Unuidesign Blog » Freelance Tips

20 Things I learn About Browsers & The Web

admin — Sat, 28 May 2011 17:09:11 +0000

I find this excellent online book called “20 Things I learn About Browsers & The Web” published by Google that contains a very nice introduction about the things you should/want to know about the Internet. The topics included among others are Internet, HTML, RSS, JavaScript, computing and HTML 5. The text is easily readable and the layout is awesome.

I really recommend this article, specially for someone who might not be as advanced as others in the industry.

Link: www.20thingsilearned.com

The Book

The Process

Page Flip Effect

Interviewing Women in Web Design Around the World

admin — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 07:35:39 +0000

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All 55 female designers were asked the same set of questions, referencing their current position, how they got there and any challenges they faced. Also, we pushed the boat out a little to see if they had ever experienced any sexism in this industry.

Let’s take a look at the fabulous individuals who took part, thanking them once again for their participation.

Editha Fuentes

Bio: I’m a graphic and web designer originally from Chile now living in California, USA. I do graphic design, web, and corporate branding.
Portfolio: unuidesign.com
Twitter: @unuidesign

How Did You Get Into the Web Design Industry?
I actually was not very interested in designing websites during my education years, but it became clear to me that there was a huge market that would allow me to be creative and at the same time make a living from it. Thus, Web Design started becoming more and more important to me.

Do You Think There is a Lack of Female Web Designers?
Definitely. I have noticed this all along. To give you an example, when I started my University course work in graphic design, about 20% of our class was composed of females. By the end of the 4 years, I was the only female designer that graduated. When it comes to female Web designers specifically, the numbers ratios are even lower. I’m not sure why, but I do have some theories. Maybe one factor is the fact that females don’t feel too attracted to programming, and web design might be perceived as a programmer’s business.

Maybe they don’t want to take that one step further, and compromise with the ongoing learning that is demanded from web designers, but rather they like to stay within the safe zone of print design, etc. Lastly, it is usual for web designers to work very long hours sometimes even to the point of not having a healthy life style; this could be something that females resent.

Have You Ever Experienced Any Negativity or Sexism Being in This Industry?
Not at all. In fact, I have always had good acceptance among my peers, clients and supervisors. Perhaps, since there are so few of us, they even see me as out of the ordinary and feel compelled to see what I have to bring to the table.

Do You Think Female Designers Have Advantages Over Their Male Counterparts?
I really don’t think that gender has anything to do with your ability to perform in a specific area; all of us can develop the skills needed to succeed in this industry.

If You Were Not a Designer, What Would You Be?
I have four options, and they are all related to art anyways.

Professional Dancer
Visual & Media Communicator
Make-up artist
Fashion Designer

What is Your Biggest Challenge/Achievement?
My biggest challenges today are, expressing myself in English the way I do in Spanish and allocating enough time to spend with my family. My biggest achievements have been: properly managing all the non-artistic aspects of my business, and attracting a steady number of new clients and maintaining the old ones.

Anything to Say to Other Female Designers?
Don’t be afraid to explore the unknown. Curiosity is one element that is needed in order to try new things, develop originality, grow and be successful. When other women realize that there is a bright future in this industry, they will feel inspired to pursue a career in graphic design and ultimately, the number of females sharing their talent will increase dramatically.

Interviewing Women in Web Design around the world

15 Free Fonts That You Will Love

admin — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:48:03 +0000

I decided to write this article on a subject that has always fascinated me and is essential for web and graphic design: Typography.

During all these years working in the design business, I’ve always appreciated all those typo-designers dedicated to creating these wonderful fonts. I’m continually collecting high-quality fonts, and I often find very good quality ones and for free… There are also millions of other fonts that can cost you hundreds of dollars. There is everything out there and for every taste, some of great quality and some not so much. The important thing is not to underestimate the role of typography in design. Although most of the time the clients are the ones that decide which typography is going to be used, it’s always good to show them the new trends and not just what everyone has used for years. Carefully chosen and properly used, typography can make all the difference, so it is crucial understanding their importance to obtain the optimal results.

For this reason, I liked the idea of creating “15 Free Fonts That You Will Love” to serve as a collection of new typefaces available, for free, to all who love typography in full. Of course, there are many more and I invite you to share here other interesting fonts that you like.

Do you have your favorites?

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