What websites do you love and use for inspiration? What stands out about them?

This week we want to talk about website inspiration. We have all faced the dilemma of a blank sheet, or website, at the start of a project. That’s when looking for sources of inspiration comes in handy. With so many incredible websites out there, we want to know which ones really speak to you and why.

Share your favorites in the comments below!

Can I say my own? It was my  first Squarespace Site . I really had no idea how to do it. The platform was so different from the previous site I built for my business, hosted by Microsoft. Using Avenue on Squarespace 6 which I think was six years ago, was so much better than any other platforms I had experience with. Like day to night if you ask me. Actually,  the very first site that I looked at on Squarespace which really inspired me, the one that made me decide to become a member of the Squarespace community of builders and users,  was this one: 

http://www.dreamingwithjeff.com/

and here is mine 

my random views (first of seven sites)

I really enjoy visiting:

https://www.loopinsight.com

https://shawnblanc.net

https://daringfireball.net

http://www.marco.org

What I like about these sites is that they are content-driven, and they purposefully do not have bells and whistles flying all over the place. There are no pop-ups, no videos starting when you visit, and no over-the-top web design fads. Their advertising is unobtrusive. In addition, they are so sure of their content and that the visitor will return that their hyperlinks do not open new tabs. 

These sites have a minimalist look and they are easy to navigate since there is not a bunch of navigation folders or link hierarchies. In these websites, their blogs are the focus. They keep their site updated and fresh, but not to the point that you are overwhelmed with content.

You can tell there are real people with real life demands running these websites. Their joy keeping these websites running and sharing their thoughts with the world is very apparent. When visiting these sites, they feel like I am talking to a friend who is telling me about something they read or came across around the internet. Not only do I enjoy visiting the above sites, many times they lead me to other great sites and content.

Some of the content is original, other is from other sources but they link to those sources (the post titles themselves take you to the external links) , h/t (hat tip) if they read it somewhere else, and they make relevant comments on these external posts. 

I like how each blog post takes you to the place of origin and somewhere near the title you will always find the ∞ permalink. 

I really like the Squarespace feature, "Link Post Title to Source URL." However, I wish Squarespace could have a way to make all links open in the same tab, as well as a way to have the ∞Permalink show up next to the post title.

I really enjoy using Squarespace because it is so useful, elegant and intuitive, and those two things (permalink next to post title and open all links on the same tab) would make it just amazing!

Update: 

Tuanphan kindly shared a code on how to make all site hyperlinks open on the same tab.

Here is the link.

Good question. Since I am design-first with my work, I don't start with a site but rather inspo and build from there. I love behance! Such great talent. Though, for functionality, I am loving:

For full-bleed: Hotel Joaquin https://hoteljoaquin.com/

For white space: THT Health https://ththealth.org

For retail - food: Brightland (love the detail and nuance) https://brightland.co/ 

For retail - product: LeLabo https://www.lelabofragrances.com

Love the LeLabo site. Those images!!! Very cool.

jasonmadarastudio.com

As for me, it’s the site of Ximena Vengoechea. Why I Love It: The simple, clean design of this site makes the colors of Vengoechea’s illustrations and user design screenshots really pop—helping her work shine even more.

On 12/25/2020 at 5:58 AM, Joseph21 said:

I really enjoy visiting:

https://www.loopinsight.com

https://shawnblanc.net

https://daringfireball.net

http://www.marco.org

 

What I like about these sites is that they are content-driven, and they purposefully do not have bells and whistles flying all over the place. There are no pop-ups, no videos starting when you visit, and no over-the-top web design ideas. Their advertising is unobtrusive. In addition, they are so sure of their content and that the visitor will return that their hyperlinks do not open new tabs. 

These sites have a minimalist look and they are easy to navigate since there is not a bunch of navigation folders or link hierarchies. In these websites, their blogs are the focus. They keep their site updated and fresh, but not to the point that you are overwhelmed with content.

You can tell there are real people with real life demands running these websites. Their joy keeping these websites running and sharing their thoughts with the world is very apparent. When visiting these sites, they feel like I am talking to a friend who is telling me about something they read or came across around the internet. Not only do I enjoy visiting the above sites, many times they lead me to other great sites and content.

Some of the content is original, other is from other sources but they link to those sources (the post titles themselves take you to the external links) , h/t (hat tip) if they read it somewhere else, and they make relevant comments on these external posts. 

I like how each blog post takes you to the place of origin and somewhere near the title you will always find the ∞ permalink. 

I really like the Squarespace feature, "Link Post Title to Source URL." However, I wish Squarespace could have a way to make all links open in the same tab, as well as a way to have the ∞Permalink show up next to the post title.

I really enjoy using Squarespace because it is so useful, elegant and intuitive, and those two things (permalink next to post title and open all links on the same tab) would make it just amazing!

 

Update: 

Tuanphan kindly shared a code on how to make all site hyperlinks open on the same tab.

Here is the link.

Same feelings! Looking forward to explore square space as I joined only a few weeks ago. 

I routinely peruse various design sites as I am design focused.

• https://www.siteinspire.com
• https://land-book.com
• http://www.awwwards.com
• https://httpster.net
• https://www.typewolf.com
• https://minimal.gallery

Here are some websites that I had as inspiration on my last project:

Draftbit - https://draftbit.com
Overflow - https://overflow.io
Moov - https://www.moovlabs.com
Brave Wings - https://bravewings.io

Also, Awwwards is great for inspiration - https://www.awwwards.com