01 / BRIEF BUILDER
Give the idea a job.
Four answers. One usable brief.
01 / DESIGN TOOLS
LESS FUSS.MORE MAKING.
A few useful tools, a few good voices, and one gentle reminder: the drop shadow is not the idea.
01 / SMALL TOOLS, ACTUAL JOBS
Start here.
Overthink later.
02 / CONTRAST CHECK
Can people read it?
Check two colors before your caption disappears into the cream.
#111111
#F4F1EA
Looks good.
Reads better.
Reads better.
WCAG AA needs 4.5:1 for normal text, or 3:1 for large text (18 pt, or 14 pt bold). This checks color contrast; readability also depends on size and context.
Read the contrast guidance ↗03 / CREATIVE UNSTICKER
Your blank page called.
It would like you to stop staring and try something.
Make three versions of the same idea: quiet, loud, and slightly unreasonable.
A starting point. You still get to be the art director.
02 / THE BOOKMARKS THAT EARN THEIR KEEP
Open a tool.
Close twelve tabs.
12 resources
Color
Coolors
Build and compare palettes, then commit to one.
Open Coolors ↗Color
Realtime Colors
Try a palette on a real interface instead of five very confident rectangles.
Open Realtime Colors ↗Color
Adobe Color
Explore color relationships and themes for your next visual system.
Open Adobe Color ↗Type
Google Fonts
Browse families, compare styles, and check language coverage before you fall in love.
Open Google Fonts ↗Type
Fontshare
Explore contemporary families and read the license for your intended use.
Open Fontshare ↗Inspiration
Fonts In Use
See how type behaves when it has an actual job.
Open Fonts In Use ↗Production
Squoosh
Compress images and compare the result side by side before anything ships.
Open Squoosh ↗Production
SVGOMG
Clean up SVG files. Less baggage, same little drawing.
Open SVGOMG ↗Production
Photopea
A browser image editor for quick fixes when the usual app is elsewhere.
Open Photopea ↗Layout
Figma
Build layouts, systems, and prototypes. Please name the layers. Future you has suffered enough.
Open Figma ↗Inspiration
Are.na
Collect visual connections and build a reference trail beyond the algorithm.
Open Are.na ↗Inspiration
The Brand Identity
Study contemporary identity work, then close the tab and make your own decisions.
Open The Brand Identity ↗A curated starting shelf, not a ranking. Features, plans, and licenses can change; check each source.
03 / GOOD COMPANY FOR THE WORK
Put your ears
to work.
Established podcasts for creative lives, design stories, and fresh perspective. Pick one episode and listen with a project open.
Podcast
Design Matters
Creative lives, turning points, and the people behind the work. Start with a guest whose work you already love.
Find an episode ↗Podcast
99% Invisible
The design hiding in buildings, objects, and everyday systems. Makes even a parking sign suspiciously interesting.
Find an episode ↗Podcast
Creative Pep Talk
Creative practice, motivation, and getting unstuck. For when the blank page is winning.
Find an episode ↗Podcast
The Creative Boom Podcast
Conversations about creative work and the reality of building a career. Less highlight reel, more human.
Find an episode ↗Podcast
Twenty Thousand Hertz
Stories behind recognizable sounds. A reminder that a brand has ears, too.
Find an episode ↗04 / WATCH, THEN TRY IT
YouTube.
With a purpose.
Learn a technique, practice it, and get back to your project.
YouTube
The Futur
For talking about your work, pricing it, and handling feedback without losing the idea.
Watch the channel ↗YouTube
Satori Graphics
Practical design thinking and visual fundamentals. Watch a lesson, then try the principle on your own layout.
Watch the channel ↗YouTube
PiXimperfect
Detailed Photoshop techniques for selections, compositing, and image cleanup.
Watch the channel ↗YouTube
Bring Your Own Laptop
Follow-along design software tutorials. Useful when “I’ll figure it out” has entered its third hour.
Watch the channel ↗YouTube
Adobe Creative Cloud
Official Adobe workflows and creative demonstrations. Start with the app you actually need today.
Watch the channel ↗05 / THE “PLEASE DON’T MAKE ME RESEND THIS” CHECK
Before you
hit send.
A tiny ritual for fewer avoidable disasters. Checks stay saved in this browser when storage is available.
0 of 7 checked. A promising beginning.
The tool helps.
The idea does the work.
Need type? Typography → Need proof? Campaign Concepts →