Do you borrow ideas from other websites?

[trustdnb]

Have you ever tried to copy some ideas in web design from other websites you found and liked its layouts or colors?

I have but not much, just some part as button, header, footer or some interesting parts from popular websites.

What about you? have you ever done the same? What have you copied or borrowed?

 

[Hawker]

I'm often checking out competitors sites and seeing how they do things and thinking, I can do that, but better.

Also sometimes I'll be on a site and I'll be looking at something on it thinking I like what they've done there and how they've done that, something like that would be valuable on my site.

So I more use other sites for "ideas and inspiration" but I never directly copy their ideas and slap them onto my site. I take them, digest them then regurgitate something of my own.

 

[MrRapidHost]

I usually look around to get inspired by certain ideas so I can think in a different way.

 

[PTTed]

One of the first site's I built to try to make money with was a static HTML site. I copied the CSS file from someone else's website because I liked the layout and look of that site. So I took that file out of my temporary internet files folder and modified it slightly - changed some colors I think. I loved that site. Looking back at it now, it was a giant piece of crap. But I loved it at the time and thought it was excellent. The written content on the site was actually quite good, but the look of the site was so cheesy it is embarrassing. If I had kept it looking like that, anyone visiting the site today would instantly bounce.

When I come across a good site that looks cool, often times I will view the HTML so I can see if they are using a commercially sold theme and CMS. I have found a lot of great Wordpress themes by doing that. Then I just go buy the theme for my own use if I have a use for it. Or else I will add it to a list that I keep of cool themes. One of the most annoying parts of building a website, in my opinion, is to find the right look for the site. I absolutely hate how much time that takes. It feels like such an unproductive experience for me. I can't stand wading through theme after theme after theme looking for the "right" one for that project. And I wish I could delegate it to someone else.

 

[ulterios]

Personally, I always try to be unique when I build a site. I don't want it to look like another site, I want there to be a good enough difference that it will stand out and make an impression. This doesn't always work out with all my sites due to the type of site they might be or what field/niche, but that's the main goal.

I do sometimes however take a look at other sites that are either in the same or similar niche/field and use what I see as inspiration on what exactly I want to do with mine.

Sometimes when I just happen to come across a website I like the looks, layout, function, etc., I will bookmark that site for later reference when I am building a new site or remodeling an existing site.

I do like my sites to be original as much as possible while still serving their intended purpose.

Some of my sites are more original than others!

 

[w3master]

As much as we like to be unique and plagiarism free in our ideas, we anyhow tend to get amazed with some sort of design and try making the same in our websites: while its definitely not stealing, we keep our creativity and imagination to make the idea more appealing: as much as i want to deny , but yes we get inspired by the lucrative ideas of other websites

 

[mackrodd]

Same here. you can check your competitors sites and videos and try to do better creation and better designs. even the way you create and design content.

 

[Cochel]

There are some instances but not actually copying. Just looking for some ideas about the design and more likely done it on other way.

 

[Thomas]

Honestly, I never copied idea from other site but use to get an idea.

 

[shilpa]

Nope, I don't work like that. It's certainly a thing that may eventually lead to plagiarism (not everytime, though). What starts with looking at an idea becomes a major problem of stealing those ideas and implementing them for our own use, which I think is very wrong. It's better to research and learn. Spending time training ourselves is better. And as the giants in the markets say, always come with genuine and creative ideas for growing in the industry; if you don't then you're unlikely to survive in the market. If you do then you'll be in the market to stay for a very long time. So it's always better to not look for ideas but have our own ideas implemented with maybe some professional help if necessary.

 

[tiffiecute]

It's more of following their footsteps. We want to learn from the best, don't we?

It's really a big help to copy other peoples' ideas or you can say strategies when you can percept that it's going to be beneficial for your site. There's no violation or whatsoever. Of course, copying 100% of everything from other sites is a different story. You also need to practice originality and simply being unique to stand out from the rest.

 

[iamchenita]

I have ever tried to copy something from the website and that is the design and layouts of the website. The color combination, I rarely don't copy it. I just think of the color combination that would fit in my website because not all in the internet is good for our website. We just need ideas to think creative things that would make stand-out our website.
However, copying from website is okay but we have to limit our self. Why? because it feels better if the ideas and layouts of our website is from us and also we feel proud to ourselves. We must be more creative to make our website cool and not depending to other ideas. Sometimes we need that also in our life because not all the time, we have an Internet connection and we have to rush out our website in order to submit it on time.

 

[mdsarang]

Have you ever tried to copy some ideas in web design from other websites you found and liked its layouts or colors?

I have but not much, just some part as button, header, footer or some interesting parts from popular websites.

What about you? have you ever done the same? What have you copied or borrowed?

I go around some websites and check-out their layouts. I considered them as an inspiration to my photography website but I do not copy or borrow other people's ideas. I wanted to be original as much as possible. I like mine simple but catchy. I showcase my photos so I focus on it's transitions more.

 

[janetparker]

You’re allowed to use other websites for inspiration while building your own. You can borrow ideas, and use them to create something that is uniquely your own.

To copy their design, or copy their content directly would be considered plagiarism. That wasnt OK in school, and it’s not OK on the web.

 

[wapaks]

Honestly, I'm always taking a look at the different website and have more idea on how it works especially in with it comes to designing. I'm not good in designing a website but I'm trying to be.

 

[CookieRunner]

Personally, I don't since I have no knowledge and enough background about web designing and what not yet. But ever since I joined the forum, I was intrigued and was so interested with Web designing so if ever in the near future, I would be creating one, I would not copy but just maybe browse through different sites that I think is good and conceptualize what are are things that makes the website artistic.

 

[Nancy G]

Have you ever tried to copy some ideas in web design from other websites you found and liked its layouts or colors?

I have but not much, just some part as button, header, footer or some interesting parts from popular websites.

What about you? have you ever done the same? What have you copied or borrowed?

I believe we borrow ideas to get more inspirations to create our unique competitive advantage. We have to be conscious on what is going on around the industry and the world in general so that we are in touch with changing trends in the market and what competitors are doing.

By looking at successful and unsuccessful websites, we can analyze what makes them tick and how come others are not getting the attention they need. We end up drawing valuable insights and tools for improvements. Sometimes, we also discover opportunities or untapped needs missed by the successful website which we can use for our advantage. Basic ideas on family and love ties, special occasions like Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc. are normally built on traditions. A lot of companies use the same formula of love and gift-giving for their website but each have different presentation and offerings.

Your idea may be borrowed but the creative presentation in line with the modern times and changing needs and expectations make it truly unique and fresh in the eyes of your market. Your research on finding the secret formula of successful websites is done and now you apply same techniques in enhancing your website but upgrading to a level beyond what your competitors are doing.

 

[HazelDJ]

Have you ever tried to copy some ideas in web design from other websites you found and liked its layouts or colors?

I have but not much, just some part as button, header, footer or some interesting parts from popular websites.

What about you? have you ever done the same? What have you copied or borrowed?

I just get ideas from other websites but I never copy exactly the same. I am afraid that people will voice out their complain against me and they will write about it on the comment portion. So, it will make my websites degrading.

In a personal view, my websites design and colors would be from my personal ideas such as the authentic one.

 

[Dictator20]

Yes, the best way to have a best website is to look to other website but never copy their Ideas make a better idea in your own website instead. Look for the idea in others website and upgrade that idea before applying it to your own website. Because Uniqueness is the key to have the best website. Think your own content don't copy it as a sign of respect for the owner of that website. Don't do unto others what you don't want to do unto you.

 

[afftomm]

It's more like being inspired by the ideas of others. I once watch a tutorial on youtube that before he start creating something, he looked for ideas in a book or online. I tried to follow what he said before and it work great on my end. Get ideas and add some of your own to make it great.