Software - Page 22

Reviews, tutorials, and news about apps and software for designers. Learn about the latest and greatest Mac, web, and mobile apps for creatives.

11 Handy Resources to Help Build a Website in 2017

Graphics / 25 Jan 2017

11 Handy Resources to Help Build a Website in 2017

Ready to finally tackle that website project you’ve been putting off? This is the year to get that site designed and published! Whether it’s a simple blog or something more complex, all you need to get started are a few great tools.

Here, we’ve rounded up a selection of new, innovative resources to help you get inspired, design and prototype, along with a few elements that will help you better work in WordPress – the most popular publishing platform. What are you waiting for? This is the day you start building a website in 2017!

Do You Really Need to Build Your Own Website?

Business / 21 Dec 2016

Do You Really Need to Build Your Own Website?

Everyone has a website, right? You’d be hard-pressed to come across a business, freelancer or pretty much anyone without some sort of home page.

But what happens when you need a new website design? What happens when it is time to develop a website for a new organization, person or business? What options do you have when that current web contract expires?

You have a couple of options. You can hire someone to do it for you. (But that’s no fun!) You can also do it yourself, either from scratch or using a website building tool. Here’s we’ll take a look at those two DIY options to help you figure out which alternative is best for you.

Pros and Cons of Using Site Building Tools

Business / 22 Aug 2016

Pros and Cons of Using Site Building Tools

Everywhere you look, there’s an ad for a different website building tool. These do-it-yourself options can be a quick and easy way to get a website online in no time, but they aren’t for every type of project.

Services such as Weebly, Squarespace and Wix (just to name a few) come with packaged website templates and tools that anyone can use to create a blog, online storefront, portfolio or any other type of website quickly and without having to hire a developer. There’s good reason these tools are growing in popularity, but they are not for everyone. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons today!

Learn a New Skill in 2016 With Treehouse

Business / 19 Jan 2016

Learn a New Skill in 2016 With Treehouse

Are you ready to learn a few new tricks? Make this the year that you expand your knowledgebase and take greater control of your career.

You can do it with Treehouse. The online learning tool can help you learn a skill that you don’t have, help you get familiar with the latest tools and trends, or take the first step toward learning to code. Here’s a look at how it works!

How to Create Instant Mockups With PlaceIt

Mockup Templates / 23 Nov 2015

How to Create Instant Mockups With PlaceIt

There’s nothing like a good mockup to help you showcase a design with ease. From realistic iPhone and iPad mockups to desktop computer screens, a mockup makes it easy for you to showcase a website or other digital design to clients in a realistic way. A mockup makes it a lot easier for someone to visualize exactly what the final product will look like.

Mockups can be used in project presentations, and for website or app coming soon or launch pages. And PlaceIt makes it easy for you to find exactly the mockup you need without spending a ton of time creating it yourself. Here’s a look at how PlaceIt works.

Typekit vs. Google Fonts: Pros and Cons

Google Fonts / 21 Jul 2015

Typekit vs. Google Fonts: Pros and Cons

Choosing the right font is an important aspect of any web design project. There are hundreds, even thousands, of great options out there and many can be used with free licenses thanks to tools such as Adobe Typekit and Google Fonts.

But is one service better than the other? Is there a benefit to Google Fonts or Typekit over the other? And just how can you get started with these tools if you have not used them yet. You are in luck, because today we’ll answer those questions.

A Look at Divi 2.4: Smarter, More Flexible, More Elegant

Software / 17 Jun 2015

A Look at Divi 2.4: Smarter, More Flexible, More Elegant

WordPress is one of the most popular website platforms on the planet. But not everyone has the development chops to get a site up and running and with the aesthetics they want. That’s where themes – specifically Divi – come in!

A theme can help you design, manage and use the latest technology when getting your new (or revised) site online. Today, we’re going to look at Divi, which recently rolled out a ton of great updates, and how a theme like this can work for you.

Neatly Coded, Elegant WordPress Plugins From Chop-Chop.org

Software / 29 May 2015

Neatly Coded, Elegant WordPress Plugins From Chop-Chop.org

Most WordPress users are familiar with just how flexible it can be as a CMS. Right out of the box, it can be used for a variety of different website designs. But one of the tools that helps developers – from experts to beginners – is a good set of plugins for additional functionality.

That’s where the new set of WordPress plugins from Chop-Chop.org come in. Today we’re going to take a look at their collection of plugins, and showcase how they can power-up your WordPress website!

Get to Know Hiveage and Make Invoicing Easier

Software / 6 May 2015

Get to Know Hiveage and Make Invoicing Easier

Work. Bill. Grow. That’s the motto for Hiveage, an online billing and invoicing tool for freelancers and small businesses.

The tool can make life easier with a well-designed interface that’s easy to use and manage – especially for those who don’t have a lot of time to focus on billing. It’s a platform that can help you handle all your business basics in one place. Today we’re taking a look at how it works, and what you can expect from the app.

A First Look at Bloom: An Opt-in Plugin From Elegant Themes

Software / 18 Mar 2015

A First Look at Bloom: An Opt-in Plugin From Elegant Themes

Today, we’re excited to be taking a first look at a new product from Elegant Themes — Bloom. It’s a WordPress plugin that takes the headache out of growing your own email list using beautiful, customizable and easy-to-use forms that can be placed anywhere on your website.

The email inbox is a sacred place. Emails are not lost in the endless stream of chatter or filtered out by social algorithms. They are a direct line to your visitor’s ear, it’s an incredibly important medium. Talking to your customers is the fun bit, but building your list is the hard part, and that’s where Bloom comes in.

How to Make Stock Art Work in Your Design Projects

Software / 18 Dec 2014

How to Make Stock Art Work in Your Design Projects

Sometimes it’s hard to create just the right image, texture or illustration for a design project. It might be a result of resources or time, but there is an option – stock art. There are plenty of places where you can buy and download photos, textures, illustrations and user interface elements that can be used or adapted for your projects.

But how can you most effectively use stock art and ensure that you don’t end up using the same images as another company or website? Here we’ll look at some ways to help you choose the best stock images or vectors for your projects and a tool, GraphicStock, where you can find some great images.

Getting Started With BootstrapBay (Plus 3 Theme Giveaways)

Software / 19 Nov 2014

Getting Started With BootstrapBay (Plus 3 Theme Giveaways)

BootstrapBay is a new theme marketplace where you can buy and sell premium themes and templates. Every theme on the site is packed with features, customization options and features a fully-responsive design.

Here we’ll take a look at BootstrapBay, and what you can find on the site from available themes to pricing to selling your own designs. Plus, BootstrapBay is giving away three themes to three lucky winners. Read on to find out more!