Articles - Page 175 | Design Shack

Design Dilemma / 7 Oct 2014

Design Dilemma: Will Social Media Help Me Find Clients?

A designer wrote that he was having trouble deciding whether or not to start using social media to promote his website/client outreach. He asked about blogging, Twitter, Facebook, ads on Facebook, etc. Those are good questions, as social media often gets a bit inflated in the minds of people who think it creates miracles. It does, but only very rarely. Otherwise, it’s hard work.

Social media outreach is free, if you don’t consider the hours you need to spend casually tweeting, adding to Facebook, Google+, and the other popular social media channels. Does a designer have the same social media needs as an ecommerce business? No.

This Week in Design / 3 Oct 2014

This Week in Design: Oct. 3, 2014

Typography must be on my mind this week. From a collection of typefaces designed for coders to the feelings and emotion behind certain lettering, type kept creeping into my mind. So this week in design, let typography into your thoughts as well.

Every week, we plan to a look at major product releases and upgrades, tools and tricks and even some of the most popular things you are talking about on social media. And we’d love to hear what’s going on in your world as well. Have we missed anything? Drop me a line at [email protected].

Software / 30 Sep 2014

X Is the Ultimate WordPress Theme

The WordPress blogging platform is arguably the most well-known in the world. Millions of websites are running on WordPress and tens of millions of users per day visit those URLs. The key is designing and developing a WordPress site so that you can make it your own.

That’s where tools such as plugins and themes really come in handy. WordPress is easy enough that almost anyone can get a site up and online. The new X WordPress Theme has taken that ease of use and customization to another level. With just one theme you can build a great site with a single set of tools. Here’s how it works.

Inspiration / 29 Sep 2014

Getting Started With Letterpress Printing

Have you ever picked up a printed work and taken a minute to admire the feel of it? You hold the paper and get a feel for the thickness and texture while noting the impressions of each letter? That is the beauty of letterpress. This style of printing presses the image into the paper in a technique that has a special feel and quality to it.

While letterpress looks and feels sophisticated, it is something that is an option for most designers working on print projects. You just need to find a printer in your area (or invest in letterpress machinery yourself) and understand the intricacies of preparing a design for this printing method.

This Week in Design / 26 Sep 2014

This Week in Design: September 26, 2014

How often when you think about design do you just assume web design? I seem to find myself doing it more now than at any other point in my career. I’m not sure if it is because pretty much everything is put together on a computer in some way or because digital projects are such a huge part of what we do. So this week in design, we are looking at some things that can help you along the way with web and digital design projects.

Every week, we plan to a look at major product releases and upgrades, tools and tricks and even some of the most popular things you are talking about on social media. And we’d love to hear what’s going on in your world as well. Have we missed anything? Drop me a line at [email protected].

Business / 22 Sep 2014

Using Ptengine to Track Website Analytics

If you have a website – and chances are that you manage several – you know and understand the importance of good analytics. Understanding the numbers and use of your site by visitors is key to creating, designing and developing a site that will keep visitors coming back and clicking around.

But with so many analytics options out there, how do you know what to choose? Sometimes the answer goes beyond the basic information you can get from Google Analytics. Today, we are taking a look at one of these services – Ptengine – and how it can work for you.

This Week in Design / 20 Sep 2014

This Week in Design: Sept. 19, 2014

Are you learning something new in your career? How are you working to push the boundaries of design? Those are things that good designers do. This week, we look at one of the guiding voices in web design since the earliest days of the Internet, ways to be student for life and a few bits of food for thought this week in design.

Every week, we plan to a look at major product releases and upgrades, tools and tricks and even some of the most popular things you are talking about on social media. And we’d love to hear what’s going on in your world as well. Have we missed anything? Drop me a line at [email protected].

Design Dilemma / 17 Sep 2014

Design Dilemma: Why Won’t People Share Their Contacts?

As working professionals, we owe it to our industry to mentor those just entering the field so they can become great… and not screw it up for the rest of us by lowering rates and giving creatives a bad name. But, there’s a point of helping that’s too far, when it could impact long relationships and trust built over one’s entire career.

There’s little to no give-and-take when it comes to introductions or allowing someone to use your name for their own advancement, when you don’t really know them. Unfortunately, those who ask for these favors rarely understand why you can’t take them by the hand and shove them on top of a long-time, trusted client or friend.

This Week in Design / 12 Sep 2014

This Week in Design: Sept. 12, 2014

An essential part of what makes someone connect with design is emotion and feeling. And these are two things that can be hard to predict, describe and design. But there is a little science behind emotion and feeling and why you might react a certain way, and that’s our focus this week in design.

Every week, we plan to a look at major product releases and upgrades, tools and tricks and even some of the most popular things you are talking about on social media. And we’d love to hear what’s going on in your world as well. Have we missed anything? Drop me a line at [email protected].

Freelancing / 9 Sep 2014

Freelancing 101: How to Collaborate When You Work Alone

One of the biggest misconceptions of working as a freelancer is that it means working alone. It’s actually very much quite the opposite. How would you ever expect to do business if you don’t work with anyone?

The reality is the more people you work with, the more successful you are likely to be as a freelancer. And just like when working for a firm or agency, freelance designers should make a point to collaborate with others regularly. Here are 10 ways you can put your head together with other designers (or clients) to better get the job done.

This Week in Design / 5 Sep 2014

This Week in Design: Sept. 5, 2014

I’ve been bouncing all over the place this week, and this week in design reflects that. From a list of ways to develop more effective media queries to a great look at design contest winners to the evolution of the beacon and design, there’s a design smorgasbord in store for you.

Every week, we plan to a look at major product releases and upgrades, tools and tricks and even some of the most popular things you are talking about on social media. And we’d love to hear what’s going on in your world as well. Have we missed anything? Drop me a line at [email protected].

Design Dilemma / 3 Sep 2014

Design Dilemma: Are Creative Temp Agencies Idiots?

Temporary placement agencies get a bad rap from many freelance creatives. Some for good, or rather bad reasons and others because freelancers don’t understand the subtleties involved with these agencies. Understanding the good, the bad, and the ugly is one way of better dealing with temp firms… or avoiding them!

Join us as we delve into another investigative Design Dilemma, helping to answer your questions, queries and concerns about the murky world of design.