Every now and then we start to notice some things that make our designer’s blood boil. No, we aren’t talking about another Coke Zero redesign, but rather a trend that has us tearing our hair out. Maybe it has to do with the fact that most designers are self-taught these days. Or maybe it’s more closely related to the way modern business demands their designs. But either way, we really feel like communication has become absent from modern day designing. This is a terrible thing, as at the heart of all design projects is a drive to communicate something to the viewer in a real and memorable way. As such, we’d like to take a few minutes to explain some of the more important points about communication’s job within design. Starting with:

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In a previous post we detailed a few of the ways in which using a stock photo resource to handle your graphic design image needs during a project can be simply one of the best decisions you make. However, we’d be lying if we just left things there: You see, stock photos can be a rather terrible idea, but it’s important to understand the circumstantial distinctions between the two results. When is a stock photo a good idea? When is it a bad idea? What in fact are the cons of using a stock photo, rather than outsourcing the work or dealing with it yourself? To answer the latter, you’ll have to head on down below the break to see our full write-up!

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In our line of work, if you’ve never ever considered using some kind of a stock photo, then we haven’t got a clue how you’re able to make a living. We aren’t saying we spray them out over every design project that we possibly can, but we’re no prudes when it comes to finding a quality, prefabricated shot from a stock photo website. However, if you’ve never before considered using just such a tool for your projects, you’re really selling yourself short.

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So, you’ve bitten into this apple thinking it would be easy to do in very few steps. Yes, you’ve agreed to produce a menu for a restaurant in your client list, thinking you could have the thing wrapped up in a number of hours. Sadly, you’re now waking up to the fact that menu design is perhaps one of the more challenging parts of being a graphic designer. If this is the case, don’t despair quite just yet! Instead, go ahead and check out our choice tips below. These will set you on the straight and narrow as far as your designs go, and will give you a sense of direction if you’ve been struggling. So, without further ado, head on down below the break to see our top ways in which you can improve your restaurant menu design!

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In a previous post we talked a bit about some of the Web and desktop applications we use that are slightly outside of the norm. However, once we finished off the last sentence, we didn’t quite feel done with the concept. In fact, after thinking about the situation for a while, we found an entire slew of other resources we use on a daily basis. If you’re looking for a few convenient ways to enhance your graphic design workflow or become more efficient as a graphic designer, just stick around: We’ll be labeling a few of our best apps, as well as how we use them. Starting with:

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If you’re a graphic designer, we’re betting your skills include page layouts, as well as media and Web creation. Whether you choose to tackle websites or not is largely a personal preference, but either way, we’d imagine it’s in the realm of possibility. However, if you’re only sticking to these, you’re selling yourself short where your market potential is concerned.

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Unlike the business world, which tends to emphasize the use of Microsoft products, graphic design is not particularly known for being Windows friendly. In fact, we’d be willing to bet that nine out of every ten designers we know use a Macintosh computer, or at the very least a multitude of Apple products. We all have an iPod, right? However, does life have to be this way? There are in fact benefits to using a Windows computer!

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In the past we’ve had a real tendency to stick to general or otherwise broadly-based design topics. This is because it’s typically much harder to nail down specific projects, as most of us graphic designers tend to a variety of different fields during any given month. However, now we’re going to focus on a bit more concrete of an example – designing a book cover. This realm is full of potential, and a very lucrative venture if you’re searching for new avenues to explore.

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A Facebook friend recently asked me if she could message all her friends via Facebook at the same time.  The answer is no, according to Facebook, you can message 20 friends otherwise you should be using Facebook groups.  While it’s a quickly read statement in the questions and answers area, there truly is value in Facebook groups when used correctly.  The question for every designer is, how should you use Facebook groups and should they be “open,” “closed” or secret.
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We’ve been talking an awful lot about logo design lately. Why is that? Likely because it’s simply been on our mind. However, we feel it’s about time we dove into some specific logo examples, as well as offering up a few pointers on how to create similarly awesome designs within your own projects. One of the first items we’d like to look at is the realm of sports logos. It’s a huge market, what with everything from little league teams all the way up to major league action. However, if you’re new to the area, and aren’t really sure what constitutes a dramatically good sports logo, we understand your pain. With that in mind, head on down below the break to view our whole thought on how to better design a sporty logo. Starting with: read more…