Search Results For: pattern

Graphics / 13 Aug 2018

Black and White Design: 10 Stunning Examples (+ Tips)

A black and white design scheme can be one of the most striking combinations for a project. The deep contrast and simplistic nature of these colors (or lack thereof) provide plenty of opportunities to explore other techniques to make the most of the design.

Black and white designs have always been pretty popular, shifting most recently to more minimalist styles with a mostly white background and black elements. But as you’ll see from this collection of stunning black and white design projects, there are so many other options to explore.

Trends / 25 Jul 2018

Art Deco Graphic Design: A Classic Trend

Add some old-school charm to design projects, with an art deco-inspired design. Traditional, classic, and vintage styles are on-trend now, making art deco elements a fun and easy way to add a touch of something the evokes classic feelings while maintaining a modern touch.

Art Deco graphic design might be a trend, but it is not a new style. The style dates to the 1920s with the greatest popularity of the style lasting for about 15 years. Art deco took off in part due to a culture where advertising was gaining popularity. Art deco graphic design was a mass-produced style and was in everything from magazines to the lines of car styles to architecture to the clothing styles associated with the roaring 20s (such as flapper girls).

Read on to find out more about this trend, and how art deco graphic design is making a comeback!

UX Design / 4 Jul 2018

How to Become a UX Designer

So you think you want to be a UX designer? But maybe you don’t know exactly where to start. Whether you are a student thinking about the future, or in the midst of your design career looking to make a change, the process is pretty similar.

If you put in the work and time, you can develop your skills and start doing more UX work. Today we’re exploring what a UX designer does, along with tips, ideas, and suggestions for how to start out on your journey to becoming a UX designer.

Wedding Design / 2 Apr 2018

10 Design Tips for Wedding Cards & Invitations

Wedding season is here. Whether you’re planning to design invitations and cards for your own wedding, or for a client or a friend, there are several wedding card design tips that you’ll want to consider!

Wedding invitations present an opportunity to work with some beautiful elements and printing techniques to create a piece of art that isn’t part of the usual workflow. From scripts with long tails to foiling and amazing paper stocks, designing wedding cards and invitations can be a lot of fun (and a bit of a design challenge).

The big thing to keep in mind is that the invitation should evoke an emotional connection to the couple. It should reflect their personality and style.

Web Standards / 7 Feb 2018

The 3 Cs of User Interfaces: Color, Contrast, and Content

There’s an old business model that many business strategists live by—the 3 Cs. It’s a reminder to focus on the company, customers and competitors. Many small businesses and websites also use this model. But for designers, the three Cs are a little different.

When creating user interfaces, you should focus on color, contrast, and content. These three elements are the foundation of good design. But each is a little more complex than it might seem from the surface. Here’s how to think about–and incorporate–the three Cs of user interfaces into your design projects.

Layouts / 13 Nov 2017

Parallax Effects Compared: 5 Choices to Consider

Parallax effects remain one of the hottest web design trends. This animated scrolling technique happens when background and foreground move at different speeds while the user scrolls so that there are two independent layers moving at the same time.

This effect can be used for any number of website types and is a fun way to create – and increase – user engagement. The nice thing about parallax effects is that you don’t have to use them on every page of a design; parallax scrolling is a great homepage technique to help drive users to calls to action or other content.

Parallax effects create an element of depth and distance and a greater sense three-dimension than some other techniques, making users feel like part of the design.

The downside to parallax effects is that they don’t always work on mobile devices. (But there are some workarounds for that as well in the tutorial at the end of this article.)

Here are five parallax effects and styles to consider. (Make sure to click through the links to see exactly how each animation works.)

Graphics / 16 Oct 2017

Design Trend: Vivid Rainbow Colors

If nothing else, 2017 has been a year of color in website design. Color trends have dominated the conversation about design, with brighter, bolder hues as a large part of the landscape.

There’s a new color trend that combines a lot of those bright options into bigger color palettes that you might now expect – rainbow color patterns. That’s right, more designers are taking a change with a lot of color and incorporating vivid rainbow, gradient colors into design projects. And it’s pretty cool!

Here’s a look at the trend and some ideas for how to use vivid color that aren’t garish.

Graphics / 19 Sep 2017

10 Best Tools & Tips for Choosing a Website Color Scheme

Finding the perfect color combination for a website can be a challenging task, especially when you’re trying to make a particular design fit in with a client’s requirements. We’ve picked out a few great color scheme generating tools for you to easily create the perfect palette!

If you’re stuck trying to find the perfect color scheme for a website design, don’t feel bad. It’s OK if you’re not an expert on color palettes. You just need to find the right set of tools to do that job for you.

But, before you go crazy with the color tools, let’s figure out some of the things you need to consider when choosing the right color combination for a design.

UX Design / 4 Sep 2017

Design Inspiration for Scroll Actions

Scrolling is a key component of any website design that extends beyond a single landing page. Anyone who thinks the scroll is dead needs to jump out of 2005!

Scroll actions move users through content vertically or horizontally and are a commonly accepted user pattern. The scroll is alive and well thanks to plenty of interesting design techniques and a shift toward accessing full websites on smaller screens. Let’s take a look!

Graphics / 7 Aug 2017

8 Ways to Use Hand Drawn Icons & Elements

While there’s often a focus on pixel-perfect design elements, they aren’t suitable for everything. Sometimes you want something with a little more… whimsy. Something a little more authentic!

Hand drawn icons or elements can be just the right design technique to add something special to a project. While most designers won’t go crazy with elements that appear to be hand-drawn, a few touches can add a personal feel that users are drawn to.

It’s something that’s trending in web design as well. From a squiggle in an icon, to a full-experience that’s equal usability and art, hand drawn elements are a popular design option. Here are eight fresh ways to use this trend!

Typography / 24 Jul 2017

Tiny Text: 6 Ways to Use It Effectively in Web Design

One of the biggest trends in web design right now is super small. “Tiny” text elements have become a popular idea, but it’s a design trend that has spurred some debate.

There’s no doubt that small text sizes can cause some readability concerns. But when done well, a small block of tiny text can actually help create a point of visual emphasis and draw users into certain parts of the design.

Join us as we take a look at the tiny text trend, with examples to provide some design inspiration.

Inspiration / 18 Jul 2017

30 Stunning Desktop Wallpapers From Unsplash

Need a little extra design inspiration? Start with your Mac or Windows desktop background. A stunning desktop wallpaper can provide an extra little spark every time you fire up your computer, and browsing through great photos is a sure fire way to get the creative juices flowing.

Unsplash, a free stock photography website, is packed with amazing images that you can use in any way you want… including as a desktop wallpaper! Here’s a list of our favourites that we’ve put together to help you feel a little more inspired. Whether you like a minimal, patterned, or stunning photographic wallpaper, we’ll have something for you!