Design Shard

Become a Blogger to Inspire Others

Blogging is everywhere around us and has become a niche market over the last couple of years which enables people to connect together on forums and in writing. Blogging somehow similar to journalism and combines various areas of our lives such as marketing, business and even fashion, food as well as travel in order to keep people posted in terms of what are the latest trends in a wide array of sectors.

In order to be successful as a blogger, there are a lot of steps which should be taken into account but one has to bear in mind that it has to start out as a hobby or passion in order to make sure one will enjoy posting regularly and entertaining a whole lot of readers throughout the period in which it activates. For more information on how to create a blog, click here for details.

Starting A Blog is Extremely Easy

Blogging is one of the easiest and accessible forms of writing as it requires next to no experience or college degree. Its setup is pretty much minimal and it does not require an initial investment or knowledge of how business is conducted. Anyone can start a blog by using common platform and employing a cheap host company.

If all the details are in check, a blog can be created in under twenty minutes with extreme ease. Blog profits on the other hand are really difficult to obtain but the right amount of time and knowledge invested into a blog, profits are as well sure to come.

Become an Amazing Writer

Blogging will surely shape the way in which one writes into something amazing and you will become a better writer by posting articles on a daily basis. Writing, like any other skill significantly improves with practice and is extremely desirable for those who want to start a writing career because one will continuously hone their skills by publishing articles and publishing new posts.

Be Inspiring for Others

Blogs are free of charge and are accessible to pretty much anyone who has a stable internet connection. Publishing productive thoughts and making good reviews as well as telling interesting stories will go a long way in terms of attracting readership and inspiring posts will make sure that your blog will be highly sought after each time you hit that post button.

One could recommend countless products or come up with amazing services and reviews. Sharing these ideas to the general public will make it easy for them to catch a glimpse of the services promoted and will go a long way in terms of achieving popularity as it will transform the blogger into an inspirational person.

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Employ Search Engine Optimization Services To Make Your Business Successful

When it comes to staying competitive on the market in terms of business, a lot of firms have devised plans and strategies to make sure they stay atop of their game. There are some important advantages to be use such as promotion a business by owning a website which makes sure that every customer is aware of what the certain business is promoting.

These respective websites need to be extremely visible since the internet is dominated by giant search engine providers such as Google, Yahoo or Bing and that can be achieved by employing search engine optimization services which are also Premier Google Partners.

Google ads are regarded as the best form of advertising products today and making sure these services are mastered will turn anyone’s business ideas into great marketing campaigns which will not only benefit them in terms of sales but it will also increase revenue and clients in the long run. Only a select group of companies will be able to boast with being a Premier Google Partner and if one business achieves that, it will surely thrive.

Employing a company which is a master of online paid search marketing will only yield great results as they will make use of a wide range of practices to make sure that the business has a successful website and not only generate more traffic but the website owner will also see an increase in sales and potential buyers.

Search engine optimization providers promote a website which will increase the site’s visibility on the web which should be the main factor that must be prioritized on top of all. Being more visible on the web means that more people will access the specific website and by doing that not only will the respective website will be better known but sales and popularity will also exponentially increase.

Such firms offer services such as micro-managing the website themselves and even employing a web designer who takes care of the appearance and potential flaws which might occur in order to give it the best rendition available. Another factor which should be regarded is the website’s relevance to the items promoted and taking into account that engines such as Google employ algorithms to display the most relevant results, SEO firms also manage the website to make sure that it increases in rankings.

These firms will also provide potential customers and visitors the best user experience in order to make sure that the websites can be easily navigable with extremely clear and defined search bars which will make browsing products a whole lot easier.

PDF files can be converted into Word files to better suit text manipulation

Word documents are the staple of text manipulation. The Microsoft provided Office suite has helped many generations over the years, and is the go-to service for when it comes to either drafting up a quick document or writing a full-blown 10 page document. Often times people are put in a situation where they are given a file that is not in Word format, and asked to edit that document. This can be quite an inconvenience. As someone that predominantly uses Word (if that’s the case) you might think that editing text in other formats shouldn’t be that hard since editing in Word isn’t hard at all.

Unfortunately things are a little more complicated than that. Editing text in a PDF file for example can be quite stressful and certainly not as productive. The reason we’ve chosen PDF for this example is because PDF is one of the best format available overall. Due to its popularity and sheer convenience, it’s understandable how some people might constantly use it and also send other people documents to edit thinking they’re PDF-ready.

Many users end up asking how can they convert pdf to word format. The answer is simple. All you need at your disposal is a tool that’s easy to find and knows how to do what you ask of it. To be more specific, you’re looking for something that can convert PDF documents to Word documents and won’t obliterate this month’s paycheck. You’re in luck because such converters are available all over the internet.

While searching for these converters, you will prominently find two types:

The paid type which requires either an upfront or monthly pay in exchange for its more or less competent services;
The free type, which might come in a not so cool of a packaging but can do its job great and give you what you need. There might also be some free solutions that are bad, but you can surely find a good one in a matter of two minutes by Googling it.

There are also the ones that you must download and install, but that’s not the case with every converter. A lot of them are accessible directly from the internet and only require that you upload whatever PDF file you are trying to convert.

After you’re done converting, simply use the appropriate option from the ones provided so that your new Word document is safe and sound in its new location. You might also be able to get other options if you access a website that provides them.

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Minimalism Inspiration in Packaging Design

Packaging, of course is created to protect the products inside, it’s there to inform the customer of the product and act as a means of promotion of the brand, but design enthusiasts know that packaging has a secondary dimension: to create a thing of beauty that upholds a brand’s identity and engages the audience their target audience.

Today, we live in a world where we are saturated with information, images and messages. Everything we could ever want to know is right at our fingertips, but with this comes an overwhelming sense of overload. It’s harder than ever to break through the noise and find calm and this has led design to adopt new minimalism. Designers are saying enough is enough and channelling the need for simplicity through distilled packaging design.

Minimalist design does not have to be blunt and cold, but instead can be used to articulate the important aspects of the packaging design, communicating the brand’s message clearly and evoking emotion in the customer. When executed correctly, this emotional connection encourages audiences to buy.

The Unboxing Experience

Today, we live such busy lives it can often seem there is no chance for us to slow down and enjoy the world around us and often we’re purchasing goods in a hurry. Great packaging design connects an emotional part of our psyche and brings increased pleasure from the purchasing experience.

We demand to be entertained today; the packaging we choose does not only have to protect the product inside but must act a way to bring pleasure to the user. Brands are looking to engage with their audience across multiple platforms in order to enjoy success. This means guiding users to share their packaging experiences on social media and tap into the emotional needs of 21^st century buyers. In a recent study, Dotcom found that nearly 4 in 10 consumers would share an image of a delivery via social media if it came in a unique package.

Mandarin Natural Chocolate

In order to communicate with customers the simplicity of Mandarin’s chocolate, a simple design was needed. The brand only product confectionary made with organic cacao and cane sugar. The lettering against the plain background echoes the ethos of the brand by eliminating all that is unnecessary and focusing purely on quality.

Simple design is not the lack of imagination; moreover it is the result of extremely considered choices. Designer Takashi explains this:

“We felt that we wanted a typeface with pointed serif to express the sharpness we feel when we hold high-quality chocolate in our mouths,”

Businesses Adopting Minimalism

The minimalist movement is not slowing down, and for businesses that are looking to adopt these methods and do less with there are some basic steps to follow:

Create Value

Understand why your customers are choosing your products and make this the focal point for the design, whether this is value for money or a health benefit.

Use Colour

In minimal design, you can use colour to speak to your customers instead of words or graphics. This is a great way to signify flavours. Choose colours your customers can instantly recognise as representing a flavour to avoid any confusion.

Use Packaging Tape Effectively

If your e-commerce company is shipping items, the packaging can still enjoy minimal design. Ensure the unboxing experience is upheld using printed packing tape that represents your brand’s identity. The price is very similar to clear tape and you will enhance appeal whilst communicating your chosen message to your customer.

Stand out from the crowd

Minimalism is brave; it steps away from the flashiness of the early noughties and stands out for that reason. Consumers have come to expect certain things from their packaging and are refreshed when the rules are broken. Why not make a bold claim as Boxed Water did to draw customers to your product?

Trident

The key to successful packaging in 2016 is simplicity of the brand’s message. Trident has succeeded in this by communicating the purpose of their Xtra Care chewing gum product. Its purpose of the product is to protect teeth and gums from acid between meals. The design uses bright graphics as a mouth, the chewing gum visible through a window acting as teeth. This clever strategy removes the need for text and uses humour to connect with prospective customers.

New Minimalism in 2016

Once, minimalism was the art of taking away but new minimalism is the art of using just enough. By focusing on the essentials brands are able to cut through the 21^st century noise and communicate with a new sense of clarity. Customers are looking for a different experience from their packaging today. The packaging must inspire, entertain and bring joy all whilst conforming to the fundamentals of packaging protection and availability of product information. Brands, both big and small can use new minimalism to add, rather than detract from the packaging experience.

9 Features Of Sketch That Can Optimize Your Design Workflow

Positioning itself in the world of web design and development, Sketch is a perfect pick for designers and techies looking to speed up the design workflow. A well-acknowledged name in the web design industry, Sketch is constantly attracting designers with it’s features.

Overview

With the latest released versions, Sketch 2 and 3 which bring along an added simplicity and intuitiveness as compared to Photoshop, more and more designers have been switching to it. Sketch, as a graphic designing application, features a pixel preview which allows designing interfaces and icons with the usage of Multiple Pages, Artboards, Symbols and Shared Styles to quicken and simplify the overall designing process

Designed especially for modern designers, Sketch is being loved because of its multifarious tricks. In order to strengthen the overall process, Sketch is featured with some outstanding features that not only save time but give a real competition and threat to Photoshop. Let’s see how Sketch has dominated the market with its compelling features-

Artboards

The creation of multiple artboards has become a piece of cake with Sketch designing application. If you are planning to design a responsive site, Sketch’s Infinite Canvas. By default, Sketch offers Canvas that is fruitful to take the advantage of Artboard presets. The presets can be chosen directly from the sub-toolbar by clicking on Artboard button. Using these presets, designers can easily organize their work via a predefined dimension. Artboards are perfect for designing views on mobile and can automatically be resized to accommodate the height and width of layers.

Exporting

Exporting is one amongst the appealing features of Sketch, which makes exporting all the files in an easier way. All users need to click the “Export” button situated at the bottom-right corner for exporting the icon buttons in mobile navigation. These icons can further be saved for the web either in SVG or PNG format. This incorporates almost everything in relation to displaying the assets on varied screen sizes.

Pixel Precision

When designing for mobile, Pixel perfection plays a critical role. With Sketch, you automatically get to shape your Pixel edges and prepare assets for different screen sizes and pixel densities. Sketch allows you to easily position the pixels in your design with Pixel Precision functionalities. It is an easy to implement feature which produces sharp outcomes exact to your business needs. It also offers the ability to edit and preview each Pixel.

Sketch-Easy Grids

The grid method is the easiest to design images in a clean, precise and straightforward way. “Create Grid” requires you to click on the four boxes given in the sub-tool bar. Doing so will display a pop-up menu where you can specify the total number of rows and columns you want to arrange the selected objects into. Next step is about selecting “Boxed Option” for defining the areas encompassed with every object and spacing into them. Composing an image in the easiest ways is possible using this approach. Sketch supports- “Regular Grid” and “Layout Grid”.

Templates

Sketch allows users easily creating a new file using the feature “template”.

Here’s how

Go to menu item file and choose new from the template.

The current file can also be saved as a template to start each project from the initial stage.

This process yields beneficial results, especially when designing for iOS. Any file with a status bar and navigation bar can be created easily and saved as a template.

Shortcuts

The advanced Sketch shortcuts will massively help you enhance your UI design process. One can also create their own shortcuts via OS X System Preferences.

Vector-Based

Surviving in the age of Mobilegeddon, it becomes important to have a vector-based design. When coming up with innovative ways to display content on the screen, designers should look forward to high-definition versus normal definition display, narrow screen vs wide screen and many other things. It is equally important to have a design which restyles all the formats; however, coming up with a different picture for each device range is a painstaking process. With Sketch, the problem gets solved easily as it allows you to freely resize objects.

Smart Guides

Smart Guides is one of keyboard shortcuts available with Sketch. They allow you to snap-align all the layers. The “ALT” key can be used to easily see the guides and spacing between objects.

Color Picker

Sketch requires pressing CTRL+C to quickly choose a color of your choice from anywhere. Simple and virtuous. Isn’t it?

To summarize

Sketch is all about offering the power, flexibility, and speed which you would have always dreamt of in an easy-to-use designing package. Made specially for modern graphic designers, Sketch incorporates plenteous workflow, extensions, and features that are focused on producing better results, thereby producing high-quality artwork from the start till the end.