Here is a monthly round up of the best graphic design articles from around the blogosphere this February. The articles are sorted into the categories; freelancing, graphic design, web design and various.
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You can check out January’s Best Articles if you missed it last month. You could also check out the best March graphic design articles.
Freelancing
- 5 Reasons why you must reinvest in your business
If you read just one article of all the following, I would say to read this one… a long but very valuable read.
- 10 Tips for getting started as a freelancer
Some quick tips on how to get started to become a freelancer, also useful for people all ready freelancing.
- How To Get Paid Freelance Work While Still A Design Student
This was a guest article I wrote for Freelance Folder which received a huge response.
- What to do when you have nothing to do as a freelancer.
For the 0.0001% of you out there, this one is for you!
- How to become a more environmentally friendly freelancer / designer
Protect our environment using these steps.
- 5 Downsides of working at home
A newcomer to the blogging world, Verne Ho outlines some of the downsides of working at home. A good read.
- 25 Ways To Become An Effective Freelancer
A list of ways to improve your freelancing skills, a must read.
- 7 Reasons why you shouldn’t charge by the hour
A great list of reasons why you shouldn’t being using this style of payment. Very valid reasons! - 20 more resources for freelancers
Still hungry for more great freelancing posts? Here is 20 more. - Identifying the ProBono Client
How to identify a pro bono client along with tips, no-nos, and a discussion on the benefits and draw backs of pro bono work.
Graphic Design
- 70 of the Best Logo Design Resources
David lists 70 of the best logo design resources on his blog Logo Design Love.
- Veerles What is Graphic Design Poster Competetiton
I didn’t enter this as I found out about it too late but there was some awesome awesome prizes and a huge response (430+ comments). Check out the winners.
- You Thought We Wouldn’t Notice
This is an old website (not from February) that deserves a mention as they were my source for popular 22 plagiarised graphic design rip offs post.
- The Logo Design Process of Top Graphic Designers
Want to learn the secrets of logo design from the professionals? Look no further.
- How To Create Your Own Vector Cartoon Character
A great step by step tutorial from Chris. This came in very useful. - Logo Design Love Awards
A competition to uncover the most effective blog logos amongst today’s popular blogs. I believe there is 1 day left to enter from the time of me writing. Be quick!
- Spice Up Your Business Card
This is a surefire way to get more business just by improving your business card.
- Drunken Munkey Photoshop Tutorial Character Design
Another tutorial, this time in photoshop, this is truly inspirational!
- Online Business Is All about transparency
I enjoyed this article from David as it gave a great insight into the business practice of not hiding things.
- The One Page Graphic Design Portfolio Guide
You have all seen those portfolio pages with a persons work all on one page, well this is how to do that step by step.
- 22 Graphic Design Plagiarised Rip Offs
Another popular post from JCD with a huge response. Check it Out!
- Customise Illustrator for maximum efficiency
Move around your palettes to make a more productive work flow. Great for all levels.
- U-Printing International Poster Design Comp
Win an iPhone and other great prizes in the poster comp! It is about to start.
- $5000 Prize Giveaway Graphic Design Group Writing Project
Hosted on this blog, you definitly should not have missed this one.
- 99 Websites ALL Designers should know about
A hugely popular post listing 99 resources that all designers should know about.
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Web Design
- Grid and Column Designs
A list of some great websites that use an underlying grid structure in their design.
- Finding the perfect webhost for you and your clients
This will appeal to bloggers and web designers out there
- 25 Beautifully Coloured Website Designs
Showcases 25 great colourful websites in a social-media-friendly manner.
- 11 ways to get exposure as a web designer
Another one from Vandelay webdesign. This can also be applied to designers in general.
- 53 Steps to follow if you want to become a web designer
Very easy to follow 53 step guide to become a successful web designer.
- 25 Visually Stunning Header Graphics
This was a great inspirational post for those who are thinking of improving their blog header design. (I like mine).
Various
- Brian Gardners WordPress Theme Contest
Win a holiday on a cruise to the Bahamas just by advertising Brian Gardner’s new theme!
- How To Set Up A SideBlog
I have wanted to get onto this, this is a tutorial on how to make a mini blog for your main blog so you can post smaller articles. Not so much a graphic design article but useful to blogging designers.
- Stunning Photography that inspired me to learn photography
30 creative photos that are very much worth looking at. - Is Your Blog C.R.A.P?
This was a guest article I wrote for dailyblogtips outlining the 4 basics principles of design.
- Viviens Social Media Mega Project
Viviens Social Media Project project has now been extended for one more month! Learn more about social media and its benefits in this massive project.
Hope you enjoyed the list. Is there any others that you really enjoyed this month?
Woah, coincidence that David Airey did a similar topic round-up today or yesterday… and you both mentioned You Thought We Wouldn’t Notice. 😛
Veerle’s competition was great, awesome prizes and such great entries!
Great post! I’m going to check some of those out now. 🙂
Verne, your welcome 🙂 How long have you been blogging for?
Kristarella… I wonder if David knew about you thoughtwewouldntnotice before that 22 plagiarised post I did? I have been compiling the list gradually so it was bit of a coincidence, I have just checked his post 🙂
Andrews, Thanks!
Randa, Your welcome.
As always, thanks for the love 😀 I really iike these roundups, they’re pretty easy to do on the side of the author (you, Jacob) and we readers enjoy checking out things we might’ve missed. Maybe I should do a few more of these… I notice you also take the opportunity to promote your own articles. Very good!
LaurenMarie – Creative Curio’s last blog post..Finding Color Inspiration Around the Web
I don’t know. I didn’t go to the site when you did that post because that stuff can be really annoying. There is nothing new under the sun… very similar things can be created independently of each other. However, that site seems to be really well researched, it’s not just pointing fingers willy nilly.
I did think it was a coincidence – this didn’t look like the kind of post you’d knock together in an hour (unless you’re a much better blogger than I am, well you might be anyway, but that’s beside the point). 🙂
kristarella’s last blog post..My own 365 ( 1) Project
Wow – a very complete list! Awesome compilation, and thanks for the link love. 😉
PS: I’m not THAT new to the blogging world. ;P
Verne’s last blog post..13 ways to liven up your work-at-home routine
Verne, Oh really? I thought you were new with your new website and all 😛 I have only been doing it for approx 4 months now. Much less than you.
Lauren, Your always welcome 🙂 Self marketing is always a bonus 😛
Kristarella, Well to do lists like this, dreamweaver makes it a breeze along with photoshop, its quite easy to do.
Am glad you included a photoblog in your list. I’ve always liked their impact. My favorite is a daily dose of imagery
http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/
Regan’s last blog post..5 easy website improvements for small business owners
Nice, hopefully I’ll be buying Adobe Design Premium and getting to play with Dreamweaver, but I think that actually reading and choosing all these articles would be the time consuming part. Then again, if you had this article in mind for a while you could just tag the articles in your feed reader as you go along.
Great roundup Jacob! Added it as a resource to Designflavr. http://www.designflavr.com/blog.php?id=52
Kristarela, Well I have read all the articles over the month and I just go over what I have read and found interesting and then add it to a big list, pretty easy. Dreamweaver is great 😀
Regan, that site was cool, it has some great pics in there, bookmarked 😀
Great roundup Jacob – definitely some things I missed and need to check out. Thanks for the link love!
Randa Clay’s last blog post..Font choice- does it matter? Your opinion please.
@Jacob – Probably just over a year now. I started my current site last July, but ran another one passively for a few months before that too. I guess in the bigger picture I’m still a rookie. 😀 How about yourself?
Verne’s last blog post..13 ways to liven up your work-at-home routine
Thanks for the links! This is a nice collection.
Your welcome Cory.
Wow! Great resource, thanks.
Cory’s last blog post..Microstock Earnings March
So be ready to protect your WordPress site