Carrie Cousins

Trends / 26 Feb 2020

Design Trend: Designing for Dark Mode

Dark mode has been growing in popularity. Most phone and tablet interfaces have the option for users to switch to a dark, rather than the standard light default, color scheme.

Most users have a distinct preference as to whether to use dark or light user interfaces.

That’s why more designers are adding a dark mode option to their projects. And while it can be a little more work and a lot to think about, it can help create a stronger connection and element of personalization for users. Here’s more about this design trend.

Adobe XD Templates / 24 Feb 2020

15+ Adobe XD Tutorials (Beginner to Advanced)

Adobe XD is a Photoshop-to-prototype tool that’s part of the Creative Cloud Suite (and our Adobe XD 101 intro is a good place to start!). It’s a robust tool with a lot of functionality, but you might need some help learning how to use it. Today we’ve collected some of the best Adobe XD tutorials to help you get started.

Adobe XD can be a little intimidating at first glance. What are the best learning resources? We’ve picked best Adobe XD tutorials for everyone from beginners to advanced users (and we’ve sorted them, so you can jump in at the right place for your experience level).

Trends / 19 Feb 2020

Design Trend: Mixing Realism and Illustrations

There’s a trend afoot in website design that mixes real images with illustrations and art elements in interesting ways. And it’s quirky, unique, and beautiful!

It’s a mashup of visual elements that don’t seem like they go together at first, but when done well can create a stunning aesthetic that is highly engaging and delightful.

Here, we’re going to look at examples of this design trend and different ways of mixing realism and illustrations for maximum impact. Some of these sit within fairly corporate designs, and others are completely playful and entertaining. It’s a wide range of applications of a thoroughly unique and interesting trend.

Reviews / 19 Feb 2020

Jumpstart Your Logo Design With Tailor Brands

Branding can be one of the most intimidating parts of getting your small business off the ground. How do you create a brand that’s memorable and that you can use for logos, social media, and websites?

Enter Tailor Brands Logo Maker. The tool offers an automated logo maker and brand identity platform, that’s easy to use, customizable, and made with small business owners in mind.

Here, we’re going to take a look at Tailor Brands and tools that you can use to jumpstart your logo and brand design.

Navigation / 17 Feb 2020

10 Pros and Cons of Minimal Navigation in Web Design

There’s been a shift happening in website design for a while: navigation and menus are shrinking. Minimal navigation styles and elements are growing in popularity, despite arguments against the hamburger menu icon.

Although not all minimal navigation elements use this style, it’s certainly a visual style we’ve seen explode in use over the past few years.

But does it work? Should you consider using minimal navigation for projects? Here, we’re going to take a look at some pros and cons with examples of use. The answer might not be as simple as you think.

Business / 12 Feb 2020

How to Book, Plan + Attend a Design Conference Like a Pro

A design conference is a great way to recharge, refresh, and develop new skills to make you better at your job. But planning for attending a conference can be a little bit intimidating.

So here, we’re going to break it down. You can book, plan, and attend a design conference like a pro – even if you are going for the first time – with these tips.

We’re covering everything from planning and booking, to mapping out a session plan, what to bring, and some tips on what to do after the event as well!

Software / 3 Feb 2020

Product Hunt Year in Review for Web Designers: 20 Picks

Product Hunt recently released its giant list of the best featured products of 2019. It’s packed with plenty of neat tools and resources, for businesses, freelancers, designers and developers alike.

To help you find the best tools for working as a designer, we’ve narrowed down the list to the 20 best items for web designers (in no particular order).

We’re covering everything from colours and fonts, to CSS and grids. You’re bound to find a few incredibly helpful tools that you haven’t come across before!

Reviews / 12 Jan 2020

Geocode and Embed Maps in Minutes With Positionstack

Mapping and geocoding can be a challenge when it comes to website and app development. But if you have the right tool, it’s a lot easier. That’s just what you get with positionstack, an accurate forward and reverse batch geocoding REST API that manages these tasks for you.

Forward geocoding is searching for a plain-text address or place name, and reverse geocoding uses latitude and longitude values.

Here’s a look at positionstack and how it can be useful for your projects.

Reviews / 5 Jan 2020

Aviationstack Provides Real-Time Flight Data

Never miss a flight again! Or at least help your website visitors ensure that they don’t. Aviationstck is a real-time flight status and global aviation data API that makes integrating airport information into your website or app a breeze.

This helpful API scrapes all the right data so that your website outsmarts the competition, and saves you a huge amount of work with queuing different datasets and locations.

Here’s a look at aviationstack and how you can make use of it in projects.

CSS / 3 Jan 2020

5 New CSS Techniques to Master in 2024

Web designers are fascinated with ways to try new CSS techniques and push the boundaries of what CSS can do. Well-planned CSS can control almost any aspect of a design, and contribute to better overall user experiences—with cleaner and more consistent code.

But what techniques are trending? What should you learn next? We have a few ideas for the latest developments to watch this year. Dive in, see what’s hot, and try some of these new CSS tips and techniques to give your next project an exciting edge.

Trends / 1 Jan 2020

How to Use the 2020 Pantone Color of the Year in Design Projects

It might be one of the best public relations moves in the design world. Pantone releases an annual color of the year that sets the tone for color trends for a 12-month cycle.

This year’s selection – Classic Blue – is a color that’s highly usable, stable, and instills confidence. A color close to this is likely part of a brand palette that you are familiar with.

Here’s a look at Classic Blue and how the color – and similar colors – as inspiration for using the color (or not) in design projects this year.

Reviews / 26 Dec 2019

Geocoding and Geoparsing With Geocodeapi

Do you need geocoding or geoparsing data for your website or digital application? An API is the solution.

Geocodeapi allows users to perform these tasks in a scalable manner using worldwide data. Here’s a look at the tool and how you can make the most of it for your projects.