Search Results For: visual effects

Design Trend: Gaussian Blur

Trends / 8 Jul 2021

Design Trend: Gaussian Blur

It’s the website design trend that you see everywhere but might not have a name for: gaussian blur.

It’s present in several other named trends that have been popular this year and for some time, including the frosted glass effect, creating image depth, bokeh backgrounds, and even for various other background techniques.

Here, we’ll look at this design trend, explore different reasons for deploying it (carefully!), along with examples to help you make the most of it.

Let’s dive in!

How to Create a Disruptive Design (So It Will Get Seen)

Graphics / 31 May 2021

How to Create a Disruptive Design (So It Will Get Seen)

If you really want to create a design that will make people look, it has to be disruptive.

While “disruptive” can be a bit of a hackneyed catchphrase, it is also at the core of what you do when you create something new. The goal is to get people to stop, look, and interact.

Disruption works because it is different from the norm. This can include anything from being at the forefront of a new trend to designing with an interesting font, color palette, or design pattern.

This description from Layla Acaroglu explains it perfectly: “Design is about creating something that adds to or iterates on the existing, and disruption is about creating a disturbance with the intent of changing a system. When combined, the practice of Disruptive Design is to create intentional interventions into a pre-existing system with the specific objective to leverage a different outcome, and more importantly, an outcome that is likely to create positive social change.”

Now how can you do it? We have a few ideas (and examples) for you.

The New Rules of Minimal Design: Best Practices, Examples, and Tips

Minimalist Graphic Design / 6 May 2021

The New Rules of Minimal Design: Best Practices, Examples, and Tips

While there is nothing new about minimalism as a design trend, the application and techniques are ever-evolving.

Some of the most notable changes with modern minimal designs are the use of space, color, and typography treatments. These design elements can make the overall aesthetic seem new and fresh or show a more dated style.

Here, we’ve put together a guide on how to do minimal design right with some best practices, examples, and tips for creating a modern feel.

Let’s dive in!

20+ Poster Mockup Templates (Free & Premium)

Mockup Templates / 7 Jul 2020

20+ Poster Mockup Templates (Free & Premium)

Whether you’re designing a poster to advertise a product, business or event, or as an aesthetic decor item, there’s no point in making a poster that doesn’t look great when it’s hanging in place, right? That’s why you need a poster mockup, to put your poster in real life settings and scenarios and ensure that it looks just as amazing when it’s hanging on a wall or in a frame, as it does in your design software.

This list of free and premium poster mockup templates includes the best purpose built mockup options for all kinds of poster designs, from huge billboard style displays to small, decorative pieces that look great on the living room wall.

Whatever your need, there’s a mockup template here that’s just waiting for your poster design!

Instagram Templates

Are you making the most of one of the most popular – and visual – social media channels? Instagram is one of the best social media options for designers because of the visual nature of the network.

Post photos or videos and stories to connect with other users and showcase your work or personal brand. With or without filters and special effects, Instagram can be an impactful way to interact with a large number of users on social media.

In this series, you’ll learn how to supercharge your Instagram account. Craft beautiful posts and updates, improve your branding, find templates, and use Instagram in a new, creative way!

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Split Screen Web Design: The Trend That Keeps Growing

Trends / 15 Jun 2020

Split Screen Web Design: The Trend That Keeps Growing

Website design with a split-screen aesthetic is a trend that keeps evolving and growing. A split-screen design can be good for a number of reasons, including mobile compatibility and user-friendliness. Plus, many of these designs just look great!

Shifts in the trend show that there are so many different ways to create an effective split screen design that users will love. Consider this your introduction to split-screen design in the new and improved era!

Design Psychology: 8 Strategies to Use in Your Projects

Business / 26 May 2020

Design Psychology: 8 Strategies to Use in Your Projects

Psychology, the study of the human mind, is a very complex subject that even the scientists struggle with. In fact, scientists and researchers are still trying to figure out why we have dreams when we sleep.

However, thanks to many studies, years of research, and the dedication of brilliant minds like Sigmund Freud, we now have a general understanding of how the human mind works.

As it turns out, our minds are pre-programmed to respond and react to certain things in certain ways. There are also specific patterns of how our mind reacts and the way we think. In psychology, these patterns are called “schemas”. Researchers have also found strategies that could influence these patterns to control our reactions.

Everyone from magicians to big brand corporations and the mass media have been using and taking advantage of these strategies for generations. To influence our behavior and sell products.

In this guide, we look at how you can apply the same psychological strategies they use for the good of others. And make better and more effective designs.

Design Trend: Neumorphism

Trends / 11 Mar 2020

Design Trend: Neumorphism

Is the next big thing in website and app design neumorphism? It’s a design trend (named as a mashup of the words new and skeuomorphism) that’s growing in popularity. People seem to either love it or hate it, but it’s interesting enough that Cult of Mac recently pushed an article posing the question: “Is neumorphism the big new look for iOS 14?”

We won’t know the answer for a little while yet, but the trend is gaining traction, particularly on Dribbble, where we see many design trends launch.

Here’s a look a neumorphism to help you get an idea of what it is (and isn’t) so the trend doesn’t pass you by.

Design Trend: Liquid Animation in Web Design

Trends / 4 Mar 2020

Design Trend: Liquid Animation in Web Design

Delightful design accents can be one of those things that creates an unexpected user experience that keeps visitors on your website.

A trending technique that does exactly this is the use of liquid animation in web design. What’s great about his trend is that you can use it in so many different ways to create an interface that works with your content.

Here, we’re going to look at various examples of this trend and how you can make it work for you. (Make sure to click through the examples to get a good feel for how each of these animations works.)

Design Trend: Mixing Realism and Illustrations

Trends / 19 Feb 2020

Design Trend: Mixing Realism and Illustrations

There’s a trend afoot in website design that mixes real images with illustrations and art elements in interesting ways. And it’s quirky, unique, and beautiful!

It’s a mashup of visual elements that don’t seem like they go together at first, but when done well can create a stunning aesthetic that is highly engaging and delightful.

Here, we’re going to look at examples of this design trend and different ways of mixing realism and illustrations for maximum impact. Some of these sit within fairly corporate designs, and others are completely playful and entertaining. It’s a wide range of applications of a thoroughly unique and interesting trend.

Minimalist Graphic Design

Most people think a minimal design is a style that just strips everything away. Or does it just require lots of white space? Or just a white canvas with black type? Any of these things can be true. Or none of them can be true.

Minimalist graphic design is a philosophy of creating something where every element serves a purpose. It is simple, clean and beautiful. It is highly usable. These designs are easy for users to understand and engage with. We’ll take a look at minimalist graphic design with ten tips for doing it well, plus examples of those principles in action.

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What Are Lightroom Presets? (+ 10 Useful Examples)

Lightroom Presets / 2 Sep 2019

What Are Lightroom Presets? (+ 10 Useful Examples)

If you’re looking for a shortcut to help speed up your photo editing workflows, Adobe Lightroom presets could be the answer. We’re covering what a Lightroom preset is, how they work, and featuring some of our favorite examples!

Adobe Lightroom Presets can help you perform certain effects and edits with one click. It can be a great way to apply the same edits repeatedly and save time with mundane editing tasks.

Here’s everything you need to know about Lightroom presets work with some cool examples you can download and use.