I came across this article tonight which has some great keyboard shortcut tips for Mac users. I don’t usually just share articles but this one is useful :

10 Coolest Keyboard Shortcuts You Never Knew About from Mac|Life

NOTE: This tutorial assumes you are familiar enough with Adobe Illustrator to use some basic functions. This is not a ‘How to use Illustrator’ tutorial.

Begin with a square drawn with the rectangle tool and with a black stroke

Rotate the square by 45° by selecting it, double clicking the rotate option and entering the angle

Now you will need to turn your shape into a triangle. The most efficient and precise way to do this is to select the Delete Anchor Point tool and click on the left-hand anchor point. This instantly creates a triangle perfect for this use.

Fill the shape with 100% black and make sure there isn’t a stroke applied.

Turn the shape into an Art Brush. To do so, select and drag it over to the brushes palette. This will open up the new brush window. Complete the options as below.

You can now delete the triangle you created to make the brush. (double check that the new brush displays in the brush window first)

Draw your spiral, the quickest and easiest way to do this is to use the spiral tool. Here you can play around with the settings to suit your needs.

Apply the new brush to your spiral. You’ll want to experiment with the stroke size until you’re happy with the shape.

When you’re happy, expand the spiral to be able to add effects as required.

All done

These spiral shapes are useful for so many things, have a play and discover some new ways to use them.

I was growing tired of the old site design so have installed a new, cleaner layout from http://www.flexible7.com.  I want to test it out for a few weeks and get some opinions.  I will probably be tweaking it a bit but the main theme is there.

Please do let me know what you think – whether you’re a new visitor or a returning visitor.  I have no problem with reverting back if the general opinion is that I should!

Like many graphic designers I love to read about other designers processes and to compare between them. I’m so sure that any graphic designers reading this will also be interested, so I have selected 10 logo design processes to highlight in this article. An interesting read for experienced designers and an educational read for those new to the game.

If you have a logo design process that you would like to share please leave a link in the comments section below.

Jacob Cass

Two fantastic, in depth walk-through articles from Jacob Cass, graphic designer and founder of Just Creative Design.

David Airey

David Airey, graphic designer and creator of highly successful blog Logo Design Love (and book of the same title) runs through the important steps making up his logo design process.

Chris Spooner

A colourful and vivid logo creation complete with step by step details of how it was created. Chris is the founder of blog.spoongraphics and Line25, as well as being a graphic designer and web designer.

David Pache

David Pache guides us through his logo design process. David is the founder of dache – a studio specialising in high class logos and concepts.

Fabio Sasso

The founder of Adbuzeedo and co-founder of web studio Zee guides us through a logo development with plenty of screen-shots and great advice.

Chuck Green – Logic Arts Corporation

This is another in-depth article featuring lots of images and advice. Chuck is owner of Logic Arts Corporation, and is a designer and author.

ClearDesign UK

Clear Design is a graphic design agency. This isn’t as comprehensive or detailed as other examples on this list, nor is it as complete as the others (in my opinion). There appears to be no sketching stage displayed, or initial research. I have included it as it’s nice to compare.

Mark Cossey

Mark is a web and graphic designer who loves creating logos and wanted to share his process. This article even includes a useful video to demonstrate his sketching stage.

Angela Ferraro-Fanning

I had to include a graphic designer who believes in running an eco-friendly company! Angela is owner of 13thirtyone where she works on various design projects. This is another good example of a design process, with a difference that she chooses not to sketch ideas on paper first but to complete this stage on the computer.

Vicki Willingham

I am going to be cheeky and include myself! I decided to note down my design process a while back and write it as an article on my blog. This was a year ago now but not much has changed. I will add that I always use a questionnaire for clients so we can both be sure of the requirements.

Just a note to mention that I’ve finally added a couple of new print designs in the gallery.

Movie posters make a big impact. They seduce audiences in to spending their money on cinema tickets and can become the ‘image’ of the movie.

Then there are those posters that become more than just advertising material, they become iconic and pop culture collectables.  These artists didn’t rely on technology, computers or the latest photography must have.  These posters were hand drawn by extremely talented and creative artists who managed to capture the feeling of the films. Here are just a handful that come to mind when I think about these posters, I wanted to share them with you.  I’m not about to delve in to the techniques or theory of each image, it’s simply a collection of awesome posters!

Then of course, the master of cinematography Alfred Hitchcock had some fantastic posters…here are just a few.

I don’t usually post links to other blog articles but I saw a post on urbanghostsmedia.com this morning that really caught my imagination and I wanted to share.  While upgrading Notting Hill Gate station this year, vintage 1950′s advertising posters were discovered telling us to ‘Travel Royal Blue’ and ‘Wonder where the yellow went’ with Pepsodent toothpaste.

This is right up my street.  I love these posters and they serve as a great source of inspiration with their bold colours and fun artwork.  Unfortunately, these wont be available to anybody to view, the area is completely inaccessible but will be left intact.

I will definitely be storing these images they’re just fabulous!  I can almost see and feel the hustle and bustle of 1950′s London in this photo.

Read more (www.urbanghostsmedia.com)

We all like to be busy, but sometimes there are just those slow days.  You know the ones, your work has been submitted for comments and you’re left with a whole day with not a singe piece of design to do.  Instead of wasting the day wandering around the house or office wondering what to do, or maintaining your farm on FaceBook, keep a list of quick look options to hand and refer to it for a fast flash of inspiration.  Here are a few things to get you started.

Go for a run

Clear your head, get some fresh air and enjoy those endorphins.  Running is a proven de-stress tactic and a good way to find unexpected inspiration.  If you don’t run then take a long stroll, enjoy your surroundings.  Not only is this great exercise, the break from any type of gadget, gizmo or screen does wonders for well being.  It’s also another way of bumping into neighbours, and perhaps an opportunity to drop your company name into conversation.

File paperwork

I know it’s not exciting but it’s had to make this list.  Take 90 minutes to sort, shred and file those papers that are gradually piling up.  Having an organised work space makes for a cleared head and a more relaxed surrounding.  Plus think of all those hours you’ll save rummaging through a mountain of paperwork to find that all important invoice!

Sketch up an imaginary design

Just because you don’t have an active client to design for, doesn’t mean you have to stop designing altogether.  Write a quick brief and come up with some sketches.  There’s no reason this can’t then be added to your portfolio as a personal project.

Brush up your software skills

This could be linked to the previous activity – by continuing to ‘play’ with your chosen software you continue to refine your skills, maybe even learning some new ones along the way.  Experimenting isn’t usually something you can do whilst working on a client project, so now’s the time to have a tinker, and get creative!

Be social

By this I don’t mean spending a free afternoon at the local pub catching up with friends, as tempting as it seems!  Be available and active on Twitter, FaceBook and LinkedIn.  Here you can help other users with their questions and concerns as well as ask for help with any issues you may have. Of course it’s not just for asking and answering questions.  Twitter is a n excellent way of keeping up with news and trends, there is an ongoing supply of current information and design news.  Just don’t et too carried away when you have actual real work to do!

Get writing

Designing is your thing, your forte and quite possibly your passion.  That doesn’t always mean you should forget other creative outlets.  With the numerous blogs online all offering a wealth if information, there are many places available to write.  Some even offer a payment in return for good copy.  As well as keeping your mind working, guest writing also gains you exposure.

In this, my first ever video tutorial, I will show you how to make a simple brush in Adobe Illustrator. This is invaluable and comes in useful in so many more ways than you can imagine. As this is my first video tutorial, I’d like you please to be kind!