Over the last 3 years I’ve had many requests from students and clients for a list of resources I use for freelancing and blogging. So I created one! This was originally created for designers – both graphic and web – but anyone who freelances and/or blogs for a living will find lots of useful resources on everything from stock graphics to business help.
I’ll be adding to it as I find new and useful tools, sites, magazines or books.
Stock Image Resources:
There are many many others but these are the ones I use over and over again
Graphics Resources
wegraphics – vectors, images, brushes, backgrounds, social media icons,
vandelaypremier.com icons, psds, brushes, textures, etc
vectorpatterns.co.uk excellent source for free vectors and repeating backgrounds, all free.
mightydeals.com groupon for design resources
http://www.deviantart.com/ is also a great source for free resources but be sure to check out the usage terms
Fonts
myfonts.com my favourite site for fonts. Well priced with lots of free options and excellent web fonts. Great resource tool to help you identify fonts as well
google webfonts free and very easy to use
lost type a font co-op with very current font options that lets you “pay what you want”. Love some of the funky fonts you can only find here
there are lots of other font sites but these are the three I constantly find myself using for web fonts.
Blogs and Websites
vandelaydesign blog web and photoshop tutorials
web designer wall – great CSS tutorials and tips but not updated often
creative nerds lots of tutorials, freelance advice and design freebies
pugly pixel more of a lifestyle blogger but she has some great photoshop tutorials and design freebies
css-tricks.com Chris Coyier’s site – he’s a CSS Master with great code snippets
justinseeley.com wordpress designer and adobe instructor
howinteractivedesign.com, www.howdesign.com excellent resources for web and interactive designers, graphic designers, freelancers – both business and design advice from How Magazine
alistapart.com outstanding posts and tutorials specifically for web design/development – very current and contributors are some of the best in the industry
abduzeedo.com graphic design and photoshop resource – great design inspiration
freelancefolder.com if you freelance, they cover it all
designfestival.com tutorials and news from the web design/interactive media world
zoerooney.com/blog a Developer who writes for designers – great tips if php isn’t your strong suit. Also great perspectives on current web trends
Linked In is also a great place to find niche groups for designers that have some good discussion topics
On-line education
photoshopuser.com website for the National Association of Photoshop Professionals includes video tutorials and classes
kelbytraining.com photoshop training
creativelive.com mainly photography but they do a lot of Adobe classes, small business classes, social media marketing and wordpress niche classes
lynda.com on-line classes/tutorials in programming and design – excellent Adobe suite resource
sitepoint.com classes, books and different blogs for programming, web design and freelance business as well as excellent forums
creativebloq.com the design blog for .net magazine
netmagazine.com recently this site has improved big time
CSS Inspiration Galleries
Palette Ideas
Magazines:
.net
Web Designer
Photoshop User
How Magazine
Martha Stewart Living (yes, really – the colour palettes in MSL are usually on the cutting edge – I rip them out for palette inspiration regularly)
Books on freelancing or small business
My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire
The Anti 9-to-5 Guide: Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube
Escape From Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur
The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future
Creative, Inc.: The Ultimate Guide to Running a Successful Freelance Business
The Boss of You: Everything A Woman Needs to Know to Start, Run, and Maintain Her Own Business
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It