Articles - Page 132

Browse hundreds of articles, tips, and inspiring design collections. Find helpful design advice, or the perfect resource for your next project.

Get 3 Months of Skillshare Learning for $0.99

Business / 25 Oct 2016

Get 3 Months of Skillshare Learning for $0.99

Keeping up with technology and maintaining your design skills has never been more important. From learning how to make the most of software and tools to learning how to create a watch app, there are plenty of opportunities for any designer, developer or freelancer to take advantage of on the path to success.

And right now Design Shack wants to help you better your skills. Right now, all Design Shack readers can take advantage of a stellar deal – 3 months of Skillshare for just $0.99! You can cram in all the training you want for less than the cost of the sugar in your coffee. Here’s a look at what you can do with Skillshare.

How to Make Color Overlays Work in Your Design

Graphics / 24 Oct 2016

How to Make Color Overlays Work in Your Design

Color is an important part of almost any design. Whether you are a fan of bright, bold hues or prefer a more minimalist black and white, how you use color can have a great impact on the overall design.

One way to use color to make a statement is with a design that incorporates a color overlay. This means that you cover an image or video with a semi-transparent colored box. The effect can add meaning to an image, bring attention to a design and help you make most of limited art choices.

Today, we’re going to look at a variety of color overlays to serve as a bit of inspiration for creating your own.

A Beginner’s Guide to Emotive UI

Graphics / 19 Oct 2016

A Beginner’s Guide to Emotive UI

We talk about designing something that connects to a user emotionally. That connection can be a key component in establishing trust and relatability. It’s a lot harder than it sounds. There are so many things to consider. Emotions are broad, complicated, and often very difficult to influence or change.

That’s what we will think about today. What is emotive (or emotional) UI? How can you create a user interface that actually evokes that emotional connection? And is that something that you should consider more carefully in your next design project?

Button Design Tips: Simple, Small and Vitally Important

Graphics / 17 Oct 2016

Button Design Tips: Simple, Small and Vitally Important

We talk about details a lot in design. It’s for good reason. Paying attention to even the smallest of details can make or break a design.

Today’s we’re going to dive deeper into one of those details and look at ways to design buttons that users want to click (or tap). Even though buttons might be one of the smallest elements in your design, they are one of the most important. How else would you communicate actions to a user? How else would they provide information in that feedback loop?

Think back for a moment to one of the big complaints about flat design in the early stages: Users did not know what was and what was not interactive in the design. Hence, the importance of great button design.

How to Break Up With a Client: Tips & Advice

Business / 12 Oct 2016

How to Break Up With a Client: Tips & Advice

You’ve got a bad client. Make that a really bad client. They weren’t always that way, but things changed. You grew apart. You need to break up. But how do you do it?

You can gracefully end a client relationship. It might not be easy, but if you have thought about cutting ties with someone who contributes to your income, it is likely time to part ways.

7 Tips for Creating a Memorable Design

Graphics / 10 Oct 2016

7 Tips for Creating a Memorable Design

It’s the goal of pretty much anyone with a website: to have users that come back again and again. They share your content; they engage with you regularly; they tell others about the website. They remember the website.

It doesn’t happen by accident. A memorable design is a tool that will help create this user connection. Here, we’re going to look at seven ways to create a lasting impression with seven stunning examples of how to do it. Learn how to create a design that sticks in the long term, and doesn’t fly under the radar!

Manage Your Small Business Finances With Hiveage

Reviews / 6 Oct 2016

Manage Your Small Business Finances With Hiveage

Nothing can make your life easier as a small business owner or freelancer than a great invoicing tool. By streamlining some of the business processes you can spend more time on the parts of the job you enjoy and get paid faster.

We introduced you to Hiveage a while ago. The online invoice and billing software is used by more than 50,000 small businesses and freelancers all over the world. And it only keeps getting better. Here’s another look at Hiveage and how you can benefit from this great finance-management tool.

10 Mega Menu CSS Templates

Inspiration / 4 Oct 2016

10 Mega Menu CSS Templates

There’s no introduction necessary for mega menus. Anyone who has surfed the web has definitely seen at least one website with a mega menu. That’s how popular the mega menu trend really is — they’re popping up everywhere!

Want proof? Take a look at the massive and beautiful mega menus on Amazon, Puma, Walmart, or The White House websites.

We’ve hand picked a few amazing mega menu templates that you can get for the price of a cup of coffee!

10 Things Happy Designers Do (Every Day)

Business / 3 Oct 2016

10 Things Happy Designers Do (Every Day)

Are you a happy designer? You can be. There are a few habits and tricks that all those grinning designers have in common. And you can do it too.

Working in a happy, healthy environment will help you be more efficient and maybe even a better designer as a whole. There’s nothing like dreading a day at the office to kill productivity and creativity. Try some of these ideas and turn that frown upside down!

Duotone Color: Tips & Examples for This Vibrant Trend

Graphics / 28 Sep 2016

Duotone Color: Tips & Examples for This Vibrant Trend

The next big web design image trend is here, and it’s vibrant, colourful, and beautiful!

Thanks to Spotify, duotone is growing in popularity almost daily. The effect, which uses a pair of colors over a photo is striking, fun and vibrant. It’s also quite trendy, with new sites changing to a duotone format almost daily. Here are a few ways to make the most of this hot design technique.

Project vs. Hourly Rates: What Should You Choose?

Business / 26 Sep 2016

Project vs. Hourly Rates: What Should You Choose?

One of the things people always ask me when they realize I’m a freelancer is “how do you know what to charge?” Honestly, I don’t always have the right answer. As any seasoned freelancer knows, estimated rates can sometimes be a game of chance with some jobs bringing in handsome sums while others end up as a loss. (You hope it all evens out in the end.)

So how do you actually charge clients? How do you know what a job is worth so that you are priced competitively and adequately for the work? That’s where the discussion of hourly versus project rates comes in. Here’s a guide to help you make the choice that is best for your business.

7 Tips for Delighting Users With Great UX

UX Design / 21 Sep 2016

7 Tips for Delighting Users With Great UX

A great user experience starts with the designer. You have to imagine and create something that people will want to touch and engage with, time and time again.

Sounds easy, right? The key to delighting users is to think like one. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel with every new design project; use tools and techniques that users like and understand to make the process a little easier and give you more time to focus on other visual elements. Today we’re sharing a few tips to get you focused on this line of thinking!