Resources for creating next-level, world class websites?

[Dark Water]

If one could sum web design up as a neat little trifecta of traits, I might say it's the intersection of elegance, modernity, and creativity.

I feel like with current web design, everyone and everything is leaning fully into modernity. This is when you can make an aesthetically pleasing website that looks like it was made in the last couple of years, and it's fully functional, but it's still lacking that next level kick where it looks like some real effort went into it (elegance and creativity).

I would say the vast majority of newer freelancers and even many agencies operate in this space. A lot of small businesses and even SaaS products have websites like this.

But if you look at the portfolio of an individual or an agency who has taken their designs to the next level, you will start to notice more elegance and creativity. The way everything is tied together is seamless and it feels like passion went into it (whether it did or not). You might see this kind of design exhibited on websites for luxury brands.

Think about the difference between a chain restaurant in the suburbs vs. a well-known restaurant in a mid-sized city. It's not just about the quality of the food but the experience, the presentation, etc. There's a certain uniqueness to that well-known restaurant and I want to start to bring that to the websites I build.

Does anyone know of any resources for taking web design to the next level? I've been looking over various agencies portfolios and seeing what they do. Not sure what else to lean into: reverse engineering to learn their methods, following a design "influencer", studying luxury brands, or something else entirely to inspire creativity.

 

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