Tuesday, December 2, 2014

50 Free Resources for Designers from November 2014



The tremendous thing about the design community is that we all love to share. We really do. Whether we share our thoughts and ideas via an in-depth article, or by giving advice/feedback on a forum, or even by freely offering high-quality resources. The sharing is what makes our community truly great! Here are this months 50 best free resources for web designers from November 2014:


Free Resources for Web Designers November 2014


Gift of Giving Free Tumblr Theme – The Catalog

The Catalog Tumblr Theme
Arca Majora OS Typeface


Free Fonts


Arca Majora OS Typeface by Alfredo Marco Pradil.
Arca Majora OS Typeface


Libre Caslon by Pablo Impallari & Rodrigo Fuenzalida.
Libre Caslon free font


Brixton Line and Swash by Hut Fonts.
Brixton Line and Swash font


Fins by Jake Kho.


Sweet Pineapple Hand-Drawn Serif by Jenn Coyle.
Sweet Pineapple Hand-Drawn Serif


Free Icons


Boldons Icon Set (45 Icons, PNG, AI).
Boldons Icon Set


Developer Icon Set (17 Icons, SVG).
Developer Icon Se


Hand Doodle Icons (50 Icons, AI, SVG & PNG).
Hand Doodle Icons


UNigrid Vector Icons (100 Icons, AI).
UNigrid Vector Icons


Iconsmind Icon Set (70 Icons, PSD).
Iconsmind Icon Set


Touch Icon Set (340 Icons, AI, PSD & SVG).
Touch Icon Set


Kitchen Tools Icon Set (40 Icons, PSD & AI).
Kitchen Tools Icon Set


Blackberry Icons (20 Icons, PSD).
Blackberry Icons


Tab Bar Icons (24 Icons, PSD).
Tab Bar Icons


Icons for UI (100 Icons, PSD, EPS & AI).
Icons for UI


Gamecenter Icons Pack (150 Icons, PSD).
Gamecenter Icons Pack


DroidIcon (1600 Icons).
DroidIcon


Vector File Extension Icons (21 Icons, AI).
Vector File Extension Icons


SVG Icons (70 Icons, SVG).
SVG Icons


Free Web Templates & Themes


BJöRN Multipurpose Landing Page (PSD).
BJöRN Multipurpose Landing Page


Resume Template (PSD).
Resume Template


Creative Agency Web Template (PSD).
Creative Agency Web Template


Ecommerce Dashboard Template (PSD).
Ecommerce Dashboard Template


Moderno Creative Simple Portfolio Page (PSD).
Moderno Creative Simple Portfolio Page


Daily (WordPress Theme).
Daily WordPress Theme


Life Is Good (WordPress Theme).
Life Is Good WordPress Theme


Yarn (WordPress Theme).
Yarn WordPress Theme


Zerif Lite (WordPress Theme).
Zerif Lite WordPress Theme


Free UI Kits


Elements UI KIT (PSD).
Elements UI KIT


Material Design Ui Kit (PSD).
Material Design Ui Kit


Ultimate Infographics Pack (AI).
Ultimate Infographics Pack


Apple Watch GUI Template (Sketch).
Apple Watch GUI Template


Flat UI Kit (Sketch).
Flat UI Kit


iPhone 6 UX Workflow (AI).
iPhone 6 UX Workflow


iPhone 6 Vector Wireframing Toolkit (AI).
iPhone 6 Vector Wireframing Toolkit


iPhone 6 Vector Wireframing Toolkit (AI).
iPhone 6 Vector Wireframing Toolkit


Diagram Template (Sketch).
Diagram Template


Simple Voting App (Sketch).
Simple Voting App


Material Design App (Sketch).
Material Design App


Free Mockups


Photo Frames Mockups (PSD).
Photo Frames Mockups


Photorealistic iMac Mockup Set (PSD).
Photorealistic iMac Mockup Set


Stationery Mockup Vol.4 (PSD).
Stationery Mockup Vol.4


Apple Product Mockups (PSD).
Apple Product Mockups


iPad Mockups (PSD).
iPad Mockups


Christmas Freebies


Christmas Greeting Card Set (PSD).
Christmas Greeting Card Set


Icons, Badges & Lettering for Christmas (EPS, AI & PSD).
Icons, Badges & Lettering for Christmas


Christmas Labels and Emblems (AI).
Christmas Labels and Emblems


Christmas Wreath & Holly Vector (EPS, AI).
Christmas Wreath & Holly Vector


Christmas Vector Icons for iOS8, iOS7 & Android (30 Icons). .
Christmas Vector Icons for iOS8, iOS7 & Android


Everything Else


Flat Diagonal Shadow Text Effect (PSD).
Flat Diagonal Shadow Text Effect


Vintage Retro Text Effect (PSD).
Vintage Retro Text Effect


Flat Designer Essentials Hero Header Kit (PSD).
Flat Designer Essentials Hero Header Kit


Sable Vector Hand Drawn Elements (AI, EPS & PSD).
Sable Vector Hand Drawn Elements


Realistic Charcoal Brush (Photoshop).
ealistic Charcoal Brush


Subtle Grunge Textures (JPG).
Subtle Grunge Textures


Subtle Vector Texture Pack (AI).
Subtle Vector Texture Pack


Things Pattern (EPS).
Things Pattern


..and finally..


Magic MockupsFree Real-Life Mockup Generator.
Magic Mockups free Real-Life Mockup Generator





The post 50 Free Resources for Designers from November 2014 appeared first on Speckyboy Web Design Magazine.



50 Free Resources for Designers from November 2014

Searching For Happiness In The Workplace

When it comes to work and enjoyment, there are two polar opposites. And they’re summarized beautifully in 2 quotes. The first, “Do what you love and you never have to work a day in your life (Confucius)” and the other, “You’re not supposed to enjoy it. That’s why it’s called work (multiple sources)”. Let’s agree to disagree and move on.


At the risk of sounding childish, I have to ask you if happiness in the workplace is important to you? To me, happiness in the work place – or contentment of where you are at in your career ladder – is essential… to keep at your job for the long term.



If you are a job hopper, one day you will either end up with no place left to hop to, or no energy to do anymore hopping. We all have to settle eventually, or flat out retire (though most of us who can afford to wouldn’t and those who do want to retire couldn’t afford to).


While we work ourselves towards retirement, I leave you with this, a simple guide on how to find happiness in the workplace, put together from advice I have received from many people I have worked for, and with. I’m just the messenger; may you feel their wisdom in what they have to share with you when it comes to finding happiness in the workplace.



Make happiness essential


If you have ever heard yourself saying, “I left my previous job because I wasn’t happy’ then you should make it clear that you want to find happiness in your next one. Fact is, many people will list remuneration, benefits, perks, status, and even career goals as main factors in deciding which job to apply for.


It is only when they are in the job that they discover that happiness is also a prime factor, one which is severely overlooked in the midst of their job search. (I am also guilty of this. Well, was.)


Make it clear that you place happiness high up in your list of priorities, not only to your future employers, but also to yourself. It isn’t silly or naïve to want to go to work in a cheerful place; it is productive and rewarding.


In fact, your workplace can be a highly competitive environment, filled with ambitious goals and it is still possible for you to leave the office at the end of the day with a genuine smile on your face, as long as you know that what you want to achieve there can make you happy.


Work with people you look up to


Some people come to the workplace and light up the space with his or her presence. They make everyone full of optimism, and every word that come out of their mouth fills you with confidence to brave the office another day, knowing that you have this person backing you up in case something bad happens.


This person is also the person you can always talk to: their door is always open, everything can be brought up for discussion, and you can be sure that whatever requires resolution, you will find the solution in that person’s office or wisdom.


Some would call them ‘mentors’, when in fact they could exist as your manager, team leader, and sometimes, if you are ever so lucky, your boss. If you have goals and ambition, respect will be a magnet to you. Work with people who are respected or admired by many, including yourself, and perhaps you will be able to find that utopia you can spend your 9-to-5′s in.


Work with people who have your back


It is hard to take instructions from someone you deem weaker than you when it comes to a voice of authority, but in the long run, it is more important to work with someone you know will have your back. It isn’t enough to expect people you can categorize as your “friend’ to watch out for you. You should be able to depend on members of your team, or even your team leader as well.


To have that kind of safety net ready to catch your fall is a great stress reliever, and will contribute greatly to your well-being in the office. The trick, of course, is to find these people in the environments you have placed yourself in.


For that, there is no shortcut. What you may need is to take the time to spread some goodwill, pay attention, and perhaps some luck.


Granted some workplaces are cutthroat hell-holes, but if you are already in one, it’s probably best that you throw your happiness search out the window altogether. Alternatively, you can quit and find a job that would actually make you happier.


Work in a place where emotions is not Deemed a weakness


I have never been a fan of the professional workplace, where people are asked to sideline their emotions, positive or negative, for the “benefit of the office”. If they ask you to calm yourself down after being victimized by a new policy – “be cool, be professional about this, this is how things work here’ – understand that in many workplaces, the need to steel yourself against human emotions is not a necessity.


Just ask anyone who is genuinely passionate about work.


You cannot talk about passion in the workplace if you want everyone to stay professional and ignore their emotions all the time. Penting up anger and suppressing frustration, opting instead to adhere to a state of professionalism will only leave you tensed, and uptight, and will probably leave a mark on your health.


We are humans after all – we emote, whether we like it or not. But instead of hiding our emotions, why not choose to be in control of it? Channel it into something positive rather than suppress it, and you might be surprised where you end up.


The Allure Of Comparing Lives


This one I got from a job recruiter whom I interviewed for a job-seeker’s article. If you have ever found yourself comparing where you are now with a former classmate or current friend, know that in about every circumstance, you are comparing apples and oranges. In some cases it’s apples and basketballs – they aren’t even in the same category to begin with.


Some companies pay high salaries but expect you to give up a lot of your personal time to stay in employment. Others pay less, but don’t get you in trouble with your spouse or partner by calling you up during your family holidays. There are also those who sort out problems in your life so you can deal with the company’s problem and the traditional type of offices that disallow you mixing business with home affairs.


Whatever their policies are like, at the end of the day, remember that you are in their employment to achieve their goals, not vice versa. And everyone has their own set of troubles they have to deal with, to cope.


Don’t add to the stress by deeming yourself less worthy when comparing your life with someone else’s. But if you really have to compare yourself with anyone, compare yourself, with yourself. To clarify, compare the current you with the you 5 years down the road, or 5 years ago. What do you have now that is deemed an improvement from what you had back then? What do you hope to achieve 5 years from now?



Don’t leave your job for something good, leave for something great


I had handed in my resignation letter to one of my first jobs early in my career and the newly appointed manager had called me into her office to talk to me about the matter. Although on the surface, it looked as though I was leaving because I disagreed with their company policy, deep down inside, my confidence was shaky at best, as I had no plans to fall back on once my notice of termination is up.


It was then when she told me, in a tone that was less managerial than it was motherly, to “never leave your current job for something ‘good’, leave for something ‘great’.”


If it was an attempt to make me stay, it didn’t really work because instead, it helped me steel my nerves, making me more determined than at the start of the discussion, to take my leave and venture out into the world because at that moment, I knew that I was going to settle for nothing less than great. (Whether I succeed or not shall be left a mystery at this point. Life is an adventure, after all.)


Conclusion


If all of this sounds like it belongs in the “easier said than done’ category, this time I beg to differ with you. You might have noticed that in many jobseeking articles, advice columns or motivational materials, we are rarely encouraged – or allowed – to associate the workplace with happiness.


At best it is “rewarding’ or “conducive’ or some other buzzword that is close to what you think constitutes happiness, but in reality, does squat to help you in the happiness department.


For something so important to the well-being of your personal relationships, career and life, don’t you think it is time you start making the search for happiness in the workload a priority?











Searching For Happiness In The Workplace