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.
Adobe’s premiere image editor, Photoshop remains the industry standard because of how the software can assist photographers and graphic designers in doing their jobs. It is, however, about the get a lot easier for Apple users. This year Adobe is finally bringing Photoshop CC—a fully…
One of the most important things to remember in design is to back-up your work. That being said, sometimes even the those files can be vulnerable to bugs. That’s the case with a freelance videographer who recently filed a class action lawsuit against Adobe.
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…
The one question that most freelance designers have trouble answering is, “what is your time really worth?” If you’re a full-time employee at an agency, your salary takes into consideration business costs like healthcare, licensing, taxes, and other business essentials. But when you work for yourself, you’ve…
As designers, we know that we need to motivate people through communication. However, sometimes we forget that when it comes to our own work. Great design poorly presented can kill an idea. So how best to present logos and branding to the client to win them…
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…
Colour can produce mental and emotional effects on sighted people in all facets of life. Red, blue, yellow and green all relate respectively to the body, mind, and emotions. You may know how to appear smarter in emails or meetings, even ways to be creative. However, scientists…
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.
There are plenty of bad designers out there, but there are also lots of good ones. A good designer is someone who has an eye for what works and what doesn’t; they’re more than confident with their design skills and can adapt to what’s asked…
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…
When a company is looking to hire you to their team, they often vet you online first. During this cyber investigation, your LinkedIn profile will typically show up in the first three to five results. You now have the opportunity to control what they find about…
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.
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…
Typography enthusiasts can identify most fonts by name. However, it’s always useful to explore fonts using visual similarities – in case you wanted to shake things up a bit. Every typeface has its merits; hell, even Comic Sans work as an attention-grabber because it’s so despised. But with…
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…
To have success in business, you need to have exceptional employees. However, hiring them is only half the battle. Have you ever had a great employee, and thought, “This is the one!” They’re smart, engaged, driven, and seemed to really love the job. You can…
Does the uncertainty and ever-changing nature of freelancing produce designers with sharper, more adaptable skills? Or does the social, fast-paced, and ordered workflow of an agency create more design superstars? In my nearly 10 years as an Art Director, I’ve seen a few businesses pondering if they should hire…
No matter how positive of a person you are, or how much you love your job, bad days happen to the best of us. You spilled your coffee, got stuck in traffic, or tear your pants. By the time you sit down to start work, you’re…
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…
Whether you know it or not, consumers are able to tell the difference between a good and bad logo. And having a cheap logo design not only reflects badly on your skills as a designer, but on the brand it was created for. Your logo…
As more and more Millennials entering the workforce and assume management positions, you may notice changes in workplace culture. Why? Because there are distinct differences between generational work styles, expectations, and career perspectives.
Some people are destined to become a graphic designer. They have a knack for aesthetics, notice the finer details and love to learn new things. So, if you’ve always been deeply interested in graphic design, but are not currently working in the field, this may…
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…
In today’s digital world, the words font and typeface are often treated similarly. In most instances when people refer to fonts, they really mean typefaces. However, they’re not the same thing.
If you’ve been avoiding Snapchat, whether personally or professionally, it’s time to start paying attention. It’s a mobile phenomenon which enjoys 100 million users daily, watching 10 billion videos each day. When Snapchat Spectacles were first released, they only seemed to be a playful extension of the…
If you’ve ever been part of a creative team, you know that partnerships in advertising are not unlike marriage. Once the Art Director and Copywriter pair up, it takes a serious commitment to avoid annoying each other. Deciding to officially tie your careers together means doing…
Day in, day out, recruiters sift through piles of résumés for available job openings. They’re usually searching for a specific skill sets or experience that matches their clients’ requirements. And if nothing of interest stands out, they move on to the next one.
A few weeks ago, PANTONE revealed its bright and zesty Colour of the Year 2017, called Greenery. Because it evokes nature, Greenery signals consumers to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate. Thus, people respond on a deeper level to this hue, making the eye catching Greenery an ideal shade for design. This is especially…
Dealing with a contract may not be the most exciting part of being a freelancer. But that pain is nothing compared to what can go wrong without one. And a contract not only protects you if something goes wrong; it helps things from going wrong…
If you rely on Photoshop for part of your day-to-day work, chances are that you’ve picked up some useful tips and tricks from online tutorials. And while these lessons are sure to improve your skills, it’s also useful to know what Photoshop mistakes to avoid.
Gaining a post-secondary education can be an incredibly valuable experience for your design skills. The popular perception of needing education to be successful is getting a college or university degree and working for a company which pays you per your education level. However, it doesn’t…
Do you want to know how to quickly write an attractive and catchy headline for your blog post? It’s one thing to write great content, but it’s another thing to get it read and ranked.
Good designers are always on the hunt for the latest tools to help them step up their game—whether it’s a new app or the latest Adobe update. Yet some of the best design tools are actually those that have been around the longest.
Your coworkers can make or break your work experience. Hence, friendly, collaborative coworkers create a great team environment. Conversely, an argumentative and generally unpleasant colleague makes your life way more difficult.
Buying clothes online is a risky venture, since much of shopping is knowing how the apparel feels and fits your body. One of the best ways to persuade people to buy clothes online is by being very meticulous. That’s why fashion industry websites are on top of…
If you’re anything like most people, you’ve fantasized about the perfect workplace. Maybe you imagined eating prime rib at your desk while surrounded by brilliant colleagues. Or you dreamed of working at home office instead of being stuck in rush hour traffic with the other poor saps.
Have you had a client that said funny things or asked stupid questions over the course of a project? For example, there are things clients say when wanting cheaper work and their ridiculous demands. A project team at ad agency Strategy Creative in New Zealand has definitely heard some humorous things. While working…