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CSS / 28 Jun 2017

5 Ways to Learn Web Design: Which Is Right for You?

The web design education industry has exploded from a small niche to a powerful, continually expanding force. Countless people all over the planet are interested in learning about how to build and design websites, and tons of companies are cropping up promising the ultimate solution.

The good news for you is that increased competition in this field is a great thing for customers. You have more options than ever for learning just about anything you want to know concerning web technologies. The big question though is, with so many options available, which is the right one for you? We’ll go over a number of different strategies being used to teach web development and discuss how you can figure out the most appropriate for your unique learning style. We’ll also include some resources to get you started on each available path.

Inspiration / 27 Jun 2017

6 Professional Monospaced Fonts for Designers

It’s easy to underestimate the potential of monospaced fonts, labelling them as a simplistic and uninspired. But that’s often far from the case. You might be missing out on an opportunity to add more originality to your work.

When used properly, a monospaced font can add more value to your design than many other creative fonts.

You’ll have seen them on printed documents, or when trying your hand at coding, but what are monospaced fonts? Who uses them? Can you use them for creative design work? Let’s find out.

Graphics / 26 Jun 2017

Design Trend: Waves and ‘Soft’ Lines

There’s a softer design trend taking over website projects – waves and soft lines. Where backgrounds have been dominated by single “flat” color, we’re seeing a shift toward curved lines and waves.

The elements are lighter, softer and evoke a different overall feel for the design. What’s especially nice is that waves and softer lines can be used a lot of different ways so that each design feels totally different. (It’s one of those trends that can almost sneak up on you because it appears in so many forms.)

Here’s a look at the waves and “soft” lines trend in website design.

Business / 23 Jun 2017

10 Awful Client Cliches That Make Every Designer Cringe

This is the third part in our series all about making fun of design related clichés that drive us all crazy. We put out the word on Twitter and asked for some of the worst things that you hear again and again from clients. The following are some of our favorites!

We’ve already picked on designers plenty with 5 Former Design Trends That Aren’t Cool Anymore and 5 Cliché Logo Design Trends to Avoid, now it’s time to turn around and give some attention to all the crazy things that clients say to their designers. There’s no shortage of cliches to choose from!

Graphics / 22 Jun 2017

100+ iPhone PSD & Vector Mockups

A gorgeous iPhone mockup graphic is the perfect way to demonstrate your app, website, or user interface. We’ve collected over a hundred of the best iPhone mockups, in all shapes and sizes, for your next project.

A well-designed mockup can make your app or website interface stand out from the crowd, and it’s the perfect way to present your design to a client. Our iPhone mockup picks vary between photograph-based PSD mockups, or vectors that can scale to any size. Some are free, some cost a few dollars, but all of them are rather lovely!

Graphics / 21 Jun 2017

5 Cliche Logo Design Trends to Avoid

Logos are one of the trickiest things to get right in the graphic design world. It takes almost zero talent to make a logo — virtually anyone can do it. However, making a good logo requires a lot of insight, artistic skill and patience.

Too often we see designers falling into the trap of rushing into a logo design project and coming up with ideas that are so overused that they’re downright cringe-worthy. Today we’re going to take a look at five logo trends that fit this description. Read on to see if any of your go-to techniques are on the list (and make a mental note to avoid them in the future!)

Inspiration / 20 Jun 2017

30+ Best Music & Band Flyer Templates

Whether you’re working on a flyer design for your band’s next gig, or planning a big music festival, you’re going to need an awesome music or band flyer template.

We’ve tracked down some of the best modern, stylish music flyer templates to help you start designing a flyer for your band’s next event. It doesn’t matter if you’re working on a project related to country, indie, jazz, rock, or pop music, there are templates in this list for all types of music.

All of the templates in this list are handpicked from Envato Elements. Which means you can download all the templates for the price of one when you subscribe to Envato Elements for only $29 a month.

Business / 19 Jun 2017

7 Ways to Save Time as a Designer

“If only I had more time!” Do you hear yourself saying this about projects from time to time? (I know I’m guilty.) Time can be one of the biggest obstacles to getting more done as a freelance designer.

But you can find more time and get more done — and that’s good for your bottom line. We’re not going to bore you with theoretical advice. This is a set of practical tips and suggestions you can start thinking about right now!

Graphics / 15 Jun 2017

5 Former Design Trends That Aren’t Cool Anymore (So Stop Using Them)

If you’re like me, looking at your own design work from a few years ago can often result in some laughable or even cringe-worthy moments. Design styles have been steadily evolving and most of us can’t help but be affected by these changes. Who among us hasn’t piled on the cheesy Photoshop layer effects, all the while thinking the result was downright awesome?

However, some of us are a little slower to evolve than others. Today we’ll be taking a walk down memory lane and looking at five design trends that used to be super cool, but now simply tend to make your design look outdated and even ugly. If you’re currently still stuck on these trends, it might be time to move along! We’ll help you out with some modern alternative practices that you can use to bring your design skills into the current year in a hurry.

Graphics / 14 Jun 2017

Flat Design: An Evolving Trend

Is the flat design trend finished? We don’t think so. It’s not dead yet. But the trend has evolved to be less stark and more engaging for users.

The early days of flat design were marked by a complete lack of design elements such as shadows, gradients, or realistic elements with texture. Many of those design elements are back, but are being paired with the overall idea of flat design to create a website user experience that’s both simple and easy to engage with. Depending on what side you are on, it might be a better version of flat design.

Here’s a look at the flat design trend evolution, and where we are today.

Inspiration / 13 Jun 2017

30 Food & Drink Menu Templates

Food and restaurant menu templates can streamline the branding process for you if you’re a restaurant owner or a designer working for the food industry. These menu templates are readily available, easy to customise, and can be a life saver in situations where you have to meet a tight deadline.

In this article, we’ve gathered 30+ food menu related resources such as menu templates, flyers, icons and scene creators that will let you prepare your restaurants menus in no time. These menus cover a full three courses along with separate wine and coffee templates. All starting from just a couple of dollars!

UX Design / 12 Jun 2017

What Is Anticipatory Design, and How Do You Use It?

Do you ever get overwhelmed by the number of choices you have to make in a day? It’s a pretty common phenomenon. The same can happen when a user visits a website. Too many choices can fatigue the user and totally overwhelm the senses.

The solution is up to the designer – to create a design that seems to anticipate user needs and helps move people through the design with ease.