DesignersDream
Articles, quick tips, new software, AI models and videos for every kind of designer, updated every week.
Pick your discipline
Three process inks and their mixes. Each discipline gets its own colour, and its own feed.
Latest drops
Everything new this month, across every format.
Designing with AI without losing your voice
Generators are fast at making something. Your job is still deciding what's right. A working method for keeping taste in the loop.
Midjourney
Image generator known for strong aesthetic defaults, style control and painterly or cinematic results.
Add auto layout in one keystroke
Select layers in Figma and press Shift + A to wrap them in an auto layout frame.
Figma
Browser-based interface design with real-time collaboration, components, variables and prototyping.
Blender Guru
Andrew Price's channel, home of the famous beginner donut series and clear lessons on realism and lighting.
Variable fonts, explained for people who ship
One file, every weight and width in between. What variable fonts actually change for performance, responsive type and motion.
Set big nudge to your spacing unit
Change Figma's Shift + arrow nudge from 10 px to 8 px so every move lands on your grid.
Adobe Firefly
Adobe's generative models for images, vectors and video, built into Photoshop, Illustrator and the Firefly web app.
Blender
Free, open-source 3D suite for modelling, sculpting, animation, rendering and compositing.
This week's read
All articlesDesigning with AI without losing your voice
Generators are fast at making something. Your job is still deciding what's right. A working method for keeping taste in the loop.
Read the articleFive-minute tips
Shortcuts and habits you can try before your next coffee.
- FigmaAdd auto layout in one keystrokeSelect layers in Figma and press Shift + A to wrap them in an auto layout frame.
- FigmaSet big nudge to your spacing unitChange Figma's Shift + arrow nudge from 10 px to 8 px so every move lands on your grid.
- BlenderLost in the viewport? Frame the selectionPress numpad period in Blender to zoom straight to whatever you have selected.
- After EffectsInstant smoothness with Easy EaseSelect keyframes in After Effects and press F9 to replace linear motion with a gentle ease.
- AnyCheck hierarchy with the squint testBlur your eyes at the layout. Whatever you still see first is what readers will see first.
AI models, compared
What each generator makes, who makes it, and what it's best at.
| Model | Makes | Good for | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midjourney | Image, video | Image generator known for strong aesthetic defaults, style control and painterly or cinematic results. | Paid subscription |
| Adobe Firefly Adobe | Image, vector, video | Adobe's generative models for images, vectors and video, built into Photoshop, Illustrator and the Firefly web app. | Free tier, included with Adobe plans |
| FLUX Black Forest Labs | Image | Family of image models from Black Forest Labs, with strong prompt following and openly available versions. | Open-weight versions and paid API |
| Stable Diffusion Stability AI | Image | Open-weight image models from Stability AI that you can run locally and customise with your own training. | Open weights, licence terms vary |
| Runway | Video, image | AI video generation and editing tools for turning text, images or footage into short clips. | Free tier, paid plans |
| Ideogram | Image with text | Image generator that handles readable text inside images well, useful for posters and typographic concepts. | Free tier, paid plans |
| Recraft | Vector, image | Generates vector graphics and brand-consistent images, with style sets you can reuse across a project. | Free tier, paid plans |
| Meshy | 3D models | Turns text prompts or images into textured 3D models you can export to Blender, game engines and more. | Free tier, paid plans |
Channels worth your evenings
YouTube teachers we'd point a friend to, by discipline.
Blender Guru
Andrew Price's channel, home of the famous beginner donut series and clear lessons on realism and lighting.
The Futur
Brand strategy, logo design, pricing and the business side of being a designer.
School of Motion
Motion design principles, After Effects and Cinema 4D techniques, and interviews with working artists.
Flux Academy
Web design process, layout, typography and building sites in no-code tools.
Figma
Official feature walkthroughs, Config talks and tutorials on components, variables and prototyping.
DesignCourse
UI design and front-end development side by side, with frequent design critiques and live redesigns.