Hello Everyone! This is our first post on the site and I’m excited to get things kicked off. I’m working very hard to make this a great place for those passionate about design, branding and/or marketing and allow them to connect, share their knowledge and experience, and learn from others. Please be sure to read the “About” page to learn more about me and why I am launching this site.
There are a ton of sites that cater to designers offering inspiration, freebies and tutorials. I want to share with you my top 12 favorite sites for designers (in no particular order) along with my favorite posts from each. I noticed while putting this together that there are a lot of posts on popular design blogs that feature a set number of featured items. For example, 18 Tools I Use, 8 CSS Techniques, 6 Plugins You Must Have etc. Well, I guess this post is no different, so here are my Top 12 Sites for Design Inspiration and Tutorials. Enjoy!
psdtuts
psdtuts.com
Psdtuts is a very popular design blog from Envato’s Tuts+ Network. Psdtuts contains a vast collection of articles, tutorials, and freebies. Collis Ta’eed is the CEO of Envato, which employees a team of over 35 to run their quality network of design-related sites.
A few of my favorite posts from psdtuts:
- How to Make a Menu Interface for a Fantasy Themed iPhone Game
- A Comprehensive Introduction to the Type Tool
- 30 Super-Juicy Photoshop Illustration Tutorials
Web Designer Depot
WebDesignerDepot.com
Web Designer Depot is another very popular blog for designer that features design tutorials and resources. Web Designer Depot is a collaboration of leading designers around the world which contribute a wealth of expertise on all fields of design, such as coding, typography, Photoshop tutorials and more.
A few of my favorite posts from Web Designer Depot:
- 250+ Resources to Help You Become a CSS Expert
- How to Blog Effectively
- 20 Tips on How to Write for the Web
Smashing Magazine
SmashingMagazine.com
It’s likely that many of you are familiar with Smashing Magazine. With almost 700 articles and over 115,000 comments and trackbacks they are one of the most popular stops for designers and developers. They are also publishing a book, The Smashing Book, in late September.
A few of my favorite posts from Smashing Magazine:
- List of CSS Galleries
- 50 Beautiful Blog Designs
- 35 (Really) Incredible Free Icon Sets
- 10 Useful WordPress Hook Hacks
Fuel Your Creativity
FuelYourCreativity.com
Fuel Your Creativity is a great site for getting the creative juices flowing. This site is part of the Fuel Brand Network and is run by Angie Bowen, Rob Bowen, Adelle Charles, and Michelle Krasniak.
A few of my favorite posts from Fuel Your Creativity:
- Finding Fonts: Free and Premium Resources
- 18 Tools I Use as a Blogger and Designer
- Interview with Collis Ta’eed
Tutorial9
Tutorial9.net
Tutorial9 is one of the most popular sites dedicated to Photoshop tutorials and is run by David Leggett. In addition to tutorials you’ll also find a great collection of freebies and resources from icons to plugins. David is also working on a new blog, BetterBlogger.net. So be sure to sign-up to be notified when BetterBlogger launches.
A few of my favorite posts from Tutorial9:
- Create a Clean and Colorful Web Layout in Photoshop
- 5 Pixel Popping Techniques
- Windows Vista Aurora Effect in Photoshop Tutorial
Think Design
thinkdesignblog.com
Think Design is a blog featuring design inspiration, resources, and freebies from the talented Nick Pagano of ThinkFourDesign.
A few of my favorite posts from ThinkDesign:
- 48 Resources, Tips, Tricks, and Themes [for WordPress]
- CSS Resource List
- 20+ Beautiful Free Serif Fonts
WebDesignDev
WebDesignDev.com
WebDesignDev was launched in the summer of 2006 by Michael Dunlop and Andrew Johnson and provides design and development tutorials, interviews, and inspiration. They also provide tips and tutorials on Dreamweaver and Flash.
A few of my favorite posts from WebDesignDev:
- Vimeo! The Best Video Host for Web Designers
- Interview with Jacob Cass from Just Creative Design
- 15 Creative WordPress Header Designs
- 20 Ways to Promote Yourself as a Web Designer
Outlaw Design Blog
OutlawDesignBlog.com
Outlaw Design Blog provides design tutorials, resources, product reviews, and ways designers can earn passive income. Also, be sure to also check out their Podcasts.
A few of my favorite posts from Outlaw Design Blog:
- 2009 Web Design Trends and How-To’s
- Free Icons and Free Icon Sets
- 30 Wildly Creative Logos that Showcase Animals
SixRevisions
SixRevisions.com
SixRevisions is brought to us by Jacob Gube and features articles and tutorials on both web design and development. There are also several great articles on Project Management and Web Standards.
A few of my favorite posts from SixRevisions:
- 10 Tools for Evaluating Web Design Accessibility
- Five Ways to Speed Up Page Response Times
- 8 CSS Techniques for Charting Data
- How to Create a Clean Design with Photoshop
ProBlogDesign
ProBlogDesign.com
ProBlogDesign is run by Michael Martin, who also provides blog and website design services. ProBlogDesign covers both web design and development and provides articles on anything from usability to CSS and PHP.
A few of my favorite posts from ProBlogDesigns:
- 16 Cheat Sheets on 16 Essential Topics for Web Designers
- Does Valid Code Help Your Blog?
- 6 Tips to Make a Great First Impression
Blogussion
Blogussion.com
Blogussion is a relatively new site that was launched in early 2009 and run by Alex Fraiser and Seth Waite. Blogussion provides tutorials on design, tips on customizing Thesis for WordPress, along with additional tips on becoming a better blogger. As a side note, Blogussion is one of the best customizations of Thesis Theme for WordPress that I’ve found.
A few of my favorite posts from Blogussion:
- 4 Tricks for “Awesome-izing” Input Forms
- 4 Great Ways I Customized My Thesis Theme
- 6 Plugins You Should Always Have Ready for Blog Emergencies
- How to Setup a WordPress Backup System
Web Design Ledger
WebDesignLedger.com
Web Design Ledger is a popular design blog that features tips, tools, resources, and tutorials for designers.
A few of my favorite posts from Web Design Ledger:
- A Showcase of Fantastic Footer Designs
- 15 Stunning Examples of Data Visualization
- 27 Useful Logo Design Tutorials and Tips
- 15 Creatively Cut Business Cards
…and those are my top 12 design websites/blogs. I hope you find inspiration from them and learn a few tips and tricks as well. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and grab the RSS feed. We’ll be bringing you posts on design and marketing on a weekly basis. So please make yourself at home and we invite you to join the conversation and even write articles if you’d like.
