Blog · 28 articles
Blog
Design, 3D, AI and running a creative business. Written by Raf.
Latest · 8 September 2026 · 4 min read
The Future of Social Media: How AI, Sora 2 & Intellectual Property Will Change The Landscape
What Sora 2 and AI video mean for brands: why footage no longer proves anything, who owns the IP, and why a mascot may be worth building.
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Transform Your Hospitality Business with Effective Branding: A Comprehensive Guide From B&Bs to resorts: how your logo, brand voice, printed materials and online presence shape how much guests trust your business. 
Mastering the Art of Poster Design: Expert Photoshop Tips for a Polished Finish The finishing touches that pull a poster together in Photoshop: blending modes for unified colour, plus grain, blur, sharpening and texture. 
The 10 Steps of Unshakable Discipline Why discipline outlasts motivation, and the habits that build it: clear goals, routines, small wins, accountability and fewer distractions. 
Mastering the Art of Time Management: Unlock Your Creative Potential Map your day to the minute, then use Notion, TeamGantt, the Pomodoro technique and the Eisenhower box to protect time for creative work. 
Turbo Charge Your Learning: 3 Pillars of Success Copy, learn, create: a three-step way to get better at any creative skill, borrowed from the way musicians train. 
The Ultimate Guide to Building Your Online Design Portfolio on a Budget How to build an online design portfolio for little or no money: free platforms, six strong projects, and the process behind each one. 
The Ultimate Guide to Consistent Styles with Midjourney AI Prompting Using Midjourney's style references, style weights and image weights to keep a consistent look across your AI images, with a worked example. 
Mastering the Illustrator Pencil Tool: A Creative's Guide Settings, shortcuts and best uses for Illustrator's pencil tool, from customising type to drawing on a Wacom tablet or iPad. 
How to Connect with the Design Community: Networking Tips for Students For design students: practical ways to build a network through events, social media, mentors and giving back to the design community. 
The 5 Ways To Boost Your Creativity As An Artist Five ways out of a creative rut: try new media, take proper breaks, work with other creatives, set yourself challenges and look after yourself. 
Dreaming of a Career in Art and Design? These 10 UK Universities Will Help You Achieve Your Goals! Choosing an art school: a rundown of leading UK art and design universities, Cardiff Met included, with the pros and cons of each city. 
The 7 Rules Of Typography Double the point size, skip a weight, align left when in doubt: seven simple type rules that tidy up any layout. 
6 Key Factors For Improving Your Logo Design Research, simplicity, versatility, negative space, scalability and balance: six things to check before you sign off a logo. 
Colour Matters: How To Choose The Right Palette For Your Brand How to pick a brand colour palette with colour theory and psychology, then test it and keep it consistent across all your materials. 
The 10 Essential Elements Of A Professional Brand Guideline (You're Probably Missing #7!) The ten sections a professional brand guideline needs, from logo versions and clear space to tone of voice, plus tips on presenting it to clients. 
5 Tips For Choosing The Perfect Brand Name A five-step process for naming a brand: research, keep it short, make it distinctive, check the legal side, then test it on your audience. 
The Ultimate Guide to Technical Skills in Poster Design: From Software to Printing The technical side of poster design: the software and free resources to use, how to set up your file, and getting it printed properly. 
5 Secrets To Mastering Poster Design: The Ultimate Guide To Composition The rule of thirds, the golden ratio, focal points and visual hierarchy: the composition basics that make a poster work. 
5 Must-Read Design Books for Every Designer's Library From Don Norman's The Design of Everyday Things to Steve Krug's Don't Make Me Think, five books every designer should read. 
7 Secrets Improve Your 3D Renders In Photoshop Seven Photoshop post-production tricks I use on 3D renders, from hiding texture seams to adding depth of field, bloom and a colour grade. 
The 5 Tips To Painting Clouds In Photoshop Paint convincing clouds in Photoshop by building up shape, shadow, highlights and reflected light, with a free cloud brush to try. 
7 Steps On How To Improve 3D Renders Bevel every edge, model the details, work to scale: seven habits that make 3D renders look real, whatever software you use. 
The 5 Secrets To Instantly Improve Your Poster Design Learn the rules, keep it simple, get the hierarchy right, then break the rules and add texture (free poster textures included). 
The 7 Steps To Instantly Improve Your Artwork Tell a story, shade along the form, swap pure black for dark colour: seven painting principles that lift your artwork straight away. 
The 5 Step Guide To Improving Your Sketching Think in shapes, vary your line weight and keep practising: my five-part guide to better design sketching, with a free digital brush. 
How Outdated Logos Can Cost You Millions In Opportunity Cost What makes a logo look dated, what opportunity cost means, and a worked example of the revenue an old logo could be costing you. 
What Is 3D Render & How It Can 3X Your Business What a 3D render is, and how builders, product businesses and marketers can use renders to win work, test ideas and cut shoot costs. Newsletter
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