Here is your freshly squeezed design inspiration for the week of May 28 2023.
- SOMETHING GORGEOUS: A Bluetooth Speaker I Hope Becomes Real
- PORTFOLIO OF THE WEEK: Thomas Burden
- Boba x Ice Cream by Synchronized Studio
- UNMIND by Ragged Edge
- A Gen-Z Banking App
- ONE TOK: Drive but TikTok
- ONE LEARNING: It is Hard Being Creative
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Resource of the Week
Readymag
This biggest struggle I see with designers and creatives when it comes to creating a portfolio that represents them is learning the ins and outs of platforms like Squarespace, Wix, and Adobe Portfolio.
It's already really hard to design a portfolio that is engaging and dynamic and then you have to also learn how to use these website builders that in reality aren't so friendly.
One of the portfolio builders like to I recommend to avoid this situation is Readymag. Readymag is a website builder made for designers and creatives made by designers and creatives. But what does that mean?
Well I like to think of it this way. Readymag is built in a way that very much represents some of the other tools we use as creatives like Illustrator and Figma. It allows you to draw and drop elements onto the page and then incorporate dynamic interactions with just a few simple clicks.
Signing up and getting started with Readymag is completely free and is definitely a tool that wouldn't hurt to add to your repertoire of skills.
Get Started with Readymag Today
Something Gorgeous
A Bluetooth Speaker I Hope Becomes Real
I love me a good concept rendering of products and this Kodak bluetooth speaker concept by Hyunjun Yu is quite gorgeous.
While a company like Kodak isn't known for audio products, I think this bluetooth speaker is a good representation of how the company could expand into other areas while also maintaining the classic look and feel we have all come to love from the photography company.
Portfolio Of The Week
Thomas Burden
Thomas Burden is an award winning creative director out of the UK and while his new portfolio website is currently in development I wanted to share his current portfolio as it uses a tool I see a lot of other designers use, Adobe Portfolio.
While Adobe Portfolio may not be the most customizable when it comes to visuals, that doesn't mean it still can't be used in a way to accentuate your work. Thomas's portfolio is a great example of how to KEEP IT SIMPLE SILLY.
At the core of every portfolio website is great content. Thomas uses a simple layout which includes a clear overview and description of his projects. Additionally something else I see designers struggle with when using Adobe Portfolio is how to incorporate grids into their portfolio projects. Thomas makes sure to use big beautiful images at the beginning of his portfolio projects then towards the end, incorporate brief use of grids while making sure the images in the grids are not shrinking the main subject. This is key as you don't want to make the subject of your images so small that viewers overlook it.
Thomas may have 15 years of experience as a creative, but it goes to show you that a core understanding of basic layout fundamentals is a core element to a strong foundation as a designer and creative.
Portfolio Rating: 7.4/10
Thomas's portfolio website uses Adobe Portfolio which is a part of the Adobe CC Suite. You can use this link here for 60% off as a student or teacher.
View Thomas Burden's portfolio here.
Creative Finds
Boba x Ice Cream by Synchronized Studio
New York based Synchronized Studio has created a very sexy website for Boba Ice Cream. I've always thought D2C E-commerce brand websites lacked a bit and this website just completely sets the bar at a new high.
UNMIND by Ragged Edge
UNMIND is a platform giving employers and employees the tools and training needed to approach wellbeing at the workplace in a new way. Ragged Edge has put together a very bold, bright, and graphic identity for the platform and I love it.
A Gen-Z Banking App
Gen-Z is all the talk lately within the advertising and creative space and this concept brand identity for 'New Bank' by Sophie Gogishvili I think very much captures the visual essence of what the younger generation is looking for.
ONE TOK
Drive but TikTok
Miguel Rodriguez has created a very suspenseful and ominous illustrated rendering of a Porsche 911 speeding down a road that made me think of one of my favorite movies Drive. The level of detail and grunge is lovely and I love his choice of color palette.
One Thing I Learned
It is Hard Being Creative
I am currently traveling through South East Asia and have landed in Bali for the last month. While here I have had a lot of conversations with young creatives and entrepreneurs as it seems everyone here is working on starting their own business and creating their ideal life.
It has been very interesting and helpful as I am also sorting out what I want to do with my life beyond design. In my conversations I explain that I currently do a lot of portfolio reviews with designers and creatives and have explored the hardships that creatives experience while trying to present themselves and their work to the world.
Through these conversations I have realized that it isn't easy being a 'creative'.
I mean think about it...
We are very much judged on our output, which can take a lot of deep thought, iteration, time, and skill. More times than not, that output is made for others. Which involves understanding what the person on the other side is thinking or trying to convey.
By the time it comes down to thinking about ourselves, and how we want to present ourselves we are usually drained and don't know where to start.
All of this is to say that this is something on my mind constantly, and I hope to one day create a solution to aid in this problem.
PS. If you are having similar thoughts or experiences, feel free to drop me a reply. I would love to hear more and perhaps find a solution.
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