From a young age, we’re all told that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover – essentially, don’t judge things on their aesthetic appearance alone. This is a lovely sentiment, but one that is often difficult to actually abide by. After all, humans are visual people, and we’re more likely to take note of something if it looks attractive.
Due to this, it’s important to keep aesthetics at the forefront of your mind when designing your website. One of the most important considerations in this regard is the imagery, which includes everything from images required to construct the fundamentals of your site. Below, we’ve put together a lot of seven online resources – covering a range of different imagery types – that are the perfect choice for those looking for where to find imagery for website design…
Shutterstock
There are plenty of image resources online, but Shutterstock is arguably the biggest name out there – and for good reason. The number of images on Shutterstock is truly staggering – 222 million, according to the home page – and the variety is impressive. As well as photographs, the site also features vectors and illustrations, making it a one-stop-shop for your website imagery needs. You can learn more about how to use the Shutterstock plugin on WordPress here.
PixaBay
PixaBay is best described as “Shutterstock without the fees”. All the images on the site are free to use, making it a great choice if you are seeking to control your website costs. While the scope is a little more limited than Shutterstock, there’s still plenty of options that can give your website the image boost it needs.
Nappy
People of color have long been under-represented in stock imagery, which led to the creation of Nappy in 2017. The site provides incredible images that wouldn’t look out of place in a high-end magazine, but are offered for anyone to use – for free. A great resource that helps to fill what was once a wide gap in the market.
Create Your Own Stock Photos
When examining your website’s imagery, you may decide there is a specific type of picture you need – but no one seems to have taken it yet. Even with the huge libraries of Shutterstock and PixaBay, there are gaps that you may need to plug yourself. The ‘Create Your Own Stock Photos’ guide provides an easy-to-follow process that allows you to create professional-quality images simply and efficiently. It’s also worth noting that you can also generate additional income by selling images you don’t use to stock sites, so there’s a definite win/win to be enjoyed if you give this option a try.
Divi Themes
Divi Themes WordPress layouts provide imagery that can be used as the core of your website. The designs are clean, uncluttered, and responsive, while still striking the right note in terms of visual appeal. If you’re looking to overhaul the entire appearance of your site with an increased focus on imagery, then Divi Themes is a great place to start.
ClipartOf
As mentioned above, a website’s imagery doesn’t just mean photographs and banners – it also means focusing on smaller, core elements that control how the site functions. ClipartOf is a fantastic resource that provides – unsurprisingly – a free library of clip art; it is particularly useful for images of buttons and other navigational tools.
New Old Stock
New Old Stock is essentially a digital resource for old-fashioned photographs. The images have an inherent quaintness that is difficult to replicate with modern photography and can give your very modern website a delightful “yesteryear” element. Furthermore, as the images on the site are taken from public archives, they are free to use.
In Conclusion
By making the most of the seven options above, you can be sure that your website is as visually appealing as possible.
