Matt Gipson

A lot of what we do as designers is clean up. Sure, we talk about story arcs and designing the experience, but the average presentation may not have the time or resources to think bigger than getting it done, even when it’s an essential pitch by the C-suite for a new initiative. That's where following the template, using it wisely to maximize variation, and keeping it simple comes into play. Much of what you need to say should be in the talk track rather than in the slide, and if you need to go into detail, use an appendix, preread existing material, or a download to let people dive deep. Designing for a screen comes with practice, like riding a bike. In my experience helping thousands of presenters, the less design YOU have to do, the better it is for you and the AUDIENCE. Focus on *design that matters.* Be *intentional with design.* #presentationdesign

19

5 Comments

We have a large project that's primarily handled by my Design Director and PM—it's straightforward, but has a very detailed process associated with it. Review, QA, documentation all needs to be handled very specifically. So when we had an upcoming client review and we knew these team members would be out on PTO—we got together ahead of time, documented the process and debriefed two brand new team members who would fill in. And oh boy did it go...great. Document or Die folks. #yesterlearnings #prepare #documentation

3

What’s your problem? This is the question every designer should be asking at the start of any project with a client. Businesses hire a designer because there is some problem they are trying to solve. Start every project by asking questions until you figure out what those challenges are. Then scope the project based on what they need, not what you want to design.

23

18 Comments

There's a trend going on with scammers/bad actors - specifically in the Design Industry. I've been reflecting a lot lately on a troubling issue in our design community: scammers targeting hardworking professionals. It's super sad to see so many fake job postings designed to waste your time, steal intellectual property, or even worse, scam you out of money. With how much effort and time/years dedicated to perfecting my skills as a graphic designer, UI/UX designer, branding, and logo designer; it's incredibly frustrating to think that there are people out there trying to take advantage of those of us who are genuinely passionate about our craft and striving to make a living in a tough industry. This is really sad and bad. Fellow designers, let's look out for each other. Double-check opportunities, trust your gut, and don't let these bad actors get the best of us. I thought of sharing my experience and observations so far. On a positive note though, if you need someone with expertise in graphic design, UI/UX, website design, branding, and logo design, I'd love to connect. I'm always excited about new roles and projects and I'm passionate about delivering quality work. You can check out some of my works here https://nddplatform.com/ Or https://lnkd.in/eXhU67j Stay safe out there and keep creating beautiful things! #logo #logodesigner #scammers #designindustry #design #graphicsdesgin #graphicdesign #websitedesigner #websitedesign #uiux #freelancing #freelance #freelancer #nddplatform

4

I love everything about this industry. However, I would say that if you're in design be ready to be underestimated for how your skills contribute to the business. Design decisions are business decisions. Full stop. If you're not careful, and if you're not on a team that values design, your role can be put into the backseat as simply "making the real business contributors look good." While our job is ascetics those of us in creative fields are also force multiplies. You show me a poorly performing brand or campaign and I can almost promise you I can point to a visual or technical touchpoint that is the cause. #design #UXdesign #missoula #montana

2

Last minute, who else is virtually attending VS Code Day today? Registration is still available, it’s free, and it starts at 12:00pm Central Time. DM me if you go so that we can discuss after! // I’ve been using VS Code as I learn JavaScript. It’s a lightweight text editor that, with a combination of the right extensions and Chrome, has set me up with a great (and free) Integrated Development Environment (IDE) as I start writing JS. https://lnkd.in/gXPY_qgx

4

2 Comments

Friday fun... The last post in motion 1 of 2. From last post... "Sharing some detail 3D work highlighted in the FY24 Studio reel I recently shared. Utilizing the new color palette from the Microsoft Brand these metaphors created for the Microsoft Cloud visual identity celebrate fluidity, harmony, diversity, transformation, and imagination. Waveforms showcase the human element, expressing these ideas organically with texture, imperfection, and inherent optimism." ACD's Juliet Park Tierney Cunningham 3D Artists Steve Lee joseph andrade Handel Eugene #Microsoft #BrandStudio #CreativeTeam #BrandIdentity #VisualDesign #Teamwork #Grateful #Brand #C4D #MicrosoftCloud #creativedirector #creativedirection #visualidentity #promotion #motion #motiongraphics #motiondesign

149

5 Comments

Who else joined the Webflow summer release this afternoon? I might be a tiny bit biased, but I'm REALLY excited about the new on canvas editing feature! This is going to make life so much easier for non-designers and help improve the overall design quality of CMS pages now that users can see, live on the page, what their changes look like. Don't take my word for it, check out the awesome quote someone shared about their experience. 😉 #webflow #fangirl #websitedesign #efficiencygains

5

The fundamental principles underlying good design are so simple, yet so easily overlooked. No one actually thinks about concepts like Proximity when producing a communication or user experience. It’s more of an instinctual understanding. But if something just isn’t working overall, it can be helpful to step back and ask if there are basic problems with how individual elements are relating to each other. Any presenter or communicator can benefit from the power of good design. Utilizing the fundamentals is so easy, but mastering them is a lifelong pursuit. Hopefully, you find this information useful, or at the very least, interesting. But beware, you may start to see good and bad uses of the Proximity principle all around you. Enjoy your descent into the rabbit hole! 😂 #design #ux #marketing #communication

8

2 Comments

Typeface or Font? I have more than 15 years of design experience, and I still occasionally mix up those two 😬 No, those are not synonyms. And yes, what we often refer to as a font is actually a typeface. 🙈 Inter, Helvetica, Arial... those are all Typfaces.  But Inter Bold, Helvetica Neue Regular, and Arial Regular are Fonts. And to make matters worse, there are also Font Families 😅 But to easily distinguish between Typeface and Font, remember: You choose Typeface, but use Font. Does it matter? In most cases, it doesn't. But there might be some cases where it leads to confusion. 🤷‍♂️ #typography #ui #design

93

13 Comments

I’m often asked about my go to resources for my design and illustration work. The list is long 😅 but today I thought I’d share 5 free design tools to get you started. There are some fantastic tools out there that are worth investing your dollars in 💸 but for those who are just getting started, or designing on a budget, these are my suggestions ⬇️ 🎨 Coolers: For colour palette inspiration, coolers is a game changer. They have a huge range of palettes to explore, but what I really love is their palette generator. Sometimes you just need that one last colour, and this is a great tool to speed up your workflow when exploring combinations. 📷 Unsplash: You’ll find some excellent high resolution stock photos here that can really lift your projects. Their food and lifestyle photography is particularly good. ⚙️ Vecteezy: Personally I don’t use this resource because I make my own 💁🏻‍♀️ but if you’re looking for crisp editable vector graphics, Vecteezy has you covered. 💤 Dafont: I’ve been using Dafont for years. They have such a great variety of options to choose from, you’re bound to find what you’re looking for. I’m always surprised by the quality and choice here. 🧱Texture Palace: From grungy brick textures, to organic leaves and water, this is a great source for finding textures to add to your work. These work particularly well with Photoshop and Procreate, but if you don’t need to retain your vectors, you can use them in Illustrator too. 🔗 Looking for more tools and tricks to elevate your creative game? Journey over to my blog at www.shirabentley.com/blog 💬 Share your thoughts below or drop a ❤️ if you’re excited to incorporate these tools into your next project. Your feedback fuels my passion to serve you better! #CreativeResources #GraphicDesignTools #creative #contentcreation #graphicdesigntips #designtips #creativeprocess #freeresources

2

Designers (and friends) who come back over and over….these are the the best reviews I could possibly shout from the rooftops! 📣 If you plate is full, it's time to upgrade to you 2.0 (meaning...it's time and it's ok to get a helping hand). Your deserve it! Head here if you need help getting your client's sites up, because it's time for you to feel like a star! ⭐ https://lnkd.in/g5HtXQ8x . . . . . #WomenInTechnology #TechForWomen #GirlsWhoCode #TechGirl #DigitalDesign #WomenWhoLead #HerBusiness #FreelanceToFreedom #SmallBusinessBigDreams #SmallAndMightyBusiness #ThisGirlMeansBusiness #FreelanceLifestyle #FreelancingFemales #TheFutureIsFemale #BusinessWithPurpose #CreateLaunchGrow #WebsiteCare #NextLevelWebsite #DeveloperForDesigners #WebDevForDesigners #WebsitesThatTransform

9

Design as a profession is dead. Everyone has the tools in their pocket to make something look snazzy. Line – shape – color – texture – type – composition can be controlled by template platforms and AI prompt engineering. But those tools lack the human ability to make unexpected connections that shape how people receive and respond to a communication. That's what separates design from decoration. So, while design as a commodity is not going away, design professionals — and insightful clients — can still do work that truly serves the message and the receiver. It just needs CPR: Context, Personality and Relevance. #design #communication #inspiration

9

1 Comment

Figma’s ConFig ’24 released several new features that caused many to continue to sing their praises. However, there is a trend their business model that is problematic. New features are initially available to all in beta. Once the feature goes into production, there will be a charge to use the new feature. Figma seems to be building an a la cart feature menu creating a nickel and dime growth strategy. The problem is that Figma has already surpassed the exorbitant pricing of Adobe products. Has Figma considered the full spectrum of their user base? While some enterprises may be able to float that price tag (For managers, it still can be a hard sell for budget approval), small businesses and independent designers will find the cost to be challenging or prohibitive. While Figma may generate some initial profit, it may not work in the long-term once the romance is gone.

19

A Single Reflection on What It’s Like for a Designer to Write Straight for 11 Days (out of 30) Read this post and more on my Typeshare Social Blog: https://lnkd.in/gyAKV6Xs

11

3 Comments