63 best Tumblr blogs for designers

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Whether you're a creative director on the hunt for new talent, or a developer looking for some web design inspiration, Tumblr is full of inspirational work. The micro blogging service and social network makes it mega-easy for anyone wanting to know how to start a blog. 

Tumblr blogs can be set up in a matter of minutes, and having a Tumblr account also enables you to 'follow' other people via their Tumblr blogs.

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It's this ease of use, and social appeal, that has seen Tumblr serve more than 45 million sites. This is a great number for a company publishing blogs, but for users it becomes difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. That's certainly the case when it comes to design-related blogs, of which there are huge numbers to choose from.

With that in mind, we've done all the hard work for you, and brought you the best Tumblr blogs for designers, covering graphic design, photography, illustration, typography and more. First up, let's check out the best Tumblrs for design inspiration and curation.  Enjoy!

Inspiration

01. Richard Turley

Richard Turley's Tumblr is a clusterbomb of inspiration

It's difficult to categorise Richard Turley's blog – so we're not even going try: we'll just put it first in this list, in its own category of general 'inspiration'. MTV's first-ever senior vice president of visual storytelling and deputy editorial director runs an eclectic blog full of images that inspire him or catch his eye. It's random, crazy and worth a look.

Design curation

Richard Turley out of the way, our first group of great Tumblr blogs seeks to surface and curate the best and most inspiring design work on the planet, across disciplines. Check them out, and then read on to discover the best Tumblr blogs for the specific disciplines of graphic design, illustration, typography, web design and photography...

02. Radiographista

Radiographista's daily themes mean you always know what to expect

Updated seven days a week, Radiographista keeps things nice and orderly by posting three lovely things every day, with a set theme for every day: Sunday is web design, Monday is branding, Tuesday is typography, Wednesday is editorial, Thursday is industrial, Friday is illustration and Saturday is all about architecture.

03. Design Clever

This blog was created to showcase talented designers all over the world

Design Clever is a collaboration by Jonathan Ring and Bethany Baker – two aspiring graphic designers with a passion for everything design related. So, they created this brilliant Tumblr blog to collate anything and everything that inspires them. "This blog was created to showcase talented designers all over the world and their amazing talents," they explain.

04. Adult Art Club

An elegant output for the Adult Art Club Tumblr blog

A creative practice working in the grey area of design, art direction and illustration, Adult Art Club is run by Jonny Costello. The Tumblr is packed full of inspirational imagery including beautiful photography and graphic design. Head here for class and elegance.

05. Design is Fine, History is Mine

Get inspiration from a time before computers took over

Design is Fine is the Tumblr blog of German lecturer Rea Riegel, curating finds from the 15th century to the present day, along with inspiring products and art from Before the Common Era. "Imagine a time with no computers," Riegel encourages. "But with lots of craftsmanship and universal creativity. I am a copy writer and lecturer for design history from Germany. This is my personal library. Anybody else, get inspired and enjoy."

06. Design Everywhere

Design really is everywhere with this gorgeous Tumblr blog

Design Everywhere is a daily dose of visual inspirations found by Preston Tham and Michelle Yong. Unless otherwise stated, everything you see or read on the DesignEverywhere blog is the property of respective owners. We adore their selections, which make for that perfect impact of inspiration.

07. Fuck Yeah Interior Designs!

Stare at your dream home and find some inspiration in the meantime

Surprisingly, you can find tonnes of inspiration in interior design no matter which design method you currently practise. In this Tumblr blog there are hundreds of influences and styles, which can only help to improve your own work. What's more, you can stare at your dream home for hours.

08. Curioos

Curioos showcases work from up and coming designers

Curioos brings you a selection of the very best digital artworks by up and coming illustrators and designers from across the world. There's plenty of inspiration to be had here, as the guys behind the blog don't stick to one discipline. Whatever illustration or graphic design style you like, you'll no doubt find a few examples here.

09. Baubau House

Baubau Haus is one of the best curated-based blogs out there

Baubau Haus is here to feed your daily need for design, illustration, photography, fashion and other art-related content. Inspiring for almost every creative out there, this is one of the best curation-based Tumblr blogs out there.

10. ReformRevolution

ReformRevolution provides examples from almost every field

Providing stunning design inspiration in almost every field, you can't go wrong with ReformRevolution. Including photography, graphic design, illustration and portfolio updates from some of the best designers, this is a Tumblr blog to fall in love with.

11. Charlotte Audrey Owen-Meehan

We'll be scrolling on this Tumblr for hours thanks to the colour pop finds

If you love colour, Charlotte Audrey Owen-Meehan is your go-to girl for popping inspiration. A freelance designer and illustrator based in Birmingham, UK, she works for the likes of Lonely Planet, Poke London and Orange. As soon as we clicked on Owen-Meehan's Tumblr, we were instantly transported to summer thanks to her knack for finding the brightest of inspirations.

12. Well Made Studio

Well Made Studio has a well put-together Tumblr

Well Made Studio is a team of designers working for lifestyle, arts and publishing clients. Specialising in brand identities, print campaigns and websites, its Tumblr blog is not only full of inspiration but important opinions about the design industry itself. Head here if you're looking for career advice as well as some lovely imagery.

13. The Made Shop

The Made Shop collates great design from across the globe

The Made Shop is a brilliant Tumblr blog from a brilliant team of designers, bringing you the best innovative work from across the globe, whether that be in photography, branding, illustration or film art direction. We love the way the content is flagged as either 'Things we made' and 'Things we found'.

14. Wallpaper*

Wallpaper* - great print publication, great Tumblr blog

The high-end architecture, design, fashion, art and lifestyle magazine Wallpaper* has extended itself onto the Tumblr platform, bringing together the best images from wallpaper.com. The site is as pleasingly professional as the print magazine, and if you want to know more, clicking on each image takes you through the relevant post on Wallpaper*'s main website.

15. Designers of Tumblr

The blog aims to offer the best of the design world of Tumblr

Looking for big, beautiful images of the latest cool design work? This regularly updated Tumblr blog extracts the best designs on the platform and is open to submissions. It's a great place to see the work of others as well as network with designers worldwide.

16. Design Cloud

Design Cloud showcases new work from a wide range of design fields

Design Cloud is a carefully selective and informed blog that features images of new work covering a wide range of design fields, from graphic design to architecture. This Tumblr blog is beautifully laid out and easy to navigate.

17. Wrap

Wrap magazine's Tumblr blog features the best images from the print publication

Wrap magazine is a UK print magazine celebrating the very best in illustration, design and creative culture. Its Tumblr blog showcases its best work as well as work that inspires the team. Both are sure to inspire creatives from all backgrounds.

18. Dynamic Africa

See all creative things Africa here...

Dynamic Africa offers vibrant and colourful celebration of the continent and its visual culture. Functioning as a diverse platform for all things African and/or African-related, this Tumblr blog puts a positive spin on a continent often portrayed in a negative light.

19. Design: Related Gallery

Head to Design: Related Gallery for quirky and cool design

Tumblr blog Design:Related Gallery is run by the guys behind community website Design:Related. Started in 2006, the website itself brings together creative people to share their work with others and the blog features projects from those in that community. If you like looking and cool and quirky designs from all creative fields then you should definitely follow this site.

20. I Heart My Art

Designer Blair Prentice runs this engaging Tumblr

Tumblr I Heart My Art is a seriously cool collection of contemporary art, videos, vintage photography and much more. Run by Canadian artist and graphic designer Blair Prentice, he describes it as a 'repository for art, music and other items of interest.'

Check this site out if you're looking for something a little different. Currently, the first few pages are full of extremely inspiring, weird, and sometimes terrifying, pieces of work.

21. Inspire me now

Out of the ordinary inspiration is here

Run by user experience designer Szymon Błaszczyk, Tumblr blog Inspire me now was started in 2007. Describing it as a blog for 'unconventional thinking and design', Błaszczyk regularly updates his site with the out-of-the-ordinary.

From cool and unusual product design to extraordinary illustrations, visiting this site that will certainly get you thinking outside-the-box.

22. Laughing Squid

Art, culture and technology

Laughing Squid is 'an online resource for interesting art, culture and technology'. And, after winning the People's Voice Award for Best Cultural Blog, it's clearly doing a good job at finding interesting and engaging content.

23. Visva

We love the fashion photgraphy on this Tumblr

Visva is a stunning inspirational Tumblr that features the likes of photography, fashion, print design and branding. If you ever find yourself at a creative standstill, this is definitely a blog you should be bookmarking. The range of styles chosen is wonderfully diverse, while still fitting under the umbrella of design inspiration.

We especially love the idea of including fashion photography and fashion design within the blog. The featured shots are simply breathtaking and will provide that much needed boost to your creative idea pool. A definite bookmark!

24. Quirksville

The name says it all

Quirksville is the collaborative Tumblr blog of London's graphic design and illustration duo Naomi Ray and Justina Bailey, who are part of the Vice blogging network. The blog is an instant feast for the eyes, as it features art, design, technology, fashion, music and adverts.

What's great about Quirksville are its little quirks (sorry) including the tabs QV work and QV loves. It also features a paragraph or two with every post, so you know exactly what you're looking at, with handy links too.

25. Nice things we like

Yep, this one's for nice creatives

Don't we all love nice things? Have a look at all things nice on Nice Things We Like – a Tumblr designed for nice creatives. The blog is a perfect outlet when it comes to providing daily inspiration, featuring fonts, graphic design and illustration. We dare you to take a look at it without uttering that inevitable four letter word.

26. nvsblty

There's lovely attention to detail on this Tumblr

nvsblty is the Tumblr blog of designer Ross Berens, which features a range of inspirational examples of typography, print design, photography and graphic design. Ross definitely shares the Tumblr love, as most of his pictures are sourced from fellow bloggers – as well as some of his own finds, of course!

The attention to detail and the little touches are what makes nvsblty a Tumblr blog that stands out. For instance, there are links to Ross's svpply and last.fm playlist. A perfect way to integrate all your passions in one place, allowing the user to really understand Ross's inspirations.

27. The design blog

This Tumblr is different...

The design blog prides itself on being different from most inspirational Tumblr blogs. The Croatian designer behind it, Ena Baćanović, cares about young designers and the work they're creating. Here, your work can be seen and recognised (a little bit like Dribbble) along with a range of inspirational ramblings.

Moreover, a 'designer of the week' is picked, with their work featured on the blog, Facebook and Twitter. It's a great site for any budding creative.

28. Juxtapose

Head here to see some nice things

Juxtapose is the Tumblr blog of 20-year-old Daniel, who describes himself as "someone so average that it's interesting". Whenever Daniel finds anything cool, he posts it on the blog for everyone to see.

There's paper craft, typography, sculptures, spiders, dogs, wooden lightbulbs... well, you get the idea. It's a fantastic blog for anyone who likes looking at nice things, which is almost anyone right?

Next pages: Best Tumblr blogs for graphic design, typography, career, web design, photography and illustration.

29. The Backmatter

Backmatter's posts offer more depth than your usual Tumblr fare

This isn't your average image blog. Built to showcase exciting design projects, The Backmatter goes nice and deep with plenty of high res images for each project and thoughtful, often lengthy write-ups.

30. Women of Graphic Design

A design blog aimed at sparking discussion about the design industry

This is a blog dedicated to exhibiting design work by women in the graphic design field. It is meant to be a source for learning and sharing, and ultimately, a platform to spark discussion. Started as part of Tori Hinn’s degree project in 2013, its aim is to evolve into a project bigger than a degree project – a project that can reach and involve an entire design community, made up of many voices.

31. Cutting Edge Logos

Poking fun at those 'cutting edge' logos

"How to design a logo? 
Set the name in a retail typeface
, cut off some corners in Illustrator
 and cash a big check," says this Tumblr blog entitled Cutting Edge Logos. The blog pokes fun at some of the world's biggest logos that have simply 'cut the edges'.

32. Inspiring Ethan

Ethan Daniel Kociela collates beautiful examples of graphic design

Ethan Daniel Kociela is a freelance graphic designer and web designer from Montague, Massachusetts. When he's not creating new works for a load of new clients, he collates beautiful examples of graphic design in this brilliant Tumblr blog. Kociela also runs another Tumblr called WTF Getty, full of hilariously odd stock images.

33. Graphic Design & Tattoos

Combine your love of graphic design and tattoos with this clever tumblr blog

Curated by designer Marc Ostlund, Graphic Design & Tattoos showcases the crossover between the two creative disciplines. If you just want to look at the tattoos or the graphic design images, Ostlund has provided some handy tabs at the top of the page.

34. Gura Fiku

Gura Fiku documents Japanese graphic design over time

Here's something a bit different. Curated by designer Ryan Hageman, Gura Fiku – which is how Japanese people pronounce the word 'graphic' – documents Japanese graphic design over time, and catalogues the differences, and crossovers, between eastern and western approaches to graphic design. It's inspiring and enlightening.

35. Posters of Berlin

Posters of Berlin

Set up by UX designer Anna Weiss, Posters of Berlin follows the simple premise of showcasing posters that Weiss found in the streets of Berlin – both commercial and by street artists. 

"This is simply a platform that collects the visual footprints of culture left on our beloved city for your viewing pleasure," says Weiss, who has lived in Dublin and Berlin, but is now based in Gothenburg, Sweden.

36. We and the Color

We and the Color has a smashing layout

We and the Color is a creative outlet for showcasing the very best in graphic design, illustration and art inspiration. The Tumblr proves that you can find creative ideas in just about anything as they post about architecture, fashion and photography. The layout of the site is easy to use, with external links and useful websites for a creative in any field.

Other pages: design curation, typography, career, web design, photography and illustration.

37. Nice Type

Nice type! Yeah, you're welcome, cheers

If you like your typography to move then Nice Type is a splendid source of inspiration. It's curated by Matthew Buchanan, who scours Vimeo for the best examples of motion typography and kinetic type animation, and posts them on this great-looking Tumblr.

38. Typostrate

See what you can do with the endless array of typography out there

Typography is everywhere and like most creatives, we love to see it in all its glory. Typostrate is a blog linked to a slick website about type and the endless array of things you can do with it. Showcasing the passion and power of typography, the blog's content and pictures are taken care of by Christian Goldemann.

39. The Art of Hand Lettering

Beautiful hand lettering abounds on this Tumblr

Into hand lettering? The Art of Hand Lettering Tumblr offers a varied, inspiring collection of lettering projects in a range of different styles. From Tobias Hall to Johnny Cupcakes, you’ll find all sorts here.

40. F**k Yeah Typography

Love typography? Check it out

F**k Yeah Typography is a celebration of all things type, collated by a type-lover. If you've never really 'got' typography, then this is the blog to change your mind. The blog features appreciation of new and unique fonts, while also showcasing 'how-it-was-made' videos. There's also some cheeky banter thrown in for good measure – including a dig at Helvetica. Each to their own!

41. TypeToy

All the type inspiration you could want

Curated by Aaron Eiland, TypeToy is an archive of graphical finds from all over the place, with minimal descriptions. Featuring a mixture of retro and contemporary design, bold typography is key to many of the images saved.

42. Font Police

Who made you the Font Police?

Oh, how others can get it so wrong with fonts. Here, the Font Police gets it right with a dig at those cringe-worthy offenders that make even the most laid-back scream at the screen in astonishment.

Most typographers would never dream of committing such horrific crimes but do yourself a favour and check this out before you get designing. This is one blog you wouldn't want to be featured on!

43. Good typography

Lots of great typography here, folks

As you can probably tell, this blog is pretty self-explanatory. Created by Costa Rican Ricardo, Good Typography concentrates on well, good typography. It's a neat little accumulation of type from around the web that's a perfect solution to any inspirational woes. Sometimes, he'll even comment on why he likes them – only if you're lucky, though.

44. Type worship

Type takes a spiritual note here

One of the largest type and lettering blogs, with a following of over 230,000 type enthusiasts, Type Worship is also now a Kickstarter-funded book. It's run by former head of design at Microsoft-turned-typographer Jamie Clarke, who has a fair few strings to his bow.

As Tumblr blogs go, this is a cracker, and Type Worship showcases Jamie's love of all things typography (and he picks some really good ones) as well as reviews and interviews with typography designers. It's perfect example of how typography should be done.

45. NYC Type

We love this colection of photographed typography

Luke Connolly likes New York and what better way is there to express that love than by photographing its best typography? While walking around the city, Luke takes out his Nikon D700 and clicks away at any lettering that takes his fancy.

He features all five boroughs of New York, which means that the blog features a colourful expansion of every kind of typography you could ever wish for. Ok, maybe not every kind, but the whole of New York is a pretty good start!

Other pages: design curation, graphic design, career, web design, photography and illustration.

46. Clients from hell

Can you change the colour, type, size? Gotta love nightmare clients

Working as a designer, it's inevitable that you're going to run into some difficult clients. If you reach the point of wanting to tear your hair out, take a look at the first site in our best Tumblr blogs list: Clients From Hell. Set up by a collective of designers, this Tumblr showcases some of the best client horror stories.

Ranging from the unpaid to the plain unbelievable, Clients From Hell will have you laughing in astonishment. Our favourite?

• CLIENT: I can't pay you.
• ME: Why?
• CLIENT: Because my client hasn't paid me.
• ME: I can see how that could be frustrating.

47. Field Study

There's a range of inspiration here

Field Study is a Tumblr blog created by NYC based product/UX/UI designer and illustrator Keenan Cummings. Often posting about works in progress, it's a great insight into the life of a working designer.

As it's also completely unedited and personal, Field Study is truer to life than most. If you're looking for a range of inspiration, interviews and openly honest commentary, then Field Study is the place for you.

Other pages: design curation, graphic design, typography, web design, photography and illustration.

48. The Perfect Grid

Let's hope Clement never finds the perfect grid and has to stop posting

Is there really such a thing as the perfect grid? Find out here; The Perfect Grid showcases beautifully-arranged websites, apps and UI elements, and it's curated by Clement, a graphic designer and art director based in Paris.

49. House of Buttons

The buttons are taken from almost every type of website

Curated by Jason Long, House of Buttons is a collection of great UI buttons spotted in the wild. Taking examples from almost every type of website, this tumblr blog is a great source of design inspiration if you're looking to create your own button style.

50. 9-bits

Get inspired at 9-Bits

9-Bits is brought to you by designer and web developer David Kaneda. Having previously worked as the creative director at Sencha and inventing jQTouch, David is a man well worth listening to.

The Tumblr is full of inspirational videos and commentary as well as David's own experiences. Here, you can see what works, what doesn't and what you can try out yourself.

51. Little Big Details

User interface inspiration galore

Little Big Details does just what it says on the tin, showing us the importance of the little details. Focusing on user interface inspiration, the site showcases all the components that make up some of your favourite programmes.

Each post may contain details you already know about but most of the time, you'll be pleasantly surprised at the little big details of popular gadgets and creative programming. The blog also contains a job listings tab, which is a perfect outlet for aspiring developers.

52. Inspire My Web

Head here for all your HTML5 needs and more

Inspire My Web is a Tumblr packed full of fantastic HTML5 and design inspiration. If that isn't enough to get you clicking, the site also contains easy to follow web design tutorials focusing on CSS3, HTML5 and jQuery.

Moreover, Inspire My Web also covers responsive development, which is an important aspect for any web developer. Perfect for web inspiration, tips and tutorials.

53. Steph Sassine

Lovely layout on this Tumblr

Steph Sassine is an interactive designer, combining both digital and graphic development. Acting as a sort of online portfolio, you can browse through Steph's interactive art, web design, graphic design, shorts and fine art.

The charming thing about this Tumblr is the way that it's presented. The Polaroids are neatly laid out once you hover over them, making the site interesting as well as highly interactive. There's also a questions tab, which means Steph is at hand for any queries.

54. Ely Folio

There's lots to get excited about on this blog

Ely Folio is the online portfolio of Portuguese designer Elisa Sophia. It features her work with clients such as Volkswagen, Delta and Nike, which will serve as perfect inspiration for any budding designer. She has also dabbled in illustration and print design, which you can check out via the left-hand tabs.

Next pages: design curation, graphic design, typography, career, photography and illustration.

55. Internet K-Hole

Punks, goths, skaters, metalheads, crimping and random grot; save it for when you get home

Previously hosted on Blogger where it earned a bit of a reputation for its astonishingly long posts of found imagery and occasional grot from around the 1980s, the Internet K-Hole moved to Tumblr a couple of years ago. Tumblr's limit of 20 images per post lessens its impact a bit, but on the plus side it's updated a lot more regularly and still gets unexpectedly fruity and NSFW.

56. Photojojo

Photojojo shows you things you haven't already seen

Photojojo, the store that sells gear for the modern photographer, also run this cool Tumblr blog, which shows off cool photography related projects.

If you're tired of looking at generic photography sites then Photojojo is definitely worth taking a look at. The team manage to find some of the weirdest and most wonderful work from around the world, so you're sure to find some ideas on how to really stretch your imagination.

57. Lomograhy

Love Lomography? Check this Tumblr out

The official Tumblr home of the Lomographic Society International is packed with stunning Lomographic snapshots. Have a scroll for some instant inspiration – and you can submit your own Lomographs too.

58. Megan McIsaac

Stunning photography here

This is the photo journal of professional photographer Megan Kathleen McIsaac, and showcases Megan's work and life as a photographer.

There are no tiny, watermarked photos here, with all the pics presented in a large enough format to appreciate the skill that's gone into their creation. The minimalist theme really enables Megan's work to jump off the screen. It's a great example of what can be achieved with Tumblr.

59. Ann Street Studio

Look no further for first-class photography

Ann Street Studio is the Tumblr of NYC-based photographer Jamie Beck and Kevin Berg. Beck is a great photographer, and you'll find a selection of her work here. You'll also find some really inspiring cinemagraphs on her site, with good reason, because Jamie was the co-founder of the whole cinemagraph movement.

Other pages: design curation, graphic design, typography, career, web design and illustration.

60. Cinema Gorgeous

These cinema-inspired illustrations are a joy to look at

Created by filmmaker and writer Malcolm Klock, Cinema Gorgeous celebrates beautiful art, great films and the creative lifestyle through a combination of cinema-inspired illustrations and posters, and interviews with talented creative people.

61. The Mighty Pencil

The Mighty Pencil features some amazing illustration work

The Mighty Pencil collective is behind this great Tumblr blog, which features a selection of the best contemporary illustrators and some of the inspiring work they create.

62. Eatsleepdraw

The perfect Tumblr to visit for inspiration

Presented as an online art gallery, Eat Sleep Draw brings you huge amounts of inspirational illustration and art each week. Updated on an almost hourly basis, if the best Tumblr blogs were decided on frequency of posting, it would be a clear winner. 

In fact, it's easy to find yourself 30 pages into this Tumblr blog and suddenly wonder where the last two hours went (and why you're behind on that article you should have submitted over an hour ago).

63. Owen Davey Draws

See what talented illustrator Own Davey is up to

Freelance illustrator Owen Davey (the artist behind these big cat illustrations) has had work published in every continent except Antarctica. He's based in the UK and his clients include Orange, Microsoft, EasyJet and more. Keep an eye on his site for regular illustration inspiration.

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