Designers are extremely busy people. Fact. Not only do they have to make time to find inspiration for their next project, manage feedback, attend meetings, and communicate with their clients, they also have to find the time to actually sit down and do the work.

Let’s not forget the time and effort they have to put into mocking up an idea, creating a visual for sharing or keeping abreast of modern design trends. The role of a designer is so much more than just ‘colouring in’.

To ease the workload of time-poor designers, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the best software, apps, tools, skills, websites and resources that no designer can live without. Each of these tools has been carefully selected for its ability to help you streamline your work, find inspiration easily, show off your amazing design skills, and make collaboration easier. (more…)

Adobe’s Photoshop was and still is the undisputed king of image editing software everywhere. It’s so omnipresent that it’s practically a verb. ‘Photoshopping’ is equivalent of ‘image editing’ to people (unless they’re graphic designers who know the finer distinctions).

Photoshop is awesome, but that’s not to say it’s the only image editing tool on the planet. And now, thanks to ‘Creative Cloud’ and subsequently douche move/ vendor lock-in by Adobe, more people are interested in other options.

In this post, I have listed down 5 of the most fantastic alternatives to Photoshop that you can use with relative ease and freedom:

1. Corel PaintShop Pro X8

Platform: Windows
Price: $63.99 (X8), and $79.99 (X8 Ultimate). Extensible via plugins.
Corel’s Draw, Painter, etc. are renowned for their brilliant effects and ease of use among graphic designer and DTP (Desktop Publishing) agencies. PaintShop Pro family is brought to you by the same name.

This toolset works quite as flawlessly as Photoshop and goes beyond image editing and graphic making tools. The entire suite is packed with features for basic to pro image editing (color correction, filters, retouch, etc.) and there are a slew of super cool graphic tools complete with lifelike brush effect and sleek vector options. (more…)

Graphic designer, a term which has become a synonym of creativity, puts passion for art to daily use. Being a graphic designer, you’re job is to create a masterwork that not only looks beautiful but also solves its purpose.

Today, businesses of every size and shape need talented and professional web designers to assist them in communicating and reaching out to its audience and persuade them to take action – whether it’s about joining an imperative social cause, or purchasing a product or service.

However, it takes more than a creative mind to become a successful and skilled designer.

There is a variety of tools and techniques you would want to master, be it Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator or any other software, to polish your skills and put your best foot forward. (more…)

These days more and more people are creating a website for the very first time and are finding that getting the best web hosting for their needs is one of the most difficult parts of the process. There are many very commons misconceptions concerning this topic so you need to make sure that you choose wisely when you are seeking web hosting for your website. The following are several of the most common myths associated with web hosting that you need to know about. (more…)

Designers follow one law when they are going about any project, any deadline or any work in mind: creativity. It’s a buzzword if you think about it, bread and butter for us and its novel sounding for the marketers. In the same bread and butter illustration is an art we all love to master but seldom proficiently use. Now with the tools available you have plenty of options open to you but smart working is still an issue. So with that mind there is a certain array of ways in which you can optimize the way you work on illustration. These are proven tips, able to give you a good grasp on quality illustration if you are still struggling with its use.

Blob brush

Image Source

The old adage of drawing has never eased up on most illustrators. Now the path based Brush tool certainly does do handful but it gives you raster art which still needs tracing. For most in this field, that’s a good hour or two gone down. Blob brush covers that up quite wonderfully. It gives you vector art in Illustrator and it easily allows you to draw on the tablet. You don’t have to spend extra amount of time with the tracing options and can immediately focus on the other key components of your drawn art. (more…)

Nowadays, a lot of people are taking up jobs which give them the luxury of working at home. It is a new socio-technological trend that has been spreading all over the world lately, so many households are also becoming offices. That is why workers or employees of all trades should aim to optimize their working environment and adapt everything in order to maximize their efficiency. If you find this to be a challenge, here are some tips on how to improve your surroundings and develop a proper hard-working mindset despite the fact that your desk is close to your bed.

Never mix personal life with professional

This may be one of the most evident tips, but it is crucial, nonetheless. Yes, working should also bring you pleasure, but it should be set aside from your private life. Considering that your office is now your home, this business-pleasure relation can sometimes be a hard thing to distinguish. The best solution is to examine your workplace and detect props, features, appliances and occurrences which can be a distraction. For instance, TV, game consoles and other forms of distractions should be kept out of sight in the area of your home which is suited for your job. Remember, maintain a threshold where work begins and ends. (more…)

An ordinary living room is enough for some people – a moderate-sized TV, a simple sofa and some book shelves will do it for them. For others, however, this is far from enough. These people love excitement in their living rooms and that is why they choose brand new gadgets when decorating. With the industry being so well developed and versatile, it is not hard to choose something according to your own preferences and be certain that this will turn your living room into a more enjoyable place. Here are several suggestions.

imagecredit: awesomedesignideas.com (more…)

by Dane O’Leary

Spring is the time of year where our planet awakens from a long winter hibernation and returns to its former glory. At every turn you can hear birds chirping, see greenery sprouting, and the promise of rain means relief from snow and cold. It’s the time of year when we trade winter coats for jackets and umbrellas as the holidays become a distant memory.

Easter is the most important holidays of the spring and, for some, of the entire year. However, you don’t have to be religious to enjoy a variety of do-it-yourself decorating projects to prepare your home for Easter and the spring season. Here are some creative, fun, and simple decor projects to get your home ready for Easter.

Simple Umbrella Door Decoration

Via Better Homes & Gardens

Wreaths are so last season. Literally. Replace that holiday wreath with something festive for Easter like this door decoration. You’ve probably seen floppy hats holding flowers on doors, but try using an umbrella instead. If you can find an umbrella that’s inexpensive and old-fashioned — perhaps at a yard sale or thrift store — that’s even better. (more…)