How to create stunning websites in 2026 (without looking like AI)

Welcome to 2026.

The new year is the perfect time to look back at what changed in the last 12 months and get ahead of what’s coming next.

In terms of what changed: 2025 was the year the general public started using AI en masse for coding and design. People made some amazing stuff. 

But in 2026, builders will have to take things to a new level to stay competitive as AI coding and design becomes increasingly commonplace. 

In a recent video tutorial, designer and power-user Jakub Skrzypczak walked through:

• Why early 2025 AI websites all looked the same

• What the new baseline looks like now

• The exact techniques you can use to create websites that feel premium, intentional, and genuinely stunning in 2026.
  
  

Check out the video or skim through the key learnings below. 

The 2025 problem: Everything looked the same

By the end of 2025, most people familiar with vibecoding could tell when a website or app was built with AI. A lot of AI builders generated pretty similar-looking outputs. 

If you used any AI builder last year, you probably saw:

• Heavy gradients everywhere

• Rigid cookie-cutter grids

• Overuse of emojis

• tTe same repetitive section order

  • Features (4 items)

  • Pricing

  • Testimonials

  • CTA

• The same generic fonts

• The same layout patterns on every “new” website
  
  

It was a great starting point for speed, but it created a landscape where everything felt samey and, of course, distinctly AI-generated. 

The new baseline: A one-sentence prompt gets you to “really good”

In 2026, you can type “create a personal portfolio landing page” and get something with:

• Dynamic layout shifts (not rigid grids)

• Hover animations that feel intentional

• Modern spacing and rounded corners

• Subtle motion and depth

• Clean forms and CTA design
  
  

Again, that’s with just one prompt. 

This is great for builders whose primary goal is fast execution. But it also means the web will get increasingly flooded with competent design. And naturally, if you want your site to stand out, you need to move beyond competent. 

You need to build websites that feel:

• Cinematic

• Tactile

• Composed

• Surprising

• Alive
  
  

Let’s walk through how to make it happen. 

6 ways to make your website stand out in 2026

1. Add motion in the hero
   
   

If you do one thing this year, do this: a video background in your hero section.

It instantly creates an atmosphere for visitors. And it looks expensive. Best of all, it’s a lot easier than it sounds. 

Background video: Tools you’ll need 

• https://midjourney.com/

• https://gemini.google.com/app

• https://bolt.new/

Workflow

1. Create a static image in Midjourney

   • get inspiration from the “Styles” tab

2. Upload to Gemini (Veo 3.1 / NanoBanana Pro)

3. Describe the motion

   • what moves (clouds, light, particles)

   • what stays static

4. Download video

5. Slow it down + loop it in CapCut

6. Add it to your Bolt project

   • create a public/ folder

   • drop in background.mp4

   • prompt Bolt to use it in the hero
     
     

2. Use abstract motion (shaders + reactive backgrounds)

The easiest way to make your site look unique and custom in 2026 is to use shaders or interactive backgrounds.

Two go-to sources for creating interactive backgrounds:

Shaders from paper.design

• open https://paper.design/

• hit Shaders (hotkey S)

• pick an effect

• customize presets

• right click → Copy as Tailwind

• paste into Bolt and use as your background
  
  

Now your site feels like a premium product demo.

Interactive components from ReactBits / 21st

• browse:

  • https://www.reactbits.dev/

  • https://21st.dev/

• find anything that could work as a background

• copy the code

• paste into Bolt with instructions
  
  

This should take only one or two prompts. But once you get it working, your site will feel dynamic and lively. 

Other great sources for interactive components:

• https://codepen.io/

• https://www.unicorn.studio/ (WebGL / 3D magic)
  
  

3. Surprise people with composition

For years, the default was edge-to-edge design. But in 2026, giving your content plenty of whitespace and breathing room is much more stylish and striking. 

When you wrap your experience inside a container with padding and rounded edges, the site starts to feel like a premium object in a chalky museum; a window into another world. It feels like you’re looking at a movie screen vs. a flat page. 

So don’t be afraid of empty space. Constrain the layout to increase the perceived quality of your site instantly. 

4. Design directly in code

This is going to be a defining trend in 2026: designing directly in code.

Old workflow:

Figma → 3 options → dev → regret → redo

New workflow:

Bolt → generate → iterate → compare → ship

In Bolt, you can ask for multiple versions of the same landing page and switch between them.

Prompt

suggest 3 great UI alternatives for this landing page - let’s make one, where entire page is sort of 'framed' inside a cool full page container
let’s try all three and create a version switcher in the bottom-right corner

Fast iteration in Bolt makes you a better designer, because you can test in context instead of making decisions based off flat files. 

5. Use materials: Liquid glass, liquid metal, tactile UI

2026 is the year things get fluid and dreamy. We’re likely going to see a rise of:

• Liquid glass

• Liquid metal

• Glossy, physical-feeling UI elements

• Interfaces that feel “touchable”
  
  

Analog devices are coming back. And similarly, people want to feel like they can reach out and touch what they see on their screen. 

A quick pro tip, though: use materials sparingly in dashboards. The UI still needs to be readable.

That said, for buttons, navbars, cards, and hero UI, go crazy. 

Glass button effect (copy/paste)

Copy-paste this code into Bolt and explain you want to use this as a button:

CSS Custom Properties (required for animations):

@property --angle-1 {

  syntax: "<angle>";

  inherits: false;

  initial-value: -75deg;

}

@property --angle-2 {

  syntax: "<angle>";

  inherits: false;

  initial-value: -45deg;

}

Base Button (.glass-button):

.glass-button {

  background: linear-gradient(-75deg, rgba(194, 157, 148, 0.35), rgba(194, 157, 148, 0.55), rgba(194, 157, 148, 0.35));

  box-shadow:

    inset 0 0.125em 0.125em rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05),

    inset 0 -0.125em 0.125em rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5),

    0 0.25em 0.125em -0.125em rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2),

    0 0 0.1em 0.25em rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2) inset,

    0 0 0 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 1);

  backdrop-filter: blur(clamp(1px, 0.125em, 4px));

  transition: all 400ms cubic-bezier(0.25, 1, 0.5, 1);

  border-radius: 9999px;

  cursor: pointer;

  position: relative;

}

Hover State:

.glass-button:hover {

  transform: scale(0.975);

  backdrop-filter: blur(0.01em);

  box-shadow:

    inset 0 0.125em 0.125em rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05),

    inset 0 -0.125em 0.125em rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5),

    0 0.15em 0.05em -0.1em rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25),

    0 0 0.05em 0.1em rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5) inset,

    0 0 0 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 1);

}

Active/Pressed State:

.glass-button:active {

  transform: scale(0.95) rotate3d(1, 0, 0, 25deg);

  box-shadow:

    inset 0 0.125em 0.125em rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05),

    inset 0 -0.125em 0.125em rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5),

    0 0.125em 0.125em -0.125em rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2),

    0 0 0.1em 0.25em rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2) inset,

    0 0.225em 0.05em 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05),

    0 0.25em 0 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.75),

    inset 0 0.25em 0.05em 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15);

}

Border Effect (::after pseudo-element):

.glass-button::after {

  content: '';

  position: absolute;

  inset: 0;

  border-radius: 999px;

  width: calc(100% + 2px);

  height: calc(100% + 2px);

  top: -1px;

  left: -1px;

  padding: 1px;

  box-sizing: border-box;

  background:

    conic-gradient(from var(--angle-1) at 50% 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5), rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 5% 40%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 60% 95%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5)),

    linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5), rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5));

  mask: linear-gradient(#000 0 0) content-box, linear-gradient(#000 0 0);

  mask-composite: exclude;

  transition: all 400ms cubic-bezier(0.25, 1, 0.5, 1), --angle-1 500ms ease;

  box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 0.5px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);

}

.glass-button:hover::after {

  --angle-1: -125deg;

}

.glass-button:active::after {

  --angle-1: -75deg;

}

Shine Overlay (.button-shine child element):

.button-shine {

  position: absolute;

  inset: 0;

  border-radius: 999px;

  width: calc(100% - 1px);

  height: calc(100% - 1px);

  top: 0.5px;

  left: 0.5px;

  background: linear-gradient(var(--angle-2), rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) 0%, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5) 40% 50%, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) 55%);

  mix-blend-mode: screen;

  pointer-events: none;

  background-size: 200% 200%;

  background-position: 0% 50%;

  background-repeat: no-repeat;

  transition: background-position 500ms cubic-bezier(0.25, 1, 0.5, 1), --angle-2 500ms cubic-bezier(0.25, 1, 0.5, 1);

}

.glass-button:hover .button-shine {

  background-position: 25% 50%;

}

.glass-button:active .button-shine {

  background-position: 50% 15%;

  --angle-2: -15deg;

}

Button Text:

.button-text {

  text-shadow: 0em 0.25em 0.05em rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);

  transition: all 400ms cubic-bezier(0.25, 1, 0.5, 1);

}

.glass-button:hover .button-text {

  text-shadow: 0.025em 0.025em 0.025em rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.12);

}

.glass-button:active .button-text {

  text-shadow: 0.025em 0.25em 0.05em rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.12);

6.) Stop Using Default Fonts + Safe Colors

AI will almost always pick Inter or Roboto font and stick to safe blue and gray font colors. That’s why a lot of AI designs blend together. 

If you want to stand out, experiment aggressively with typography, font weight, line height, font color, and bold palettes. 

Prompt: 

i want to experiment with fonts a bit - can we add a font switcher in the bottom-right corner so i can test 7 alternatives? 

let's pick fonts that are quite different from each other, and bold, creative, not obvious choices for hero typography (no Inter, Roboto etc.)

i want to be able to change the font colour, weight and line spacing


Combine these elements (but don’t over-do it)

Once you’ve got:

• A motion background

• Surprising composition

• Glass / metal materials

• Typography that isn’t generic

• Layout iterations

• Subtle hover animations

  
  

You can combine them for maximum impact.

For example, you could throw in:

• A diagonal axis composition (elements placed to match visual weight in the background)

• A glass navbar surface that changes depending on position

• A video background + version switcher to compare layouts instantly

  
  

Just don’t do everything at once or it’ll look too chaotic. 

Your 2026 design prompt vocabulary

These are the words that consistently get better results in Bolt prompts:

• Premium

• Subtle

• Minimalistic

• Aesthetic

• Smaller

• 2026 based

  
  

They help to steer the model away from the default AI design and toward modern, intentional styling.

Your 2026 starter resource pack

If you want to build stunning websites this year, this is your toolbox:

Core:

• https://bolt.new/

  
  

Images + video:

• https://midjourney.com/

• https://gemini.google.com/app

  
  

Shaders / materials:

• https://paper.design/

  
  

Components:

• https://www.reactbits.dev/

• https://21st.dev/

• https://codepen.io/

  
  

3D / WebGL:

• https://www.unicorn.studio/
  
  
  

Ready to create a website fit for the future? Build it with Bolt.