What’s your favorite tool or resource for finding inspiration for your web UI designs? We asked 8 UI experts, and they shared their go-to sources for sparking creativity and innovation.
- Explore Behance and Dribbble for Inspiration
- Find Inspiration in Art Galleries
- Use Pinterest for Creative Ideas
- Study RPG Inventory Systems
- Observe Nature and Architecture
- Learn from Industrial Efficiency
- Draw Inspiration from Other Industries
- Get Ideas from Real-World Objects
UI Design Inspiration: 8 Favorite Resources and Unexpected Sources
Explore Behance and Dribbble for Inspiration
One of my favorite resources for finding inspiration for web UI designs is Behance. It’s a platform where designers from all over the world share their portfolios, and it offers endless inspiration for layout, typography, and color schemes. I also frequently explore Dribbble, which offers smaller, more digestible snippets of design ideas that are great for sparking creativity.
An unexpected source of inspiration that led to a great design idea came from nature. While hiking, I came across a pattern in the way leaves of different shapes layered over each other, creating both contrast and harmony. I used this observation to design a UI element where different cards were stacked in a way that mimicked the natural layering of leaves. The design allowed users to visually differentiate between the cards while maintaining a cohesive flow—something that added a fresh and organic feel to a digital interface. This simple, natural observation helped me think about layering and depth in a whole new way, providing a refreshing twist to a standard design element.
Steve Neher
CEO, Mail King USA
Find Inspiration in Art Galleries
My favorite tool for finding inspiration for web UI designs is Dribbble. It’s a great platform to explore creative designs and discover new trends in user interfaces. However, I also find inspiration in unexpected places—sometimes even outside of the tech world.
One memorable example came from a visit to an art gallery. I was drawn to an abstract painting with bold colors and layered geometric shapes. It sparked the idea for a web design where I used overlapping elements and vibrant accents to guide user focus and create visual depth. Later, I applied this concept to a homepage for an e-commerce client, using layered product cards and vivid call-to-action buttons to draw attention to key products.
The client loved the unique, modern look, and the design helped increase user engagement significantly. It reminded me that creativity isn’t confined to screens—it’s everywhere if you stay open to inspiration.
Derrick Boddie
Senior Web Developer & Executive Director, Mango Innovation
Use Pinterest for Creative Ideas
One of my favorite tools for finding inspiration for web UI designs is Pinterest. It’s an endless source of creative ideas across various industries, and I often use it to explore design trends, color palettes, and unique layouts. I also love looking at design boards from other entrepreneurs, as it helps me see what resonates with users and how different elements can work together to create a more engaging experience.
An example of inspiration from an unexpected source occurred when designing the landing page for FemFounder. I had been scrolling through Pinterest and came across a design featuring vintage book covers with bold typography and intricate border designs. This inspired me to incorporate bold typography and elegant borders into the site, giving it a unique yet professional look. It was a nod to the idea of “building your business as a lasting legacy,” which aligned perfectly with FemFounder’s mission.
This design choice helped to convey a sense of authority and timelessness while still feeling modern and approachable. It was an unexpected source of inspiration that turned into a design feature that set the website apart and resonated deeply with my target audience. By keeping an open mind and looking for inspiration everywhere, I’ve been able to create more distinctive, user-friendly web experiences.
Kristin Marquet
Founder & Creative Director, Marquet Media
Study RPG Inventory Systems
I find incredible UI inspiration from studying RPG inventory systems, especially how they organize complex information in intuitive ways. Last month, I adapted the quick-select wheel from Skyrim into a circular navigation menu for our app’s main features, which reduced user navigation time by 40% and got great feedback from our beta testers.
Christian Marin
CEO, Freezenova
Observe Nature and Architecture
My favorite resource for finding inspiration in web UI design is observing patterns and trends outside the digital space—specifically in nature and architecture. These physical environments often hold unexpected insights into balance, symmetry, and flow, which can be applied to user interface designs.
One time, while hiking, I noticed the way a stream naturally divided into smaller channels as it navigated obstacles. This inspired me to rethink a project where users were overwhelmed by too much content on the homepage. By breaking the information into intuitive “streams” leading to specialized sections, we created a design that guided users more naturally through the site. The bounce rate dropped significantly, and engagement metrics improved. This taught me that looking beyond traditional design resources can uncover solutions that feel intuitive and organic to users.
Brandon Leibowitz
Owner, SEO Optimizers
Learn from Industrial Efficiency
One odd place where I always find some unique ideas for UI design is in the industrial area. I believe just by stepping foot in an actual factory, you can observe things very differently. How things are laid out for efficiency, what needs to be changed, and what unique solutions each worker comes up with when it comes to minimizing their efforts. For example, while visiting a factory, I noticed how their assembly lines had color-coded zones and visual indicators to streamline workflow. It inspired me to design a project management dashboard where tasks were color-coded by priority and progress. We added visual markers, similar to the factory’s conveyor belts, to show bottlenecks in real time.
Gursharan Singh
Co-Founder, WebSpero Solutions
Draw Inspiration from Other Industries
One of my favorite tools for finding inspiration in web UI design is exploring industries completely outside of the one I’m designing for. For example, during my telecommunications business days, I was tasked with designing a customer-facing portal. Instead of looking at typical telecom examples, I drew inspiration from the hospitality industry. I was particularly struck by the way luxury hotel websites used clear navigation, stunning visuals, and seamless user flows to deliver a sense of premium service. This idea led me to completely revamp our approach to the portal, introducing intuitive navigation and a clean aesthetic paired with user-friendly functionality that mimicked a concierge-style experience. The result? We not only improved customer engagement but also saw a significant reduction in support inquiries, proving the design’s effectiveness.
My years of experience and qualifications, including my MBA with a finance specialization and years spent scaling businesses internationally, were instrumental in turning this idea into reality. I understood how to align the technical capabilities with business objectives, ensuring that the portal not only looked great but also delivered measurable results. The project taught me the importance of cross-industry inspiration and how applying it strategically can lead to breakthroughs that competitors simply don’t anticipate. It’s a strategy I’ve since shared with clients globally, helping them think outside the box to achieve standout success.
Ronald Osborne
Founder, Ronald Osborne Business Coach
Get Ideas from Real-World Objects
I find inspiration for web UI designs from a variety of sources, including design blogs, social media, and even real-world objects. One particularly effective tool is Pinterest, as it allows me to visually explore a vast array of images and ideas. Recently, I was inspired by a photo of a vintage typewriter to create a unique form design. The typewriter’s clean lines and mechanical aesthetic led me to design a form with a minimalist layout, using a typewriter—like font and subtle animations to mimic the action of typing. This approach resulted in a visually appealing and user-friendly form that stood out from traditional designs.
Matthew Woodard
Web Designer & Developer, Matthew Woodard, Inc.
