You love being a designer. You get to be creative for a living and in control of your own destiny. Though it’s positive overall, sometimes you experience loneliness and artists’ block. You don’t always know where to find jobs or how to move forward in your career.
Don’t fret: the design community has your back.
There are many design blogs that you can turn to for inspiration, career advice, the latest news, and a community. You’ll be able to learn what’s going on in the world of design, see what types of amazing creations other designers are putting out into the world, and build fruitful personal and professional relationships with your virtual peers.
Here are ten of the best design blogs to start following today.
99U
Adobe’s 99U is the place for career advice and news. Designers get real with their career lows, provide ideas and guidance on how to succeed at tasks like giving a speech, and offer insights on how to figure out your lucrative next move. Come for the career-changing articles, and stay for the interviews with your favorite designers.
Understand And Use The Design Power Of Creative Cloud. Learn How To Empower Your Design Sensibility Today.
Design Milk
Design Milk covers architecture, home, art, style, and technology, and offers some seriously stellar eye candy with their profiles of amazing designs. While you’re there, subscribe to the Clever Podcast, which features interviews with designers like furniture designer Maximilian Eicke and fashion journalist and design retailer Rose Apodaca.
Creative Market
Interested in learning about a new font, or being inspired by other designers’ work? Check out Creative Market’s blog, which contains a mix of graphics and fonts you can ogle over when you’re looking for ideas, how-tos if you’re trying to figure out how to work InDesign, or get more Instagram followers, and articles on how to make your design business thrive.
Creative Review
Creative Review is divided up into four useful sections: Creative Insight, Creative Leadership, Creative Inspiration, and Creative Process. On each, you can view the trends happening in design, see how work gets done, look at images to fuel your imagination, and read about the practical side of running your business. Make sure you keep up with their Creative Insight page if you want to stay on top of the design game.
99designs
The 99designs blog is for learning, inspiration, and career advice, like other design sites, but also gives insights on how to grow an agency. Another upside of this blog? They list current design contests happening right now that you can submit to and make money from. What are you waiting for?
Understand And Use The Design Power Of Creative Cloud. Learn How To Empower Your Design Sensibility Today.
Web Designer Depot
Do you mostly design websites and online logos? Then check out Webdesigner Depot, which contains free fonts for download, articles on helpful topics like the best image compression tools for the web and how to design the perfect gradient, as well as the latest news.
Smashing Magazine
Another inspiring resource for web designers and app developers is Smashing Magazine, which lets you choose between a red or white background when surfing the site. Download e-books or buy physical books on design, find design and programming jobs and learn how to craft your resume or master mobile web design through their design and development articles.
digital art
Look at awesome designs and logos, read design news, and learn new skills over at DigitalArts, a UK-based blog. Read about a camera that turns your footage and shots into 3D scenes, discover how to create a double exposure photo in Photoshop, and find new gigs throughout Europe.
Design Clever
Are you more into visuals than text? Then simply scroll through Design Clever and feast your eyes on user-submitted work. This Tumblr blog, started by Jonathan Ring and Bethany Baker, features an infinite amount of graphics you can be inspired by today.
HOW
HOW is the complete package. The blog contains a HOW to podcast for auditory learners, career and salary articles, design and conference news, information on creative workplaces, and a job board. While you’re looking for ways to boost your career, explore the design inspiration they offer as well.
Do you want to expand your design knowledge and expertise outside of the web? Check out the best summer design conferences to meet people in your industry and grow your professional network.