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creative_cloud

Creative Cloud for the Better

By now, you already know that Adobe is switching its flagship product line to a subscription-only model. The full Creative Suite (sans Fireworks, which is being mothballed) will now be available as a subscription-only service in the form of Creative Cloud. This massive decision has already attracted some controversy, as the subscription model's detractors are as vocal...
By: 11 Comments
fads_trends

Design Fads vs. Design Trends

The phrases "design fads" and "design trends" are often used interchangeably, but they do not mean the same thing. The distinction between them is subtle but important, and it is convoluted by the fact that something can be both a fad and a trend. Let's talk about fads and trends: Design Fads Fads are the peer pressure of design -- they happen simply because "eve...
By: 1 Comment
literature

Becoming a Better Designer, Away from the Screen

The startup world can be a bubble. Most of my daily reading consists of articles posted on Hacker News or Designer News; I sometimes go an entire week without reading something unrelated to the startup scene. The ongoing exchange of knowledge is incredible, but it can also foster an Echo Chamber mentality. If we're all talking to each other, how do new ideas get intro...
By: 2 Comments
design-writing

Design Writing and the Self-Aware Industry

Almost every digital designer I can think of has produced an impressive amount of writing about their craft. Between personal blogs and publications such as A List Apart (and The Industry, for that matter), it seems like most designers have done at least some writing about their profession. Perhaps I only know designers who are also writers. After all, publishing b...
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featured

The Convergence of Social Design

When the redesigned Facebook news feed was announced, reactions among the technorati focused on its relationship with other products. It looks like Tumblr. It looks like Google Plus. It's hard to avoid comparing digital products to each other. Despite our constant calls for innovation, most of our output is merely iteration on the same ideas: news feeds, messaging, f...
By: 2 Comments
Vine THumb

Can Vine Gain the Attention of the Masses?

I've covered the app before within the Two Rising Forms of Consuming Content article, but I never went into great detail as to my thoughts on it. The app is Vine and instead of necessarily breaking down what it is, I'm going to give my thoughts on it and where I see it going. As a short intro, though, Vine is a social platform which combines quick consumption of th...
By: 3 Comments
twitter-critique-icon

140 Characters Just Isn’t Enough

Critiques are a core component of working and participating in a design community. Thoughtful analysis of the design of any product or service can be incredibly helpful for both the creator and as a result, the end user. Critiques, however, cannot be accomplished in 140 characters for the most part. I’m already feeling myself sliding down the “rant” rabbit ho...
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MicroCMS copy

3 MicroCMS Platforms – The Rise of a Trend

Out of nowhere it seems a trend is coming to life. While it may not be new, it's certainly just now gaining traction. I don't even think there's a technical name for it yet, though. With such being the case, I'm going to go ahead and create a name for the upcoming trend. MicroCMS. You heard it here first. Over the past week there are three platforms I noticed in...
By: 7 Comments
mvp-featured

Striking a Balance: Great Work and the Minimum Viable Product

Most of us are familiar with the constant battle between shipping and perfectionism. We all want to get our products out-the-door and into the hands of the public. We also want our products to be pixel-perfect and beautifully coded. None of us want to postpone a launch forever, but none of us want to ship ugly work. Where's the healthy medium between Minimum Viable...
By: 2 Comments
DDC Session 3

Is Formal Design Education Necessary for Practicing Designers?

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the third Designer's Debate Club, hosted by the AIGA and held at Parsons The New School for Design. The motion in question was: Formal design education is necessary for practicing designers. The debate was intense and engaging. Both sides presented well-constructed arguments, and the audience got to participate in a lively...
By: 11 Comments
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