Entries Tagged as 'Design'
35 Fresh Photoshop Actions to Download
Published May 10th, 2013 in Design - 3 Comments
Photoshop actions can be invaluable tools for designers and photographers. Quality actions will allow you to create photo effects in seconds with a simple click on the mouse. In the past we’ve featured a lot of different Photoshop actions and action sets, and the good news is that there are always other actions being released. In this post we’ll take a look at 35 actions that have been released recently. Hopefully you’ll find at least a few that will help you to create great effects with your own photos.
25 Outstanding Google Fonts for Web Design
Published May 3rd, 2013 in Design - 9 Comments
In recent years we’ve seen a number of developments and advancements, such as responsive design, that have had a major impact on the web design industry. One of the most significant advancements has been improved options for using a greater variety of fonts in your web design projects. Google Web Fonts is one of the leading options, although there are others like Adone’s Typekit.
Google Web Fonts is free, easy to implement, and their are an increasing number of font families available. With currently more than 600 font families to choose from, finding the fight font available from Google Web Fonts can be a challenge. In this post we’re showcasing 25 that are worth a look. Browse through the fonts here and you’ll probably find at least one that could be a good fit for that project that you are currently working on.
5 Great Tools for Finding Color Inspiration
Published April 29th, 2013 in Design - 0 Comments
There are so many great resources available to designers that help inspire and improve efficiency, but often, color inspiration and color search abilities are overlooked in web design resources. After all, it’s often just important to find an image, gradient, or palette as it is to find one with the right subject.
What’s more, color can be one of the elements that designers forget to focus on, in favor of the typography, layout, or imagery. And yet a gorgeous color palette can make the difference between a bland and a strikingly original design.
So if you find yourself in need of a color inspiration boost, not only will this roundup of great sites provide you with all the palettes and images you could ever wish to see, they’re also great resources for manipulating, creating, and sharing color.
Find the right palette, pattern, or gradient
Optimizing Your Ecommerce Site: Visual Merchandising
Published April 22nd, 2013 in Design - 1 Comment
Unless you’re reading this from 1995, you’re probably aware that most websites have a large visual element. Amazon, Play.com, eBay, Apple Store… open any of their homepages and you’ll instantly be bombarded with tasteful product shots designed to lure you in. Clearly, photography is a big part of online product marketing – and why shouldn’t it be?
For decades, creative photography has been used to sell us everything from watches to waffle irons. So how do you make your small-business website stand out against a horde of well-funded competitors? While no-one can guarantee instant success, there are a few steps you can take to ensure you’re at least headed in the right direction. Here are 5 of them:
Quality Photos
It sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be amazed how many websites still hawk out goods beneath photos that seem to have been copied and pasted from an old Geocities website. No matter whether you’re a small business operating out the back of your bedroom, or a high-street juggernaut eyeing up new avenues for expansion, the golden rule of product selling is to make the product look desirable. And the first part of that is to use a sharp, clear image that screams quality. That means, high-res, professional images shot by a bona-fide photographer. For a good example check Apple.com, a business model founded on making products look sleek and desirable.
35 Amazing Gig Poster/Flyer Templates
Published March 18th, 2013 in Design - 0 Comments
Posters and flyers are an integral part of promoting concerts and music festivals. A well-designed gig poster can help any band to look more professional and can help to generate interest for upcoming events and shows. Getting a quality gig poster doesn’t have to be expensive and doesn’t have to involve hiring a designer for a custom design. There are a lot of great-looking templates available that can be purchased and used to create your own gig poster for an affordable price.
If you’re a designer, using one of these templates as a starting point for client work can also help to reduce the amount of time that you have to spend on the project, which can also allow you to reduce the cost.
Here we’ll take a look at 35 gig poster/flyer templates that are available for less than $10.
Alternative Flyer Concert Template – $6
14 Useful Android Apps for Photo Editing and Design
Published February 26th, 2013 in Design, Tools - 2 Comments
Graphic design and photo editing are increasing in popularity, in part because of the tools and apps that are readily available. It seems like just about every other person has a semi-professional camera hung around their neck with which they take pictures throughout the day, but even if you are not one of these people you probably take photos with your smartphone. With the photography and photo editing apps that are available you don’t need expensive equipment.
We took the liberty of cooking up a list of color palettes applications and photo editors available to Android users from the Google Play Store. With the applications are provided their original descriptions for your convenience. Check out this list of fifteen photo-editing tools for your mobile.
Color Palette Apps:
“Use your Android to detect a color that inspires you. It’s easy to take color inspiration from a photo in your library. Just touch a point and you can get color information.”
5 Keys of Successful Logo Design
Published February 20th, 2013 in Design - 9 Comments
The best logos make an impact. They are memorable and they instantly evoke images of the brand with which they are associated. Think of the Golden Arches in the McDonald’s logo or the classic script in the Coca-Cola logo. Think of the peacock feathers in the NBC logo or the swoosh in the Nike logo.
On the other hand, bad logos are forgettable. They look unprofessional and they don’t tell you anything about the brand.
Creating a successful logo can influence the overall success of your brand. Whether you are a logo designer yourself or if you are looking to hire a designer to create your logo, it is important to understand the qualities of a great logo so you can get one that encourages the success of your business. Here are 5 keys to successful logo design:
Simplicity
One of the most important aspects of successful logo design is simplicity. There should be clean lines and few details like shading or other artistic touches. Colors should be limited to a few choices. Text should be limited to the brand name. Some great examples include the Nike swoosh, the Google logo, the Target bull’s eye, and the Twitter “T.” In logo design, less is more.
The Synergy Between Web Design and SEO
Published February 13th, 2013 in Design, SEO - 4 Comments
Synergy is defined as the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects. In other words, it’s two or more things working together to bring about awesome results. Like Batman and Robin, chocolate and peanut butter, and most definitely like great web design and SEO.
Two Peas in a Digital Pod
SEO and effective web design go hand in hand. Without one, the other simply can’t perform as well.
Good web design is about creating a site that fully engages the reader and gets them to take action of a certain kind. But if the website does not follow current SEO best practices, its rankings will suffer which will in turn lessen the number of visitors that actually engage with it.
Conversely, if the focus has been on SEO and pleasing the search engine spiders, the site may rank highly and get lots of search engine traffic, but once that traffic lands what will they see? Will they be engaged? Will they take action? Not if the design is poor.
In order to be successful in today’s digital landscape, equal focus must be given to design and search engine optimization.
10 Apps for Working Remotely
Published February 6th, 2013 in Design, Tools - 3 Comments
Teamwork is about sharing ideas, finding better solutions, and having more productive work. Collaboration tools for designers are essential to improve their work with other team members and clients. The apps listed below will let you share your ideas and designs, so that you can communicate easily with clients or other co-workers.
FileSquare
Impress your clients with prototypes and simple feedback. With FileSquare you can share your work with developers and others designers, show it to clients and collect feedback with clear annotations in real time. This application could also perform usability tests with mobile interactive mockups. FileSquare is a tool for web agencies, software houses, freelance developers and designers.
Using the Cloud in Web Design
Published February 5th, 2013 in Design, Tools - 3 Comments
Cloud computing is revolutionizing the way web designers do their work, from designing to storing and sharing files. Instead of having to rely on one local computer or server to access software and projects, designers now have the ability to access these elements anywhere, and on any device. This technology has made collaboration easier than ever, with the ability to quickly share and discuss ideas, mockups and finalized designs quickly and easily with very little time spent arranging the logistics.
Below outlines more about the cloud and how it can benefit you as a designer.
