Design361

Everyone knows to get better at any art form, you have to first understand the particular tools and procedures that form it. Design is no different from playing an instrument or even a chef making a meal.  If the elements of graphic design (line, color, texture, shape) are the ingredients laid out in front of her and the principles of design (movement, rhythm, proportion, etc) are the recipe she uses to make the meal, then think of design layout and composition as the final plating. Cake brochure  by  Luz Viera Sure, the chef could throw everything into a bowl and call it good. Or, she could arrange the ingredients in a way that highlights the individual elements inside; she can deliver a message in a beautiful package. With time and care, she can create an incredible experience for the person consuming the meal. Read on to learn more about the many ways you can structure your design compositions to have the showstopping effect of a perfect seven-tiered cak...

Do you ever find that some days you're bubbling with creativity and others you're lost for ideas? Keeping those creative juices flowing can be tricky, but often all you need is a change of scenery or a flick through some inspiring design portfolios to spark your imagination.  Here we asked leading creatives to reveal some tips, tricks and expert advice to help keep your creative mojo. 01. Find solutions in problems "Creative blocks are often caused by what at a first glimpse seems to be an unsolvable problem," says Andreas Lundgren, art director and co-founder of Swedish design studio Lundgren+Lindqvist. "Treat these problems or limitations as assets and allow them to guide and influence your solution." 02. Look at the bigger picture "Life as a designer isn't always easy, and when things aren't going so well it can be hard to step back and see the bigger picture," admits Greig Anderson, co-founder and creative director at Freytag A...

Logo design in today’s world is totally under rated. People do not understand how important a good logo is and how valuable it is to their business and this is why I am going to outline some very important facts telling you exactly why logo design should not cost $5 and why your logo is not something you should take lightly. In broad terms, I will do this by comparing “cheap logo design” to “professional logo design” and I will outline the reasons why professional logo designers do not charge such low fees and why you should invest in a professional logo design. What Is A Logo? To understand what a logo is meant to do, we first must know what a logo is. A logo’s design is for immediate recognition, inspiring trust, admiration, loyalty and an implied superiority. The logo is one aspect of a company’s commercial brand, or economic entity, and its shapes, colours, fonts, and images usually are different from others in a similar market. Logos are also used to identify ...

It’s easy for designers to make mistakes while working on several projects simultaneously, often on little to no sleep. We are only human. When we rush to meet a deadline, careless errors can go overlooked.  However, when these “tiny” flaws slip through rounds of edits and end up getting published for the entire world to see, the designer is met with waves of scrutiny.  Here are a few rather embarrassing examples of silly typos, sloppy Photoshop and careless mistakes that show just how important it is to double-check your work before publishing! 1. Miami Herald ran a Macy’s ad congratulating the Heat on winning the NBA title. There would be nothing wrong with this ad if Miami had not lost Game 6 of the NBA finals and thus the series to the Dallas Mavericks. 2. The shadow doesn’t quite match up with the voting machine featured on the cover of Time magazine. 3. I hope the bathroom isn’t crowded. 4. Looks like this designer went a little crazy with the clone stam...

Color is an element of visual language that people process before they are consciously aware of it. It ‘pops out’ at viewers in the early stages of vision. Because color is a potent element of visual communication, we need to think through how and why we are using it.  Here are ten reasons why you might want to use color in your visual messages and displays. But first, please read this note about color and accessibility. 1. Use color to speed visual search Color coding often speeds up visual search Color coding is a way to convey information quickly, which facilitates visual search. In this Washington D.C. metro map, as with most schematic subway maps, color coded lines represent the different rail lines. Visual searching occurs when we actively scan the environment to locate a specific feature among many distractors. In this case, color makes it easier to visually follow the path of a rail line, speeding up the search process.  2. Use color to impr...

Designers are perfectionists. Hours fly by agonising over the tiniest detail until you end up staring at the screen into the early hours before a deadline. We think it’s important to take a step back and realise that even if you submit a piece of work you’re only 99.9% happy with, at least you haven’t committed the design crimes we’ve managed to find below.   This post is here to celebrate the perfectionists among you and explore the achievements of designers around the world. It’s also here to remind ourselves that sometimes, being a perfectionist isn’t a bad thing…..  Logo Design  Whether you’re designing a logo with a blank sheet or entirely rebranding a company, encompassing the values of the business whilst adhering to basic likeability is a balance designers find hard to strike. The Good… 1) San Diego Zoo San Diego Zoo wanted a new logo which more accurately encapsulated their catchy tagline “Wild at Heart”. The old logo was outdated and didn’t capture the char...