20 Lessons The Avengers Can Teach You About Design

Avengers: Age of Ultron is currently the talk of the town, so let’s talk about this famous super-team. There are six distinct characters, each with their own well-established franchise, and each with a unique color scheme, personality, and overall “feel.” And most interestingly, each of them has a few lessons to teach us.

Let’s start with…

3 Lessons from Hulk

Keep it Simple

Hulk’s deal is pretty straightforward: he smashes stuff. Sometimes the solution to a complicated problem can be that simple. So, before you pile a ton of bells and whistles onto a project, make sure there isn’t a simpler solution you’re overlooking.

Design can Speak Louder than Words

Hulk is not famous for his communication abilities, yet everything about him tells his story. His massive stature and muscle make it plain what his powers are. His torn clothing lets you know that he transformed from a normal man, and since green has long been the designated color of radioactivity in fiction, his skin tone immediately clues you in to how he did it.

When you need to convey a large amount of information in a short time, is there any way you can do the same?

IMAGE: collider.com

Practice Self-Discipline

Despite how Hulk is the one who gets all the attention, Bruce Banner is an even more important member of the team. He’s the one who can listen to reason and cooperate with people. Resist the urge to go wild. If you make a habit of self-control, you’ll become the best asset to any team.

3 Lessons from Iron Man

Be innovative and fearless

Designers often have to play multiple roles and there’s always something new we can learn to take ourselves to the next level. Don’t be afraid to push the boundaries of what you can do, or of what your work can be. Get to it.

IMAGE: thesmashable.com

Don’t be Boring

Is Tony Stark rough? Yes. Difficult? Absolutely. A jerk? Admittedly. But you could never accuse him of being boring. In fact, as one of the few self-made superheroes, you could argue that his unwillingness to accept mediocrity is the very source of his powers. Show your fun side from time to time.

Cherish your Online Reputation

Tony is a charismatic philanthropist and he’s always on the news. Grow your influence, build trust, collect testimonials and let your online presence reflect your level of expertise.

3 Lessons from Thor

Be Consistent

Thor’s been doing what he does for a few thousand years now. Being a literal god (and having a talent for fighting) has ensured that he’ll remain good at his job indefinitely into the future. Consistency is one of the most crucial UX principles, so keep it in mind even when working on the most extravagant projects.

IMAGE: squarespace.com

Tame your Ego

Some clients might want a bigger logo. Feel free to stand up and fight for your beliefs, but don’t let your ego endanger the project. Thor sees humanity as small and petty at first, but the other Avengers eventually succeed in bringing him down to Earth and making him appreciate those who don’t necessarily have the same talents as him.

Play by the Rules

Like it or not, there are certain rules and best practices that have to be obeyed. They will help you save a lot of time and effort and get more loyal customers and friendly colleagues.

3 Lessons from Captain America

Adapt to Changes

The design world is one of constant change, where often, just a few years can make a radical difference in the landscape and what tools are used. Many designers who don’t make an effort to keep up with certain changes can end up feeling like they just woke up from a 70-year cryogenic sleep.

IMAGE: wallpaperhi.com

Talk Values

The cap’s a good, reliable man who fights for good, reliable values. Think of how that can be applied in your own life. What do you truly believe in? What additional value can you bring through your work?

Be Patient

Your time will come. Patience is specially required of anyone joining the industry. That rough first year of freelancing can often seem hopeless. You’ll face rejection and the sense that you’ll never get where you want to go. But know that with some determination, everything is possible.

3 Lessons from Black Widow

Use Attractive Visuals

While Black Widow’s look certainly is powerful tool in her arsenal. In design, visual appeal isn’t everything, but it’s definitely an important factor. You have to be careful though and don’t get so caught up in your projects’ raw functionality.

IMAGE: screenrant.com

Know What Rules can be Broken

Black Widow is famously pragmatic and almost amoral, formerly having been a villain in some of the comics, but these days, she employs that pragmatism for good. Think about some rules like that in your own field. What are some design conventions that might be better off broken in pursuit of your goal?

Be Agile and Fast

And think several steps ahead. In the lightning-speed world of web design, it’s important to catch up on all the latest tech news and trends, as well as design apps and sites that can easily adapt to change and be modified anytime. Not to mention plain old loading time considerations. Try making your sites as fast and adaptable as possible.

2 Lessons from Hawkeye

Be Accurate

Remember that the devil is in the details. High precision in estimations and pixel-perfect product are marks of professionalism. Your clients might not always notice, but this is where one of designer’s superpowers is hidden.

IMAGE: craveonline.com

Know your Advantage and Polish it

Clint Barton is neither a wealthy inventor, nor Norse god, nor radiation victim. He built his talent on extreme willpower and practice. What’s your specialty? What are some related fields you can study in order to further leverage what you’re already good at?

3 More from All the Avengers

Tell your story

Storytelling is a powerful and important communication and connection tool. Good stories keep your users engaged, inspired and keen to learn more.

Every Challenge is Different

Every client requires a different approach. This is the most fun of our world. Sometimes, you need new hardware, sometimes – a new attitude.

Never Give Up

This might sound a cliché, but this is a good reminder for any creative professional. The Avengers worked hard and fought through bad times, conflicts, and intense self-doubt. They had to learn how to be decisive under pressure, but there always was one thing that kept them going. An unshakeable belief that this is what they have to do, just because they know it’s good, and that they’ll end up making something worthwhile in the end.

Although a bunch of nicely aligned layers in Photoshop might not equate to saving the world, the drive to constantly create and innovate, just for the sake of it, is heroic in and of itself. So keep fighting the good fight.

Editor’s note: This is written for Hongkiat.com by Lana Lozovaya. Lana is the content strategist and social media manager at PSD2HTML®, the leading PSD to HTML and web development company.

Now Read:
5 Tips to Simplify Your Web Design

20 Lessons The Avengers Can Teach You About Design

20 Lessons The Avengers Can Teach You About Design

Avengers: Age of Ultron is currently the talk of the town, so let’s talk about this famous super-team. There are six distinct characters, each with their own well-established franchise, and each with a unique color scheme, personality, and overall “feel.” And most interestingly, each of them has a few lessons to teach us.

Let’s start with…

3 Lessons from Hulk

Keep it Simple

Hulk’s deal is pretty straightforward: he smashes stuff. Sometimes the solution to a complicated problem can be that simple. So, before you pile a ton of bells and whistles onto a project, make sure there isn’t a simpler solution you’re overlooking.

Design can Speak Louder than Words

Hulk is not famous for his communication abilities, yet everything about him tells his story. His massive stature and muscle make it plain what his powers are. His torn clothing lets you know that he transformed from a normal man, and since green has long been the designated color of radioactivity in fiction, his skin tone immediately clues you in to how he did it.

When you need to convey a large amount of information in a short time, is there any way you can do the same?

IMAGE: collider.com

Practice Self-Discipline

Despite how Hulk is the one who gets all the attention, Bruce Banner is an even more important member of the team. He’s the one who can listen to reason and cooperate with people. Resist the urge to go wild. If you make a habit of self-control, you’ll become the best asset to any team.

3 Lessons from Iron Man

Be innovative and fearless

Designers often have to play multiple roles and there’s always something new we can learn to take ourselves to the next level. Don’t be afraid to push the boundaries of what you can do, or of what your work can be. Get to it.

IMAGE: thesmashable.com

Don’t be Boring

Is Tony Stark rough? Yes. Difficult? Absolutely. A jerk? Admittedly. But you could never accuse him of being boring. In fact, as one of the few self-made superheroes, you could argue that his unwillingness to accept mediocrity is the very source of his powers. Show your fun side from time to time.

Cherish your Online Reputation

Tony is a charismatic philanthropist and he’s always on the news. Grow your influence, build trust, collect testimonials and let your online presence reflect your level of expertise.

3 Lessons from Thor

Be Consistent

Thor’s been doing what he does for a few thousand years now. Being a literal god (and having a talent for fighting) has ensured that he’ll remain good at his job indefinitely into the future. Consistency is one of the most crucial UX principles, so keep it in mind even when working on the most extravagant projects.

IMAGE: squarespace.com

Tame your Ego

Some clients might want a bigger logo. Feel free to stand up and fight for your beliefs, but don’t let your ego endanger the project. Thor sees humanity as small and petty at first, but the other Avengers eventually succeed in bringing him down to Earth and making him appreciate those who don’t necessarily have the same talents as him.

Play by the Rules

Like it or not, there are certain rules and best practices that have to be obeyed. They will help you save a lot of time and effort and get more loyal customers and friendly colleagues.

3 Lessons from Captain America

Adapt to Changes

The design world is one of constant change, where often, just a few years can make a radical difference in the landscape and what tools are used. Many designers who don’t make an effort to keep up with certain changes can end up feeling like they just woke up from a 70-year cryogenic sleep.

IMAGE: wallpaperhi.com

Talk Values

The cap’s a good, reliable man who fights for good, reliable values. Think of how that can be applied in your own life. What do you truly believe in? What additional value can you bring through your work?

Be Patient

Your time will come. Patience is specially required of anyone joining the industry. That rough first year of freelancing can often seem hopeless. You’ll face rejection and the sense that you’ll never get where you want to go. But know that with some determination, everything is possible.

3 Lessons from Black Widow

Use Attractive Visuals

While Black Widow’s look certainly is powerful tool in her arsenal. In design, visual appeal isn’t everything, but it’s definitely an important factor. You have to be careful though and don’t get so caught up in your projects’ raw functionality.

IMAGE: screenrant.com

Know What Rules can be Broken

Black Widow is famously pragmatic and almost amoral, formerly having been a villain in some of the comics, but these days, she employs that pragmatism for good. Think about some rules like that in your own field. What are some design conventions that might be better off broken in pursuit of your goal?

Be Agile and Fast

And think several steps ahead. In the lightning-speed world of web design, it’s important to catch up on all the latest tech news and trends, as well as design apps and sites that can easily adapt to change and be modified anytime. Not to mention plain old loading time considerations. Try making your sites as fast and adaptable as possible.

2 Lessons from Hawkeye

Be Accurate

Remember that the devil is in the details. High precision in estimations and pixel-perfect product are marks of professionalism. Your clients might not always notice, but this is where one of designer’s superpowers is hidden.

IMAGE: craveonline.com

Know your Advantage and Polish it

Clint Barton is neither a wealthy inventor, nor Norse god, nor radiation victim. He built his talent on extreme willpower and practice. What’s your specialty? What are some related fields you can study in order to further leverage what you’re already good at?

3 More from All the Avengers

Tell your story

Storytelling is a powerful and important communication and connection tool. Good stories keep your users engaged, inspired and keen to learn more.

Every Challenge is Different

Every client requires a different approach. This is the most fun of our world. Sometimes, you need new hardware, sometimes – a new attitude.

Never Give Up

This might sound a cliché, but this is a good reminder for any creative professional. The Avengers worked hard and fought through bad times, conflicts, and intense self-doubt. They had to learn how to be decisive under pressure, but there always was one thing that kept them going. An unshakeable belief that this is what they have to do, just because they know it’s good, and that they’ll end up making something worthwhile in the end.

Although a bunch of nicely aligned layers in Photoshop might not equate to saving the world, the drive to constantly create and innovate, just for the sake of it, is heroic in and of itself. So keep fighting the good fight.

Editor’s note: This is written for Hongkiat.com by Lana Lozovaya. Lana is the content strategist and social media manager at PSD2HTML®, the leading PSD to HTML and web development company.

Now Read:
5 Tips to Simplify Your Web Design

20 Lessons The Avengers Can Teach You About Design

15 Lessons “The Art of War” Teaches You About Winning Life Battles

The Art of War by Sun Tzu is widely regarded by many as not only a “bible” for the battlefield, but also a great source of lessons for life in general. Life in itself is a constant struggle to, if not stay on top, at least make it through daily challenges, while making the most out of our resources.

Subject to personal interpretation, The Art of War can also be a great source of inspiration and guidance to web designers and developers in their work struggles.

IMAGE: Wikipedia

Here are some key takeaways from The Art of War that you can apply in your personal life, work, and your quest for self-improvement.

Life And The Art Of War

"Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack."

Web designers and developers are easily replaceable. Every day there are thousands of new people entering the industry, some are self-taught and some trained in schools. The competition is growing bigger and the only way to ensure success is to constantly build up your arsenal of skills. Never stop learning.

"He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight."

In our work, there are a lot of instances when clients would ask for several revisions, tweaks, and minor requests that just pile up and take away days to weeks of our time. And in our line of work, every second truly counts. Learning how to say no, or at least how to renegotiate the details, will come a long way.

Other times several projects will present themselves and you will have to make the hard decision to choose which one to accept, or risk burning yourself, which is harder. This is also a good way of saying that you need to balance your work life and personal life. Is it really a victory that you completed several projects in a week if you missed your sister’s wedding?

"One may know how to conquer without being able to do it."

Of all the things you want to do in your life, you will only accomplish a fraction of it because of how limited and fast time flows. The cool thing about this all? You can actually “experience” something even without doing it. Or better yet, in order to have more time for yourself, why not outsource some of the things you are doing to someone else? Bring in extra brains and arms to work on the things that are taking way too much of your time.

Read Also: 8 Things You Need To Know About Hiring Freelance Contractors

"Anger may in time change to gladness; vexation may be succeeded by content. But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life."

For practically anyone, every action counts. It’s important to be careful, to think twice, and to plan carefully. Even the smallest mistake could prove costly, and what you may lose might be something you could never get back.

This is a good way of saying never burn bridges, both in your personal and professional life. Particularly with web designers and developers who mostly thrive through their clients. It doesn’t matter if you had a hard time dealing with a specific client, try not to lose contact with them. Who knows, maybe your calm interaction with them even when they were totally aggressive can go a long way into the future.

Read Also: How To Create Your Ideal Client Profiles

"Ponder and deliberate before you make a move."

Careful planning and precise execution go hand in hand ; it’s no wonder that these two are the integral components of any project’s success. Before making any kind of decision, consider the pros and cons, as well as the consequences that each possible decision could bring forth.

Take this piece of advice together with the third point and you’ll be able to tread life more carefully. This is particularly helpful when dealing with people around you. Another version of this is, “think before you speak” or “measure twice, cut once.”

IMAGE: Pixabay

Work and The Art of War

"Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and When you move, fall like a thunderbolt."

Make sure to devote a significant amount of time to planning for any project. The importance of a sound plan cannot be overstated; however, without solid action, a plan is just a plan, and nothing more. Many beginners and experts alike fall prey into being overly excited or prideful when working on a project that they fail to fool-proof it, and ultimately leading to a project roadblock. Others call this “overestimating yourself”.

"He will win who knows how to handle both superior and Inferior forces."

This particular quote is of great significance to team leaders. A web design and development team doesn’t need to have all the advantages just to ensure success. Learn how to manage people, set expectations, and more importantly, develop skill sets.

A balance of proper training, initiative, and cooperation will take your team places – you don’t need to be a multi-billion dollar team of experts to come up with a quality website or award-winning design. Remember, it’s not how you start, it’s how you end.

"There are not more than five primary colours, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen."

It’s not in the quantity of tools you have; it’s in how you use them. This quote, which curiously has "design" written all over it, should remind web developers and designers that what truly matters is learning to work with what you have.

Apart from learning how to use your tools properly, you also need to learn to manage risks. Don’t be afraid to try new and unfamiliar things. No one could have known that blue and red make violet, or that mixing red and yellow would result in orange, if no one tried mixing the colors. who knows, a brighter future might be waiting for you, situated where you can’t see it by if you stayed in the same place.

IMAGE: Pixabay

"Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your troops unless there is something to be gained; fight not unless the position is critical."

Learn to spot opportunities as they arrive; these may be in the form of a new idea for process improvement, catching the attention of a potential big client, or even going to drastic measures such as quitting your day job in order to start your own web design and development firm.

The point here is to always aim high and play to win. Capitalize on every opportunity to get ahead, as long as it doesn’t involve stepping on other people. Think about it. People who have succeeded much in life fought and pushed hard when they saw the opportunity.

"If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak."

Focus is important in order to succeed. Concentrate on key areas of improvement, and don’t try to be everything and anything at once. It is not reasonable to expect designers to be content writing experts, for example, or web developers to be social media strategists.

This is another mistake many of us commit. We tend to think of ourselves as experts in many fields, and in some instances it may be true, but there is only so much we can do with our limited time. Furthermore, it is also proven that spreading yourself across many things, aka multitasking, is bad for your well-being and career.

Personal Improvement and The Art of War

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."

As is in everything in life, it is important to have a good understanding of everything. Knowing yourself, how you react to certain things, will go a long way. Especially as a web designer or developer, dealing with clients every day is unavoidable. Knowing their personality will save you from so much trouble.

For example, during my early days as a web developer, I failed to realize that my client then didn’t have an understanding of how websites worked, and I loaded him with details about hosting, FTP, cPanel, and the programming languages and CMS I use. Safe to say, I didn’t become his favorite.

"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while Defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win"

Whether it’s for work or for personal satisfaction, jump in because of passion and because you want to do something, not because you’re expecting some form of compensation or glory at the end. While it’s true that every journey has a destination, you’ll quickly find that there is more to be gained along the way than at the end.

Keep in mind that true victory lies in making decisions that you feel no regret for. If you pursued something that ultimately did not succeed the way you wanted it to, it still counts as a victory, for the sole reason that you put hard work into it and received valuable lessons in return.

"There is no instance of a nation benefiting from Prolonged warfare."

Strike efficiently, and strike quickly. If you have ideas for self-improvement or projects that you truly believe in, don’t act tomorrow or next week. Act now. This is more important for freelancers. Clients won’t wait for you, you need to catch up with them. The same is true for your dreams. Why delay the implementation of your awesome idea? If you wait long enough, someone else with the same idea will build it.

"In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity."

I am talking about learning from mistakes and chaos. No one has reached a great deal of success without experiencing their fair share of problems. We learn how to properly align our div tags using CSS the hard way. Nine out of ten web designers and developers I know never quite figured out how to align divs side by side until after several hours later.

Read Also: 6 CSS Tricks To Align Content Vertically

There is always a lesson to be learned in the midst of chaos. It may be difficult to deal with now, but if you push yourself to fix the issue, you won’t have to deal with it again in the future.

"Never venture, never win!"

For everyday people like you and me, a career change can go a long way. In fact, right now, there are a lot of people founding their own startups. This rings particularly true for me. I left my job of 4 years several months ago in order to freelance full-time, which was the second best decision I made.

The best decision I made is partnering up with a web design company. It’s a pretty big leap, but hey, “Never venture, never win!” Be it a new skill, new project, or new career you are thinking of, if it makes you lose sleep at night and makes you all excited in the morning, you might want to consider pursuing it!

IMAGE: Pixabay

Final Words

Here’s one more passage from The Art of War for everyone to remember: "If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete." Overall, what The Art of War tells us is that we need to be aware of ourselves and of others. By keeping an open mind to the things that are happening around us, we can make informed decision that will not only help us in our personal lives, but also at work.

Now Read:
How To Become A High-Demand Designer

15 Lessons “The Art of War” Teaches You About Winning Life Battles

15 Lessons “The Art of War” Teaches You About Winning Life Battles

The Art of War by Sun Tzu is widely regarded by many as not only a “bible” for the battlefield, but also a great source of lessons for life in general. Life in itself is a constant struggle to, if not stay on top, at least make it through daily challenges, while making the most out of our resources.

Subject to personal interpretation, The Art of War can also be a great source of inspiration and guidance to web designers and developers in their work struggles.

IMAGE: Wikipedia

Here are some key takeaways from The Art of War that you can apply in your personal life, work, and your quest for self-improvement.

Life And The Art Of War

"Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack."

Web designers and developers are easily replaceable. Every day there are thousands of new people entering the industry, some are self-taught and some trained in schools. The competition is growing bigger and the only way to ensure success is to constantly build up your arsenal of skills. Never stop learning.

"He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight."

In our work, there are a lot of instances when clients would ask for several revisions, tweaks, and minor requests that just pile up and take away days to weeks of our time. And in our line of work, every second truly counts. Learning how to say no, or at least how to renegotiate the details, will come a long way.

Other times several projects will present themselves and you will have to make the hard decision to choose which one to accept, or risk burning yourself, which is harder. This is also a good way of saying that you need to balance your work life and personal life. Is it really a victory that you completed several projects in a week if you missed your sister’s wedding?

"One may know how to conquer without being able to do it."

Of all the things you want to do in your life, you will only accomplish a fraction of it because of how limited and fast time flows. The cool thing about this all? You can actually “experience” something even without doing it. Or better yet, in order to have more time for yourself, why not outsource some of the things you are doing to someone else? Bring in extra brains and arms to work on the things that are taking way too much of your time.

Read Also: 8 Things You Need To Know About Hiring Freelance Contractors

"Anger may in time change to gladness; vexation may be succeeded by content. But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life."

For practically anyone, every action counts. It’s important to be careful, to think twice, and to plan carefully. Even the smallest mistake could prove costly, and what you may lose might be something you could never get back.

This is a good way of saying never burn bridges, both in your personal and professional life. Particularly with web designers and developers who mostly thrive through their clients. It doesn’t matter if you had a hard time dealing with a specific client, try not to lose contact with them. Who knows, maybe your calm interaction with them even when they were totally aggressive can go a long way into the future.

Read Also: How To Create Your Ideal Client Profiles

"Ponder and deliberate before you make a move."

Careful planning and precise execution go hand in hand ; it’s no wonder that these two are the integral components of any project’s success. Before making any kind of decision, consider the pros and cons, as well as the consequences that each possible decision could bring forth.

Take this piece of advice together with the third point and you’ll be able to tread life more carefully. This is particularly helpful when dealing with people around you. Another version of this is, “think before you speak” or “measure twice, cut once.”

IMAGE: Pixabay

Work and The Art of War

"Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and When you move, fall like a thunderbolt."

Make sure to devote a significant amount of time to planning for any project. The importance of a sound plan cannot be overstated; however, without solid action, a plan is just a plan, and nothing more. Many beginners and experts alike fall prey into being overly excited or prideful when working on a project that they fail to fool-proof it, and ultimately leading to a project roadblock. Others call this “overestimating yourself”.

"He will win who knows how to handle both superior and Inferior forces."

This particular quote is of great significance to team leaders. A web design and development team doesn’t need to have all the advantages just to ensure success. Learn how to manage people, set expectations, and more importantly, develop skill sets.

A balance of proper training, initiative, and cooperation will take your team places – you don’t need to be a multi-billion dollar team of experts to come up with a quality website or award-winning design. Remember, it’s not how you start, it’s how you end.

"There are not more than five primary colours, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen."

It’s not in the quantity of tools you have; it’s in how you use them. This quote, which curiously has "design" written all over it, should remind web developers and designers that what truly matters is learning to work with what you have.

Apart from learning how to use your tools properly, you also need to learn to manage risks. Don’t be afraid to try new and unfamiliar things. No one could have known that blue and red make violet, or that mixing red and yellow would result in orange, if no one tried mixing the colors. who knows, a brighter future might be waiting for you, situated where you can’t see it by if you stayed in the same place.

IMAGE: Pixabay

"Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your troops unless there is something to be gained; fight not unless the position is critical."

Learn to spot opportunities as they arrive; these may be in the form of a new idea for process improvement, catching the attention of a potential big client, or even going to drastic measures such as quitting your day job in order to start your own web design and development firm.

The point here is to always aim high and play to win. Capitalize on every opportunity to get ahead, as long as it doesn’t involve stepping on other people. Think about it. People who have succeeded much in life fought and pushed hard when they saw the opportunity.

"If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak."

Focus is important in order to succeed. Concentrate on key areas of improvement, and don’t try to be everything and anything at once. It is not reasonable to expect designers to be content writing experts, for example, or web developers to be social media strategists.

This is another mistake many of us commit. We tend to think of ourselves as experts in many fields, and in some instances it may be true, but there is only so much we can do with our limited time. Furthermore, it is also proven that spreading yourself across many things, aka multitasking, is bad for your well-being and career.

Personal Improvement and The Art of War

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."

As is in everything in life, it is important to have a good understanding of everything. Knowing yourself, how you react to certain things, will go a long way. Especially as a web designer or developer, dealing with clients every day is unavoidable. Knowing their personality will save you from so much trouble.

For example, during my early days as a web developer, I failed to realize that my client then didn’t have an understanding of how websites worked, and I loaded him with details about hosting, FTP, cPanel, and the programming languages and CMS I use. Safe to say, I didn’t become his favorite.

"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while Defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win"

Whether it’s for work or for personal satisfaction, jump in because of passion and because you want to do something, not because you’re expecting some form of compensation or glory at the end. While it’s true that every journey has a destination, you’ll quickly find that there is more to be gained along the way than at the end.

Keep in mind that true victory lies in making decisions that you feel no regret for. If you pursued something that ultimately did not succeed the way you wanted it to, it still counts as a victory, for the sole reason that you put hard work into it and received valuable lessons in return.

"There is no instance of a nation benefiting from Prolonged warfare."

Strike efficiently, and strike quickly. If you have ideas for self-improvement or projects that you truly believe in, don’t act tomorrow or next week. Act now. This is more important for freelancers. Clients won’t wait for you, you need to catch up with them. The same is true for your dreams. Why delay the implementation of your awesome idea? If you wait long enough, someone else with the same idea will build it.

"In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity."

I am talking about learning from mistakes and chaos. No one has reached a great deal of success without experiencing their fair share of problems. We learn how to properly align our div tags using CSS the hard way. Nine out of ten web designers and developers I know never quite figured out how to align divs side by side until after several hours later.

Read Also: 6 CSS Tricks To Align Content Vertically

There is always a lesson to be learned in the midst of chaos. It may be difficult to deal with now, but if you push yourself to fix the issue, you won’t have to deal with it again in the future.

"Never venture, never win!"

For everyday people like you and me, a career change can go a long way. In fact, right now, there are a lot of people founding their own startups. This rings particularly true for me. I left my job of 4 years several months ago in order to freelance full-time, which was the second best decision I made.

The best decision I made is partnering up with a web design company. It’s a pretty big leap, but hey, “Never venture, never win!” Be it a new skill, new project, or new career you are thinking of, if it makes you lose sleep at night and makes you all excited in the morning, you might want to consider pursuing it!

IMAGE: Pixabay

Final Words

Here’s one more passage from The Art of War for everyone to remember: "If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete." Overall, what The Art of War tells us is that we need to be aware of ourselves and of others. By keeping an open mind to the things that are happening around us, we can make informed decision that will not only help us in our personal lives, but also at work.

Now Read:
How To Become A High-Demand Designer

15 Lessons “The Art of War” Teaches You About Winning Life Battles

5 Lessons to Take from Great Ad Designs

The first step toward becoming a great web design Singaporeer? Recognizing well-executed work when you see it, even if it’s not yours. Good taste is a huge part of what makes a good web design Singaporeer. However, the best web design Singaporeers are able to not only recognize when something’s working, but also deconstruct the finished product and explain why it’s working. Below, we break down five successful print ads and indicate what you can learn from each of them. Remember: Good artists borrow; great artists steal.

1. Limitations Can Be Opportunities

When you’re limited by printing costs, a client or the final venue for the work you’re web design Singaporeing, it’s easy to despair that web design Singaporeing in black and white is a death sentence. However, black-and-white ads like the one below can be just as impactful (if not more so) than full-color ads. It’s just a matter of using the tools in front of you creatively. When done right, there’s nothing more bold and eye-catching than a full page of high-contrast, B&W web design Singapore, and sometimes a little limitation is just what you need to get inspired. (See more examples at Source)

2. Let Your Work Breathe

It’s not uncommon for non-design-oriented clients to misguidedly complain about “dead space” in a web design Singapore. However, good web design Singaporeers know that even the best concept will be a bust if it’s overcrowded on the page. Instead, some web design Singapores (especially visual gags) need a bit of room in order to be easily understood by the viewer. Filling up the page just for the sake of having it full doesn’t do you or your client any favors, regardless of what they may think. (See more examples at Source)

3. Zoom in on the Action

This is a great rule to remember for any medium that writers often refer to as “starting closer to the climax.” Some web design Singapores need a little space, but there are other projects that require you to get right to the point, and that often means zooming in to direct the viewer’s eye. Just think how ineffectual the ad below would be if it zoomed out to show the Hulk’s full body. That crowds the space with unimportant information and can distract the viewer from what makes this ad clever. Center your web design Singapore around what’s most important so you don’t spend unnecessary time “setting it up.” (Source)

4. Listen to Your Type

It’s important to remember that even a small amount of badly executed type can tank a top project. Being proficient in typography is a huge plus, though you needn’t fixate on x-heights to be an effective type user. In the ad below, the Ralph Steadman-esque type is more than just a delivery system for the words, it imbues the entire ad with an enticingly spooky air. It’s easily accessible on that level, but if you’re aware of the style it’s borrowing from, it works on a deeper level too – a nice “Easter egg” for the web design Singapore-literate viewer. (Source)

5. Really Feel It

We all rely on Photoshop these days, but ads with realistic, touchable textures still seem to come out on top. Why? Because they’re honest and easy to relate to, so don’t get caught up in a concept that will require tons of sleek textures, Herculean photo manipulations and gymnastics on your part. Sometimes, the most accessible, memorable web design Singapores just need to have that human element. (Source).

What’re Your Favorite Ads?

What ads have you seen recently that teach something interesting about web design Singapore? Leave a comment below and let us know.

5 Lessons to Take from Great Ad Designs