Community & Inspiration articles

The animation and VFX scene is growing everyday with almost all feature films now containing some clever CGI.  Even the movies with no monsters or other worlds have cleverly swapped out landscapes and beautiful scenery usually changed or added after filming that you would never notice was not real. The United Kingdom has a booming scene with studios such as MPC , Framestore, Dneg, Passion Pictures and many more, even Industrial Light &...

Welcome back, readers. It’s May, and that means the weather’s getting hotter. Stay inside, away from the evil, evil sunshine. Relax, grab a lemonade, and browse through this month’s collection of portfolios. This time around, we have a whole lot of grid-based minimalism with black borders, and some other stuff, too. Note: I’m judging these sites by how good they look to me. If they’re creative and original, or classic but really...

When you think about social media marketing for your web design business, you may be inclined to focus on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Dribbble. After all, visuals play a major part in the conversations that take place there and you are in the business of creating engaging visual content. That said, I would argue that Twitter is the best social media marketing platform for a web designer. This is especially so if you’re...

Attention grabbing designs are a goal for almost any project. But there are some techniques that draw users in faster than others. Those are just the elements that this month’s trends are all about. From funky, tiny navigation, to fun cut out and layers, to fast movement that you can’t look away from, here’s what’s trending in design this month: 1. Funky, Tiny Nav For a while designers pushed mega navigation, then hamburger-style navigation...

No matter how much we might wish otherwise, money is integral to our society and our lives. It’s a powerful motivator, and it can tempt even the most morally upright and ethically-concerned among us. And let’s be very clear: I try to be a decent person, but I would not call myself the “most” anything. For all that I once dreamed of being a superhero as a child, I can’t claim superiority now. And so when Satan (I’ll explain…) came and...

Communities don’t start overnight, and a customer base is not, by default, a community. When fans of any particular brand of software start talking, though, communities are bound to emerge. I have fond memories of a number of tutorial sites, you know? Well Affinity, the company behind Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo, has apparently decided to try and jumpstart this process by launching Affinity Spotlight. This new site does double...

We’re getting another massive redesign, folks, and this time it comes from a true American (and now worldwide) retail institution. Their new design is focused on delivering a modern, stylish aesthetic, more convenient shopping opportunities, and a renewed focus on fashion. Believe it or not, I’m talking about Walmart. I’ll be honest, “fashionable” is not the first word that comes to mind when I think about the old Gold, White,...

Before I start, I should clarify that my story isn’t from the perspective of a web designer; it’s from the perspective of someone who managed a web design agency and witnessed some pretty awful things done to the offsite team. Like firing every single one of them…without notice…via email…over Christmas… Jumping into the Unknown Prior to taking the job at said firm, I had been a lifelong production manager. I worked at a number of...

It’s that time again, readers. We’ve got a variety of sites, here: presentational and simple, colorful and nearly monochromatic. We’re also doing something a little new: we’re including the platform each site was built on, according to my best guesstimate. At least the WordPress ones are easy… Enjoy. Note: I’m judging these sites by how good they look to me. If they’re creative and original, or classic but really well-done,...

Shapes and typography are two elements that can add a lot of impact to a website design project even when they don’t always occupy the greatest amount of space. How to design shapes and typography with a little extra something is definitely on the trends radar this month, with plenty of projects using this concept. Here’s what’s trending in design this month: 1. Bubbles and Blobs Loose shapes without clearly defined forms are showing...

Hello readers! It’s March. As is tradition, I’ve gone and collected a bunch of interesting portfolio designs for your perusal. It’s an eclectic mix this month. You’ll see some plain and basic good design together with sites that do interesting things with 3D graphics. Enjoy! Note: I’m judging these sites by how good they look to me. If they’re creative and original, or classic but really well-done, it’s all good to me. Sometimes,...

One of the best things about spring can be website design. Warmer air seems to put designers in a brighter bolder mood, and that shows in this month’s roundup of trends. From bolder color choices with a lighter feel—less heavy black and white—to images and type that draw users into a poster or movie-style experience, inspiration is abound. Here’s what’s trending in design this month: 1. Poster-Style Homepages Full-screen homepage...

Hey everyone! It’s February, and you know what that means: Hallmark executives get bonuses! Also, people make a special effort to show love and affection to those they care about, which is cool too. The theme this month is minimalism and motion designer portfolios, pretty much. Enjoy. Note: I’m judging these sites by how good they look to me. If they’re creative and original, or classic but really well-done, it’s all good to me. Sometimes,...

When I graduated from art school, I didn’t have a position waiting for me, so I moved back to my childhood bedroom in rural nowheresville. Opportunities there were thin on the ground, so after months living off my parents’ ever-diminishing goodwill, I packed everything I had into a single bag and hopped on a train for the city. I set about pitching my portfolio to some of the better agencies; I got plenty of interest, but no actual offers. As...