Hey Designers! Check this out!

Looking for some thoughts and inspiration around? Maybe us as designers, looking for inspirations or ideas are for college or clients project. But living as a junior designer, sometimes we forget about ourselves, and most likely are become a machine, bounded in your own box. I've experienced this before, and i repeated it occasionally.

You'll feel uncomfortable and unhealthy. You wasted time and money on your so-so daily - monotonic life. Why don't we reflect ourselves and ask "Why did I become a designer?, will it be worth? to earn money as well as enjoy life?" One thing that i just realize is that we also need to understand ourselves for why the hell we are in this industry. I had bookmarked Drawar.com , it has a lot of great articles about designers, and its useful to take your time to visit their website, read the articles, critiques, and question sections.

Mostly are about web design. They linked a lot of great sites, presented from designer POV. After you spend some time reading their articles, you will think how important is web design in present and future. It's worth to spend sometime to read some text-only articles for 10-20 minutes rather than procrastinating on Facebook or babbling non-sense on Twitter. Right?

Web Design 2 - Inspirative Commercial Websites

Some Inspirative websites:

1.Big Cartel (Art and craft online shop provider service):














Analysis:

(+)

• Simple yet beautiful
  
• Neat typography treatment and layout hiearchy
• Consitent
• Information is direct, and friendly to the user's eye.
  

(-)

• Adding a favicon would be better
  

2.Gucci (Leather bags, fashion and accesories):

Analysis:

(+)

• Simple and artistic.
  
• The branding is relevant to its product
  
• Consitent on layout and navigation
  
• Interesting menu navigatin

3.Wacom (Pen tablet provider):

Analysis:

(+)

• Simple, which direct the user to the content.
  
• Neat typography treatment and layout hiearchy
• Random background color according to its logo color.
  

(-)

• Adding the graphical logo besides the text logo on the top left side will be much better.
  

4.Pocari Sweat (Isotonic drink):

Analysis:

(+)

• Interesting navigation
  
• Interesting content, supported with the good typo handling.
  
• Simple, attractive and have a great branding
• Simple rollover effects, but it is effective
  

5.Quiksilver (Clothin,Gear for sports):

Analysis:

(+)

• Good use of color
  
• Neat finishing of images for a grungy site.
  

(-)

• Layout can be neater even if it is grungy website.
  

Tutorials:

HTML / CSS / Javasript		Design tutorials
	How to make an animated scrolling text		Psychedelic Tutorial
	Java Script navigational scripts		Ornate typographic illustration
	Pop-open list Links		Vector folk building
	Coding a clean web 2.0 Style		Vivid themed hand-drawn illustration

Daniel R Leyva

Check Daniel R Leyva's website, its a great website without using flash, try view in fullscreen.
Takes some time to load though..

will post something soon...

Web Design 1 - Researches & Ideas

How To's Ideas:

How to create your own miniature aquarium:

1.Who am I? - Author
2.What is it? - Small Aquarium
3.What For? - Decorations
4.1st task - Plannings and gathering the materials
5.2nd task - Step by step making ofs
6.3rd task - Snap it and share on the web
7.Outcome - Liven up your room!
8.Share it - Upload your snap and compare with the others
9.Contacts - Information

How to create your own earth savior:

1.Who am I? - Designer
2.What is it? - Vinyl toys with a plant on it
3.What For? - Fight global warming XP
4.1st task - Buy materials & Making ofs
5.2nd task - Seed it
6.3rd task - Share it
7.Outcome - Go green :)
8.Showcase - Gallery / Download Wallpaper
9.Contacts - Information

How to create your playing cards:
1.Who am I? - Designer
2.What is it? - Playing cards
3.What For? - Collections
4.1st task - Sketching
5.2nd task - Designing
6.3rd task - Printing & Packaging
7.Outcome - Play it together with friends
8.Showcase - Gallery of illustrations / W.I.P / Products
9.Contacts - Information

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Interesting Websites:

foodincmovie.com



sushiandrobots.com



mikematas.com



lineage2.co.id/index.php



orangelabel.com



hypefortype.com



gavincastleton.com

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Photoshop tutorials:

• Fix lighting in a montaged image



• Cool neon effects



• Create imaginative painted montage scene



• Creating a steam punk illustration in PSD



• Composing an HDR image through photos you have captured

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Tutorial websites:

• How to customise your own vinyl toy



• How to make speakers out of a vinyl toy



• How to make an aquarium out of a light bulb



• How to spice up nature

Check this out!

Andy Fould's great websites:
Portfolio
Screentoys

Inspirative Links

- Unique and crazee news, gadgets and stuffs (Must see!)

- Photoshop manipulation (Must see!)

- Cool designs & Portfolios

- Cool stuffs & gadgets

- Designs archive

- DIY instructions

- Ads,ads,ads

- Urban designs

- Art & Culture designs

Above are links that inspire me a lot, or well, i could say, those webs kill my eyes infront of PC for quite a long time.