You’re here for the invites…right? Well there’s no need for me to explain what Dribbble is in much depth, as most of you know it’s a pretty rad community where you post sneak peaks of what you’re currently working on, in the form of 400 x 300 px images. The quality of work is exceptional and the chance to interact, critique and inspire is second to none.

Dribbble invites are like gold dust. I’ve been a member for several months and only just got my first two invites this week. While I can think of several people who I could give these to immediately, I wanted to open this up to a wider audience.

In the world of Dribbble who you draft is a big deal. No one wants to draft the guy who uploads pictures of his cat, so I’m going to be pretty picky as to who scores these invites. I’m held responsible for the quality of work being uploaded by someone I draft so I’m taking the selection process seriously.

The über cool John O’Nolan has also kindly donated one Dribbble invite, bringing the total to three. So if you want drafted, make sure you follow the instructions below.

How To Enter

1. Leave a comment below with a few words of the type or style of work you would be uploading.
2. Post a link to your favourite bit of artwork you’ve produced.

Deadline

On Friday 6th August I will announce the three winners on this blog post and Twitter. Good luck to all!

EDIT: The super kind Ryan Downie, Chris Gibbons and Paul Stanton have also now donated an invite, while the lovely Emma Taylor has donated THREE invites. Taking the total to Nine invites to win!

Nine Dribbble Invites To Win – Get Drafted! is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

Jack Franklin is an 18 year old web designer and developer who lives in the beautiful area of England, Cornwall. Having started out with HTML and CSS at the age of just 13, Jack has been extending his skill-set ever since and works regularly with HTML, CSS, Javascript and PHP, although his main area of enjoyment lies in jQuery.

I asked Jack if he would give us the lowdown on the applications he relies upon as a designer and developer on a daily basis.

The Intro….

I picked up my first Mac about a year ago having been an admirer for a number of years. It wasn’t much, an old G5 iMac, 17″ screen but it was mine and I loved it. I did all my website work on there and soon became so fond of some of the apps available. I’ve since moved onto an older Macbook, from 2007, which runs Snow Leopard. I plan to upgrade in the next few months to one of the new iMacs and maybe an iPad.

The Dock…

• Finder – It’s just Finder. For some reason some people hate it but I don’t know why, it does its job very well.
• Things – If you’re a Mac user and have not heard of Things, you should. It’s a superb to-do app. If I’m honest I prefer The Hit List, but the lack of iPhone app means Things wins. It’s a pleasure to use, and notice how I have no due tasks. I am efficient.
• Safari – It runs very quickly on my Macbook, and V5 is the best yet. My default browser for all day to day browsing.
• Mail – Mail is the best mail client I’ve ever used. It’s brilliant. I use lots of rules to organise mail into lots of folders, meaning I know exactly where everything is. It’s search facility is a real winner.
• Skype – I use this to talk with people from all over the place, whether it be just for a friendly chat or a client. The fact I can go on Skype and call someone else on Skype who might be thousands of miles away and not be charged any money is amazing..
• Transmit 4 – The best FTP app ever. Period. The recent update to version 4 has transformed it from a good FTP app to a superb one. The design is awesome and everything works as expected..
• Fireworks – I rarely touch Photoshop now, all my mocking-up work is done in Fireworks. It’s made for it, whereas Photoshop is all about image editing at heart.
• Textmate – I’m a geeky coder at heart and Textmate offers unrivalled features when it comes to coding. The bundles allow me to set up shortcuts to increase the speed at which I can code and it’s lighting quick.
• Spotify – Does it need an introduction? Free music! At the moment I’m not subscribed on a paid plan but I’m considering it, however the free version suits my needs perfectly for the time being.
• Ecoute – Ecoute sits in your dock and is a way to play all your iTunes music (including songs that you bought on iTunes, aka DRM protected ones) without loading up iTunes, which is one of Apple’s only bad apps at the moment. It’s quick, easy and works, for just $10 it’s a great steal. I love how the icon updates to show the song artwork. (PS – that’s not Glee playing, definitely not!).
• Forrst via Fluid – Forrst is a website that allows you to share work and get honest feedback by others. I use this so much, both for giving advice and help to others and also getting help. Using an app called Fluid it allows me to use the website as if it was a proper application and access it from the dock.
• MAMP – MAMP installs Apache and MySQL to your computer so you can run PHP locally. Invaluable for development.
• Curdbee via Fluid – Once again I used Fluid to bring Curdbee to my desktop. Curdbee is a very good, simple invoicing app which I use to keep track of my money.
• 1Password – I use this to keep track of my passwords on websites and all the serials for all my software.
• Firefox – Firefox + Web Developer Toolbar + Firebug is the best web development browser by a mile.
• AppCleaner – You drag an Application icon to AppCleaner and it uninstalls it and all the extra files the app installs. I just use it to keep everything neat and tidy in my Applications folders..
• Stack: Browsers – All the browsers I have sit in this stack, as I tend to try different ones all the time..
• Stack: Recently used Apps – This lists my 8 most recently used apps which sounds not that useful but it really is.
• Folder: Public Folder – This is a quick shortcut to my public folder, working in an office things always get sent from laptop to laptop via everyone’s public folders so often I need to get to this folder.
• The Trash – I try and keep this empty but sometimes it fills up.

———————————————————————————————————–
A huge thanks to Jack for taking time out to take part in the Dock Series.

If you would like to be featured in the Dock Series simply:

• Download the Dock Series Template.
• Email it along with the necessary images to: hi [at] gracesmith.co.uk.

Check out the other creatives in the series.

With more amazing creatives lined up, make sure to check each week for the latest Dock Series installment.

Show Me Your Dock Series! Part 32 is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

Please note this is not a sponsored review. This is a tool I’ve recently started to use and thought it may be of interest to some of you. I asked Brian to share the vital info on it’s creation and features. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment and Brian will be happy to answer them.

A potential new client contacts you to inquire about your awesome freelance service. So you set up a meeting, put your game face on, and get down to business. You and your potential client discuss goals, technical requirements, budget, and so forth. Exciting! Another new business lead! But you haven’t landed the gig just yet…

Now it’s time to go back, organize all the information you gathered in your meeting, and put together your proposal. Otherwise known as a bid, it’s a document presenting the project details (scope), time estimate, price quote, and any other information you choose to include. In the back of your mind is the notion that you’re not the only freelancer this client contacted for this project. Your proposal better shine so that you win their business!

That’s where WP Bids comes in.

It’s a specialized WordPress theme for creating (awesome) project proposals. Not only does it help you produce outstanding web-based proposals that will wow your clients and win more projects, it makes your life easier and saves you valuable time in the process!

Here are just a few of the features that make WP Bids an excellent tool for your freelance business:

• Easily add your own logo / branding to the header of every proposal.
• Creating and formatting proposals is a piece of cake since you already know (and love) the familiar WordPress interface.
• Set up a proposal template, drastically speeding up the process of churning out new proposals. Now you can focus your time on doing things you enjoy… Like working on projects!
• Mobile, iPhone, iPad and Print optimized.

The Story Behind WP Bids

I am a freelance web designer. In the past, when clients would contact me about a new project, I’d spend hours crafting a proposal document using Microsoft Word. It was always a process I dreaded for a several reasons:

• I was limited in terms of design and layout. MS Word doesn’t offer much in this regard.
• It took forever for me to create each proposal.
• I felt the overall presentation didn’t reflect my attention to detail as a web designer.

So I knew I had to scratch this itch by creating a solution that is; elegant and impressive, saves me valuable time and is fully customizable.

Since I’ve been specializing in WordPress, it was the logical platform to base my proposals app on. I had been creating Premium WordPress Themes at ThemeJam for a while, so I had a solid foundation in theme development to base WP Bids on.

After a few months of carefully crafting this highly specialized theme, I’m happy to have produced something that is simple, elegant, and offers an immediate benefit to one’s business. I’m truly passionate about the business of freelancing and I’m thrilled to have created something I know my fellow freelancers / small business owners will make use of.

So how much does it cost?

WP Bids follows the same pricing model as all of my premium WordPress themes on ThemeJam. For a one-time purchase of $59, you get:

• The WP Bids theme, complete with 4 built-in color schemes.
• The layered Photoshop design file.
• Detailed documentation.
• Lifetime access to theme updates.
• Lifetime access to customer support.
• Use it on as many domains as you want.

And now a little reward for making it this far…

Here’s a discount code: GRACE20 for 20% OFF your purchase, today through to the 9th August.

Pssst! WP Bids not for you? You can still use the above discount code on any ThemeJam theme!

Here is a short video demonstrating WP Bids in action:

Brian Casel is a freelance web designer and creator of the WP Bids WordPress theme. You can follow Brian on his personal blog briancasel.com and on Twitter @CasJam.

WP Bids – WordPress Theme For Freelancers is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

Typography should be every designer’s best friend as it is such an important aspect of modern design, that mastering how to use it effectively is essential.

When typography is neglected it can leave you with a sub standard design and impact on the rest of the project which will leave you and your client unhappy with the end result.

You don’t have to look far to see modern typography as it’s all around us as billboards, shop windows and product packaging for example carry some truly inspirational examples of typography.

Here are fifteen outstanding typographic posters that will interest and inspire you in your own projects.

Are there any typographic resources you could recommend? If so, please leave your suggestions in the comments below.

This is a guest post from the talented:

Paul Maloney is a UK based web designer/developer and runs the design agency Tropica. He particularly enjoys using and working with WordPress and has a keen interest in typography. You can follow Paul on Twitter.

15 Invigorating Typographic Posters is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

Earlier this week I published my Top 20 Essential Apps for the iPhone, however no iPhone is complete without a variety of weird and wonderful games to pass the time. From first person shooters to puzzles and role-playing games, the iTunes store has them all.

I’ve always been a ‘gamer’ and am probably guilty of spending a little too much time on some of the apps below.

Without further ado, here are the games that I’ve come to love, thus far:

• 1. Angry Birds

Is there anyone with an iPhone that doesn’t own this?! Easily one of the most addictive games available, at times you really will get angry with those birds!

• 2. DoodleJump

This is another game I find it hard to put down. Switching between some of the cool themes available, it will have you playing for hours to get a higher and higher score.

• 3. Canabalt

It’s as simple as tapping the screen to jump, but this game is just heart bursting, dark and intense in it’s gameplay. It also has my favorite in-game music.

• 4. Minigore

I’m the first to admit, I suck at this game, but it doesn’t stop me from wasting too much time trying to unlock all the gore’s!

• 5. Guitar Hero

The interface feels both responsive and efficient and for the money, I think it’s the best music game of it’s nature available.

• 6. Need For Speed Shift

I love racing games, always have and NFS is without doubt my favorite game of this type. I previously bought Undercover and would also highly recommend it.

• 7. Rally Master

Another racing game, though this one is actually much more difficult. It does take time to master this game, which makes it highly addictive and enjoyable.

• 8. Talking Carl

My nephew gives this the thumbs up as it’s the one app he always ask to play! Carl is cute as a button and you’ll soon find yourself finding weird and wonderful things for him to say!

• 9. Hungry Shark

This is a cute, fun and simple game that’s pretty hard to put down, the deeper you go into the game, the better it gets.

• 10. Warships

It’s a simple, pick-up game that is a new twist on the classic game. I especially like the ability to play with other players via bluetooth. It’s a must get free app.

• 11. Fling

A unique puzzle game that I really get a kick out of. It’s not as easy as it looks, and once you get into the higher levels, you really do have to plan your way through those little furballs!

• 12. Flick Kick Football

As some of you may know, I’m a bit of footie fan. This is a highly addictive game which really delivers with the highly sensitive controls.

• 13. Fruit Ninja

Silly concept, great game! Who would have thought slicing and dicing fruit could be so enjoyable. I’m pretty rubbish at this game, but that doesn’t stop me from trying.

• 14. Words With Friends

Probably the best multi-player game (IMO) for the iPhone that you can find yourself playing for hours. A great gaming experience that actually feels educational.

• 15. Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars

I’ve been a GTA fan for many years and just had to buy Chinatown Wars when it was released. The controls could be better, but overall it delivers as most RockStar games do.

• 16. Amateur Surgeon

It hasn’t been updated for some time, but I still find this game entertaining (if a little gruesome). The controls can be difficult to master though.

• 17. N.O.V.A

Pretty much like playing Halo on the iPhone, this is an excellent first person shooter. Although it may be slightly too easy for any of you hardcore gamers!

• 18. Helsing’s Fire

This is no ordinary puzzle game, it’s a lot more exciting, colorful and unique. It’s an original game that features puzzle, action and a fun story at a low price.

• 19. Eboy FixPix

This has got to be one the easiest ‘games’ available, however I actually bought it not for the game, but to have the amazing pixel images as my wallpaper!

• 20. Ace Attorney

The storylines are weird, the characters even weirder and the endless dialogue can be annoying, but I love it because it forces you to think over every single detail.

Do you have any games you could recommend? If so please leave a comment below, I would love to discover some new apps!

20 Fantastically Addictive iPhone Games I Love is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

After my contract finished recently I decided it was the right time to upgrade and decided to go for a lovely White 32GB 3Gs and skip ‘antennagate’ iPhone 4!

The best thing about the iPhone is of course – the apps. However with hundreds of thousands of apps to choose from, it gets pretty difficult to find the ones that will suit my needs.

Without further ado, here are the apps that I’ve found essential, thus far:

• 1. Twitter

It’s been my pick of the Twitter apps both on my mac and iPod Touch since it was released and it’s just as efficient on the iPhone.

• 2. 1Password

Perfect for secure mobile browsing, as it saves my web usernames and passwords, has a browser built-in and syncs with 1Password on my Mac.

• 3. WordPress

This is an essential app for any blog owner, it allows me to moderate, edit, or reply to comments as well as easily composing posts.

• 4. Flickr

As a passionate amateur photographer, Flickr is a site I visit pretty much everyday. The ability to post straight to Twitter is pretty fly.

• 5. Reeder

I’ve tried many RSS readers on the iPhone and iPod Touch, but Reeder is the best of them all. It’s elegant, minimal interface is stunning.

• 6. Ego

I’ve been using Ego since it was released, it gives me one central—and lovely—location to check web statistics and RSS numbers.

• 7. TaskPaper

The ultimate in Task Lists (IMO), this syncs perfectly with my Mac version and provides a beautiful and unobtrusive interface.

• 8. Dropbox

Allows me to access my Dropbox files on the go with the ability to view files offline and share links. This is another essential app as it syncs with my iMac.

• 9. Fring

Free video calls, calls, live chat and IM make Fring one of my most useful apps, especially as it centralises all of my networks in one place.

• 10. NTRConnect Viewer

This is perfect for when I need to reach files that are on my office iMac, I can easily move items into my Dropbox folder and then retrieve them on my iPhone.

• 11. The Guardian

This gives me my daily fix of news with the latest stories, galleries and audio from a respected Newspaper.

• 12. AroundMe

An indispensable app that allows me to quickly find out info on the facilities close to my location.

• 13. PayPal Manager

As a small business owner who uses PayPal for nearly all transactions, this is an extremely useful app for quick management of my account.

• 14. FTP On The Go

You wouldn’t think you would have much need for an FTP client on the iPhone, but i use this quite often. I can edit files directly on the server, with a handy built-in browser.

• 15. iStat

This nifty app lets me monitor all the vital statistics on my Mac including CPU, fans, memory, disks, uptime and more.

• 16. Downloads

This is a recent app I’ve discovered, it acts as a fully featured download manager and basically allows me to access the iPhones file system, which is invaluable.

• 17. Analytics

Gives me instant, mobile access to Google Analytics with detailed reports at a glance and support for multiple accounts and sites.

• 18. Instapaper

Essential for anybody that works on the web, this lets me save web pages for offline or later reading.

• 19. Pastebot

This is a powerful clipboard manager that stores text & images copied from my iphone and much much more.

• 20. Stanza

A wonderful app that I use to read e-books, but also allows me to drag and drop PDF’s into the File Sharing section in iTunes.

It wouldn’t be a proper list without a bonus:

• 21. Google Mobile

I love the search by voice function, but find the links to other Google apps like Calender and Docs to be extremely useful.

So after one month’s use, those are my favorite iPhone apps so far. Do you have any particular apps you could recommend? Then please leave a comment and share your picks.

Don’t forget to check back on Wednesday for my Top 20 iPhone Games!

20 Essential iPhone Apps I Can’t Live Without is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

My first three articles have recently been published:

• 10 Free Wireframing Tools for Designers
• 10 Beautiful Social Media Infographics
• Top 10 Beautiful Minimalist Icon Sets

I’m currently working on several more articles for the series and having a blast working with the super talented (and crazy nice) team at Mashable. This also explains why I’ve been slightly quiet posting here on my blog.

I’d love if you could check out the articles as they are published and perhaps give them a little help in your chosen social networks. Of course any feedback on the articles is also appreciated, so feel free to drop a comment here.

On Becoming A Mashable Contributor is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

Yes, that picture is of me when I was a baby!

Last year I wrote an article (with lots of guest contributers), titled 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Me and it attracted over 100 comments and is still my most popular post to date. People loved the article because it asked others to get a little more personal and share some of their life and personality.

This year I wanted to take this concept a step further and let you into a little part of my life. I’ve compiled 50 funny, shocking and downright mad facts about myself that will hopefully inspire you to share something about yourself in the comments.

Here goes…..

1. I’ve met two James Bonds – Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan.
2. American politics fascinates me.
3. I wish I could DJ.
4. If I could ask God one question it would be “Why don’t you do something?”
5. The only movie that ever made me cry was 7 Pounds.
6. When I find a song I like, I’ll listen to it on repeat until I get sick of it.
7. My favorite book is No Logo by Naomi Kleine….that book changed my world.
8. I converted my family from PC to Apple.
9. My idol is my Father. He taught me so much more than he ever realised.
10. I love karaoke but I’m not a great singer.
11. I rarely drink alcohol….though I am partial to West Coast Cooler.
12. I’m a movie junkie and go to the cinema at least 3/4 times a month.
13. My ringtone is Daft Punk – Face to Face.
14. I love driving.
15. My favorite childhood toy was My Little Pony – though my brother thought it was funny to dye and cut their hair!
16. I’ve never broken any bones, though I did have 4 stitches in my ankle after I fell when I was 10.
17. My current desktop wallpaper is a picture of my dog Prada, who died suddenly just a few days ago.
18. I hate writing postcards.
19. My dream holiday would be to go skiing and snowboarding in the Alps
20. My iPod Touch goes everywhere with me.
21. I can never have enough hugs.
22. The Moomins were my favorite cartoon growing up.
23. I can’t stand manufactured Pop music.
24. My favorite music artist is Prince.
25. I hardly ever carry cash (I prefer to use a Debit Card).
26. My favorite junk food is Nice ‘N’ Spicy Nik Naks.
27. I love sneakers (especially BabySham & Converse) and have around 30 pairs.
28. My best ideas come before I fall asleep, that’s why I always keep a notebook by my bed.
29. The best gig I ever went to was Prince at the O2 arena in London….little guy….huge amount of talent.
30. I was captain of both the Netball and Hockey teams at school.
31. I drink a lot of milk, so much so my family regularly blames me when me run out!
32. I’m addicted to tea (but it has to be Punjana).
33. I’m not a ‘phone person’, so spend as little time on it as possible.
34. I secretly wish I spoke with a devon accent.
35. My claim to fame when I was a kid was meeting the cast of Gladiators.
36. I could never go on holiday just to lie on a beach.
37. I can’t listen to any songs that remind me of my Dad, especially Dire Straits, Paul Brady or Fleetwood Mac.
38. My favorite fictional character is Rorschach from Watchmen.
39. When I’m bored I have a tendency to buy books I never read.
40. I can watch “Father Ted” and “30 Rock” hundreds of times and still die laughing
41. I think Kathryn Janeway was the best Star Trek captain.
42. My brother and I were obsessed with NBA Basketball when we were kids and watched it every Saturday on TV.
43. If I never had to work again, I’d spend my time traveling the world with my trusty Canon 350D camera and kit.
44. I always order the same thing when I go to a Chinese Takeaway.
45. I hate gardening.
46. I won several competitions when I was younger for drawing and art.
47. Having a nephew has been a great excuse to play with Lego again!
48. I consider myself one of the few good women drivers!
49. My favorite video game of all time is Grand Theft Auto III.
50. Two charities I regularly support are Chest, Heart & Stroke and Epilepsy Action.

Now it’s your turn to share! Please leave a comment below with a few fun facts about yourself and let’s get to know each other a little better!

50 Things You Didn’t Know About Me is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

The giveaway has now ended and the two winners are: Mike Street and Katherine Cory. Congrats to you both and to everyone who didn’t win this time, don’t worry there are some great giveaways coming up!

Heart Internet have got in touch with me to offer you guys the opportunity to win one of two annual Reseller Professional packages worth £300 each (approx $430) plus a free .com, .net, .org (1 year reg) or .uk (2 years reg) domain name.

The Heart Internet Reseller Professional account has been especially created for web designers, internet entrepreneurs, web hosting resellers and developers. The Reseller package includes unlimited web space and unlimited bandwidth. Some of the headline features include:

• Sell unlimited websites at no extra charge
• Real time hosting set up
• A full hosting CRM
• Complete branding of the entire experience from the welcome emails through to the customer control panel (and everything else in-between)
• Add as many Linux or Windows hosting accounts as you like at no extra charge
• iPhone control panel to manage sites on the go and pass on to customers

If this sounds like something you would like to get your hands on keep reading to find out how to enter.

How to Enter

1. Make sure you are following both @gracesmith and @heartinternet on Twitter
2. Leave a comment below letting us know which type of domain you would like (.com, co.uk, .org.uk etc)

Competition Details

The closing date is Wednesday 16th June and the two winners will be told via Twitter DM (which is why you need to be following both of us). Good luck!

Win a Reseller hosting package worth £300! is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

This is the first in a three part in-depth series on how to incorporate sketching into your design process to kick-start your creativity and help brainstorm faster and more efficiently.

Part One interviews four established designers and illustrators to gain an insight into how they approach sketching, Part Two is an in-depth guide exploring the advantages of sketching for designers, while Part Three establishes some of the best resources to get you started. So make sure you are subscribed so as not to miss out when these are published over the next few weeks.

In order to gain a thorough understanding of how beneficial the process of sketching can be, I asked a small selection of talented designers and illustrators to share their process, advice and tips.

For this interview each participant was asked the same set of questions. Below you will see the questions listed with the corresponding responses from each person.

1. Can you talk us through your typical design process?

Brian Hoff – Designer, writer and founder of the ever useful Design Cubicle, answers:

 
My process always start off in my sketchbook, although I try not to have a 1-2-3-step process to my work (I like to switch things up and keep it interesting; I get bored easily). If I’m working on a website design in my sketchbook, I start with wireframing and layout. I like to spend a lot of time of this since I personally feel that the layout is one of the most important elements of the site. “Pretty” graphics and stunning effects will often get downplayed with lack of good layout and flow. Plus bad layout will definitely hinder the viewers experience.

Von Glitschka – Illustrator, teacher, designer and founder of Glitschka Studios, answers:

 
My best answer to this would be to direct people to a presentation I did
at the HOW Design Conference in Boston. They’ll be able to see exactly how
I approach my work.

David Airey – Blogger, Brand identity designer, consultant and founder of Logo Design Love, answers:

 
I approach projects in the same way as many other designers would, i.e., gathering information, interpreting the brief, brainstorming, sketching, digitizing, presenting — all the while communicating with clients. You can read a more in-depth description here: The brand identity design process.

Simon Wild – Illustrator, doodler, lecturer, author and lover of colour, answers:

 
My design process varies as I work with various processes including screenprint and collage. Everything starts with drawing though, either in sketchbooks as thumbnails, or uncontrolled scribbles on loose bits of paper. The drawings are then scanned and digitally treated or used as blueprints for collages. Sometimes I combine these practises depending on the work I make. My work can be very eclectic, but drawing is always the common thread that holds everything together.

2. Could you give us an insight into your style or technique?

Brian Hoff – Designer, writer and founder of the ever useful Design Cubicle, answers:

 
I try not to stick to a particular style, although I think it is fair to say that we all have influences that we draw upon. Sometimes I settle on a typefaces, other times a color palette, or at times, I start off designing something as little as button and then expand from there.

Von Glitschka – Illustrator, teacher, designer and founder of Glitschka Studios, answers:

 
My style is influenced by the project type and context. Regardless of
style my technique and approach stays relatively the same from one project
to the next.

David Airey – Blogger, Brand identity designer, consultant and founder of Logo Design Love, answers:

 
The emphasis is on ideas. I aim to keep the outcome as simple as possible, so it’s easier for people to remember (and therefore recall at a quick glance).

Simon Wild – Illustrator, doodler, lecturer, author and lover of colour, answers:

 
I don’t think I have an identifiable style as such. Sometimes my work is born from reckless doodling. Other times it comes from relentlessly observing something, or glueing paper together like an angry child. I think my work is a collision of the real world and the imagination with a strong passion for colour.

3. Who or what inspires, informs, and influences your work?

Brian Hoff – Designer, writer and founder of the ever useful Design Cubicle, answers:

 
My passion lies in typography and layout, so much of my web work places emphasis those things. I love looking at old, hand-drawn type and signage, book cover design, and publication design / layout. I enjoy timeless design.

Von Glitschka – Illustrator, teacher, designer and founder of Glitschka Studios, answers:

 
Being informed on as many fronts as possible inspires, informs and
influences me the most. I read a lot both non-fiction, fiction, physics,
business journals, and marketing. I love traveling and studying history.
All of it kind of mixes together and my mind starts to make connections
and it helps me to formulate ideas and better understand topics so I can
design from a more informed perspective and not just merely be a picture
maker.

David Airey – Blogger, Brand identity designer, consultant and founder of Logo Design Love, answers:

 
I’m influenced by friends, family, designers, blog readers, authors, business-people, the weather, nature, architecture… everything. A strong designer will make use of all the elements around him or her.

Simon Wild – Illustrator, doodler, lecturer, author and lover of colour, answers:

 
I am very inspired by travel and keeping sketchbooks of the places I have visited. I love design in nature, and colour plays a significant role in my work too. I love the absurd and try and capture some of that in my work. I admire the work of Heinz Edelmann for it’s distinct personality and quirks.

4. How do you effectively use sketching as a designer?

Brian Hoff – Designer, writer and founder of the ever useful Design Cubicle, answers:

 
If I’m designing a logo I start off by mind-mapping in my sketchbook. It’s my way of visualizing with words, that help me come to terms with the iconography that relates to the logo I am creating. Once I settle on a few terms and keywords I then beginning loosely sketching ideas based on the mind-mapping exercise.

Von Glitschka – Illustrator, teacher, designer and founder of Glitschka Studios, answers:

 
My process is both analog and digital. I start off in analog, move to
digital and go back and forth through out my creative process. I strongly
believe all designers should be drawing. Doesn’t matter if you ever want
to become a full-blown illustrator. That isn’t the point. It’s about being
able to take that intangible idea and put it on paper in 2D form. Drawing
improves design period.

David Airey – Blogger, Brand identity designer, consultant and founder of Logo Design Love, answers:

 
I don’t think there’s an effective and ineffective way. All sketching helps, as long as you consider it an integral part of the process, and don’t simply go through the motions.

Simon Wild – Illustrator, doodler, lecturer, author and lover of colour, answers:

 
I use sketching in different ways. To solve problems/ make mistakes / try out and remember ideas and for finished work.

5. What are the important elements to consider within a composition?

Brian Hoff – Designer, writer and founder of the ever useful Design Cubicle, answers:

 
Lately, I’ve been finding myself starting off in the early stages of a project by choosing a particular typeface and then designing around it. Type has so much personality and can really set the tone for the remaining elements of which still needs to be designed.

Von Glitschka – Illustrator, teacher, designer and founder of Glitschka Studios, answers:

 
Focusing the viewers attention, and directly them visually where they
should go and what they should think. Making sure visual tension isn’t
within my design because it deteriorates your design. The more visual
tension the weaker the design.

David Airey – Blogger, Brand identity designer, consultant and founder of Logo Design Love, answers:

 
Space, shape, texture, colour, line, form, balance, proportion, emphasis.

Simon Wild – Illustrator, doodler, lecturer, author and lover of colour, answers:

 
For me personally it is the white space that frames the subject I am illustrating. So it is the areas that you don’t design in that helps to enhance the areas that you do.

6. How do you think a designer can develop a personal style when drawing or sketching?

Brian Hoff – Designer, writer and founder of the ever useful Design Cubicle, answers:

 
In every designer’s body of work, even though each piece is different, you can always see at least small traces of the designer’s hand and eye in their work. When it comes to sketching I would imagine it being similar.

Von Glitschka – Illustrator, teacher, designer and founder of Glitschka Studios, answers:

 
Just start drawing and the more you do it the more your style will come
out and be apparent. You can’t really force it, it’ll come out naturally
but it takes time and patience.

David Airey – Blogger, Brand identity designer, consultant and founder of Logo Design Love, answers:

 
By sketching quickly. If you take too long, it defeats the purpose. Remember, sketching isn’t about becoming the next Picasso. It’s about transferring ideas from your brain to paper. The more sketches you make, the more ideas you can draw upon when moving forward.

Simon Wild – Illustrator, doodler, lecturer, author and lover of colour, answers:

 
By getting out and observing real life. Avoid copying trends, but opt for drawing the things that interest you. I think that drawing from life really contributes to the designer developing their own visual language.

7. How do you think sketching can be of benefit to other designers?

Brian Hoff – Designer, writer and founder of the ever useful Design Cubicle, answers:

 
Sketching is very beneficial for designers; it allows us to quickly get ideas out on paper and focus more on the overall picture instead of minor details too early in the process. I was recently speaking with Dan Mall and he also noticed and mentioned his past students mostly focus on the tiny details much too early; many of which bypass sketching all together. For anyone that has ever taken a drawing class, in fine art they call it gesture drawing. The act of getting the shape of a figure down before worrying about little things (ie: eye balls, finger nails, etc).

Von Glitschka – Illustrator, teacher, designer and founder of Glitschka Studios, answers:

 
Lets say you start drawing daily now. You continue to draw for the next
five years, do you think you’ll be a stronger creative at that time or
worse? Creativity is progressive, it should always be growing, refining,
becoming better both in craft and concept.

That said drawing can be directly related to inspiration and if you’re not
feeding the furnace by taking in life at it’s fullest it’ll be very hard
to stay motivated and keep that fire going. So I think this question ties
into question 3 in very significant ways.

David Airey – Blogger, Brand identity designer, consultant and founder of Logo Design Love, answers:

 
Sketching is the fastest method available for documenting visual design ideas. Using a computer brings an unnecessary restriction into the mix, almost like a “middle man.”

Simon Wild – Illustrator, doodler, lecturer, author and lover of colour, answers:

 
I think that good design should have personality and something to say. Sketching and visually recording provides a good platform for strong design. Sketching is the place where you make your mistakes and your discoveries. It is a place to lay the foundations of your ideas. Sketching can develop a designers voice.

8. Lastly, name 5 tips for the budding sketch artist?

Brian Hoff – Designer, writer and founder of the ever useful Design Cubicle, answers:

 
1. Sketch often.
2. Sketch loosely and fast.
3. Forget the tiny details.
4. Never leave your house without a notebook; you never know when inspiration will strike.
5. Keep written sketches / notes just as much as visual sketches.

Von Glitschka – Illustrator, teacher, designer and founder of Glitschka Studios, answers:

 
1. Start: You’ll never grow if you never start.
2. Have Fun: Don’t worry about what to do, just do what wherever you’d
like to do.
3. It’s OK to do a bad drawing: Many times you’ll learn more from a crappy
drawing than you will from one you love. No one nails it every time.
4. Save your doodles: Even if it’s not a formal drawing and just a doodle
save it.
5. Make it easy to do: Personally I don’t like sketch books, I prefer
sketch pads I can tear off. So figure out how to make it work for you,
that will help you stick with it.

David Airey – Blogger, Brand identity designer, consultant and founder of Logo Design Love, answers:

 
1. Carry a notepad and pen/pencil with you.
2. Practice makes better.
3. Focus on the idea — not shading or tone.
4. Don’t worry about making a mistake. Mistakes are how we learn.
5. Stay hydrated.

Simon Wild – Illustrator, doodler, lecturer, author and lover of colour, answers:

 
1. Draw every day
2. Get interested by the little details of life.
3. Spend as little time in front of your computer as you can manage
4. Draw with your opposite hand
5. Don’t seek praise for your drawing. Seek criticism

Conclusion

So there you have it, some fantastic insights and advice from a selection of talented designers and illustrators.

Thank you to all of the contributors who were very gracious in taking their time to answer my questions. Don’t forget to subscribe or check back next week for Part 2!

The Benefits Of Sketching As A Designer: Part One is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.