Crowdsourcing is when someone can post a creative project and sit back and watch as the world contributes ideas through submissions, then the best idea is selected. User generated design sites have always had their share of controversy, and designers/creatives have set up camps on both sides of that discussion. Some say crowdsourcing is evil because it works on ’spec’, while others say that it fills a niche that is cost effective and competitive for designers learning to sharpen their skills.

When I was in school some of my professors would caution us to stay away from these competitions, then there would be some teachers that said it is good practice. I still submitted lots of work when I was freelancing to these sites.

Whatever your stance is on the issue of crowdsourcing design, let’s put that aside and take a look at a few sites and how they can potentially help your design. Some of these are not crowdsourcing designs at all, but rather they are user generated showcase sites.

Web Creme

This is a beautifully simple design showcase site. Think of it as inspirational fuel for your creative fire — the best of the best in design for the screen. I often look through what other designers have done, and this site has a lot to look at and can surely stoke your ideas and have you thinking in new ways. The site offers a link to the designer’s site and also link to the designs being showcased.

CrowdSpring

One of the most popular of the crowdsourcing sites, this site boasts a network of more than [47,000+] creatives from 140-plus countries who vie to provide logo, website and collateral design to primarily small and medium-size business clients.

COLOURlovers

I like this site a lot. It has a great interface and is a simple concept to share and be inspired by color, palettes and patterns. I have this site bookmarked in my inspiration folder and check it out if I need some color ideas. This is a community of designers and artists of all kinds who visit the site to get color inspiration, ideas and feedback for both their professional and personal projects. COLOURlovers’ loyal members create colors, palettes and patterns to nurture their ongoing love affair with color. They join color-inspired groups and forums and share the love by commenting on their favorite creations.

Strip Generator

Tired of pixel-by-pixel painting? Trying to create seamless stripes textures? This free tool allows you to unleash your personal style by experimenting and downloading the tile. You can use it directly in your CSS file or as pattern in Photoshop. The site also has tons of great user generated ideas.

A lot of user generated sites can be very helpful to both creatives and clients looking to find talent in the most cost effective way. There are pros and cons for each, but it surely is a trend that has been growing more and more. What are some great crowdsourcing design or user generated sites you frequent?

Bookmark this post: