Resources
INSPIRATION :: Hit a brick wall with your latest project and need a bit of inspiration? Why not have a have a look through our partners gallerys to give you a push in the right direction. From CSS galleries to single page portfolio sites these links are guaranteed get you going again.
TOOLS :: Need some added help with your design project? Look no further. At DDA we have scoured the web for the best free tools to aid you in your design projects.
TUTORIALS :: Know what you need to do but at a loss as to how to do it? We have enlisted the help of some photoshop gurus to guide you. We are also taking requests for tutorials you would like to see here so please leave a comment if there is something that you are struggling with.
DOWNLOADS :: We love free stuff here at DDA so we’ve put together a collection of the best free download sites from across the web. Including Icon sets, free design software, fonts, photoshop brushes and much more.
INSPIRATION
CSS Elite is an inspirational showcase gallery site that collects a wide range of quality design websites (Flash & CSS).
Following the same lines as CSS Elite, Folistars showcases CSS and flash based websites but with the focus on designers portfolios. Does your design portfolio match up to these?
The Crestock blog consists of a collection of resources, expert advice, commentaries and personal views provided by the staff at Crestock and their contributors.
TOOLS
GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a free program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. So if you’re not a professional but want access to the toys the professionals have, this is a good starting point to introduce you to the ways of Digital Design.
Want to try out the tools the professionals use – for FREE? Adobe provide 30 day trial downloads of their suites and with CS4 on the way it’s the perfect time to give them a try.
Serif provide 100% free software downloads including photo editing and enhancing software, desktop publishing, web design software (no HTML knowledge needed) and 3D graphic design software.
Ajax Load is a free resource to generate your own ajax loading icon. Just pick your colours, choose which icon you want and click generate – simple as that.
SumoPaint is a free image editing software that enables you to create and edit images online with powerful tools and layer support.
Ning is an online platform for users to create their own social websites and social networks.
CreateHDR gives you the ability to create high dynamic range images from normal every day photos. You may never need to put up with a less that stunning image for your designs again.
TUTORIALS
About.com is absolutely jam packed with helpfull tutorials and ‘How To’ guides. Just search for Photoshop Tutorial and get over 7,810 results, ranging from complete beginner to advanced. Step by step advice from seasoned professionals AND completely free!
Full web building tutorials from W3C Schools absolutely free. All you need to learn how to code your designs; Tutorials in HTML, Browser scripting including Java, Ajax etc, Server scripting – SQL, ASP and with their web based HTML editor you can edit the examples and experiment with the code on-line.
Sponsored by the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, Planet Photoshop has loads of video tutorials, resources, reviews and a forum to ask for help if you can’t find the tutorial you are looking for on the site.
Good-Tutorials is the largest source of tutorials on the web. It has been featured on the BBC, SkyNews, TechTV (now G4), in the British magazine iCreate, PC World, and has been linked to by thousands of sites, blogs and forums.
Best Photoshop Tutorials is an amazing resource for photoshop utilizers. They publish the best photoshop tutorials, freebies and inspirational articles on daily basis. So keep checking back regularly to see the latest resources.
DOWNLOADS
Since 2003, FastIcon Design Studio have been providing creative custom designed icon sets. They are doing a promotion at the moment, ALL their stock icon sets for $99, but make sure to have a look around the FREE section first.
Brusheezy.com is a massive community driven collection of Photoshop brushes and patterns available for free download – or upload and showcase your own for review and download by the community.
Vecteezy.com More from the Brusheezy crew but this site is dedicated to vector packs.
Fresheezy.com An index of free themes for Wordpress, Expression Engine, Blogger, BBPress, and more!
StockXchng is the leading FREE stock photo site. If you’ve run out of Dreamstime credits this is definitely a great resource for stock images.
DaFont is one of the best resources for downloading free fonts for use in your design projects. The reason this one made it infront of sites such as 1001 fonts is the ability to preview the text – an excellent functionality to check readability before wasting time downloading.
