• 10 Free Design and Branding Classes for Non-Designers Who Want to Relaunch a Brand
    Teacher Design

    10 Free Design and Branding Classes for Non-Designers Who Want to Relaunch a Brand

    Learn branding and identity tips from experts in design and creativity So that you do not hesitate and start working on that creative project you have in mind, we compiled these lessons for you that you can enjoy for free for a limited time. Join ten experts in different branches of design and creativity to discover best practices and tips to launch or renew a brand and achieve the greatest impact. To view each class, just click on its title in red. Enjoy!

  • 7 Dos and Don'ts for High Impact Presentations

    7 Dos and Don'ts for High Impact Presentations

    Katya Kovalenko helps boost our presentations and projects with visual examples Katya Kovalenko (@katyakovalenko) is a presentation and data designer based in Barcelona. After working for advertising and communications agencies for ten years, she founded her own business, dedicated to helping small and medium-sized businesses convert their ideas into real brands around the world. Her work combines data analysis with aesthetics, as well as good practices in the use of data to build stories from visual resources. For her, this is the basis for building effective presentations.Today, she shares these design-related lessons that will help you create your own powerful materials to show the world your projects.

  • Free Download: Restaurant Menu Template
    Teacher Design

    Free Download: Restaurant Menu Template

    Customize this menu template with your designs and see how they look in real life When it comes to showing your designs to your client (or the world!) there is nothing like presenting them as a mockup to give an idea of how they would be applied in real life. Designers often have a very clear idea about how their final products will look, but when it comes time to show it to others, it's not so easy for their imagination to flow in the same way. To make sure others see your designs the way you do, Lane Cope and Sofía Vargas, creative directors and founders of the Heavy (@heavy) design studio, have shared this restaurant menu template with Domestika.

  • Interior Design vs. Interior Decorating: What’s The Difference?

    Interior Design vs. Interior Decorating: What’s The Difference?

    Learn the difference between these two interdependent, often confused, but very different disciplines The work of interior designers and interior decorators is often confused: most people use the terms interchangeably. However, these two roles differ far more than you probably think. Interior designers are responsible for designing the functional spaces and frameworking within which the interior decorator can play, adding the personality and style of their clients. The skills required for the jobs can overlap as their projects will all require: a lot of research and development; creativity to turn that work into a plan; communication between clients, contractors, and whoever else might be involved; an ability to visualize the final product and predict the challenges or benefits it could throw up and; of course, a fundamental knowledge of the history of art, architecture, and design.

  • Believe It or Not, UX Design Is a 6000-Year-Old Skill

    Believe It or Not, UX Design Is a 6000-Year-Old Skill

    What do Walt Disney, Leonardo Da Vinci, or Apple have in common? UX is behind some of their best creations UX, short for user experience, is one of the hottest fields in digital design. The exact definition of what it is will vary widely depending on who you ask, but a good way to sum it up is that UX is the process of designing a product or service that resonates with the user and their needs. Designer Ethan Parry (@ethanparry) has worked with major brands such as Meliá Hotels International, SEAT, and Dunia in this field. He has also led workshops for businesses such as KPMG, Accenture, El Corte Inglés, and Hola Magazine, so it is safe to say he is a real UX expert.

  • What Is an Artist's Book?

    What Is an Artist's Book?

    Susana Domínguez explains the definition and value of an artist's book Artistic binding is the answer to a creative need, and Susana Domínguez, an artist devoted to this trade, uses the art of binding to create unique pieces. The artisanal processes she applies are indeed the perfect techniques for binding treasured publications, such as artists' books. In 2017 she was awarded the National Prize for Artistic Binding in Spain. Today, she will teach us what artists' books are, using examples that vary instyle, form, image, and text.

  • Everyone's a Creative: Keys for Having Good Ideas
    Teacher Design

    Everyone's a Creative: Keys for Having Good Ideas

    We can learn from having good ideas, or at least we can have fun. Discover these keys for awakening your creativity Despite what many might think, creativity is something we are all born with. It doesn’t come from some god-given talent and it’s, without a doubt, something we can cultivate and exercise so it continues to flourish and work at full capacity. In the words of graphic designer and creative director Juan Carlos Fernández Espinosa (@jc_ideograma): "[Creativity] is developed like a muscle, it can be trained like a pet, and harvested like a well cultivated field.”

  • Free Download: Isotype Print Test Template

    Free Download: Isotype Print Test Template

    Use this tool to perfect your identity and branding projects Graphic designer Andres Ávila (@andresilustra)specializes in branding and is passionate about the world of visual identity. His day to day goes between development, conceptualization and brand design projects in which he helps brands gain relevance to their audience. He has worked with clients in the United States, Ireland, Bangladesh, Chile and Venezuela.

  • 5 Fantastic Books for Those Starting Out in UX

    5 Fantastic Books for Those Starting Out in UX

    Be inspired by these books, recommended by Ethan Parry, that are ideal for those who want to create digital experiences For UK designer and investigator Ethan Parry (@ethanparry), inspiration is everywhere, and books are the best way to keep your mind active and ready to learn from the experiences of those who have faced the same problems as you, before you. This list of books is perfect for those starting out in UX design, with several also covering other fields of creativity: it compiles a great range of different ideas to reflect on. 'Don't Make Me Think, Revisited’, by Steve Krug The premise of this book, as its title indicates, is to make us see good design as that which enables the user to obtain the expected results while encountering as few obstacles as possible. A user experience that doesn’t make the user think is an ideal user experience, according to Steve Krug. Krug cites Amazon as a usability reference model throughout the book.

  •  Lessons We Learned from Milton Glaser in His Final Interview
    Teacher Design

    Lessons We Learned from Milton Glaser in His Final Interview

    Domestika visited Milton Glaser for what would be the last interview he gave in his studio, where he spoke about art, collaboration, and his purpose in life As one of the most influential and celebrated graphic designers in history, even if you don’t know Milton Glaser’s name, you’ve certainly seen his work. In a career that spanned almost seven decades, he applied his talents to everything from branding, to editorial and interior design, creating iconic imagery that has shaped our visual landscape. In late 2019, Domestika had the privilege of visiting Glaser for what would be the last interview he gave in his New York studio. In this video he shares his thoughts on creativity, collaboration, and his purpose in life.

  • Dos and Don'ts of UX Design
    Teacher Design

    Dos and Don'ts of UX Design

    Learn from Ethan Parry what UX is and how to successfully use it to improve your product or service If you do an online search, you’ll probably find a few different definitions of UX, but at its core its mission is simple: designing a product or service that resonates with the user and their needs. While a successful UX design might look simple because it’s so intuitive, there’s a large amount of research, prototyping, and preparation that goes on behind the scenes. In this video, UX designer Ethan Parry (@ethanparry) shares three dos for how to create a powerful UX design, and 3 don’ts which represent common mistakes.

  • Why You Should Use Dreamweaver

    Why You Should Use Dreamweaver

    This Adobe application simplifies the design process of a website. Learn why programmers and designers love it If you are interested in web design, you have most likely heard of Dreamweaver, a program created in 1997 by Macromedia but now part of Adobe's Creative Suite. It is one of the most famous website editors on the market and an essential tool for creating a modern and functional looking website. Web Designer and Domestika teacher Arturo Servín (@monkylab) knows it inside out, and here he will explain why it is the tool you should consider if you are thinking about building a website, even if you have no prior coding skills. First things first, Dreamweaver is not the only Adobe web design tool. The company also offers Adobe Muse, a somewhat more limited program in functions but very easy to use. Adobe, however, has stopped supporting Muse. The application can still be used, but it will not be updated. Over time, it will not be able to keep up with changes in the specifications of the different languages ​​that exist to create web pages, so web designers need to familiarize themselves with Dreamweaver as an alternative. For some designers, opening Dreamweaver for the first time can be overwhelming. The tools and interface can be very different from the design programs we are used to. But using it is easier than it seems and dramatically simplifies the task of programming the code of a website.

  • Photoshop Tutorial: Rendering Hair and Eyes
    Teacher Design

    Photoshop Tutorial: Rendering Hair and Eyes

    Learn from Bearbrickjia how to use rendering techniques for hair and eyes in Photoshop Though there are many elements to consider when creating an illustration, a portrait truly comes to life in its details. By adding personality and depth, these seemingly small aspects can transform a basic illustration into a larger work of art. For many artists, drawing hair is one of the biggest challenges they face. From how it flows to the texture of the wisps, it’s a detail that can be difficult to capture if you’re starting from scratch. Similarly, eyes, the windows to the soul, are a powerful detail in conveying the humanity and internal depth of a character. In this tutorial Karmen Loh, also known as Bearbrickjia (@bearbrickjia), demonstrates how you can use brushes in Photoshop to render eyes and hair, and how to use the liquify tool to refine your final image. Find out more below:

  • How to Improve Your Creative Portfolio

    How to Improve Your Creative Portfolio

    Your portfolio should convey your essence and your creative identity. That's why it's so important to know what to include and how to show your work Almost two decades of experience have made Colombian graphic designer Arutza Rico Onzaga (@arutzarico) a specialist in putting together a visual portfolio. Throughout their career, they have built and deconstructed the way they show their work in order to take their professional career to ever higher levels and overcome new challenges. In a recent lecture (which you can see in full at the end of this article), Arutza spoke about the "psychology of the portfolio" and gave some key tips to shape our creative CV based on examples from their own portfolio and their professional and personal projects.

  • Early Concept Sketches by 5 of the World’s Most Famous Architects

    Early Concept Sketches by 5 of the World’s Most Famous Architects

    5 of the world’s most famous architects’ sketchbooks and napkin sketches, from Frank Gehry to Zaha Hadid The first time most people see an architect’s work, it’s in glass and steel, brick and mortar, or digitally rendered. There is nothing quite like seeing the hand-drawn rough sketches that capture the raw imagination and inspiration of great minds before the arrival of practical adjustments and new opinions. Different architects will use their sketches differently: to define the details of their designs; situate themselves in the location; identify key elements; and capture their moods and inspirations; and logging cultural and emotional references. These drawings and notes can take many forms too, spanning from specific structural designs and elemental analyses to abstract illustration and more conventional visual art. Here is a collection of the raw concept drawings, from wild sketches that capture the energy and shape of the artist’s thoughts to annotated scribbles that mark the different considerations they had in mind. Renzo Piano Napkin sketches are notorious in the world of architecture, one architecture school even funded scholarships through the sale of those of famous architects. Perhaps one of the most legendary pieces is that of Renzo Piano, the designer of London’s tallest building, the Shard, who apparently came up with the original sketch of the building on the back of a napkin while eating out with the property developer Irvine Sellar. "He saw the beauty of the river and the railways and the way their energy blended and began to sketch in green felt pen on a napkin what he saw as a giant sail or an iceberg," recalls Sellar who keeps the drawing in his offices.

  • Tips for Creating a Botanical Nook in Your Home

    Tips for Creating a Botanical Nook in Your Home

    Discover how to create incredible DIY botanical spaces and make the most of them Interior design is not only about color, shapes, accessories, and spaces, plants can play a leading role: having green spaces in our daily lives is of the utmost importance. Meena and Ceci from Compañía Botánica (@ciabotanica)–a brand dedicated to the design of gardens, balconies, and green walls–are experts in combining plants and design. Together they create botanical pieces such as living paintings of cactus and succulents, which can be adapted to any environment. Here, they sharesome tips for incorporating plants into the design and decoration of spaces. Why is it important to have natural spaces inside the house? Creating living pictures and spaces is a way of having nature present in our homes or offices. They have a great impact, dazzle with their colors and shapes, and attract a lot of attention. That's why, if you don't have enough space in your house for big flowerpots, you can use bright pictures on the walls and small flowerpots that complement the small spaces: having plants on vertical surfaces can really catch the eye.

  • Movies Reimagined as Vintage Books

    Movies Reimagined as Vintage Books

    Designer Matt Stevens works on a personal project about love of cinema and reading Matt Stevens is an American designer and illustrator who is primarily engaged in brand identity and editorial publishing. Matt prefers to move away from very formal processes and work with intuitive approaches. One of his personal projects is titled Good Movies as Old Books. In this series, with the simple criteria of choosing movies that he is passionate about, Matt redesigns movie posters as if they were vintage books.

  • 6 Tips For Designing Packaging For The Perfect Unboxing Experience

    6 Tips For Designing Packaging For The Perfect Unboxing Experience

    Discover everything you should keep in mind when designing packaging for your product and the unboxing experience One of the greatest visual and tactile experiences when buying something, especially when it’s an online purchase, is the moment of unboxing. That’s why packaging has become an important pillar of the branding of many businesses: you’ve got to know where to source the materials and how to balance functionality and aesthetics to create exciting packaging that suitable protects what’s inside. Tatabi Studio (@tatabi) takes care of every detail of the packaging and unboxing experience and has developed this six-point guide that will help you plan your own product’s perfect design.

  • Editorial Illustration Tutorial: How to Adapt to Different Layouts
    Teacher Design

    Editorial Illustration Tutorial: How to Adapt to Different Layouts

    Learn how to approach a magazine layout and how to adapt your illustration concept from Emma Hanquist From the pages of magazines to the headers of online articles, editorial illustration is everywhere, using striking imagery to create engaging interpretations of body text. Beyond the creative challenge of creating images that compliment written pieces, editorial illustrators also deal with a unique set of constraints depending on each project, as formatting and page layout can vary greatly even within the same print publication. Knowing how to look at a mockup is crucial to creating impactful editorial and cover illustrations, and requires more than just scaling a drawing down to size. In this tutorial, editorial illustrator Emma Hanquist (@emmahan) explains how to adapt your illustration concepts to different types of page layouts and cover mockups, and warns against common mistakes.

  • Brand Personality: How To Be Authentic
    Teacher Design

    Brand Personality: How To Be Authentic

    Brands, there are a lot of them. Brands with personality, not so many. How do you create a brand that stands out? There’s a phrase that I love and with which I couldn’t agree more: “Beauty attracts attention, personality makes you unforgettable.” I don’t know who said it first. We heard it from a client and it’s been stuck in our heads ever since. It’s said that our role as designers is, among other things, to create visual identities that are different and attractive; that turn heads and cause people to pick the products they represent off of shelves crammed with shapes, colors, and endless options; visual identities that people want to follow on Instagram; that they fall in love with. But we should never limit ourselves to only creating aesthetic solutions. Content defines form. The concept comes first. If you learn to define a brand’s personality, then you will understand its sense of style instead of trying to dress it up in something it doesn’t feel comfortable wearing.

  • How to Use Guides and Grids in Adobe XD
    Teacher Design

    How to Use Guides and Grids in Adobe XD

    Ethan Parry explains how to use guides and grids to create successful prototypes when designing UX interfaces using Adobe XD As UX grows to play an even larger role in the way designers, developers, and businesses serve the needs of their users, the ability to easily iterate and test new solutions has become invaluable. As a leading design software for UX interfaces, Adobe XD makes it easy and fast to prototype and test different UX designs. Beyond mastering its basic functions, understanding how to use the software’s guides and grids is crucial to creating prototypes that are effective, aesthetically pleasing, and consistent across the entire user experience. Ethan Parry (@ethanparry), a service designer and UX research consultant, regularly uses Adobe XD in his own work. Here he explains the different functions of guides and grids, and how to use them to get the most out of your work.

  • Illustration Tutorial: How to Export Your Artwork Step by Step
    Teacher Design

    Illustration Tutorial: How to Export Your Artwork Step by Step

    Learn the basic steps to export a finished illustration project with Silvio Díaz Labrador in three different ways Exporting a piece of artwork correctly is a vital step in any graphic design or digital illustration project. There is no point in spending hours preparing and polishing a piece in Adobe Illustrator, if afterwards its print or the resulting file loses quality and detracts from your work. That is why graphic designer and art director Silvio Díaz Labrador gives us these key tips to create our projects' final artworks in three different ways according to our needs. Learn how to do it without sacrificing the quality of your work with the following tutorial: