Authors ›
Carrie Cousins

Carrie Cousins

Carrie is a freelance writer with years of experience in web and graphic design. Sports fanatic. Information junkie. Designer. True-believer in karma.

Freelancing / 2 May 2016

How to Live Life as a Hustling Freelancer (And Get S#%! Done!)

I came across this tweet not too long ago and couldn’t stop thinking about how much I hustle every day. The post was a simple image and outlined “good hustle” versus “bad hustle.” And it got me thinking… am I hustling all wrong?

We all know that freelancing could be described as the life of a hustler. There’s always so much to do, and so many things going all the time. But how can you hustle the right way and just get s#%! done? Today, I am expanding on the outline presented by Meg Robichaud to help explain better ways to manage it all.

Inspiration / 26 Apr 2016

7 Best Restaurant WordPress Themes

Whether you’re running a restaurant, cafe, bar, or bistro, your customers are going to expect you to have a fantastic website. They’ll want to take a look at a few photos of your restaurant, read the menu, make a booking, and see what other people think of it!

Don’t worry — we’re here to help. We’ve done the leg-work and gathered together some of our favourite WordPress themes for building a website for a restaurant. They’re all packed with the features you need to get started quickly, and they take advantage of the power of WordPress to build upon a professional platform.

Trends / 25 Apr 2016

Design Trend: Square-Stacked Typography

Everywhere you look these days, it seems like someone else is using stacked typography. Particularly square stacked typography. It’s a common design trend that we’re seeing more and more.

The trend is hard to ignore, and is worth replicating because this aesthetic is charming and impactful. There are plenty of ways to combine words and lines of lettering to create a design that is attention-grabbing. Today, we’ll look at exactly how to make the most out of the square stacked typography trend with examples from the Design Shack gallery. Read on for some great examples, and helpful tips!

Reviews / 20 Apr 2016

Looking for the Perfect Restaurant WordPress Theme? Try ROSA

When it comes to showcasing your business online, the right tools can make all the difference. The ROSA WordPress theme is the perfect solution for restaurants, bars, bakeries or coffee shops with all the tools you need to create a deliciously designed website.

Today we’re going to take a good look at the ROSA theme for WordPress, and delve into how you can use an industry-specific theme to create a great website that meets your business needs in no time. We’ll have a peek at the design, functionality, what’s included, and consider how it’s a useful solution for anyone looking to create a quick website for the restaurant or cafe.

UX Design / 19 Apr 2016

How to Create a UI That Users Can Trust

What does trust have to do with web design? Quite simply, everything. In a world where people hear about digital security breaches almost daily, designing and creating a user interface that users can trust is imperative.

Establishing this trust will help create a solid foundation between you and the user, it can contribute to sales and product loyalty, it establishes a sense of quality and success and sets the stage for a long-term and valuable user relationship. So how do you do it? Today, we have ten things you can do to create a UI that users can trust (with trustworthy examples, of course).

Reviews / 13 Apr 2016

How to Create a Website With Simbla

With so many different website builders out there, it can be tough to find the right one. Simbla helps you create a professional, responsive website without any code. (It’s a win-win.)

That’s what makes a website building tool so great. They can help you save time, create a website that functions without a lot of backend know-how and get your site off the ground quickly and easily. Today, we’re going to look at how to create a website with Simbla – one of these website builders – and how you can make it work for you.

UX Design / 11 Apr 2016

5 Tips for Designing Personalization

Are you delighted when your favorite online shop makes a wonderful suggestion for an item you didn’t know about? How about when your cart is stored even if you log off for a while?

If so, you are just like many other users that like and have come to expect personalized web experiences. Personalization extends to all of our devices – from those virtual shopping carts, to voice activated calling on a mobile phone, to a game that knows exactly where you left off. But how do you design something so particularly individual? Let’s take a look.

Typography / 6 Apr 2016

What Does That Say? How Typefaces Add Meaning to the Design

Can something as simple as a typeface change the meaning of words and an entire design. Of course! A typeface can add a new level of emphasis or meaning to your message.

It can help you connect with users, establish brand, and set the tone for your entire project. The wrong typeface can leave a design feeling flat, disjointed or even give users the wrong impression about your brand. Now let’s take that knowledge and add a little practical application. (And look at a few examples of beautiful typography from the Design Shack gallery.)

Accessibility / 30 Mar 2016

Designing for the Web: Are There Colors You Should Avoid?

The web is a rainbow of color options. Color is a great tool for grabbing the attention of users, providing visual interest and impact and creating contrast for readability. Color is also at the center of many design trends, including flat and material styles.

But can you go wrong with color? Are there hues or combinations that you should shy away from? In a word … yes! Today we’re looking at colors or color combinations that you should avoid when designing websites and apps. (And on the chance that you’ve already made one of these mistakes, we offer alternative suggestions as well.)

CSS / 28 Mar 2016

Everything You Need to Know About HD Design

If you haven’t already taken note, the web is going high def. From images to backgrounds to user interface elements, high definition is the new normal.

It started with some of the retina and high-resolution screens, but access to faster connections has also emphasized this phenomenon, providing greater access to HD websites from any device. Are you thinking about and designing in high definition? Here are a few things to consider.

Graphics / 21 Mar 2016

Design Theory: The Rule of Three

One. Two. Three. Now stop counting and think about how elements grouped in threes can work for your projects. It’s an interesting concept but one that crosses multiple disciplines.

In public speaking, three points in sequence are crafted to drive home a point. In photography and art, the rule of thirds helps you visualize the canvas differently. Even the American Declaration of Independence is rooted in three rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. How can you think more about groupings of three and implement this magic number into your projects? We have a few suggestions.

Navigation / 21 Mar 2016

5 Alternatives to Drop-Down Hover Menus

Is the era of drop-down hover menus over? It might well be. This design pattern doesn’t work for today’s users. The concept is clunky and doesn’t always translate well to smaller screens.

Users want menus and navigation options that are easier to use, simple to understand and don’t come with more options than they can think about in a few seconds. Navigation menus should be device-agnostic and work in the same way, creating a single experience, across device types. So what can you do to say goodbye to those drop down menus? We have five alternatives.