Articles - Page 138

iPhone Mockups / 27 Jun 2018

30+ Best iPhone X Mockups (PSD, AI & Sketch)

The iPhone X is Apple’s most radical phone to date. Which makes an iPhone X mockup the perfect way to showcase your design in an original way, especially if you’re working on an app, video game, or website design.

iPhone X has a unique bezel-less design which makes it stand out. This also makes things a bit harder for designers to find mockups for the device.

So, to save you the trouble, we found a collection of stunning new iPhone X mockups you can use to promote your work and showcase products.

Whatever format you’re looking for (Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketch and more), we’ll have something that works perfectly. Enjoy!

UX Design / 25 Jun 2018

How to Write a UX Proposal

Did you know that a great UX proposal can solidify client relationships and facilitate project management? Here’s how you write a UX proposal that will help you manage projects, and strengthen client relationships.

A UX proposal is a document that outlines a UX, app or web design project. It should note what the problem is – what the client wants – and how a solution will be developed digitally. The proposal sets an expectation of work, what will get done, and the timeline for milestones and launch. It is the guiding document for the project that developer/designer and client agree on before work starts so that everyone is on the same page.

If you are working without a UX proposal, you might want to make a change to that process right away.

Graphics / 20 Jun 2018

How to Create a Color Palette Without Stressing Out

Picking the perfect color palette can be a little nerve-wracking. It’s something you’ll be committed to for some time, so you’ll want to get it right! Today we’re looking at how to create a color palette, with plenty of tips and advice.

There are a few things that designers who don’t sweat about color always do (and think about), to help ensure that their palettes will hold up over time. Here are some of their tricks of the trade, so you can create a color palette without stressing out!

Reviews / 20 Jun 2018

Monday: The Ultimate Team Management Tool

Almost every team, from the smallest group to the largest company, is looking for an efficient way to manage projects and tasks in a way that everyone can understand.

Finding the right platform to use as a team management tool can be tough, but monday can help.

The tool is intuitive while helping you centralize everything so that your team can be successful. Here’s a look at how it works.

Instagram Templates / 18 Jun 2018

5 Tips to Use Instagram Creatively for Your Brand

It seems like every brand is on Instagram these days. So how do you create posts that generate engagement and help your images, video, and stories stand out from the pack?

The answer is to use your keen design eye. The same skills that you use as a designer—color balance, contrast, shape, and composition—can help you create Instagram posts that stand out. (It is a visual medium after all!)

Combine those skills with a little social media strategy and you’ll start building a loyal follower base in no time. Here are some tips to get you on the path to Instagram success.

Mockup Templates / 13 Jun 2018

5 Reasons to Use a Responsive Mockup Template

If you aren’t using responsive mockup templates to showcase your website and app design projects, you’re missing out! A mockup template provides a realistic or stylized shell to highlight a design, and choosing a responsive template can beautifully show your design’s versatility.

Most designers use a mockup template to place a website design into a computer screen, tablet, or phone to give clients or other stakeholders a preview of what a finished project will look like. The result is polished and easy for users to understand.

If you haven’t ventured into the world of using one of these tools yet, here are five reasons to use a responsive mockup template. All with some great examples to show you exactly how they work.

Trends / 11 Jun 2018

Design Trend: Sliced Text & Typography

Purists say that you should never alter typography. Lettering should appear as intended by the type designer, or you should select a different font altogether. While this is mostly true, the exception is in the sliced text trend.

The nifty effect makes type elements look like they’ve been cut with a precision tool and can add visual interest to logotypes, headlines and simple text blocks. Sliced text effects can vary from super subtle (such as a small bit of a letter that’s missing) to major parts of words missing altogether.

The thing to keep in mind when using sliced text is that words must always be readable – what point is there otherwise? – and you should pay close attention so that unintended letter combinations or words don’t appear due to slicing. Here’s a look at how to make it work for you with some examples of designs that do it well.

Wedding Design / 4 Jun 2018

Wedding Monogram Logo Ideas, Tips & Advice

A classic wedding monogram is a design element that almost any couple can incorporate into their wedding design and stationery. From use in invitations and mailings to a shared post-nuptial monogram, creating a classy wedding logo or monogram element can be a great touch.

Here are a few tips to help you make your own wedding logo or monogram including templates, ideas, and graphics to help you get started fast.

Poster Design / 31 May 2018

27 Inspiring Letterpress Style Posters

Are you planning on designing a poster with a retro or a vintage vibe? Not sure where to start? Then browse our hand-picked collection of letterpress posters and letterpress templates to find inspiration.

Letterpress is one of the oldest printing techniques that date back to the early 1440s. Back in the day, this technique was used to easily print many copies of a poster, flyer, and other designs with photo and letter-etched plates.

Even though it’s no longer widely used by printers and publishers, the technique and the unique design style is still celebrated by artists and designers. It’s especially popular among poster designers. In this collection, we’re featuring elegant and modern letterpress poster designs.

UX Design / 30 May 2018

10 Tips for Writing Great Microcopy

The tiniest bits of text on your website can have the biggest impact. Microcopy includes all of the instructions, labels, navigation, tooltips, error messages and call-to-action language that helps users actually use a design.

Microcopy can aid navigation, and be the final element a user reads before clicking a button. (It’s easy to understand why these words are so important.)

Microcopy is often neglected though, in the website design process. Often “click here” is just slapped on a button and it’s done. But well-thought-out microcopy can make your website better. Great microcopy can even help boost retention and conversion rates among users—and that’s something every website owner can appreciate.

So how do you do it? Here are ten tips for getting started down the road to writing great microcopy.

Trends / 23 May 2018

What Is Holistic Web Design?

Google “holistic web design” and you’ll see a lot of results that encompass health and wellness. But that’s not really what designers and developers usually mean when they mention holistic web design.

In the most simple of explanations – we’ll dig deeper after this – holistic web design is a process of thinking about all the parts of a project, and understanding and accounting for how they connect. Great content will fall apart if the visuals are poor. And equally, the best-looking website in the world doesn’t do anything if it isn’t highly usable. These are the issues that holistic web design solves before they even become problems.

Here’s how it works (and can work for you), with examples from the Design Shack Gallery.

Business / 14 May 2018

5 Signs You Need to Fire Your Client (And How to Do It)

Nothing can make your life miserable like a bad client. From scope-creep to those that never pay on time, sometimes you just have to let a client go. It’s a tough decision and you don’t want to burn any bridges, but often it’s best to dissolve the relationship and move on.

When do you know it is time? Today, we’ll look at five situations when it’s time to fire a client with some ideas on how to do it tactfully.