Jan 11, 2017 Design + Creative

Six Sites for Inspiration in 2017

Now’s the time to start the New Year on the right foot! Here are six websites that may inspire you to take your latest design to the next level.

Google Trek: El Capitan – The great outdoors are a tried and true way to revitalize creativity. But there are some mountains we just can’t climb, and Yosemite’s El Capitan may be one of them. Leave it to Google to make the impossible possible. Scrolling upwards through the site charts the course of ascent while exploration points litter the route, providing any user with a jaw dropping birds-eye view that is normally reserved for the most intrepid climbers.

Mekong – A River Rising – The Guardian’s breakdown of the Mekong river really puts the “multi” in multimedia. Broken down by chapters, the Guardian’s team combines videos, gifs, vignettes, and a variety of imagery to create a truly interactive experience with one of the most critical ecological resources in Southeast Asia.

Brand New Subway – Ever want to put a subway stop right in front of your home? Brand New Subway gives users the chance to make wholesale changes to New York City’s subway system while analyzing the cost, efficiency, and ridership of each proposed station or rerouted service. This is more than just a fun game; it’s an exercise in rule and ground-breaking (literally) thought.

Big Drop’s Portfolio – One of the hot up-and-coming agencies in New York City, Big Drop provides a slew of design and branding services. Their work is clean, with a focus on easy-to-read fonts and clear photography. Every site in their portfolio has a well-defined user experience that keeps it simple for any user – something we should all consider for our future sites.

Figma – UX tools pop up seemingly every day, but there’s something different about Figma. Real-time collaboration takes on a whole new level as multiple users can edit designs, make live comments, and flip through a seemingly endless number of automatic saves to refine that perfect idea. This is a great tool to reduce your number of iterations and focus on what you’re best at: Innovation.

Site Inspire – Sometimes, it’s best to look at a variety of reference points to extract that crucial design element. Site Inspire is exactly that: A daily showcase of the finest web and interactive design. Sort by styles or subject, or if you want, just breeze through the best websites each week.

About the Author Alex Alabbas is a Senior Email and Content Marketing Manager at Media Temple. Alex has a diverse scope of content expertise in industries ranging from media and entertainment, market research and technology. More by this Author