NDFNO Design Foundry is a creative platform that focuses on innovative design solutions. Among its offerings, the foundry has introduced several new tools and features aimed at enhancing the design process. One of the notable tools is the Rastr, which is designed to assist in raster graphics manipulation. This tool allows designers to work more efficiently with pixel-based images, providing them with the flexibility to create and edit graphics seamlessly. Another exciting addition is the Rotorizer, which is expected to offer unique functionalities for design projects. While details are still emerging, it promises to be a valuable asset for those looking to expand their design capabilities. Additionally, the foundry is preparing to launch an X-Ray tool, which will likely provide insights into design layers and structures, allowing for a deeper understanding of the design elements at play. An extruder tool is also on the horizon, which may facilitate the creation of three-dimensional designs or effects. In the realm of typography, NDFNO Design Foundry is delving into TrueType hinting. This aspect of font design is crucial for ensuring that typefaces render clearly and crisply at various sizes and resolutions. The foundry aims to share insights and knowledge about this process, catering to those who are curious about the intricacies of type design. Overall, NDFNO Design Foundry is committed to pushing the boundaries of design through innovative tools and educational content, making it a valuable resource for designers seeking to enhance their skills and creativity.

The Adobe Summit 2024, designed by Damon xart and Oddfellows, showcases innovative graphic design with vibrant visuals and dynamic animations, highlighting Adobe's commitment to pushing digital design boundaries.

In October 2024, the design landscape is characterized by innovative approaches that emphasize creativity, particularly when visual assets are limited. Designers are challenged to engage users through compelling concepts that maintain interest and encourage interaction. This month’s trends highlight three key design strategies that reflect this creative necessity. The first trend focuses on homepages that prioritize typography. When visual elements are scarce, typography becomes a powerful tool for storytelling and user engagement. Designers are encouraged to think responsively, ensuring that text remains legible across various devices. Effective use of typography can immediately convey the essence of a website, eliminating ambiguity for users. For instance, Stellare employs a dynamic color and background motion technique alongside clever wordplay to capture attention. Similarly, Engagency contrasts dark backgrounds with bright text to create a striking visual impact, while Terra utilizes whitespace to enhance focus on textual elements, incorporating interactive features like mouse hover effects. The second trend involves overlapping elements, which can create visual intrigue when singular imagery is lacking. This technique allows for the layering of text, images, and animations, fostering a sense of depth and interaction. However, careful consideration is necessary to maintain readability and ensure that important information is not obscured. Cresci’s design exemplifies this with an overprint effect that merges text with the background, while Christina Hohner’s homepage showcases overlapping images and text to highlight her services. Pudding Studio adds a playful animation to their header, enhancing user curiosity while providing clarity through subsequent descriptions. The third trend addresses the representation of artificial intelligence (AI). As the portrayal of AI evolves, designers are moving away from anthropomorphic representations towards more abstract, high-tech visuals. OpenCall.ai utilizes an animation reminiscent of soundwaves to symbolize their AI technology, relying on descriptive text to convey meaning. Walbi combines text treatments with a pulsing green element to suggest AI activity, while Apple’s “Apple Intelligence” landing page showcases various iOS features enhanced by AI, requiring users to connect familiar elements with new functionalities. Overall, the exploration of how to visually represent AI stands out as a particularly intriguing challenge for designers. While the first two trends have been explored in the past, the depiction of AI invites fresh thinking and innovation. Designers are encouraged to consider how they might creatively illustrate complex concepts, pushing the boundaries of traditional design practices. This ongoing evolution in design trends not only reflects current technological advancements but also inspires designers to think critically about their visual storytelling methods.

Adobe's latest Firefly Vector model powers new Illustrator features like Generative Shape Fill and has an improved Text to Pattern beta feature for creating scalable, custom vector patterns. Style Reference, which produces outputs that mirror existing styles, is being updated. Adobe's latest Firefly Image 3 Model supports Photoshop image generation, including the Enhance Detail feature for Generative Fill and the Selection Brush tool.

Creative fonts are a vital component in the dynamic field of graphic design, significantly influencing the visual impact of projects. The selection of the right font can enhance the effectiveness and memorability of designs, whether the goal is to evoke emotion, attract attention, or simply improve aesthetics. This article explores how various creative fonts can elevate design skills and presents a curated list of exceptional font options suitable for different projects. The article begins by emphasizing the importance of creative fonts in graphic design, noting their ability to transform visual experiences. It highlights that fonts are not merely text but powerful tools for expression, capable of conveying information and enhancing the overall look of branding, web design, and print materials. A comprehensive list of creative fonts is provided, showcasing a variety of styles. Some notable examples include the Wagoon Funny Style Font, which offers a playful aesthetic, and the Mermaid Typeface, inspired by Victorian typography. Other fonts like the Modern Script Font and Bread Crumbs Delicious Font are highlighted for their unique characteristics, making them suitable for various design applications, from logos to invitations. The article categorizes fonts into different types based on their intended use. Big bold fonts are recommended for making strong statements in headlines and posters, while luxury fonts are ideal for high-end branding projects, adding an elegant touch to marketing materials. Condensed fonts are suggested for designs where space is limited, providing a modern and clean appearance without compromising legibility. Free script fonts are noted for their ability to add a personal, handcrafted feel to designs, making them perfect for artistic projects. Poster fonts are also discussed, emphasizing their role in capturing immediate attention, which is crucial for promotional materials. The conclusion reinforces the idea that creative fonts are essential design tools that can significantly enhance the visual appeal of any project. By exploring and utilizing these fonts, designers can elevate their work and bring their creative visions to life. Overall, the article serves as a resource for graphic designers seeking to improve their skills and expand their font repertoire, encouraging them to experiment with various styles to find the perfect fit for their projects.

Over the past decade, Figma has evolved from a design tool to an ecosystem supporting entire product teams. Its new brand refresh focuses on versatile primitives, dynamic compositions, an expanded color palette, and integrated motion principles, creating a flexible visual language. Inspired by playgrounds and collaborative activities, the refreshed identity reflects Figma's diverse user base and interactions. This reimagined design system, featuring bold shapes and vibrant colors, emphasizes adaptability and collaboration, pointing to Figma's future growth.

Variable fonts represent a significant advancement in typography, offering designers unprecedented flexibility and control over typeface characteristics such as width, weight, and line spacing. This innovation allows for a more dynamic approach to design, enabling adjustments that were previously constrained by traditional font families, which typically consist of separate files for each weight and style. The concept of variable fonts emerged a few years ago, generating excitement within the design community. However, initial frustrations arose due to limited support across various browsers and software. While compatibility has improved, it remains a consideration for designers contemplating their use. Variable fonts allow for continuous adjustments along multiple axes, which can be explored through platforms like V-Fonts, where users can manipulate sliders to see real-time changes in font attributes. One of the standout features of variable fonts is their ability to create smooth transitions and animations. This capability can enhance user experience on websites, allowing for subtle effects like text bolding on hover or more elaborate animations that engage viewers. The efficiency of variable fonts is also notable; they consolidate multiple styles into a single file, reducing webpage load times compared to traditional font families that require separate files for each variant. Despite their advantages, designers must weigh the potential drawbacks of variable fonts. Not all browsers and operating systems fully support them, which can lead to inconsistent user experiences. Additionally, the selection of variable fonts is still limited compared to standard fonts, and the quality of available options can vary. However, for projects that are not web-based, such as print design, variable fonts can be seamlessly integrated into software like InDesign and Photoshop, eliminating compatibility concerns. Examples of variable fonts showcase their versatility and creative potential. Resources like Axis-Praxis allow users to experiment with different fonts and their attributes, while platforms like V-Fonts feature innovative designs that highlight the unique capabilities of variable fonts. As the design landscape continues to evolve, variable fonts are poised to play a crucial role in the future of typography, encouraging designers to explore new creative avenues and push the boundaries of traditional type design.

Curated tools 🖌️ , trends 🎨, and inspiration 💡 for design professionals

Curated tools 🖌️ , trends 🎨, and inspiration 💡 for design professionals

Not every tool in a designer’s toolbox is suited for every challenge — a part of being a good designer is knowing which tool is the most appropriate for the specific problem. Instead of focusing on tools alone, designers should visualize and validate visions, continuously cultivate consistency, demonstrate value, and rationalize design decisions.

Adobe Illustrator's new Dimension tool simplifies the labeling of product dimensions. A handy tool for packaging, interior design, and fashion, Dimension allows you to plot distances, angles, and radii within your artwork, scaling dimensions as your artwork is resized.

Figma's Make Designs feature has been renamed to First Draft. First Draft allows users to input design goals, then uses AI to select, arrange, and customize design system components, creating a starting point for designs. It aims to give designers more ways to explore their options and help bring ideas to life. First Draft is now available in a limited beta and will be rolled out to users gradually over the coming months.

Product design extends far beyond the confines of design tools like Figma. In a recent discussion, Arkadiusz Radek highlights the misconception that mastering Figma equates to becoming a proficient designer. This notion was underscored during a conversation with Miranda Slayter, a Principal Designer at Booking, who recounted an interaction with a mentee struggling to articulate their design choices. The mentee's response, "I don’t know. It just looked nice," exemplifies a troubling trend among less experienced designers who focus solely on the visual aspects of design without understanding the underlying principles. Radek emphasizes that while Figma is a valuable tool for creating design artifacts and communicating ideas, it is not the essence of product design. The real work occurs outside of Figma, involving collaboration, strategy, and understanding user needs. He shares insights from his own experience, noting that only a fraction of his time—approximately 28%—is spent on creating prototypes and mockups. The majority of his work involves discussions with product managers and engineers, planning research, analyzing customer feedback, and mentoring team members. The article advocates for a shift in focus from tools to the broader aspects of design, such as collaboration and design advocacy. Radek encourages designers to resist the temptation to jump straight into Figma when faced with a design request. Instead, he suggests taking the time to understand the problem at hand by asking critical questions about the feature's purpose, its value to users, and how it fits within the existing system. This approach aligns with the Double Diamond framework, which stresses the importance of problem definition before jumping to solutions. Radek reflects on his own early career mistakes, acknowledging that many newcomers to the field may not grasp the full scope of product design. He reiterates that the goal of product design is not merely to create visually appealing elements but to deliver value to users and contribute to business success. Understanding this broader perspective allows designers to grow and make a meaningful impact on their products. In conclusion, while tools like Figma play a role in the design process, they are just one part of a much larger picture. Emphasizing the importance of understanding user needs and the strategic aspects of design can lead to more effective and rewarding outcomes in the field of product design.

Notion's brand revamp's playful, primary-colored illustrations reframe the app from a productivity tool to a creativity-saving system. A collaboration with creative agency Buck, the campaign, which showcases AI-enabled features, focuses on user emotions and Notion's freedom from mundane tasks. The makeover introduces diverse, heroic characters and intricate textures to reflect unique workflows.

The current use of Figma as a middle ground for design might become obsolete as AI advances. AI will enable designers to quickly generate code from sketches, bypassing the need for vector-based tools like Figma. This shift will require a rethinking of design workflows, potentially moving towards low-fidelity, AI-friendly sketching tools that provide more structure for AI to interpret and generate code.

Figma is enhancing its design capabilities with the reintroduction of a feature previously known as Make Designs, now renamed First Draft. This change aims to better encapsulate the feature's purpose: providing designers with a streamlined way to initiate their projects. The design process often involves navigating various challenges before reaching a first draft, and Figma recognizes the potential of AI to alleviate some of this tedium, allowing designers to more effectively translate their ideas into tangible designs. First Draft operates using established AI models, such as OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Amazon Titan, and is built on three core components: model, context, and prompt. The context is enriched with proprietary design systems that include a variety of components and assembly examples. Users can input their design objectives as prompts, and the AI will then curate and customize design elements accordingly, creating a foundational design for users to build upon. At the recent Config 2024 event, Figma announced over ten new AI features in limited beta, including First Draft. Initially launched as Make Designs, the feature faced challenges due to its design system producing outputs too similar to existing applications, prompting a temporary suspension. After thorough analysis and refinement, First Draft has been reintroduced with significant updates. Users can now select from four distinct libraries tailored to their needs, ranging from low-fidelity wireframes to high-fidelity designs, facilitating a more exploratory design process. Looking ahead, Figma envisions First Draft evolving to support custom libraries, enabling organizations to utilize their unique design languages without the hassle of manually sifting through numerous components. This initiative is being developed in collaboration with industry-standard design systems, such as Google Material 3, to demonstrate how robust, code-backed components can enhance team collaboration and iteration. Figma AI, including the First Draft feature, is currently in limited beta and will be gradually rolled out to users in the coming months. The team is committed to gathering user feedback to continuously improve the feature and ensure it meets the needs of designers effectively. Noah Levin, the Vice President of Design at Figma, oversees these developments, emphasizing the importance of integrating intelligent tools to empower designers and enhance their creative processes.

Gradientor is a minimalist tool for generating CSS radial background gradients. It allows the quick creation of vibrant, pastel, or monochromatic gradient backgrounds.

These abstract and flexible enough placeholder SVG logos will do the trick for any graphic, UI, or layout.

Text Effects, a new feature from Framer, enables dynamic animations for characters, words, lines, and graphic elements. It includes real-time previews, pre-built presets, and customizable properties like scale and blur. Text Effects enhance interactivity and engagement with triggers based on page load or user interaction, creating unique and immersive web experiences.

Dribbble has introduced significant updates to make finding and hiring designers easier. It has eliminated previously paid features to enhance connectivity within the community, making it free for any user to message other users and search for designers to hire. New features allow hirers to promote their open design roles or projects more effectively with highlighted and pinned job listings. Dribbble is also reintroducing the Weekly Warm-up, a design prompt challenge starting June 3rd, to encourage creative engagement and highlight standout designs.

AI design tools, like Midjourney, DALL-E, and Adobe Sensei, enhance the design process by handling repetitive tasks, analyzing data, and generating ideas. While they offer speed and efficiency, they lack the human touch needed for emotional and cultural nuances. The future of design lies in blending AI's capabilities with human creativity, allowing designers to focus on strategic and creative aspects and creating more impactful and emotionally resonant work.

The ISO's new brand system by Motherbird introduces a scalable grid called "Micro Meso Macro" for flexible communication and uses the inclusive, open-source typeface Inter. Customizable illustrations and clear color guidelines enhance diversity and consistency, maintaining the brand's equity while adding a more approachable feel.

Figma has reintroduced its AI-powered app generator, originally named Make Designs, now rebranded as First Draft. This decision follows the initial removal of the tool due to concerns that it closely mimicked Apple's iPhone weather app. Despite Figma's assurances that the AI models used were not trained on customer data, the company opted to take the feature offline for further testing. The relaunch of First Draft comes with several enhancements aimed at improving user experience. Users can now select from four different libraries tailored to their design needs, ranging from wireframing options for low-fidelity sketches to higher-fidelity libraries that offer more visual elements. This flexibility allows designers to explore various styles and approaches, complementing Figma's existing Visual Search feature, which enables users to locate files or components through prompts or images. First Draft operates using established AI models, such as OpenAI's GPT-4 and Amazon Titan, and is built on three core components: model, context, and prompt. The context incorporates proprietary design systems with a variety of components and examples, while users provide their design objectives as prompts. The AI then curates and organizes design elements based on these inputs, effectively generating a foundational design for users to build upon. Figma has emphasized that First Draft does not utilize customer content for training, and the feature has been relaunched after thorough analysis and testing. Additionally, Figma's suite of AI tools includes capabilities for auto-generating text within designs, further enhancing the design process for users.

Figma celebrated digital design history by introducing retro cursors themed from iconic eras such as 8-bit, Y2K, Skeuomorphic, and Aero for its April Fun Day. Users can experience nostalgia and personal expression through these cursors in Figma and FigJam, which reflect the evolution and playfulness of interface design over the decades.

Figma introduced a significant UI redesign, generative AI tools, and slide creation functionalities at its Config conference. The redesign includes a new toolbar, rounded corners, and 200 new icons. It aims to make the platform more approachable for new users and useful for experienced ones. The new AI tools can help users quickly create project drafts, while Figma Slides enables users to build and share presentations within the app.

Design systems built with proper affordances are the key to creating intuitive and versatile user interfaces. Designers can ensure that components are robust and flexible by clearly defining and implementing boundaries around their intended uses. Collaborating with product teams and applying data-informed design contributes to quantifying the impact of design decisions.

Autodesk, renowned for its 3D modeling software, faces backlash from artists over its new generative AI model for 3D design, reminiscent of Adobe's controversial approach with its users. Its experimental "Bernini" project, which can create 3D shapes from various inputs, has sparked concerns about the company's commitment to its core user base.

New York Design Week will occur from May 16 to May 23 and will be packed with exhibitions, shows, and talks. This article identifies the ten most exciting events worth visiting among the many options. Recommendations include a cross-disciplinary exhibition from Parsons School of Design, a two-day event celebrating post-WWII Italian and American graphic design, and an Adobe panel discussing creativity and artificial intelligence.

Figma's new AI features, particularly its 'make' tooling and layer renaming, sparked mixed reactions in the design community. While some functionalities are practical, there needs to be more concern over the impact on creativity and job security. The core issue is the commoditization of design, as AI-generated content risks diluting originality. Exploring how to maintain human uniqueness in design is crucial amidst these changes.

Adobe has integrated Firefly AI tools into its Substance 3D suite to enhance texture creation and scene staging. The move aims to significantly speed up the creative process for 3D content creators. The new features are available in Substance 3D Sampler 4.4 and Stager 3.0. They offer innovative capabilities for realistic texturing and environment generation outside the Creative Cloud subscription.