Think Smart Designs Blog

Best Educational Resources for Studying Graphic Design in 2015

2015-08-10T11:03:00.004-07:00

One of the greatest things about having access to the Internet, is the educational opportunities that it affords the public. People in all professions have the ability to expand their knowledge base through the wealth of information being shared via the Internet, and the same holds true for those who are studying graphic design.

The Internet is positively bursting with tutorials and resources that can help one advance through the various stages of becoming a successful graphic designer.Here is a collection of invaluable educational resources on graphic design that have been broken down into different categories depending on your preferred methods of consumption. Each one of us has their own approach of learning, either learning visually, auditory or through repetitious means. It was in that vein in which the resources were collected.We have tutorials for your hands-on approach, podcasts for a more auditory take and an assortment of PDFs and articles to read through.

PDFs

The first category of resources that we have gathered are some assorted graphic design PDFs that will freely add to the educational foundation on which you are building. These community supplied supplements cover a range of graphic design elements and areas. So take a look through and begin downloading your new skill builders from the list below.
Design Your Imagination is a valuable graphic design ebook that should be in any beginners toolbox. Deconstruct website design and learn to hone your creative skills with this comprehensive guide to the web:

As with any good learning experience, you need someplace to start, and some choose to start at the beginning. With The History of Graphic Design you can do just that. This informative PDF offers a brief rundown of the history of graphic design:

When it comes to teaching design in a whole new way, The Design Funnel: A Manifesto for Meaningful Design brings a unique look at the world of design, and guides the reader to honing their design process. From beginner to established pro, this manifesto could offer you a fresh perspective on your approach:

Graphic Design Teaching and Learning is a helpful learning tool that takes on both the approach of teaching graphic design as well as learning it. Definitely an interesting and a worthwhile read:

PDFoo – Graphic Design
PDFoo is a large collection of ebooks and PDFs all related to the field of graphic design. This resource provides a full download and will keep your nose to the grindstone for days:

Pictorial composition and the critical judgment of pictures is a wonderfully informative ebook that will allow anyone, no matter their level of expertise, to dive in and learn the basics about the composition and overall aesthetics of images:

Just Creative Design’s Type Classification eBook is a fantastic educational resource for those wish to learn more about the fine art of typographical design. Whether type is to be your specialty or not, this ebook is worth a read:

A theory of pure design; harmony, balance, rhythm is another learning library must add. This ebook explores in great depth the fundamentals of design theory. It is an artistic exploration into the very principles which lie at the foundation of illustration and painting as fine art:

An Introduction to Graphic Design is another useful ebook to be stocked in any graphic designer’s learning library. It offers a look at the basic fundamentals of graphic design to build a more solid foundation:

The Q&A E-book : Interviews With 25 Popular Bloggers pretty much tells you all you need to know about it in the title. Gain insight into the processes of the big names in the design field through this interview filled ebook and learn tricks that you can implement in your own:

The final PDF we have for you is the Graphic Design Wikibook. Think of the Wikibook as an open-content collection of textbooks, in this case specifically focused on the graphic design world. Do not let its position fool you, it is definitely worth a gander:

Articles

This second section of resources is an array of great articles all geared specifically towards graphic design education. Combing through the archives of some of the best known sites for assisting the growth of the community, we have pulled some must-read posts from their pasts just in case you missed them. Even if you do not read another post from any of the sites they have come from, these articles you should not let pass you by!
Earlier, we mentioned needing someplace to start, well Teach Yourself Graphic Design: A Self-Study Course Outline is one of those places. This article is absolutely filled with resources that will help you begin your self directed graphic design studies:

Want to know how to design? Learn The Basics. is a fantastic article from Just Creative Design that gets at the heart of design through the very basic elements of design. These are the fundamentals that you cannot get by without:

The Difference Between Art and Design is an extremely insightful discussion about the difference between art and design. This is a long running debate in the design community, and if you are going to be a designer, you should certainly familiarize yourself with the ongoing dialog:

Art vs Design is another pertinent and well thought out dissection of the art vs. design issue. Part of a solid foundation of learning comes from having a firm understanding of the field you are working in, through this evolving dialog, any designer can gain better footing in this design landscape:

Graphic designers are often wondering What Skills Will I Learn as a Graphic Designer? especially when they are starting out. This article examines this very query in specific details:

Underneath all of the fundamentals of graphic design lies the theory that drives it. In the article 50 Totally Free Lessons in Graphic Design Theory the TutsPlus family definitely delivers with a bevy of knowledge building lessons in theory:

For more on theory, Noupe’s Graphic Design Theory: 50 Resources and Articles is another wonderful collection of graphic design theory based resources from our sister site. Help expand your design horizons even more with this educational article:

Learn the Basics: 25+ Sites And Resources To Learn Typography is a great article from 1st Web Designer that will serve to enhance your typographical knowledge base. Typography is an important element in design and understanding it is key in your design growth:

As far as useful articles on design go, David Airey put together a post on the communities favorite books about graphic design. What ’s your favourite graphic design book? opens up the comments to the community and the post evolves from there as the replies pour in:

In your quest for graphic design knowledge you can even turn to About.com whose course Introduction to the Elements of Design will give you a grasp of the basics of graphic design. Another article that serves as a good starting point:

Speaking of graphic design books, this site has a brilliant article on them. 30 Delightful Graphic Design Books spans the various arenas of graphic design to find some of the industries most useful books that will aid you in your thirst for knowledge:

The Design Cubicle offers this insightful article Tips to improve as a graphic designer for anyone on an educational journey through the field of graphic design. It is certainly worth a look for new and old designers alike:

Finally, when it comes to growing as a designer and learning to hone your skills, the blogosphere is an invaluable tool. The following article 100 Must Read Design Blogs helps you to maximize your surfing by pointing you in the direction of some great sources for educating yourself:

Podcasts

In this category, we move into the auditory section of our graphic design learning experience with some selected podcasts. These informative online broadcasts take on the task of offering an educational outlet for the masses over the virtual airwaves with a different approach than you can get most anywhere else. Especially if you are more inclined towards audio forms of learning the podcasts are for you, but they are truly for anyone interested in learning more about this field.
For Graphic Designers Only is a business minded graphic design focused broadcast which talks with industry experts to gain insight and give advice to the community. From building an individual freelance business to a more business firm oriented perspective this is a useful podcast:

Rookie Designer‘s The Podcast for the Not-So-Accomplished Designer is a look at the graphic design landscape with a beginner’s gaze. This is a great place to start in the podcast pool, whether you are a newb or in need of a little refresher course:

Design Guy takes a simpler approach to the design principles, taking the time to explain them in laid-back basic ways that should be easy to wrap your head around. Get your new design projects off the ground in no time with a little help from the Design Guy:

Art a GoGo Podcast is certainly useful to anyone looking to solidify the base of their design work through an exploration of art. The Art a GoGo podcast features discussions about art news and the overall world of art in an educational and entertaining way:

There have not been many logo specific resources, but Logo Design is an informative podcast that does help balance the scales a bit. Learning about logos through tips and in-depth discussions has a new face, the “Logo Design” podcast:

Boagworld Web Design Advice is a fantastic weekly podcast which runs the proverbial gamut of the graphic design field. Offering the community interviews, reviews, and news Boagworld is a podcast for all levels of the designer from the learning to the learned:

Art History Podcast is another podcast that can help you learn more about the art that has shaped and paved the way for the design world today through thoughtful analysis of timeless classics. Unfortunately the show is not still active but there are plenty of past episodes to learn from:>/p>

PixelPerfect is another great resource for the designer looking to increase their knowledge base in both Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Complete with demonstrations to teach you the tips and tricks of both graphic programs. If you use either one, then you should check out this podcast:

The Rissington Podcast is another insightful broadcast in which the hosts take questions from their listeners and answer them for the entire graphic design community. This would certainly be the problem solver’s podcast for designers old and new:

CreativeXpert Design Interviews is a completely interview-based podcast which features a brilliant array of expert guests to provide the insight that lays the foundation for this informative show. With some of the brightest minds in the field sharing their techniques and inspiration, this podcast can enrich anyone’s educational journey:

Another interesting podcast with a bit of a different twist on the show is FEED – A Magazine of Graphic Design. FEED is exactly what it sounds like from the tagline; it is a community based submission driven graphic arts magazine in the form of a podcast:

The final podcast that we are going to feature for growing as a designer is Design Tools Weekly. This is another weekly broadcast that discusses the topics that designers are looking to have delved into. This is another show that bends the learning curve in your favor:

Websites

We are going to wind things down with some useful websites to keep bookmarked and tracking regularly through their feeds for feeding your thirst for graphic design knowledge. We thought this would be a good place to finish, because most of the sites themselves are a growing resource that will continue to deliver new opportunities to learn. If you have not seen these sites, or not seen them lately, then we recommend that you stop by for a refresher on what they have to offer!
Design is History is a fantastic resource for all those treading the design waters looking to learn more. The site scans so many eras in graphic design, teaching you the history and principles that shaped this dynamic field:

As far as starting points go, Smarthistory takes the seeker of knowledge back even beyond the start of graphic design, and into the history of art from around the world for a more comprehensive overview of the seeds that helped sew the graphic design field:

Arty Factory is an educational resource hub for design and art lessons online. They are totally free for all and provide an array of fully illustrated classes on drawing, painting, and design:

BBC Learning – Art and Design is an online resource for building and advancing your art and design knowledge. This site offers various courses to help you grow in your selected field:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History is another wonderful place to turn for a more historical perspective and learning opportunity as you study through the great works of art from all over the world and all through time:

Graphic Design Forum is one of the largest forums on the web for all things graphic design. If it is experience that you need to gain, then you have come to the right place, no matter what level of designer you are:

All Graphic Design is an expansive resource in and of itself, all fed by the online design community. From forums to templates to articles and more, this is a one stop learning hub for graphic designers:

TutsPlus is a tutorial junkie’s playland for hands-on graphic design walk throughs. If you are not familiar with the TutsPlus site and family then you are selling your graphic design business short. They offer both free and premium levels of tutorials:

The MFA in Interaction Design program trains students to research, analyze, prototype, and design concepts in their business, social, and cultural contexts:

Speaking of invaluable hubs for all things graphic design Design Talk Board comes in to educate the online masses with piles of resources, jobs information, graphics news, talk forums, software training, and oh, so much more!

Graphic Design Principles Index is an installment based online graphic design course that is hosted by Duke University. The program is divided into 39 different parts:

AIGA is a site that all professional graphic designers should be aware of. This is an association that is dedicated to advancing the overall design field as ‘a professional craft, strategic tool and vital cultural force’ in our society:

HOW Design Forums is another wonderful and informative graphic design forum that will enrich any graphic designers learning experience. So many great communal contributions that you would be amiss to, well, miss:

If it is informational sites that you are looking for, then SitePoint certainly needs to be on your radar. No matter your level of learning, this fast growing online media company and information provider has something for all web professionals:

Graphics.com is a community resource that is shared by any and all graphic designers who wish to be apart of it. Complete with tutorials, educational videos, a full forum, and more, this is another resource center worth looking into:

Packaging Design Archive is a collection of very well designed product packaging that users can flip through to study the presentations that are housed there for learning purposes. Not to mention, a little inspiration:

Packaging of the World is another communal collection of product design, whose deep databases are full of helpful examples that you can once again study to learn from. If you like to learn by example, and package design is your passion, then look no further:

The Chicago Design Archive is another great place where you can browse through a collection of locally created designs from the Chicago area and learn from a more hands on approach:

STA Archive is an annual design contest where you can show off the skills that you have learned and been honing:

We thought we would cap this section off with one more graphic design based forums for the online community. Your Design Forums can provide learning opportunities through shared experiences and advice of the community:

Great Ways To Show How Logos With Hidden Meanings Help Establish Your Brand.

2015-08-03T09:34:00.002-07:00

So you're at the helm of a startup and are planning to source a creative, durable and meaningful logo design in order to develop your brand. Remember, your logo often precedes actual introductions, whether your business is online or offline. Its the most visible element of all your business signage and often represents the meaning and message of your business. Quite naturally, it impacts the way your customers perceive your brand identity. Read on to discover how logos can help you position your brand in the ever-so-competitive market

What Should Your Logo Do For You?
Logo designs remain one of the best tools to differentiate your business and brand in the ever crowded market. If created cleverly, logos with hidden meanings become a first line of advertising. Take the 'hidden arrow' of American courier giant FedEx for instance. This hidden element cleverly coveys the message that FedEx provides speedy delivery to its customers. The logo is recognized all across the globe and always equates to the same thing for customers no matter where they are.
Logos with hidden meanings offers a sense of identity to your brand in the diverse market. Your business has the opportunity to position itself as a trusted brand, provided your logo projects image that's compelling enough to make people coming back for more.

Why Logos with Hidden Meanings Are Great for You?
Logos with hidden meanings can lend your brand the personality that you always wanted your business to have. Your brand's personality and emotions that your brand invokes amongst consumers play a big role in positioning your brand in the market. Logos with hidden meanings in particular are the projection of your brand's personality, bet it serious or frivolous.
Logos with hidden meanings provides a sense of flexibility to tweak your brand's personality once you've analyzed and decided whether you want consumers to perceive your brand as fun-loving or serious. Logos with hidden meanings also help you stand out from the crowd of inspired brands. People tend to remember logos that pack in enough substance and power to surprise them. Quite obviously, you may find consumers coming back specifically to your business bearing your logo.

Why is it Important to Carefully Consider Message?
Logos are like a stamp to your business. From visual identification to your brand's personality, logos with hidden meanings provide your consumers a reason to spot your brand and business from amongst thousands. In order to ensure maximum impact on your target audiences, carefully mull-over the meaning or message that you wish to portray through your logo and zero in only on the options that best suit you and your business's needs.

Time to Establish the Connection
Now that you already know how logos with hidden meanings can can work wonders for your business, remember to keep your audience viewpoint in mind when designing your logo. This will help you ensure that your logo is able to establish a connection between your products and your target market. Remember, chances to go wrong are fairly lower when you keep your consumers 'point of view in mind. But do well to research the market and trends to point your logo designing efforts in the right direction.
So you already know how logos with hidden meanings work good for you, what should be your next step? Well, you must do well check out some of the world's most popular logos and their hidden meanings to get an extravagant dose of inspiration. But since you're so busy with promoting and managing your business, how can you devote time to find out world's popular logos and their meanings remains too daunting a task. Don't worry, Design hill's new Interactive Guide will do all the hard work for you! With interactive videos, info graphics, presentations and host of thoughtful interactive content, this amazing guide will bring you up-close and personal with world's most popular logos and their hidden meanings. But what's more exciting is that this interactive guide will also help you understand how logos with hidden meanings can help you boost your brand and bottom line.

75+ Amazing Free HTML5 CSS3 Templates Which You Should Not Miss

2015-04-23T15:55:00.001-07:00

Here in this article we will present you with the best HTML5 CSS3 templates. All these templates are available absolutely free on the internet. The list has been made with extra care and with recommendations from professional and experts. You can choose between them and find the right one for you, and it is pretty sure that you will successfully find a template which suits your particular needs.

Studio Francesca

Demo | Download
Responsive Portfolio Website Template

Demo | Download
Big Picture

Demo | Download
Paradise Hotel

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Love and Fight

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Bak One

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PUMP

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My Kingdom Minimalistic

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Runkeeper

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zGenesis

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zCumbeton

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Flat Design

Download || Demo
Web world Corporate

Download || Demo
Craze

Download || Demo
App Landing

Download || Demo
Retina

Download || Demo
Traveler

Download || Demo
Perfect Destination

Download || Demo
Kreative

Download || Demo
Travel Media

Download || Demo
Urban Artist

Download || Demo
Jungleland

Download || Demo
Ceevee

Download || Demo
Interior Module

Download || Demo
Erudite Education

Download || Demo
Parallels

Download || Demo
Vivid Photo

( Demo | Download )
Template for Restaurant Business

( Demo | Download )
Simpler

( Demo | Download )
Free Template for Spa Salon with Zoomer Effect

( Demo | Download )
CSS3 Design One

( Demo | Download )
Zen

( Demo | Download )
Template for Web Design Studio

( Demo | Download )
Caja

( Demo | Download )
PhotoArtWork2_reverse

( Demo | Download )
Muro

( Demo | Download )
Torn

( Demo | Download )
Interio

( Demo | Download )
Art School Template

( Demo | Download )
Folder

( Demo | Download )
Template for Business Project

( Demo | Download )
Nova

( Demo | Download )
CSS3 Seascape Two

( Demo | Download )
Kroft

( Demo | Download )
Thom Sander

( Demo | Download )
Scenic Photo

( Demo | Download )
Hatha Yoga

( Demo | Download )
Connoisseur

( Demo | Download )
Point

( Demo | Download )
Pro Soft

( Demo | Download )
Photo Style Two

( Demo | Download )
Animated Template for Design Studio

( Demo | Download )
CSS3 Six Dark

( Demo | Download )
Free Website Template with JustSlider

( Demo | Download )
Trinity HTML5 Template

( Demo | Download )
Shinra

( Demo | Download )
Zeni

( Demo | Download )
Modus

( Demo | Download )
IMCreatives HTML5 and CSS3 Template

( Demo | Download )
Template for Food Delivery Project

( Demo | Download )
Principato HTML5 and CSS Template

( Demo | Download )
Wedding Website Template with jQuery Slider

( Demo | Download )
Fascination HTML5 and CSS3 Template

( Demo | Download )
Template with jQuery Slider for Car Project

( Demo | Download )
Apple Green HTML5 and CSS3 Template

( Demo | Download )
Template for Exterior Design Project with jQuery Slider

( Demo | Download )
Template for Powerful Business Startup

( Demo | Download )
Animated Neoarts

( Demo | Download )
Vintage – HTML Template

( Demo | Download )
Scenic Photo Two

( Demo | Download )
Watercolor

( Demo | Download )
Responsive Brownie

( Demo | Download )

Tags:CSS, Freebies, HTML, jQuery, Templates, Themes

How Retro Design Characteristics Made a Great Resurgence in the 21st Century

2015-02-20T12:07:00.003-08:00

In the 21st century, the design community has seen resurgence in retro design styles. It happened with the vinyl record, succumbed to a variable transformation with bell bottoms, and is even seen as homage in recent films like Machete. It is almost certainly because of a desire to bring back something that was once hip to a generation of older “kids” who are still very much a huge part of current marketable demographics. But increasingly it’s looking like an effort to reinvent and reinvigorate the senses for new generations of designers and advertisers.

Where have we seen the most evidence of this in the design world? The more relevant question is where haven’t we seen it? Flyers, billboards and business card printing have all been packed with throwbacks to a golden era of advertising. The squeaky clean imagery of nuclear families, the polka dots and straight-lined patterns of wallpaper and the breaking news bulletins that peppered the front pages of newspapers and blared from scratchy radios are all being retrofitted as emotional cues in the online and print advertising worlds.
Do these characteristics appeal to us because they provide simplicity and sanity as a counter-act to our daily distress? People don’t merely shop at Old Navy because of the prices. It’s because their retro atmosphere just makes us feel good.

DESIGN TECHNIQUES

Typography

Designers are using various time periods to achieve font styles that can transport you directly to a specific venue in history. These ones remind us of a big top act like something out of Moulin Rouge or Big Fish:

Others give you the feeling of Gatsby-era aristocracies, a classy tone if you are looking to attract high-priced clientele with your professional skills and services.

Even the elongated yet squat sans serif font of Bazar, Medium literally exudes a bare-bones appeal that is direct and not overly concerned with its presentation as it is the message. This makes it not only readable for people who come into contact with your company’s brochure printing or flyer, but allows you to organize and separate your information accordingly.

Color

Color is another showcase that serves as an instantly recognizable cue when used in the right setting. The former design of CSS Tinderbox (and even the current one) reflects a retroactive nature that, if nothing else than appeals to the baby boomers at least piques the interest of contemporary designers involved in the blogosphere and beyond.

Colors often reach extremes by either going with rainbow and neon colors, like those of AdaptD.com, or toning it down with a much muted Technicolor presentation, as is the case with ISO50:

Web and Print

Advertising

All of these elements have come to realization for a smattering of entrepreneurs and reinvented businesses in regards to web and print advertising such as landing pages and printed letterhead, business cards and postcards . Often there are moments when we see slightly elevated marquees running left to right smack dab in the middle of a custom circular logo:

More and more we’re finding entire web site designs resembling old radios, news broadcasts and even documentation that looks as if it was sent straight from the battlefield’s front lines:

POP CULTURE

EXAMPLES

If you’ve picked up a can of Mountain Dew or Pepsi lately, you’ll see that all they have really done is alter the print design and use “real cane sugar” as a means to sell more icy cold beverages. The tactic has proved to be incredibly successful for the soda giants:

The entire mantra of Progressive Auto Insurance for the past several months has been a return to the 1950s era of advertising using a bubbly personality as the pitchwoman.

Even certain films have gone completely retro in the cases of 2007’s Grindhouse and 2010’s Machete, the Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez tips-of-the-cap to the gritty style of vintage themes in filmmaking. Each one puts the technology of the day on display by consciously yet inadvertently chopping and melting full sections of film strip. This is not even mentioning the grainy film stock, the sensationalistic colors and low-definition aesthetic of the scenery.

All of these pay respects to a style that is much older than most of us care to admit (after all, those who witnessed it firsthand are often reluctant to date themselves.) When updated for a new audience of business owners, entrepreneurs and designers, they can still have a profound effect on our

50 Must See TED Talks about Creativity and Design

2015-02-05T11:59:00.001-08:00

If you’re looking for ideas about design or seeking a creative muse, TED talks can be a worthwhile watch to stir your curiosity.

From the latest web trends to the meaning of happiness, these 50 Talks are sure to arouse your creative fire.

01. John Maeda: How art, technology and design inform creative leaders

Old meets new as designers find balance among the possibilities of technology, the solutions of design, and the questions asked by art. Maeda explores these concepts with attention to how they can inform effective creative leadership.

02. Don Norman: 3 ways good design makes you happy

Watch Talk

Design is about more than function. It’s also about form – how it looks, how it feels, how it evokes an emotion. These concepts play on a subconscious level, changing the way people think about their experience.

03. Margaret Gould Stewart: How giant websites design for you (and a billion others, too)

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Websites that interact with huge markets such as Google and Facebook provide their own unique challenges shaped by the sheer size of the end product. Even the tiniest things matter, and emotional and intuitive responses are just as important as the science of manipulating data for a positive user experience.

04. Jinsop Lee: Design for all 5 senses

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Design is more than visual presentation. The best designs engage multiple sensations: sight, sound, touch, smell and taste, because that’s how we interact with the world at large.

05. David Carson: Design and discovery

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Communication is about more than words on a page. It is about context that brings about an emotional response even before the words are read. To create that, we need to dig into our own intuition rather than simply thinking it through.

06. Stefan Sagmeister: Happiness by design

Happiness in design comes in two forms: that which brings happiness to the designer, and that which brings happiness to the user. Bringing both together creates truly great design.

07. Paul Bennett: Design is in the details

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Design is not always about the big picture. Sometimes the most important elements are those that are so small they are often overlooked, yet can have big payoffs when addressed.

08. Philippe Starck: Design and destiny

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A comedic look at the place of the designer in the “big picture” of society, reminding viewers that object design is not just about the object but about the ultimate result of that project.

09. John Maeda: My journey in design

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A personal look into one man’s experience with creative development, in which he merges his mathematical and artistic talents with his love of creative design.

10. Timothy Prestero: Design for people, not awards

No matter how cool and interesting an idea might be, it doesn’t go far unless it addresses the myriad different potential scenarios of both use and purchasing. Ask yourself this: who is going to be the buyer of your product?

11. Jacek Utko: Can design save newspapers?

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The original purpose of the newspaper – providing news – has been usurped by the instantaneous reporting of the internet. Newspapers need to find new ways of presenting themselves in order to survive, and one of those ways is design that create visual interest not unlike the websites with which they are competing.

12. Paola Antonelli: Design and the Elastic Mind

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Elasticity of mind is our ability to accept and try new things, to step away from what is comfortable and embrace innovation. Antonelli discusses the “Design and the Elastic Mind” exhibition and the Museum for Modern Art.

13. Paola Antonelli: Treat design as art

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Antonelli talks about her appreciation of all forms of design, and how functional objects can still tell their own story.

14. Marian Bantjes: Intricate beauty by design

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Graphic design is traditionally thought of as personally neutral, devoid of the individuality of the designer. Bantjes, however, has made a successful career of expressing herself through this medium, injecting a personality that resonates with viewers.

16. Milton Glaser: Using design to make ideas new

What makes a convincing poster? Designs need to not merely be good, but to be new, to grab the viewer’s attention because it has never been seen before. Here, Glaser starts with old images and transforms them into something more modern.

17. Rochelle King: The complex relationship between data and design in UX

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In web design, the data involved is both something to be managed and a source of information in the form of how viewers are currently using that data, which helps in the redesign process.

18. Matthew Carter: My life in typefaces

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The connection between changing technologies and design is highlighted here by the creator of some of the world’s most famous fonts. Fonts are adaptable, conveying meaning in their shape beyond the words they are used to form.

19. Sebastian Deterding: What your designs say about you

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Designers bring the perspectives of society into their work, even things as nuanced as morality. Products of the modern age reinforce social expectations even when that is not necessarily the primary purpose.

20. David Kelley: Human-centered design

Previously, design was primarily fixated on the product itself. Today, the ultimate product is the user experience, and that involves bringing in human behaviors and personality.

21. David Kelley: How to build your creative confidence

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Creativity is something accessible in different forms to everyone. However, society has repeatedly reinforced the notion that only “creative people” can be creative, leaving others to shy away from it in fear of judgment.

22. Elizabeth Gilbert: Your elusive creative genius

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Genius is not something you are, but, rather, something we all have. The trick is finding that genius within each of us, even when others may encourage us to fear pursuing creative genius out of fear of failure.

23. Tim Brown: Tales of creativity and play

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Playfulness allows us to open ourselves up to creativity, to be open to new possibilities without the tendency we have as adults to self-edit to protect our own insecurities.

24. David McCandless: The beauty of data visualization

Data visualization takes large amounts of data and displays it in more visual, comprehensible forms. Besides making the data more digestible, visualization can also reveal patterns and connections less obvious in the raw numbers.

25. Steven Johnson: Where good ideas come from

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Johnson discusses the influence of environment on creative processes, whether it’s an intellectual salon, a coffee house, or the Internet. A chaotic bringing together of minds is an important part of nurturing creativity as participants influence and challenge the ideas of others.

26. Derek Sivers: How to start a movement

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What makes someone a good leader? They need to be innovative and new, but they must also make it easy for others to follow. Once a movement starts, both leader and followers continue to draw more people into their movement.

27. Seth Godin: How to get your ideas to spread

In a world of too many choices, marketing requires something more than your product merely being good. It requires memorable advertisement, something new that doesn’t blend in with the ordinary things we filter out.

28. Amy Tan: Where does creativity hide?

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Creativity comes from a variety of places both internal and external. Tan illustrates these principles through stories of her own life.

29. Matt Ridley When ideas have sex

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Creativity does not just come from great minds. It emerges from groups of minds which can cooperate and react to one another.

30. Kirby Ferguson: Embrace the remix

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Few things are truly original. Even the great innovators borrow from others and build upon ideas that already exist.

31. Julie Burstein: 4 lessons in creativity

Burstein speaks about generating creativity by paying attention to the world around us, embracing challenges, pushing ones limits to find their true voice, and embracing loss.

32. Raghava KK: My 5 lives as an artist

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KK describes how his artistic life has transformed over the years.

33. Janet Echelman Taking imagination seriously

Necessity can be the mother of invention. Echelman starts with seeking a new artistic medium when her paints went missing, then continues with the engineering issues surrounding the building-size fabric art she now produces.

34. Phil Hansen Embrace the shake

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Some obstacles can’t be overcome, but that doesn’t have to stop you. Sometimes embracing the obstacle, owning it and doing something new with it brings its own creativity.

36. Stefan Sagmeister: The power of time off

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Despite the creativity designers can express in their day-to-day jobs, having time for personal pursuits allows one to experiment and learn. It also gives one a break from the everyday, to escape the boredom of routine.

37. Ken Robinson How schools kill creativity

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Children have great capacities for innovation, yet their creativity is commonly stifled by schools instilling a fear of being wrong. There is a focus on academics rather than creativity, with the unspoken understanding that creative pursuits are not productive.

38. Young-ha Kim: Be an artist, right now!

Embrace your inner child: stop telling yourself it’s not productive or you don’t have time for it. Art brings hope and laughter and allows us to reveal a bit about ourselves that we often can’t otherwise express.

39. Aaron Koblin: Visualizing ourselves … with crowd-sourced data

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The program Mechanical Turk is used to create new renditions of objects by bringing in vast numbers of people to perform small parts of the assignment. Vast amounts of data are also graphically rendered.

40. Nathalie Miebach: Art made of storms

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Storm data is transformed into sculpture, which is then transformed into music, turning invisible information into visual and auditory experiences.

41. JoAnn Kuchera-Morin: Stunning data visualization in the AlloSphere

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Kuchera-Morin interprets scientific data in tangible ways, creating beautiful auditory and visual displays. The results are both beautiful and functional.

42. Eric Berlow and Sean Gourley: Mapping ideas worth spreading

Berlow and Gourley map out the comments on TEDx topics on YouTube, using the information to visualize connections between ideas.

43. Manav Subodh: How to activate ideas

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Because people need to dream of something before they can create it, they need to be in environments that immerse them in creative inspiration. People generally do not embrace things until similar people are also doing it, so we should form these connections. People are also reluctant to take the first step in expressing their creativity because they first need to overcome their fear of failure.

44. Dan Phillips: Creative houses from reclaimed stuff

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Dan Phillips presents unexpected solutions to a variety of facets of his recycled homes projects, hoping to spark this sort of creative drive in others.

45. Isaac Mizrahi on fashion and creativity

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Inspiration does not always come from research. Sometimes it is things you randomly come across and appreciate. Creativity can also come from boredom; if there isn’t enough light in your life, go out and create it.

46. Malcolm McLaren: Authentic creativity vs. karaoke culture

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In the modern world, we expect instant easy gratification and immediate success. That’s not, however, how the creative world works. We confuse imitation with creation, a process that includes experiment and failure as much as success.

47. Lawrence Lessig: Laws that choke creativity

Laws that once accurately addressed contemporary issues are now outdated, being applied to new issues such as user-created content, digital sharing and other mediums which were not in the minds of those making the laws.

48. Maira Kalman The illustrated woman

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Author and illustrator Maira Kalman discusses a variety of her projects and some of the inspiration from which she drew.

49. Chris Jordan: Turning powerful stats into art

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Jordan literally illustrates various common things in our individual lives that become almost incomprehensible on a world-wide scale.

50. Thelma Golden: How art gives shape to cultural change

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Art does not merely reflect culture. It also changes our perspectives of it.

New to Graphic Design? A Comprehensive Guide to Get You Started

2015-02-01T00:02:00.004-08:00

As with all careers as a beginner it can be daunting with no experience behind you. In becoming a graphic designer your insecurity can stifle your creativity. You are either unsure of yourself, you shy away from the simplest of tasks, or your overconfidence leads to numerous mistakes.
A professions’ knowledge is key and there is no better way than to learn from others. Studying design literature, watching tutorials and asking for practical assistance from your work colleagues, teachers or other experienced graphic designers are all good methods to increase your own knowledge and experience. The more you do, the more you will learn. Find professional forums and without being too pushy, ask for guidance but also read the discussions. You can learn from these too.
Once you have acquired sufficient practical experience, you should be able to identify your niche. Are you good at particular design features, such as logos, for instance? Whatever your talent, practice it continually and be proactive in advertising your skill. You can create social media profiles for your ‘business’ or ‘brand,’ such as Facebook, Twitter, or a blog. These are avenues for your name to become recognized and are great places where you can market yourself.
Initially, you may have to find clients but gradually they will come to you. Always remember to be professional in your dealings with clients and avoid posting ‘personal’ posts on social media. A study of business marketing will assist you not only in marketing yourself but also help you understand how a design can influence a business. In essence practice what you preach with your own media marketing.
Remember to keep in the forefront your creativity and innovation and be open to continually learning through reading articles, studying other designer’s work and asking questions of fellow designers, no matter their experience level. A beginner may see something in an entirely new way from a senior designer, who has been in the business a long time. Keep learning, always.

Want to know how to get started? Use this comprehensive guide.

Initially the best resources will be books on the subject of graphic design. There are numerous volumes available but we can advise on several that will assist new comers to the art of graphic design. These resources will enable you to discover the intricacies of graphic design and how to begin designing. The links will take you directly to each book.
1. Design is a Job by Mike Monterio – it is easy to read and written well.
2. Work for Money, Design for Love by David Airey – the author keeps instructions easy.
3. Graphic Design School: Principles & Practice of Graphic Design by David Dabner – a foundation course for graphic designers.
4. Graphic design, referenced: Visual Guide to the Language, the Applications, and the History of Graphic Design, written by Bryony Gomez-Palacio – a must have book for all graphic designers.
5. The Elements of Typographic Style, written by Robert Bringhurst – a masterful style guide.
6. How to be a Graphic Designer without Losing your Soul, written by Adrian Shaughnessy – practical advice included.
7. Making & Breaking the Grid: A Graphic Design Layout Workshop, written by Timothy Samara – a comprehensive layout design workshop.
To further your understanding with imagery instead of large amounts of text, there are documentaries that will make sense of the words in a visual medium.

Helvetica – a feature-length movie about typography and graphic design by Gary Hustwit.
Objectified – a documentary about manufactured objects and our relationship with them by Gary Hustwit.
Exit Through the Gift Shop – a documentary highlighting Banksy by Banksy!
Eames: The Architect & The Painter – a documentary about the most influential industrial designers.

Once you have a foundation of knowledge, then comes the practical steps into becoming a graphic designer. Basically you must get to know the tools of the trade and practice, practice, practice! The most common software to use is the Adobe suite. It has a host of applications, effects and ‘tricks’ that can be utilized, learned, and with experience, mastered.
The basics can be understood in mere weeks but to master all of what the design suite can offer, it will take longer. Tutorials are an effective way to learn and many are available; although, some are not free, but they are worth the money. Here is a short list of the tools:
Photoshop – a useful tool when working on manipulating images for designs.
Illustrator – this tool enables vector graphics, which are commonly used for logos but other uses are available within it.
InDesign – a powerful program that enables you to design print materials, electronic books and interactive PDF’s. It is exceptionally versatile.
Other basics to know are the terms used, such as RGB, CMYK, and Pantone colors, HEX codes. Learn these to avoid beginner mistakes, such as colors messed up when copy/pasting them from one format or program to another. Here is a good resource to help you.
Here is a brief glossary of terms to know. There are more but we will keep it basic.

Bleed: This occurs when an image or color extends beyond the trimmed edge of a page.
CMYK: Is actually an abbreviation of the colors cyan, magenta, yellow, and black used for printing to create other colors.
Faux-baroque: utilizing swishes, botanical elements and whimsical drawings to humanize designs.
Font: Options for text size and style
Grid: A structure of rows, margins, lines and columns to organize information onto a page.
Hickey: marks on apiece caused by splashes of ink, pieces of lint or dust.
Kerning: The method of adjusting space between individual characters in a font.
Point: This is the unit of measurement for line spacing and fonts. 1 point equals 0.351 mm. (There are 12 points in a Pica.)
Typeface: the full range of characters including letters, punctuation and numbers in a series of fonts.
WYSIWYG: What You See Is What You Get the acronym for an estimated screen representation of a final image.
To make your design stand out, one design detail to remember is the typography. The choice of font can make all the difference in fact utilizing a couple of different fonts can create excellent visuals. The position of the text is also key to a design, so consider where you place text blocks and ‘fill’ any empty spaces in the design. Make sure you are aware of the differences in fonts, such as serif and sans serif. Also learn about leading, tracking, line-heights and kerning. Read this article on typography basics.
A key element to design is the color palette so color theory and the way colors work together is important. Learn about the basic color schemes and how your design can set a mood or give visual impact with the right color choice. Part of the Adobe suite, called Kuler, is a good place to experiment with color shades to find out how some shades work better than others.
Once you have learned these basics, remember that good design has many factors, but keep in mind these points:

Don’t make the design over complicated, if it is too busy or crowded it will detract from its purpose. Simple is good but refine it to pixel perfect and keep it elegant.
Define who your target audience is and design with them in mind. Your art work should please them not just you.
Remember to maintain a balance between the design and the text as this will make it not only easy to read but clean.
Know the fundamentals of design. These include balance, contrast, alignment, gestalt, white space, repetition and consistency. Take a look at this comprehensive list.
Learn about grids – although a basic tool it is vital for creating stunning designs. Grids give your art structural balance. A firm foundation will pay dividends. Try this: http://www.thegridsystem.org/
Don’t be afraid to revise your work, in fact always revise a design before using it. Get outside opinions, as sometimes being too close to an art work makes it difficult to be objective about it.
Imitation of a great artist is allowed, but ensure you don’t copy! Read ‘Steal Like an Artist’ – full of illustrations, exercises and examples.
Save this link as it has useful lessons in every segment of design:

And just when you thought the reading was done, here are more books that will assist you in becoming a graphic artist and understand the concept, history, and techniques involved.

Megg’s History of Graphic Design by Philip B. Meggs. This comprehensive reference book includes an interactive resource card.
Thinking with Type by Ellen Lupton.
The Art of Looking Sideways by Alan Fletcher
Do Good Design by David B. Berman
Logo Design Love by David Airey
Information is Beautiful by David McCandless
The Designer Says edited by Sara Bader includes inspiring words, witticisms and pearls of wisdom from the world’s best graphic designers.

60+ Beautiful and Creative Packaging Designs

2015-01-02T11:09:00.000-08:00

Most people judge the quality of product with its unique packaging. As an ongoing part of our inspiration series today we present excellent examples of beautiful, attractive and communicative packaging design. Effective packaging design breaks away from the standard rules and conventions that we are accustomed to, giving the product a unique edge to stand out from the rest. Marketing and designers have tremendous power to grab customer’s interest with their skills and creativity ideas. With the use of illustration, color, typography and even various packaging materials, a beautiful and attractive packaging can boost the selling and stands out from the rack of competitors.

Amazing Tips On Making Good Design Decisions

2014-09-13T11:06:00.003-07:00

There’s a popular misconception that NASA spent millions in a failed attempt to create a space pen while the Russians just used pencils. The implication is that good design is simple in the sense that it is simplistic or obvious.
Simple design is often simple for the user but complicated for the creator. They really do use pens in space. It turns out pencils don’t perform well in space because wood and lead shavings in a zero-gravity, oxygen-rich environment can be dangerous for both fire and as debris. The true story of the space pen is that it was not a failure, wasn’t designed by NASA, and wasn’t even designed for space. The space pens’ design goals were ink that wasn’t exposed to air so it wouldn’t dry up, didn’t rely on gravity so it wouldn’t leak, and could write underwater and function at temperatures ranging from -30 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. The pen turned out to also be well-designed for space and was renamed to the space pen.

“The secret to the space pen is in the cartridge. It is a hermetically sealed tube containing thixotropic ink, pressurized nitrogen gas, and a tungsten carbide ballpoint tip. During development, Fisher found that while the pressurized cartridge successfully pushed ink out the tip of the pen, it also successfully leaked uncontrollably. Rather than redesign the cartridge, Fisher redesigned the ink. He developed a thixotropic ink that is a gel at rest, but turns into a liquid under pressure. Sort of like toothpaste. With this new, thicker ink, the pen didn’t leak and would only write when pressure was applied to the ballpoint. Success.” -smithsonianmag

Simple solutions to tricky design problems are often non-obvious, like redesigning ink to work with a pressurized cartridge. Finding such unconventional solutions is normally a messy process of exploration and tradeoffs. We found it impossible to follow the same preprogrammed design process for every design problem. We developed a clear system for making good decisions that keeps things organized and facilitates design critique without imposing a sequence of steps other than defining goals first. This approach could be interesting to other teams looking to make deliberate goal-driven design decisions.

Goals

Design is the process of creating a solution that balances the goals of both the user and the creator. User goals include both tasks people need to get done and psychological wants. Creator goals include qualitative and quantitative goals that we call “design” and “data” goals, respectively. Explicitly stating and balancing these different goals is the most important part of design. Without goals, you’re not aiming correctly, so you have very little chance of hitting the target.
For example, the user goals for our recent home feed redesign were finding relevant content, catching up with all your interests in one feed, clear scan-ability, the right amount of preview content, better sharing, and a sense of being on top of things and not missing out. We derived these user goals from product metrics and user studies. Our design goals included making stories engaging and fun, and designing a modular, scalable, responsive system. We also wanted to allow expanding to new types of story units in the future, and make the product more fun, understandable and interactive. The data goals included increasing the number of story actions / DAU by X%, increasing session duration, and increasing cohort retention on a session/session or week/week basis.

Inputs

Inputs refer to information we view as valid for informing design decisions; we use product vision, analysis, metrics, user studies and implementation considerations. Even an assumption is a valid input into a decision, as longs as it’s explicitly stated. Agreeing on which inputs are valid and how to use them leads to productive problem solving discussions about information rather than fruitless arguments based on weakly informed personal opinions.
Each input should be regarded as having inherent strengths and weaknesses that can be used in conjunction to triangulate on good decisions. Metrics offer insight into what users are doing, and user studies can help you see why they’re doing it. Incorporating product vision helps us to focus investing our time on problems that align with the vision. Analysis gives us a sense of what prior information is available for us to work from. Technical constraints make sure we’re being realistic and pragmatic about the changes we want to make. Assumptions can simplify the decision making process and allow us to debug when they’re made explicit.
Vision
Vision can be broadly defined as planning the future with imagination or wisdom. Visionaries are often described by others as ‘seeing the future’ but describe themselves as ‘seeing connections’ or ‘being curious.’

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while.” - Steve Jobs
“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” - Albert Einstein

In design, we talk about ‘taste,’ ‘product sense’ or ‘instinct.’ What often seems like a gut reaction, is really just slow, ongoing design synthesis playing out in your head - driven by curiosity, and fueled by accumulated knowledge and data. You’re likely to do better solving problems when you have deep knowledge of implementation details and accumulated observation, customer studies, market awareness, research.

“Designing a product is keeping 5,000 things in your brain, these concepts, and fitting them all together in new ways; kind of continuing to push to fit them together in new and different ways to get what you want, and every day you discover something new, that is a new problem or a new opportunity, to fit these things together a little differently.” - Steve Jobs

We think of intuition not as a magical ability but just a lot of accumulated curiosity, thought, and experimentation. Looking at intuition in this way means we can explain the reasoning behind our intuitions if we think about it. For example, it’s ok to say ‘that feels weird’ during a design critique, but then you have to be able to reason through why you feel that way. This ability to explain why you think something ‘feels weird’ rather than just saying it feels weird is the difference between the designer getting useful feedback and conjecture based on emotion.
Analysis
Analysis is the collection of information related to a specific problem that allows you to understand the range of possible solutions. We look for solutions the market has been exposed to, what solutions are performing the best in the market, and whether there are existing standards in the market. You can also find case studies and research or analyze flows across related apps that are tackling the problem.
Working with established design standards is an issue that comes up often in analysis. If you are going to break an established standard, you need to ask yourself if you have a good reason. If the interaction in question is core to the value of your product, breaking a pattern may make sense. However, if it’s tangential to the core value, it's probably not worth it. For example, when we were designing navigation on the Prismatic iOS app, we followed a standard bottom navigation model, after analysis of navigation in popular social networking apps. We decided to focus our efforts innovating on other areas of the design.
Product Metrics
Metrics improve design by helping you track real user behavior. Important feedback loops measure the effectiveness of design and help you prioritize how you invest your time.
When re-designing the home feed of our web product, we were considering moving to a list view vs. our gridview in order to be responsive and easily accommodate multiple devices. However, before investing a significant amount of time in designing a list view, we wanted to ensure our engagement numbers would be the same or better than for the gridview. To do so, we hacked together a list view and tested it on 20% of users, paying close attention to their interactions with the stories on their feed. The metrics below gave us the confidence we needed that a list redesign would likely be effective. We discuss this process in more detail in our list beats grid post.

Metric	Increase on List vs. Grid
Likes	2.97
Dislikes	3.08
Interest Follow	2.18
Save	2.72
Share	2.67
Comment	4.54
Average Visit Duration	1.54

User Studies
User studies provide insight into user behavior that metrics cannot - metrics tell us the “what”, and user studies tell us the “why”. Metrics can’t tell you how exactly to improve a design, only whether your design is better or worse than another.
We conduct both qualitative and quantitative studies, selecting the method appropriate for the information we need. These include surveys, in-person interviews, remote usability studies, card sorting, etc. We’re always combining methods as we iterate on our design process.
We recently conducted an in-person study showing people mocks of our feed redesign to understand whether people could easily distinguish the boundaries between stories. After the study, we found three story units in particular were prone to confusion. We generated a number of different variations that we thought could solve this issue. The number of variations and audience diversity we wanted to test with meant that in-person testing wasn’t feasible, so we used Mechanical Turk to run a remote test. Throughout this process we used both qualitative and quantitative studies to give us insight into user behavior. We describe this process in more in detail in our Usability Testing for Detailed Design Using Mechanical Turk post.
Implementation Considerations
Implementation considerations are important inputs both in terms of opening up and constraining possibilities. This makes it important for design and engineering to work together in the design process from defining goals onward. Both design and engineering can be the source of new possibilities, or constraints due to technical complexity or the estimated cost-benefit of solving the problem in a certain way.
When we began exploring redesigning the grid view to be a list, we wanted to create a plan that allowed us to validate this direction as cheaply as possible before going all in on resdesigning a responsive list across all screen sizes. Design and engineering paired to see if it would be possible to hack up a list view on top of the existing grid view, by just merging the grid cells.
So we took this:

And hacked this together from the existing code:

Within a day, this small incremental list view redesign gave us sufficient evidence that investing in this path was a good move. This is a great example of how design and engineering working together in clever ways when taking implementation considerations into account.
Assumptions
Assumptions are important for the simplification and speed of the design process. Explicit assumptions encourage better reasoning and more informed debates. On the other hand, unstated assumptions often lead to unproductive arguments. Explicit assumptions are helpful when you lack information or are worried it is too time consuming or expensive to get it. In this case, assume your best guess, write it down, and move on. Either plan how you’ll merge in the information you need to get to validate or invalidate that assumption, or just see if the assumption will motivate someone who strongly doubts the assumption to help get the information you need.
When we redesigned the Prismatic home feed this year we assumed bigger images would generally be better. We didn’t have data to back this up outside of observing that many successful products seem to have better results with a bigger focus on images, and we’d heard a couple of anecdotal numbers from friends that work at some other major internet companies. We agreed to move on with bigger photos, because we can measure the impact of photo size on engagement later when we do a more systematic exploration of information density in the feed.

Plan

After we’ve agreed on a good set of goals and gathered the inputs we need to inform decisions, we start planning the design. We explore the space of solutions and test a bunch of ideas as opposed to trying to design the single best solution. It helps us focus on decomposing the problem into smaller problems and make sure we’re always thinking about design solutions as hypotheses that we aim to test and learn from, rather than trying to design the ‘right solution.’
This focus ensures that we are thinking about how to separate the most difficult, uncertain, or valuable parts of a design problem that we can iterate on in isolation from other parts of the design that are not as important. Planning design is where we get into a lot of reasoning about the sequence of work and what ships when. We’ll normally kick off a design by working on the goals and inputs a bit, and then jump into the plan while we are still gathering many of the inputs. In this way, we’ll be able to send the goals, inputs and very early thinking to others for review while we’re still working on wires. The benefit is that we can get team alignment up front, rather than hear disagreement about goals or fundamental direction two weeks into a design when we’re reviewing polished pixels. We aim for the granularity of the reviews to match up with the granularity of design at the time of the review - so we’re reviewing goals at the beginning and pixels at the end.
Once we’re going from the early design goals and inputs to getting started, we go through a process of sketching/ideation based on what we know so far. Wireframing, visual structure and pixel details all begin while we’re gathering inputs and filling in all the reasoning for the design plan. Throughout all of these steps, we’re continuously referencing the goals and inputs to make sure we’re reasoning clearly with good information and focusing on the right problems, both in filling in wires, structure, and pixels, and in terms of filling in our design plan.
Group sketching
We often kick off a new direction as a team with short sketching sprints to generate ideas as broadly as we can. We do a few 10–15 minute sketching sessions with rounds of discussion in between. The goal is generating as many ideas as we can, exploring divergent themes and covering as broad a territory as possible. We ignore constraints to ensure we’re going as broad as we can. During the discussion between each sketching sprint, someone takes notes, including noting the best concepts in each round of discussion. Then, we discuss them all as a group and narrow down to a few options we want to wireframe.

Wireframes
After we choose a few directions that best satisfy our goals, we start to explore them in wireframe fidelity for each option. We explore visual layout structure using mock text and images, and without meticulous pixel detail. We also use the goals and inputs to reason about which directions seem to be working better and spend more time iterating there.
We’re big fans of ‘exploration maps’ - infinite canvas artboards in Sketch. When we’re in this stage of exploration, we simply take the artboard we’re designing in and copy it to the right as we iterate, leaving a quick note about the reasoning behind each step. This way, we can see a clear line of reasoning as to why certain elements are styled a certain way or why they’re placed where they are.

Visual system
After a round of wireframe critique with design and engineering, we start setting up the visual libraries we’ll need to explore our options at a detailed pixel level. We set up the grid, start setting up type size and scale and gather any design patterns we’ve previously designed that apply to the design we’re working on. We value reuse over redesign - we always try to use existing UI elements from other places in the product, not only for consistency, but for ease of implementation. As we’re narrowing in on the details we bring in front-end engineers to talk more in-depth about how to implement the design.

Pixel Detail
We use Sketch for both wireframe explorations and pixel detail, which saves us some unnecessary translation time. During detailed design, we use the same approach of multiple artboards to document separate flows as we do during exploration. For example, we’ll often evaluate a wide range of settings for type size, spacing, or color. All the same goals, inputs and reasoning apply here, because the concepts all have to manifest in pixels and stylistic changes can have a massive impact on the direct manifestation of the design goals.
We also practice what we call ‘universal design’; designing for all supported screen sizes at once. A separate Sketch file uses multiples artboards to show how a screen will change responsively for each supported screen size range.

Conclusion
Making great design decisions is difficult because you are marrying the creative process with the logical process of reasoning through the goals, inputs, and plan.
One of the greatest challenges is allowing both the creative and the logical processes to work together and play to the strengths of each. If the design team is excited, instincts can run wild ahead of defining goals or collecting inputs. This can be OK, but it’s important to be careful that the creative and logical parts of the design process work together in steps. If you take too many steps before evaluating against the goals, you can end up in a state where there are mistakes designed upon mistakes, and you have to throw away a lot of work. Often something appears to be a good decision when focusing on one goal, but then breaks down when looking at another goal. It’s also easy to let logical data-driven decision making disrupt ideation. Sometimes precise goals and data doesn’t help you to ideate your way to a good starting point and the logical process of choosing needs to be fed by the creative process to generate designs to choose from.
It’s important to go with the flow and allow flexibility in the design process, but at the same time ensure that we are avoiding the extremes of either allowing logic and data to block the creative process, or allowing the creative process to go too far without being grounded in logic and data. We’ve had a lot of success with the flexibility of the ‘Goals, Inputs, Plan’ model for making decisions, rather than adhering to a rigid step by step design processes. This approach gives us the flexibility to take different paths to problem solving, while at the same time still each following an agreed upon system for making decisions. This has resulted in consistently better decision making, fewer opinion-driven arguments, better design critiques, and more uninterrupted ‘flow state’ work. Objectively, we’re making the numbers go up and subjectively, the design team feels better about the work.

Most Creative Black and White Brand Identity Designs

2014-09-08T13:10:00.003-07:00

From logos, stationary, letter heads, envelopes, cards, covers, compact disks and other things are what together contribute in making brand identities. For all you designers who have recently got brand identity project or are handling it currently will find this article of ours useful for the reason that we have listed down 25 creative black and white brand identity designs for your inspiration. Each one of these creative brand identity designs listed below demonstrate core identity design principles and are truly inspiring. Take a look!

1. VinoSapiens by Anagrama

2. Buro by SocioDesign

3. VS Interior Designer by Brandworks Indonesia

4. Arezu Rahmati | Logo & Visual Identity by Morteza Gharemanian

5. One of Twelve by Anagrama

6. Anonym.us by Justin Ross Tolentino

7. Piper & Sons by Anagrama

8. Harveys by Tad Carpenter

9. Curls at Large

10. Cocoon by Anagrama

11. Galo by Anagrama

12. Brand Purple Shop by Paolo Contenti

13. Saad Studio

14. SRG

15. AP by Thomas Kiourtsis

16. Com by Maurizio Pagnozzi

17. Whimsey

18. Simon Ros Identity

19. Xoclad Anagrama

20. Lane 7 by Merlin Duff & Kevin Robson

21. The Living Co. by Big Horror Athens

22. Koronaki by Thomas Kiourtsis

23. Brand Project by Agencia Tower

24. Sainte Marie

25. WoodIC by Morteza Gharemanian

The Best Photoshop Tutorials to Turn you into a Better Designer

2014-08-25T13:58:00.001-07:00

have tried collecting a variety of tutorials from different genre in Photoshop. Some are really very simple and I therefore recommend you not to jump and read those tutorial at the first instant. Have a look at their end results first and think of the various ways you know of achieving such results in Photoshop. If you can progress to some extent in your mind, then it is better to try executing the tutorial yourself and match the end results later. But you should read the all the tutorials at least once to ensure you are not missing any information or if there are some better ways to reach the results.

Super Easy and Cool Flower Text Effect Tutorial in Photoshop

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A very simple and easy tutorial to create a beautiful flower text effect tutorial in Photoshop.

Portrait Photo to Pencil Sketch with Photoshop

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Give your photos an artistic look by converting them into pencil sketch with this well-written tutorial in Photoshop.

How to Create a Chalk Logo Effect in Photoshop

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Learn the techniques of creating a chalk styled logo in Photoshop with this well-written tutorial from Tuts+.

Changing Hair Color

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A very simple yet effective technique of changing the hair color using Photoshop in minutes.

Advanced Glow Effects

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An awesome tutorial taking you to an advanced level of creating glow effects in Photoshop.

Creating a Touching Story Scene in Photoshop

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One of the best Photoshop tutorials which can take your creativity to a whole new level with this amazing artwork design.

Easy Depth of Field in Photoshop

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A very easy way to mimic the awesome depth of field effect of a high-priced prime lens in Photoshop.

How to Create a Shiny Paint Bucket Icon in Photoshop

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A simple and easy-to-understand tutorial to create a shiny three-dimensional paint bucket icon in Photoshop.

Placing an Image Inside of Another with Photoshop

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This simple yet helpful tutorial will make you learn the essential tools and techniques you need to know to place one image inside another in Photoshop.

Design a Professional Wildlife TV Show Poster

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There are lots of things to learn while you create a professional level wildlife TV show poster in Photoshop.

Must Read on Making Good Design Decisions

2014-08-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

“The secret to the space pen is in the cartridge. It is a hermetically sealed tube containing thixotropic ink, pressurized nitrogen gas, and a tungsten carbide ballpoint tip. During development, Fisher found that while the pressurized cartridge successfully pushed ink out the tip of the pen, it also successfully leaked uncontrollably. Rather than redesign the cartridge, Fisher redesigned the ink. He developed a thixotropic ink that is a gel at rest, but turns into a liquid under pressure. Sort of like toothpaste. With this new, thicker ink, the pen didn’t leak and would only write when pressure was applied to the ballpoint. Success.” -smithsonianmag

Goals

Inputs

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while.” - Steve Jobs
“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” - Albert Einstein

“Designing a product is keeping 5,000 things in your brain, these concepts, and fitting them all together in new ways; kind of continuing to push to fit them together in new and different ways to get what you want, and every day you discover something new, that is a new problem or a new opportunity, to fit these things together a little differently.” - Steve Jobs

Metric	Increase on List vs. Grid
Likes	2.97
Dislikes	3.08
Interest Follow	2.18
Save	2.72
Share	2.67
Comment	4.54
Average Visit Duration	1.54

Plan

40 Outstanding Examples Of Packaging Design

2014-07-31T13:53:00.000-07:00

Walking through the aisles of a run of the mill grocery store, it’s amazing that so many packaged goods look as BAD as they do. Companies with millions of dollars to spend on marketing and design with logos that looked liked they were made using Word Art in Microsoft Word 95. Here are a few examples that are the opposite of that. They’re each fresh, cool, and incredibly beautiful.

photos via You And Saturation

24 Amazing And Creative Cup Designs That Will Make Your Drink Taste Better

2014-06-14T12:48:00.001-07:00

If kitchens are the beating hearts of many a home, cups might be considered their arteries. Most of us who enjoy drinking hot beverages have a favorite cup that just makes our coffee and tea taste just a bit better, feels just right in our hands, or keeps our drink’s temperature just right. But if you don’t have such a cup, or are looking for a new one, check out these 24 ingenious cup and mug designs!

1. Bathing Girl Tea Cup Set

2. Happy Fishermen Mug

Available here

3. Cookie Monster Mug

4. Creature Cups

Available here

5. Panda Smile On Your Face Mug Set

6. Giraffe Mug

Available here

7. Teeth Mug

8. Ironius: The Coffee Mug Iron

9. Mug With Fingers

Available here

10. Zipper Mug

11. Floating Mug

12. Lap Mug

Available here

13. Eye Cup

Available here

14. Embrace Me Mug Lovers Cup

Available here

15. Keyboard Coffee Cups

16. Lock Cup

Only the owner of the cup can use his shaped key to close the hole, pour the coffee and enjoy their drink.
Designed by: Efrat Gommeh

17. Moustache Mugs

18. Slim Cups

These cups were designed for a “Combination of tradition and technology” project. The designer says: “My interpretation for this title was the way things get slimmer as technology moves forward.”
Designed by: Sharona Merlin

19. Moustache Protector Mug

Image credits: guildofghostwriters
A similar cup is available here

20. Bitten Mugs

Available here

21. Grenade Mugs

Available here

22. Mr. Mug Lick

Available here

23. Mugtail Mugs

Available here

24. Eiffel Tower Mug Set

Amazing Tips To Make Good Design Decisions

2014-05-23T10:14:00.001-07:00

There’s a popular misconception that NASA spent millions in a failed attempt to create a space pen while the Russians just used pencils. The implication is that good design is simple in the sense that it is simplistic or obvious. Simple design is often simple for the user but complicated for the creator. They really do use pens in space. It turns out pencils don’t perform well in space because wood and lead shavings in a zero-gravity, oxygen-rich environment can be dangerous for both fire and as debris. The true story of the space pen is that it was not a failure, wasn’t designed by NASA, and wasn’t even designed for space. The space pens’ design goals were ink that wasn’t exposed to air so it wouldn’t dry up, didn’t rely on gravity so it wouldn’t leak, and could write underwater and function at temperatures ranging from -30 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. The pen turned out to also be well-designed for space and was renamed to the space pen.

“The secret to the space pen is in the cartridge. It is a hermetically sealed tube containing thixotropic ink, pressurized nitrogen gas, and a tungsten carbide ballpoint tip. During development, Fisher found that while the pressurized cartridge successfully pushed ink out the tip of the pen, it also successfully leaked uncontrollably. Rather than redesign the cartridge, Fisher redesigned the ink. He developed a thixotropic ink that is a gel at rest, but turns into a liquid under pressure. Sort of like toothpaste. With this new, thicker ink, the pen didn’t leak and would only write when pressure was applied to the ballpoint. Success.” -smithsonianmag

Goals

Design is the process of creating a solution that balances the goals of both the user and the creator. User goals include both tasks people need to get done and psychological wants. Creator goals include qualitative and quantitative goals that we call “design” and “data” goals, respectively. Explicitly stating and balancing these different goals is the most important part of design. Without goals, you’re not aiming correctly, so you have very little chance of hitting the target.
For example, the user goals for our recent home feed redesign were finding relevant content, catching up with all your interests in one feed, clear scanability, the right amount of preview content, better sharing, and a sense of being on top of things and not missing out. We derived these user goals from product metrics and user studies. Our design goals included making stories engaging and fun, and designing a modular, scalable, responsive system. We also wanted to allow expanding to new types of story units in the future, and make the product more fun, understandable and interactive. The data goals included increasing the number of story actions / DAU by X%, increasing session duration, and increasing cohort retention on a session/session or week/week basis.

Inputs

Inputs refer to information we view as valid for informing design decisions; we use product vision, analysis, metrics, user studies and implementation considerations. Even an assumption is a valid input into a decision, as longs as it’s explicitly stated. Agreeing on which inputs are valid and how to use them leads to productive problem solving discussions about information rather than fruitless arguments based on weakly informed personal opinions.
Each input should be regarded as having inherent strengths and weaknesses that can be used in conjunction to triangulate on good decisions. Metrics offer insight into what users are doing, and user studies can help you see why they’re doing it. Incorporating product vision helps us to focus investing our time on problems that align with the vision. Analysis gives us a sense of what prior information is available for us to work from. Technical constraints make sure we’re being realistic and pragmatic about the changes we want to make. Assumptions can simplify the decision making process and allow us to debug when they’re made explicit.

Vision
Vision can be broadly defined as planning the future with imagination or wisdom. Visionaries are often described by others as ‘seeing the future’ but describe themselves as ‘seeing connections’ or ‘being curious.’

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while.” - Steve Jobs
“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” - Albert Einstein

“Designing a product is keeping 5,000 things in your brain, these concepts, and fitting them all together in new ways; kind of continuing to push to fit them together in new and different ways to get what you want, and every day you discover something new, that is a new problem or a new opportunity, to fit these things together a little differently.” - Steve Jobs

We think of intuition not as a magical ability but just a lot of accumulated curiosity, thought, and experimentation. Looking at intuition in this way means we can explain the reasoning behind our intuitions if we think about it. For example, it’s ok to say ‘that feels weird’ during a design critique, but then you have to be able to reason through why you feel that way. This ability to explain why you think something ‘feels weird’ rather than just saying it feels weird is the difference between the designer getting useful feedback and conjecture based on emotion.

Analysis
Analysis is the collection of information related to a specific problem that allows you to understand the range of possible solutions. We look for solutions the market has been exposed to, what solutions are performing the best in the market, and whether there are existing standards in the market. You can also find case studies and research or analyze flows across related apps that are tackling the problem.
Working with established design standards is an issue that comes up often in analysis. If you are going to break an established standard, you need to ask yourself if you have a good reason. If the interaction in question is core to the value of your product, breaking a pattern may make sense. However, if it’s tangential to the core value, it's probably not worth it. For example, when we were designing navigation on the Prismatic iOS app, we followed a standard bottom navigation model, after analysis of navigation in popular social networking apps. We decided to focus our efforts innovating on other areas of the design.

Product Metrics
Metrics improve design by helping you track real user behavior. Important feedback loops measure the effectiveness of design and help you prioritize how you invest your time.
When re-designing the home feed of our web product, we were considering moving to a list view vs. our grid view in order to be responsive and easily accommodate multiple devices. However, before investing a significant amount of time in designing a list view, we wanted to ensure our engagement numbers would be the same or better than for the grid view. To do so, we hacked together a list view and tested it on 20% of users, paying close attention to their interactions with the stories on their feed. The metrics below gave us the confidence we needed that a list redesign would likely be effective. We discuss this process in more detail in our list beats grid post.

Metric	Increase on List vs. Grid
Likes	2.97
Dislikes	3.08
Interest Follow	2.18
Save	2.72
Share	2.67
Comment	4.54
Average Visit Duration	1.54

User Studies
User studies provide insight into user behavior that metrics cannot - metrics tell us the “what”, and user studies tell us the “why”. Metrics can’t tell you how exactly to improve a design, only whether your design is better or worse than another.
We conduct both qualitative and quantitative studies, selecting the method appropriate for the information we need. These include surveys, in-person interviews, remote usability studies, card sorting, etc. We’re always combining methods as we iterate on our design process.
We recently conducted an in-person study showing people mocks of our feed redesign to understand whether people could easily distinguish the boundaries between stories. After the study, we found three story units in particular were prone to confusion. We generated a number of different variations that we thought could solve this issue. The number of variations and audience diversity we wanted to test with meant that in-person testing wasn’t feasible, so we used Mechanical Turk to run a remote test. Throughout this process we used both qualitative and quantitative studies to give us insight into user behavior. We describe this process in more in detail in our Usability Testing for Detailed Design Using Mechanical Turk post.

Implementation Considerations
Implementation considerations are important inputs both in terms of opening up and constraining possibilities. This makes it important for design and engineering to work together in the design process from defining goals onward. Both design and engineering can be the source of new possibilities, or constraints due to technical complexity or the estimated cost-benefit of solving the problem in a certain way.
When we began exploring redesigning the grid view to be a list, we wanted to create a plan that allowed us to validate this direction as cheaply as possible before going all in on resdesigning a responsive list across all screen sizes. Design and engineering paired to see if it would be possible to hack up a list view on top of the existing grid view, by just merging the grid cells.
So we took this:

And hacked this together from the existing code:

Within a day, this small incremental list view redesign gave us sufficient evidence that investing in this path was a good move. This is a great example of how design and engineering working together in clever ways when taking implementation considerations into account.

Assumptions
Assumptions are important for the simplification and speed of the design process. Explicit assumptions encourage better reasoning and more informed debates. On the other hand, unstated assumptions often lead to unproductive arguments. Explicit assumptions are helpful when you lack information or are worried it is too time consuming or expensive to get it. In this case, assume your best guess, write it down, and move on. Either plan how you’ll merge in the information you need to get to validate or invalidate that assumption, or just see if the assumption will motivate someone who strongly doubts the assumption to help get the information you need.
When we redesigned the Prismatic home feed this year we assumed bigger images would generally be better. We didn’t have data to back this up outside of observing that many successful products seem to have better results with a bigger focus on images, and we’d heard a couple of anecdotal numbers from friends that work at some other major internet companies. We agreed to move on with bigger photos, because we can measure the impact of photo size on engagement later when we do a more systematic exploration of information density in the feed.

Plan

After we’ve agreed on a good set of goals and gathered the inputs we need to inform decisions, we start planning the design. We explore the space of solutions and test a bunch of ideas as opposed to trying to design the single best solution. It helps us focus on decomposing the problem into smaller problems and make sure we’re always thinking about design solutions as hypotheses that we aim to test and learn from, rather than trying to design the ‘right solution.’
This focus ensures that we are thinking about how to separate the most difficult, uncertain, or valuable parts of a design problem that we can iterate on in isolation from other parts of the design that are not as important. Planning design is where we get into a lot of reasoning about the sequence of work and what ships when. We’ll normally kick off a design by working on the goals and inputs a bit, and then jump into the plan while we are still gathering many of the inputs. In this way, we’ll be able to send the goals, inputs and very early thinking to others for review while we’re still working on wires. The benefit is that we can get team alignment up front, rather than hear disagreement about goals or fundamental direction two weeks into a design when we’re reviewing polished pixels. We aim for the granularity of the reviews to match up with the granularity of design at the time of the review - so we’re reviewing goals at the beginning and pixels at the end.
Once we’re going from the early design goals and inputs to getting started, we go through a process of sketching/idealization based on what we know so far. Wire-framing, visual structure and pixel details all begin while we’re gathering inputs and filling in all the reasoning for the design plan. Throughout all of these steps, we’re continuously referencing the goals and inputs to make sure we’re reasoning clearly with good information and focusing on the right problems, both in filling in wires, structure, and pixels, and in terms of filling in our design plan.

Group sketching
We often kick off a new direction as a team with short sketching sprints to generate ideas as broadly as we can. We do a few 10–15 minute sketching sessions with rounds of discussion in between. The goal is generating as many ideas as we can, exploring divergent themes and covering as broad a territory as possible. We ignore constraints to ensure we’re going as broad as we can. During the discussion between each sketching sprint, someone takes notes, including noting the best concepts in each round of discussion. Then, we discuss them all as a group and narrow down to a few options we want to wireframe.

Wireframes
After we choose a few directions that best satisfy our goals, we start to explore them in wireframe fidelity for each option. We explore visual layout structure using mock text and images, and without meticulous pixel detail. We also use the goals and inputs to reason about which directions seem to be working better and spend more time iterating there.
We’re big fans of ‘exploration maps’ - infinite canvas artboards in Sketch. When we’re in this stage of exploration, we simply take the artboard we’re designing in and copy it to the right as we iterate, leaving a quick note about the reasoning behind each step. This way, we can see a clear line of reasoning as to why certain elements are styled a certain way or why they’re placed where they are.

Visual system
After a round of wire-frame critique with design and engineering, we start setting up the visual libraries we’ll need to explore our options at a detailed pixel level. We set up the grid, start setting up type size and scale and gather any design patterns we’ve previously designed that apply to the design we’re working on. We value reuse over redesign - we always try to use existing UI elements from other places in the product, not only for consistency, but for ease of implementation. As we’re narrowing in on the details we bring in front-end engineers to talk more in-depth about how to implement the design.

Pixel Detail
We use Sketch for both wire-frame explorations and pixel detail, which saves us some unnecessary translation time. During detailed design, we use the same approach of multiple artboards to document separate flows as we do during exploration. For example, we’ll often evaluate a wide range of settings for type size, spacing, or color. All the same goals, inputs and reasoning apply here, because the concepts all have to manifest in pixels and stylistic changes can have a massive impact on the direct manifestation of the design goals.
We also practice what we call ‘universal design’; designing for all supported screen sizes at once. A separate Sketch file uses multiples art boards to show how a screen will change responsively for each supported screen size range.

Conclusion
Making great design decisions is difficult because you are marrying the creative process with the logical process of reasoning through the goals, inputs, and plan.
One of the greatest challenges is allowing both the creative and the logical processes to work together and play to the strengths of each. If the design team is excited, instincts can run wild ahead of defining goals or collecting inputs. This can be OK, but it’s important to be careful that the creative and logical parts of the design process work together in steps. If you take too many steps before evaluating against the goals, you can end up in a state where there are mistakes designed upon mistakes, and you have to throw away a lot of work. Often something appears to be a good decision when focusing on one goal, but then breaks down when looking at another goal. It’s also easy to let logical data-driven decision making disrupt ideation. Sometimes precise goals and data doesn’t help you to ideate your way to a good starting point and the logical process of choosing needs to be fed by the creative process to generate designs to choose from.
It’s important to go with the flow and allow flexibility in the design process, but at the same time ensure that we are avoiding the extremes of either allowing logic and data to block the creative process, or allowing the creative process to go too far without being grounded in logic and data. We’ve had a lot of success with the flexibility of the ‘Goals, Inputs, Plan’ model for making decisions, rather than adhering to a rigid step by step design processes. This approach gives us the flexibility to take different paths to problem solving, while at the same time still each following an agreed upon system for making decisions. This has resulted in consistently better decision making, fewer opinion-driven arguments, better design critiques, and more uninterrupted ‘flow state’ work. Objectively, we’re making the numbers go up and subjectively, the design team feels better about the work.

Amazing Tips Freelance Designers Should Learn from Dogs

2014-05-02T17:49:00.000-07:00

Freelancing is a cool option that an ever increasing number of people are opting for to earn their living. Freelance designers to talk about, they just a laptop where ever they are which they stick to for long hours to come up with best designs possible. Its not as easy job as it sounds to be. There is so much of stress of looking for a project, handling the clients on the own, meeting deadlines and what not.
The reason why I am talking in length and enjoying writing on this topic is that I own a dog with the name Spike who has actually made me learn a lot. I being a freelancer am glad to get to see my dog’s small gestures; the way she enters the room waving her tail, comes and sits besides me, stare at me continuously while I am having something. Ohh I just love each and every gesture of him.

1. Stick To A Schedule

Pets love the consistency of a routine and one should follow the same. Studies show that if you sleep and get up at the same time, you tend to sleep better. Sticking to a consistent schedule for bathing, dressing, eating helps improve the quality of sleep thereby helping you work with great concentration. Plan your days and follow a routine. If you stick to a schedule you will actually notice the difference in your productivity and efficiency.

2. Be Persistent

If you’ve ever owned a dog, you know that they’re really persistent. Angel, over the years has made me understand how to be persistent. She keeps asking for the food which smells nice to her, sits around making cute faces and at times tapping my legs to get the food.
Being persistent in what you want and trying your level best is one important lesson which dogs make you learn. Don’t give up when no one hearing initially. Ask for the reason why the person on other end is saying no to hire you for project or whatever you are trying for. Try different angles and ways to get the desired outcome. Even if you don’t get that project or deal, you will at least know what went wrong and can improve upon.

3. Say No To Multi-Tasking

I have seen my dog do the job with undivided attention. If we juggle work and try doing multi-tasking like checking e-mails, answering to the calls, web surfing trying to do multi tasking it will lead us nowhere. We tend to do so in the quest to complete all jobs soon but then it takes more time than doing one job at a time. Those who do multi tasking tend to make their attention and memory suffer compared to those who focus on one task at a time.

4. Make the Most of Every Opportunity

Dogs never ever gives up! Angel knows who can give her something to eat and keeps moving around the person and in return many times gets something. When guests are at home, she knows that its time to make the most of the opportunity and get good stuff to eat. All you freelance designers should also make sure not to waste any opportunity. You never know things might work out if you grab the opportunities that knock your door.

5. Do What You Love

No one can motivate Angel to do anything she doesn’t love to do. She will do it once or twice but will not continue for long and does everything she loves to do. This is one great lesson, we all can learn that is to do what we love and don’t do anything just for the heck of it. If you are getting a feeling that a particular project is not what you would want to, don’t do it instead be humble to say no and ask for something that you would love to do.

6. Be Curious

Research shows that people who are curious tend to have a greater sense of meaning in life. Also, curiosity has been linked to psychological well-being and it tends to help expand the knowledge and skills.

7. Give Your Best Shot

Be it getting her favourite cookie, getting us out of our seat to take her to the loo or making us know if she smells the rat, she will make every possible effort she can to convey the message. If we are not paying attention, she will bark non-stop, make sound (which makes us know what she is asking for), go and sit at the door time and again asking to take her out as she has to get fresh, she doesn’t give up and gives her best shot. This is one important lesson which dogs make us learn if we understand.

8. Work Comes First

Over the years, I have noticed, if Angel has her food right in front of her and she is having it at the same time, if the door bell rings, she will go straight to the door to see who is it, then come back and have her food. Seeing her at this time makes me learn no matter how tempted I am to watch television, talk to a friend over the phone, sleep or do anything but work, I should not go for it when I am working. Duty comes first is the lesson which I have learnt from Angel.

9. Speak For Yourself

No one comes to know what you want till you speak up. Dogs are smart and know how to get what they want. They don’t have tongue as we have then also they know how to speak for themselves (if you understand). We all have the same tendency. For example, if you are waiting for the payment to be done by the client and its not being done, there is no harm in asking in a subtle manner. Similarly, if you have some problem in handling any project tell the clients directly. Likewise there are many cases which ask us to speak for ourselves.

10. Stay Focused

This is a key tip for each one of us. Whatever we do, we should have a clear aim and should be focused. Hold a cookie in your hand and keep moving your hand here and there, your dog will not move from there till he gets that cookie which he knows is for him. I love the focus which Angel has to get what she desires and her efforts be it jumping or getting up on the bed to get it makes me think how unfocused we human beings are. We know what we desire and wish to achieve our goal but fail to stay focused till we get it.

To wrap up, all I would say is that animals do make us learn a lot about life and make us realise our mistakes; all we need to do is observe them carefully. Have any key tip which you think we freelancers can get to learn from our dogs? Do share with us.

1,075 Amazing Free Fonts For Designers You Must Have

2014-04-25T11:13:00.001-07:00

This is meta collection of free font lists from various respected design websites. In total there are 24 lists showcasing 1,075 fonts which are all free to download. These font collections are shortlists of the best free fonts of 2013 and 2014 which which will hopefully save you a load of time if you are on the hunt for quality designer typography. The fonts vary in style and are ideal for websites, flyers, brochures, logos and graphic designers. There will be a small amount of duplication amongst the typography collections as they are ‘best of’ lists but we have tried to provide a broad selection of unique and quality collections to give our readers the best chance to find one or more free fonts they can use for their personal or commercial projects. Enjoy.

25 Spectacular Business Card Designs For Your Inspiration

2014-04-04T14:30:00.000-07:00

Designers are always looking for fresh and new design inspirations for a new client. I put together a great selection of fresh business cards for your inspiration. If you have any other suggestions. Please send us links in the comment section below -- Enjoy!

Design Agency business card

Koodoz Design Studio Card

Indiana based Gift & Jewelry store

Foldable Piano inspired business card

Painters business card turns into miniture easel

Canadian food delivery service business card

Business Card for Malmö-based design studio

Web designers creative card

Chuck Tingley, Visual Artist

Professional Photographer

Amazing Minted Coins

UK Graphic designers diagonal line inspired card

Beverage company business card

Software NationBuilder's business card

Student Ministries selection of cards

Delivery Water Cooler business card

Food connesaure's business card

Home style burger joint

Laser printed dry-meat business card

Marian Bantjes's designed black & white card

Nathan Jones Photographer

Greyhound Adoption Business Card

French business coaching company

Missouri based paper store

Ed McCulloch, Photographer

Illustrative Design Agency Cards

60+ Beautiful and Creative Packaging Designs

2014-03-14T19:10:00.001-07:00

Mostly people judge the quality of product with its unique packaging. As an ongoing part of our inspiration series today we present excellent examples of beautiful, attractive and communicative packaging design. Effective packaging design breaks away from the standard rules and conventions that we are accustomed to, giving the product a unique edge to stand out from the rest. Marketing and designers have tremendous power to grab customer’s interest with their skills and creativity ideas. With the use of illustration, color, typography and even various packaging materials, a beautiful and attractive packaging can boost the selling and stands out from the rack of competitors.

10 Best Rules for Creating Beautiful Presentations

2014-02-14T10:43:00.000-08:00

Presentations can either drag you to sleep or make you sit up and take notice. In the first case, minutes often look like hours and hours feel like days. But beautifully designed presentations can summarize loads of information into smart and actionable points. They are not only much easier to remember but also leave a deeper impact than simple text articles.
So just in case you intend to design a presentation, here are 10 rules that you should keep in mind.

Have a Clear Objective

Before you kick off your presentation, make sure you clearly know what you want to achieve through it. A presentation that lacks clearly defined objectives often ends up confusing the audience and leaves them unsure about its message.
Therefore, you need to identify the primary and secondary objectives of your presentation before you start. Try focusing on one or two major issues instead of covering a dozen discussion points.
Having a clear objective will also help you define clear action items for your audience and give your presentation a real sense of purpose.

Plan Carefully

Planning is one of the most critical parts of designing an engaging presentation. Keeping your core objectives in mind, develop a flow of information in your presentation. Try presenting facts in a way that not only makes clear sense to your audience but also keeps their interest levels high.
Make sure you plan the opening and closing stages of your presentation carefully as well. A solid opening may well keep your audience engaged till the very last slide and a carefully designed closing will leave the audience thinking and wanting to know more.

Use Attractive Themes

Themes really set the tone of your presentation. If you select a boring, dull and forgettable theme then it is likely to put your audience to sleep even before you get to the main points of your presentation.
Try to be innovative in selecting the main theme of your presentation. There are many online tools that offer tons of extremely attractive free presentation themes and even allow you to design your themes from the scratch.
Whichever way you go, make sure that you keep your target audience and the nature of your presentation in mind while selecting your theme.

Use Variations of Font Styles and Sizes

Using different variations of font styles and sizes plays a vital role in taking your presentations from good to great. Select a main font to be used throughout your presentation and use it in combination with a similar font to highlight important points in your presentation.
Also use different variations of font sizes to emphasize on key areas of your presentation.This not only makes your presentation look more attractive but also stops your audience from going to sleep.

Use Intelligent Color Combinations

Color combinations can either make or break your presentation. So make sure you select them carefully while keeping your target audience in mind.
There’s no fixed way of using colors in presentations. It all depends on the type of your presentation and your target audience. But as a general rule, avoid using dull colors as the main theme of your presentation. This usually puts people off pretty quickly.

Add High Quality Videos and Images

One of the best ways of making your presentations stand out from the crowd is using high quality multimedia content. Add combinations of high resolution images and eye-catching videos throughout your presentations.
This not only keeps your audience fresh and interested, but also communicates the message of presentation much more effectively.

Use Eye Catching Animations

Alongside high quality multimedia content, use attractive animations to make your audience fall in love with your presentations. Creating animations is now easier than ever before thanks to a number of online presentation tools that can be used for free.
But make sure your animations are not distracting your audience and hindering the flow of information. Instead, focus on using animations that complement the theme and mood of your presentation.

Choose the Right Tool

Most of the points mentioned above need you to have intermediate to expert designing skills. However, free online presentation tools, such as EWC Presenter, have simplified this problem.
EWC Presenter allows you to use tons of highly attractive and eye-catching presentation themes for free. You can also add different objects and data illustrations to present your data more attractively.
Just as WordPress will make it a lot easier to create a blog and an app like IM Creator will make it much easier to build HTML5 websites, Presenter makes it easy to create your presentations.
Using the right tool not only saves a lot of time but also helps you create much more attractive presentations.

Avoid Information Overload

Your audiences are human beings and they have limited attention spans. So make sure you do not overburden them excessive information.
The best way is to limit your focus to one or two main issues. Give your audience some learning space and let them digest the information that you’ve presented.If you try to tell them everything in one presentation, they will end up learning absolutely nothing.

Ask Questions and Engage Your Audience

Communication is a two way process and needs continuous input from both sides. That is why asking sudden questions or adding small activities within your slides is one of the best ways of keeping the interest of your audience alive and keeping them engaged in your presentation.
Ask question in your slides and create interaction points where the audience needs to contribute. If done correctly, this can work wonders for your presentation.

Amazing Tips On How To Make Your Brand More Impactful With Business Cards

2014-01-03T18:18:00.002-08:00

Almost every organization uses business cards in order to get noticed in general public. This is one of the simplest and most inexpensive ways of marketing your business, but some people are unaware of getting maximum benefits out of it. They simply take business cards lightly and fail to compete against global giants.
There are numerous advantages of business cards, as they give a professional look. The person who does business with you expects to have your business card after a general conversation or a meeting, so that he can contact you back easily after going through all of the necessary details of what you do. Starting a brand is not a difficult task, but making it impactful can be a tough job.

However, choosing the right strategy can help you move forward in the right direction. Every step you take needs to be a calculated one, so that you commit minimum mistakes and gain maximum benefits. If you are a starter, the main thing you need to focus on is how to advertise your business. You need to have something, which can be given away to anyone with ease, wherever you travel in the world.
Since most of the marketing tools don’t fit your wallet or pocket, you should opt for attractive business cards, which can be kept handy and can be transferred from one person to another with ease because of their small size and portability. This will not be enough though, the card should be attractive enough to get the attention of the prospects otherwise they will simply throw it to waste. The content of your business card and its design will determine whether your brand becomes impactful or simply fades away like so many others.
So, be alert while designing your business card, as that will be extremely vital for the success of your business. If you just keep a few factors in mind, you will be able to make a perfect business card, which will definitely help your brand grow stronger and create a strong impression. Some of those factors are discussed below.

Use quality cards

It goes without saying that the quality of your business card should not be compromised at all. Use the best available material, so that the customers get a positive impression of your business. Moreover, the cards should be durable enough that they don’t suffer any damage even after being kept inside the wallet for years. Even the best quality cards will not cost you much, but they will really help in promoting your brand successfully.

Be creative

Make sure that the design of your card is creative enough to stand out. Even if it is simple, it should have something unique, which can grab the attention of the potential clients immediately.
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Go for customization

When you contact different printing companies in order to get your business cards printed, you will be given some standard designs, which are followed by numerous organizations all over the world. However, you should not go for such designs, as it will be ideal to customize and make changes according to your needs. Moreover, the design of your logo should explain your business in a proper manner.

Emphasize on the message

Remember that you should not get carried away with experimentation in the design. The main message should be kept clear enough, so that the customers don’t get confused at all. If you are offering some services, you should make sure that the purpose is mentioned on the business card.
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Choose the right colors

Before finalizing the colors of your embossed business card, do some research and find out what attracts more people. Moreover, you should also choose the color scheme, depending on what sort of products or services being offered.
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Keep it simple and clean

Sometimes, people mess up things while designing their business cards, which is not ideal at all. Therefore, try to stay as simple as possible and keep the card clean enough for the customers to read the content on it with ease.

Use both sides of the card

Since the standard size of a business card is small, you have to make sure that you use both sides of it. This way, you can add all of the necessary information you like to pass onto the potential clients. In case you don’t want to add much on the cards, you should get the logo printed on both ends, which will make it look more professional.

Best 9 Freelance Tips to Increase Your Creativity

2013-12-05T11:03:00.007-08:00

We are all creative. We continuously create things, ideas, images etc. However, when discussing creativity, we do not refer only to the basic creation process. Making coffee for instance is a creative process that only requires you to follow some given instructions. The creativity representing the subject of this article requires something more. It mainly requires your capacity to see things differently from other people. It requires a deeper view and analysis of things and people. It requires unusual approaches, sometimes even absurd ones, but these are determining innovation and originality. And creativity is based on them.

1. Find your source of inspiration

Don’t you have one? Well, you should! Imagine a button you push every time you need to create something innovative. You push it and your job is done. Unfortunately, the existence of such a button cannot be but utopian, however, having a source of inspiration or a ‘muse’ is not. All great artists have something or someone inspiring them, that’s why finding yours will definitely ease your creative efforts. If you’re a graphic designer for instance, you can try finding a mentor whose work becomes a design inspiration source, you can check some graphic design galleries online or you can buy design magazine. It may take some time until, but once you will have found your ‘muse’, it will unleash your creativity.

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2. Create

We’d all want to create impressive and innovative things with very little effort and we’re often disappointed with the final result. Good things don’t come so easy. Perseverance is the secret! So, in order to eventually achieve the result you set up in your mind, one try is not enough. Just create until your initial idea is totally reflected by your work!

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3. Think outside the box

Whenever we face a problem we have to solve, our brain searches the easy-way to reach its resolution, looking for previous similar situations and following a pattern. Thus, avoiding handy resolutions will help us increase our creativity. We must restrict ourselves from following the easy paths and expand our horizons! That way we’ll be constrained to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions we wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.

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4. Analyze the problem from multiple angles

Finding a great, unusual solution is determined by the way you conceptualize the problem. Usually, the first idea that comes up in your mind is not the best one. As stated before, easy things are not the best things. So, the issue is that you should analyze the problem from different angles and find the best approach for reaching your goal. For example, instead of thinking ‘How can I become a successful artist?`, try ‘What should I do in order to differentiate myself from my competitors, to be remarkable and appreciated so that I reach success?’

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5. Look for excellence

Reading lots of books, listening to music, studying art are good ways to develop your creative thinking and increase your originality. But choosing the greatest books, the greatest music, art, as well as great people to surround you with will get you to a superior intellectual state that will help your creativity flow. Engaging in debates with brilliant people will be like a ‘workout’ for your brain. Your reasoning will be more profound, more analytic, increasing your creativity.

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6. Powerful emotions help you create

When people experience joy, happiness, excitement, they are more likely to create something original and impressive than usually. Likewise, even though it may seem nonsense at first sight, the opposite mood is also a creativity booster. So, when you find yourself in a bad emotional mood, don’t concentrate yourself on the cause of your state, but direct your energy on coming up with something original. Even though the result may not be outstanding at the moment, it could lead later to something quite interesting.

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7. Observe

Creative people, besides thinking outside the box, are very good observers. Carefully noticing everything that surrounds you, paying attention to random ideas can be very helpful. Having the eyes and mind wide open led to some extraordinary inventions – one of them is the antibiotic penicillin discovered by Alexander Fleming.

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8. TV provides you images, not imagination

We all need entertainment, amusement, in order to relax and disconnect from work. Television is still the cheapest entertainment option and wrongly considered a source of inspiration. Television doesn’t encourage you to think, to imagine things, so you better avoid spending long-time in front of TV. Instead, you should read. As many books as you can and from various domains. Not only will you gather lots of information, but you will increase your imagination when trying to visualize it.

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9. Don’t be too critical of yourself

We all want to be socially accepted. And so we want the ways we express our creativity be. Critiques are our biggest fear. In fact, the bad criticism, that sometimes is not based on an objective reasoning, but on a subjective one (some people try to get successful by pushing others down randomly). Therefore you need to disparate between good criticism, that helps you improve your work and find more creative approaches, and bad criticism that is only meant to discourage you. The best you can do when facing such situations is to use the unfounded critiques as your source of motivation.

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Best Tips To Work With Different Client Types

2013-11-05T12:43:00.000-08:00

Just as every freelancer is a little different, you will find each client has different needs and cares. However, many clients fall into one of a number of types, each requiring different approaches or handling to ensure the best working relationship. Knowing your client types will help you tailor your approach and produce the most successful project outcome.

Tech Impaired Client

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This client usually appears confused when any technological issues are being discussed. They prefer telephone conversations rather than emails and like to have a hard copy of everything. This type of client will usually need for everything to be gone through again before they fully understand the project details. However, they will usually rely on your technological expertise and will willingly take your advice. This can result in a lot of hand holding and it can be frustrating when they are unable to grasp even basic aspects such as emailing, but you should charge accordingly for this additional support.
The best way of working with a tech impaired client is to put all the technical details in writing, so they can read it at their own pace. This can save time explaining the details repeatedly especially if you have formatted the details into terms they will be more able to understand. You need to be prepared that you will not be using as much technology as you are used to. You should budget time and resources for meetings, phone calls and faxing. Try to avoid patronizing the client and ask for input from their area of expertise.

Uninterested Client

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This type of client is very unusual. Your questions will usually be answered with minimal responses and they will be lax in providing any requested materials or information. This will usually provide you with a great scope of creative freedom since the client is usually handing off the project to your control. However, they will likely ask you to handle all aspects of the project, even those outside of your skill set.
An uninterested client requires some forceful handling. You will have to chase information, so it is best to develop a humorous and polite attitude to force them along. They are usually uninterested because they have other stresses and priorities, but you can advise them on additional resources you can provide for additional costs.

Over-involved Client

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Some clients are frustrated creative types who want to tell you about their skills. They usually have a very specific idea of what they want and will require very little input from you. This can make for a fairly simple project if you are happy to simply make their idea a reality. However, they will not appreciate any criticism of their ideas even if they are flawed. This can result in them being unhappy with the final product even if it is exactly what they wanted.
It is a good idea to allow the client to lead the idea flow. Tell them explicitly that they have very specific ideas and you will follow their direction. However, you should also tell them that you can work without their input if they prefer.

Paranoid Client

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These clients will usually swamp you in legal paperwork, from drafted agreements to NDA’s. You must ensure that you check all the paperwork to check it protects your interests. It is worth having an independent legal professional to check the paperwork as it will usually be heavily slanted in the clients favor. There will usually be a number of grounds which can result in you not being paid, so it needs to be carefully monitored and adhered to.

Appreciative Client

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These clients value your skill and expertise. They will make you feel special and be delighted with your work. They tend to be very tactful and will word any aspects they are not completely satisfied with, in a positive way. Don’t take your appreciative clients for granted. Make sure you give them your best work and you can even provide additional content or services for no charge occasionally to show mutual appreciation.

Wheeler Dealer Client

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This client is always looking for a good deal. They will take your quote as a starting bid for negotiation and there will be some element of haggling. These clients can vary from entrepreneurs who have negotiated their way to success, to bullies who want you to work for peanuts. So you need to make sure you are happy with the agreed terms and price, or you will end up resenting the project.
On the other hand, these clients can be a great source of repeat or referral work since they usually have an expansive network of contacts. The key is to be assertive and not drop below the rate you are willing to work at.

“Not Sure What They Want” Client

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These clients can struggle to articulate what they actually want. They can be demanding, yet provide no real constructive criticism to work with. This can become very frustrating and can be difficult to budget for. However, if you can create their vision, you may gain a loyal and appreciative client.
The only way to deal with this type of client is to be very specific about revision costs. You also need to be prepared that it may be a very frustrating project.

Rush Client

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This client always has urgent and rush jobs which need to be your top priority. They will expect around the clock attention and all emails will be marked priority. This type of client will usually approve jobs quickly and tend to pay just as quickly. They can create a great deal of stress, but it is important to be realistic and reasonable with them. Don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ if they are not being reasonable, but make sure you provide a viable alternative. If they insist Monday is needed, try saying “I can’t do Monday but I can do…”. Rush clients have usually had experience of being messed about and will appreciate the honesty – providing you deliver what you agreed.
These are the most common types of clients but regardless, you should be aware and confident in your abilities and the rate you are willing to work at. This will make it easier to deal with any client and establish a good work relationship. What has your experience been so far?

20 Premium Photoshop Brushes For Designers

2013-10-26T00:12:00.001-07:00

Adobe Photoshop is most powerful software for vector graphics, photo manipulation, web designing, abstracts and many other operations. Photoshop brushes are the most common elements of a designer’s tool box. With the help of Photoshop brushes, a designer creates unique and epic designs which go further beyond the limitations of imagination. We hope you will enjoy getting these Photoshop brushes in your collection.

Botanical Smudges – Brushes and Vectors

Textured Screen Brush Set

Light Refractions Photoshop Brush Set

Scraped Smudges Brush Set

Brilliant Splatters – Brushes, Textures and Vectors

Paint Stains Photoshop Brush Set

Dispersed Splatters Brush Set

Smudges and Smears Photoshop Brush Set

Ink and Oil Brush Set

Insane Watercolor Brush Set

Vector Paint Drips

Strange Light Effects Vol 2

Faded Stains Photoshop Brush Set

Brush Stroke Banners

Ink and Bleach Splatter Brushes

Wrinkled Ink Stains Photoshop Brush Set

Radial Plants Brush Set

Cosmic Light Brush Set

Oil Slick Brush Set

Burnt Edges Brush Set

Best Tips On How to Maintain Your Creativity When Working From Home

2013-10-14T13:12:00.002-07:00

There are a great many benefits to working from home, including flexibility of working hours, taking unscheduled days off, waving goodbye to working in formal business wear and spending more quality time with the family. However, working from home can also produce challenges, including reduced creativity.

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Many freelancers find that when they are working from home every day by themselves, it begins to take a toll. Concentration becomes difficult to manage, work quality or standards start to slip and the flow of ideas becomes stagnant. This in essence is a dimming of your creative sparkle. Fortunately, you need not despair as there are a number of strategies to help you maintain your creativity.

Have a Change of Scenery

If you have found yourself staring at the same spot of your office wall instead of concentrating on your latest project, why not have a change of scenery. You could get some fresh air and work in your backyard or on a porch or balcony. This may provide the change of atmosphere you need to revitalize your creativity.
If this is not possible or doesn’t work for you, why not try working from a local coffee shop or your neighborhood park. This will provide some opportunities for people watching and new inspiration to reignite your creative spark. At the very least, this will allow you a time out from your desk and make you feel more positive when you return.

Do Something Different

If you are finding that you are spending the entire day at your computer and you are losing focus and concentration, you will probably benefit from taking a break. While the temptation is to jump on the internet and spend some time on social media or surfing, do something different. Move away from your computer to do another form of activity.

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The choice of alternative activity is limitless. Take time out to enjoy cooking a meal for your family, spend half an hour coloring with the children or tend to your houseplants or garden. Doing a physical activity, rather than the mental challenges of using a computer will give your brain a rest and rejuvenate your mood and creativity.

Start a Pet Project

We all have an idea for a personal project that we long to complete someday. So, if you are struggling to grasp your creative sparkle, it is just the right time to start your pet project. You will discover you can gain a huge boost in creativity, when you are working on something that you have been imagining completing. This could be something small like reorganizing the space in your office, through to starting that best-selling novel that you always wanted to write. Any project ideas that you feel passionate about will get that creative spark igniting. Start working on your new idea and let the ideas and energy build, this will then spill back into your work project and you’ll be eager to get back to work.

Get Some Exercise

This can be the most challenging activity when you are feeling low, but it can also provide the biggest boost. Exercise is well-known for providing a boost to your energy levels and sense of well-being. So this will boost your creativity, health and positivity.
If you lack the motivation to leave the house and go for a jog or a bike ride, why not exercise at home and do some yoga or Pilates. If you already have a regular exercise routine, why not change it around a little, so if you usually run on a treadmill switch to an outside run, or if you usually exercise outdoors why not try a swim instead. Any activity which will get you moving will be good for your body and your creativity.

Analyze Why Your Creativity is Waning

Take a moment to stop what you are doing and work out if there is a reason behind your decreased creativity. Is there an aspect of your project which you are not comfortable with? Are you feeling pressure or stress from something? Have you got something on your mind which is worrying you?
Once you have analyzed why you are struggling with your creativity, you can take some positive action to remedy the situation. Sometimes, simply realizing that you are worrying about an upcoming appointment or feeling stressed by your schedule not working correctly, will provide enough relief to correct the issue and allow you to fully concentrate on the job in hand.

Take a Nap

If you don’t usually have a problem with a lack of creativity, a nap may be just what you need for a recharge. Spend a minute thinking about your routine over the few weeks to work out if you have been getting to bed later or not getting your usual amount of sleep. If this is the case, then you may benefit from a nap.

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A nap can take anything from fifteen minutes up to a couple of hours; this will depend on the time of day and what your body actually requires. If a nap is not possible, then try to go to bed earlier for a few nights to catch up on your missed sleep. After a couple of days, you should feel better and have recovered your creative sparkle.

Seek Help From Your Peers

This could be in the form of collaboration on a particular project through to having a chat with someone who understands your field. Loneliness can stifle creativity, so interacting with another person can provide a boost to your creative idea flow. Remember that not all projects are the same, so if it is a particular project which has you stuck for ideas, you may need someone for a sounding board or to help with the idea flow.

Take Time for Laughter

Laughter can be a great medicine for a number of ills including waning creativity. Take a little time to enjoy something that makes you laugh and it can give you a real boost. This could be watching an episode of your favorite comedy show, through to watching the family dog chasing his shadow. Whatever makes you laugh will help you relax and revive your creative spark.
Share a tip with your fellow freelancers – what do you usually do to stay creative while working from home?

Must-Read Free eBooks for Web Designers - Design Resources

2013-10-04T11:15:00.001-07:00

Although the general attitude towards self-learning has become largely optimistic, all of us have been at one point or another acquainted with those skeptical voices, telling you it can’t be done – ‘You just can’t read a book and expect to master a subject’. Those who like to run you down might even succeed most of the time, partly because they raise some valid concerns. But there are practical answers to all these so-called rhetorical questions. During the last decade at least, there’s been an increasing wave of people who have experienced success with their business and have felt the need to share their way of doing things. Ergo, books and lots of books on the subject. With that thought in mind, I’ve put together for you a compilation of must-read web design resources, broken down into topics and experience that are available online for free.

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Best Beginner Resources

A Practical Guide to Designing for the Web (HTML + PDF) – Mark Boulton
This would be your go-to design manual for graphic design theory applied to the world wide web. You’ll find it on more than one recommendation lists and the reason is its conciseness and readability. This eBook is available directly online and takes you through the differences of traditional design process versus web design process, after which you’ll learn about the importance of research, typography, color and layout.

Head First HTML and CSS (PDF) – Eric & Elisabeth Freeman
Are you completely new to the HTML game? Then you’re part of the target readership of this fun beginner’s guide that features a FAQ section titled ‘There are no dumb questions‘ almost every time it approaches a specific topic. Also, don’t expect mounds of text and boorish tones. It’s filled with examples, imagery and exercises for you to put in practice.

Learning Web Design (PDF) – Jennifer Niederst Robbins
Another beginner’s guide that covers a lot of ground, starting from what the term web design actually means and how different people could use the term for different sets of skills, ranging from graphic design to programming and detailing further on each of them. The book moves on to teach you about all the stages of website-building, so that you can master the skills to get your design work up and running.

The Principles of Beautiful Web Design (PDF) – Jason Beaird
An in-depth look at the artistic side of web design is what this book’s aiming to offer – and it succeeds. Out of all the design resources out there, how many have you seen actually taking you through the psychology of colour? The book includes chapters on layout, textures, typography and imagery, each with arguments and examples of what to do and how to do it so that the finished product looks appealing and well-crafted.

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Advanced Web Design & Specific Topics

An Advanced Guide to Web Design (HTML) – Shay Howe
Expanding on the beginner’s guide written by the same author (which you can also check out), this advanced edition is available entirely free online and brings you up to speed with responsive web design, an aspect which came to be increasingly important once people got to know and extensively use mobile platforms. The eBook is easy to read, enriched with illustrated examples and most definitely one to keep in mind.

Dive Into HTML5 (HTML) – Mark Pilgrim
You may have heard of Mark Pilgrim before this introduction, he is a well-known developer and free software advocate with quite a few eccentricities. Back to the topic at hand, he started a project that has been continued by a community of followers regarding HTML 5, its uses and proper integration in the web design process.

The Essential Guide to User Interface – Wilbert O. Galitz: A book that covers both GUI and Web User Interface, with characteristics, comparisons and best design practices for both. It is largely theoretical, but proves useful if you are looking to understand the human elements that need to be taken into accountfor the end result to be an excellent user interface design. This willmore than likely do wonders for the website you may be planning to build.

For more on Java-related insights, you should try reading either Eloquent Java Script (HTML) – Marijn Haverbekeor Java Script Enlightenment (PDF) – Cody Lindley. The first offers an interactive coding environment, as well as a programming language introduction, while the latter isn’t meant for beginners, but for somewhat experienced Java users who want to take themselves to the next level (as the author puts it, ä book to turn a JavaScript library user to a JavaScript developer).
If you’re looking for more resources on typography, we recommend you read The Elements of Typographic Style for the Web (HTML) and Type Classificatio n (PDF). The subject will have been covered if you go through some of the above suggestions, but when you need to review specifics, these two eBooks will come handy.

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Performance & Creativity

How to Motivate Creative People (Including Yourself) (HTML + PDF) – Mark McGuinness
If you’re an experienced web designer, you know that sometimes you’ll be able to take care of some projects on your own, while in other cases you will have to work with a small team of people. Whatever’s the case, reading this book will help you understand the different types of motivations people experience and how the relationship between motivation and creativity unfolds.

The Design Funnel: A Manifesto for Meaningful Design (PDF) – Stephen Hay
You might have noticed how hard it seems to innovate in the world of web design. There are a lot of copy-cats out there and you could say that lack of talent accounts for them. What if it’s not so much talent at fault, but a lack of creativity, induced by unquestioned, repetitive work processes? Stephen Hay expands on this idea and suggests a particular order in which to approach a project so that every finished design product showcases its own spirit, adapted to its purposes.

More Time Now: Time Management Made Simple Again (PDF) – Dave Navarro
A fun read on time-wasting behaviors that each of us needs to acknowledge and quit enabling. Redefine your understanding of time management and start making things happen with a few tweaks added here and there to your work schedule.

What Matters Now (PDF) – Seth Godin
This book doesn’t cover any specific topic, but rather joins a lot of people’s (successful bloggers, entrepreneurs, best-selling authors) thoughts on simple notions such as empathy, productivity, enrichment, vision and so on. You could say it’s an unconventional dictionary, while all of its ‘definitions’ lead back to the creative-business world to some extent. All in all, an essential read that’s likely to leave you thinking.

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Business & Freelancing

Web Designer’s Success Guide (HTML + PDF) – Kevin Airgid
With a straightforward subtitle, namely How to profit from freelance web design, this little gem will take you through freelancing and self-employment step-by-step. There are many details left untouched by most titles covering freelancing, maybe because they seem difficult to pin down in a general form. We’re talking about little things, such as deciding how much to charge for your services, possible mistakes you could make in relation to your clients (case studies), but also a dedicated interest to what your home office should be like in terms of furniture and hardware.
How To Be Creative (PDF) – Hugh MacLeod

A very honest and thus valuable eBook on integrating creativity in the grand scheme of your professional life. Not so much referring to work methods, How To Be Creative discusses which compromises you might have to take in your creative pursuits, as well as those you’ll have to avoid, how you can’t be a professionally creative person without taking responsibility for what you do, why all of us are different and how damaging it is to fail to see that. It’s a personal and professional development book that we undoubtedly recommend, complete with a series of wonderful cartoons drawn by the author himself.

Personal Branding for the Business Professional (PDF) – Chris Brogan
The basics of personal branding are covered in this concise 15-page eBook. Chris has put together more than a few useful points on a topic which some freelancers really struggle with. Promoting yourself may come to you easily, but it’s likely you’re not focused on it, especially if you’re starting out.And this would be the time it matters most –the more established you get, the less you have to invest in your branding strategy.
What are some of your favorite web design eBooks? Have you picked up a specific skill exclusively by using this sort of book and what was it? We would love to hear about your experiences in the comments section below.