Overview

As a product designer, inspiration isn’t just about making things look good—it’s about solving problems creatively, improving usability, and crafting meaningful experiences. Whether working on a new UI flow, a branding refresh, or a completely new product, finding the right inspiration can make the difference between a functional design and a brilliant one.

Great inspiration doesn’t just come from browsing design galleries. It’s everywhere—in digital platforms, in nature, in everyday interactions, and even in industries outside of tech. Here are some of my favorite places to look for inspiration, both online and in the real world.

Online resources

1. Mobbin—a library of real-world UI patterns

What it is: Mobbin is an extensive collection of real-world UI patterns from some of the best-designed digital products out there.

Why I love it: Instead of conceptual design trends, Mobbin showcases actual product interfaces from top apps, categorized by flows, components, and screens. It’s perfect for when I need to see how real products solve UX challenges, from onboarding screens to complex dashboards.

How I use it: I’ll often browse Mobbin when starting a new project to see how other designers have tackled specific user flows, like checkout experiences, search interfaces, or mobile gestures. It’s an excellent resource for keeping up with best practices while ensuring my designs are user-friendly and familiar to users.

🔗 Check it out: Mobbin

2. Dribbble & Behance—creative exploration & UI trends

What they are: Dribbble and Behance are community-driven design platforms showcasing conceptual and real-world work from designers across the globe.

Why I love them: These platforms are great for discovering bold, conceptual, and experimental designs that push boundaries. While Dribbble often leans toward visual-heavy UI designs, Behance showcases case studies that explain the thought process behind designs.

How I use them:

• Dribbble is perfect when I need ideas for color schemes, motion effects, and UI layouts.

• Behance helps when I want to see end-to-end case studies, especially for branding, web design, and UX research projects.

🔗 Check them out: Dribbble | Behance

3. Pinterest—Unexpected inspiration & mood boards

What it is: Pinterest is an idea curation platform where users pin content into categorized boards.

Why I love it: While it’s not a traditional product design resource, Pinterest is great for creating visual mood boards. It’s packed with typography ideas, color palettes, illustration styles, and even UI/UX patterns.

How I use it: When I need to define a visual language for a project, I’ll create a Pinterest board and collect design elements, photography, and textures that align with the product’s mood. It helps me establish a strong design direction before jumping into Figma.

🔗 Check it out: Pinterest

4. Graphic design history & trends—Learning from the past to shape the future

What it is: Exploring historical design movements and modern trends to understand how design has evolved and what makes visuals timeless or trendy.

Why I love it: Sometimes the best inspiration doesn’t come from modern UI/UX trends but from the fundamentals of graphic design. Studying movements like Bauhaus, Swiss Design, and Mid-Century Modernism helps me understand the core principles of typography, color theory, and composition that still influence digital design today.

At the same time, staying updated on modern design trends—like neumorphism, brutalist UI, and glassmorphism—helps me see how designers are pushing boundaries and experimenting with new aesthetics.

How I use it:

• For timeless design inspiration, I look at design history books, old advertisements, and classic poster designs.

• For modern trends, I follow design newsletters, YouTube channels, and creative blogs that analyze emerging styles in UI/UX.

• I often mix classic design principles with modern aesthetics to create a balance between usability and visual impact.

🔗 Where to start:

• The History of Graphic Design by Jens Müller (Book)

• “Helvetica” (2007) Documentary – A deep dive into typography’s influence on design

• Creative Bloq (www.creativebloq.com) – Covers modern design trends

• It’s Nice That (www.itsnicethat.com) – A mix of classic and modern creative inspiration

5. Reddit & Threads—Real conversations on design

What they are: Online communities where designers share insights, critique, and industry trends in an unfiltered, real-time environment.

Why I love them: Unlike curated inspiration sites, Reddit and Threads offer real, ongoing discussions about the challenges and trends in product design. Whether it’s a breakdown of a new app redesign, debates about AI in UX, or real-world usability failures, these platforms provide valuable insights straight from the design community.

How I use them:

• r/userexperience (Reddit) – Great for UX discussions and critiques.

• r/web_design & r/design_critiques – Good for seeing how designers approach real challenges.

• Threads – Since Threads is more casual than Twitter, I’ve noticed more organic, engaging conversations around design trends, UI/UX frustrations, and behind-the-scenes looks at real projects. Many designers share quick thoughts, sketch process videos, or even early concept ideas that spark creative thinking.

🔗 Check out: r/userexperience

Real-life resources

1. Everyday interactions & frustrations

One of the best ways to improve UX is to observe how people interact with everyday systems. I often take inspiration from:

• Self-checkout kiosks – How intuitive (or frustrating) is the UI?

• Public transportation apps – Are they easy to use under stress?

• Customer service flows – What makes an experience smooth vs. painful?

Everyday annoyances and inefficiencies are opportunities for great design. If something frustrates me, I ask: How could this be better?

2. Architecture & interior design

Physical spaces are designed for flow, usability, and experience—just like digital products. Looking at architecture, I notice:

• How spaces guide movement (like a well-designed UX flow).

• How color, lighting, and materials affect mood (similar to UI design choices).

• How signage directs users (similar to navigation in apps and websites).

Next time you’re in a beautifully designed space, think about what makes it work—and how you can apply those principles digitally.

3. Nature & organic patterns

Nature has perfected balance, contrast, and usability in ways we can learn from. I take inspiration from:

• Organic color palettes – Earthy tones, gradients in the sky, patterns in plants.

• Flow and responsiveness – How things adapt, move, and interact in natural environments.

• Fractal design & symmetry – Many of the most effective layouts mimic natural patterns.

Nature-inspired design doesn’t mean adding leaves to an interface—it means embracing harmony, adaptability, and effortless interactions.

4. Travel & cultural differences in design

Whenever I visit a new place, I pay close attention to how design varies across cultures. Some key observations:

• Different signage and wayfinding systems (how clear is the messaging?).

• Public transport UI & ticketing systems (some are sleek, others are overly complicated).

• How apps are localized for different audiences (does the UX adapt well to different languages and reading directions?).

Seeing how different cultures approach usability and design problems gives me a broader perspective and new ways to think about UX challenges.

Final thoughts

Great inspiration doesn’t come from one place—it comes from everywhere. As a product designer, my best ideas come when I combine real-world observations with digital research, creating designs that feel both innovative and intuitive.

If you’re feeling stuck, try changing your approach:

• Browse Mobbin for practical UI solutions.

• Check Dribbble or Behance for creative styles.

• Observe real-life interactions and frustrations for UX insights.

• Look to nature, architecture, and travel for unexpected inspiration.

The best designs aren’t just aesthetically pleasing—they solve problems, improve lives, and create seamless experiences. By exploring both digital and real-world sources, we can design products that truly resonate with users. 🚀