Hehehe. Looks like your dry out for inspiration.
Like with most things in my life, I plan. I even plan a plan.
Step 1:
Everybody go surfing!
There is no better way (from what I have come across) to get inspiration than from the source of which your medium is going to be for. This means you should always check out other sites on the Internet. Buy a site directory book for the better-ended designed sites. Also try using irregular URLs. The common *caugh* boring *caugh* ones were taken up during the early days, so only cool ones are available.
Checking out other people's design sites (personal pages) is also another way in which you can try and get some inspiration.
If all else fails, then go directly to the source (within the source). A premium web template site, e.g.
http://www.templatemonster.com They may be professionally designed templates, but looking at the previews of them is always helpful.
Step 2:
Saddle Up!
Its no use just looking at some sites and generally getting a picture in your head, you need to keep the original resources fresh in front of you. So, what better way than to save any images, take screenshots. Do anything to capture that little bit of magic.
Step 3:
Incy, wincy, spider!
Sound familiar? Now that you have your media, it is time to do something with it. Make a spider diagram (brainstorm) or even a more complex item, the mind map. Do something with colour and vibrance (most designers are visual learners, therefore benefit from visual stimulae, if you are not visually stimulated, this is the wrong industry to be in). Put down anything that comes to mind; draw, write, just do something that will help.
Step 4:
Lock and load!
You now have one of the hardest parts done. But here comes a slightly harder part. Drawing everything together. I find it useful to draw (on graph paper) a detailed construction of what I see in my mind (the site). From there, I start with a size, then I move onto the borders and so on. Instead of colouring (because I can't colour greatly) I use labels to explain the parts. Remember, as soon as you start designing in on the screen, it is easier and quicker to change / adapt.
Step 5:
Hard days night!
It will take me up to a whole day just to finally produce my default layout. I will change it so many times through making it, that sometimes it holds no resemblance to the original on the paper, but in my eyes that is a good thing. The one on paper is often very similar to a site I recently researched upon. So to have a changed layout on screen is better.
It may take several days for you to complete your default layout. Like me, you might even think about something for your site just before you fall to sleep.
Step 6:
Completed!
All you can do now is sit back and once in a while, you will get a new inspiration for your site.
