4 Blog Design Inspiration Sources

[toc]Launching a blog of your own is a way to share your thoughts, products, services and even news that matters and appeals to you most. When you are planning to launch your very own blog for any reason, using sources of inspiration is highly recommended. Using inspirational books, magazines and online communities will help you to brainstorm creative and unique ideas that are sure to get you fired up about your own blog! There are a few blog design inspiration sources available to use entirely for free to get you started online in any industry.

1.Awwwards.com

Gathering inspiration for your own blog layout and design is possible with Awwwards.com, a web community that is dedicated to highlighting and sharing the work of web designer from around the world. Awwwards provides updated galleries of websites in a variety of industries, representing everything from personal portfolios to eCommerce communities.

Features of Awwwards

Awwwards is a free community that is also mobile-friendly, making the gallery of inspiration accessible from just about anywhere. The sleek design of Awwwards makes finding inspiration a breeze, especially with the quick loading system and ability to connect from multiple social media platforms. Awwwards is an ideal site to use if you are looking for updated design work that is relevant and new to today’s use of trends, social media and mobile platforms.

In addition to sharing and highlighting other web designers and the sites they have launched, Awwwards also features an in-depth blog with guides and tutorials that are relevant to designing and even working with the latest version of HTML, HTML5.

Learning more about upcoming web design conferences and events can be done by visiting Awwwards, whether or not you are currently a registered member. When you are thinking of learning more about HTML5, CSS3 or even web design altogether, it is possible to do so by accessing the shop available directly from the official site. There is also a voting application available for all members of Awwwards who enjoy participating in the community aspect of the site.

Perks of Becoming a Member of Awwwards

When you become a registered member of the Awwwards community site, you can easily vote on your favorite sites that are featured while also saving other entries you may want to refer to at a later time. Membership on Awwwards is free of charge and can be completed within a few seconds. Having a gallery of favorite web designs and styles will help to broaden your own view of the type of blog you want to launch.

Once you are a registered member of Awwwards, you can browse through all of the current positions that are available at Awwwards itself. There are also jobs available from other users and companies who are using the platform to advertising open positions for qualified candidates.

Voting on others’ websites is one of the major features of becoming a member of Awwwards’ online community. When you vote on a website, you are voting based on the site’s overall design, creativity, usability and content, which then results in an average that is posted on the site. You can search for results based on ratings in various aspects of the site or you can simply browse by colors and the date the website was uploaded into the system. You also have the option of browsing for site results based on specific tags that are relevant to the styles or type of sites you are interested in creating.

Using Awwwards is highly recommended whether you are simply a design enthusiast or if you are interested in boosting the programming and web design skills you currently have. Improving your web design skills can be done by seeking out inspiration from around the world, right from your own home.

2.99Designs.com

99Designs is an online inspiration blog and crowdsourcing service for both web and graphic designers. Whether you are interested in having your blog designed by multiple designers at once or if you are simply browsing for tips to spark your creativity, 99Designs is an ideal options. If you are in need of blog design inspiration, you can find the creativity necessary to take your project to the next level.

Purpose of 99Designs

99Designs was originally created and launched to represent crowdsourcing in terms of providing graphic and web design services. Users who are searching for new designs for their own site can use 99Designs to request samples and sketches from designers who are available around the world. Giving blog design inspiration is also done with 99Designs’ official blog for customers and visitors of the site.

When you create an account with 99Designs, you can host your own virtual “design contest”, giving you the ability to request a specific design or to share your interests and preferences of style to hundreds and thousands of designers. Asking potential designers to help will give you the chance to receive plenty of submissions, ultimately providing even more inspiration than you may have had originally.

Once you review all of the design submissions to represent your clothing or the type of website or product you want to create, you can then select your winning designer to get started or to receive your final design immediately.

After you have registered for an account with 99Designs, you can immediately begin hosting your own design contest. Sharing the budget you have available and what it is you are looking for is necessary to get started, but you are not required to submit sketches or designs that you already have in mind. Designers will take all of the information you submit and put it to use when they begin to work on mock-ups for your website or the type of design you are seeking. The more detailed you are with your design specifications and requirements, the easier it will be to find a designer that is right for any project you have in mind.

You can host your design contest for a total of 7 days, which allows the potential designers who are interested more time to create something that will truly work for you and the idea you envision.

Seeking Inspiration for Your Blog With 99Designs

When you want to find inspiration for your own blog with 99Designs, you can also do so by regularly reading the new posts the community has to offer. The customer blog from 99Designs provides practical and creative advice for those interested in branding their own company or launching a start-up blog.

Understanding the keys to running a successful blog and how to launch a redesign of your blog’s logo are articles featured with 99Designs. Learning all about formatting logos and how to create label designs can also be accomplished through the blog provided from 99Designs.

Regardless of whether you want to hire professionals to move your blog design project forward or if you are interested in gaining more knowledge and insight into the world of design and programming yourself, 99Designs can be a great resource and outlet for finding inspiration for any type of blog or website.

3.ThemeForest.net

ThemeForest.net is a depot of graphic design templates, logos, PSD templates and even various plugins to help with blog design inspiration and creating the site and online presence of your dreams. Whether you want to launch a portfolio blog or if you want to include products and digital downloads on your blog, you can find all of the blog design inspiration necessary to get your started with or without any prior experience.

Purpose of ThemeForest.com

ThemeForest is available to provide everything from HTML and CSS templates to WordPress themes, PSD files and plugins for Joomla and Magneto. ThemeForest provides nearly 10,000 resources to purchase or to download for free, depending on the creator and the simplicity of the design or script that is being offered. You can use ThemeForest.com as a source of blog design inspiration or as a marketplace for you to purchase designs that you want to incorporate in your own unique layout or look.

Type of Content

When you want to use ThemeForest as a blog design inspiration source, you can do so by browsing through site templates, CMS systems and PSD files right from the homepage. ThemeForest can work for companies in the business industry or for anyone interested in eCommerce, creative design or simply sharing information about a local brand or business.

You can find everything from corporate and minimalist-style website and blog layouts to fully-functioning CMS-based sites designed around eCommerce and online magazine sites. It is also possible to search for templates and files by titles, colors and various categories the downloadables fall into.

Even if you are interested in more than just blog design inspiration, ThemeForest also provides landing pages and email marketing templates to help with getting your blog and its name known online. Seeking blog design inspiration with ThemeForest can be done whether or not you are a registered member of the site.

Why Use ThemeForest?

ThemeForest designers often include full documentation information on all of the files that are sold, giving you more insight into how to properly use them, install them or even tweak and customize templates you are interested in. When you use ThemeForest to find blog design inspiration, you can often get a live preview of all of the templates that are available before you make a decision. Each file that is uploaded to ThemeForest is detailed with the type of features that are included in each download and the support the user will receive once the item has been purchased.

Whether you want to know if the file is documented, what software version it works best with or the type of files that are included, ThemeForest has you covered.

Becoming a Member of ThemeForest

If you are a registered member of ThemeForest.com, you will instantly gain access to the site’s freebies which are updated on a monthly basis. Whether you are seeking a full PSD website template or a theme for your favorite CMS, or content management systems, becoming a member of ThemeForest has its perks and benefits.

Once you are a registered member of ThemeForest, you can also get involved in the site’s online community forums. Asking questions and posting solutions using the forum section of the site is a way to generate responses you need in terms of design and even programming your own blog or site.

Using ThemeForest is highly recommended regardless of whether you plan to make a purchase or if you are simply seeking inspiration to get creative with your own blog. Browsing galleries of templates and available PSD files is sure to get your creative juices going, whether you are launching a personal blog or a blog to represent a company you are currently running.

Visit themeforest.

4.ColourLovers.com

ColourLovers is one of the fastest-growing online communities strictly for designers and those seeking out blog design inspiration. ColourLovers.com was founded and launched in 2004 by Darius A. Monsef IV. The site itself operates as a gigantic free social network that is ideal for those who enjoy colors, patterns and all they have to offer. Using ColourLovers.com can benefit both personal and corporate websites, as there is no restriction on using the patterns or the site itself for the inspiration you need.

Features

The ColourLovers community provides an updated blog that regularly shares insight into the design world, trends and the types of colors that are most popular online and off. There is also the option to join to become a ColourLovers member yourself absolutely free of charge. Searching by specific trends and categories is a way to find the type of blog inspiration you need within seconds of logging onto the site, whether or not you are currently a registered member.

Recently, ColourLovers has also launched its very own creative online market. Users who are interested have the ability to buy graphics, themes, fonts and entire templates to fit their own blog design or the type of website that is in the process of being created.

Along with classic color palettes, specific colors and patterns available, ColourLovers also provides the option for members to create their own groups to share stories and challenges based on color and design. Having discussions and making virtual friends within the community is possible once you are a registered member. You can also find hundreds of shape options to create graphics with your favorite colors and palettes available to make any type of design that works for your blog.

Categorization

Categorizing colors and patterns has been implemented over time with ColourLovers, ranging from wedding, home, fashion, web, print, craft and business categories to search within. Finding the right color or color scheme for any event, printout or blog you are planning can be done within seconds by utilizing the categories readily made available from ColourLovers. ColourLovers also provides an in-depth search to find colors, patterns and entire palettes based on the project you are working on.

Why Become a Member?

Although it is not required to use the ColourLovers site and community, becoming a member has plenty of perks that will allow you to get as creative as possible without investing in a professional or paying for advice from a potential brand specialist or marketer. Becoming a member of the site gives you the chance to save and create your own colors, patterns and entire palettes with the entire community within seconds.
Saving your favorite finds within the site into different folders and categories will help you to get the inspiration you need for any project. Organizing your favorites and own submissions can also help you to broaden your visions of the type of blog or site you want to launch.

Using ColourLovers is a great way to discover color combinations, patterns and different themes that may fit with the look you have in mind for your own blog. Browsing through thousands of submissions each day is a way to keep you feeling creative and filled with ideas for any type of blog you want to run.

Browsing blog design inspiration sites and communities is a great way to gain insight into the latest design trends and techniques while also gathering inspiration for the type of colors you want to incorporate into your own blog. The more time you spend brainstorming and finding the inspiration that works for you, the easier it becomes to brand your own blog for success.

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