Fresh Wallpapers for May 2020
As every month for the past nine years, we've invited the design community to share their creativity in our monthly wallpaper collection. For May 2020, artists from around the world have sent in their interpretations of the season, featuring everything from lettering to illustration and photography. All designs are available in versions with and without a calendar, free to download. We've also dug into our archives to include a few timeless favorites at the end of the post.
The current global situation has reshaped our routines and how we experience time — many of this month's designs reflect that shift, while others simply celebrate the arrival of spring. Each artist has been given full creative freedom over their theme; the wallpapers are designed from scratch without any editorial influence. Click any image to see its preview, and use the links below to download the resolution that fits your screen.
Have a design of your own? We're always looking for new talent. If you'd like to see your work featured in an upcoming post, submit your wallpaper here.
Today, Yesterday, Or Tomorrow
"During the last few months we have experienced significant and profound changes in our lifestyle and work habits due to the pandemic. One of the most significant changes is how we relate to time. Our day to day blurs as we try to make the best of this situation while hoping for a better tomorrow. While working on my daily lettering practice, I lost track of time and thought what day is it today? From there, I wondered if it was today, yesterday, or tomorrow." — Designed by Alma Hoffmann from the United States.
- preview
- with calendar: 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1280x800, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 2560x1440
- without calendar: 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1280x800, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 2560x1440
Spring Is In The Air
"Spring is the most inspiring time of the year, so I've decided to create this wallpaper to celebrate this beautiful season." — Designed by Hristina Hristova from Bulgaria.
- preview
- with calendar: 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 2560x1440
- without calendar: 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 2560x1440
Seasonal Screens
Two designers drew on the natural world for this month’s wallpaper collection, translating the optimism of renewal into desktop art.
Fly Into Spring by Raeanne Seliga of the United States captures the season’s energy. “Spring is the season of new beginnings. I wanted to create something that represents what spring is to me. Right now the sky is full of birds flying and singing. I used that as inspiration for my wallpaper design,” Seliga said.
Available in 20 resolutions with a calendar and 20 without, ranging from 320x480 to 2560x1440.
- Preview
- With calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440
- Without calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440
Seasonal Stability
Hope Shakes The Branches by Jeffrey Berg also nods to the changing season, with a focus on its emotional resonance. “The promise of the return of spring feels normal in our new strange and abnormal world,” Berg explained.
This design is available in 15 resolutions with a calendar and 15 without, including common laptop, desktop, and mobile sizes such as 1366x768 and 1920x1080.
- Preview
- With calendar: 320x480, 800x480, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 2560x1440
- Without calendar: 320x480, 800x480, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 2560x1440
Desktop Art for a Quarantine Spring
As May arrives and much of the world remains at home, a fresh wallpaper is one small way to reset the view. Two new designs from the community collection offer very different takes on the month: one dreamy and contemplative, the other a playful nudge about current events.
Under the Night Sky
Swedish designer Ricardo Gimenes contributes a calm, starry scene. Under the Night Sky is built around a deep blue palette, with the May calendar tucked neatly into the composition.
All common desktop resolutions are covered. The wallpaper is available in 21 sizes with the calendar and 21 sizes without, from small phone-friendly dimensions like 320x480 up to widescreen and high-DPI displays including 2560x1440.
Stay Safe And Don’t Hoard!
The second addition comes from Portugal's Westie Vibes and leans into the lighter side of lockdown life. It pairs a bright, cartoonish design with the message “Let's try to make the best of this situation and have a laugh every now and then!”
This set offers a more compact range of sizes, with seven calendar and seven no-calendar variants. Supported display formats include everything from 320x480 for mobile devices to 800x600, 1280x720, 1680x1200, and up to 2560x1440. Preview files for both wallpapers are available on their respective pages, along with downloads for desktop, laptop, and tablet setups.
May Themes Captured by Designers
Staying Apart, Staying Well
LibraFire from Serbia addressed the realities of spring 2020 directly: a bright month where social distancing keeps people from enjoying the season together. The wallpaper frames those restrictions as protection: staying apart helps save “Castle Earth” from the coronavirus. The accompanying text balances a practical reminder with well-wishes for readers to stay healthy and enjoy spring responsibly.
Download links are available in both calendar and no-calendar variants at 21 resolutions ranging from 320x480 to 2560x1440. A preview image is also provided.
Honoring Nurses at the Frontline
National Nurses Day arrives in May, and Ever Increasing Circles from the United Kingdom created a design that highlights the vital role nurses play. The artwork accompanies a message thanking those who “are at the frontline of keeping us all safe,” and it celebrates the ongoing work of healthcare professionals around the globe.
As with the previous design, the nurses-day wallpaper is available with and without a calendar across that same set of resolutions. Preview and direct download links are available for each version.
Body Positivity in Design
Autumn Bohner from the United States has created a wallpaper centered on self-acceptance. The design was made as a reminder to keep loving your body, especially as many people are self-quarantining and dealing with change. The artwork aims to encourage body positivity and is meant to help people spread that message. Bohner notes that your body is always taking care of you, and loving it is important now and always.
- Preview
- With calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440
- Without calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440
Full resolution links are available in the preview image.
Hope in Color
Bart Bonte from Belgium, a mobile game designer, relies on color to communicate an optimistic promise for a rough period. He offers a wallpaper with meaningful hues, derived from his latest mobile puzzle game. For the designer, green represents hope—exactly what is needed in this moment.
- Preview
- With calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440, 3840x2160
- Without calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440, 3840x2160
All sizes are available for download, with versions for a wide range of screen resolutions.
From the Archives: May Wallpapers Worth Keeping
Good design doesn't expire. Some of the best May wallpapers from previous years deserve a second look, whether you are hunting for a fresh screen or rediscovering an old favorite. Below is a collection of past designs, each available for download in a range of resolutions. None of these archive picks include a calendar overlay.
Make A Wish
Julia Versinina from Chicago, USA, designed this piece.
- preview
- Resolutions without calendar: from 320x480 to 2560x1440
Spring Gracefulness
Ana Masnikosa from Belgrade, Serbia, shares her poetic take on the season: "We don't usually count the breaths we take, but observing nature in May, we can't count our breaths being taken away."
- preview
- Resolutions without calendar: from 320x480 to 2560x1440
Lake Deck
Mike Healy from Australia aimed for "a big painterly vista with some mountains and a deck and such."
- preview
- Resolutions without calendar: from 1280x960 to 2880x1800
Enjoy May!
"Springtime, especially Maytime is my favorite time of the year. And I like popsicles — so it's obvious isn't it?" — Steffen Weiß from Germany.
- preview
- Resolutions without calendar: from 320x480 to 2560x1440
Sweet Lily Of The Valley
Philippe Brouard from France notes, "The 'lily of the valley' came earlier this year. In France, we celebrate the month of May with this plant."
- preview
- Resolutions without calendar: from 800x480 to 2560x1440
Birds Of May
Clarity Creative Group from Orlando, FL, highlights "a little-known 'holiday' on May 4th known as 'Bird Day.' It is the first holiday in the United States celebrating birds."
- preview
- Resolutions without calendar: from 320x480 to 2560x1440
Geo
Amanda Focht from the United States contributed this geometric pattern.
- preview
- Resolutions without calendar: from 320x480 to 2560x1440
Welcome May With An Ice Cream!
WebOlution from Greece suggests a cool way to ease into summer: "May is the last month of spring, the weather is getting hotter every day and it starts to feel almost like summer… So, the best thing to cool ourselves and bring summer closer is to… welcome May with an ice cream!"
- preview
- Resolutions without calendar: from 320x480 to 2560x1600
Understand Yourself
Igor Izhik from Canada gives a reflective reminder: "Sunsets in May are the best way to understand who you are and where you are heading. Let's think more!"
- preview
- Resolutions without calendar: from 1280x720 to 2560x1440
Poppies Paradise
Nathalie Ouederni from France designed this floral wallpaper.
- preview
- Resolutions without calendar: from 320x480 to 2560x1440
May The Force Be With You
Antun Hirsman from Croatia plays on words: "Yoda is my favorite Star Wars character and 'may' has funny double meaning."
- preview
- Resolutions without calendar: from 1280x800 to 2560x1440
Rainy Days
From Tazi Design in Australia comes a nod to the changing seasons: "Winter is nearly here in my part of the world and I think rainy days should be spent at home with a good book!"
- preview
- Resolutions without calendar: from 320x480 to 2560x1440
Add Color To Your Life!
Verónica Valenzuela from Spain dedicates her work to the season: "This month is dedicated to flowers, to join us and brighten our days giving a little more color to our daily life."
- preview
- Resolutions without calendar: from 800x480 to 2560x1440
MonkGolfier
Monk Software from Italy drew from their new surroundings: "We recently changed our workplace and now we're in a windy place, so we like the idea of flying in the air, somehow."
- preview
- Resolutions without calendar: from 320x480 to 2560x1440
April Showers Bring Magnolia Flowers
Sarah Masucci from the United States observes, "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."
- preview
- Resolutions without calendar: from 320x480 to 2560x1440
Power
Elise Vanoorbeek from Belgium contributed this energetic design.
- preview
- Resolutions without calendar: from 1024x768 to 2560x1440
Winter Is Over
Uxue Goikoetxea from Spain signals the season's turn.
- preview
- Resolutions without calendar: from 1280x800 to 2560x1440
Cool As An Octopus
Alexandra Covaleski from the United States confronted a personal challenge: "A fear I need to conquer inspired this wallpaper design. I never really liked the ocean because of how much we don't know about it or anything that lives in it. However, I have decided to try and focus on the beautiful parts of this great unknown by choosing an octopus."
- preview
- Resolutions without calendar: from 1280x960 to 2560x1440
How To Get Involved
Each month, Smashing Magazine invites designers to share their work for the community’s desktop wallpaper series. The artists are given complete creative freedom, and the themes you see in the gallery are entirely their own — no direction or influence is applied from our side. That independence is something we value, and it’s why the submissions are so varied every time.
We’d like to thank every designer who contributed this month’s wallpapers. If you’d like to participate in an upcoming edition, you can find all the details on the join-in page.
Stay Updated
For those who want practical front-end and UX insights delivered weekly, the Smashing Newsletter offers tools and tips to improve your workflow. Subscribers receive Vitaly’s Smart Interface Design Checklists PDF by email as a welcome gift.
Topics cover front-end and UX, and the newsletter is trusted by more than 182,000 readers.
