Blog &bull Graphic Design
Fundamentals of good design: Colour schemes
November 19, 2008
The importance of colour in design can never be overstated. Colour choices influence mood, emotion and tone; a carefully chosen colour scheme can clearly express a specific design style.
When I begin work on a new design project, I usually work at length on creating a good colour scheme. You’ll find more detail on this side [...]
How to adapt during an economic downturn
October 28, 2008
Image by Foxtongue
We live in interesting times. The worldwide financial downturns have led to a great deal of uncertainty for small business owners and independent contractors (freelancers), including designers. On the plus side, small operators are in a better position than their larger counterparts to adapt to changes in business conditions, even drastic ones.
In recent [...]
Less is More: Top Designers’ websites
October 14, 2008
Designers wanting to advance their careers are sometimes advised to concentrate on creating a personal brand. With this in mind, I decided to look at how some renowned graphic designers present themselves and their work online.
Most of the designers shown here have personal websites to showcase their portfolio. There are a few sites representing studios [...]
Design checklist: What clients should provide their designer
October 8, 2008
Image by kennymatic
Preparation is key to successful management of any project, and design projects are no different. The more preparation that both client and designer do right at the start, the more smoothly the work will go.
I find checklists can be very useful, so I’ve prepared a checklist of things that clients should provide their [...]
Design blogs making an impact
September 15, 2008
Image by Mr. Kris
Recently I wrote a post about making a bigger impact with your design skills, which provides lots of ideas and avenues for designers to work with charities and non-profit organisations.
Since then I’ve been on the lookout for designers and bloggers who have come up with their own great ideas to generate awareness [...]
10 great articles on website inspiration
September 9, 2008
When I put together the resources for my series on Irresistible Websites, I looked through hundreds of sites, CSS Galleries, designers’ portfolios and blog articles for ideas. This was a whole lot easier than it may sound, because great web design is one of my passions. It was also very gratifying to see all of [...]
Making a bigger impact with your design skills
July 28, 2008
Image by ElektraCute
Recently I featured an interview with James West, the designer behind Fifty Designers’ Current Favourite Typefaces which raised money for UNICEF’s appeal for Burma. James’ idea resonated with a notion I’ve had for a little while now, to investigate what avenues exist for designers to use their skills for the greater good. I’ve [...]
Interview: Fifty Designers’ Current Favourite Typefaces
July 22, 2008
James West is a UK designer who earlier this year produced the booklet Fifty Designers’ Current Favourite Typefaces to raise money for people left homeless and starving in Burma in the wake of a devastating cyclone. Fifty of the world’s biggest names in graphic design agreed to take part. To James’ complete surprise, the booklets [...]
How Inexperience can teach you about Design
June 25, 2008
Can you remember your first-ever design job? Whether it was the first piece of work you got paid for, or the freebies you used to do for friends and which gave you the first inklings that a career in design was for you? Looking back is fun, but for me it’s also served as an [...]
Reasons to keep your web portfolio short and sweet
June 19, 2008
The common wisdom for compiling a strong design portfolio is that you should limit the size to around a 10-15 samples of your work (give or take a few). I have perused a lot of design portfolios online, and it’s interesting to see how many break this rule.
