Netflix & Chill
Abstract: The Art of Design
You can still be inspired even when your chillin'. There's a wonderful series on Netflix called ABSTRACT it covers a wide range of designers, everything from illustration and graphic design to car and shoe design. In my opinion the aesthetic ideas of these designers absolutely translate to our daily habits.
So, step into the minds of the worlds most innovative designers in a variety of disciplines and learn how it impacts every day life and maybe even your own!
Read More (Why It's So Important)
Reading allows us to understand trends in the industry. Trends like thought leadership pieces on changes that may affect the designer’s role over time. This type of knowledge is important and will help you in how to steer your career.
Reading about experiences is another way to learn and generate ideas regarding possible courses that can serve you in your work. I’m talking about communication with our colleagues and about design workflows. We can learn from the experiences of others and improve our own work. That’s a huge value that we can bring to the table in any given moment. It makes us innovators in our own workspace and the value that better processes brings can create value in your day-to-day work life.
How to always stay up-to date:
Be Selective
Identify some of your favorite blogs to read about the industry and bookmark them. Choose an extension like Muzli (something I will talk about further down on this blog), that will filter articles for you in regards to what your interests are. How about social media like Twitter, Instagram etc. - if you don’t see things that are helpful to you, unfollow. Be strategic. Be selective. But most importantly, set yourself up for success.
Use the Right Tools
I can’t find much time to read articles during work, evenings and on the weekends. I’m with my family and don’t have the proper concentration or time to read. There are so many articles that are available to us on a daily basis. But, there's a solution. There's an app called Pocket.
Pocket is an app that lets you bookmark any article to read later. It has a text-to-speech feature! By saving articles for later, not only can you read at a time most suitable to you, but you essentially have a virtual learning library where you can easily refer back to for ideas.
Develop a Habit of Consuming Content
Setting your expectations with your partner and friends, and clear a few hours during the week or weekend for that purpose. Setting expectations is everything!
Bonus - Listen to Podcasts
Website Inspiration
Before you start your next Web Design experience , consult some sources of inspiration. The Awwwards website is a great starting point.
Awwwards is a professional web design and development competition site that aims to recognize and promote the best of innovative web design. It accepts submissions from developers, designers, agencies, and creatives. The best year-round submissions are awarded at the Awwwards conference and prize-giving ceremony, which take place in various cities across the United States and Europe. Some of the categories include:
- Menus Inspiration
- The Best of Navigation
- Transitions
- Storytelling
- Hovers, Cursors and Cute Interactions
- Design & Interactions
- Interactive Experience
- Filters and Effects
- Drag, Gestures & Other Interactions
- Responsive Design
Inspiration Right On Your Browser
Say Hello to Muzli! It is one of my favorite sources of inspiration for design, but it also features news and trends--curated exactly to your tastes!
Muzli instantly delivers cutting-edge design projects and news each time a new tab is open in your browser. Discover innovative illustrations, design features, unique websites, photography projects, and visual art, as well as opinions and articles from design experts across the web and around the world.
Mining leading web sources like Dribbble, Mashable, and Techcrunch, Muzli combines automated curation with human discovery to uncover the best design inspiration and news that can't be found with a simple web search. This endless source of ideas for designers and creative professionals will keep you in-the-know and constantly inspired. Start exploring! Here's the link:
Augmented Reality
Pepsi Max
Pepsi Max surprised commuters with an augmented reality experience at a bus shelter on New Oxford Street in London. Watch the commuters' reactions as scenarios seemed to unfold before their very eyes: from a giant robot crashing through the street to a passer by being abducted by flying saucers.
Projection Technology
Pepsi Max
Pepsi Max brings you Time Tunnel. Using advanced projection technology, Pepsi surprises passers-by with the illusion of an extraordinary time portal opening up in front of them. Pepsi filmed the viewers' reactions on a hidden camera as they got the shock of their lives!
Rich Media Banner Ads
Rich media is used in digital advertising and it includes advanced features like video, audio, and other elements that entice viewers to interact and engage with the advertisement. Rich media ads offer more ways to involve an audience. The ad can expand, play music, video etc. The possibilities are endless for you to impress your audience. Rich Media Can Increase Engagement, Drive Traffic & Boost your ROI
Rich Media is More Important Now than Ever to Engage Consumers!
There has always been debates about banner advertising and wether it is of any value? Banner ads have never gone away, but are continually becoming more relevant especially with the enhancements and engagement of rich media. It's the reason one of the world's most successful and respected companies in the world "Google" embrace it and dedicate software and gallery space to showcase what the possibilities can be.
When Rich Media Banner Ads come your way, Google Rich Media Gallery is a great starting place. It allows you to:
- Browse innovative creatives from top advertisers and agencies to inspire your next campaign.
- Create beautiful, technically sophisticated ads that run anywhere with Google Web Designer, a free professional-grade HTML5 authoring tool.
- Learn what you need to know about Rich Media and HTML5 at your own pace.
https://www.richmediagallery.com/
Interactive Print
Ford
Ford partnered with Israeli agency BBR Saatchi & Saatchi to create a 3-page newspaper advert. Each advert demonstrated different features found in the new Ford Explorer SUV. A highlighted area on each page provided a QR code that viewers could scan and place their phones. A virtual explorer SUV would appear on the reader’s mobile screen demonstrating Park Assist, Adaptive cruise control, and power fold features.