📝 Issue #467: 50 Best Websites of 2020, 21 Unique Web Design Trends for 2021, The Homer, 2020 Design Tools Survey, and more…

Every month we publish a roundup of the best websites we’ve seen on the web in the previous four weeks. At the end of 2020, we’ve gathered together 50 of the best sites from the whole year. It’s a great overview of the design world’s response to a challenging year and offers some hints about where we might be going next.

Nebula is an app for Mac, Windows, and Linux that helps you deliver eye-catching, user-wowing, 3D particle systems. Design your effect in Nebula, then import it along with three.js to display the particle effect in any JavaScript application. There’s an alpha version available, a pro plan at $5/month is coming soon.

Covid-19 has changed how we live, which changed how we work and the tools we use to accomplish daily tasks, from drawing to collaboration. The 2020 Design Tools Survey reports on over 4000 designers' views covering every aspect of the design process and features some exciting tools for 2021.

Take your coding to the next level in 2021 with Merico, an analytics platform for developers. Hook it up to Github or Gitlab and measure your productivity over time. Using science, not guesswork, Merico shows you which commits have been successful, where your code meets best practices, and where you need to improve.

In one of the best of the many guides to possible design trends in 2021, Jeff Cardello lays out 21 web design trends that he expects to shape how we build products for the web over the next 12 months. From scrolling techniques to color palettes, returning print references, and the rise of 3D and AR experiences.

Doodad’s Pattern Generator is a free, handy little tool that lets you create seamless, royalty-free patterns. Pick a base style, then tweak its colors, apply optional filters, and transform the size and rotation. The UI is charmingly comic-book in style, and when you’re ready, you can export your pattern as PNG, JPG, or SVG.

Owning a website used to be thrilling; watching the hit counter tick over into double-digits was life-changing. And then, we migrated to social media, and we forgot the art of the personal site. Simon Collison laments the loss of personal sites, questions whether they still have a role, and leaves us planning to build one in 2021.

Zecoda is an interesting new entry in the no-code site builder market. Aiming to make developing a website as easy as word processing, it offers a simple process for publishing online in its first release. Version history, team collaboration, database integration, and app integration are all on the way. It’s free to get started.

In season two of The Simpsons, Homer meets his long-lost half brother, who employs him to design a new car. The resulting monstrosity is a valuable lesson for anyone committed to user-centric design. Mike Martens looks back at a classic episode and the serious points it conveys to designers and clients alike.