In the workplace, we hear a lot about work-life balance and the need to be a well-rounded person.
For many freelancers language like that is reason enough to never work for another person again.
We aren’t very social animals and most of us aren’t normal workers either. Some of us do our best work at 2:00 in the morning after a feverish round of Halo 3.
In this post, we feature 50 outstanding and beautiful snowboard designs. The vertical space creates unique design challenges and interesting compositions, in a multitude of design styles.
Snowboard design is a growing and popular trend among graphic designers. In fact, there’s a number of competitions around the world centered exclusively around snowboard design, such as the Salomon and Artec competitions.
Some of the images provided here are from mock up designs and are not available as actual snowboards, however the majority of these images link to the online stores where you can purchase the actual snowboards.
Judging from the designs, these are as fun to make as snowboarding itself, so let’s get inspired and let the fun begin! Read more
What is simplicity? Simplicity is the quality of being natural, plain and easy to understand. It is not surprising then that simplicity is often thrived for in user interface design. Most people naturally dislike complexity in devices and software. Yes, some people find joy in figuring out how something works, but for most of us, being unable to operate a device leads to wasted time and frustration, and that’s not a good thing.
If you can take a complex device or a piece of software and somehow rearrange, reorganize and redesign the interface to make it easy to use and understand, then you’re well on the way to delivering a better user experience.
In this article I’m going to talk about 7 practical techniques that you can utilize in web design to make your websites or web applications simpler and less cluttered. Read more
As a blogger myself, I’ve always wondered what other people’s workstations look like. I realize many of you probably wonder the same thing, so I’ve decided to prepare this post which includes photos of work spaces from popular blogs and websites.
Most pictures show Mac computers being used, sometimes in conjunction with PC’s and/or laptops. It’s also interesting to see how some spaces are very clean and minimalistic, while others draw inspiration from busier set ups.
Thanks to all of you that participated in this fun article and sent their images. Finally, if you have a popular website or blog and would like to be featured here, simply contact me so that I can include it here. The article will be expanded as other photos get submitted over the coming days.
Now, let’s go explore some interesting workstations and get inspired… Read more
In this tutorial we are going to learn how to create a breaking apart effect using some simple, but effective, techniques in Photoshop.
One of the greatest tools in Photoshop which is often overlooked is layer masks and when used correctly, they can blend images together seamlessly, giving that professional touch.
We are going to combine the masks with brushes to compliment the original source image with subtle elements.
Once you have completed this tutorial you can experiment with your own findings and combine the techniques used to create a unique and inspiring work. Read more
When I started crafting the idea for the Webdesigner Depot blog, I was looking for a designer that could create a design for the site demonstrating the fun aspects of design while being colorful, vibrant and using many different design elements. The blog was intended to be a relaxed, fun place to explore the different aspects of design.
I found Radim Malinic and his exceptional work through Webdesigner Magazine. I love the way his designs explode with boldness, color and shapes, truly demonstrating the infinite possibilities of design, being somewhat risky by breaking out of the norm. I wanted WDD to be exactly that, a loose grip on all things related to design.
Here’s an interview that I recently conducted with Radim, in order to gain more insight into his professional work, his personal life and the way that he crafted the memorable design of Webdesigner Depot, which is now featured in countless website galleries. Read more
It’s well known that Apple is one of the most creative and innovative companies in the world, so it’s no wonder that many software companies and web designers would choose to follow Apple’s style of branding.
The Apple website is one of the best websites out there due to its ease of use, functionality and the beautiful environment that it creates.
I looked at websites that use one or more design elements inspired by Apple.com. Some of these sites sell Mac software and apps, so it makes sense for them to keep the same Apple look and feel. Consider this though: How many software companies that develop for Windows, choose to brand their websites to look like Vista? I have included a few screenshots of the Apple website, just in case you haven’t never seen it before. Read more
A professional logo can enhance a company, an organization, or a product. On the other hand, an unprofessional logo can ruin a brand and mar an otherwise good designer’s portfolio.
Many logos in use are unprofessional and carry all the tell-tale marks of an amateur or a beginner. Everyone thinks they can design a great logo, but simply knowing your way around Photoshop is not enough.
Here are some insights into the process and workflow of effective and modern logo design. With these tips and your creativity, you can make your logo designs shine with the very best.
Read more
Writing for the web is a skill set of its own. Website text, or “copy”, needs to be written in a different tone for the web than a brochure. It needs to be built around the target keywords for the site and be written for a lower literacy audience.
Most web designers have a leg up on traditional freelance writers since they have their pulse on what the search engines like and don’t like to see on a site.
While practice is the best teacher, these 10 tips should get you on your way to providing an extra service for your customers that they will appreciate and you will find very rewarding. Read more
A few weeks ago I went to the movies to see the new James Bond movie: Quantum of Solace. The movie was nice, even though I’m not a really big fan of the series, however one thing that really caught my eye was the opening credits. I really liked the effects and the style.
The studio that did that animation was MK12 and I love the way they mixed sand and some sort of vector elements, it reminded me a bit of Apple’s Viva la Vida ad.
In this tutorial, I will show you how I created the image inspired by the James Bond movie, in Photoshop.
Here’s a preview of the final image: Read more
If you ever heard the phrase ‘you can find inspiration everywhere you look’, then this article is for you. Today we look at rusted metal textures as both an unusual source of inspiration as well as an option for unique backgrounds.
Textured backgrounds are a great way to add an extra dimension to any graphic design project. Magazines and printed media can resort to textured paper for added impact however, this is impossible to do on the web, and the closest we can do is adding texture to simulate this effect.
We’ve compiled a list of 50 free rust metal texture backgrounds that will really look great on your websites, blogs, Twitter backgrounds or even wallpapers. Most of these are available under a Creative Commons License requiring attribution however, check each source for any specific details. Read more
In this article, we list several great applications for project and time management as well as collaboration between you and your clients. There are free and commercial options available.
These project management apps are here to save you time, but they can also be very time consuming and not intuitive. If you have a team who works with you remotely, then this is an ideal choice. If you are a freelancer however, you will have to spend some time learning these as well as teaching your clients how to use and interact with the application.
Let’s keep the cons aside and give the apps a chance, you can then see for yourself which ones will suit your needs best. Read more
When someone visits a website you’ve designed, the odds are that they don’t care much about the colors, images or sounds, they’re immediately looking at the text.
No matter how many bells and whistles you’ve built into a website, everyone relies on text to accomplish whatever they’re visiting the site to do.
That alone should make typography, the art of arranging type, a priority for any web designer.
In this article we take a look at 10 easy rules to keep in mind when designing your next web project. Read more
If you’ve found a greater purpose for your iPhone besides calling or Googling directions, then you’d probably like to explore what your iPhone can offer you in the realm of graphic design.
I’ve compiled a collection of the most useful 13 iPhone apps for graphic designers that I’ve come across. Each contributes and offers a unique ability to aid you on your journey through graphic design.
We’ll be taking a look at applications that help with task management, enhance photos, sketching and a whole lot more. As usual, feel free to add your comments below and let us know which ones you like best and which ones you use. Read more
Just when you thought you were done with IE 6 and its hacks and exceptions, now you’ve got a new browser to consider: Google’s Chrome.
The good news is that Chrome is a lot more compatible with web standards than IE 5 and 6. However, Chrome has its own idiosyncrasies and bugs.
No one knows if Chrome is here to stay, but it has already captured a surprisingly decent share of the web browser market in a short period of time.
Here are some tips to get your web pages working in Chrome and hopefully looking the way they were designed to look.
In the first part of this series, we presented stock photography from a marketing and advertising perspective.
You learned about different license types, the photo subjects most sought after by stock agencies, copyright, licensing and more.
In this second part, we’ll present the technical and design aspect of stock photography. You, the photographer, will learn the technical skills necessary to improve the quality of your photos in order to be accepted on stock photography websites.
We’ll cover photo composition, file formats, and post processing as well as a short list of insider tips. Read more
Its seems like the desktop and office style websites have been a popular design idea for a few years now. While many of these design share some of the same elements, it is always interested to see the random extras and nic-nacs that people add to them.
What is even more interesting about this style is how it has crossed over to many other genres of business aside from designers.
You will notice that we included a few websites from other industries that follow the same basic idea of the desktop design. Read more
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