Introducing Apps & Tools: A New Chapter for Refs Gallery

Refs Gallery began with websites. We wanted to make exceptional digital work easier to find, and to create a quieter place to study the decisions behind it.

But design research rarely stops at a website. A beautiful landing page can lead you to an equally thoughtful iPhone app. A memorable interaction can send you looking for the tool that makes it possible. The questions get wider as the work moves forward.

Today, we're opening two new sections: Apps and Tools. Together with Websites, they make Refs Gallery a more useful place to explore digital design—from the first spark of inspiration to the things you build with.

Apps: a closer look at mobile design

There's a lot to learn from the small canvas of an iPhone. An app icon has to express an identity in a few pixels. An App Store page has seconds to introduce a product, show what it feels like, and make a compelling case for trying it.

Our new Apps Gallery brings those details into focus. Browse app icons together to compare shape, colour, material, and personality. Switch to the App Store view to study how products use screenshots, typography, and visual storytelling to introduce themselves.

Each app has a dedicated page with a short introduction, editorial design notes, and a link to its official App Store listing. We focus on iOS apps worth studying, from independent products to recognised examples of craft. Every selection starts with something worth learning from: a distinctive identity, a strong presentation, or an especially thoughtful design decision.

For this first release, the gallery focuses on icons and App Store presentations. We're also building a collection of genuine in-app screens, which we'll introduce once it's ready for the same level of curation.

Tools: find what helps you make

Inspiration is only one part of a designer's day. The next question is often practical: how should I prototype this, prepare a mockup, explore a typeface, or hand work off to development?

Tools is our answer. The directory is organised around what you're trying to do: discover and research, design interfaces, create visuals, prototype and animate, build and ship, present and share, or improve workflow and handoff.

You can explore editor's picks or narrow the collection to AI-powered tools and Figma-related products. Each entry brings together a clear description, relevant context, and a direct path to the product. We want it to be easy to find a promising tool and get back to the work.

A more connected gallery

Websites, Apps, and Tools now sit side by side in the navigation. Search can find references across all three, and the submission form now welcomes iOS apps and design tools alongside websites. If you've discovered something that deserves a place here, you can suggest it.

We've also spent time refining the experience around the content: navigation across screen sizes, interactions in the galleries, a playful new homepage detail, and a more helpful way back when a page can't be found. These small touches matter in a place built for looking closely.

A smoother experience, behind the scenes

Good design research depends on momentum. Alongside the new galleries, we've improved how category and collection pages are delivered, prioritised the first images you see, and made the homepage introduction available as soon as the page arrives.

We've also changed how project views are counted, so opening a reference no longer triggers an update to its editorial record. And we addressed an issue that could repeatedly retry a gallery request after it failed. These are quiet changes, but they help the experience stay focused on the work in front of you.

We've also refined how pages appear when shared, improved how the collection is discovered through search, and made a series of behind-the-scenes improvements to keep the experience reliable as Refs Gallery grows. We've simplified session recording and updated our privacy information to reflect it.

Why we're expanding

Designers move between inspiration, analysis, and making all the time. We want Refs Gallery to support more of that journey while keeping the collection selective, easy to explore, and free to use.

There's still plenty to add: more mobile interface references, a broader range of tools, and new ways for the community to contribute. We'll keep shaping the library around real research and design tasks.

We'll use a new What's New section in Margins to share meaningful releases and the thinking behind them as Refs Gallery evolves.

Explore the new Apps Gallery, browse Design Tools, or submit a reference you'd like us to consider.