August 27th, 2009
I came across this great website, FontStuct.com, where you can create your own typefaces (after creating an account) using basic geometric shapes. FontStruct then automatically converts your design into a TrueType font to download. Better yet, it’s free! Once you’re a member, you can download typefaces that other member have created and saved on the FontStruct website. Head over there and check it out. It will give you a little tour of the site, and you can view typefaces that people have created. There are some very creative typefaces, and it’s a great resource for any typographer.
August 18th, 2009
Every designer has been stuck on an idea they just can’t seem to finish. So websurfing begins! A wonderful suggestion to use as a resource is 365 Days of Creativity. This is a great resource by a very talented colleague. We started graduate school together at Fort Hays State University, and his work has inspired me as well as others. He started his website in 2008, and it is all about “visual inspiration, inspiring ideas.” He finds articles and websites on color, typography, textures, packaging, motion design, as well as listing inspiring places and individuals (to name a few). There is a ton to look at and he keeps it up-to-date, so frequently checking it is always a good idea.
Be sure to check out his portfolio website at dangerdom.com and his flickr site (which you can link to from 365 Days of Creativity) devoted to found typography.
by schmance | Posted in
Inspiration |
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August 18th, 2009
Color plays an important role in design. It sets the mood and feel of your design, and is powerful enough that when we think of companies, we immediately associate a color with them (examples: Coke=red, white, Pepsi=red, white, blue, McDonalds=yellow, red). Selecting color can be intimidating for some people, choosing the wrong color can spell disaster. I created this tutorial, Elements of Color, as a foundation for color theory. On it you will find definitions of key terms relating to color, a brief summary for the color wheel, color combinations, and suggested resources that I’ve used and have helped me on projects.
August 3rd, 2009
Awhile ago I posted a excerpt about rethinkdesign which was a great resource for learning about sustainable graphic design. They have currently merged with re-nourish.com which is an absolute wonderful resource. I was browsing around on the site, and there are a lot of tools, suggestions, resources and even examples. Kudos to the wonderful people behind re-nourish.com.
August 2nd, 2009
It is important that graphic designers know how to take nice photos of their work. However, taking photos can be intimidating, especially for students who have never set up lighting or have limited experience using a camera. I decided this would be a nice opportunity to conduct a workshop and demonstrate how simple it really is. During that workshop, I gave a quick camera tutorial, displayed examples for lighting, and offered some quick retouching suggestions. In the aftermath, I realized a web tutorial, Portfolio Photography Workshop, would be a more effective way of communicating this information. It’s simple, clean and very easy to navigate. My intention is that instructors will use it as a teaching aid, and students will use it as a reference.