5 tools I use to stay inspired.

I've been designing for over a decade, my work is a combination of self-taught and formal instruction. One thing that stays consistent in my work is the constant change and innovation in design. When building a brand I have established some go-to tools that I use with almost every project.

1. PINTEREST

Pinterest can be your best friend when brainstorming a new project. Create private boards of color palettes, typography, textures, graphics and photographs to help inspire any project. Also consider using the platform to collaborate with clients and partners in a fun, non-threatening way.

2. ADOBE FONTS

Adobe Fonts is a useful tool when trying to find the right license-free font for your design project. Adobe Fonts is included for free with all Adobe Creative Cloud plans and offers thousands of fonts.

Alternative: Google Fonts

3. PEXELS

If you are looking for high-res stock images and videos, check out Pexels. All content is royalty-free. There is an option to donate to the contributing photographer, and they have a growing selection of images of Black professionals, creatives, families with natural hair.

Alternatives: Unsplash; Pixabay

4. SKILLSHARE

I consider myself a student of life, so if there is something I don't know, or a skill I need to refresh, Skillshare is one of my go-to resources for anything business, content creation or design-related.

Alternatives: CreativeLive

5. COOLORS

If you like to play around with colors, Coolors is the place for you. I spend hours just creating color palettes. Create and save palettes using their generator tool.