Carrie Cousins

Accessibility / 12 Sep 2022

Pros and Cons of Live Chat in a Web Design

Live chat has become the go-to customer service solution for many websites. Users can log in and immediately “talk” with someone about whatever they need help with.

Live chats can be text-based or include a video call. The key reason it is used is to connect with customers immediately and help provide a better customer service experience. But there’s a catch – not all live chat is actually a conversation with a person.

Here’s a look at the pros and cons of live chat in your web design projects.

Business / 2 Sep 2022

What Is a Web Design Proposal? (And How to Write One)

The most successful design projects often start with a successful business foundation. Whether you work on an agency team with other creatives or are a freelancer trying to sell your own products and services a solid web design proposal can help you win clients and set expectations for work.

Here’s everything you need to know about creating a web design proposal that will help you land new clients. We’ll discuss what a web design proposal is, how to write one, and share some helpful templates to get you started fast.

PowerPoint Templates / 26 Aug 2022

Pitch Deck Design: 10 Tips to Stand Out

A good pitch deck is designed for specifically one thing – to help your startup get funding from investors. But how do you stand out from the crowd, and make a memorable impression?

There’s a delicate balance to creating a deck with just enough slides to entice potential funders, without providing so much information that they are overwhelmed.

Most pitch decks contain less than 20 slides. So how do you create a pitch deck design that stands out? Here are our ten tips to help you get started.

Figma Templates / 25 Aug 2022

10 Pro Tips for Using Figma in Your Workflow

If you are using Figma for website or app design, logos, or other digital projects, it’s likely you are always looking for ways to get faster and more efficient.

Because this tool is so robust and allows for collaboration, sharing, and reuse of components and parts, it can really help boost your workflows.

Here are 10 pro tips for using Figma to create faster and smarter design workflows.

Background Textures / 22 Aug 2022

Risograph Style Backgrounds: An Organic Design Trend

High-color, print-style backgrounds are making an impact in what is known as the “Risograph style”. Packed with charming imperfections, bold colour overlays, and hints of duotone style, it’s a winning style to experiment with.

Typically associated with printing, this design technique is making its way into digital projects as well, most commonly as a background element.

Here, we’ll look at the Risograph style for backgrounds, how to use this design trend to your advantage, and a selection of templates that can help you get started quickly.

Trends / 18 Aug 2022

Kinetic Typography: An Eye Catching Font Trend

When you combine typography and animation, you get kinetic type. This website design trend is showing up practically everywhere as designers add motion to text elements to create more engaging headlines and art elements.

It’s an engaging way to take typography to the next level, bringing it alive on-screen.

Here, we’ll take a look at the kinetic typography design trend, what it is, and how to make it work for you. Plus, examples and a few downloadable to help you get started.

Trends / 11 Aug 2022

Color Overload: 10 Tips for Creating Color-Packed Designs

A high-color design can be a difficult thing to create without the final design feeling overwhelming. But designers are taking this chance and experimenting with a bit of color overload to create stunning projects that don’t overwhelm users.

Here, we’ll look at 10 different examples with 10 tips to help you navigate this color trend as you complete a website or other design project.

Leave the muted color palette behind, and dive into a world of vivid color!

Business Templates / 10 Aug 2022

How to Make a Booklet in Word (With an Easy Template)

Learning how to make a booklet in Word is a valuable design skill. Even if you are used to working in something like InDesign, it’s likely a client or colleague may ask for a Microsoft Word-based booklet. It’s easy with a quick template that you can download, replace content, and use.

Here, we’ll take you through everything you need to know to create a booklet from a professional template for Word, from thinking about content to preparing the file for printing.

We’re going to use a template from Envato Elements (where there are loads of great options!), but you could use any booklet template for Word that you’ve tracked down online.

Reviews / 9 Aug 2022

Designing an Online Course or Presentation? Try iSpring Suite

Have you ever thought of designing an online course or presentation to share with others? What made you stop?

If it was not having the knowledge or tools to design an engaging and informational course or presentation, iSpring is the solution. The suite of tools is as simple as using PowerPoint, and you have everything you need to create a course or presentation at your fingertips.

Here, we’re going to look at iSpring and what you can do with it so you can determine if it is right for your projects.

Flyer Templates / 1 Aug 2022

How to Make a Flyer in Word (Using a Quick Template)

Everyone has to make a flyer at some point. It’s easy in Microsoft Word with a quick template that you can download, replace content, and use. You’re probably already familiar with MS Word, so why not use that as a jumping off point for a simple flyer project?

Here, we’ll take you through everything you need to know to create a flyer from a professional template, from thinking about content to preparing the file for printing.

We’re going to use a template from Envato Elements (where there are loads of great options!), but you could use any flyer template for Word that you’ve tracked down online.

Graphics / 29 Jul 2022

Border Design: 8 Tips & Modern Examples

Graphic designers have been using borders for as long as they have been designing things. And they’re a fun element to play with. We’re taking a look at eight border design concepts (most of them you can actually download as project starters), along with tips for usage and some examples that you can try in projects.

Sometimes a great border can help separate your design for other elements, such as around the perimeter of an ad. Other times, a border can serve as an element to help break up different parts of a design, or frame messaging or content.

While borders are most frequently thought about in terms of print design, they can be a valuable digital design tool as well. A good border defines a space so that users know where a design begins and ends. (Pretty simple, right?)

Reviews / 28 Jul 2022

Lookup and Validate Phone Numbers With Numlookupapi

numlookupapi is a tool that can help you automate the phone number validation process for your website or app. It can validate any phone number, returning carrier and location information, and is already trusted and used by more than 15,000 companies worldwide.

It’s an easy-to-use and free basic worldwide phone number lookup API, with pricing tiers for high-volume users. Whether you’re exploring a small use-case for a personal project, or a huge enterprise project that requires thousands of requests an hour, there’s an option for you.

Here’s a look at numlookupapi and how it could work for you.