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Archive of Ryan

A Great New Group of Inspirational Niche Gallery Websites

by Ryan on June 11, 2009 at 10:44 PM

As a designer, I am constantly seeking inspiration. For me, inspiration can come from many places. It can come from nature while I am outside taking my dog for a walk. It can come from the music I am listening to or a video I am watching. Inspiration can even come to me while I’m reading a book. When it comes to website design projects, I often turn to website design gallery sites for inspiration. There are many amazing designers and artists out there creating beautiful sites. Recently, a new group of website design galleries was launched by Steven Snell of Vandelay Design and DesignM.ag.

After checking Steven’s website galleries out, I wanted to share them with you. One of the great things about the galleries Steven has created is that each focuses on a specific niche. When looking for inspiration for a specific project, I am usually looking for a site that serves a similar purpose to the website I will be creating. Many gallery sites are more general in nature. So, I find myself spending a lot of time looking around. While I enjoy viewing these sites, it’s not always the most productive use of my time. Having specific niche galleries is a great way to focus your inspirational search on a specific type of website.

Participation: Is It the Key to Interactive Marketing and Social Media Strategy

by Ryan on June 1, 2009 at 9:28 PM

Over the past several months, I’ve noticed an interesting phenomenon. Well, it’s maybe not so much a phenomenon as it is an occurrence I’ve been noticing. With the extremely rapid growth of social media over the last few years, I’ve noticed many people claiming to be “experts” in this field. I also see many managers claiming to or acting as if they “get” interactive marketing and social media. When in reality, I don’t believe they do “get it” at all.

Bloggers: Learn to Build a Better Blog in 31 Days

by Ryan on May 29, 2009 at 9:36 PM

Blogging has grown to become a hobby for many web enthusiasts throughout the world. For many, blogging has actually become a way to earn a full-time income. While the vast majority of bloggers do not set out to earn money through blogging, it has become increasingly realistic for dedicated bloggers to make some decent money through their blogging efforts. While I am by no means a professional blogger, I am very interested in the idea of being able to earn money while pursuing one’s passion.

Top-of-the-Line Texture and Background Image Resource Websites

by Ryan on May 28, 2009 at 8:02 PM

I am currently working on a new website design project. For this new project, I decided I wanted to play around with using a real-world texture or photograph as a prominent part of the background. This is a trend that’s gained quite a bit of momentum over the last year. So, I thought I’d play around with the idea for at least one of the concepts I design for this project.

Working Through a Logo Design Project: The Process

by Ryan on May 18, 2009 at 9:59 PM

Now that school is completed for the summer, I am able to focus on some personal projects that I’ve had to put off while school has been consuming most of my non-working hours. I am currently working on my master’s degree. While I love school and am learning tons, not only about business, marketing, and advertising, but also about myself, I hate the fact that it eats up so much of my time. There are several projects that I’ve had to hold off on starting while in school. So, I decided not to take any courses over the summer so that I can focus on the projects I’ve been putting off.