10 Offbeat Graphic Design Blogs To Gain Inspiration From – The 2014 Edition

I chose graphic design as a profession because I always wanted to work with colors. It made more sense because I got to work both with the colors and technology. Throughout my journey to becoming a professional designer, I had help from several graphic design blogs that provided crucial information in a compellingly thought-provoking way.

Those blogs aided my learning of the design intricacies outside the classroom and even before I attended a design school. From the least likely place to find design inspiration to what triggers our creative juices, I found enlightenment in most of the things I read. But I didn’t read just the most famous graphic design blogs online; I found some very interesting ones that weren’t exactly commercial. It doesn’t mean that all the good ones are either; but the mainstream usually come with grand names, established all too well in the industry. As a creative, I find my inspiration from random people and places, beautiful sculptures, space, food, and geometry; I don’t just look for designer celebrities. Even the work or advice of a novice might give me a great idea for my next project so I do not dispel the information just like that.

Now, while establishing my own brand, I wish to be of use to others in just the same way. I guide graphic designers to effectively use storytelling to boost their brands by providing critical resources and information. Today, I bring ten more graphic design blogs which are doing similar stuff and helping designers around the globe. I hope you will explore them all and share the ones you like in the comments below.

Blog #1: TDB

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The Design Blog is founded, designed, and curated by a Croatia-based graphic designer named Ena Bacanovic (a.k.a. Ruby). Like most designers, she also started designing way back in the elementary school. Now she is actually running a great graphic design blog that brings to us high quality inspiration, especially from young designers and design students. The blog which started in 2011 as a personal inspiration board is now furnishing itself as the most interesting space for inspiration on the internet.

Blog #2: Creative Market

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Creative Market is yet another resource where you could find handcrafted as well as digital design content from independent creative around the world. Their community of designers also believes in sharing stories about how the blog is helping them in their creative field. The was co-founded by three San Francisco-based enthusiasts named Aaron Epstein, Darius ‘Bubs’ Monsef, and Chris Williams.

Blog #3: Design Blender

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Graphic Design Blender is being curated by five impassioned freelance designers, bloggers, and entrepreneurs. The editor is Preston D Lee who is dedicated to bringing his audience the finest of design related content online. The idea behind GDB is to assist designers become exceptional entrepreneurs and excel in the business side of their field. Whether you are a freelancer or initiating a design firm, they have it all covered on this wonderful blog.

Blog #4: Mattson|Creative

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Ty Mattson is the principal creative director who runs an award-winning graphic design studio based in Southern California. He has worked with some major corporate names, such as, Apple, Discovery Channel, Coca-Cola, Cartoon Network, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, Showtime, etc. Now his log is doing just as awesome. You can find details of the projects he has worked on and find inspiration for your own work.

Blog #5: Graphic Exchange

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Graphic Exchange is the blog of Mr-Cup and Fabien Barral is the man holding that cup. He believes I creating unique and out of the box designs for his clients who come from around the world and for this reason, he joined forces with his wife Frédérique to create “Harmonie intérieure.” His blog Graphic Exchange is a distinctive online source of inspiration for graphic designers.

Blog #6: The Design Cubicle

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Brian Hoff is a Philadelphia-based web designer and brand identity maker who created this design blog to share his passion and educate other designers in what he excels himself. He specializes in creating strategic design for both web and print. His blog helps and inspires not only designers but also clients and the general public regarding the process of design while showcasing his own projects and techniques.

Blog #7: Creative Nerds

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Creative Nerds blog is the collective of three other design websites – namely, Creative Nerds Premium, Vector Patterns, and Design Chair – run by the Creative Nerds Team. This resource caters to any creative aiming to grow, improve, and be inspired by what graphic design and web design have to offer. It was built as an educational portal for designers from world over. You can find an excellent collection of freebies, tutorials, articles, etc., to aid your learning.

Blog #8: Graphic Pioneers

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This blog celebrates Spanish graphic design and its pioneers from the last century. It is based on the publication of Emilio Gil named as “Pioneers. Spanish Graphic Design 1939-1975.” It is composed of graphic documents as references and a graphic display of works of the Spanish visual communication professionals of this era. The blog is available in both English and Spanish and its visual archive is an invaluable documentary source to not only the designers, but also for the historians and researchers of graphic communication internationally.

Blog #9: F. Chimero

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This is an excellent blog run by Frank Chimero who is a designer trying to make print and digital play nice. From Talks to Journal and Library, he has accumulated some extremely useful content in an extremely interesting way. Based in Brooklyn, New York, you can read all about his work on this blog.

Blog #10: Identity Forum

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The Identity Forum is a web portal for all the best advice designers can get from leading identity experts, strategists, and corporate brand managers on the branding process. The editor Tony Spaeth is a management consultant who loves design and has worked as an independent identity consultant since 1990. He also co-edits Corporate Brand Matrix and Identity Works in addition to Identity Forum and uses this resource to learn as well as share with other designers from around the world.

Let us know which of these blogs have you used before to learn the various technical aspects of design process and which don’t inspire you at all. We are awaiting your valuable input.