Web Design Trends: Cityscapes, Landscapes and Seascapes

6th of January 2009

A popular trend over the past year or two is using landscapes, cityscapes and seascapes in a design. Often placed in a website’s footer, they’re a great way to show off your creativity and as a web designer gives you a chance to test out your Illustrator skills.

A few tips for designing your ‘scape’

1. Get some stock photography

You can get lots of downloadable vector graphics and photos from iStockphoto.

2. Check out Flickr

Flickr has loads of Creative Commons photos available for use.

3. Take your own photos

Get out around your town/city and take a few photos of noticeable buildings.

4. Sketch your own ideas

Jot down your own hills and buildings on paper.

5. Finally, get tracing and cutting in Illustrator and Photoshop

Now you have your inspiration you can start tracing in illustrator and trying different Photoshop effects on your buildings to come up with the perfect amazing scape.

Check out the showcase below for inspiration from the best.

Showcase of cityscapes

1. Andy Sowards

2. Disability Heroes

3. Flayks

4. Gotta Get To FOWA

5. Carrot Creative

6. Sawyer Hollenshead

7. TJ Mapes

8. Bainbridge Studios

9. NY Moon

10. DrupalCon

Showcase of landscapes

11. The Mattinator

12. Kulturbanause

13. Hicks Design

14. Viget Inspire

15. Rissington Podcast

16. Adit Shukla

17. Vimeo

18. Koller Media

19. TwitterFone

20. Project Vino

Showcase of seascapes

21. Dizzain

22. Tomas Pojeta

23. We Are Not Freelancers

24. Frisk Design

25. David Torondel

26. Design Disease

27. Volll

28. Get Me Fast

29. Stylized Web

30. DivVoted

13 Appreciated Comments

On the 6th of January 2009, Andy Sowards said:
Lee! Amazing post! these are some top notch sites! And the technique is dead on. Find a good pic, trace an outline in PS or Illustrator, and then get creative!
Takes forever sometimes but theres just something about an all vector design that makes me weak in the knees :).
Keep up the good work!!
On the 6th of January 2009, Kyle Boyd said:
Thanks for the add, some of those other ones look epic.
The key is getting the right landscape to sort your need. Once you get that is game on.
On the 6th of January 2009, Lee Graham said:
Congrats Andy!!!
On the 6th of January 2009, Bryan said:
Lee…when I saw this topic in my Reader I was hoping that my site had made the list. There’s definitely a growing trend with using cityscapes, landscapes and seascapes in design.
If you’re looking for great vector versions of big city scapes check out Go Media. They’ve got some great stuff.
On the 8th of January 2009, Lee said:
Thanks guys, glad you like the list.
@Bryan: Sorry mate, your cityscape does look very cool though!
On the 9th of January 2009, Charles said:
Here’s a landscape to add! Very colorful, illustrated landscape header. Surprised you missed it :)
http://www.bestmortgagedeals.co.uk/
On the 13th of January 2009, Carlos Hermoso said:
Nice showcase of cityscapes, landscapes and seascapes for inspiration. Thanks
On the 15th of January 2009, Isabel said:
I love this post… sometimes I’m already here again just to inspire myself! Is really a good research! THANKS!!
On the 24th of January 2009, Atak Teknoloji Web Tasarımı said:
nice collestions. thanks.
On the 26th of January 2009, David Torondel said:
Thanks for the link on my blog :)
On the 29th of January 2009, Max Weir said:
Nice collection, there’s some really nice ones in here.
On the 23rd of May 2009, morteza said:
Hi
most of your collections are wonderful such as this.
try for more!!!!!!!
thanks
On the 2nd of July 2009, Lauren said:
These sites are amazing! Great post.