The Design Block
If you're looking for the latest in advertising and marketing, design related technology and lifestyle tips, and art or design highlights then you're in the right place. Find all this and more with the Design Block blog.
SMS Marketing: Why Content Marketers Love It
Learn what SMS marketing is; the benefits of text message marketing; and how to increase conversions.
How to successfully automate your lead nurturing process
Without strong lead-nurturing practices, your business could lose potential customers. Find out ways to stop that.
New sustainable LEGO made from recycled plastic bottles
After 3 years of experimenting, LEGO can create 10 4x2 bricks from a 1-litre recycled plastic bottle.
7 tools to use as a blogger
Blogging is a commodity, especially for small businesses. These tools can help you better market your business.
Lucrative business ideas for animal lovers
Turns out, there’s a lot of money to be made in the animal business: from veterinarians to pet party planners.
5 steps to using psychology in your advertising
To help your ads stand out in a crowded market, you first need to learn about consumer thought processes.
Get creative advice from 11 of the world’s top architects
These famous architects demonstrate how to excel in any creative endeavour.
Get paid quicker with these 10 invoicing software solutions
If you're a freelancer, make sure you get paid on time by choosing the right invoicing software for your needs.
Shutterstock’s 2020 colour trend report
As we look to 2020, there's a shift from the neons of 2019 to more bold and saturated colours.
How to tell if you’re in a toxic work environment
Find out if you're in a toxic work environment and learn some coping strategies.
Top design trends expected to take 2020 by storm
By knowing what is trending in the design industry, you can meld current trends with your personal style.
Yelp 101: A guide to Yelp for small business
The meteoric rise of Yelp has given nearly every customer a way to share their experiences with the world.
12 fun pet side hustles for pet-preneurs
Did you know that you can make a surprisingly decent amount of supplementary income working with pets?
Famous creatives lesser-known hobbies & side gigs
Many famous creatives have side gigs or hobbies to help them relax and be more creative.
21 places to get free tools and software for your startup
Wikibuy has compiled 21 free startup tools to get an idea of how your business can save on costs.
15 simple LinkedIn profile tips to boost your career
LinkedIn is the key social media network to grow your career and these simple tips can help.
Boost website conversions using colour psychology
The simple use of colour can either create a positive or negative user experience.
12 ways to recover from being laid off
Whether you were caught off guard or saw it coming, you can’t control any aspect of a layoff except for how you handle it.
Tips to optimize your next email marketing campaign
What can you do to compel your readers to open your email when they have dozens of others in their inbox?
Shutterstock’s 2019 Creative Trends Report reveals a retro revival
A treasure trove of bright colours, cartoon faces, and fancy animal patterns; these are just some of the highlights from the eighth annual Shutterstock Creative Trends Report.
How to avoid burnout as a small business owner
1 out of 10 businesses fail because of lack of passion, and it’s estimated that negativity costs businesses $3 billion in productivity every year.
The top 10 freelance side gigs to earn some extra cash
Freelance side gigs are one of the best ways to earn some extra cash or stay creative if your day job isn't stimulating you anymore.
9 logo trends to keep an eye out for in 2019
A new year brings new opportunities, a fresh start, and new logo trends.
Surviving life as a freelancer
Freelancing can be a great option whether you’re looking for more flexibility or control over your work.
Scents to help you work
Everywhere you look, it seems that there is a new suggestion or idea on how to increase your productivity and efficiency at work. This isn’t surprising, since cracking the code of how to stay on top of your tasks and truly shine in your work…
How to get more positive online reviews for your business
Positive online reviews can tip the balance in your favour when it comes to consumer decision making. So if you think online reviews get lost in all the Internet noise, think again.
Discover the unlikely origins of 6 famous car logos
Having a strong logo can create significant value; and that’s no less true in the automotive industry. In fact, car logos are among the most widely recognized amongst brands across the world. But have you ever wondered about what’s behind the creation and evolution of famous car…
How to handle different types of difficult customers
If you own your own business or work in sales or marketing, you’ve likely run into a challenging customer at one point or another. While every buyer is different and has unique needs and wants, if you understand a few key types of customers you…
Infographic: 32 tips for successful mobile marketing
Mobile devices have transformed the way people engage with brands. Not only do 80% of internet users own a smartphone, but they also spend 60% of their online media consumption time on mobile platforms. From opening your marketing email to reading a post on your…
How to give—and receive—constructive criticism
You may have heard your personal trainer or your local fitness junkie say “no pain, no gain.” Well, unfortunately, that pain and gain relationship also applies to performance reviews. Giving someone negative criticism can be burdensome for even the most experienced manager.
11 design elements to build a perfect landing page
As a technique that helps boost conversion rate, the use of landing pages is at an all-time high. A landing page can help you achieve your marketing goals be it increasing email subscribers list or generating better leads for specific products.
How to uncover brilliant ideas when brainstorming
Coming up with smart, fresh new ideas or marketing campaigns isn’t easy. And when your job requires churning them out on a daily basis, it isn’t hard to hit a mental wall. And while brainstorming is essential to your success, learning how to uncover brilliant ideas…
What to expect with logo trends for 2018
You can often tell the era in which a logo was created by the fonts, colours, and styles used. Recognizing which logo trends will withstand the test of time is an essential part of choosing a style which feels fresh, relevant, and reflects the brand.
Learn about the 7 eCommerce design trends for 2018
Last year, global eCommerce reached US$2.3 trillion and is expected to double by 2021. In the United States alone, eCommerce represents almost 10 percent of retail sales. Even as the general public is increasingly coming to prefer online shopping, many websites still face unique challenges to their success.
10 tips for efficient meetings from successful leaders
Meetings can be a powerful tool to help produce new ideas in insights. Unfortunately, people spend so much time in meetings that it becomes a chore. In fact, most employees often view them as disruptive, inefficient, or downright boring.
15 ways to better manage your time
Have you ever wondered how some people appear to have enough time in a day to do everything that they want to; whereas others often rush from task to task, never seeming to finish anything. Do they just have less to do? No, it’s more…
Become a better writer with these 15 ways to write faster
Sometimes it seems as if there aren’t enough hours in the day to get all your work done—especially if you’re a writer. Some people are writing machines; they get an idea, pound it out in minutes, and move on to something else. For most of us,…
For your long weekend: Interesting facts about beer
Anyone of legal drinking age has no doubt downed a beer (or six). But how much do you really know about this alcoholic beverage? Probably not as much as you think.
Illustrated charts visualize what an asshole client is
We all have them: the asshole client. There’s no getting around it; you’re going to encounter them from time to time working in design. And as much as we’d all like to believe that what goes around comes around, the reality is they don’t get what’s…
What are the best times to post on social media?
The easy answer is that the best times to post on social media are when the people you want to see the content are on the network. However, each social network has its own best practice. Data from 16 studies proves that posting at the best times will help…
12 Mother’s Day traditions from around the world
A special day to honour the women who gave birth to us, Mother’s Day is celebrated in several countries around the world. In most countries, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May, but in others it’s celebrated at an entirely different time of the…
The top 5 free infographic makers available online
When you have over a billion websites to choose from, along with the distractions of day-to-day life, getting consumers attention, and keeping it, is hard. With a staggering amount of information generated daily, people don’t have time to read an endless page of online content. In fact, most users will leave…
Infographic: The 10 basic elements of design
Need to refresh your memory on the basic elements of design? These elements can be isolated and defined in any visual. They are the structure of the work, and can carry a wide variety of messages. So, before tackling any design, Creative Market has created an…
Photoshop cheatsheet for novice graphic designers
While there are plenty of online tutorials available, it’s often difficult for novice graphic designers to know where to start. When opening Photoshop for the first time, it’s easy to look at all the confusing features and buttons. If only there was a Photoshop cheatsheet that could help…
22 Deadly sins of graphic design
Starting any graphic design project requires preparation. There are briefs to follow, theories to consider, and deadly sins to avoid. So if you’re thinking about using Comic Sans or flattening your Photoshop file, think again.
39 things you didn’t know about the world’s favourite brands
Some we like, others we hate, but do you know the whole story behind the world’s favourite brands? Brands and the stories behind them are the stories that both fascinate and intrigue.
Where do you fall in the 7 circles of developer Hell?
Unfortunately, like most jobs, the work of a developer isn’t all sunshine and lollipops. It’s filled with unique frustrations that only other developers would be able to relate to.
14 Valentine’s Day traditions from around the world
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, stores are flooded with candy hearts, chocolates and stuffed animals. And while North Americas shower their loved ones this way, other countries around the world declare their love differently.
Infographic: Salary trends for 2017
If you’re hoping for a raise this year, you’re not alone. Most job seekers list salary as their number one consideration when looking for a new job. So if companies want to capture the attention of talent, they need to offer competitive salaries that accurately reflect employees’…
7 logo design trends expected to emerge in 2017
There is no perfect recipe when creating a logo for a new company. Influenced by the existing brand identity, how do you find inspiration for a logo when there is none? Well, it can sometimes be found the company’s ideology and its core beliefs. However, it can also be influenced…