The world of graphic design is constantly changing, especially when it comes to creating dynamic websites and staying on top of industry trends. It helps to have great inspiration to stay current and these 15 sites are great examples of what’s trending to keep designs fresh and workable.
- Communication Arts is the bible for design and creative, featuring interviews from hot designers and regular competitions. They also feature regular competitions in different areas of art and design so this is the place for the best of the best.
- Taxi has been presenting fresh ideas for creatives since 2003. Here you can see examples of infographics, videos and fonts and more with examples of how businesses like IKEA go to market.
- Daily news and articles about graphic design can be found at Graphics.com. Get updates on branding and advertising as well as new Mac and Windows downloads.
- Find web trends, tutorials and design ideas at Web Designer Wall. You’ll also get occasional freebies and information about design jobs.
- Behance is a great site to check out other design portfolios and post your own. See what others in the field are doing and get ideas on how to present your design portfolio.
- Shutterstock is a great go-to resource for 60 million stock images, vectors, music and video clips.
- Get great design and business advice as well as an international design showcase at HOW Design magazine’s site.
- Learn how to work faster and smarter with tools and tutorials at Adobe Learning Center.
- For a site that’s been around for awhile, Design is Kinky, is still putting it out there with killer work in photography, design and art. You can even submit your own work to be included in the showcases.
- UCreative is all about the art and business of design with articles on brand, fonts, creative exercises to get you jazzed and more.
- No, it’s not just about recipes and DIY projects. Pinterest can help you learn new aspects of design and put you in contact with others in the industry. Who knows, you might even find some customers.
- And speaking of business, LinkedIn is a great place to build your reputation and customer base. You may love designing but you’ll love it even more when you get paid to do it. Sign up here to get started.
- You’ll need to share your great designs in some pretty large files so putting them in the cloud will help. Dropbox is a favorite of designers around the world because it lets you share and store files. Plus, it’s easy to use and easy is good.
- The Professional Association for Design (AIGA) showcases great work in different media as well as providing thought leadership on the future of graphic design around the world. You can also find current job listings. Become a member and you get access to local and national members for great networking opportunities.
- Cool Showcase is just what it says it is. You’ll find tons of inspiration in digital, 3D, photography, illustration and even traditional art. It’s a great community for designers who want to connect with others in the industry.