Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

It’s the color of power and strength. As well as love and Disney romance. But the meaning of red goes way beyond fast cars and heart-shaped chocolate boxes. Through evolution, and thousands of years of human civilization, red has been used to tell stories, stir emotion and to get us to spend more money. Learn what the color means to different cultures around the world, and find out how to best use it for your business in our exploration of the color red.

In the beginning, there was red
Evolutionarily, red is a signal of heightened emotions, both good and bad. Think of our how our cheeks flush with anger when we’re upset, or how they blush when our crush pays us a compliment. In nature, the vibrant patterns of poison dart frogs help warn predators to stay away. And in reverse fashion it also attracts animals by serving as a signal of ripened fruit. Either way, the color red developed in nature in order to stand out.

A lot of these lists just cram everything and anything into the lineup. So, we decided to pick our designers’ brains to bring you the best resources that we are using on a daily basis.

Typeface selection plays a critical role in the readability of your content. Although it may be one of the overlooked aspects when it comes to designing websites. One of the main finding of Nielsen Norman Group Eye-tracking Study of Web Readers was “Text Attracts Attention Before Graphics”. The study revealed:

“Of users’ first three eye-fixations on a page, only 22% were on graphics; 78% were on text”.

As a web designer, you need to pay more attention to typography.To make your design more effective and impactful we have compiled a huge list of typography tools and resources available on the Internet. If you are serious about web design and want to improve your skills, Take time to work your way through this resources.…

Design trends change every year, and it seems like most of them get hyped up to the point that all the chatter actually hinders the acceptance on some of the trends.

There comes a point where, as a web designer, you start to settle into your own personal preferences, and the idea of expanding outside your comfort zone seems costly and maybe even detrimental to your job security.

The Awwwards Website Trends and Design recognition program is proof that the outliers are the ones that typically get recognition. Awards and big paychecks go to those who stretch the boundaries and try out new, brave and often even re-emerging designs concepts.

You hear about new design trends just about every single year, but this time we wanted to cover some of the re-emerging trends, which have some use, but maybe not the adaptation that they deserve. Let’s have a look....

It’s not every year that we experience big changes. With such rapid growth in technology over the past few years, we’re sure that the big 2016 web design trends will focus on maturing and expanding on those developments.

Flat design will get more texture, “cinematic experiences” will become more common, and the use of JavaScript libraries will enable more experimentation. Growing popularity in WebGL and virtual reality are sure to transform websites as we know them, giving way to new and exciting interactive possibilities.

In this article, we’ll break down 11 of the biggest web design trends we’re expecting to see this year. So get comfortable and start reading – we have a lot to cover!...

As more and more content continues to deluge the web, experts say that embracing a minimalist approach could help your website or app truly pop in 2016.

To this end, the rise of flat design -- or the use of two-dimensional figures and shapes -- will be a major design trend next year, according to printing company Coastal Creative.

Additionally, according to the company, background and full-screen videos can instantly elevate the perceived quality of a site -- especially as Internet speeds ramp up across the world and designers wise up to content that ornaments, but does not distract. For more design trends poised to typify 2016, check out the infographic below....

Good typography may be hard work, but designers shouldn’t forget to have some fun with it! While crafting fonts and typographic characters can sometimes feel stiff and overly mathematical, we want you to help you find the joy in creating more expressive and playful typography.

Of course, this approach is great for children-oriented design projects—but let’s not limit ourselves. After all… not every coffee shop, ice cream store and logo needs to look posh. Let’s find the more creative side of typography and get goofy!

In this article, we’ll spotlight some examples of playful typography and show you how to join in the fun with your own work....

There’s no denying it… Bright, bold colors have been a huge trend this year—not only a 2016 web design trend, but across all mediums. This color palette is popular with good reason; when bright color pops in design, it can conjure excitement, joy and intrigue. For that reason, it’s a great skill to master as a designer.

There are many different ways to incorporate bright color into your designs. This article takes a close look at 10 different examples which accomplish just that. Enjoy!...

Light colors are easy on the eye, which means that they aren’t as likely to take attention away from the main goal or goals of a site. Negative space, on the other hand, makes websites look less cluttered and easier to navigate. Even though negative space can actually be filled with any color, white is typically the safest bet. For example, a brand like Best Buy is associated with the colors blue and yellow, but the company primarily uses these colors in the navigation menu of its site, which leaves plenty of whitespace to help guide visitors' eyes to calls-to-action (CTAs) like "Shop" and "Find out more."

Some brands, however, are okay with challenging the rules of Web design and are doing so with colorful designs that are pushing the best-practice boundaries. Although colorful designs are certainly not for everyone, they can be successful when they are executed correctly and used for the right brand. For some inspiration, check out the six colorful websites featured below...

Enter the rise of microsites. Unlike regular websites, microsites tend to be rather simplistic and easier to navigate. This isn't to say they won't make you want to poke around for a while, though. In fact, the really great ones do just that. Ready to see a few use cases? Check out the list below for some great examples of microsites in action....