Social media has made designers soak in knowledge and techniques from other accomplished artists. It is fairly easy (and encouraging) to check out new tutorials, resources and DIY projects that graphic designers can use to expand their repertoire of skills and design sensibilities. It truly is the knowledge age where inspirations and ideas are shared and expanded upon.
One social network that’s proving to be a boon for digital artists and designers happens to be Google Plus. Facebook and Twitter have their own strengths; however, the excellent content curation that Google+ offers, makes the search engine’s own social network perfect for those who want to take their creativity to the next level.
Here are some of the most popular Google+ Communities for designers, with some awe-inspiring posts that are advantageous for the modern designer.
1. Logo Designers
Do you get in love with logos and the multitude of meanings that they convey at just a glance? Then you owe it to yourself to check out this community of logo designers. There is everything from DIY tutorials to logo designing resources and techniques for the modern designer to breathe in.
Ever wanted to know how a logo designer works and delivers aesthetically pleasing and relevant results? Take a peek into the logo design process from LAVA Brands. There’s more to making marketable and popular logo designs than meets the eye.
Sometimes, Designers are faced with clients who may not know what their logo should represent or symbolize. In such a case, Ian Paget walks us through how to design a logo design brief for the clients. This brief gets all the stakeholders on one page about what the final logo design should look like, saving designers a lot of time in the process.
2. Graphic Design
This is the main community page that discusses the latest trends in graphic design. This is the place to be if you want to delve deep into the nitty gritty of graphic designing.
Old vs. New designs. Comparative Posts like these can throw up all sorts of interesting observations about how the change in design has failed/succeeded. These posts are great for piquing designers’ interest as many interesting discussions can take place.
Some excellent tips to be had about how typography can deliver the best results. This post gives us some tried and tested ideas on how to get sharp, clear and sleek typefaces every time as they enhance readability.
3. Web Design
Love designing-rich and aesthetically pleasing websites that don’t lack in form and function? The Web design community can help web designers make the most out of designing the most accessible and sleek websites out there.
Ever wanted to know the differences and the similarities between a web designer and a web developer? This infographic from KodeMatix proceeds to explain it all. Both are essential to designing and working out the kinks on a website.
User interfaces and user experiences are like art, always changing with the times. For designers who wish to know every nook and cranny of UI/UX, Designmantic has put up some uber helpful infographics that can expand on their knowledge.
4. UI Design
We spend a lot of time navigating the internet, using apps and staying glued to the touchscreen of our smartphone. Our favorite apps not only look better, but are also designed to perform better. That’s the beauty of user interfaces and this community can help you understand how to design better UIs for your users.
Something that most people overlook is the fact that great UIs are those which are deemed ambidextrous. If an app is a treat to use either right-handed or left-handed, then it’s considered a UI triumph. Jodoo Shi takes a look at this issue with an amazing factoid that all mobile UI designers must consider.
Just because a big name company made it, there’s always someone who can do it better. Rendra Saputra shows how the Hangouts UI design can be improved with the Material Design aesthetic that Google is championing these days.
5. Art & Design
This community is more about individuals expressing themselves through art, with many freshies as well as experienced designers showcasing their artwork to a vast social media audience.
Artists & Artlovers provide us with a featured artist’s mind-bending sculpture crafting skills in this post. The Google+ page highlights an artist and their works regularly so that people can know more about how artists are evolving over time.
Bruno Schiepan makes extensive use of his creativity to bring his design sensibilities to life in furniture items like chairs and tables. All painted and customized by him in incredible detail. His works can inspire various art deco ideas in home and retail establishments alike.
We hope that this roundup of Google+ communities for designers can help you bring your A game in future projects. What are you more interested in? Logo design? Arts? Web design or UI? Let us know in the comments.
Great collection. Thank you for sharing.