The challenge of mining inspiration
Finding new and inspiring ways to be creative with web design can sometimes feel exhausting, especially when you’re trying to thread the needle between exciting and useable. An incredible design is pointless when it loads slow, functions poorly, is confusing, doesn’t convey the proper message, and isn’t accessible. The reality is, at the end of the day, a website is a marketing tool. Marketing tools exist to generate sales. Web designers are required to create engaging designs (which is challenging enough in and of itself considering the constant barrage of content from every corner of the web, but I digress), while following a long lists of rules which can be at odds with creativity.
Setting aside the human challenges faced by creatives, who may be impacted by any number of things to include psychological, emotional, and environmental factors or the inherent desire to create something flawless which can lead to procrastination or paralysis, over-analysis preventing the free-flowing process of putting ideas into action, among a myriad of other things. It’s important to find tools we can use to kickstart the creative process.
In the modern digital landscape where first impressions are made in milliseconds, the art of web design has evolved into a sophisticated blend of functionality and aesthetics. Behind every striking website, there’s that sometimes elusive spark of creativity that ignites a powerful user experience. It’s easy to implement a design. It’s often very difficult to conceptualize that design.
There are a few places I go to get the creative juices flowing, but one mainstay in my toolkit over the years has been Behance. Here are a few designs I recently came across on Behance that I wanted to share.
Finding Inspiration on Behance
Behance is an online platform developed by Adobe that serves as a showcase and networking site for creative professionals. It allows designers, artists, photographers, and other creative individuals to display their portfolios, share their work, and connect with potential clients or collaborators. Behance, for me, is primarily a source of inspiration, showcasing a wide range of web design concepts (among work from other creative mediums) from various disciplines. Users can explore trending projects, discover new styles, and stay updated on the latest design trends.
WRK Timepieces
This WRK Timepieces concept is credited to Ruud Luijten and Jocelyn Morlais. The brand is renowned for its commitment to crafting luxury timepieces. Their artisans meticulously create each piece, combining traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge innovation. Utilizing premium materials such as titanium and DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon), WRK Timepieces produces watches that epitomize precision engineering and timeless elegance. For their website, we wanted to transfer WRK’s philosophy around design and innovation to reflect every little detail of the site and how we tell the story of each timepiece. Their website is pretty sweet, combining brutalist design with some really smooth GSAP animation.
The design captures the essence of the brand extremely well and the website makes meaningful use of animations and video. Everything feels intentional and ties together to create an visual connection to the product.
Polestar
This Polestar concept created by Andrew Aden for a is a high-performance electric vehicle (EV) brand that originated from Volvo Cars and Geely, two major players in the automotive industry. Established as a standalone brand in 2017, Polestar focuses on delivering high-performance, sustainable, and technologically advanced electric vehicles. Polestar vehicles embody the minimalistic and Scandinavian Design ethos while integrating technology, which can be a challenge. Some brands do this exceptionally well, Polestar is one of those brands. The aesthetics are inspired by Scandinavian design principles, which prioritize simplicity, functionality, and elegance while incorporating the latest in automotive technology and design innovation. Their vehicles often feature state-of-the-art digital interfaces, connectivity options, and smart features that enhance both functionality and user experience.
Polestar’s current website is a bit different and could very well be used for design inspiration too, but I really enjoyed Andrew’s concept as it does a great job connecting Polestar’s design principles with modern tech.
Byredo
Byredo is a luxury brand known for its high-end fragrances, beauty products, and accessories. Founded in 2006 by Ben Gorham in Stockholm, Sweden, Byredo has gained a reputation for its minimalist aesthetic, distinctive scents, and premium quality. Byredo has become a symbol of modern luxury, appealing to those who appreciate sophisticated, niche products with a unique identity. This design concept created by Sooyoung Choi embodies that aesthetic well.
Additional Concepts
There are countless web design concepts to explore on Behance, here are a few more I felt might offer some inspiration.
