Carrie Cousins

Graphics / 20 Aug 2019

10 Tips for Designing for Wearables and Watches

Every day, we see more and more people sporting an Apple Watch or similar. These devices are constantly changing the way we think about wearable technology and how to design websites and apps for unique interfaces.

Wearables present challenges unlike other design projects. Function is a primary concern, as is the size, with what will be one of the smallest screens designers have ever worked with.

The key is creating a design that is visually pleasing but is user-friendly and provides a functional experience.

Here are 10 things to consider as you design for a wearable interface (with examples other designers are already imagining).

Reviews / 19 Aug 2019

UX Designers Will Love Phrase

Have you ever struggled with translation management across languages for a website project? It can be a complicated task to navigate. Phrase is designed to make it a lot easier, saving UX designers time and effort during website builds.

Phrase is a translation management solution for software products. It’s built with designers in mind, and their recently released Sketch Plugin can be incredibly helpful for anyone designing with multiple languages in mind.

We’re taking a look at the broad tool, as well as the new Sketch Plugin, and explaining how it works.

After Effects Templates / 19 Aug 2019

What Is Adobe After Effects (And What Is It Used For?)

Adobe After Effects is a video and animation-based tool that’s used to add elements to moving pictures and animations. Most designers use it to create titles, intros, and transition between clips for more seamless video production.

After Effects is part of the Adobe Creative Suite of products and is included in cloud plans. Full suite users already have access to this tool, or you can get it on its own if that’s all you need.

As with other Adobe tools, the great thing about using this set of tools is that functions and interacts have a look and feel that you are probably already used to, making it easier to learn on the fly.

Here’s a look at Adobe After Effects, what it is, and how to know if you should use it for projects.

Layouts / 14 Aug 2019

10 Ways to Use Mapping in Web or App Design

Almost everywhere you look these days, you find a map or location-based nugget of information. Almost every app asks for a location, and their presence is becoming more and more common on desktop websites as well.

But if you have not branched out into the world of mapping or location data, it may seem a little intimidating.

How can you effectively use mapping services for your website or app? We’ll take a look at ten ways you can integrate a map today.

Premiere Pro Templates / 14 Aug 2019

What Is Adobe Premiere Pro? (And What Is It Used For?)

Adobe Premiere Pro is one of the go-to editing tools for video, including film, TV, and clips for the web and social media. If you are an Adobe CC subscriber and have seen this tool but haven’t given it a whirl, what are you waiting for?

While Premiere Pro can look a little intimidating at first, functionality is rooted in the same principles as other Adobe products and with a little tinkering, you should figure it out pretty quick (and there’s plenty of documentation and online help available).

So, what is Adobe Premiere Pro and how can you make this most of this video-editing tool? Let’s take a look.

Photoshop Actions / 7 Aug 2019

What Are Photoshop Actions? (+ 15 Useful Examples)

Photoshop Actions might be one of the best tools you aren’t taking advantage of. Simply, a Photoshop Action is a sequence of things done to an image in the editing process that you can save and use repeatedly. Actions can be great for batch editing, saving bulk files, and almost any process that could be made faster by recording and repeating.

So, what are Photoshop Actions and how do you make the most of them? Their use case can be so varied and extensive, it’s often hard to know where to start.

Read on to learn more about what Photoshop Actions are, where they’re stored on your computer, and where to download them from.

PowerPoint Templates / 7 Aug 2019

How to Add Slide Numbers in PowerPoint

It’s often a good idea to organize your PowerPoint presentation with slide numbers. Numbering can help you keep track of slides and provide additional information on notes pages to make following a presentation that much easier.

The best part about adding slide numbers in PowerPoint is that you don’t have to do it manually. Insert slide numbers the right way and they will automatically update and change as you add slides to your presentation.

Here’s how to add slide numbers in PowerPoint, quickly and easily.

Poster Design / 5 Aug 2019

How to Design a Poster for an Event: 7 Key Tips

Event poster design is a lot of fun. For most poster projects, you really get to express creativity with a one-off design for a single event. While you may still have constraints such as brand typography or color palette, there’s often lots of leeway to create something visually impressive.

With a goal of enticing people to show up or buy tickets, you have to design with impact for these kinds of project. But you also need to convey quite a bit of information in a concise way.

Here’s how to design a poster for an event.

Brochure Templates / 29 Jul 2019

How to Print a Brochure: 3 Options Compared

You’ve designed a brochure. Now what? With so many printing options out there, how do you know what option is best? The decision can depend on budget, paper, and printing needs, turnaround time, as well as other factors. And not all print options are created equal.

Today, we’re going to compare three different option for printing a brochure so that your design can shine on paper.

Make sure to click through the examples as well, for some more images of beautifully printed brochures! Or, browse through our complete guide on how to design a brochure.

Business / 24 Jul 2019

How to Find or Create Your Brand Personality

What is the personality of your brand? No, it’s not a trick question. Is your brand formal or spunky or socially conscious?

Identifying and defining the identity and personality of your brand is crucial.

Even if you don’t define it, some sort of personality (even of the multiple variety) will come through. So it’s best to think about it now. The last thing you want is anyone else getting any say in how exactly your brand is defined.

Who do you want your brand to be?

Articles / 18 Jul 2019

50 Shades of Black: Effective Use of No Color

A few years ago, there was a debate stirring on the web about black. Ian Storm Taylor’s “Never Use Black” was shared and tweeted and read by designers all over the world.

You can debate whether you should use black or not all day long. But the reality is that you will use black. Every designer does – by choosing or not.

So it’s best to understand the color and how to use it properly in a variety of design projects.

Trends / 17 Jul 2019

8 Packaging and Label Design Trends

Have you taken notice of that beer car or shampoo bottle lately? How about the wrapper on a snack bar or package that comes in the mail? Packaging and label design trends can be some of the most practical influencers in graphic design.

While we put a lot of focus on website design and digital trends, packaging and labels can impact everything. From whether you make a purchase off the shelf, to how you feel about a product when you open or use it.

Design is a major influencer in purchasing decisions.

Here, we are looking at eight key packaging and label design trends of 2019, and how they aren’t just for physical elements. Many of these same design trends are making an impact in the digital space as well. And while we know packaging trends tend to have more shelf life, literally, how do digital and physical design trends impact one another?