As a graphic designer, staying inspired and having access to the right tools are essential for creating stunning and impactful designs. In this era and time, keeping up with the latest trends and finding the right resources can be a game-changer and life-saver. Here’s a list of 21 essential design resources that every graphic designer should have in their toolkit in 2023.
1. Stock Photo Libraries
2. Dribbble
Dribbble is a vibrant platform where designers showcase their work, exchange ideas, and receive feedback. It’s a go-to source for discovering cutting-edge designs across various disciplines.
3. Behance
Behance is a widely recognized platform for designers to display their portfolios and creative projects. With diverse categories, including graphic design and illustration, it’s a treasure trove of creative inspiration. I’d also encourage designers to showcase their works on Behance. Be the inspiration and there’s also a chance to gain clients from the site.
4. Pinterest
Pinterest is a visual discovery platform perfect for creating mood boards and finding design inspiration. It’s a collaborative space where designers can curate and share ideas.
5. Awwwards
Awwwards celebrates outstanding web design. It’s an excellent resource for staying updated on the latest web design trends and gaining insights from exceptional projects.
6. GraphicBurger
GraphicBurger offers a collection of high-quality, free design resources, including mockups, icons, textures, and UI kits. It’s a one-stop shop for enhancing your design projects.
7. Free PSD Templates
Free PSD Templates is a valuable resource for graphic designers seeking customizable design elements, offering a range of mockups, flyer templates, icons, and logos.
8. Freepik
Freepik is an image bank providing a wealth of photographs, illustrations, and vector images for free and with premium options. It’s a versatile resource for designers looking to enhance their visual content.
9. Creative Market
Creative Market is an online marketplace for design assets, offering fonts, graphics, illustrations, mockups, icons, and more. It’s a community-driven hub for digital goods. Not only can you purchase design assets, but you can also sell your assets.
10. Mockup World
Mockup World features a diverse collection of free and premium mockups for various design projects, providing realistic templates for showcasing your work.
11. Anthony Boyd
Anthony Boyd’s mockup collection offers a variety of high-quality mockups for designers looking to add a touch of realism to their presentations.
12. httpster
httpster serves as a source of website design inspiration, showcasing visually appealing and innovative web designs.
13. Font Squirrel
Font Squirrel scours the internet for high-quality, legitimately free fonts. It’s a go-to resource for designers seeking a diverse range of fonts for their projects.
14. Logopond
Logopond is an inspirational site showcasing identity work from designers worldwide. It’s a visual feast for those looking for logo design inspiration.
15. happyhues
happyhues provides color palettes for design projects, curated to evoke positive emotions. It’s a handy tool for designers seeking the perfect color scheme.
16. Adobe Color
Formerly known as Adobe Kuler, Adobe Color is a color scheme tool that helps designers create harmonious palettes. It integrates seamlessly with Adobe Creative Cloud applications.
17. Coolors
Coolors is a color scheme generator that makes it easy to explore and create beautiful color palettes for your designs.
18. Color Hunt
Color Hunt is a curated collection of color palettes for designers, providing a simple and elegant way to discover and save color schemes.
19. mycolor.space
mycolor.space offers a user-friendly platform for creating and exploring color palettes. It’s a valuable tool for designers seeking inspiration for their projects.
20. Skillshare
Skillshare is a creative learning platform that provides graphic designers with access to a wide range of courses, covering everything from design fundamentals to advanced techniques.
21. Liyao Creative
Liyao Creative provides a variety of design resources including fonts, pattern templates, freelance contract templates, brand identity templates and other templates useful to freelance designers.
Incorporating these design resources into your workflow can significantly enhance your creative process and help you stay at the forefront of graphic design trends. Whether you’re seeking inspiration, mockups, color schemes, or educational opportunities, these 23 essential resources have got you covered in 2023. Happy designing!