Design Shack — Web Design Gallery, Articles & Community

Reviews / 17 Aug 2017

What Is IconShock? (& Get a Free Icon Set!)

IconShock has provided a great collection of unique virtual and augmented reality icons. Perfect for use in projects that relate to this new and growing industry, so we’re excited to bring you this exclusive, free icon set for you to download today, courtesy of their design team.

Join us as we take a look at some of our favourite icon sets from their collection, and grab your exclusive download of a virtual and augmented reality icon pack!

Graphics / 16 Aug 2017

Design Trend: Using Authentic Imagery and Photos

The virtual world has to be authentic to captivate users. Childish imagery or clip-art just won’t cut it. But there are still so many websites out there that use over-the-top stock photos, or images that don’t resonate with readers. It’s a problem.

To connect, you have to feel realistic and use authentic imagery and photos, so that users feel something when they interact with the website. It has to feel real. Join us as explore this trend, and share how you can use it to best effect!

Inspiration / 15 Aug 2017

20+ Best Facebook Cover & Post Mockups

If you’re a social media manager or a small business owner looking to supercharge your Facebook content strategy, then you’ve come to the right place.

Developing high-quality content for Facebook can be tough when you’re managing everything by yourself. It’s easy for big corporations with big budgets to design unique and beautiful content to grow their Facebook pages, but how can you afford the time to craft each post?

You don’t need to spend hours creating awesome content for your Facebook page. Try these Facebook mockup templates and you’ll be able to easily create a proper content strategy for your Facebook promotions without even having to hire a graphic designer.

Graphics / 14 Aug 2017

8 Rules for Creating Effective Typography

Today we’re going to discuss something that is both a hot trend and timeless art: typography. The basic rules outlined below will help you become more aware of how you structure and use typography in your designs.

Being conscious of these rules can improve nearly everything you create that contains a headline or major typographic element. Let’s get started!

Inspiration / 10 Aug 2017

100+ MacBook PSD & Vector Mockups

Whether you’re looking for a mockup of the MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro, we have you covered today. We’re featuring a mix of photo mockups, realistic illustrations, and flat/stylised versions of these Apple notebooks.

Totalling over a hundred different MacBook mockups, in all shapes and sizes, these are great for dropping in your own work, applications, wallpapers or examples to give them a unique look-and-feel. Some are free, some cost a few dollars, but we really like them all!

Reviews / 9 Aug 2017

What’s Your Website’s Rage Grade? (Find Out Right Now)

Do you ever find yourself frustratedly clicking around a website, unable to find what you’re looking for? It happens to all of us sometimes.

User frustration from website errors, dead clicks, abandoned forms and mouse-thrashing movement all contribute to your “Rage Grade” — a new metric available from FullStory’s platform.

Today, we’re going to help you figure out your FullStory Rage Grade, and provide a little insight on how to improve your website with this nifty service from FullStory.

Reviews / 8 Aug 2017

Simbla Website Builder: What’s Changed in 2017

With so many website builders on the market, it can be tough to decide what to use. Not anymore.

Simbla is making the decision easy with a full-featured website builder and complete business suite and database. The tool includes everything you need to run pretty much any type of website or online store you can imagine.

We originally took a look at Simbla last year, but a lot has changed since then! Let’s take a look at the tool and some of its features.

Graphics / 7 Aug 2017

8 Ways to Use Hand Drawn Icons & Elements

While there’s often a focus on pixel-perfect design elements, they aren’t suitable for everything. Sometimes you want something with a little more… whimsy. Something a little more authentic!

Hand drawn icons or elements can be just the right design technique to add something special to a project. While most designers won’t go crazy with elements that appear to be hand-drawn, a few touches can add a personal feel that users are drawn to.

It’s something that’s trending in web design as well. From a squiggle in an icon, to a full-experience that’s equal usability and art, hand drawn elements are a popular design option. Here are eight fresh ways to use this trend!

Business / 2 Aug 2017

15 Must-Ask Questions When Taking on a Website Project

The beginning of any new website design project can be a little nerve-wracking. Trying to determine if your style will match the client’s demands is often a challenge.

Add on trying to decide what to charge, and taking on a new client can be a freelance web designer’s biggest nightmare. When you do it right, the relationship and the project can be rewarding, but a miscue can make your life pretty miserable for the duration of the project.

Doing your homework at the start can help. Do you know what questions to ask a client to get the best information you need for a project? Don’t worry if you said “no,” we’ve got a checklist here for you!

Inspiration / 1 Aug 2017

20+ Best Vinyl Mockups

Are you working on a vinyl cover design? Then we have a set of vinyl mockups that are perfect for showcasing your design to your client!

People are now falling in love with vinyl records all over again. If you’re working on a vinyl design, you should consider treating your presentation with the same enthusiasm. The following vinyl mockups are just the thing you need to nail your client presentation.

Graphics / 31 Jul 2017

7 Tips for Creating a Website Header That Wows

A website header is often the first thing that a user sees. It can make or break the user experience, your branding, and much more!

To help retain users and keep them moving through the design, you need to create a website header that wows. And not just on the homepage. On every single page of the design. (Remember, a significant number of users don’t go to your homepage first.) Here’s how you do it.

UX Design / 27 Jul 2017

7 Ways to Adapt Content for Better Mobile UX

The beginning of a great design starts with content. To make the most of a stellar mobile UX, the content might need to undergo a few tweaks and changes.

But where do you start? How should content be adapted to work seamlessly on mobile devices? It starts with thinking about the way users interact with smaller screens, and how that impacts what (and how much!) they’ll want to read.