Think Outside the Box: How to Find Real-World UI Design Inspiration That Will Set You Apart

As a UI designer, it can be challenging to stay inspired and come up with fresh, innovative ideas for your designs. While platforms like Dribbble, Behance, and Pinterest can be great resources, they can also create a “design echo chamber” where everyone is creating similar designs and following the same trends. To truly set yourself apart as a UI designer, it’s important to think outside the box and find inspiration from real-world sources. In this article, we’ll explore some web design and app design inspiration sources that can help you break free from the design echo chamber and create unique, eye-catching designs.
Web Design Inspirations
1. Refero
Refero is a great source for web design inspiration because it focuses on unique, creative designs that stand out from the crowd. Rather than featuring the same trendy designs that you might see on other platforms. Whether you’re looking for inspiration for a landing page, portfolio, or e-commerce site, Refero is a great resource to check out.

2. Landingfolio
Landingfolio is a platform that curates the best landing page designs on the web. You can also filter by industry, style, and other factors to find landing pages that are relevant to your project. Whether you’re designing a landing page for a new product, service, or event, Landingfolio can help you create a design that stands out.

3. Pagecollective
They feature a wide range of designs, from simple and minimalist to complex and interactive. By browsing through their collection, you can get inspiration for everything from typography and color schemes to navigation and animation.

4. Landbook
Landbook feature’s a wide range of landing page designs from different industries and niches, so you can find inspiration that’s relevant to your project. They also provide resources and tips for creating effective landing pages, so you can learn from the best practices of other designers and marketers.

App or Mobile Design Inspirations
1. Mobbin
Mobbin is a platform that curates the best mobile app design patterns and trends. By browsing through their collection, you can get a sense of what’s working in terms of design, layout, and user experience. Whether you’re designing an app for iOS, Android, or another platform, Mobbin can help you create a design that stands out.

2. Appshots
Appshots is another great resource for mobile app design inspiration. They feature a wide range of apps from different industries and niches, so you can find inspiration that’s relevant to your project. They also provide resources and tips for creating effective mobile app designs, so you can learn from the best practices of other designers and developers.

3. UXarchive
Browsing through UXarchive’s collection, you can get inspiration for everything from navigation and interaction design to microcopy and visual design. Whether you’re designing a new product or trying to improve an existing design, UXarchive is a great resource to check out.

4. Screenlane
Screenlane is a platform that features curated collections of UI designs from around the web. They offer a wide range of design collections, from mobile apps and web apps to marketing pages and onboarding experiences.

By looking beyond the usual suspects like Dribbble, Behance, and Pinterest, you can find real-world UI design inspiration that will set you apart from the crowd. Platforms like Refero, Landingfolio, Pagecollective, and Godly offer a range of web design inspiration, while Mobbin, Appshots, UXarchive, and Screenlane are great resources for mobile app design inspiration. By incorporating ideas and inspiration from a variety of sources, you can create UI designs that are fresh, innovative, and truly unique.