The only way to get better at public speaking is through practice, but public speaking is similar to stand-up comedy in that you can't improve on your own; you need other people in order to work on the skill.

Animation and motion are becoming increasingly integral to digital products, immersive scrolling web experiences, and brand identities. Therefore, motion training is necessary for designers and anyone dealing with movement, ranging from the simplest micro-interactions to complex videos. Animation fundamentals make the difference between a seamless experience and one that is jarring. Animation doesn't have to be fancy or complex to feel good and be interesting.

“Mobile-first” became a major topic for websites when Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, popularized the idea in 2010 at the Mobile World Congress. Mobile-first can mean different things to different people: for developers, it may mean writing code for smaller viewports first with the goal of creating cleaner code; while for designers, it may mean starting with mobile designs with the goal of prioritizing its user experience. While it’s been over a decade since this idea was first introduced, mobile-first is worth considering today.

Design systems are a hot topic, yet there’s often confusion about what they are and how they are used. One explanation for this is that there are several ways to use design systems within the design process.

Immersive scrolling websites or experiential sites have grown in popularity over the past decade and many organizations are using this feature to create delightful and engaging experiences for their audiences. Immersive scrolling sites differ from traditional websites in that they are usually dedicated to one subject or narrative and are typically confined to a very long page.

With over a billion active users, Instagram is an excellent way to engage your audiences. Instagram “stories” is a particularly engaging feature that allows users to provide live updates and share their everyday lives. The platform has provided an impactful way for cultural institutions to use Instagram stories to engage users.

Digital design continues to make strides as we enter a new decade. Here is our take on the biggest design trends that can make an impact on mission-driven organizations in 2020.

If you’re like any other mission-driven organization in this day and age, you probably have a lot of people building and designing content. There’s always a want or need for a dedicated person to handle tasks such as copy editing, writing, designing, and developing, but it’s not always realistic to get them all done. This is where checklists come in.