Spun » patterns

How to Prepare Your Social Game for Massive Growth

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:22:11 +0000

RIM Backtracks After Twitter Users Hijack Hashtag

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:42:51 +0000

Like McDonald’s before it, RIM has found there’s a reason open-ended Twitter campaigns are called “bashtags.”

The trouble started on New Year’s Eve, when the brand sponsored Dick Clark’s show and ran a billboard in New York’s Times Square: “Let’s #BeBold in 2012.” RIM claims it received more than 35,000… read more

Best of the Vector Web – January 2012

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:00:10 +0000

Each month, we search the web for the best vector-related content and showcase it here for you all to enjoy. This month, we showcase high quality tutorials on mixing vector techniques with photography, we learn how to create vintage style lettering that has a grainy retro style, dive deeper into… read more

Should You Really Use a DSLR for Video?

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:10:39 +0000

In the last few years, there has been a plethora of DSLR’s being sold with video capabilities. As well as being photographers, my wife and I also produce short travel films so in 2010 after shooting for several years on a Sony FX1 camcorder, we decided to try out shooting… read more

Map of 10,000 Tweets Shows New York City at Work

admin — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:11:11 +0000

What does where we tweet say about how we live and work? That’s one of the questions Oakland-based programmer Eric Fischer hoped to answer with his latest mapping project.

Fischer, a mapping fanatic and artist, is used to displaying vast amounts of information in visually compelling ways. In his latest… read more

The Rule of Thirds: Weekly Photography Challenge

admin — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:25:59 +0000

This week your photography challenge is to utilise the most common photographic composition rule – the Rule of Thirds.

While I’m not big on ‘rules’ – there’s definitely some good reasons to know this one and to be able to pull it off (and of course there are times to break… read more

Create a Stylized Performance Car in Illustrator CS5 – Tuts+ Premium Tutorial

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:00:37 +0000

In this Tuts+ Premium tutorial, learn how to create a stylized performance car from a reference image using many gradients, custom art brushes, patterns, clipping masks and not a single gradient mesh or blur in sight! If you are looking to take your skills to the next level then Log… read more

Quick Tip: Quickly Create Recycled Paper Textures with Adobe Illustrator

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:00:38 +0000

In this tutorial you will learn how to quickly create a series of recycled paper textures. You can use these to apply the effect of old paper over illustrations. The goal of this tutorial is to show you some shortcuts for aligning objects on the Artboard by using the Align… read more

Sigma 4.5mm F2.8 EX DC HSM Circular Fisheye [REVIEW]

admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:09:42 +0000

While full frame sensor camera have enjoyed the use of fisheye lenses for a century, the newly created APS-C sensor cameras have remained lacking. Use of traditional fisheye would work, but the entire circular area would be cropped.

Enter the Sigma 4.5mm fisheye. This lens is built for cropped sensors, giving… read more

Best of the Week #206

admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 10:49:03 +0000

It’s time for our best news of this week. We have a lot of graphic and web design, a bit of architecture, ads, tech news, awesome reads and other crazy stuff! So take a look at the links we’ve selected for your inspiration and to keep you updated about what’s… read more

The Pixel Renaissance: Pixel Art’s Place in 21st Century Expression

admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:47:18 +0000

My first experience with pixels occurred in second grade. During the rainy months, our teacher allowed us to stay inside, where we replaced recess with video game tournaments. Huddled over old Apple II monitors, we maneuvered game hero Panama Joe through endless levels of Montezuma’s Revenge.

Panama Joe’s image featured an… read more

Patterns: Weekly Photography Challenge

admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:50:33 +0000

Image by antifluor

This week we published a popular post titled – 33 Inspirational Images that Feature Patterns and Repetition which got some great feedback.

So I thought it might be fun to make that the topic of this weeks challenge. So over the next few days of travels with your camera… read more

What’s Next for Digital Coupons?

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:12:31 +0000

Jeff Hudson is co-founder of Grocery Coupon Network, one of the leading coupon communities on the web. By aggregating the best digital grocery coupons and special offers from local and national brands, the company provides a reliable source for those looking to save money and time.

Couponing had seen unprecedented growth… read more

Internet Users to Congress: We Hate SOPA

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 01:44:25 +0000

With major websites such as Wikipedia and Reddit down Wednesday in protest of SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act), millions of social media users took to the Internet to express their own opinion on the two bills. And they don’t like them one bit.

In a tweet… read more

33 Inspirational Images that Feature Patterns and Repetition

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:09:25 +0000

Our world is filled with patterns. They’re everywhere when you start looking for them and they can be a powerful element to think about when out and about with your camera.

Below are 33 images that feature patterns of different kinds. Some are found in architecture and some in nature. Some… read more

Designing The Well-Tempered Web

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:02:06 +0000

As technology evolves, so does the art and craft of Web design. New technology creates new challenges, which require new solutions. Often we’re working in uncharted territory, where the solutions demanded really are new. Other times, we’re faced with problems of a more universal nature, problems that have a history.

Given… read more

Create a Designer Gift Bag Using Adobe Illustrator

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:00:49 +0000

In this tutorial you will learn how to draw a designer gift bag using basic shapes and various patterns, which are made available in Illustrator. You will also learn to add your own customized details to the design.

Step 1

Create an 800px by 800px RGB document. Let’s start by creating the… read more

Resolution Independence With SVG

admin — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:35:00 +0000

In this article, we’ll look at Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), one of the most underused technologies in website development today.

Before diving into an example, let’s consider the state of the Web at present and where it is going. Website design has found new vigor in recent years, with the evolving technique… read more

Create a Skateboard Illustration with Mixed Medias

admin — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:02:14 +0000

As most kids born in the 90s I was very influenced by skateboarding and was a “skater” myself. I always loved skateboard art and I remember going with my friends to skate shops to see the shapes from brands like Santa Cruz, Flip, Powell Peralta and others. I must admit… read more

Our favorite tweets of the week Jan 9-Jan 15, 2012

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:54:41 +0000

Source

Best of the Week #205

admin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 10:34:28 +0000

Creative Use of Typography in Print Ads

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:09:58 +0000

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When it comes to advertising, what’s being said can be a bit less important than how it’s said. In no case is this more true than in the case of typography based advertisements, which are common in print advertising and gaining popularity even in television… read more

Inclusive Design

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:18:52 +0000

We’ve come a long way since the days of the first Macintosh and the introduction of graphical user interfaces, going from monochrome colors to millions, from estranged mice to intuitive touchscreens, from scroll bars to pinch, zoom, flick and pan. But while hardware, software and the people who use technology… read more

350+ Free Graphics: Vector Arrow Symbols and Shapes

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:00:21 +0000

If you’re looking for arrow graphics, with various styles, such as flat silhouettes that curve, hand drawn elements, or sharp edged classic designs, then you’ve found a compilation worth downloading. We’ve collected an assortment of arrow symbols, shapes, and icons, all available for free download.

Grab a multitude of arrow vector… read more

Quick Tip: How to Create a Quick and Easy Diagonal Pattern

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:00:51 +0000

In this tutorial you will learn how to easily create a diagonal pattern in Adobe Illustrator. Creating seamless patterns is a challenge in itself, but it is even harder if the pattern is supposed to be at an angle. But there is an easy trick to do so by creating… read more

WDL Premium: Seamless Floral Patterns Vector Pack

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:56:04 +0000

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Here’s a new set of vectors for our WDL Premium Members. This pack from Designious contains 6 high quality vector patterns with floral motifs that will give your nature related designs an organic and beautiful touch.

Be sure to check out Designious for more design resources.

Here’s… read more

50+ New and Free Photoshop Brush Packs

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:00:11 +0000

Nearly every designer loves freshly-made, free Photoshop brushes that can be used in your designs as it is one of the most widely used graphics programs on the market. It is what some would call an incontrovertible truth. This is the reason why designers are constantly browsing the web in… read more

Why Targeted Ads Must Account for Changing Consumer Context

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 07:50:44 +0000

Tom Wentworth is chief marketing officer at Ektron Inc., a provider of web content management and marketing optimization solutions.

Millions of parents have bought Hannah Montana albums online for their young daughters and nieces. Marketers seized the opportunity to launch ads for Hannah lunchboxes and accessories — which unfortunately appear on… read more

Fuji Release the Fujifilm X-Pro1

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:47:29 +0000

One of the fastest growing segments of the digital camera market is the smaller bodied interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras that have been released by many manufacturers in the last 12 or so months. Filling the gap between DSLRs and compact point and shoots – these cameras give the flexibility of… read more

55 High Quality And Fresh Pattern Sets

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:08:50 +0000

Let us unearth 55 most useful and fresh pattern sets that you can use in your design work making them more attractive and appealing. You can download these pattern sets for free and you can use wherever you like. Browse this collection to the end and you will definitely find… read more

Best of the Week #204

admin — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 10:51:32 +0000

How To Create Custom Taxonomies In WordPress

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:51:55 +0000

WordPress 3 introduced custom taxonomies as a core feature. The following release of 3.1 included many features to enhance support of custom taxonomies. Better import and export handling, advanced queries with tax_query, hierarchical support, body classes and a bunch of wonderful functions to play with were all part of the… read more

Coolest Apps From 2011 You Would Never Want To Miss In 2012

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:46:25 +0000

The year 2011 has ended. We have explored and reviewed so many useful tools and resources for you all the year. Today, we are going to take a look on few of the web apps we have featured that we think you would like bookmark for 2012. I hope designers,… read more

Create a Colorful, Glass Text Effect in Illustrator

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:00:34 +0000

In the following tutorial you will learn how to create a colorful, glass text effect in Illustrator. Learn each step to construct this shiny, vector text effect. We’ll use patterns, transform effects, multiple gradient fills, and more to construct this beautiful lettering.

Step 1

Create a 700 by 300px, RGB document. Grab… read more

The Lazy Freelancer’s Guide to Market Research

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:00:21 +0000

Do freelancers really need market research? After all, some freelancers – and even some businesses – manage to get paying customers without putting a bit of thought into how to acquire those customers. Maybe you could be as lucky as they are, your inbox always full of messages from… read more

BugHerd: Beautiful Bug Tracking

admin — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:00:26 +0000

Bugs happen everywhere on the web, and it’s really annoying when one presents itself. Therefore, bug tracking systems exist in order to squash out problems by tracking a bug’s progress from being found to being fixed. If you’re making a website or web app, you sure don’t want your users… read more

21 Examples of Subtle Textures and Patterns in Web Design

admin — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:22:20 +0000

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First of all, we would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! To kick things off for 2012, we’ve gathered some amazing examples of subtle textures and patterns in web design. The web sites in this collection demonstrate that you don’t always have to over… read more

Rob Forbes on Ways of Seeing, Video

admin — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 20:00:51 +0000

View engaging conference lectures, interesting how to discussions, and high quality freelance advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.

This week we look at Ways of Seeing by Rob Forbes. This weekend we’re sharing an interesting talk by, Rob Forbes, who shares a gallery of snapshots that inform his way of… read more

Best of the Week #203

admin — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:29:31 +0000

8 Ways Digital Will Improve B2B Sales in 2012

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 06:19:48 +0000

Guy Nirpaz is the CEO and co-founder of Totango, which analyzes user actions on SaaS applications, providing sales teams invaluable information in qualifying prospects and prioritizing people to contact who are most likely to buy or renew.

How B2B products and services are purchased and sold is rapidly changing. Some call… read more

Speed Dial 2: Upgrade Your New Tab Page in Chrome

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 06:00:08 +0000

Tablets and smartphones have homescreens filled with apps, while more traditional computers have start menus or docs or search tools to find the apps you need. With web apps, though, it seems the best way for most of us to find apps is with random links in our bookmarks or… read more

Amazon Goes Social Shopping: What Quorus Hires Mean

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 01:47:14 +0000

Amazon is poised to make a major leap into social shopping thanks to a rash of recent hires from Quorus (formerly Fridge Door), a company whose chief product was software that added a social experience to online retailing.

When we wrote about what 2012 may hold for the world’s largest online… read more

The Myth Of The Sophisticated User

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:48:51 +0000

As I sat in my local co-working space, shoulder-deep in a design problem on my MacBook Air, I could hear him. He was on the phone, offering screen-by-screen design recommendations to his client for the project they were working on. When this acquaintance of mine arrived at the subject of… read more

Dribbble On Your Desktop with Play by Play

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:00:59 +0000

Dribbble is a delightful little online community specifically created for designers to share bite-sized previews of what they’re working on. Each “shot” is a 400px by 300px image that a user has chosen to share with the Dribbble community, often for the purpose of feedback (and a little showing off… read more

Create a Vector, Daily Flip Calendar

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:00:58 +0000

In the following tutorial you will learn how to create a daily flip calendar. Learn to use vector shape building techniques, multiple Illustrator tools, and a bit of artistic ingenuity to illustrate this daily flip calendar icon. Let’s get started.

Step 1

Create a 700 by 300px, RGB document. First, turn on… read more

15+ Illustrator Tutorials on Retro Text Effects and Vintage Lettering

admin — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 19:00:14 +0000

If you’re looking to improve your skills in Illustrator, specifically learn to create retro text effects, beautiful vintage lettering, and work with classic type, then we have the collection of Illustrator tutorials you’re looking for. Learn to draw fluid, retro lettering, compose vintage designs with classic fonts, and transform your… read more

10 Fresh Free Patterns for Your Design

admin — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 05:45:19 +0000

10 Fresh Free Patterns for Your Design

53 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed

admin — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 05:04:31 +0000

With the holidays in full swing, that means the new year is just around the corner. Here at Mashable, we’ve been reflecting on the changes 2011 has brought for technology and social media and what those changes mean for the future.

If you’ve been busy decking the halls and getting… read more

Is Gamification Right for Your Business? 7 Things to Consider

admin — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 00:39:12 +0000

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

This year has lent itself to a slew of new buzzwords, and gamification is easily one of the most buzzed about in the marketing industry.

Businesses clamored… read more

Best Of 2011: 45 Photoshop Web Design Layout Tutorials

admin — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:25:37 +0000

Photoshop is a well-liked web design instrument. With it, you can generate web design mock-ups that can later on be transformed to a practical and efficient HTML / CSS template. In today’s collection of tutorials, we are featuring some top-notch techniques on how to generate your own web design layouts… read more

Christmas & New Year Special Giveaway: Prizes Worth Over $20,000

admin — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:34:15 +0000

The end of this year is almost coming and Christmas is already on our doorsteps. It’s never too late to hang your stockings, keep milk and cookies and wait for Santa to drop in at your home with lots of gifts and Christmas cheer. It’s time for Santa’s gifts, for… read more

50 Fantastic Premium Business WordPress Themes From 2011

admin — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:00:31 +0000

Whilst Joomla and Drupal are popular amongst website designers, WordPress is by far the number 1 used CMS in the world. Which is one of the reasons that WordPress themes are seen as such a hot commodity these days in the design world.

It’s popularity amongst design firms could explain the… read more

New Patterns Vector Packs, T-shirt Designs, Freebie & Drawing Video

admin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:25:19 +0000

New Patterns Vector Packs, T-shirt Designs, Freebie & Drawing Video

Best Of 2011: 70 Beautiful And High Quality Free Textures

admin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 03:08:48 +0000

For the designing fraternity, premium quality texture, backgrounds and patterns are the most necessitated freebies on the internet. Use of texture in web designs is tremendously frequent. As a result every designer is in search of good quality textures, although they do not get all at one place. Therefore, in… read more

75 Outstanding Tutorials, Quick Tips, Articles and Interviews from Vectortuts+ in 2011

admin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:00:57 +0000

As the year comes to an end and we pack up our vector tools for some well deserved rest and relaxation, let’s take a look back at some of the best and most inspiring Vectortuts+ articles and tutorials for 2011.

The following collection is just a fraction of the fantastic content… read more

200+ Free Vectors: Tribal Graphics & Tattoo Designs

admin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:00:21 +0000

If you’re looking for tribal graphics, inspired by ancient tattooed warriors, woven wings, fire-breathing dragons, swirling ornamental body art, and more, then you’ve landed on the right article. We’ve collected a truckload of tribal vector artwork, all available for free download.

These free vector tribal graphics are great for adding a… read more

Compilation of Christmas design resources

admin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:21:05 +0000

Source

Create a 3D Grungy Text Effect in Illustrator

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:00:36 +0000

In the following tutorial you will learn how to create a grungy, 3D text effect. Learn how to draw highlights and shadows on your text to give it that 3D punch. Then design grunge effects using blending modes and other Illustrator tools. This grungy text effect is relatively simple to… read more

How to Make Your Website More Accessible

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:51:19 +0000

Constant improvement is imperative to a world of progress, including the web world. Designing an effective website requires a lot of techniques, skills and testing. Testing determines the usability of the website, which ties into accessibility. Thus, one of the most important things to consider when creating a website is… read more

Web design predictions for 2012

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:18:15 +0000

Source

15 Useful Seamless Patterns

admin — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 03:25:19 +0000

15 Useful Seamless Patterns

Daytime Fireworks Are More Beautiful Than You’d Expect [VIDEO]

admin — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 01:10:10 +0000

Each day, Mashable highlights one noteworthy YouTube video. Check out all our viral video picks.

Everyone loves watching fireworks illuminate dark skies, but did you ever wonder what they would look like during the day?

Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang put on this enormous daytime explosion event at the Arab Museum of… read more

U.S. Teen Mobile Data Usage Triples [STUDY]

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:04:03 +0000

We already knew that teens out-text the rest of us, but this year their mobile data consumption accelerated at an unprecedented rate as well.

Teens ages 13 to 17 used 256% more mobile data in the third quarter of 2011 than in the same time period of 2010. Teens took… read more

Our 50 Favorite Web Developers Resources and Tools from 2011

admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:40:58 +0000

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As a developer, anything that can save you just a little bit of time is well worth its weight in gold. If you agree with that statement, you will love this. What we have for you is our selection of the best, the most useful… read more

50 Useful and Free Seamless Pattern Sets

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:00:42 +0000

Employing seamless patterns are an extraordinary way to give your design some additional depth and personality. Either by delicately highlighting important areas or for producing a background that will elevate your layout design to top notch status.

In this post you will unearth all types of assorted patterns; for example fabrics,… read more

Web Design Trends in 2012

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:00:27 +0000

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It’s that time of year again, where we look into our crystal ball to see what will be the hot trends in web design for the upcoming year. It’s no secret that trends come and go, with some hanging around longer than they should. (Yes, splash… read more

Gift Guide 2011: Books

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:46:38 +0000

The holiday season is here and it’s time to get together with our family and friends, celebrate and get ready for the new year that is about to start. As we see sites with gift guides all over the web we decided to post the Abduzeedo 2011 Gift Guide because… read more

Best of the Week #200

admin — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 18:45:48 +0000

PlayStation Finds Its Groove with 2 Innovative Music Games

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:58:52 +0000

Two new PlayStation games are blurring the line between music software and video games. Sound Shapes, for the soon-to-be-released PlayStation Vita is like a Super Mario — if all of your actions in the classic game painted its unique soundtrack. PixelJunk 4am, for PlayStation 3, uses the gesture-based Move controller… read more

Clear Indications That It’s Time To Redesign

admin — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:09:06 +0000

Redesign. The word itself can send shudders down the spines of any Web designer and developer. For many designers and website owners, the imminent onslaught of endless review cycles, coupled with an infinite number of “stakeholders” and their inevitable “opinions,” would drive them to shave their heads with a cheese… read more

20 Amazing Implementations of HTML5 Canvas

admin — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:58:49 +0000

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In this article, we explore some of the most awe-inspiring implementations of HTML5′s canvas element so far. From all of the new HTML5 tags, canvas is likely to be the most powerful.
In a nutshell, the canvas element is a drawable region defined in… read more

10 Excellent Resources for Free Textures and Patterns

admin — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:23:19 +0000

10 Excellent Resources for Free Textures and Patterns

Five Online Graphic Makers To Create Simple Design Elements

admin — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:28:25 +0000

There are many websites out there for generation and creation of graphical elements, but getting by free and good ones is not that easy. That is why I am sharing Five Online Graphic Makers To Create Simple Design Elements. Read each entry in the list and see which one suits… read more

Holidays Around The World: Smashing Photo Contest

admin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:20:16 +0000

2012 is around the corner and the year is (already!) coming to an end. We’d like to know how upcoming holidays are celebrated in your city. Just send us a photo of your kind of Christmas or New Year’s Eve and with some luck you may be the winner of… read more

Create a Detailed Toilet Plunger Illustration

admin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:00:09 +0000

In the following tutorial you will learn how to create a toilet plunger illustration. You’ll use basic shape building techniques, along with advanced Illustrator tools, to compose the best plunger artwork you’ve ever made. You can use these techniques you’ll learn to create numerous household tools as well.

Step 1

Create a… read more

Adobe Illustrator Tutorial: Creating a Realistic Curtain

admin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:00:25 +0000

Adobe Illustrator has an amazing feature that allows us create many realistic illustrations. Today we will have the opportunity to practice with the Mesh Tool once again. We will use it to create an interesting damask curtain. The Mesh Tool will help us to create the illusion of the silk look… read more

Future Tech: 8 Ways We Could Recycle Our Wasted Heat

admin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:53:12 +0000

Julian Taub is a freelance science writer and performance poet in the East Village of NYC. He writes a nanotechnology blog called Julian’s TechSplurge, and runs Late Nite Labs’ science blog. You can follow him on Twitter: @JulianTaub.

Every electrical appliance — from a humble light bulb to a MacBook Pro… read more

Mostly Mobile: How the Internet Is Consumed in India [INFOGRAPHIC]

admin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 03:57:30 +0000

India Stats

Click here to view this gallery.

As India becomes more connected, technology is disseminating in different patterns… read more

How to Draw a Vector, Music Folder Icon

admin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:00:23 +0000

Read this tutorial and learn how to draw a music folder icon in Illustrator. We’ll use the 3D Revolve tool and Extrude & Bevel effects. They are put into use throughout the entire workflow, starting from shaping a 3D folder using a single path and finishing with all the colorful… read more

Adding an advanced calendar to WordPress

admin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:08:32 +0000

Source

Minimalist Futurism Posters

admin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:46:39 +0000

Futurism – An Odyssey in Continuity is a poster series designed by the British designer Simon C. Page. Each poster is amazing on a certain way, they all have really great patterns that show continuity to represent the future and are very well styled by great color patterns. Check them… read more

Quick Tip: How to Create a Simple Web Button Set Using the Appearance Panel

admin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:00:01 +0000

In the following tutorial you will learn how to create your own web buttons set. First, using the Rectangle Tool along with some Pathfinder and Offset options plus a Rounded Corners effect you will create the three starting shapes. Next, a linear gradient plus some Film Grain and Drop Shadow… read more

My Kickstarter Christmas Wish List – 5 Great Photo & Video Products

admin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:46:57 +0000

What is Kickstarter?

For those of you that haven’t heard of Kickstarter.com, I am writing this article to introduce you to what is becoming a great website for photographers and creative peeps. Kickstarter is a platform that allows entrepreneurs to develop a product, pitch their idea, and have their project be… read more

Going Viral Visualized [INFOGRAPHIC]

admin — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:52:17 +0000

The baby who laughs at ripping paper. The overdramatic chipmunk. Nyan Cat. These characters are forever immortalized in the world of viral Internet content. But what is it about these vastly different pieces of content that make them so ubiquitous and sharable? According to research by ProBlogger.com, whatever makes a… read more

40 Striking Christmas Photoshop Patterns Supportive to Boost Creativity

admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 07:01:39 +0000

40 Striking Christmas Photoshop Patterns Supportive to Boost Creativity

10 Gorgeous Patterns That You Should Know About

admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:16:39 +0000

10 Gorgeous Patterns That You Should Know About

Get a Hold of Creativity With 300+ Christmas Photoshop Patterns

admin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:31:39 +0000

Get a Hold of Creativity With 300+ Christmas Photoshop Patterns

Inky Deals Bundle Giveaway

admin — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:06:12 +0000

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Today we are happy to announce a giveaway from InkyDeals, a place where creative professionals can find some really nice deals. InkyDeals is offering our readers 5 bundles of their Inky Deals Bundle: the biggest graphic design bundle ever. And yes, the bundle is enormous, check… read more

The use of illustration in web design

admin — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:04:34 +0000

Source

Abstract Decorative Seamless Vector Patterns

admin — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:01:39 +0000

Abstract Decorative Seamless Vector Patterns

The Perfect Paragraph

admin — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:53:24 +0000

In this article, I’d like to reacquaint you with the humble workhorse of communication that is the paragraph. Paragraphs are everywhere. In fact, at the high risk of stating the obvious, you are reading one now. Despite their ubiquity, we frequently neglect their presentation. This is a mistake. Here, we’ll… read more

10 Useful Leather Patterns for Photoshop Users

admin — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:31:39 +0000

10 Useful Leather Patterns for Photoshop Users

Should You Watermark Your Art?

admin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:00:15 +0000

In Today’s article we look at watermarking your artwork. We’ll consider the opinions of those who use them in their work. Should you watermark your work to prevent misuse? Let’s read on to find out.

Watermarking Your Artwork Online

In a perfect world, we could post our artwork online without people misusing… read more

Our favorite tweets of the week Nov 21-Nov 27, 2011

admin — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:38:05 +0000

Source

Best of the Week #198

admin — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 18:19:56 +0000

Comics of the week #105

admin — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 15:48:51 +0000

Source

How to optimize your blog’s RSS feed

admin — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:48:05 +0000

Source

How To Create Web Animations With Paper.js

admin — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:14:53 +0000

The Web is just starting to use animation well. For years, animated GIFs and Flash ruled. Text moved and flashed, but it was never seamless. Animations had boxes around them like YouTube videos. HTML5 canvas changes everything about Web animation.

The canvas element makes it possible to integrate drawings and animations… read more

Branding and the importance of consistent design

admin — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:11:28 +0000

When you start working with clients you have to understand that the work you produce is not just about how good or bad a design is. It has a lot to do with the way the design fits into the wider spectrum of things.

Does this design fall in line with… read more

How 5 Top Brands Crafted Their Social Media Voices

admin — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 03:06:21 +0000

The Digital Marketing Series is supported by HubSpot, an inbound marketing software company based in Cambridge, MA, that makes a full platform of marketing software, including tools for better B2B lead nurturing.

Social networks are platforms for personal connection and dialogue, a reality that has proved challenging for many companies that… read more

Quick Tip: Create a Speech Bubbles Set with the Appearance Panel

admin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:00:24 +0000

In the following Quick Tip you will learn how to create your own vector speech bubbles set. This tutorial is for beginners and will teach you basic shape building techniques in Illustrator plus some neat tricks to use with the Appearance panel. Let’s get started!

Step 1

Create a 750 by 250px,… read more

40 Useful Photoshop Free Plugins And Filters

admin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:35:49 +0000

Traditionally plugins are an amateurish photographer’s best friend who used to take photographs, fired up Photoshop, and applied some preset filters in order to have a realistically professional image. Skilled photographers have been acknowledged to bring plugins into play as a base and after that tweak and include effects to… read more

Jaw-Dropping T-shirt Designs, Seamless Patterns Vector Packs & Freebie!

admin — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 01:38:19 +0000

Jaw-Dropping T-shirt Designs, Seamless Patterns Vector Packs & Freebie!

HTML5 Semantics

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 22:43:54 +0000

Much of the excitement we’ve seen so far about HTML5 has been for the new APIs: local storage, application cache, Web workers, 2-D drawing and the like. But let’s not overlook that HTML5 brings us 30 new elements to mark up documents and applications, boosting the total number of elements… read more

Quick Tip: How to Cell Shade and add Texture to a Vector Comic Character

admin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:00:13 +0000

This tutorial will show you how to create a cell shaded character in Adobe Illustrator, this is a fast technique utilizing the Live Paint bucket for block coloring, the gradient tool to add depth and form, and masked blended shapes for texture.

Step 1

We will begin with the outlines already made…. read more

Getting Started With jQuery: A Beginner’s Resource Guide

admin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:00:15 +0000

Javascript is one of a web designer’s best friends. Learning how to use this powerful tool to its fullest potential can prove invaluable to our work and our clients. jQuery helps make JS more accessible. jQuery is a free, fast, and concise JavaScript library that allows you to efficiently write… read more

Daily Inspiration #981

admin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 04:15:24 +0000

This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, just send us, via email, the image with the link from where you found it,… read more

Kindle Fire: The Good, The Bad and The Indifferent [META REVIEW]

admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 07:18:25 +0000

Amazon’s Kindle Fire may have started shipping early, but the reviews are already rolling in. So far, everyone seems in agreement that $199 for a tablet is a remarkable feat. However, some are a little more enthusiastic about the device and its features than others.

Read on to see who… read more

Vibrant Stripes Seamless Vector Pattern

admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 02:34:59 +0000

Vibrant Stripes Seamless Vector Pattern

Tips to Stay Photographically Focused when Visiting a Large City

admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:59:35 +0000

Have you ever found yourself in a large city with the overwhelming feeling that you don’t know what to start shooting? This is especially true if you only have two or three days on location. It has happened to me, many times. You try to see and capture it all… read more

15 Illustrator Tutorials for Creating Isometric Illustrations

admin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:00:21 +0000

We’re all looking to improve our vector illustration skills, and if your focus is on learning illustration or icon design, then getting familiar with how to use Adobe Illustrator to create isometric drawings will improve your technical illustration skills greatly. Learning how to use Illustrator to create isometric diagrams, set… read more

The New Grooveshark: What’s Changed?

admin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:00:31 +0000

There are some of us just love music – we couldn’t do without it. I’d definitely count myself in as one of the music crazy group; in fact, I’m listening to music as I’m writing this post, using my favorite music streaming service, Grooveshark.

Grooveshark is one of the most popular… read more

Create a Vector Bamboo Forest with Blends, Brushes and Profiles

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:00:33 +0000

In today’s tutorial you’ll learn how to create a bamboo vector illustration with the help of custom art and pattern brushes, blends and profiles on strokes in Adobe Illustrator CS5. Vector bamboo is an excellent element to use in your work to give a classic Japanese fine art print feel,… read more

Free Textured Patchwork Patterns

admin — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 04:29:59 +0000

Free Textured Patchwork Patterns

Best of the Week #196

admin — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:26:07 +0000

Siri, Read My Mind: Did Hackers Just Build a Brain-Powered iPhone?

admin — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 08:55:09 +0000

If you believe this video — and that’s a big if — the era of thought-controlled phones has begun. A pair of hobbyist hackers claim to have taken Siri, the iPhone 4S feature that obeys voice commands, and turned it into an app that obeys brainwave patterns.

“It works!… read more

How Hashtagging the Web Could Improve Our Collective Intelligence

admin — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:25:47 +0000

Laura Larsell is the information ontologist at Trapit, a content discovery, personalization and curation platform currently in beta. Laura holds an M.A. in library sciences from the University of Texas at Austin.

I rolled my eyes when the Library of Congress announced in the spring of 2010 that it would… read more

30 Free Vector Graphics for Your Daily Needs

admin — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:00:29 +0000

Every so often, designers should make it a point to download fresh sets of vector graphics and other design resources. Whether you’re a print designer who designs posters, flyers and magazines, or a graphic designer collaborating with web designers and programmers, vector icons and illustrations will always come in handy.

There… read more

Stunning Photo Manipulations Inspired by Nature

admin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:00:05 +0000

Nature is a popular subject amongst the Photoshop community, and subsequently is featured in a lot of photo manipulation work. Nature is really the perfect subject for photo manipulations as it’s so visually engaging. Think of the four elements, or a beautiful landscape, or a fierce animal. All these things… read more

Quick Tip: Create a Slick Golden Text Effect with Adobe Illustrator

admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:00:51 +0000

In the following tutorial you will learn how to create a slick golden text effect. Although it’s a pretty short tutorial, the sixteen steps cover many techniques and effects that can be used for other projects. The Pen Tool steps may be a bit challenging, but with patience and some… read more

How to Create a Calendar Icon in Illustrator

admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:00:59 +0000

Learn how to design a calendar icon in Adobe Illustrator. This tutorial covers the step-by-step process of designing this vector icon in Illustrator using tools such as: shape building tools, brushes, a round corner script, and multiple gradient colors. This calendar icon can be used in the next design or… read more

Establishing Your Grid In Photoshop

admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:49:42 +0000

Creating a grid is typically one of the very first things you do when starting a design comp. After all, it provides the basic structure on which the rest of your design will lie. In this article, we’ll provide two different methods for efficiently establishing a grid. These methods enable… read more

How Natural Language Processing Helps Uncover Social Media Sentiment

admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:41:19 +0000

JRehling is former senior software engineer and NLP expert at Meltwater Group, where he was responsible for adding natural language technology to the company’s news and social media monitoring services. He also blogs about NLP.

Every day, people discuss brands tens of thousands of times across social media sites. Companies want… read more

Massive Collection of Vintage Vector Graphics: Floral Borders, Corners, and Frames

admin — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:00:39 +0000

Welcome design rockstar, today you’re in for a real treat. We have a massive collection of vector graphics compiled for free download today. We’ve assembled vintage vector floral graphics that have antique floral borders, classic ornate corners, and decorative frames.

These vintage design elements are great for adding a classic flavor… read more

Star Photoshop And Illustrator Pattern

admin — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:01:39 +0000

Star Photoshop And Illustrator Pattern

20 Abstract Patterns

admin — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 03:41:39 +0000

20 Abstract Patterns

The Future Of CSS: Embracing The Machine

admin — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 19:47:40 +0000

Designers hold CSS close to their hearts. It’s just code, but it is also what makes our carefully crafted designs come to life. Thoughtful CSS is CSS that respects our designs, that is handcrafted with precision. The common conception among Web designers is that a good style sheet is created… read more

Wireframing & Prototyping with Adobe Fireworks – Resources and Tutorials

admin — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:00:39 +0000

Advertise here with BSA

Adobe Fireworks is one of the most popular application choices amongst web designers for wireframing and prototyping. There are many reasons as to why you should use Fireworks over any other graphic editor, but we won’t go into them with this post (perhaps you could… read more

Our favorite tweets of the week Oct 31-Nov 6, 2011

admin — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 15:19:58 +0000

Every week we tweet a lot of interesting stuff highlighting great content that we find on the web that can be of interest to web designers.

The best way to keep track of our tweets is simply to follow us on Twitter, however, in case you missed some here’s a quick… read more

Four Yahoo! Web Development Tools You May Not Know About

admin — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 14:55:48 +0000

Advertise here with BSA

Anything that can save time for a web developer is well worth its weight in gold. Whether you’re looking to cut loading time for your website or make light work of placing interactive elements into a design, these four tools could help speed things up:

YUI… read more

Best of the Week #195

admin — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 19:37:14 +0000

Freebie Friday: 5 Subtle Wood Brushes

admin — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 21:55:48 +0000

Happy Friday everyone, today I’m sharing these five subtle wood Photoshop brushes that can add some quick surface and texture to your designs. They offer some great attributes like knotholes and some different grain patterns. Each brush is 2500×2000.

Preview

Download .ZIP

Quick Tip: Create Your Own Set of File Icons

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:00:56 +0000

Follow this quick tip and you will learn how to create your own set of file icons. I picked out the mp3, avi and jpeg file formats but using the same technique you can create any other format you want. Let’s start!

Step 1

Start with a 256×256 px rectangle which will… read more

Navigation patterns for ten common types of websites

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:20:49 +0000

Navigation is one of the most important aspects of any website. Without good navigation, a site becomes useless to visitors. They can’t find the information they need, and then seek out competing sites instead. It’s vital that your sites be easy to navigate if you want to be a successful… read more

Jawbone Launches the Up: Will This $99 Wristband Rule Your Life?

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 10:04:11 +0000

If Jawbone has its way, you’ll soon be wrapping this bendable, waterproof gadget around your wrist, tracking your health with it — and hardly ever taking it off.

The Up, Jawbone’s first foray into devices that aren’t Bluetooth headsets or speakers, goes on sale this Sunday Nov. 6 for… read more

50 Wonderful Free Fonts For Vintage And Retro Designing

admin — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 21:21:13 +0000

Ever wonder why vintage or retro style is getting so much popular and is being adopted extensively? This is because vintage and retro style is the best way to express yourself in a unique way and take your audience back to the decades of 50’s. Designers make an effort to… read more

Must Download Halloween Pattern Resources

admin — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:01:39 +0000

Must Download Halloween Pattern Resources

Daily Inspiration #968

admin — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 01:29:12 +0000

The Eatery Uses Photos of Your Food and a Dash of Peer Pressure to Improve Your Health [PICS]

admin — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:00:05 +0000

The Eatery

Click here to view this gallery.

Stealth health startup Massive Health has launched The Eatery, an experimental… read more

45 Realistic Gadgets Designs Photoshop Tutorials

admin — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:11:52 +0000

This is the era of gadgets, and we all love them. Creating levelheaded gadgets designs in Photoshop that look real is not an easy task particularly for the novices. But you can definitely get better in your general skills in Adobe Photoshop and then can design your own set of… read more

Interview with Jacqui Oakley

admin — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:06:16 +0000

Today we are going to have an awesome talk with Jacqui Oakley. For those who don’t know her, she is an amazing illustrator from Canada. Jacqui has a very unique style that mixes hand drawings and illustration with a hint of watercolor, and the result is always on point. Check… read more

Useful Coding Tools and JavaScript Libraries For Web Developers

admin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:30:03 +0000

Everyone who is a regular Smashing Magazine reader will know that we have a traditional habit of regularly researching the latest resources, tools and services out there on the Web, as productivity is a crucial asset of professional Web designers and developers. We could, and should, all integrate workflow optimization… read more

Lessons From A Review Of JavaScript Code

admin — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:33:13 +0000

Before we start, I’d like to pose a question: when was the last time you asked someone to review your code? Reviewing code is possibly the single best technique to improve the overall quality of your solutions, and if you’re not actively taking advantage of it, then you’re missing out… read more

7 Creative Ways to Use A Ring Flash

admin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:36:36 +0000

I’m Gonna Get You by Ragoem

Ring flashes (or ring lights) provide some awesome light. They are very common with the fashion industry where they are used to create a glamorous look. However if you want to use one the lights they use on high-end fashion shots, be prepared to… read more

Weekly Design News – Resources, Tutorials and Freebies (N.109)

admin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:59:24 +0000

Advertise here with BSA

This is our weekly column were we share our favorite design related articles, resources and cool tidbits from the past week. Enjoy :)
If you would like to receive our daily updates you can follow us on Twitter, on Facebookor by subscribing to our… read more

What is Vexel Art?

admin — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:00:37 +0000

Vexel art has been mentioned on a variety of websites, be it talking about vector art and vexel art, or featuring the wonderful work created by vexel artists. However, do you actually know the answer to “What is vexel art?”

In today’s article I’m going to give an in depth look… read more

40 Sets Of Free and Extremely Useful Patterns for Your Designs

admin — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 10:20:39 +0000

40 Sets Of Free and Extremely Useful Patterns for Your Designs

Design a Print-Ready Beer Label in Adobe Illustrator

admin — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:00:25 +0000

A few times a each month we revisit some of our reader’s favorite posts from throughout the history of Vectortuts+. This tutorial by Alan Ballard was first published on March 18th 2009.

Alright folks, it’s time to roll up the sleeves and get down to business with this full-featured Adobe illustrator… read more

4 iPhone Tricks for the Hearing and Vision Impaired

admin — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:50:24 +0000

1. Create Custom Vibration Alerts

Personalize custom vibration alerts for particular contacts with “unique vibrate patterns.” This tool identifies… read more

7 Must-Have Web Apps For Designers And Developers Toolbox

admin — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:13:52 +0000

There are many online tools and web applications out there, but getting by free and good ones is not that easy. Today, we are sharing 7 Must-Have Web Apps For Designers And Developers Toolbox. Read each entry in the list and see which one suits your needs best.

You are welcome… read more

Texture Toolkit 1 & 2

admin — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:21:27 +0000

Flavor and Flair at Reasonable Price

Four different Texture Toolkits are currently offered by Digital Juice. I reviewed Texture Toolkit 1 “The Essentials” and Texture Toolkit 2 “Different Strokes.” These are collections of patterns—all high-resolution and most seamlessly repeating—ready for use in your print, Web, animation, or video design work.

Each… read more

250+ Free, Vintage Graphics: Flourish Vector Ornaments

admin — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:20:08 +0000

Wow, if you’re looking for high quality free vector graphics, then you’ve landed on the right article. We’ve roundup up a massive collection of free vector flourishes. These graphics are composed of a wonderful mix of vintage elements, floral ornaments, swirly design mixes, and are all made of beautifully curved… read more

Quick Tip: How to Create a Sparkly Text Effect

admin — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:00:57 +0000

In the following quick tip you will learn how to create a sparkly text effect in fifteen simple steps. It’s a another tutorial focused on the Appearance panel. Basically, almost the entire text effect is made using only one compound path. A compound path with a simple fill, eight strokes… read more

Ultimate Round Up of Free and Fresh Photoshop Patterns

admin — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:00:47 +0000

In today’s session, we are bringing a collection of some amazing and useful Photoshop resources that will help you in creating your own dulcet patterns in your designs. With Photoshop, designers can save themselves plenty of time and wind up with improved results by taking advantage of readily available freebies…. read more

Weekly Design News – Resources, Tutorials and Freebies (N.108)

admin — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:33:30 +0000

Advertise here with BSA

Create 3 Retro MP3 Players in Photoshop

admin — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:00:21 +0000

In this tutorial we will demonstrate how to create 3 retro MP3 players in Photoshop. Each design will include a different type of media, a CD, record, and tape. Let’s get started! Tutorial Assets Patterns Canvas Texture Step 1 Create a new file. Set Width and Height to 900×900 at… read more

Asymmetrical balance in web design

admin — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:32:45 +0000

When I first covered the idea of symmetrical design patterns here on Webdesigner Depot I had no intention of digging into the notion of asymmetrical design.

However, the more I thought about it, the more I felt compelled to cover the topic to contrast some of the ideas… read more

Linkswitch: Why is Food Critical to Freelance Success?

admin — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 19:00:13 +0000

Every other week we roundup some of the highest quality articles and resources that benefit freelancers. Today is a special edition of Linkswitch for Blog Action Day 2011. We’re taking some time out to consider this year’s topic, which is food.

Lack of access to food in some countries… read more

Freebie Friday: 6 Vintage Paper Photoshop Patterns

admin — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:00:22 +0000

Today I’m sharing these highly useful vintage paper Photoshop patterns. These would work great for creating a lightweight and seamless web background, or a fast way to add some texture in your Photoshop project. In the download file I’ve included the core 200px jpeg files as well as the .PAT… read more

How to Photograph Flowers

admin — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:14:54 +0000

Photo H@Ru

Earlier in the week I had the chance to sit down with a photographer whose specialty is photographing flowers. As I tend to do with pro photographers – picked his brain as we chatted and took as many notes as I could. Here’s what I gleaned from him and… read more

Construct a Framework for a Cross-Cultural Design

admin — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:37:03 +0000

Nowadays Graphic Designers work globally in many different Countries. The designer should visually communicate symbols and colors. These elements are part of our social everyday life and come together with a various range of meanings which are different for each culture.This makes obvious how much the study of the cross-cultural… read more

Apple Users Are the Most Generous [INFOGRAPHIC]

admin — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 01:24:03 +0000

You can learn a lot about a person from his or her mobile device, browser or computer preferences. New research shows that — at least when it comes to donation patterns — Apple users trump their PC, Android and Blackberry using counterparts.

Mac users out-donate PC users, Safari users out-donate Internet… read more

A Collection of Inspiring Blog Designs

admin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:00:31 +0000

Since their inception, blogs have often had some of the most innovative, beautiful and creative designs in the web design community. This is perhaps because bloggers are naturally expressive individuals who enjoy visual and written expression.

Whatever the reason, blogs are always a great source of inspiration if you’re working on… read more

What’s new for web designers – Oct 2011

admin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:58:46 +0000

The October edition of what’s new for web designers and developers includes new web apps, boilerplates, some JavaScript tools and resources, useful documents for working with clients, and a number of great new fonts.

Many of the resources below are free or very low cost, and are sure to be useful… read more

4 Ways Steve Jobs & Apple Changed the Music Industry

admin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:05:29 +0000

Max Blau is Paste Magazine‘s multimedia editor, where he oversees all audio, video and photo content on the website. He is also a freelance writer, photographer and videographer. Follow him at @MaxBlau or check out his blog.

During this decade of uncertainty and instability for the music industry, Apple has remained… read more

Design a Coffee Brand Label in Adobe Illustrator

admin — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:27:52 +0000

Follow this step by step tutorial to create a label design for a premium coffee brand. We’ll combine the styles of old and new with a mix of vintage patterns and contemporary typefaces to create a modern and sophisticated design. The final design will then be laid out on a… read more

Essential jQuery Plugin Patterns

admin — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:42:35 +0000

I occasionally write about implementing design patterns in JavaScript. They’re an excellent way of building upon proven approaches to solving common development problems, and I think there’s a lot of benefit to using them. But while well-known JavaScript patterns are useful, another side of development could benefit from its own… read more

Google+ Traffic Falls 60% From Post-Launch Highs [REPORT]

admin — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:51:40 +0000

Traffic to Google+ spiked 1,200% in the first few days following its public launch Sept. 20, but has since plummeted by 60%, according to a report from a data analytics company.

Chitika tracked Google+ traffic before and after the social networking service opened its gates to all users.

“The data shows… read more

Supporting Your Product: How To Provide Technical Support

admin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:50:37 +0000

Whether your product is an open-source script, a Web application or a downloadable product, you will need to provide some form of technical support. This article explores the subject based on my experience of supporting our company’s product, Perch, a small content management system (CMS) that we sell as a… read more

Olympus E-P3 Review

admin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:42:21 +0000

Three months before its official release the photographic press caught its first sight of this new model. This was paralleled by close looks at two related models, near-identical in specs, but differing radically in appearance: welcome also to the Lite E-PL3 and Mini E-PM1.

Olympus considers the E-P3 to be the… read more

What Banks and Lenders Know About You From Social Media

admin — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:30:48 +0000

Ken Lin is the CEO of Credit Karma, a free credit management service that provides credit scores, personalized savings recommendations and financial education tools. You can follow Credit Karma on Twitter @CreditKarma and read its blog here.

Many Americans may be unaware that their social media conversations and posts are providing… read more

Mega Bundle from VectorPack.net Only $29! ($545 Value)

admin — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:27:29 +0000

VectorPack.net has prepared a great Mega Bundle for designers. This is a limited time offer, available until the 12th of October. At such a great value you will not want to miss the opportunity! In this pack you will receive 650 high quality design elements and save more than $500!

This… read more

So Long Steve, Thanks for Everything

admin — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 02:10:51 +0000

Yesterday. A Wednesday night. I was home, watching TV. I had some friends over. One of them was using my iPad to read the latest DC comics. He’d been reading them for most of the night. All of a sudden, he looks up at me, shock written across his face…. read more

Not Your Parent’s Mobile Phone: UX Design Guidelines For Smartphones

admin — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:21:56 +0000

In your pocket right now is the most powerful “remote control” (as Drew Diskin put it) that has ever existed. It is no ordinary remote control. It can harness everything that all of the previous mass media (television, radio, Internet, etc.) can do. People aren’t using them just for simple… read more

Selection The Best Colorful Tileable Patterns

admin — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 10:28:39 +0000

Selection The Best Colorful Tileable Patterns

Quick Tip: How to Make a Repeating Japanese Wave Pattern in Adobe Illustrator

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 20:00:10 +0000

Repeating patterns can be confusing to make and sometimes creating a quick and easy pattern will leave you with a result that is less than professional. In this basic Quick Tip tutorial you will learn how easy it is to use the Appearance Panel and an arch shape to create… read more

6 Steps To Scaling Your Freelance Business

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:00:18 +0000

Credit: Pressmaster on Photodune

Isn’t it about time you got a raise?

As freelancers, it can be difficult to make that happen. Sure, we might be making a comfortable living today, but what about tomorrow? If you’re supporting a growing family or if you’re looking to upgrade your lifestyle,… read more

Social Marketing: 3 Ways to Reach the Head-of-Household

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 05:17:08 +0000

Reggie Bradford is the founder and CEO of Vitrue, the leading provider of social marketing software, offering SaaS solutions to help brands and agencies harness the marketing-communications potential of social media on Facebook, Twitter and other social communities. Follow Reggie on Twitter @ReggieBradford and @Vitrue.

There is an extremely powerful demographic… read more

Apple Unveils Siri, the iPhone 4S Voice Assistant

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:28:49 +0000

Apple has unveiled Siri, a new iPhone 4S feature that lets you complete tasks on your phone by talking to it.

During an on-stage demo at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., Apple VP Scott Forstall demonstrated Siri’s ability to process natural language and respond accordingly. When he asked the iPhone 4S,… read more

Improve The User Experience By Tracking Errors

admin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 20:12:57 +0000

It’s easy to see your top-visited pages, navigation patterns and conversion metrics using visitor-tracking tools like Google Analytics. However, this data doesn’t show the roadblocks that users typically run into on your website. Tracking and optimizing error messages will help you measurably improve your website’s user experience. We’ll walk through… read more

Create a Security Seal in Illustrator Using Guilloche Patterns

admin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:00:43 +0000

In this tutorial you’ll learn how to create a security seal using Guilloche, the artistic technique that is typically used in banknote design and other documents to prevent them from being forged.

Background

According to Wikipedia, “Guilloche is a decorative engraving technique in which a very precise intricate repetitive pattern or design… read more

Hand Drawn Gruesome Skulls And Bones Pattern

admin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 06:48:39 +0000

Hand Drawn Gruesome Skulls And Bones Pattern

Free Stuff: 210 Grunge Brushes from VectorPack.net – Comment to Win

admin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 05:22:43 +0000

In honor of VectorPack.net‘s Mega Design Bundle 2, I’ve got 5 copies of 210 Grunge brushes to give away! For this contest, I get to give away part of the brushes from that bundle to 5 lucky winners. Make sure to read the rules, and good luck!

Contest Rules:

All you have… read more

The Whys And The Hows Of Textures In Web Design

admin — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 19:57:32 +0000

Texture is becoming integral to design. It’s gone beyond being a trend — it’s now a simple and effective way to add depth to a website. Wielding the power of texture is a great responsibility. It increases the effectiveness of websites and is a quality tool in the arsenal of designers. It… read more

Product Development: 9 Steps for Creative Problem Solving [INFOGRAPHIC]

admin — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 07:30:59 +0000

Ronald Brown is a successful startup CEO with an extensive background in technology and consumer marketing. His new book, Anticipate. The Architecture of Small Team Innovation and Product Success is available via iTunes, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

Creativity is the main prerequisite for innovation. However, our culture emphasizes critical… read more

Twitter Buzz: How Do You Like Windows 8 So Far? [CHART]

admin — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 05:54:17 +0000

What do users of the latest Windows 8 beta think of the nascent operating system upgrade? A good way to find out is through Twitter — by investigating patterns in thousands of comments and opinions.

That’s exactly what social media listening firm Mashwork did, resulting in this chart of data, taking… read more

Beautiful Houses: Kirribilli House in Sydney

admin — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 23:08:03 +0000

The idea in this series is to show beautiful and inspiring houses. Houses that are remarkable for its design, elegance, elements, concept or simply because they are beautiful. So if you like architecture, interior design and beautifully designed houses, you are at the right spot. Check out this week beautiful… read more

WordPress Essentials: How To Create A WordPress Plugin

admin — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:16:19 +0000

WordPress plugins are PHP scripts that alter your website. The changes could be anything from the simplest tweak in the header to a more drastic makeover (such as changing how log-ins work, triggering emails to be sent, and much more).

Whereas themes modify the look of your website, plugins change how… read more

What Is A QR Code And How Does It Work?

admin — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 22:00:39 +0000

How to See in Black and White [and how HDR can be a Powerful Tool for the Monochrome Photographer]

admin — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:07:06 +0000

A Guest Post by Joseph Eckert

The very first photographs were shot in black and white. Decades later, even after the advent of color, many photographers—especially those concerned with creating works of art—continued to shoot in black and white. The format remains popular even today: nearly every consumer-level digital camera has… read more

The Art of using Illustrations in Web Design

admin — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:05:39 +0000

There are many of elements that go into enhancing a web design project. Typography, new technologies and UX design patterns are only some of them. One the most powerful is illustrations and vector graphics. They can be handy in a broad range of applications. Remember the cliché, a picture is… read more

10 Reasons to Fall In Love & Get Things Done – Bundle

admin — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:35:43 +0000

From the legendary Fusion Ads & Carbon Ads comes a sweet giveaway that’s sure to wet anyones app palette. 10 Reasons to fall in love and get things done is the perfect bundle for designers, creatives, photographers, get-things-doner’s… (I think you see my point…) The best part? It’s been extended… read more

30+ Genuinely Useful Mac Apps for Designers

admin — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:00:19 +0000

It’s hard to believe that we’re coming up on a year since the Mac App Store was first announced. It seems like only yesterday we were itching to get our hands on a marketplace full of great utilities, games and other goodies all custom tailored to the Mac platform.

While… read more

30-free-dress-making-patterns

admin — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 08:55:39 +0000

30-free-dress-making-patterns

A Glossy Diamond Photoshop And Illustrator Pattern

admin — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 06:58:59 +0000

A Glossy Diamond Photoshop And Illustrator Pattern

How Search Marketing Costs Are Evolving

admin — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:46:54 +0000

The Future of Search Series is supported by SES Chicago Conference and Expo, the leading search, social and display conference. From November 14-18, get five days of education, inspiration and conversations with marketing experts from the digital space. Register with MASH20 to save 20%.

Search marketing’s bull-boom years appear to be… read more

Office Bullying: Designers Are The Biggest Targets

admin — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:43:17 +0000

As in the schoolyard, some children just do not play well with others. Some children are liars and some are tattle-tales. Some children just make up for having small penises with office power plays. That goes for some women I know, too!

Human resources or employee relations in any firm, large… read more

20 More Tileable and Seamless Pattern Sets (500+ Patterns)

admin — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:33:33 +0000

Advertise here with BSA

Using seamless/tileable patterns are a fantastic method for giving your design some added depth and character by either subtly highlighting key areas or for creating a background that will push your layout design to the forefront.

The seamless patterns sets in this post range in format from… read more

Create a Zee Vintage Label on Illustrator

admin — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:48:43 +0000

It seems that the past 3 years had a boom of retro design, starting with the “cosmic neon lightning” 80′s aesthetic that I think most of you are already bored about. Not just because it became a trend, but also because everyone with a photoshop could emulate one. So here’s… read more

Why I Love Facebook Timeline [OPINION]

admin — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 02:54:03 +0000

Facebook has announced big changes in the past few days, and one of them is Timeline, a new way of looking at your personal data that will change the way you use Facebook — and even the way you look at yourself. I love it, and here’s why.

When CEO Mark… read more