How to wear leggings? It’s leggings season again and here are a few
tips/tricks/rules to insure that you wear your leggings appropriately. Leggings are NOT pants.
What are leggings?
Even though Dictionary.com defines leggings as “close-fitting knit pants”, I think the World English Dictionary definition of “an extra outer covering for the lower legs” is more appropriate for grown women. Leggings tow the line between being hosiery and pants. Leggings should NEVER be the sole piece of fabric covering you butt/crotch from view of the world.
Are my “leggings” actually leggings?
If you happen to buy one of those pairs of leggings that seems more tights-like, wear them as you would tights because under bright lighting they will become see-through.
Sizing
If you buy leggings that are not the right size for your body (even
though you are able to squeeze into them), they will also be more sheer
than leggings are supposed to be. If you “muffin top” over your leggings
or they feel uncomfortable in any way, they are indeed too small.
Properly fitting leggings don’t leave lines on your skin when you take
them off and should not show visible lines under whatever you’re wearing
over them.
What to wear with leggings
Something that covers your @$$ butt (CYA)!
long shirts that end a little bit below your hips/upper-mid thigh
over-sized sweaters
tunics
mini-skirts/skirts
dresses
if you really want to look sophisticated, wear a bootie/ankle boot/boots that leave no room for skin to peak out
an extra layer (like a long cardigan, sweater, or vest) looks even
better but the initial visible layer should cover your crotch area
Balance clothing proportions by NOT wearing something tight-fitting with your leggings.
Some people say that you should wear leggings like you’d wear tights
or any other hosiery. I am not one of those people but it does help to
give you some perspective if you visualize your leggings as hosiery to
gauge appropriateness (if that makes any sense at all). When in doubt,
feel free to email me a picture or find an honest friend to advise you.
Follow these same rules for jeggings. Jeggings are not pants either.
Keep it classy out there ladies and feel free to share this post with
your fellow woman. My hope is that we can work together to keep
overexposure to a minimum this leggings season (think of this post as a
PSA).
This limited-edition book celebrates the craft that goes into designing magazines that people love.
Little White Lies have become iconic for their cover designs
There's something we just love about print - the smell of a new
magazine; the craft, dedication and time put into each page; the
skillful use of images, typography and photographs. There's nothing
quite like it and the team at creative design agency Human After All couldn't agree with us more. Curious Iconic Craft is a limited edition, 100+ page book about designing magazines that people love. Launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund the project, Human After All promise the book will be a beautiful and valuable resource for designers and students. A range of free fonts are on offer for Kickstarter backers
After 85 issues of Little White Lies and Huck,
Human After All directors Danny Miller, Rob Longworth, Paul Willoughby
and Alex Capes are stepping away from designing the magazines to focus
on new challenges and collaborations. But first, they want to look back
at their favourite work from the past eight years and that's where
'Curious Iconic Craft' comes in.
Miller explains "We've decided to make a book of our favourite work –
the outtakes, the processes and never-before-seen details that go into
designing two magazines that so many people love". Huck has won a whole host of design awards including a 'designer of the year' nodAPA
Designer of the Year and Huck creative director Longworth explains
their decision in choosing Kickstarter. "We chose Kickstarter to cover
production costs so that we can focus on designing, creating, publishing
and distributing the best possible book in just a few weeks. It’s being
created exclusively for the design fans and magazine lovers around the
world who've been so supportive of what we’ve done over the years.”
Rewards for backers include getting your name in the book, an e-book
version of the book, exclusive prints and an exclusive digital pack of
fonts and wallpapers from the magazine. Celebrate the work of these inspiring print designers with Curious Iconic Design
Watch the video and find out more about the Kickstarter campaign right here.
Whether you're a newbie, a student or just in need of a refresher,
check out our guide to the essential terms every graphic designer should
be familiar with.
Graphic design, like any profession, is littered with jargon and
terms you may not be familiar with. Here are just some of the key terms
you should know, and a brief explanation in words you can understand -
plus where to go to learn more.
So whether you're a student or beginner, or just need a refresher course, read on...
Vector-based images (like this one) are made of points; raster images are made of pixels
Raster images (sometimes referred to as bitmap images) are made up of
thousands of pixels which determine the colour and form of the image.
Photos are raster images. Photoshop is the most common raster editor,
enabling you to manipulate the colour and other properties of the
pixels. But, because raster images are made up of a finite amount of
pixels, resizing can be tricky. If you make a raster image larger
dimensions in Photoshop, the software has to make up data in order to
add the size. This results in loss of quality.
Vector images
Vector-based images (such as those created in Adobe Illustrator) are
made up of points, each of which has a defined X and Y coordinate. These
points join paths to form shapes, and inside these shapes you can add
colour fills. Because everything is generated based around this, vectors
can be resized to any size without any loss of quality.
In recent times, Illustrator has progressed so much that vector
graphics have become incredibly complex - and you can now add gradients,
complex shapes and more to create highly detailed, scalable vector
images. Because vectors can be resized, they are often used for creating
logos and other graphics that need to go across many different outputs
(from leaflet to billboard, for instance). For more details see our
articles Get started with vector illustration and How to create vector art: top tutorials.
02. CMYK and RGB
CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key
CMYK is the standard colour mode for sending documents - be it
magazines, newspapers, flyers, brochures, annual reports and so on to
the printers. It stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (or black -
key because in four-colour printing, cyan, magenta, and yellow printing
plates are carefully keyed, or aligned, with the key of the black key
plate). When you send a job to the press, cyan, magenta, yellow and
black plates are made (on a traditional press, anyhow) and then aligned
to print on paper. You can add Pantone, or fifth colours, which are
created as separate plates.
When working in Photoshop or Illustrator, you have the option to set
your document's colour mode as CMYK, RGB (red, green, blue - for screen
output) or other colour modes (but the former pair are the two you
really need to know about). For more on colour systems, read this article.
Because CMYK has a more limited colour gamut than RGB (which is
essentially what the eye sees and how screens output) you can experience
a loss of colour when converting from RGB to CMYK in these
applications.
03. DPI and PPI
The more dots per inch, the better quality the printed image will be
Resolution is another key term that is often confused. There are two
main acronyms used when dealing with resolution: DPI and PPI.
The former is only of concern when you're creating work for printed
output. It stands for 'Dots Per Inch' and refers to the number of dots
per inch on a printed page. Generally, the more dots per inch, the
better quality the image - and 300DPI is the standard for printing
images.
PPI refers to 'Pixels Per Inch' and, as you'd expect, is the number
of pixels per inch in your image. If you resize an image in Photoshop -
making it larger - you will increase the number of pixels per inch (with
Photoshop making up the data) and you will lose quality. There's an
excellent explanation here.
Bear in mind that resolution only applies to raster graphics -
because vectors do not work in pixels. And for a comprehensive guide to
printing terms, this app will serve you well.
04. Typography
Can you name these typographical elements? If not, head to http://www.creativebloq.com/typography/what-is-typography-123652
Put simply, typography is the art of arranging type. It's one of the
fundamentals of graphic design and one every designer should read into
in great detail.
The difference between good type and great type is often what sets
brilliant designers apart. And being able to spot a kerning (the space
between two characters) error from a distance is somewhat satisfying! A
great place to start your typography education is our comprehensive
article What is Typography?.
05. Grids
Setting up a grid enables you to get your composition right
The best way to describe a grid in graphic design in a series of
intersecting vertical and horizontal lines used to organise and
structure content. Whether in InDesign, Photoshop or Illustrator, setting up a grid enables you to get your composition right and balance your type and imagery.
Common grid systems include a large header across the top with
equally sized columns beneath - but there's no real limit on what can be
created. The Grid System provides an excellent resource including lots of further reading and templates. Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Josef Muller-Brockmann is also an essential read.
Bamboozled by Bézier? Put off by points? Check out our quick guide
to some cool tools in Adobe Illustrator and how you can master them.
Adobe Illustrator is a vector drawing tool, meaning you can create
artwork that can be scaled infinitely without any loss of quality. It's a
fantastic tool for logo design, creating complex vector artwork and playing with illustrated typography design. But coming from Photoshop you may not be savvy with Illustrator and its unique ways: so we're here to help.
From using Bézier points and curves to strokes and fills and adding a
more natural look to your vector artwork, read on for some Illustrator
secrets for those new to the application.
Bézier control points and curves let you create just about any shape you can think of
Bézier points and curves are the thing you need to master if
you're going to be able to use Illustrator to create - well, just about
anything. Whilst rather tricky to get to grips with at first, Bézier
control points and curves offer the freedom to create just about any
shape you can think of. Manipulating points controls the curves, and
using the Alt/Shift keys in conjunction with the pen tool (clicking on a curve to add more control points for instance using Alt)
you can start to define complex organic shapes in no time at all. The
best advice is to practice and discover for yourself how they work.
02. Bézier shortcuts
But a great tip for controlling Bézier curves with more accuracy is to use the Alt key after you've created a point. Hold down the Alt key after creating a point and you can position the next point without manipulating the curve. In addition, holding down Shift
will snap your next point to a 45-degree angle. By using these kind of
shortcuts you can easily trace raster images in Illustrator (maybe for a
logo design and so on).
03. Strokes and paths
Use the Strokes panel to adjust the weight and type of stroke
By default, Illustrator strokes your path (whether created using the
Pen tool or a shape tool, etc) with a 1pt black (and fills your shape
with white if you connect up the points). You can change the colour or
fill using the swatches panel (or indeed the tool options bar at the top
of the interface). The small stroke and fill tool below the main tool
panel lets you swap between the two when the object is selected. Using
the Strokes panel you can adjust the weight and type of stroke, as well
as where the stroke is applied (from CS6).
04. The Appearance panel
The Appearance panel gives a quick overview of your strokes and fills at any time
To get a quick overview of your strokes and fills at any time (along
with any effects you've applied) use the Appearance panel. You can also
quickly change the stroke and fill type and colour from here, including
opacity. If you've applied an effect, you can quickly click the name of
it to go back and tweak it. Incredibly useful.
05. Easy brushes
Use the Brushes panel to quickly apply paint strokes to your lines
If you thought Illustrator and vector graphics was about solid shapes
and non-natural media effects, think again. You can, using the Brushes
panel and Illustrator's huge range of brush libraries, quickly apply,
for instance, paint strokes to your lines. Double-clicking the brush in
the Brushes panel enables you to edit it - and these changes will be
reflected automatically on your illustration. You can even create
brushes from scratch using vector graphics you've designed. The
possibilities are endless.
06. Use the Symbolism tools
Use Symbols to create complex illustrations quickly
Similarly, Symbols are a great way of creating complex artwork
quickly. Say you want a flock of birds. Simply draw one bird, then
select it and using the Symbols panel arrow menu, you can turn it into a
symbol. Next, select the Symbol Sprayer from the tool panel and spray
it around your page. You can then use the other Symbolism tools to
resize, colour and rotate only certain instances of the symbol, giving a
more natural effect. Try it, it's very easy!
07. Warp with ease
Experiment with the effects tools for original results
If your objects are looking a little uniform, you can use the effects
tools to warp, roughen, pucker, bloat and generally subtly change their
appearance. In the Tool panel, click and hold on the Width tool to
bring out the effects tools flyout. Then, use one or each tool (they are
brush-based) to gently warp and tweak your object. By double-clicking
on each tool in the flyout, you can change options - so experiment!
08. Quickly edit type
Illustrator is brilliant for editing type
One of the great things about Illustrator is its fantastic type
tools. It's great for laying out type as part of an illustration, but
better for editing type. Type out a font, make it larger using the
Character panel or Tool Options bar. Then select the box the type is in
(not the text itself) and go to Type>Create Outlines. You can now
edit the letters as you see fit by adjusting the Bézier points. It's
great for experimenting with new variations on standard fonts. And
there's some even better stuff coming with Illustrator CC.
09. Selecting similar objects
You can easily change the colour of many objects at once
Once you've become accustomed to drawing more complex shapes in
Illustrator and have built up an illustration, you may want to change
the colour of many objects at once. But some of those objects may be
partially hidden under others, and there may be absolutely loads of
them! So to make things easier, select one of your objects and then go
to Select>Same and then choose the option you want (maybe Fill
Colour). All your objects with that fill colour will then be selected
and you can change them all at once by using the swatches panel.
10. Easy blends
The Blend tool is a great way to create gradients
There are a few ways to create gradients in Illustrator (the Gradient
panel and Gradient Mesh tools are worth experimenting with and getting
your head around) but a great way is to use the Blend tool. Simply
create two shapes with different colour fills (for a gradient effect
choose no stroke) and then, with the Blend tool selected, click on the
first object and then the second. If you double-click the Blend tool in
the Tool Panel before doing this you can change the type of blend it
applies (and if you keep your blend objects selected it will apply the
changes to that blend).
These creatives have helped shape the way we view graphic design
today, from art direction to typography. Here's what you need to know
about the pioneers of modern design.
If you're embarking on a career in graphic design - or just
interested in creating some great layouts - there are some designers
that you positively need to know about.
These are the designers that have changed the way graphic design is
seen in the contemporary world; the mavericks; the thinkers; those who
have made a difference.
We've focused on just five names, but who do you think we should add to the list? Let us know in the comments below...
01. Milton Glaser
Glaser was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Obama in 2009
Milton Glaser is one of the world's most celebrated graphic
designers. His most famous work is undoubtedly the logo he designed for
New York to promote tourism in the city in 1977 (below). Much copied,
much used and much adored, the 'I love New York' logo is set in American
Typewriter, a rounded slab serif. His 'I Love New York' logo has been in use since 1977
But Glaser is much more than the one logo. His work for Bob Dylan, DC
Comics and The Brooklyn Brewery are just some of the logo masterpieces
that cement Glaser as one of the most prominent designers in history.
"The most important thing in design, it seems to me, is the
consequence of your action, and whether you're interested,
fundamentally, in persuading people to do things that are in their
interests," he told Computer Arts: learn more in this exclusive interview. He's also the subject of a 2008 documentary film Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight.
02. Stefan Sagmeister
Stefan Sagmeister recently formed a business partnership with young designer Jessica Walsh
Born in Austria, New York-based graphic designer and typographer
Stefan Sagmeister has had somewhat of a resurgence in the last year -
mainly due to Sagmeister Inc becoming Sagmeister & Walsh after he
made talented young designer Jessica Walsh partner. Announcing himself
on the scene 20 years ago with a naked shot, the pair recently did the
same thing, and it did the PR job.
But there's more to Sagmeister than nudity: his often conceptual,
thought-provoking work has turned just as many heads as his PR:
particularly his 'cutting' work for AIGA and his incredible album
artwork for Lou Reed. Stefan Sagmeister is a long-standing collaborator with Lou Reed
Over the year Sagmeister has designed branding, graphics, and
packaging for clients as diverse as the Rolling Stones, HBO, the
Guggenheim Museum and Time Warner. Read this Computer Arts' interview to learn more.
03. David Carson
Carson is best known for innovative magazine design and use of experimental typography
As art director of music and lifestyle magazine Ray Gun, David Carson
became the most influential graphic designer of the 1990s. His
unconventional grunge typography
style was a new era in design – something completely different to what
had been before. An example of his genius? Using the Dingbat symbol font
for what he thought a dull interview with Bryan Ferry. Raygun was one of the defining magazines of the 1990s
The first edition of his End of Print monograph, first published in
2000, sold 35,000 copies - and many many more since. It's essential
reading for any graphic designer - new or established.
"What matters is that you have an intuitive design sense, listen to
it and explore your uniqueness through your work," he told Computer Arts
in this interview.
"Create rules that work for you and the type of work you're doing. I
never learned all the things in school I wasn't supposed to do, so I
just did, and still do, what makes sense to me."
04. Neville Brody
Brody is best known for art-editing influential UK magazine The Face during its 1980s heyday
English designer, typographer and art director Neville Brody shot to
fame with his incredible art direction of cult UK magazine The Face
between 1981 and 1986.
He's also well known for art-directing Arena magazine (1987–1990) and
designing record covers for artists such as Cabaret Voltaire and
Depeche Mode. Brody gave a new, modern look to the newspaper founded in 1785
More recently, Brody founded Research Studios and redesigned The
Times in November 2006 (with the creation of a new font Times Modern)
and the BBC's website in September 2011.
You can read an interview from back in 1995 with Brody here and a more recent interview, where he was asked what he feels about being a design icon, here.
05. Paula Scher
Scher has been a design educator since 1992, teaching at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York
Partner at Pentagram
and almost certainly the most influential female graphic designer alive
today, Paula Scher's branding and identity work for the likes of MOMA,
New York City Ballet, Microsoft and NYC Transit is some of the finest
examples of the genre you'll ever see.
Her recent work, creating a new logo for Microsoft Windows 8, is documented here,
revealing the process of one of the generation's greatest creative
professionals. Her typographic maps are also sublime. Read Computer
Arts' interview with Scher from 2009 here.
Design portfolios come in all shapes and sizes, whether you're an
illustrator, graphic designer or web-savvy developer. These 30 inspiring
examples are some of the best of the bunch.
The internet is full of thousands upon thousands of awe-inspiring design portfolios. To enable you to stand out in this tough market, it's important to make your online portfolio as impressive as you can.
It's not just the examples of work that need to blow away your potential clients (although they do
help) it's the way that they're presented. You don't have to be a
superstar web designer; a touch of creativity and innovative thinking
will get you a long way. And there are plenty of free online tools, such
as Behance, to help you build a portfolio without any coding knowledge.
So, check out these 30 inspiring examples of online design
portfolios, both for individual designers and design agencies - to help
you angle your own in just the right way...
A clean-cut portfolio for the team at Fieldwork
Fieldwork are a focused team of makers and do-ers who specialise in
crafting engaging experiences across digital, web and brand. Founded in
2012 by Loz Ives and Andy Gott, the company has worked with a number of
brands including craft beer brewers and illustrators. Their
attractive-looking portfolio is both clean-cut and easy to navigate.
Some wonderful icon designs ensure Jeremy's portfolio stands out
Jeremy Sallee is a self-taught French graphic designer. Creating
wonderful icons, Sallee uses a very popular portfolio layout but with a
few precision tweaks to make it stand out from the creative crowd. Salle
has an impressive array of work on offer that you can navigate using
some very cute mini icons.
Simple colours and a responsive layout makes this a portfolio to die for
This portfolio from designer Marc Thomas teams a sleek layout with a
handful of striking shades. His use of typography is masterful, plus the
look and feel of the site stays consistent on mobile screens.
A unique and original approach to the usual portfolio layout
Julien Renvoye's portfolio benefits from a clean design, brilliant
use of typography and cute characters. A particularly nice touch is how
the shapes that surround each example of work are highlighted and
enlarged when you hover over them.
It may look scattered at first but we love the layout of this portfolio
Rosie Lee is a hybrid creative agency, with on and offline expertise
in branding, advertising and retail design. We love the unique layout
and the use of complementing colours makes it a winner in our eyes.
Leading designer Frank Chimero's portfolio takes a minimalist approach
Frank Chimero is a designer and illustrator based in Missouri with
clients including The New York Times, Nike, Wired, Facebook and many
others. He believes great design comes from sharp thinking and
reflective practice and every solution creates unexpected problems. His
online portfolio is minimalistic, which makes it easy to navigate. We
love the overlaid imagery that displays his portfolio of work.
The content in the Projects section reorders itself when you switch menu items
Studio Airport is a design agency based in the Netherlands, with a
strong online presence embracing airport graphics, large photographs and
strong typography.
We love the little animated reordering of contents that takes place in
its Projects section when you switch options in the left-hand menu.
The design portfolio of Paul Currah is clean and simple
Paul Currah is an award-winning multi-disciplinary graphic designer,
delivering creative, innovative and engaging solutions to communication
problems across brand identity, print, packaging, environmental, and
digital. His portfolio is a clean and simple offering, with each project
photo fading in and out, showcasing different aspects of the creation.
Teacake's portfolio is nothing if not eye-catching
Teacake is a quintessentially British, inventive and conscientious
design studio. Its online portfolio instantly catches your attention
with its yellow backdrop and large imagery. Navigating through the site
you see a strong and diverse portfolio of work. Our only plea would be
for the trackpad to allow for horizontal scrolling through the content.
The online portfolio of Smart! has a simple structure
Smart! is a multidisciplinary team of professionals in graphic
design, communication and information technology that have two offices
in Buenos Aires and Perú.
Their online portfolio has a simple structure, with the grey turning
to full colour once you hover over each project. We love that the
selected images from each project are presented in a horizontal line.
The online portfolio of Olly Gibbs shows real attention to detail
Olly is a London based, multi-disciplined designer and illustrator
who has already worked with the likes of Warner Bros, Muse, and The
Salvation Army. It's the attention to detail within his portfolio that
really makes it stand out.
The sense of fun immediately showcases Olly's personality, whilst the
typography and lay-out makes it work aestheically. We especially love
the 'About' section.
Pollen's online portfolio is beautifully structured and reminiscent of editorial layouts
Pollen are strategists and innovators, as much as as they are
designers. They have developed a format that allows them to work closely
with clients as creative partners, engaging the target audience and
driving results. Pollen have a beautiful structured website, comparable
to editorial layouts. We’re a big fan of the chunky yet simplistic
footer.
The online portfolio of design agency Viget shows just how important photography is becoming in the industry
Working as a team of 58 creative individuals, Viget have got some
impressive projects under their belt. Set up by brothers Brian Williams
and Andy Rankin and their Dad, Wynne 'Pop' Williams, Viget Labs was
established back in 1999 when the internet was changing.
The portfolio showcases just how important photography and user
experience is within this industry. They're able to showcase their work
in a stunning fashion that allows potential clients to really get a feel
for the agency.
We love the illustrated wire and circuits in the online portfolio of Laureano Endeiza
Laureano is based in San Luis, Argentina and has been working as a
web designer for almost a decade. Although his portfolio is pretty
simple, it's the brilliant illustrated wire and circuits that make all
the difference.
Each wire connects to a different project, which shows off Laureano's
hard work. The wire connecting to the sites also coincides with each
project's colours, which works as a perfect finish.
The online portfolio of web design agency Super Awesome is, well, super awesome
With a name like Super Awesome, you'd expect this web design agency's
portfolio to be pretty, well, awesome. And it's safe to say that it
most certainly is!
Making sites not suck since 2007, the layout of each project allows
the user to gain an insight into each aspect of the web page. We love
that the site isn't afraid to produce statements such as 'portfolios are
boring' and 'we don't do meetings'. Bold, super awesome stuff.
The design portfolio of Ashleigh Downer is immediately attention grabbing
In a world of quick clickers and impatient scrollers, it's important
to instantly grab the attention of your potential clients. Too much text
on the homepage could scare away the curious, so it's a good idea to
entice them with an image. Here, Ashleigh Downer does just that with a
quirky landing page before showcasing her incredible collections.
Remember, you want to make your visitors click and you can't help but do
just that with this portfolio.
The online portfolio of Small Studio showcases great use of horizontal scrolling
Small Studio is an award winning creative agency, founded in
Melbourne in 2007 by directors Paul Kotz and Todd Proctor. Describing
themselves as 'design adventurers', this online portfolio is an
adventure for any user.
The horizontal scrolling already enables the portfolio to stand out
from the rest, with each section of the site within easy reach. It also
looks pretty great on a tablet!
Bleed aims to challenge conventions with its work
Bleed state that they "represent a mix of cultures and disciplines to
challenge today’s conventions around art, visual language, interaction,
media and identity". This mode of thinking is implemented within their
online projects, full screen imagery and large type engage the user
whilst scrolling through the site. We love they have included a
manifesto at the end - nice touch.
The online portfolio of Kendra Schaefer is packed with personality
As soon as you stumble upon Kendra's site, you're immediately
presented with this image and we love it! There's nothing better than
showing off your personality and sense of humour.
Not only is it great photography; the colours, typography, and
statement, "This is how I feel when I'm not making the internet.
Luckily, I make websites for a living", will instantly etch Kendra in
your memory.
The online portfolio of Cast Iron Studio is full of creative flair
With a name like 'Cast Iron Studio', you're going to need a pretty
vintage looking portfolio. Thankfully, this design studio does just that
but with some creative flair.
Using the simple grid structure, the site oozes class with the use of
traditional, vintage-looking typography and complementary colours.
The online portfolio of DJNR truly stands out
This is an online portfolio that really stands out from the crowd.
DJNR crafted this highly interactive site, which includes a GIF of a
working day that coincides with the bar running at the bottom of the
page.
There's also music and a highly eye-catching colour scheme. You can
browse through all the projects on one page, which includes development,
games, animation and design. It was even a FWA site of the day!
The design work of Gareth Strange is showcased well, with the colours complementing each other perfectly
The phenomenon of Pinterest
has meant a huge rise in Pinterest-style layouts. Whilst some may grit
their teeth at the sight of yet another 'copycat', graphic designer
Gareth Strange manages to make this one his own. The homepage directly
focuses on his illustrations, with the colours nicely complementing each
other. The visitor is able to immediately gauge Gareth's design
approach, which certainly makes for a successful portfolio.
The design portfolio of Emil Olsson offers a great scrolling experience
When you first stumble onto Emil Olsson's portfolio, it may not seem
the most impressive of sites. However, once you start scrolling - and we
all love a good scroll - it quickly becomes sleek, stylish and highly
original. Today, more and more of us are visiting websites via our
smartphones and tablets, so it only a matter of time before designers
showcased their examples of work on the little gadgets... on their
websites. We think it works extremely well but what are your thoughts?
The design portfolio of Steven Bonner is reminiscent of Pinterest's layout
Steven Bonner is a bonafide illustrator, whose work deserves to be
splashed across any screen. Thankfully his online portfolio - designed
by Mike Sullivan and David Cole
does just that. Laid out in a lovely Pinterest-ish fashion, you're able
to hover over each image to gain insight into the brief and Steven's
original ideas. It's a fantastic addition to the design that enables the
user to really get to know Steven's style. You can also change the
layout with a simple click of a button if the array of images is a bit
too much for you.
The design portfolio of Ion Drimba Filho is based around a revolving cube
Now this is certainly a new take on the online portfolio. Created
using Flash by designer Ion Drimba Filho, it's an interactive, revolving
cube! You can hover over each image to highlight the example and click
on it to read more about the project. Allowing your user to interact
with your work is always a bonus and this one works perfectly. Very nice
indeed.
The design portfolio of Jesse Willmon has a playful sense of fun
This playful portfolio comes from designer Jesse Willmon. As soon as
you arrive on the homepage, the site alludes an instant sense of fun
whilst still managing to showcase the examples of work in an innovative
way. Its cute approach allows the visitor to feel welcome, with its
chatty tone, felt-tip font and colourful icons. It only gets better once
you click on the links as the style continues throughout.
Peter Godek showcases his work using numbers
Odd Web Things certainly lives up to its name by portraying its
portfolio in a somewhat unusual way. Instead of images, web designer
Peter Godek showcases his portfolio using numbers - with an image
appearing every time you hover over one of them. Once you click on an
image, the right to left scrolling continues with the example in full.
The site is easy to navigate, fun and fresh.
The design portfolio of Seymour Powell offers both Flash and HTML versions
You can enter this site in both HTML and Flash, which allows the
visitor to see the portfolio in any way they choose. We were curious
enough to check out the Flash version and boy, is it awesome! Firstly,
you're presented with a stack of business cards entitled 'Seymour Powell
in seven clicks'. What ensues is pretty self-explanatory but it's one
of the most original portfolio presentations we've ever witnessed.
The design portfolio of Lounge Lizard, who describe themselves as 'brandtenders'
Website design and marketing agency Lounge Lizard has been making
waves on the design circuit for almost 15 years. Describing themselves
as 'brandtenders', this bar-themed portfolio is the perfect execution of
their work and style. It gets even better once you click the 'Games' or
'Mobile Apps' icons, with the examples portrayed on an iPad you have to
turn on yourself and another you have to feed money to. A truely
impressive, highly interactive portfolio.
The design portfolio of Tim Lahan is perfectly laid out
New York based graphic designer and artist Tim Lahan presents his
portfolio in a simple yet stunning way. The important logo and
information stays firmly at the top of your screen as you scroll through
his colourful examples of work. The drawings and designs are also
perfectly laid out to really show them off; with no framing or barriers
to distract the visitor or alter the work's effect. Sometimes,
simplicity really is the key.
