Evolution: A Weblog by Third North Creative

Recently a handful of new web design galleries showcasing Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) based websites have been popping up everywhere. These constantly updated galleries are a great snap-shot of current trends in the CSS design community and provide overwhelming inspiration. So set aside a few hours (or days) and dig in!

CSS Beauty | Design Shack | CSS Zen Garden | CSS Bloom | Design Melt Down | CSS Galleries | Best Web Gallery | Stylegala | CSS Drive | CSS Vault | Unmatched Style | The Daily Slurp | CSS Mania | CSS Remix | Screenspire | CSSElite | WithStyle | CSS Thesis | InspirationKing | Light On Dark | tom.ma | screenblog

There is no doubt that the digital revolution has enhanced every nook and cranny of the design world- and produced a whole new genre of design centered around the web. Projects that once required an army of creatives and artists are now produced by small creative teams (or single individuals). Information and resources lay at the fingertips of anyone with a Google search bar and a RSS reader. Amazing work is being produced at break-neck speed. It is a great time to be a designer.

The largest downfall to these amazing machines and tools is their tempting ability to increase efficiency by sacrificing conceptual time and truly original creative interaction with a project. It is all to easy to skimp on sketches and head straight to the Mac, letting the software drive a design- instead of letting the design drive the software.

Sketching is a physical interaction with visual and conceptual ideas. Paper provides a freeform playground that removes all of the restrictions that a computer puts in place. We are forced to think about design in terms of flowing ideas instead of filters and trends. Instead of managing menus and pallets, our pencil can wander and explore.

Never be too quick to forfeit the physical side of the creative process for speed and efficiency. The sketch is where truly great design begins.