Now that November is here and the holidays are just around the corner, it’s time for our roundup of the best web designs of 2017–2018. The collection of best web designs 2018–2019 is also now available!
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For those who don’t know, we gather all our selections in our web inspiration gallery, where we showcase the best web designs on the internet. The gallery is called “8” and you can check it out by clicking here.
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When selecting the websites featured in our inspiration posts, we rely on your submissions through the gallery above, as well as picks from other internationally renowned galleries like awwwards, thebestdesigns, and more—places that highlight the world’s best web design.
Several factors determine whether a site is worthy of being featured here and in our gallery 8. Chief among them: creativity in web design, the complexity of the development, and the overall impact the site delivers.
So, with the intro out of the way, let’s dive into the best web designs of 2017–2018!
Best Web Designs of 2017–2018
Formigari
We start with a web design project for Formigari, a company specializing in luxury stonework for interior design. The concept—showcasing a 3D model that transforms a piece of natural stone into a finished block—is truly impressive. As you browse the site, you’ll notice a refined, elegant, and minimalist design. The typography choices and smooth transitions all come together to make this one of the best web designs of 2017–2018.
A World With No Heroes
Once again, the talented team at Make Me Pulse—this time in collaboration with DDB Paris—delivers an interactive website that immerses users in a fictional story about a Bolivian drug cartel. The experience starts with a stunning intro video and leads into an interactive map that feels more like a mini-game than a traditional website. Without a doubt, this is one of the best web designs of 2017–2018.
Dunkirk
Dunkirk is a promotional site for the Warner Brothers film. To promote the movie, they created this impressive website, where users must escape the enemy in a multiplayer environment. The design and development were handled by JAM3, a Canadian web design studio.
Ouigo – Let’s Play
Developed by Merci-Michel and Rosapark, this website lets you play an original pinball game—a truly engaging web experience.
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Mendo
Breaking away from the previous trend of 3D elements, Mendo stands out as a highly visual online magazine with flawless design and outstanding usability. Large images, edge-to-edge grids, and bold typography make it a top contender among the best web designs of 2017–2018.
We also invite you to check out our Project Portfolio to see our best work. Need a super creative website? Contact us!
Open Continents
Open Continents is a website that uses cinematic storytelling to share stories from around the globe. With your mouse, you can zoom and navigate the world to discover these stories. This stunning web design was created by Kuva_x_Toyfight, a UK-based web design studio.
Rainforest Foods Experience
Designed and developed by Immersive Garden, this website offers a visual journey through a forest called “Rainforest Foods.” While there may be some loading issues, once the content appears, the experience is truly impressive.
Gleec Chat
This is a promotional site for the Gleec Chat app. The site dynamically showcases all the features and benefits of this chat application, with a special focus on security and data encryption. Like the previous entry, this site was also created by Immersive Garden—truly one of the best websites of 2017–2018.
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Your Beyond Awaits
This interactive website was designed for Mitsubishi, the renowned automotive brand. The site features stunning Canvas animations and opens with an engaging intro video. After the intro, users are immersed in a detailed interactive map, following a guided route that progresses as you scroll. The transitions and animations are spectacular, and the map is crafted with meticulous attention to detail.
WOW! The new post featuring the best web designs of 2019–2020 is live! Check it out now!
Conclusions
As you can see, once again, interactive websites and those featuring 3D elements are leading the way in web design and development. Soon, we’ll be talking about video game development in web environments, as web interactivity is reaching the level of PC gaming.
Although this post isn’t the place to go into detail, I personally believe that these types of sites may soon lose their dominance in the top web design galleries. As I’ve mentioned, the focus has shifted more toward interactive development and 3D modeling than pure design. I think it would be worthwhile to distinguish between sites with outstanding web design and those that excel in interactivity and 3D—both are impressive achievements, but they deserve separate recognition. We’ll be considering this, as we don’t want to only reward “super interactive” sites and overlook those with exceptional graphic design.
Subscribe to our newsletter for ongoing inspiration.
We also encourage you to visit our gallery 8, where you’ll find all our selections in one place, updated every quarter.
We also invite you to check out our Project Portfolio to see our best work. Need a super creative website? Contact us!
Related: Best web designs 2016–2017