• Creative Design

Top 10 Websites All Web Design Students Should Bookmark

When beginning your journey towards becoming a web designer it sometimes seems as if there is a plethora of resources available on the web. There are many different aspects of creating a website. Often the only way you will know whether something is effective or not is through sheer trial and error. In order to make your life easier we have compiled a list of the most important websites you should know as a web designer.

If you feel we have forgotten any please feel free to share them with us in the comments below.

1. Smashing Magazine

Smashing Magazine was founded in 2006 and is perhaps the best resource for web designers. The site offers an excellent Showcase section that hosts a large collection of great designs. Whether you need a tutorial for something or are just looking for some inspiration, Smashing Magazine will always have what you are looking for.

2. What the font

Ever been in the situation where you saw the perfect typeface (font) on a website but you can’t seem to identify just what it was. Well in a situation like this you can either spend hours scouring the web for something that looks similar or you can head to What the Font. The site allows you to upload a logo or an image with the font you need and the website will help you identify just which one was used.

3. Web Resources Depot

Web Resources Depot is a great site if you are looking for free resources to build your website, on a daily basis they offer free scripts, icons, frameworks, images and more. Whether you are looking for buttons, charts, fonts and many other things to improve your website, then this is really a great resource, and one you should visit on a daily basis.

4. Design Shack

Design Shack presents not only inspiring web design but also a whole bunch of great resources and tutorials for you to improve your site. Similar to Site Inspire, Design Shack offers greats ways to get the creativity flowing again. They also have great tutorials for creating your own top design.

5. A List Apart

A List Apart Magazine is an online magazine that explores the “design, development, and meaning of web content, with a special focus on web standards and best practices”. The site offers hundreds of incisive articles from the industry’s top designers.

6. Site Inspire

Sometimes you just can’t seem to come up with anything new, yes we all have those days so don’t worry. In situations like this the best thing to do is find some inspiration, and that’s what Site Inspire does, they showcase the best web designs of the day. The site offers more than 2000 designs available for viewing. Just remember these are for inspiration only…in other words don’t copy and paste the designs onto your own site.

7. Stack Overflow

Ever had a question you just couldn’t find the answer to? Lets be honest, we all have. This is what makes Stack Overflow such a great resource for web designers. It offers a programming Q & A site that’s free. It is free to ask questions and free to answer others’ questions. Stack Overflow is a website that is ran and maintained by other programmers and designers.

8. Webdesigner Depot

Webdesigner Depot is a great source of information about the latest trends in web design and development. Not only do they cover the latest trends but they also offer great tutorials on a host of different topics. The content is created by experienced designers and developers from all over the world.

9. Search Engine Land

Well all know that you can build an amazing website, however it really isn’t much use if your award winning site isn’t seen by a single soul. This is where Search Engine Land enters the picture, with their news on SEO and marketing for search engines, they have become the go-to source for boosting site views, as well as your position on Google.

10. With Links

Perhaps one of the most important things a web designer needs to be is up to date with the latest news. According to their site With Links is a curated selection of internet links, from ruby scripts to roast potato recipes there is always something of interest for the digital sphere.

Shane writes for the blog at i3bus.com. A Grand Rapids-based firm that specializes in healthcare IT solutions. You can connect with Shane on Google+..