I know that most creators on Empyrion do not need inspiration in order to create a wonderful looking vessel. On the other hand maybe some do. Also, I believe this collection I muster browsing for spaceship photo concepts here and there, might not only inspire creators but maybe enrich the variety of vessels in created and uploaded in the WS. Or maybe be the source for challenges... often held by @Jenniphurr @spanj @XCaliber and others...Creators like @jrandall @CrazyZ @Jenniphurr @Kieve @XCaliber, TeeWRX82 and many others, you are more than welcome to have a look
Here's a bit of reference material from two of my favorite naval warfare YouTube channels that I've found to be great inspirations. The first is from Military History Visualized. It's about WW2 ship classes, their designs, and their intended and actual roles. It's great information to know when contemplating your new design's primary mission, what tools it will need to accomplish it, how much it will cost to build, and what its burden on your supplies and infrastructure will be. Hopefully it will help people avoid feeling silly for building a size 5 monster loaded with plasma and artillery turrets, and calling it a "frigate" because it's not size 10. More on the RP side is this video about how you got about building a new warship IRL. It inspired me to think not only about how the ship operate and looks, but what its history might be. I mean, yes, ships do in fact just suddenly appear fully formed in the Empyrion universe, but I gather that's not really how they're meant to be perceived. Instead, one might find fun in imagining how a UCH design bureau or Kriel artificer cabal came to create such a design, and what its operational history might have been before you took the helm.