Sometimes, it doesn’t take a lot to get inspired. A short bike ride to soak in the sun, a coffee break with a friend, or listening to your favorite song might be just what you need to spark some fresh ideas on a busy day. And if that doesn’t do the trick, we have a little extra inspiration boost for you: desktop wallpapers!
For this post, artists and designers from across the globe once again challenged their creative skills and designed desktop wallpapers to cater for some fresh inspiration this May — just like it has been a monthly tradition here at Smashing Magazine for more than 14 years already. You’ll find their artworks compiled below, along with a selection of May favorites from our wallpapers archives that are just too good to be forgotten. A big thank-you to everyone who shared their designs with us this month — this post wouldn’t be possible without your wonderful support!
If you too would like to get featured in one of our upcoming wallpapers posts, please don’t hesitate to submit your design. We can’t wait to see what you’ll come up with! Happy May!
- You can click on every image to see a larger preview.
- We respect and carefully consider the ideas and motivation behind each and every artist’s work. This is why we give all artists the full freedom to explore their creativity and express emotions and experience through their works. This is also why the themes of the wallpapers weren’t anyhow influenced by us but rather designed from scratch by the artists themselves.
Squeeze The Day
“Happy National Lemonade Day! Whether you like it sweet, tart, sparkling, or spiked — today’s the perfect excuse to pour yourself a glass of sunshine. Support a local lemonade stand, whip up your own zesty creation, or just soak in the summer vibes. However you sip it, make it refreshing, bold, and bright. Cheers to lemons and all the lemonade moments life brings!” — Designed by PopArt Studio from Serbia.
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My Crazy Thoughts
“In this illustration, I want to express myself, just as I am, with all my upside-down, crazy thoughts. There are little things that make me happy: I love sitting quietly by the window and watching the rain. I enjoy watching the changes in the sky, the colors, and the clouds. It feels like every cloud says something to me, reminding me how important it is to give myself time. Nature always speaks to us through colors, shapes, and space. But nowadays, people are too busy — buying time, spending hours on movies and OTT platforms — always trying to prove themselves to others. We have forgotten how to simply be with ourselves, to connect with nature.” — Designed by Design Studio from India.
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Lily Of The Valley
“In May, a very particular flower blooms, adorning the fields with little white bells. Associated with the first of May in France (‘la fête du travail’), the Lily of the Valley (‘muguet’ in French) is a very recognizable plant, and this one is entirely made of paper in the traditional papercraft art, without any glue, respecting nature in every way.” — Designed by Caroline Boire from France.
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May The Fourth Be With You
“I love Star Wars and spring! I chose to combine those aesthetics to create a minimal wallpaper design for those who wanted a sweet memory of C3PO and R2D2. Culturally, I believe Star Wars is huge both nationally and internationally and teaches loads of good lessons, so what better theme to pull from! I also enjoy hand-drawn elements, so I drew this image with charcoal brushes in Procreate and then dropped it in as a jpeg.” — Designed by Chloe Mills from Texas, United States.
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Ladies And Gentlemen
Designed by Ricardo Gimenes from Spain.
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Through The Castle’s Eye
“Through a crumbling castle window, nature weaves its way back — framing a white house, green trees, and soft skies. A peaceful glimpse of history and new life intertwined.” — Designed by LibraFire from Serbia.
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Crayfish Party
Designed by Ricardo Gimenes from Spain.
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Under The Flower Moon
“Two ladybugs sat quietly on a flower, watching the Flower Moon rise high above. It was May, the time when blossoms wake and the moon whispers of new beginnings. Together, they listened.” — Designed by Ginger IT Solutions from Serbia.
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International Labour Day
“International Labour Day on May 1 celebrates the contributions and achievements of workers worldwide. Originating from 19th-century labor movements advocating for an eight-hour workday, it highlights the importance of fair wages, safe workplaces, and workers’ rights. Many countries hold events, parades, and rallies to honor this important day.” — Designed by Design Studio from India.
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Hello May
“The longing for warmth, flowers in bloom, and new beginnings is finally over as we welcome the month of May. From celebrating nature on the days of turtles and birds to marking the days of our favorite wine and macarons, the historical celebrations of the International Workers’ Day, Cinco de Mayo, and Victory Day, to the unforgettable ‘May the Fourth be with you’. May is a time of celebration — so make every May day count!” — Designed by PopArt Studio from Serbia.
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Navigating The Amazon
“We are in May, the spring month par excellence, and we celebrate it in the Amazon jungle.” — Designed by Veronica Valenzuela Jimenez from Spain.
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Bat Traffic
Designed by Ricardo Gimenes from Sweden.
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Understand Yourself
“Sunsets in May are the best way to understand who you are and where you are heading. Let’s think more!” — Designed by Igor Izhik from Canada.
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Poppies Paradise
Designed by Nathalie Ouederni from France.
The Mushroom Band
“My daughter asked me to draw a band of mushrooms. Here it is!” — Designed by Vlad Gerasimov from Georgia.
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April Showers Bring Magnolia Flowers
“April and May are usually when everything starts to bloom, especially the magnolia trees. I live in an area where there are many and when the wind blows, the petals make it look like snow is falling.” — Designed by Sarah Masucci from the United States.
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ARRR2-D2
Designed by Ricardo Gimenes from Sweden.
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Add Color To Your Life!
“This month is dedicated to flowers, to join us and brighten our days giving a little more color to our daily life.” — Designed by Verónica Valenzuela from Spain.
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Lake Deck
“I wanted to make a big painterly vista with some mountains and a deck and such.” — Designed by Mike Healy from Australia.
Tentacles
Designed by Julie Lapointe from Canada.
Today, Yesterday, Or Tomorrow
Designed by Alma Hoffmann from the United States.
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The Monolith
Designed by Ricardo Gimenes from Sweden.
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Asparagus Say Hi!
“In my part of the world, May marks the start of seasonal produce, starting with asparagus. I know spring is finally here and summer is around the corner when locally-grown asparagus shows up at the grocery store.” — Designed by Elaine Chen from Toronto, Canada.
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Spring Gracefulness
“We don’t usually count the breaths we take, but observing nature in May, we can’t count our breaths being taken away.” — Designed by Ana Masnikosa from Belgrade, Serbia.
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Blooming May
“In spring, especially in May, we all want bright colors and lightness, which was not there in winter.” — Designed by MasterBundles from Ukraine.
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Enjoy May!
“Springtime, especially May, is my favorite time of the year. And I like popsicles — so it’s obvious isn’t it?” — Designed by Steffen Weiß from Germany.
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Geo
Designed by Amanda Focht from the United States.
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Be On Your Bike!
“May is National Bike Month! So, instead of hopping in your car, grab your bike and go. Our whole family loves that we live in our bike-friendly community. So, bike to work, to school, to the store, or to the park — sometimes it is faster. Not only is it good for the environment, but it is great exercise!” — Designed by Karen Frolo from the United States.
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Duck
Designed by Madeline Scott from the United States.
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Flying In The Air
“We recently changed our workplace and now we’re in a windy place, so we like the idea of flying in the air, somehow.” — Designed by Monk Software from Italy.
May Your May Be Magnificent
“May should be as bright and colorful as this calendar! That’s why our designers chose these juicy colors.” — Designed by MasterBundles from Ukraine.
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Popping Into Spring
“Spring has sprung, and what better metaphor than toast popping up and out of a fun-colored toaster!” — Designed by Stephanie Klemick from Emmaus Pennsylvania, USA.
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Make A Wish
Designed by Julia Versinina from Chicago, USA.
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The Green Bear
Designed by Pedro Rolo from Portugal.
Birds Of May
“Inspired by a little-known ‘holiday’ on May 4th known as ‘Bird Day’. It is the first holiday in the United States celebrating birds. Hurray for birds!” — Designed by Clarity Creative Group from Orlando, FL.
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Beautiful Things
Designed by Elise Vanoorbeek from Belgium.
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