Here is a list of inspirational websites and individuals that I’ve discovered randomly. To be quite honest, I was cleaning off my desk and I had scribbles on sticky notes of things I wanted to revisit and it was getting out of hand. I figured, why not share them with everyone that I know and maybe at least one person will benefit.
International Journal of Design – ijdesign.org
Careful not to be fooled by the dot-com counterpart which has no association with this site, and is quite distracting. This is a resource site devoted to professionally written, in-depth analysis of various design topics ranging from categorizing products by what sounds they make, to how positive designs can impact your health and well-being. Honestly this site covers more topics and has more content than any designer I know has time to dive into, but if you find yourself bored with life and thirsty for inspiration, there is virtually endless potential here. The topics are generally divided into Articles, Case Studies, Perspectives and Acknowledgments, however it is organized by date (which I think may be seasonal). Here’s a tip: DO NOT visit without willingness to spend a lot of time reading. The bonus to all of this is every topic has a PDF download readily available.
Bayard Wu – http://zhishangyiju.blog.163.com/
Doesn’t matter if you’re on his deviant art page, ArtStation, one of his many social pages, or just typing his name into Google images, you will be witness to some of the most imaginative, fantastic, and seductive artwork on the planet. His style is a little dark, violent, with dragons, beasts, and occasionally voluptuous women. From what I’ve gathered online, he is Chinese, studied art at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts (2004–2008), and has won awards from Blizzard Entertainment and CGhub (the later is currently shrouded in controversy). Its hard to know a lot about this guy if you don’t speak Chinese, as his website is in Chinese.
Dragons and Beasties
Becca Golins has got style, specifically a style of design that spawned a product that she is unable to keep up with her own sales. She has learned to evolve in the market, make it profitable, and I can see her taking this into a colossal business. Her creations are completely original and unique, but I think she draws her inspiration from Pokemon, My Little Pony, and possibly Hayao Miyazaki (pure speculation). She’s currently on Etsy, Zazzle, and Deviant Art. Keep a close eye on this one, as I predict there will be an explosion of success in the near future.
Dalton Maag – https://www.daltonmaag.com/
What inspires me most about them is that they embody all the fundamentals, stylistic expression, and attention to detail that I strive for, and they create create awesome fonts with those core values. I’m not sure if I can say that if I could work at any font lab that I’d pick them first, because I don’t know a lot about how those businesses operate, but if I was offered a chance to design for them, I would be thrilled. I’ve noticed that many people who want to get into font creation, readability seems to be the first thing disregarded, but these guys prioritize cleanliness and traditional principles, and it pays off in a big way. Check out their fonts and read some of their blogs for inspiration of your own.
Matt Stevens – http://hellomattstevens.com/
Talk about a trend setter… This guy has created graphics for some of the most notable brands on the internet and otherwise. When we talk about talent in the design universe, it doesn’t necessarily mean great artistry or even developing a recognizable style, but rather is measurable in remember-ability. There is a certain stickiness about his designs that resonate and speak to you individually. I’m not going to say that his style is indescribable, but it definitely transcends any single category you may try to lump him in, which I can personally appreciate. I have to admit that his About page sucks (there’s more information “about” him on his other pages), but he produces a pretty regular and extremely useful Blog, which I recommend following.
ufunk – http://www.ufunk.net/en/
This is like the Inception of inspiration sites. French in origin, within you will find everything you’ve never thought of. You may actually find my list obsolete once you visit here. Occasionally you will laugh uncontrollably, and other times you will be appalled and embarrassed and unable to hide your browser window fast enough. More likely, you will become addicted and forget what time is. My only suggestion here is have an open mind; genius can sometimes disguised as boring.