Great collection, each single site is worth to enumerated here! In my point of view, maybe only Link [www.mein-brandenburg.com] is missing. Thanks for providing such inspirations.

Great post, All the designs are inspirational layouts!

If you like this style, be sure to check out Link [www.lightondark.com,] a showcase for ‘dark’ sites.

Thanks for your kind opinion about my work ;)
It’s a real pleasure of mine to be the one of this 50’s

Best wishes
Ice

Undeniably beautiful designs, but dark websites remain in the realm of web designers rather than web content publishers.

I’ve seen people try to use dark designs for content-heavy websites, I’ve tried it too, and it just doesn’t work as well as a light design would.

For design sites though, stunning.

Dan: It depends on kind of project…
In general - You’re right, but in special cases the dark design is more emphatic, sophisticated, full of feeling and emotions, ie. night club or parties sites, linigerie sites, some events, occasions and many more…, they’re also commercial but in specific way of feeling

Awesome collection! Inspiring no doubt :)

Is it only me who finds these desings incredbily boring, uninspired and are simply joining in on the Web 2.0 Circle-Jerk? Very few of these break any mold and simply play into todays repetitive trends?

Great article. Nice way to get inspiration.

Nice article! Check out Link [www.screenalicious.com] for more great designs. It contains more than 4900 screenshots!

I’m still not sure I like dark designs. Some of those do look rather good, but to me traditionally I’ve never thought dark designs look professional.

you missed Link [www.londonshootfighters.com] !

“Otherwise we’ll break this series of articles and will offer you another content.”

Nothing like a threat to make me want to bookmark you.

This will all end with crying

Dark design just looks great if you know how to handle bright text colors on gloomy backgrounds. Your first option should be using white for the continuous text.

“Dark pages” have an elegant and classic look if they are done the right way. Indeed, it’s more difficult to create a working “dark” page instead of creating a white one.

Photos or pictures are working very well on a black background. The colors, the brightness and the contrast of the photo seem to be much “sharper” in contrast to placing pictures on bright backgrounds.

On the other hand i just read (sorry don’t know the source anymore) that text written on bright backgrounds would be approx. 30% faster to read. Greetings, Dan.

Link [matrixsynth.blogspot.com] was missed, it has great “designs”

Great article!!

Milosz & danofthenorthstar, thanks for the insight.

I may simply be stuck in the mindset of “dark text on a light background = professional publisher” if some people can make it work well the other way round. Personal preference probably plays a part in how I see sites.

I agree party and special occasion sites are exactly the sort of sites that would suit a dark design.

Link [www.coldstonecreamery.com] is a nice dark site in contrast to most corporate sites.

One thing I’ve noticed from dark sites is that after you’ve been reading one for a while and then look away from the monitor you see lines before your eyes - now that’s disturbing

But I do like dark sites! They always manage to look cool, and the ones above are definately some very cool looking sites. Nice list.

Dark sites are very easy on the eyes.

I wish more sites used darker themes

How the pictures and images look on a dark background you could see on my and my friends internet design showcase Link [www.E-motionalDesign.com]

It’s far better than on the brightest one or on white…

Ice

Link [www.studio7designs.com]

Dark on light design with lots of westcoast flavor.

maybe not *as* nice as some, but def worth a look.

Link [www.caught-outside.com]

Really good examples.

It shows that we didn’t need to use “light” colors to have a great design; different from that “design pattern” that we have today.

Great sites!

Whatever - go to Link [www.artreality.com] - hands down the most craziest insane use of CSS - INCREDIBLE PIXEL ANIMATION only using javascript and css!

This site reminds me of those in this list

Link [www.drawhere.com]

Similar dark design, with the rounded edges.

THIS LIST MADE MY DAY! Love dark sites, LOVE.

Thanks for the inclusion of my site, guys… I’m truly honoured!

Lots of really great sites in that list, many of which I’m jealous of myself - especially Snagt as Ive never seen it before

Thanks to talk about us!!! Our bandwidth crashed, but all it’s ok today. Good luck!

One site missing from the list is the phoblo at Link [z6.co.uk]

Other than that, great list, very inspirational as ever!

Link [projnow.hu]

A great list. Rusty Lime should have been in there as well: Link [www.rustylime.com]

I want a dark design too.But my blog doesnt fit.If i ever start a personal blog.I will come back to you

Another great one! Thanks Guys

That is a really nice list of websites. Beautiful design & inspiration!

Thanks :)

I like all the templates. It shows that always light colors are not good. Dark colors can also make the great designs.

hmm.. i guess i need to Link [ilkeryoldas.blogspot.com] to enter the next selection!

Nice Collection…

I think EbonMusic does the best job with lighting; they never seem to over-contrast or under-contrast. All of these are great designs, though, I feel. :)

You missed this Link [ja.rafi.pl]. It’s a blog, but really nice.

Perhaps you’d like to see this dark site too:

Art of Adam Betts
Link [www.artofadambetts.com]

Just thought I should share this link. I love his works.

I am impressed by Larissa Meek. Her work is fantastic!

Should have listed our site : Link [www.tsc-music.com] a great dark site.

You missed Link [www.inkoherence.com]

No No No No Nooooooooo!

Darn. Now I have to lock myself in a room for at least a week to learn all the neat tricks myself…

That’s really incredible work, thank you!

want dark?

how’s this for dark?

Link [spreadhead.virtualave.net]

Beautiful sites. Since the theme is Dark Designs then I think i’ll try and give my own site a cheap plug:

Link [www.azeemalim.co.uk]

A dark design and quite nice if I dont say so myself.

I thought my site fits into this “dark” category.

Link [www.keywebconcepts.com.au]

Does anyone like the Windows Vista website, or am I the only one? I love the new Microsoft design philosophy.

great selection of dark design. Is there a section with design divided by color?

silver_fox Thank you for showing an intrest in my site. If you don’t mind me asking. Where did you hear about my site? Enjoy.

J.A. Catero

Guys take a look at:

Link [www.xdimension-studio.com]

hope you like it too.

Mine blog also enters in this list? Link [www.pedrolamin.com.br]

Great collection. I just launched Link [www.radiodetox.com], which has a pretty simple interface with black, red, gray, and white. Check it out.

We’ve just preparet the list of the best 100’s e-motional websites we’ve found in the web…
(with artistic influences) You could see this on Link [www.e-motionaldesign.com]

Link [www.mcpmedia.com]

MCP Media is a professional Phoenix web design company. Get free web design quotes here any time!

nice sites! have you seen this one:
Link [12frames.de]

Very goof and interesting !!!

I have one more link to this post (Dark Design) Link [www.harddays.net]

This is site about underground music in Uzbekistan.

On a dk background there are no white tints (prbloger.com and cviscusi.com)
And generally - very much inspired works of art!

Yea styles are much easier to make these days and with so many templates out there even web site designers who are starting out can make a site looks great in a matter of minutes.

Just finished redesigning my own site, first time doing light on dark :-)

Link [www.bballcity.com]

where i can download these themes???????

Hi, what a great selection! I’m chuffed you have my Link [www.soulshaker.co.uk] site on there.

Dark sites are here to stay!

@hEXA
You can’t download it, it’s the work of others. Please appreciate

Btw nice post, there are a lot of dark designs incorporating black and blue color scheme. I didn’t see much of black and orange though although it’s my fave color sheme :P

hi,

Thanks for your kind opinion about my work ;)
It’s a real pleasure of mine to be the one of this 50’s

Hey,
thanks a lot! I’m just about to redesign my site and looking into the darker side. :)

Dahlbäck is the best!

Great info :-)

I prefer light designs. I don’t like dark.

Dark designs are OK but the problem is with advertisers - according to my past and present experience they do not trust to advertise on dark web pages because it gives them sort of “underground” or maybe “something illegal” feeling. And naturally they don’t want their company to be connected in anything “illegal” …

Hello all! I just LOVE Smashingmagazine, I am knew in the business…My website is on tailor made luxury travel, it is simple, home made, nothing of flash, because I still don’t know how to use it…But I like the idea that websites are also for grannies not only for grandsons, so no plu-ins required! All my love! Stucky

best dark site I’ve seen that is extraordinarily elegant with thoughtful and intelligent posts is

http:theerrantaesthete.com
(Essentials for the Cocktail Swilling Savant)

I write to this Blog Link [www.designcorporativo.com] , that is all dark too

Just finished redesigning my own site, first time doing light on dark :-)

i love black sites, using black windows theme black video player b firefox with Link [gBlack.02d.pl]
almose everything and i think that smashmagazine should be black to …

Great List.

Our site is dark if you want to take a gander.

im looking for a dark design for my own site, its like froggy and pond related - these give some great tips thanks alot.

Why won’t you people learn??

white text on a black background hurts the eyes.

I simply close ANY website that uses this style

Ohh la la - love the creativity.. some of the designs are very chic and pop-culturish :)

Albinora..

Great graphical black theme!
But, I still hesitate to change the Black-LG theme used for my blog :-)

Link [www.shobhit.graphixangels.com]
is also a site that is in black color.. hope you guys like it

These are very fresh layouts. They are highly inspirational.

This is Superb Collection. mine too is on black :)

Does this high-tech corp. site look too dark? Please comment. Thanks.

Someone say dark background is very relax for eyes.