I’ve recently had the privilege to contribute to two amazing resources this week – Derwent Pencils and Graphic Design Blender.

Derwent Pencils

Derwent Pencils asked me to write an article on how I use sketching to develop ideas for my design work. Sketching isn’t optional for me as a designer, it’s essential. I can’t go straight to digital at the start of a project, I always start off with some browser templates or Moleskine (and a few Derwent pencils!)

Sketching kick-starts my creativity and allows me to get ideas out on paper and is the fastest way to brainstorm and convey as many ideas as possible with the least amount of effort.

Head on over and read the entire post

Graphic Design Blender

On the Graphic Design Blender, I was asked to contribute to an article on giving advice to new Freelancers.

I concentrated on an often overlooked area of freelancing – finances. To any freelance newcomer I would say first and foremost you need to think realistically about costs, such as equipment, software, insurance, premises, tax, the list goes on. You also need to think about your potential earnings and ask yourself ‘what do I need to survive on?’ Being honest and realistic about your financial requirements is important.

Head on over and read the entire post.

My latest article contributions… is a post from: Hi, I'm Grace Smith

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I’d love it if you could go over and check out the new site. Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up to date with all the news from the new blog and follow on Twitter.

Read a behind the scenes into how it was redesigned.

My Portfolio Site Redesigned & Relaunched is a post from: Hi, I'm Grace Smith

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1. 36+ Resources To Craft The Perfect Portfolio

Sc.ripted.com is is an archive of curated links of creative interest updated on a daily basis.

I tweet interesting articles and resources on a daily basis on Twitter, and not just the usual links that are retweeted to death or that most people will have already found (from the larger sites). I know this is a large reason as to why so many people follow me.

However I’ve never taken the time to archive or keep note of these finds (I stopped using Delicious some time ago). I felt it could be very beneficial to create a way to share these links with people without relying on them following me in real-time. This is why (the new) sc.ripted.com was born.

I’ve had the domain for over a year, originally it was bought to be the hub of my website network, but in reality it just lay dormant once I had installed WordPress, installed a simple theme and added some initial content. I love the domain and decided to revitalise the site for something much more useful.

On Tumblr

Quite a few people on Twitter questioned my move from WordPress to Tumblr, but it’s rather unfair to dismiss the platform without acknowledging it’s strengths. For Sc.ripted.com I wanted a site that required no back end maintenance and could be updated in just a few seconds. I’ve used Tumblr before and always loved it’s simplicity and features, so it was my first choice when it came to choosing a platform. I also love the community that surrounds Tumblr.

There are now over 100 posts linking to a variety of awesome creative links and resources, so now is the time to make Sc.ripted one of your go to destinations for inspiration.

How To Follow

Website: http://sc.ripted.com
Twitter: @5cripted

I’d love to hear your feedback and suggestions for the site, so please get in touch via the comments below!

Announcing My New Project – Sc.ripted.com is a post from: Hi, I'm Grace Smith

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As 2010 is now behind us, it’s time to look back on a memorable year in this blog’s short life. This is a hand-picked collection of the best (and most popular) articles over the past year.

X. Nine Dribbble Invites To Win – Get Drafted!

Dribbble invites are like gold dust. I had been a member for several months and only just got my first two invites this particular week. Several friends also offered up invites and this proved to be my most commented post of 2010 with over 169 comments!

VIIII. How To Attract Quality Freelance Clients

One of a series of special posts where I answered readers questions. This post dealt with a question about how to attract a better quality of clients, which is important for any freelancer, as by addressing how to attract a higher quality of clientele you can significantly reduce the number of ‘problematic’ clients in the future.

VIII. Mac OSX Productivity Series: Part One & Part Two

A two part in-depth series which showed how you can get the best out of both the in-built features and the applications available in OS X, to take your productivity to the next level. Part One gets inside QuickSilver and Spotlight before part two discusses Applications and Spaces.

VII. 50 Things You Didn’t Know About Me

I compiled 50 funny, shocking and downright mad facts about myself that I hoped would inspire others to share something about themselves in the comments to break down the barrier between blog author and reader.

VI. 10 Blogs Every Freelancer Wish Existed

We all have our favorite Freelance blogs which consistently produce quality, insightful content. However in an alternate reality what if an entirely different set of freelancing blogs existed. With tongue firmly in cheek, I presented a humorous look at the top 10 blogs every freelancer would like to exist.

V. The Benefits Of Sketching As A Designer

In order to gain a thorough understanding of how beneficial the process of sketching can be, I asked a small selection of talented designers and illustrators to share their process, advice and tips.

IV. An In-Depth Look At My Wireframing Process

I decided to expand on my points in a Mashable article I had contributed to and write an in depth walkthrough of my wireframing process. I personally believe it’s one of the most important stages in the design process as it allows for rapid prototyping and helps me pinpoint any potential problems.

III. What Cheap Web Design Really Looks Like

Following on from my in-depth look at Why Web Design Doesn’t Cost £40 (the previous week), I wanted to get more of an insight into what ‘cheap web design’ actually looks like. So what could you potentially get for that £40? It’s time to find out….

II. Why Web Design Doesn’t Cost £40

Detailing my experience after receiving an email from a local business asking to discuss creating a website for them. The email was very polite and professional until half way through the email I read this: “I was chatting to a lad who can do it for £40…”

I. How To Say No To Spec Work Requests

My most popular post of 2010 details the encounter I had with a very respectable firm who asked me to ‘do a couple of mock pages for their site so that he could see my ideas and vision’, they would then choose the best one from the 3 designers they asked to do this. The Spec Work Email Template is my most successful download on the site ever.

If you have a particular favorite, let me know in the comments below.
Image Credit.

Rundown Of The Best Articles of 2010 is a post from: Hi, I'm Grace Smith

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Here’s To A Great Christmas! is a post from: Hi, I'm Grace Smith

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The response to the Dribbble invite giveaway was overwhelmingly positive with 169 entries! It was far and above my expectations and I have to thank all of those who contributed invites, including; John O’Nolan, Ryan Downie, Chris Gibbons, Paul Stanton and Emma Taylor.

Each entry was checked thoroughly and after several hours, a decision was made. Without further ado, the following are the lucky recipients of one Dribble invite each:

1. Craig Richardson
2. Jeremie (Evasion)
3. Sorel Mihai
4. Jan Cavan
5. Gary Aston
6. Andrea Austoni
7. Martin Boath
8. Zsolt Jakab
9. Marc Thomas

I will be in touch with all the winners within the next 24 hours with details on the signup process.

A huge thanks to everyone who took the time to enter….I’m only sorry I don’t have 169 invites to give each and every one of you!

I hope to organise another giveaway once I have more invites so please subscribe to make sure you don’t miss out on the next chance to get drafted.

Nine Dribbble Invite Winners Announced! is a post from: Hi, I'm Grace Smith

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You’re here for the invites…right? Well there’s no need for me to explain what Dribbble is in much depth, as most of you know it’s a pretty rad community where you post sneak peaks of what you’re currently working on, in the form of 400 x 300 px images. The quality of work is exceptional and the chance to interact, critique and inspire is second to none.

Dribbble invites are like gold dust. I’ve been a member for several months and only just got my first two invites this week. While I can think of several people who I could give these to immediately, I wanted to open this up to a wider audience.

In the world of Dribbble who you draft is a big deal. No one wants to draft the guy who uploads pictures of his cat, so I’m going to be pretty picky as to who scores these invites. I’m held responsible for the quality of work being uploaded by someone I draft so I’m taking the selection process seriously.

The über cool John O’Nolan has also kindly donated one Dribbble invite, bringing the total to three. So if you want drafted, make sure you follow the instructions below.

How To Enter

1. Leave a comment below with a few words of the type or style of work you would be uploading.
2. Post a link to your favourite bit of artwork you’ve produced.

Deadline

The deadline to enter is 1pm (UK) on Thursday 5th August, comments will then be closed.

On Friday 6th August I will announce the three winners on this blog post and Twitter. Good luck to all!

EDIT: The super kind Ryan Downie, Chris Gibbons and Paul Stanton have also now donated an invite, while the lovely Emma Taylor has donated THREE invites. Taking the total to Nine invites to win!

Nine Dribbble Invites To Win – Get Drafted! is a post from: Hi, I'm Grace Smith

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Earlier this week I published my Top 20 Essential Apps for the iPhone, however no iPhone is complete without a variety of weird and wonderful games to pass the time. From first person shooters to puzzles and role-playing games, the iTunes store has them all.

I’ve always been a ‘gamer’ and am probably guilty of spending a little too much time on some of the apps below.

Without further ado, here are the games that I’ve come to love, thus far:

• 1. Angry Birds

Is there anyone with an iPhone that doesn’t own this?! Easily one of the most addictive games available, at times you really will get angry with those birds!

• 2. DoodleJump

This is another game I find it hard to put down. Switching between some of the cool themes available, it will have you playing for hours to get a higher and higher score.

• 3. Canabalt

It’s as simple as tapping the screen to jump, but this game is just heart bursting, dark and intense in it’s gameplay. It also has my favorite in-game music.

• 4. Minigore

I’m the first to admit, I suck at this game, but it doesn’t stop me from wasting too much time trying to unlock all the gore’s!

• 5. Guitar Hero

The interface feels both responsive and efficient and for the money, I think it’s the best music game of it’s nature available.

• 6. Need For Speed Shift

I love racing games, always have and NFS is without doubt my favorite game of this type. I previously bought Undercover and would also highly recommend it.

• 7. Rally Master

Another racing game, though this one is actually much more difficult. It does take time to master this game, which makes it highly addictive and enjoyable.

• 8. Talking Carl

My nephew gives this the thumbs up as it’s the one app he always ask to play! Carl is cute as a button and you’ll soon find yourself finding weird and wonderful things for him to say!

• 9. Hungry Shark

This is a cute, fun and simple game that’s pretty hard to put down, the deeper you go into the game, the better it gets.

• 10. Warships

It’s a simple, pick-up game that is a new twist on the classic game. I especially like the ability to play with other players via bluetooth. It’s a must get free app.

• 11. Fling

A unique puzzle game that I really get a kick out of. It’s not as easy as it looks, and once you get into the higher levels, you really do have to plan your way through those little furballs!

• 12. Flick Kick Football

As some of you may know, I’m a bit of footie fan. This is a highly addictive game which really delivers with the highly sensitive controls.

• 13. Fruit Ninja

Silly concept, great game! Who would have thought slicing and dicing fruit could be so enjoyable. I’m pretty rubbish at this game, but that doesn’t stop me from trying.

• 14. Words With Friends

Probably the best multi-player game (IMO) for the iPhone that you can find yourself playing for hours. A great gaming experience that actually feels educational.

• 15. Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars

I’ve been a GTA fan for many years and just had to buy Chinatown Wars when it was released. The controls could be better, but overall it delivers as most RockStar games do.

• 16. Amateur Surgeon

It hasn’t been updated for some time, but I still find this game entertaining (if a little gruesome). The controls can be difficult to master though.

• 17. N.O.V.A

Pretty much like playing Halo on the iPhone, this is an excellent first person shooter. Although it may be slightly too easy for any of you hardcore gamers!

• 18. Helsing’s Fire

This is no ordinary puzzle game, it’s a lot more exciting, colorful and unique. It’s an original game that features puzzle, action and a fun story at a low price.

• 19. Eboy FixPix

This has got to be one the easiest ‘games’ available, however I actually bought it not for the game, but to have the amazing pixel images as my wallpaper!

• 20. Ace Attorney

The storylines are weird, the characters even weirder and the endless dialogue can be annoying, but I love it because it forces you to think over every single detail.

Do you have any games you could recommend? If so please leave a comment below, I would love to discover some new apps!

20 Fantastically Addictive iPhone Games I Love is a post from: Hi, I'm Grace Smith

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After my contract finished recently I decided it was the right time to upgrade and decided to go for a lovely White 32GB 3Gs and skip ‘antennagate’ iPhone 4!

The best thing about the iPhone is of course – the apps. However with hundreds of thousands of apps to choose from, it gets pretty difficult to find the ones that will suit my needs.

Without further ado, here are the apps that I’ve found essential, thus far:

• 1. Twitter

It’s been my pick of the Twitter apps both on my mac and iPod Touch since it was released and it’s just as efficient on the iPhone.

• 2. 1Password

Perfect for secure mobile browsing, as it saves my web usernames and passwords, has a browser built-in and syncs with 1Password on my Mac.

• 3. WordPress

This is an essential app for any blog owner, it allows me to moderate, edit, or reply to comments as well as easily composing posts.

• 4. Flickr

As a passionate amateur photographer, Flickr is a site I visit pretty much everyday. The ability to post straight to Twitter is pretty fly.

• 5. Reeder

I’ve tried many RSS readers on the iPhone and iPod Touch, but Reeder is the best of them all. It’s elegant, minimal interface is stunning.

• 6. Ego

I’ve been using Ego since it was released, it gives me one central—and lovely—location to check web statistics and RSS numbers.

• 7. TaskPaper

The ultimate in Task Lists (IMO), this syncs perfectly with my Mac version and provides a beautiful and unobtrusive interface.

• 8. Dropbox

Allows me to access my Dropbox files on the go with the ability to view files offline and share links. This is another essential app as it syncs with my iMac.

• 9. Fring

Free video calls, calls, live chat and IM make Fring one of my most useful apps, especially as it centralises all of my networks in one place.

• 10. NTRConnect Viewer

This is perfect for when I need to reach files that are on my office iMac, I can easily move items into my Dropbox folder and then retrieve them on my iPhone.

• 11. The Guardian

This gives me my daily fix of news with the latest stories, galleries and audio from a respected Newspaper.

• 12. AroundMe

An indispensable app that allows me to quickly find out info on the facilities close to my location.

• 13. PayPal Manager

As a small business owner who uses PayPal for nearly all transactions, this is an extremely useful app for quick management of my account.

• 14. FTP On The Go

You wouldn’t think you would have much need for an FTP client on the iPhone, but i use this quite often. I can edit files directly on the server, with a handy built-in browser.

• 15. iStat

This nifty app lets me monitor all the vital statistics on my Mac including CPU, fans, memory, disks, uptime and more.

• 16. Downloads

This is a recent app I’ve discovered, it acts as a fully featured download manager and basically allows me to access the iPhones file system, which is invaluable.

• 17. Analytics

Gives me instant, mobile access to Google Analytics with detailed reports at a glance and support for multiple accounts and sites.

• 18. Instapaper

Essential for anybody that works on the web, this lets me save web pages for offline or later reading.

• 19. Pastebot

This is a powerful clipboard manager that stores text & images copied from my iphone and much much more.

• 20. Stanza

A wonderful app that I use to read e-books, but also allows me to drag and drop PDF’s into the File Sharing section in iTunes.

It wouldn’t be a proper list without a bonus:

• 21. Google Mobile

I love the search by voice function, but find the links to other Google apps like Calender and Docs to be extremely useful.

So after one month’s use, those are my favorite iPhone apps so far. Do you have any particular apps you could recommend? Then please leave a comment and share your picks.

Don’t forget to check back on Wednesday for my Top 20 iPhone Games!

20 Essential iPhone Apps I Can’t Live Without is a post from: Hi, I'm Grace Smith

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My first three articles have recently been published:

• 10 Free Wireframing Tools for Designers
• 10 Beautiful Social Media Infographics
• Top 10 Beautiful Minimalist Icon Sets

I’m currently working on several more articles for the series and having a blast working with the super talented (and crazy nice) team at Mashable. This also explains why I’ve been slightly quiet posting here on my blog.

I’d love if you could check out the articles as they are published and perhaps give them a little help in your chosen social networks. Of course any feedback on the articles is also appreciated, so feel free to drop a comment here.

On Becoming A Mashable Contributor is a post from: Hi, I'm Grace Smith

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