9 Web Design Agencies That Inspire Us

It is no secret that we are inspiration junkies; as a web design agency that inspiration often comes from other web design agencies. Keith Robinson of Blue Flavor wrote an insightful post, “Hanging In and Helping”, where he pleads that in these economic times “small businesses need to stick together and keep an eye out of each other”. In this spirit, we thought we would list not just the designs, tips and techniques that inspire us but nine agencies that are often behind most of that inspiration – agencies that inspire us as designers, developers, entrepreneurs and most importantly, those that inspire us as a result of the bunch with respect to their culture.

There are many more agencies to this list, but in an effort to keep it short and sweet, we decided to list the top nine in alphabetical order. It goes without saying that all of the below-mentioned create beautiful aesthetics with a strong (slightly obsessive) appreciation for Web Standards, Usability, Interaction/Experience Design and over-all web best practices.

Blue Flavor

Appropriately first in our alphabetical listing, as Keith’s post is one of the driving factors for this write-up. Blue Flavor is just a bit over a year older than us; it seems so hard to believe as they feel as though one of these entities we grew up on. The reason for this is because of who Blue Flavor really is, a group of top talent, some of which has been leading this industry for over a decade. When deciding who you want to be you often question who you want to be like; and for us the answer was easy, Blue Flavor. They are a small team, and small by design – but it is their desire to be community centric that really appeals to us most. While they do what they do and are great at it, they share that knowledge and empower the rest of us to contribute. From creating respected industry publications like Digital Web to a local Refresh group – they really embrace the community on such diverse levels. Online at blueflavor.com.

Clearleft

Clearleft was one of the first small web design agencies to pop-up, back in 2005, who from inception had a roster of top industry influencing talent. We all sort of sat on the edge of our seats waiting to see what would come of such a group; and they’ve yet to disappoint. We strongly believe that great talent will do great things and the team at Clearleft has certainly proved that. They simply “make websites better” – it is how they go about that, the thinking and the process, which has always inspired us to think differently, to strive to also make websites better. Online at clearleft.com

Electric Pulp

A great team that does great work, it is that simple. Electric Pulp has been around since 1996 (when most of us were just freshmen in High School) and continue to define design trends and push the boundaries of what is possible on the web. The most inspirational thing about Electric Pulp is the diversity in their visual aesthetic, no one portfolio piece is like another. When we look at their work we don’t see the “Electirc Pulp style” we see a well-crafted site perfectly appropriate for its client; isn’t that the way it should be? That and they love bowling at SXSW! Online at electricpulp.com.

Erskine

Erskine is a small agency with extreme talent; their work speaks for itself. A combination of creativity, engaging and beautiful work along with a culture that embraces, teaches and continues to inspire us all leaves them to often be a topic of conversation. Their work is simply beautiful and that is something we can’t turn away from or continue to stop talking about. Online at erskinedesign.com

Happy Cog

No introduction necessary. Through their personal blogs, presentations, conferences, books and community-centric attitude they not only inspire us, they demand the best of us – Happy Cog doesn’t just talk-the-talk, they walk-the-walk and create this drive in us all to want to be better; to want to create a better web. They are more than simply just practitioners; they are advocates, teachers and leaders. We really appreciate how they not only lead this industry but also have become such an integral part of this community! Online at happycog.com.

Huge Inc.

We love Huge simply because despite their name, they act small. They are a very large and very successful agency that very much embraces the small agency culture. It’s not all ties and briefcases; they play kickball, bowling, RockBand and drink beer – and it’s all on flickr! They evoke professionalism and demand the respect they deserve, but at the same time they embrace a culture of fun and “sketchiness”. And what do they look for in perspective hires, talent who “Want to be on projects that redefine your industry” – what more could you ask for? While we love being small, they sure make Huge look great. Online at hugeinc.com.

nGen Works

Not only does the team at nGen Works inspire us, but they’re the type of group we’d want to grab a beer with; and really, what’s more important than that? They really embody the type of agency we ourselves try to be everyday. No one can say it more perfectly than they themselves, “nGen Works believes in working hard, enjoying what we do, getting it right, learning and having happy clients. Oh, and beer. Lots of beer. And video games.” Quite possibly the best description a creative design agency could have. Their Happy Webbies make us smile, their portfolio gets us excited and their blog constantly leaves us thinking. Oh, and we loved the jQuery rockstar by the way. Online at ngenworks.com.

Squared Eye

A team of just two with a “monstrous appetite”, but being small doesn’t keep them for thinking big. It is that big thinking about the tiniest details that constantly has us on the edge of our seats. We all say that “design is in the details”, but the team at Squared Eye really embrace that fact. While they don’t put themselves in the public eye as much as other agencies, their work never goes unnoticed; always referenced in publications, presentations and galleries – they don’t just inspire us they inspire an industry. We were really excited to hear about the launch of their very own Pattern Tap, created “to satisfy and encourage the inspiration needs of my interface design peers and peeps”. Online at squaredeye.com.

Viget Labs

Our next door neighbors; located just across the Potomac from us we’ve become fans and friends of this ever evolving agency that continues to inspire and support our local community. But it is the people within the agency that gets us most excited. Viget is an agency that seeks great young talent and allows them to flourish. While the company is ten years old, most of its creative team are twenty-somethings. It is their collective youthful energy and passion for this industry that inspires us most. Online at viget.com.

Why The List?

We love design and are strong web standards advocates, so we seek out the same and are always excited to find like-minded talent and organizations that embrace the same. We don’t look at other designers or agencies as “competitors”, even if we do happen to go after the same project occasionally. We look at them as sources of inspiration, as examples and happily enough, as friends. While we get excited and love to hear when others say that our work inspires them, the truth is nothing excites us more than being inspired by others.