You'll find many different topics on this site essential to ensure you design and thrive.

However, some articles are more read than others. Here is a list of the most widely read articles on this site.

Learn from a diverse range of content pages on:

• Promotion: Learn ideas for promoting yourself and your business and putting to work marketing and advertising principles in your design.
• Design: Learn the basics of design, designing for the global community, and how to design for print, the web, and multimedia.
• Production: You'll learn the strategies and techniques to quickly and efficiently get your designs done! We'll cover the latest software, pre-press and printing information.
• Management: Design isn't enough. You must learn how to manage your time, clients, and your business in order to be in-demand and well rewarded.

Here is a list of our readers' favorite articles:

1. Design & Thrive Video Tour
   Learn how Design & Thrive can help you master the four major areas of your design life (and how we've broken these down even further). Watch and see how we'll teach you all the right and left brain resources to help you promote, design, produce, and manage your way to graphic design success. . . . READ ON >
   
   
2. What's a font? A typeface? And is there a difference?
   Nowadays, we never think about it much, but is there a difference when you say "what font is that?" and "what typeface is that?" Or are the 2 terms interchangeable? Find out why there still is a difference today between the words "font" and "typeface" and when to use which term. . . . READ ON >
   
   
3. Lay out your office BEFORE you go to the store! Use my grid to avoid any hassles!
   It always starts with a plan. Just as graphic designers often use a grid to help plan out their layout, then you should also use a grid to plan out your office. Download this file and follow the step-by-step instructions to start designing your office. . . . READ ON >
   
   
4. Working With Type
   by Maria G. Nozza
   How do we decide what typeface to use? In this article, I examine the topic of typeface selection and all the nuances in type: styles, combining type, and what type is appropriate and when. . . . READ ON >
   
   
5. Playing it safe: How to avoid problems when specifying colors on the web
   Examine the 3 ways of specifying web colors in your HTML and CSS. Learn all about hexademinal code, decimal code and color names. Use the web-safe 216 colors that have been used since the birth of the web. And exactly how many colors are in the RGB spectrum? . . . READ ON >
   
   
6. Typography Glossary
   Typography is a field of its own with lots of terms and definitions to remember. To make things easier, I've created a glossary of all typographic terms and their definitions. Use it to look up terms, as a refresher, or a when you need the right word. This is continuously updated and will also include pictures where appropriate. . . . READ ON >
   
   
7. Web colors that are supported by ALL browsers
   When designing for the web, there are a couple of ways of specifying color. If you prefer using colors by their names or RGB values in your HTML or CSS, have I got a list for you! Here are the 150 color names (by X11) that are currently supported by all major cross-browsers. . . . READ ON >
   
   
8. Surviving business slumps — relatively unscathed!
   Inevitably, there will be times when business is slower. Factors affecting this can be upcoming holidays, vacations, seasonal changes, or some unforeseen event. How you handle this time speaks volumes of your success in business. Here are strategies for overcoming and making the most of down times and getting ready for the upturn in business. . . . READ ON >
   
   
9. Punctuation and symbols on the web
   Good typography isn't something that is clearly seen but bad typography is immediately "spot-able". You can create all typography you do for print for the web. Don't look like an amateur, keep your professional edge -- online. You can bring professional typography to the web. . . . READ ON >
   
   
10. Anatomy of Type
    A picture is worth a thousand words. Sometimes, it's easier to show a term than it is to explain it, especially with typography. It is essential for good communication to know when to use what terminology for type. Here's an illustrated guide to the most common terms in dealing with type: measurements & guides, stroke and endings. . . . READ ON >
    
    
11. Is technology too much of a "good thing"?
    Has the advent of technology replaced the fundamental principles in graphic design? Design is supposed to complement your copy and support it. Good design will lead your audience through your piece. It should make it effortless for them to do so. But, it doesn't always work that way. Let's explore the changes technology has made in design. . . . READ ON >
    
    
12. Laying out your office for maximum productivity
    Your home office can be as basic or extravagant as you want it to be. The way you lay out your office will determine how productive you will be. The key is to customize it and tailor it to the way you work. Your office has to be laid out in such a fashion that everything is at your fingertips and you can concentrate on your work and not on ruffling through papers looking for something or having to walk across the office to your printer. It must be accessible, a place you enjoy and feel comfortable, but it must also enable you to be efficient. . . . READ ON >
    
    
13. Out of whack? Here are tips and tricks for restoring balance to your home life AND your business life
    Having a home-based business, I can get up when I want, wear what I want, there's no commute, no gas bills, no office politics, and I can decide what to do and when to do it. But, the line between work and home quickly becomes blurred. Find out how to balance the two. . . . READ ON >
    
    
14. How to choose the right software for your needs and stay legal
    Deciding what software to buy for your business can be a daunting task and probably the most expensive purchase you'll make. Sometimes, the software costs as much as the computer itself! Although it can seem like it's expensive, the cost of software, in the grand scheme of things is really minimal. Let me show you ways to save money when buying software and tell-tale signs when a software isn't legal! . . . READ ON >
    
    
15. Writing special characters of the Latin alphabet on the web
    French and Spanish have special characters and punctuation that are needed when writing in those languages. There is no reason that you cannot create all those special characters needed in Latin-based languages (such as French and Spanish) for the web. Here are the codes you'll need. . . . READ ON >
    
    
16. Need Greek? Adding any Greek characters to your website
    Need Greek characters? Sites that have some Math, Statistics and Engineering notations, all use Greek Characters. If you need any Greek characters for your website, the quick and easiest way to do it, is through your HTML. Here's a comprehensive list with the codes needed. . . . READ ON >
    
    
17. Creating technical or mathematical characters on the web
    What would you do if you had to create a mathematical symbol or heck, even a fraction? HTML is a capable of including technical and mathematical characters and symbols. These include: math functions, fractions, operators, symbols, arrows, and lines. Here's my list and how to create them in your HTML. . . . READ ON >
    
    
18. Buying the right web design software
    In this day and age, there's no getting around it: chances are you are eventually going to need to create or modify a web page. It does not matter if you are a print designer: you may one day need to make changes to your site or a client's. Really, there's no getting around it. Let's go through what web design software is out there and choosing the best one to suit your needs and skill set. . . . READ ON >
    
    
19. "Special characters" in your design life
    With the advent of the computer you are no longer limited to the alphabet, numbers, some punctuation, and a few other characters. Suddenly you have en and em dashes, ellipsis, accents, and symbols at your disposal. Learn the most common special characters that you will be using regularly, and how to create them on your computer (Mac & PC). . . . READ ON >
    
    
20. Joy of Templates
    Learn why using templates to establish a brand can save you money and time. A template is a master document that is used as a blueprint for creating your publication. By using templates, all that is left for you to do is to add your message. An efficient solution is to have specially designed templates that reinforces your brand and can be easily modified. . . . READ ON >
    
    

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