Joshua Johnson
Equal parts editor, writer, designer, & photographer. Hit me up on Twitter, read my Mac tutorials or check out my photos.
The Designer’s Guide to Bartering
Never work for free. It’s a moto that will get you far in an industry overflowing with bottom feeders who want something for nothing. That being said though, money isn’t the only thing in the world for which you should consider busting out a few hours of design work.
Countless designers have found that they can get far in life through the age old practice of bartering. Read on to see how to barter like a pro.
August 7th, 2012 Posted in Accessibility
25 Unbelievably Awesome Design Freebies From PixelsDaily
Did you know that Design Shack has a sister site called PixelsDaily? It’s one of the best sources around for completely free design resources and it’s growing every day!
No matter what type of PSD you’re looking for, PixelsDaily likely has you covered. Today we’re going to jump in and take a look at 25 of my personal favorite files available for download free of charge. They’re too good to turn down!
August 6th, 2012 Posted in Freebies
Web Design Critique #84: RoyalSlider
Every week we take a look at a new website and analyze the design. We’ll point out both the areas that are done well in addition to those that could use some work. Finally, we’ll finish by asking you to provide your own feedback.
Today we’re going to be looking at the site for RoyalSlider, a popular JavaScript content slider. Let’s jump in and see what we think!
August 4th, 2012 Posted in Critique
Good Design Taste Test: Three Fast Casual Restaurant Websites Compared
Fast food restaurants are notoriously bad with web design, but the emerging market of “fast casual” eateries thus far is proving to be much better in this area.
Today we’re going to look around the web at the websites for some of the most popular fast casual restaurants to see who is doing the best work and what we can learn from them. Warning: this post will make you hungry!
August 2nd, 2012 Posted in Graphics
A Beginner’s Guide to Using Google Web Fonts
When Google Web Fonts was first released, we wrote up a quick walkthrough. Since then, the service has been completely overhauled and it’s high time for a thorough walkthrough from scratch.
Join us as we start at the very beginning and discuss what the Google Web Fonts service is and how to get it up and running on your site today. Give us a few minutes of your time and we’ll open you up to the awesome world of awesome free web fonts.
August 1st, 2012 Posted in CSS
6 Portfolio Design Mistakes That Drive Me Nuts
Your public portfolio is one of the most important things you’ll ever design. It presents you to the world and, if you’re a freelancer, tends to play a major role in whether or not people choose to hire you.
Because of my role as the editor of Design Shack, I’ve viewed a ton of online portfolios and today I’d like to walk through some of the weaknesses I see time and time again. Read on to see if you’ve made some of these mistakes.
July 31st, 2012 Posted in Business
How to Turn Photographic Textures Into Masks in Photoshop
Texture is a key element of design. Learning how to wield and apply textures effectively will really open up your level of skill and proficiency in Photoshop.
Today we’re going to learn about a super quick and easy way to take a photographic texture and turn it into a mask that affects the transparency of a layer. No matter how proficient you are with Photoshop, you should be able to pick up this technique and begin using it on your projects today.
July 30th, 2012 Posted in Software
Should We Kill the CAPTCHA?
Do you like CAPTCHAs? Don’t lie, of course you don’t. On a fun scale, you rank them right up there with dentists and IRS agents. However, as an intelligent web designer or developer you understand that they are a necessary annoyance.
But wait, are they really? Given the collective talent and intelligence of the web design community, is a fuzzy string of letters really the best that we can up up with? If users hate these things so much, why not come up with something new? Let’s explore this idea and see if we can inject some fresh ideas into the conversation.
July 26th, 2012 Posted in Accessibility
Is Microsoft Finally Getting the Hang of Design?
Could it be that the king of clutter is finally beginning to grasp the concept of basic layout principles and consistent branding? Will Microsoft turn into a company known for its attractive design?
Follow along as we compare the downfalls of the past to the bold new direction that Microsoft is taking for its visual messaging. Whether you’re a Mac or PC user, you’ll likely be surprised by how far the boys in Redmond have come.
July 25th, 2012 Posted in Layouts
Leveraging Stereotypes in Design: Masculine vs. Feminine Typography
Can type have a gender? Is it even socially acceptable to ask such as question? Putting aside any sort of nonsensical gender bias, it’s absolutely the case that typography can and does suggest a level of masculinity (or a lack thereof).
Today, we’re going to jump into what makes a typeface feminine vs. masculine. More importantly, we’ll talk about why this matters and and how it should influence your design work.
July 19th, 2012 Posted in TypographySubscribe
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