Design – Heartstruck Art

10 Refreshing Instagram Designers to Follow

April 23, 2017

Capturing the world we live in through a visually compelling artistic lens is no easy task. Hats off to these top ten Instagram accounts, who continually inspire, impress and create.

Mortenordstrom

Denmark based photographer quit his desk job to become a full-time international photographer. His work features an eye for ‘the moment’ with high-contrast visual integrity.

Sunday’s in Copenhagen. Stepping in to an alternate universe

A post shared by Morten Nordstrøm, Copenhagen (@mortenordstrom) on Feb 26, 2017 at 6:41am PST

Hawkeyehuey

Son of National Geographic photographer Aaron Huey, this 7-year-old analog photographer has made quite a name for himself with 226k Instagram followers.

As of today @hawkeyehuey officially has a clothing line! Whattt!?!?! Yes, I’m serious. He’s part of the new ArtClass line @Target. Mind boggling! It’s coming January 22 online and in stores! @TargetStyle #sponsored

A post shared by Hawkeye Huey (@hawkeyehuey) on Jan 12, 2017 at 6:58am PST

Debgarlickart

Quaint and whimsical, Deb Garlick’s work features texture-heavy acrylics with an emphasis in storytelling.

‘Old School’. I’m kind of in love with this new piece. I’m going to keep it for a little bit because sometimes a painting goes straight to your heart and you need to spend some time with it. #yyj #painting #landscape #oldschool #house #tradition #woman #art #artist #acrylic #paint #stories #escape #farm #quiet #love #creative #victoriabc #debgarlickart

A post shared by Deb Garlick (@debgarlickart) on Apr 17, 2017 at 6:33pm PDT

Rowanmade

Specializing in solid, simple design; Rowan Made is a small design studio that consistently inspires.

I’ve had this rose polaroid in my random collection of inspirational “things” for years and still love it. – I’m off to have lunch with some friends and then … NOT work. Because my boss told me I could. 😉 #FavoriteJoke

A post shared by Rowan Made (@rowanmade) on Apr 11, 2017 at 9:01am PDT

Nois7

Digital artist Robert Jahns transforms the world of photography with his highly imaginative approach to travel imagery.

Whoever is seeing this, I hope it makes you smile 😊 Cos you deserve to be happy 🎈 Tag someone in the comments to send them a smile. Now available as a print, looks fantastic in your room 😊 Link in bio.

A post shared by Robert Jahns (@nois7) on Dec 16, 2016 at 12:34pm PST

Abeautifulmess

Founded by sisters Elsie and Emma, A Beautiful Mess features homemade recipes, crafts and inspiration from our readers around the world.

My new favorite mural!! 🍦💜 @rclayton #ABMlovesmurals

A post shared by Elsie + Emma A Beautiful Mess (@abeautifulmess) on Apr 12, 2017 at 7:17am PDT

Fursty

Representing from the Pacific Northwest, lifestyle and adventure photographer Dylan Furst captures the soul of the PWN with his moody color palettes and stunning scenery.

Waiting for the perfect salmon to swim by

A post shared by Dylan Furst (@fursty) on Dec 30, 2016 at 9:54am PST

Stevewolfdesigns

Graphic Designer and Illustrator Steve Wolf specializes in bold colorful typographic creations and brand identities.

Part of a big project in the works. #revelstoke #illustration #typography

A post shared by Steve Wolf (@stevewolfdesigns) on Nov 15, 2016 at 1:24pm PST

Jacob

Vancouver, B.C based photographer Jacob Riglin captures the heart and soul of travel photography.

Touched down in one of my favourite cities, Vancouver. This was one of the first cities I went to after starting photography and it’s so great to be back exploring this beautiful place. I still can’t get over the fact that within 20 minutes of driving out of the city you can be in the mountains 😍 #beautifuldestinations

A post shared by J A C O B R I G L I N (@jacob) on Apr 20, 2017 at 8:34am PDT

Katiforner

LA based designer, Kati Forner focuses on modern brand identify and typography.

Outtake. In the concepting phase of this super fun new book project. This particular concept has a transparent film overlay layer on the cover containing the paint textures allowing the image underneath to peek through.

A post shared by Kati Forner Design (@katiforner) on Jan 20, 2017 at 7:56am PST

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Design Inspiration

Brainstorming 101

November 27, 2016

Hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving! I thoroughly enjoyed mine as it was the first year we celebrated as adult siblings, aka sibsgiving.

With all the extra time off this week, I’ve been thinking more about personal design projects, design contests, photography, freelancing. Although still in the early stages of brainstorming; I’d really like to invest more time into side projects and promoting my own personal brand. I created a visual mood board and keywords to start off but still haven’t landed on any solid brand names. If you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear more ideas

Mood and Vibe

Brand Tags

Lifestyle, Texture, Typography, Emotional Expression, Modern, Logo Design, Web Design, Creative, Illustration, Color, Expressive, Moody, Epic, Profound, Thoughtful, Soul Bound, Journey, Creation, Air, Exhale, Depth, Imagination, Tangent, Tangible, Vertex, Wander, Hand-drawn Type, Vibe, Synergy, Explore

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Print vs Digital vs the Universe

October 2, 2016

The Future of Design photo credit @Eiko Ojala

I remember taking my first interaction design course as part of a pilot program my college was experimenting with. The class itself was very inspirational, but not all that practically helpful when it came to real world experience for new designers. It’s scary how much has changed in just 5 years since I was sitting that classroom at the largest University in the state of Oregon.

Digital design, UI/UX design, graphic design, interaction design, web design are all relevant titles floating around in the design field today and its literally impossible to be an expert in every arena. So where to start? What’s important today and what will be important 10 years from now? It can be overwhelming to try and grasp where the future of design is going and how to stay relevant but, if you really break things down, the fundamentals have never changed.

Old school concepts like typography, eye for detail, organization, space, color theory, user interaction and experience, emotional responsiveness; these are all elements that aren’t going to become outdated but merely transformed in their representation in our visual world.

“The soul never thinks without an image.” – Aristotle

It is important for designers to stay relevant with the world and to capitalize on interests and passions. Love typography? Possibilities are endless. From web design messaging and layout, app confirmations, 3D printed messages, hand drawn type illustration, signage etc. Challenge yourself, there’s absolutely no reason to be chained to your assigned title. Define your own path and be what your best at.

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New Portfolio Added: Forgotten Tales

March 7, 2016

It’s March already can you believe it! I have been a little distracted and pre-occupied as of late with life, work, play, so its been awhile since I’ve posted. Today, I wanted to share some older work of mine; but, still very reflective of who I am as a designer.

As projects often go, my original thought process was to create something edgy, dramatic, moody and dark executed in a thoughtful, mysterious package. Throughout the brainstorming and drafting process, I slowly drifted away from my original mood-board but still managed to capture the mythical playful oddity and wonder of the piece.

Always an important concept to learn throughout art and design that its not about forcing an idea, but letting the organic creativity take a direction of its own in a controlled, directed environment. Allowing ample time for the “brainstorming phase” which is so often rushed in the modern workload. Cheers to letting ideas blossom on their own! Forgotten Tales is my magna opus of such a lesson.

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Design

Productivity Tips from Top Designers

January 30, 2016

It’s the end of January…the energetic oomph of the new year is starting to fade. I know for myself, I’m still just as determined to accomplish my goals but the motivation level is starting to lag. Good news! Top productivity tips from the best entrepreneurs and designers to get you motived and pushing the envelope of design and life in general.

1 | Jot It Down

“I have my sketchbook on me at all times. Sketching helps me to externalize the craziness going on in my head, allowing me to see a clearer path of what to move forward with.”
—Leah Shea, product designer at ustwo

Photo credit: ustwo

2 | Quality over Quantity

“You want to be productive? Focus. Do one amazing thing each day. It could be for the world, your life, your partner, or for a friend. But if you do one great thing a day, well, that’s a f***ing productive day.”
—Golden Krishna, senior UX designer, Zappos

3 | Little by Little

“I found breaking down big goals into smaller tasks to be the best way for me to get things done. I can make small progress and knock off these bite-size tasks whenever I have a moment.”
—Jannie Lai, head of UX, Light

Photo credit: Light

4 | Strategize

“A lot of time can be wasted in pursuit of the wrong goal. The longer I have worked as a designer, the more I have learned establishing that you are working on the right thing from the beginning, not just working, boosts productivity. Sure, in the moment, time spent asking yourself, ‘Am I working on the right thing?’ makes you feel anxious, but it’s worth it.”
—Jared Ficklin, Argo Design

Photo credit: Argo Design

5 | Take a Step Outside

“Many of my design ideas and strategies came from my showers or evening walks.”
—Jannie Lai, head of UX, Light

6 | Let Yourself Off the Hook

“It’s hard to tear myself away, especially when I’m stuck and I’m starting to get get anxious, but it helps ground me and puts me in a better mood if I take a moment to do something I enjoy. Instead of trying to get inspired by looking at Dribbble, or other apps, I look at something completely different. For example, I love mid-century furniture. So I’ll go on my favorite sites, Instagram accounts, Etsy, and look at beautiful mid-century furniture and accessories. I also love to cook, so I’ll go to my favorite YouTube channels and watch a couple videos. ”
—Addy Beavers, UX designer, Google Play

7 | One for the Home Team

“Think about all your haters and the people who don’t believe in you. That’s a huge motivator, as well as thinking about how good it feels to see something you made in the world. Focus on the ends and the means become easier.”
—Ryder Ripps, creative director, OKFocus

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Design

New Portfolio: Lang Tools

January 7, 2016

I’m excited to present new portfolio work this evening adding to my ever evolving collection. I love the raw texture and vibrant aesthetics this project emotes. Very much my style, which is hard to say for many commercial projects! Let know what you think!

As a disclaimer, the Lang Tools logo was provided, the art direction, packaging design and photography are all my own.

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Design

Vibrant Color Trends Shading 2016

January 4, 2016

Mastering the power of color isn’t an easy task and requires a good amount of artistic instinct, foundational color theory and psychological emotional projective. To break things down, here are a few tips and techniques trending for 2016 to make choosing the right palette a little easier.

1. Think Monochromatic

Less distracting, monochromatic themes are becoming a strong focus in minimalistic design. Because color can be very overwhelming, choosing a bold shade directs focus towards the text content and message of the page.

2. Color Blocking and Hovering

This technique is extremely effective for compartmentalizing information in compact, clean formatting. By laying out content in a grid or block presentation, it becomes easier to pick and choose through more content which otherwise may be skipped or overlooked in the mass of things. In addition, hovering allows the viewer to experience a more precise intake of information in ‘visual bite sizes.’

3. Color Paired with Texture

In the past, texture has been reserved for neutral backgrounds but not any more! Vibrant color paired with texture is creating exciting bold statements for web and interaction design. This technique can easily become overwhelming so be selective and use colors as accents with texture for best results.

4. Accent with Color

As stated before, color can be a powerful tool when used as an accent in a high contrast setting. This can be as subtle as a color title or call to action button but beautifully effective when contrasted correctly. Below are some great examples of vibrant color accents executed brilliantly.

In addition to using color effectively, keep in mind the mood of your color choices is a powerful tool as well.

Here are a few general guidelines to setting color mood:

Red: is catchy and provocative. Provokes a call to action and adventure but overpowering if used excessively.

Green: is balance, associated with nature, prosperity and wealth. Banks and financial institutions often use green hues for this same reason.

Blue: is associated with security, trust, peace, realism. Strongly linked to the sky and the sense of dependability.

Purple: is imagination and dreams. Also associated with leadership, respect and wisdom.

Orange: is a positive color and associated with social, physical and mental stimulation. Will put viewers in a good mood.

White: stands for innovation, creativity and purity. It is the color of perfection.

Black: is the color of intellectualism, power and professionalism. It can also be associated with luxury and sophistication.

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Design

Just Added Portfolio: Stuck

November 29, 2015

As fabulous and fun as the holidays, travel, family has been, I have been very distracted with everything and apologize in advance for the lapse in posts. Hopefully everyone else is also going through the same seasonal busyness and hasn’t noticed…

I have been thinking about new blog segments for next year and I am excited to bring in 2016 headstrong with new interviews, design bits, portfolio pieces etc. As mentioned previously, I have been revamping my personal website and can’t want to reveal the new layout and design! In the meantime, I have a new portfolio piece to share and will continue to keep you updated as more projects are completed.

In regards to this project, I love the open-ended creativity and spontaneity that children’s books afford. I had so much fun creating this piece and I hope it touches a little corner of your inner child as well.

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Design

Hit Refresh

November 2, 2015

Hello good people! Hope you all had a great weekend, I took a short trip to the mountains today to get away from life, the city, my house…needless to say it was perfect and just what I needed to feel refreshed for a new week.

Speaking of refreshed, I thought it was about time for some good, old fashion typography inspiration. I love all things type, therefore; I found far too many examples to fit in one post so I’ll have to try to narrow things down. Enjoy!

Photo credit @battery_full

Photo credit @Luke Ritchie

Photo credit @Multiple Owners

Photo credit @Anton Brumistrov

Photo credit @Multiple Owners

Photo credit @Hanna Viktorsson

Photo credit @Jeff Rogers

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Design

It’s Done!

October 4, 2015

Hello! How are things going in your world? It’s finally starting to cool down here in Denver (so happy) and all I want to do is curl up in a blanket and watch weekend-worthy dramas.

Instead, I have been fighting this state of vegetation and working on wrapping up my logo design and I’m happy to announce that it’s finally done people! Here is a glimpse into my process work and stages leading up to the final state.