25+ Inspirational E-Commerce Website Designs – Part Two
Published February 23rd, 2009 in Galleries - 75 Comments
Well-designed e-commerce sites can provide a more enjoyable user experience, and they can also be excellent sources of design inspiration. Of course, usability is far more important than appearance when it comes to creating a user-friendly e-commerce website, but having an attractive and usable site is a great combination. This collection is intended to showcase some e-commerce sites that have an attractive design.
For the first part of this series, please see 50 Inspirational E-Commerce Website Designs.
GraphicRiver Launch and a $2,000 Giveaway!
Published February 20th, 2009 in Competition - 202 Comments
Envato is launching a new marketplace, and I’m happy to have the privilege of giving away a lot of free credits to readers! I’m sure most of you are familiar with the Envato network of sites, including other marketplaces like ThemeForest and FlashDen, and blogs like Freelance Switch, NETTUTS and PSDTUTS (and, of course, many more).
The newest addition to the Envato network is GraphicRiver, a marketplace for graphics, vectors, icons, Photoshop files, and add-ons such as brushes. GraphicRiver should be an excellent resource for those who are looking to buy, as well as a great income-generating opportunity for anyone who wants to sell some of their work.
Design Inspiration: Lighting Effects – Part 2
Published February 18th, 2009 in Galleries - 28 Comments
Last month I published a collection of images for lighting inspiration. Since there are so many excellent examples of creativity with lighting effects, I decided to do this follow up. I hope some of these can be a source of inspiration for you in your own work.
25+ Photoshop Tutorials for Poster Design
Published February 16th, 2009 in Design, Photoshop Tutorials - 41 Comments
For Photoshop users who are interested in experimenting and learning something new, poster design is an excellent way to practice. Last year I published a collection of tutorials for designing posters in Photoshop. Since other outstanding tutorials have been published since then, today we’ll feature another 28 tutorials.
Create a Furious Pink Panther Poster
3D Design Inspiration
Published February 11th, 2009 in Design - 36 Comments
As a result of a reader request, today we’re featuring 40 excellent pieces for your own 3D design inspiration. There is a wide variety of subjects and artists represented here. If you see something you like, click through and you’ll be able to find more from the artist of deviantART or Behance.
25 Tutorials for Using Illustrator and Photoshop Together for Outstanding Results
Published February 10th, 2009 in Design, Photoshop Tutorials - 38 Comments
Photoshop and Illustrator are two of the most indispensable tools for web and graphic designers. For those of us who are always looking to learn more and improve skills, there are plenty of great tutorials out there for each of these programs.
Most designers feel a bit more comfortable in one over the other as a result of more experience or better understanding. However, sometimes the two can be used together in a way that emphasizes the strengths of each program.
In this post we’ll feature 25 of the best tutorials that utilize both Illustrator and Photoshop to create amazing results.
How to Make Retro/Futuristic Curves in 10 Steps
Developing a Client Process from Inquiry to Project Completion
Published February 6th, 2009 in Design Process - 26 Comments
Efficiency and effectiveness are equally important to freelance designers and small design firms (and large ones as well, but that won’t be the focus of this article). There are obviously any number of different things you can do to improve your workflow or to produce a better end result for your clients. One area for potential improvement is systemization or standardization of process.
The process of designing and developing a website for clients is rather complex and involves a lot of different steps. First, there is the initial contact either through an online inquiry or maybe a referral. Then comes a quote for service, a contract, the opening stages of the design, client feedback, revisions, development, completion, final billing and record keeping. Of course, the exact steps may vary from one designer to another, but the point is that a lot goes into the complete process of taking a client from inquiry to the completion of the project.
25 Beautifully Minimalist Websites – Part 5
Published February 3rd, 2009 in Galleries, Hosting - 65 Comments
Over the past year and a half, I have published four collections of inspirational websites with a minimalist approach to the design. Since more great websites of this style keep appearing, and since readers continue to show an interest in this style, here is the fifth edition. You can see the first four parts here:
- 25 Beautifully Minimalistic Website Designs
- 25 Beautifully Minimalistic Website Designs – Part 2
- 25 Beautifully Minimalistic Website Designs – Part 3
- 25 Beautifully Minimalistic Website Designs – Part 4
Card Observer: A New Site for Business Card Design Inspiration
Published February 1st, 2009 in Links - 8 Comments
Henry Jones of Web Design Ledger, and formerly of Design Reviver, has recently launched a new site to showcase excellent business card designs. Card Observer is a gallery site that provides inspiration to designers and a platform for others to showcase their own work.
