Let us look at six of the biggest and ground-breaking design trends shaping the way for 2020 and what we can expect in the future.

3D DEPTH REALISM

Technology is constantly and rapidly evolving. The next obvious step in the design world was to look at the use of realistic-looking animations and designs. 3D has become one of the most prominent elements of the decade and you can see why.

The ability for designers to create mascots and characters for companies to add a whole new level of storytelling for brands has changed things drastically. Designers often combine 3D designs with 2-dimension objects and photos to create eye-catching textures and depth on a page.

It is a way to take your product and transform it into something that feels realistic and stands out on the website.

MINIMALIST LANDING PAGES

For a couple of years now there has been a huge emphasis on making your website minimal. There was a time when websites were cluttered with images, multiple columns of text and bright distracting colours.

Over the years that trend of over the top web pages and by seeing how much you can fit onto a viewable web page has gladly gone, because a lot of design tools that let you create astonishing landing pages are appeared.  The use of just a couple of images and a simple background with some eye-catching copy has been the direction that many have now taken their websites in.

There are two main benefits from this right off the bat. The first being that it drastically increases loading times for the page but secondly it significantly increases your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) on search engines such as Google.

It is no wonder that web developers and designers are increasingly making their websites to be minimal.

SUBTLE COLOURS

Like we mentioned in the minimalist landing page section, the use of subtle colours has gone hand in hand with this as we are seeing an increasing number of websites with extremely simplistic colour schemes.

The websites of the past were bubbling with bright colours, but this has changed and now the colours have been toned down with the addition of black and white to take the edge off. This makes text easier to read when laid over the top and it also allows the user to focus more clearly on set areas of the page without being distracted by bright colours.

MASKING OF IMAGE AND TEXT

This is by no means a new technique but is one that is being used to change it into the minimal looks that are trending. The masking process mixes the use of text and images, including illustrations, clipart images and infographics into one to create bold eye-catching catchphrases.

This is a powerful but subtle way of introducing an idea of colouring and images into an otherwise simple design and helps to portray the message the brand is trying to convey. Lots are left to the imagination and that is a good thing as it sparks an interest in the customer wanting to find out more.

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ABSTRACT ILLUSTRATIONS AND SHAPES

One of the most notable changes that have appeared as we have made our way into 2020 is the use of abstract illustrations, shapes, and flowing lines. The use of these along with the subtle colours and the minimalist landing pages has evolved the world of digital design.

The main reason behind the use of abstract illustrations is to spark imagination and create a dream-like effect in the otherwise minimal design world. The colouring centres around more earth tones, with the use of browns and oranges taking centre stage. The addition of muted greens and yellows helped to give the design a blast from the past.

It is important for the illustrations to tell a meaningful story about the brand or product and for it to be as detailed as possible.

HANDWRITTEN TEXT

Bold, dominant, and commanding lettering which appears to be handwritten is taking the centre stage when it comes to copy. The use of handwriting style copy gives the brand a personal and unscripted feel. Not only foes this given the brand a unique and unscripted feeling it is also very eye-catching, and also allows for some personality to be conveyed through the text.

The use of bold fonts in copy is most definitely in. The ability to make every single letter stand out is what makes bold such a popular choice for copy. You have not just got to rely on making them all bold. In some cases, some of the letters are reversed or made smaller or larger than others to give the text some life.

As we head on further into 2020, we are likely to see more new trends emerge. A lot of brands are opting for muted tones and colour palettes and it looks like the use of vibrant colours a thing of the past, at least for now. What could be next with the use of colour in design? Only time will tell.

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However, like with most things, having a remote team of graphic designers does not come without its own challenges.

There are three main challenges that you will be faced with when managing a remote team of designers and we will go over each of these in further detail.

1. Managing Creatives

Creative individuals take their work personally and it is important to know how to manage this.

2. Managing a Team Remotely

Management without the option for in-person face to face discussions.

3. Maintaining a Close Knitted Team Environment.

Despite location difference, it is important to bring the team together and help one another

STEP 1 – Managing Creatives

The most important thing to understand when dealing with a team remotely is the need for good communication. You need to have a clear vision of what you want, and how you plan to get there. Otherwise, they will have a hard time meeting your expectations.

Ascertain your Requirements

Your team of graphic designers are experts in their field. They have a wealth of knowledge and understanding but without clear instructions, it cannot be put to good use.

You most probably have an end-goal in mind and how it should look but without a clear understanding of how to get there then how would you expect your remote working team to know what to do.

Therefore, the first thing to do before making any suggestions to your design team is to methodically set out your project expectations and ask yourself a series of questions.

• What do you want to get out of this project?
• What is the purpose of this project?
• What should the design be able to accomplish?

Less Talking, More Showing

Every single team member on your design team is inherently different but there is one thing they all share. The frustration they face when presented with a client who has no real idea of what they want their proposal to look like. Vague and wishy-washy ideas but no concrete vision.

The best way to overcome this is to show your team similar works that you like and would like the work based on. It is important not to copy but to take inspiration from. We learn from seeing and showing a picture or a sketch of what you would like over just some verbal is a lot easier for the designer to understand. After all, designers are creative individuals.

Recognise Expertise

Your team members are talented individuals who are experts in their field. They are design experts and have the skill set to be able to take your concept and transform it into a finished project.

The main thing to understand here though is that there is always going to be some interpretation. The designer will understand the brief and the end goal but will take a slightly different take on it than you may have done. It is important to not let the designer change everything you wanted but do allow some flexibility as their opinions are valuable and they probably have a good reason for doing it that way.

Constructive Feedback

When one of your designers sends an unfinished draft to you, take your time, and think about giving constructive and productive feedback that addresses your concerns but does not offend your staff.

You will notice that each member of staff operates slightly differently, and some may take critique better than others. It is imperative to lean on their knowledge and show them what you would like changed and allow them the time to make the changes without too much direction.

It is important not to give too confined corrections that drastically change the design as you are more than likely going to end up with a design that you like even less.

STEP 2 – Managing a Team Remotely

Good Communication

Strong communication from management to any team is invaluable for any project and it is no different when it comes to managing a team of remote designers. The added challenge of remote working means that good communication is even more key in ensuring that projects run smoothly and to set briefs.

Appropriate Equipment

Individuals who work remotely rely heavily on the use of technology to get things done and they require all the right tools to get the work done to the correct standard. If you have team members who do not have the appropriate equipment it is something that will likely come back to haunt you later.

The best way to determine this is to assign a list of remote working tools that each member of the team requires to perform their job remotely. It is important when making this list that you consult with the whole team and ask for their input. After all, it is them that will be using these tools to produce the content.

Furthermore, now is not the time to introduce new tools and software as this will just mean strong learning curves for your team members at a time when they are looking to adapt to working remotely. The last thing you want to happen is for some of your team to be using one design program whilst the others use another. You should aim for everyone to be using the same software so that they can all follow the same procedures.

The entire team will benefit hugely if there is a unified approach for all team members. Whether we are talking about individual files or communication messages; each member should know exactly which tool to be using.

Designate a Meeting Schedule

One of the downsides of remote working is that your remote works do not get the benefit of in-person face to face discussions. Whether it is during their lunch break, walking along the corridor, or bumping into one another in the office. Without this spontaneous interaction, there is a real emphasis on the need to ensure there is as much regular interaction between your team as possible. Be sure to thoroughly engage with each team member and monitor the amount of interconnectivity between individuals within your team.

The best way to ensure this happens organically and without too much pressure is to promote discussion between team members regardless of the origins of the topic. Allow for personal interactions to happen as these will in most cases naturally translate to discussion regarding work. It is a good idea to have this checked on a weekly check-in with your team.

With the correct balance of communication, a team of remote graphic designers will still operate efficiently. This is because it is not about how often you see your team but more about the effort you put into building connections with them and this can be done anywhere.

Tackling Creative Blocks

One of the biggest challenges with working in a creative industry such as graphic design is the emphasis on having to rely in part on creativity to get the work done. What happens when the designer has hit a creative block? You have probably heard of writer’s block, but designers get it too.

The best thing to do in this situation is to sit back and encourage them to take the time they need to take a break and allow for their creative mind to reset. Being sat in front of a computer for long periods can be draining and sometimes the best solution is to just get up from your computer and do something away from the screens.

The hardest thing to understand here is that you cannot force creativity. No matter how hard you try. Your team will need that right balance of work time and downtime or otherwise, you will not see the results you desire. You can encourage them on how to tackle creative blocks but not how to avoid them completely.

STEP 3 – Maintaining a Team Environment

The third and final core way to help manage your remote team is understanding teamwork. It is a vital part of the puzzle whether you have a team who is working remotely or not.

When you think of a team you imagine them working together in the same office space but with remote working that simply is not the case. The virtual team situation presents a unique challenge.

A team of designers working together remotely requires encouragement to ensure they continue to thrive.

Managing your Team and their Careers

Your team is a single unit, but that unit is comprised of a collection of individuals. Each one of these individuals carries their own needs and requirements and it is important to not lose track of this.

Most people enjoy being part of a team if it is working effectively. It allows us to feel connected to one another and gives us increased opportunities to carry out excellent work. Be sure to get to know every single one of your team members in detail. The last thing you want is for anyone to slip through the net and for them to feel left out. Take time to speak to them and consistently and regularly check in on them to ask about their progress and see how satisfied they are with the work they are being asked to do.

It is important to check-in and monitors your staff so that you can ascertain if there are any underlying problems. It is better to deal with them now before they develop into something much larger.

Appropriate Leadership

Teams vary in size and depending on how large or small your team is will depend on the level of assistance you will need with leading the team. The best way to determine this is to ask yourself a few questions.

• If I were to manage the team myself, would I be able to keep up?
• Do I require help in managing the team?
• Do the team members respond positively to my leadership?

A sign of strong leadership is knowing when you need to ask for help. Appropriate leadership is knowing when to appoint some in your team as your go-to for certain aspects of the job. The main benefit of delegating certain roles is that this then frees up time for you to focus on other responsibilities.

Assigning Projects to the Correct Person

Not everyone in your team will have the same set of skills and nor will they all have the same expertise in certain areas compared to others. This is not a bad thing as it means you can draw in on different members of staff to tackle varying challenges and tasks.

You may have a designer who specialises in infographics whilst another is an expert in advertisement and animation. Even two team members who share similar career histories are likely to have different skillsets and most definitely different strengths and weaknesses.

The best way to manage your graphic design team is to first understand who the best fit for which type of work is. Assign your staff members to roles that they can fulfil. There is no point assigning someone who specialises in animation to an infographic project when you have a team member who specialises in infographics.

Not only does that seem counterproductive it is also unlikely to keep your team interested. Keeping your team interested is a key part of creativity. Those that are more engaged with their work tend to perform better than those who are not.

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Despite the challenges you may face with your remote working team, providing you take the time to follow the tips we have set out there you can begin working towards a successful future

We have compiled some information to help you decide whether moving to be a freelancer is the right career decision for you. This post also helps guide you on how to get your freelance career going if you decide it is for you.

Freelancing: The Pros and Cons

Like with anything in life, despite a list of pros, there are also some cons that you should consider before switching to freelancing.

The Pros

The most notable benefit of becoming a freelancer is the independence that it brings to your working environment and schedule.

• You decide where you work – you do not have to commute to work and spend time in the same office every day. You choose your work surroundings.
• You decide when you work – you choose the days and times that you work and how many hours you want to work. Allows for flexible work patterns to work around other life commitments.
• You decide who you work with – Being your boss means you get to choose who you decide to work with.

The Cons

Unfortunately, as we mentioned there are a couple of cons that you should consider before making the switch. When you become a freelance designer, you do more than just design.

• You need to market yourself. Work will not just appear; you need to go and get it. Marketing yourself and advertising the work you do is vital to get work coming in.
• You need to organise invoices and payments. When work is complete you need to produce and send an invoice and then collect the money.

If you have read the pros and cons and feel freelancing is for you, then look at our steps below on how to get started.

Build a portfolio

One of the very first things you will need to do to become a freelance web designer is to build a portfolio. Your portfolio should be a place to showcase some of the best work you have produced. It is the perfect opportunity to show your prospective clients what you can achieve. There are lots of tools available online which can be used to build online portfolios or of course you can design one yourself.

Your portfolio should show a wide range of your available skills to show your clients what you are capable of. Showing that you can do more than one thing is likely to attract a wider pool of clients.

If you are new to web design but still want to go straight to freelancing, it is unlikely you have anything to put in your portfolio. In which case, you should spend some time building sites purposefully for use in your portfolio. You could try talking to friends and family and see if anyone would like a website designed.

If you are just starting, it is a good idea to offer a slightly discounted price to attract your initial clients. Once you have built up a portfolio and have some good feedback under your belt you can begin to raise your prices.

Obtaining your first clients

Once you have a freelancing career underway with a fleshed-out portfolio, you can now start to look for your first clients. A good place to start is with friends and family. Let them know the services you can offer as you never know who might need you.

Even if your immediate friends and family do not require your services currently you could ask them to spread the word to their contacts. It is quite surprising how much work you can obtain just through word of mouth.

Telling your friends and family about in person is one way but another and more prominent way today is through social media. Make sure you are active on social media as it is a great way to promote your business and attract new clients. Build up a reputation in your field by engaging with other website designers and sharing content that discussed new and upcoming trends.

You might want to grow beyond your social circles and that is where third-party freelancing services such as Freelance and Upwork come into play. They take a free but in doing so allows you to reach a much larger pool of potential clients.

Continually improve your skillset

Being a web designer requires constant learning and improvement to remain competitive in the field that is forever changing and evolving.

It is important to not be complacent with the skills you have learned and to continue to improve on the skills that you have. Keeping up to date with the latest design trends and learning additional skills will ensure you remain an effective freelancer.

One of the main skills that web designers lack when it comes to freelancing is the marketing aspects. You need to be able to market yourself effectively to get work regardless of how good your design work is. As a freelance web designer, it would be beneficial to learn skills such as e-mail marketing, inbound marketing, and even PPC campaigns.

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Starting your journey on becoming a freelance web designer is not going to be easy, but it is likely to be rewarding. If you are craving for some extra flexibility over your working day and location, then now is probably the time to make that move.

A well-planned and methodical approach to usability testing will ensure that all your design efforts will pay off with an appealing end-product.

You may be new to this concept and therefore you may need to know a little more about usability testing and why it is so important in product design.

Let us look at why usability testing is so important and how it should be handled to deliver the most useful results.

Recruit the correct participants

One of the biggest challenges of usability testing is making sure you recruit the correct participants. There is no point in using someone in your testing if they are not the correct match for your business needs.

Time should be taken to carefully manage the interviewing process. It is vital to filter the applicants you receive down. To save time in the long run it is good practice to make sure that only the right kind of candidates are attracted in the first place. The use of a recruitment specialist to home in on the recruitment process will help get the right people the first time around.

Measure using effective metrics

You have your goals and objectives set and you have a set of participants ready and raring to go. The next and probably the most important step is setting a series of metrics that can be measured. Think about what you want the testing to achieve and how the results can be measured and compared to one another.

An example of a metric that can be measured effectively for say a piece of software would be to measure how many mouse-clicks it takes the user to reach a part of the software. With a large enough set of testers, you will be able to ascertain how long it takes on average and where problems may arise.

Pinpoint any problems

As a quick overview, there are two main reasons to deploy usability testing when creating a new product or service. The first being the aim of identifying any issues that have remained undetected up until this point and secondly, to gather the input from the outside testers who can help to reveal overlooked opportunities of which the product or service could take.

Usability testing has so much power and leverage when it comes to designing a new product. You are getting valuable first-hand feedback on what the user likes and what the user perhaps does not like. This part of the process is the perfect opportunity to learn more about what the user would like to see available and how they would like it to look in your product or service.

After all, these testers are your target audience and you need to know what they require. It can be daunting hearing a list of critique and suggestions, but it also allows for the development of features which you may never have even thought of but would be hugely advantageous to the product.

Change the perspective

Sometimes the best way to look at your product is to step away and try to think outside of the box. It can be difficult to analyse something clearly when you are so close to the development. It is hard to have that objective view when you are so passionate about the project. Seeing any flaws in the design can be difficult.

Taking yourself away from the development for a moment and looking at your product from a new angle and perspective can be hugely beneficial as you begin to see the product in a new light.

The recruitment of users for testing automatically gives you that new perspective and they can give you valuable insights that are likely to increase the success of the product in the long term.

Not only is a website the perfect platform to showcase your products but it also acts at the forefront of your online marketing. More and more businesses are creating websites to attract more customers and generate increased sales. This trend is being seen all over the world.

You might know the need for a website, but do you know the right way to go about it? There are two paths you can take here. Design and develop it in-house which in most cases ends in disaster or you can hire a web design agency who specialises in designing websites for companies just like yours.

We have compiled the research and have outlined five key reasons why you should hire a web design agency for your new website.

REASON 1 – CLEAR VISION

A professional website design agency design website daily and are experts in their field. They know what a website should do, and how it should behave. They know what works on a website and what does not.

They have a clear vision of the type of website that would suit the needs of your business and the most appropriate design and branding to match.

There is an increasing number of websites and applications out there all competing with the same users. You need to stand out if you want to compete in this dynamic world.

REASON 2 – EXPERIENCE

Knowing you need a website and making a website are two completely different things. By no means, is designing a website a simple task. With the majority of visitors now using mobile devices, the need for mobile-friendly websites is a must and this takes a level of expertise in web design that not everyone has.

Hiring a professional web design agency would eliminate this worry as they are equipped with the skills and experience to design and develop bespoke and mobile-friendly websites.

There is also the need to consider that when designing a website, you will stumble across a wide array of problems that need fixing. To a design agency, these are annoying but are solvable but to an individual, with little to no experience, it can be a roadblock that prevents development.

REASON 3 – RESOURCES

There is a lot to consider when developing and designing a website. The need for someone who can design graphics, SEO analysers for keyword optimisation on search engines, web developers for the web pages, content writers for the body, etc. It is a lot to think about and missing out on just one of those skill sets can be detrimental to the success of the website.

Remove that worry by using a website design agency that has experts in each of these fields to ensure continuity and reduce the risk for any delay. The website design agency is likely to have several team members working on your website simultaneously – allowing for the entire project to be done on time.

REASON 4 – SCALABILITY

Once you have designed your website for its initial rollout, it is highly likely that further down the line you will wish to make changes.

Perhaps you would like to add extra elements such as a blog or an option to have a live chat or video feature, or perhaps you just want to change some text or images on a couple of the web pages.

Having it built by a professional website design agency will allow for this with ease as they will develop it in a way that can easily be edited and enhance in the future.

If you were to design it in-house yourself, without the in-depth knowledge needed and foreshadowing it is likely to be exceedingly difficult to alter in the future.

REASON 5 – SAVE MONEY

This reason may seem the opposite of what you are thinking but designing a website on your own is likely to cost you more money in the long term than using a professional web design agency. This is due to several reasons.

Building a website, yourself from scratch will take a lot of time and there are chances some functions will not work properly. Leaving you with either a broken site or the need to pay out for an expert to fix it. They say time is money and the amount of time spent on trying to fix it yourself could be negated by the cost of the design agency, to begin with.

It is easier to save all that hassle and go straight to hiring the expert in the first place. It is the most effective solution when it comes to having a website designed for your business.

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