To flourish as a graphic designer, you not only need to learn the art of persuading customers but also need to manage criticism while working on aspects that require improvement. Being a graphic designer does not only mean coming up with logos, infographics, and flyers. It involves being equipped with the skills that are outside the capabilities of other people.
The most important thing for a thriving graphic designer is to keep yourself up to date. If you are searching for inspiration or you are a beginner looking to change your profession, this blog post has everything you need to get started on your new journey.
Essential Tools to Get Started
First things first, a graphic designer’s best friends are the tools that help him create quality designs that attract the customers and boost his market value. Although some tools are expensive, they are an excellent investment, especially if you are planning to turn graphic designing into a profession.
So let’s dive in and discuss the top tools you need to start your career as a graphic designer.
MacBook Pro
The MacBook Pro with the new touch bar and ID makes a perfect portable office that you can carry wherever you go. The touch bar allows customization so you can adjust it according to your needs. With a 3.1GHz processor and 256GB storage, it is a perfect size to carry all your essential files and tools. Besides, it is incredibly lightweight, which makes it ideal for carrying all day in your bag pack or case.
Wacom Bamboo
Although it is a little tricky to master, Wacom Bamboo has the most unusual features that can come useful when you are trying to be unique and creative. Once you get adjusted to it, it significantly cuts your editing time while still giving impressive results. This tool comes in all shapes and sizes, which means you can select one suited to your requirements. If you want to get your hands on Wacom Bamboo, it can be easily purchased through Amazon.
ProofHub
If you are working in a team, ProofHub can be a lifesaver. Designing is a creative process, and sometimes it is difficult to understand the ideas of other team members. However, ProofHub allows you to organize your project at the same place while still keeping everyone in the loop. With an online proofing tool, you can get feedback, highlight errors, add comments, and make changes instantly. This not only reduces the overall time needed to complete the project but also eliminates the need for countless email exchanges over minute details.
Photoshop
It will be a crime not to include Photoshop when we are talking about the essential tools required to become a successful graphic designer. Photoshop is a handy program that assists in enhancing designs and pictures so you can deliver your best work. It has countless options for graphic designers ranging from beginners to professionals. Photoshop helps to build confidence in your skills and bring your ideas to life.
Nikon D3500
Trusted by both amateurs and experts, Nikon is one of the best camera manufacturers in the world. Nikon D3500 is a great beginner level DSLR camera. With its long-lasting battery, easy to use settings and traditional DSLR controls, you are all set to take HD pictures and make videos. Also, SnapBridge gives you the ease of quickly sharing your shots or videos with friends or customers, which makes the Nikon D3500 one of the top DSLR cameras in the market for beginners.
Amazing graphic design blogs to follow
Regularly visiting the best graphic design blogs will not only help in unleashing your creativity but will aid in staying up to date with the current trends. Without further ado, let’s jump in and talk about the top 30 graphic design blogs that can unlock your true potential.
1. Canva Design School
Canva’s Design School is famous for its free online design tutorials. However, recently they have started blogging to connect with the graphic design community. Their purpose is to make graphic design easy for everyone, which means that the blog is full of beginner guides and tips that can help you in your initial journey. Their diverse community of graphic designers from all over the world enables you to connect and learn from the best.
2. Illustration Age
If you are a comic book junkie, this might be the perfect blog for you to follow. Illustration Age has a collection of comic books, articles, artwork as well as digital books to guide and inspire you. One of the most creative graphic design blogs out there, this blog can bring unique perspectives and designs to the table. The website allows you to share your work for a chance to get featured in one of their posts.
3. The Dieline
Developed by Andrew Gibbs in 2007, the website focuses on unique package designs. The Dieline is built so that readers can review, critique, and get inspired by the works of their colleagues. The website consists of articles, blog posts, a global packaging design competition as well as an award ceremony. The website’s motto is to move towards a more sustainable packaging industry through the efforts of its innovative community.
4. Design Clever
This blog is an outstanding source to consult whenever you are feeling demotivated. Design Clever is an online gallery that showcases the best designs and photographs from their top designers. It also allows the readers to send in their designs for a chance to get published in the blog. If you believe your work is unique, sending your submission might help kick start your graphic design business.
5. Grain Edit
If you are a fan of the classic designs, Grain Edit is the blog for you. Featuring designs from the 1950s to 1970s, the website believes in sharing the work of contemporary designers with a traditional taste. The blog also has posts, articles, and interviews with famous designers from the graphic design industry. The blog is the brainchild of Thomas Kronbichler and Martin Kerschbaumer who believe in creating artwork that is daring and captivating.
6. Type Worship
Type Worship is the blog for 8 faces magazine. Created by Jaime Clarke and Elliot Jay Stocks, the blog features motivating typography and lettering as well as articles and interviews with the top designers of the industry. Publishing typography from all around the world, the website provides detailed information on all the featured pieces. If you are looking for exceptional designs for inspiration, Type Worship is an outstanding resource to look into.
7. The Design Blog
The Design blog started as a personal website of Ena Bacanovic which later became an international blog with a huge variety of designs from graphic designers all over the globe. The blog’s changing themes not only make it fun and engaging but also bring out the talent of many professionals in the graphic design community. However, their main focus is on showcasing the talent of young students and designers.
8. Identity Designed
David Airey, the curator of the blog, believes in showcasing the identity of hundreds of designers from around the world. The website is a beginner’s guide to visual branding and gives its readers a sneak peek into various designers and their works. Identity Designed also lets readers submit their work for a chance to get featured on the website. David Airey personally handles the emails and promises to select the most engaging and outstanding work to be published from the audience.
9. Inspo Finds
Created by Sarah and Naomi, Inspo Finds, as the name suggests, believes in sharing inspirations and goals with the graphic design community. This is another blog that focuses on fresh graphic designers and students by showcasing their talent to inspire other designers. The duo concentrates on not only publishing inspirational work but celebrating the creators that made that work possible. If you want to get your creative juices flowing, Inspo Finds is definitely one of the best sites to visit.
10. Creative Review
This blog offers detailed articles and blog posts about various graphic design categories. Handled by 9 writers, Creative Review is a great place to get your creative juices flowing especially if you are a beginner. Connecting the creative community since 1980, the blog aims to deliver honest advice and opinions about life in the graphic design industry. Their motto is to get connected to brilliant minds all around the globe.
11. Creative Nerds
An online blog that is entirely dedicated to teaching the new designers, Creative Nerds is a site for the newbies who want to join the designing community to explore new ideas. The blog receives thousands of emails daily from contributors scattered all around the globe. The website offers 85 different Photoshop ideas, to begin with. The creators of the website believe in passing on the knowledge and skills they learned over the years to the newcomers through their blogs.
12. OMGLORD
Created by Gabby Lord, OMGLORD is known for its extensive sharing of everything involving graphic designing. As the name suggests, Gabby believes in showcasing only the art that wows the audience to their core. The website is full of creative pieces from contributors around the world. Gabby also shares useful links that can be used to further learn and enhance your design. Although the topics discussed on this blog are broad, they all boil down to creativity and innovation in the graphic design industry.
13. AIGA
Founded in 1914, AIGA is the oldest organization of design in America. With over 122 contributors, AIGA is a perfect place to learn about the tips and tricks of the graphic design industry from experts who have been part of this profession for decades. Filled with unique topics, the website is divided into 9 separate sections. The blog has over 1 million social media followers and 100,000 newsletter subscribers which makes it an ideal place for learning and inspiration.
14. Design Shack
An online magazine for creative designers and beginners, Design Shack has been in business for the last 15 years. The blog has managed to build a huge audience and is packed with informative articles about graphic design. The website has an amazing gallery section that features the beautiful and trendy work of its designers. Because of its trendy topics, this blog is definitely worth reading to stay abreast of the new developments in the graphic design industry.
15. Shillington Education Blog
As the name suggests, Shillington Education Blog was created by 11 students to teach newbies about graphic design. This blog shares inspirational work by designers currently studying at Shillington College. Although it does not offer much of a chance to publish your own work, it does have an amazing collection of designs that can help inspire you to create your own brilliant designs.
16. GraphicMama
Started by an IT company as a side business in Bulgaria, GraphicMama quickly became one of the most read graphic design blogs in the world. This blog aims to deliver the most exceptional graphic designs and artworks from experts all over the globe. The blog also offers multiple templates for readers to download and use. The site has now developed into a quality source for vector graphic illustrations. The website has served over 15000 customers since its inception.
17. Spoon Graphics
Curated by Chris Spooner, Spoon Graphics was created to encourage and motivate new designers to reach their full potential. The blog offers beginner tutorials on how to start graphic design and has articles and blog posts from experts. The website uploads mind-blowing creative designs weekly that can really help motivate and inspire young graphic designers to create their own masterpiece.
18. It’s Nice That
Formed in 2007, It’s Nice That aims to engage new designers and artists and help them come up with their own unique work. The website now has a reach of over 2 million people per month. The blog has a platform known as “if you could” that aims at creating jobs for innovative and brilliant people that are part of the graphic design industry. The website’s main objective is to provide more opportunities to struggling artists through their events and platforms.
19. Graphic Design Junction
Founded in 2010 by Syed Zaheer Shah, Graphic Design Junction believes in producing creative and engaging articles and blog posts for designers and young artists. The website offers premium content and free templates through their blog. The blog also offers a collection of tutorials to learn from to enhance your skills. Graphic Design Junction has over 160,000 subscribers which makes it one of the most popular blogs.
20. Abduzeedo
A collection of independent writers that share their experiences about design, architecture, and photography, Abduzeedo was curated in 2006 by Brazillian designer Fabio Sasso. It focuses more on 3D designing which is something that differentiates it from other blogs. The website now has its writers spread all over the world and has transformed itself into one of the most sought after graphic design blogs in the world.
21. Creative Boom
Creative Boom focuses on creativity and innovation and has a separate section on graphic design to get you motivated and inspired. The magazine has several featured interviews from world-class designers that share their experiences and tricks to succeed in the design industry. Created by Katy Cowan in 2009, the blog has been able to attract an audience of over 7 million visitors per month. The website manages to cover all aspects of a graphic design career and is known for its helpful tips and guidelines for beginners.
22. Design Week
Design Week was the number one magazine in the United Kingdom until it became an online-only magazine in 2011. However, it still continues to bring high quality, inspirational, and well-written articles and blog posts on topics ranging from graphic design, architecture, interior, and branding. If you think your design has what it takes to appear on Design Week’s website, contact them and you may have a shot at publishing your work and showcasing your talent.
23. Eye Magazine
Eye Magazine is a stunning quarterly journal that is published for professional designers and students who are interested in critical, well-written articles on visual and graphic design. Created in 1990, the blog has a selection of articles and blog posts on graphic design. The website posts a new article every week and brings forth fresh information and inspiration for graphic design students.
24. Masterpicks
If you are looking for inspiration from real-life projects, Masterpicks is your best friend. This blog inspires its audience with a new project every day ranging from animation, graphic design, photography, illustration, and industrial design. So if you are looking for a website with in-depth information about professional graphic designing, Master Picks is a great site to look into.
25. One Extra Pixel
If you are interested in web design, One Extra Pixel might be the best site for you. The website focuses on sharing web resources, trends, templates, and fonts with its passionate audience. The Singapore based website collects and shares useful tips and tricks on graphic design and its latest trends. It also offers the opportunity to its readers to contribute to the site by sending well-researched articles or brilliant designs.
26. Visual Journal
Created by Alessandro Scarpellini, a designer from Italy, Visual Journal aims to bring the top of the line branding and graphic design projects from all around the world. Although there isn’t much text to learn from, the blog is packed with thousands of inspirational images and projects that can help motivate you to create your own brilliant design. If you think your design deserves to be on the blog, you can contact Scarpellini to get your artwork published.
27. Ambalaj
Founded by Kristina de Verdier in 2008, Ambalaj is a design blog that focuses on showcasing news from the world of design and technology. The website aims at finding sustainable solutions for everyday problems through creativity. Ambalaj has grown to become one of the most influential websites in the online graphic design community.
28. Swissmiss
Swissmiss is a popular design journal founded by Tina Roth Eisenberg in 2005. The creator explains that she creates this blog by deriving inspiration from the renowned Swiss designs. She now runs a successful blog with over one million visitors every month. This design journal is filled with unique visual designs and artworks that are a perfect motivator for young designers.
29. This is Paper
This is paper, founded in 2011 is an amazing blog that focuses on creativity and innovation. The most unique aspect of this blog is the mixtapes section where you can indulge and listen to popular music while you enjoy the amazing selection of designs handpicked by the best designers and writers that are responsible for the brilliant content on the website.
30. Art of the Menu
A blog with a very unique perspective, Art of the Menu aims to showcase the underrated creativity of restaurant menus from all around the world. With a beautiful collection of original and brilliant menu designs, Art of the Menu can lighten up your mood and get you motivated. It is one of the projects initiated by Under Construction, a graphic design firm that focuses on generating its own projects.
Bottom Line
Learning graphic design can be intimidating, but taking that first step is the hardest part. You always need to remember that even professionals start from scratch and have to do a lot of practice and hard work to thrive in their field.
Designing is a creative process, so keep working on your ideas and try to think outside the box by getting inspiration from different blogs and websites discussed above. At first, it may take hours to finish one task. However, if you keep practicing, the same task will take less time to complete once you get the hang of it. Always remember, persistence is vital.
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