Carrie Cousins

Trends / 4 Feb 2021

Design Trend: Text That’s Not Readable

Let’s start with a definition. Readability is a measure of how easy a piece of text is to read. The level of complexity of the text, its familiarity, legibility, and typography all feed into how readable your text is. Readability is a key factor in user experience.

Why would we ever showcase a design trend that features text that’s not readable? Simply, because it is popular. Does it mean that it’s a good idea? It… depends!

You can read on, look at the examples, and decide if it is right for your projects.

Trends / 21 Jan 2021

Fractal Art: A 101 Design Intro

Art elements rooted in math and algorithms might seem like a futuristic idea, but it’s a growing and popular concept.

Fractal art has been around since the 1980s but it seems to be having a moment with more designers looking to this style for backgrounds and main art elements. Another reason for the growth in popularity? Use of this style as an interior design element for wall hangings and more.

This can be a fun design element to think about and incorporate into projects. Here’s everything you need to know to get started with fractal art.

UX Design / 7 Jan 2021

How to Design With User Privacy in Mind (Tips and Best Practices)

When it comes to UX, how often do you connect it to privacy?

It’s a big part of the design process. From connected apps to e-commerce to forms, data collection is happening all the time. Users are accustomed to it and generally ok with these practices unless something goes wrong.

It’s your job to include privacy checkpoints and best practices in the design architecture of every website project. Not only will these protections help users, but they can help you feel better about the digital products and services you provide.

Business / 10 Dec 2020

When (And How) to Outsource Design Work to Someone Else

If it has ever crossed your mind that a certain element of a design project would be better if you had help, then outsourcing work could be a viable option.

Design agencies, small shops, and freelancers can all benefit from having a bench of partners that can help with projects. Successful outsourcing is based on a mutual relationship between parties that have a similar design style and work ethic.

This guide will take you through everything you need to know about outsourcing graphic design work.

UX Design / 3 Dec 2020

11 Tips for Creating a Usable Website Contact Page

Peek at the analytics. Chances are that your contact page is among the most visited on our website.

It’s for good reason. Visitors will seek out a contact page to get additional information about your company or business, find your location, or get in touch.

Now the bad news. This is an often-neglected part of the website design. Too many websites don’t take care of the contact page, resulting in missed opportunities and conversions.

You can remedy that right now with these tips for creating a usable contact page.

Reviews / 6 Nov 2020

Prototype Faster & Easier With Justinmind 9

Justinmind 9 is revamped and ready to help you create website and app prototypes faster. The new release is packed with features that will make work life easier. (And that’s something we could all use right now.)

Here’s a look at Justinmind 9 and all the features you’ll find with this tool.

Whether you’re looking to take your UX design to the next level, save time with the array of tools you use, or start building fully interactive prototypes, Justinmind is a tool very much worth considering.

Accessibility / 19 Oct 2020

9 Website Design Tips for Different Generations (Yes, It Matters!)

It’s a no-brainer for most designers that you plan a project based on a certain target audience. It might be for people who like soda or buy video games or have an affinity for athletic shoes.

But another consideration can often be overlooked – designing for different generational segments. Age can impact how people use websites, apps, and mobile devices. Generational differences can affect your design scheme, accessibility plan, and even the language and colors in the design.

If you haven’t thought about these differences, now is the time to start. With wider website audiences all the time, designing for different generations can help your project be more successful for more people.

Mobile / 15 Oct 2020

Design Trend: Modern Tappable Targets (And How to Do It)

A solid tap target can make or break your mobile website or app. The size, shape, location, and overall design of the button or link determines whether a user successfully completes an action or not. It might seem like a small thing, but can be one of the most important elements of a design.

Modern tappable targets are easy to recognize, work in an expected manner, and encourage engagement.

Today we’re looking at how to design them, ways to craft effective call-to-action items, and considerations around color and font choices.

Typography / 12 Oct 2020

9 Reasons Why You Should Use Open-Source Fonts

This is a love letter of sorts to an underrated design tool: open source fonts. Open source fonts are licensed in such a way that anyone can use them for any project at no cost.

Many open source fonts come with the standard Open Font License (you can find it here), and it gives you huge flexibility in how you can use them, the types of projects they are suitable for, and how they can be distributed.

There are plenty of reasons to try open source fonts for projects online and in print. And every typeface featured in this post is open source!

Reviews / 12 Oct 2020

Mediastack: Add News and Headlines to Your Website or App

Today we’re looking at how you can generate a news feed for your website with sources from around the globe with mediastack. The free and simple REST API can help you deliver news in real-time, adding relevance and credibility to your website or app.

Here, we’re going to take a look at mediastack and how you can make this tool work for you, pulling in news from sources such as CNN, The New York Times, Euro News, and ESPN, into a simple and reliable API.

Reviews / 9 Oct 2020

Design Bundles: The Ultimate SVGs Site

If you are looking for images and templates – who isn’t these days – Design Bundles is a one-stop-shop for deals on all kinds of design resources.

From free design resources to premium elements, you will find an extensive collection of tools that will make your design life that much easier. (And who doesn’t love a deal on highly usable design tools?)

Here, we’re going to take a look at Design Bundles and the extensive collection of SVGs available from the site. It’s a great place to grab a fantastic deal on your next pack of design resources.

PowerPoint Templates / 30 Sep 2020

How Many Slides to Use in a Presentation? 5 Tips

There’s nothing worse than a presentation that goes over time or poorly-designed slides that cram too much information onto the screen at once.

While there are a lot of things that can dictate how many slides to use in a presentation, key factors include how long you have to speak, what content you are presenting, and the visual nature of the content. (Some speakers don’t need slides at all to keep audiences engaged!)

Here, we’re breaking down common presentation times with a guide for how not to overload slides, and use them well—no matter what type of talk you are giving.