12 examples of web application design to use as an inspiration in 2023
Mariam Ispiryan • Updated on Jan 11, 2022 • 11 min read
Web design has come a long way since the early days of the Internet. The world of web design is always evolving with new updates and trends. There is always a need for new inspiration and examples to stay up to date. This post showcases 12 examples of web application design you can use as an inspiration in 2023. These are not just sites that look good but web apps that are usable and have a clear message.
In this article, we’ll find out:
- What is a web application?
- What is a web application design?
- Why is web app design important?
- Essentials of great web application design.
- Our top 12 web application design examples.
5.1. Settled
5.2. Blinkist
5.3. Doordash
5.4. Cargo.one
5.5. Remote.ok
5.6. Pexels
5.7. Behance
5.8. Canva
5.9. Get Your Guide
5.10. Omio
5.11. Airbnb
5.12. Spotify
What is a web application?
If you are an Internet user, most certainly you have used many web applications. Airbnb, Spotify, НubЅроt, DoorDash, Canva are all wеb аpplісаtion design ехаmрlеѕ. Web applications or web apps are interactive computer programs. They run on a remote server, contrary to computer-based programs that run locally on the end user’s machine. They can be accessed through a web browser with an Internet connection.
Actions like using your laptop to check your email, shop online, or access your banking accounts most likely involve web apps.
What is web app design?
Web design is a practice that combines the improvement of the User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) of a web app or website, in order to deliver the best product possible. Not to be confused with software development, web design focuses on things like functionality, usability, and appearance.
User Interface (UI)
The user interface is the graphical layout of the web app. UI consists of color palettes, fonts, images and other elements the user interacts with on the web app. All of the visual aspects should be cohesive, both aesthetically and functionally. They should be suitable for the web app and the brand it represents.
The most significant task of UI designers is creating an attractive and aesthetically appealing interface that is accessible and designed for potential customers. To achieve this, top web design companies often employ various design techniques and tools to create user-friendly interfaces that can enhance the overall user experience.
User Experience (UX)
UX is a process designers follow to develop services and products that ensure a positive user experience. The experience should be seamless and easy, giving customers the impression that they have finally found what they're looking for. How simple or difficult it is to engage with the user interface, determines the user experience.
Why Is web app design important?
A well-designed web application will help you make a strong first impression on potential customers. Great web application design also assists you in nurturing leads and increasing conversions. But, more significantly, it makes it easier for your users to navigate and use your web app.
Related Article: 10 Inspiring No-Code Web Apps Built with Softr
Essentials of great web application design
Web application design has five major components:
- User interface,
- Usability,
- Content,
- Creativity,
- Accessibility.
Each of them, including your web developer skills, is critical in your journey to building a great web app where customers will become acquainted with your services.
Our top 12 web application design examples
Now, it’s time to present our top 12 web app design inspirations. All of the web app design examples are among the greatest in their respective fields and would serve as excellent examples to follow. The order is randomized and has no special intent.
Example 1: Settled
Settled is one of the best web applications for those who want to be able to move more fluidly into homes at different stages of their lives. Settled is a dynamic web application where you can get tap-to-buy property, thus obtaining real estate with one click.
The web application design is great with a clean UI. Further on, it’s easy to scan and has an efficient layout and calming interface. The color palette is not irritating and matches the brand personality of the web app. Fonts are easy to read and interact with. User experience (UX) is of a top-level. Lastly, the web app is easy to use and has simplified navigation.
Settled has also managed to walk with recent trends, one of which is using illustrations. Illustrations make the web app design stand out and have a unique visual aspect. Their team has skillfully managed to create an eye-catching graphic scene and vector artwork.
Example 2: Blinkist
Blinkist is our next choice for a web application design example. Blinkist is a book-summarizing subscription service based in Berlin, Germany. The main purpose of the web application is to assist individuals in incorporating new and relevant concepts into their busy lives.
The best thing about the web app design is how full it is without being busy or hard to use. It uses its brand colors creatively across the web app design, giving it charm and uniqueness. Its sleek and minimalistic design presents an interface that focuses on the main parts of the platform. Navigation is simplified and impactful. They also managed to create a responsive and accessible layout that will surely satisfy any customer.
Example 3: Doordash
DoorDash is a technology company that links individuals with the finest locations of what their towns have to offer. They have managed to become the number 1 choice for those who want to find the best local restaurants, cafés, and diners.
The web app design looks great and works flawlessly. The application's user interface (UI) is unique, with aesthetically appealing fonts, color palettes, and easy-to-use navigation. The UX is excellent due to the modern and clean interface. The information presented is of high value and is displayed on the web app conscientiously.
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Example 4: Cargo.one
Our next pick for your dose of web app design inspiration is Chargo.one. Cargo.one is a digital platform that allows freight forwarders to find, compare, and book air freight capacity across airlines.
The web application design is effective and easy to scan. They did a great job by using the layout to present the most relevant information with the help of lists, images, and graphics. They manage not to overwhelm the users with too much information. The color palette and used fonts go, well making the web app design even better. The interface also manages to reflect the process of the product they present.
Example 5: Remote.Ok
Remote.ok, founded in 2015, is the world's most popular remote job board. Trusted by millions of remote workers and tens of thousands of companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, Stripe, and others.
Web app design seems to be packed, however, it manages to be responsive and loads quickly. UX is delightful to interact with, simple. The layout of the web app allows people to find the most matchable jobs. Application design eliminates, organizes, arranges, and generates only relevant material, saving their users a lot of time.
Example 6: Pexels
Pexels is a free stock photo and video web app. It assists designers, bloggers, and anybody searching for visuals in locating outstanding photos and videos that can be downloaded and used for free.
The web app design of Pexels showcases the brand, and its services accurately. The web app is filled with many creative and interesting photos and videos without making the app design complex or inaccessible. Navigation is simplistic, responsive, and creates a comprehensive customer experience. The best thing about web app design is the smart usage of white spaces and clear division of categories. This makes Pexels one of the best web apps in its niche.
Example 7: Behance
Behance is the world's largest creative network for showcasing and discovering creative work. It’s a web app that allows web designers to showcase their portfolios of visual work such as graphic design, illustration, photography, and more.
The web app design is stunning and works wonderfully. The application design is excellent, with aesthetically pleasing and simple graphics and navigation. Because of the sleek and clear style, the UX is superb. The information supplied is of great quality and is neatly represented on the web app. Similar to Pexel, Behance manages to nicely organize displayed projects without making the user experience complex or confusing.
Example 8: Canva
Canva is a graphic design platform that allows you to make social media graphics, presentations, posters, and other visual material. Users can utilize the app's free and premium templates.
Canva is considered to have one of the best web app designs on the market. It's incredible how they employ color palettes, fonts, and graphics to transmit messages and evoke emotional responses. All of the images, templates featured in Canva are expressive and capture the essence of the company. Despite having many features and templates to offer, Canva is not complex to use and has one of the easiest navigation.
Example 9: Get Your Guide
GetYourGuide is a Berlin-based online travel company that also serves as a marketplace for tour guides and excursions. It sells tours, excursions, and activities such as culinary courses and tickets to a variety of tourist destinations.
GetYourGuide has an effective, clean, and minimalist layout. A simple layout keeps the consumers’ focus on the most crucial aspects of the web app. These aspects are the calls to action and the services they offer. Along with an eye-catching color palette and a charming font, the web app design makes extensive use of graphics and photographs. Modular design is used practically. It enables customers to quickly compare and absorb information about available services and destinations.
Example 10: Omio
Omio is a global multi-mode search engine that incorporates all modes of transportation. They manage to compare and combine air, bus, rail, and ferry journeys for both long and short travels.
Omio's website is sleek and responsive. Illustrations and a simple user interface make it easier for users to understand and scan through the web app's content. The layout highlights the most significant aspects of the website, which helps navigation to be usable and clean. The font and color palette are minimalist and calm. The pastel color palette creates an enjoyable, easy-to-use UI. Not to mention the web app's accessibility and agility, which inevitably leads to a positive user experience.
Example 11: Airbnb
Airbnb Inc. is a company that provides an online marketplace for housing, primary homestays for accommodation options, as well as tourism activities. It is based in San Francisco, California. Brian Chesky, Nathan Blecharczyk, and Joe Gebbia launched the firm in 2008.
Airbnb's web app design is among the finest on the market. Web designers and developers were able to create a simpler design that loads fast and lowers the bounce rate from the web app. The user interface is consistent, with colors and fonts that complement Airbnb and draw attention to essential aspects of the website. There are thousands of apartments and accommodations on Airbnb. But customers can navigate quickly and easily thanks to the smart utilization of whitespace and modular design.
Example 12: Spotify
Spotify is a digital music, podcast service. The plarform gives you access to millions of songs and other content from creators all over the world. Spotify provides digital copyright-limited recorded music and podcasts from record labels and media firms, including over 70 million songs.
Spotify uses a lot of simple tactics to great success, from its dark UI to the fonts and color palettes it employs. Spotify has risen to the top of the streaming market thanks to a responsive and effective user interface. Spotify offers a great UI that indicates to consumers what they should focus on initially. Users can easily digest and quickly navigate themselves in the web app.
Presented web application design examples stand out for being unique, responsive, and beautiful. Thinking of creating such web app designs but don’t know how to code? Softr has your back. Softr is a no-code platform that allows users to create their websites and web applications with modern and simplistic app designs.
About Softr
Softr is an easy-to-use no-code platform that turns Airtable bases into powerful web apps, member-only websites, and client portals. Softr offers a way for you to authenticate your end-users, control access to your content and data based on conditional rules like roles, logged-in status, subscription plans, etc. If you're using Airtable as a product catalog you can use a Softr template to build your e-commerce website. Or maybe you'd like to build a custom website for your travel journal, there's a template for that too!
