# A reference website looks attractive: how can you decide which design ideas are worth adopting?

Source: https://www.jvds.cn/en/share/website-design/evaluate-reference-page-elements
Language: en
Published: 2026-10-08
Author: JVDS Design Studio

When learning from a reference website, first identify the reader's task it solves, then examine its information sequence, visual expression, and interaction conditions. Finally, assess whether the company has the materials it requires. An explainable design approach is worth adapting; copying an entire page can import promises, content structures, and asset dependencies that do not belong to your business.

## Connect what you like to a specific task

While reviewing a reference page, describe its visitor's task in one sentence, such as understanding a service, comparing products, or finding contact information. Then ask whether your company's visitors need the same task. If the purpose differs, even an attractive page may offer only a useful example of reading rhythm. See [Who Owns Design Files, Source Code, and Copyright?](https://www.jvds.cn/en/share/user-experience/design-source-code-copyright) for related checks.

‘We like the opening screen’ is still too broad. Be more specific: ‘The headline immediately tells me what the business does,’ ‘The image explains the process,’ or ‘The next-step entry is clearly named.’ These observations turn references into discussable questions and help the design team propose a more appropriate solution without repeating someone else's expression.

Do not treat a screenshot as all the evidence. Where possible, open the menu, visit interior pages, and view the site on a phone to see which attractive features depend on particular interactions or content lengths. A static image may omit loading, long text, and error states. State the limits of what you observed.

![A reference page is broken down into specific design elements](https://www.jvds.cn/upload/2026/1004/g3/G003-i1.webp)

A reference page is broken down into specific design elements · Concept illustration

## Use three checks to decide what to retain

First, check the materials: does the effect depend on extensive photography, video, or authorized testimonials? If your company lacks equivalent assets, find workable alternatives instead of requesting the same visual result before supplying materials. Second, check the task: does the module help visitors reach a conclusion relevant to your business? Modules that serve no purpose can be omitted. See [How to Evaluate Corporate Website Code Quality](https://www.jvds.cn/en/share/website-design/enterprise-website-code-quality-review) for related checks.

Third, check maintenance: can staff update this content later? A complex composition may require a new image to be produced for every update, while the company has assigned only one editor to maintain text. Tell the design team about this difference early. Choose a structure that is easier to maintain or specify who will handle additional production work.

Suppose a reference page uses scroll animation to explain how equipment works, but another company has only written service descriptions. The useful idea may be ‘explain progressively in the order of understanding,’ rather than the animation itself. Short paragraphs and step descriptions may still accomplish the task.

![Reference elements are matched to the company's own content conditions](https://www.jvds.cn/upload/2026/1004/g3/G003-i2.webp)

Reference elements are matched to the company's own content conditions · Concept illustration

## Give the design team a reference package with reasons

A reference package need not be large. Choose a few clearly different pages and explain the element to adapt, why it is useful, what cannot be carried over, and which materials your company has prepared. If you like one page's navigation and another's text hierarchy, record them separately rather than giving contradictory requirements for entire pages.

Including the original URL makes discussion easier; it does not grant permission to use its assets. Do not copy customer logos, photographs, graphics, or original copy into your own page. Even common layouts should be reorganized around your content. In particular, do not copy another company's cases, reviews, or business figures.

When discussing web design references with [JVDS Design Studio](https://www.jvds.cn/en), provide this package and ask the team to explain how each choice serves your visitors. Reference analysis is one part of the requirements input; actual design and development deliverables still need project-specific agreement.

![Ideas drawn from references become independent website requirements](https://www.jvds.cn/upload/2026/1004/g3/G003-i3.webp)

Ideas drawn from references become independent website requirements · Concept illustration

## Check the reasoning again after adapting references

Review the preliminary proposal item by item: if the reference screenshots were removed, could the team still explain why every major module exists? If the explanation is still ‘That website does it too,’ revisit the module. Success means that content, entries, and visuals have a basis in your company's own tasks.

Ask someone who did not participate in design discussions to complete a specified search task, and record where they hesitate. This limited observation may reveal comprehension issues, but it is not comprehensive user research or evidence of increased conversion. Adjusting to actual problems is more useful than continually adding reference pages.

## Frequently asked questions

### Are websites in the same industry better references?

They help reveal terminology and material types, but their structures are not necessarily suitable for your company. Check the service scope, customer roles, and available content as well, so that you do not adopt modules you cannot support.

### Can we directly use another website's colors if we like them?

You can discuss its approach to color, but redesign it around your own brand identity and reading requirements. If the combination causes brand confusion or makes text difficult to distinguish from the background, change it. A reference image alone should not determine the decision.