20 Outrageous, Over the Top, and Incredible Websites

Is your site suffering from Hyperdesign? Hyperdesign can be diagnosed by tale tell symptoms. Answer these following questions to find out if you and your site are suffering from Hyperdesignitis.

1. When your design is done do you have an unquenchable urge to add more?
2. Does your design spill off the the page and run down the side?
3. Do you struggle to find one more object to add to your already in your face design?
4. Does the bottom half of your site look normal while the top half looks… well you know?
5. Can your design only fully be appreciated on a 30 inch monitor?
6. Are minimalists your enemy?

If you answered yes to these questions, you too suffer from Hyperdesign. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disorder, but we still love still you and your daring designs.

For those of who suffer from this affliction or have an undying desire to view their work the following sites are for you.

WARNING! Viewing the designs below may cause Hyperdesignitis or seizures. View at your own risk.

Webdesigner Depot

N.Design Studio

Web Designer Wall

Tutorial9

Springtime in Tennessee

Tennessee Education

Matt Mullenweg

Boompa

Cheb 2.0

Elan Snowboards

Radu Ceuca

By Marina

ADidea

ilovecolors

Jason Bradbury

Narstuff

Eurosong

UGSMAG

BAR-T

MK

60+ Awesome Blue Websites

We are wrapping up our series on colors in web design with the most popular color for websites… blue. Because this is the last in our series we have included a whopping 60+ awesome blue websites. If you can add any to the list, just leave a comment.

Don’t forget to go see our green websites, pink websites, red websites, yellow websites, purple websites, and black websites.

Mochiads

31Three

x-grafik.sk

nclud

Intabill

Pixel House

Add Noise

Joomla Web Designs

titofelix

Emes

Bifoz

Designus

Global Creative Designs

StrawPoll

Quinn’s Reef Bed and Breakfast

George Lazaros

Querty City

Viva Video

The Alamo Basement

38 Pages

whitewater

High Class Events

Blog.Medianotions

Contemporary Multimedia

Comicsoda

Blog Design Blog

Flash MP3 Player

Vocino.com

Fortytwo

Timesvr

Memigo Money

Lynnterpretation

eAnka Design

Ezy Web Hosting

Thomas Pojeta

Jan Pivonka

tractes

Insight Studios

Ortobit.com

ez markup

Blue Bonnet Cafe

Daily Crap

Jumpto

UD On Campus

Holley Grove

Max Synergy Studios

CSS Web

Alps Technologies

BV Arrows

Britain Rocks

Brad Colbow

Transcensus

FutureTap

Silencious

thatgamecompany

Autofinanciering/

Absolute Bica

markmeup

indiqo.media

Andographic

Pitch Black: 25 Inspirational Black Websites

This is the sixth in a series exploring infrequently used colors in web design. Well black is used pretty frequently in music or teen related sites, but it is not used frequently in the mainstream.

Don’t forget to go see our Green Inspirational Websites, Pink Inspirational Websites, Red Inspirational Websites, Yellow Inspirational Websites, and Purple Inspirational Websites.

Buzz Recruitment

Blackwave Creative Branding and Design

Denis Designs

383project.com

Missscha’s Photo Gallery

fixie

Bistrian Iosip’s Blog

photo comma

Designer Kitchens from Sasi

Almost Winter Design

Raven Photography

Hellcat Records

Leigh Taylor

Unblogged

Ciplex

Point Blank Nutrition

pixelista

Quickscriptz Design

Gecko Webs

X-JHED Studios

Coalesce Creative

Anupin

Pseudoart

Press75.com

smriyaz.com/

Purple Haze: 20 Inspirational Purple Websites

This is the fifth in a series exploring infrequently used colors in web design. Don’t forget to go see our Green Inspirational Websites, Pink Inspirational Websites, Red Inspirational Websites, and Yellow Inspirational Websites.

N.Design Studios

IconDock

Kiluka

Espuma Restaurant

Women for Women

Eagle Rock School

Macalicios

Guilherme Cruz

Globe Studios

Dimchevski.com

AG media

Henry Hoffman

Fernando Sergio

Aloe Studios

Medlife

FlockBest

Sheridan Oregon

Love Being Woman

A Way Back

Moony

Coming Up Yellow: 20 Inspirational Yellow Websites

This is the forth in a series exploring infrequently used colors in web design. Don’t forget to go see our Green Inspirational Websites, Pink Inspirational Websites, and Red Inspirational Websites.

DudeDesign

NotYourAverageJoe

Dotkni se Pisku

Centrul Crestin Caleb

Strange Native

Album

Gareth Dickey

Mayoris

Naloo Surf

BG

Blog da Fabrica

Muchos Grande

Techsailor

Extreme Engineering

Roome Consulting

Agent 89

The Human Powered Home

sebdesign.eu

Brunet-Garcia Advertising

Showcase of Undergraduate Research

Red Hot: 20 Inspirational Red Websites

If you’re looking for a way to spice up your design or want to try a bold color… go red.

This is the third in a series exploring infrequently used colors in web design. Don’t forget to go see our Green Inspirational Websites, Pink Inspirational Websites, and Yellow Inspirational Websites.

Sonze Design Studio

Linie Design Studio

talents inC

Coal March Productions

White Heat Design

Pizza Venetia

ArtWorks by Dan Friml

Netgenetix Media

Webdesigner Depot

Spring & Struts Engineering and Design

The Autumn Film

FinerHome

Restaurant Nuevo Aurich

Westmoore Church

La Bodeguita de Maria

Diverse IT Innovations

Stampede Design

Joviant

Rocky Creek Winery

WidePixels Design Studio

Pretty in Pink: 15 Inspirational Pink Websites

I’ll have to admit, I’ve never been a fan of pink. If it wasn’t for my wife and daughter I wouldn’t have a single pink thing in my house. But for those of you who don’t know, being the father of a little girl will change your perspective on the color pink.

So what is pink good for? Pink is a youthful color. In symbolizes energy, womanhood, and rebellion. All this and it’s not just for women. A few years back I used to hear pink is the new black. Now I think pink is the new pink.

Give pink the respect that it deserves.

This is the second in a series exploring infrequently used colors in web design. Don’t forget to go see our Green Inspirational Websites, Red Inspirational Websites, and Yellow Inspirational Websites.

Ecmedia

yokaboo

Zinaz

Reba Riley

Trendy Pixels

Hire a Designer

Vibe FM

20 Jours

Sarah Hyland

Simply Creative

Elan Chicas

Big File Box

Marcos Xotoko

Legionary Studio

Zion Art Centre

Study at the graphic design school Kansas city and make appealing web designs.

The Many Paths to Creativity

My wife and I were at our favorite hole in the wall Chinese restaurant over the weekend, and the two of us enjoyed a wonderful, quiet dinner. After we were through the waitress brought over the basket of fortunes and let us pick our fortune cookie.

This is the part where most places mess up. The receiver of the fortune has to pick the cookie, or you won’t get the fortune destiny has bestowed on you.

My fortune read:

Don’t expect to find one right way to make yourself more creative.

Now for those of you who shun the idea of fortunes from fortune cookies… Shame on you! Don’t you know that monks are working hard in their mountain top temples typing on little typewriters just to get you your fortune.

Anyways, back to the fortune. This really got me thinking.

How often do designers block their creativity in by following their normal path of inspiration? It is good for all of us to find new avenues of creativity. Stop being a creature of habit!

Be obsessive

Now this one comes easy to me. When I’m focused on a task that is all I think about, much to the chagrin of my wife. Take the simpler tasks in life and relate it to what you are working on. If you’re eating toast think about how that toast relates to what your working on. Crazy? Yes, but it works.

Take a look around

Being creatures of habit we put blinds on. If you don’t believe me take a look around at the cobwebs on your ceiling. You didn’t realize they were that bad, did you? It is important to strive to put on new eyes from time to time and take a new look at your surrounding.

Put on a child’s mind

Think like a child. It is amazing how differently the little ones see the world than us big people. If you have trouble doing this just hang around kids. It’s contagious. Just don’t forget to wear your play clothes.

Get away

If all else fails, get away from the front of the computer, go outside, and let out a primal scream. The neighbors may look at you funny, but I’m sure they already do. Relax for a bit and tackle the problem from a different angle.

What are your recommendations for finding new avenues of creativity?



PS: My lottery numbers from the fortune are 9, 27, 33, 30, 29, 14. I expect you to share half the winnings with me.

Think Green: 20 Inspirational Green Websites

All too often as designers we use the same set of colors on our designs ad nauseum. It’s as if we were given a set of crayons and we use the only ones we have left. This will be the first in a series exploring infrequently used colors in web design. After I’m through you’ll have a whole new set of crayons to color with.

Green

When you think of green you think of the outdoors. The calming aspects of this color lends itself to relaxation and tranquility. Green is also the color of money, jealousy, and sexuality (think green M&M’s). Green is a complex color with many uses and meanings of which you can draw on to focus your design skills.

This is the first in a series exploring infrequently used colors in web design. Don’t forget to go see our Inspirational Pink Websites, Red Inspirational Websites, and Yellow Inspirational Websites.

Come2Play

Old Loft

Gisele Jaquenod

Cocorino

Alma Latina

Rocket Club

Green Any Site

Zootool

Carbonica

DropBags

Weberica

FreshBox

The Organic Supermarket

Outdoor Italia

Zurb

Redbrick Health

Borneo Tropical Rainforest Foundation

Mint.com

Flipswap

MacTarnahan’s Brewing Company

Redemption: CSS Layouts

I took quite a bit of heat when I dared write my post on CSS vs table layout. Keep in mind it was a tongue in cheek post meant to identify the problem with fanatical design opinions rather than taking up the side of tables for layout.

One of the arguments that came up was that layouts should be done in CSS because that how they were meant to be used. I personally think doing something simply because it’s the way to do it will lock you in a box and hinder creativity. Knowing the why though will let your creativity flourish.

Anyway, I’m writing this post as a form of redemption. This is why I only use CSS.

1. You’ll be cool

   Most people will admit that they want to be cool, and the coolest designers out there are using CSS. Besides, one of the first mainstream sites to go all CSS was ESPN.com. Now you can’t get any cooler than that.

2. You won’t date yourself

   Now for all you old fogie designers out there that started in the days of 56K modems or earlier. Tables are so last decade. Get with the times. With web design it important to use cutting edge skills not what you learned when todays designers were in elementary school.

3. You’ll develop a hatred of IE6

   Microsoft doesn’t even like Internet Explorer 6 anymore. The more you work with CSS, the more you’ll curse the 17% of users that refuse to upgrade.



4. You’ll develop a good prayer life

   With each announcement for a new browser release you’ll pray long and hard that there aren’t any major changes to CSS handling that will require you to spend hours or days reworking every site you ever designed.

5. Bury the spacer gif

   You no longer have to force your tables and layout to behave by utilizing a spacer gif. Kill it and bury it.

6. Free Stuff

   Who doesn’t like free stuff. There are so many good resources for CSS that you can get every thing from templates to navigation for free. But, you won’t be able to tweak any of it if you don’t know CSS.

7. Oh yeah, I almost forgot the typical arguments

   • Separates content from design
   • Maintenance is so much easier
   • Printing is better with CSS
   • Better accessibility
   • You can do things not possible with tables

Tell me your reason for exclusively using CSS.