Design posts

The Phraseology Project was originally setup by Drew Melton as a way for him to hone his typography skills. The idea is that people submit words or phrases and Drew, or a guest contributor, creates a typographic treatment of the submissions.

The list of contributors include designers such as Ray Brown, Luke Ritchie, Simon Ålander...

The side project series is a series of posts in which we’ll be taking a look at the best of designers’ side projects. To get things started, this week we’re going to be looking at Type Fight, a side project by designers Drew Roper, Ryan Paule and Bryan Butler.

Type Fight plays host to weekly “fights” in which two designers are asked to create a typographic treatment of the same character and then have their final designs voted on to determine whose is best. So far, Type Fight has hosted 61...

I first took notice of flat color web design when Google started to redesign their sites. This was during a time when gradients and drop shadows were all the rage. In using what was then Google Docs and my Google Calendar, I always realized there was something better and more user friendly about these sites but I never could put my finger on what it was. I just continued to enjoy and use the services as needed.

Eventually, I think I was just messing around with the apps when I finally noticed the buttons had no gradients and the icons didn’t either. There were no drop shadows and really nothing but flat colors and lines to separate...

At first thought, animated GIFs might conjure up images of dancing “under construction” signs and cheesy banner ads circa the year 2000. Luckily, the creative minds of present-day animators, designers, illustrators, and digital artists are revisiting the technology and utilizing it in impressive new ways.

Whether it’s a website with strategically placed, imagery-rich cinemagraphs (photographs with a minor and repeated movement action) or an exploration into mind-bending art, there’s little question that animated GIFs remain a viable technology in design.

With this in mind, we’ve put together a collection of stellar GIF art from three wildly creative forces from across the globe.

Sure,...

It’s like biting your nails. It’s like sucking your thumb. It’s like cursing too much. We all have some bad habits, some we just cannot seem to shake. I’m not sure why that is. I mean, no matter how wrong you know it is or how bad it is for you, it’s just impossible to stop.

And have you realized that half the time you don’t even notice? Tomorrow,...

I was having a chat with a friend of mine recently and somehow we got onto the subject of hidden messages in Apple icons. Admittedly it’s not something I’d thought too much about prior to this conversation and the only example I could recall was the “Here’s to the crazy ones…” quote on the TextEdit icon. However, a quick search online revealed that there is in fact quite a few.

This got me thinking, if Apple have hidden messages in...

A design founder is a founder of a company who happens to be a designer or makes sure to create a large role for design in their business.

Design is extremely powerful — it influences what we see, what we feel and even what we do. As old, salesy techniques are being thrown...

In the journey from fledgling startup to full-blown success, any burgeoning business will undoubtedly face its fair share of obstacles along the way. But those who traverse the bumpy road to emerge victorious typically have one thing in common:  They choose to see the world through a set of visionary glasses.

With this in mind, Startup Vitamins has produced a series of motivational typographic posters to remind budding entrepreneurs of some simple, yet profound truths. Artfully presented in a clean san-serif font with uncomplicated lines and appropriately nuanced colors, each poster succeeds in letting the message speak...

We’ve all been there. You have an idea, something that just seems like it would work perfectly for your current project. It’s the ideal solution. Nothing could possibly be better suited.

Except you’re not quite sure exactly how to implement that idea. You can see it in your head, and you’re pretty sure you’ll need to use CSS3 animations, or Canvas, or some other technology you aren’t 100% familiar with yet.

You have a few options here. You can look at hiring someone else to do the coding for you. Except may your client won’t approve extra funds to do...

Since the very earliest illuminated manuscripts, dating back to the 5th century AD, we’ve associated flora with enlarged type. Perhaps it’s something to do with the way plants repeat the same shapes, echoed by type. Or perhaps it’s simply that we can bend an organic shape to our design without compromising its integrity.

Whatever the reason, botanic forms play a...

VectorStock.com have a huge collection of vector files, with thousands of new files being added each week. Vectors cover subjects ranging from vintage labels, to floral patterns, to cityscapes. You’ll also find some clever hand-drawn typefaces hidden amongst the gems. Head over and browse through what you could win, but don’t forget to fill out the entry below first !

5 lucky winners will each receive $100 of credit to spend on the vectors of their choice. Best of all, you don’t have to jump through hoops to get your shot at winning, just enter via the widget embedded at the bottom of this post and then cross your fingers.

Most vectors in the collection cost 1 credit, so $100 of credit will give you access to up to 100 downloads to use on the web, for client projects, editorial work, or advertising. Alternately, you can spend your prize on 4 expanded licenses and use the vectors...