Carrie Cousins

Inspiration / 23 Dec 2021

22 Places to Find Design Inspiration When You Are Stuck

In need of a little design pick-me-up? There’s creative inspiration all around. You just have to stop, take a minute, and absorb it!

The best places to find design inspiration might not be just the usual suspects, including design blogs like this one.

Use this list to get those creative juices flowing again. We’re exploring ideas from popular inspiration websites, all the way through to a neighborhood walk or a museum.

Digital, physical, and everything in-between!

Navigation / 20 Dec 2021

8 Tips for Better Hyperlink Text

Better hyperlinks will create more useful user experiences. It starts with the words you use in the button or linked copy. (And “click here” is not the answer!)

If you want to generate more—and better—conversions from links, it’s important to focus on writing better microcopy for every link on your website.

These tips, which apply to hyperlinks throughout the design (not button microcopy) can help you think through the process.

Join us as we explore pitfalls to avoid, tips for punctuation, and the types of visual indicators that work well for links.

Graphics / 17 Dec 2021

10 T-Shirt Design Tips (For Shirts People Will Wear)

Designing a t-shirt that people will actually wear can be a design challenge of epic proportions. Let’s take a look at some tips for creating a t-shirt that won’t just get left in a drawer!

You have to create something that people connect with and want to wear. You have to deal with issues such as color and sizing (which aren’t really a concern for many other design projects). And even the style of apparel or brand can impact someone’s desire to wear your design.

Today, we’re breaking it all down with tips for creating a shirt design that people will want to wear (and maybe even buy in your e-commerce store!)

Graphics / 13 Dec 2021

10 Tips for Designing a YouTube Video Title Slide

The right YouTube thumbnail image can help draw people into your video and encourage views. But designing these title slides can get cumbersome over time.

You want to design a thumbnail that renders well at any size and is something that looks consistent but different, so that users recognize your content but also know that videos are new or different.

Here, we’ll look at 10 tips for designing a great YouTube/video thumbnail or title slide with some downloadable templates to help you get started!

Trends / 9 Dec 2021

10+ Tips for a Trendy and User-Friendly One-Page Website

Sometimes a one-page website is all you need.

From simple landing pages to coming soon design projects, there are plenty of reasons why you need to have a good grasp of how to create a stellar one-page design. While the idea of one page might not seem intimidating, it can be a tough thing to do.

Here are some tips and tricks to help you design a user-friendly one-page website.

The first example features the full one-page design, but you’ll have to click through for the rest!

Reviews / 9 Dec 2021

Simmmple: Premium and Stunning UI Kits and Templates

Every designer is looking for a faster way to get from design to product launch.

The right UI kits and templates – made for software you use – are the key to jumpstarting those projects. But all UI kits are not created equal, and finding those that are high-quality and easy to work with is key.

Today, we’re diving into Simmmple, a marketplace packed with premium design kits. Plus, we’re looking at some of their tools and products to help supercharge your workflow!

Software / 7 Dec 2021

Best Free T-Shirt Design Software in 2022

When it comes to designing a shirt, you have two primary options – design it yourself using graphic design tools such as Adobe Illustrator or use software made for the job. The good news is that there are plenty of free t-shirt design software options to consider!

There are a growing number of platforms that specialize in t-shirt design and can help you create something that people will want to wear. Some of these tools integrate with a t-shirt sales portal as well, making the process even easier.

Here, we’re going to look at some of the best free t-shirt design software options available and how you can make these tools work for you.

Layouts / 6 Dec 2021

How Many Wireframes Do You Need? (Guide to Effective Wireframing)

Too often new website design projects start with a little wireframe overload.

Creating dozens of wireframes to show a client at the start of the project doesn’t necessarily create better understanding; it can be downright overwhelming.

Like with many other aspects of design, wireframing is an art where, in many cases, less is more.

Here’s a look at how to wireframe more effectively and a guide to how many wireframes you actually need (plus, some ideas on which ones are the most important, and which you can probably miss!)

Inspiration / 1 Dec 2021

30+ Inspiring Personal Portfolio Websites in 2022

I just love digging around portfolio websites for design inspiration. You can learn so much about the personality of a designer from the way a portfolio looks, and the interactions therein.

A portfolio site is also a great playground because it gives you the creative freedom you can’t always express with a normal client project.

Here, we have a roundup of personal portfolio websites that can impart a dose of instant inspiration. Explore new ideas, design trends, and themes that you can take and use in your own projects.

CV & Resume Templates / 30 Nov 2021

25+ Stylish Resume Color Schemes for 2022

Resume design can be a funny thing. Where’s the line between too little color and too much? We’re featuring 20+ resume color schemes (with stunning examples) to help give you some ideas.

Personally, I believe it is a balance between showing off your personality and design style in relation to the job you are applying for. So, you might have a couple of resume designs, depending on who you are sending them to.

Another factor is printing. Are you going with a design that requires professional printing or are you doing it yourself? Think about all these things as you peruse these stylish resume color schemes for inspiration. (Note: Mixes are provided in HEX, but if you plan to print, make sure to use CMYK color.)

Business / 29 Nov 2021

Global Supply Chains and Design Considerations

All the shortages and supply chain issues being faced by other industries are beginning to impact designers in a number of ways as well.

From paper shortages to out-of-stock graphics cards, to unstockable e-commerce, almost every designer is having to think about ways to design around (and through) global supply chain problems.

Whether or not these are affecting you yet, it makes sense to understand the situation and plan to get ahead.

Here’s a look at some of the issues popping up and ways to help mitigate the problems as best you can.

Software / 26 Nov 2021

The 10 Best Photoshop Alternatives for Mac (2022)

You don’t have to use Adobe Photoshop on your Mac to edit images like a pro. There are plenty of Photoshop alternatives for Mac that you can download or use in-browser to create just the right images and graphics for your projects. And some of them are completely free!

None of these are necessarily one-size-fits-all solutions. Each tool tends to serve a specific purpose; Do you want to edit online or on a desktop? Are you editing photos or multiple file types? Is all the work for web or will images get printed?

Here’s a list of the best Photoshop alternatives for Mac in 2022, but not in any particular order. Have a read through to find the one that’s right for you.