To create a website design, a web designer needs two essential things: inspiration—just like any creative person—and tools that make their work easier. Today, we’ll talk about which services can become your reliable helpers and where to find inspiration when it's gone but the project needs to start ASAP.
Free Photo Stocks
High-quality photos can enhance any website, making it more vibrant and competitive. But where do you find such images? Luckily, you don’t always have to pay for them. There are free photo banks where you’ll find a wealth of excellent visuals for your work—and you’ll likely enjoy browsing through them for a couple of hours just for the aesthetic.
Pexels
On pexels.com you’ll find thousands of high-quality stock photos and short videos. The catalog is updated daily with user uploads as well as content curated by the site admins from open sources.
You could call Pexels a social network for professional photographers. It even features likes and the option to follow your favorite contributors. All photos on the platform meet a high-quality standard.
Search works via keywords. By the way, the interface and search are available in several languages, including Russian and English. Our tip—search in English to get broader results.
There’s a section with categorized catalogs, as well as “popular photos,” “trending search categories,” and “top photographers.”
All videos on the site are silent and contain no captions. You're free to edit them after downloading—add sound, text, or create a completely custom video.
To download photos or videos from Pexels, just click the green “Free Download” button next to the file. Downloading is completely free, and you don’t need to credit the source (although the admins say it’s appreciated). You can also visit the creator’s Twitter or Instagram to show your appreciation with a follow.
Unsplash
On Unsplash.com , it’s all about quality over quantity. Every 10 days, editors publish 10 of the best high-resolution photos.
Thousands of photos are grouped into themed collections. Use tags to find exactly what you need.
The site offers a newsletter to keep you updated on the latest uploads.
All photos are under the Creative Commons 0 (CC0) license, meaning you can use them for any purpose—personal or commercial—modify them, and get creative. Unsplash also has a site Made With Unsplash , where you’ll find amazing work made with Unsplash content.
You can like photos, create your own collections, and submit your work for publication after registering via email.
Pixabay
Pixabay.com is another free photo stock site where you’ll find not only high-quality photos but also illustrations and vector images.
The site also features a growing collection of videos. Just like on pexels.com , all videos are silent and caption-free.
All content is licensed under CC0, meaning—just like with the previous platforms—you don’t need to link to the author or source site.
Stock Up
StockUp is another free photo bank, offering high-resolution images under a CC0 license. However, it's a bit less functional and convenient than the others.
You can search by tags, but only in English. Clicking on a photo takes you to the source site, where you’ll be able to download the image. There are no catalogs or ways to create your own collections.
STOKPIC
If you’ve browsed all the sites above and still haven’t found what you need, check out another photo stock: STOKPIC.COM with countless images.
It works just like most other free photo banks: tag-based search, categorized collections, and a Creative Commons 0 license. You can also subscribe to email updates about new uploads.
Inspiration for Web Designers
Every designer knows how hard it can be to start a new project. You’ve got ideas in your head, but how do you bring them to life? How do you make everything look harmonious, modern, and stylish? There are dedicated design platforms online that are sure to inspire you to create something amazing.
FLTDSGN
If you love working in the Flat Lay style, the platform fltdsgn.com is a real treasure. It features themed design collections with detailed project descriptions. Browse, read, get inspired.
AWWWARDS
On the international platform Awwwards.com , you can find inspiration and even submit your work to compete for awards. Titles are awarded daily (“Site of the Day,” “Site of the Month,” and “Site of the Year”). Submission isn’t free—it costs €50—but browsing for inspiration is!
BEHANCE
BEHANCE.NET is arguably the most famous platform to discover creative works by designers, illustrators, and photographers from all over the world.
Launched back in 2006, it’s the largest community of creative professionals. You can share your experience, receive feedback, and comment on other people’s work.
ONEPAGELOVE
ONEPAGELOVE.COM is an idea generator for those specializing in one-page websites. This site will give you new ideas and perspectives to help create the most user-friendly designs.
Useful Tools for Designers: Icons, Palettes, and Gradients
Every site design involves using icons. Sure, you could draw each one yourself—or you could use free resources and have a ready library of icons in various styles and themes.
Here are some of the most popular free icon sites:
Many of these platforms also offer paid options, but the free icons should be more than enough for thousands of projects.
Love gradients but struggle with selecting colors or smooth transitions? Check out bg-painter.com—it lets you choose colors yourself or go random and see what happens.
Another great gradient tool is https://colorfulgradients.tumblr.com/ where you’ll find ready-made gradient options to match your vision.
Need a fast and easy way to find color schemes for your project? Try https://coolors.co/ and
At http://brandcolors.net/ , you’ll find color palettes used by world-famous brands.
If your inspiration has taken a day off but your deadline hasn’t—don’t panic. Open this article at https://wayup.in/blog , head to any of the recommended tools, and get inspired!