This is a guest article contributed by Rebecca*.

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Delicious is a popular social bookmarking site which you can use for saving your favorite website links. The process is termed as bookmarking. This will enable you to share your bookmarks among others as well as allow you to browse bookmarks of other users’. Tagging and search tools help you in browsing as well as organizing topics of interest. It enables you to both create multiple tags and tag sites with manifold keywords.

Every tag produces a page with all website links associated to it. You can share each of these pages with others simply by providing them the URL, such as Jacob’s bookmarks here. With bookmarks being hosted on Web instead of on your desktop, you can access these anywhere provided you have access to internet. There are a couple of reasons for using delicious. Here is a list of few creative ways for using delicious bookmarks.

1. Organize Things You Want To Do

Your list may be endless like places you desire to visit, restaurants to try, ideas for several projects you desire to complete or begin books you wish to read and things you desire to accomplish. Sorting out your list at one place will help you to accomplish your goals. The social bookmarking site makes it easy to access your lists wherever and whenever you need them.

2. Bookmark Your Social Networking Profiles

Following the explosion of social networking sites, it is indeed simple for creating profiles on several that you often have the tendency of forgetting of returning and visiting them. As a result bookmarking each of your social networking sites at delicious will undoubtedly help you in keeping track of all the sites as well as easily sharing them provided you so desire. To add to it, registering your social networks at delicious will also offer SEO benefits as delicious operates as backlinks for all your profiles.

3. Organize Portfolios of Inspiration

You can use delicious for organizing art, articles and photographs on the web as well as create diverse categories for varied types of works. The bookmarking process to share inspiration among others is hassle free. Instead of sending people to numerous sites for viewing content, you can send them on one page, where every link is listed at one place.

4. Use RSS to Bookmark your Guest Articles

You can also use the delicious RSS feeds for creating customized portfolios. You can use it as your own writing portfolio by separating guest posts from that of article directory entries via exercising the feeds for your bookmarks tagged with articles and guest post.

5. Organize Your Backlinks

Delicious can be used for keeping track of backlinks for your website. In this social bookmarking site, you can tag the backlinks by type, topic or quality for keeping track of varied categories.

6. Bookmark Articles To Read Later

One of the most obvious reasons for using delicious is for organizing contents you encounter daily for future use. It is indeed a tough job for reading each great blog post which is shared with you via other social networks like Facebook and Twitter. The best solution is to bookmark these for later so each time you are searching for some information on a topic; you will have a wonderful and systematic compilation of most preferred pages and articles to choose from.

Delicious is an outstanding mean for archiving information from the internet, discovering useful and new sites and tracking hot topics. Its collective intelligence constantly adds & reviews, as well as filters new information. The community enables you in finding some of the finest resources on the internet devoid of having to struggle through all the junk. This social bookmarking site also offers you centralized management system to systematize information from the net.

Do you have any other creative ways to use bookmarks? What other bookmarking services do you use & recommend?

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*Rebecca is a blogger by profession, besides this she is fond of 3D Games.

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After a month of voting on the Top Logo Designs of 2011 the voting has now closed and I am pleased to announce the 2011 Logo Of The Year.

The 2011 Logo Of The Year

Fork & Knife Restaurant by Nick Sickelton.

The Runner Up

Bread & Breakfast is a coffee shop / bakery that serves breakfast all day and sells bread and baked goods. The aim was to create a logo that will combine the two elements of business (bakery and coffee shop) without creating an overload of visuals. The positive/negative design of the coffee cup and the bread image that is created by the coffee itself, along with the use of light blue and brown, create the desired combination that we set out to design.

Credits: Sigal Vilenski

3rd Place

Peru country branding.

Credits: FutureBrand Buenos Aires

Poll Results

Thank you everyone for your votes! Also, please feel free to suggest a logo for your chance to win a Logo Of The Day award, or maybe even Logo Of The Year.

• Top 12 Logos of 2011 As Voted By You (28)
• Top 12 Logos of 2009 As Voted By You (59)
• Top Logos of 2010 (11)
• The 2010 Logo Of The Year (23)

Flywheel started with a simple idea… make indoor cycling epic.

To make that happen Flywheel partnered with Ammirati (the agency where I currently work) who re-imagined the Flywheel brand experience. A bold, new look enforced by striking photography & solid copywriting was implemented across all facets of the Flywheel brand, including the Flywheel website which I had the pleasure to work on.

Ammirati and I had to restructure, rewrite and redesign all pages of the Flywheel website, for both the front and logged in sections of the site. We’re happy to announce the site successfully launched on January 25th.

The aim of the redesign was to provide Flywheel riders with the best possible branded user experience, while reflecting Flywheel’s strategic goals. This involved strategically placing information and clear calls to action throughout the site, driving users to explore, buy and reserve their bikes for the ultimate stadium cycling experience.

An intuitive reservation and checkout system, preexisting & proprietary to Flywheel, was implemented with a vastly improved UX and UI, thus allowing users to quickly and easily get where they need to be… flying! To further improve the experience, Flywheel developed an innovative leaderboard for us to design out, thus allowing users to track and compare their performance statistics recorded at each class.

Overall, there were 45 custom designed pages, and a good handful that utilised base templates. A few of the pages are displayed below, but I recommend checking out the live Flywheel website in all its interactive glory.

As always, feedback is welcome!

The Results

Within 6 hours of launching on Wednesday, there were literally pages of positive responses. I’ve compiled some of my favourite responses from Flywheel members below.

“The new website is #droolworthy!”

from @mkhennelly

“Your new website is EPIC. The lifetime stats feature is incredible.”

via @Cheryl_Wayne

“Loveee the new website!! Made me want to sign up for even more classes!”

via @casemahoney

“Love the new @flywheelsports website. The weekly leaderboard is SICK. Great inspiration.”

via @chapsholic

“Nice! Love the colors and it’s so clean and informative without effort. As a fitness freak, the reserve section is beautiful.”

via @cashewstyle

“LOVE,  LOVE,  LOVE the new website!! So much easier to navigate, great features, nice pics. And Lifetime Stats – nice touch.”

via Facebook

So what are your thoughts? Feedback is very welcome! Thank you.

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I was recently humbled and amazed at an email I received through my brand identity questionnaire and I just had to share the story, not only because it opened my eyes to something amazing, but something I would never have thought of and I’m sure not many others would have either.

To cut to the chase, the lady who was inquiring about my brand identity / design services was blind.

Although accessibility should be built into in all websites, I still find this fact extremely fascinating. I simply can’t fathom the process of trying to find the right designer without being able to see their work. Thankfully these days, there are text-to-speech programs for the visually impaired, that literally read aloud the words on the screen. There are also Braille displays.

Have you ever thought about how a blind person may go about hiring you? It just goes to show there is much more to the business of design than your portfolio.

Interestingly enough, the reason for her choosing to contact me as stated in my questionnaire, was that she could “hear the integrity of my work”, when her computer read aloud my articles. This to me is extremely humbling, especially considering the words are spoken with a robotic, computerized voice.

The lesson learned here is that blind people still need designers too! To put this into context, in the US alone there are over 17 million people with a visual impairment! Quite a niche I must say.

Have you had a similar experience with accessibility?

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This is a guest article contributed by Daniela Baker*.

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The success or failure of a business depends on how wisely you allocate start-up funding. As a solo-preneur you can monitor every expense and decide where your money will best be spent to get your business off to a good start. Here are four suggestions for controlling start-up costs.

Be Flexible & Smart With How You Get Funds

The cost of borrowing, along with the terms attached to most loans, can make them quite prohibitive to the small business owners. However, there are several other options new business owners may consider when seeking inexpensive and flexible financing. One of the most common methods is to raise capital from family and friends as these loans often offer attractive terms with very low, if any, interest.

Geoff Morris, chair of the Entrepreneur’s Forum, is a strong proponent of this approach. Mr. Morris advocates the use of funds from family and friends since terms are favorable with low, if any interest.

Keep in mind that borrowing from family and friends could put a strain on these relationships if the business does not grow as you had anticipated. For this reason, it may be best to borrow smaller amount from a wider range of people than large amounts from just one or two.

Think About Your Office Space

As a designer or freelancer it is likely that you will be working out of a home-based office so this may not be a significant issue. Too many new business owners fall into the trap of spending too much money on the trappings of a luxury office. As per Mr. Morris, new business owners should use utilize extra space in their home, even the garage for as long as is feasible. Another possibility is to join a start-up incubator. An incubator is a great option for new entrepreneurs as these spaces typically provide access to a copier, scan, telephone and fax services. Not so incidental is that an incubator also permits you the opportunity to interact with other start-up business owners for support and camaraderie.

Consider Your Options for Computers / Equipment

As a modern designer, it is is more than likely you will need a computer / laptop with a consistent Internet connection, along with software. The next step is to identify the least expensive option for purchasing these products. One idea for new business owners is to rent and lease a laptop rather than purchase, since this gives you the flexibility to change models as your business grows. Because a computer is essential to your business as a designer, do not shortchange yourself in this one regard. Also, remember there is no magic button.

Use Low-Cost Marketing Strategies

There are several low-cost strategies small business owners may employ to keep marketing costs down, especially with social media. Create a page on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and engage prospects with status updates that pose questions or ask for feedback. Engage with your network. Join discussion groups or start a blog to become recognized as a thought leader in the field. Email can be used to promote special offers. Write an article or series of articles and submit to article directories or as guest postings on the sites of colleagues.

Do you have any other tips to help keep start-up costs low?

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*Daniela Baker is a small business blogger at CreditDonkey, where she helps startups compare small business credit cards to maximize rewards.  She says, to sum up the philosophy of start up costs: Spend small to grow big! Photos by Shutterstock.

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This is a guest article contributed by Lior Levin.

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You have probably been in a situation where you felt like a client was not willing to pay you enough or did not appreciate the quality of work you had put into a project. For freelancers & business owners, this is not something unusual.

Many people who hire you, especially if you are a freelancer, may undervalue your work or even insist that they pay you as little as possible for a ridiculous amount of work. Far too often, designers in that position cave into these outlandish demands and end up in an unbearable situation.

These types of clients are ‘low quality’ clients, and there is little you can do to change that. Instead of trying to convince low quality clients to set the bar higher, you should focus on attracting ‘higher quality’ clients. There is no magic formula that will attract them, and there is no absolute way to stave off all low quality clients from even contacting you. But you can orient your business or freelance services toward higher quality clients by increasing your self-confidence and following these tips.

1. Know Your Worth

This may be easier said than done, but you should know what your services are truly worth. Few people think their time is worth $5 an hour, but fewer still realise the true value of the work they produce.

If you appear desperate, as though you will starve if your client does not hire you, it will reflect in his or her perception of your worth. High quality clients want high quality designers, and they will make an extra effort to get someone they think will deliver something spectacular.

If you have the confidence to say, “I’m worth more than that. My work is worth this much,” high quality clients will take your word for it. If they do not, you need to be firm and insist on the price you can actually afford to deliver. Taking low-paying gigs too often may be a way to get noticed, but it will be the wrong type of attention – that of low quality clients.

This is not a license to be arrogant. You are not indispensable, but there is nothing wrong with making it seem like you and your business are. If your clients truly believe no one can do it like you can, they will pay top dollar.

2. Be Flexible but not Bendable

Some clients expect you to be on call for their every need, yet they are not willing to pay for the actual cost that such a service would require. Instead they pay the basic design fee but then are constantly emailing you, calling you, and even asking for you to add additional features and components.

It is OK to be flexible, but don’t get yourself in a knot. If you start a project and the client decides to change something, make it clear that a change is fine, but there may be additional costs for it. If you were painting someone’s house red and then halfway through that person decided he wanted brown instead, you would have to charge him extra for the paint you have already wasted and the work hours it took for the half-painted house. Your design work is no different.

Make sure your clients know exactly what they are getting from you up front. That will help avoid awkward moments and animosity over what they perceive as unfinished business. The best clients will trust your creative genius and allow you to freely take control. Others will attempt to micromanage every detail. In either case, make sure you dictate the flow of the development process and keep the client within your boundaries.

3. Offer Services Clients Really Want

Find out what types of options and features interest high quality clients. They have likely come up with some idea about what they want by looking at larger business websites or even at their competitors. Those sites likely have certain features that attracted them. Find out what those features are and make sure you highlight them in your advertising and sales promotion.

You may want to invest some time in market research to find out what the clients you want to attract need and what types of services attract them. In some cases, it may be that one feature you say you offer that makes them choose you over someone who may offer the same thing, but not mention it. This will work particularly well if you are able to provide samples of those features in action.

Find a Balance

It is important make sure you balance your ideals with your reality. Sometimes it is impossible to know that a seemingly high quality client will turn out to be horrible. But in most situations, you can usually tell from the beginning. For some situations there have to be compromises, but you should never leave a project feeling as though you worked for too little or were not able to do your best work because of client restrictions. Find a balance that works for you and stick to it.

Remember, the best designers are those who find good clients.

What methods have you used to attract higher quality clients?

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*Article by Lior Levin who works for a psd to xhtml service company from Oregon and also advises as an online marketer to a to-do list tool company. Photos by Shutterstock.

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For the first time in over fours years I have updated my profile picture, which you will notice on the left side bar of the website and across my social media profiles (Facebook, Twitter, Dribbble, etc.). Although it may seem like a small change, there is a lot of brand equity and recognition that is built up within a profile photo. A profile photo is what represents you across the web & offline, similar to how a logo represents a business or product.

The New Profile Photo

The new photo was taken on a cruise ship, using a Nikon D80 at 1/125, using a white back drop and two umbrellas. The photo has been converted to black and white and when used on social profiles, it will feature a transparent bottom left corner (see below), which will turn the profile into an ‘arrow’. You can see how the arrow works, when used on Tweetdeck below. This arrow feature will also be evident on the upcoming re-design of Just Creative Design.

Upcoming Re-brand & Website Re-design

Just like my profile picture, this website design has been around for over four years. I’ve been meaning to redesign it for a few years now, but never followed through, but I’ve since found some time. Within the next few months a custom redesign of Just Creative Design will launch, including two new responsive template pages and an updated portfolio. Below you can see a sneak preview of the design, and more on the Dribbble Project Page as time goes on.

A New Domain

In other news, I’ve acquired the domain http://justcreative.com so that may give a hint to the way the re-branding is going.

Would love to hear your feedback on the new profile picture and website.

• Win A Free Logo Contest + Our Achievements So Far (78)
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These are the top 12 logo designs of 2011 as voted by you (the awards that won Logo Of The Month) on my other site Logo Of The Day.

What logo do you believe should win the 2011 Logo Of The Year? Cast your vote at the bottom of this post. Voting closes January 31st.

And just so you know, we are always accepting new logo submissions. Feel free to suggest a logo for a chance to win the Logo Of The Day award.

You can view the top logos of 2009 and 2010 here.

January: Bread & Breakfast

Bread & Breakfast is a coffee shop / bakery that serves breakfast all day (after all – it is the most important meal!), and sells bread and baked goods. The aim was to create a logo that will combine the two elements of business (bakery and coffee shop) without creating an overload of visuals. The positive/negative design of the coffee cup and the bread image that is created by the coffee itself, along with the use of light blue and brown, create the desired combination that we set out to design.

Credits: Sigal Vilenski

February: Fork & Knife

Fork & Knife Restaurant

Credits: Nick Sickelton

March: Peru

Peru.

Credits: FutureBrand Buenos Aires

April: The New Record

The New Record Co.

Credits: Redkroft

May: Edge Board

“Edgeboard are handmade chopping boards from the Northern Beaches in NSW that possess a special feature; an edge which you use to slide off the chopped food against. They use a natural anti-bacterial wood sourced form the Byron Shire.

“The identity is based on the board’s special feature, the edge, and the brand comes to life using the edge in any any application. A simple, structured logo is used in combination with textured and environmentally friendly stocks.” See in use.

Credits: Hampus Jageland when at Maud.

June: Fashion Law Institute

Fashion Law Institute is a new center at Fordham Law School in New York that will train and advise designers, lawyers and design students in areas of the law affecting the fashion industry.

Credits: Pentagram

July: Fine Cell Work

As surprising as it seems, thanks to the charity Fine Cell Work, hundreds of UK prison inmates fill their hours sewing cushions and quilts. They earn money, gain skills and create a real sense of community. The logo we created for Fine Cell Work came from the contrasting worlds of UK prison life and needlework.

Credits: The Partners

August: Radio

Mashradio

Credits: Voov

September: Lamp of Wine

It’s a logo for Polish blog about wine – lampkawina.com. In Polish, for glass of wine we use to say “lamp of wine”.

Credits: LUKS

October: Fast Eddies

Fast Eddies Barber

Credits: Richard Arthur Stewart

November: City Tech

CityTech IT Consultants, Chicago.

Credits: Unknown

December: Bright Carrot

Credits: Hatchmarks

Cast Your Vote:

• Top 12 Logos of 2009 As Voted By You (59)
• Top Logos of 2010 (11)
• The 2011 Logo Of The Year (9)
• The 2010 Logo Of The Year (23)

I’m always fascinated to see where and how other people work and  I wanted to share my personal set up, focusing on the tools & resources I use every day as a designer. I recently posted part one on hardware I use as a designer and today I am featuring the software and apps I use on a daily basis.

Software

DESIGN / CODE

• Adobe Creative Suite 5 – Mainly Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat Pro & InDesign.
• TextMate – Text editor that I use for coding / writing.
• Linotype FontExplorer – Font management.
• CyberDuck - FTP Client.
• ColorSchemer Studio 2 – Great colour scheme creator & colour tool.

WEB / SOCIAL

• Tweetdeck - Desktop + mobile Twitter client.
• FireFox – My browser of choice. Plugins include Firebug, ScreenGrab & Web Developer Toolbar.
• Jing Pro – Easy sharing of screenshots & videos.
• iChat - Instant Messenger / Chat

MUSIC

• Spotify – My music player of choice. I subscribe to their Premium subscription so I can sync & listen to the music on my iPhone too. I use the iPhone Spotify Remote App to change songs from wherever I am.
• iTunes – For buying music.

BUSINESS / PRODUCTIVITY

• Skype – International phone calls and meetings.
• TextExpander – Saves me from re-writing commonly used phrases & emails. See how to use TextExpander to conquer email.
• Alfred – Launches my software & searches with speed. Super productive. I use the shortcut key Cmd+E.
• Microsoft Office – An evil necessity.
• Apple Time Machine – Backs up my files to external hard drives.

Web Apps

• Google Apps – Handles my email (10 reasons you should try out Gmail), docs & syncs my calendar with my computers and iPhone.
• Google TaskBar – I don’t use any fancy time management software, but rather use the ‘Tasks’ bar in Gmail. I use Harvest to track my hours.
• DropBox - In the cloud file sharing & storing.
• PayPal – Invoicing & advertising payments.
• Shutterstock – My preference in stock imagery.
• MediaTemple – Where I host my websites.
• Delicious – Where I save bookmarks everyday.

Have any other recommended software or apps or designers?

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This is a guest article contributed by Alvina Lopez* looking at some crucial topics to consider if you are planning to live a long-term freelancing life.

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If you’ve just begun your journey into the exciting world of freelance work, welcome! Freelancing is an incredibly rewarding way to make a living—it enables you to pursue your passions freely while being able to spend more time on the things that matter, like friends and family.

As the very structure of our economy changes, becoming more globalized, more and more people will resort to freelance work. Still, even though it may be enjoyable as you first begin freelancing, it becomes more complicated if you want to be self-employed permanently. There are various things to consider, like obtaining health insurance independently, learning how to file your taxes, and planning for your retirement.

Health Insurance

We are living in tough economic times, and skyrocketing health insurance premiums have made it difficult for freelance workers to be properly insured. Still, if you do your research, you’ll be able to find the right health insurance plan for you. Some of the best and most affordable health insurance plans are provided by your local chamber of commerce, which operates for the express purpose of improving the economic viability of your local community.

Most chambers of commerce offer individual health insurance plans for freelance or self-employed workers. Another good option for health insurance is offered through the Freelancers Union (US). The most important thing to remember is to look into each plan and ask questions. For more options, check out this Freelance Folder thread.

Filing Taxes

Filing taxes can be pretty tough on freelancers, so again, it’s best to do as much research as you can so that you won’t be overpaying. As a freelancer, there are many expenses that you can write off (e.g. your computer, your printer, and any other equipment that is necessary for you to complete your work).

According to this insightful article featured on Kiplinger.com, you can also deduct your health insurance premium and half of your self-employment taxes. If in the US, keep in mind that you will be required to fill out two additional forms (either the Schedule C or Schedule C-EZ, as well as the Schedule SE), along with the 1040.

If you are a first-timer to filing freelance taxes, then the best option is to work with a tax professional who specializes in self-employed taxes to maximize your return. If you oversee the process carefully, asking questions along the way, you’ll eventually be able to do it yourself.

Planning for Retirement

Traditional workers often don’t have to worry so much about retirement. Full-time American employees have the benefit of having a company-supported 401k plan, which essentially enables them to save for retirement without even thinking about it.

For us freelancers, however, saving for retirement is a responsibility that falls squarely on our own shoulders. Paying into social security may seem like it will be sufficient for once you retire, but the truth is that this is most definitely not enough to live on once you no longer can, or no longer desire, to work.

If you are young and just beginning your freelancing career, then your best bet is to simply set aside a specific percentage of your monthly income into a savings account allocated for retirement. This will get you comfortable with the idea of saving for the future, which is a mindset that many young workers take some time to develop.

Once you are financially secure and have built up a fairly solid nest egg, seek out a financial planner who can educate you about the various retirement accounts out there. Financial planners who have worked with freelancers before are best to approach, so try to get a referral from a fellow freelancer, or run an Internet search for planners in your area.

This U.S. News and World Report article gives an overview of different retirement accounts for freelancers that you can ask your financial planner about.

Keep an Eye on the Future!

These are just a few of the important things to keep in mind if you intend on having a long and sustainable freelance career. Although we freelancers are something of a live-in-the-moment bunch, keeping an eye toward the future is essential if you want to continue enjoying your free lifestyle for years to come.

What health care plan do you use? Do you use a professional accountant to file your freelance taxes? Are you planning for retirement?

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Alvina Lopez is a freelance writer and blog junkie, who blogs about accredited online colleges. She welcomes your comments below.

Photo Credits: Shutterstock

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This article was put up a few years ago but it’s still relevant so I thought I’d re-share. If you really want to please your designer friend for the holidays / Christmas / birthday I suggest getting them one of these presents below. Please feel free to add your own!

What to get a designer or creative for Christmas / Birthday?

• New Books (Or a voucher for a book store that sells graphic design books)
• Pens & Pencils
• A Large Clock
• Graphic Design Magazine Subscriptions
• Drafting Table
• Lightbox
• Paints
• Art Paper / Canvas
• Pantone Swatches
• Sketch Pads / Moleskine
• Dot Grid Book
• Easel
• Blank Canvases
• Post It Notes
• A Digital Camera
• iStock Credits (or other stock sites)
• Designer Tshirts
• iTunes Shop Credits
• New Speakers

Computer Goods… for the rich friend

• More RAM
• Screen Calibrator
• New Video Card
• New Mouse – I recommend Logitech MX Revolution
• New Computer (Mac or PC?)
• New Large Screen Monitor
• A Second Monitor
• New Cordless Keyboard
• New Software (Adobe Creative Suite)
• Software Updates
• Wacom Digital Graphics Tablet
• Scanner
• Multi Function Printer
• A Massive External Hardrive
• Multi Card Reader
• Multi USB Connecters

More Great Gift Ideas for Designers

• 20 gifts for the productivity nerd
• 15 great gadgets & gifts for designers
• 25 gift ideas for creatives
• 20 cool & creative gift ideas
• 20 emergency holiday gifts for geeks

Feel free to add your own wish list / suggestions in the comments below.

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This is a guest article contributed by Richard Larson.

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Facebook represents a fantastic marketing opportunity for any business via shares & referrals, however, just like Wordpress and other platform based user sites, it’s critical to incorporate SEO strategies into your Facebook pages in order to get exposure out of them. Here are 7 Facebook SEO strategies to make sure your Face is getting the amount of Book it deserves!

Whether you are setting Facebook up for yourself or for a client it’s important to keep SEO strategies in mind. According to Google, they aren’t actually looking at Facebook “shares” as a separate part of their ranking algorithm, but traffic is traffic.

The number one thing to remember with Facebook shares: Their marketing value resides in the fact that they are coming from a reputable source; from someone known to, and respected by, the person on the other end. This invests the shares with clout and makes them very valuable. Make no mistake, Facebook is a marketing tool but nothing a business puts on their Facebook Wall should ever break that kind of trust. Period.

For businesses, Facebook is a delicate dance between, “be my friend” and “pay me money.” Always difficult, in the Facebook world it is critical to fall on the side of plushy slushy soft sell. This is why SEO strategies for Facebook are important. SEO by its nature lies behind the scenes and therefore customers can’t possibly interpret it as marketing.

1. Choose a Great Facebook Page Name

Back up; choose a great business name. Not too spammy, not too generic. Something descriptive and easy to remember. If it’s too generic Facebook might blacklist the name. Once you have a name, don’t change your page name. Once established, keep it and brand it. Renaming isn’t ever a good idea from an SEO perspective.

2. Facebook URL Names Are Also Important

Facebook now allows vanity names so make sure to add one if you can. The URL won’t exactly be yours but www.facebook.com/justcreativedesign is a lot better than www.facebook.com/11586454. DavesGarden is interesting, theirs is: http://www.facebook.com/davesgardencom. As long as the user name incorporates one of the terms related to your business you now have a URL that is searchable. It’s important to know that Facebook requires 100 fans before you can pick a username, of which you can then do by going to http://facebook.com/username

3. Use Keyword Rich Text to fill out the “About” and “Info” Sections of Your Facebook Page

This will place searchable terms near the top of the Facebook page in the CSS. These are small areas so refine the elevator speech! In addition, make sure to include address information so that the page will pop up on local searches- a favorite of Google’s. In the info section also add links to your website.

4. Make Facebook Picture Descriptions Count

Facebook is a visual medium. Facebook will change titles on photos but descriptions live on. Use keywords as often as possible. Read each description from two angles- once for your customers and once from a computer’s angle. “Jack and Jamie enjoying the Keys on their 40th” could as easily be: “Luxury Florida Keys Bash by Private Jets Charter for Jack and Jamie’s 40th.” Both descriptions are better than “Jack and Jamie at their 40th Party.”

As a side note, give your clients an extra reason to stick with you as a designer by showing them how they can get lots of free advertising if they structure online promotional campaigns properly. For example, Private Jets Charter could offer a Groupon for birthday parties/events, get the event for the couple, encourage them to advertise the party through Private Jets Charter’s website and Facebook page (where everyone can easily get directions to the plane) and then provide/post pics of the party (with permission) afterwards using keyword descriptions. These photos will be strongly shared and each time they are, the words in the photo description, “Private Jets Charter, luxury, Florida Keys” are racking up ranking points.

Moreover, as the designer, you will likely get extra design work out of the process. Great designers always need to show ways in which their creativity in invaluable to their clients. With better and better templates and platforms around it’s critical that designers venture not only into SEO but also into marketing. These are two things that a customer can’t buy ready made or download for free.

Above is an example of descriptive text and URL slipped into Facebook code.

5. Use Keywords in Your Facebook Status Updates

Updates provide a great place to include your keywords and increase visibility. This is also the place to drive traffic to your own website. Never forget that one of your primary objectives for having a Facebook page is to drive traffic back to your website where you and not Facebook can take advantage of the traffic.

When you “attach link” FB gives you the opportunity to edit the text by clicking on the box. Include keyword-enriched text as early as possible. (Be aware that FB will channel this link through their own menu bar so this isn’t going to get you a direct link.) Next, include the URL of your website. Third, don’t put everything on Facebook. Instead provide an interesting enticing bit that will make people want to read more and make it clear that they can do this on your website.

6. Use Notes and Discussion Boards On Facebook

The content on both of these is indexable. Notes and the Discussion Boards are indexable and therefore they can make for great SEO. In addition, some people just use Facebook and do almost nothing else online. Using a discussion board gives you a way to reach this group of people. It’s important to note that automatic pull in of blog posts are now being phased out of Facebook.

7. Include Shares & Likes on your websites

Although not directly SEO,  you should include Facepage shares and likes into all of your websites. Also, take some time to stay on top of the Facebook Developers news. The developers page is also a great place to come up with new ideas about how to monetize the platform and get the most out of Facebook.

In summary, use Facebook as effectively as you can by paying attention to SEO. Take the time to use the above suggestions and then compare and track the changes in your FB code (Available to anyone for any page by viewing “source code” in your browser). Over time, graph long term changes in your traffic to see if the extra time and energy is really paying off.

More SEO related articles:

• 10 SEO Rules for Designers
• 9 SEO Tips You’ve Probably Forgot About
• How to Get Free Advertising on Google
• Designing Websites with SEO & Conversions In Mind

–

*Author: Richard Larson is Brand Manager for Go Promotional the leading promotional items supplier online.

Like photo by Shutterstock (mkabako)

• HOW TO: Get more brand exposure, traffic and sales using Facebook (12)
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I’m always fascinated to see where and how other people work and today I wanted to share my personal set up, focusing on the tools & resources I use every day as a designer. Part one will be focused on the hardware and part two, will be the software & apps I can’t live without.

Hardware

• Apple Macbook Pro (MBP) 17″

The main weapon of choice for all my design & browsing is the Macbook Pro 17″ (3.06 GHZ Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB DDR Ram, 500 GB).

• Apple 27″ Cinema Display

I hook up my MBP to my 27″ Cinema Display when at home and place the MBP on a Pole Notebook Holder so I can make use of the two screens. Pretty handy as you can rotate and move the screen as needed.

• Apple Macbook Air 11″

I take the 11″ MacBook Air traveling and hardly ever take the MBP now. The Air is super light weight, tiny and handles all my design & media needs when on the go. A highly recommended combination.

• Apple iPhone 4s

My iPhone is rarely out of site and is probably used the most out of all my hardware. My most used apps include Tweetdeck, The Weather Channel, New York Times, Spotify, Facebook & NYC Subway. The iPhone is also used as my calendar, alarm clock, email center, site monitor, music player, etc. It’s a smart phone indeed.

• Logitech Performance Mouse MX
  

I’ve had this mouse for a few years now and still love it. It was previously called Logitech MX Revolution but since undergoing a few refinements is now called Performance MX. Why do I love it? It has a neat ‘infinite scroll’ feature and is extremely comfortable in my large hands, as apose to the Magic Mouse which gives me cramps.

• Canon Pixma MP560 Scanner, Photo Copier & Printer

Nothing too fancy but it does everything you need in an office; prints, scans and copies.

• Bose QuietComfort 15 Noise Canceling Headphones

These headphones gets you in the zone by canceling out all outside noise, especially useful on airplanes.

• Microsoft Digital Media Keyboard 3000

This full sized keyboard has extra handy shortcut buttons, great for media and editing.

• Seagate 1 TB Portable External Hard Drive

An external hard drive that automatically backs up my files each night using Time Machine. It also stores the majority of my media files. The first thing I’d take in a house fire.

• Wacom Intuos 4 (Medium)

A neat graphics tablet for easy maneuvering in Photoshop.

• Ikea Desk + Drawers + Chair + Lamp + Mousepad

The desk draws are the most handy, hiding away all the clutter (pens, notebooks, graphics tablet, the Mac Air, etc.) and the slim nature of the desk forces me to keep the top of the desk clean.

• Name Plate

A gift given to me before leaving for NYC. Comes in handy when you forget your name.

• Moleskine Large Plain – My sketchpad and idea generator.
• Dot Grid Book - Great for logo designs.
• Artline 0.4 Fineliner Pen – My pen of choice.

Office Inspiration

• Where We Design – Office space inspiration
• 11 Tips for making your office more comfortable
• 25 Elegant Work Stations

On The Wishlist

After using a Herman Miller chair at my day job, I’m keen to get my hands on one for the home office too. They have much more support & are comfortable to sit in for long periods of time.

What are some of your favourite designer hardware tools? Please feel free to share your set up too!

• Tools & Resources I Use Every Day as a Designer – Part Two: Software & Apps (27)
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• Upcoming eBook: Online Self Promotion for Creatives (3)

The 2011 Future of Web Design Conference was recently held in NYC and I was fortunate enough to attend the two days of talks. Below is the summary of Day 2. The Day 1 FOWD summary can be found here.

As a disclaimer, these notes were quickly jotted down & summarised and may not be understood out of context but I’ve done what I could from my notes.

Below are the summarised keynotes which you can click to jump to.

• Pith, Passion & Productivity – Cameron Moll
• Design Principles: The Philosophy of UX – Whitney Hess
• Future of CSS – Dave Shea
• Future of Mobile UX – Steve Fisher
• Responsive Web Design and Embracing The Unknown – Aaron Weyenberg
• The Lost Art of Design Etiquette – Dan Rose
• Extensis Photoshop Font Plugin
• Future of Branding – Randy Hunt
• The Design Revolution – Brad Haynes
• Future of HTML5 – Tim Wright
• The Unknown Voyage – Josh David

Pith, Passion & Productivity – Cameron Moll

PITH & PASSION

How can you make a name for yourself? Write.

• “If you don’t write, you don’t know how you think.” – Jeffrey Zeldman
• “The details are not details, they make the product.” – Charles Eames
• Words with pith, convey knowledge & personality.
• Good writing not only comes from grammar & sentence structure, but practice.
• Start writing, don’t just convey information but write with authenticity, passion & pith. And persist.

Recommended reading: Editing tips for designers

Who’s A-Game Pithy?

• @fictivecameron – Creator of Gimme Bar
• @Ether Brian – His tweets are exercises in creative writing.
• Ethan Marcotte – Author of Responsive Web Design

PRODUCTIVITY

Cameron uses these methods for productivity:

• Sorted iPad App and TeuxDeux app.
• SimpleNote – recommended application.
• Has Scuba dive pads in his shower as they are waterproof and allows him to jot down ideas in the shower.

Recommended reading: Future of Self-Improvement: Grit is more important than talent

Design Principles: The Philosophy of UX - Whitney Hess

User experience is the establishment of a philosophy about how to treat people. Visual design is the establishment of a philosophy of how to create an impact. Each have distinct goals and both vary depending on the goals of the product / service. There is a standard set of principles for creating an impact, as outlined below.

10 Principles of Visual Design

A principle is a rule or belief / philosophy to govern a behavior.

1. Contrast
2. Emphasis
3. Variety
4. Balance
5. Proportion
6. Repetition / Rhythm
7. Movement
8. Texture
9. Harmony
10. Unity

Why use principles?

• Consistency
• Constraint
• Vision
• Objective Evaluation

Good design does not mean good experiences, but it should.

Principle’s of Good Experience Design

1. Stay out of people’s way.

Make it easy and simple to use. Don’t have information there that is not needed. Hide unneeded information. A good example of this is Tumblr’s hidden ‘30 reasons’ on their home page.

2. Create a hierarchy that matches people’s needs.

Make the most important information the most prominent. Take note of size, color, space & proximity. Match real world scenarios to the design.

3. Limit distractions

Just because items are alike does not mean they have to be.  People can not multi task so make users focus on one task, to keep people in the moment.

4. Provide strong information scent

Use clear language, properly set expectations so you don’t lead users down the wrong path.

Bad: Tropicana orange juice has hard to distinguish bottles. Only one color band difference.

Good: Quora’s information search has search suggestions. Tags are displayed as users write.

5. Provide signposts and cues.

Make it incredibly clear where people are. Don’t let people get lost especially on the web, where there are so many paths that lead people away. Provide sign paths. Show people where they came from and where they can go which allows them to expect to be taken in the right direction,

6. Provide context

Ensure that designs are self contained and don’t break people out of the experience, unless for a purpose.

7. Use constraints appropriatel

Preventing error is much better than recovering from it. Guide people towards successful interactions.

eg. Toilet lavatory in planes, lights turn on and off when entering.
eg. TV entertainment on planes notify users when the movie is longer than flight time.

8. Make actions reversible.

Make sure your actions can be undone if needed or have some sort of back up plan.

9. Provide feedback

Give feedback to users. eg. Asthama puffers & tape rolls should show how many puffs are lef.

10. Make a good first impression

Make a good first impression as you don’t get a second chance. Use welcome messages. Make people feel comfortable. Set their expectations. Ease them into the process. Be attractive, strong. You want people to stay with you for a long time. Create purpose with user experience.

Future of CSS – Dave Shea

This article was a bit more technical so couldn’t take as many notes but here are few snippets & recommended resources. You can get the slides here.

• By mid 2012, Google Chrome will become next prominent browser, then IE, then FF, Safari and Opera.
• CanIUse.com – Good compatibility list.
• Use CSS Gradient Generators to make gradients compatible back to ie6.
• ‘Shadow DOM Web Kit allows you to customize checkboxes & form elements including the scrollbar.

Future of Mobile UX - Steve Fisher

Steve’s slides can be downloaded here.

• Focus on the mobile context & it is not about shrinking it down.
• Design outside in. Make it make sense. Make it obvious.
• It is not about the device, but the mobile context. The web is not fixed width.
• Patterns are repeatable solutions to a common problem.
• The mobile web is about coherence and how it works across all devices.
• Make navigation obvious. The less screen you have, means it is even more important.
• Remember what’s obvious to you might not be obvious to someone who is new to the experience.
• Create once, publish everywhere. Well structured content and interactions matter.

Responsive Web Design and Embracing The Unknown – Aaron Weyenberg

• There is no desktop web, no xyz web, there is no device web. It is just the web.
• There is always going to be ‘the unknown end user’.
• BostonGlobe is a great example of responsive web design.

Recommended reading on Responsive Web Design:

• Responsive vs Adaptive design
• A Dao of Web Design by John Allsopp

The RWD Stack – Use percentages & max widths.

3 Choices for RWD

1. Desktop Down
2. Mobile Up
3. Ranged Media Queries

RWD challenges

• Images
• Tables
• Ads
• Process

To Do

• Forget pixel precisions – they are for egos.
• Move to the browser early.
• Do rapid prototyping.
• Create structured content & use progressive enhancement.
• Try mobile first.
• Build content out.

Recommended Reading

• Responsive VS adaptive web design
• What to look for in a UI typeface
• Mobile web content adaptation techniques
  

The Lost Art of Design Etiquette – Dan Rose

I didn’t attend this talk but you can see the slides here: The Lost Art of Design Etiquette.

Also be sure to check out The Photoshop Etiquette Guide for Web Designers.

Extensis Photoshop Font Plugin

Extensis released a new Photoshop plugin that allows you to use their 2000 fonts + Google’s Web Fonts too, all from right within Photoshop. Best thing is that it’s free, although it is bundled with some font management software. Worth checking out.

Future of Branding – Randy Hunt

At the moment there is a blurring between community and customers, between offline and online, home and work. This is because they exist at the same time.

What cuts through the blurriness of branding?

• Smart content and an honest story.
• An experience that people can relate to and people empathise with.
• A memorable personality or character that is not forgettable.
• The best brands are the ones you can believe in & actually mean something to people.
• Brands manifest themselves through people and active engagement. The community defines your brand.
• Designers are product makers. Products become expressions of the brand and brands are products.
• Make people happy.
• Rather than differentiating, make brands likable and loveable. Successful brands aren’t made up, they are the ones that are believed in.
• You don’t want a web design, you want a web solution.

The Design Revolution – Brad Haynes

• We are moving from an Information Age to a Conceptual Age.
• Systematic jobs are being automated or outsourced.
• Right side brains are big pictured, empathetic, emotional.
• The Wholefoods experience is pleasing and enjoyable. eg. Flowers at entrance, dimly lit, homely. Think “How can you improve the ROI?”
• Find the opportunities that allow you to make a larger impact.

Recommended reading: A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink.

Future of HTML5 – Tim Wright

I wasn’t at this talk but the slides can be found here: Future of HTML 5.

The Unknown Voyage – Josh David

This talk really couldn’t be transcribed. Let’s just say that Josh “might hold the record for the most f**ks at TED”.

• Learn to embrace failure to arrive at success.
• If it is right, and you believe in it, do it.

Thank you to the speakers and placemynamehere for the photos used in this article.

What was the most insightful talk / summary for you?

• Voices That Matter: Web Design Conference (6)
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I was recently interviewed on BrightLounge TV, which is a website focused on providing “relaxing video podcasts on the topics of  design, startups and technology”. The questions I answer in the video are outlined below. The video is also combined with some great freelance travel tips from the interviewers, Bryan & Catalina.

My interview goes for about 12 minutes starting at 9:35. You can view it below or much larger over on BrightLounge.

1. How did you get started with identity design?
2. What was your first experience with a big client like?
3. Have you ever had an experience with a client who had strange expectations or made awkward requests that you wouldn’t have expected?
4. What is one piece of advice you would give to freelancers getting started with identity design? Is there anything that you learned the hard way?
5. What is the role of identity design in social change? Can you brand a cause and change people’s behavior or attitude about it?
6. What do you do to turn a logo design project into a long term commitment with the client where you continue to work more on things like their overall branding strategy?
7. During your travels, have you noticed any kind of cultural differences in how the idea of identity design has evolved and is being implemented? Anything you haven’t expected?
8. Where have you traveled? A traveler like you probably has a really cool story related to your experiences in a different country. Tell us some of those stories.
9. When you travel, how do you optimize your workflow, if you have to also work on a project while traveling? Any tips for traveling freelancers?
10. Besides traveling, what else do you enjoy doing in your free time?
11. What is something that excites you right now, it can be anything, doesn’t need to be related to design.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

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A few weeks back I announced the 2011 Future of Web Design Conference being held in NYC and today I attended Day 1 of the event.

Below is a summary of the talks I attended. As a disclaimer, these notes were quickly jotted down & summarised and may not be understood out of context but I’ve done what I could from my notes. Below are the 6 summarised keynotes which you can click to jump to.

• The Secrets to Instagram’s Success – Kevin Systrom
• How To (and not) Get Hired - Andrea Graham
• The Myths of Mobile Context – Josh Clark
  
• Web Design is a Cloud, Not a Clock – Sarah B. Nelson
• Type On Screen: Choosing & Using It Well – Daniel Rhatigan
• The Power of Side Projects and Eccentric Aunts – Tina Roth Eisenberg

Videos of the talks will be available soon.

The Secrets to Instagram’s Success – Kevin Systrom

When designing for the web VS desktop you should take into account:

1. Device Context – new contexts (sizes, resolutions, etc.) & new devices
2. Place Context – people are on the move, not behind a desk. This changes way people interact with products.
3. Needs context – time, speed & capabilities of devices.

Users are no longer in the web browser – what can you do with that? There are also many features of mobile devices, that are not on the desktop. What can you do with them?

Users want to navigate single needs at a time. For example, Facebook Messenger is a breakaway from the core Facebook platform.

Instagram Stats

• 12.6 million users in a year.
• 1.5 users per second.
• 250 million photos.
• “Costs 2 really nice cars” a month in hosting.

How to make it in the mobile app market

1. Have a vision – Something may be a feature, but it could be turned into a single context that ‘saves the world’. Don’t work on things that don’t add value or work with the vision. Don’t announce features before you start working on them.
2. Turn features into products – Silly features should be considered as “What can this become?” What can be next?” This limits & expands what you’re going to work on.
3. Always be an editor – This allows you to decide what you should and should not work on. Trim down the app and features to the most important parts. As an example, Instagram does not allow high resolution photos as this slows down upload speeds. Even though people ask for it, it goes against the vision of the company. Ask “What should not belong?” Unused or unpopular features should also be cut. eg. the Instagram ‘Gotham’ filter was not used much, so it was cut.
4. Make it fast & simple – People are usually in a rush and need things done quickly. As an example, did you know Google pre-loads your Gmail inbox? Instagram also starts pre loading images to the web after they take the shot. They’ve taken perceived latency and moved it elsewhere which makes speed seem instant. You should consider the relationship between flexibility and simplicity. More flexibility means more complexity. A blend between simple and flexible is the key.
5. Make it Magical – How much time does the user spend and how much payoff do they get? With a little effort you get a lot of pay off. Eg. 15 seconds gets a photo filtered & uploaded.
6. Make Your Product Grow – How will people hear about your product? How do you take 1 user and turn into more?  Make people be able to share at all times. The content is an ad for the product in itself. Eg. Each photo has a ‘Download Instagram’ link. Think about the flow of the product. Eg. Foursquare photos with a check-in is much more successful due to the thumbnail as eople want to click on the thumbnail.
7. Make It Addictive – Make people come back and use it again, by making it magical. Make people think ‘How did you do that’? What makes it unique? How often & what should be the payoff? A variable ratio should generate the highest rate of activity. Eg. The Pokie machine = random excitement. Ask yourself how do you create a “social slot machine”? Likes & comments are the rewards, just like wins on the slot machine. More likes = jackpot.

Mobile Success Recap:

• Have a vision – shows you boundaries of playing field.
• Turn features into products.
• Be an editor – trim to the most important.
• Make it fast & simple – hide latency.
• Make it magical – make products that are exciting.
• Make it grow – make the flow turn 1 to 1000.
• Make it addictive – make it bring joy.

Treehouse Launch

Treehouse (formally Think Vitamin membership) was launched at the event. It’s a place to learn web design, web development and iOS Development.

How To (and not) Get Hired - Andrea Graham

Marketing For Web Designers

The slides are available here.

How Not To Get Hired

• Having comprimising photos online. Untag compromising photos. A simple Google / Facebook search can find many.
• Misspellings and bad grammar.
• Venting on social networks.

How To Get Hired

• Ensure your portfolio & website is up to date.
• Determine your work and for whom you want to work
• Get ownership of products or create your own.

On Finding Agencies

• Send out your links, attend events, find internships, network and make friends.

On Finding Clients

• Join up & network to find clients. Read local publications, make friends and do pro-bono work. Make 1 on 1 relationships. Your friends work for businesses, create relationships with their bosses.

Use your resources

• Agency recruiters look on social networks. Job boards, social networks. Are you there?
• Start a blog.  Do roundups. Establish yourself as credible.
• Do tutorials.
• Attend events and meet ups.

How to get hired again

• Make it easy for people to refer you. Meet deadlines.
• Ensure people know you are available for work. ‘Hire Me’ is better CTA than Contact Me.
• Try out incentive based marketing.
• Be your own biggest fan. Toot your own horn.
• Embrace your weaknesses. Know when to say no. Recommend others who you know are experts.
• Become an expert an something. Keep learning by doing tutorials. Follow through on projects.
• Bill hourly and honestly. Have more accurate timing.
• Do good work.
• Don’t burn bridges.
• Deliver cupcakes / rewards after a project has been completed. Say Thank you.

The Myths of Mobile Context – Josh Clark

This was my favourite talk of the day, extremely interesting & informational. Good news for you too, as you can download Josh Clark’s slides here in PDF form, with accompanying notes.

To understand mobile context, you must understand users needs. Think of platforms as cultures.

Myth 1: Mobile users are rushed and distracted

• Mobile isn’t just on the go, it’s on the couch, its waiting, its on the bus, its on toilet. “40% of users use on the toilet. 60% lie.”
• Mobile versions don’t have to do less or ‘be lite’.
• Don’t remove content or freatures, just because it is mobile.
• Mobile users use because they are “multi-tasking, they are local, or bored”. They are ready to spend attention to the phone.
• 25% of US adults are mobile. 8%  use mobile exclusively.

Myth 2: Mobile = Less

• Mobile is not lite, or less.
• Don’t confuse content with intent. Just because paperbacks books should be lighter, it doesn’t mean you need to remove chapters.
• Mobile apps should have full content & core content.

Myth 3: Complexity is a dirty word

• People don’t want dumbed-down apps, they want less complicated app. Make complexity, uncomplicated.
• People don’t care how it happens, just help them get it there. eg. The umbrella iPhone app simply answers “Will I need an umbrella today?” Simple but fulfills certain user needs.
• Give users the minimum to reach their goal. Understand who you are designing for, as this changes everything.
• You can create sub apps within the app or outside of the app.
• Managing complexity isn’t about putting all the information on the page. You need to manage tasks and screens. Clarity trumps density.

Myth 4: Extra taps and clicks are evil

• Have content that is cached and ready.
• Worry about tap quality, not quantity. Every tap should give delight and be worth it. Explore information, ask and receive.
• Teach users about hidden content. Show once until they learn the functionality.
• Mobile should mean more. Give your app super powers based on the features of mobile devices. Stop thinking about mobile, but think about mobile content. What you can do with the device, as apose to a desktop. Progressive enhancement.

Myth 5: You must have a mobile website

• There is no mobile web, don’t think in terms of mobile websites but in terms of mobile devices. How can the device enhance the experience. Use media queries. This approach is not dogmatic so use good judgment.
• Ethan Marcotte – Responsive Web Design book is great approach.
• Mobile First – Start with mobile first as it can define what is really useful for the website as it makes you make the hard decisions. What is the most important?
• Think about the content and API as the show.

Myth 6: Mobile is about apps

• An app is not a strategy, its just an app or a container.
• Your product is not a product at all. If you pull back, you need to accept that your content is going to be displayed in many forms.
• Content is like water. Build content out, don’t put it in a container. Start thinking about flexible content that can be displayed on any device. You should be able to get content any time, any where. NFL ad is a great example as this.
• We’re all cloud developers. Be www.futurefriend.ly – Design for the future. We can not control the form or context that content can be displayed. You need API’s that can be used across any device. Content should be open so users can use the information. Eg. The Guardian, NY Times, NPR.

7. Content & API are for database nerds

• Metadeta is the new art direction. Structure your content well and you will get a foothold for design across all the devices.
• Apply rules for the robots to follow. Repurpose content, not design. Don’t design pixels, design content.

Mobile Context Recap:

• Mobile is not rushed or less.
• Complex is not complicated.
• Tap quality not tap quantity.
• Focus for all platforms.
• No such thing as mobile web.
• Don’t think app: think service.
• Metadata is the new art direction.

Web Design is a Cloud, Not a Clock – Sarah B. Nelson

Clock problems can be measured and analysed, rebuilt and can find problems. They’re tangible.

Clouds are dynamic systems, they can be analsyed in some parts but can not be predicted or remodeled or picked apart. The problem is that we take cloud problems and treat them like clock problems.

The design process is an emergent system. Once you see the parts you can work on them. Working agreements are the heart of collaborative work and the strength of those relationships. This directly impacts the quality of the designs. They are not necessarily formal. Below is a list of points for great working agreements.

• Have a clear sense of purpose. Know why and how they are doing it so they can make decisions and know how success will be measured.
• Trust. Even if you don’t use same tools, etc. you can still make a promise and deliver on it. Having a history helps as you work better together, based on consistant actions. Failure is an opportunity for growth, not blame.
• Clear roles and responsibilities. On the particular project what are the team really accountable for? Sometimes these need to be rotated. How do you know they know what they are doing? They can articulate with their mouths what they are doing.
• Agreed upon approach. Set realistic expectations and deadlines.
• Deadlines make us more creative. Structure makes us find creative ways to deliver the product in a different way.
• User Involvement – Regular involvement is crucial. Personas based on feedback and what you know. The team should have an understanding of who your users are.  They should have references / touch stones that everyone can agree on. Design with users, not at or for them.
• Stakeholder Engagement. Talk with people who have no idea with what your doing and know how to engage. Not a list of changes type of engagement but workshops and hands on involvement designed to get information and to let them know they are heard and that you are listening. Revaluate how it is working.

Pre-project kick offs are a great way to start a project. When starting a project, every member of the team should have a conversation about how you are working together. Make your working agreements. Put everyones name up there. Have goals for each project… why is each member there? What are the fears? Expectations? eg. List Names, Titles, Goals, Fears, Expecations.

Type On Screen: Choosing & Using It Well – Daniel Rhatigan

Thanks to Jason E. Beaird for the Type on Screen notes below.

Screen typography has come a long way, but it’s still evolving. There are font licensing issues, device support issues, font rendering inconsistencies and fonts that don’t work well on screen. Rasterizing software and screen hardware also take different approaches, such as E Ink.

Choosing a typeface:

• Vertical Proportions – Most web safe fonts have similar proportions between upper and lowercase text. A taller x-height can make the text feel more dense at the same size.
• Shapes – Straight lines and clear forms work better than subtle angles or curves. At small sizes, good hinting can help keep these details from causing trouble.
• Open Spaces – Generous spacing within and around letters (within apertures and around forms) will increase legibility at small sizes.
• Family Selection – Makes sure that italic and bold styles look as good as the regular.
• Opentype Features – Support is beginning to increase. Ligatures, alternate number forms, swashes or contextual alternatives and real small caps.

Using it well:

• Compensate for inconsistency – Adjust the size and line-height as needed to get contrasting fonts to work together.
• Be generous – If in doubt, slightly larger text size & extra line spacing will be easier to read.
• Choose color carefully – Contrast between text and background not only makes text more readable, but it also makes fonts easier to rasterize. More steps between the colors.

There are ‘E’ Versions of popular print faces such as Bembo and Helvetia Neue which have adjustments to the weight, proportion and spacing. There are also new faces being created specifically for screen like Malabar.

The Power of Side Projects and Eccentric Aunts – Tina Roth Eisenberg

Things Tina will teach her kids:

1. Love what you do & be flexible because the goal you set may not be what you had in mind when you set the goal.
2. Make something you love. Trust your intuition, don’t always go off numbers.
3. If an opportunity scares you, you need to take it.
4. Don’t be a complainer, make things better or let them go. Best way to complain is to make things.
5. Make time for side products. If you’re a designer, you have all the skills to create a product. Side products lead him to the next job.
6. Surround your self with like minded people. Human connections.
7. Ignore haters. Give haters none of your time. Zero.

Stay tuned for Day 2 of the Future of Web Design Conference 2011.

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This is a guest article contributed by Simon Goble.
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QR or Quick Response Codes have been around since 1994 and were originally used to track parts during car manufacture. It is likely you have seen one, even if you didn’t know what it was, usually displayed as black and white squares in a grid pattern reminiscent of a crossword. Essentially QR Codes are a barcode capable of holding significantly more information (thousands of characters as opposed to tens).

Around October 2010 they became a popular tool to quickly link smartphone users through to web pages, provided the phone had a relevant reader installed. Creating your own code is fairly simple with a myriad of free to use generators available, though initially the various options can be slightly overwhelming.

So How Are QR Codes Used?

QR codes are a quick and convenient way to transfer information to smart phones (or any digital device with a reader). The information encoded might direct users to a website URL, add contact details, offer special discounts and much more. They are often seen in magazines and on posters and flyers, where details on an event or product can be transferred. More specialised uses involve supplying extra details on name tags and business cards (vCards or personalised webpages), television adverts that are continued interactively and ordering online from closed high street shops.

QR Codes have also been used as coupon codes, online tickets and in scavenger hunts. Reiterating the paper message is a frequent but uninteresting practise, it is often more effective to create useful and interesting applications that will get people talking. What follows are a few of the better examples.

First Bank Free Books & Puzzles

Posters at Denver International airport provide a great service for the unprepared traveler. Scanning different posters leads to crosswords, Sudoku puzzles and books.

Mini Business Cards

Using minicards means less space, but with the addition of a QR code any missing details can still be passed on.

Lego Poster

Using a product everyone loves is always going to be a winner, so what if that is the only really interesting part of it?

Driveway Code

No guarantee of ever being seen but if it ever shows up on online satellite views it will been worth it.

Tesco Shopping Posters

Tesco put up a number of posters on the Seoul subway scanning the code below the item adds it to your online shopping basket.

Menus

Scanning the code on this menu from a Radisson Edwardian Hotel will take you through to a video of the dish being prepared.

Resume / CV

A fantastic way to stand out from the crowd, scanning the code takes the user to a video of him giving his resume in his own voice.

Augmented Reality Building

When scanning this building using a custom app it overlays shop information and tweets from the businesses inside.

How Do I Create My Own QR Code?

There are plenty of free QR code generators out there. Generally the default settings will be fine for a quick and easy result and many of the options are fairly self-evident though they will sometimes appear under different headings. Nevertheless to ensure that any interested party has the best chance of using your code it is worth at least being aware of some of the more advanced options available.

Must Know QR Code Tips

• Resolution –An important part of a QR code is the size as if it is too small some devices may have issues reading it. Across different generators Resolution is also referred to as Scale, Block size or Output.
• Data Type – This defines what action the code will take when scanned, it is commonly used to show the user websites, plain text, phone numbers, Google maps and email addresses.
• Redundancy/Error Correction – If a portion of the code becomes unreadable having using Error Correction during creation will mean the code compensates for lost data. There are varying degrees of correction offered (15% is the most common) though the larger the redundancy allowed for the greater the increase the grid size. At 0% any obstruction/damage to the code is likely to render it unreadable.

Worth Knowing QR Code Tips

Several other common options worth being aware of that are not necessary are;

• Grid Size – This defines how many blocks the code will be made up from, the majority of generators automatically resize the grid to the minimum necessary for all data to be stored but a few have manual settings.
• Colour – The contrast of the code is fairly fundamental to how it is read but as long as the code is a dark colour on a light background there should be no issues.
• Output type – The file format of the output .jpeg/.png/.gif etc.
• Shorten URL – To create a QR Code that uses a smaller grid you need to use the Shorten URL option this works by shortening the web address by redirecting though a third party (often the generators own) site.
• Padding – Using the padding options will add a border around the edge of the code. Not of particularly useful but if you plan to feature online rather than print it can save some editing time.
• Rounding/Radius/Shadow/Rotation – Some generators offer a number of visual effects to make the output a little less plain however high levels of customisation require a photo editing program.

Recommended QR Code Generators

• 2D Code has a comprehensive list of generators it details the basic options and any unique features included.
• Kaywa (simple but great for getting a quick code made) and Unitag (has the most advanced visual options, great if playing around with Photoshop isn’t your thing), either of these will likely cover all your needs but it is worth trying a few out and finding one that suits you.

Tips When Making Your Own QR Code

• Think about where it will be displayed, in some countries accessing the internet in subways is no problem but in it isn’t an option.
• Don’t apply them to everything; the reader will want some value for taking the time to scan your code so make it worth their while.
• Remember, the whole code needs to be scanned so take into account what distance you expect people will be scanning from.
• Your QR Code is almost certainly going to be read using a smartphone so wherever it is directed should be at least functional if not designed specifically for a mobile device.
• Testing is the only way to ensure your code is working properly it will be especially important if you have significantly edited the image.
• Some generators redirect hyperlinks though their own site, however you can use this to track how many people are using your QR code.
• Not everyone has a smartphone, not everyone will know what a QR code is and not everyone who has a smartphone will have a reader installed. Many people love QR Codes but a great number of others are currently oblivious to their existence.
• The code will still be functional if visual effects can be used and especially if a high degree of error correction is applied. You can go as far as having a logo obscuring part of the code but still have the data loss compensated for.

How Do I Read The QR Code?

Every major device has a number of available readers, some such as Blackberry come with a built in reader, Android and iOS have a number of free and paid options available on their respective marketplaces. QR Reader for iPhone and QR Droid for Android and Google Goggle for both, are favourites.

Your Turn

Hopefully the thought of creating your own QR Codes is now less daunting. So do you plan on making your own QR Code? Are you already using them and have any tips? If have a unique idea for a QR Code use or want to plug your favourite generator, let us know in the comments.

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This post was written by Simon Goble on behalf of moo.com. MOO loves design, offering custom Business Card Printing, unique MiniCards, Postcards, StickerBooks, Greeting Cards and more. You can visit their site at moo.com or follow them on Twitter @overheardatmoo.

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What do you love about the web? This was a simple question posed by J. Cornelius, president of the AWDG, to a small handful of designers including Jeffrey Zeldman, Cameron Moll, Carl Smith, Jonathan Snook, Whitney Hess, Jeff Croft and myself.

J. asked us to respond in video format and then he compiled the responses together. The result is nothing short of down right inspiring.

Click through to view if you do not see the video above.

So, what do you love about the web?

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Last year I created the brand identity for Appex.no and just recently had the pleasure to meet the client for the first time here in NYC. They showed me what they had done with the brand identity I created for them and was very impressed, especially with the responsive website.

Appex (Application Exchange) does mobile development & multimedia as well as supports, operates and hosts applications for small and medium sized businesses, both on premises and from the cloud. Based in Haugesund, Norway.

Below you can see the stationery, office, building & website of Appex.no. Also be sure to check out the logo animation video at the bottom.

Comments, questions & thoughts always welcome.

Logo Animation Video

If you can’t see the video below, click through to view on Vimeo.

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This is a guest article contributed by Nora Reed*.

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In this world of lightening fast development, professionals can find it hard to keep themselves up-to-date with the latest. Similarly, some designers who wish to stay updated, just don’t really know how to go about it.

These simple & effective methods will help you from being left behind:

1. Utilize All Of The Web

Some people are of the view that the internet is a waste of time as it causes major distractions, but like anything there are always pros and cons… it all depends upon how you use the tools available. The internet has revolutionized the way we work – it literally is the fastest method of staying up to date with the latest developments in the design business. Subscribe to RSS feeds, read blogs and search for the information you need – it’s there. Social bookmarking platforms are a big time saver too so make use of them, so you can come back to them when needed.

2. Participate In Discussions Online & Offline

While surfing is a good way to collect vast amounts of information, participating in online discussions is also beneficial in staying up-to-date. Be proactive; join design forums, comment on blogs and share your own opinion with the design community. You will get lots of ideas and feedback through the online communities, which will help you stay ahead of the curve.

3. Read, Collect & Discover Books & Magazines

Many young designers who graduate from college tend to shy away from books, however, books should always be kept at your side. They help broaden your horizons and often go in to much more depth than articles online.

• Recommended design books
• Best logo design books
• Recommended design magazines

4. Browse Design Galleries

As an avid designer, you should always yearn for inspiration and with the internet, you literally have the world at your fingertips. With the increased online presence of design, many design galleries have spawned showcasing inspiring and creative designs. Sites like Behance and Deviantart are a perfect inspiration spot for designers of any caliber. Not only do you get ideas & references for design, you also get a look at the latest emerging trends. Whether you follow these or purposely avoid them, is completely up to you.

5. Build Relationships & Maintain Them

Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter & Google+ allow you to easily stay connected with your friends but it’s also important to follow other influential designers on the web. By doing so, you will get real time updates on the latest developments or opportunities in your respective field. Don’t just limit yourself to online – connect in the ‘real’ world too.

6. Have a Predisposed ‘Yes!’ Attitude

In order to stay up-to-date, designers must keep an open and predisposed attitude so that you may learn from others in the design community. It is not only the young designers who will learn from the experienced ones, but the seasoned designers who can learn from the next generation too.

What are some of your methods for staying up to date as a designer?

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Nora Reed runs Logoblog.org where she writes about logo design trends, tips for logo designers, famous logos and showcases inspiring logo designs.

Photo credits: Shutterstock (bluehand)

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UPDATE: You can read a review of this conference here: DAY 1 / DAY 2

Conferences are a great way to stay up to date and this is especially true for one of the fastest moving industries in the world; web design.

This year, Just Creative Design is partnering up with Carsonified to promote their yearly annual conference, Future of Web Design (FOWD). This year it is being held at New World Stages in NYC on 7th – 9th November.

What to expect

• 33 Sessions, 2 Days, 2 Tracks, 4 Workshops
• Industry leading specialist speakers including Ryan Carson, Dave Shea, Cameron Moll, Tina Roth Eisenberg & many more.
• Talks on HTML5, CSS3, Typography, Interface Design, UX, Accessibility, Wireframing and more.
• More info on the official FOWD 2011 site or you can check out the 2010 highlights.

10% off tickets

As a media partner, JCD can get you 10% off the 2 day conference pass, simply enter ‘JCD10′ as the promo code on the Register Page. If you are having trouble getting time off work, be sure to check out the ‘Convince your boss PDF‘.

If you are going, I will see you there! If not, check back on Just Creative Design for a short summary after the event.

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This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey.

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I’m all for determined do-it-yourself careers. There is something almost awe inspiring about strapping on your boots and thrusting yourself into a competitive career with only your experiences and the world as your teacher. It really takes courage to take a passion and simply say, “I am going to do this for a living.”

We have software! Who needs skills?

Unfortunately, far too many aspiring designers get caught up in the dreamy ideals of do-it-yourself career building and try to throw themselves into the design world. They spend thousands of dollars on high-end design software and equipment, thinking that only these tools and their determination (and perhaps a little help from blogs and other internet educational resources) will allow them to stand toe to toe with the design giants of the internet.

Then you try your hand at designing. You hit a few brick walls. And then a few more brick walls. And soon you start to wonder, after having spent thousands of dollars on equipment, whether designing is really your innate passion or life skill. Trust me, it takes longer to come to this realization than the period in which you can return all your expensive gear at full price.

Why Education Is the Better Investment

Rather than spending all of your time and money on figuring out how to use your gear or even determining if design is right for you, I recommend putting that time and money into design education. This will help you in so many ways:

• Opens options, gives advice and direction

While there are a good number of online resources out there for designers, finding and knowing how to use them is another thing. Design courses will save you countless potential hours that you would have spent researching online. More importantly, design courses assure you that you’re researching something that would actually be helpful and practical to your design career.

• Networks you with other designers

An design educator is a valuable reference for finding work, especially straight after soon. Not to mention, you’ll be attending classes with plenty of other designers who could possibly use your skills for their own projects or network you with some of their previous clients.

• Finds you more design work

In addition to the networking, taking classes in design will also help you land design jobs, freelance or in a firm. Of course a degree will help you even further, but even just a few courses can go a long way.

• Helps you decide what equipment you need

It’s definitely possible to buy some design equipment or software that you ultimately don’t need. Design classes will give you an idea of which design tools are most effective for your design style.

• Qualifies you for discounts on equipment

You only need to be enrolled in a single class at a higher institution of learning to qualify for a great number of education discounts on both design software and hardware. Some discounts cut prices in half, which is huge for equipment ranging in the thousands of dollars. Do be careful of licensing restrictions as many do not allow you to work commercially.

• Qualifies you for work & Visas abroad
  

If you love traveling and have the income to support it, you can take design classes abroad with a student visa. Better yet, once you take enough courses to earn a degree, you can qualify for a work visa in countries such as the US, Japan, or the UK.

• Doesn’t have to break the bank

While you can spend a lot of money for an education in design, you don’t necessarily have to. You can take courses online or at a community college and still receive valuable information about the career. Not to mention you will still be eligible for educational discounts. Some countries are much cheaper than others so do your research to find out what’s best for you.

With all of these benefits, there is no excuse to at least take one or two design courses, so you can at least find out if your heart really is in the skill. If you find out that design is not your life’s calling, at least you didn’t waste any more time and money than you had to.

What’s your opinion on design education? Necessary? Recommended?

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This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for best online colleges. She welcomes your comments below.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock ( Zadorozhnyi Vikto)

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This is a guest article contributed by Jefferson Hawkins, aimed at those looking for a successful website.

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Many successful companies, it seems, can create anything – except an effective website. I am always amazed that so many top professional firms – in manufacturing, industry, engineering, sales, and many other areas – have websites that are poorly designed, hard to navigate, impractical, and impossible for search engines to find. The same managers, who demand high performance, efficient design, practicality, and minimal waste, don’t seem to demand the same things from their website. Here are a few tips:

1. Appearances matter

Brilliant, award-winning design is not the most important thing in a website, but if you fall below a certain standard of design quality, your potential customers won’t take you seriously. If your website looks like it was put together by someone’s nephew in his basement, people will assume you’re a small, unprofessional, fly-by-night operation – no matter how big and successful you really are.

A well-designed website instantly communicates that you are big, stable and successful, and that you care about quality. And even if you are two guys working out of a garage, you can look as big, stable and professional as any competitor. Good design doesn’t cost a lot – it just requires dealing with a designer who knows what they are doing.

2. Content, content, content

Give your potential customers the information they want and need. That requires knowing your customer. Talk to them. Talk to your sales people. Find out what are the essential things your customers need to know. Understand how purchasing decisions are made.

Your home page should establish, right away, who you are, what business you are in, what products or services you provide, and what sets you apart from your competitors. Anyone should be able to glance at your home page and understand all of these things right away. There should be no question as to what you do and the benefit you provide.

And keep the text customer oriented. Talk about their problems, their needs, their concerns, and how you solve them. Forget that company mission statement or the glowing letter from the president. They don’t care. They want to know what can you do for me?

Have reasons for customers to return to your site. Offer such things as product information, specifications and operating manuals, professional tips, recipes, and tutorials. Keep this content ungated (doesn’t require registration). Convert your PDF files to web pages and make the PDF available as a free download at the bottom of the web page. Give your customers and potential customers lots of reasons to return to your site again and again.

Photographs and videos are a great way to show your products and demonstrate them in action.

3. Navigation

Face it, your business is complex. You may have an extensive product line, many options, many different types of customers or industries that you serve. Effectively directing the customer and channeling them to the products and services they need is vital. Before you start or re-do your website, work out your navigation in advance. Customers should be able to glance at your home page and see exactly where they need to go.

Consider offering a download of your complete catalog, and making the download button visible on your home page – “above the fold.” Even better, consider making your catalog available as part of the website itself, so customers can search it online.

4. Make sure people can find you

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a big subject. Ideally, you should have an SEO specialist work over your site and make sure that search engines can find it. But even if you can’t afford that right now, there are some simple things you can do to make your site visible.

One of the most common mistakes is to embed key text and information in graphics or Flash animation. Search engines cannot read text that is embedded into pictures. You can test this by attempting to select and copy the text on a website. If you can’t select and copy the text, then search engines can’t read it.

Include in your informational text key words that people normally use when searching for your type of product or service. Use the most obvious ones, and any common variations.

Take the time to learn and use title, description and keyword metatags. Or hire someone to handle these SEO basics for you.

5. Keep it timely

There is nothing worse than an out-of-date website to communicate to your customers that you don’t care. Outdated offers, announcements for last year’s trade shows, out-of-date staff lists – it all detracts from your image as an efficient company that will provide great service. Make sure your website has a user-friendly content management system so you can update frequently and easily.

6. Capture and care for customer leads

Not everyone who visits your website is ready to buy. Provide reasons for them to contact you and give you their name and e-mail. Include contact forms and “get a free estimate” forms. Offer a newsletter with industry information, product announcements and tips.

Include “calls to action” such as “Call now to order,” “Click here for a free quote,” and “Download our product catalog.” A “live chat” or “live assistance” function can be a great lead generator.

7. Use Social Media

Facebook and Twitter are not just for teenage girls any more. In fact, more and more businesses are using these to build an interested online community. Consider starting a blog where you post relevant articles about your industry, your products, new developments, and upcoming events. Providing a forum where your customers can interact with you and other customers and share knowledge helps to build your company’s brand and your positioning as an industry leader.

Post press releases on your website and/or blog, then link to them on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Make sure your website includes “share” buttons so that visitors can easily share your content.

There are many other things you can do to make your website more effective, and truly reflect the quality and professionalism of your products and services. Take the time and care to make it bright, attractive, informative, easy to navigate, and easy to find.

What difficulties have you experienced while navigating various websites?

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*Jefferson Hawkins is Creative Director of SkyHawk Studios , a graphic design firm located in Portland, Oregon. More articles by Jefferson Hawkins can be read on the SkyHawk Studios Blog.

Photo credits: Shutterstock (Falko Matte, Ford Prefect, 1000 Words)

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Facebook had its F8 conference yesterday and with it came some big changes, most notably the TimeLine, which I’ve tested out and it looks & functions great! Get your Facebook Timeline here.

Another recent bonus feature was the subscribe button which now means anyone can ’subscribe’ to people’s posts on Facebook – even if you are not friends. This is a great way to get around the 5000 friends cap.

If you wish to get my updates on Facebook – mainly focused on design resources – then head to my profile and click ‘Subscribe’ in the top right corner.

Other places you can find me on the Interwebs:

• Google Plus / Buzz – Add me here to join in on discussions & to follow my articles and Twitter updates.
• Twitter – Follow me here to receive many design related resources & links. By far the most active place I am on the web. Updated multiple times a day.
• Facebook – Join me here to stay connected & receive links I share. The second most active place I am on the web. Updated multiple times a day.
• Just Creative Design Facebook Fanpage – Join the Fanpage to get updates via Facebook on new articles I post on Just Creative Design along with other articles and posts.
• Logo Of The Day Facebook Fanpage – Join the fan club to get updates via Facebook on new logos I post on Logo Of The Day. Updated daily.
• Logo Of The Day Twitter – Join this if you prefer only to get Logo Of The Day updates, rather than all my other Twitter links. Updated daily.
• LinkedIn – Join for business networking.
• Just Creative Design LinkedIn Group – Join this group to promote your own articles, ask questions and to discuss the business of design.
• StumbleUpon – Add me here to see what websites I deem worthy of a thumbs up.
• Delicious – Add me here to see bookmarked links I think I’ll need to come back to later. Updated daily.
• Vimeo – Add me here to get updated whenever I make a video.

You can keep track of most of the above sites & profiles at JacobCass.com

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This is a guest article contributed by Richard Larson*.

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Tell your potential clients, not only do you design beautiful websites, you design websites that convert!

Designers that make beautiful websites are everywhere. As a designer you need to demonstrate to your potential clients that not only do you create beautiful designs but your designs are carefully crafted marketing tools that convert potentially interested people into devoted customers. Doing this isn’t easy but it will dramatically improve your business and more importantly it will improve your client’s business. When they sell more, thanks to your website, they will spread the word and before you know it you will be turning potential clients away or hiring staff.

In order to convince your clients that you create websites that convert you need to start a crash course on marketing and apply it to all the skill and knowledge you have about SEO and web design. Secondly, you need to establish a standardized formula for getting to know your clients and their business needs. The more you understand about your client, the better job you can do at placing their website so that it will get the most exposure and the most traffic.

It’s essential to articulate your marketing strategy to your client in a clear and dynamic way. At every opportunity you need to remind yourself and your client that the ultimate objective is to create a website that converts. This requires a delicate balance of often diametrically opposing forces like SEO and customer appeal. Every web designer will have strengths and weaknesses. As you read through the following skill list make mental notes of the areas where you personally need improvement.

Understand Your Audience

As a designer you need to understand and target your client’s audience. This is done using a combination of traditional marketing research tools and new web marketing tools. You need to know the age, gender, location and economic class of your target audience. You also need to understand what your customers like, dislike and want out of your product and industry and where they are online (laptop, desktop, mobile, Facebook, Twitter etc.). Here are a variety of tools you can use to do this:

Marketing tools:

• Census.Gov
• E-Marketer
• Hitwise
• International Business Strategies
• Internet Time Machine
• MarketResearch
• Plunkett Research
• Valuation Resources
• Yahoo Insights

Social Media Tools:

• Conversion
• Dow Jones Insight
• Netbase
• Nielsen Online
• Visible Technologies
• eCairn
• HowSociable
• Social Mention

Branding and Niche Placement

Branding and niche placement have always been important but Online this is critical- especially for conversions. The advantage of the Internet is it is a large market; the disadvantage of the Internet is that it is a large market. The Internet is like a desert filled with sand and as one of those grains an unknown website needs to distinguish itself. Your conversion rate can only increase if you are attracting the right audience. Careful keyword selection is the number one most important way to get your site into the right niche. Branding (see BrandSimple by Allen Adamson and Sir Martin Sorrell) and placing your web site in the appropriate niche within an industry are equally important. Careful logo design and strategic advertising (PDF) are also essential. Reaching the appropriate audience equals high conversion rates.

Excellent Coding and SEO Design

No amount of beautiful design and market research will save you if your coding and site architecture aren’t SEO friendly. Flat site architecture is optimal and a well-designed linking structure is critical. Paying attention to SEO code details like titles and metatags is also important. Google’s new Panda updates have changed the game substantially and if you aren’t up on the new game get out there and do some research!

Quality Design

Quality Design including font, color selection and overall presentation are critical. You need to design for your potential customers. Knowing your audience before you start designing will make this much easier and will eliminate many design choices. SEO site structure and choices will eliminate even more designs. You may be surprised to find yourself with a very limited number of choices and this is what separates the good designers from the Masters. The Masters are still able to design unique and appealing websites despite all the demanding limitations of marketing and SEO.

Quality Content

Quality content is also essential. All your content should have a unique and consistent tone. Your content must also be credible, logical and emotionally appealing. Content should appeal to the right level of depth. For example, a consumer looking to buy a car doesn’t want an engineering prospectus, but an engineer does. To capture organic rankings there must be reams of unique content and it must be consistently produced. Make sure your clients understand that a steady stream for a long time is needed to attain first page ranking on organic Google searches. When thinking about content make sure to consider podcasts and instructional materials as well. Cleaver designers find ways to make other people create their content. Apple Computer does this through marketing and branding. Get creative and think of ways to get your own audience to create positive content and buzz for you.

Quality Visuals

Quality visuals include pictures and graphics but any more quality visuals also include video streams and slide shows. Visual elements tap into people’s emotions and can activate other senses if they are well executed. For example, a great photo of food will make a consumer hungry. The web is quickly moving towards movement so if you haven’t already- get yourself up to speed on flash and video streaming. The Sundance Institute website is a great example of a site that incorporates a wide range of visual mediums effectively into a flat site structure. In this site visuals add to rather than detract from the tone and mood of the site. Your site must still upload quickly across a variety of platforms. The video stream is small box but has the potential to go full screen and the audio on the video stream is exceptional.

Testing, Customer Feedback, Tracking and Analytics.

Test your website design using visual heat mapping before launch to optimize your point of action points and after your website is flying to measure and track user views, clicks and participation. Use traditional analytics programs to get more complete data and details. Use customer feedback forms to make future corrections and updates to the site so that it is converting customers at the best rate possibly.

Here are some heat mapping tools:

• Attention Wizard
• ClickDensity
• ClickTale
• CrazyEgg
• Google In-page Analytics (free Overlay tool)
• Definitive Heatmap (from Corunet, Free DIY Tool)
• Omniture ClickMap (Adobe)

Here are some tools for site feedback:

• GetSatisfaction
• UserVoice

All of your time and effort will be wasted if your client is with a poor hosting company. A good hosting company can dramatically influence site upload speed and site downtime. In addition a poor hosting site can negatively impact SEO through association. The other sites hosted on your host are your neighborhood. If the neighborhood is full of rotten sites it will influence your SEO. Conversely if your host has large reputable sites this will work favorably for your SEO.

This above list is only a beginning- look at your strengths and keep going to further brand yourself as a unique and valuable web designer. Use everything you use for your clients and apply it to your own business and watch it grow!

–

*Author: Richard Larson is Brand Manager for Go Promotional the leading promotional items supplier online.

Photos: Shutterstock (Archman, Fer Gregory, Rikard Stalder)

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I’ve mentioned Logo Lounge numerous times on this blog; but for those not familiar it is a series of books on logo & identity design, as well an online logo inspiration gallery.

This year there were 36,000 logos submitted for consideration for Logo Lounge Vol. 7 and only 2000 that could make the cut, as chosen by an international panel of judges. I am thrilled to hear that 6 logos of mine are to be published in Vol. 7, coming out in July 2012. This makes a total of 29 logos of mine that have been published in Logo Lounge’s books, as outlined below.

• Logo Lounge Vol. 6 (6 logos)
• LogoLounge Vol. 5 (2 logos)
• LogoLounge Master Library – Shapes & Symbols (9 logos)
• LogoLounge Master Library – Typography and Enclosures (6 logos)

This year I will also have a full feature case study in the book, outlining the design process of an identity I created for Menu Cover Depot (see below). I’ve already submitted the article and will share it next year, once it is printed.

Congratulations to those who have their logo’s included thus far & for those that lucked out, I wish you better luck for next year! To submit for next year, become a member of Logo Lounge & start uploading.

My 6 Selected Logos

Below you can see my six selected logos.

Menu Cover Depot

Menu Cover Depot is an online service that caters to restaurants needing menu covers.

Japan Tribute

This was my tribute piece in response to the Japan 8.9 Earthquake / Tsunami disaster that happened in March this year. I made the graphic free for public use and also into a poster, that’s been downloaded over 1300 times.

The graphic has since made over $15,000 in sales on Second Life, been used by Rotary clubs over the world and is still in use on people’s Facebook profiles. Truly humbling to see such a simple piece do so much.

Eton Financial

Eton Financial is a prestigious financial education services provider. The symbolism behind the mark comes from the shape of the roofs of the original Eton College in London, as well as ‘E’ of Eton and a castle / crown, depending how one perceives it.

Yoga Tripper

Yoga Tripper is a website focused on providing services to yoga studio owners & those interested in yoga.

Onyx

Radar

This was for an iPhone App that unfortunately never saw the light of day.

Logo Trends From Logo Lounge

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• Logo Trend Discussion on JCD: 2011 | 2010 | 2009

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I’m always up for sharing great resources and today marks the release of a new eBook by Alex Mathers; 9 Steps to Being Your Most Powerful Creative Self‘*.

I’ve always been a fan of Mather’s writing (and his blog’s colour scheme), and it was just last year that I reviewed his other eBook ‘10 Steps to Powerful Online Self Promotion for Creatives‘* which I highly recommend.

Anyway, Mathers emailed me recently about his upcoming release and I asked for a review copy so I could read it through before the official release. He kindly obliged. I thought it was great & was worth sharing, so I asked for a discount for JCD readers which he kindly agreed to too – see below for details.

What You Will Learn

In a nutshell, this is how Mather’s describes what you will learn:

“You will learn to be a bolder, more focused, more innovative and more productive creative genius. The book will teach you how to to boost your creative ability & effectiveness, while adding benefits to the state of your own body and mind.”

To do this, the book walks you three broad chapters, teaching you how to “smash your fears, become laser focused and build your creative reach”. I think the book does a great job of this & the only criticism I have, is that it’s not long enough… but I guess that’s a good thing sometimes. The eBook does come with two free bonus eBooks too, though I have not read these.

Check It Out

The book is on sale for $27 but readers of JCD can get it for 15% off using code JCD.

Once you’ve read it, please do let me and Alex what you thought. Read any other great eBooks lately?

*=Affiliate

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Over the past few months you would have noticed a few more guest articles than usual. The reason for this is because I’ve been traveling, job searching finding and getting a new US work Visa for my newly signed job. Here is a quick update.

Traveling

As many of you know, I’m a big fan of traveling and I haven’t stopped during my time here in the USA. Apart from the 22 US states I visited in my initial few months here, I’ve since added a few more; Michigan, Ohio & West Virginia. I’ve also revisited my favourite places a few times; Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami & The Hamptons. Other places I had the chance to explore were Pittsburgh (for my TED talk), San Diego, Boston and Canada (Niagra Falls).

I was also just recently back in Australia for 3 weeks visiting friends & family, while awaiting my new visa.

My next trip is very soon & will be to Nassau, The Bahamas. After that it will be Chicago and then probably Hawaii for Christmas / New Year.

Job Searching + New Full Time Position

Over the past year and a half, I’ve freelanced full time for a number of agencies & companies including Carrot Creative, The Wonder Factory, Alexander Interactive & OpenSky. After I left OpenSky in June, I decided to find a long term, full time position so I could stay in the USA for a few more years. ie. I had to renew my Work Visa.

So for about 4 weeks in July I was job searching trying to find the right place to work in NYC, long term. After a lot of searching, many interviews, a number of offers, and some very close decisions, I finally chose to work at Ammirati, a full service advertising agency located in Union Square, Manhattan. My title is ‘Interactive Designer’ and I now work in their interactive department, specialising in UX, UI and brand development.

I’ve been at Ammirati (lobby shown above) for about 3 weeks now and am enjoying it immensely. The clientele is very diverse… one day I am working on a high end luxury brand, another day, working on a video game website. This helps things keeps fresh & fun, but it is very face paced.

You can check out Ammirati’s newly designed website, which launched just this week.

Freelance Work

I’m still freelancing on the side, with my main focus in branding & identity design. I’ve also taken on a few interactive design jobs as well but these have been minimal, due to my limited freelance availability.

You can see some of my new work in my portfolio but unfortunately a lot of it can not be shared due to NDA’s.

JCD’s Future

I’ve always tried to keep this blog updated at least once a week and will continue to do so, however I sense that there will be an increase in guest articles due to my new job work commitments. If you have any special requests, articles to submit or suggestions, please do let me know.

Logo Of The Day is still posting one logo a day too!

Thanks folks!

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This is a guest article contributed by Lior Levin.

–

Everyone has the dream of working from home and being their own boss. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy that luxury? Freelancing is one of the many jobs that one can do from the comfort of their own home because you get to use your skills to work on your own time. Contrary to what many believe though, freelancing is not as easy a job as it seems. This is why it’s important to choose a niche that you truly enjoy and can see yourself doing for years to come.

The ever growing changes of the web and how we use it guarantees that there will almost always be some type of freelance work available for those who are up for the challenge. Remember though, whether your niche is designing, writing, programming, or anything else, there’s a lot of work that goes into it. Additionally, before you even start, there are a lot of questions that you’ll need to think about before venturing into the wonderful world of freelancing.

Can You Handle the Business Side of Freelancing?

As a freelancer, you’ll have to learn how to run your own business, which is not a light task or subject. Many professionals go to school and earn Bachelor degrees in Business Administration/Management and Entrepreneurship so that they can learn how to properly run a business. So, if you don’t have a 4-year degree in on of these subjects, will you able to handle the business side of freelancing?

You’ll also have to be constantly learning new things, keeping up with trends, and applying what you’ve learned. If you’re a designer, you’ll have to keep up with coding standards and learn new design techniques. If you’re a writer, you’ll have to do a lot of reading and keep up with the latest news and developments in your speciality – like new gadgets in technology or new social media services. Learning is a never-ending job and you’ll need to be able to retain all of that knowledge as well.

Discipline

As your own boss, you’ll have to make sure that you start working on time and stick to your daily, weekly, and monthly schedule. It’s up to you to be organized; there won’t be anyone there to make sure that you’re staying on task. It’s very easy to lose focus and start doing something unrelated to your work like visiting social networking sites, chatting with a friend on IM, or watching TV.

It’s fine (and definitely recommended) to take breaks, but you’ll need to be disciplined enough to know when enough is enough. It’s important that you’re self driven enough to do what you need to do for the day without letting distractions get the best of you. You’ll have deadlines to meet and you’ll need to meet them by all means necessary.

Another thing to remember here is that yes, you do create your own work hours, but often you’ll have to work well over 8 hours a day. So ask yourself, are you willing to work over 40 hours a week? Many freelancers have to do this on a regular basis. You can’t be afraid to burn the midnight oil from time to time, especially if you have a really involved project or somehow underestimated the time needed for a project time.

Legalities

Let’s not forgot about the legalities, paperwork, marketing, and financial duties that come with starting and managing your own business. As a freelancer you will have to register your business, pay taxes, create invoices, find clients, handle your email messages in a professional manner, schedule meetings, and communicate on the phone among other things.

Also don’t forget that you’ll be your own receptionist, accountant, and manager (of all kinds) until you can afford to hire help. It will be very exhausting and stressful, but you have to make sure that you can handle it all when first starting out.

Do You Get Stressed Easily?

Do you have thick skin? You’re sure going to need it. You’ll be handling a lot of requests. Some clients will never be satisfied and will request an insane amount of additions and subtraction. Are you able to handle this or will you get stressed out at even the slightest amount of pressure?

Everyone handles stress differently. How do you handle it? If you’re one that does get stressed easily, make sure you have a remedy that works. Some preferred methods of handling stress are: drinking tea, meditation, getting a massage, playing games, or listening to music.

Criticism

As a freelancer, you have to be able to take constructive criticism because you’ll be getting a lot of feedback, both good and bad, from your clients. Criticism and professionalism go hand-in-hand because you’ll need to be able to handle yourself and the feedback you receive, in a professional manner. At times you may want to give one of your clients a piece of your mind, but you can’t do that. These clients help build your reputation and you’ll need them as references; so you can’t go burning any bridges. Make sure you think before speaking or taking action.

Abuse

It’s one thing for a client to give you feedback, but when they’re making demands, calling you out of your name, and treating you like a piece of meat it’s a totally different story. You will have some clients that really feel like they own you, so you’ll have to be able to stand up for yourself if needed. Will you have the courage to do this?

Can You Handle the Technology?

Let’s face it, nothing is done the old-fashioned way anymore – technology is taking over everything. We talked about invoices above, but paper invoices are just about obsolete. You’ll have to find the right type of software to use for creating and managing invoices, plus you’ll want to make sure that it’s a program within your budget.

Will you be able to keep up with the constant changes in technology? You’ll have to constantly adapt to knew devices and features on the devices and services that you use. With the rapid changes now, this can be a job all in itself, but it’s also a huge part of being a freelancer.

Communication

What about communicating with clients? Will you use an actual phone or a service like Skype or maybe even Google Voice? If you’d rather text chat with clients, which IM service will you use? There’s Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger, MSN, and even Skype can work for this as well. How will you hold meetings? This can be done on the phone, on IM clients, and even via web apps with the use of your webcam.

Are You Organized Enough?

Thanks to technology, it’s much easier to be organized now than ever before. There are countless online task management tools available for managing tasks, to-dos, events, and calendars. Plus, most of them let you sync between your computer and mobile devices so that you can keep track of your work and duties wherever you go. These tools don’t work by themselves though.

You’ll need to create monthly, weekly, and plans. Larger projects can be broken up into smaller projects and then individual tasks. Each week you should know at a glance what needs to be done. Each day you should then have a task list of things that need to be done before you go to bed. Will you be able to stick to this? Will you be able to keep this up on a regular basis?

You’ll also need to keep good notes and know how to manage your email. Since email will more than likely be your main way of communicating with clients, you’ll need to be sure that you don’t delete important messages. You’ll also need to check your email frequently (at least 3-4 times a day) so that you don’t miss any important messages. Keeping good notes is also important because you want to be sure you do everything that your clients ask for.

The most important part of being a freelancer is being organized. If you cannot be organized then 9 times out of 10, you won’t make it as a freelancer. It’s just something that you can’t play by ear because nothing will ever get done on time and you’ll end losing all of your clients.lea

Do You Know Your Worth?

This will take some research, but you’ll need to know your worth so that you know how much to charge. You should see if you can find out what other freelancers with similar experience charge and go from there. Also remember that you won’t get things that come with full-time jobs like insurance, 401K, sicks days, vacation, etc. Of course you can do these things on your own, but in the end it will cost you more as a freelancer, so you might want to compensate for that when quoting prices.

Do you have a Backup Plan?

If freelancing doesn’t work out for you, you’ll need to have a backup plan. Freelancing is not for everyone. There will be some that will try, but it just won’t take off or fit them the way they thought it would. Obviously you shouldn’t go in with the intent of quitting as soon as the slightest thing goes wrong; you just need to make sure that you have yourself covered financially and emotionally if things get rough.

Stability

This is where financial stability comes into play. When just starting out, freelancing will not be a reliable source of income; therefore you should not be dependent on it in any way. You’ll need to make that you have a decent amount of money saved up or a spouse or roommate that has a reliable source of income. You don’t want to things to go wrong and then you end up without work or money.

You could even start freelancing on a part-time basis and have a part-time job on the side, just so that you do have reliable income coming in. Just make sure that you have some sort of stability to hold you up in case thing make a turn for the worse. It often takes 1-2 years to build up your reputation, have steady income, and be able to totally rely on freelancing. Are you willing to wait this long?

What is Your Final Decision?

So you’ve answered and evaluated all of these questions and you feel that you have what it takes. Well think again! Not to scare you off, but it’s even more hard work once you get started, so be sure that you’re ready to be in it for the long haul. We’re talking long work hours, late nights, stress and frustration, demanding clients, not nearly enough days off, and that’s just for starters.

With a lot of hard work, dedication, careful planning, and organization you can start out on the right track and take your career to the higher levels that you need to go. Before you know it you’ll be at the top of your game, in high demand, and making the big bucks from the comfort of your own home!

Are you a freelancer? Was it tough getting started? What are your biggest challenges? If you’re not a freelancer, do you plan on becoming one in the near future? Are you ready for the long haul? How do you plan to overcome any initial obstacles or challenges?

Related Articles:

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• How to get clients to say yes to your designs
• How to sell the value of design: an email conversation
• Tips For Negotiating Budgets
• A First Hand Guide On How To Start Freelancing

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This was a post by Lior Levin who works for a psd to html service company from New Jersey and also advises to a neon signs store that sells neon and LED signs.

Photo credits: Shutterstock; Pamela Uyttendaele, Zadorozhnyi Vikto, Diego Cerv,  XYZ, Aperture51, MareKuliasz

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This is a guest article contributed by Sam Toman.

–

In a recent New York Times piece, the editors asked a panel of talking heads to speculate on where Earnest Hemingway would go if he were alive today. Their answers were predictably boring – Berlin, London and Bruges (!?). The implied criteria were based on a perception of Hemingway’s personality and needs. The panel decided he would need an arts scene, enough urban action to keep him inspired, as well as a certain old-European cultural charm.

As the labour marketplace for talented designers becomes more global, and more designers can stay gainfully employed without leaving their living room, a similar question gains relevance. As such, where that living room is becomes important to a designers quality of life. So, what is the best city for a designer to live? Using the New York Times model, let’s stick to Europe. From there we can create a list of criteria that a designer would need to both succeed professionally and be happy in a city.

Cost of Living. This includes, rent, food, entertainment, transportation.

Employment Opportunities. As much as most jobs can be done with a reliable internet connection, the human connection is truly the key to the best paying jobs. A thriving marketplace for design jobs and an entrepreneurial climate is key.

Inspiration. Lots of cities are cheap or have jobs. But how many of them are multi-cultural? How many have a thriving arts scene with galleries, concerts and events? These are the intangibles that, although no designer, Hemingway would have sought.

With this in mind, and in no particular order, let’s get started.

Berlin, Germany

Cost of Living: Berlin has long had the reputation for being the cheapest western-European capital. Though more expensive then they were in the 90s, Berlin still has an abundance of flats for a fraction of the price of most other European cities. Thanks to the proliferation of discount grocery stores, food in Berlin is quite affordable. Ample bike-lanes and a precise public-transportation system make the city a breeze to navigate. And of course… German beer! It is cheap, delicious and can be consumed without reprisal on city streets.

Employment Opportunities: These same cheap rents and solid infrastructure, combined with an educated and international workforce have transformed Berlin into Europe’s emerging high tech hotspot. Networks like Silicon Allee have emerged to chronicle this rise. With entrepreneurs flooding the city there is a rush on talented and creative people. Graphic Designers and Web Designers are in high demand. Combine this with Berlin’s history of design (from Bauhaus to street art) and you have a fertile climate for exciting employment.

Inspiration: With a long, and at times tortured, history Berlin is once again finding itself at the forefront of the European stage. It’s mayor once declared that Berlin is, “poor but sexy.” Today, this is only half true. A multicultural meting pot has emerged here that lends itself to experimentation, style and the kind of adventure that more established cities cannot duplicate. And now, thanks to increased job opportunities, people have more money to experiment with.

Lviv, Ukraine

Cost of Living: We know what you are thinking… “where?” But hear us out. As the heart of Europe-leaning Western-Ukraine, Lviv is what Krakow and Prague were decades ago. This medieval gem of a city has yet to cash in on its charm like those other two places, but this plays right into the hands of job hunting-designers. Lviv might be the most affordable city of it’s size in Europe (pop. 800,000). The economic crisis devastated the Ukrainian currency and prices here are a quarter of what they would be elsewhere in Europe. Plus, Lviv has all of amenities you would find in a major European city. Time is ticking on Europe’s best kept secret. Lviv will play host to the Euro 2012 football tournament and, by then, the secret will be out.

Employment: Thanks to it’s position outside of the EU looking in, Lviv has become a hotbed of outsourcing. Companies looking to cut costs have set up shop here to take advantage of affordable and educated labour. These companies need experienced and English-speaking project leaders. The such salaries are comparable to those of the west, but in a cities four times as cheap.

Inspiration: Much like Krakow and Prague, Lviv was never bombed during WWII. This has left the city with a similar medieval charm. Vibrant squares, magnificent churches and friendly people all conflate to make Lviv a truly wonderful place. This is where Hemingway really would have lived if he were live today.

Tallinn, Estonia

Cost of Living: Though it was once a part of the Soviet Union, Estonia’s capital Tallinn is not necessarily a cheap place. But nor is it expensive. Prices are comparable to Berlin, and significantly lower than London or Paris. The small tight-knit city centre is easily accessible from everywhere and acts as a focus of city life. Flats, when you can find them, are affordable and spacious. Food is also quite inexpensive, though nothing spectacular.

Employment: This is where Tallinn really excels. Known as E-stonia for its easy embrace of technology, Start-up and entrepreneurs have flooded into the Baltic country. Have you heard of Skype and Kazaa? Both began life in Tallinn. But when you talk to Estonians they will tell you that while they have the skills, especially in web design, they sometimes lack the creativity needed for truly memorable projects. This is where you as a designer can excel. Not only that, but Estonians are more comfortable in English and most Western-Europeans. After all, when only 900,000 people speak your language, you tend to learn other ones.

Inspiration: Much like Lviv, Tallinn has a rich medieval history that is reflected in it’s untouched city centre. Tallinn is like living in a fairytale with it’s castles and churches and city walls. There are touches of German, Baltic, Scandinavian culture in Estonia that come together to make create an atmosphere that can be appreciate even when the sun disappears and the temperature drops in the winter. To top it off, Estonians are curious and friendly when it comes to foreigners. You will find many people receptive to your work.

Related Articles:

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What other design hotspots around the world would you recommend?

Photo credits: 1 | 2 | 3

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