Changing Hands: Should You Worry When a WordPress Plugin Has a New Owner?

As human beings, we tend to be wary of change. This seems especially so when it comes to the products and services we use. That “new and improved” formula? No thanks – just give us the original, please.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that there has been a lot of grumbling in the WordPress community lately. A number of big-name WordPress plugins have changed hands. The content management system’s ecosystem has suddenly been shaken as vigorously as a snow globe.

A mix of designers, developers, and website owners have taken to social media to voice their concerns. They’re wondering how these transactions will impact both them and their clients. It’s an understandable reaction in a time of such uncertainty.

Many of us feel a personal stake in the plugins we use. Sometimes it’s difficult to separate the emotional aspect of a change from the rational. Still, those feelings can be based on unpleasant experiences from our past. The reality is that not every transition goes smoothly.

So, how much should you worry when a trusted WordPress plugin is under new ownership? Let’s try and make sense of it all. Along the way, I’ll add in a little personal perspective.

There Are Stories behind Every Move

Finding out that a plugin you rely on has been sold can feel like a punch to the gut. I can attest that, as a user, my first reaction tends to be one of dismay. I always wonder why such a thing would happen, why the developer couldn’t leave well-enough alone.

But each time a plugin is bought or sold, there’s a background story. And there are any number of reasons why someone would want to sell. Maybe the responsibilities have outgrown the original developer’s capacity to handle them. Perhaps there are family concerns. The opportunity to cash-in is also in play.

On the other side of the coin, the new owners have their own agenda. They might see this product as one that fits in nicely with their established offerings. Additionally, they may believe that their vision for the product is one that can fuel growth.

Whatever the specifics, it’s important to remember that it takes two sides to make these deals happen. One party wanted to buy, and the other was willing to sell.

And when a plugin author is willing to sell their creation, there is reason to think that it is perhaps in the best interest of the product. There is always the possibility that, without a sale, the long-term outlook for the plugin may be in jeopardy.

So, even though we may have wished for things to stay the same, they may well have changed anyway.

Waiting with Uncertainty

Among the biggest stressors that come with these transactions is the uncertainty over what will change and when it will happen. Unfortunately, new ownership doesn’t always provide immediate answers.

We may get assurances that things will stay “as-is” for the time being. Software licenses will still be valid, features x, y, and z will continue work. Yet, it still feels like impactful changes in these areas are inevitable.

Personally, my biggest concern tends to be pricing. Regardless of who owns a particular plugin, price increases are often part of the deal – I get it. If the product is great, I don’t mind paying a bit more over time.

But major changes in this area could be problematic for web designers and their clients. If you typically purchase a developer’s license to use on client sites, a higher price means passing that cost onward. And if the number of sites allowed per license changes, that could be another expensive headache to deal with.

Then, changes in both support policy and staff can be worrisome. We all want to know that support is there for us when we need them and can help in a timely manner. Thus, there’s concern about new ownership possibly cutting corners.

When it comes to features, users need to know that things will still work as expected. This is particularly important when it comes to third-party integrations.

For example, what if a plugin currently integrates with a product from a rival company – will it still be supported down the road? No one wants to have their choices limited by a corporate jousting match. The bigger these companies get, the more possibility for such situations to arise.

A carton of eggs with silly faces drawn on them.

The Impact on Individual Websites

Ultimately, one wonders about the impact an acquisition will have on their own website. Particularly when a plugin is responsible for a major piece of a site’s core functionality. Add-ons like shopping carts, learning management systems (LMS) and membership managers come to mind.

People invest a lot of time and money into these types of websites. And the thought of having to swap out plugins is enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine.

However, new ownership in itself is not a reason to panic. While there may be a little bit of uncertainty amongst users, that doesn’t make it so with the plugin’s author. They (hopefully) have a plan to hit the ground running and gained plenty of insight into how things work. Even better if the original author, or some current maintainers, are still in the picture.

With that, you might reasonably expect a few minor hiccups during the transition. But there’s no rush to run away from your site’s current configuration. It’s OK to take some time to see how things play out.

It’s natural to have questions and concerns. In that case, the best thing to do is to reach out and try to get some answers.

And if you want to study up on alternative plugins, there’s no harm in doing so. Being prepared is always a positive.

A group of people create a website flow chart.

A Deep Breath and Lots of Fresh Starts for the WordPress Community

At times, the pace of WordPress plugins changing hands has been dizzying. Just as we get word of one notable transaction, another one follows. That alone can feel overwhelming and sew a certain amount of concern within a community.

Plus, it’s disappointing that some well-known developers are moving on. They’ve built a high level of trust with their customers and brought something unique to the WordPress ecosystem. They will be missed.

Still, I think it’s important to keep things in perspective. No, not every acquisition is going to work out perfectly. Some may even fail. Yet, it’s in our interest as web professionals to try and view things objectively.

Therefore, I invite you all to take a collective deep breath (with a mask and six feet of distance, of course). Things have changed. But it’s up to us to make the most of it.

The post Changing Hands: Should You Worry When a WordPress Plugin Has a New Owner? appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

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How Web Designers Can Cope with Situations Out of Their Control

Everyone wants to control their own destiny. For web designers, that means layouts that look great, code that works as intended, and clients who pay on time.

While we may wish for each of those things, reality usually plays out differently. Layouts aren’t always pixel-perfect, code breaks and clients – well, they’re human.

But it goes even further. The deeper you look, the more situations you’ll find that are out of your control.

This is especially tough for those of us who keep a tight grip on both our business and projects. When something is out of our sphere of influence, it’s easy to become frustrated. And that can harm virtually every aspect of your work. It may even creep into your personal life as well.

That’s why the ability to cope with these situations is vital. By saving yourself from obsessing over something you can’t control, you’ll have more energy to focus on being positive and productive.

Let’s look at a few difficult-to-control situations that typically impact web designers. Along the way, we’ll discuss some methods for letting go in a healthy manner.

When a Longtime Client Leaves

If you’ve worked in this industry for a few years, you may have gotten an unexpected email from a client that goes something like this:

“Hi,

We wanted to let you know that we are in the process of building a new website. It should be ready in the next few weeks. Could you work with our new designer to help with the transition?

It was great working with you!
Your Ex-Client”

This is frustrating on a few different levels. First and foremost, it hurts that you didn’t get a chance to even discuss the project. On top of that, your soon-to-be ex-client expects you to work on the transition away from your services.

Clients will come and go – that’s just part of doing business. However, it’s particularly difficult when someone blindsides you like this.

As it turns out, you had no warning and zero control. If you had just been able to pitch an idea or two, maybe things would have turned out differently? These are the types of thoughts likely racing through your head after reading such a letter.

How to Cope

True, the damage has already been done. And while you can angrily fire off a one or two-word reply to your client, that’s not going to help the situation.

On the bright side, this could be a great learning opportunity. Reply with a few politely-asked questions, such as:

  • Was there a particular reason you went with a new designer?
  • Did you have any issues with the quality of my work?
  • So that I can continue to improve my services, is there anything else you’d like to share?

Much of what you ask will depend on the client and the project. But this is a solid place to start. The idea is to get inside your client’s head a bit and find out what went into their decision.

And while not everyone will provide answers, the ones who do can prove valuable. You may find that your services were lacking in some areas. Or, perhaps the client’s cousin is the “new designer”. Either way, it’s better than pounding your fist over the situation.

When a Third-Party Provider Messes Up

So much of what web designers do these days depends on third-party providers. That could be anything from web hosting, plugins, themes, or email delivery services. In other words – a big piece of a website’s ability to function or be accessed at all is run by someone else.

A failure at any one of these links in the chain can be disastrous. To illustrate the point, think about what happens when a content delivery network (CDN) has an outage. That could bring down a massive number of websites.

Meanwhile, web designers are left without much (if any) control. On one hand, you have an understandably frustrated client. On the other is a company that dropped the ball. Oh, look – there’s you in the middle!

In this type of situation, every second can feel like an eternity. There might be an opportunity to switch to a different product, but that’s not always feasible. If the issue is prolonged, tension continues to grow on all sides.

How to Cope

Maybe you can’t control an outage or even a troublesome line of code. But there are some things you can do proactively.

Working with the provider’s technical support can at least make you feel like you’re in the game. By getting the status of the situation, there’s an opportunity to pass it along to affected clients.

What’s more, any troubleshooting information you can offer also has value. Who knows? If it leads to a resolution, you can say you were part of the process.

A broken plate

When a Favorite App Changes for the Worse

This one often hurts on a personal level. We web designers tend to fall in love with tools and applications that allow us to get things done. Perhaps it’s a favorite design app like Photoshop or a content management system (CMS) such as WordPress.

When apps change, those changes are inevitably forced onto us, as well. They impact our workflow – and not always in the most positive way.

All it takes is a quick look around support forums and social media to see the frustration. Users go on about how the feature they loved was “ruined” or that things will never be the same. We’ve all seen it and, at one time or another, been a part of that collective disappointment.

How to Cope

The first coping strategy is to give such changes a chance to sink in. Even if your first impression of them wasn’t favorable, it can take time to build a comfort level. A feature that may have frustrated you at first could become positive after more exposure.

Second, you might reach out to the developer and let them know how you feel. Maybe it doesn’t result in an immediate remedy, but at least you get it off of your chest. And if enough people feel the same way, there’s a chance that things evolve more acceptably.

If all else fails, perhaps it’s time to find a suitable alternative. Sometimes, your relationship with a tool simply runs its course.

A person looks at a computer screen.

A Different Take on Control

In a profession where we aim to control all the variables, having the opposite can be maddening.

But, think of it this way: even if you could control every aspect of your work, would you even want to? It’s a major responsibility and more stress than most of us can bear.

Somewhere along the line, you have to put a level of trust in others. Whether that’s trusting a client, a software developer, or a service provider – they are often necessary rungs on the ladder to a successful business.

There will be failures and disconnects along the way. And, while it would be nice to have a measure of control over them, it’s also a bit unrealistic.

However, lack of control doesn’t mean that you have to give up all hope. Instead, look for ways to learn from the situation. The knowledge and experience you gain will serve you long into the future.

The post How Web Designers Can Cope with Situations Out of Their Control appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

The Top Add-Ons for the Gravity Forms WordPress Plugin

Gravity Forms is one of the most versatile WordPress plugins out there. Yes, it creates forms – and quite well. But its capabilities go well beyond your standard contact form.

A default installation of this commercial plugin can add all manner of conditional logic. That’s pretty powerful in itself. However, throw in the many available add-on plugins, and you have nearly endless possibilities.

Add-ons bring extra functionality to Gravity Forms. You can use them to take online payments, allow users to create an account, run surveys, generate PDF files, and a whole lot more. Really, that’s just the beginning of what can be accomplished.

Today, we’ll introduce you to some free and commercially available plugins that help turn Gravity Forms (and your website) into a feature-packed powerhouse.

Gravity Forms Zero Spam

If you have contact forms on your website, you also have spam. But mitigating this annoyance is easy with Gravity Forms Zero Spam. The plugin has no settings – simply install and activate to start blocking junk mail. It also plays nicely with other spam repellants such as reCAPTCHA.

Gravity Forms Entries in Excel

By default, Gravity Forms will export form entries in CSV format. But that’s not necessarily what you’ll always want. Plus, a site administrator has to be the one to perform the export. Gravity Forms Entries in Excel adds the flexibility of exporting to a more visually friendly Excel format and adding a secure link where others can directly access the generated file.

Gravity Forms Entries in Excel

Event Tracking for Gravity Forms

Want to get more in-depth detail of how your forms are performing? Event Tracking for Gravity Forms ties in various form events with Google Analytics, among other similar programs. The result is that you can more easily track conversions. As a bonus, there are a number of helpful videos that demonstrate how to set it all up.

Event Tracking for Gravity Forms

Gravity PDF

Imagine being able to take a user’s form entry and turn it into a personalized, branded PDF. That’s exactly what Gravity PDF can do. Add your logo, use custom fonts and even email the file directly to users. And, with the use of premium extensions, you’ll gain access to more file templates, the ability to watermark your documents and more.

Gravity PDF

Gravity Forms CLI Add-On

Administering WordPress via the command line allows for both power and efficiency. Gravity Forms CLI Add-On is an official extension that simply adds forms to the mix. Use it to manage forms and entries in pretty much the same way as you would in the WordPress back end. You can even use it to install other official add-ons.

Gravity Forms CLI Add-On

GravityView

GravityView is a suite of commercial add-ons that enables form entry data on the front end of your website. For instance, if users register for accounts via Gravity Forms, you could use this plugin to allow them to edit their profile data. From there, you can track changes to those profiles or perhaps plot addresses on a Google Map. And this is only scratching the surface of what’s possible.

GravityView

GravityWP – CSS Selector

Gravity Forms includes a number of helpful CSS “Ready” Classes that allow for more control over field layout. However, you must manually look up (or memorize) these classes and then add them into a field’s settings for them to take effect. GravityWP – CSS Selector takes the guesswork out of the process by allowing you to select from a handy listing of classes, thus saving loads of time.

GravityWP – CSS Selector

GravityPerks

Rounding out our list is GravityPerks, a commercial suite of over 30 “Perks” or add-ons that bring some seriously cool functionality to your forms. There are perks for all manner of functions, such as limiting the number of entries (or times a multiple-choice option can be selected), adding word counts to fields, the ability to email everyone who has submitted a particular form, and a lot more. If you require some niche functionality, look here first.

GravityPerks

Give Gravity a Boost

Two things really make Gravity Forms stand out as special. First, it offers some outstanding features right out of the box. Second, the plugin is built with extensibility in mind.

This has led to a community of both official and third-party add-ons that enable web designers to implement some mind-blowing functionality with minimal effort.

While Gravity Forms itself and some add-ons do cost money, it should still fit within even the smallest budgets. And for the number of powerful features you can add to your site, it’s well worth the investment.

The post The Top Add-Ons for the Gravity Forms WordPress Plugin appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

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50 Free High-Resolution Photoshop Brushes

Photoshop brushes let you express your creativity in a completely new way. With thousands upon thousands of Photoshop brushes available for download, you are truly spoilt for choice, so there’s no excuse not to use them.

The demand for high-quality Photoshop brushes is huge. Every designer wants them. Every designer needs them. And as you will no doubt already know, we love to highlight and share as many free design resources as possible.

And today, we take a look at some of the best high-resolution Photoshop brush packs currently available in the design community.

So download these free Photoshop Brushes and install them all. You just never know when you might need them.

How to Install Photoshop Brushes

Here’s a quick tutorial on how to install and use Photoshop brushes.

  • Download the Photoshop brush you want to use and unzip the file
  • On your computer, go to the Photoshop folder and locate Presets > Brushes
  • Move your downloaded brush file to the above folder
  • Launch Photoshop and go to Edit > Presets > Preset Manager
  • Click the Load button, locate your newly added brushes and click Open. You can also use the import presets function to install an entire folder of presets at one time. Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to use the new Photoshop brush.
  • To use a Photoshop brush, go to Window > Brushes
  • Select your brush and then paint over the canvas. You can adjust the size and shape of your brush in the Brush Settings panel

Scribble Art Photoshop Brushes (Free, 39 Brushes)

If you need to add an abstract line or shape to your designs, then this free collection of scribble art Photoshop brushes is for you.

Da Vinci Pencil Photoshop Brushes (Envato Elements)

This high-resolution set contains twenty-five varied hard and soft lead pencil and sketching brushes.

Da Vinci Pencil Photoshop Brushes ABR

Subtle Grain Photoshop Brushes (Free, 6 Brushes)

This free Photoshop brush set from Spoon Graphics will allow you to give your clean designs a hint of texture that will quickly give them a vintage appearance.

Subtle Grain Photoshop Brushes Tools Presets Free ABR

Wavenwater Photoshop Brushes (Free)

The Wavenwater Photoshop brushes is a set of artistic brushes and tool presets for Photoshop. You can freely use these brushes in your projects and let your creativity run wild.

Wavenwater Photoshop Brushes Tools Presets Free ABR

Stipple Brushes for Photoshop (Envato Elements)

If you’re looking to add a modern twist or a touch of pop-art to your art creations, you will love this Photoshop brush set!

Stipple Brushes for Photoshop ABR

The Thrasher Collection of Photoshop Brushes (Free, 8 Brushes)

The Thrasher Collection is a free set of textures and eight Photoshop brushes for giving a grungy and textured effect to your designs.

Mixergraph Texture Photoshop Brushes Tools Presets Free ABR

Elegant Flower High-Resolution Photoshop Brushes (Free, 15 Brushes)

This high-resolution set contains individual brushes of roses, lilacs, dandelions, and more. In total there are fifteen flowers in the free set.

Elegant Flower free photoshop brushes ABR

Watercolor Brushes for Photoshop (Envato Elements)

This tropical watercolor brush set for Photoshop is all you need to create a dreamy tropical watercolor scene. It features 15 watercolor brushes and various watercolor elements and backgrounds.

Watercolor Brushes for Photoshop ABR

Ink Brushes for Photoshop (Free, 28 Brushes)

Download this free collection of 28 brushes if you need to give your designs a watercolor or distressed effect.

Ink Brushes Photoshop Brushes Tools Presets Free ABR

Real Markers Photoshop Brushes (Free, 12 Brushes)

As well as a small selection of linework brushes, this fantastic collection includes a huge collection of permanent and solid marker Photoshop brushes.

Real Markers Photoshop Brushes free brushes ABR

High-Res Photoshop Brushes Watercolor Collection (Envato Elements)

These watercolor brushes feature lovely floral elements. It’s a great set of brushes that will add a dose of elegance to any project. The set contains more than 60 floral, garland, and wreath brushes.

Photoshop Brushes Watercolor Collection ABR

Photoshop Stroke Brushes (Free, 27 Brushes)

Stroke Brushes Photoshop Brushes Tools Presets Free ABR

Martina Palazzese’s Digital Oil Painting Brushes (Free, 6 Brushes)

Martina Palazzese has released her personal collection of brushes so that you can create your own professional digital oil paintings.

Martina Palazzese Digital Oil Painting Brushes free photoshop brushes ABR

Artistic Studio: Watercolor Toolkit (Envato Elements)

This set is perfect if you want to seriously stock up your design library. It contains 35 watercolor brushes for Photoshop as well as dozens of other watercolor elements such as textures, strokes, backgrounds, and more.

Artistic Studio: Watercolor Toolkit ABR

Hi-Res Smoke Photoshop Brushes (Free, 4 Brushes)

Check out this collection of four smoke brushes for Photoshop. The brushes were done in hi-res and you can use them to spice up any design project you are working on.

Hi-Res Smoke Photoshop Brushes ABR

Dispersion Effect Photoshop Brushes (Free, 20 Brushes)

If you’re looking for a quick way of adding the stunning dispersion effect to your designs, then this free collection of twenty Photoshop brushes is what you need.

Dispersion Effect Photoshop Brushes Tools Presets Free ABR

Goldish Kit For Photoshop (Envato Elements)

Try this Goldfish kit for Photoshop if you’re working on a luxury or high-end project. The kit contains Photoshop brushes as well as layer styles, patterns, and textures.

Goldish Kit For Photoshop Extras ABR

Grunge Photoshop Brush Kit (Free, 16 Brushes)

Grunge Photoshop Brush Kit Brushes Tools Presets Free ABR

Mixergraph Grunge Brushes (Free, 5 Brushes)

All five of the individual high-resolution textures in this free Photoshop brush pack have been hand-made, digitalised and then individually edited.

Mixergraph Grunge free photoshop brushes ABR

Watercolor Design Bundle (Envato Elements)

If you’re looking for a way to add artistic elements to your designs, look no further than these beautiful watercolor brushes. The set contains 169 watercolor brushes along with other various watercolor design elements.

Watercolor Design Bundle ABR

Hand Drawn Arrows Brush Set (Free, 80 Brushes)

All created by hand, this free Photoshop brush set contains eighty individually sketched or drawn arrows.

Hand Drawn Arrows PS Brush Set free photoshop brushes ABR

Real Photoshop Brush Strokes (Free, 53 Brushes)

This high-resolution (2500px) set of Photoshop Dry Brushes contains fifty-three brush presets, giving a huge choice of brush effects.

Real Brush Strokes free photoshop brushes ABR

Coffee Paint Photoshop Brushes (Free, 16 Brushes)

If you need to give your project a distressed or rough appearance, then this collection of 16 Photoshop brushes is what you’re looking for.

Coffee Paint Photoshop Brushes Tools Presets Free ABR

Trails Brush Set (Free, 19 Brushes)

This Trails brush set features 19 high quality brushes for Photoshop. The brushes can be used in both commercial and personal project but keep in mind attribution is required.

Trails Brush Set 19 Brushes ABR

Bokeh Photoshop Brushes (Free, 8 Brushes)

If you want to apply a bokeh effect to your design easily, try this set of bokeh brushes. You will find 8 different brushes that can be used in any personal project.

Bokeh Photoshop Brushes ABR

Abstract Watercolor Brushes (Free, 12 Brushes)

This stunning free Photoshop bundle includes twelve transparent watercolor brushes and a free paper background texture.

Abstract Watercolor Photoshop Brushes Tools Presets Free ABR

Charcoal Pencil Photoshop Brushes (Free, 6 Brushes)

This is a free hand-drawn charcoal pencil brush set that includes brushed, gritted, grained, flicked, wacked, and dabbed brushes.

Charcoal Pencil Photoshop Brushes Tools Presets Free ABR

Doodle Birds & Frames Photoshop (Free, 9 Brushes)

This free set contains nine free Photoshop brushes of hand-drawn birds and frames.

Doodle Birds & Frames Photoshop Brushes Tools Presets Free ABR

Water Splash Photoshop Brushes (Free, 11 Brushes)

This package, created by Niño Batitis, contains 11 high-resolution water splash brushes.

Water Splash Photoshop Brushes ABR

Marker Streak Brushes (Free, 20 Brushes)

This set of Photoshop brushes contains 20 high resolution marker streak brushes. The brushes can be used in both personal and commercial projects with no limitations.

Marker Streak Brushes ABR

Realistic Charcoal Photoshop Brushes (Free)

This set of realistic charcoal brushes was born out of an artist’s need for realistic charcoal feel in their designs. The set features various charcoal style brushes and can be used with no limitations.

realistic Charcoal Brush

High Resolution Cloud Photoshop Brushes (Free, 20 Brushes)

In this high resolution (2500px) pack there are 20 cloud brushes. These brushes are free to download and use in both commercial and personal projects.

High Resolution Cloud Photoshop Brushes ABR

High-Resolution Fabric Texture Photoshop Brushes (Free, 20 Brushes)

There are twenty fabric textures in this pack, and are all sized at 2500px.

High Resolution Fabric Texture Photoshop Brushes ABR

Distressed Halftone Brush Strokes (Free, 21 Brushes)

In this brush pack there are 21 hand-painted brush strokes that have been post-processed and bitmapped inside Photoshop, giving them a wonderful distressed halftone effect.

Distressed Halftone Brush Strokes ABR

Lightning Photoshop Brushes (Free, 43 Brushes)

How about adding some lightning to your project? With the help of this brushes, you’re sure to make some electrifying designs! Brushes can be used for personal projects.

Lightning Photoshop Brushes ABR

Oil Photoshop Brushes (Free, 20 Brushes)

If you need oil Photoshop brushes, this set will serve you nicely. The set contains twenty brushes that can be used in personal and commercial projects.

Oil Photoshop Brushes ABR

Splash Photoshop Brushes (Free, 15 Brushes)

Check out this collection of 15 splash brushes for Photoshop. It’s perfect for any grunge project and you can use these brushes in both commercial and personal projects.

Splash Photoshop Brushes ABR

Brush Pack v3 by Fenris31 (Free)

This brush pack by Fenris31 contains various brushes for Photoshop that will be suitable for all kinds of artistic and design projects. Use them in commercial and personal projects alike.

Brush Pack ABR

Photoshop Brushes for Painting Rocks and Water (Free)

If you want to achieve great results when painting rocks and water, consider this set of brushes. You will find various brushes that can be used for both commercial and personal projects. Crediting is not required but greatly appreciated.

Photoshop Brushes for Painting Rocks and Water ABR

Radiate Brush Set (Free, 12 Brushes)

This brush set includes 12 unique & abstract techno style brushes. Great for album artwork, abstract backgrounds and decorating tech style design projects.

Radiate Brush Set ABR

Fairy Tales Photoshop Brush Set (Free, 9 Brushes)

In this set there are 9 high resolution (1000 up to 2500px) brushes. They can be used for creating fantasy backgrounds and textures like rocks and metals.

Fairy Tales Photoshop Brush Set ABR

Old Technical Drawings Brushes (Free, 10 Brushes)

This set of brushes was made from old technical drawings so they are pretty realistic. The pack contains 10 brushes and they can be used for both commercial and personal projects.

Free Photoshop Brush Packs Old Technical Drawings Brushes there are 10 Brushes in the pack

High Res Dry Brush Stroke Brushes (Free, 12 Brushes)

This pack of high resolution brushes contains 12 dry brush stroke brushes. The pack can be used in personal and commercial projects, however attribution is required.

Free Photoshop Brush Packs High Res Dry Brush Stroke Brushes there are 12 Brushes in the pack

Bokeh Brushes (Free, 12 Brushes)

This set of bokeh brushes comes with 12 individual brushes that are perfect for any project that could use a little extra. The brushes are free to use in personal and commercial projects.

Bokeh Brushes there are 12 Brushes in the pack

Rain Photoshop Brush Set (Free)

Create realistic rain effect with the help of the Rain brushes for Photoshop. The pack can be used for commercial and personal projects.

Rain Photoshop Brush Set

TC-EPICA-I (Free, 10 Brushes)

TC-EPICA-I is a set of artistic brushes. It contains 10 different brushes that can be used to apply textures, smudges, and effects to your designs. The pack is free for personal and commercial projects with attribution required.

TC-EPICA-I there are 10 Brushes in the pack

Fiber Brushes (Free, 16 Brushes)

This pack contains 16 high resolution fiber brushes. They can be used in commercial and personal projects and crediting is not required but it is appreciated.

Free Photoshop Fiber Brushes there are 16 Brushes in the pack

Custom Brushes of Tyler Street (Free, 40 Brushes)

With an unusual name like this, you’re bound to find some original brushes for your design project. The pack contains 40 different brushes that can be used for personal and commercial projects.

Free Photoshop Custom Brushes of Tyler Street there are 40 Brushes in the pack

Nature Silhouettes Trees & Grass Brushes (Free, 19 Brushes)

Add a dash of nature to your designs with the help of these nature silhouette brushes. The pack contains 19 brushes and is free for personal and commercial use.

Free Photoshop Nature Silhouettes Trees & Grass Brushes there are 19 Brushes in the pack

Abstract Bokeh Brushes (Free, 24 Brushes)

Now you can easily add lomo and light-leak effect to your photos without recreating this effect from scratch. The pack contains 24 different brushes.

Free Photoshop Abstract Bokeh Brushes there are 24 Brushes in the pack

Grimey Brushes (Free, 5 Brushes)

This pack of 5 brushes will add grime to any design. You can use the pack in personal and commercial projects with no limitations.

Free Photoshop Grimey Brushes there are 5 Brushes in the pack

Watercolour & Ink Photoshop Brushes (Free, 25 Brushes)

These brushes have been created by using either watercolor paints or Indian ink on card. You can freely use them in both your personal or commercial work.

Watercolour and Ink Photoshop Brushes free photoshop brushes ABR

Aaron Griffin’s Digital Painting Brushes (Free, 6 Brushes)

Aaron Griffin Digital Painting free photoshop brushes ABR

Cloud Photoshop Brushes (Free, 15 Brushes)

There are fifteen individual cloud brushes in this set. You can use this free brush set with no commercial restrictions

cloud free photoshop brushes ABR

Spray Splatter Photoshop Brushes (Free, 12 Brushes)

These free splattered spray Photoshop brushes will be perfect for adding a grungy or dirty effect to your artwork.

Spray Platter free photoshop brushes ABR

Smoke & Fire Brushes (Free, 22 Brushes)

There are twenty-two brushes in this free high-resolution smoke and fire set.

Smoke and Fire free photoshop brushes ABR

High Resolution Fire Photoshop Brushes (Free, 20 Brushes)

This pack contains twenty high-resolution fire brushes, perfect for creating fiery text effect, glowing embers, or using them for lighting effects.

High Resolution Fire Photoshop Brushes ABR

Photoshop Smoke Brushes (Free, 13 Brushes)

This pack contains thirteen high quality Photoshop smoke brushes perfect for your next design project.

Photoshop Smoke Brushes ABR

The post 50 Free High-Resolution Photoshop Brushes appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

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Behind the Scenes: Having a Singular Focus for Your Web Design Business

There’s a lot of talk about specialization in the web design industry. The idea is to focus on a specific type of clientele, tool, or project.

That means different things to different people. For some, it may entail building websites only with a content management system (CMS) like WordPress. Others may tailor their services to attract clients within a specific industry, such as medical or non-profit organizations.

One of the benefits of this singular focus is that a designer can gain an understanding of industry-specific needs and challenges. From there, it’s theoretically possible to offer a more customized (and profitable) experience than someone who works as a jack-of-all-trades. That expertise becomes attractive to clients and, before you know it, you become a go-to source for solutions.

Running this type of web design business is not without pitfalls, however. Success isn’t guaranteed. And, if you’re focusing on a specific industry, establishing credibility can be difficult.

Let’s take a look at the risks, benefits, and challenges of having a singular focus. Along the way, we’ll hear from a web designer who’s taken the plunge.

An Opportunity to Follow Your Passion

While money is always a consideration in business, it’s not necessarily the best reason to pursue a niche. A passion for the type of work you do and the people you work with is a better place to start. It’s more likely to lead you in the right direction and fuel growth.

For web designer Tara Claeys, her passion led to a realization. As she puts it, “I realized my favorite projects and clients were all education/school and non-profit organizations. I decided to go all-in and announce that I would only be working with this type of client from that point forward…”

And the goals for her new venture were simple: “I hoped this would make it easier to say ‘no’ to projects that I didn’t want to do… and over time would establish that I was a ‘go to’ for my niche”.

When you follow your passion, you’re more likely to put in the necessary groundwork – and do so happily. That could result in more in-depth knowledge and experience. It’s something you’ll want to share with every client.

That approach can put you on the fast track to both personal fulfillment and financial success.

An Uphill Climb to Visibility

Deciding to jump into a niche with both feet is a calculated risk. It can take time to build your brand. Meanwhile, lucrative projects outside of your new specialty may feel like missed opportunities.

If you don’t hit the ground running, the possibility of financial strain is real. Thus, it’s tempting to take on those other projects. It’s an understandable decision, but one with a slippery slope. The danger is in becoming too busy to go for the projects you want.

One of the big challenges is in establishing a footprint. This is especially difficult in sectors where there is a lot of competition. It may take several projects and some word-of-mouth to make a name for yourself.

This was something Claeys experienced. She notes that her greatest difficulty was “getting my name out in the industry as an expert/becoming known and trusted.”

Even if you have vast experience in building a specific type of website, there’s a lot of time and effort required to be seen as an authority. Building a portfolio of successful projects is important, but only part of the process.

The other half of the equation is in sharing what you know. Things like writing blog posts, speaking at industry events, and networking can help. It can be a lot of extra work but will introduce you to people within the areas you want to target.

That’s opposed to another popular tactic – cold-calling potential clients. For Claeys, “That was a waste of time and energy.” Indeed, it may be more effective to establish an identity and encourage people to come to you.

A person standing in a foggy field.

When Your Business Reflects Who You Are

You’ve put in the hard work and things have taken off. Now what? Claeys tells us that the rewards have been numerous.

“…I have loved every project I have taken on and have developed and enhanced a process to serve school and non-profit clients. It is easier to close sales because I am passionate and an ‘expert’”. In addition, this niche focus allows her to more easily identify potential clients.

And perhaps those are the best reasons to become a specialist. The chance to utilize your talents on projects you love sounds very compelling.

Still, it may not be for everyone – and that’s OK. Taking a broader approach to your career and business can be profitable and satisfying. A variety of projects can also be a great way to learn, after all.

But for those with a passion, specialization has some fantastic benefits. Tara Claeys is an example of how to make it a reality.

Thanks to Tara Claeys for sharing her experiences with us!

The post Behind the Scenes: Having a Singular Focus for Your Web Design Business appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

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Testing Your Marketing Efforts as a Freelancer Designer

In today’s freelancing climate, one of the best things you can do in terms of marketing yourself is to think in what I like to call “Test Terms.”

What does this mean? When a food company is developing a new product to release into the market, they don’t simply travel in a straight line from recipe to manufacturing to stocking the shelves at the grocery store. What happens is they perform a series of tests, which allow them to tweak their product until it gets just the right kind of response they’re looking for.

As a designer, it’s eminently possible to plan out a system that allows you to do the same thing, with similar results. However, many people remain stuck on one method of promotion, believing they’re too busy working to devote too much time to marketing themselves.

But the sad paradox of that belief is that, by not adjusting the way they market themselves, these freelance designers will always be too busy scraping by. They’re not getting the exposure they need to be choosier about the types of jobs they can take on, because the only jobs available are the ones that limited exposure gets them.

Everyone Tests Everything

One of the best ways to test consumers’ reactions to new food products is to get their direct feedback. Starting with just one local area, a company will test out a variety of different approaches to everything about the product. And I mean everything.

Do people in this small town like the taste of this new product, or do they hate it? If they hate it, it’s back to the test kitchens to improve the recipe. Are they repelled by the packaging?

Get that designer back in here – time to revise! Are the ads falling flat? Well, you get the idea.

Every tiny detail of this new product gets tested and re-tested, adjusted and refined wherever needed. After they’ve made enough improvements that people are now responding well to the product, it’s time to take it to a new area. This process gets repeated again and again until there’s a hugely positive response and people are stockpiling the new food item like they’re preparing for Armageddon.

A similar process happens, by the way, in the movie business, the government (think road signs or jury duty summonses aren’t tested? Think again), and other consumer industries like toys and games.

Testing is a proven strategy to improving a product’s chances of success, and as a designer, you can very easily start taking advantage of some of these sophisticated testing methods to place yourself practically in the lap of your most desired clients. Of course, you can and do test your approaches to design, but trying out new ways of marketing is easier to implement in your regular schedule than you might think.

Sharpen Your Pencils

Start with your main marketing approach, which might be your website, your business card, your cover letter, or your resume. How well does this approach work for you? Are the clients beating down your door, or is something not quite working the way it’s supposed to?

If you regularly hand out business cards at networking events, are they completely up to date? Do they display the important information clearly? Are you giving them to the right people? That last one is an important detail that many creative freelancers miss.

Business cards are practically useless if you don’t use them properly. At a networking event, the people you typically end up chatting with aren’t people who can provide you with tons of high-quality work.

They’re people just like you – struggling entrepreneurs who need services on the cheap. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work with these people, but it’s important to keep in mind the overall value of a client when you’re passing out those expensive business cards.

How good of a return on your investment will you be getting? Test out handing your business card to a different sort of person than you ordinarily would, and see what type of response you get.

In a similar way, your website may or may not be bringing you the steady stream of work that it could be. You may be the most brilliant, multifaceted designer the world has ever seen, and yet if no one knows about your work, you might as well be invisible.

The real key to getting better quality clients is not to put as much of your work “out there” as you possibly can. It’s making sure that the work you’ve done is being seen by the maximum number of eyeballs.

In the design world, the best way to do this, in my opinion, is by doing a personal side project that you really love and are passionate about.

chef The Gold Standard Of Eating

The Gold Standard Of Eating

It turns out that as a designer operating a business as a freelancer, you should be adjusting everything you do to market yourself – all the time.

What do I mean by adjusting? In many restaurants, well before the rush of customers comes in, chefs create something called a Gold Standard, a single plate that sets the, well, standard for all the plates the kitchen will produce for that day.

It’s such an important part of the culinary process that the plates used in most restaurants – the ones you eat your main course on – are known as Gold Standard Plates.

The original Gold Standard is a test plate – any changes to the dish are tried out there first. If something is off about the flavor, the ingredients, or the arrangement of the items, the Gold Standard will be the laboratory where those things can be tweaked.

As a designer, incorporating a similar philosophy will be helpful in streamlining your marketing process. Creating your own “Gold Standard” of promotion will allow you to make quick adjustments locally, to one portion of your marketing campaign, before you roll out those changes to everything else.

Whether it’s your website’s analytics, your business card, or your resume, zoom in on one single marketing material and find out what works and what doesn’t.

Usually the information you learn is transferable to other parts of your marketing package, and you may even discover that one or more of your marketing materials are unnecessary.

You definitely need to have a website if you design them for a living, but what about business cards? A CV? Social media? How well are these things really working to directly deliver you the clients you want?

Different types of clients care about different things. Maybe your clients don’t care so much about your resume, but they would really love to read your personal blog or Twitter updates. Other clients might be the exact opposite – it’s essential to know your market and be able to provide them the proof they’re looking for that tells them you’re the designer for the job.

The post Testing Your Marketing Efforts as a Freelancer Designer appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

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50 Free Christmas Templates & Resources for Designers

With Christmas just a few weeks away, all you designers will undoubtedly start to plan the designs of your personalized Christmas cards, invitations, posters, wallpapers, and everything else in between that is Christmas or holiday season-related.

So, to help you out, we have a fantastic collection of free Christmas and holiday season resources and templates we know you will love.

We haven’t chosen traditional resources. Instead, we have focussed on those resources that have been designed using modern design trends. You’ll find seasonal illustration templates and icon sets, line-styled Photoshop Brushes, retro-styled characters, hand-drawn invitation templates, and finally, free seasonal fonts and wintery Photoshop Actions that scream, “Merry Christmas!”

Christmas Illustration Templates

56 Free Christmas 3d Illustrations (PNG)

24 Illustrated Christmas Elements (EPS & JPG)

24 Illustrated Christmas Elements

3 Christmas Illustrations (PSD)

Christmas Illustrations

12 Hand-Drawn Christmas Cards & Patterns (PSD & AI)

12 Hand-Drawn Christmas Cards & Patterns

14 Free Christmas Illustration Templates (SVG, EPS & PNG)

14 Free Christmas Illustration Templates

10 Illustrated Christmas Cards (EPS & JPG)

10 Illustrated Christmas Cards

Free Christmas & New Year Illustrations (AI)

Free Christmas & New Year Illustrations

Christmas Illustrated Icon Pack (SVG & PNG)

Christmas Illustrated Icon Pack

Christmas Vector Illustration Kit (EPS, PNG & JPG, on Envato Elements)

Christmas Vector Illustration Kit

Santa Claus with Swagg Illustrations (AI, Designed by Jordan Succar)

santa Claus with Swagg Illustrations free holidays

Santa on a Motorcycle Vector Template (AI, EPS, JPG & PNG, on Envato Elements)

Santa on a Motorcycle Vector Template

Isometric Merry Christmas Vector (AI, EPS & JPG, on Envato Elements)

Isometric Merry Christmas Vector

Christmas Vector Letters Background (EPS)

Christmas Vector Letters Background free holidays

Merry Christmas Vector Illustration Concept (AI, EPS & JPG, on Envato Elements)

Merry Christmas Vector Illustration Concept

Christmas Illustrations (AI, JPG, PDF & SVG, on Envato Elements)

Christmas Illustrations

Merry Christmas Typographic Christmas Greeting Illustration (EPS)

Merry Christmas Typographic Christmas Greeting Illustration free holidays

95 Winter & Christmas Illustrations (AI, EPS, PSD & PNG, on Envato Elements)

95 Winter Christmas Illustrations

Happy Holidays Free Vector Illustration (AI, Designed by Marko Jotic)

Happy Holidays Free Vector Illustration free holidays

Santa, Reindeer and Christmas Pudding Vectors (AI & EPS, Designed by Jenny Hadfield)

Santa Reindeer Christmas Pudding Vectors free holidays

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Background Illustration (EPS)

Merry Christmas Happy New Year Background Illustration free holidays

Christmas Icon Sets

25 Free Christmas Icons (SVG)

25 Free Christmas Icons

47 Christmas Icons (SVG, on Envato Elements)

47 Christmas Icons

33 Christmas & Winter Icon Set (AI, EPS, SVG & PNG)

33 Christmas Winter Icon Set free holidays

Merry Minimal Christmas Icon Set (AI, JPG, EPS & PNG, on Envato Elements)

Merry Minimal Christmas Icon Set

12 Hand-Drawn Style Merry Icons (AI, EPS, PSD & PNG)

12 Hand-Drawn Style Merry Icons free holidays

Christmas Icons (PSD & JPG, on Envato Elements)

Christmas Icons

Christmas Icons Vector Set (AI & EPS)

Christmas Icons Vector Set free holidays

Line & Solid Christmas Icons (AI, EPS & JPG, on Envato Elements)

Line & Solid Christmas Icons

8 Christmas Icons (Sketch App)

8 Christmas Icons  free holidays

78 Christmas Icons (AI)

78 Christmas Icons free holidays

Christmas Icon Set (EPS)

Christmas Icon Set free holidays

Christmas Vector Icon Set (EPS)

Christmas Vector Icon Set free holidays

15 Flat Vector Icons for Christmas (AI)

15 Flat Vector Icons for Christmas free holidays

15 Flat Christmas Icons (AI)

15 Flat Christmas Icons free holidays

32 Christmas Vector Icon Set (EPS & AI)

32 Christmas Vector Icon Set free holidays

12 Vector Holiday Icons (AI)

12 Vector Holiday Icons free holidays

16 Vector Christmas Icons (AI & EPS)

 free holidays

15 Flat Holiday Icons (AI)

16 Vector Christmas Icons free holidays

Christmas Badge & Logo Templates

Christmas Vector Elements (AI & EPS)

Christmas Vector Elements free holidays

Christmas Sharp Badges (AI & EPS, on Envato Elements)

Christmas Sharp Badges

Vintage Vector Christmas Badges Pack (AI)

Vintage Vector Christmas Badges Pack free holidays

Black and White Vector Christmas Badges Pack (AI)

Black and White Vector Christmas Badges Pack free holidays

Christmas Flyer & Invitation Templates

Christmas Flyer Set (AI & PSD, on Envato Elements)

Christmas Flyer Set

Christmas Flyer Template (PSD, on Envato Elements)

Christmas Flyer Template

Vector Vintage Party Christmas Flyer Template (AI & PSD)

Vector Vintage Party Christmas Flyer Template free holidays

Free Christmas & Happy New Year Party Flyer Template & Mockup (PSD)

Free Christmas Happy New Year Party Flyer Template Mockup free holidays

Real Photo Invitation or Greeting Card Mockup (PSD)

Real Photo Invitation or Greeting Card Mockup free holidays

Free Christmas Flyer Mockup (PSD)

Free Christmas Flyer Mockup free holidays

Christmas Party Invitation with Hand-drawn Santa Vector (AI & EPS)

Christmas Party Invitation with Hand-drawn Santa Vector free holidays

Christmas Banner & Label Templates

A Huge Christmas & New Year Vector Banner Kit (AI & EPS)

Huge Christmas New Year Vector Banner Kit free holidays

Retro Distressed Christmas Label Set (AI & EPS)

Retro Distressed Christmas Label Set free holidays

Christmas Photoshop Brush Packs

126 Christmas Doodles Brush Pack (Photoshop)

126 Christmas Doodles Brush Pack free holidays

Free Christmas in July Holiday Brushes (Procreate)

Free Christmas in July Holiday Brushes

91 Christmas Brush Collection (Photoshop)

91 Christmas Brush Collection free holidays

13 Christmas Stamp Brushes (Photoshop)

13 Christmas Stamp Brushes free holidays

Christmas Patterns

Snowmen Vector Free Seamless Pattern (AI, EPS & PNG)

Snowmen Vector Free Seamless Pattern

Christmas Gifts Vector Free Seamless Pattern (AI, EPS & PNG)

Christmas Gifts Vector Free Seamless Pattern

Snowman & Santa Seamless Pattern Graphic (EPS & JPG)

Snowman & Santa Seamless Pattern Graphic

20 Christmas Colors Patterns for Photoshop (JPG & Photoshop Patterns)

20 Christmas Colors Patterns for Photoshop free holidays

26 Vintage-Retro Xmas Patterns (Photoshop Patterns)

26 Vintage-Retro Xmas Patterns free holidays

Christmas Fonts

Free Honey Christmas Decorative Font

Free Honey Christmas Decorative Font

Happy Christmas Script Font (on Envato Elements)

Happy Christmas Script Font

Free Christmas Festive Serif Font

Free Christmas Festive Serif Font

Snowy Decorative Christmas Font (on Envato Elements)

Snowy Decorative Christmas Font

Merry Christmas Free Font

Merry Christmas Free Font free holidays

Christmas Time Free Font

Christmas Time Free Font free holidays

Christmas Photoshop Actions

3 Free Christmas Actions (Photoshop)

3 Free Christmas Actions free holidays

50 Christmas Lightroom Presets LUTs (on Envato Elements)

50 Christmas Lightroom Presets LUTs

3 Christmas Photoshop Actions (Photoshop)

3 Christmas Photoshop Actions free holidays

10 ‘Make it Snow’ Actions (Photoshop)

10 Make it Snow Actions free holidays

The post 50 Free Christmas Templates & Resources for Designers appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

50 Beautiful Christmas Wallpapers for Your Desktop

With Christmas just a few weeks away, now is the perfect time to give yourself a little bit of seasonal cheer by decorating your desktop with a beautiful Christmas wallpaper.

All fifty of the wallpapers below have been photographed by professional photographers or created by designers, and are all free to download and use. You will find decorated trees, red candy canes, winter scenery, vintage seasonal scenes, sparkling lights, stockings hanging over the fireplace, people celebrating, perfectly wrapped gifts, cute dogs in Santa hats, and so much more.

Go on, grab yourself a high-resolution Christmas desktop wallpaper, and bring some seasonal cheer to your desktop background!

Santa’s Treasure & Merry Christmas by Cris DiNoto

Christmas Decoration Art by Brooke Lark

Decoration Art christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Puppy in Santa Hat by Jakob Owens

Puppy in Santa Hat christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Two Red Candy Canes by Joanna Kosinska

Two Red Candy Canes christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Rustic Christmas Gifts by Nietjuh

Rustic Christmas Gifts hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Merry Xmas LED Sign by Tom Rickhuss

Merry Xmas LED Sign christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Santa Claus Holding Clothes Iron by Cottonbro

Santa Claus Holding Clothes Iron christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Christmas Vibe Illustration by Sam Ji

Vibe Illustration christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

White & Gray Christmas Wall Decorations by Joanna Kosinska

White Gray Christmas Wall Decorations hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Holiday Season Christmas Tree by Lilla Bardenova

Holiday Season Christmas Tree hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Feliz Nevidad Rustic Christmas Scene by Beatriz Pérez Moya

Feliz Nevidad Rustic Christmas Scene hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Santa Clause Eating Cookie by Gratisography

Santa Clause Eating Cookie christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Pine Tree in Snowfield by Lionello DelPiccolo

Pine Tree in Snowfield christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Woman Holding Christmas Gift by Kira auf der Heide

Woman Holding Christmas Gift hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Santa Claus is Superman Ilustration by Beibei MUG

Santa Claus is Superman Ilustration christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Wooden Christmas Doll Scene by Couleur

Wooden Christmas Doll Scene christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Winter Love Illustration by Erikas

Winter Love Illustration christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Vintage Santa Cat Photo by Rawpixel

Vintage Santa Cat Photo christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Christmas Stockings Hanging on Fireplace by Dan LeFebvre

Stockings Hanging on Fireplace christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Festive Cookies & Milk by Nietjuh

Festive Cookies & Milk christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Christmas Culture Trip by Jean-Michel Perchet

Culture Trip christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Woman Holding Christmas Lights by Valeria Boltneva

Woman Holding Christmas Lights hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Greeting Card Calligraphy on Tree by Jessica Lewis

Greeting Card Calligraphy on Tree christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Puppy Playing with Christmas Ribbon by Jakob Owens

Puppy Playing with Christmas Ribbon hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Christmas Scene by Nick Fewings

scene christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Holding a Small Christmas Parcel by Ben White

Holding Small Christmas Parcel christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Vintage Happy Holidays by Cris DiNoto

Vintage Happy Holidays christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Merry Christmas Handwriting Card by Rawpixel

Merry Christmas Handwriting Card hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Bokeh Merry Christmas by Nietjuh

Bokeh Merry Christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Lichterkette Christmas Lights & Decorations by Couleur

Lights Decorations christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Stacked Christmas Gift Wrapping by Yvette Fang

Stacked Christmas Gift Wrapping hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Wrapping a Gift Present by Kira auf der Heide

Wrapping a Gift Present christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Woman Wearing Christmas Socks by Tookapic

Woman Wearing Christmas Socks hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Christmas Delivery by Wallpaper Cave

Delivery christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Pulling Christmas Tree Illustration by Wallpaper Cave

Pulling Christmas Tree Illustration hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Little Elf People by Paige Cody

Little Elf People christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Cat & Christmas Stockings

Cat Christmas Stockings hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Candy Canes & Assorted Christmas Items by Jeshoots

Candy Canes christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Gift Boxes with Red Baubles by Mel Poole

Gift Boxes with Red Baubles christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Bringing Home the Christmas Tree by Denise Johnson

Bringing Home the Christmas Tree hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Small Dog Writing a Christmas Card by Rawpixel

Small Dog Writing a Christmas Card hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Merry Text & Christmas Wreath by Debby Hudson

Merry Text & Christmas Wreath hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Christmas Gift Boxes by Freestocks

Christmas Gift Boxes hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Minimal Christmas Trees by Maria

Minimal Christmas Trees hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Rustic Christmas Tree Decoration by Andréas Brun

Rustic Christmas Tree Decoration hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Christmas Present Illustration by Lilla Bardenova

Christmas Present Illustration hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Cute Puppy Wearing Santa Hat by Rhaúl V. Alva

Cute Puppy Wearing Santa Hat christmas hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Red Christmas Tree Baubles by Sean Wells

Red Christmas Tree Baubles hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

Red Coffee Christmas Scene by Toa Heftiba

Red Coffee Christmas Scene hd wallpaper desktop high-resolution background

The post 50 Beautiful Christmas Wallpapers for Your Desktop appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

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Is There a Perfect Solution to a Design Problem?

You’re probably thinking of your own version of the “perfect” design. Whatever it is, you probably have fond, nostalgic feelings around it, and would likely defend its rightful place among the best in the world.

The thing is, there are probably some people who share your opinion, but many more who don’t. This is perfectly okay, because it means that you as a designer have even more opportunities to reach your own special niche audience.

Don’t Think Of Everyone

You don’t have to try to make that “perfect design” that will appeal to everyone. I can’t even imagine what that would look like, but it likely would be terrible.

Why? Because people have such different expectations that trying to fulfill them all is always going to fail miserably.

This is why generic designs never sell as well as many clients seem to think they will.

The next time your client insists that you try to reach a more “general” audience with your design, remind them that no one wants to bother with something that’s made with “everyone” in mind.

Think about it: what else is made for “everyone”?

Let’s see… car dealerships (with a thousand different choices and options), hospitals and health care facilities (with multiple specialists to cater to virtually anyone’s particular problem), newspapers (with hundreds of sections for people to flip right to the information that interests them).

Do you see a pattern here? Even things that are supposedly for everyone have many, many sub-categories, so that “everyone” can filter themselves into more easily manageable groups.

What You Want Vs. What Is Best

You have to line up your message with the needs of your niche audience. If this happens to include your own needs, then it will be easier for you to engage personally with whatever it is you’re selling.

There’s a lot to be said for being able to stomach the work you must do as a designer. If you hate the message you’re sending out, perhaps you need to question whether or not you need to find new clients.

The relationship between designer and client should be symbiotic, and also sync up with whatever it is your client’s target market is looking for.

Which Version Is The “Right” One?

There is never one perfect solution to a design problem that will satisfy absolutely everyone. There are only a series of perfect solutions, each one tailor-made to fit a very specific group of people – sometimes extremely specific.

Malcolm Gladwell famously outlined this tendency of ours to prefer a multitude of different solutions in his legendary TED talk about spaghetti sauce.

He gave examples of the spaghetti sauce manufacturer, Prego, that stumbled upon a completely untapped market when it began offering “chunky” spaghetti sauce, in addition to the thinner, more traditional Italian-style sauces.

To use an even more specific example of multiple solutions to problems, most cat owners are perfectly happy training their cat to use the litter box.

Some owners, on the other hand, choose to take things a step further, and actually hire someone to train their cat to use the toilet. That’s right. There are cats who are actually potty trained.

Quite literally, there is a product or service out there that caters to every possible need.


Don’t confuse your personal favorite designs with the one your target audience is hungry for. Make sure you choose a market that you understand and you can satisfy without selling your soul.

Figure out that unique, perfect solution to your clients’ needs, and the needs of their customers, and everything will be just “perfect” from there.

The post Is There a Perfect Solution to a Design Problem? appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

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An Introduction to the WordPress theme.json File

As the WordPress Gutenberg block editor has evolved, theme developers have been encouraged to integrate it into their work. But in some ways, the editor itself is still a work in progress. That has led to frustration.

While including some features have been simple enough, there are challenges. Among the biggest headaches have been customizing block styles and setting up default color palettes.

These items have to be declared and styled in separate parts of a theme. When you need to make changes, that could mean editing multiple files. And if you switch to a new theme, you’ll have to recreate it all from scratch.

The solution? Enter the WordPress theme.json file. It aims to be an all-encompassing place for styling the block editor on both the front and back ends.

Today, we’ll take a look at what theme.json can do and how it will benefit WordPress theme developers. Let’s get started!

Bringing Block Styles and Defaults Under One Roof

According to the Block Editor Handbook, the rationale behind theme.json is to provide “a canonical way to define the settings of the block editor”. In practice, it offers theme developers granular control over how various blocks are styled and what options are available to users in the back end.

This allows for setting sitewide defaults for styling colors, fonts, and even the editor itself. But it also enables developers to go deeper and manage things on a per-block basis.

With theme.json, it’s possible to account for one-off situations where a specific block has different defaults than the others. For instance, if you wanted to provide a unique default font size for the Columns block, you can do so within this file. Likewise, you might also remove spacing options from that same block.

The result is a block editor that is more closely aligned with the theme. Developers no longer have to settle for Gutenberg’s out-of-the-box defaults or deal with clunky workarounds. In addition, they can set parameters for how users can manipulate blocks in an easier-to-maintain manner.

And now for the “magic” part: WordPress will read the settings in your theme.json file and output the necessary CSS for you. There’s no need to hack away at your stylesheet and only one file to change. How cool is that?

There are also some performance benefits. Normally, customizing block styles within the editor means both the original and edited versions are loaded in.

As the Handbook states, “…if a theme and a user set the font size for paragraphs, we only enqueue the style coming from the user and not the theme’s.” Fewer lines of CSS mean faster load times.

Prerequisites

Before we start configuring our theme.json file, there are a few requirements to get out of the way:

WordPress 5.8 and above is required.

The file should reside in your theme’s root directory. For example: /wp-content/themes/mytheme/theme.json

The available settings are expected to grow over time and some are experimental. Thus, you may need to install the official Gutenberg plugin to access certain items.

Still, there are plenty of goodies to play with! Let’s explore a basic example.

Creating a Basic theme.json File

As its name indicates, the theme.json file is written in JSON. And, once you have a basic template, it’s possible to edit or add to the file by following the established syntax.

Eventually, one can envision a vast array of boilerplates and code generators for developers to use. For this demo, we used the Gutenberg Theme.json Creator. It provides a simple interface for generating a custom file.

Goals

Our mission will be to clean up the color options on our website. By default, there are simply too many possible colors a user could choose from – including creating their own custom hues.

That could lead to an inconsistent user interface. Therefore, we’ll scale things back to just our brand’s color palette.

The WordPress block editor with a full palette of color options.

To do so, we’ll tweak the following in Gutenberg Theme.json Creator:

  • Disable “Custom Colors” and “Custom Gradient” options;
  • Add a custom color palette with our brand’s colors;

Now, we can copy the generated output into a new theme.json file, which we’ll save to the root directory of our theme (we’re using Twenty Nineteen here).

The Result

Our custom theme.json file worked as expected. The simplified color palette we configured has replaced the default setting. And the user’s ability to create custom hues and gradients has been removed from the block editor.

In addition, WordPress has written all of the required CSS for us. Thus, any color changes we make in the block editor are also reflected on the front end.

Color palette changes reflected on the front end of a website and within the CSS.

Finally, because all of this resides in a single file, making future changes and additions will be a relatively simple process.

Going Further with theme.json

We’ve only scratched the surface of what theme.json is capable of. If you’re looking to further your knowledge, check out these helpful resources:

The post An Introduction to the WordPress theme.json File appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

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