Using Internet Resources

I don't know what I would do without Google. From downloading books for my classes, to converting a recipe, to finding lyrics to a song, I rely on Google for the answers to all of my questions. It has become especially invaluable in design. Whenever I have an idea for a project, but don't know how to execute it, such as in the flip book when I wanted to make a parchment paper background, I Google it and look for ideas and tutorials that could help to get me started.

The tutorials that I find on YouTube are often extremely helpful and teach how to use tools that I would not otherwise have known were available. Sometimes when I have free time, I watch the tutorials just to get an idea of some of the possibilities for other projects and it allows me to practice my skills with the software. I never would have thought to brighten eyes or whiten teeth in a photograph, but now that I have seen the tutorial, I am able to use those tools to greatly enhance my pictures.

I also rely on the search engine to help develop ideas when I am stuck. When we had to make the magazine layouts, I started by googling "magazine layouts" and found some examples of spreads that I really liked. I was able to build off of those ideas to develop my own project.

Finding images online is a vital part of design as well. I am not thrilled with Google images anymore because they removed the size constraints, so I often go to Bing where I can place size requirements on a search, as well as a filter color for images, which makes it easier to sift through all of the content.

These resources are integral parts of the design process and offer more possibilities than most of us even realize.