Get A Head

So the good news I have more freelance graphic design projects on my plate than ever before! (Thank you, LCY redesign.) The best part about this news is that I need to be on the lookout for graphics inspiration at. all. times. Like all things, one of the best places I look for inspiration is the blog world. Many of my clients are in want of a new look for their blog, so I am designing header after header. And ya know the funny thing about headers? So many look alike! How many times have you seen a geometric pattern background with the name centered on a little plaque? The obvious reason is because it looks good! But it's overdone. So I am making a conscious effort to find blog headers that branch away from the trend and really stand out. Here are a few of my personal favorites:

Rifle Paper Co.

Of course this one's beautiful. The artwork is hand-painted. But I also love how the name is off-centered and small compared to the size of the flowers. And don't get me started on typewriter fonts. I'm pretty much having a full-on affair with typewriter fonts I love them so much.

A Diary of Lovely

For me this is all about the pattern. The oversized flora and the punchy colors make this header bold, beautiful, and feminine.

Door Sixteen

I actually just realized Door Sixteen changed their header - that's how long ago I saved this one as inspiration. I love the lack of color here. So many people steer clear of black and white when it comes to graphic design; I guess they think "If I can have color, why not use it?" But the design here is so sweet, and the simple red dot over the un-slanted script font adds just enough interest.

Ramblings of a Classic Middle Child

This is embarrassing. I can't find the blog I took this from. Again, that goes to show how long ago I've been saving these. Anyway, there are a few things I really love about this header. 1. The color palette of soft blues, greens, and yellows. It reminds me of an Alicia Bock photo. 2. The texture over the photo. I haven't seen that on any other blog, and it makes the basic close-up shot look like a work of art. 3. The understated blog name. The tiny font compliments the image by balancing out the overall design. It's not even that easy to read, which makes the reader look all the more closely at it.

Sterling Style

I love this header simply because it doesn't try too hard. Here you have a photograph and a basic serif font. But they were put together so perfectly, that it works. I know when I am designing, I often have a difficult time keeping things simple. Which is crazy because that's my favorite kind of design! But for some reason it never feels like enough. Sterling Style's header is a perfect example of simple design being more than enough.

Peppermint Bliss

Yes, I'm giving myself a shout-out seeing as PB was one of my most recent projects, however all of the art direction belonged to one Miss Bailey McCarthy. The inspiration here was Ladurée meets Wes Anderson. The soft pastel pink contrasts with the bold black font and border. The header text is very in-your-face while the wallpaper background is soft, feminine, and whimsical. And the peppermint, well, that's there for Wes.