Internet stores will account for 23.3% of all consumer purchases by 2026. Even in-person services rely heavily on the online space for marketing and customer engagement.
An intuitive, inviting website is a must. Your customers should be able to get all the information they need from it quickly.
UI and UX design makes this experience a reality.
However, like all things creative, you can’t wing a good website. You need to know what you’re doing to make the most of your resources. And you need to know that your plan for your site will succeed before you begin.
There’s no better way to get a head start on a design project than by taking a page from someone else’s (successful) book … or website, in this case. You don’t want to flat-out copy someone else’s work, but you can glean helpful information about what worked for them design-wise and what fell flat. Then, you can use these takeaways on your website.
Here are six examples of the best UI/UX design inspo sites online right now.
1. ASOS
ASOS has mastered perceptive web design. But they also had a lot of time to make and learn from their mistakes. They launched way back in 2000.
The company is headquartered in London and is one of the world’s largest online fashion retailers—rivalled only by mega-sites like Shein. They sell clothing and accessories under their own-name label and have agreements with various local and global brands.
Despite having an enormous volume of products, the ASOS website is highly responsive and a breeze to navigate.
They use a lot of white space that fits with the company’s simple monotone branding and focuses the visitor’s attention on what’s most important: the items for sale. The buttons and menu navigation are instantly noticeable, intuitively named, and easy to read, no matter where you are on the site. The products are categorized based on how people shop.
2. Keurig
Mornings are hard for some of us. Keurig knows that and wants to make them easier. The company makes user-friendly coffee brewing machines that brew great coffee effortlessly.
This passion for simplicity and convenience is reflected in their website design.
The Keurig site streamlines product knowledge, making the best use of their online real estate as possible. Their minimalist approach makes sure even the smallest details count.
Each page provides information quickly and visually. You don’t need to scroll endlessly or trudge through fluffy copy. You can find the answers to your most pressing questions almost instantly.
All of this makes the site quick to navigate and a pleasure to look at. And that means visitors are less likely to bounce.
3. Airbnb
One of the most stressful parts of organizing a vacation is finding the perfect place to stay. There are often hundreds of properties to choose from, and wading through those listings is anxiety-inducing.
Airbnb’s UX/UI decisions for easy accommodation searching ensure its position as a leader in the industry. The company’s app is second only to Booking.com.
Whether using the app or the website, it all starts with the layout. The minimalist design focuses on making the purpose of every button, link, and image obvious. There’s nothing extraneous to overcomplicate the page visually.
They use toggles for critical functions, like switching search filters on and off. Visitors don’t need to type much. Airbnb presents all the essential property listing information in a box: images, ratings and reviews, location, number of beds and bathrooms. Then, these boxes are carouselled for easy browsing.
Their focus on a fast, intuitive, simple, and, most of all, flexible web experience is worth emulating—even if you’re working on a much smaller scale.
4. Medium
Few people alive today haven’t read an op-ed on Medium. And the platform’s accessible interface is one of the reasons for this.
The best UX sites are simple. And that’s what Medium excels at.
The menu options are images, not text. There’s no reading needed. You can navigate to wherever you want in just a few taps.
The app lists all navigation buttons in the top menu bar under the banner logo. A simple, long list of articles follows.
The best-performing articles take up space to the left of the screen, ensuring they get the most attention. The more niche yet popular articles are smaller and on the right. Visitors search for articles using hashtags.
But, of course, Medium isn’t just a platform for readers. In fact, most, if not all, of their readers are also content creators—especially since the site is paywalled. So they make it as easy to publish content as they do to browse it. You can even post to your Medium blog using the app.
The takeaway? There’s a ton of information on Medium, but because it’s streamlined, neither members nor readers are slowed down by clunky navigation.
5. Virgin Atlantic
Booking a flight is often a frustrating experience. Endless presses of yet another button lead you to complicated timetables and pricing structures designed to confound you. So you’re probably surprised to see an airline company’s website make this list.
Virgin Atlantic has disrupted those expectations by creating a booking site that checks every “good UI/UX design” box.
It focuses on something simple yet vital to air travel: the visitor’s destination and specific flight needs. There are no cluttered dropdowns; no car or hotel booking options. This keeps the homepage and search function refreshingly clutter-free.
Then, they’ve given each step of the booking process a dedicated page, keeping information requests digestible for even the most inexperienced online user.
Kicking all the clutter to the curb doesn’t just make things easier on the ol’ noggin. It also makes the site a lot nicer to look at.
Get Help With Your UI/UX Design With MK Way
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Unless you have a vast marketing budget, it’s near-impossible to outright copy the best UI/UX design features of these companies’ websites. You wouldn’t want to do that anyway, right?
Instead, take the bits and pieces that resonate with you:
ASOS’ bold use of white space.
Airbnb’s nifty toggles.
Medium’s hashtag-focused search.
And test them out on your site. Maybe they’ll work—or perhaps you’ll have to keep looking for more UI and UX design inspiration.
If you need help getting the balance right, reach out to the best UI/UX design agency in Toronto.
At MK Way, we know how to combine all the elements to make you stand out in your niche and meet your business goals. Schedule a free consultation with an MK Way web design expert now.
