Our Free Ebook is Here: The Beginner"s Guide to Branding

Why do some brands take a piece of our heart? What is it about their design that makes us feel connected, amused… delighted? Most importantly, how can we create such a brand? We asked the same questions, and gathered dozens of useful tips from top designers to collect their very best advice in this free ebook.

Download it now →

What you’ll find inside

We’ve prepared six chapters complete with inspiring examples and handy templates. By the time you’re done reading The Beginner’s Guide to Branding, you’ll know exactly:

1. What is branding

You probably hear the term branding being tossed around a lot. But, what exactly does it mean? This chapter includes insider advice for developing strong branding elements.

2. How to figure out an effective name

Struggling to come up with a name for your new product or service? Learn how to brainstorm potential name ideas and choose well with these actionable tips.

3. How to design a strong visual brand identity

One of the most interesting projects that a graphic designer can take on is designing a logo. This chapter helps you understand the difference (and relationship) between a brand, an identity and a logo.

4. How to choose ideal color palettes & typography

Select brand-appropriate color schemes and fonts that help convey your message. Certain hues carry powerful associations that send certain signals to your users. Learn essential color tricks from top designers.

5. How to create memorable brand applications

Leave a lasting impression with impactful letterhead, brochures, business cards and other applications. This chapter features dozens of tips to cut down design time and share your story with compelling marketing materials.

6. How to bring in your brand’s voice in design pieces

Ready to go live? Differentiate your brand from competitors with a unique personality. Learn how to incorporate a genuine voice and turn your online presence around in no time.

But wait… there’s more! (9 free resources)

We are also thrilled to share 9 free resources that will help you get started with your brand’s style guide in no time. We’ve included mockup kits, stationery sets, brand manual templates and other exciting assets to speed up your brand development process. All you need to do is share this free ebook with your friends, family & colleagues using the link over at creativemarket.com/ebooks/branding.

                  

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We hope you enjoy this free ebook and let us know your thoughts below. Ever tried creating your own brand identity? Found something in this guide that you didn’t know before? Comment away!

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Our Free Ebook is Here: The Beginner"s Guide to Branding

Free Ebook: Creativity & Consistency in UI Design

Consistency creates familiarity, and familiar interfaces are naturally more usable.

Consistency, however, does not equal uniformity. Design shouldn’t just be a game of templates, but at the same time, it should reflect the usability advantages of existing patterns. Understand why certain interaction design patterns are effective, then use them as a foundation for your creativity.

The free ebook Consistency in UI Design: Creativity Without Confusion explores how to strike the difficult balance between following design best practices and creating new ones. The book first describes why and how to be consistent, then dives into how to apply inconsistency to emphasize elements and create interesting interfaces. 

This free ebook includes the following:

• Detailed yet straightforward exploration of the two different forms of consistency, how consistency improves learnability, how to check for consistency, how to apply just the right amount of inconsistency, and more.


• Best practices from Jawbone, Reddit, Amazon, Dolce & Gabbana, and others.


• Cautionary examples from Xfinity, Adobe, and US Airways, and others.


• A focus on real-world application over textbook theory

If you’re interested in UI design, the Web UI Design for the Human Eye series (Book 1 & Book 2) are also worth checking out. Feel free to share them with anyone who may find them helpful.

Download the Consistency in UI Design Free Ebook

The post Free Ebook: Creativity & Consistency in UI Design appeared first on Speckyboy Web Design Magazine.

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Free Ebook: The Evolution of Flat Design Trends

One of the biggest trends of the 2010s is still evolving every day. Flat design, which really started to gain momentum in 2013 is still one of the most used – and talked about – techniques in web design.

How has it sustained for so long? What makes it continue to draw in designers and developers to use it?

Web UI Trends Present & Future: The Evolution of Flat Design helps answer these questions by taking a retrospective and forward-thinking approach. Written in a quick and straightforward format, the free e-book looks at how flat design has matured to embrace texture, illustrations, and even some skeuomorphic touches.

The free ebook includes the following:

• In-depth look at the benefits & downsides of flat design, trends inspired by flat design, flat design elements that remain timeless, similarities & differences between material and flat design, and more.


• Dozens of handpicked examples reflecting the most timeless qualities of flat design.


• Practical writing style that trims the fat and lays out only what you need to know to apply to your own designs.


• List of some of the best resources for creating flat-inspired designs.
  
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Don’t forget to also check out Web UI Trends Present & Future: Dramatic Typography. If you find these books helpful, feel free to share.

Download the free Evolution of Flat Design Ebook

The post Free Ebook: The Evolution of Flat Design Trends appeared first on Speckyboy Web Design Magazine.

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Free Ebook: Design Collaboration: Building the Foundation of Brilliance

Design collaboration sounds great in theory. Gather up the gang, draw up some brilliant ideas, and create something that reflects everyone’s expertise.

In reality, it can be a total nightmare. People without design backgrounds force their opinions on design experts. Accountability is diluted across the entire team. Politics ends up killing good design.

This free ebook has been written for designers at larger companies who must strike the difficult balance between collaboration and design by committee. The book prefers pragmatism over ideology by including real-world advice and design exercises.

The ebook includes:

• Techniques for better feedback, data-driven design, deciding features together, design studio exercises, empathizing with users, collaborative user interviews, and more.


• A framework for planning design projects together to prevent last-minute surprises.


• Examples included from companies such as Venmo, Amazon, Hubspot and Vice.

The key to collaboration is understanding that the design process can be as open as possible, but the output must be tightly controlled. That way, you reap the benefits of collective brainstorming and expert judgment.

If you find the ebook helpful, feel free to share with anyone who might enjoy it.

Download the Free Ebook

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Free Ebook: Web UI Trends Present & Future (Typography)

Big letters, small letters, crisp images overlaid with bold fonts. Beautiful strokes and fun flourishes.

These are just a few of the things that website designers and developers are playing with for almost every aspect of design – from basic responsive websites to apps and watch interfaces – in 2015 and beyond. The trend is timeless for a simple reason: breathtaking typography is visually appealing, legible, and readable.

The latest free pocket guide from UXPin explores some of the most timeless examples of web typography to date. The book is written in a quick, practical format that focuses on teaching through real-world examples over explaining dry theory.

The pocket guide includes:

• 21 hand-picked examples of timelessly captivating typography.


• Topics include: artistic typography, popular typefaces, typography’s design objectives, creative ways of applying small and large fonts, and more..


• Pro tips for working with large and small type, overlaying type on images, staying current yet timeless,.

For a nice companion piece on the visual power of typography, it’s also worth checking out Web UI Design for the Human Eye: Layout & Typography. If you find the books interesting, feel free to share with anyone who might enjoy them.

Download the Free Ebook

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Free Ebook: Web UI Trends Present & Future (Typography)

Free Ebook: Web UI Design for the Human Eye (Layout Patterns & Typography)

Should you use Lorem Ipsum, or real content in your designs? What are some effective patterns for laying your site for users? And how can you create a visual language through typography?

The free e-book by UXPin answers these types of questions regarding emphasizing content in your web UI design. Because vision is the user’s strongest sense and users visit sites for their content, it’s safe to assume that every interface must prioritize content.

The 5 chapters covers:

• How to design for visual and written content even if they’re not finalized.


• How to use the F and Z Patterns to capture the attention of people browsing the web.


• How to apply typography to enhance the content and overall UI design.


• Case studies (and visuals) from 27 companies including Amazon, TED, AirBnB, Hulu, Abduzeedo and more.

The book is written in a straightforward, example-driven format. The authors favor real-world application over dry theory.

For a companion piece, feel free to check out the first book: Web UI Design for the Human Eye (Colors, Visuals, Space).

If you find this book helpful, feel free to share with others who might enjoy it.

Download the Free Ebook

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Free Ebook: Web UI Design for the Human Eye (Layout Patterns & Typography)

Free Ebook: Web UI Design for the Human Eye (Colors, Space, Contrast)

Because vision is the dominant human sense, your site must provide value and meaning as clearly and quickly as possible. In fact, studies have shown that users know within 5 seconds whether or not they will leave your site.

This free e-book by UXPin explores how to create the most powerful first impressions through meaningful visual and interaction design. The book covers topics including UX design, UI design, optical illusions, and human psychology.

The 5 chapters include:

• Straightforward explanations of how to apply Gestalt principles, balance similarity with contrast, create meaning with space, and strike the right emotions with color.


• Instructions for how to quickly test your website’s visual hierarchy.


• A teach-by-example approach that analyzes designs from 33 companies including Medium, Etsy, Tumblr, Facebook, Intercom, and Bose.


• Easy-to-read writing style that prioritizes practicality over pure theory

For a nice companion piece, check out Interaction Design Best Practices: Mastering the Tangibles .

Check out the ebook, and feel free to share with anyone who might find it helpful.

Download the Free Ebook

The post Free Ebook: Web UI Design for the Human Eye (Colors, Space, Contrast) appeared first on Speckyboy Web Design Magazine.

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Free Ebook: Interaction Design Best Practices (Time & Behavior)

Interaction design can be broken down into 5 dimensions: words, visuals, objects/space, time, and behavior. Words are interactions. Visuals and objects/space are what users interact with. Time is what users interact within. And finally, behavior is how users and the interface act and react.

The first three dimensions allow for interaction, while the last two dimensions define interaction. In their first book on interaction design, UXPin covered the first three dimensions (tangible elements).

Interaction Design Best Practices: Time & Behavior now teaches you how to master the intangible elements. With plenty of case studies and visual examples, this e-book turns design theory into practical advice.

The 6 chapters of this free e-book include:

• Best practices from 20+ top companies including Mint, MailChimp, Kickstarter, Netflix, Google and AirBnB.


• Practical explanations of complex topics such as reducing friction, distraction through animation, modifying user habits, and more.


• Example-driven approach that keeps every chapter interesting through rich illustrations, screenshots, and references to real-world scenarios

To learn how to perfect these best practices through prototyping, check out the complementary Ultimate Guide to Prototyping.

Take a look, and feel free to share if you find the e-books helpful.

Download Interaction Design Best Practices: Time & Behavior

The post Free Ebook: Interaction Design Best Practices (Time & Behavior) appeared first on Speckyboy Web Design Magazine.

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Free Ebook: Interaction Design Best Practices (Time & Behavior)

Free Ebook: Interaction Design Best Practices (Time & Behavior)

Interaction design can be broken down into 5 dimensions: words, visuals, objects/space, time, and behavior. Words are interactions. Visuals and objects/space are what users interact with. Time is what users interact within. And finally, behavior is how users and the interface act and react.

The first three dimensions allow for interaction, while the last two dimensions define interaction. In their first book on interaction design, UXPin covered the first three dimensions (tangible elements).

Interaction Design Best Practices: Time & Behavior now teaches you how to master the intangible elements. With plenty of case studies and visual examples, this e-book turns design theory into practical advice.

The 6 chapters of this free e-book include:

• Best practices from 20+ top companies including Mint, MailChimp, Kickstarter, Netflix, Google and AirBnB.


• Practical explanations of complex topics such as reducing friction, distraction through animation, modifying user habits, and more.


• Example-driven approach that keeps every chapter interesting through rich illustrations, screenshots, and references to real-world scenarios

To learn how to perfect these best practices through prototyping, check out the complementary Ultimate Guide to Prototyping.

Take a look, and feel free to share if you find the e-books helpful.

Download Interaction Design Best Practices: Time & Behavior

The post Free Ebook: Interaction Design Best Practices (Time & Behavior) appeared first on Speckyboy Web Design Magazine.

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Free Ebook: Interaction Design Best Practices (Time & Behavior)

Free Ebook: Interaction Design Best Practices (Words, Visuals, Space)

Words are themselves interactions. Visuals are equally important to the copy, since the experience suffers if the words and appearance do not complement one another. Finally, space creates the context for interactions with the right look, feel, and relationship between all elements.

Interaction Design Best Practices: Words, Visuals, Space includes visual case studies, expert advice, and real-life interaction design examples from some of today’s top companies. You’ll learn how to design for the human brain, how to match perception to reality, how to treat white space as a design tool, and much more.

While interaction design can be highly theoretical, this book is written with action in mind. Every chapter includes tips based on real-life experiences.

The 7 chapters of the e-book features:

• Best practices from 30+ companies including Apple, AirBnB, Google, Facebook, Etsy, Virgin America, Dribbble, Hootsuite, and Behance.


• Practical explanations of how to apply white space, size/distance, microcopy, visual design, and many other IxD disciplines.


• Advice from experts like Dan Saffer, Jared Spool, Stephen P. Anderson, Rachel Nabors, and others.


• Plenty of visual examples to illustrate every piece of advice.

To learn how prototyping can help perfect interaction design, check out the companion ebook The Ultimate Guide to Prototyping.

Check out the free ebooks, and feel free to share if you find them helpful (the 2nd book is unlocked when enough shares are reached).

Download Interaction Design Best Practices

The post Free Ebook: Interaction Design Best Practices (Words, Visuals, Space) appeared first on Speckyboy Web Design Magazine.

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Free Ebook: Interaction Design Best Practices (Words, Visuals, Space)

Free Ebook: Interaction Design Best Practices (Words, Visuals, Space)

Words are themselves interactions. Visuals are equally important to the copy, since the experience suffers if the words and appearance do not complement one another. Finally, space creates the context for interactions with the right look, feel, and relationship between all elements.

Interaction Design Best Practices: Words, Visuals, Space includes visual case studies, expert advice, and real-life interaction design examples from some of today’s top companies. You’ll learn how to design for the human brain, how to match perception to reality, how to treat white space as a design tool, and much more.

While interaction design can be highly theoretical, this book is written with action in mind. Every chapter includes tips based on real-life experiences.

The 7 chapters of the e-book features:

• Best practices from 30+ companies including Apple, AirBnB, Google, Facebook, Etsy, Virgin America, Dribbble, Hootsuite, and Behance.


• Practical explanations of how to apply white space, size/distance, microcopy, visual design, and many other IxD disciplines.


• Advice from experts like Dan Saffer, Jared Spool, Stephen P. Anderson, Rachel Nabors, and others.


• Plenty of visual examples to illustrate every piece of advice.

To learn how prototyping can help perfect interaction design, check out the companion ebook The Ultimate Guide to Prototyping.

Check out the free ebooks, and feel free to share if you find them helpful (the 2nd book is unlocked when enough shares are reached).

Download Interaction Design Best Practices

The post Free Ebook: Interaction Design Best Practices (Words, Visuals, Space) appeared first on Speckyboy Web Design Magazine.

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2. Free Ebook: The Guide to Minimum Viable Products


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Free Ebook: Interaction Design Best Practices (Words, Visuals, Space)

Free Ebook: The Guide to Mockups

Mockups are the models of web design and one of the most effective mediums for communicating visual design. Whatever they lack in interactivity is more than made up for in terms of visual clarity.

The Guide to Mockups by UXPin includes 72 pages of visual examples, explorations of fidelity, and best practices based on our own experience as a wireframing and prototyping app. You’ll also learn the differences between mockups, prototypes, and wireframes so you get a more practical understanding of where each fits into the design process.

This free e-book features:

• Best practices for creating mockups in SketchApp & Photoshop.


• Practical advice from Marcin Treder, Luke Wroblewski, Ash Maurya, and other product design experts.


• Explanations of mockup fidelities, anatomies, and methods of creation.


• Analysis of different design processes for creating mockups based on our own experience and those of Fortune 500 companies.

If you’re interested in wireframing as a complementary practice, take a look at The Guide to Wireframing.

So check out the e-book, and feel free to share if you find it helpful.

Download The Guide to Mockups

The post Free Ebook: The Guide to Mockups appeared first on Speckyboy Web Design Magazine.

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Free Ebook: User Testing & Design – Improving Yelp’s Website

UXPin, UserTesting, and Optimal Workshop team up to demonstrate how to run 3 simple usability tests as part of your design process. As an example, they’ve taken on the exercise of redesigning Yelp based on insights from usability testing.

The free e-book User Testing & Design shows you how to decide and plan usability testing, analyze qualitative and quantitative data, and design and iterate accordingly.

The 91-page e-book includes:

• Advice from usability experts like Jakob Nielsen, Donna Spencer, Jeff Sauro, and others.


• Actionable tips for breaking down business objectives into design objectives.


• Usability testing examples showing how to recruit users, write tasks, and turn data into better design.


• Low and high fidelity screenshots of the new Yelp, with step-by-step explanations of the design decisions.

Download the User Testing & Design ebook

Check it out and feel free to share if it’s helpful. We’d love your feedback on the new Yelp design!

For advice and analysis on 20 different usability testing methods, check outThe Guide to Usability Testing. All 3 companies are also running a bundle deal on their services (save 32).

The post Free Ebook: User Testing & Design – Improving Yelp’s Website appeared first on Speckyboy Web Design Magazine.

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