Carrie Cousins

UX Design / 22 Apr 2021

7 Ways to Use Emotion in Web & Graphic Design Projects

The first impression a user has of your design can make or break their experience and determine if they continue interactions. According to WebFX data, 94% of first impressions relate to the design, making the visual and emotional connection you create of utmost importance.

Further, 75 percent of your business, brand, and website credibility comes from the design. And it all connects to the emotional response from a user. The visuals tell them what to think and feel to establish a relationship with you, making it vital to use emotion well in your website and graphic design projects.

Here’s a primer on how to do it successfully.

Trends / 8 Apr 2021

Design Trend: We’re Still in Love With Gradients (And They Keep Evolving)

If you are looking for a design trend that can hold up over time, consider using a gradient. Every time I seem to think this trend might be over, designers come up with new and even better ways to use color variations for immense impact.

I’m not sure this trend will ever get old because there are so many ways to use it.

Here, we’re going to look at 10 different ways to make the most of gradients with projects that do it exceptionally well. All completely varied, and all completely unique!

Accessibility / 6 Apr 2021

Love, Hate & Pop-Ups: How to Use Them Well

The first response you’ll hear from others about using pop-ups on your website is a long sigh.

Many people discount the idea before it really gets off the ground, but when done well, pop-ups are a valuable conversion tool for websites. (Note the phrase “when done well.”)

They get a bad reputation because so many people use them poorly or implement pop-ups with dark patterns that trick and annoy users.

A good pop-up is actually helpful and helps users on their website journey. Let’s dive in and learn how you can still use these well.

Graphics / 29 Mar 2021

7 Tips for Establishing a Visual Brand Identity

Whether you are working on a design for a client at a major corporation or posting to your own social media account, a visual brand identity makes it easy for people to see – and know – a company or person at a glance.

Establishing a visual identity is more than popping a logo on something. It’s a collection of elements – from color to typography to imagery – that establishes who you are visually.

Plenty of companies take the time to set brand identity guidelines, but have you thought about how it all comes together visually? This set of tips can help.

Reviews / 25 Mar 2021

SlideUpLift Can Help You Create Amazing Presentations With Ease

Designing a presentation can be a challenge, and no one wants to head into a meeting using the default presentation deck for slides.

You need to create presentations with impact, while keeping a professional feel. Thankfully, this is an easier balance to strike than ever before (all without any technical design knowledge).

SlideUpLift is a collection of complete editable presentation decks and individual templates that use vision science to help you tell your story in just the right way. Here’s a look at the tool.

Software / 24 Mar 2021

Jumpstart Design Prototypes With Wondershare Mockitt

If you’ve ever wanted to build a prototype quickly, Wondershare Mockitt is the tool for you.

The new online prototyping tool is made to help you create interactive prototypes in a hurry – as little as 10 minutes – using drag and drop tools.

Here, we’ll take a look at Wondershare Mockitt and how you can make it work for you. You’ll learn how almost anyone with visual design skills can create a prototype easily, with just a few clicks!

Graphics / 22 Mar 2021

How Do You Turn a Digital Design Into Print? 7 Useful Tips

It’s probably happened more times than you’d like to think about: You finish a presentation or website design and the client asks you to make it into a brochure or poster.

Wait… what?

Turning a digital design into something for print can be a challenge for sure. But there are a few things you can do to tweak your workflows to account for this “unexpected request” and make it a little more seamless.

Instagram Templates / 15 Mar 2021

20+ Instagram Color Trends + Palettes to Stay on-Trend

Your Instagram color scheme can say a lot about your brand and design style. A unique color scheme can help your posts and stories stand out in a cluttered Instagram feed so that more of your followers visually know when you create content.

So, what kind of color scheme should you pick? Should you be aiming for bright and bold, or subtle and understated? Wouldn’t it be great if you could see a helpful collection of different examples? Look no further.

Here, we’ve rounded up 20 trendy options. (Plus, you can download any of these templates from Envato Elements if they strike your fancy.)

Microsoft Word Templates / 11 Mar 2021

How to Open, Use & Edit a Template in Microsoft Word

Templates are the super tool of regular Microsoft Word users. Templates establish a set of style rules and visual guidelines so that your documents have a unified look and feel.

Templates are a great starting point for elements such as letterhead other documents.

Here, we’ll look at how to open, edit, and use templates in Microsoft Word. The whole process is really simple, and can open up a whole new level of flexibility for how you work with Word.

Affinity Publisher Templates / 26 Feb 2021

What Is Affinity Publisher? a 101 Intro (+ vs. InDesign Comparison)

Designers working with desktop publishing may want to take a look at Affinity Publisher. The tool, which is now available for Mac and Windows platforms, is emerging as a powerful and flexible design option.

The tool is part of the Serif line of graphic design products, which also includes Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer, both super-capable platforms in their own right.

Here’s a look at Affinity Publisher and how it compares to a tool you may already be familiar with – Adobe InDesign.

Instagram Templates / 22 Feb 2021

How to Do a Giveaway on Instagram (+ Rules, Ideas and Tips)

Designing a giveaway or contest on Instagram can be fun, increase engagement, and help boost your presence online. But it’s more than just asking people to tag a friend to win a prize.

A great giveaway takes planning, a prize that’s worth people’s time, and an understanding of the rules to maintain the integrity of your social media account (that’s the really important part, to make sure you stay on the right side of the guidelines).

Here’s how to do a giveaway on Instagram!

Business / 16 Feb 2021

10 Tips for Presenting Designs to Clients to Keep Projects Moving Forward

It’s a common part of the job – presenting design work to clients. Practice doing it well so you can keep projects moving in the right direction and toward the finish line.

If you need a little push, these tips can help. We’ll be looking at how to lay the groundwork, approach challenging topics, clearly show your solution, and weave a narrative with your client.

Let’s dive in!