I’m Kayla, and I spend a lot of time making stuff look clear, bold, and kind. Posters, brand kits, landing pages… even church flyers. I read a lot, then I try things. Some posts stick. Some don’t. These are the ones that made my work better, and yep, I used them on real jobs.
I even pulled a tighter list together over on Moon and Back Graphics in this roundup of the best graphic design blog posts I keep going back to.
You know what? Good posts feel like a coach in your ear. They don’t just show pretty pictures. They teach you what to do next.
For a beautiful gallery of real-world design solutions and case studies, I often browse the portfolio at Moon and Back Graphics.
What “best” means to me (quick and real)
- It helps me fix one thing right now.
- It’s clear. No fluff. No 50 ads.
- I can use it on print, web, or both.
- It respects people. No tricks.
Alright, here’s what actually helped.
“Responsive Web Design” by Ethan Marcotte (A List Apart)
Old? Yes. Still gold. This post taught me to think in flexible boxes and type that scales. The first time I used it, I rebuilt a bakery site. I moved from fixed columns to a fluid grid. On my phone, the photos didn’t jump anymore. The page breathed.
One tiny gripe: it’s web-heavy. But the layout thinking also saved a school poster I made. I set a simple grid and let big type lead. Same idea, different medium.
“Color Theory for Designers, Part 1: The Meaning of Color” by Cameron Chapman (Smashing Magazine)
I printed this out and stuck it on my wall. No joke. I used it for a dental clinic rebrand. We went with teal and soft white, with a coral accent for warmth. Sounds small, but patients felt calm. One mom even said, “It looks clean, not cold.”
It’s a series, so there’s a lot. I started with Part 1, then used the bits on contrast to fix a hero banner that felt muddy.
“Typography in Ten Minutes” by Matthew Butterick (Practical Typography)
Short. Sharp. Useful. I used the line-length tip on a nonprofit newsletter. I cut the text width, bumped the line spacing a hair, and picked a sane serif. It read smooth. People actually finished it.
I still run through his little checklist before I send anything to print. It’s like washing your hands. Quick, and then you feel better. If you’re sending a file to the press for the first time, this refresher on what bleed means in graphic design will save you from tragic crop marks.
“The Definitive Guide to Font Pairing” by Jeremiah Shoaf (Typewolf)
I love this one when I’m stuck. For a small coffee brand, I paired Inter for labels and Crimson Text for story cards. It felt modern, with a hint of craft. The guide explains why pairs work, not just “use this and that.”
Only note: it can send you down a rabbit hole. When that happens, I set a timer. Ten minutes. Pick, test, move on.
“Dark Patterns” by Harry Brignull
This post changed how I talk to clients. I showed it during a signup flow review. We took out the sneaky pre-checked boxes and made the buttons clear. Fewer angry emails. Less churn. More trust.
It’s not “graphic design” in the poster sense, but it shapes how your design feels. And feelings matter.
“10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design” by Jakob Nielsen (Nielsen Norman Group)
When a piece looks nice but feels wrong, I run through this list. I used it on a fundraising form. We added progress steps, better field labels, and real-time errors. Donations went up, and support tickets went down.
It’s plain and a bit dry. But I like that. It cuts through noise.
Brand New’s review of the Airbnb “Bélo” logo (UnderConsideration)
I bring this up in logo talks. Not because I love or hate the mark, but because the review shows system thinking. The logo lives with type, color, and motion. For a fitness studio rebrand, this helped me push beyond “a cute icon.” We built a whole kit: wordmark, flexible shapes, bold pink, sharp black. The brand felt alive across signs, shirts, and stories.
Some comments on that post are spicy. I skip the noise and study the breakdown.
On the flip side, if you’d rather see a painfully honest list of mistakes to avoid, take a peek at the don’ts of graphic design—I wrote it right after botching a client pitch and learning the hard way.
“What Screens Want” by Frank Chimero
This essay is warm and strange, in a good way. It made me design with motion in mind. For a school site, I used simple fades and calm scroll steps. Nothing flashy. Just gentle. It felt human.
If that idea of movement excites you, you’ll probably like this reflection on what dynamic graphic design means—plenty of real examples and tactical ways to keep layouts alive.
Sometimes that motion jumps right off the page and into live video. If you ever end up advising a client—or yourself—on capturing truly personal footage, check out this straightforward primer on shooting a respectful sex tape. It walks through lighting, angles, consent, and privacy safeguards so the final cut feels intentional, safe, and every bit as well-designed as your best web mock-up.
On a similar note, if you’re ever tasked with creating discreet invitations or landing pages for an adult-lifestyle get-together, it pays to understand how those communities communicate visually and verbally. I spent an evening browsing the event boards at Kankakee swingers to study tone, etiquette, and imagery—diving in can give you practical insight into designing materials that feel welcoming, respectful, and clear.
It’s long. I read it with tea, then took one idea and tried it the same day.
Quick hits I still use
- “Designing for Color Blindness” (Nielsen Norman Group): I now check my reds and greens with a simulator before I ship.
- Typewolf’s “Favorite Free Fonts” lists: Great for tight budgets. I’ve shipped many projects with Inter, Work Sans, and IBM Plex.
- Smashing Magazine’s grid articles: When my layout gets wobbly, I reset with a simple grid and sensible spacing.
- Ever forget a term mid-meeting? This glossary for graphic design terms is my safety net.
What didn’t help much
Roundups with “300 logo ideas.” Pretty? Sure. But they didn’t help me make choices. I need posts that teach me why, not just what.
How I use these posts on real work
- Brand kit for a local bakery: Grid thinking from Marcotte, color notes from Chapman, type basics from Butterick. We printed menus on off-white stock. They looked neat and warm. If you’re wrestling with keeping all those pieces cohesive, this take on unity in graphic design lays out a few smart guardrails.
- Fundraiser landing page: Heuristics list from NN/g, plus Typewolf for type pairs. Clear steps, big buttons, strong headings. The board sent me a thank-you cake. Best feedback ever.
- Summer camp poster: I used high-contrast color from the color series. Big chunky type. Short lines. The kids loved it. Parents could read it fast. If you’re debating whether to showcase projects like this in your book, here’s my honest take on including class projects in a graphic design portfolio.
My tiny system for staying sharp
- I keep a “Design Posts” folder on my desktop. Screenshots, short notes, and one-line takeaways.
- Before each project, I read one post. Just one. Then I try one thing from it.
- I print checklists. I know that’s old school. It works.
- If you’re still in school—or weighing where to go—this walk-around of the best schools for graphic design can help you pick a campus that actually matches your style.
Final word
These posts made my work clearer and