Key Takeaways
- Gain a creative advantage by exploring platforms that show both beautiful designs and how real people use them.
- Find practical design ideas by watching how real users interact with apps and browsing organized interface examples.
- Help people use digital tools more easily by finding design ideas focused on their actual needs and simple navigation.
- Spark your creativity by checking out sites that show everything from actual user videos to stunning visual design trends.
In the fast-paced world of digital design, even seasoned UI/UX designers occasionally find themselves in need of fresh inspiration.
Whether you’re creating a new app, updating a website, or improving an existing interface, access to innovative design ideas can take your work from ordinary to unique. Fortunately, numerous platforms and communities are dedicated to fueling designers’ creativity. This article explores some of the top resources for UI/UX design inspiration that emphasize both aesthetics and functionality.
1. Page Flows: A Real UX Exposure When It Matters
Page Flows is unique in that it provides valid and real ways users navigate through an app or website. Page Flows captures actual videos of user flows so you can see things like how users sign up for your product, check out or navigate menus in mobile apps, etc.
There are many sites that stop with screenshots of user flows, but Page Flows are different, you can see actual users interacting with the product as and when they choose to. This will help you to make a much more informed decision on what works with the user and how you can design them better, more intuitive user experiences.
One great thing about Page Flows is how it highlights common patterns. For example, you can spot how finance apps keep accounts secure or how online stores help reduce abandoned shopping carts.
By showing real examples from real products, Page Flows is a helpful tool for designers who want to build simple, smart, and user-friendly designs.
2. Dribbble – The Visual Playground for Designers
Dribbble has been a main source of inspiration and visually-stimulating ideas for designers for a long time. Dribbble has an immense library of UI components, mobile screens, dashboards, and web pages; in fact, it is not just a library of work but rather a UI Patterns gallery, curated collections, tags and daily challenges that might inspire innovative ideas for later use in a project.
A key feature of Dribbble is the community; being part of this community will allow you to contribute feedback on the work of other designers, to communicate with other designers and observe how design trends evolve, therefore continuing to inspire you and your design career. A lot of UI/UX designers use Dribbble as a means to assess if an idea or visual concept could be successful or popular before putting that design to use for a client or in future products.
We want to make it clear that much of what is on Dribbble is polished final work, and while these images are amazing to take in, they may not always represent usability or real-world interaction. However, Dribbble can be a great way to spark new visual creativity and follow the latest trends in design.
If you are a designer who wants to stay ahead of the visual trends and expressions and practice employing a range of different aesthetics, Dribbble is a great source of inspirational material and design updates.
3. Behance: Detailed Design Stories and Project Walkthroughs
Behance is a great place to explore all kinds of design projects in depth. Unlike Dribbble, which focuses on quick visuals, Behance shows full project stories. Designers share everything from user research and wireframes to testing results.
Because it’s owned by Adobe, many professionals use it to explain their design process. You can see what challenges they faced, what decisions they made and why — which is super helpful if you’re learning or looking to improve your own work.
Behance also makes it easy to find what you’re interested in. You can filter by region or browse categories like web design, mobile apps, or prototypes.
If you want to see how real UX projects are done from start to finish, Behance is definitely worth checking out.
4. UI Garage: Curated UI Inspiration by Patterns
UI Garage is a useful design inspiration site that provides curated UI examples from real world apps and websites. While some channels are purely about looks, UI Garage categorizes its examples by use case, device type, design style, and even by mood.
This is particularly beneficial if you’re working on something very specific—like pricing page, onboarding screen, or error message—and you need quick visual references with actual solutions to similar problems.
Each UI pattern provides details about the original product so you not only get an understanding of the visual representation, but the functional intent as well. UI Garage offers a full spectrum from clean minimalist interfaces, to bold experimental compositions, and most things in-between across mobile and web..
If you’re looking for practical inspiration organized by UX goals and UI needs, UI Garage is a solid alternative to more traditional design galleries.
Conclusion: Merging Aesthetics with Functionality
Design inspiration transcends mere visual appeal; it encompasses understanding how interfaces serve users effectively. Platforms like Dribbble and Behance provide rich visual and conceptual content, while UI Garage offers categorized patterns for practical application. However, Page Flows uniquely combines these aspects by showcasing real user interactions in real scenarios.
By integrating these resources, designers can attain a comprehensive perspective that nurtures both creativity and usability. Whether in the initial brainstorming phase or refining intricate interactions, leveraging these platforms can significantly enhance design outcomes.
Ultimately, the most impactful UI/UX designs are those inspired by genuine user experiences—a principle that Page Flows exemplifies by providing insights into real-life user journeys.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should designers use more than one inspiration website?
Using different websites gives designers a wider view. Some sites show beautiful pictures, while others show how real people use apps. This mix helps create designs that both look good and work well for users.
What makes Page Flows different from a site like Dribbble for design ideas?
Page Flows shows actual videos of people using apps, so you see real navigation and interactions. Dribbble mainly showcases polished images and visual concepts, which are great for artistic ideas but may not always show practical use.
How can watching real user videos on Page Flows improve my designs?
Watching real user videos helps you understand what parts of an app might be confusing or easy for people. This insight allows you to make smarter choices, leading to designs that are more intuitive and user-friendly.
Is Dribbble just for pretty pictures, or can it help with actual user experience design?
Dribbble is known for beautiful designs, but it’s not just about looks. Designers use it to see new visual styles and test ideas. This can inspire how things work too, but always think if pretty designs are easy to use.
How can I use Behance to learn more than just what a final design looks like?
Behance shows the full design story, not just the final look. Designers share their research, early ideas, and test results. This helps you see how they solved problems and made choices during the project.
If I’m stuck on a specific design problem, like an app’s signup page, how can UI Garage help?
UI Garage sorts design examples by specific app parts, like signup pages. This helps you quickly find real solutions for your exact problem. It saves time and gives useful ideas.
What’s the biggest mistake designers make when looking for inspiration online?
A common mistake is only looking at how designs look and forgetting to think about how they work for real people. Great design inspiration should balance beauty with ease of use, which is why seeing real user interactions is so valuable.
How does the community on sites like Dribbble help more than just seeing designs?
Being part of a design community lets you give and get feedback on work, discuss ideas with other designers, and see how trends change over time. This interaction can spark new thoughts and help you grow as a designer, not just find pretty pictures.
Many sites list design inspiration resources. How do I pick the best ones for my project?
Think about what you need. For visual ideas, Dribbble is good. To see how users do tasks, try Page Flows. Pick sites that fit your current design problem, focusing on looks, how it works, or the entire design journey.
How can I use these inspiration sites to create something new, not just copy ideas?
Try to learn why good designs work, not just how they look. Study user paths, how others solved problems, and common patterns. Then, mix these lessons with your own fresh ideas to make something truly new and helpful.
