It’s a new year, with many opportunities to learn about trends in the web design industry and find sources for inspiration for your next design projects. But sorting through the riff-raff to find the best design blogs to follow can be a time-consuming endeavor. We’ve gone ahead and done the legwork for you to find the best blogs for news, tutorials, information about UX/UI, and much more.

The inclusion of the blogs on our list is based on several factors. First and foremost, we wanted to present blogs that offer true value for their visitors, be that industry news, bits of inspiration, or cool free stuff to help you design better sites. You’ll find something valuable on each site listed here.

Secondly, the reach of each blog was considered by examining their activity and followings on Twitter. Some sites on this list have fantastic information but don’t have a huge following yet. That doesn’t diminish the value of their content, however.

Each blog was also evaluated in terms of its worldwide page ranking, and its movement on that list according to Alexa, a site that examines commercial web traffic data. Some sites listed here are in the top 1,000 sites in the world. Others are far from it. The common factor among them is the quality of information they offer to you, the designer.

Lastly, each of these blogs is an excellent example of easy and cheap marketing for web designers. If you’re looking to get your name out there as a knowledgeable and respected designer, developing a blog is one of the quickest ways to do so.

With all that said, have a look at these top web design blogs to follow in 2015!

UPDATE: We created a twitter list with all these amazing blogs. You can follow it here.

General Web Design Blogs

The blogs listed in this category offer readers information on a wide variety of web design topics. From the latest design trends to tips, tricks, and advice for creating dynamic websites, to information about improving your marketing and business strategies, these blogs have a little something for everyone.

Monster Post

The Monster Post blog is an excellent resource for web designers that need inspiration, news on latest design trends, and access to great tutorials. Interviews with design pros provide insight into tricks of the trade, while an abundance of free resources, including WordPress themes, Photoshop goodies, and printables, ensure you’ve got all the tools you need to build a fantastic website. With dozens of authors on staff, Monster Post offers many unique perspectives on the web design industry.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: A Well Designed Interface…What Should It Look Like?
• Twitter: @templatemonster (8,273 followers)

Smashing Magazine

Likely the prize champion of web design blogs, Smashing Magazine is on everyone’s must-follow list, and there’s good reason. Their blog is overflowing with high-value posts about design, typography, UX, coding, and graphic design. There are loads of tutorials, free design elements, and tips for improving one’s business savvy as well. Smashing’s posts are more technical than those on other blogs we’ve listed, so the appeal of this blog may be more for designers who seek highly technical information about their speciality.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Design Principles: Visual Weight and Direction
• Twitter: @smashingmag (859,000 followers)

Awwwards

It would be easy to place the Awwwards blog in our “inspirational” category. And while there is a massive collection of articles related to getting your creative juices flowing, there are great hidden gems in the blog related to other design-related content. Their news section highlights recent Site of the Month Winners, but also gives information about upcoming design conferences around the world. The resources and tools section is also extremely popular and offers free goodies for your next site design, as well as free eBooks and tutorials to help you build your skill set. The blog is well curated and only includes high-quality information for readers.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Which Way is the Concept of Vertical Scrolling Headed in 2015?
• Twitter: @awwwards (71,700 followers)

Designmodo

Designmodo’s blog has something for everyone. There are posts on front-end and back-end topics, including design inspiration and coding. Other posts highlight tips for improving the business and marketing aspects of your business, as well as upcoming trends in the field of web design. There’s a healthy dose of nice graphic design tips and tricks as well, including a variety of tutorials. The blog’s minimalist design makes it easy find the articles of most relevance to you.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Web Design Trends That Will Rule 2015
• Twitter: @designmodo (244,000 followers)

Speckyboy

This blog is a one-stop-shop for just about anything a web designer might want or need, with hundreds of articles related to web design, UX/UI, and graphic design. New freelance designers will particularly enjoy the excellent collection of articles related to building your business, improving productivity, and ideas for broadening your skill set and finding inspiration. What sets this blog apart from others in this category is that the articles are written in a laid-back manner that is enjoyable to read. You can learn new stuff without feeling like you’re back in design school!

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Humorous Illustrated Series of Puns for Designers
• Twitter: @speckyboy (64,100 followers)

1st Web Designer

If you’re looking for various web design news, tutorials, podcasts, and sources of inspiration, 1st Web Designer is the blog to follow. The blog’s articles focus on various aspects of design, including key business topics like how to go from being a freelancer to a web design professional. From tutorials that teach you how to tackle some complex coding, to lighthearted examinations of upcoming trends in web design, 1st Web Designer has something of interest for just about any designer.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Jack of All Trades? Or Master of One?
• Twitter: @1stwebdesigner (52,200 followers)

Noupe

Noupe is a jack-of-all-trades blog that highlights helpful topics related to design, development, and the business aspects of being a freelancer. Of particular interest is Noupe’s ability to convey highly valuable information but with a fun quirkiness (their blog has a jungle-themed background!) that creative professionals enjoy. The blog features a dual functionality because it is both easy to navigate yet engaging and dynamic at the same time. Folks looking for freebies, inspiration, and the latest news on WordPress can find what they’re looking for as well.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Freelancers, Here’s Why Your Clients Hate You
• Twitter: @noupemag (8,715 followers)

OneXtraPixel

OneXtraPixel is a nice resource for a near daily dose of information on design trends, how-to articles, and freebies. The blog is multifaceted in its approach to topics, offering a little bit of everything. Among the more unique topics are those that delve into the relationship between psychology and design, and those that dive deep into professional and business related topics like customer relations. Don’t miss OneXtraPixel’s freebies section, which has loads of awesome icons for your next web design project.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Theories of Psychology and Their Application in Designing
• Twitter: @onextrapixel (56,400 followers)

Digital Telepathy

The purpose of the Digital Telepathy blog, named Betterment, is to promote a better Internet through improving the craft of digital design. They curate an excellent blog with many in-depth articles, how-to’s and tutorials, and guides to resources around the web. There is a nice collection of inspirational articles that focus on design. Their “business” category is also ripe with fantastic tidbits of business insight that can help you create a better business environment for yourself. A unique aspect of this blog is their collection of philosophical posts, which dig into the how and why of design and the design business.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: The Best and Worst of UX Design in 2014
• Twitter: @dtelepathy (14,100 followers)

Designrfix

The blog over at Designrfix has gained popularity by offering readers a little bit of everything. There are posts about upcoming hot trends in design, how-to articles for spicing up your next site design, tutorials on everything from Photoshop to CSS, and cool free stuff like wallpapers, fonts, and patterns. The blog also has a special “Artist of the Day” feature that highlights up-and-coming designers that deserve a little admiration. Maybe one day your talents can be featured on the Designrfix blog! You can certainly submit content, as Designrfix accepts contributions from anyone.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: New Horizons in Web Design
• Twitter: @designrfix (48,900 followers)

DesignBeep

DesignBeep is another great general web design resource for designers of all experience levels. In addition to great business-related articles that offer insight into how to improve your marketing, branding, and workflow, there are a host of nice tutorials on various subjects, including Photoshop and CSS. Freebies abound on DesignBeep as well. There are loads of free brushes and icons, fonts and patterns, and textures and PSDs. Be sure to check out their “Fresh Collection” series as well, which highlights the best websites to inspire your next design.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Why You Should go Offline to Promote Your Design Services
• Twitter: @designbeep (10,600 followers)

Design Mag

Design Mag focuses on providing quality resources and information to its readers. The blog features more than 20 unique categories, from design and inspiration to tutorials and business topics. Their business articles are geared towards freelancers, who might need to add a few tricks to their bag to improve their workflow, procure jobs, and market themselves. While the blog as a whole offers a host of great information, the freelancer articles are particularly insightful and helpful.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Treat for Designers: 10 Free Design Resources
• Twitter: @designmagtweets (39,000 followers)

Boagworld

This aesthetically pleasing, up-and-coming blog features insights from some of the top digital creative professionals. There are the usual posts about better design and UX, but there is also a robust collection of posts on accessibility and marketing. Another unique feature of Boagworld’s blog is the archive of the web design experiences of Paul Boag, the blog’s namesake and curator. There, Paul and his colleagues offer perspectives on their personal experiences working in web design, from the mistakes they’ve made and how to avoid them, to challenges that designers encounter.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Work Smarter: How to Reduce Your Hours and Yet Get More Done
• Twitter: @boagworld (37,400 followers)

InspireFirst

The strength of InspireFirst’s blog is in their multi-modal approach. Although much of their content is related to web design, they also highlight news, events, and trends in digital art, architecture, illustration, painting, and product design, giving web designers inspiration from all kinds of sources. InspireFirst has a particular affinity for responsive design, so many of their posts revolve around that particular topic. They also provide lots of freebies, from PSDs to icons to HTML5 goodies.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: 20 Amazing Examples of Ultra-Flat Website Designs
• Twitter: @inspirefirst (197,000 followers)

Hongkiat

The articles over at Hongkiat cover a vast array of topics, from WordPress to photography to design tools. Like many other sites on our list, they also offer a variety of tutorials and freebies. Many of their design articles take a developer focus, so you can stay up-to-date on all the latest goings-on for the back-end aspect of designing your sites. Over the years, Hongkiat’s focus has become quite broad, diminishing it’s overall value, so we only recommend their web design category.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Free Pattern Generators: Here’s 8 Tools You Want to Bookmark
• Twitter: @hongkiat (38,300 followers)

Design Inspiration Blogs

The websites in this category primarily offer posts to inspire their readers to design incredible websites. While other topics may be a part of their blog, the inspirational pieces are their claim to fame.

Creative Bloq

Creative Bloq is a nice resource for featured news, tutorials, interviews with great designers, and other cool stuff related to web design. They also have a nice selection of posts on graphic design topics, as well as a selection of articles related to illustration, 3-D animation, typography, and branding. Creative Bloq also offers free e-books from time-to-time. The occasional tongue-in-cheek post (see below) keeps the mood light for their readers and offers up some inspiration as well.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: The 11 Most Stupidest Fonts of All Time
• Twitter: @creativebloq (96,400 followers)

Creative Market

Based in San Francisco, Creative Market offers their readers all kinds of inspirational articles from designers from around the world. Their blog features posts of great examples of top-notch content, from infographics and maps to illustrations and photographs, as well as insightful instructions for incorporating these things into your designs. They also periodically list books to read and podcasts to give a listen for some design inspiration. Their blog is curated well and highlights only the best of what the web has to offer.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: 10 Graphic & Web Design Tools That Will Explode in 2015
• Twitter: @creativemarket (196,000 followers)

Design Taxi

Among the most visited sites on our list, Design Taxi offers its readers the latest in information and inspiration for web design. At the forefront of creativity, their unique perspective on the latest trends keeps you informed. With content from media giants like the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, Design Taxi has legitimate contributors who know exactly how to help you learn new skills and grow your business. There’s also a ton of interesting articles about all things web. The occasional silly article keeps things light for designers that need a break in the middle of a long day of work.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: ‘Professional Email Design,’ A Digital Guide
• Twitter: @designtaxi (401,000 followers)

Abduzeedo

If you’re in a funk and can’t seem to find your creativity, Abduzeedo has all kinds of inspiration awaiting you. While there are other topics of interest (such as tutorials), the strength of Abduzeedo’s blog is in its wide array of inspirational posts. Combining collections from web and graphic design, architecture, photography, and typography, there are loads of incredible designs to gaze upon and regain your creative inspiration. Their ongoing Daily Inspiration series and Sites of the Week are can’t miss features.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Abduzeedo’s ongoing series, Sites of the Week
• Twitter: @abduzeedo (247,000 followers)

Design Your Way

The Design Your Way blog includes two primary features: resources and inspiration. The resources include featurettes of great tools that can help you along in the design process. The blog’s inspirational posts highlight rising trends, such as colorful interfaces and use of creative backgrounds. There’s also some nice demos, as well as helpful articles for new freelancers to help them get on their feet and grow a successful business. It also helps that the blog is beautiful to look at, and the articles are well written and a quick read.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: A Collection of Platforms and Tools to Build Websites in 2015
• Twitter: @boogiesbc (11,100 followers)

Spoon Graphics

What’s different about the blog at Spoon Graphics is twofold. First, the blog is extremely personal, with each article, tutorial, and freebie curated under the watchful eye of site owner Chris Spooner. The second feature that sets this blog apart from others on our list is that it actually focuses almost exclusively on graphic design. For this reason, we’ve included the blog under the inspiration category, rather than the how-to category. While Photoshop and Illustrator may not be your thing, give the final results of Spoon Graphics’ tutorials a look – you may very well end up finding inspiration for your next web design. It doesn’t hurt that the blog is incredibly eye-catching as well!

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Spoon Graphics Greatest Hits of 2014
• Twitter: @chrisspooner (82,300 followers)

Line 25

Line 25 is all about inspiring their readers. The top draw on Line 25 is their “Sites of the Week” feature, which highlights some of the most innovative and creative designs from around the web. There’s also a robust collection of tutorial-based posts that show designers how to integrate typography, motion, and other cool effects in purposeful and effective ways. Designers that are stuck in a rut and just need some solid web design ideas shouldn’t miss this blog!

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: 12 Must-See “Year in Review” Microsites from 2014
• Twitter: @line25blog (27,500 followers)

Design Instruct

Design Instruct offers much in the way of inspiration, whether that’s gorgeous sites to look at from around the web, free vector icons, free design templates, or portfolios of designers from all over the world. There’s a nice collection of free resources, as well as a few how-to articles to help readers brush up on their skills. Their business-related articles are a definite must-see. Freelancers that have questions about dealing with clients, raising their rates, and other common issues and questions should give Design Instruct a thorough reading.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Increase Your Freelance Rates and Keep Your Clients
• Twitter: @designinstruct (53,800 followers)

Naldz Graphics

For designers that need inspiration or access to an excellent list of freebies from around the web, Naldz Graphics is the blog to visit. The blog’s articles are light reading and are easy to scan for vital information. Most articles feature great resources for designers, including nice graphics and tool sets for Photoshop. The blog features a few tutorials as well. There’s nothing too technical about Naldz Graphics’ posts. However, it’s hard to call the value of the information into question when over 120,000 people have signed up to receive their monthly newsletters.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: A Designer’s Collection of Free Triangle Brushes for Photoshop
• Twitter: @naldzgraphics (59,100 followers)

Inspiration Feed

What draws people to Inspiration Feed is all the free resources they provide, both that they have made and that other designers have put up on the Internet as well. In that regard, Inspiration Feed’s blogging success has been all about building a fun little community in which people share what they know and what they do in order to motivate and assist their fellow creative professionals. Their resources have inspirational value as well, and can give you a boost when you find your own inspiration lacking.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: 25 Mouth Watering Website Designs
• Twitter: @inspirationf (177,000 followers)

Spyre Studios

While the Spyre Studios blog offers much more than inspirational posts (they have a ton of freebies too!), we’ve included it in the inspirational category on our list because of the volume of inspirational posts they have and the breadth and depth of those articles. Usually offering around 30 examples of amazing work, each inspirational article draws from all corners of the web to give you as many perspectives as possible to reference when creating your designs. There’s also a good number of tips and tricks articles to help you hone your craft.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: 35 Website Layouts Using Fixed Header Bars
• Twitter: @spyrestudios (8,337 followers)

Happy Cog Cognition

Cognition is a blog curated by Happy Cog, a New York City-based web design firm known for being at the forefront of web design standards. Although not nearly as popular as other blogs, Cognition is among the most intellectual on our list, with posts of an analytical nature that go beyond just a surface retelling of what’s happening in web design. There is a magnificent collection of posts categorized as “Process,” in which the Happy Cog writers muse about what to do and not to do in order to be successful. With some wit and sarcasm, the Happy Cog blog is among the most entertaining and inspirational reads on our list.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: 7 Alternatives to Popular Web Typefaces for Better Performance
• Twitter: @happycog (26,000 followers)

Technical Design Blogs – Tutorials and How-To’s

For designers that want to learn new tricks, the blogs in this category should be among the first reads. Some of their posts focus on design-related tutorials, such as how to create awesome graphics for your site designs. There’s also plenty of how-to articles related to the business side as well, such as how to build a solid reputation in the design community.

Tuts+

If there’s a web design blog focused on offering the best tutorials, it’s Tuts+. Web designers of all levels of experience and skill can find interesting tutorials on all aspects of design. Whether you need to learn how to design better icons, create responsive layouts, or improve your workflow, Tuts+ has the information you need to be successful. With other valuable tutorials in the business, coding, and graphic design realms, it’s no wonder Tuts+ is consistently near the top 1,000 sites in the world.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: An Introduction to Sketch Noting for Web Designers
• Twitter: @tutsplusdesign (113,000 followers)

CSS-Tricks

The draw of CSS-Tricks’ blog is the sheer volume of high-quality resources they provide to their readers. Unlike their name suggests, their blog is not just about backend stuff – they offer great insights into frontend development, responsive design, WordPress and other CMS’s, and the occasional tip for better business practices. There is, of course, a lot of backend content for designers who do a little coding, or who just want to stay up-to-date on the latest news on that front. There are also plenty of posts about CSS too! Also be sure to check out the delightful web design podcast of Chris Coyier, founder of CSS-Tricks.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Fun With Line-Height!
• Twitter: @real_css_tricks (167,000 followers)

Codrops

Codrops has one of the best collections of tutorials on the web today. Text and hover effects, fun header elements, and interactive infographics are just a few of the many how-to articles Codrops has recently provided for its readers. The best part about these tutorials is that they are written for web designers, by web designers, in a manner that is educational, yet extremely easy to understand. An added bonus is that the blog is gorgeously designed and puts into practice many of the design elements about which the authors teach. There’s no shortage of free stuff and inspirational posts as well!

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Sliding Header Layout
• Twitter: @codrops (108,000 followers)

Web Designer Depot

The folks over at Web Designer Depot maintain a blog chock-full of tips and tricks to make your designs pop and to streamline your workflow. They serve up some fine tutorials and how-to articles as well. If you’re looking for freebies, Web Designer Depot has plenty of those too. With contributors from around the globe, the blog has a multicultural flavor that offers insights into design trends and practices worldwide. Don’t miss their famous tweets of the week feature to find out what the design world has been tweeting about!

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: 4 Essential Layout Trends for 2015
• Twitter: @designerdepot (859,000 followers)

Design Shack

The success of the Design Shack blog is built primarily on the insightful and practical nature of its business-related posts. Sure, there are loads of great posts about interesting developments in web design, including can’t-miss trends and hot topics like flat design. But the strongest content is found in the articles that teach readers how to develop the persona of their brand, how to design for special populations (like kids), and how to handle payment situations when a client is late or doesn’t pay at all. Their “This Week in Design” series is another can’t-miss feature that will keep you up-to-date on all things design.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: How & Why Prototypes are Mandatory for Good Design
• Twitter: @designshack (21,500 followers)

Vandelay Design

There are several things that draw people into Vandelay Design’s blog. There are the usual freebies like WordPress themes and fonts, but the major draw of the blog is the business-related articles. With a focus on educating newbie web designers, these blog posts offer great information and how-to tips for everything from choosing the right CMS to creating balance in your designs to building a means for passive income. In this regard, the how-to’s and tutorials don’t just focus on actual design, but on business concepts needed to build a flourishing career as well.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: A Guide to Passive Income for Designers
• Twitter: @vandelaydesign (44,700 followers)

Web Design Ledger

Web Design Ledger’s blog serves up high-quality content that includes loads of tutorials and how-to articles on a variety of topics. From how to build theme-based sites to tutorials on jQuery to tips for creating captivating icons and buttons, there’s something for just about every web design need. There are plenty of links to free stuff as well. Another factor that makes Web Design Ledger a must-follow blog is that its articles are written by designers, for designers, in order to disseminate the latest knowledge and best practices in web design.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Icons in Web Design: Tips, Resources, and Examples
• Twitter: @webdesignledger (149,000 followers)

InstantShift

There is a nice collection of tutorials, how-to articles, and freebies over on the InstantShift blog. Their tutorials deal with a variety of topics, including how to seamlessly incorporate infographics into a design to how to make your designs more artistic. A lot of the content on the blog deals with drawing attention to common mistakes web designers commit in the design and re-design processes. The value of the blog is mostly found in these articles, which are both highly helpful and easy to read.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Looking Beyond the Obvious: Lending Artistic Credibility to Web Designing
• Twitter: @instantshift (17,300 followers)

Six Revisions

With insights from industry professionals, the blog posts at Six Revisions are unique, timely, and to the point. Like the site itself, the articles are practical and useful and don’t have any fluff. There are various web design topics to explore, including how-to articles and tutorials to bring an extra level of awesomeness to your designs. There’s a good number of posts related to coding as well, just to keep web designers on their collective toes. Six Revisions is an excellent choice for designers who seek a nice balance between articles that focus on professional development and articles that seek to entertain readers. They also have fun contests to keep the mood light.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Examples of Full-Screen Background Images
• Twitter: @sixrevisions (89,200 followers)

InspiredMag

Although one might assume that InspiredMag is all about inspiration, this is definitely not the case. Daily doses of inspiration are dished out at InspiredMag, but if you need information about the latest design trends to inform your next design or want to know how to learn quick and easy ways to decompress after a long day of work, InspiredMag has that too. There’s also a nice collection of freebies! But their how-to guides are a can’t miss. Covering everything from boosting the effectiveness of your calls to action to methods to improve your usage of color, InspiredMag’s tutorials are a great addition to any designer’s toolkit.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: How to Recharge Your Creative Batteries, or Walking the Offline Path
• Twitter: @inspiredmag (58,100 followers)

Skyje

The secret to Skyje’s success is that they offer up practical tips for improving designs of everything from logos to footers. There’s also a good dose of business related information, like how to market yourself more effectively. They feature articles by industry juggernauts, which provide top-notch information, particularly for the beginning designer.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Top Grid Tools for Creating Enchanting Responsive Websites
• Twitter: @skyjefans (166,000 followers)

Web Field Manual

Chances are you’ve never heard of the Web Field Manual, and that wouldn’t be at all surprising given their Alexa rank and number of Twitter followers. That said, it is by far one of the best resources for web designers on our list. Part blog and part commentary on what web design should be, the best feature of the Web Field Manual is its incredible list of resources. From news and notes on current events to methods to improve your workflow to style guides for designing a perfect site, there is no shortage of tutorials and how-to articles here.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Staying Current
• Twitter: @webfieldmanual (609 followers)

UX/UI Blogs

For a healthy dose of posts about UX/UI-related topics, give the blogs in this category a try. The typical topics of how sites look and feel are covered, as are a wider variety of topics related to usability, web standards, and best practices. These blogs may be a bit more technical than the others on our list, but still provide excellent information and a good read.

Medium

Medium is one of the largest and most popular online publishers in the world. With so much weight to throw around, it’s no wonder that their Design/UX blog is so well put together. Thoughtful pieces from the past shed light on where web design has been, while engaging posts highlight current best practices and trends in UX design. Each article includes a handy “time to read” feature, so you know how much of your precious time will be devoted to each article. With most posts coming in at under five minutes, the information is easy to obtain and well worth it too.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: User Experience Design is a Fad
• Twitter: @medium (1.07 million followers)

Sitepoint

Although Sitepoint has an enormous blog full of excellent posts about leading-edge issues in web design and related creative disciplines, their Design & UX articles are really where it’s at. Many of their posts discuss common UX issues in good detail, so readers come away with a deeper understanding of the UX problems with which others have struggled. The true value, however, is in the solutions that many of the posts offer for the very problems they discuss. Part blog, part tutorial, Sitepoint is a must-have resource for any designer.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: 3 Common UX Gaffes and Ways Around Them
• Twitter: @sitepointdotcom (125,000 followers)

UX Pin

Unsurprisingly, UX Pin focuses on the user experience aspect of web design. The blog offers many tutorials, guides, and mockups for your using pleasure. There’s also a variety of posts about UI design and elements, as well as usability and testing. The site even offers free e-books on various design-related topics. UX Pin is a relatively young site, but with top-notch information for designers, it’s sure to develop a robust following.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: New Free E-Book: Guide to Mockups
• Twitter: @uxpin (6,262 followers)

A List Apart

For designers especially interested in best practices and web standards, A List Apart is a fantastic resource. Their blog, which is a self-proclaimed storehouse for “quick updates and practical approaches,” is rich with information regarding design, accessibility, coding, and a host of other hot topics in the web design world. There’s no fluff here – just good, honest information on cutting-edge techniques.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: The Core Model: Designing Inside Out for Better Results
• Twitter: @alistapart (121,000 followers)

Good UI

Good UI is essentially one giant blog post about what makes for a good user interface. The list of UI requirements, which runs the gamut from social proofing your sites to creatively wording content to boost conversation rates, is constantly updated with new and exciting tidbits of information. The exceptionally cool thing about Good UI is that each requirement has been tested and the authors provide evidence of each requirement’s efficacy. At Good UI, the proof is definitely in the pudding.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: A Running Idea List
• Twitter: @jlinowski (4,447 followers)

UX Movement

UX Movement’s blog focuses on helping both designers and developers give users an experience that is useful and well designed. There are all kinds of tips, tricks, and resources related to designing everything from navigation schemes to buttons to shopping carts. With analysis from design professionals on the most effective UX strategies, this blog offers insights that are backed up by real world experience. There are also a few tutorials thrown into the mix for good measure.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Top 3 UX Articles of 2014
• Twitter: @uxmovement (6,591 followers)

UX Matters

It may not be the most beautiful blog in the world, but the information at UX Matters is top-notch. Their in-depth articles take readers much deeper into the realm of UX than other blogs on our list. Although their information is pretty technical, they offer content for designers of all skill and experience levels. Common topics include accessibility, design architecture, the business of UX, and mobile UX design. There are also plenty of posts on UX design, UX strategy, and user research. If you want the most in-depth information on UX, this is the place to find it!

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Helping Users to Absorb Change: Four Steps Designers Can Take
• Twitter: @uxmatters (42,000 followers)

UX Booth

As its name implies, UX Booth’s blog caters specifically to designers that want to learn more about UX and its role in web design. While the nature of UX Booth’s posts is pretty technical, it’s written in a way that is easily understood by even the most novice designers. This straightforward, educational approach is what makes UX Booth a good follow for all designers, but particularly those who are just starting out in the business. UX Booth also has a wide variety of contributors who offer fresh and different perspectives on usability and design. The blog itself is also quite visually appealing, making for a nice reading experience.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Making and Breaking UX Best Practices
• Twitter: @uxbooth (55,200 followers)

Usability Geek

The blog over at Usability Geek offers in-depth articles about UI and designing interfaces, as well as guidelines for developing a site that is highly user-friendly. With special highlights on e-commerce, Usability Geek is a particularly great resource for designers who specialize in designing business-related sites. There are also reviews of various tools that designers can utilize in order to give users an experience that is top-notch. A nice list of recommended website resources rounds out their offerings for web designers.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Empathy and Technology – The Relationship That Makes Good Design Better
• Twitter: @justinmifsud (14,400 followers)

 Boxes and Arrows

Boxes and Arrows is an up-and-coming site that offers all sorts of excellent information for web designers. Blogs about design principles, UX, and UI abound, as do articles about the processes and methods designers should undertake to ensure their designs are the best they can be. There is also a host of information about relevant books, conferences, events, software, and design tools.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Optimizing UI Icons for Faster Recognition
• Twitter: @boxesandarrows (17,600 followers)

Hacking UI

For anything related to UI, this is the blog to read. There are thought-provoking and in-depth articles about the role of design and how it has changed in recent years. There’s also an abundance of free resources and giveaways that will help you build your stable of assets for your next designs. The blog features reviews of the latest software and tools as well, complete with how-to guides for implementing them into your workflow.

Vital Information:

• Recent can’t-miss article: Does Design Even Matter?
• Twitter: @hackingui (2,233 followers)

Conclusion

Remember that this is just a small sample of the excellent design-related blogs currently available. If we’ve omitted one of your favorite design blogs, be sure to let us know which ones you prefer to read by leaving a comment below. Also check out IM Creator’s blog for some good design stuff and sign up for our monthly newsletter for lots of great design-related information!