Fractal Free Brushes for Photoshop

You know what a fractal? Before interest, I had a vague idea. In general, represented, but ask me to explain - hardly could be. It turned out a fractal is a geometric figure is self-similar (each smaller part of such an overall figure). Definition is not very clear, therefore, it is better to see once than hear a hundred times. Today I have in store for you some great sets of fractal brushes, which will be useful in the household:

3D Fractals

Download ( mirror ) ~ 7,7 Mb / Source

In a set of 3D Fractals are 12, including a large (diameter up to 1950 pixels), brushes for photoshop.

Abstract Fractal

Download ( mirror ) ~ 7,8 Mb / Source

In a set of Abstract Fractal, is the same 12 brushes. Compatibility - Photoshop 7 and above. As can be seen even on the preview image, the brush can add a very cool effects in the overall appearance of your web project.

02 Fractal Brushes

Download ( mirror ) ~ 6,6 Mb / Source

The set includes 18 brushes created for Photoshop CS2 and higher. Resolution ranges from 800 - 1100 pixels.

In addition to "open" fractals presented above, there is a "closed", "concentric" (this is not common terminalogiya, this is how I call them). Brushes (and sets) with fractal shapes as there are, here are two excellent examples:

Circular Fractal Pack 1

Download ( mirror ) ~ 27,5 Mb / Source

This set includes 15 fractal brushes for Photoshop at high resolution. Download and try to put into practice, judging from the preview should get something interesting. Of course, a separate small brush apply, but in conjunction with other design elements you can get a pretty picture.

Circular Fractal Pack 2

Download ( mirror ) ~ 20,5 Mb / Source

Continuation of Circular Fractal Pack. Like its predecessor contains 15 brushes.

Fractal Brush must be in the arsenal of any designer. Because only by mere fractal brushes you can create a great abstract bekgraund. In a word - Mast keV! In addition, data sets of brushes can add the original light effects on the site that looks quite nice. "Weigh" of course, a lot of files, but it's definitely worth it.

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Free Pattern and Texture Resources for Website

Seamless textures and patterns are sometimes the best fit for the role of the background image for the site.Pompous classic designs are needed, perhaps not so often, but if required by design concept, will be an excellent choice. There are some topics of sites where such a classical background will add sophistication and style to emphasize the overall design. There must, of course, be able to use any texture in the right place at the right time, they are not always able to settle down.

So you do not dig and search for such classic patterns and textures when they need you, I've decided now prepared a small selection. In general, the classic of course, is not quite correct to call. This definition is too rough, because of patterns presented below, there are barrochnye, and antique and gothic. Despite the fact that they are different styles, I decided that it is possible to combine them into one group. By the way, for simplicity and convenience, I combined all the texture of the post in an archive that can be downloaded here ( mirror ) ~ 2,4 Mb.

Thus, the classical patterns and textures for a site:

Hand-Drawn Scrolls

Hand-Drawn Scrolls

Antique Engraved

Antique Engraved

Charcoal Demask

Charcoal Demask

Sample Damask

Sample Damask

Grim Lady Patterns

Grim Lady Patterns

(in the set are 4 different patterns)

The application of these patterns I think the big work for you not to be. Some of the patterns is represented in the archive as a "fusion" in the. Png pattern, and the "source code" (usually a vector eps), so you can even make changes or alter the file (if you can have the skills and desire) . Use these classic textures and patterns can be for personal, private and commercial projects.

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Grange (grunge) texture for the site and design

Genre Grunge (grunge) at webmasters in a fashion quite a long time. Grange has replaced the candy, geometrically correct and sterile Web 2.0, and in many ways is its antagonist. Chaos (within certain limits) instead of the order (again, relative), muted colors instead of bright dirty and clean, messy texture - these are the distinguishing features of grunge.

It is believed that the style of grunge in web design (as well as design in general, clothing, etc.) is part of a subculture in which life is breathed music bands - Nirvana, Pearl Jam and prior Stooges or King Crimson. Web design is difficult to associate something with music or clothing (worn, overwritten odezha of sekondhenda), but the basic one - ostentatious carelessness and negligence (which apparently symbolizes anarchism?).

This does not mean bad repellent design. With skillful use of a style, web-sites of the grunge look is excellent.Because the meaning of grunge does not attempt to simulate the pages of your site's trash (this is more punk aesthetic), and the establishment of a living, well-organized and even somewhere nice "disorder."

However, to understand what the "correct grunge" look better than a few examples:

Well, now, we turn to that for which the post actually was conceived. Good design in a grunge style is unthinkable without the grungy textures . This is an essential element of style. Most designers start the design, even with the fact that playing in Photoshop blending different textures (eg, different layers of textures with different blending modes). To you, too, was confused then, without any mixing or use as your background grunge designs offer you a small selection of grungy textures:

Grunge Package

Download ( mirror ) ~ 19 MB / / Source

Grunge Package - four high texture resolution 2304h3072, "weight" - 19 MB. It may be appropriate for the background of a grunge site without pretreatment.

Colorful Grunge

Download ( mirror ) ~ 55 MB / / Source

Colorful Grunge - five textures in high resolution from deviantart. Each texture with a color tint. Also look very nice and immediately ready for use in your designs.

Autumn Grunge

Download ( mirror ) ~ 15 MB / / Source

Autumn Grunge - «Autumn" package grungy textures, perfectly suited for creation of a "fall" sentiment, but with a little dark accent.

8 Subtle Grunge Textures

Download ( mirror ) ~ 39 MB / / Source

8 Subtle Grunge Textures - a set of diverse grunge textures. Actually, this is the main advantage of the "package".All textures of high quality, not very "dirty", available as a bright image, and very dark.

24 High-Res Grunge Texture Pics

150 MB / / Source

Set of 24 High-Res Grunge Texture Pics contains 24 colorful and interesting free textures. Even though they weigh a lot, I think professional designers working in the grunge style, can be useful.

Generally, of course, the Internet is full of grungy textures to suit every taste, this is only a small part of them, but nevertheless, I hope these textures how to stimulate your creativity and help you in your work! Successful experiments to you!

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Retro Style in Web Design

According to the American writer John Steinbeck, most people live ninety percent in the past seven in the present and the future is only three percentage points. Well, it counts Nobel laureate for literature is too difficult to verify, however, dispute the fact that the appeal of the events of the past is not necessary. If a painful sense of the value of passing time and the appeal of antiques you are familiar, perhaps, retro style in web design will be your skates.We can only think, will satisfy the concept of a retro-audience share. Who will be delighted with the content, masterly powdered antique? People who nostalgically peering into the symbolism of a bygone era, with its fashion, people, machines and other stories, covered with a dusty coating otgorevshih passions.

In clothing, automotive and interior design for a retro-style confident enough to tie the timing of the 20s to the 80s of last century. Writing a clear time characteristics of retro-style in web design is not easy, because in everyday life can be considered the last day, in a rapidly changing IT-sphere can be safely called day before yesterday afternoon. And the fact that thirty years of the artist still finds it relevant and modern, youth has long been written off for scrap. Take, for example, the results are disappointing for producers rent the movie "Alien": Bandit romantic swashbuckling 90 not stir the soul teenager, as retro - it is each his own.

But the more interesting and more difficult to challenge for a designer who decided to work out the style of the site is in a retro-style. Only the knowledge of the nature and characteristics of retro-style, coupled with a considerable sense of proportion, will not slip into a banal kitsch.

Most of the time intervals that can safely operate a designer decides to use the retro style, tied to the fashion of the 20th century.

Want to recreate a visitor feel aggressive chic 20-30s - help him remember the muse of Vladimir Mayakovsky Lilya Brik, good will and Ellochka-cannibal from "The Twelve Chairs." These were troubled years of sudden and massive women's emancipation: women wearing pantsuits, shortened skirts and smoked long cigarettes. All of these mesh stockings, knit hats and bowler hats a la Charlie Chaplin, bare arms and shoulders in a fur boa during the NEP, notably stirred the blood of man in the street. Take the olive, black and purple color as a base, add the drive of jazz improvisation, story and cinematography airplanes - and you can easily catch the essence of retro-20's and 30's!

If you no longer taste restraint and modest elegance L - look back in the postwar 40s - 50s . In place of ostentatious vulgarity and pretentiousness new look came a style invented by Christian Dior. Style sensual, decadent, recklessly romantic, stylized "krinolinovy» XIX century. It airs raised chins of women in dresses of silk, satin, crepe de chine. This is a thin waist, neckline exciting and gloves to the elbow, wide-brimmed hats and patent leather straps that boost to the limits of femininity polupristoynogo pin-up. Review "The Notebook" Nick Cassavetes and "The Godfather" by Francis F. Coppola, include Glenn Miller Orchestra recording and quickly grasp the tablet. Have you caught the mood.

Would you like to bet sexuality and sensuality - Browse through magazines 60s and 70s . While the tone was set seductive film star Brigitte Bardot, Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren. The color palette matches the mood - it is the dominant red, pink, blue in the range of flowers, polka dots, the cell. Car rides chic "Bentley" on a dizzying seditious motives of Elvis. The Beatles "they" VIA "Gem" - the "us." Denim 70's, platform shoes, disco dancing to the music and the sea of synthetics in clothing: nylon, nylon, krimplen wild colors. ease, brightness, ease - that's how it will be possible to describe the site in a retro-style 60 - 70 years.

It may be an unusual experience in the style of Soviet culture of the 80s of XX century - a time when the ideology of the ruling party kultprosvetovskaya staggered under the chaotic but powerful blows protest basement subculture. Emerged from the underground Soviet Russian rock and punk rock mixed with dance tunes broken disco 80's became the leitmotif of Surgery. This period is not so deeply redesigned web designers, so the decision to use the style of the '80s can bring great success.

To sum up. Retro-style actually quite stable and marketable trend in web design, with its charm and unique color palette. What would you choose: tragic nepmanskie 20th, 50th caramel, floral 60's, disco 70's, or nomenclatural retro 80's, building on the past, adding to their feelings and are actively using rich graphic editors, you able to create a small masterpiece.

In addition, color palettes can be retro-inspired style in a small collection of retro designs (for a particularly interesting instance you can go through a reference on the original sites and see how everything is done).

Dallas Advertising Agency - a very original navigation, music in the background and a military general, a retro style.

Lana Landis - on the implementation of flash, always check out the photos :) beautiful vintage photos + wonderful music

ThunderFuel - as far as I understood the company is engaged in everything from design, to animation and games.After reviewing their site in flash retro style, I'd have ordered something cool idea and implementation.

Site-portfolio Michela Chiucini web designer - by the way, it is her past work, we see that it is clearly not indifferent to the retro style

Kultika - I do not understand the purpose and subject matter of this site, but the implementation just beyond all praises!

Diseño Grafico - cool retro-style poster for the Web developer studio or freelancer, he seems to be stretched in a line and when you click the picture moves to the right.

Tennessee Vacation - for all lovers of the State of Tennessee, and leave in those parts, very cool implementation of a retro-style, where attention is given to almost every detail, one of the best sites in a similar style that I've seen

Here's a collection of web design in a retro style has turned out. In my opinion, very good work here presented, although, of course, retro sites exist on the order of magnitude. And that means that I need to Find and publish as early as next time.

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How to make a website easy. Usability by Steve Krug

Looking the other night in my mail and found it an interesting letter from the publishing house "Peter." If someone had told me something similar institute in distant years, when does the reading of some books on computer topics, would never have believed it. Now, given my profession blogging and authorship of the project design Mania, they offered me a little bit, and collaborate together to tell blog readers about an interesting book. The practice, in principle, quite typical in the blogosphere, so of course I gladly accepted. For the theme of the project is best suited Steve Krug book " How to make a website easy. Usability by Steve Krug on a method . " And if the web design for me is more a hobby than work, the creation of the site and the question of its effectiveness - the theme is much more intimate.

To begin with a few words about the author. Steve Krug (Steve Krug) - usability specialist, bestselling author in the same yuzabilti "Do not make me think." He works in his own consulting company, has a great many years of experience in the design of interfaces and overgrown with usability testing.Boasts some of the most renowned for its customers such as Apple, AOL, the IMF, Bloomber.com, etc. Most of the time Steve Krug is engaged in conducting seminars, well, just consulting.

Honestly, before the book came in the mail "by the method of Usability by Steve Krug" only known to me was the usability experts , Jakob Nielsen .Now, we can say, I expanded my (and yours, I hope) because the horizons of what Steve has to tell the public. After the first book, "Do not Make Me Think" Krug has become a very popular specialist, began to actively organize seminars, advise, and then at one point, he says, in a weak moment signed a new contract with a publisher.

For example, the question of whether this world need another book on usability testing? You can read the following.

I did not invent the wheel. Usability testing has come into our world long ago, and many famous people, the most influential of them - Jakob Nielsen, more than twenty years of preaching the idea of ​​"affordable usability testing."

There are several wonderful books, which explains in detail how to test usability. I strongly recommend that you read at least one of them, when you happen to do testing. His favorite book on this theme, I have listed in Chapter 15.

However, this book differs from existing in at least two aspects.

It is not comprehensive. I guess you did not become usability and will not be a matter of life and that this word is not even in your job description. If so, you will not necessarily know all the nuances and spend a lot of time on their comprehension. This book, like the previous ("Do not Make Me Think"), I tried to make a sufficiently thin (200 pages), so that it can be read, for example, in the plane.

This book is written not to make you an expert on severe or usability testing. It is necessary for you to know which end to approach the testing itself. Some of you, of course, this theme will entice enough to need to know about it as much as possible. For these and I wrote a chapter 15. But in general, to be tested and get this huge impact, not to know anything more written on these pages.

This book is not only about how to find usability problems . Unlike many other publications, this also explains how to fix identified problems.

I can confirm all these words are 100%, though I am very involved (or rather did not do) usability, but from the first page was simply a human interest. And given how quickly read the book to find out all the details of this process somewhere along the road to transport or a rainy autumn evening - simple. In addition, such a reading also draws from the other side, that all this is really an invaluable experience, "knowledgeable" person.

And it is interesting that the question, " And your tips are only suitable for web-sites "you can find the answer.

In writing this book, I focused on testing sites, because these days most need this, and because it is possible to make the book a thin and simple. But exactly the same methods and principles can and should be used in testing and improving the whole, than are men. Network and local applications - is the most obvious sites for testing, but no one bothers with the same methods to estimate the ballots, cell phones, presentation, laid out in PowerPoint, Digital fotikom instructions and forms that you fill out when it comes to the doctor. I would suggest to you, wherever I have written "your website" to believe that it says "your product".

Actually it would be logical to continue to publish the contents of the book "Usability of the method by Steve Krug."

The discovery of usability problems

• Chapter 1. Elephants, it can not see 20. What is an independent usability testing, why it always works and why it is so rarely performed.
• Chapter 2. And now I saw cut my [excellent] assistant in half. In what looks like an independent testing
• Chapter 3. One morning in the month - we do not ask for more. The plan, which you can easily follow the
• Chapter 4. When and what to test. Why are the most difficult has to do first
• Chapter 5. Do not hammer nails with a microscope. Who to test and how to find these people
• Chapter 6. Take them to task. The choice of targets for testing and scripting
• Chapter 7. A few boring checklists. Why they should be used, even if you (like me) hate them
• Chapter 8. Telepathy without tension. Testing
• Chapter 9. This is somewhat similar to the sport. How to captivate all the match and what to bring to their attention

Resolving problems with usability

• Chapter 10. "Debriefing". Compare experience and decide what to eliminate the shortcomings
• Chapter 11. Less is better. Why fix problems should carry as little as possible actions
• Chapter 12. The Usual Suspects. Some of the problems that you will surely find, and thinking about their elimination
• Chapter 13. Life has become better, life has become happier? The Art of pleasant manners

Just go!

• Chapter 14. Teleportation without tension. Remote testing: fast, cheap and slightly uncontrolled
• Chapter 15. Only for advanced users. A list of recommended literature
• Chapter 16. Good luck, friends. A few parting words. An example of the script and the agreement on record

In general, usability testing can be very simple and informal employment. You just need to find time for it and read the book :) Steve Krug said as he held seminars that they say, first of all the assorted audience of a site for an example, and then decided to introduce an original method. He allowed himself participants usability testing - how it was raboaet :) That is the site is taken as an example and volunteer to perform some common tasks for which this is the site and set up.

Test results are almost always the same:

Talk a good time testing and eventually breaks a storm of applause for his bravery.

"Owners" of the site, all 15 minutes furiously writes, what problems must be solved, and asks whether it is possible to obtain a record of what was happening to show your team and your boss.

Others come to mind, "Heh-heh. Is that all? So I could. "

Upon completion of testing, I ask: "How do you think is worthwhile way to spend 15 minutes? - And all under the nod.

So if you somehow are building high-quality and user-friendly site, you can safely buy and read the book " How to make a website easy. Usability by Steve Krug by the method of "online publisher Peter. In the same way, find a small piece, but rather one chapter from the book.

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Vector icons for Halloween (Halloween)

Yes, I know that the holiday of Halloween (Halloween) has already passed, but I just could not help but share with you a remarkable discovery in the style of the subject. A kind of Tina Artistic Frequency Studios a surprise readers of one of the English-language blogs in the design of the vector form of a stunning collection of different pumpkins (Pumpkins) to celebrate Halloween. These icons can be used for both personal and commercial projects, an archive file format - eps, design - vector.

Download ( mirror ) ~ 9,18 Mb / / Source

I hope you enjoy. Even if you use this year will not work, then these will come in handy for Halloween the next day all the saints. By the way, we should note that I'm not the first time, appeal to the holiday theme - for example, in the pages of the blog has published a post on a similar theme - beautiful icons in the style of Halloween , where you can download three different sets of icons. In addition, for those who want to delve into the history and details of the holiday, you can read the post about Halloween in the Tod's Blog.

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Tips for creating one page websites

For this article I express thanks to them! Subject of one-page sites have not been reviewed, so it will be interesting! 

One-page Web sites have become fashionable and popular - there is no doubt about it. But they do not suit everyone and every organization. Single-site are of interest because they are popular, and if they are made correctly, your website can become successful. But first, make sure that your project is suitable.

A good candidate for a single-site has a large number and volume of content. You only have one page, to get his message across, and only a limited number of tricks, and animations that you can throw before the user loses interest in the site. In addition, most single-page Web sites have non-standard markup. Trying to fit a large amount of content so that it does not look like a disorderly heap of information is problematic.

The potential scope of the single-site are different, but some of the most popular candidates for the use of such sites is the personal portfolio of sites and companies that provide a small amount of products or services. If you have a suitable site, make sure that the chosen strategy is effective for your business and activities. There are certain principles that you must follow to create any website, but the items listed below are especially critical for single-page Web sites.

A. Keep the focus of attention of visitors

Make the audience for everything as simple as possible. If you are considering odnostranichnik as an option for the site, it is likely that you do not have a large amount of content for posting on the site. This is great. We sometimes tend to put on the site of a large number of unnecessary information. One-page sites do not require too much information, because their sole purpose - to hit right on target. If you are a designer who creates portfolio site, submit your best work, and even do not suffer the thought of placing mediocre projects or your side of the business associated with the sale of T-shirts.

Clean your site of all superfluous and only use the information that matters. Despite the fact that this is a good strategy for each site, multiple sites, most can afford a certain amount of extra information, since the user always knows where to find the information they need. in the case of one-page site you have, figuratively speaking, just one shot, if the user does not find the right information out there, you will lose it.

We have no question that this site sells

This portfolio goes straight to the point. And a wonderful, lovely minimalist design too.

2. Create a visual hierarchy of the site

One-sites have the task not only set the focus of attention of the visitor, but also to present your product or service. If any single-site made an impression on you, then they may have one sole purpose: to present the design of the agency or to draw attention to the upcoming event.

Excellent design and focusable visual hierarchy may help to characterize the purpose of your site. you as a designer, you have the power to direct the visitor look wherever you want it passed. For people naturally notice the large objects in the first place, and small - in the latter. Important objects should not be placed in the bottom of the page and be fine.

Introductory paragraphs, typed in large print, have become so popular in the designer's portfolio site just because they hit right on target and attract those looking for designers. The last thing you would like to see on the website designer - this is what school he attended. But you need to know its specialization, and which design projects he does.

Again, you have only a few invaluable opportunity to convey your message to the visitor. So try to use them correctly. If you realize that you have too much content, so that you can convey your message through a one page, then create a multi-site.

Despite the fact that even in this screenshot we see a number of different points of focus visitors' attention, we can say a lot about what is more important.

We can say, what does this company, but the visual hierarchy could be better.

3. clear navigation

Some one-page sites are static pages that redirect visitors to external resources. For example, the musicians on your page can put a navigation option "Video", which will take you to their page on YouTube. There is absolutely nothing wrong, and so is even easier (especially in terms of encoding). The only thing that the visitor needs to know - is that he will be redirected to an external page.

If your one-page site was created to sell a product, a link to "Buy" the buyer sends a payment to an external platform without warning, you may lose some of its customers.

Your goal - to do everything as simple as possible. Redirect the user to external websites without prior notification may cause the user confusion. He might think that the link does not work, or that the link is incorrect. Try to use special icons (a lot of free options available on the Internet), or headers, so the user knows where he will be redirected.

Here we see something that you should not do. Link at the top sends you to an external site without warning. This is really confusing.

Design and code of this site is very unusual. However, all links to external pages are marked with green circles and signed appropriately.

4. Experiment with the design

Now we got to the fun part: the use of a single-page Web site to show yourself and your skills. You do not want your web site was boring or was similar to other web sites - so be bold, experiment. Put the design on a new level - think outside the box. The unusual design draws attention to your product and make it memorable.

One-sites become synonymous with great design, because the work with a large "canvas" opens up great opportunities for you. You can not use the same background everywhere, you can change it for different sections.Often, single-visit sites like browsing magazines or well composed presentation. Use these opportunities.

Create a stunning design: Use large pictures, which fill the entire browser window, or a chic illustrated background.This not only gives you an advantage over other web sites - as a result your site may fall into one of the reviews of web design.

From this design is breathtaking. He recalled a poster or billboard. And the rest of the site design does not make you disappointed.

Cleanliness of the design (and code) is just amazing. It makes you stop and look.

5. Experiment with the code

If you want to show not only their skills in design, but also the skills to write code, the one-page sites allow you to do it. Experience in the development of the code in this case is critical, so pay attention to detail. The code can lift your site to the next level.

Here are a few things that should be addressed: the color and behavior options (especially in selection mode), the look and feel of forms (forms podognka a site design using AJAX and JavaScript); sending data and error messages (here we use the forms and AJAX script), and the location of a table of content (including content on the behavior of the browser window). All this must conform to design and work in concert with the design.

A wonderful and simple sample code for a single-page site.

I, of course, biased because I love it when content is loaded into the same box, but the attention to detail in the code here is just incredible, and it can be seen everywhere.

6. Animation

In addition to that mentioned above (care of the details when writing code), you can use code to create an animation on the page. And try not to be boring. Add to your page a sense of life and movement, make her look as if it moves along with the visitor. Add funny animations and transitions of interest to your site really stand out among others.

Languages ​​jQuery and AJAX became standard for animation on the site. No matter what you do: force the content to appear on different sides, or create a background as a slide show - keep the audience involvement in the process of viewing the site.

The background of this site is made in the form of animation. It is difficult to understand what this site, but it looks very neat.

Transitions on this web site are made great. I love it!

PS Thanks again to the company perennial for the English translation of this article. It is an original can be found here - 6 Tips to create better one-Page websites . What can be said as a summary. Certainly one-page sites - cool stuff, which has its very serious advantages: such a project can come as no surprise to hold the user to select and highlight it profitable to your site among the hundreds of other ordinary and unremarkable. Therefore the greatest benefit of such odnostranichnikov will be in the field of activity, where the effect of the product is almost the most important task - as an example, we can easily result in portfolio websites of designers and any other creative people. In focus is a bit like flash sites - the concept is similar, but other embodiments.

On the other hand it must be remembered that a small amount of content on the site of the project reduces the chances for promotion in search engines and drive traffic there. So, of course, most major corporate websites of companies should not be in the form odnostranichnikov, except maybe a mini web site (in addition to the subdomain, for example) or creating a project for a fashion company that is moving in other ways - TV channel, radio station, etc. n

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