Inspiration, Website Examples

25 Awesome Community Website Examples

By Denitsa Zhelyazkova
November 7th, 2024

Online communities bring people together to share, connect, and build something meaningful. Whether it’s a group of fans, a cause-driven community, or a space for professional networking, community websites have become the go-to spots for engaging around shared interests and ideas. In this article, we’ll explore some standout examples of community websites and share essential tips for creating a thriving community website of your own.

What are community websites?

An online community platform is a digital space where people with common interests, goals, or identities come together to interact, share ideas and information, and collaborate. These platforms act as networks for establishing connections, discussions, and idea exchanges among members. Such communities often offer different types of communication outlets such as discussion chat rooms, forums, and messaging boards. By using multimedia-sharing options these platforms enhance user engagement and experience.

Whether you’re looking to build a community around your brand, support a cause, or participate in meaningful discussions, a well-designed community website can make all the difference.

The 25 Best Online Community Websites

These 25 impressive community website examples stand out for their design, commitment, and premium content. Each one illustrates how you can establish meaningful connections in the digital age. Let’s begin!

1. Yummypets – the social petwork and community for pet lovers

Yummypets is a great community dedicated to pet lovers. The website is engaging and uses a playful color scheme with a user and mobile-friendly layout, featuring vibrant images of pets like cats, dogs, birds, reptiles, and more. The navigation menu is clear and directs users to various community features, articles, and pet care resources. The site promotes social interaction among users with a forum and photo sharing. Moreover, members have their own profiles with a description, a feed with photos and videos of their pets, and followers to share their furry family members with.

2. Instructables

Instructables is a good community website where users share DIY projects, tutorials, and how-tos on anything from tech gadgets to craft endeavors. Its practical website design focuses on accessibility and clarity. It showcases user-crafted projects with step-by-step instructions and large images and videos prominently displayed in each tutorial. The homepage and project categories feature eye-catching thumbnails and each project page is centered to keep the attention of the members on the content. The navigation and the search bar make it easy for visitors to find specific tutorials or topics.

3. The Student Doctor Network

The Student Doctor Network is a great community website helping build a diverse doctor workforce by providing a wide range of free resources to help students in their educational journey. The website features a professional and content-oriented design, geared toward students in healthcare fields. The homepage emphasizes easy navigation to guides and resources, with clear sections dedicated to different professions. The community forum includes an extensive amount of topics members can discuss and can be a great resource for any future and current doctors.

4. Stack Overflow

Stack Overflow is first on our list and it is the largest, go-to online community for developers to share their programming knowledge, learn new information, and build their careers. The clean design keeps the attention on clarity and usability, allowing users to quickly access the information they need. The white background, combined with black text and a simple font allows focus on questions and answers, keeping distractions to a minimum. Stack Overflow’s navigation is well-structured to browse and filter questions based on tags, popularity, or recency. The search functionality helps users to find relevant content quickly. Furthermore, the site includes community-centric elements like user profiles, reputation scores, and badges that increase participation.

5. Reddit

Reddit is a massively popular user community platform where members can engage in discussions on nearly any topic you can imagine. The design is straightforward with light backgrounds and basic typography to prioritize active participation and user-generated content like posts, comments, and discussions. The front page and subreddits present information in a vertical feed, with minimal emphasis on visuals or distractions. The design accommodates the vast number of individual communities (subreddits), each with its look and feel. They can be customized by moderators with a unique color scheme and icons, allowing for personalization. Reddit is optimized for mobile devices, and its mobile apps provide a flawless experience to accommodate a vast range of user-driven communities.

6. Animeleague

Animaleague is another example of a great community website for anime fans to connect, discuss, and participate in live gatherings like conventions and meetups. Sections for events and community announcements are prominently displayed on the homepage, immediately directing users to areas of interaction. The design uses bright, contrasting images and a color scheme that fits the anime culture. The forum is a major component and the layout resembles traditional forum structures. User profiles, badges, and leaderboards are important for creating a sense of community and belonging, which is central to a fan-driven website like this.

7. Behance

Behance is a top platform for creative professionals to showcase work, connect, and find inspiration. The visually striking website has a minimalist design with a clean, white background and a gallery-like layout. The grid-based system accommodates different media types and ensures consistency across various screens, making it easy to browse projects whether you’re viewing on a desktop or mobile device. The navigation is intuitive and the search function is highly visible, allowing users to filter results based on creative fields. The portfolio pages include detailed project descriptions, high-resolution images, and videos that enhance the visual impact of each project. Behance integrates social aspects like “Appreciations” (equivalent to likes), comments, and the ability to follow other creatives, which are incorporated subtly into the design. Overall, these elements are easily accessible and support community interaction without cluttering the interface.

8. Tumblr

Tumblr is a blogging and social media tool that allows users to publish short blog posts. In essence, the community website design is a blend of simplicity, flexibility, and creative expression. It features a clean, minimalist layout that emphasizes user-generated content, allowing various media formats – text, images, GIFs, and videos. You can change the layout of the grid – into a masonry type of way or a list view with the content in the center of the page. The dashboard offers a streamlined, vertically scrolling feed for easy content discovery, while customization options allow community members to personalize their templates extensively, setting Tumblr apart from other social media platforms. Navigation is easy to use giving access to key components like the explore page, search, and social interactions included.

9. Bookclubs

Bookclubs is a great platform that makes organizing a book club simple with all the features like creating clubs, scheduling meetings, and choosing books. The overall aesthetic of the website design is clean, pleasant, and functional. We see a structured layout with minimalistic images, icons, plenty of white space, and a neutral color palette, with soft blues and whites, which creates a calm and welcoming environment that aligns with the idea of a book-oriented community. The design focuses on functionality, ensuring members can quickly find information about book clubs, events, and reading lists. The navigation is intuitive and well-organized, making it simple for users to explore different areas of the platform like book lists, features, and a blog.

10. BabyCenter

BabyCenter is an online community providing information, support, and online courses on pregnancy, children’s health, and parenting. The design of this website is visually appealing with its clean layout, friendly typography, and a soft inviting color scheme that resonates well with its target audience – parents and expectant mothers. This creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere. The homepage is well-structured to present needed information and sections are clearly defined without feeling cluttered. BabyCenter incorporates interactive tools, such as due date calculators, baby name finders, and personalized baby growth trackers which enhance user interaction. The community section allows parents to connect with other members, share experiences, and ask questions which adds to the supportive environment for members.

11. Skillshare

Skillshare is a great website for creators that gives access to videos from members all around the world. Anyone can take an online class, watch video courses, create projects, and even teach a class themselves. The design of Skillshare is modern, clean, and user-centric, effectively supporting its mission of online learning. The homepage has a clear layout, making it easy for visitors to find classes, explore categories, and navigate through different sections. A vibrant color scheme and engaging visuals, including high-quality images and video previews, create an inviting feeling. The platform includes personalized recommendations and curated content, improving community engagement.

12. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a social networking website designed specifically for the business community. The main goal is to enable registered members to access knowledge, insights, and opportunities and establish networks of people they know and trust professionally. Therefore, the design features a structured layout that emphasizes user profiles, connections, and job opportunities, creating a professional atmosphere. The use of blue, white, and gray provides a clean and inviting aesthetic, while the chosen typography ensures clarity and modernity regarding the text presentation. These design choices effectively support LinkedIn’s focus on professionalism and networking. The navigation bar provides easy access to key elements, ensuring users can quickly find what they need. The platform encourages users to share articles, updates, and professional achievements. Members can send each other direct messages with different job opportunities and other business proposals.

13. Twitch

Another great platform we are going to discuss today is Twitch which is an interactive live-streaming service for gaming, entertainment, sports, music, and more. Users can watch for free featured videos of channels and live streamers. The user-friendly interface is dynamic and interactive and has vibrant accents (purple, green, and white) which create a visually engaging and gamer-centric feel, reducing eye strain during long viewing sessions. The homepage prominently displays live streams, making video content the central focus. Streams are presented in a grid format, with large thumbnails and preview text, making browsing seamless.

14. The Cooking Community

Next, we have an example of an online community website that has a clean, rustic, and inviting design, reflecting its focus on homemade cooking and farm life. You can join the community and gain complete access to all of the website features by purchasing a monthly or annual membership. The design uses playful typography and warm earthy tones and colors (cream, brown, and green) to create a cozy, homestead feel. The layout is straightforward, with plenty of white space that keeps the attention on content. Large, high-quality photos of recipes and food dominate the page, making it visually appealing and easy to navigate.

15. DeviantArt

DeviantArt is a great community website where artists can showcase their work and interact with the community. Participants can turn their hobby into a business by selling their unique pieces to other community members. DeviantArt uses a dark-themed interface, which enhances the visibility and contrast of artwork, making colors pop. The homepage and galleries prioritize visual content, displaying artworks in a grid format with large thumbnails, allowing users to easily explore a wide range of creations. The design effectively puts art at the forefront. Artists can personalize their profiles, adding a creative touch to their brand. This enhances community engagement by allowing users to express their unique identity, not just through art but also through their profile designs. DeviantArt offers several social features such as comments, favorites, watches (following), and groups. These elements foster interaction and help build an engaged community.

16. Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is an international travel online community website that connects adventurers with other community members willing to offer free accommodation. The layout is simple, community-oriented, and effective using a blue-and-white color palette, focusing on user profiles and reviews to build a sense of safety and community. The minimalist aesthetic and responsive mobile design make it user-friendly for both travelers and hosts. The homepage uses a light background with large, vibrant images and bold text which is visually appealing and inviting. other tools such as reviews, profile pictures, and community groups are well-integrated into the design, making it easy for users to connect with others.

17. Let’s Knit Together

Let’s Knit Together is a great website with a bright, inviting look that effectively caters to the crafting and knitting community. The website design is visually appealing, bright, and inviting with the use of cheerful colors (pinks, blues, and whites) which create a warm, friendly atmosphere. The layout is clean and organized, with distinct sections for patterns, tutorials, and magazines. This helps members easily find the content they need, whether it’s a free pattern or a knitting guide. The website prominently features images of knitting projects, patterns, and crafts, making it visually engaging for users. These images serve as both inspiration and a preview of what users can create. A simple navigation bar at the top of the page allows easy access to various sections which ensures a smooth browsing experience, especially for users looking for specific resources.

18. The One Ring

Another on our website examples list is dedicated to Tolkien fans and Lord of the Rings in particular. TheOneRing.net has a functional, minimalist content-rich design. It features a clear uncomplicated layout, with recent articles prominently displayed, including news about upcoming adaptations and deep dives into Tolkien’s lore. The site also offers other pages like a forum, a Discord group, and live shows. The website is mobile-friendly and has convenient navigation working well on all devices. It is well-suited for its niche audience, focusing on accessibility to news, discussions, and fan-driven content.

19. KPopSource

KPopSource is a website for K-pop fans to stay updated on anything K-pop-related as well as discover new groups and connect with fellow fans. The design of the website uses a traditional forum-style layout and feels very community-oriented and focused on interaction. There are a lot of well-organized categories and subcategories which reflect a highly active community. The layout is practical and functional with a simple typography that makes the website serve its purpose well – to create a community of K-pop fans, bring them together, and share their ideas and passion.

20. VRChat

VRChat is an online virtual world platform that allows members to interact with others with user-created 3D avatars and worlds. The website design of VRChat is clean and modern and efficiently balances aesthetics with functionality, enhancing discovery and user engagement. The layout focuses on clear call-to-action buttons to encourage visitors to engage with the platform. The homepage is visually captivating, featuring large images and minimal text, emphasizing community worlds, avatar customization, and social interaction in VR. The navigation is straightforward and well-organized for mobile devices.

21. Discord

Discord is an instant messaging and social platform that allows communication through voice and video calls, text messaging, and media. It is great for playing games, chilling with friends, and building a worldwide community. The Discord website design is sleek, modern, and highly functional, focused on the ease of use for both new and existing users. The homepage features a bold color scheme, playful illustrations, and minimal text, clearly emphasizing its community-building and communication features. Navigation is straightforward, guiding visitors to download the app, learn about its features, or join communities. The use of animated elements and well-organized layouts makes the design visually appealing while maintaining practicality for a wide audience.

22. Soundcloud

SoundCloud is one of the largest online music community of artists, bands, DJs, and audio creators. In terms of design, the website features a clean, modern look that prioritizes audio content and user interaction. The layout is intuitive, with easy navigation through playlists, artists, and trending tracks. Bold visuals and album art are prominently displayed, enhancing the overall aesthetic. The site effectively combines functionality with a user-friendly interface, encouraging visitors to discover and share music. Notably, the community element is strong – you can create playlists, like and share songs, leave comments, and follow your favorite artists.

23. PhotoNet

PhotoNet is a large photography community and its website promotes a classic design that emphasizes community engagement among photographers. In terms of layout, it is straightforward, offering easy navigation to different sections of the website. Additionally, the site effectively showcases recent images, promoting user interaction and inspiration. The community aspect can be found in different components like the forum, member albums, and leaderboard.

24. The Taylor Swift Society

Next, we have The Taylor Swift Society which is a community-driven platform where Taylor Swift fans can connect, chat, and discuss all things related to the famous singer. The design is clean and inviting and the layout emphasizes simplicity, making navigation straightforward and user-friendly. The welcoming header and vibrant colors reflect the energetic spirit of the Swiftie community.

The website includes sections for chatting, messaging, and discussing Taylor Swift’s music, enhancing user engagement. Additionally, clear site rules promote a positive atmosphere, ensuring respectful interactions. Overall, it effectively balances aesthetics and functionality, creating a supportive space for fans to share ideas and experiences.

25. Westeros: The ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’

Last on our list, we have a website about the iconic books and TV show Game of Thrones. In terms of design, the fan community website design is straightforward and classic and effectively serves its purpose as a fan site. The layout is functional, with easy navigation to news, forums, and various resources related to the series. Additionally, the emphasis on text and links supports in-depth discussions. With its use of classic typography and earthy tones, the design creates a medieval aesthetic that enhances readability while further enriching the site’s thematic atmosphere

What Makes These Community Websites Stand Out?

The process of designing a great website comes with its own set of challenges and getting the design right is crucial. Visitors expect a user-friendly interface with seamless navigation, intuitive tools, and a sense of belonging. In response to these expectations, each of these community platforms has successfully addressed the unique needs and interests of its users. To guide you further, here are a few tips we gathered to help you in creating your own community website:

User-Friendly Design – prioritize design that is easy to navigate and has a clean interface, allowing users to quickly find the information or interactions they need
Active Participation and Engagement – elements like upvoting (Reddit) reputation systems (Stack Overflow), and badges (Animeleague, Stack Overflow) encourage community participation and reward valuable contributions
Vibrant Visual Identity – your community website design might become recognizable through the colors and typography you’ve used
Concentrated Interest – most of these platforms are focused on a specific audience—whether it’s developers, students, marketers, or digital nomads. Find your own target group that will share common interests
Content Quality – the best community websites feature user-generated content that is organized in a way that ensures relevance and quality. Make sure your visitors get frequent updates from your website
Sense of Belonging – successful community sites create an environment where users feel part of something bigger – whether through shared goals, lifestyles, or creative expression (Behance).
Accessibility and Inclusivity – always make sure your website is accessible for disabled people by following the WCAG 2.0 standards
Security and Privacy – visitors’ personal information should always be a top priority

Final Thoughts

Building a successful community website involves more than just offering a platform for discussion; in fact, it requires creating an engaging, user-friendly experience that fosters genuine connections. By combining design, functionality, and user involvement, these 25 examples prove that with thoughtful execution, you can build a thriving online community that resonates with your target audience.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration for your own community website or curious about what makes these examples successful, there’s plenty to learn from these standout platforms.

And if you are looking for more inspiration, check out these articles from our blog:

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