My Go-To List for Free Online Design Resources
Sometimes it’s really hard to sort through all the free things on the internet. This is my go-to list of websites that provide free high-quality resources that helped me become a better designer over the last 5 years.
Stock Photos
We’re living in a world that has a high emphasis on visuals. Simply put, you need photos in order to catch people’s eyes.
- lots of high-quality photos
- really helpful search, items are well tagged
- great for searching for something very specific
- also very high-quality stock photos
- can explore by collections (great for finding thematically similar photos)
- if you can't find what you need on the sites above, try stockvault
- be carefully you're only looking at the free stuff, and not the advertised paid stock
For even more great free stock photo sites, check out this article on UK Web Host Review. https://www.ukwebhostreview.com/free-stock-photo-sites
Mockups
These photo-realistic mockups are a great way of boosting sales of custom goods and even mocking up packaging. Especially with retail goods, it's always a good idea to include photos of the packaged product to boost recognition with your customers.
- has everything from mockups for tablets/phones, to packaging to print
- well curated, very high-quality mockups
Fonts
A custom font makes you look more legitimate and makes just about any template much more unique.
- free fonts available for commercial use
- lots of filtering options that allow you to find the perfect font
- even has a handy font identifier tool
- also for commercial use
- very easy to use as web fonts (many CMS like Wordpress will have addons that let you enable Google Fonts easily)
- filters let you find fonts with desired weights, widths, etc.
- lots of free fonts
- not all for commercial use, make sure to read carefully about the licensing
- great collection of decorative fonts
Icons
- the noun project has a lot of icons
- well established search function
- collections help you keep your icons in the same style
- has plugins for Adobe and Microsoft Office
- a truly giant collection of icons
- available in a variety of file formats
- pattern making function lets you make cute backgrounds quickly
Other
- great for sparking creative inspiration
- also free resources (people give away free stuff all the time)
Best Tips
- Don’t use your primary email. Make a separate email just for signing up for free resources or better yet, use a disposable email. Your inbox will thank you.
- Always credit! Become familiar with copyrighting and attributions.
- Free stock is great, but once you start getting established, it's a good idea to start paying for stock. It's easier to deal with attributions and oftentimes, many clients are willing to pay for it.
Featured Photo by Georgie Cobbs on Unsplash