30+ design inspiration websites you might not have heard of
You've probably heard of Pinterest, Behance, maybe even Dribbble - the usual suspects when it comes to finding creative inspiration. They're still great resources, but they can also feel repetitive, especially when you're looking for something a little less polished or more experimental. If you've ever found yourself scrolling through the same types of branding case studies or moodboards, wondering why everything is starting to look the same, you're not alone.
In this post, I’m sharing over 30 websites and online spaces I use to find design inspiration as a brand designer and creative studio owner. These are the tools and hidden gems I reach for when I want to push a project further, find fresh perspective, or get out of a creative rut. Some are clean and curated, others are chaotic in the best way – but each one has helped me think differently.
1. Mood Image Goldmines
Another Graphic (anothergraphic.org)
An archive of striking posters, print work, and experimental graphic design. Great for when you want bold composition, unexpected typography, and visual punch.
Cosmos (cosmos.so)
A quiet, curated collection of mood-driven design, photography, and art direction. Dreamy, minimal, and conceptual.
Same Energy (same.energy)
An AI-powered visual search tool. Upload or click an image and it surfaces similar vibes. Surprisingly intuitive and addictive for building moodboards.
Savee it (savee.it)
Like Pinterest’s cooler, moodier sibling. Highly curated visual content that leans into fashion, photography, and design.
2. Packaging & Product Design
The Dieline (thedieline.com)
One of the leading sources of packaging design inspiration. A must-visit for trends, interviews, and standout brand case studies.
CPGD (cpgd.xyz)
Short for Consumer Packaged Goods Directory – a design-led roundup of packaging and branding for everything from olive oil to skincare.
Packaging of the World (packagingoftheworld.com)
A massive archive of global packaging projects. Browse by category, region, or industry.
BP&O (bpando.org)
Created by designer Richard Baird, BP&O offers deep dives into branding and packaging with thoughtful analysis beyond aesthetics.
3. Brand World + Identity Systems
Visual Journal (visualjournal.it)
A curated collection of branding, editorial, spatial, and typographic inspiration. Less corporate, more emotional and editorial.
Rebrand.Gallery (rebrand.gallery)
Before-and-after rebrands from all over the world. A goldmine for strategy-led designers and anyone who loves seeing the transformation process.
The Brand Identity (the-brandidentity.com)
One of the cleanest and most intentional sources for modern identity systems. Always up-to-date with studio-led branding projects.
Branding Style Guides (brandingstyleguides.com)
A library of brand guidelines and manuals. Ideal for layout nerds, systems designers, and anyone building out a consistent identity.
4. Typography + Font Inspiration
Typewolf (typewolf.com)
The go-to site for finding high-quality fonts and pairings. Regularly updated with recommendations, usage examples, and foundry links.
Fonts In Use (fontsinuse.com)
An archive of real-world typography – see how fonts function in packaging, magazines, signage, and more.
Featured Foundry (featuredtype.com)
Spotlights under-the-radar type foundries and new releases. Ideal for when you want to go beyond the usual suspects.
Font Brief (fontbrief.com)
A type discovery tool that matches fonts to moods and keywords. Great for concept-driven or emotion-led branding work.
5. Websites + Digital Experiences
Doing Cool Stuff (doingcoolstuff.xyz)
A weird and wonderful mix of experimental branding, indie projects, and side hustles. Less portfolio-polished, more creatively refreshing.
Cargo (cargo.site)
A platform for artists and designers to build websites – but also a discovery tool for portfolios, interactive design, and layout experiments.
Landing Love (landing.love)
A curated gallery of beautiful landing pages. Good for UI, copy, structure, and flow inspiration.
Hoverstat.es (hoverstat.es)
A long-standing showcase of innovative and experimental web design. Great for breaking out of template thinking.
6. Bonus Tools & Bookmarkables
Coolors (coolors.co)
Fast, fuss-free colour palette generator with export options and trending palettes.
Khroma (khroma.co)
An AI tool that generates colour combinations based on your preferences. Especially useful when you're stuck on direction.
Cover Junkie (coverjunkie.com)
A searchable archive of magazine covers from around the world. Excellent for layout, type hierarchy, and editorial systems.
Durves (durves.com)
A curated collection of visual references – slightly chaotic, always interesting. Good for when you want something raw, real, and outside-the-box.
Final Thoughts
These are the sites I return to again and again when I’m moodboarding, stuck in a rut, or looking to stretch a creative direction into something more unexpected. Some are perfect for packaging references, others are better for editorial moods, type pairings, or digital layouts. I don’t use them all at once, but they’re in my toolbox – bookmarked and revisited depending on the project.
If you’re trying to push your creative work further this year, try stepping outside the obvious platforms and explore some of these quieter corners of the internet. They’ve kept me inspired for years – and I hope they do the same for you.
Have a favourite that’s not on this list? I’d love to hear it.