Web design is a very fluid art. It’s constantly changing and that makes it hard to stay fresh. Don’t fall into the copycat trap. When you are learning web design it’s common to look to other sites for inspiration. Not a bad idea, but use this to learn usability concepts not design paradigms.

Google, Apple, Netflix; all great websites, but they were designed for very specific purposes. Ask yourself, do you carry as many products, in as many a varying array as Apple? Is your site all about organizing and delivering a dizzying amount of data? Maybe your site needs to showcase small packets of information that can be organize and reorganize, then put together in a nice little package for comparison and later use.

Design for your needs. Yes there is awesome stuff out there, but if you over do it you will just make it harder for visitors to find what they need. There is Clarity in simplification