Articles - Page 89

Software / 24 Dec 2022

The 8 Best Photoshop Alternatives for Windows (2025)

Looking for a faster and better alternative to Adobe Photoshop? While Photoshop has been a standard for years, that’s starting to change with plenty of new tools for Windows that make easy work of photo editing. Many of these new tools include smart functions that will speed up workflows.

The best Photoshop alternatives pack in just the features you need without a lot of fluff you won’t use. Here’s a list of the best Photoshop alternatives for Windows in 2023.

Take note of special features to find the one that’s right for you.

UX Design / 23 Dec 2022

Microinteractions Are Growing Up: How to Design Them in 2025

Microinteractions aren’t a new concept in UX design, but they keep getting more impressive. We’ve been talking about microinteractions here at Design Shack for a while because they are so vital to the overall success of web projects.

Microinteractions are those tiny details that turn an ordinary user experience into something more memorable and engaging. The little things that surprise and delight, adding a layer of enjoyable UX to your app or website.

Here’s a look at how designers are using microinteractions in 2021 with examples of how this design technique has grown up.

Logo Templates / 23 Dec 2022

40+ Best Free Logo Makers + Design Templates 2025

Are you working on a simple logo for a creative or a personal project? Then our collection of free logo makers and logo templates will help you design a better-looking logo without having to break the bank.

Sure, using premium logo templates can help make your design look more professional. But, if you’re working on a small project of your own, there are many great free resources you can use to craft a stylish logo on your own while saving money.

In this post, we’re featuring some of the best online logo maker tools you can use to make logos as well as free logo templates for easily making a logo using Photoshop or Illustrator. Have a look.

Instagram Templates / 19 Dec 2022

10 Key Instagram Trends for Designers to Watch in 2025

From hard-core ‘grammers to those that post the occasional pic, Instagram is the social media platform that’s practically made for designers because it is so visual.

So, you’ll probably want to be on-trend when it comes to posting. Here are nine ways to create images that look modern with a few examples and Instagram templates to help you get started.

From #nofilter, to framing, overlay elements, carousels, and more, we’re exploring all the trends you need to know.

Font Collections / 14 Dec 2022

30+ Best Rustic Fonts 2025 (Free & Premium)

When it comes to creating designs that represent simplicity, nature, and the rugged raw feel, nothing beats the rustic design style. It’s a design trend that never goes out of style.

While rustic design style is most popular in home interior design, it’s also commonly used in graphic design as well, especially in logo, signage, label, and wedding designs.

The font you use for typography is usually the key element of a rustic design. In this post, we look at some of the most beautiful and stylish rustic fonts you can use with your professional design projects.

We handpicked many different types of rustic fonts you can use for everything from logo design to wedding invitations, T-shirts, signage, and more. You’ll also find a few free rustic fonts in the mix as well. Have a look.

Reviews / 15 Nov 2022

CF Spark: A Powerful Text to Image AI Design Tool

Sometimes your design idea needs a little extra push to bring it to life. A new tool from Creative Fabrica allows you to create designs from text to image, backed by artificial intelligence.

You can design and post images for yourself or even use the tool to create design elements that you can use and monetize in projects or marketplaces. You simply enter a text-based search query, which generates four images using powerful AI technology.

Here’s a look at the tool, how it works, and how you can use it.

Mockup Templates / 9 Nov 2022

35+ Desktop Computer Mockup Templates

Looking for a high-quality desktop computer mockup to showcase your design? Look no further. In this post, we’re featuring the best desktop mockup templates for both Mac and Windows desktop devices.

Microsoft’s new Surface Studio workstations are widely popular among creative professionals. This makes the device a great choice for showcasing your creative designs to clients and in your portfolio.

We’ve found a few stylish Surface Studio mockups, as well as a variety of other Mac and Windows desktop computer mockups.

Font Collections / 7 Nov 2022

10+ Trends for Pairing Fonts in 2025

Trends in typography seem to evolve more quickly than many other design trends. For a long time, website designers stuck to font palettes packed with sans serif typefaces. But that feels like ancient history now!

Today’s range and variety of web fonts make for much more interesting design possibilities, font pairings, and visual themes.

We’re taking a look at trends for pairing fonts with a beautiful example of each, covering a wide range of font families and aesthetics.

Mockup Templates / 4 Nov 2022

25+ Newspaper Mockup Templates (Free & Pro)

There’s something about a classic printed newspaper that just can’t be replicated in digital media, so even in the modern age of paperless communications, newspapers remain a popular method of sharing information and advertising products and services. Of course, digital publications can look completely different in print, so mockups are a super useful tool for you to make sure your newspaper has the impact it deserves once it hits the press.

Here are some of the best newspaper mockup templates available for instant download, including both free and premium options as well as a range of different settings and aesthetics to ensure that whatever kind of newspaper you’re producing, you can showcase it in a way that perfectly complements its style and content.

Read on for a collection of the best newspaper mockup templates out there.

Reviews / 31 Oct 2022

Lunacy: Breeze Through Graphic Design Projects

Admit it, you are always looking for quicker, more efficient ways to complete projects – even graphic design tasks. Lunacy is a piece of free design software from Icons8 that can help you do just that.

It’s packed with AI-powered tools to speed up your work, giving you a new edge in your design work, plus a range of built-in graphics to help you “build design like a Lego”.

Today, we’ll take a look at this tool, highlight its key features, and explain how you can make it work for you.

Web Standards / 27 Oct 2022

Reinventing Design Choices for Privacy Permission Elements

A personalized experience is one of the most highly valued features of a modern website design. However, gathering the right consumer data is essential to provide customized services to website visitors. After all, you can only enhance consumer experience and provide a better service if you recognize customers to a degree.

The problem is, sometimes, such personalization comes at the cost of your users’ privacy.

There’s a way around this though. You can prioritize privacy UX, build trust, and still generate revenue. If done correctly, a user-focused approach can turn into conversions and make you a stronger player in your market.

Let’s see some common pitfalls and opportunities that you can use for your business or personal website.

Mockup Templates / 26 Oct 2022

20+ Best CD/DVD Cover & Label Templates

One of the main reasons people love to collect physical media is the cover designs.

Whether it’s a CD, DVD, or Bluray, people still love to showcase their media collections in the living room or the media room to show off their love and admiration for the artists. Of course, only the covers with the best designs make the cut in these collections.

If you’re working on a cover or label design for a CD or DVD, you don’t have to look further to find inspiration. We’ve done all the work for you.

In this collection, you’ll find some of the coolest CD cover templates you can use to design your own CD and DVD covers and labels.

These templates are easily customizable so you can get started on your project much quicker to make your own covers. Check them out below.