Community & Inspiration articles

One of the biggest concerns that freelancers have is that they can be isolated from others in similar fields. So can a professional network offer the additional resources you need to succeed? The answer is yes if you find the right group. Here are reasons why you should join a professional network and how to find one that's right for you. You’ll Build Relationships The No. 1 reason to join a professional organization is to develop personal and...

With the heat of summer comes a little bit of a design slowdown, but there are still plenty of projects worth your attention. Most of the major design trends happening right now feature structural components of website design, such a interactive layers or multiple columns of text. And there’s also this “little” international event that’s having some influence as well – the soccer World Cup. Here’s what’s trending in design...

Consumers and designers alike look to giants of any industry for inspiration. Often times, the inspiration has to do with the specific product the company develops. In the tech world, there a quite a few giants that inspire us everyday with their new and groundbreaking gadgets. However, you can draw inspiration from these tech giants in the way you organize your bedroom. Here are six rooms comparemymove.com created inspired by the top tech...

Welcome back, Readers. It’s June, and if I got paid extra for every instance of the word “minimalist” in this article, I could probably afford to vacation in Canada. Well, my point is that minimalism is the general theme of this month, because that’s what it has all come down to: various forms of minimalism. Still, within that descriptor, there’s a fair amount of variety to be had here. Enjoy. Note: I’m judging these sites by how good...

Sometimes the most fun part of looking at design trends is when you start to notice subtle shifts in trends that create new design patterns altogether. Each of the trends this month is an evolution of something that’s been pretty popular, with an interesting spin. Here’s what’s trending in design this month: 1. Full Screen Photo The oversized hero image gets even bigger with full-screen photo displays. The key element in this website...

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,...