A Time Of Transition (October 2021 Desktop Wallpapers Edition)
About The Author
Cosima has been an editor at SmashingMag since 2013. Whenever she’s not writing articles for the weekly Smashing Newsletter, she’s probably working on a …
More about
Cosima ↬
Email Newsletter
Get your desktop ready for fall and the upcoming Halloween season with a fresh batch of desktop wallpapers. Created with love by designers and artists from across the globe, they come in versions with and without a calendar for October 2021.
Inspiration lies everywhere. In the fall leaves shining in the most beautiful colors these days, in the misty mornings and golden afternoons that October might bring along, or taking a walk on a windy day. Whatever it is that gets you inspired, our monthly wallpapers series is bound to give you a little inspiration boost, too.
For this October edition, artists and designers from across the globe once again challenged their creative skills and designed wallpapers to spark your imagination and make the month a bit more colorful as it already is. Just like every month since we embarked on this creativity mission more than ten years ago.
The wallpapers all come in versions with and without a calendar for October 2021 — so no matter if you want to keep an eye on your deadlines or plan to use your favorite design even after the month has ended, we’ve got you covered. At the end of this post, you’ll also find some oldies but goodies from our wallpapers archives. A huge thank-you to everyone who shared their artworks with us! Happy October!
Submit a wallpaper!
Did you know that you could get featured in our next wallpapers post, too? We are always looking for creative talent! Join in! →
The days become shorter… The socks thicker… And the ghosts louder! The spooooooky season is upon us, and we can’t wait to carve into it. ActiveCollab wishes you a bag full of treats this October! — Designed by ActiveCollab from the USA.
Up And Down San Francisco
It’s October and we go to San Francisco. We enjoy the sun and we go up and down with the cable car. — Designed by Veronica Valenzuela from Spain.
Meet with useful tips on front-end, design & UX. Subscribe and get “Smart Interface Design Checklists” — a free PDF deck with 150+ questions to ask yourself when designing and building almost anything.
Once a week. Useful tips on front-end & UX. Trusted by 190.000 friendly folks.
Oldies But Goodies
Hidden in our wallpapers archives, we rediscovered some almost-forgotten treasures from past October editions. May we present… (Please note that these designs don’t come with a calendar.)
Hello Autumn
Did you know that squirrels don’t just eat nuts? They really like to eat fruit, too. Since apples are the seasonal fruit of October, I decided to combine both things into a beautiful image. — Designed by Erin Troch from Belgium.
Bird Migration Portal
October is a significant month for me because it is when my favorite type of bird travels south. For that reason I have chosen to write about the swallow. When I was young, I had a bird’s nest not so far from my room window. I watched the birds almost every day; because those swallows always left their nests in October. As a child, I dreamt that they all flew together to a nicer place, where they were not so cold. — Designed by Eline Claeys from Belgium.
Game Night And Hot Chocolate
To me, October is all about cozy evenings with hot chocolate, freshly baked cookies, and a game night with friends or family. — Designed by Lieselot Geirnaert from Belgium.
First Scarf And The Beach
When I was little, my parents always took me and my sister for a walk at the beach in Nieuwpoort, we didn’t really do those beach walks in the summer but always when the sky started to turn grey and the days became colder. My sister and I always took out our warmest scarfs and played in the sand while my parents walked behind us. I really loved those Saturday or Sunday mornings where we were all together. I think October (when it’s not raining) is the perfect month to go to the beach for ‘uitwaaien’ (to blow out), to walk in the wind and take a break and clear your head, relieve the stress or forget one’s problems. — Designed by Gwen Bogaert from Belgium.
Shades Of Gold
We are about to experience the magical imagery of nature, with all the yellows, ochers, oranges, and reds coming our way this fall. With all the subtle sunrises and the burning sunsets before us, we feel so joyful that we are going to shout it out to the world from the top of the mountains. — Designed by PopArt Studio from Serbia.
Flying Home For Halloween
To me, October is a transitional month. We gradually slide from summer to autumn. That’s why I chose to use a lot of gradients. I also wanted to work with simple shapes, because I think of October as the ‘back to nature/back to basics month’. — Designed by Jelle Denturck from Belgium.
Fallen Woods
Designed by Dan Ioanitescu from Canada.
“October is the month when the weather in Poland starts to get colder, and it gets very rainy, too. You can’t always spend your free time outside, so it’s the perfect opportunity to get some hot coffee and work on your next cool web project!” — Designed by Robert Brodziak from Poland.
Autumn In The Forest
“Autumn is a wonderful time to go for walks in the forest!” — Designed by Hilda Rytteke from Sweden.
Discovering The Universe!
“Autumn is the best moment for discovering the universe. I am looking for a new galaxy or maybe… a UFO!” — Designed by Verónica Valenzuela from Spain.
Rain And Acorns
Waiting at the bus stop when it’s raining in October can be a sad and wet experience. The bus is late, the dry spot is taken by other people and you’re just standing there in the rain with your hands in your pockets with nowhere to go. Acorns must have a hard time like that too! Waiting in the rain for the squirrels to come and pick them up. — Designed by Casey Dulst from Belgium.
Create More
The colors of the sun inspired me. — Designed by Hitesh Puri from India.
Useful front-end & UX bits, delivered once a week.
With tools to help you get your work done better. Subscribe and get Vitaly’s via email. ?
This content was originally published here.