Let’s Eat

Umbrella

Present

The Wishgranter

WindUp

Coin Operated

The Little Shoemaker

Mind Games

Napo

Spring

Bonus: Believe in Love Advertising Short Video

Title image by Yibing Jiang

For more inspiration, examples of awesome packaging designs, impressive food photography and food styling, 3D illustrations, realistic 3D portraits, logo designs activating negative space, and other D4U Inspiration posts.

Сообщение 10 Touching Award-Winning Short Films Packed in Stunning CG Art появились сначала на Design4Users.

People love dogs. You can never go wrong adding a dog to the story. (Jim Butcher)

No secret, dogs are among the most popular and loved animals in the world. As well, they seem to be among the super favs as heroes in stories, films, and games. Not only dogs engage people to be kinder and more energetic in their everyday life but also they inspire to create artworks in different styles. Today we will share the pack of illustrations all inspired by dogs and also will introduce the new name to the gallery of illustrators in D4U Inspiration. So, meet Varya Kolesnikova, the digital artist famous on Behance in particular for elaborate animal illustrations. Although the animals are different, the dogs appear to be her favorite: they are presented in a variety of plots and perspectives, breeds and moods. So, for this design collection, we’ve decided to focus on that theme. Welcome to enjoy diverse artworks devoted to dogs, the most loved animals of the world.

Breeds of Dogs Illustrations

101 Dalmatians Illustrations

Bow-Wow Project

Dog Illustrations from Different Projects

Varya Kolesnikova’s Behance portfolio

Also, you may like a great collection of animal illustrations by Therese Larsson, childhood illustrations by Pascal Campion, stunning 3D graphics by Aleksandr Kuskov, and other posts in D4U Inspiration

Сообщение The Awesome World of Dog Illustrations by Varya Kolesnikova появились сначала на Design4Users.

Artificial Intelligence

There is no denying that artificial intelligence or AI has become one of the fastest-growing technologies of today’s generation. However, most people believe that it’s going to influence only those tasks and jobs that are mechanical or repetitive in nature viz. accounting, supply chain management, etc. That is not exactly true, as AI is also venturing into creative domains like graphic design. In fact, it’s now possible to create a logo with AI as there are many online tools and apps that come packed with massive repositories of fonts, icons, and colors and use advanced algorithms that can create the perfect combinations of these assets to design unique logos.

The idea of AI in graphic design can be scary for professionals and remote designers who are making a living by creating designs in the traditional way. However, they have nothing to be afraid of as these tools won’t replace them altogether but only support them in their jobs and facilitate the design processes.

Futuristic Patterns

Futuristic visuals and designs are becoming more and more common in the marketing and branding industry today. You can check out any 10 popular advertisements today, and you will see that at least a few of them will demonstrate a product or idea with visuals that are too advanced for our generation. But that’s the whole point, and it’s intentional- to attract the users with the promise of tomorrow’s technology.

An excellent example to make a case for futuristic designs is BBC Two. You can look at the new design to see how beautiful and modern it looks. The previous design that was used by the company is shared below.

It doesn’t take long for one to decide which design is more trendy. Although at this point it can’t be said how long this new trend about ultra-modern designs will last, it’s for sure not going anywhere soon. So, it doesn’t matter whether you are creating designs that use negative space or gradients, you want to consider the “futuristic elements” when you get to work.

Shiny Textures

For years, graphics designers have been using shiny or metallic textures for different kinds of products to showcase a “high-end” attribute and character. The key is focusing on the metallic effect in a way that the overall design is minimalistic, and only brand fundamentals are highlighted.

One of the most common materials that’s used by designers in their products is gold, probably because it looks luxurious and prevents the product from looking tacky. Another great way to incorporate metallic textures in designs is to put them as engravings over other base products, preferably those that are non-metallic.

Sensory Designs

If you have been paying attention to the advancements in the design industry, then you must have realized that design has started to venture into the sensory domain. In other words, you can find it interfering with our interactions with smell or taste.

A good example of human senses merging with design and advertisement is the digital smell technology that allows dating app users to potentially evoke 10 kinds of virtual smells, including minty, woody, and fruity. The technology of odor transmission was discussed with newsgroup NBC News, and it shed light on how it could offer a complete package, i.e., an integrated virtual reality or augmented reality.

Experiments on “electric smell” were conducted in Malaysia in which the researchers inserted electrodes in the nostrils to delivery weak electric currents where neurons that send odor signals to the brain were triggered. They were able to evoke 10 kinds of virtual odors. Although the technology is far from seeing commercial applications, industry stakeholders see massive potential in it and think it can be used in modern advertisements and entertainment areas like movies, dating apps, video games, etc.

Final Words

It’s not easy to come up with accurate predictions for graphic design’s future. However, one can certainly take comfort in the fact that changes are coming, and most of these changes are good. What’s important for the professionals, though, is that they learn about these changes and trends so that they can adapt accordingly.

About the author: that’s the guest post by Prashant Sharma

You may also like to review 19 hot UI design trends in 2019, a color glossary for designers, and a pack of case studies showing how shape and color work in logo design

Сообщение Brief Insights to Graphic Design Technology Trends 2019 появились сначала на Design4Users.

Shell Fuel Save

Campaign Craft Certificate in Loeries 2018 award in the category Print Crafts – Illustration

Forcam

Design for FORCAM global brand relaunch. The main idea was to show Human-Machine Interaction through organic living lines in harmony with the metal parts of the robotized structure.

Penguin Audiobooks

The collection of sophisticated artworks based around the same composition but reflecting different themes and times.

The Greek Classics

From the author’s description: We wanted to convince people that can bring alive the world book, making for deeply immersive literary experiences. And we chose ‘The Illiad’ from our range of Greek Classics to illustrate this point. We put The Illiad’s ‘Trojan Horse’ episode center-stage in an ear-shaped arena in Ancient Greece; which was brought alive with careful attention to the crafts and architectural patterns of the time’ the city planning, the daily costumes of the people, the class divisions in society visible in the arena’s seating arrangements, right down to local rituals like the burning of incense to appease the Gods. 

World War II History

From the author’s description: …We chose ‘The Third Reich Trilogy’ from our range of World War II History titles to illustrate this point. We put Hitler center-stage giving a rousing speech to the Nazis in an ear-shaped arena in the center of Berlin. This was brought alive with careful attention to the architecture, costumes, and the mileu of the city at war. From the Nazi motifs to the city-center cleared for Der Fuhrer, to the crisscrossing tram-, telegraph- and electric lines to the dark and foreboding atmosphere of a world at war.

Indian Mythology

From the author’s description: we wanted to convince people that Penguin Audiobooks transforms titles based on Indian mythology, into deeply immersive literary experiences as well. The title in question: JAYA by Devdutt Patnaik. Inspired by the mythos of the Indian epic, Mahabharata, depicted here is an episode from it – Draupadi’s Marriage. To win princess Draupadi’s hand in marriage, suitors have to shoot an arrow through the eye of a golden fish attached to a revolving chariot-wheel. Just by looking at its reflection in the water. Taking center-stage in the ‘ear arena’ is Arjuna, who succeeds. The arena is faithfully recreated in a mix of the Hindu and Buddhist architecture styles of India and South Asia. Including the profiles, recesses, design motifs on stone and other details. The costumes, tropical vegetation, and the ceremonial elephants are based on medieval Indian paintings, and they enhance the overall drama. 

Coca Cola Olympics

Visualization of Coca Cola in the Olympic Games theme.

Time Machine Project

Harmony of Hardcode

Aren’t all those artworks stunning? Keep up with the new inspiring design collections coming soon.

Check Alexander’s portfolios on Behance and ArtStation

Don’t miss the collections of digital illustrations about childhood by Pascal Campion, awesome animal illustrations by Therese Larsson and other D4U Inspiration posts.

Сообщение 3D Inspiration: Breathtaking CG Art by Aleksandr Kuskov появились сначала на Design4Users.

So, today the D4U inspiration set is collected at the crossroads of graphics and motion design to feature awesomely animated illustrations. Some of them were designed as a part of video production whereas others support interactions or positive user experience on apps or websites. Enjoy a variety of styles, details, colors, and plots.

By Tubik

By Artua

By Jonas Mosesson

By Tubik

By Gal Shir

By BluBlu Studios

By Glenn Thomas

By Maria Keller

By Jonathan Dahl

By Radio

By Jonan Mosesson

By Animagic Studios

By Guillaume Kurkdjian

By Gal Shir

By Glenn Thomas

By Down the Street Designs

By FANTASY

By Icons8

By Down the Street Designs

By Tubik

To read more on the topic and review other examples, check out the following articles:

UI as Art: Illustration in Interfaces

Benefits and Pitfalls of Promo Videos for Web

Step by Step Guide to Custom Promo Video Design

Design Process: How to Create Illustrations for IT Blog or Landing Page

Design Case Study: Binned. Promo Video Production

Сообщение Motion Design: 20 Inspiring Animated Illustrations появились сначала на Design4Users.

The vital role of icons is not a secret for web and app designers now, it is mentioned in numerous articles and books on design, presented in workshops and webinars, and shown in numerous case studies. We decided to add our two cents to this bulk of knowledge about icons, as this theme seems really constant and demanding.

The essence of an icon

Basically, an app or desktop icon is an image that having a kind of symbolic and metaphoric potential becomes the element of navigation in the process of interaction. In deeper explanation, an icon is a visual symbol representing some action, thing, person, real or virtual.

In many cases, icons are able to stand up for the text, and this ability makes them so popular in the world of modern design. If you replace the stretch of copy with an icon, it saves the place for other elements of interaction on the app screen or webpage, therefore, making it more functional without being overloaded. Also, it makes the interaction faster as in most cases people need less time to see and understand the icon than to read and understand the piece of text. Moreover, the icons efficiently move the limits as they enable people who have the problems of copy perception and recognition, such as those who suffer from dyslexia or close problems, to interact with the product. And finally, icons can successfully combine the functions of navigation and explanation with being the aesthetic element of the visual representation of the product, supporting the general style and having their own character.

Being so multifunctional and comprehensive, icons of the apps and websites can be:

• • interactive, i.e. directly representing buttons, controls, and any other elements of interaction
  • clarifying, i.e. visually explaining some functions, categories, actions, not being the direct element of interaction themselves
  • decorating and entertaining, i.e. having lower functionality and higher aesthetic potential, providing a decorative addition to general style, for example featuring some seasonal celebrations, etc.

An example of interactive icons: Veggie App Concept

An example of clarifying icons: Passfold project 

An example of decorative icons: Easter and spring-themed icons

The features of icons

Some basic features of efficient icons include being:

• meaningful

As has been mentioned above, an icon is a graphic element that has high symbolic potential. It means that by creating the icon, first of all, a designer should define what is its role and meaning as a separate element and as a part of the general layout. Talking about more earthy things for a kind of metaphor, the best chefs always say that everything that is put on the plate should be edible. According to the latest trends, we support the same idea when it comes to icons as well as the other elements of layout: everything that is put on the screen should be functional. Therefore, any icon used in the interface should have its meaning and function. Without it, an icon is just a kind of empty stub, making the layout of the screen or web page dirty with unnecessary elements.

• clear

Behind the clarity here we mean making the icon understandable. That is one more feature supporting icons being meaningful. In fact, what is the point of being meaningful if nobody except the creator understands this meaning? For the icon, lack of clarity is the death knell. Instead of speeding up and easing the process of interaction, such an icon will confuse the user and bring out a poor user experience.

• simple

The simplicity of icons is still a kind of debatable issue. Actually, designers agree that icons should be simple but still argue about where is the level of simplicity needed. Anyway, here in the studio we support the idea that any icon should be as simple as it is required for its particular aim and function and the designer working on it should stand on the foundation of following the existing guides for icons design and omitting any unnecessary details that can overload the image. However, at the same time, it’s important to remember the general style and other elements of visual representation of the whole app or website concept. Successful consideration and combination of these factors will result in efficient icons.

Valentine’s Day icon set 

• recognizable and unique

To make the icon recognizable, the designer needs to become a researcher before starting with the task. Taking the time for exploration and analysis of the existing icons and thorough investigation of the competition can create a significant basis for making the icon easily remembered and catchy. If a designer finds a way to make the icon recognizable not losing its main meaning, it will become the first step of attracting the user in conditions of active competition as well as will provide a positive feature for user experience as the user won’t be annoyed losing the time on looking for the necessary icons which aren’t recognizable at once.
The feature of uniqueness mentioned here doesn’t mean the creation of absolutely unique stuff every time you need the icon, but thinking about some even slight flavor of uniqueness via small changes or details can make the icon more recognizable both in the AppStore or PlayMarket and on the screen of user’s device.

• aesthetic and attractive

For sure, remembering that icon is a visual representation of the meaning, it’s important to take the graphic and aesthetic side of the issues into account. Visual appeal is the first step to encourage the user to get into the meaning you represent behind the icon and at the same time, it is the important element making the product regarded as attractive, beautiful, and stylish. Following the principles of color theory, proportions and other features making the result of graphic design successful is always very helpful in the creation of a great appearance for the icon meaning.

Saily ghost icon version

• flexible

As nowadays more and more various sizes and resolutions get into the game, flexibility and scalability are included in the list of key features making icons efficient. A good icon should be seen, readable and recognizable in different sizes and environments therefore it is one more process that should be thoroughly considered while creating icons.

• consistent

Icons as well as the other elements of the layout have to feel consistent as they often become the most powerful conventions and signifiers. For instance, if there are several icons in the app – as usually happens – they should follow the same style, and concept and correspond to the general design solution for the app, supporting the harmony of visual representation and interaction instead of breaking it with non-consistent elements.

IT Office Icons Set 

Creating icons for various design projects in Tubik Studio, we try to keep the principles mentioned above carefully combining them with every piece of unique design we work on. Besides creating handcrafted icons for projects, we have also presented several packs of icons on Dribbble, Behance, Creative Market, and Envato.

Multimedia Icons Presentation

Useful articles

Small Element, Big Impact: Types and Functions of UI Icons

Shape and Color in Logo Design. Practical Cases

Visual Perception. Icons vs Copy in UI

Small Stars of Interaction Design: Interactive UI Elements

UX Design Glossary: Navigation Elements

UX Design Glossary: Interface Navigation

UX Design Glossary: Affordances in User Interface

UX Design: How to Use Animations in Mobile Apps

Originally written for Tubik Blog

Сообщение Iconic Simplicity. The Vital Role of Icons появились сначала на Design4Users.