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Stuck trying to design your website?

flickr.com — Looking for some inspiration? Here are 290+ shots of nicely designed web sites and links to each page so you can view their code if you want. Most of the pages are coded as beautiful as they are designed.

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  • remiped, on 10/12/2007, -0/+55Great resource. I appreciate the time you took to compile this.
    • CAvenger, on 10/12/2007, -2/+25Good artists copy, great artists steal.

      Thanks!
    • hypoxide, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I agree. Thanks a lot! Lots of great inspiration here. Dugg!
  • Jaymoon, on 10/12/2007, -69/+5Oh no! He's breaking the almighty Flickr rules!!!

    Screenshots? How dare he!

    Don't digg this story, you are just helping this rebel promote his cause against Flickr.
    • marklj, on 10/12/2007, -2/+31I hope that's sarcasm. Otherwise, you're an ass.
    • Jaymoon, on 10/12/2007, -19/+8Did you even need to ask...
    • oxyrubber, on 10/12/2007, -16/+6This is Digg... and the internet. (So yes, you need a "/sarcasm" tag or he needs to ask).
    • adjustafresh, on 10/12/2007, -15/+3"This is Digg... and the internet..." sarcasm is always implied.
  • IEatHamburgers, on 10/12/2007, -0/+19I like posts like these, not just because they give me design ideas but because occasionally I find a site that has a service I like that I didn't know about. You can find lots of interesting stuff that way.
  • akinder, on 10/12/2007, -0/+29My problem isn't just trying to come up with a design, it's that I suck at making pretty graphics, and matching colors.

    I'd much rather just code the backend, and let someone else make it pretty, but being a startup, it's hard to get a good designer on board without a steady paycheck.
    • IEatHamburgers, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8I'm the opposite way. My site looks pretty, but looks like it was coded by a drunken monkey (it is a Cafepress site though which makes code validation impossible).
    • jon61575, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16Yes, most people liked to be paid to work.
    • apetrie, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5I feel you even though I have the opposite problem. Markup and design are super easy for me. I've been working on a web app and the mockups (both image based/photoshop and html/css) are looking great. Chances are with enough work and after a bit of learning I can increase my knowledge of php/mysql enough to make it go.. but I know the code is going to be all wrong and messy and just generally crap. Its depressing!
    • petroK, on 10/12/2007, -1/+28akinder, meet ieathamburgers.

      ieathamburgers, meet akinder.

      I think you may be able to help one another out. I'll wave my fees... this time.
    • mcc123, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I'm sure there are plenty of talented designers out there with the opposite problem - "it's hard to get a good developer on board without a steady paycheck".

      http://programmermeetdesigner.com/ might be right up your street...
    • Mikekuul, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I have the same design problem. I can plan and design something for ages in my head, sketch it out on paper, then I open up photoshop and my brain does a runner. Really kills motivation when you have an idea but just can't quite make it happen :(

      Still, pages of sites that give me inspiration are what start it off, so dugg. :)
    • deanypop, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0I just have a picture in my head of an awesome idea, and no ability to design or code any of it. Any ideas?
    • simpleid, on 10/12/2007, -8/+2I can both write applications and design them, as I do professionally, and very well might I add.

      :) go on, digg me down, I don't ever get a chance to brag in real life anyway, every person I've ever tried to tell about my achievements end up becoming very hostile, I suppose I pose a natural threat in the talent department. Or is it just me? I'm certain 90% of Americans are twig yielding apes always rampaging against each other in hopes to tilt the balance of power by wishfully thinking they are superior and forcing their will on others.

      But it's ok, naturally I'm in a good position for what I know and nerds always win.
    • akinder, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@jon withabunchonumbers
      Hey now, I didn't say I didn't pay them, just that it's not a steady job just yet, and it's hard to find a talented designer who believes in your vision and what you want to do, but doesn't charge a high fee.
      After a few more years in the biz, I'm sure we'll be able to afford an expensive designer, but right now it's penny pinching FTW
  • BritishGolgo13, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1I often look for sites to give me the inspiration I need to create new ideas. This will come in handy.

    http://duggmirror.com/design/Stuck_trying_to_design_your_website/
  • Alegis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+22I suck at finishing websites, project termination syndrome.

    • BobMysterioso, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14I have the same thing! Digg does not help with it, rather it exacerbates the situation quite nicely.
    • redlaser, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11i hate people like BobMysterioso, people who make people like me refer dictionaries
    • wolfzombie, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9eh, forget the dictionary, just watch more movies, like "Shaun of the Dead"

      Liz: It's just that with Ed here, it's no wonder I always bring my flatmates out, and then that only exacerbates things.
      Shaun: What you mean?
      Liz: Well, you guys hardly get on, do you?
      Shaun: No... what does 'exacerbate' mean?
  • fuckingusername, on 10/12/2007, -11/+4I really thought the templates looked to commercial.
    • parker1105, on 10/12/2007, -16/+4When did spelling and grammar become optional on the internet? I missed the memo. You meant "too" commercial. You should have learned that about third grade. Sorry to unload on you, but that's pretty basic stuff. I see that mistake all the time, and it's as annoying as hell.
    • fuckingusername, on 10/12/2007, -19/+9....................../´¯/)
      ....................,/¯..//
      .................../....//
      ............./´¯/'...'/´¯¯`·¸
      ........../'/.../..../......./¨¯
      ........('(...´...´.... ¯~/'...')
      ..........................'...../
      ..........''............._.·´
      ..........................(
      ...........................
      ............................
      .............................
      sorry I will try harder
    • tarkam, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10@parker1105 The Internet or WORLD wide web is full of people that are not from the US and english is their second language. I assume that my post is full of spelling errors. I ask you, how well do you write in spanish, italian, german or french?
    • justinwalden, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Sheesh, even native speakers occasionally make a typo. Calm down; it ain't like it's going to be published.
  • pwagener, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Nice collection. There is plenty more inspiration (probably with some cleaner designs too) at the old standby, the CSS Zen Garden:

    http://www.csszengarden.com/
  • mikerev, on 10/12/2007, -5/+0All the sites in this post are lame and not really unique, otherwise thanks?
  • malkir, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I'm sure most people on digg realize this... I believe that the websites most people use on a daily basis are generally more functional than they are pretty, or have a nice design.

    Google, MySpace (I loath it too), Facebook, Digg, thepiratebay, etc...

    They all have certain minimal standards of form and design (except myspace) but mostly they just have the functions and features people want. Most of the sites I see in these pictures look very nice, but I'm betting they don't get used a whole lot by large groups of people.

    EDIT: the only exception to this are company based website portals that are the online "store front" of a offline business, they typically need to be prettier than they are functional.
    • apetrie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2The majority of websites are not meant to be used by large groups of people. Being the next "myspace" isn't and shouldn't be the goal of most of them either.

      That being said it doesn't have to be form vs. function, it can be form AND function. Some of those sites you mentioned (myspace) are not widely used because of they are ugly, they are widely used despite being ugly. Form is actually a part of function, and the other sites you mentioned like digg may not be "pretty" but it is attractive and well laid out. Google is not pretty at all, but I bet more thought went into what text to use and the layout than you it would seen.

      I agree some of those sites are just pretty but a lot of them are attractive because of the user interface they present, not just the choice of colours.
    • malkir, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I'm trying to think of a well designed website that the owner wouldn't be happier with more hits a day, but I can't come up with anything. I'm not saying all websites should attempt to become the next google or myspace, but if they want more users they need to worry about their content and function more than their 'beauty'.

      Also, my point may be a little more extreme, and while I don't have a study to prove it, I think one should definitely be done to figure out if its true. The majority of people don't like visual overload and 'beautiful' sites typically give it to them, driving users away rather than making them stay.

      This of course is all just my opinion and it could be completely wrong, I don't think it is, but it definitely could be.
    • notasausage, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2MySpace is hardly an example of a site that is more functional than pretty. Not only is it ugly as sin, but it's near impossible to get around in. Have you ever used it? Try doing simple tasks, like changing your profile. I swear it takes 3+ clicks to get anywhere on that site.

      Anyway, your point is a good one at heart. Usability and functionality are generally more important than attractiveness, but there is no reason why a website can't have both.
    • 600SR20, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0With the popularity of user customized yet preformatted websites growing it is surprising that more personal sites aren't moving to Sharepoint technology. It isn't any more difficult than learning to use Frontpage.
  • inkubux, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8I also like http://oswd.org wich is a list of open sourced design :)
  • cmdrNacho, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1For flickr being a yahoo product, and to have such a large user base on the internet, this site really cant handle the traffic.
  • pyper, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Just go to http://www.coolhomepages.com they even have them categorized
  • compzo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1http://www.styletag.com/ is really nice for inspiration too.
  • Urusai, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I thought all you needed was a black background and some multicolor big-font text with center alignment.
    • IEatHamburgers, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2You need sound too. Also, the background isn't supposed to be black, but rather bright green with purple text in 36px bold Comic Sans MS.
    • theonesteve, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Don't forget the animated flame gifs and the construction worker sign.
  • VintageMud, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1See, the problem with all these sites is their aim is to look pretty, but the functionality and navigation has all gone to hell.

    If I'm going to take the time to look at a site, I don't want to have to search for the spot to click. I want a clearly labeled navigation bar. No having to rollover a picture to find what it links to, no having wait for flash transitions, no having to look all over a page because the links aren't in one or two easy locations (preferably top and left).

    Sure they look cool at first, but when you go to use them, you get tired of searching for a link and leave.
    • knaps, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Whoever designs a page like that is ignoring half of what design is about to begin with. You might have had some bad experiences with more artsy sites in the past, but if you look at a lot of the sites hosted today on webcreme, cssvault, csszengarden, etc, you'll find that the reason lots of those sites get into their showcase is because it's simply a fantastically designed, both functionally and aesthetically. That's the reason design exists -- to improve an experience as a whole.
    • ektar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0yup, jakob nielsen is rolling over in his grave...

      seriously tho, i agree, some of those sites are over designed. nielsen and his bunch could help a few of those sites.


  • Wamzlee, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1YES!!! Finally, exactly what I needed. If I was gay, I would make sweet gay-man love to Bewedking
    • parker1105, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Wamzlee, you put a little too much enthusiasm into that. How long have you had these urges? Never mind. Sorry I asked.
    • bwedeking, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1maybe I am a girl?
  • knaps, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3http://webcreme.com, go there and check it out. Probably one of the best webdesign showcases around.
  • johnners, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Thank you very much.

    Seeing examples of well designed sites and decent functioning code is by far the best way to learn.

    Thanks again.
  • megaman2005, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This is a nice resource. I got some inspiration.
  • WITFITS, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Cool, thanks for posting this.
  • Mr.Chainsaw, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This is by far one of the best posts here. Thanks a ton. +digg
  • fiv3isaliv3, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Patrick Haney is not a sausage.
  • rgbk, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0I would rather poke my own eyes out then look at this CSS drivel.
    The shot on the top left says it all. NICE. I hate nice. Nice things are boring things.
  • kdehead, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3one of the best diggs i've seen in ages. i've just spent the better part of the last two hours on it.

    DIGG++++++
  • notasausage, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Well thanks for the digg. I haven't updated this set in a few days, but I've got about 15 more screenshots to upload this afternoon. Feel free to keep an eye on it as it grows.

    PS. Don't mind my site, I stripped the CSS out while I work on the redesign.
    • bwedeking, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Hope you didn't mind me posting your link.

      It was far too great of resource to sit in JUST my bookmarked pages.
    • Picard102, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1hah, I guess this isn't limited to Live Journal.
    • notasausage, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Don't mind at all, glad to have more people using the set as inspiration. I spend at least 6 hours a week gathering these up and commenting on them, so having people actually look at my work (and their work) is nice.
  • static_13, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1GGRRR where the ***** is the rss on this crappy site? it's a awesome resource but there is NO WAY i'm going to check it every morning or so... no rss no digg :(
  • Moysh007, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1these are mostly all screens from templatemonster.com are they not...??!!
    • notasausage, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2No, these are hand-crafted sites by people I respect. I'd never even heard of templatemonster until now.
  • kriegs, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2So, he takes screenshots of sites that are featured at one of the COUNTLESS number of website/css portals out there? do we really need another?
  • agiorlando, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I must say, there is some good stuff in there.
    $10 says these will be for sale on marketplace forums all over the internet by tonight! But that's just my 2 cents. Good find.
  • HalfGiraffe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Dugg down (for making me feel inadequate as a web designer.)
  • xatx, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1*****, 'how not to design your website.' those suck, but some may find useful
    • notasausage, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Thank you for your professional opinion. Please continue to design websites that don't look like this at all, using animated GIFs, "Under Construction" banners and text inside blink tags.
    • IEatHamburgers, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@notasausage:
      Hey, animated GIFs have their place. They just need to be used subtly.
  • woogley, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0this is a great resource, it really gets the mind running with ideas. nice one.
  • FelixdaaHack, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1it's 2007...get beyond 800 pixel wide web design people
    • adiosk8, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'm sure people would love to, but the majority of web site viewers is still 800 x 600
  • fetusface, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1everyone please use these.......just makes the internet more template based and makes being a designer stand out that much more. thanks
  • xatx, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1***** ***** sucks ass.

    here are millions of sites: http://www.google.com
  • maninc, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1great!!! i Like!!
  • loxi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0http://www.design-sites.net/
  • pekea, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0thanks for info
    http://www.best-buy-deal.com/grocery-shopping-guides.html
  • pekea, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0thanks
    http://messenger-gratuit.blogspot.com/
  • Jorgito, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0I think its good for inspiration.
    A very nice collection - thanks
    --------------------------------------------
    http://www.skuub.com
    http://www.cafe-lehmann.de
  • trendafilka, on 11/25/2007, -1/+0http://healthcareadvice.blogspot.com/
    http://oralcare24.blogspot.com/
    http://fitnessinfotips.blogspot.com/
  • theadvinci, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1Cool.
  •  

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