30 Free Script Fonts
Published July 25th, 2011 in Fonts - 8 Comments
Most designers can never have too many fonts. When it comes to script fonts, there are a lot to choose from. If you’re working on a design that needs a script font you may find one here that would be a good fit for your project.
In this post we’ll feature 30 script fonts that can be downloaded for free. As always when you are downloading and using freebies, be sure to read the license details to make sure that you are using it in a way that is allowed by the creator.
50 Fireworks Tutorials for Designers
Published July 21st, 2011 in Design - 10 Comments
Although Fireworks doesn’t get as much attention as Photoshop, for web designers it can be as good or a better tool for many tasks as compared to Photoshop. One of the challenges of working with Fireworks is that most of us simply feel more comfortable in Photoshop because of having more experience with it. In the absence of experience, quality tutorials can become a very valuable resource to help with the learning curve.
In this post we’ll link to 50 tutorials that will help designers to learn more about Fireworks and what can be accomplished with it.
The Abduzeetles Rockband Website in Fireworks
25 Ecommerce Websites for Your Design Inspiration
Published July 19th, 2011 in Galleries - 25 Comments
Ecommerce websites can be one of the more challenging types of websites for designers. There is a lot that needs to be considered (see 9 Characteristics of Well-Designed Ecommerce Websites) and the design decisions can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of the website at converting visitors to customers.
In this post we’ll showcase 25 ecommerce websites that feature an attractive visual design. They should serve as an excellent source of inspiration when working on ecommerce projects of your own.
Showcase of Desert Photography
Published July 18th, 2011 in Galleries - 16 Comments
In this past we have showcased examples of landscape photography, which includes photos of mountains, valleys, plains, lakes, coast lines, and a variety of other types of landscapes. Deserts may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of subjects for landscape photography, but even a barren desert provides opportunities for beautiful photographers.
In this post we’ll showcase 20 outstanding examples of desert photography from a variety of different photographers. Hopefully it will serve as inspiration for you in your own work.
Photo credit: Barabeke
Create a Drippy Spray Paint Vector
Published July 14th, 2011 in Design - 5 Comments
Spray paint and splatter effects are very commonly used in web and graphic design. There are a number of Photoshop brushes and vectors available that can be used to add these effects to your work, but sometimes you may not be able to find exactly what you are looking for, or what you find may not be licensed for what you need.
In these situations you can create your own, and it’s not as difficult as you might think. In this tutorial we’ll create a spray paint vector that can be used in any number of different ways. The vector that we are creating here is a part of the spray paint vector set available at Vandelay Premier. Here is a look at what we will be creating:
Comment to Win a Premium WordPress Theme from Themify
Published July 12th, 2011 in Site News - 177 Comments
Our friends at Themify have offered to give a premium WordPress theme to five lucky readers of the Vandelay Design blog!
Aerial Photography: 25 Amazing Examples
Published in Galleries - 14 Comments
Some of the most interesting photos are those that show the world from a different point of view. Aerial photography can take certain subjects that we’re used to seeing in a certain way and present it in a much more interesting and intriguing manner.
In this post we’ll showcase 25 beautiful aerial photos. They feature a variety of different subjects including landscapes like mountains and coastlines, plus other types of subjects like buildings and cities.
Photo credit: Alex Olguin
Restaurant Websites: Inspiration and Options
Published July 11th, 2011 in Galleries - 26 Comments
Restaurants that use their websites effectively are able to have a significant impact on their business. Whether it is allowing customers to view menus and specials, find a location, make reservations, sign up for a mailing list, or place an order online, there are a lot of ways that restaurants can benefit from a website.
National chains and small, local restaurants both have the potential for impact with their website, and in this post we’ll showcase 25 well-designed websites for your inspiration. You’ll see a lot of sites that make use of vibrant colors, and of course photos of temping food. At the end of the post we’ll also list a few options for creating a restaurant website, including some of the best templates and themes.
Designers Using Freebies to Grow Their Business
Published July 7th, 2011 in Business - 17 Comments
With so much competition out there, freelance designers are always looking for new ways to stand out from the crowd. Some designers have used free resources to build their reputation. While it may seem counterproductive to give away resources that you have created, there can be significant benefits that make it worth your time. In this post we’ll take a look at 7 examples where giving away freebies has been beneficial to the business and career of designers.
Free resources like Photoshop brushes, textures, vectors, icons, and PSD files are in high demand because they can help designers to save time and create impressive results. Those who provide the free resources can also benefit from this interest even though they are not charging anything for the resources. The designer can benefit from added exposure and name recognition, from traffic to their site or blog (and possibly increased ad sales), and from the opportunity to promote their other products and services to these new visitors.
Let’s take a look at some specific examples of designers who have helped the design community, and themselves, by distributing free resources.
Jay Hilgert
Jay Hilgert is a designer and blogger that has used freebies to boost his profile within the industry. Jay’s blog Bittbox is one of the best resources for design freebies. Over the last several years Jay has distributed freebies such as Photoshop brushes, textures, vectors and fonts. Each week a new free texture pack is released, and the Bittbox Photoshop brushes are some of the most popular brush sets found anywhere (the watercolor brushes have been downloaded more than 1 million times). Currently, Bittbox release freebies from other designers as well, but Jay’s freebies are what established the site’s reputation.
As a result of the Bittbox freebies, Jay has a successful blog and is recognized as a creator of high-quality graphic design resources.
40 Sets of Free Social Media Icons
Published July 6th, 2011 in Social Media - 27 Comments
Designers love free icon sets. Having quality icons can help to make a site’s design look complete, and can also help with the usability of the site. Social media icons are some of the most commonly used icons, especially in blog design.
Fortunately, there are a number of free sets of quality social media icons. In this post we’ll feature 40 social media icon sets from various designers. Click on the links to be led to the source where the icons can be downloaded. As always when you are dealing with freebies, check the terms and conditions to be sure that you’re using them in a way that is allowed by the designer.
ElegantThemes Social Media Icons
