This is a question that has baffled the minds of designers for nearly as long as moveable lead type itself. If you Google search the question, you will come up with 100 answers and 100 more examples. Explaining a typeface is easy enough. It is the design of the letters, symbols, punctuation, etc in a…
1. Reflect the Brand If you’ve not established a formal brand position statement for your product, service or company, this is the place to start before embarking on a new logo design project, a logo redesign, or even a logo-update project. The brand position statement will guide the design process and serve as a benchmark…
Speculating On Gold: A Losing Proposition In most industries mere mention of the word “speculation” cultivates images of risk, potential losses, dilution of assets, and mining for riches that never materialize. However, in the advertising and graphic design trade, speculation means something entirely different. For many practitioners spec work, as it’s often called, is…
Typography is the craft of endowing human language with a durable visual form. – Robert Bringhurst Technology has historically been an agent of change. Throughout the relatively short history of graphic design, new technology has spurred and fostered writings and ideas to spread farther and faster than previously thought possible. Each great, innovative designer or…
If you’re just starting your journey into the world of Photoshop, or you’ve been there before and you just need a little brushing up (pun intended), here are 20 quick but essential tips to keep you out of trouble and get you going in the right direction. These aren’t in-depth explanations or how-tos. For that…
If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants. — Sir Isaac Newton We each have personal design aesthetics that influence our design process. Sometimes the reservoir of design ideas runs dry and we don’t know where to take the next step. Thus we turn to our peers, mentors, and…
In graphic design, branding, marketing, and really any creative outlet it is important to continually be “filling the well.” It’s a simple idea that goes a long way. The more resources, inspirations, and ideas you have stored away the more you’ll have to pull from later. A general misconception or maybe misunderstood aspect of filling the…
Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. ― Albert Einstein X-Acto blades are a fundamental tool for any designer. They allow for material to be transformed into something unique, useful, and creative. Yet what do you do when your blade stops cutting? Normally we just discard our dulled blades…