This is the first in a monthly round-up of unique, original and superb website designs from all corners of the globe. As this is the first instalment I’ve collected 10 of my favourite websites of the year so far. I hope you enjoy these!

I’ve designed some free multi-coloured iPod Nano transparent PNG icons for you to download. They are based on the new design introduced by Apple recently and can be used for personal and commercial work.

Since Apple announced version 10 of iTunes on Wednesday there has been a bit of an online uproar over the redesigned icon. I’ll agree it may be a bit garish and perhaps not as refined as other Apple applications but at the end of the day it is just an icon!

Dan Hinton is Creative Director at Pixelfish who specialise in creating content management system websites. We’ve interviewed Dan about CMS websites and the importance of having regular fresh content on your website.

I’ve been busy designing a collection of vibrant PNG icons that you can use for both personal and commercial purposes without attribution. Each of the icons are supplied in 128, 64, 48 and 32 pixel sizes.

Heart Internet are looking for an inspired designer to create a brand new magazine advert that will set Heart Internet apart from our competitors and showcase their Reseller Hosting product.

Chad Mueller has been immersed in the creative industry since 2005 and is Creative Director at Projekt19. He also created Inspiredology, a design inspiration lab and loves the internet, creating projects and collaborating.

Freelance web design is becoming a successful business for many people wishing to go self employed. But what inspires these folks to leave the security of full time employment?

Shutterstock is a royalty free stock photography website that let you subscribe for one month, three months, six months or one year, and download up to 25 images per day. There are no hidden or additional fees after you become a subscriber. They’ve kindly written this guest post to give our readers some handy tips on using stock photography.

Grace Smith is a designer, self-proclaimed Apple fan-girl and Twitter addict based in Northern Ireland. Her design studio, Postscript5, specializes in Blog and User Interface design. Grace works with individuals and companies based mainly in the UK and USA, on a diverse range of projects and enjoys collaborating with other designers and developers.

We are delighted to have been provided with 2 full licencses for the complete crosoft Expression Studio 3 suite courtesy of We Are Social.

Phillip Lovelace is a web designer, avid blogger and twitter addict who enjoys creating standards-compliant code and CSS from his studio in Berlin Germany.