Looking for web design inspiration? I\u2019ve rounded up what I consider to be the best website designs to act as your personal muse.<\/p>\n\n
Creating a website can feel daunting, but it\u2019s all about knowing where to start and keeping an eye on the current trends<\/a>. The best websites are crafted with care to match your brand and draw in users, so you can design a successful site<\/a> that meets your marketing goals.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n In this article, I\u2019ve curated a list of 30 of the best website designs \u2014 according to The Webby Awards,\u200b\u200b Awwwards, and other taste-making internet awards organizations \u2014 along with bonus lists of cool and modern designs. I\u2019ll also toss in some website design tips and places to seek out new ideas, so you can ensure a well-designed website that stays competitive over the long haul.<\/p>\n Ready to be inspired? Let\u2019s go.<\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Beautiful Award-Winning Websites<\/a> Modern Website Design Tips<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n From local boutiques to internationally recognized brands, the following sites push the status quo.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll start with recent award winners for well-designed websites \u2014 from eye-catching designs to interesting interactive features, and then move on to cool, modernist, minimal designs that deserve a mention. I\u2019m confident that, by the end, you won\u2019t just have the tools you need to begin your own design, but that your creative energy will be sparked.<\/p>\n And if you\u2019re starting from scratch, don\u2019t worry. With HubSpot\u2019s drag-and-drop website builder<\/a> and the free CMS tools in Content Hub<\/a>, you\u2019ll be building and revamping your site like a pro in no time.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Download this free guide<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>to see even more examples of website blog, homepage, and landing page designs.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n We’ll dive into the best website designs in just a sec, but while you’re here, check out some of the top web design trends from this year:\u00a0<\/p>\n Award: Best Navigation\/Structure Webby Winner, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n Raw Materials is a design company focused on creative digital products with a website that shows off its talent for the \u201cunusual.\u201d Left sidebar navigation appears in bright primary colors with oversized buttons, making it both appealing and accessible.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019m not surprised that it won an award for best navigation and structure given the ease of moving around the homepage. Scrolling down is like reading an ebook \u2014 but with giant print. The text colors match the sidebar navigation, keeping the information organized as you move down the page.<\/p>\n At the bottom, I found a CTA button (\u201cSubscribe\u201d), along with buttons to connect on social media. And that\u2019s it. The site is just a straight-forward list, with an intro to the company, its approach, its work, its team, and how to get in touch.<\/p>\n But, the manner in which the info is delivered makes all the difference, exhibiting what the company can do and how it makes itself (and its clients) standout.<\/p>\n What I like: <\/strong>It\u2019s easy to use, navigate, and understand, with varying color and text size to keep the information organized. Everything is on a single page, which means I didn\u2019t have to wait for new pages to load.<\/p>\n Award: Personal Blog\/Website Webby Award, People\u2019s Voice Winner, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n This is a blog of questions and answers on a range of topics, but the beauty and orderliness of the site makes up for any seeming randomness in the Q&A. It exhibits clean lines, a limited number of categories (only five), and a black-and-white color scheme that makes the high-resolution images pop off the page.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n What drew me in immediately was the focus on visual aesthetics, even though blogs tend to be focused on words. The homepage is not overloaded with information, and there\u2019s a nice balance between the large images and small text. It gave me the impression of thoughtful curation, rather than tossing every article onto a single page to generate clicks. That less-is-more approach created a sense of trust that made me want to explore more.<\/p>\n What I like: <\/strong>The site is aesthetically pleasing with minimal articles on a single page, lots of white space, and high-resolution images that create a thoughtful vibe (which, to me, makes total sense for a blog called \u201cJust Curious\u201d).<\/p>\n Award: Financial Services\/Banking Webby Winner, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n Runway is a finance platform for businesses whose website follows an aviation theme (\u201crunway,\u201d get it?). The homepage has a cloud background that stays constant as you scroll, while new info and graphics appear on top.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n One thing I like about this site is that it lets you go at your own pace to read through how their platform works, what amenities they offer, and what their customers have to say about them. There are no videos running automatically and no looping texts that might disappear before I get a chance to read them. A platform like this has a lot to take in, and the site ensures there\u2019s no overload of information.<\/p>\n What I like: <\/strong>It takes a topic that could be complicated and makes it accessible and breezy. I also like that the contact form is structured like an airline ticket, keeping with the site\u2019s theme and adding a little fun to a regular, old signup process.<\/p>\n Award: Cultural Institutions Webby Winner, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n This site was established for a 2023 exhibit at the Brooklyn Public Library dedicated to the life and career of rapper and cultural icon Jay-Z. The immersive exhibit showcased thousands of archived objects from his life, from records to awards to magazine covers \u2014 which then became clickable images for this site.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n What I find impressive about this site design is how it\u2019s both filled with material and simple at the same time. Everything is housed on a single\/simple page, but there are rows and rows of objects to click on. However, there are no words (except on the bottom buttons), which gives it a clean \u2014 rather than cluttered \u2014 appearance.<\/p>\n Also, clicking on any object brings up a sidebar with more information about it. The page doesn\u2019t have to reload each time, which meant I could move through the archives quickly and easily \u2013 in my own order and at my own pace.<\/p>\n What I like: <\/strong>The site houses a ton of material in a simple fashion and allows for easy discovery of the archival objects. On a larger scale, for a cultural institution like a library, it does a great job of driving up interest in the exhibit by allowing users online access to what it has to offer.<\/p>\n Award: Best Writing (Editorial) Webby Award & People\u2019s Voice Winner, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n This National Geographic<\/em> site is a long-form feature article about Asian elephants, which also appeared in the magazine. In its online form, it\u2019s full of photos that smoothly glide down the page to relate each phase of the story, as small blurbs of text pass over top.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n While this won a Webby Award for editorial (meaning it was judged on the writing), I found the shining aspect of the site to be in the overall storytelling. As you scroll, mesmerizing images fill the screen, while you\u2019re given digestible chunks of text that don\u2019t overrun the visuals. Instead, the two work in tandem to create a general atmosphere and feeling (which, in this case, I found to be a pretty heartbreaking one).<\/p>\n What I like: <\/strong>The site takes storytelling up a notch with striking visuals and text that create tension in a tale about survival.<\/p>\n Award: Best Visual Design Webby Winner, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n Cowboy is a European e-bike company whose website, like its bikes, is good-looking, minimalist, and largely monochrome. It lets images of the products take center stage, with only essential information (like price) to accompany them.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Since I wasn\u2019t familiar with this company prior to its website winning awards for visual design, I liked that it didn\u2019t take me long to understand what Cowboy makes, how it makes it, and why its offer is different from the competition. Not only could I see the styles of bikes on the homepage, but scrolling down led me to images of apps, letting me understand that these e-bikes have connectivity.<\/p>\n What I like: <\/strong>With a product-first design, I understood the product\u2019s story just from the homepage, both in terms of what it is and why it’s different.<\/p>\n Award: NetArt Webby Award, People\u2019s Voice Winner, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n To promote the latest project by artist Jeff Koons, \u201cMoon Phases,\u201d this site acts as an ad for the work, as well as curation for the project.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n With a black background and a silver spinning orb to represent the moon in space, the site conforms to the theme of the artwork, while also staying centered on a single project. Since Koons is so famous, maybe he needs little introduction or explanation, but I appreciated that there\u2019s no bio or place to discuss prior works. The site has a focus and it doesn\u2019t stray from it.<\/p>\n At the same time, the project is extremely high concept \u2014 there are 125 mini-sculptures, each with one component that will remain on Earth, and another that will be placed on the moon. Which, to my mind, requires some explanation. So, the site also has some sections of dense text, like the kind you\u2019d see on a plaque next to a museum exhibition.<\/p>\n What I like: <\/strong>The site is razor-focused on a single high-concept project without distractions, side stories, or places to click away. For art that\u2019s meant to be provocative, this site works \u2014 keeping me there thinking about the project.<\/p>\n Award: Best User Interface Webby Winner, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n One of Google\u2019s many subsites, this page is the place to get new fonts. With clean, simple, and seamless design, it\u2019s no wonder that it won an award for Best User Interface.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n On the right, there\u2019s a list of fonts, in large letters, making it easy to see how each font looks. Scrolling down produces a seemingly endless list to choose from, but the left sidebar allows filters and searches to help you narrow it down (like, \u201cWhat feeling do you want to produce with your font?\u201d).<\/p>\n The top of the page has clickable info about why fonts matter and how to choose one. And everything is black and white, easy on the eyes, and intuitive to use.<\/p>\n What I like: <\/strong>The simplicity \u2014 in color, in function, and in what it’s offering. This is a great style for digital products with long lists of comparable items (like wallpapers, themes, etc.).<\/p>\n Award: <\/strong>Best Use of Video or Moving Image<\/strong> Webby Winner, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n Shupatto bags are designed to be folded up and taken with you. The website is a running loop of animations showing how the many varieties of bags look when folded and unfolded.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n I can understand why this site won an award for moving images that \u201cenhance the user experience and generate engagement.\u201d The speedy loops of videos show the beauty, variety, and functionality of the bags, and if you turn on the peppy music it\u2019s even more captivating.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no scrolling on this site. To see the full lineup of bags, I had to click on a button in the lower right of the screen. But with such pretty products continually streaming across the page, and in such a fun way, I wanted to click to see more. And when I did, the entire collection of bags were animated as well, letting me see how any specific style and color choice looks in action.<\/p>\n What I like: <\/strong>The animations correspond with the product and are not just there for the sake of having animations. These bags need to be seen in action and the site is like a walkthrough of real-life use.<\/p>\n Award: Best Use of AI Webby Award, People\u2019s Voice Winner, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n This site\u2019s sole purpose is to generate a letter from Santa to be downloaded and sent to a person you care about. It begins by asking three simple questions, as holiday music plays in the background, and then uses AI to create a personalized letter from your answers.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n In terms of effectively using its CTAs and garnering engagement, landing on the homepage simply asks you to \u201cstart the magic\u201d by clicking the only button available. It\u2019s so simple and enticing, it\u2019s hard not to do it.<\/p>\n And once I\u2019d clicked, I was already engaged, and so, why not continue to play around with it by answering who the letters for and adding a memory from my year? It\u2019s fun and easy, but also creates a narrative path that made me want to see where it would lead. Plus, I was pretty impressed with the final letter.<\/p>\n What I like: <\/strong>It\u2019s a fun and heartwarming way to get customers interacting with your website. While it might not have utility as a standalone site for your product, adding a page like this to an existing site could generate positive feelings toward your brand, as it increases engagement.<\/p>\n Award: Best Individual Editorial Feature \u2013 Ind\/Brand\/Org Webby Winner, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n Vention\u2019s State of AI Report features bright colors, easy language, and large font to spell out colloquial doomsday messaging about AI \u2014 and then get into the stats about how true those messages might be.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n When you\u2019ve got a serious and research-heavy topic, it\u2019s easy to get bogged down with text or numbers. Vention\u2019s report doesn\u2019t fall into either of these traps, using varying hot colors to break up its sections and adding short paragraphs for pithy statements.<\/p>\n As you scroll, graphics unfold to tell a more detailed story, using animated bar graphs that expand and move. But all the information is kept basic, with only one element in each section. This means I got no headaches while looking at the stats \u2014 they were enumerated for me in big print (with lots of colorful space around them).<\/p>\n What I like: <\/strong>The oversized headers, multimedia elements, and easy-to-understand layout make it a breeze to skim the report and take in complicated info.<\/p>\n Award: Best Data Visualization Webby Winner, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n This website by the communication strategy company Prodigioso Volc\u00e1n is a Spanish-language report that analyzes the market for use of podcasts, audiobooks, voice assistants, and smart devices in Spain. The way it turns complex datasets into visually appealing (and comprehensible) visuals earned it the Webby for Best Data Visualization.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Scrolling the homepage shows the market stats as simple graphics that animate as you move down the page. At the bottom, there\u2019s a map of Spain, showing use of each product type by region. And along the way, you can click any section to see more stats represented by even more visuals (e.g., why, when, and how much people are listening).<\/p>\n With an aim to communicate the results of this report, I think the site succeeds by putting the pertinent four categories on the homepage and allowing users to dig deeper into any one of them. For me (who likes data visualizations), the in-depth pages are fun and do a great job of visually transmitting the findings.<\/p>\n What I like: <\/strong>It takes what could be a dry report and makes it engaging and easy to understand with a series of data visualizations that don\u2019t require much text to accompany them.<\/p>\n Award: Activism Webby Winner, 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n Websites are a powerful tool for storytelling, and What Is Missing showcases this with mastery by educating visitors about the Earth\u2019s sixth mass extinction, with losses of species habitats and more.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n When I landed on the page, floating white dots on a black background told me we were talking about the stars in space, and then the text described the losses we\u2019ve experienced from climate change here on Earth.<\/p>\n As the dots came together to show images of wildfires and plants growing, I was invited to enter the site. I clicked on categories to learn about various aspects of the natural world we\u2019ve lost, and then read people\u2019s memories, watched poetic videos about extinct species, and learned about habitats that have been destroyed. The soundscapes of birds chirping and wind rushing completed the experience.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n It might sound a little gloomy, but there\u2019s a section for solutions, too. The mass of dots turns into a map with bubbles that I clicked on to learn about how we can slow climate change \u2014 which is the site\u2019s aim.<\/p>\n What I like: <\/strong>The imagery and sounds fully immersed me in the site and made me want to stay and read more.<\/p>\n Award: Art & Design Webby Award, People’s Voice Winner, 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n An immersive experience created by Getty, Persepolis Reimagined allows you to explore the ancient city of Persepolis as it was 2,500 years ago.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n The site invited me to scroll in order to change the images of the narrative as it told a story. Once I entered the city\u2019s walls, I explored its spaces, like the Gate of All Nations, by continuing to use the scroll as a means to move around the buildings. It felt like I was on a walking tour of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, which also allowed me to view what the ruins look like today.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n When I wanted to learn more about something, like the bull iconography for the empire, I scrolled horizontally to reveal history lessons.<\/p>\n What I like: <\/strong>I felt like I was visiting a museum without paying admission or hopping on a plane, which made the learning experience fun.<\/p>\n Award: Best Data Visualization Webby Winner, 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n This site from Economist Impact analyzes the health landscape of 40 countries worldwide. The central feature of the site is a data visualization ring made up of lines. Each cluster of lines is a country, and each individual line is a health-data statistic.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n As I scrolled, I selected countries to see metrics like health equity or GDP per capita. When I hovered over a country, it showed me how that country ranked against others in terms of health inclusivity.<\/p>\n While the highlight of the site is the interactive visualization, I also clicked on case studies to read about COVID-19, access to healthcare, and the limits of high healthcare spending. The full research report, which covers the study\u2019s key findings, is also available if you want to read it, rather than click around the site.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n If you do want to interact \u2014 like I did \u2014 you can see visual data representations, showing where each country ranks in the index according to income and its relationship to health inclusivity.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n What I like: <\/strong>The site is intuitive and easy to use, which made me want to stick around and play with the data visualization tools (i.e., interact and engage more).<\/p>\n Award: Best User Interface Webby Winner, 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n RCA Records\u2019 site stunned me from the beginning with editorial photos of artists that almost popped off the screen. I noted recent favorites, like Doja Cat, along with the label\u2019s historic musicians, like Elvis and David Bowie, creating an instant connection through familiarity.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Scrolling down, I found sections on new releases, music videos, and curated playlists. And below, links to more info about the record label and its artists appeared as spinning records, inviting me to click.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n The homepage is animated with places to explore the music, and when I clicked on a still of a music video, it took me to a new page to watch the full video and promote the label\u2019s artist.<\/p>\n What I like: <\/strong>Eye-catching visuals of familiar artists grabbed my attention right away and access to music on the homepage makes it easy to explore artists I wasn\u2019t already familiar with.<\/p>\n Award: Best Individual Editorial Feature Webby Winner, 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n Design Threads uses a meta approach to tell a story. It\u2019s a text-heavy site, but that\u2019s because it\u2019s a project to investigate the current state of design. It varies fonts, background color, and image and text placements to demonstrate the very concepts it\u2019s discussing.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n As I started to scroll, I was captured by the funny memes that accompanied the otherwise academic spread, which made it more approachable. Also, with the information for each \u201cthread\u201d (each topic) situated on one scrollable page a piece, I didn\u2019t feel overwhelmed and could take in chunks of information as I skimmed.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n The site also invites a certain amount of interaction, polling users on design trends, and giving me the chance to scroll horizontally to view more blocks of text on a given topic. Each thread offers its own interactions in line with the varying themes.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n What I like: <\/strong>With themes organized by thread, the density of ideas is easier to ingest as you skim and scroll. Also, I loved this animation of design books breaking apart, which is a great symbol for the site\u2019s discourse.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n
\n Where to Get Your Design Inspiration<\/a>
\n Website Design Inspiration Sources<\/a>
\n Website Design Ideas<\/a> <\/p>\nRead more: 77 Examples of Incredible Website Design<\/a>
\n<\/h3>\nBeautiful Award-Winning Websites<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Best Website Designs from 2024<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n1. <\/strong>Raw Materials<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n\n2. <\/strong>Just Curious<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n\n3. <\/strong>Runway<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n\n4. <\/strong>The Book of HOV<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n\n5. <\/strong>Secrets of the Elephants<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n\n6. <\/strong>Cowboy<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n\n7. <\/strong>Jeff Koons: Moon Phases<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n\n8. <\/strong>Google Fonts<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n\n9. <\/strong>Shupatto<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n\n10. <\/strong>Santa\u2019s Magical Mailroom<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n\n11. <\/strong>Vention<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n\n12. <\/strong>IV State of Audio and Voice (IV Estado del audio y la voz)<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\nBest Website Designs from 2023<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n13.<\/strong> What Is Missing<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n\n14. <\/strong>Persepolis Reimagined<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n\n15. <\/strong>The Health Inclusivity Index<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n\n16. <\/strong>RCA Records<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n\n17. <\/strong>Design Threads<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n\n18<\/strong>. <\/strong>Moooi Paper Play<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n