Category Archives: Inspiration
2011
Keeping a Creative Journal
I’m going to share one of the most important tools I have used for my work over many years: a journal of creative ideas. Keeping this journal is a habit I am glad to have developed early in my life; for me it has been a useful and rewarding form of professional development. Continue reading →
2009
Design Inspiration: Pattern-Style Drawings & Busy Illustrations
The crossover between line illustrations and patterns is a trend that’s been developing for a few years. It’s playful, and frequently naive in style. What’s especially interesting is how this style of illustration is successfully being applied across a broad … Continue reading →
2009
What design really sticks in your mind?
image by VoxEfx When was the last time you saw a piece of design which really ‘clicked’: where, for whatever reason, you felt such a connection that a little photographic impression of it has been etched inside your brain ever … Continue reading →
2009
How twitter broadens my horizons
Like many designers, I gain lots of inspiration (large volumes of it, in fact) by going online and looking at the work of others. There are plenty of websites set up to showcase design, but I’m finding that one of … Continue reading →
2009
More Fantastic Illustration Resources
Learning how to draw, from the basics to the finer points of illustration, is a popular activity which brings a lot of people online searching for as much information as they can find. A few months ago I wrote about … Continue reading →
2008
Fundamentals of good design: Colour schemes
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 … Continue reading →
2008
Design blogs making an impact
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 … Continue reading →
2008
Irresistible Websites Part Four: Energy
What gives a website design energy? The way I see it, a website displays energy if the design is not only well crafted but also generates its own atmosphere. The design elements may be simple (even minimalist) or bursting with … Continue reading →
2008
Irresistible Websites Part Three: Textures
Since the early days of the web, designers have looked for ways to improve on the very flat nature of the medium. Textures are one way to create depth without a site becoming very graphics-heavy. The third part in this … Continue reading →
2008
Irresistible Websites Part Two: Playful Sites
When it comes to web style, playful is very, very popular. Cartoonish vector landscapes, cuter-than-cute site mascots and retro typography are popping up all over the place. And it’s not only the designers who are having fun: Flash and Javascript, … Continue reading →
2008
Irresistible Websites: Part One
What makes a website irresistible? In other words, what visual elements are most successful in enticing the viewer to take a closer look? This post begins a series looking at websites employing striking design techniques to attract visitors. To better … Continue reading →
2008
Making a bigger impact with your design skills
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, … Continue reading →
2008
Interview: Fifty Designers’ Current Favourite Typefaces
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 … Continue reading →
2008
10 seamless website designs
One of the challenges in designing websites is to create a layout which takes into account all the different screen sizes at which it may be viewed. Some websites use fluid layouts (where sections of content will automatically resize to … Continue reading →
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