Let the Image Guide Your Type
If you are creating a design using photos as your primary backdrop, let the image give you a guide on where to place your type. You can create interesting compositions busing the space allowed by th ...
Find Beauty Everywhere
Sometimes as designers we decide that we need our design to look cool. But I think we also need to try to find something beautiful in the designs we make. And since beauty is in the eye of the behol ...
Teach Someone Else
I was recently offered a position to teach at a private art college, my Alma Mater. In fact, when I was offered the job I rejected the opportunity for weeks because I didn't see myself as a "teacher" ...
Use the Color Wheel to “Cheat”
Incorporating color into a design of any kind can be a delicate operation. You want to be sure that you are giving the right message with color. That the viewers conscious and subconscious will get ...
Be Committed
It's a bit ironic that I've been wanting this as my tip for today. I was committed to posting while it was actually Tuesday, instead of a few minutes after midnight going into Wednesday, but that's e ...
It’s Good to Question
This one is important to practice from time to time. I don't know about you but I tend to like rules, at least at first. Then I want to question the rules and ask where I might be wrong. Much like wa ...
Be Ready to Always Explain Yourself
Sometimes I think we forget that our clients don't really understand what we do. Whether it's out of arrogance or passion we sometimes get carried away with our jargon about fonts or printing terms a ...
Walk Away
Just like its best to walk away from a disagreement or heated argument because we aren't seeing clearly, sometimes we get too close to the work we do. Leave your design to chill out, move away from ...
Be Free
 Being that today is the 4th of July I thought I would write about freedom. Freedom is something we all want to have as designers and creatives. And "Creative Freedom" is kind of our ultimate. Somet ...
Print is Not Dead
 Remember to learn about physical printing and don't just design for the web. Chances are even if you are a web only designer you will encounter a print project at some point or work with a project th ...
Why I’m not writing a post this week
 This week I won't be writing a post. Instead, I will be leading a team for a massive CreateAthon event. If you don't know what CreateAthon is, I recommend you check them out. It's a pretty rad thing ...
Collect Stuff That You Love
Collect things. Collect quotes or portions of texts you find inspiring. Save textures and patterns you find interesting. Gather intriguing photography or shots you take of unique places. If you coll ...
Use Colored Pencils
Use crayons, and colored pencils, watercolors, and chunky kids markers; use different mediums to sketch with. Get out some old pastels and get a little messy. Trying out different methods of creating ...
Take a Break
Put it down, close it down, put it away, shut it down, press pause, get up, walk away and don't think about it for awhile. You will be amazed and thrilled at the clarity a break will bring when you g ...
Use Your Friends
There are many different ways you can improve your work or make an idea better. I have found, that it is very useful to use my friends, and my colleagues. Show them your work, your sketches, concept ...
Why “simple” design isn’t easy, quick, or cheap
Bad design is easy. Bad design is quick and cheap. But good design takes time, and has value. Anything good is worth something. And good design is worth a lot.
Focus on One Step at a Time
There are lots of steps to take from the beginning of the creative process to the final product. I think often we are so amped up about the end that we skip steps or jump randomly from step one to s ...
Stop Trying to Be Original
Literally nothing is new, there are no original ideas. Even King Solomon wrote, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." Someone will ...
Change is Good
Never hesitate to start over if what you have already done is not the right thing. A blank page can be daunting but beautiful! Try something different, do something you wouldn't normally do. Stretch ...
Every Designer Should Love a Font & Hate a Font
Every designer should have a font that they really love and one that they truly loathe. And they should be able to explain why. For example, I love Helvetica (I know, how cliché right?). But honestl ...
White Space and Letting Your Design Breathe
Welcome to the first ever #DesignTipTuesday Today's tip: Let your design breathe. Embrace the negative space. Clean design forces you to to discipline your design thinking.
Why DOES Design matter?
There are infinite ways to answer this question. Even further than why does design matter, its important to clarify why good design matters. This is my first post and as such I’ve been struggling wi ...
Blog Post Zero
After many years of thoughts and discussions on the topic, I decided to start a blog. A blog about my thoughts on why design matters. I find it frustrating every time I have to "convince" someone, whe ...