Feb
 5

Avoid design burn-out by limiting client revisions

Beginning a new design project is always exhilarating. You’re energized and excited about working on the project and creating something effective and beautiful. But have you ever had a project that, by the end of it, you just “want to get it done”? You stop caring so much about the design because you’ve been forced to change it so many …

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Feb
 2

Specialization: a designer’s key to success in the future

I am currently reading “The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding” a phenomenal book about marketing and branding written by Al Ries. One of the laws of effective branding is the law of contraction. Ries explains that companies (and might I venture to add independent designers or freelancers in general) are likely to be more successful if they focus their energies …

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Jan
 28

Will the iPad change the way you design?

Unless you on a deserted island somewhere, you heard yesterday about Apple’s newest technological advancement: the iPad. Now, there has been all sorts of buzz all over the internet about whether the device is extraordinary or significantly less impressive than expected. However, my question relates to how this new technology will effect the way we, as web and graphic designers, …

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Jan
 25

Sending a clear message in logo design

Some of the best logos in existence are captivating because they convey two meanings at once, accomplish the task from a unique angle, or are somehow otherwise “creative”. The best way to tell a creative logo from a less successful one is if you find yourself, as a designer, thinking, “Man, I wish I would have come up with that …

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Jan
 18

UX design in print media: designing with the user in mind

Due to the increasing popularity of usability design and user experience design articles that focus on the internet and web design, you might not be aware that user experience design has been around a lot longer than the internet has. This article will discuss the effects that user-experience design has specifically in print design.
It is my firm belief that user-experience …

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Jan
 12

The biggest myth of graphic and web design

I’m not going to beat around the bush, the following is what I believe to be the biggest myth in the graphic and web design industry:
“Our job is to design what the client wants.”I know the old adage says “the customer is always right.” While I always strive to make the customer happy and create a design that they are …

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Jan
 10

Anatomy of a massive site redesign

If you’ve ever visited the site before, you know that Graphic Design Blender just went through a massive site redesign. I am now happy to present to you the new and very much improved Graphic Design Blender. GDB is a place where graphic and web designers come to stay up to date on an ever-changing industry–that of graphic and web …

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Dec
 31

Graphic Design Blender’s best of 2009 + a big thanks

I love the end of the year. I feel rejuvenated after the holiday break and excited to move forward in whatever next year’s endeavor’s bring. Before closing out the year, I would like say thank you to all of you readers here at GDB for making this blog what it is. I appreciate your participation, your comments, subscriptions, and willingness …

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