Carrie Cousins

Font Collections / 27 May 2020

Trend: Retro Serif Typography

Serif typography is having a moment. From thin lines to interesting shapes and even modern serifs, this trend is taking over new website projects. What’s great about serifs is that they can add a certain flair or mood to a design based on the style of letterforms.

This trend is using retro-style serifs in a number of ways. (Our favorite option is for display text that pairs a retro serif with a simple sans serif, to create some eye-catching contrast and variety).

Here’s how to use this trend with some examples that do it exceptionally well, covering a range of different design styles and niches.

Font Collections / 21 May 2020

How to Add Fonts to Photoshop (Mac and Windows)

There’s no need to be intimidated when it comes to adding fonts to Adobe Photoshop for use in projects. Whether you’re on a Mac or Windows, adding a font to Photoshop can be a straight-forward process.

Any designer will regularly need to be working with new fonts and typography, and knowing how to quickly get them working in your design app is a key part of your workflow.

Today, we’ll walk you through how to add fonts to Photoshop (using a few different methods) so that you can speed up your workflow like a pro.

PowerPoint Templates / 20 May 2020

How to Loop a PowerPoint

A self-running or looping PowerPoint presentation can be great for using in booths at conferences, displaying information on screens before a live event/presentation, or even to use in the waiting room of a business to showcase information.

The great thing is that if you can create a PowerPoint presentation, saving it for a looped playback is a breeze.

You can loop a PowerPoint in two different ways depending on playback method – as a PowerPoint or as a video file.

Here’s how you do it.

Navigation / 18 May 2020

5 Reasons to Avoid the Desktop Hamburger Menu Icon

A hamburger icon as the only source of navigation on a desktop website sucks. It’s frustrating, confusing, and violates unwritten rules of navigation and user flow best practices. Why would you do it? Other than to maintain or establish a certain aesthetic, it’s hard to find an answer that makes any sense.

The often-debated hamburger icon can be a great complement to website navigation or even for small screens, but it shouldn’t be the only option for desktops. You are doing yourself – and the website design – a huge disservice if this is your only menu option.

Take note of the different desktop menu styles throughout this post. Some of the best uses of the hamburger icon come with other menu items.

Reviews / 14 May 2020

Get Free SSL Protection With ZeroSSL

Until now, there haven’t been many options when it comes to free security certificates for your website. ZeroSSL offers completely free SSL certificates that are easy to use thanks to an intuitive user interface and API.

Here, we’re going to take a look at this viable alternative to Let’s Encrypt and how you can make ZeroSSL your website security solution.

This is a tool you can use and trust. And you won’t be alone. Companies such as Slack, Uber, and Shopify use ZeroSSL.

Procreate Brushes / 13 May 2020

Procreate for Windows and Android: Alternatives & Ideas

Procreate is one of the hottest drawing apps in the App Store. With more than 13,000 reviews and an average 4.5-star rating, it’s no wonder that designers and illustrators everywhere are talking about the app.

We have more information about Procreate and how to make the most of it here.

But one of the most common questions about the tool is what alternatives exist for Windows and Android users since Procreate is only available for iOS at this time. Let’s take a look.

Mockup Templates / 11 May 2020

How to Make a Mockup (Using a Mockup Generator or Photoshop)

Mockups are a design tool that show off a design – logos, websites, products, and more – in a realistic way. There are plenty of tools out there to help you create a usable mockup to show off your work.

The primary benefit of using a mockup is that it can bring a project to life (even before it is finished) for clients or serve as a portfolio showpiece to highlight different applications of a specific design.

Here, we’re going to look at how to make a mockup and how to use tools such as mockup generators to create just the right scene for your designs.

Reviews / 6 May 2020

Designing for Print Is Easy With Print Peppermint

Printing can make – or break – a design that you’ve put a lot of effort into.

Print Peppermint is a quality printer that allows you to choose from a variety of paper types, premium finishes, and luxury styles.

Here’s a look at the printing service, and a few tips for how you can use it for projects.

Font Collections / 27 Apr 2020

How to Pick a Font (For Any Design): 10 Tips & Principles

Choosing the right font for a new project can be exhilarating. But it can also be a major challenge. Fortunately, there are some timeless rules you can follow when deciding how to pick a font.

Whether you’re going for a super-subtle and simple design, or a bright and bold layout with impact, you’ll always need to consider some similar trade-offs with typography.

How to pick a font is less about specific steps and more about creating the right feel for a design project. Here’s how you do it (with some examples of lovely typography choices).

Font Collections / 22 Apr 2020

How to Change the Default Font in Word, Google Docs & PowerPoint

Sometimes design is as much about helping others use the tools as it is creating things. There are plenty of days when adding “tech support” to your resume seems feasible! But being armed with little tips and tricks can make work life easier for you and those around you.

Being able to change the default font in common software is one of these tricky smart tips.

Here’s how you change the default font in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Microsoft PowerPoint. And it’s all packaged here for you in one place.

Figma Templates / 20 Apr 2020

20+ Best Figma Tutorials for Beginners

Figma is one of the hot interface design application tools out there. It’s made for collaboration and working with others on digital-based projects. You can design and illustrate (it has vector tools!), prototype, and generate code.

Plus, you can work seamlessly with others and participate in fully integrated design collaboration.

If you haven’t started to use Figma yet, it can be a little intimidating. You can of course learn more about the tool direct from Figma, but there’s lots more to explore as well.

To make it easier we’ve gathered twenty Figma tutorials for beginners to make learning this tool a breeze!

PowerPoint Templates / 15 Apr 2020

How to Narrate a PowerPoint Presentation (And Record Your Voice)

For a presentation that you aren’t actually giving in person, you can narrate it within PowerPoint, recording your voice so that others can play it back when they watch the presentation.

It’s a nifty trick that popular with slide shows and presentations on networks such as SlideShare, YouTube, and even individual websites. And it can even help you when rehearsing your presentation as well.

Here’s how to narrate a PowerPoint presentation by recording your voice, in a few quick steps!