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Many designers enjoy the independence of designing full time as their private business. Other designers may be up-and-coming on that road to success as they dive into their college studies. What do you these two stages of the design life cycle have in common? They both need quality design resources on a budget.

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With buds forming on the trees and buttercups emerging from underneath the green blanket of soil, it’s no wonder the new season inspires us to incorporate soft hints of pastel colors into our designs. But when exploring this lighter color scheme into your designs, you still want your design to “pop.” Here are some tips to creating light designs that still grab the attention of onlookers.

One of the most ubiquitous problems that web designers have to solve is that pervasive look of flatness and vector overload. One of the easiest ways to overcome this issue is to add some texture; whether it’s a subtle stippling or a striking pattern, it really helps to add dimensionality, as well as emphasize certain elements and add originality.

Due to a recent history of overbearingly grungy styles, sometimes texture is maligned as a fad that should be put to rest. But a thoughtful use of texture makes a big improvement to a design; it’s all in how you use it. It’s a tool that will yield great results if you have a firm command of the right principles to employ, so make sure that you’re using it in the best way possible for your work.

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