When it comes to creativity, great fonts are a must. Fonts can either make or break your design. I ran into some really nice looking creative fonts the other day and wanted to share. Hope you enjoy!

1. MDRS-FD01 – by mindriders

2. SquaretypeB – by digitalAM

3. Velocity

4. Exus Pilot – by mauroh

5. Dirt To Death – by Keepwaiting

6. PT Banana Split

7. Avant Garde

8. ABC Font – by MyFox

9. Karabine

10. Val Font

Here are some other font resources you may want to check out:

1st Web Designer – 65 Popular and Professional Free Fonts

76 Dirty and Extreme Creative Fonts

Creative Nerds – 50 Best Free Fonts of 2009

There are multiple browsers out there to view the web but did you know that most of them also have lots of useful add-ons and plugins that really help with efficiency? I choose Firefox as my browser of choice because its smooth, easy to use, and there are multiple add-ons that help me out with day to day web design tasks. Here is a list of my top 5 favorites. Hope you enjoy!!

1. Window Resizer

Resize your browser to various standard resolution sizes.

The Browser Window Resizer is useful for testing different screen sizes. It accurately resizes your browser so you can test to see what a web page looks like in all of the standard resolution sizes.
Supports the 640×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1600×1200 resolutions.
Resize the current page via the Context menu, Tool menu or Toolbar button.

2. Grid Fox

GridFox is a Firefox extension that overlays a grid on any website. If you can open it in Firefox, you can put a grid on top of it. It’s easy to customize, allowing you to create the exact grid you designed your layout around.

3. HTML Validator

HTML Validator is a Mozilla extension that adds HTML validation inside Firefox and Mozilla. The number of errors of a HTML page is seen on the form of an icon in the status bar when browsing.

4. CSS Viewer

A simple CSS property viewer.

5. Pixel Perfect

Pixel Perfect is a Firefox/Firebug extension that allows web developers and designers to easily overlay a web composition over top of the developed HTML.

What About You?

What is your favorite add-ons. I would love your feedback. Until next time…

Designer: I want to be able to keep track of my project time on my iPhone. Is that possible?

Apple: Yes! There’s an app for that….

There is an app for just about anything these days. Some are paid and Some are free. Below I have compiled a list of 5 of my top used apps for production. All of them are FREE. Hope you enjoy!

1. What Da Font

Ever seen a great font in a magazine ad, poster, or on the web and wondered what font it is? Whip out your iPhone and snap a photo, and WhatTheFont for iPhone will identify that font in seconds! WhatTheFont for iPhone connects directly to MyFonts’ acclaimed font identification service, which has been helping customers pinpoint mystery fonts for 10 years. It works via Wi-Fi or the mobile phone network, so you can get your font fix right there on the spot.

2. Font Shuffle

Wouldn’t it be great if a whole font catalog would fit into your shirt pocket? If you could find a typeface without knowing its name, just by comparing its shapes? If it were possible to e-mail the marketing department your desired typeface for a client presentation while still at the airport?

3. Toggl

Toggl released a native iPhone application for the popular Toggl time tracking website. It enables you to track your time on the go. The timer supports online tracking and also works offline in case you have no network connection. Data is synchronized automatically with the server the next time you’ll be online.

4. Thinkink

It’s revolutionary. And it’s free. The Think Ink iPhone application from Neenah Paper puts powerful design and color theory tools in the palm of your hand.

5. Evernote

Use Evernote to save your ideas, things you see, and things you like. Then find them all on any computer or device you use. For free.

Here are some other resources for paid applications that I love also:

Inked.com – 25 Best iPhone Apps for Designers

Moonsail Design – Top 10 Free iphone Apps for Designers

Web Design Ledger – 15 Best iPone Apps for Web Designers

What About You?

What apps do you use to help with production. I would love to hear about them. Leave your comments below. Until next time…

I am always on the look out for new desktop background inspiration to change up the studio vibe during the week.  I have included some of my favorite backgrounds all free to download. If these are not enough to keep your desktop happy, also make sure to check out the links at the end of this post for more places to find Apple inspired desktop backgrounds. Enjoy!

1 – Download

2 – Download

3 – Download

4 – Download

5 – Download

6 – Download

7 – Download

8 – Download

9 – Download

10 – Download

11 – Download

12 – Download

13 – Download

14 – Download

15 – Download

Links to other Apple inspired backgrounds:

Spyre Studios – 50 More Amazing Apple Mac Desktop Wallpapers

1st Web Designer – 40 High Res and Elegant Apple Wallpapers

Hongkiat – 60 Most Beautiful Apple Wallpapers

Illustrator is one of my favorite programs to design flyers, logos, and other graphics in. Vector graphics are one of the most popular, widely used forms of design. Here is a Safari animal pack that you can use to compliment your art work. Enjoy!

»Download – Safari Animal Pack

With new social media websites comes the demand for new icons.  Google Buzz is the latest and has generated its own followers of worker bees pretty quickly.  You can link Buzz to other social media websites to keep your followers informed at all times. This tutorial will show you how to create your own Google Buzz icon with a few easy steps in Illustrator.  Don’t forget to download the source files below. Enjoy!

Step 1 Create a new file in Illustrator. Set it to RGB and letter paper size (8.5 x 11)

Step 2 Using the shape tool draw an Oval shape with a solid color black

Step 3 Using your pen tool you will need to create the bottom section of the info bubble. There is no set size for this but don’t go over board. Take a look below.

Step 4 Select both the Oval and the bottom half of the info bubble and go to the top toolbar (window – pathfinder). While both objects are selected click the Merge feature in the Pathfinder tool. Now you have your information bubble.

Step 5 Set the object to outline mode only using a stroke of 10pts, and change the color to a light grey.

Step 6 Now, we are going to create large diamonds using the Rectangle Tool. You will need to create a total of 4 diamonds: blue, green, yellow, and red.  I like to spice them up a bit using a radial gradient to create a nice effect.

Step 7 Once you have all the diamonds created, group them together using (command + G) and place them behind the information bubble.

Step 8 Next select the information bubble object and go to the top toolbar (object – expand), and select fill & stroke. Click ok to continue.

Step 9 Select all the objects and go to (window – pathfinder) and use the Trim feature. You will now be able to double click on the excess objects around the information bubble and delete them without deleting the contents inside the bubble.

Step 10 Once you have deleted all of your objects around the information bubble you will now have a nice Google Buzz icon.

Leave me some comments below if you enjoyed this.  I would love your feedback.  Also here is the Link for the source file GoogleBuzz_Icon.eps.

Until next time…

Most WordPress themes are feature rich right out of the box.  Unless you want to give your new theme a Hollywood style face lift, you can generally get your site up and running in no time with minimal web coding knowledge.  Below are some of my favorite FREE WordPress themes.

1. Blue Rooster [demo] [download]

2. Vivee [demo] [download]

3. Indeziner [demo] [download]

4. Zinepress [demo] [download]

5. Matatag [demo] [download]

6. WPESP [demo] [download]

7. FREEmium [demo] [download]

8. Destyle [demo] [download]

9. Magaling [demo] [download]

10. Illacrimo [demo] [download]

Here are some other really great sites to download multiple FREE WordPress thems:

Design Freebies

Top WordPress Themes

Crazy Leaf Design

Smashing Magazine

All icons are free to download and use. I have linked them over to the creators website’s. Also there are a few more resources at the bottom of the post that I would definitely recommend.

1. Dry Icon Set

2. Spoon Graphics

3. Snap to Objects

4. Web Treats – Neon Icon Set

5. Web Treats – Glossy Wood Icon Set

6. Web Treats – Glossy Blue Icon Set

Other Resources to the mother load of icons

600 Social media icons The Design Cubicle

24 Free exclusive icons Web Designer Depot

6 Test tube icons by noupe Noupe