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Doodle CSS – This HTML/CSS theme will give your site a hand drawn look.

The State of CSS 2021 – The annual look at CSS trends that made news in 2021.

12 Days of Web – Check out this year-end celebration of fundamental web technologies.

Guess CSS! – A CSS game where you guess which code snippet matches a layout.

The 2021 WordPress Year in Review – The biggest developments for the world’s most popular CMS.

Pico.css – A minimal CSS framework that features styles for all native HTML elements and includes a dark mode.

The ideal line length & line height in web design – Learn how to set up your typography’s line length and height with this tutorial.

Tips for Running a WordPress Multisite Network – Helpful hints for keeping your WordPress multisite install running in tip-top shape.

GD.CSS – This library promises an accessible alternative to HTML5 CSS resets.

8 Essential Free Plugins for WordPress Multisite – Add some outstanding functionality to your multisite network with these plugins.

Writing Better CSS – A look at scenarios where modern techniques can reduce the complexity of your code.

Capsize – This library makes the sizing and layout of text as predictable as every other element on the screen.

Tasks Freelance Web Designers Should Consider Outsourcing – Common scenarios where it may be more effective to hire a helping hand.

An introduction to UI sounds – How sound can be utilized to create a better user experience.

The history of data journalism – A historical take on every critical breakthrough from the 1950s until today.

The post Weekly News for Designers № 624 appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

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Ever feel like you’re getting passed over constantly for new and exciting work by other designers who aren’t quite as, well, good as you are? Don’t worry, you’re not alone – and you’re not a bitter jerk for having those thoughts.

It’s something that most young freelance designers face, especially as they improve their skills and become better designers, yet their client roster is still as uninspiring as ever.

Today, I’m going to give all you young designers out there some tips on what you can do to stop feeling like yesterday’s news, and get in on more of the exciting, high-paying action going on in the design industry.

Gaining Entry to the Clubhouse

I hate to break it to you, good designer wallowing in obscurity, but you’re being kept out of the loop. There’s a secret store of knowledge out there that you’re ignorant of, but that those bad designers around you know all about.

They’re sneaking out at night to attend the meetings, making piles of money while you’re crashed on your friend’s couch with overdue bills and empty soda cans and junk food wrappers scattered around you, like a blanket of sorrow to go with your feelings of rejection and inadequacy.

It’s okay. I know how you feel – but there’s good news! Brew yourself a pot of coffee and read on.

The secret knowledge that these successful designers all share isn’t really all that secret. I was just joking – y’know, for dramatic effect. I’ve got a story to weave here, after all.

These designers really all know just one important thing: how to sell their work to the right audience. That’s it. The “secret sauce” is marketing.

Selling yourself is something that many creatives are famously uncomfortable with, but the truth is that we all already sell ourselves. Every time we meet with a client, we have to sell them on our ideas. Convincing a client to hire you isn’t all that different from what you already do on the job.

Marketing is a skill that tends to be despised, but it really shouldn’t be. It’s the counterpart to good design. If you create the most wonderful, awe-inspiring design in the world, and hide it at the bottom of a drawer, you may as well not have created it at all.

If you don’t make the effort to put your work in front of people who will see it and want to hire you, you’re essentially doing the same thing. You’re creating work and hiding it under a veil of obscurity.

Selling the Sizzle

Marketing yourself to new clients doesn’t mean that the quality of your work has to suffer. Don’t stoop down to the level of the crappy designers around you and create work that’s equally bad.

The solution to your marketing deficiency is not to get down in the mud alongside the bad designers who are outpacing you. Your task is to outperform them with your superior talent and critical thinking skills.

You don’t need to work any differently – you just need to package that work in a way that’s more attention-grabbing to a broader audience.

Many times the biggest marketing issue that talented creatives face is that they’re just too excited about what they can do. Perhaps your code is clean as a whistle and compliant with every web standard known to humankind.

Or maybe you’re a minimalism whiz, with a perfect knack for creating simple, powerful layouts with the perfect balance of clarity, beautiful type, and whitespace.

That’s nice for you, and maybe your mom, to know about, but the cold, hard truth is that most clients couldn’t care less. They’re only concerned about whether you can get the job done competently and on deadline. It’s sad, but true.

The key to marketing yourself well is to sell an experience, not a list of qualifications. You need to be thinking about how, specifically, can your technical skills improve the quality of life for your clients.

It sounds terribly dramatic, but marketing is almost pure psychology. People are motivated, in life and in business, by things most freelancers don’t stop to consider when offering their services.

If you can connect with a client on a personal level – offer them an important benefit that will earn them more money or allow them to free up more time (a huge desire of many overworked business owners and managers), you’ll have more clients than you’ll know what to do with.

Find Your Niche

Sometimes you get beat out by the mediocre competition simply because that person has access to a wider pool of clients than you do. Perhaps they live in one city and they’re doing business all around the world with similar clients.

These competitors of yours have found a niche that works for them and they’re out finding clients wherever they happen to be. If they have to get on a plane and travel, well, it’s worth it to them to have access to clients that others in their niche can’t easily get to.

When marketing yourself and selling your services to new clients, it’s important to get specific – don’t just cater to everyone, or you’ll end up catering to no one. Find a lucrative niche within the design industry, and grow your client base from it.

Perhaps you only work with clients in the legal and medicine industries. Or maybe you work with tech startups, or fashion designers, or boutique ad agencies. Whatever your niche is, make sure there’s enough clients in it to supply you with years of new work.

If it’s hard for you to find clients in your niche (maybe you live in a small town or it’s just too competitive), perhaps it’s time to branch out. Travel has never been easier or more economical – if the clients you want to work with aren’t in your area, pack a suitcase and go to theirs.

Alternatively, you can use your design skills and technical expertise to leverage the power of your local media. Become a local design expert in one area you can master.

Marketing doesn’t have to be scary, nor does it have to be particularly hard. The majority of the effort comes at the beginning – determining your niche, finding the right clients, and establishing yourself as someone who provides just the right experience your clients are looking for.

The rest has to do with keeping yourself at the top of your clients’ minds – updating your email list, sending out mailers, etc.

There are plenty of other articles which cover these things in detail. Once you establish a system that works for you, it becomes much easier for you to accelerate your career at a rate that’s more appropriate for your knowledge and skill level.

The post How Novice Designers Can Improve Their Client Rosters appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

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Data portability is something that we don’t often think about until we need it. This is especially so with WordPress. Our posts, users, eCommerce orders, etc., live happily in a database. But when we want to access and take that information with us (and potentially import it into another site), it’s not always a simple task.

One way to handle this is via backend software like phpMyAdmin. You can import and export a full database or just specific tables. It offers a lot of flexibility. But that is not recommended for the faint of heart. It is entirely possible to bring down a site if you’re not careful.

In most cases, the better way to perform these tasks is through a WordPress plugin. Many feature a more user-friendly GUI and some are built for niche uses like user accounts or WooCommerce orders. This is an added layer of convenience overdoing things through phpMyAdmin.

A word to the wise: Misuse of a plugin can still result in damage. So always make sure to back up your site before messing around with critical data. Even better, make a copy of your site and test things out in a staging environment before touching a live install of WordPress.

With that, here are 10 free plugins you can use to import and export various kinds of data with WordPress. Note that while the plugins are categorized as Import or Export, some will happily perform both functions.

WP All Import

WP All Import is designed for times when you want to import posts from a CSV or XML file that isn’t WordPress-friendly by default. It could be something a client created, or it could be from a different CMS. The plugin doesn’t require any special elements or layouts in the file, making a tough job easier.

A companion Export plugin is also available.

WP Ultimate CSV Importer

WP Ultimate CSV Importer (which also provides Exports) enables you to import an array of data. Included are the abilities to import posts, pages, custom post types, comments, users, custom fields and even SEO information from All in One SEO Pack. You can also import images from external URLs.

Import Users from CSV with Meta

If you have many users to import, Import Users from CSV with Meta is a lifesaver. Not only will it bring new users into your WordPress install, but it can also update data for existing users. Plus, it will import Meta from plugins like WooCommerce, or you can create your own custom info.

You’ll also be able to assign each user a specific role and choose whether or not to send an email to new users.

Customizer Export/Import

Recreating the exact theme settings in the WordPress Customizer can be extremely tedious – especially when you’re using a theme that has lots of options.

Customizer Export/Import makes it a breeze, allowing you to export or import settings from another site (or restore a backup) directly from within the Customizer.

JSON Content Importer

JSON Content Importer lets you display live data from a JSON feed through a simple Shortcode. Control how many items are displayed, use keyword settings to only display specific types of content, and more. The plugin uses a template engine to help you tweak the layout to your liking.

Export Plugins

Export User Data

Perfect for eCommerce and membership sites, Export User Data makes it easy to export a custom spreadsheet of users. Craft your export from custom user meta (including fields added by BuddyPress), registration date, and user role. This allows administrators to quickly narrow things down to just a specific segment of accounts.

Advanced Orders Export for WooCommerce

Advanced Orders Export for WooCommerce is incredibly flexible. It enables you to export virtually anything associated with a WooCommerce product, including Meta and custom fields.

Powerful filters and the ability to move fields around allow for fine-tuning an export to your liking. Export your orders in CSV, XLS, XML, and JSON. Available code snippets help you add compatibility with certain Woo extensions.

Export All URLs

Do you need to quickly grab a listing of all the titles, URLs, and categories for your WordPress Website? Export All URLs will create a page on your site listing it all. Data can be exported and categorized by post type.

Simple CSV/XLS Exporter

Simple CSV/XLS Exporter is a utility that lets you pick and choose what is included with your export.

Pick from any standard or custom post type, select fields, or get really specific by choosing posts made by a specific user ID. WooCommerce orders can also be included in an export.

Export Media with Selected Content

When exporting a post type in WordPress, the media attached to those posts are not included. Export Media with Selected Content provides a fix by allowing you to choose whether or not to include media files in the package.

Portability is Important

The ability to move data around is a necessary feature for many organizations. User data can go back and forth to keep a membership roster up to date. Online sales data can be imported into accounting software to get ready for tax time. And, there’s always the need to move data between websites.

While some of the plugins above have a more narrow focus than others, they can all serve the purpose of making a WordPress website’s data more portable. That, in turn, makes life easier for both designers and site owners.

The post 10 WordPress Plugins for Importing and Exporting Data appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

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Web designers are always looking for ways to give their business a boost. And whether you have an eye towards bringing on new clients or expanding the presence of existing ones, the main goal is to grow your bottom line. It’s part of the natural evolution for freelancers and agencies alike.

And, although we often strive for growth, it can be an intimidating concept. You might, for example, see it as something that takes a significant investment of time and/or money.

However, growth comes in many forms. You don’t necessarily have to toil away for years in hopes of coming up with that one big idea. There are some simple ways to expand your business that won’t require you to move mountains.

To be sure, these aren’t get-rich-quick schemes. Rather, they’re opportunities that may already be sitting right in front of you. Today, we’ll show you how to take advantage of them.

Prepare Clients for Technological Shifts

The web doesn’t stay the same for very long. Both the technology we use to build websites and user expectations change rapidly. Perhaps it’s a little scary – but it’s also a great opportunity.

We tend to implement these changes into new projects. That makes perfect sense, as you want to start with the latest and greatest. But we shouldn’t forget about existing clients.

Whether it’s a change to Google’s search algorithm or a revamped editing experience for WordPress, existing websites need to keep on evolving. Doing so will ensure that these sites can take full advantage of new technology. More importantly, it also means that they won’t fall too far behind the curve.

This can provide a steady stream of revenue. Yet, not all designers take advantage. They instead train their focus on new clients, thus leaving a potentially significant amount of money on the table.

The biggest hurdle here is communication. But by proactively keeping clients informed of these shifts, you open the door to expanding your bottom line.

Offer Complementary Services

Like peanut butter and jelly, some services just go together. And adding the right ones to your web design business can make for a tasty combination. Or, at least improved cash flow.

And there are several complementary services that web designers can choose from. It might be recurring maintenance, web hosting, SEO, or even consulting.

You can configure things in a way that works best for both you and your clients. For example, you might do the dirty work yourself or contract it out to a third-party provider (more on that in a moment). Signing up with various affiliate programs is a popular solution.

That’s not to say that every service, no matter how natural an extension, is the right one for your business. While you can make some money, there is an added responsibility as well. It’s something to consider before making any decisions.

Still, design and development go deeper than just their respective names. There is a whole world of possibilities to grow.

Team Up with Other Freelancers

Because web design is such a vast industry, many of us have chosen to focus on a particular niche. This allows for more detail-oriented service. However, it can also mean that we’re lacking in other areas that are important to our clients.

One way to tackle this challenge is by teaming up with other freelancers or agencies. Hire them to take on the work that you don’t typically do – and vice-versa. Tasks like email marketing, social media management, and custom coding are just a few potential areas for collaboration.

If you’re contracting outside help, you can add project management fees on top of what you’re being charged. The result is that you’ll make sure the job is done right while bringing in a little extra cash at the same time.

The other side of the coin is the ability to pick up new projects that cater to your skills. In the right situation, it’s a great way to add to your portfolio without having to hunt for new clients.

Again, there are some extra responsibilities involved. And it requires a solid working relationship with someone you trust. Therefore, it may be wise to test the waters on a project or two before making any commitments.

Real Growth You Can Implement Today

The opportunities above are ideal for any web designer who wants to grow without radically remaking their business. They don’t require taking out a loan or spending tons of time developing a new product. They’re off-the-shelf ideas that can be implemented immediately.

And you don’t need to dive in with both feet. Starting small can add up to something over time. It’s possible to create a stable, modest boost to your income. As you become more comfortable, you can aim to take things to a higher level.

The key is in determining which areas will be mutually beneficial to you and your clients. The answer will be different for everyone, depending on your current situation. For some, the potential cash increase may not be worth the cost in terms of maintenance or other hassles.

Still, seizing the right opportunity may be just the thing your business needs to jumpstart growth.

The post 3 Quick Ways to Grow Your Web Design Business appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

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Modern fluid typography editor – Use this tool to craft the perfect fluid typography system.

Tailwind CSS v3.0 – Learn all about the latest version of the popular CSS framework.

How Designers Can Market Themselves to the Clients That Best Suit Their Niche – Tips on how good designers can market themselves to exactly the kind of clients that will best suit their services.

Tailwind CSS Cheat Sheet – This resource lets you search for all the class names and CSS properties Tailwind CSS has to offer.

Coloring With Code — A Programmatic Approach To Design – Create amazing color palettes with your favorite text editor.

Fonts Knowledge – Dive into the world of typography with this set of guides from Google.

The Grumpy Designer’s 2022 Preview – The boldest satirical predictions for Google, Meta, WordPress, and more.

The 2021 Web Almanac – The annual report combines the raw stats and trends of the HTTP Archive with the expertise of the web community.

7 Free Plugins for Adding Structured Data to Your WordPress Website – Enhance your site’s SEO and provide useful structured data with these free plugins.

Floating UI – Use this library to position all types of floating elements with full control.

8 Outstanding eCommerce Microinteraction CSS & JavaScript Snippets – Intuitive examples that add something extra to the online shopping experience.

Free Charts Icon Set – Download this free set of 80+ icons with 4 popular categories. Available in PNG and SVG formats.

Defensive CSS – Techniques for crafting problem-free CSS.

20 Beautifully Imperfect Free Brush Fonts for Designers – A collection of fonts that are rustic in style, yet seamlessly blend in with modern design.

ScreenREC – A handy screen recording app that works from your browser.

State of APIs – Some insights on API trends for 2021.

Flip, Invert, and Reverse – This tutorial will show you how to use various transformations for SVG path commands.

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Among the biggest challenges freelance web designers face is the sheer number of responsibilities involved. It goes well beyond design and development. There’s marketing, bookkeeping, client relations, technical support, and continuing education. For some, the list might be even longer.

During busy times, it can feel like you have to be everywhere at once. Not only is it stressful, but it can also take focus away from your projects (you know, the stuff you like to do). With that, the results may not be up to your usual standard.

The first step in improving the situation is in recognizing the problem. While all of these responsibilities come with the territory, that doesn’t mean you have to accept the struggle.

Finding relief sometimes means relinquishing control. The realization that, no, you don’t have to do everything by yourself, can be liberating.

While everyone has different strengths, there are a variety of tasks that you may want to pass along to someone else. Today, we’ll look at a few of the most common ones to remove from your already-full plate.

Aspects of a Project That You Can’t Do Efficiently

Web design projects tend to be multifaceted. There’s the look and layout, to go along with a site’s functionality. Beyond that, you might be looking at complementary pieces such as SEO and performance optimization.

Chances are, there might be one or more areas of a project that don’t play to your strengths. For example, you might be a whiz at CSS but struggle with building certain functionality from scratch.

Or, there could be loads of “busy” work, such as entering content into a CMS. Perhaps it’s not difficult, but it further stresses your tight schedule.

These are prime opportunities to outsource some tasks to another web professional in your network. If they can do it more efficiently and cost-effectively, it makes sense to pass the work along to them. This allows you to focus on what you do best and produce the ideal outcome.

However, this is something you’ll want to plan for ahead of time. That way, you can adjust for any additional costs that come with bringing someone else into the fold.

Taxes and Related Financial Duties

Tax laws around the world vary quite a bit. But their one common feature is in how complex they are. This is especially the case for solo freelancers or other small business arrangements. They’re often a category that is underserved in terms of clear policy.

Thus, it’s easy to get mired in a tangle of arcane rules and nonsensical paperwork. And, even if you understand the basics, there are a lot of little details that could make a huge difference in the outcome. Miss one of them and it could cost you money (or worse).

Why continue waste to your time? Tax professionals and financial advisors are there to navigate these turbulent waters for you. A good one will provide you with helpful information and file your taxes to the letter of the law.

If you aren’t keen on recordkeeping, they might even handle it for you. Alternatively, they can set you up with software that makes the task easier.

For many of us, finance is an area that is far outside of our expertise. When that’s the case, it’s better to delegate the responsibility to someone more qualified.

Things That Can Be Effectively Automated

Now, about the term “outsource”. It has traditionally meant hiring one or more humans to do a job. But in web design, we’re not limited to just human help these days.

There are a lot of tasks that can be partially, if not fully, automated. Things like browser, device, and performance testing come to mind. Software updates might also be run on an automated schedule.

When done manually, each of these items can potentially eat up a lot of your precious time. The ability to automate them can result in significant savings.

Automation is usually taken care of via a third-party service provider. You pay a fee in exchange for getting a piece of your life back. However, you may find some free, open-source scripts that offer this functionality as well.

Either way, these tools do a lot of the grunt work for you. From there, you can view the results and deal with any issues as needed.

Save Your Time and Your Sanity

Every freelancer is faced with tasks that make running a business more difficult. They might be far outside of our expertise or merely busywork. Regardless, they take our focus off of more important things.

While the items above are common examples, they are by no means a complete list. Since many of us have a specific niche, some tasks will prove to be more of an obstacle than others.

For instance, you may be terrific at logo design and welcome the challenge. Others may want to run away from their computer screaming. In that case, being able to pass that work along to someone else can be a great solution.

But before you go ahead and start outsourcing tasks, do a little thinking. Which ones will save you time and make for a more efficient workflow? Just as important, consider tasks that cause you an undue amount of stress. Outsourcing can benefit your mental health, as well.

There is so much work that goes into being a freelance web designer. Thankfully, you don’t have to do it all on your own.

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When creating a new digital art project, it’s vital to have the right tools on hand to complete the job. Sometimes, that means software. Other times, that means specific tools within said software. And if you’re looking to create 3D effects in your work, Photoshop actions might just be the thing you need most.

What follows is a concise collection of Photoshop actions that streamline the process for creating 3D effects. Add depth to text. Add shadows and depth of field. Create isometric effects. No matter what end goal you have for your artwork, these actions simplify creating a 3D look, which could very well free up your time for other important tasks.

No more delays. Let’s get into the collection.

3D Isometric Photoshop Action

This 3D Isometric Photoshop action makes it easy to transform text, vector-based shapes, smart objects, layer groups, and pixel layers into images that appear as though they are real 3D objects. This action works in two different directions and includes 12 shadow sizes, 10 extrusion sizes, a choice over light and shadow directions, and more.

Conceptum 3D Sketch Photoshop Action

Here’s another fantastic option. The Concept 3D Sketch Photoshop Action turns any photograph you want into a technical sketch that preserves 3D elements. It can work on any image of an object and creates a highly-detailed graphic that you can use in any number of situations. It comes with a full tutorial as well.

3D Text Effect Photoshop Action

The 3D Text Effect Photoshop Action is another text effect that works to transform your graphics into realistic-looking 3D objects. The results preserve full detail and color and can be tweaked based on extrusion direction and size, shadow and light direction and size, custom colors and fonts, and more. A full PDF help file is included so getting started is easy.

Anaglyph 3D Photoshop Action

Give your artwork an old-style stereoscopic 3D look with this Anaglyph 3D Photoshop Action. It adds this effect to your photos with a single click and the end result actually works with real 3D glasses. It comes with 8 different actions and it doesn’t destroy your original image in the process.

3D Effect Photoshop Actions

Here’s another great option for adding a 3D effect to your images. This one gives your image the appearance of stereoscopic 3D with just a few clicks. It automatically creates layer groups and is non-destructive so your original image remains intact. It also comes with a text file that guides you through the whole process.

3D Text Creator Actions

The 3D Text Creator Actions consists of a whopping 65 separate actions you can use to turn text layers into 3D text graphics. They work in four directions, can be used to create solid, flat, or translucent 3D text, and include five outline styles. All layers are fully editable and these actions are non-destructive.

3D Dispersion Photoshop Action

What an interesting effect this is! The 3D Dispersion Photoshop Action works by taking your images and making them appear as though they’ve broken apart into tiny three-dimensional pieces and said pieces are flying away. This dispersion effect can be applied quickly to your photos and you can select from four different directions of movement.

Animated 3D Parallax Duotone Action

The Animated 3D Parallax Duotone Action works by creating a 3D stereoscopic GIF. It works by creating a looping animation out of two layers. Other features include 25 colorscripts, a thumbnail color preview, fully editable layers, and a quick start guide.

Gold 3D Text Effect Photoshop Action

Giving your text a shiny gold effect has never been easier thanks to the Gold 3D Text Effect Photoshop Action. This one provides a realistic result that’s super easy to implement. With just one click, you’ll have the finished layers. It works on text, vectors, pixel layers, smart objects, and more. It also has a smart shadow you can play with. And a video tutorial is included.

Real 3D Text Mockup Photoshop Actions

Here’s another fantastic option for adding 3D effects to the text elements of your graphics. Just a few clicks and you’ll see your results. You can use it in backgrounds and more. It comes with 6 PSD files with the effect in Smart Objects. It also comes with a help file that includes instructions and fonts.

Isometric Illustration 3D Photoshop Generator

Now this is a fun one. The Isometric Illustration 3D Photoshop Generator makes it easy to create isometric illustrations from all types of illustrations. Apply it to shapes, vectors, smart objects, group layers, pixel layers, or text. It works in 4 directions, you can select from 10 depth sizes, and it comes with a total of 40 different actions.

Animated 3D Photography Stereoscopic Action

Last on our list is another animated option. Great a 3D animated GIF from one images with just a few clicks. It uses a parallax effect to create a shift in the image layers. When played on a look, it creates the illusion of 3D. It comes with 3 different vintage-style color presets, a help file, and a video file.

Though the prospect of creating 3D images might seem daunting at first, it’s actually fairly easy so long as you have the right tools in your toolbox. This selection of Photoshop actions for creating 3D effects ought to shave hours off your workflow time, and the results will be sure to please. Happy creating!

The post The 12 Best Photoshop Actions for Creating 3D Effects appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

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