Another big week for the blog. I’ve continued to make subtle tweaks to the theme and I feel like it’s growing on me. Over the next week, I’ll be continuing to make adjustments, including the release of a community new section and maybe another surprise or two. I also launched my first photoshop tutorial as well as my first social media icon set this week. Be sure to check them out and let me know what you think.

We’re also pleased to welcome two new sponsors for Visual Swirl: Deposit Photos and Pixmac. Both are excellent sources for finding that perfect stock photo for your next project. Check ’em out!

If you haven’t already, make sure you stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, or pick up our RSS Feed. Now, onto some quality stuff from some of quality blogs.

Articles

convo

How to Sell the Value of Design: An Email Conversation

A great example of a designer sticking to their pricing guns and not backing down from a client looking to undervalue the process. This is how it’s done.

checklist

Using a Pre-launch Checklist for Your Website

When it’s time to launch your next site, make sure you’ve covered all the details with this excellent pre-launch checklist. This article also walks you through how to create your own.

Resources & Freebies

texturepack

Mega Textures Pack

A wide variety of textures including grunge, fabrics, carpets, and wood. Add these to your resource library today!

identity

Corporate Identity Sets from Media Loot

Jon Phillips over at Spyre Studios has released a couple clean, minimal identity sets from us upcoming project, Media Loot.

freepsd

Free Modern Design Studio PSD Template

A no-strings-attached PSD to use for your next design or to pick apart and learn how to make your own.

Tutorials

tenthings

1o Things Clients Look For In A Design Portfolio

Not a step-by-step tutorial per se, but a you could think of it as how to build a great portfolio. This list walks you through the important things to think about when building and evaluating your portfolio from a Client’s perspective.

dotted

How to Create Dotted Surface Effects in Illustrator

An abstract composition of dots in this beginner Illustrator Tutorial.

Inspiration

firstdesigns

Designers *First* Designs…

An interesting roundup of some great designers looking back on some of their first projects. If you’re just starting out in design, check out this transparent look at some of the best to help put things into perspective.

31characters

31 Awesome Vector Cartoon Character iPhone Wallpapers

Sneh Roy has been one of many great designers who’ve stepped up to a 365 day design challenge. This gallery showcases her first month of daily cartoon characters. A variety of cute and fun characters for your iPhone home screen.

Got Links

I’m always expanding my list of sites to browse and stories to read. Help me find that next must read article by leaving me a comment below or through email. Now enjoy your weekend!

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