Carrie Cousins

Typography / 20 Jan 2016

3 Typography Trends for 2016 (With Examples)

Design trends. You can hardly do anything without seeing them, they pop up everywhere, and they can give your design feel “current” when used well.

Today, we’re going to take a look specifically at three typography trends and why we hate to love them. While these three styles – retro, watercolor and all caps – are everywhere, designers just can’t help but love them (even if they don’t want to). Here’s why, paired with some excellent examples of the trends in use.

Business / 19 Jan 2016

Learn a New Skill in 2016 With Treehouse

Are you ready to learn a few new tricks? Make this the year that you expand your knowledgebase and take greater control of your career.

You can do it with Treehouse. The online learning tool can help you learn a skill that you don’t have, help you get familiar with the latest tools and trends, or take the first step toward learning to code. Here’s a look at how it works!

Business / 18 Jan 2016

7 Tips for Better Brainstorming

Just because you work alone most of the time doesn’t mean you can’t have an awesome brainstorming session. While brainstorming is often considered a group activity, you can have a successful session in your home office as well.

Not sure where to start? We can help you with that today as well. Grab a pen, paper, tablet, or whatever your tool of choice is, and join us as we take a look at how to improve your brainstorming and idea generation techniques!

Business / 11 Jan 2016

DIY and Web Design: What We Can Learn From Home Renovation

If you’re anything like me, you see design everywhere. It’s not just on websites, posters, or business cards. All the same concepts you use for work also get used in other aspects of your life.

So, what about the other way around? Have you ever thought about how projects around the house inspire you to become a better designer? What tricks and techniques carry over from do-it-yourself projects to design work? Let’s dive in and take a peek at a few things you can be on the look-out for!

Graphics / 6 Jan 2016

7 Ways to Design a Killer ‘First Screen’ for Your Website

It’s time to talk about first screen design. The first screen is that initial glimpse that a user gets into your website. It’s everything above the scroll, whether the user accesses a website from a desktop, tablet or mobile device.

The information you include on this “first screen” is the key to website success. The design can entice and keep users clicking, or force them to navigate away from the page. What needs to be on the screen before users start scrolling? Let’s take a look.

Graphics / 4 Jan 2016

Designing With Constraints: Thinking Inside the Box

It’s one of those fundamental parts of design we don’t talk about much: Designing within the rules. We talk a lot about creativity and innovation, but sometimes leave out one of the ideas that pushes most projects along, and that’s actually creating something with a lot of rules attached. It’s thinking “inside the box.”

Design constraints are those little keys to consistency that help brands establish visual identity and guide voice. These restrictions can come in a number of forms, and like them or not, it’s something you are going to have to deal with.

And here’s the good news: Constraints can actually help you become a better designer.

Layouts / 30 Dec 2015

9 Tips for Better Typographic Hierarchy

Every project requires a system and hierarchy for text elements. Just think about all the small pieces of text that are used throughout a design – headlines, body copy, navigation elements, legal information, captions and so on.

But how do you create that hierarchy so that every text element flows smoothly to the next? Today, we’ll take you step-by-step through building a system of typography hierarchy that can be used for almost any design project. (And we are pairing the tips with beautiful examples of great typography to help you gather a bit of inspiration.)

Layouts / 22 Dec 2015

Design Trend: How to Create a Cool Split Screen Aesthetic

One screen divided in two. This might be one of the bigger design trends emerging right now. More and more websites are using design patterns that include two vertical or square panels placed side by side.

And it’s a nice aesthetic. The look is user friendly, can be adapted for a variety of needs, and helps guide navigation. It’s a trend that we are likely to see more of – and design – in the coming months. Today we are looking at a few great examples of split screen design with mini case studies and finding out how you can make the most of this design trend.

Business / 21 Dec 2015

10 Things Every Web Designer Should Be Able to Do in Their Sleep

Some skills, you just need to know. And you better know them so well that you can do them almost without thinking. When it comes to web design, many skills can change and evolve over time, but there are a few basics that you should be able to do in your sleep.

And even if you aren’t a “web designer” by trade, each of these skills is becoming must-have for all designers working today. How many are you already comfortable with? Let’s dive in and take a look at what you should be able to do on “auto pilot”!

Reviews / 16 Dec 2015

Need a Better WordPress Theme? Try Extra

Whether you’re a WordPress developer or newbie, a theme can make building a site and getting it online and functioning quick and easy. And with WordPress as the most popular blogging platform out there, there are plenty of sites that use this type of set up.

The new Extra theme from Elegant Themes, powered by the Divi Builder, is an excellent option if you are ready to build a new site or want to give your old design a refresh. Today, we’ll take a deeper look at this theme and how you can make the most of it in your projects.

Graphics / 10 Dec 2015

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

So Pantone threw us a curveball this year and announced a pair of colors as the “Color of the Year” for 2016. To create the actual hue, Pantone is blending Rose Quartz and Serenity.

This pairing of soft colors will likely be one of the color trends of the coming year. As with previous Pantone selections, the colors often become a staple in design, fashion and other projects. Pastels can be a little uncomfortable to work with for some designers. But today we’re going to take a look at ways you can make the most of these colors in your design projects.

Layouts / 8 Dec 2015

Grid-First Design: How to Create Vertical Rhythm and Harmony

When you hear grid, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For most designers, it is often a horizontal based concept with columns across the canvas. This is especially true when thinking about web and digital design projects.

But what about vertical grids? It is just as important to create flow up and down the page as well. And there are a number of ways to do this with grid systems.