to get inspired creatively is to leave the office and simply go on a walk. This isn’t just conjectured either—a 2014 study by Stanford University found that walking boosted creative output by 60%.
Tip: Think about how you can start incorporating mindful walks throughout your creative process. Force yourself to take regular stretching and movement breaks, especially on stressful days.
Go deeper: What’s your creative ritual?
3. Hit up antique stores and estate sales—or Etsy
From Chad:
“I’m always looking and searching for little hidden gems at these places as you never know what you might find. It is a more personal experience than doing internet research, as the items you find while hunting have most likely not ever been on the internet, because they have been collecting dust in someone’s home for decades.”
Antique stores contain a wealth of unique items that are sure to spark your imagination. You can find items from decades ago complete with old typography, illustrations, and designs.
Tip: Come with a project or theme in mind. When you’re open to inspiration for a specific idea, you’ll find your mind making all kinds of connections.
From Chad:
“Etsy is a great one to find packaging pieces that the world has forgotten about and that many have not yet seen. Finding inspiration that is old yet new to the eyes can really get the inspiration moving. I typically search for antique packaging, ephemera, and do prop hunting for the studio’s product photoshoots.“
