When I’m starting a new website, one of the first things I do is look for inspiration. Not in a copy-and-paste way, but more in a “how can I piece this together in a way that makes sense for this project?” way. Over the years, I’ve realized that I don’t need a dozen inspiration sites bookmarked. I keep coming back to the same place every time, and that’s the Elegant Themes website and their layout library.
It’s hands down my favorite resource when I’m building websites, especially when I’m starting with a blank canvas.
Why Elegant Themes Is My Go-To
If you’re not familiar, Elegant Themes is the company behind Divi, which is a WordPress theme and visual builder that lets you design websites without writing everything from scratch. It’s flexible, powerful, and honestly just makes the entire design process smoother.
One of the biggest reasons I love working with Divi is their massive layout library. They have thousands of professionally designed layouts across pretty much every industry you can think of. Even if I don’t use a layout exactly as-is, it gives me a solid starting point.
How I Actually Use the Layout Library
I almost never install one layout and call it a day. Instead, I treat the layout library like a giant toolbox.
I might pull a hero section from one layout because I love the headline structure, then grab a services section from a completely different layout because the spacing feels clean and modern. Sometimes I’ll take a testimonial section from another design or a footer layout that just works really well.
From there, I customize everything. Colors get adjusted, fonts change, spacing gets tweaked, and content gets reorganized to fit the client’s brand. It ends up feeling fully custom, even though it started with pre-built pieces.
This approach saves a ton of time and helps avoid that “staring at a blank screen” feeling. Instead of guessing what might look good, I’m building off layouts that are already thoughtfully designed.
Why This Works So Well for My Process
Looking through Elegant Themes’ layouts helps me think in sections instead of full pages. I’m not asking myself, “How do I design this entire homepage?” I’m asking smaller, easier questions like, “What kind of hero section fits this brand?” or “How should these services be presented?”
It also keeps designs consistent and polished. The layouts follow strong design principles, so even when I mix and match sections, the end result still feels cohesive.
Final Thoughts
Inspiration doesn’t have to come from a million different websites. Sometimes having one reliable resource you know inside and out is better than endlessly scrolling through design galleries.
For me, Elegant Themes and the Divi layout library have become that resource. It’s where I go to spark ideas, build momentum, and turn rough concepts into real, usable designs. And at this point, it’s hard to imagine my workflow without it.
