Creative Website Design: Inspiration & Tips

The internet is a crowded place, full of cookie-cutter sites that all blend into one another. But your website? It has the potential to be different, memorable, and uniquely yours. Creative website design can really make a difference.

👋 Hi, I’m Rose Benedict! I’m a Showit website designer for creatives and small business owners. In this article, I’ll share my top creative website design tips as well as inspiration for building your own captivating website!

Why Creative Website Design Matters

As a creative, when someone lands on your site, you want them to feel something. Maybe it’s a sense of calm, a spark of excitement, or that “aha!” moment when they realize you’re precisely what they’ve been looking for.

Creative website design crafts an experience that resonates with your visitors and makes them want to stick around. And later on, inquire about your services or buy your product!

In fact, website design influences 94% of all first impressions. If that impression is negative, it’s going to be hard to convince your audience that they shouldn’t close the tab.

You’ve probably already done your fair share of stalking websites of people in the same niche as you and wondering, “How do I make my website look as good as this one?!” Don’t worry, I’m going to share my best creative website design tips below!

10 Creative Website Design Tips

1. Choose a Creative Platform

Website builders weren’t created equal. You should pick a platform that gives you the freedom to bring your vision to life.

My pick for creatives? Showit! Its drag-and-drop interface gives you lots of creative control on both desktop and mobile versions.

Plus, it’s easy to update when you need to make changes – which, as a creative, you’ll probably need to do often. The great thing about Showit is that you don’t need to know any coding, and Showit customer support is amazing if you ever have a question.

Other popular options include Squarespace and WordPress. Squarespace is user-friendly as well, but it limits you to pre-designed templates and grid-based layouts so it’s harder to create a unique, dynamic website. WordPress offers more flexibility, but you’ll need coding knowledge for digital design elements.

If you’re currently on Squarespace, learn how to switch to Showit in 7 easy steps!

2. Write Your Website Copy First

This might sound backward, but trust me – write all your website copy before diving into the design process.

It’s tempting to start with visuals, but if your copy isn’t ready, you’ll find yourself flipping back and forth between writing and designing.

And it’s SO hard to constantly switch between website copy and design! Trust me, it’ll get to the point where your brain doesn’t know what to focus on, and that’s a sure pathway to overwhelm.

When you nail down your copy first, you have a clear roadmap (and a much stronger brand message!).

Start by outlining the main pages you’ll need. For most creatives, your website at the very least should have:

• Home
• About
• Services
• Contact
  

You may also want to create a Portfolio page if you already have some work to show off or any other additional pages that make sense for your business.

Write copy in a way that speaks to your target audience and, if you find yourself staring at a blank Google Doc for hours, hire a copywriter!

3. Curate Your Website Content

Less is often more when it comes to website content. Be selective about what you include. Your visitors should be able to find key information quickly without wading through tons of unnecessary text.

According to statistics, investing in user experience and responsive website design can bring you a return on investment (ROI) of 9,900%!

So, start by identifying the most important information for each page.

What do your visitors need to know? What action do you want them to take? Prioritize this content and make it prominent.

Then, ruthlessly edit the rest. Cut out any repetitive or overly wordy sections and break up long paragraphs into shorter, more digestible chunks.

Remember, your website isn’t a dumping ground for all your information.

It’s a tool to engage visitors and guide them toward a specific action. Every piece of content should serve a purpose. If it doesn’t add value or move visitors closer to your goal, consider removing it.

4. Use High-Quality Photos

High-quality brand photography is important for all website designs.

If possible, invest in a professional photographer. They can capture images that truly represent your brand and tell a cohesive visual story.

When working with a photographer, make sure to (over)communicate your brand’s style and values. Give them examples of the type of images you like. Your photographer will also help you figure out what specific shots you need for your website to have the right balance of shots.

If professional photos aren’t an option right now, sites like Unsplash and Pexels offer high-quality free stock photos. Just make sure to choose images that align with your brand’s style and message and look for photos with a consistent color palette and style!

5. Use Complementary (and Legible) Fonts

Your font choices play a big role in how your content is perceived.

A good strategy is to pair a sophisticated serif font with a classic sans-serif font. This creates visual interest while keeping things readable!

Limit yourself to 2-3 fonts total – using too many can make your site look cluttered and unprofessional. Websites like Creative Market and Google Fonts offer a wide range of options.

When choosing fonts, prioritize legibility over style. No matter how interesting a font looks, if it’s hard to read, it’s not doing its job!

Test your font choices on different devices to make sure they look good on different screen sizes.

Here’s an example of creative website design with a beautiful balance of fonts, Heirloom Photo Company.

6. Use (Lots of) White Space

Don’t be afraid of empty space on your website. White space (which doesn’t actually have to be white) helps your content breathe and makes your site easier to navigate.

Give your main elements plenty of room. Add space around your text blocks, images, and buttons. Also, pay special attention to your margins and padding – consistent spacing can make a big difference in how professional your site looks.

White space makes your site look more polished and sophisticated. Plus, it improves readability and helps guide your audience’s eye to important elements.

Remember, white space isn’t wasted space!

7. Align Design with Brand Image

Your website should be a clear reflection of your brand. Consider the image you want to project, and let that guide your design choices.

Start by defining your brand’s personality.

Are you modern and minimalist? Warm and earthy? Luxurious and high-end? Once you have a clear idea of your brand image, choose design elements that reinforce this. This includes your color palette, imagery style, and overall layout. Learn more about personal branding for creatives.

For example, if you’re going for a soft, earthy feel, you might choose a color palette with tans and light blues like Barefoot Royalty Photography.

Or, if you want to communicate depth and groundedness, get inspired by the color palette I created for my recent client, a therapist at The Vibrant Tapestry.

Whatever you end up choosing, make sure that you have a color palette of about 4-6 colors, and that they range from light to dark, so that you have enough depth and contrast on your website.

8. Check Color Contrast

Good color contrast is important for aesthetic reasons – as well as for readability and accessibility.

Make sure there’s enough contrast between your text and background colors.

Use a Contrast Checker Tool to test your color combinations. Don’t forget to check the contrast on all elements of your site, not just body text. This includes navigation menus, buttons, and any text overlaid on images!

9. Keep Branding Consistent

Consistency in your branding helps build recognition and trust. Use the same fonts, colors, and style of imagery across all pages of your site.

You can DIY your branding, but it’s a (much) better idea to work with a brand designer.

Your brand designer can create a comprehensive brand package including fonts, a color palette, a logo, and other elements. This gives you a consistent set of tools to work with when designing your site and marketing your brand.

Even if you’re not working with a designer, take the time to define these elements clearly before you start building your site.

Consistency in even the smallest details can make a big difference in how professional and cohesive your site looks.

10. Ditch the DIY

I’ll be honest, designing your website yourself will probably be overwhelming if you don’t have experience with creative website design. For most entrepreneurs, it’s worth hiring a professional website designer (like me! 👋).

When choosing a website designer, look at their portfolio to make sure their style aligns with your vision.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions about their process, timeline, and what kind of input they’ll need from you. A good designer should be able to explain their approach clearly and show examples of past work.

One of the pitfalls of DIY web design is that it can feel overwhelming if you’re not sure what to do first. That can make the project drag on and on.

Professional web designers also act as project managers who guide you through the design process – so that way you can focus more on the fun stuff, like approving your color palette!

Learn more about my creative website design services.

Creative Website Design Ideas

Painted by Sloan

Refined. Peaceful. Creative. This is how I’d describe the web design I created for Sloan, a live wedding painter who lives in Denver, Colorado. Sloan brings love stories to life through her beautiful art, and she wanted her creative website design to reflect her style and exude a high-end aesthetic.

The Vibrant Tapestry

Renee, the Founder of The Vibrant Tapestry, is an online therapist for aging adults. She lives in Washington State and dedicates her work to honoring the unique stories, perspectives, and complexities of aging adults.

She wanted her creative website design to have captivating visuals while creating a feeling of warmth and acceptance. Like all Showit websites I work on, Renee’s site is fully optimized for mobile devices and has an in-depth search engine optimization setup.

Heirloom Photo Company

Here’s another example of great website design! Heirloom Photo Company is a photography studio for branding, headshots, and corporate events, based in Kansas City, Missouri.

For this website, we went for a blend of sophistication, vivaciousness, and nostalgic atmosphere. It was essential to showcase Heirloom Photo Company’s extensive portfolio of work throughout the website, and we did that on the desktop site as well as the mobile site.

Devin Tormey Art

Earthy, dreamy, and artisanal are some of the words that come to mind when I think of Devin Tormey Art’s website. Devin is a live wedding painter who serves couples in Boston, New England, and all over the United States.

She wanted her creative website design to capture the heartfelt, handcrafted, heirloom quality of her work and move her brand in a more high-end direction to connect with a more sophisticated client base.

Barefoot Royalty Photography

Christine, the owner of Barefoot Royalty Photography, is a wedding, elopement, and couples photographer near Savannah, Georgia. Her mission is to capture the romantic and madly in love — either during a date night, anniversary, elopement, or intimate wedding.

She wanted her website to convey a high-end, romantic, and coastal-inspired look while highlighting her portfolio of work with easy navigation.

Looking for more creative website design ideas? Check out these 10 Showit website examples you’ll love!

FAQs

Can I Design a Website Myself?

Here’s the honest truth: you can design your website yourself, but the result most likely won’t be as good as what a professional website designer could create for you. Website design is both a creative and a technical skill, and there’s a steep learning curve. Designing your website yourself will probably take you a lot of time and get overwhelming. If you can, hire a website designer! If you can’t, try an alternative solution like website templates.

How Much Does It Cost for a Designer to Make a Website?

Different website designers charge different rates based on their experience, coding knowledge, and other factors. I’m fully transparent about my design package pricing. A typical package includes both brand identity assets (logo, color palette, fonts, etc.) and a 5-page, completely custom Showit website. 

How Much Does It Cost to Maintain a Website Monthly?

It depends on the complexity of your site and where you’re hosting it. With Showit, the lowest subscription plan starts at $19 per month (when billed annually). This subscription is for websites without a blog. If you want to start a blog, too, then you can expect to pay between $24-$34 monthly (when billed annually), depending on how robust your blog and SEO needs are.

Book Your Showit Creative Website Design Project

As a creative, you want a website that’s both strategic and beautiful. Learn more about my custom brand & Showit website design services or take a look at my Portfolio!