You open your design program of choice and there it is staring back at you, a blank canvas. It can be a little intimidating. Where do you start? Where do you put the headline? A grid is just what you need to get started.
Grids are the skeleton of design, they create alignment, help you create order, and organize the content of your design. …
As a designer, your portfolio website is key to helping you get your next job or client. It’s how you show off your skills as a designer. Without one, no one can find you.
In this article, I’ll share examples of some good portfolio websites and why they work. You’ll also learn what you must include in your portfolio and tips to help make yours better.
This is such a fun example of a portfolio website by The Papestielliz. …
You want to be a web designer but you’re wondering, do I need an online degree? Is a college degree still necessary today?
I’ll share the pros and cons of a traditional degree in web design as well as alternatives to help you choose the best option for you to become a web designer.
There’s no right or wrong answer but by the end of this article, you’ll know what makes the most sense for you.
First, let’s go over a few basics on what a web designer is and what their role and responsibilities are to make sure it…
Color theory is the art and science of creating harmonious color combinations. But every color has its own meaning and emotions attached to it. In this article, we’ll dive into the psychology and meaning of color.
Knowing what color combinations to use in design is an art. Should you stick to a monochromatic color palette? Or maybe 2–3 complementary colors paired with an accent color? There are so many ways to use color to communicate, to make your design stand out, and to convey a certain mood and emotion.
Color theory is a set of principles for creating harmonious color…
You hear it all the time, if you want to get hired as a designer you need to have an amazing portfolio website.
But what you may not hear as often is how important the resume or CV is. If you want to be hired by a company as a full-time designer, contract designer, or freelance designer, you need to have a resume that shares your skills and experience as a designer.
Believe it or not, most companies won’t even look at your portfolio until they’ve skimmed your resume first and pushed you through the next round of interviews. …
How much should you charge if you’re starting out as a freelancer? How do you know if you’re charging too low or too high? When should you increase your prices? In this article, we’ll dive into these questions and more on graphic design hourly rates.
If you are just getting started as a graphic designer, the easiest way to get paid is to bill at an hourly rate. At this stage, you are still learning how long it takes you to complete a design project. …
Hierarchy is a key element in design, creating a good user experience, and achieving the business goals of a website or app. It’s also one of the biggest mistakes new designers make. When there is no clear hierarchy on a website or an app, you risk frustrating the user and losing them as a potential customer. Let’s dive into what visual hierarchy is, tips for how to achieve it, and how you can use it to improve your websites and app designs.
There are many definitions of hierarchy. Most refer to a system of organized rankings, it’s an order or…
Money. It’s not a subject we learn about in school or talk much about while growing up. It’s no wonder most adults have no idea how to invest or use their money wisely. From bad habits, lack of knowledge, or just plain playing it safe, I’ve made many mistakes over the years that have robbed me of tens of thousands of dollars.
I remember that line on my first full-time employment application that asked, what are your salary expectations? I didn’t put any thought into the number I wrote. At the time, still recovering from the 2008–09 recession, I just…
It’s the ultimate question. Can you become a web designer without learning how to code? The short answer is yes.
While learning the basics of code, like how HTML and CSS work, will help you understand how to design for the web, it’s no longer required knowledge if you want to be a web designer.
I’ll cover 4 solutions for how you can create your own websites without code. Some options are better than others, I’ll share the pros and cons of each to help you decide which is right for you. …
The first-ever published website came to the Internet on August 6, 1991. Tim Berners-Lee created the site about the World Wide Web project, describing the Web and how to use it. Since then, web design has evolved with innovations in technology and design.
Designer + photographer living in San Francisco. I also make videos about design: https://bit.ly/MonicaOnYouTube