Design Resources

Tools, references, and resources I've found valuable over the years. This isn't exhaustive — it's what I actually use and recommend.

Design Tools

Figma Collaborative interface design tool. My daily driver for UI and product design. Paper A new design tool with a fresh take on creative workflows. Whimsical Quick wireframes, flowcharts, and mind maps when I need to think visually. Rive Interactive animations and motion design for production.

Typography

Dinamo Typefaces Independent foundry behind ABC Diatype, the typeface used on this site. Google Fonts Free, open-source fonts. Great for prototyping and web projects. Future Fonts Work-in-progress typefaces from independent designers. Support them early. Typewolf Typography inspiration and font recommendations from real sites. Fonts In Use A searchable archive of typography in the wild.

Color & Visual Reference

Realtime Colors Visualize color palettes on a real UI instantly. Coolors Fast palette generator with export options. Khroma AI-powered color tool that learns your preferences. Mobbin Searchable library of real app screenshots for UI patterns.

Photography & Assets

Unsplash High-quality, free-to-use photography. Pexels Free stock photos and videos with a generous license. Blush Customizable illustration collections by independent artists. Noun Project Massive icon library with consistent, clean styles.

Learning & Inspiration

Sidebar Five curated design links, every day. Refactoring UI Practical visual design tips from the Tailwind CSS creators. Shift Nudge Interface design course focused on visual design fundamentals. Laws of UX Beautifully presented collection of UX principles backed by research. The Futur Business and design education — especially good for freelancers and creative leads.

Books I Come Back To

The Design of Everyday Things Don Norman's classic on human-centered design thinking. Thinking in Systems Donella Meadows on understanding complex systems — applicable well beyond design. Creative Selection Ken Kocienda's inside look at Apple's design process and demo culture. Grid Systems in Graphic Design Josef Müller-Brockmann's foundational work on typographic grids.