Product Design

11 Product Design Blogs You Need to be Reading

  • Posted by Dienamics
  • April 5, 2016

Whether you’re working in the physical or digital world, if you’re designing products at some stage, you’re going to be needing inspiration. The good news is that with the internet you don’t have to wait for a moment of revelation from the gods.

There are numerous product design blogs online that provide the perfect inspiration for today’s designers, and are even worth a look for the casual browser. This month we take a look at 11 product design blogs you should be reading for inspiration.

1. Kickstarter

While Kickstarter is taking somewhat of a different approach to product design than the other blogs on this list, it’s definitely still worth a look, and you can find some very interesting designs that have managed to get funding through this site. From a practical standpoint it’s also useful to see the way that product designers are marketing their work online.

2. Yanko Design

With a focus on consumer products, Yanko Design showcases some of the best designs from around the world, with a focus on technology, architecture, and fashion. Regularly updated, Yanko Design is a great touchstone to use for inspiration from some of the newest, most exciting products on the market.

3. DesignTAXI

Careful, you could end up spending a while on this blog… DesignTAXI is updated regularly and features a simple, easy to navigate design that really lends itself to hours of browsing. It’s also a good resource for industry talk, photography, marketing, illustration, architecture, and just the general ins and outs of the design world.

4. Core77

Originally founded in 1995, Core77 is one of the oldest blogs on this list, but that doesn’t make it any less relevant. Core77 was and still remains one of the foremost online resources for industrial design information, with a range of interesting articles, discussion forums, an extensive events calendar, job listings, and much more.

5. Design You Trust

Over the year, Design You Trust has begun to take the appearance of a crowdsourced platform more than a curated website, but the sheer wealth of ideas on offer here is impressive. If you’re after inspiration in regards to design or art, you really can’t do much better, with the subject matter here covering a range of design disciplines.

6. Inhabitat

Product designers that are after inspiration that is a little more eco-friendly than those offered on other blogs should definitely give Inhabitat a look. Featuring a range of beautiful and eco-friendly ideas, Inhabitat has become a go-to resource for people looking for inspiration regarding products, architecture, technology, and fashion.

7. NOTCOT

NOTCOT is a site with two sides – an editorial side that is more like a curated web magazine, and a crowdsourced bulletin board where creatives can post inspirational links and images. Both portions of the site are equally interesting and well worth checking out if you need a little bit of inspiration moving forward.

8. Pinterest

OK, so Pinterest strictly speaking isn’t really a blog in the pure sense of the word, but it’s definitely worth getting an account if you’re into product design, if only for the virtually limitless source of design inspiration it provides. Pinterest is a great resource for people designing products of any variety, and provides solutions to ideas for everything from interior decorating to easy Halloween costumes.

9. Solid Smack

Solid Smack is still a relatively new site on the scene as far as design blogs go, but it’s rapidly growing in popularity and is set to become a valuable addition to the design blogging scene. And once you get online it won’t take you long to realise why. The sheer quality of content sets Solid Smack apart from the rest, combining brilliant imagery and video with high quality articles and a well considered look at the design blogging scene.

10. Behance

Since it came on the scene in 2006, Behance has become an amazing platform for combining talented product designers with exciting opportunities for work, and giving them a place where they can meet. The slick, clean layout makes it easy for creatives working in a range of fields to properly showcase their work, and an intuitive drop down menu system makes it easy for potential clients to find them.

11. Industrial Design Served

If you’re into Behance then you’re really going to like Industrial Design Served, which is a curated showcase of the best projects that have been uploaded to the platform. Industrial Design Served is packed to the rim with great projects, and it’s worth checking out if you’re a creative in product design, graphic design, even filmmaking.

So there you have it, 11 of the most amazing product design blogs out there at the moment. Use these as a starting point to formulate your new design ideas, and as a useful touchstone for those moments when you feel particularly uninspired.