Articles - Page 117

Graphics / 1 Nov 2018

SVG vs PNG vs JPG: Image Format Pros & Cons

When it comes to creating images for the web and other digital purposes, what file formats will give you the best result? You have to think about speed versus image quality and scale. So what should you use: SVG vs PNG vs JPG?

There was a time when you just used a JPG sized to fit the space at 72 dpi and moved on. Not anymore. High-resolution screens, multiple viewports and a need to have a snappy website have made it a much more complex process. Let’s dive into the pros and cons of each of these formats!

Minimalist Graphic Design / 24 Oct 2018

Minimalist Graphic Design: 10 Examples & Tips

Minimalist design is simple. But it is not boring. Just because a minimal style design often lacks some of the embellishments or color palettes or crazy typefaces in other projects, doesn’t mean it isn’t great to look at. In fact, designs featuring minimalism can be some of the most beautiful and usable websites around.

And even though minimalism is a design style of itself, what types of elements show up in these projects and how they are used tend to change over time. You might call them minimalism trends. Here’s a look at 10 tips for creating a modern minimalist graphic design with examples.

How to Design a Logo / 10 Oct 2018

Choosing the Best Logo Fonts: 10 Tips & Examples

The font a brand selects for their logo can evolve into lettering that people identify with a company or product. Just think about the typefaces for Coca-Cola, Disney or even eBay. Even if you see those typefaces without the brand names, there’s still an immediate connection.

That’s the value of choosing the best logo font for your brand. So how do you do it?

Here are ten tips to help you choose the best logo font you can with examples of logos that feature amazing typography.

Mobile / 10 Oct 2018

What’s a Progressive Web App (And Why Should You Care)?

In 2016, mobile users first surpassed those accessing the web from desktop devices. Since then, mobile hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.

As everyone looks for how to make websites, and web apps, more mobile-friendly, you’ll increasingly start to come across the phrase “Progressive Web App”. Today we’re looking at what this is, how it differs from other technologies like AMP, and how you can get started.

Graphics / 1 Oct 2018

Design Trend: Using Watercolor Patterns in Web Design

Add a little art to your web design with the watercolor trend. Watercolor techniques are a popular design option because they are fun, easy to use and work with a variety of different types of content.

Watercolor styles can be used in a number of ways to emphasize your content. Whether you are considering a watercolor look for your website framework or just want to experiment with the style, we have a collection of ideas, examples, and resources to help you get started.

UX Design / 10 Sep 2018

7 Tips for Better Contact Form Design (With Examples)

Better contact form design starts with usability. The goal of a form is obvious: you need information from the user. The form has to be intuitive enough so users know exactly what to do and don’t get sidetracked in the process of completing that action.

The best contact forms are easy to look at and include highly usable elements that users can engage with without thinking about them. (It sounds a little easier than it is sometimes.) But thankfully, we have a selection of tips to help you design better contact forms.

How to Design a Logo / 5 Sep 2018

5 Quick Tips for Fixing a Bad Logo Design

How many times have you walked into a project where the logo is a mess? Bitmap designs. Poor color choices. Lack of contrast. Inappropriate typography. A shape that doesn’t work anywhere. Here’s how to fix a bad logo design.

There are so many issues when it comes to bad logo design. And you’ll know one the minute you see it. These poor instances of design tend to stick out like a sore thumb.

But is there anything you can do? If the client isn’t in love with the miserable mark, you can make some quick fixes to at least turn the logo into something a little more usable. Here are a few tips (starting with a collage of bad logos!) and examples of quick fixes that can help improve a logo.

Reviews / 5 Sep 2018

What’s That Font? Find Out With WhatFontIs

Do you ever get stuck spinning your wheels on a project because of missing font information? From elements with missing source files to clients that want a font that “looks like (insert company name here)”, you need a font identification tool.

WhatFontIs is the best identification service to help you find the fonts you need. Today we’re diving in to see how it works, and what you can accomplish with it.

Typography / 3 Sep 2018

Is Your Website Font Size Too Small? Large Text Is In

The standards for typography on the web have shifted. Designers are going with bigger, easier to read typography that is more seamless and consistent across devices. The trend toward bigger web typography started with oversized treatments above the scroll, from headlines to more artistic hero header text elements.

Body text sizes concurrently started to increase on mobile devices to enhance readability. And from there, the trend started to trickle down to almost all aspects of web type. If you haven’t thought about the size of copy on your website recently, it’s time to revisit that 12 or 14-point/pixel body copy. Large text is in!

CSS / 22 Aug 2018

15 Tips for Designing Terrific Tables

Tables of information are boring. In a sense, they’re meant to be that way. A good table communicates a lot of information in a concise, easy to understand way. Because the emphasis really should be on the information, over-designing a table can kill the effectiveness. However, in the right hands, clever design can not only make a table more attractive but can actually increase readability.

Today we’ll take a look at several ways you can improve the functionality and aesthetics of your tables. One of the most common places we currently find tables online is on a web app’s pricing page so most of our examples will take this form, just keep in mind that these principles can apply to any type of informative grid (whether or not it’s actually a table).

CSS / 20 Aug 2018

The Best CSS Gradient Generators for Designers

We’re taking a look at ten of the best CSS gradient generators that you can use to create a variety of gradient styles (and have the CSS output directly!). Coding a gradient by hand is no fun (especially once you get past a simple two-color gradient), so these tools are a must-have in your bookmark folder.

One of the trendiest elements in website design is using a gradient background or color overlay. A two-color linear gradient is the most popular variation of this trend. And while gradients might look fancy and complicated, they are actually quite easy to create and deploy… if you are using the right tool!

Graphics / 13 Aug 2018

Black and White Design: 10 Stunning Examples (+ Tips)

A black and white design scheme can be one of the most striking combinations for a project. The deep contrast and simplistic nature of these colors (or lack thereof) provide plenty of opportunities to explore other techniques to make the most of the design.

Black and white designs have always been pretty popular, shifting most recently to more minimalist styles with a mostly white background and black elements. But as you’ll see from this collection of stunning black and white design projects, there are so many other options to explore.