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.
Amusing video shows women how to ride bitch
This tongue-in-cheek tutorial video by Director Alex Vivian is your guide to female-on-female motorcycle riding.
RALFH at WestJet wishes you a Happy April Fools’ Day
Yes, it’s April first again. For most of us, it’s the most annoying day of the year, with people (and companies) trying hard to prank each other. In their continuing spirit of the day, WestJet has once again released its annual April Fools’ video. This year…
10 ways people really annoy graphic designers
"Can you make the logo design bigger?" is probably the most heard and most annoying thing you can say.
Start off Monday with humorously illustrated puns
Justine Morrison wanted to give people in the office a laugh on the most dreadful day of the week.
Snickers pokes fun at Photoshop fails in new ads
The back covers of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue contain humorous Photoshop errors by Snickers.
Witty comic shows how differently ideas are perceived
This witty comic describes the differences between how designers and clients perceive ideas.
The phrases heard in meetings and what they actually mean
At one point during a meeting, I’m sure someone has said something and you weren’t quite sure what the heck they were talking about. They probably used what seems like random phrases or buzzwords to mask what they really mean and sound more intelligent.
Rude greeting cards feature simple, funny illustrations
Conventional cards are meant to convey positive feelings and best wishes for someone you care about. However, these cards by de-motivational speaker Paul Gandhi are anything but conventional.
Deadpool presents a humorous testicular cancer PSA
Over the weekend the movie Deadpool brought in an estimated $150 million at the box office. And although this is the largest opening for a February movie, Ryan Reynolds—while dressed as Deadpool—took the time to talk testicular cancer.
Comics depict the sad, but funny truth about Facebook
The series takes jabs at several features of the dominating platform. Take a look at these surprising accurate and funny situations that you should be familiar with.
Funny CSS puns that web designers can relate to
Inspired by a thread on Reddit comes a list of funny CSS puns.
Learn some dirty talk you can use on designers
"Baby, you make my font go all cap lock."
These are the things you do not say to a designer
Clients who communicate clearly and politely—and are willing to collaborate—get the best work from their designers. Unfortunately, not all clients are created equally. That’s why graphic designer Janie Kliever has shared a list of things you do not say to a designer.
What your favourite Christmas cookie says about you
Do you have a special kind of Christmas cookie that you love to eat during the holiday season? If so, then what does that particular cookie say about you as a person?
Humorous charts explain the life of a designer
Creative Market has come up with a series of 10 funny charts. Reflecting the life of a designer, these charts show what really happening.
15 Ridiculous things people have put on their résumé
No résumé is perfect, but is everything on your resume 100% accurate? Most employers don’t think so. In fact, they’re becoming increasingly skeptical of what candidates claim about their skills and work history.
A designer’s perspective vs that of non-designers
A designer’s perspective versus that of a non-designer can be a bit different. We see the world from a different point of view; the good and the bad.
8 funny charts illustrate everyday life
There are certain expectations associated with everyday life, like eating a good meal or sleeping well. However, expectation and reality are often two very different things.
If Google was a guy, what would you ask him?
When we want answers to a question that we don’t know, we search for it online. Google’s algorithms sort through the hundreds of billions of webpages to give us useful and relevant results in a fraction of a second.
What would McDonald’s ads be like if done like Apple?
If your advertising is really good, people will try to copy you. And if you’re ad is a little over the top, you’ll start to get a few parodies. Take Apple, for example, and Shinola’s parody of the Apple watch.
Famous proverbs retold as graphic design puns
Proverbs, also referred to as sayings, give us some form of life advice. Every language and culture has them, and its important not to miss any of the words because the meaning can easily get lost.
How to hide the fact that you’ve just farted
What’s the best way to hide the fact that you’ve passed gas, farted, tooted, broke wind, or cut the cheese? With Thanksgiving coming up, I figured that this funny series from College Humor would come in handy.
What does your social media pic say about you?
Can someone tell who you are by just looking at your picture? Leandra Medine of fashion blog Man Repeller thinks so–she’s created a funny post that reveals what your social media pic says about you.
Absurd life quotes that everyone can relate to
A Tumblr blog has created the following collection of humorousone-liners about human habits.
Office survival kit helps you destroy your bullying boss
Regardless of your industry, you’re bound to encounter a bullying boss who goes out of their way to make your life a living nightmare.
Learn how to properly charge your clients
Determining how to properly charge your clients is not only one of the most important tasks for a freelancer, it’s also one of the most stressful. After all, if you charge too little, you can’t pay your bills; if you charge too much, they may look for…
What if movies were watched in reverse?
If you’re old enough to remember sitting and wait for your VHS movies to rewind after each viewing, you’d get to see it play out quickly in reverse.
Designer humorously responds to client request to “Make the logo bigger”
“Making the logo bigger!” is a painful punchline among designers worldwide. In fact, this common client request is loathed almost as much as “Looks great. Can you make this one minor change: try the logo with Helvetica?”
If logos were honest about the brands they represented
Logo design and branding are the best ways to create a visual touch point for products and services. But they don’t always accurately reflect the products that they stand for. And as much as we love certain brands for their visually appealing logos, what if famous brands were…
Humorous responses to a couple asking for Photoshop help
Although Photoshop trolling isn’t anything new, the outcome never ceases to provide a good laugh. And when you invite the Internet for Photoshop help to edit a picture, you should expect cheeky responses from people wanting to add their own sense of humour into the mix. And…
Funny graphics of 2 cows explaining economics
Economics has become increasingly relevant in our globalized society. When we think economy, we think about everything from our personal finances to business and international trade deals. Economics deals with a lot of things including money and borrowing, production and consumption, trade, employment, and much…
10 steps to becoming the perfect graphic designer
If you haven’t heard of Medium, it’s a site where you can read, write, and interact with millions of ideas and stories from around the world. 10 Steps To Becoming The Perfect Graphic Designer is a humorous tongue-in-cheek post by Philadelphia-based designer Patrick Macomber that should give…
Only designers will understand these GIFs
The design world has its ups and downs. There are pain-in-the-ass clients, the frustration of being asked to work for free, but also the little victories you can achieve during a project. So, to highlight these ups and downs, Creative Market has put together a collection of animated…
Depicting the struggles of ad agency creatives through admojis
Emojis have become part of today’s written language. They’re used to show off our emotions and expressions in a way that’s easier than words alone. In fact, 92 percent of the online community use emojis. But they don’t express enough when it comes to advertising…
What would life be like if office stock photos were real?
If you’re in advertising or design, chances are you’ve probably had to use office stock photos at one time or another. In fact, stock images are everywhere online; there’s the creative professional staring at a blank screen, the happy telemarketer flashing her brightest smile, and, who…
Funny puns containing the true meaning of words
Every word has a definition, but that doesn’t mean we use them in their proper context; the true meaning of words aren’t always the same as what we say. As part of an ongoing project, Sam Omo—better known as DOWNSIGN—has illustrated the meaning of words,…
How to be the jerk on your design team
When you’re working on your own, there’s a sense of freedom to do things your way on your time. However, if you’re working as part of a design team, it’s easy for personalities to clash.
The 2 types of email users: Which are you?
All email users have their own unique habits, it seems. I’ve known some who have to read every single email that comes through their inbox. And I’ve known others who have completely opposite habits, only checking what’s at the top… sometimes.
Learn how to swear like the British
Once the use of profanities in public was outright appalling to most in general society. Nowadays, swear words like fuck, shit and bollocks are just part of normal conversation. In fact, a recent study in the UK found that people are more comfortable with swearing on television…
What if apps needed pick-up lines?
A lot of time has been spent debating whether pick-up lines are the best way to get someone’s attention or not. But what if your favourite apps and websites needed pick-up lines to get your attention?
Adorable, brutally honest circle of life illustrations
Mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish, insects and other invertebrates each have their own unique circle of life. And while all animals need to be safe and to reproduce, they also need to eat; one animal feeds off of another to survive—that’s just how it is.
Funny and honest food pyramid for different age groups
Everyone is aware that they should be eating a balanced diet filled with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. In fact, we learned this in elementary school when we were taught the food pyramid.
Humorous Pizza Hut parodies selfie stick abuse PSA
There’s probably no point in me asking if you’ve taken a selfie lately. The answer is yes, which means you’re the target audience for this new over-the-top selfie stick parody PSA from Pizza Hut.
Watch what happens when Facebook removes everything people complain about
Facebook has over a billion users and people still find things about to complain about. And I’m not just talking about trolls sharing their personal opinions; I’m talking about the user interface for the social media platform.
How to share your personal opinions on Facebook
Sharing your personal opinions on Facebook can be a great way to meet new people who disagree with you. It’s also a way for you to test your blood pressure limits and your faith in humanity.
BMW shows us real helmet hair in humorous ads
You can buy a sweet new motorcycle and you can purchase stylish gear to go with it; but there isn’t much that can save you from the epidemic known as helmet hair.
10 humorous confessions of a guilty designer
Even if you're a diligent designer, you've probably committed at least one or two design sins.
A satirical look at the real meaning of words
You know there are words that sound the same but have different meanings; like their, they’re, and there. But what about words that have another meaning when in different context.
Things clients say when wanting cheaper work
There’s no doubt that you’ll come across clients who make ridiculous demands. And sure, designers might tell little lies to avoid having to deal with those demands. But what do you do when a client comes to you wanting cheaper work?
This humorous ad mocks the Apple Watch with simplicity
Sometimes “smart” is simple. Created to promote Detroit-based Shinola’s Runwell watch, they’ve unveiled a humorous print ad that mercilessly skewers the technological capabilities of the Apple Watch.