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27 Aug
How to Stay Simple with your Product
Design, How to, Review
12

Let’s face it, we designers love to start from scratch. For example: How may times do we revamp our own portfolios? Staying simple is crucial when starting from scratch.
We hear this “staying simple” phrase a lot these days. Is it just a bunch of jargon or is there something to it? We found one approach that you probably haven’t considered.
We all know that we need to focus the website visitor’s attention on a few core features which bring value to the visitors. The minute you start adding too many features to please every visitor, you bargain for too much attention.
The result is that visitors get overwhelmed and confused without understanding the value. You’ve got to show the value to the user right away. You can’t waste too much of their time.
So the question becomes: what do you do when you have a crucial core feature that you want to add to a web product but you fear it might push the product too far from its core and overwhelm your visitors without showing value? The answer is: you build a new product. This is not just a theory. We tried it, and it worked like a charm. Read more
23 Aug
How Limitations Improve Design
Design, How to, Web Design
40

We often complain about the multitude of limitations which we’re faced with every day as designers.
From browsers, to screen resolutions, to user interactions, we seem to constantly be struggling to find some way of thinking outside the tiny little box of “best practice” which we’re constrained by.
Limitations are abundant but are they really such a bad thing? Is it possible, even, that they actually produce far better results than if we did not have them?
Ikea for example, starts with price and then work backwards. Their main concern is the price of the product to the end user. It’s up to the designers to create something appealing which fits within that.
37Signals wrote a whole book about how they operate with similarly heavy restrictions when building web apps; they set a date to launch and then they stick to it, no matter what.
Read more
17 Aug
30 Fun and Fantastic Wedding Invitations
Compilation, Design, Inspiration
30
In the past, we featured creative business cards on WDD that show incredible creativity in order to promote a business, however, business cards seem to pale in comparison to some of the card designs you’re going to see next.
As you’ll see below, weddings invitations have been overflowing with creativity, with couples wanting the guests to start experiencing their special day from the moment they receive the invitation, way before the big event.
This collection consists of 30 unique, crafty, and fun wedding invitations. You’ll see everything from circus-themed invitations to cards designed to look like comic book covers.
Enjoy the collection, and share your comments at the end of this post as well as links to other great wedding invitations… Read more
9 Aug
Stop Designing Aesthetics, Start Designing Emotions
Design, Usability, Web Design
27

Despite the somewhat provocative title, you shouldn’t really stop designing aesthetics.
Gradients and colors and contrast are all good, but there’s a more important side to web design that many people overlook most of the time: Designing emotions.
Discussing emotion in design is a bit of a hot topic at the moment, it seems to be popping up in more and more blog posts and speaker sessions. In fact I saw at least three different web designers say that it was the subject of the talk which they had recently submitted for next year’s SXSWi.
So what’s all the fuss about? Today we’ll take a look at what that means, how you can do it and why you should. This is taking design to the next level, beyond the norm. Read more
28 Jul
200+ Exclusive Free Icons: “Reflection”
Design, Freebies, Icons
54
Icons are a great and quick way to enhance your projects. They add a certain personality to your designs and make things pop when they need to.
Today we release a new set of icons which we call “Reflection”. It’s simple yet elegant and stylish at the same time. You’ll find these icons great to use at small sizes, such as for website navigation, menus and more. Both vector and raster versions are included.
The set contains 208 icons and is available free of charge for personal and commercial projects, with attribution required.
Redistribution isn’t allowed, so If you’d like to share these icons with your friends, please direct them to this page so that they can download their copy from here.
There is a full preview right after the jump… We hope you enjoy the new icons! Read more
19 Jul
Applying Duotones to Data
Design, How to, Photography
9
The ability to tint black-and-white photographs with color has been a staple of photography for decades, and modern image editors make warming and cooling grayscale images a snap.
This concept of a steady progression of shades can be used to present information as well.
This technique of tinting digital photos works well for presenting information and can improve usability.
Just as a gradient shows a range of colors, a monotone or duotone can be used to show a range of data.
In this article, we’ll learn how to apply color to enhance infographics. Read more
8 Jul
Occam’s Razor: A Great Principle for Designers
Design, How to, Web Design
31
Lex parsimoniae is the Latin expression of what is known in English as Occam’s Razor, a philosophical rule of thumb that has guided some of the world’s best and brightest minds (including Isaac Newton).
It is named after the 14th-century logician and theologian William of Ockham.
But what the heck does Occam’s Razor have to do with web design? I’m glad you asked. To put it plainly, Occam’s Razor states that the simplest explanation is usually true.
For our purposes, to use Occam’s Razor is to do something in the simplest manner possible because simpler is usually better.
In this article, we’ll show you how to use Occam’s Razor to create better websites and to enhance the user experience, both for yourself and your clients. Read more
1 Jul
Using Landmarks Makes Page Layout Easy
Design, Graphic Design, How to
26

A design may have impact. It may have style. But having these isn’t enough.
To work well, a design has to have elements that play off each other’s strengths. Fortunately, every piece of content has inherent guidelines.
Layout, or the arrangement of content on a web page, is critical to a design’s success. Among other things, layout prioritizes content to lead people from one element to the next.
If done right, people will be so interested in the content that they won’t notice anything else.
Read on for more details and tips for creating layouts that work in your designs. Read more
7 Jun
How to Design Your Business Card
Branding, Design, How to
68

As web designers and developers, we often overlook printed marketing materials.
But on occasion, they can come in very handy: at conferences, when we meet face-to-face with clients, or when we happen to run into someone we might want to do business with. Having business cards is a great way to promote yourself in the physical world.
Of course, since web design is a creative field, you’ll want your business card to serve as a sort of mini portfolio that displays your skills. You should put the same time and energy into designing your business cards that you put into designing a website.
And the skills necessary to design a business card can be easily adapted from those that are required to design a website. Read on for more information about how to design your business cards. Read more
1 Jun
Redesign vs. Realign
Design, Web Design, Web Designers
21

It’s been nearly five years now since the redesign vs. realign debate began.
Many designers are still approaching website changes as redesigns, with little thought to whether they should be redesigning or realigning the site for their clients.
In fact, many designers are still a bit confused about which one is appropriate for which projects, or even what the difference really is.
Understanding the difference between redesigning and realigning can result in happier clients who are better reaching their website goals.
There are times when redesigns are appropriate, and there are other times when realignments are appropriate. It all depends on how the client’s current site is working for them, and what their goals are.
Read on to find out more about the differences between redesigning and realigning, and how to determine which one fits your current and future projects. Read more
24 May
The Psychology of Web Design
Design, Web Design
43

Designers often don’t take the time they should to learn about how basic psychological principles can effect the experience their visitors have on the sites they build.
Psychological principles are either looked upon as unnecessary, or too complicated. But the truth is that they’re neither.
There aren’t that many concepts associated with basic design psychology, and most are relatively straight-forward and easy to learn.
They’re also mainly easy to implement, though some take a bit more care and planning than others.
Read on to learn more and please leave your feedback and comments at the end of this post. Read more
20 May
The One-Hour Block Technique
Design, How to, Productivity
38

Being a designer is great. You get to spend all day being creative—that is, of course, if you have all day to spend and are feeling inspired.
Unfortunately, sometimes you’re completely devoid of ideas, which can be demoralizing, especially when it affects your profit and stress levels.
Many designers I’ve met suffer from this problem occasionally. In such circumstances, some creatives choose to push on and just create something.
This is a poor use of your time, though, because it won’t lead to your best work. Others decide to take the day off, but this isn’t always viable. I, on the other hand, use a clever technique, one that I find so effective that I use it all the time now: working in a one-hour time frame. Read more
17 May
Avoid “Perfect Photo” Syndrome
Design, How to, Web Design
30

Sometimes, choosing just the right image for a website that does not yet have a defined visual theme can be daunting.
Should you use a drawing or a photo? Should you create it yourself or find stock art? How do you know whether it will set the right tone? Is that the best you can do?
When the quest for perfection leads to indecision, you may wind up with a mediocre design.
Two common causes of this are a lack of ideas and a glut of art. Both cause headaches, and both are solvable.
Finding the right image is like fighting writer’s block. Any old picture might do, but for people with a personal stake in the project, the quest for the perfect image is full of uncertainty.
Read on for ideas on finding the right imagery. Read more
14 May
Architecture vs. Web Design
Design, Inspiration, Web Design
30

As designers, it’s common to wonder what the differences are between our chosen discipline and others.
After all, there are a lot of similar rules and guidelines that permeate design, no matter what the field. And sometimes that leaves us wondering how difficult it would be to switch between design disciplines.
In this post, we’ve compared architecture and web design. While there are a lot of similarities, there are also tons of differences between these two areas of design.
Most of these are directly related to the fact that web design deals primarily with virtual space, where architecture deals mostly with the real, physical world. If you’d like to share additional similarities and differences, please do so in the comments… Read more
11 May
Showcase of Blogs with Unique Post Designs
Blogs, Design, Web Design
48

The trend of creating unique designs for each post on a blog is growing.
A few years ago the idea of creating a custom design for each post on a blog either meant you had to forgo traditional blogging software or hack the source code to allow for custom designs.
With the advent of WordPress plugins like Art Direction it’s now relatively simple for a designer to create a custom design for each post on their blog.
The sites below are some of the best examples of sites that use custom designs for many or all of their posts. Some play around with the general layout and color scheme of each post, while others create completely unique concepts for every post.
In either case, the posts are much more interesting because of their design and are reminiscent of magazine layouts (the term “blogazine” is often used to describe these types of blogs and posts). If you know of other sites with custom post designs, please share them in the comments area below. Read more
27 Apr
Delicious Examples of Sandwich Art
Compilation, Design, Inspiration
45

Through WDD we love to show you how you can use your design skills to be creative in all aspects of your life, not only when sitting at your computer.
Everywhere you look, you can find people in many different fields using their design talents, even in the food industry.
In this post, we’ve selected some amazing examples of creative sandwich art. Some are really fun (and look delicious too), so we’re sure that this collection will help feed your imagination by getting your creative (digestive?) juices flowing.
As usual, we’d love to see examples of your own creations or other great examples that you may have found on the web. Read more
8 Apr
You’re Failing as a Web Developer — and Here’s Why
Design, Web Designers, Webmasters
105

There is endless content available in the world of web design blogging telling us how to do things right, and how to succeed at our chosen profession.
That’s obviously a good thing, and it will certainly continue that way. But once in a while we need reminders on the things we do (or fail to do) that are negative.
That is, things that can have a detrimental impact on our progress as designers and developers — despite that these things may be temporarily helping us pay the bills and keep us afloat financially.
We all need to analyze our situation and assess whether or not we’re forming healthy design and coding habits, and whether those habits could be providing short-term gains that are not conducive to long-term success.
So, take this information with a grain of salt (because I know some of it is highly debatable) and consider whether or not you personally are doing anything that could prevent you from having a job in five years. Read more
1 Apr
4 People You Should Ask For Website Feedback
Community, Design, Web Design
41

Most people know that good feedback is essential to designing and developing quality websites.
But what constitutes “feedback” can be ambiguous: for some, it is little more than a hasty spell-check; for others, it is akin to submitting and defending a PhD dissertation.
While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for those seeking feedback on their work, there are some proven ways to get helpful input from others.
Here are a few ideas and tools to assist you in your quest for an improved product.
Have more ideas? Please share them in the comments area. Read more
30 Mar
A Showcase of Watercolor in Web Design
Color, Design, Web Design
43

Watercolor is such an old school element. Artists have been using watercolor for hundreds of years, and web designers have adopted the style for good reason.
Watercolor is a great way to add depth, interesting subtle textures and colors. It can really give your site an authentic, natural feel.
The examples compiled in this collection use watercolor in different ways; whether it’s for the main graphic of the site or the more subtle and faint hints that get you to look twice.
Watercolor has been around for a century and I know most of you will say it’s a trend, but you can’t argue with something that has pioneered painting and art. Read more
29 Mar
A Look at the New MSN.com Design
Design, Review, Web Design
39

Since March 9 of this year Microsoft has been rolling out their new design of MSN.com.
Backed by countless hours of testing and roughly 70,000 pieces of feedback from their users, the design has been tweaked over the last four months to its current state.
Visitors who cannot yet view it at http://www.msn.com can access it at http://preview.msn.com.
In this post, we take a look at the new redesign and examine its positive and negative aspects.
Feel free to share your opinion on the design in the comments area. Read more
12 Mar
Design Around the World: Metro Maps
Compilation, Design, Inspiration
145

Every city looks and feels unique. Regional culture, typography, dialect, local customs and many more factors play a part in defining a city’s differences.
Those differences determine how that city sees its citizens and how it wants to represent itself to others.
For each city with one, the metro plays a part in defining those differences. The metro maps in this post show the skeletons of these cities. Each map explores the paths taken by the residents of that city.
The design and style of the maps appears reflective of the particular place. They may be seen as not only maps, but individual expressions of a local identity.
Here’s a great compilation of metro maps from around the world… Read more
3 Mar
How to Kill the Design Community
Design, How to, Humor
194

Recently, the notion of killing the design community has come up on a few blogs (sometimes indirectly), creating many intense conversations on the direction the design community has taken over the past couple of years, and what can be done about it.
The possibility that such discussions are going to improve the design community is quite troubling.
In the interests of taking advantage of this recent trend (namely, writing about “killing the community”), I felt it would be necessary to address this issue by describing some easy-to-learn and practical tips that will help all of us do our part in killing the community. Read more
25 Feb
The Wackiest and Most Creative iPhone Cases
Compilation, Design, iPhone
48

The iPhone is arguably the most revolutionary product Apple has released in its existence.
With nearly 50 million iPhones sold to date, there are hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of iPhone cases that have been created.
In this article, we have compiled some of the most creative ones, but also a few of the wackiest and most unusal iPhone cases that we have ever seen.
What do you think of these designs? Please leave links to other interesting iPhone cases which you may have seen, in the comments are below. Read more
17 Feb
Blast from the Past: Vintage Technologies That We No Longer Use
Compilation, Design, Technology
115

Most of the technologies that we have used in the past have been eclipsed by the remarkable technology that we use today.
Advances in their design have occurred in tandem with the advances in technology in this digital era, with many large products being redesigned and miniaturized into amazingly small sizes.
While we may laugh at the fact that anyone ever found this technology to be cutting-edge, we can’t discount its place in history as a forerunner for all of the technology that wouldn’t exist today without its dinosaur ancestry.
Here is a quick look through history at vintage technologies that we no longer use. Read more
2 Feb
A Showcase of Minimalist Workstations
Design, Inspiration, Productivity
166

No matter what your personal work style, an uncluttered and attractive workspace will improve the quality and efficiency of your work.
Getting rid of paper, digitizing your business cards, minimizing your office supplies are just some of the measures you can take to declutter your workspace and redesign your work life.
Working in an aesthetically pleasing and minimalist workspace enhances your creativity and focus.
Eliminate anything you don’t need, and you’ll have less of a visual distraction. We have enough online distractions; shouldn’t we be limiting the physical ones as well?
The minimalist zen like work spaces that we’ve collected below can inspire you to create a clean design for your environment that meshes with the beautiful work that you do online.
Read more
28 Jan
Impossible Gravity Defying Ads
Advertising, Design, Print
51

According to Newton’s Law of universal gravitation, what goes up, must come down…. but that’s not always the case!
One of the great things about design is that we can use our imagination to break free from the norm by rewriting the laws of physics.
In this post, we invite you to look at our reality in a new light and expect the unexpected.
The ads in this post feature impossible compositions that cause the viewer to question the laws of the universe while bringing an extra dimension of wonder to our world.
We’ve collected 30 examples of adverts that defy the law of gravity to varying degrees…. enjoy! Read more
26 Jan
The Principle of Proximity in Web Design
Design, How to, Web Design
66

Recently I picked up an old design book that I hadn’t touched in a while, and it reminded me of a design principle that many of us put into practice probably only subconsciously, if at all.
The book deals with designing for print, but I thought it would make a great topic to discuss in the context of web design.
The principle of proximity calls for related items to be grouped visually, creating less clutter and making for a more organized layout. Items unrelated to each other should be placed further apart, to emphasize their lack of relationship.
I’ll discuss details and some ways in which this can be implemented effectively, but this definition should suffice for what we’ll discuss in this article.
The correct use of proximity, in conjunction with other design principles, has a big impact on the user experience and, ultimately, a website’s overall success. Read more
13 Jan
The History of the Ampersand and Showcase
Design, History, Typography
66

The ampersand is one of the most unique typographical characters out there.
Typography designers can exercise a lot more artistic freedom in the design of the ampersand, ranging from very traditional representations to those that bear little resemblance to the original form.
But many designers have little knowledge about the origin and meaning of the ampersand. The ampersand has a long and rather interesting history, though.
And with all the variations available out there, there are a whole host of design possibilities presented by this particular character.
Read on for more information, a history of the ampersand, and a gallery of ampersand designs from a variety of different typefaces. Read more
11 Jan
A World of Design Possibilities
Design, Inspiration, Web Design
47

Many of today’s design styles derive from Swiss-style graphic design, now more commonly known today as “modern design.”
The style is recognized for its unique and rather groundbreaking attention to typography. Needless to say, Switzerland’s design culture has taken the world by storm.
Of course, the style has grown beyond the graphic design industry and made its way into web design.
When we web designers search for inspiration, though, we tend to stick to this one culture.
Though a great source of inspiration, let’s look at some graphic design styles from other parts of the world. Perhaps we could incorporate at least subtle elements from those other cultures into our current style. Read more
5 Jan
Drop-Shadows and Gradients: Be Consistent in Your Visual Metaphors
Design, Photoshop, Web Design
76

Drop-shadows and gradients are two of the most common design elements on the web.
You’ll find them accompanying many different styles. They’re handy effects for web designers because they’re attractive, useful and easy to create with any graphics program. But they have a dark side: they’re frequently abused.
Using amateurish drop-shadows or gradients is almost as bad as affixing a scarlet letter to your shirt to let the world know you’re a beginner or a hack. Even subtle, barely noticeable mistakes can create tensions that undermine otherwise beautiful and effective designs.
In this article, we’ll look at what drop-shadows and gradients do, we’ll talk about how to use them effectively and we’ll look at some examples of mistakes and how to fix them. Read more
31 Dec
Happy New Year!!!
Design, Web Design
35

On behalf of myself and the entire WDD team, we’d like to wish you a very happy, healthy and successful 2010!!!
Thanks for your support in 2009; we hope you learned a few good things here while having fun and getting inspired at the same time.
The next year will be also full of great content and inspirational posts, and we’ll cover a bit more of the technical side of design as well.
And there’s ‘one more thing’… we’ll be launching another website in early 2010… stay tuned to our RSS feed and follow our tweets @DesignerDepot to be the first to know.
We wish you much success in your design career in the year ahead and all the best to you and your loved ones… Here’s to an awesome 2010…
21 Dec
How to Get a Professional Look With Color
Color, Design, Web Design
100

What makes a design look coordinated, planned and professional? The answer is: ‘color’.
Not every project needs bland corporate blue to look professional. Planning color means creating a framework that describes which colors to use and how to use them.
Color is the slipperiest design element. “Good” color is so closely tied to elusive things like personal taste and intuition, as well as technical considerations such as contrast and monitor calibration.
But color is vital to content. If you consider a website important enough to spend time refining, then readers will likely consider it important enough to spend time reading. Good color choices make that happen.
In this article we’ll review some techniques to achieve beautiful color palletes for your web designs. Read more
9 Dec
When Minimalism Backfires: When Too Little Is Not Enough
Creativity, Design, Web Design
55

As seen in our previous article on the subject and examples around the web, minimalism is quite the trend.
When the theory behind it is well implemented, it makes for some beautiful, simple and yet modern designs.
Because it is a trend, everyone wants to follow it. But can it be taken too far? And is it right for all types of websites?
This article explores some of the potentially negative side-effects of minimalist designs and the consequences of implementing one incorrectly.
Unlike our previous post, we’ll look at when minimalism is a bad idea, however inspiring it is supposed to be. Read more
7 Dec
Wikipedia Redesign: What’s in Store?
Design, Usability, Web Design
30

Wikipedia is currently undergoing a much needed redesign to improve the user experience.
Anyone can preview this redesign by creating an account, logging in and then clicking the “Try Beta” link at the top right of any page.
The “Wikipedia Usability Initiative” has been divided into two phases. Phase 1 was the prototype phase, and it ended in the summer of 2009.
The project team is currently in the second phase, which is the development and testing phase.
The project has also been separated into four releases; as of the writing of this article, the second release (Babaco) is currently in development.
In this article, we’ll discuss Wikipedia’s design changes and the reasons behind them.
Read more
3 Dec
Minimalist Web Design: When Less is More
Creativity, Design, Web Design
116

As designers, we all know that a minimalist design can achieve beautiful results.
Still, many designers have trouble creating one; either they have a hard time making a page with so few elements look good or the final result just doesn’t look “complete.”
There are many articles on the Web about minimalism and this article aims to help you achieve a minimalist design that is beautiful but not bare.
To top it off, we’ll present a small showcase of minimalist designs, so that you can analyze why some designs work and others don’t. Read more
19 Nov
Mind Blowing Hyperrealistic Sculptures
Art, Compilation, Design
253

Artists that produce photorealistic sculptures, for the most part, aim to show us our bodies and life as it really is.
Technically, artists who strive for a high resolution level of detail in painting or sculpture are called “hyperrealists”, although all hyperrealists are also considered to be photorealists.
Every detail is slavishly recreated as close to the real life model as possible, even if the sculpture is larger than the original scale.
Photorealistic sculptors create truly amazing sculptures that will make you feel wonder, revulsion and the sense of looking in someone else’s mirror.
In this post we feature sculptors Ron Mueck, Evan Penny, Jamie Salmon, Duane Hanson, Sam Jinks and Adam Beane who produce sculpture that seems alive in every detail, right down to veins and rashes on skin. This compilation should give you a cross section of modern photorealistic sculpture. Read more
16 Nov
Understanding Your Brain for Better Design: Left vs. Right
Design, Visualization, Webdesign
99

The concept of the left and right brain only lately popped up in the late 1960’s, but since has become a well-known part of human psychology.
While we all use both sides of the brain, each of us has a dominant side, and this dominant side makes up for a huge part of our personalities.
Each individual thinks a certain way, has more interest in certain areas, and above and beyond all — is most effective in certain ways. An accurate understanding of the left and right brain can help one to become more productive, efficient, and creative.
This article will cover a basic understanding of what the left and right brains are, and each of their traits. We’ll also go into how we, as creative people, can harness this understanding of the left and right brain to be more creative, as well as succeed in other work-related tasks. Read more
6 Nov
Pure Design Awesomeness by Niark
Design, Graphic Design, Illustrator
29

Today we’re featuring the awesome talent of Niark, a wondrous 34 year old French freelance graphic designer and witty illustrator living in Paris.
Niark takes his inspiration from street art, music and graphics.
He works in a broad scope of areas such as advertising agencies, music labels, art toys, streetwear and more.
His style features bright colors and abstract illustrations and finds balance in seemingly chaotic environments.
If you want to learn more about Niark, take a look at his portfolio. In this post, you’ll find a collection of his best works that you can use for inspiration. Read more
29 Oct
The Dazzling Digital Art of Archan Nair
Design, Illustrations, Inspiration
30

Archan Nair (alias archanN on the web) is an exceptional 26 year old designer, illustrator and digital artist.
He is currently based in New Delhi, India. As you scroll through his art, keep in mind his goal of creating works was inspired by various phases or moments of life.
Archan comes from a different industry than most graphic designers: Fashion.
He started developing digital artwork in 2006 by editing simple wallpapers, and his hunger for learning more about the world of design hasn’t ceased since.
His skills have been sought out by companies such as Pepsi Co., Microsoft, Tiger Beer, Boss and more.
We’ve gone through many of his sites and have selected some of his best works for your inspiration. Read more
27 Oct
To School or Not to School
Design, Graphic Design
141

Education undeniably changes us. Learning new things completely alters our perception of life and the world around us.
But formal academic training is a touchy subject for some people. Going to school to learn a discipline is still not an option for everyone.
As someone who has worked in the graphic design field for quite some time without an advanced degree, I understand that self-education is not to be underestimated.
But just how far can this type of training get you in life before you reach an impasse?
This is one of the big questions in the world of graphic design: is design school worth the time, money and effort? Does it pay off? Read more
22 Oct
Systematizing the Graphic Design Process
Business, Design, Web Designers
44

Unlike other forms of art, graphic design is not just about taking paper and pen and letting the work flow.
Graphic designers have to help viewers get the message and help sell a service or product.
Creating a design for a client with little or no strategy just doesn’t work. Unlike traditional art, graphic design has to convey a very narrow message.
Developing a system for the graphic design process can help the designer achieve the best results.
Systematizing any sort of project, whether graphic design, web design, programming or otherwise, gets the work done faster, keeps the project organized and yields better results.
Here is a simple six-step graphic design process, which you may want to take wholesale or build on. Read more
20 Oct
30 Superb Examples of Infographic Maps
Data Visualization, Design, Infographics
42

As you search the web you’ll come across a wide range of interactive and graphical maps.
Deciding when, where and how to integrate or display a map on your site is the first step, the second should be what technology and illustrations to use.
If you’re all about interaction, JQuery, Ajax, or Flash are all effective technologies that hold their own ground.
Map illustrations are a dime a dozen however, a strong and balanced display of graphics, information, and colors is what makes an infographic stand out and reach its target audience effectively.
As designers, we’re constantly searching for ways to improve and style our designs, this is exactly what the following 30 infographics and sites display below; the breaking of rules. Read more
12 Oct
Super Freaky Movie Posters of the 70’s
Design, Graphic Design, Posters
35

From Attack of the Killer Tomatoes to Zardoz, the 1970’s were not only home to some of the craziest titles in film, but some of the most interesting movie posters.
The 70’s were also home to some of the more psychedelic and funky designs for movie posters that more recent directors, most notably Quentin Tarantino, have drawn on as inspiration for their own movie poster designs.
In the days before the internet, a movie poster was much more important in the marketing mix for a movie than it is today. It was the historical equivalent to the movie trailer, and as such graphic artists had to pack a lot of message into one image.
Let’s go back in time with a collection of over 70 movie posters from the 70’s that are funky fresh. Enjoy… (to improve page loading, we split the collection into two pages). Read more
25 Sep
35 Futuristic Illustrations of Robot Art
Design, Illustrations, Inspiration
30

Robots have been appearing for decades in sci-fi movies and on TV and are finally making their way into the real world.
Although it will probably take several years for robots to become part of our every day lives, that day now seems to be closer than ever.
In this post, we feature robot concepts designed by great illustrators from around the world, which include human looking ones as well as aliens and super heros.
Here are 50 incredible illustrations portraying robots that will blow your mind.
Know of other great examples? Please share them with us in the comments section below.
Read more
22 Sep
The Most Controversial Magazine Covers of All Time
Compilation, Design, History
190

We’ve put together a collection of magazine covers that have stirred up controversy through the years.
These covers can serve as object lessons for what to do and what not to do both with design and editorial.
While some controversial covers have worked and sold more magazines, or won awards for the editors who made the decision to go to press with them, others were embarrassments that the publication had to either apologize for, or fire an editor over.
Here are some of the most controversial magazine covers of all time. Feel free to suggest other covers that you think should be part of this collection. Read more
21 Sep
The Difference Between Art and Design
Art, Design, Web Design
301

The subject of what separates art and design is convoluted and has been debated for a long time.
Artists and designers both create visual compositions using a shared knowledge base, but their reasons for doing so are entirely different.
Some designers consider themselves artists, but few artists consider themselves designers.
So what exactly is the difference between art and design? In this post, we’ll examine and compare some of the core principles of each craft.
This is a subject that people have strong opinions about, and I’m looking forward to reading the various points of view in the comments.
This post isn’t a definitive guide, but rather the starting point for a conversation, so let’s be open-minded! Read more
10 Sep
How to Use the FAT-P System to Streamline Your Workflow
Creativity, Design, Productivity
28

Often, when faced with a looming project, we forget the simple things. The size and depth of the project overwhelms leading to creative block.
Once blocked, the frustration builds leading to even more block, procrastination, missed deadlines and a wealth of other problems.
If you’re in any creative field, chances are, you’ve been there.
As a former high school writing teacher, I found that just the prospect of writing was enough to leave students floundering.
This became an even bigger problem when students were faced with the timed writing of state required tests. Enter the FAT-P.
Read more
4 Sep
100 Examples of Japanese Municipal Flags
Art, Design, Logos
34

In this post, we focus on Japanese design by taking a closer look at the design of Japanese municipal flags.
These flags feature highly stylized bicolor geometric symbols, often incorporating Japanese or Latin characters, making them especially interesting from a designer’s perspective.
The symbols that are featured are representative of the foundation on which the municipality is built.
We’ve put together a compilation of 100 Japanese municipal flags which we thought were the most graphically appealing, especially to those with an interest in logo or Japanese design.
Read more
21 Aug
The Magical Digital Art of Andy Gilmore
Art, Design, Inspiration
41

New York based Andy Gilmore describes himself as a draftsman, designer and musician.
With clients such as Wired Magazine and The New York Times, he has established a solid reputation with his works being featured in countless publications, shows and exhibits around the world.
This brilliant and colorful art takes you on a geometric and kaleidoscopic visual experience.
Being a musician, he’s inspired by the physics of sound and acoustics.
The feeling is surreal, futuristic and feels out of this world. In this post, you’ll find a great collection of over 50 images featuring Andy’s best work. Read more
14 Aug
40 Absolutely Stunning Dark Ads
Advertising, Design, Inspiration
47

Photographers and artists alike are always looking at light as the key element in any composition, which is certainly extremely important for dark advertisements.
Dark ads are usually used to portray a scary situation, or a serious issue, creating a dramatic impact.
Surprisingly, there are many dark ads that are humorous, creating a strong contrast between darkness and humor.
In the post, you’ll find 40 absolutely stunning ads with dark singularities and creative lighting effects.
Click on the images for larger previews. Read more
4 Aug
50+ Sleek, Funky and Weird Chair Designs
Design, Industrial, Inspiration
52

Chairs have evolved tremendously for thousands of years, as they shifted from being a symbol of state and dignity, to an item of ordinary use.
Chair design considers intended usage, ergonomics (how comfortable it is for the occupant), as well as non-ergonomic functional requirements such as size, stackability, foldability, weight, durability, stain resistance and artistic design.
In this article, we’ll leave their function aside and take a look at chairs purely from an artistic point of view.
Here are 50 examples of great chair design, from the sleekest you’ll ever see, to the funkiest and the just plain weird. Read more
3 Aug
The Do’s and Don’ts of Dark Web Design
Color, Design, Web Design
140

Dark web designs are very popular and can have an elegant and creative appeal.
They are also perfect for many types of client work however, they are not suitable for every website and should be used only when appropriate.
In spite of the striking visual impact that these dark designs can have, many designers don’t know how to effectively pull them off without turning off the visitor.
With a dark design comes less readability, less appeal for most readers and less opportunity for conventional design elements.
In this post, we’ll discuss a few tips to make your next dark website design appeal to a broader audience, while letting you, the designer, express your creativity. Read more
17 Jul
50 Examples of Vintage Typography
Design, Inspiration, Typography
52

Vintage art reminds us of a time when we were dependent less on technology and more on skill and technique.
But we cannot compare the typography of 100 years ago to that of today, with the arrival of so many new typefaces, new ways to create fonts as well as new ways to get our artwork out into the world.
Even though the application of typography has evolved so much from a century ago until now, the most common use of typography continues to be for ads, store signs, and logos.
Below, you will find 50 typographic examples that exhibit a range of artistic styles from the last 100 years or so.
Read more
9 Jul
Using Wireframes to Streamline Your Development Process
Design, Information, Web Design
76

Creating a wireframe is one of the first steps you should take before designing a website.
A wireframe helps you organize and simplify the elements and content within a website and is an essential tool in the development process.
A wireframe is basically a visual representation of content layout in a website design.
The wireframe acts as a prototype that shows the placement of page features, such as header, footer, content, sidebars, and navigation.
It also specifies the placement of the elements within these content areas. If you want to develop a site that accurately matches the client’s requirements and minimize project revisions, wireframing will keep you on track.
Read more
6 Jul
Great Designers Steal?
Design, Web Design, Web Designers
92

You often hear designers say, “Good designers copy. Great designers steal.”
Well, anyone who says this is one of three types of designers:
One who copies, one who steals or one who admits that not copying and stealing is hard but still tries not to anyway.
For some reason, a lot of web designers believe that there’s nothing truly unique left to create and that there is no such thing as originality.
I disagree, or at least I don’t want to accept that notion. You shouldn’t either. Read more
3 Jul
50 Beautifully Delicious Coffee Designs
Design, Inspiration
142
Coffee or Latte art consists of the pouring of steamed milk into a shot of espresso generating a pattern or design on the surface.
The barista becomes a true designer and is able to create beautiful creations with the most common form being the “rosetta” pictured on the left.
Latte art is a hot topic and there are even several competitions around the world showcasing this unique form of art.
In this article, we’re showcasing 50 beautiful – and certainly delicious – coffee designs that will make you drool… Read more
29 Jun
12 Essential Rules to Follow When Designing a Logo
Branding, Design, Logos
96

The logo is the face of any brand — the very first impression — so its design is extremely important.
When executed correctly, a logo is a powerful asset to your client’s brand.
However, creating an effective visual representation of a brand requires much more than just graphic design.
Like any line of work that involves a set of specific skills, logo design requires plenty of practice and experience for it to be successful; knowledge is definitely power for any graphic designer.
For this reason, we have outlined 12 essential rules to follow in order to design an effective logo. Read more
26 Jun
An Artistic Homage to Michael Jackson
Design, Inspiration
134

As the world pays tribute to the king of pop, we’ve decided to do so in WDD in a unique and artistic way.
In this post, we feature a selection of some amazing artistic creations portraying Michael Jackson, created by various artists around the world.
These creations bring an engaging and unique exploration into the multifaceted talent that was, and still is, Michael Jackson.
For more information about the artists’ creations, please click on the images below to visit their websites.
Please share any other great artistic creations about Michael that you may know of by posting the links in the comments’ area and we’ll be sure to add the most impressive ones to this post. Read more
26 Jun
100 Creative Twitter Backgrounds Featuring Illustration
Design, Illustrations, Twitter
160

If you’ve ever created a Twitter account and customized it with some text, you would have discovered that the amount of text that you can display to describe yourself is very limited.
This is where designing, creating, and publishing a creative Twitter background and using it as your billboard comes into place.
Many designers and creatives utilize actual illustrations and images that will attract the viewers’ attention. By capturing a reader’s imagination in the process, illustrative backgrounds will most likely remain within their memory for a longer period of time.
Here are 100 creative Twitter backgrounds that feature illustration, that should inspire your own Twitter designs. Read more
17 Jun
10 Web Design Rules That You Can Break
Design, Inspiration, Web Design
157

As web design and design in general have evolved, rules have been established to ensure consistent and usable designs.
Some of these rules were created simply because website creators abused certain principles without regard for their users.
But these rules are not enforced by anyone and should be broken when necessary, especially when breaking them would lead to a stunning design.
In this article, we present 10 rules that you can break if it suits your design needs. Read more
15 Jun
26 Examples of Online T-Shirt Shops
Design, Inspiration, Web Design
103

Many e-commerce and shopping websites suffer from poor quality design.
However, when it comes to online t-shirt shops, creativity is high and there are plenty of designs that are worthy of mention.
Many of these sites target the artists who create t-shirt designs, so it seems natural that they would feature an attractive website design.
As you browse through this gallery of online t-shirt shops, there are a few design trends that are worth pointing out … Read more
12 Jun
80 Creative Ways to Customize Your MacBook
Apple, Design, Inspiration
69

The MacBook and MacBook Pro are stunning examples of minimalist design.
Their sleek lines, simple shapes, and uncomplicated designs are pinnacles of modern beauty. But let’s face it: they pretty much all look the same.
Whether you have a basic 13″ MacBook, a MacBook Pro, or a MacBook Air, they’re all silver, they’ve all got a very similar shape (even though the Air is significantly thinner than its counterparts), and while they’re never boring, they can sometimes be a bit “blah.”
The beauty of the MacBooks though, is that they make the perfect blank canvas for customization. Whether you want to just carry it around in a spiffy sleeve or bag, or commit a bit more with a skin or sleeve, there’s something out there available no matter what your taste or personality.
Below you’ll find 80 different skins, sleeves, decals and cases to customize your MacBook and make it reflect who you are. Most of the companies featured have additional products available on their websites. Read more
1 Jun
50 Great Examples of Data Visualization
Design, Information, Visualization
115

Wrapping your brain around data online can be challenging, especially when dealing with huge volumes of information.
And trying to find related content can also be difficult, depending on what data you’re looking for.
But data visualizations can make all of that much easier, allowing you to see the concepts that you’re learning about in a more interesting, and often more useful manner.
Below are 50 of the best data visualizations and tools for creating your own visualizations out there, covering everything from Digg activity to network connectivity to what’s currently happening on Twitter.
Read more
26 May
100 Extraordinary Examples of Paper Art
Art, Design, Inspiration
282

Paper art can be traced back to Japan, where it originated over a thousand years ago.
From complex paper cutting to book carving, this is an ever expanding area of design that is hardly talked about.
These intricate paper designs grace museums and exauhibitions throughout the world and is becoming yet another exciting medium of expression for many designers.
Some of the artists featured here use simple materials, such as A4 printing papeel, while others resort to unexpected materials, such as actual books, as their prime materials.
In this article, we’ll take a look at 13 remarkable artists and showcase their truly amazing pieces of paper art. Read more
22 May
The Evolution of Cell Phone Design Between 1983-2009
Cell Phones, Design, History
198

Cell phones have evolved immensely since 1983, both in design and function.
From the Motorola DynaTAC, that power symbol that Michael Douglas wielded so forcefully in the movie “Wall Street”, to the iPhone 3G, which can take a picture, play a video, or run one of the thousands applications available from the Apple Store.
There are thousands of models of cell phones that have hit the streets between 1983 and now.
We’ve picked a few of the more popular and unusual ones to take you through the history of this device that most of us consider a part of our everyday lives. Read more
21 May
30 Artistic and Creative Résumés
Design, Resumes, Web Designers
345

In these tough economic times, many designers find themselves applying for jobs and freelance gigs on a regular basis.
So, how can we stand out from the rest and grab the attention of a design agency when they’re usually bombarded with hundreds of applications?
The best way to do this is in the design of your resume. Assuming that you have the skills that they’re looking for, a striking and visually appealing resume will go a long way at getting you the creative job that you want.
In the worst case scenario, it will at least buy you a few seconds by catching the eye of a recruiter and may become the difference between getting hired or not.
In this article, we’ll take a look at 30 creative resumes that can inspire you to think outside the box when designing your own resume. Read more
19 May
50 Excellent Circular Logos
Branding, Design, Logos
188

A graphic symbol is often used as part of logo design in order to convey a particular idea or concept in an effective and eye catching way.
The shapes of these graphic symbols vary a lot, but one of the most commonly used shapes is the circle.
Circular logos have been some of the most popular trends in logo design. A circle is timeless, simple and memorable.
In this article we’ll take a look at 50 excellent circular logos. These logos make use of the circle in many creative ways, sometimes containing typefaces, symbols and images as seen in the examples below. Read more
15 May
100 (Really) Creative Business Cards
Business, Design, Inspiration
350

Whichever business you’re in, and especially for anyone in the field of design, such as web designers, a business card can be as important as your website identity.
A business card creates a physical connection and bond between you or your business and your customers.
Just like in a website, business cards can become great interactive elements, but with the added ability to have real textures, different materials and shapes.
In this article, we’ll take a look at 100 truly outstanding business card designs which show that there are truly no limits to the design of a business card. Read more
8 May
50 Beautiful and Effective Package Designs
Design, Inspiration, Packaging
110

When choosing one product over another, the design of the packaging probably influences your decision far more than you realize.
Effective packaging design breaks away from the standard rules and conventions that we are accustomed to, giving the product a unique edge to stand out from the rest.
The packaging should appeal to your target market. It’s also vital to ensure that you’re conveying the necessary information about the contents and quality of the product, while triggering the desired emotion in your customer.
Here are 50 beautifully designed packages that you can draw inspiration from. Read more
29 Apr
100 Amazing Futuristic Design Concepts We Wish Were Real
Design, Inspiration, Photoshop
194

Concept designers are also referred to as “visual futurists”.
These concept designs may not be on the market yet, but they can still inspire you to create something just as futuristic and exciting online.
The designs may be impractical in some cases, but the idea is to put the concept out to the world to see how it evolves and grows.
Remember that these are all just conceptual, you can’t buy them yet! Some may be closer to being produced than others, particularly when they come from a large company like Braun or Samsung. Otherwise, who knows if or when they will be available.
With that said, here you have 100 amazing futuristic design concepts that will make you crave more.
Read more
28 Apr
Results of Self Portrait Design Challenge
Challenge, Design, Photography
56

Thanks for all the submissions received over the past few days for our weekend Self Portrait challenge.
Your submissions were of very high quality once again and a true source of inspiration.
The self portraits you’ll find below are very diverse, extremely creative and full of emotion.
Thanks to all for your hard work and we’ll continue to bring you more design challenges in the coming weeks.
Please leave your comments after the photos below and give us feedback as to what design challenges you would like to see next. Read more
27 Apr
40 Awesome iPhone Application Websites
Applications, Design, iPhone
93

iPhone applications are hotter than ever. So how do these applications stand out and get noticed?
One great way to do this is by creating a great website design that showcases these applications in the best possible way.
These sites are usually very focused, professional and clean. You will also notice that there’s usually a video displayed in an iPhone casing that shows how these applications are used.
In this post we bring you 40 excellent websites designed to showcase iPhone and iPod touch applications. Read more
24 Apr
Weekend Design Challenge: Self Portrait
Challenge, Design, Photography
23

After reviewing your feedback on last week’s photomontage design challenge and knowing that you truly enjoyed the experience, I think it’s time for another great design challenge…
Do you recognize the picture on the left? That’s Sharbat Gula, an Afghan woman whose photo became the world’s most famous portrait after appearing on the cover of National Geographic magazine in 1985.
In this week’s challenge, we’re concentrating on self portraits, having just covered this in today’s article: How to Take Excellent Portrait Photos
Will you possibly be the face of the next world famous portrait? You certainly have the power to do it! Are you ready for the challenge? Go grab your camera and get ready for some serious fun!
Read more
24 Apr
How to Take Excellent Portrait Photos
Design, Photography, Tutorials
31

Simply put, a portrait is a representation of a person.They usually focus on a person’s face, mood and expression.
Traditionally portraits were sculptures or paintings however, in modern times, a photograph is the most recognized way of taking a portrait.
In most cases, the subject looks straight at the camera in order to engage the viewer.
In this article, we’ll be giving you simple techniques to help you take portraits and also self portraits, to make the very best of your photos.
At the end of the article, you’ll find a showcase of great portraits and self portraits that you can use for inspiration. Read more
21 Apr
101 Examples of Text Treatments on the Web
Design, Text Effects, Typography
66

Typography is often a deciding factor in the success of a design. Its importance cannot be overstated. Effective typography can be achieved in so many different ways, as demonstrated in the 17 different categories below.
Some of the most common ways to treat type is with size, color variation, creative illustrations, and use of textures. The examples below are just the tip of the iceberg as far as the possibilities for type.
Don’t be afraid to flip it, color it, resize it, draw it, or even design your own.
Check out these fantastic 101 examples of beautiful text treatments and please let us know of any other great examples we may have missed. Read more
17 Apr
Weekend Design Challenge: Photomontage [UPDATED]
Challenge, Design, Photoshop
47

Ready for an exciting challenge? As you know, we always like to bring you great resources for inspiration, as well as tutorials and tools to empower you to become a great designer.
Today, we’re trying something new… This should be a fun weekend project, where you can let your imagination run wild and put to practice some of what you have learned from reading WDD.
The challenge is to create a unique photomontage using at least three specific images from Sxc.hu. The theme and feeling of the image that you create is entirely up to you, so use your creativity in any way you want.
To enter, simply email your creations as a JPEG file. On Monday, I’ll be posting the best images received and featuring the designers. [THIS CHALLENGE HAS NOW ENDED, SEE THE RESULTS BELOW] Read more
11 Apr
Introducing Avatar Wall: Show Your Avatar to the World
Avatars, Design, Webdesign
49

Today we turn the focus to you, the loyal readers of Webdesigner Depot…
Through the Internet we get to know you through your websites, blogs and even more, your avatars. Avatars appear in most blog comments these days and they truly enhance a comment with each person’s unique personality and design.
A few weeks ago, I was preparing to do a round up of avatar designs around the web to showcase here on WDD, when I had the idea to take this a step further by making a full website for this.
Today I’m happy to bring you the results by introducing Avatar Wall, a brand new website dedicated to showcase avatars from around the world. Read more
6 Apr
10 Tips to Design Usable Shopping Carts
Design, Usability, User Interface
67

The everyday tasks in our lives are being revolutionized by technology. One task that technology is helping to simplify is shopping: the task of buying products in stores is just not as convenient as online shopping.
With that in mind, it is becoming more and more important to pay attention to the usability of e-commerce websites.
When customers want to buy a product, they want the process to be quick and easy, without any hassles.
Here are 10 tips to help you create usable e-commerce checkouts and shopping carts. Read more
2 Apr
How to Make a Photoshop Montage
Design, Photoshop, Tutorials
36

Anyone can cobble together a few photos and textures and create a humdrum montage.
To elevate yours beyond this it takes a few simple tricks using Photoshop’s awesome array of tools.
Do it right and the style has got dozens of applications from static navigation or graphics, through to animated banners and interactive collages.
I’ve picked a musical theme, as the style works really well for band graphics or music based sites.
This tutorial explains how to create a great Photoshop montage in 19 steps, so let’s get started and have fun with it. Read more
1 Apr
Breaking The Design Cycle: Get Creative To Be Creative
Design, Inspiration, Webdesign
69

Designers, we have a problem. It seems we have forgotten how to be creative.
It is true, the very nature of what we do is based on creativity, however more often than not we tend to be swept away by the latest trends or “what’s hot” rather than seeking out fresh inspiration.
“A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion.” – Chinese Proverb
There are several reasons for this creativity block in which we are suffering from and in this article I’ll list some of these as well as alternatives for where to find appropriate sources of inspiration. Read more
27 Mar
200 Free Exclusive Icons: Siena
Design, Freebies, Icons
204

Siena is a brand new set of 200 free icons, developed exclusively for Webdesigner Depot. You can use them for your designs such as logos, websites and much more. They come in 6 different raster sizes and we have also included vector files for all the icons, so you can resize them as needed.
These icons are completely free for both personal and commercial use and they’re being released exclusively to all our RSS subscribers.
To download your copy, simply subscribe to our RSS feed and you’ll find the current password at the bottom of each post (note that this password changes every few days and is only visible in the RSS subscriber feed of this post, which must be viewed through an RSS reader).
If you’d like to share these icons, please refer your friends to this page. Below is a full preview of all 200 icons for quick reference. Enjoy!
Read more
25 Mar
50 Inspirational Website Introductions
Blogs, Design
80

In portfolio web pages, especially in the field of design, one of the first things that you will notice is an introductory text consisting of a few words about the company or the designer behind the site.
This can be extremely useful for readers, as it provides quick and direct information about the designer, or the company behind the site.
These introductions are generally highlighted by the use of large text, positioned at the top of the site, and always catch the visitor’s eye. They give a more personal feeling to the site and tend to replace the traditional taglines under a logo for example.
In this article, we list 50 examples of excellent web page introductions used in portfolio websites that you can use as inspiration for your own designs. Read more
23 Mar
30 Useful Web Design Books for 2009
Books, CSS, Design
75

To keep up with the fast-paced web design industry you must seek out self education sources as often as possible, such as books, or you’ll be left behind.
The year 2009 promises to bring us some excellent, and even groundbreaking, new reads. Listed below are 30 web design related books from some of the brightest designers and developers in the industry, that will likely be influential must-reads.
Certainly there can’t be any promise that these books will deliver, but it will be worth your while to check them out.
Each book has either a release date or estimated release date listed, however these dates often change due to publishing and other related issues, so please take these dates as approximations only. Read more
20 Mar
40 Excellent Logos Created with Helvetica
Design, Fonts, Logos, Typography
206

It’s over fifty years old, it’s the most widely used font ever, and it has recently become the subject of its own movie.
We’re talking about the world’s most recognizable font: Helvetica. Its relevance in design through the years and even today seems unbeatable.
The appeal for a distinctive, professional and timeless typeface has never dwindled and it keeps gaining more followers day by day. Love it or hate it, with its multitude of styles and versions, Helvetica is here to stay.
From airlines, to car companies to the largest software company, Helvetica’s use in logos throughout the world remains as strong as ever. In this article we’ll take a look at 40 excellent logos created using Helvetica. Read more
17 Mar
50 Monochromatic Website Designs
Color, Design
81
Color choice is a key element to the success of any design. It invokes an atmosphere and sets the mood. One method for using color is to use only shades of a color, which is known as a monochromatic color scheme.
Of all the color schemes, the monochromatic is one of the easiest to pull off successfully. This reason for such ease is that one shade of a color will naturally almost always work with another shade of the same color.
One of the most popular monochromatic color schemes is Blue. This is likely because blue is seen as trustworthy, dependable and committed. Blue, however, is not the only successful color scheme. Greens, Purples, Browns, Reds can also appropriately set a mood.
In this article, we feature 50 monochromatic website designs, categorized based on the predominant color that they use. Read more
16 Mar
Best Practices for Designing a Social News Website
Design, Social Media, Usability
24
How do you get your daily news these days? Well… you may be visiting your favorite sites and blogs, but that’s inefficient since those blogs may not have any updates. Perhaps you subscribe to them using RSS, which delivers all the new articles straight to you, but in this case you’ll have to sort through all the new stuff to find what’s interesting to you. Another option today would be to visit a social news site.
Social news sites are link aggregators, which means their main function is to collect and share interesting links. This may be done through user submissions, or it may be done automatically by the system. The aggregation aspect is only part of it though because these sites also sort the links. Again, this may be done through user voting or some mechanical algorithm (although in this case, can we really call it a “social” news site?). The end result is the same however: the most interesting links rise to the top. This particular feature makes social news sites a great alternative to RSS.
In this article I’ll showcase some of the current top social news sites, will identify trends and patterns in their designs and suggest some best practices to follow when designing such sites. Let’s begin by looking at four popular social news sites and see how their designs compare. Read more
11 Mar
Operating System Interface Design Between 1981-2009
Design, Operating Systems, User Interface
376
A Graphical User Interface (GUI for short) allows users to interact with the computer hardware in a user friendly way.
Over the years a range of GUI’s have been developed for different operating systems such as OS/2, Macintosh, Windowsamiga, Linux, Symbian OS, and more.
We’ll be taking a look at the evolution of the interface designs of the major operating systems since the 80’s.
I should mention that this article showcases only the significant advances in GUI design (not operating system advances) and also not all of the graphical user interfaces and operating systems existing today. Read more
10 Mar
50+ Popular Airline Logos
Design, Logos
184

Every day thousands of people take it to the air… With so many airlines to choose from, branding is extremely important and at its core lies logo design.
In this article we’ll take a logo at the logos of over 50 popular airlines. The list is by no means a complete list of all airlines and is just intended for inspiration for your own projects.
Noteworthy is the lack of any depiction of an airplane in most of these logos, but a tendency to suggest flying through the use of curved shapes that resemble wings.
The fonts used tend to be sans serif for the most part, although there’s a fair share of serif typefaces as well. The colors vary a lot, but there appears to be a clear tendency towards reds and blues. Now fasten your seatbelt and let’s take off! Read more
9 Mar
5 Simple Ways to Improve Web Typography
Design, Fonts, Typography
93

Type is one of the most-used elements of the web. Think about it. Unless you are YouTube or Flickr, chances are your site visitors are coming for your text content – not the fancy packaging that surrounds it. So why are web designers still treating text like a secondary element?
Good typography brings order to the page and increases legibility. It allows people to process information faster.
A more scannable, readable site means happy visitors. Happy visitors return often, buy products, leave comments, and share the site with friends. See why it might be worth thinking about?
I could blather on forever about how far typography has come on the web, and how far yet it has to go. I have frequently bounced between web and print design. When you’re going from InDesign to TextMate, the limitations of web type are crystal clear.
But plenty has been said about what web type can’t do. This isn’t going to be another rant. Instead, let’s focus on a 5 easy fixes for the typographic eyesores that abound across the Web. Read more
5 Mar
8 Tips to Design a Charity Website
Design, Webdesign
66

A lot of charities rely on voluntary funding. This funding is carefully distributed and there are often more important things ahead of a generous budget for the website.
So how does a charity get the most out of its website? It needs to let users find out information about the charity, but the main objective of the site is to get people involved with the charity, usually resulting in the user donating money.
In this article, we look at 8 principles that you should follow when creating a charity website. Read more
2 Mar
39 Olympic Logos From 1924 to 2012
Design, Logos
241

Living in Vancouver, Canada, I’ve been seeing the logo of the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympic Games more and more around the city as the date draws closer.
I thought it would be interesting to take a look at how the design trends in Olympic logos have evolved over the years.
Noticeably, the logos seem to have changed from a monochromatic trend to a more multicolor approach in recent years.
Logo design seems to have been streamlined to simpler and cleaner shapes. This article features every logo from the summer and winter Olympic games from 1924 to 2012. Read more
26 Feb
50 Beautiful Snowboard Designs
Color, Design, Print
51

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
24 Feb
7 Interface Design Techniques to Simplify and De-clutter Your Interfaces
Design, Usability
101

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
21 Feb
The Workstations of Popular Websites
Blogging, Blogs, Design
212

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
20 Feb
Breaking Apart – Photoshop Tutorial
Design, Photoshop, Tutorials
38

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
18 Feb
Meet Radim Malinic: The Graphic Artist Behind Webdesigner Depot
Color, Design, Interviews, Webdesign
37

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
17 Feb
22 Website Designs Inspired by Apple.com
Apple, Design, Webdesign
91

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
16 Feb
How to Create a Professional Logo
Color, Design, Logos, Typography
96

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
11 Feb
50 Free Rusted Metal Texture Backgrounds
Design, Effects, Textures, Wallpapers
41

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
9 Feb
10 Web Typography Rules Every Designer Should Know
Design, Typography
238

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