2013 – 2014 Vector, Logo, Design, Trending & Highlights


Pixler Express logo

We look back on whats trending along this year of 2013 in our scope of vector graphic topics including logo design, vector SVG, color, best mobile apps of the year and some internet trending news.

1. Logo Design

We can say that logo design trending in 2013 is more on Redesign of existing logo, such as Yahoo! logo that being criticized. Meanwhile a lot of big names have successfully transformed their new logo being better, in redesign term. The most influenced trend is flat design and minimalist style of logo design. You might like to see 2013 Logo Design Trends by Logo Lounge. Anyway here is an example of 2014 logo design that will make next year as football fever once again, can’t wait for samba..? (whenever you enter 2014 logo as keyword, Google will come up with this ↓ image more than any other).


FIFA World Cup Brasil 2014 | via Wiki WC2014

 

2. Vector

Vector graphic demands are rising on the net, either for logos, illustrations, icons, charts, etc. We can also see some vector graphics site grows over the years. Be it providing and sharing vector freebies or offering vector services. One of the most popular sharing of vector freebies in 2013 are Flat Icons. We can see variety of flat icons’ style being shared freely from many top designers community sites, such as behance, deviantart, dribbble, and many personal sites as well.

Flat Icons vector
Flat icons Hexagon | via deviantart

 

3. SVG

Scalable Vector Graphic or SVG getting better support and we will see latest upgrade to SVG 2 which will be better integration into HTML & CSS. What was that means..? In simple words, vector graphic will be everywhere sooner or later, on any devices, don’t worry if you don’t have the right app to open vector file (in the future).

Animated SVG image (this is not gif) | via Oak.is


4. Color of The Year 2014

For this coming 2014, Pantone as usual, was named Radiant Orchid as Color of The Year for 2014. A year before they named ‘Emerald’ as Color of 2013.

Pantone Color of The Year 2014

 

5. Mobile & Apps

We can see more (and hopefully better) designer’s apps available in App Store and PlayStore, oh yes we would like to see in Win8 Store as well. Anyway, what is The Best App of 2013..? Google Play Store had named 11 Best Apps of 2013, and here – Pixlr Express by Autodesk, is one of them.

 

6. Internet & Social Media Dilemma

The rise of mobile tech and devices had made social activities change the life style of many of us, whether we realize it or not. In fact, in some country, the authority had made some rules to prevent their people being ‘stuck on gadget’ 24/7. People might blames on social media attractions, but to be frank, social media is just a new kind of tool to communicate. We need to be careful on how we deal with it, not to be too dependent on it.. its not a big deal anyway.

In the middle of this year people around the globe being blast by shocking news of the information security related issue. NSA has ‘direct access’ to the servers of Google, Facebook and others. Using a program named #PRISM they spy on us, collecting our personal infos especially on our media social accounts. There came the most popular name in 2013, Edward Snowden (compared to Obama).

They collect 2 kind of data, Metadata & Content – The Verge

 

7. Vectorise Turn 7

Last but not least, we at vectorise will turn 7 years old this coming 2014, March to be exact.. thanks for all your supports, we will continue our efforts in providing vector logo, vectorise services and helping you in our forum. If you have something good to share, or any idea do contact us and let us know.. happy hohoholiday & happy new year

Polygon Vector Stallion

Triangle Polygon Vector Illustrations


Polygon Vector Stallion

Polygon Vector art style illustrations, sometimes they call it Low Polygon, created in full vector, no it’s not the Photoshop Filter setting applied, but these polygons we discussed here are fully vector, in 2D (even it may looks like 3D) either using Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw, Inkscape or created using SVG generator.

There are few types of Polygon Vector to illustrate the images, normally using random polygon with verity of shapes and the other using triangle polygon shapes. The Triangle Polygon can be divided in two types – Triangle Polygon Vector abstract in random and Triangle Mosaic Tiles with seamless pattern. We will see the example of those illustrations.

 

Polygon Vector Abstract (random)

These illustration might be created manually by drawing parts by parts if you really have passion and patience, as shown in this vectorboom tutorial.. or perhaps there’re using filter or plugin installed inside the vector graphic apps itself.


credit to vectorboom.com

You can see the polygons constructed as the image above consist by variety of poly shapes, triangles, rectangles or trapezoids. As this polygon shapes are manually drawn, points to points should be precisely joined to avoid any gaps appear among them.


 

Triangle Polygon Vector Abstract (random)

What makes me attracted with these type of illustrations, they’re constructed with random shapes of triangle polygons. There are no other shapes but triangle, and the combination of colors help in creating the image. This kind of illustration usually best in creating object oriented image, minus the background scenery.

Polygon Objects

Tiger Polygon Vector

polygon vector

Polygon Vector Map

 

Polygon Backgrounds

Also you can create just cool looking abstract background and perhaps you can sell it, like this..


credit to creativemarket.com

 

Polygon Typography / Calligraphy

And this style is perfect with title typography for your design or calligraphy art style.. just like I’ve done previously with Eid-ul-Fitri vector khat.


credit to shutterstock.com

These kind of Triangle Vector Polygon illustrations actually created using SVG generator, a browser based HTML5 engine – Triangulator, and edited using Adobe Illustrator to fine tune the artworks. You may download it, unzipped and run the html (index) file.


credit to somestuff.ru

Triangle Mosaic Tiles Pattern

There is also a type of normally generated in pixel (raster) based image, not vector, triangle mosaic patterns. Probably the reason of this kind of artworks usually being used as background or just to make seamless patterns of an image. Normally being generated with filter plugins inside graphic editor itself such as in Photoshop’s Filter.

triangle mosaic patterns

You can search some (maybe free or paid) pattern effect Plugins (or Actions script) such as triangle, hexagon, etc. for using with Photoshop to create verity type of mosaic patterns if you like the output.

iOS7 icons vector

Free iOS 7 Icons Vector & Android 4.3 UI Design Kits


Designers and developers for iOS & Android App might looking for these free download graphic sources and UI kits. The iOS 7 vector icon sets created by www.freepik.com inclusive of 48 vector icons.

iOS 7 Icons Vector

iOS7 vector icons

  • Format: Adobe Illustrator (zip file)
  • Size: 0.56 mb
  • Download page: iOS7 Vector Icons
    Read the Term of usage

Android 4.3 UI Design Kit

This is the latest released to date for Android OS User Interface Design Kit for Apps designers and developers (if you’re one). Say thanks to Taylor Ling for his passion creating this as free download.

Android 4.3 UI Design Kit for Photoshop & GIMP

  • Format: Adobe Photoshop & GIMP
  • Size: 30 mb (PSD) & 20 mb (GIMP)
  • For: Google Nexus 7 & 4 – basic design kits
  • Download page: Android 4.3 UI Design Kit
    Read the Term of usage



Will looking for Win 8 vector source later, hopefully..

ECommerce Systems Comparison

ECommerce Systems Comparison


 
This Infographic explained the differences among top 3 ECommerce Platforms for you to decide. So you might choose the right one for your Ecommerce or Shopping Cart website. Either it PrestaShop, Magento or OpenCart, lets see..

PrestaShop vs Magento vs OpenCart

PrestaShop vs Magento vs OpenCart

via www.webnethosting.net

Vector Graphic Apps for Android

Free Vector Graphic Apps for Android


Designers who owned tablets or phablets may have tried several categories of graphic apps in their android gadgets to fully utilize the capability of their big screen devices. But there are not many good vector graphic applications can be found for Android just like iOS vector apps, especially for free versions. Here are some names we can found for Free Vector Graphic Apps for android collections that you can try.

 

Infinite Design

Infinite Design is a professional vector graphics app which lets you create complex and beautiful designs effortlessly on your mobile device. With path editing and a unique pen tool feature, infinite undo & redo, import images from your gallery, camera, or the web. Save as JPEG, PNG (without background), PSD and export path data to SVG for editing in your favorite graphics editor.

Simplector

Simplector is a simple vector SVG editor for your android tabs and normal size smart phones that supports simple figures (rectangles, ellipses) as well as Bézier curve, path, text and raster images. Provides basic operations such as copy & paste, scaling, rotation, undo/redo. Images created in Simplector can be loaded in other SVG enabled tools such as Inkscape.

ScribMaster draw & paint

ScribMaster

ScribMaster is a powerful painting and drawing app specifically designed for large screens phones & tablets. The paint engine works with scalable vectors instead of pixels, so you can zoom in and work on fine details without pixelation (the filling tool is an exception, it works with bitmaps). For vectoring ScribMaster use the SVG format, you can export your images to your pc for professional editing in this format.


Vector Artist

Create arts with shapes and curves with this app the way professionals do. Use standard shapes or “bezier” curves. Load SVG graphics to edit and modify. Create graphics, icons or designs and save as SVG or PNG to your gallery or share them on Tumblr, DropBox, email and other places.

Write

Write is a word processor for handwriting. In addition to all the usual features of a vector drawing application, it provides a unique set of tools for editing and navigating handwritten documents. Write is perfect for note-taking, brainstorming, and drawing. Write is also available for Android, Windows, Mac, and Linux.

If you have some recommendation for free vector graphic apps for android, please suggest us, we will update the list.

Brand Guideline


The Brand Guideline which are normally produced by the company itself or their appointed agency, explains on how to show or labels their brand’s mark – the logo, typeface, tagline and their color schemes in a proper way according to their corporate standard. Usually the Brand Guidelines explains their brand’s logo in brief with some important specifications for users to follow:

    • The logo sets are normally provided with soft-copy in full colors, 1 color, positive & negative (inverted color)

 

 

    • The fonts used are normally supplied and shown as sample

 

    • The arrangement of the logo, position, circumference margins & the proportionate

 

  • The Do’s & Don’ts on how to apply it

We will see here some of the internet social media brands since many of us using these brands in exposing our contact labels that we might use to show on our site or printed materials, if any..

Google +

Google plus is actively updating their social media lately to cope up among top 3 social networks on the net. They also do provide sign-in features via G+

The Guideline:

The arrangement, the color, font used & size, padding are clearly shown here.

The Do’s & Don’ts

The use of other logo than Google plus logo is not wise. People or your visitors will confused on the wrong logo being used.

See Google + Branding Guidelines

Twitter

 

Recently Twitter update their new logo design replacing the old bird. As one of the top influence social networks on the net especially in feeding live news all around the globe. It was said the Arab Spring is the ‘twitter revolution’.. Anyway, here are their brand guidelines.

The Do’s & Don’ts

modifying the original logo always being a bad attitude..

keep on update with the latest logo..

The Use

how about you wearing @yourname or #yourtag on your Tee Shirt design and get free followers ;)

See more Twitter Logo & Brand Display Policy


Facebook

 

As the most used social media for individuals or products, you might find out how ‘to branding’ your contact with the f label..

Check out Using Facebook Brand Assets

YouTube

There are many top performers born via YouTube.. oh yeah the Gangnam (should we say more?). Anyway if you’re promoting your own musics videos offline, read their Brand Guidelines, you can download the official YouTube vector files in ai, eps, pdf format for your project there.

So these are the standard practice on how to use registered trade mark logo or brands in our project, adverts, etc. Normally your clients will provide you with their official Brand Assets to be use, just make sure they provide it.. unless you’re the designer of their assets.

Ramadan Kareem vector

Free Ramadan Vector To Download

Free vectors of Ramadan Kareem & Ramadan Mubarak designs to download, where designers usually looking for the Ramadan Calligraphy vector to download and to be used in their designs. Here are some familiar vector for Ramadan we can get online free to use, read the license or terms if any.

 

Ramadan Vector with Background

 

Ramadan Kareem 3 camels

Ramadan Kareem – 3 camels

 

Ramadan Kareem sihouette

Ramadan Kareem Card – Silhouette

 

Ramadan Kareem purple

Ramadan Kareem vector – Silhouette purple


Ramadan Vector Calligraphy

 

Ramadan Calligraphy

Ramadan Calligraphy 2011 (PDF)

 

Ramadan Calligraphy old paper

Ramadan vector brown

 

Ramadan Khat

Ramadan 4 vectors

 

Ramadan Khat

Ramadan EPS

 

Ramadan Kareem vector

Ramadan Vector kufi

 

Ramadan vectors

Ramadan Collections

some vectors seem familiar right..

 

Ramadan in Photoshop Brush

 

Ramadan Photoshop Brush

Ramadan Brushes in ABR format for Photoshop Brush

 

Get the new fresh Beautiful Ramadan Calligraphy Vectors Free To Download

 

Credits to their respective owners for all the Free Ramadan Vector To Download.

Google Products

Visual Design for Google

Google Products

Google’s visual redesign identity project was inspired by the CEO Larry Page in 2011 to enhance the company’s main products identity including search, maps, mail and software suite especially app icons and the UI elements. The project was then started in January 2012 leads by their senior graphic designer Roger Oddone, art director Christopher Bettig and with their designers team.

Gmail icon design

The are simple, modern, friendly and sometimes quirky. Product icons are highly simplified, exaggerated and caricatured in nature so that they are appropriate for use at small size.

Let’s see how the design dept of Creative Lab behind this internet giant develop and redesign the User Interface (UI) of Google’s visual assets for their products and become guidelines for their product’s UI designers, app developers and their vendors. The style then being trendy all over the net.

Redesign Process

Google Earth
Google Earth
Design on White background
Design on Dark background

 

Corporate color
Simplified from 3D to Flat Design
Simplified from 3D to Flat Design

 

The Design Principles

The designs should be simple, straight forward and user friendly, so they are several rules to be made clear.

Good Geometric Shape – the more geometrical shapes used, the better and make it as precise as possible.

Design Principle - Geometric
Geometric

.

Front Facing – front view and symmetrical shapes always communicate better for user compared to isometric 3D style.

Design Principle - Front Facing
Front Facing

.

Flat & Shadow – flat design looks clean & beautiful, light and fast loading.

Flat & Shadow
Flat & Shadow

.

Pixel Perfect – as these designs are tiny and for screen devices, always make sure the pixels are in their grid to keep them perfect for HD or retina screen.

Design Principle - Pixel Perfect
Pixel Perfect

 

Source: Google Visual Assets Guidelines P1 | Google Visual Assets Guidelines P2
a

Visual Design for Google seems getting smatter and lighter. We might probably see Google start transforming their visual assets into SVG near future..

cmyk

Printing Guide – ID, PS, Ai, PDF


cmyk

The latest Adobe Printing Guide version CS6 for designers, advertising agency, printing and creative industries is a must have printing guide book especially for Adobe design apps users. This free 149 pages ebook by Adobe Design Center focus on mostly used Adobe apps for design and printing production which are:

  • PDF Creation – in Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop & Acrobat
  • InDesign CS6 – New Features, Preparing InDesign Documents for Output, Working With a Book File, etc.
  • Photoshop CS6 – New Features, Color Mode, Image Format, Printing from Photoshop
  • Illustrator CS6 – New Features, Live Effects, Complex File, Examining Customer Files, Forensic Tools, Printing from illustrator, etc.
  • Acrobat X Pro – Improved Features, Overprint Preview, Print Production Tools, Editing PDF Files, many more.
Adobe Printing Guide

 

“While this document is focused on the needs and requirements of printers, it is also useful for production artists who are preparing files for print” – Adobe

What This Guide Is Intended to Do

This guide serves as both a detailed technical reference for handling Creative Suite 6 files from your customers, and as a training tool for your staff. For example, this guide will introduce you to forensic tools, such as the Overprint Preview option in Illustrator, InDesign, and Acrobat X Pro, as well as the Output Preview function in Acrobat, all of which are invaluable in highlighting potential problems. The earlier you can pinpoint problems in a job, the less expensive and complicated they are to rectify.

Go get the Adobe Creative Suite Printing Guide