If you work only on the web, learn about print design and production. If you work only in print, learn the basics of web design & development. Expanding your skills will up your competitive level in a market that has become overly saturated with basic talent.

One cannot express how important it is to design for the web. The web has become an instant phenomenon that is being quickly taken over by the big dogs of the media world. Methods of content consumption based on the Internet are multiplying faster than any other form of media in the past.

First there was the Amazon Kindle, and now we have the Android-based Nook eBook reader. Rumors about Apple releasing a Tablet of their own are flying around like aimless torpedoes. If you were to ask me, Apple is definitely planning something, and it’ll probably be a huge hit.

To put it simply, the world is changing very quickly. If we fail to keep up to date with what’s happening, our jobs will leave us for someone else. Stay open minded and read a lot of design blogs. See what people are raving about so that you can contribute in your own way. Don’t forget to collect inspiration along your journey.

PS.  Print is not dead. As long as creativity isn’t lost, it will continue to be a dominant form of media, regardless of the changes it goes through.

Design is something that lives off the thoughts and ideas we develop from a multitude of inspirational sources. These sources include but are not limited to nature, product design, print materials, motion special effects, and so forth.

Whether you’re into web design, print design, or both, collecting and storing inspirational pieces of work are essential. Browser bookmarks can be used to save website links for future gazing, while print samples can be stored inside a folder/drawer for easy access.

Some may look at this as cheating and being unoriginal, but design it is all about forming new ideas from the things we like and the things that inspire us. Some of the most creative works out in the wild have clear representations of where the concept and visual execution ideas came from.

Bonus Tip: If you have a camera phone, use it to capture inspiration. It’s fast, and easier to store than having a physical sample. Have a digital folder for storing all the snapshots.

If you are an aspiring designer of any kind, you should know that a book store is one of the most valuable sources of inspiration, ideas, and knowledge. Of course, depending on your location, it may be hard to come by a shop with a good collection of design publications.

I pay a visit to my local Barnes & Noble store every week, spending a minimum of 1 hour on reading, learning, and broadening my creative outlook. There are magazines for Web Designers and Developers, Advanced Photoshop Users, and Photographers, all of which contain tutorials, interviews, tips, and so forth.

One may think “why visit a book store when I can browse the entire internet for creative inspiration?” Well, to put it simply, there is a lot of garbage out there on the internet. When you’re reading trusted publications that have been in the business for years, you’re more likely to gain valuable knowledge.

Helpful links: (continue reading…)

If you’re serious about going green, here are some easy steps you can take to make it happen. Yes, installing Fluorescent bulbs throughout the home and driving a hybrid can do a lot, but some of these you may not have thought of.

1. Hitting the right water temperature: Things like taking a shower, brushing your teeth, washing dishes, and so forth require a lot of water. Of course, we all love the soothing hot water as we bathe, but a nice warm temperature does just fine. Avoiding hot temperatures takes it easy on the boiler, which results in a smaller oil bill. This may not be the case for apartment dwellers, but taking it easy on the building’s boiler can help on overall energy consumption (tell the neighbors!).
   Sub-Tip: You jump in the shower and turn the hot and cold water knobs to steady flow. The temperature is too cold, so what do you do? Instead of ADDING more hot water, try lessening the amount of cool water flow. This will save water, and the amount of heat generated by the boiler.
2. Shut off and unplug: Done charging something? Unplug it. Not using computer speakers? Shut them off. Putting the computer to sleep? Shut it down. Don’t charge something unless it needs charging. On top of that, keep chargers unplugged since they use up energy even though nothing is charging. Easy solution to most problems: A power strip/surge protect, something you should already have. Sleep/Stand-by mode still wastes energy, don’t do it!
3. Saving those plastic bags! Whenever you get plastic bags, save them! You never know what you can use them for. Yes, they make great garbage bags but they’re terrible for the environment. Instead, try BioBags! For things like groceries and general carry-around stuff, cloth bags work best. They can be found everywhere for cheap prices so don’t go saying they’re too much or they’re hard to find.

Here is a tutorial showing how to recreate the world famous Fox News logo. A Google search for the Fox News logo gave poor results so I figured I’d show you how to make one yourself. The techniques in this tutorial can be applied to many other tasks throughout the suite of Adobe applications.

View the tutorial after the jump!

I recently read an article over at The Artistic Outlaw that reminded me what designers go through when freelancing. For those of you that are graphic designers out there, or provide some kind of a service, these 5 ways would come in pretty handy if they were actually honored by your clients. James made a valid point when he said that plenty of people write about becoming better at your job, but nobody writes about how clients can become better clients.

Wouldn’t it be nice if the people that hired you actually let you do your job most of the time, and paid on time? Yes, it would.

Head on over and check out the article.

You can probably find a million other sources that’ll tell you to “own the stage” and pretend like the presentation hall is your living room. The fact is that, it’s not, and never will be. Yes, my approach to good public speaking is similar to others, but I aim to cover things that they don’t – the things that don’t get too much attention that are just as important.

Chances are, if you’re looking to become a full time public speaker, you would be taking a few courses over at the local University. For those of you that want to learn to speak publicly for self improvement and to boost confidence in your speech, these tips may be for you… Continue reading after the jump.

Here is a tutorial that shows how to get a nice looking shadow behind the text, and a simple reflection below it. Albeit being a very simple tutorial, this skill can be applied to many advanced techniques for a very impressive outcome. Apple is notorious for their reflections on pretty much everything, but it’s no secret how they do it!

If you have any questions on how to do something, a suggestion, or a general comment, don’t hesitate to post in the comments section or contact me directly.

View the tutorial after the jump!

Here is a tutorial on how to creative fancy looking text on a nice base and a background. One can use this technique for things like advertisements or layouts, or to just simply grow their Photoshop skills!

If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments in general, don’t hesitate to post in the comments.

View the tutorial after the jump!

It’s surprising to me to see how many people actually don’t keep a calendar, or at least some form of it. I don’t mean iCal or some other calendar application on your computer, but rather, something in print, or at least on your Smartphone/PDA. I own an iPhone that I use to keep track of to-dos, events, meetings, and birthdays, but even that can’t help me if I need to keep my long-term goals in tact.

When 2008 hit, I did something I’ve never done before; a long hand written list of tasks and goals to be achieved and accomplished all throughout the magnificent year. I have over 30 items on my list, mixed of both long term goals like improving my photography portfolio and my gadgets loot, and short term goals like obtaining my driver’s license and purchasing a new computer. I stuck this list on the wall right above my 24 inch iMac, and I look at it every time I am on the computer, wake up, and go to bed just to remind me that I have work to do, and I better be on it!

I can happily say that I have slowly but progressively been checking off things as I go along, one of which was me launching this very blog, One Fused Life, once and for all! Staying on track is not an easy task – we humans aren’t exactly built to be working machines right off the back. Here are a few tips on how to plan for things and not forget by periodically reminding yourself. More after the jump…