designers – DesignWebKit https://designwebkit.com Design News Blog, Web Design Blog Wed, 15 Nov 2023 07:55:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.4.15 7 Aspects of Photo Editing That Web Designers Need to Master https://designwebkit.com/web-and-trends/aspects-of-photo-editing/ https://designwebkit.com/web-and-trends/aspects-of-photo-editing/#respond Tue, 25 Jan 2022 15:10:42 +0000 https://designwebkit.com/?p=24799 The job of a web designer includes a lot of photo editing nowadays. A good web designer knows how to make a website shine with the use of high-quality photos that help tell a story. Sometimes it’s as simple as needing to resize a photo, but sometimes it goes deeper. Sometimes it’s not possible to

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The job of a web designer includes a lot of photo editing nowadays. A good web designer knows how to make a website shine with the use of high-quality photos that help tell a story. Sometimes it’s as simple as needing to resize a photo, but sometimes it goes deeper. Sometimes it’s not possible to get the perfect image during the shoot or from a stock bank. Alternatively, some web designers want to help their websites stand out even more with their photography skills. When this is the case, it’s critical that web designers and top web design agencies know how to edit their photos best and keep up with web design trends.

aspects of Photo Editing

Photo editing helps web designers enhance the content provided by their clients to make it a perfect fit for their projects. Because humans have visual orientation, both your clients and their audiences need to wow at the photos and visual content on the website you’re designing. These seven photo editing tips will help you do that.

Aspects of Photo Editing – 1. Blurring

No matter what your client sells, blurring will be a really important tool in your photo editing journey. Knowing how to remove background noise and enhance the focal point of whatever the photo shows are paramount to both you and your client. It’s important to know how to use blurring tools. Sometimes a blur will be used to bring visual interest, sometimes, it’s to make something specific in the photo stand out. In the example below, taken from the portfolio website of the Livefront design studio, you can see how tactical blurring gives the impression of a specific store, but the focus is on the new app.

aspects of Photo Editing - blur

The blur allows you to give background information and feelings without detracting from the main idea. One great lesser-known tool for blurring is Canva. The web app allows you to select what type of blur you’d like to apply to your photo as well as a range of how much to blur a specific photo. This grants a good deal of control and helps you add just the right touch to your client’s website.

2. Cropping

Cropping is one of those understated yet all-important rules that every web designer should know how to use. There are two main use cases for cropping. The first Is to apply the rule of thirds, which allows you to use human psychology to present an image that is visually appealing and interesting. Design Webkit’s Max Therry notes that “Placing items of interest on the thirds of an image is more pleasing to the eye than centering or other more symmetrical approaches.” You can use the rule of thirds to help guide viewers to a specific item you want to draw attention to. Eye movement is not random. Here’s a diagram to show how to use the rule of thirds to direct a browser’s attention.

aspects of Photo Editing - crop

The other use case for cropping, as known and celebrated by influencers everywhere, is to simply cut out unwanted elements from your photos. Sometimes you have an unwanted photo bomber, sometimes the aspect just isn’t quite right. There are a lot of instances where a handy crop will allow you to create a better photo for your website.

3. Highlights and Shadows

Highlights are a simple and unobtrusive way to make an element pop out, while shadows add richness and depth. Playing with the color balance of an image’s highlights and shadows can be especially helpful when your client has given you a photo that maybe didn’t capture the full tonal range in a scene. In the below example from Digicam Help, you can see two versions of a photo that is too exposed and too dark, respectively.

highlight and shadows

Your eyes can detect 10000 levels of light, from complete darkness to utter light. A digital camera can only do about half of that. That’s why you’ll often get a picture that is washed out, or the subject is too dark. Luckily, many tools offer the ability to edit the highlights and shadows of a photo. One that is simple and straightforward to use is Snapseed, which is free. Google owns it, so it’s a powerful little app that gives you a lot of control in the palm of your hand. With Snapseed, you can easily fix the shadows and darkness of a photo to bring your vision to life.

Aspects of Photo Editing – 4. Pre-set Filters

No matter what kind of client you have, they will want to be consistent in their imagery and branding. This may feel like a bit of a pain, but it’s actually good news for you. Technology has become advanced enough to allow filters to move beyond the basic photo editing tools that Instagram offered to photo editing tools that are powerful enough to use professionally.

Pre-set Filters

One quick way to ensure that you’re giving your clients content consistent branding is by using preset filters. These filters can be created once and then applied again and again, ensuring that all of the photos for your client’s website look and feel the same while saving you time and energy. Filtertune is one example of an app that allows you to create your own filters and browse existing filters for inspiration.

5. Saturation

Most photo editors know how important it is to increase the saturation of photos. Casual Instagrammers know that bringing saturation adds a level of intensity, warmth, and color to a photo. However, web designers know that saturation plays an important role in both directions. Sometimes adding saturation is necessary. Sometimes removing it is more important. Either way, the saturation levels of a photo affect the mood and energy the photo brings to a client’s website.

Applying saturated colors can be excellent for accents. Removing the saturation from backgrounds can help redirect focus where it should go.

Aspects of Photo Editing – 6. Color Theory

Color theory is remarkably important to web designers. Using color to evoke feelings and emotions plays a vital role in web design, whether selecting a background color or editing the photos that appear on the client’s website. There are a few examples of how to edit photos to play with color theory. The first is the most obvious – using a dominant color to tell a story. For example, you might use the color yellow to indicate warmth and happiness. A web designer can use that knowledge to add a cohesive narrative to the content a client provides.

Aspects of Photo Editing - 6. Color Theory

The second is subtler, but no less important: color harmony. There are certain color combinations that are more pleasing to the human eye. As web designers know, it’s important to balance grabbing a viewer’s attention without fatiguing their eyes. Relying on color harmony to edit photos can help maximize that balance. Above, Amaury Descours of Photo Video Creative shares the same shot with two different color harmony schemes applied, exemplifying how the mood shifts as a result.

7. Remove Backgrounds

Blurring is one option to address the focus of an image. For a starker approach, every web designer should know how and when to remove the background altogether. Removing the background gives web designers more options – for example, the ability to add a new background altogether or whether to focus on the white space. White space (or negative space) in web design helps balance the different elements of a page and gives users a navigation guide for the website.

Aspects of Photo Editing - Remove Background

TouchRetouch is a great tool focused on background removal. It gives a lot of options, not just removing the whole background. It’s possible to remove single elements (think telephone wires and the like) or remove the background altogether.

Web Designers Who Know Aspects of Photo Editing Will Be in High Demand

Web designers understand that photos play an important role for their clients. High-quality photography matters, but it’s just the start of the intersection of art and psychology that web designers master in order to design a website their clients will love. Knowing how and when to edit the content their clients provide for the website is what separates a good web designer from a great one. Hopefully, these seven tips will be useful to bring web design to the next level.

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How to Become a Web Designer: Features of The Profession and Where to Study https://designwebkit.com/web-design-tips/how-to-become-a-web-designer-2/ https://designwebkit.com/web-design-tips/how-to-become-a-web-designer-2/#respond Mon, 08 Nov 2021 09:46:01 +0000 https://designwebkit.com/?p=24517 Over the past few years, the profession of a web designer has become very popular and prestigious, which, allegedly, can be learned even with zero drawing skills. However, many people believe that it is enough to master a couple of graphic programs and learn the basics of site-building. Is it so? Is it possible to

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Over the past few years, the profession of a web designer has become very popular and prestigious, which, allegedly, can be learned even with zero drawing skills. However, many people believe that it is enough to master a couple of graphic programs and learn the basics of site-building. Is it so? Is it possible to master web design independently and where to study to become a web designer? The experts of the best essay service have tried to make sense of these issues.

become a web designer

 

Who Is a Web Designer?

Before we go deeper into the issues of where you can learn web design, consider the meaning of the existence of this profession. Web design is a type of design and a branch of web development. Web-designer – a specialist responsible for how a particular site is perceived and displayed on the Internet. Using computer technology, he creates and handles the elements of graphics, comes up with logos, banners, develops the structure and navigation of the site.

Thus, the scope of competence of a typical web designer can be divided into programmatic, visual, and style components. This is the organization of electronic information and its pleasant design, the development of interfaces for websites and applications, the creation of amazing graphics that serve the main tasks of the site and the needs of the target audience. To create compelling websites or the best networking presentation, a web designer works closely with brand managers, web programmers, layout designers, marketing specialists, and SEO web promotion specialists.

A good web designer – a specialist who knows how to work with graphics editors and has good artistic taste. A great designer is both a talented artist, an intuitive psychologist, and a strong technical expert.

Become a Web Designer – Essential Knowledge and Skills

A good craftsman should make a functional website that will be convenient for visitors to use. For this reason, he must have the following skills and knowledge:

  • knowledge and capabilities in working with typography, colors, and other structural design elements;
  • make user-friendly functionality, think through UI/UX;
  • know how to work with essential tools such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, Corel DRAW, and others. In addition, knowledge of the programs GIF Animator, FineReader is welcome. This list is not complete, as in the process of work may need other specialized programs;
  • be competent in specifics of work with the layout in HTML and CSS;
  • competently prepare design layouts before sending them to the layout designer;
  • be able to intelligently design advertising, know how best to attract potential customers, and have the marketing competencies to ensure effective sales or other important goals;
  • have an individual, good taste, sense of style;
  • process images based on a predetermined model through the use of special programs.

Become a Web Designer – Individual Qualities

In addition to the necessary skills to perform certain types of work, a web designer must have qualities important to his profession. Let’s list the basic ones:

  • communication skills: be able to express thoughts, work in a team, work with clients, focus on their needs, find an approach to everyone;
  • curiosity: to find uncommon solutions, to look for different ways of solving tasks within one job
  • analytical skills: to plan all the stages of the work, to analyze, structure, determine the steps and their sequence to get the best result
  • diligence: to work on the task without the distraction of the social networks, messengers;
  • assiduity: to work on the task for a long time, not devoting much time to rest and “smoke breaks
  • responsibility: understand the importance of meeting deadlines and the timeliness of reporting to the customer of the service;
  • imagination: to imagine the result – the final look of the site or page after all stages of work.

An essential thing in the work of a web designer should be considered a sense of taste. However, you should not think that taste – it is an innate quality. It develops gradually, in which a significant role is played by self-development. For this reason, it is vital to work on yourself.

6 Ways to Become a Web Designer: Online, Free, and Paid

Watch videos on YouTube, take Photoshop lessons or still enroll in a specialty at a university? Learn how to become a web designer when everything is developing rapidly.

Option 1: Online University

Enroll in an online university majoring in “web design” or “graphic design” and take several years to receive a traditional online education, aside from special subjects, brand design, interface design, web design, animation, and analytics. It may even seem like a plus. Only there’s a nuance.

Pros:

  • You can study at a convenient time (if deadlines are not tight).
  • Diploma of state standard.

Cons:

Even in long courses, all the best teachers from the best studios in the country and the world do not teach. This is just private practice, like everywhere else.

Option 2. Self-education

The most challenging way. To move forward on it, you must first find the process of a web designer and then, for each stage of work to find a selection of books and videos, as well as intermediate product samples.

Pros:

  • You can learn at your convenience.
  • Almost everything can be found for free.
  • International outlook on theory, ready-made design solutions, and a good bar.

Cons:

  • The path will require considerable experimentation, time, persistence, passion, and the will to win.
  • You need to find a project and a mentor on your own. Otherwise, everything you learn may not add up to a coherent picture.
  • There is a risk of not picking the best agencies.

Option 3. Online Courses

An excellent option to start is if you carefully study the teachers, their work, and their approach. Take a free piece and then decide.

Pros:

  • You can study at a convenient time.
  • You can buy courses in installments.

Cons:

  • Most likely, another series of courses will be required.
  • Sometimes you come across expensive trajectories with an emphasis on tools, not projects and skills.

Option 4: Online MasterClass Courses and Workshops

This approach is good for sharing experiences. You get the essentials right away, dive into the project, and start doing and adjusting with feedback. Then, the mentor parses the work and recommends what the participant should work through on his own. This is the same as when preparing a research paper. Of course, you can ask someone to write my research paper for me, but working with a mentor is invaluable. He will help the investigators with the structure, literature search, and general outline of the work. Such cooperation will only bring positive results.

Pros:

  • The program contains relevant and applied information.
  • You learn how to solve problems close to reality.

Cons:

High cost of working with a mentor.

Option 5: Freelance

There are a lot of clients in the marketplace who need help—ideal for work and training.

Pros:

  • Opportunity to get an actual case study in your portfolio.
  • You can try anything you want.

Cons:

  • You may have to work nights and weekends to meet deadlines (combined with your main job).
  • You set your standards, set the bar yourself. In the end, quality can suffer.

Option 6: A Balanced Approach

You practice in the tools on combat projects. Then build up your horizons and courage through a series of short courses from well-known design agencies and companies. And pack a portfolio. And then start submitting applications for test assignments, attaching portfolios and logos of agencies where you studied (will show your serious attitude).

Pros:

  • You can study at a convenient time.
  • You are guaranteed to learn from experienced experts and studios in the country and get an outlook on practice.
  • International outlook on theory, ready-made design solutions, and an excellent global bar.
  • Gain only relevant and applied information.
  • Learn how to solve problems close to reality.
  • Get serious pre-conditioning before the fight.
  • Gather a diverse portfolio (with status studio logos) and show a severe attitude before going in for a test assignment and project.
  • Get more combat experience for less time and money.
  • You can buy everything inexpensively.

Cons:

  • You need to do scouting experts and companies to learn from and plan your development.
  • You won’t get a state diploma and an international degree.

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5 Ways Designers Сan Overcome a Creative Block https://designwebkit.com/design/designers-overcome-creative-block/ https://designwebkit.com/design/designers-overcome-creative-block/#respond Fri, 05 Nov 2021 19:08:04 +0000 https://designwebkit.com/?p=24509 The creative process can be incomprehensible. To create great designs you need to feel inspired and be in a certain zone. As you’ve probably experienced, it’s impossible to feel this way all the time. Creative blocks can seem insurmountable, and matters become worse when your job revolves around your creative instincts. In such times, it’s

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The creative process can be incomprehensible. To create great designs you need to feel inspired and be in a certain zone. As you’ve probably experienced, it’s impossible to feel this way all the time. Creative blocks can seem insurmountable, and matters become worse when your job revolves around your creative instincts. In such times, it’s helpful to step back and follow some tried and tested rules to help you get over the block. Note that every designer is different, and some rules will work better for you than others. With that in mind, here are 5 tips that will help you overcome a creative block.

Overcome a designer block

Overcome A Creative Block – Detox

Designers these days spend all of their time drawing on electronic screens with a stylus. While convenient, something gets lost in the creative process. Feeling the scratch of pencil, pen, or brush on paper or canvas stimulates creative sections of the mind, and it’s surprising how often creative juices flow. If you’re ever stuck on a project, step away from the screen and put pencil or your instrument of choice to paper. Get drawing or painting. Our digital worlds are full of distractions, and they can contribute to creative blocks. Stepping away from everything and getting back to basics, the thing that you love doing in the first place will help you view objects differently.

Sketching and painting require you to view objects differently since there are no digital tools to help you resize or modify your creation. It forces your brain to think about what you’re doing. The result is some much-needed downtime while stimulating the creative centers of your mind.

Stop Forcing it

Creativity can’t be forced, as you probably know by now. While it’s impossible to say where creative inspiration comes from, it definitely doesn’t come from staring at a blank piece of paper hoping something emanates. To be creative, you need to take a step back and reevaluate everything. Look at your work with fresh eyes.

Perhaps you chose the wrong template, to begin with? When designing a new website, accessing a wide range of templates is essential since it makes your job that much easier. Instead of looking at this as a task that rips apart what you’ve done, think of it as a reevaluation. You can only make things better by looking at everything you did with fresh eyes. If creativity still doesn’t strike, walk away and return to your project later. It’s not as if your project will disappear. Take some time to step away, seek some inspiration, and return when the time feels right.

Overcome A Creative Block – Find New Sources of Inspiration

Diversity is a designer’s best friend. The more vast your inspiration field is, the better your designs will be. Make it a point to explore as many different artistic styles as possible. A good exercise to undertake is to replicate the work of an artist you admire. It doesn’t have to be a famous artist, it can even be a recreation of a website whose design you admire. Recreating the design gives you a chance to view the solution while running into problems. It shortcuts the solution discovery process and gives your brain insights into how problems were solved. You might even end up discovering a better solution to those problems.

Designers who undertake a lot of work can benefit from automating much of their process too. A lot of time can be lost recreating similar elements for clients, repeatedly. Instead, using a feature like Elementor’s Full Website Kits can eliminate the time you spend on repetitive work and force you to focus on creative work that makes a difference. Manage your time well and explore different artistic styles. Your work will mature as you grow, and you’ll discover new boundaries to push.

Break it Down

Often, a creative block is an indication that the task facing you is too large for your brain to comprehend. You might simply not know where to begin. In such situations, it’s best to break the task down into smaller chunks and tackle them one by one. Reducing the size of the problem forces your brain to look at smaller situations and figure out smaller solutions. This process is far more manageable, and it reduces the load on your brain. The result is small bursts of creativity that can get you some creative traction to tackle bigger issues, such as larger trends dominating your niche.

Do Something Monotonous

Often, our brains become exhausted, and we need a complete break from anything creative. Think of it as relaxing completely after a visit to the gym. Everyone needs a break once in a while, and your brain is no different. Doing something that requires little brainpower, such as washing the dishes, brushing your teeth, or doing the laundry will keep your brain occupied and allow it to refresh itself. When the time is right, you’ll feel the urge to get back to designing, and the ideas will flow.

Overcome A Creative Block – Many Ways, One Goal

Every designer’s goal is to create something spectacular. Creativity can be a tough thing to handle but with these tips, you’ll have a better handle on how it comes and goes. Over time, you’ll discover what works for you best and will end up managing designer blocks well.

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How to Start a Design Business in California https://designwebkit.com/design/how-to-start-a-design-business/ https://designwebkit.com/design/how-to-start-a-design-business/#respond Wed, 09 Jun 2021 07:15:13 +0000 https://designwebkit.com/?p=24180 As one of the world’s most creative hubs, you are bound to find that you are faced with a lot of stiff competition if you decide to start a design business in California. Therefore, you need to make sure that you are able to give yourself the edge in any way that you can. The

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As one of the world’s most creative hubs, you are bound to find that you are faced with a lot of stiff competition if you decide to start a design business in California. Therefore, you need to make sure that you are able to give yourself the edge in any way that you can. The following blog post is here to give you a bit of a helping hand in this regard.

How to Start a Design Business in California

Develop a Good Reputation

You are going to struggle to start off a graphic design business in the first place unless you are able to show off your work. For this reason, a lot of people start off in a freelance capacity before gradually building up to taking the business full-time. In California, there are plenty of companies that could utilize your services. Therefore, this is a good opportunity to start to develop your niche. While your ultimate ambition may be to work with a major company like Google or Facebook, this is inevitably going to take a lot of time and effort. You are going to need to cut your teeth in the world of design first and show that you are able to do the job well. Not only this, but you need to develop a reputation for reliability and deliver great results on time, every time.

Set Your Branding and Website

Obviously, if you are going to be running a design business, it is inevitably the case that you need to have a beautifully branded logo, color scheme, etc. Not only this, but you also need a website that is all singing and all dancing. This is likely to be the first impression that potential clients form of your company, so you need to make sure that you are doing it in the right way. Of course, when in California, there are also plenty of business-focused events on offer. Therefore, you need to produce a range of business-focused marketing materials that you are able to distribute to leave a good impression a long time into the future.

How to Start a Design Business – Start on the SEO

As so many people search for products and services online these days, it makes sense that your business is as searchable as it possibly can be. A big part of SEO activities should be dedicated to attracting local traffic. This means that you are regularly including California in your search terms. However, when you are first starting out, you may even want to be more localized than this. Therefore, think about being more specific with the name of your town or your region. Remember, SEO is an ongoing battle, and you cannot expect to get brilliant results overnight. It is going to take time to reach the level that you would like to.

Think About Your Price Structure

You next have the task of charging clients to cover off. This means thinking about whether you would like to charge them by the hour or based on the project completion. It also means that you are going to need to compare and contrast what you are offering with other local enterprises. If you are going to position your price point a long way above them, you need to have a clear justification as to why this is the case. At the same time, you do not want to undersell yourself. As California is clearly such a creative hub, it may well be that you want to charge more than you would in another part of the country.

Set Your Business Up for Success

Beyond the obvious skill that you need in the field of design, you also need to be prepared to set your business up for success in other areas. It means that you set up your business to be tax compliant to ensure that you are not going to be hit with a huge bill further down the line. It also means that you should make sure that you get the proper legal advice to ensure that you are compliant. You should also look into how you can get business coverage in California. This way, if you need it, you have it to rely upon. Of course, another central aspect is ensuring that you have a solid business plan that you can follow through as closely as possible and some market research that shows clearly when and where you are going to position yourself on the market.

How to Start a Design Business – Chase Up Your Payments

When you start to produce work for people, it is essential that you make sure that you get paid. Otherwise, you are not managing your cash flow situation properly. In a new business, this can be extremely damaging, and you can easily find yourself in a situation when you are not able to sustain yourself. Making sure that you work with people who are reliable is an important starting point. Also, some businesses find that they are better able to encourage people to pay on time by giving them an incentive such as a reduced payment or a discount on their next order.

Build Up a Referral System

It is important that you are able to spread your good name as widely as possible. One central way of doing this is by coming up with a referral system. This way, you are incentivizing people to pass your details onto others. Hopefully, once you get the ball rolling, you are then going to be able to spread a referral code from one person to the next.

How to Start a Design Business – Keep Innovating

When you live in a highly innovative environment such as California, you need to make sure that you are constantly innovating and coming up with new ways of doing things. This way, you are going to be able to stand out from the crowd rather than producing the same thing over and over again. Of course, when you are setting up a graphic design business in California, you are going to have your work cut out, but these are some of the ways of achieving success.

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Make Your Resume Look Professional – How to Do It Fast and Efficiently? https://designwebkit.com/design/how-to-make-your-resume-look-professional/ https://designwebkit.com/design/how-to-make-your-resume-look-professional/#respond Fri, 21 May 2021 14:09:00 +0000 https://designwebkit.com/?p=24123 Applying for jobs during these pandemic times makes the perfect opportunity to add an extra level of attention to your resume. Many companies are hiring after interviewing through video calls, and a lot of people feel more comfortable while talking in front of a screen compared to real-life interactions. Making your resume look more professional

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Applying for jobs during these pandemic times makes the perfect opportunity to add an extra level of attention to your resume. Many companies are hiring after interviewing through video calls, and a lot of people feel more comfortable while talking in front of a screen compared to real-life interactions. Making your resume look more professional is easy when you know what to do. Lying is certainly not an option to consider, but using a few psychological tricks to stand out is not a bad idea. Check out our top tips and resume examples.

How To Make Your Resume Look More Professional

Don’t Write Down Everything You’ve Done

If you’re applying for software engineer jobs, nobody cares if you’ve once been working in the dropshipping field. This means that there’s no use mentioning that last part, especially if it was your last job. It doesn’t mean you’re lying. You just don’t mention the dropshipping part. Usually, an employer doesn’t bother looking more than two minutes at a resume, and the last thing he wants to see in the professional experience area is a job that has nothing to do with what you’re applying for. We get it, you want to convince the employer that you’ve been a diligent person who has been doing a lot of interesting stuff and has vast experience, but contrary to this common mentality, it can actually ruin everything.

Make Your Resume Look Professional – Watch out for Grammatical Errors

Grammatical errors are not recommended at all in a resume, as it gives the employer an awful impression. That age-old saying that the first impression is crucial is entirely true, and you certainly wouldn’t want to miss that job you’re applying for.

Don’t Forget to Mention Your Driver’s License

Having a driver’s license is crucial these days, and a lot of companies avoid hiring people who don’t meet this criterion. This means that you should mention any driver’s license you have. At the same time, those who still don’t have the right to drive a car don’t have to lose hope in finding a job.

Make Your Resume Look Professional – Change the File’s Name

Don’t leave your resume only as something like ‘my_resume.pdf’. In this way, the hiring managers could also have a bad impression of you. It’s much better to save the file with both your first name and last name.

Convert Your Resume File to PDF

PDF is the ideal format, as you can access it unaltered from a multitude of devices and programs. Therefore, it’s best to keep your resume in PDF format, and there are plenty of tools across the internet to get the job done for you. One of them is Lua (GetLua.com), a very powerful online tool that can make the Word to PDF conversion in only a few seconds and at no cost. If your resume is in an image format you may Convert JPG to PDF.

Make the Hyperlinks Live

It’s a good idea to mention as many links as possible on your resumes, such as those from LinkedIn, Twitter, Upwork, or a personal webpage. While doing so, make sure they’re clickable, as the hiring managers will easily be able to open them and see what you want from life.

In the end, don’t forget to go to the interview with confidence and not have an arrogant attitude, whether you do it through a video call or not. One last piece of advice is to never respond with a plain ‘no’ if the employer asks you if you know to do something specific. You don’t have to lie, either, but you can say any related experience you had, regardless of how apparently insignificant it is. For instance, you can respond with ‘I’ve done a project once in high school using MySQL’ if the employer asks you about that database service and if, of course, you’re not telling any lies.

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What is Designer’s Block and How To Overcome It? https://designwebkit.com/design/what-is-designers-block/ https://designwebkit.com/design/what-is-designers-block/#respond Thu, 20 May 2021 15:02:02 +0000 https://designwebkit.com/?p=24111 Let’s admit: most of us are a little hesitant before trying something new. The fear of the unknown and of escaping the comfort zone is completely normal, as our brains are naturally programmed to experience what they understand as pleasant and rewarding. But the good news is that we can ‘trick’ our brains into believing

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Let’s admit: most of us are a little hesitant before trying something new. The fear of the unknown and of escaping the comfort zone is completely normal, as our brains are naturally programmed to experience what they understand as pleasant and rewarding. But the good news is that we can ‘trick’ our brains into believing that what they initially perceive as difficult is something even necessary and fun. Designer’s block is none other than a normal consequence of perceiving possible new experiences as bad outcomes. Here are our top tips to overcome designer’s block.

designer's block

Overcoming Designer’s Block – Relax, Relax, Relax…

It surely sounds useless at first, but relaxing is the first step towards thinking the way you would want. You can’t focus on the positive aspect of something if both your body and mind are tense. In other words, you feel anxious and nervous, which will automatically lead to making mistakes and becoming afraid. Therefore, start to relax by taking deep breaths each day before going out, for instance. Repeat the process as often as possible. It will release you of a lot of tension. There are countless other ways to relax – listening to music, going for a walk, meeting a friend, and so on. Just relax in your own way at least a few minutes per day!

Working Out Is Priceless

There are a lot of scientific studies that show how doing physical exercises at least half an hour per day has a huge effect on releasing both anxiety and depression. This block of designers frequently causes anxiety and depression, but you can overcome all of them by simply working out. Any type of physical exercise will do as long as you break a sweat – even the simple act of walking a long road. The harder the exercises, the more benefits you’ll get. If you exercise your entire body for at least half an hour per day, you’ll not only overcome designer’s block. You’ll have tons of energy and jump off the bed in the same way in the morning while you’re waiting for a new challenge every day.

Look at the Bright Side

Why would you get scared of experiencing something new when you can look at the bright side by thinking about the benefits? It may sound ridiculous, but let’s put it this way: as long as you live, you accumulate knowledge. Why not accumulate useful information rather than the usual stuff we hear every day? You have the chance to evolve by engaging in a new journey, so go ahead and take a new challenge! Every human being has the ability to learn new things, and he or she can use it totally to his or her own advantage.

Remind yourself of a thing you’ve learned during your life and how you perceived it at first. If you have a driver’s license, for instance, remind yourself about how difficult it seemed for you before driving a car. If you master driving a car now, it means you have already overcome designer’s block. Therefore, nothing stops you from doing it again with something else you perceive as necessary, but you don’t have the courage to act!

Fighting Against the Designer’s Block – Play Solitaire

Solitaire is a simple card game that can nurture your ego and trust in your own abilities. Playing it can become insanely addictive, as the only enemy you’ll have is yourself. The rules are made to induce the player into a pleasant journey where he has to carefully calculate his moves, make decisions according to different situations, build some strategies, and last but not least to not waste too much time. Solitaire will both be training your mind and relaxing it at the same time, and let’s not forget what we wrote earlier about relaxation. Get your hands on FreeCell solitaire which is among the most played games.

We would be delighted to know if you have any other methods of overcoming designer’s block and that we didn’t cover in this article. Feel free to leave us a comment!

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Productivity Tools for Web Designers – 5 Best Ones in 2021 https://designwebkit.com/web-design/productivity-tools-for-web-designers/ https://designwebkit.com/web-design/productivity-tools-for-web-designers/#respond Thu, 20 May 2021 14:08:21 +0000 https://designwebkit.com/?p=24118 Being a web designer in 2021 is far from being like a walk in the park. The main reason is the huge level of competitiveness. You won’t earn too much money if you’re only at the beginning of your journey, but still, web design is always a profitable field that can help you grow. Expert

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Being a web designer in 2021 is far from being like a walk in the park. The main reason is the huge level of competitiveness. You won’t earn too much money if you’re only at the beginning of your journey, but still, web design is always a profitable field that can help you grow. Expert web designers have a lot of benefits, regardless of the programming languages they learn. Web design doesn’t care if you’re young, old or what nationality, religion, or ethnic background you have. Lines of code can always be improved and deleted, and you must certainly not get discouraged if you make mistakes while writing them. Even top programmers write faulty lines of code every day. Another advantage is that English is the universal language also in the coding world, and last but not least: there are tons of websites out there to use for learning to code and practising it for free. But even with all these advantages, there are still certain productivity tools for web designers, and we’re glad to mention some of them below.

Productivity Tools for Web Designers

Sublime Text 3

After you have chosen to use a video calling app such as WhatsApp Web for establishing the plans with your teammates, the next step is to choose the right text editor for writing your lines of code. We recommend Sublime Text 3 from the bottom of our heart, as it will ease your programming work tremendously. When you’re typing an opening tag, for instance, the program will automatically place the ending tag and set your writing between them. There are also a lot of useful shortcuts to use in the app once you highlight the desired text.

Productivity Tools for Web Designers – Trello

Trello is more like the program for web pros, and it gives them the opportunity to organize their projects. You can use Trello for grouping projects out into boards. Each card will have its own notes, attachments, comments, due date, and checklists. You can always use Trello for adding other users to your boards to help you in your projects.

Top Productivity Tools for Web Designers – Harvest

Web pros can use Harvest to track the time of their clients through the built-in timer to see how much time is being spent for each client and project. Harvest even allows the user to add unlimited projects. It surely means a lot for a mainly free-of-charge app, although it has some paid options. Over 70,000 companies are tracking time using Harvest, and there’s no wonder why. As the description itself says, we’re talking about a modern time tracking app that involves less effort, improved profitability, and more joy.

WhatsApp Web

WhatsApp Web recently received the long-awaited video-calling feature, although it was initially available only for the mobile version of the Facebook-owned instant messaging app. This means that web designers and programmers, in general, can easily use WhatsApp Web for video calling each other and therefore collaborate in a more efficient way. Almost everyone has a WhatsApp account these days, considering that the service has more than 2 billion users worldwide. This could only mean that you can find pretty much anyone while using WhatsApp Web, the desktop version of WhatsApp. You can also use a secondary account using BlueStacks.

Productivity Tools for Web Designers – Jing

Jing is basically the Snipping Tool built into Windows but on steroids! Whenever you need screenshots for edits and revisions, you can trustfully use Jing to snap them and mark them up. The sharing part is also easy. You’ll instantly get links to your screenshots that you can give to others via emails or WhatsApp. With technology constantly evolving and never ceasing to amaze us all, we can be sure of at least one thing: web design will always be an exciting domain.

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Design Engineer –  A Lucrative Career in Structural Designing https://designwebkit.com/design/design-engineer-career/ https://designwebkit.com/design/design-engineer-career/#respond Tue, 20 Oct 2020 13:41:35 +0000 https://designwebkit.com/?p=23640 Are you thinking about becoming a Civil Engineer? Then, this article will add a lot to your knowledge. Probably you will aspire to become a Design Engineer in the future. We are talking about structural design here. In this article, you will learn what you need to do to become a Design Engineer and what

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Are you thinking about becoming a Civil Engineer? Then, this article will add a lot to your knowledge. Probably you will aspire to become a Design Engineer in the future. We are talking about structural design here. In this article, you will learn what you need to do to become a Design Engineer and what the prospects will be for you. A Design Engineer, as the name implies, is an engineer who does structural designing. In simple terms, the Design Engineer shapes a structure and puts the various parts and elements together so that they collectively becoming a strong, functional, and aesthetically pleasing structure. 

Design Engineer

To achieve this, a Design Engineer has to collaborate with the client and an Architect. The client tells the Design Engineer his/her requirements. The Architect works together with the Design Engineer to design the structure in a way that all architectural requirements are fine, and the building is structurally safe and strong. The need to design a structure arises from the various risks that a building is exposed to. A Design Engineer has to make the structure strong enough to withstand and resist a load of earthquakes, strong and high-speed wing, and other effects of weather and temperature. Along with that, the Design Engineer also has to ensure that the materials for construction are suitable to lend the structure the strength it needs and for it to finish on time. 

It may mean adding admixtures to concrete to increase its setting time so that the subsequent columns and slabs can be cast soon after that. The Design Engineer may also have to add admixtures to concrete to make it set rapidly in the winter season because the cold temperature tends to prolong the setting time. So, a Design Engineer has to consider all such factors while designing each element of the building.

How To Design the Structure?

The first step in designing a structure is getting the requirements of a client. Every client has unique requirements. People want to have the homes of their dreams, so they must sit with the Design Engineer to tell their expectations. 

The Design Engineer notes the requirements and works out if they are practicable and realistic. Accordingly, he/she may devise certain alterations in the expectations. The Design Engineer, together with the Architect, makes a plan and elevations of the structure. Alongside that, the Design Engineer decides what materials the elements will be constructed of.

Different countries can have different requirements for an Engineer to approve a design. In most cases, the Design Engineer has to be a licensed Professional Engineer to approve a design. A Registered Engineer may have to get the design he/she creates approved by a Professional Engineer. 

How Can a Student Become a Design Engineer?

The knowledge of structural design is imparted in the program of Civil Engineering. After high school, a student should prepare to be enrolled in a college offering a Civil Engineering degree. The courses that a Civil Engineering degree constitutes are as follows

  • Strength of Materials
  • Survey
  • Geological Studies
  • Hydraulics
  • Structural Mechanics
  • Structural Design
  • Steel Structures
  • Concrete Structures
  • Structural Analysis

The list goes on. A Civil Engineering degree typically consists of eight semesters. All students enrolled in a Civil Engineering program study the same courses. However, students form groups, each constituting four to five students in the final semester. The groups are assigned projects by research supervisors. Students have to research a Civil Engineering topic and may have to come up with a design of a structure when given a set of weather and environmental conditions. The final-year project tests the knowledge and practical field skills of the students. Students are awarded grades on the basis of their performance in the final-year project.

What Happens After Completing a Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Program

The Bachelor’s of Civil Engineering is the minimum requirement for a Design Engineer to be hired in any design firm. However, after completing the Bachelor’s program, a student has two choices — either the student starts a job in a design firm, or he/she pursues further education to obtain a Master’s in Structural Design. Students choose either of the two pathways depending upon their personal preferences and ambitions in life.

Students who join a design firm are exposed to real-life situations and meet clients. They design structures for them and get firsthand experience of the structural design. They may not be very polished Design Engineers in the beginning, but with experience and hard work, they get very professional and expert in structural designing. On the other hand, students who pursue a Master’s degree in Structural Design and Engineering get further knowledge about structural design. They are introduced to the latest techniques, tools, and equipment used in structural design. Doing a Master’s in Structural Designing is recommendable right after completing a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. 

A  new graduate has fresh knowledge of Civil Engineering so he/she can easily connect the dots when the student is exposed to new information, tools, and equipment. Besides, a student is more likely to pursue education right after completing the Bachelor’s program in Civil Engineering because the mind and lifestyle are tuned to education. Getting back in college after spending a few years in the field seems difficult and requires a major shift in the existing lifestyle of an individual.

What Happens After Completing the Master’s Degree?

design engineer career

A student again has two options after doing the Masters in Structural Engineering. One way is to continue education up to the Ph.D. level, and the other is to get into the field. Most students with high grades in education prefer pursuing a Ph.D. degree. A Ph.D. degree involves complex research work. You can consult a good science homework helper to assist you with the writing of the report on your research project. However, you will have to collect the data and analyze it.

Students aspiring to obtain a Ph.D. have research interests in a defined field of structural design and engineering. They write a research proposal and share it with interested supervisors. Many students find scholarships for Ph.D. studies. They find supervisors with similar research interests. The supervisors sponsor the Ph.D. researcher taking funds from the institution they work for. Sometimes, certain clients, including factories and companies, approach them for research and development purposes. In such cases, they sponsor the Ph.D. research of the candidate.

Students who start jobs after completing the Master’s in Structural Design and Engineering are likely to get more than the employees with B.E. in Civil Engineering degrees. Prospective employers like to hire highly educated engineers because they can devise solutions to complex problems using their knowledge and skills. 

In either case, the career is quite rewarding as the salaries for Design Engineers are higher as compared to many other professions. On the negative side, the Design Engineering profession can be very demanding. Many engineers spend most of their time in the field. 

What Kinds of Works Can a Structural Design Engineer Expect?

A Design Engineer may need to design all kinds of structures. An engineer designs a bridge, a dam, a multi-story building, and houses in addition to other structures. The design requirements of two similar structures can differ on the basis of geological conditions of the places they have to be built in as well as the prevalent laws and regulations. 

A Design Engineer should be familiar with the construction rules and regulations of the place the structure has to be constructed on. Likewise, a Design Engineer should know how to read, interpret, understand, and explain soil reports and surveying and leveling because they mark the start of any construction project.

Is Design Engineering a Career in Demand?

Yes, it is! Construction is an on-going process. It is one of the busiest industries all over the world. Every day, millions of projects start across the world: some, related to the construction of new buildings, while others are related to demolition or rehabilitation of old and existing structures. It is why Design Engineers find plentiful employment opportunities.

Many projects Design Engineers work upon are about existing structures. Structural strength and integrity wane over time. Constant exposure to extreme weather conditions and changes in the geological makeup of land and water-table causes the existing structures to weaken. Many structures are affected by earthquakes and floods. They have to get reconstruction in part or as a whole after they have suffered from a major calamity. 

A Design Engineer should be able to test the strength and life of a structure. Alongside that, he/she is to devise suitable, quick, and cost-effective ways of rehabilitating the existing structures. Building and maintenance is a continuous process, so the construction industry keeps producing job opportunities for the Design Engineers.

Many Design Engineers work abroad. For example, the Middle Eastern countries employ a big construction workforce that originates in South East Asia. Hundreds of thousands of engineers go from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan to Saudi Arabia and Dubai every year to work there. They get foreign work experience, high salaries, and a high standard of living, and they also send remuneration to their home countries. They majorly contribute to the financial prosperity of their homelands.

Can I Open My Company After Becoming a Design Engineer?

Yes, why not! That will be a very good step because that will give you work-life balance as well as an opportunity to lead and manage a team of workers. You should get a license to open a construction company. Open an office so that people can approach you for the design of a structure. People will need all kinds of construction services from you. Some will approach you for making a plan or a set of drawings, while others will consult you for cost estimation and construction.

To accommodate the needs of prospective clients, you will need a construction team in your company. You need a team of design engineers, a construction manager, a project manager, surveyors, and construction labor, including masons, carpenters, and laborers. 

Also, you will need machines and equipment. If you don’t have them or lack the funds needed to purchase them, you can hire or rent them. Things may seem difficult in the beginning, but with experience, you will have a boost in your confidence, and you will take up complex projects more confidently and with a can-do attitude. You can grow your construction company with time.

Design Engineer – Final Words

To sum it all up, becoming a Design Engineer is the right step to take particularly if you are interested in construction work. A Design Engineer finds plentiful opportunities to work. It is a demanding but rewarding profession. Just study hard to develop the concepts, and then you can do a job or establish your own company.

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Creative Design Thinking As A Cure to All Design Problems https://designwebkit.com/design/creative-design-thinking/ https://designwebkit.com/design/creative-design-thinking/#respond Fri, 10 May 2019 07:37:53 +0000 https://designwebkit.com/?p=21350 To avoid burnout, designers have multiple creative design thinking tools. Let’s take a look at some of them, accompanied by great examples!

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We live in an era where design is just about as important as the functionality of a product. Let’s just take Apple as an example. Its products are great from a purely technical standpoint, but so are many others. What makes them stand out is their sleek and attractive design that further accentuates their technical abilities. To an outsider, being a designer might seem like an incredibly satisfying and stress-free job. Only the first part is true. Design is a field where there are plenty of stress and challenges to be found. Despite the fact that it largely revolves around one’s creative design thinking.

For instance, a lot of them have trouble with time management. When it comes to clients acknowledging how many hours of work it took to complete a single design. And when it comes to meeting deadlines. It is a problem because sometimes you just can’t force creativity. There is so much competition out there. So, designers are also struggling to find full-time employment, which is why 25% of them are self-employed.

Designer Pressure

As much as 60.8% of marketers will point out that design and visuals are integral to successful marketing.  However, designers will often get frustrated with their clients. Especially if they are non-creatives since at times they feel like they have to defend their designs. Due to all of the issues above, designers are under a lot of pressure. It inevitably leads to creative burnout, especially if they have been in the business for a long time. All of a sudden, a blank canvas is no longer an opportunity, but an obstacle. Moreover, it is preventing them from doing something more interesting.

To avoid experiencing burnout, or rather to overcome it, designers have plenty of creative thinking tools at their disposal. They have been fuelling design and innovation since the beginning. Let’s take a look at some of them, along with some great examples.

How to Overcome Design Problems with Creative Design Thinking

creative design thinking

Creative thinking is always confused with artistic professions, such as writing, painting, photography, music, and yes, even design. While all of those require a person to be creative, not all creative thinkers are artists.

According to Nathan Patterson, who works as a designer for Assignment Holic, being able to think creatively is simply being able to look at something in a new way. Some would also call this “thinking outside the box” or “lateral thinking”. In both design and innovation, creative thinking is sometimes the only way to come up with new ideas and concepts.

Creative Design Thinking Tools

With that in mind, here are some of the most common creative thinking tools and examples which demonstrate their effectiveness.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is one of the most well-known methods for solving problems and coming up with fresh new ideas. Especially when it comes to creative design thinking. As you probably already know, it involves getting a group of people together in one room. Then they can make suggestions in a free-thinking environment which encourages everyone to draw associations and connections between different ideas.

Hopefully, the resulting brainstorming session will help them discover a new direction or a solution. Brainstorming can quickly turn into a mess if there aren’t any constraints. It is really so, according to Helen Stevens, one of the managers for Essaygeeks, whose company practices weekly brainstorming sessions.

Facilitating Creative Sessions

To facilitate the creative design thinking process and make your brainstorming sessions constructive, you need to do several things:

  • Limit your sessions. Keep them under 60 minutes long. It should give you enough time to come up with something new, without it turning chaotic
  • Present a target problem – begin by showing everyone involved the problem in question so that they stay on topic
  • Allow just one person to speak at a time. While brainstorming is definitely a collaborative method, you don’t want people speaking over each other. Instead, you want to them have a dialogue and build on each other’s ideas
  • Don’t be dismissive. Allow everyone to present their ideas, no matter how weird, crazy, or expensive they might seem. They may point you in the direction of something more feasible
  • Quantity over quality. The goal is to get many creative design thinking ideas, and hope that that quantity will breed quality

Examples of Brainstorming

creative thinking

Let’s take a look at one the examples brainstorming was used as one of the creative design tools. Located in Manhattan, STORY is a 2,000-square feet store, and a brick-and-mortar one at that. It does things in real life most stores only do online. Their concept store incorporates all of the best elements of magazines, galleries, and online stores.

You may think that their store is just well-designed and nothing else. So, you would be surprised to find out that they get together to brainstorm ideas. Then they change the look and design of the store itself every four to eight weeks. They also change their merchandise, and all of the accompanying store elements to give it an entirely new look and feel.

It includes all of the best practices of creative design thinking. It also merges marketing, commerce, and customer experience, which can give large online stores a run for their money. All of that in a world where people are obsessed with online shopping. Ironically, their success has led to them being bought by Macy’s last year.

Surfing the Web

None of this brainstorming stuff will work much if you are working alone. Seeing as many designers work, they need to look into other ways for creative design thinking and ideas. Thanks to Google, designers have a vast ocean of resources, both in terms of tools and ideas.

However, discovering new tools and ideas online is easier said than done. As there are plenty of great resources which you may never reach. Whether it’s because they haven’t done their SEO or because their webpages aren’t responsive. As a result, Google buries them on the 50th page of search results, where nobody will ever find them.

Google provides you with the I’m Feeling Lucky button. You would be surprised at where it can take you. The downside is that it can take a long time for you to find something relevant to you as a designer.

What you need is something that is a bit more focused, but which is still random enough. Unfortunately, the best tool for that exact thing was StumbleUpon, which was shut down in 2018. Mostly because it failed to catch up with the responsive design trend.

Mix Vs. Google

creative design thinking mix

Fortunately, there are still alternatives, such as Mix. If you are a StumbleUpon user, Mix will allow you to import all of your interests from the old platform. Mix also features a much better interface and has a user dashboard which is made up of your favorite links. However, unlike StumbleUpon, loading the entire page, Mix only shows the title of the page, a summary, and its featured image. In that aspect, it is somewhat similar to Pinterest, which is another great platform where designers can find inspiration.

Mind Mapping

Mind maps are hugely popular among designers, due to their visual nature. Presenting your ideas in a visual manner is certainly convenient, that is not the only advantage of using mind maps. They also allow you to develop one central idea. From it, other, more specific ideas will branch out in a nonlinear manner. That makes everything more easily digestible for our brains.

Now, mind maps can be used to break down complex concepts. They can explain a hierarchy inside a company as well. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on their use for creative design thinking.

Making the Most of Mind Maps

creative design thinking mind map

In order to make the most out your mind maps, you should do the following:

  • Use words, short phrases, and images only. Putting down simple words instead of sentences will make things simpler. It will also enable you to write down your ideas faster and come up with more of them
  • There are no bad ideas – as in the case of brainstorming, all ideas should be considered. Regardless of how strange or unoriginal your initial ideas may be, the goal is to flush them out. And to allow your brain to produce more, which may end up being more useful and relevant.
  • Aim for multiple idea levels – you should have at least five different ideas stemming for your main topic. Also, when you have completed each of those, you want to have at least 4 levels of ideas. It will provide a tour with more breadth and diversity of ideas. If you stick just to your main topic, you will never past the stuff you already know
  • Use a large surface. Whether you are using an actual physical board or a digital one inside an application, make sure that the space for your ideas is sufficient so that you don’t end up being restricted.
  • There are plenty of mind map examples out there. They demonstrate how mapping should for creative design thinking be done. We will focus on the one below, which as a mind map on how mind maps are made. Although this particular mind map uses the same color for all of the branches. Preferably, the color should be different for each one. The author has used a different background color for each of the word groups, which helps with orientation.

Storytelling

Storytelling is usually something we associate with books, short stories, or movies, not design. However, there is a visual element to storytelling, regardless of the medium. When you are reading a thriller novel, your brain is creating a series of images which are helping those words written on the page come to life. In other words, you are imagining the stuff you are reading, which means that this type of storytelling is not without visuals.

And when it comes to movies, the cinematography is one of the most important elements of storytelling, especially when it comes to genres where visuals play a huge role, such as historic epics, horror movies, or sci-fi extravaganzas.

As far as the online world is concerned, infographics are probably the best example of a harmonious marriage between design and storytelling. In addition to being very entertaining, they are also very useful when it comes to presenting a large amount of statistical data, which would seem pretty dry and boring if presented in the form of an article or blog post.

Examples of Infographic

While we are on the subject of design, movies, and infographic, let’s a look at the interactive infographic designer for Inception, which is a movie directed by Christopher Nolan. Nolan, who has directed such movies as Memento, Insomnia, his Batman trilogy, as well as Interstellar, is known for making movies with complex plots, and Inception is no exception, it features a “dream inside a dream” concept, which can become a bit much once you get past the second level, and the movie itself has left many movies goers scratching their heads.

This infographic, however, guides you through the entire plot, and the simple, yet sleek visuals, only helps make the story clearer. Apart from the ending, which will make you question if it’s a dream or a reality, which was the filmmaker’s intent.

Collaboration

We are not just talking about collaborating with your colleagues, because that should be a given. We are talking about getting together with other designers, as well as other creative professionals, such as writers, filmmakers, musicians, or actors.

Not only will you be able to kick your creative design thinking into high gear by tossing ideas around with other creatives, but you will also expand your horizons and get a glimpse into the creative processes of others, which may help you come up with a fresh perspective on one of your future projects.

No Fear of Collaboration

zooey deshanel

And you shouldn’t be afraid to collaborate with people which seem to be on the opposite end of the spectrum. Music is full of such examples. Remember when Run DMC and Aerosmith did a re-recording of Aerosmith’s old hit “Walk This Way”? The single was a huge hit yet again, and not only did it help make Run DMC a household name, but it also helped Aerosmith revitalize their career and get some new fans. Also, their fusion of rock and rap would be a precursor to nu-metal, which ruled the charts in the early 2000s.

This just goes to show how some collaborations should not be dismissed, even if they don’t look good on paper. Another example of that is a collaboration between Zooey Deschanel and Tommy Hilfiger. Zooey Deschanel is known for her quirky and unusual style, which served as an inspiration for Tommy Hilfiger. This resulted in a chic, nautical-themed collection which had both the critics and the customers raving since they are also affordable. And while the red, navy and white color palette is 100% Hilfiger, pattern and materials immediately evoke Deschanel’s usual style. In this case, both parties got a chance to feature their own identities, but in the process, they created something that exceeded their own usual scope.

Sketching

Have you ever found yourself stuck inside yet another mind-numbing meeting? Now, we are willing to bet that nine times out of 10, you are probably doodling something on a piece of paper to pass the time. While this may have saved you for boredom, sketching is actually one of the most effective ways to come up with new design ideas. Also, you can use those sketches to create entertaining visual elements that will impress both your colleagues and your clients.

If you are not yet comfortable doing this, work on your sketches for a while. Limit the number of elements you are using, but focus on making them as good as possible. You can even save your sketches and doodles from before, and get back to them once your drawing skills are up to snuff in order to breathe some new life into them.

Examples of Successful Sketching

creative video

Before we get onto how design and sketches can help you with creative design thinking, let’s talk a bit about Sir Ken Robinson. Robinson, who is a world-renowned professor, author, speaker, and advisor on education, became popular after one of his TED talks. Apart from offering valuable advice, Sir Ken Robinson was an absolute riot, and he has the audience in stitches more than a dozen time during his relatively short speech. However, we are more interested in another one of his speeches, which has been turned into an animation.

In this speech, he gets a bit more technical, but through a series of brilliantly drawn sketches, the authors have managed to bring the subject closer to the viewer, which they might have dismissed otherwise, due to its complexity and breadth of data. One of the images that stand out is the humorous representation of smart people, which are shown as university professors, and non-smart people, which are shown as two guys carrying a heavy piano up the stairs, wishing they had listened more in school.

Reading Books

One of the consequences of the fast-paced lives is a chronic lack of time for just about anything. Especially, for reading books. We are always short on time and in a rush. So, we opt for shorter and less in-depth forms, such as blogs and articles. Or we avoid reading altogether and focus on watching videos and listening to podcasts. While there is value in each of those forms, there is no substitute for reading books. Especially those which will get your brain to start firing on all cylinders. That is why all those literary classic is so important.

But, seeing as you are designer, you should also make time to read some of the best books written on the subject of design. While you may feel like you have soaked up enough knowledge by looking at tutorials on YouTube, taking online courses, going to school, and working with diverse clients, there is always more to learn, and only books can provide you with the kind of solid foundation and detailed analysis of everything you have ever wanted to know on design.

The Must-Read List

One of the books you should definitely read is Eric Gill’s An Essay on Typography. Nowadays, typography is not just used to make the text more readable but is also a design element in itself. A lot of companies opt to design a logo which only features their name written in a custom font. As well as colors which reflect their existing visual identity. In this book, you will not just see a ton of examples inspiring to create some of your own fonts. You will also learn about the history of typography and understand why it is so valuable now.

Conclusion – Creative Design Thinking Tips

Getting stuck in a rut is something we all experience as designers. These examples show us that there are plenty of ways and tools we can rely on at all times, which will help us tap into your creative potential and get us to think outside the box. That way, we will almost never run out of ideas or ways to tap into them. Start implementing these creative design thinking tips today and take your design process to a whole new level, as well as your entire career. Good luck!

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Artificial Intelligence – a Modern Approach In Design Industry https://designwebkit.com/design/artificial-intelligence-a-modern-approach-in-design-industry/ https://designwebkit.com/design/artificial-intelligence-a-modern-approach-in-design-industry/#respond Wed, 09 Jan 2019 10:39:04 +0000 https://designwebkit.com/?p=20796 Read more to find out what potential benefits and threats Artificial Intelligence has for the Design Industry.

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Since the beginning of artificial intelligence development to recent times, artificial intelligence a modern approach has moved from a largely arcane academic pursuit to the mainstream of every business. It is creeping its way into our daily life little by little. And making an impact. With its explosion in almost every industry, it is ignorable that AI is changing the way people have worked for years. Regardless of the profession and designing is no different.

The fact is that people have feared artificial technology for various reasons. It is not disregardable that it has its claws set deep into our lifestyles. From using ovens to cook food to google maps and from automation of complex tasks to using free logo maker software. It is present in every field of work.

free logo maker tool

Change is a natural part of human life. It is no lie that our lives are continuously on the verge of change. They are affected deeply by the developments taking place in the world. It can be a positive change or a negative one. We are getting used to it. But when it comes to change in the industry, it often takes it to the next level or destroys it.

Artificial Intelligence Influence on Designers

Artificial Intelligence a Modern Approach In Design Industry

On the flip side, AI has only been helping the designers to produce the best results for the company. It is not much of a danger for any profession if people just embrace it.

As for the designers, they are at the minimum risk of being affected by the change mentioned above. A designers job is not only designing creative stuff and programming skills in demand in future. It also includes having amazing social skills and creative skills to interact with the client.

With AI, a designer and clients will have to make a new relationship. They are going to help a customer to augment their business to new heights. AI has a lot of potential in the designing world. AI offers more efficiency in less time. So, it is a win-win situation for both the designers and businesspeople. It is cheap because of its speed and ability. Let’s see what artificial intelligence a modern approach is actually.

Defining Artificial Intelligence

Defining artificial intelligence a modern approach is not as simple as saying “it is a machine or a system that is intelligent.” For starters, artificial intelligence is way more than only machine intelligence.

According to a computer scientist, Jon Nilsson “Artificial intelligence is an activity devoted to making machines intelligent, and intelligence is not quality that enables an entity to function appropriately and with the foresight to its environment.” Taking this definition under consideration, it can be said that artificial intelligence a modern approach is a multi-dimensional spectrum parallel to human neural functioning.

Will Robots Replace Designers?

Well, not in the near future. A great example of it is the web design produced by Grid, which was a disaster. The vast majority of the jobs that are likely to be taken over are repetitive and subject to automation.

It is more probable for the designing industry to take AI for its advantage. When you look at a design, you see a work of art and complexity in the design. It doesn’t matter if it is a logo, a web page or an animation. The design has that uniqueness a human being is capable of pulling off.

The chances are that robots and designers might be working together to increase the efficiency of the process and the results. Instead of problems, AI is a set of better opportunities.

Design Industry and AI

Artificial Intelligence a Modern Approach and Design Image

The designing industry is always evolving. Today designers have to deliver their best according to the client’s expectations and requirements. Along with tackling the tech side, they work on creating amazing outputs at swift speed.

AI has enabled the designers to study, analyze and improve their workflow and their interaction with the clients. AI assists the designers through software systems. It has developed the ability of reasoning. AI has also enabled them to solve their designing problems with the help of information technology.

It has lessened the human tasks making them more efficient to carry out faster processes. AI is only going to add to the industry instead of taking away. Being a designer, one has to be creative, and a machine cannot do that. Looking into the future, AI is going to turn into ground-breaking development helping the people to solve various humanistic tasks.

As we travel along the still-developing digital multiverse, designers need to learn coding, data analysis, and voice technology to make interactions, inconceivable a decade ago.

AI Advantages for Designers

AI and Design

According to Getty Images, “AI takes the weight off the designer’s shoulders.” When we think about it, it is correct to some extent. The designers nowadays don’t have to work on the tedious calculations. AI has enabled the designers to be quick and efficient producing masterpieces.

Similarly, a designer cannot make room for the demands and deadlines of the multi-platforms and multilingual, time-sensitive rollouts disport with creativity and imagination. With AI, a designer don’t have to take the strain. They can enjoy their artistic vision and creative work of art they produce.

A designer is not a magician who could turn your company website into a more alluring one. A designer needs to perform a number of tasks to make a perfect design. AI eases the designer’s work by automating these tasks. Take the example of Grid. It is a website builder which generates a website without the designer’s input but with AI.

As a designer adapts and improves, machines also increase their capability. Companies such as Autodesk, a global architectural software company, use an AI-based algorithm with data to design functional parts of airplanes and cars.

However, one can think of artificial intelligence careers as a series of opportunities for designers rather than problems. There are some prospects that AI have granted the designers.
Let’s talk about what it is to have artificial intelligence a modern approach in the designing industry.

A graphic designer’s work includes creativity and social skills to know what the client actually requires. They need to be empathetic and problem-solving to be on the top of the game. It is no lie that illustrating and animation needs a lot of creativity. Although nothing will be done on time if the graphic designers didn’t have the right software programs to do the job on time.

Teaching the AI to Do the Job

Artificial Intelligence approach

There are specific tasks which can’t be automated. They are the resizing of the image, cropping assets, professional and expert knowledge, etc. These tasks need human expertise to do it right.

Imagine the amount of time this repetitive work could save with AI. A great example of automation of work is Adobe’s Sensei. Although under development, it can help creators in image pattern identification by editing and fixing an image or remaking the whole look.

Similarly, Context Aware Crop prevents accidents. The users are saved from cropping a photo or subject. And we all know about Netflix’s automated translation that accelerates content localization. When a designer needs to create the same design in multiple languages, a designer has to only search for the layout options designed by robots to see if they are approved.

These small optimizations can free a real deal of time for the designers to work on the more critical and complex tasks that a robot or AI will take years to learn.

Creating More Vibrant and Generative Visual Flairs

The most recent examples of this can be Prisma or Artist. These tools identify the exact image and apply its many filters generating amazing visual effects based on the image recognition technology. And that’s not it! There is a wide-ranging partisan of application that uses similar technology. This technology fabricates procreative and effective visual types. So, it can enhance and augment the designer’s competences.

Autodraw is a similar type of tool that pairs machine learning and drawings to quickly create visual art. The more designers and artists engage with the AI tools for drawing sketches, the more effectively can AI help them to envisage what the person is trying to make.

Constructing a Smart and Commutable Design System

AI helps the designers to develop a more robustious and dynamic design system. It incorporates an integrated sequence of commutes, designs, and elements.

Many website builders such as Squarespace and Wix have blended the AI technologies in their workflow. Now it can assist the designers with ordinary and insignificant decisions.

For example, Wix ADI uses its client’s response and algorithms to create a customized website according to client’s company’s ideas. As for design escape, its web designing offers a dependent teaching mechanism. So, the user can take advantage of its tips for designers instead of designing the whole thing.

In simple words, it can be said that AI reduces human efforts by optimization and proper maintenance.

Brand specializing in logo design making for businesses can easily create a logo with the help of AI. The brand is looking forward to training its AI algorithm to construct copies and social media visibility among customers.

User Experience

AI is considering the user data aspect to enhance the user’s experience. The insight of AI in the user data helps to get insight about the user’s requirements and determination to visit the website.

Designers, developers, and strategists have consistently done the decision making based on the factors mentioned above. The potential to form the used cases more extensible and personalized is likely to increase AI’s ability and receptiveness. It also influences significantly ecommerce AI trends.

A Large Amount of Data Analysis

Web Design Trends

When a person visits a website, opens an application or use other digital devices a massive amount of data is generated. With the increasing amount of business technology, the process of analyzing data has become more complicated. AI will help designers and entrepreneurs to make more innate and clever decisions.

In the future, it is expected that artificial intelligence is going to carry out the complex collection of data analysis techniques. Business personnel can make way for a more subtle and advanced assessment of the audience behavior regarding products and services with the help of artificial intelligence a modern approach.

AI to Augment the User Experience

AI is one of the most promising but less researched angles to enhance the user experience. For instance, Facebook uses the AI in reading out the content for visually impaired users. Moreover, it has used AI to know the content of the image for a more valuable marketing tactic.

Other than that, Google has used AI to improve the language analysis and translation for Google translations. In addition to that, Google has also launched a Google lens which can easily display the relevant content. This is all due to the use of artificial technology a modern approach.

AI Becoming an Artistic Advocate for Designers

As mentioned above, artificial intelligence a modern approach is more likely to help the designers in making better designs rather than replacing them. If a designer can create a humanized machine system, they are more capable of designing a whole new designing language. It will condense the designer’s vision, through the use of machine language creating new and improved expressions.

A good design is the one with the international typographic style incorporated into it. If the designers accept and embrace AI as a friend instead of a foe, they will be able to foresee AI’s aesthetic of the world. It will inspire and influence the designer to create a good design.

Rising Above the Propaganda

AI is likely to project the designing world. Therefore the misconception of AI taking away the jobs needs to be deconstructed. IBM CEO Ginni Pretty coined the word “augmented intelligence” for AI. The initial of artificial intelligence for it is meant to augment the speed and efficiency of the designer.

A designer has to face many tiring work tasks, for instance, doing one project over and over again and creating the same design in multiple languages. Now the designer can sit back and relax while the AI does all the work. A great example of this is Netflix. It is already utilizing artificial intelligence a modern approach to translate banners in multiple languages. All that a designer needs to do is check the graphics and finalize the project.

AI – Worrisome Development

Artificial Intelligence

Where all the technological developments have their benefits, they also have their bad side. Artificial technology a modern approach has its. Artificial technology is used for many dangerous tasks in the world today.

AI is progressing at massive speed and exponentially changing the face of the world. Stephen Hawking at web summit in Lisbon stated “success creating effective AI could be the biggest event in the history of our civilization. Or the worst. We just don’t know.”

“Along with many benefits,” said Hawking, “AI brings many dangers, like powerful autonomous weapons, or new ways for the few oppress the many.”

In this case, Hawking is not the only one warning the people about the dangers of artificial intelligence. It is not a secret that artificial intelligence a modern approach is indeed changing the world in many positive ways. However, it is also used for many dangerous purposes that could wipe off humanity from the world.

Last year, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, along with 115 other AI and robotics specialists, signed an open letter to the UNO. They recognize the lethal dangers of the use of AI in making autonomous weapons.

This is not it. Being worried to be replaced is something happening widely today. An example of this could be the AI machines able to diagnose cancer as well as a human doctor.

Conclusions

A designer does not need to worry as AI is not going to take the jobs away. Instead, it is only going to add to the designer’s experience and knowledge. The fact is that a designer along with AI is going to change the designing industry.

Technology is here to leverage us with immense chances of automating the monotonous tasks of a designer. AI is not a trend for designing. It will always rely on humans to guide it.

Artificial intelligence a modern approach is here to stay. It has more roles to play in the designing industry for many reasons. AI has augmented the efficiency of the designers and made them faster on their creative side. Artificial intelligence is here to make the best in all industries. Not just design, it is present and widely used in engineering and medicine.

Instead of it being a threat, it can provide many benefits. Technology has made us faster and artificial intelligence is making us smarter. With its extensive use in various industries, we can enhance human productivity and proficiency.

AI: Final Points

AI is capable of making unique designs and solutions to various problems that are not easy to solve. Where artificial intelligence a modern approach has the potential to give its best in work, it is also vulnerable to its many side effects.

Its usage in the military can be used for defense as well as the destruction of the world. It is necessary for people to use AI for the benefit rather than to wipe off humanity from the face of the world.

In a nutshell, instead of fearing artificial intelligence, people should start embracing artificial intelligence a modern approach usage. It is going to provide us with many advantages.

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