Our favorite design blogs for your information and inspiration.
Design Career Guide
Design Blogs
In this day and age, there’s no more accessible source of opinion and expertise than a blog. And so, as a student resource, we asked Notes on Design Editor Hannah Shaffer to compile her list of 20 top design blogs for creative professionals.
Browse the categories below for great sources of design inspiration and information. You can navigate directly to your favorite category, or choose a blog from the list at random. Each blog features the best of the best in contemporary (and classic) design, from professional illustration to typography and web design.
TYPOGRAPHY
Good typography, like good design, can be easy to overlook. Typography commands our attention, creates unity, and helps us distinguish between different brands. If you’re a lover of ligatures, check out the following blogs for typography resources, information, and inspiration.
I LOVE TYPOGRAPHY – ILOVETYPOGRAPHY.COM
Launched in 2007 by designer John Boardley, I Love Typography is a celebration of great typography, type design, and lettering. The site is updated regularly and articles feature everything from Fifteenth-century fonts to an extensive font-making guide.
TYPEVERYTHING – TYPEVERYTHING.COM
The Typeverthing tumblr features inspiring images of lettering and typography, with a flair for the offbeat and ornamental. The contributors also maintain active Typeverything communities on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram.
INCREDIBLE TYPES – INCREDIBLETYPES.COM
Incredible Types offers a curated collection of outstanding typography from around the globe. Browse through tags (experimental, masculine, retro) or filter results by Application, Client, or Style. A great place for type design inspiration
PACKAGING DESIGN
Bottles, boxes, cartons, and crates. Good packaging design tells a story in a single glance. Packaging design is where the visual meets the tactile, where form meets function. The three blogs below dish out delightful and creative packaging design from around the world.
THE DIELINE – THEDIELINE.COM
The Dieline began in 2007 as the personal blog a single designer. Since then, it’s grown to include a dedicated team of editors and contributors and a readership in the millions. The Dieline is committed to promoting the world’s best package design and defining the latest trends in the field.
LOVELY PACKAGE – LOVELYPACKAGE.COM
Lovely Package is updated daily with examples of inventive, top-notch packaging design. Click through a single post for a longer description of each design and beautiful high-resolution images. Scope the front page for inspiration or pick a favorite category.
PACKAGING OF THE WORLD – PACKAGINGOFTHEWORLD.COM
Packaging of the World is a gallery-style blog offering a showcase of the most interesting and creative worldwide packaging design. The site caters to a wide audience of designers, ad agencies, students, and manufacturers. Packaging of the World promises digestible content with large images and minimal text.
WEB DESIGN
Today, almost every business has a web presence—from Taco Bell to the downtown taco cart. But a simple website doesn’t guarantee good web design. Web design is about creating content that’s beautiful, functional, and accessible. Check out some of our favorite sites for best practices in coding and design.
A LIST APART – ALISTAPART.COM
A List Apart began in 1997 as a mailing list for early web developers and designers. The site takes a philosophical approach to web content, with a special focus on web standards, accessibility, and best practices. Articles offer deep (and sometimes controversial) insights into the field of web design.
SMASHING MAGAZINE – SMASHINGMAGAZINE.COM
Smashing Magazine is a go-to resource for web designers and developers. Smashing follows the latest trends and techniques in web development, with categories dedicated to coding, design, graphics, and usability. Smashing also boasts a substantial library, workshops, and an active jobs board.
SIX REVISIONS – SIXREVISIONS.COM
Six Revisions publishes practical articles for web designers and developers, written by professionals in the field. The site offers comprehensive tips, tutorials, and resources with an emphasis on quality and usefulness.
TUTORIALS AND RESOURCES
Many of the blogs featured on this page include specialized tutorials and resources. But if you’re looking to whet your palette with a sampling of tips, techniques, and design instruction, look no further! The following sites offer a variety of great design lessons and resources.
SPECKYBOY – SPECKYBOY.COM
Speckyboy is a design magazine featuring tutorials, time-saving techniques, and resources. Rather than focusing on one area of design, Speckyboy covers a range of specializations. A great resource for freebies, templates, apps, and plugins.
HACK DESIGN – HACKDESIGN.ORG
Hack Design is a curated resource of blogs, books, games, videos, and tutorials for learning design. The site is broken down into separate lesson plans, making it easy to navigate by your chosen design specialty. Lesson plan examples include Typography, User Interface, and Product Design.
DESIGN INSTRUCT – DESIGNINSTRUCT.COM
Design Instruct is on a mission “to keep creative minds informed, interested, and inspired.” The site caters to web designers, graphic designers, and digital artists. Design Instruct offers tutorials, freebies, and visual inspiration—plus lots of great articles written by pro designers.
LOGO AND IDENTITY DESIGN
A well-designed logo is a business’s most powerful marketing tool. A logo establishes a unique identify and creates a recognizable brand for customers. When done right, a logo communicates information about a company—with or without words. Check out the following blogs for logo design news, reviews, and inspiration.
LOGO OF THE DAY – LOGOOFTHEDAY.COM
On Logo of the Day, all suggested logos are first screened by professional logo designer Jacob Cass. The site promotes the créme de la créme of logo design. Great inspiration for aspiring and established designers!
LOGO DESIGN LOVE – LOGODESIGNLOVE.COM
In addition to great logos, Logo Design Love features news, opinion pieces, and resources for designers. For a more tactile experience, the site curator (graphic designer David Airey) has published a book by the same name.
BRAND NEW – UNDERCONSIDERATION.COM/BRANDNEW
Brand New is an opinion site chronicling logo and identity design work. The site provides extensive reviews of new designs and redesigns of products, companies, and organizations. Site content is divided into three different sections: Fully reviewed pieces with stories and opinions, noted pieces with basic facts, and pieces linked with minimal descriptions to external sites.
DESIGN INSPIRATION
Looking for design blogs that feature a little bit of everything? The list below includes some of our favorite all-around design blogs. Enjoy!
LOOKS LIKE GOOD DESIGN – LLGD.NET
LLGD is a blog that packs a big visual punch. The site features a broad range of visual inspiration, be it book design, digital artwork, photography, or colorful clothing. LLGD avoids clichés and pushes edgy, original design to the forefront.
THE FOX IS BLACK – THEFOXISBLACK.COM
The Fox Is Black is a life and culture design blog dedicated to celebrating the visually intriguing and inspiring. In addition to publishing pieces about art and culture, the site also produces the Desktop Wallpaper Project, a weekly series with background artwork that can be used for your phone, tablet, or desktop computer.
THE DESIGN BLOG – THEDSGNBLOG.COM
The Design Blog began as the personal project of 22-year-old Croation designer Ena Bacanovic. The blog features hand-picked quality design work from designers and studios around the world. Unlike other design blogs, TDB places special emphasis on showcasing the work of young designers and design students.
MILLO – MILLO.CO
Millo isn’t just a design blog. It’s a blog dedicated to the business of professional design. Aimed at freelancers, entrepreneurs, and small design firms, Millo has advice on setting prices, finding the right clients, and maximizing social media.
99% INVISIBLE – 99PERCENTINVISIBLE.ORG
This one isn’t actually a blog, but it can’t go without mention. 99% Invisible is an independently produced radio show about design, architecture, and “the 99% invisible activity that shapes our world.” Every episode is available for free online at 99percentinvisible.org/. Be forewarned: episodes are beautiful, inspiring, and incredibly addictive.