Articles - Page 114

Business / 10 Jun 2021

8 Skills Designers Need to Thrive in Today’s Market

This is not another article about how the pandemic has changed the way we work.

The reality is that plenty of creative professionals – especially freelancers – have been working from home and in remote environments for a long time. It’s probably why so many of us were quick to adapt when so many others hopped on Zoom or Slack for the first time.

But there are some skills you need to stay relevant in today’s job market in addition to that adaptability that you likely already have. If you are thinking of advancing your career (and who isn’t) as a freelancer, at your current job, or by changing jobs, keep reading.

Lightroom Presets / 8 Jun 2021

20+ Realistic Lightroom Presets

Optimizing photos and applying filters without destroying the natural look of the photo is a skill that takes a lot of practice to master. But, with the help of realistic Lightroom presets, you can get better at it much more easily.

In this collection, we bring you some amazing Lightroom presets for creating realistic effects by applying subtle filters and improvements. Unlike most other filters, these Lightroom presets will preserve the natural look of your photos as well.

Even if you’re looking to improve your smartphone photos, you can use these Lightroom presets to add HDR effects, light and airy effects, or even monochrome effects to give them a professional look and feel. Be sure to download them all below.

Trends / 7 Jun 2021

8 Design Trends That Are Fading Fast

Almost every year, we kick off with a list of design trends that we think will dominate projects in the coming year. While we’ve gotten pretty good at identifying hits, there are also some misses.

These trends might fade due to a lot of different factors, but commonly they are just difficult techniques that don’t apply well across different types of projects.

It looks (and works) great in one application but is flat somewhere else.

Here’s a look at some of those trends that are fading fast. (And if you want to see our full list of web design trends for 2021 you can find it here.)

Instagram Templates / 4 Jun 2021

8 Tips for Designing Instagram Stories That Don’t Suck

Instagram stories are one of the hottest social media formats. The vertical format allows creators to share videos, photos, and mixed media content in a streaming medium, and introduces an entirely novel layout to design for.

The tricky part is creating stories that are enjoyable, shareable, and help people engage with your account, brand, or even get clicks to your website.

Here, we’re going to look at eight ways to create Instagram stories that help you meet goals, and stand out from the crowd.

Bonus: You can apply these design tips to Facebook stories as well.

Reviews / 3 Jun 2021

Userwell: Better Understand What Your Users Want Online

Insights into the user journey are a valuable tool for any website designer, developer, or business owner (regardless of industry). The right tool can help you make the right product decisions from real user feedback.

That’s just what you get from Userwell. It is product feedback management software to help you create and build products that users will want and love to use.

Here’s a look at the tool and how you can make it work for you.

Trends / 3 Jun 2021

2021 Mid-Year Design Trend Report: What’s Still Hot

At the beginning of each year, Design Shack does a roundup of trends that will likely influence the design landscape for the coming year.

Now that we are halfway through 2021 (can you believe it?) it’s time to look at which of those trends are thriving and which ones you can pass by.

Here, we’ll look at some fresh examples of the trends that are still hot for inspiration in your projects.

Graphics / 31 May 2021

How to Create a Disruptive Design (So It Will Get Seen)

If you really want to create a design that will make people look, it has to be disruptive.

While “disruptive” can be a bit of a hackneyed catchphrase, it is also at the core of what you do when you create something new. The goal is to get people to stop, look, and interact.

Disruption works because it is different from the norm. This can include anything from being at the forefront of a new trend to designing with an interesting font, color palette, or design pattern.

This description from Layla Acaroglu explains it perfectly: “Design is about creating something that adds to or iterates on the existing, and disruption is about creating a disturbance with the intent of changing a system. When combined, the practice of Disruptive Design is to create intentional interventions into a pre-existing system with the specific objective to leverage a different outcome, and more importantly, an outcome that is likely to create positive social change.”

Now how can you do it? We have a few ideas (and examples) for you.

Business / 27 May 2021

Pros and Cons of the “No Code” Movement

There are a lot of people touting the value of “no code” website design right now.

Some of these people are companies that have built no code or low code website builders that are designed for small businesses and those that want a quick website.

Bigger platforms are starting to show some no code/low code elements. You could even argue that WordPress blocks are in this style of website design. Depending on your needs, you might be aligned with a no-code website build.

Here, we’re going to examine the no code movement and the pros and cons that come along with it.

Reviews / 25 May 2021

SlideSalad: A Marketplace for Premium Presentation Templates

Why create a PowerPoint from scratch when you can jumpstart projects with a stellar presentation template?

SlideSalad offers a wide selection of premium templates in an online marketplace that you can browse and find just what you need.

Here, we’ll take a look at some of the different premium presentation templates you can find to see if this tool can work for you.

Read on!

Accessibility / 24 May 2021

8 Ways to Design Clever Error Messages

Question: What happens when someone gets lost on your website or when someone stumbles upon a bad link or missing content?

Answer: They get to see your 404 page.

Now here’s the real question: Is that 404 page a well-designed Easter egg that will help users on their journey or did you forget to add design or informational elements?

Clever error messages and 404 pages are a website design art form. Some designers sneak these little nuggets in, to surprise and delight users. One thing is common, good error microcopy and design can actually help users connect with the content when they might otherwise bounce, making it important to use this element to your advantage.

Inspiration / 20 May 2021

20+ Best Greeting Card Templates for Word, Photoshop, & Illustrator

Today we’re bringing you a collection of greeting card templates covering various occasions. If you’ve waited until the last minute to find a greeting card for a birthday, holiday, or valentine’s day, no need to panic. These templates will help you avoid getting into trouble.

With the busy lives we’re living it’s normal to forget about a special event until it’s just around the corner. Thanks to pre-made templates, you no longer have to go to a shop to find the perfect greeting card. You can print it yourself.

With these templates, you can customize and design unique greeting cards to make your loved ones feel truly special. Have a look.

UX Design / 18 May 2021

What Is Rapid Prototyping & Why Use It? (+ 5 Best Tools)

Rapid prototyping is one of the most important segments of the product development process. It’s what ultimately decides how your product will perform and how it will be received by the end-user.

Whether you’re working on a mobile app or website design, rapid prototyping should be part of your project. It will help you avoid catastrophic product launches as well as avoid the embarrassment of delivering a broken design to your clients.

In this guide, we take a quick look at what rapid prototyping is all about and how it can be beneficial for your projects. We’ll also suggest a few great rapid prototyping tools for you to use.