In my last post I talked a bit about using grunge styles effectively and now I am turning my attention to something of a polar opposite: Web 2.0 styling. This design trend is clean and minimalist in appearance. Glossy buttons, gradients, large fonts, drop shadows, and reflections are all elements used to create a polished and sophisticated feel. Interestingly, although the appearance of Web 2.0 design is sleek and simplified, especially as compared to a layered style like grunge, creating the look can be quite complex. Something as simple as a gradient can easily be handled poorly if too much light or too many color changes are employed. Drop shadows can be incredibly overbearing elements when misused and of course the list of missteps goes on. Instead, subtle handling of many elements is required behind the scenes, so to speak, in order to make a minimalist design look beautiful and exciting (read: not flat looking).
Smashing Magazine offers a great compilation of design tutorials related to all things Web 2.0. Everything from creating a logo to making glossy buttons and reflections is covered here. The shiny floor effect, #29 on the list, links to a simple tutorial on using Photoshop to create a text reflection. The tutorial is from the Photoshop Candy website, which also offers many more demos on how to create some interesting graphic effects. Even more exciting, however, is that free downloadable files containing editable versions of some of the effects are available. Sections include icons (such as Twitter, Facebook, and RSS), CSS templates, and Photoshop graphics. This site is extremely easy to navigate, the design is clean, and the tutorials are easy to follow. I highly recommend checking it out for a variety of different resources, Web 2.0 and otherwise.
Check out Photoshop Candy here:
http://photoshopcandy.com/
Another noteworthy tutorial featured on the Smashing Magazine website is #50, Mike Rundle's gradient tutorial written for the 9rules blog. This is another well-written guide to creating an effect in Photoshop, this time using layers and the gradient tool. The interesting thing about this tutorial is that Rundle addresses some of the most common mistakes people make when creating a gradient effect, then walks users through a better method. He acknowledges the simplicity of gradients, and goes on to point out that such simplicity makes it that much more essential to wield the tool correctly. He is right; there is little room for error. The rest of the contents on 9rules are probably worth checking out as well. They have a pretty extensive archive and address all kinds of topics ranging from blogging tips to design to a post on the debate over fair use. It is worthwhile reading for sure.
Checkout the 9rules blog here:
http://blog.9rules.com/2006/08/a-gradient-tutorial/
And Smashing Magazine's Web 2.0 tutorial resource list can be found here:
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/03/10/web-20-tutorials-round-up/
Moving on from Web 2.0, Vandelay Design is worth mentioning as source for some really good Photoshop texture tutorials. Beyond these resources, however, the Vandelay website is great to browse for inspiration of all kinds. They feature lists of "the best" of everything from blog headers to creative navigation. The variety of resources on this site is staggering. The sheer number of Photoshop tutorials, including basics such as using various brushes, makes it a good first place to look for design how-to materials.
Check out Vandelay Designs' texture tutorials here (and then stick around to browse the design ideas):
http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/design/photoshop-tutorials-textures/
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