Minggu, 07 April 2019
Rabu, 03 April 2019
Why Good Designers Are Like Crocodiles - envato.com coupon
Crocodiles adapt. They learn the movements of their meal and strike at just the right moment. It’s this mix of immersion in scenarios, research of their environment, and instinct, that make them the perfect analogy for a good designer.
However, while crocodiles aren’t known for being particularly empathic, for a designer, empathy is crucial.
Finding empathy through experience
Books or running on-screen interviews aren’t the only way to establish empathy. As a designer, I’ve found the best way to do so is through experience, which means working with a broad range of people, including people outside the design community. Most of all, you need to experience uncomfortable scenarios and put yourself in situations that may be way outside of your comfort zone.
The true value of design is found through experience
I’m a UI designer with a background in visual, branding, and graphic design. When I started at Envato, I was so far out of my depth I was bordering on drowning. I had no tech or product references to draw on – but it was the experience from my design career and the somewhat daunting role at Envato that ultimately shaped the way I now work on product interfaces and guidelines.
I had previously worked in local government, which moves at a fraction of the pace of a tech company. However, in government I learnt how to design for brand, wayfinding, digital, print and even experience design, for audiences who, no matter their background or situation, should be able to experience our services equally.
Working with community, indigenous and disability groups allowed me to design with respect and sensitively for the region and users of the services, meet accessibility requirements, and still strive to maintain high quality and creativity.
All design experiences impact how we make our critical decisions, how we structure our feedback and think about design as solving legitimate problems for everyone, as well as being beautiful to look at.
Design is allowed to be beautiful
Design should be delightful. People respond to good design. It communicates passion, inclusion, coherence and clarity of brand. Beautiful design shows that we care about our brand, our products and how our customers perceive us.
Aesthetics play a huge part in a designers process, just as much as interviews, budgets and business needs. It’s the aesthetics that attract people in the first place, and by balancing beauty with informed research we are able to create something attractive without detracting from our purpose.
It’s not all about you
Designing is not just about you or your customer. Design is finding the balance between what the users wants, what our authors want (in Envato’s case), what the business wants, what our design standards require, as well as the limitations of technology and timelines.
As a designer you need to learn to accept that most decisions are out of your control and that designing is a negotiation process, one that you can own and influence or one that you can shrug your shoulders at and just roll with – its important to instinctively pick your battles.
There are plenty of projects where days or even weeks of work have been wasted once the creative disappears up the corporate chain of no return. It’s these jobs that make you feel like a hack, constantly questioning design decisions no matter how much insight, feedback or research you have. But these are the projects that create resilience and build the designer instinct where with or without the insights you learn to trust your own decisions. In the end, design is about standing by your work and owning the results, whether award-worthy or dumpster fire.
Projects that create resilience and build the designer instinct where with or without the insights you learn to trust your own decisions
Muddled methods of a hack
Double diamonds, design sprints, lean startups and all the rest of the formulated design processes may never fit your mould. (I for one only learnt about these frameworks at Envato – furiously reading a stack of books after miraculously getting through the recruitment process).
Design doesn’t have to mean a prescribed process. Understand them sure, but establishing your own way of working is where you find your true happy place. Working next door to a pub like I do is also a designer’s place but anyway… Defining your own style and path will allow a greater understanding all aspects of design, not just tech or product or UX.
Design can be fluid, design can be messy and design can rub people up the wrong way. Hack, sticky tape and bleed your way through various jobs, experiences, styles, mixed teams and clients. Make a lot of mistakes, break things, drink more than you should and a lot of the time wonder why you’re doing it in the first place.
Somehow I’ve scraped through 20 years adapting and applying a mix of loose processes to what my current project requires. Its made for a hell of an interesting journey and I’ve been able to learn equally from terrible bosses who crush your creative spirit and from inspiring industry-leading mentors who make you love what you do. It comes down to learning what not to do as much as what to do. And I’m still learning.
Instinct won’t get you all the way
At Envato, we use a design framework that relies heavily on research, and with a massive community of customers and authors, why wouldn’t you? Our UX team create stories and research documentation that within the UI team, we use to inform style guides and libraries with the intention of reuse of core patterns between products.
Without the research and ability to test ideas and concepts with our community, we would base a lot of decisions on gut instinct which relies on biases, both emotional and cultural. I’ll admit, trusting your gut isn’t always the right decision, but I believe a balance of instinct and research will get you further than either alone.
Future designers
How will designers adapt to future design challenges? How do we think about designing outside of pages and screens? How do we take the experience we have in interface, UX and visual design and apply them to voice, VR or ever changing social platforms and still create beautiful and inclusive design experiences?
We swim, crocodile.
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Selasa, 02 April 2019
Rabu, 27 Maret 2019
Artistic expression at Envato Mexico HQ - envato.com coupon
It’s been almost a year since we welcomed the team from Placeit into the Envato family and it’s been a wonderful journey so far. It’s a family that’s growing rapidly too, so much so that the Envato Mexico team have recently had to move into a new office to accommodate all the new hires!
Placeit’s former headquarters was revered for its character and charm, as only a former nightclub-turned-tech hub can be! As a result, it was a challenge to recreate and expand on that character in a new location, but what better way to do it than with a generous splash of colour?
Enter the in-house design brains of Envato Mexico. From photographers to graphic designers, digital artists to painters, the team in Guadalajara are a talented bunch of creatives! A crew of 15 colleagues assembled to plan and design a series of six murals around the new office.
“We let the imagination of the creative people run free,” says Manuel Lopez, who coordinated the project. “The only guidelines were that the pieces had to reflect the creative nature of Envato and Placeit, and be related to Mexican culture.”
We think the results speak for themselves.
Not a bad transformation for a former 1970s design shop for architects, designers and painters!
“The actual collaboration between the original artist and the helping hands of others across the business was a real highlight,” said Lopez. “Afternoons and weekends of beers and chips, and the good time’s everyone shared was fantastic.”
“The outcome is so awesome. Everyone loves the murals, they make all feel that it’s their space, personalised and close. A more intimate place to work and have fun!”
“It reminds us all that we have a creative family and we should have fun in the office.”
The post Artistic expression at Envato Mexico HQ appeared first on Envato.
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Senin, 18 Maret 2019
Kamis, 14 Maret 2019
Kamis, 07 Maret 2019
International Women’s Day: Celebrating Women In Design - envato.com coupon
Art has never belonged to a single type of person.
At least, I’d like to think that we can all express it—through a variety of mediums and styles. And although history hasn’t always given recognition to everyone, art can still be found in the caves, halls, laptops and devices of nearly any person wanting a voice or searching for an answer.
Over the last 100 years, the influence of women in design has especially been felt through the decades of social work and advocacy from the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Now, with the internet, we gain access to a new generation of women hoping to make their mark in design.
So to celebrate International Women’s Day in 2019, let’s take a moment to highlight the remarkable work of seven women in this exciting digital field. Learn more about these Envato authors and their work and stories.
Kerry
Astrologer Kerry Kershaw is an avid artist who transports her viewers to exciting, natural worlds. Inspired by her love of travel, FortySixandTwo has become her haven for stunning flyer templates and stationery essentials. Let’s discover who has inspired her through the years.
Q: Which women have inspired your career path?
I mostly get my inspiration from so many different places and from listening to my heart. Anais Nin, Debra Silverman, Elizabeth Hiach are a few of the women I follow.
Q: What work are you most proud of?
Creating my own brand, the Magic of I, and launching a publishing company in 2018. I self-published a completely custom, small batch 2019 Astrological Planner that I designed, illustrated and wrote myself. I also crowdfunded just over 90k last year to get it sustainably produced, and have shared the moon and stars with over 5,000 customers all over the world.
Q: What tip would you offer other women looking to work in your field?
Create space to listen. Create for you first—if it doesn’t light you up, excite you and make you feel alive then find something else. Life’s too short; the world needs your magic.
Irene
Q: Which women have inspired your career path?
I have gotten inspiration from so many women during my career as a designer, usually by those who were strong and driven in what they did. As a child, I remember watching the film ‘Gorillas in the Mist’ and being so touched and inspired by Dian Fossey’s strong will, determination and love for what she did. She inspires me to this day.
Q: What work are you most proud of?
I don’t think I can single out pieces of my work that I am most proud of, I am proud of any work I put out there at the time of its release. I make sure each piece reaches the top of my capabilities and knowledge while I am working on it so I can be proud once I release it. At the same time I am always looking at how I can improve my products making sure I learn from any mistakes or feedback I get.
Q: What tip would you offer other women looking to work in your field?
To trust their instincts and decisions! Being a freelancer means you need to make all your professional decisions by yourself and even though it is most helpful to ask for advice, at the end of the day you know what is best for you.
Carolina
Q: Which women have inspired your career path?
I’d like to mention three remarkable Brazilian artists: Ruth Kedar, the woman behind the Google logo. Bea Feitler, the woman who created some of the most iconic magazine covers of all time. And Luisa Dörr, the woman who photographed Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, Ellen DeGeneres and the other nine influential women for TIME’s magazine project “Firsts.”
Q: What work are you most proud of?
I’m very proud of my Glitch Photoshop Photo Template. This project was released in 2015 and it marks the beginning of my success as an author.
Q: What tip would you offer other women looking to work in your field?
You must understand your client’s needs and do your best to match your authenticity with their expectations. I believe a good designer is essentially a very curious person and an extraordinary observer. Also, don’t forget that there is absolutely no one else in this world like you, so acknowledge your strength, work on your weak spots, trust your inner wisdom and use your uniqueness in your favor.
Daisy
Illustrator, musician and game developer Daisy Ein is the lead artist of Super Retro Duck, an indie game developer that she co-owns. She’s also the artist behind our amazing How to Draw Natural, Textured Afro Hair series on Envato Tuts+. Here’s her advice on getting into the field.
Q: What tip would you offer other women looking to work in your field?
I think the biggest tip I’d give—as simple as it might sound is: just go for it. Whatever your creative or professional goals are, life is too short not to try. When an obstacle hits, refocus and keep trying. Don’t know something? It’s time to learn!
Q: Which women have inspired your career path?
One of my inspirations is a lovely illustrator named Rose—she goes by the pen name “barachan.” Her illustration skills and design knowledge are really out of this world. She’s self made and has been her own boss for at least the last ten years. I hope I can lift up and inspire someone, someday, the way she inspired me.
Q: What work are you most proud of?
I’d have to say my indie game, Tiny Bird Garden! I co-own Super Retro Duck (the game’s developer), and we developed and published the game ourselves. We’re a team of two, so it meant wearing a lot of different hats at once. I did the branding, motion graphics, illustrations, merchandise, music… it’s been a big part of my life for several years.You can check out our game at TinyBirdGarden.com! It’s available for Android, iOS, PC, and Mac!
Laura
Q: Which women have inspired your career path?
Throughout my studies I was lucky to attend CreativeMornings Toronto, created by Tina Roth-Eisenberg who also runs SWISSMISS.
Jessica Hische’s lettering artwork is also very inspiring. You can see her work on many magazine covers, books, and cards. She’s an inspiring woman who’s shown me that it is possible to have more than one passion project.
Q: What work are you most proud of?
I am most proud of work that has helped raise funds for charity. As a designer, I believe we can help develop brands and create visuals that will make charities more relevant and reach their goals.
Q: What tip would you offer other women looking to work in your field?
Take the leap. Whatever it is you are passionate about and scared of, take that first difficult step, run and rock it! Sometimes there’s pain and hardships involved, but it is all part of the learning process and a way to grow.
Irina
Our next feature comes from the extraordinary city of Barcelona, Spain. Designer Irina Markevich showcases tasty restaurant menus and invitations in her shop, BarcelonaDesignShop. She makes creative food illustrations by hand and shares with us her favorite designers below.
Q: Which women have inspired your career path?
One of my favorite designers is Lauren How. She is so inspiring and such a positive woman. She teaches you how to start your personal projects and how important it is to push your boundaries. Her famous article “10 Things Beyonce taught me about being a boss lady freelancer” was great; she took her lyrics and disguised it as a design talk.
Like many designers, Irina is a foodie at heart. Here’s her favorite work.
Q: What work are you most proud of?
During the last seven years, I’ve created a lot of menu templates thanks to my passion for food and design. Every new item that was created was a new step up for me. I use all my creativity to create each of my works so I can say that I am proud of all of them.
Procrastination is a problem for many creatives. Irina recommends taking the plunge in her final advice.
Q: What tip would you offer other women looking to work in your field?
Start today. Don’t wait for tomorrow, for the perfect moment, or for somebody that’s gonna tell you what to do. Every small step is better than nothing.
Genie Austin
Our final feature belongs to Genie Austin, a writer and photographer whose work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Guardian and Envato Tuts+. Here she shares with us a few of the characteristics she admires in strong women leaders.
Q: Which women have inspired your career path?
I’m inspired by all women who buck tradition and carve their own path. Women like Serena Williams, who is uncompromisingly black and unapologetically female, and who shuts out all the noise and hate around her and just plays the game of life exactly the way she wants to play it.
Support and encouragement is a huge struggle for many new to tech and design. Genie explains her views on the subject.
Q: What work are you most proud of?
I’m very invested in a project when I’m working on it, but when it’s done, it’s in essence dead for me, and I don’t look back. What I can say, however, is that I’m happy that I’ve followed my own voice and embraced an eclectic approach to creativity and life which was very discouraged when I was growing up. My media of choice are writing, mixed-media textiles and photography. Sometimes I work with them separately and express myself quite differently in each, and sometimes I combine them, but either way, I’m glad I didn’t give in to the pressure to choose.
Like many creatives, Genie emphasizes the importance of getting involved. Here are her final words.
Q: What tip would you offer other women looking to work in your field?
There’s a lot of advice out there for women in the creative arts already, but the one thing that is rarely emphasized is the need to be informed about and engaged with the great issues of our time. As image makers, we have an enormous amount of power and sometimes a small amount of awareness of how what we do shapes the world around us.
Happy International Women’s Day!
Great advice, ladies! Today is a wonderful time to lend your voice to the new generation of design. I hope you’ve been inspired to tackle your creative projects just like the amazing women above. Thank you to all the artists who have lent their advice to this article.
Feel free to explore their portfolios by visiting the links below:
- Kerry Kershaw – FortySixandTwo
- Irene Demetri – Youandigraphics
- Daisy Ein
- Carolina – devotchkah
- Laura Keung
- Irina Markevich – BarcelonaDesignShop
- Genie Austin
The post International Women’s Day: Celebrating Women In Design appeared first on Envato.
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