When designing any website, it’s good to have something to refer to (whether it’s googling competitive sites, voraciously reading Smashing Magazine, or going through PSD Tuts).

I tend to prefer going through printed examples to get ideas. I have a library full of design books and web books, but the translation from website to book form leaves a lot to be desired. Also, the sites that are featured tend to be very weak from a design perspective — oftentimes, I’ll have a book that only has two or three really stand-out concepts.

That’s why I like the Web Design Icon series from Taschen. They’re all edited by Julius Wiedemann, who seems to have an omniscient grasp of the latest and greatest of web design. I’ve spent countless hours poring through these books, which are covered in mini-Post-It notes. I’ve also loaned them to clients and told them to tag sites that they like (or note down ones that they don’t). These have been the best resource in my design arsenal so far (and are conveniently priced at about $10 apiece, meaning it’s not too painful to rebuy them when needed).

	Web Design Flash Sites by Julius Wiedemann (Editor)		Web Design: Flashfolios by Julius Wiedemann (Editor)
	Web Design: Interactive by Julius Wiedemann (Editor)		Web Design: Navigation by Julius Wiedemann (Editor)
	Web Design: Best Studios by Julius Wiedemann (Editor)		Web Design: E-Commerce by Julius Wiedemann (Editor)
	Web Design: Studios 2 by Julius Wiedemann (Editor)		Web Design: Video Sites by Julius Wiedemann (Editor)
	Web Design: Best Portfolios by Julius Wiedemann (Editor)		Web Design: Music Sites by Julius Wiedemann (Editor)