Quick Reference Guide for ADHDesigners

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QUICK Reference Guide

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esig COLOR RESOLUTION DESIGN RESOURCES KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS SIZING (FOR PRINT & WEB)

As a creative living with ADHD, I am a firm believer that this neurodivergance is both our biggest asset & greatest challenge.

ADHD means our minds have quite the knack for freely associating one thing with another – sometimes this is detrimental, like when you’re supposed to be designing a poster but the font choice reminded you of a band you like and now you’re going down a rabbit hole into their discography and – Oh, crap! You forgot to eat today! Other times, this superpower can be harnessed to open up creative possibilities that the neurotypical designer might not reach as readily.

This reference guide is designed to be a quick & accessible resource for all of those basic design things that neurotypical graphic designers likely have memorized – including standard sizing and resolutions for various project types, color modes & theory, keyboard shotcuts that will change your life, resources for inspiration and more. I created this booklet for myself and anyone like me that needs to be able to verify these things at a moment’s notice since my memory can’t be trusted, and I hope that you will find it useful as well.

By acknowledging & organizing the essential information, we free up space for our talents & creativty to shine – We can tame & harness the chaos.

“So, go back to your desk, push aside the candy bar wrappers, cran Because if you’re an Attention Deficit Designer, I believe you’ve f – Jon Winebrenner

THE QUICK REF. GUIDE FOR ADHDESIGNERS

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Blue: Calmness,Trust, Serenity, Stability, Professionalism Yellow: Happiness, Optimism, Warmth, Creativity, Attention-grabbing Green: Nature, Growth, Health, Renewal, Balance Purple: Royalty, Luxury, Mystery, Spirituality, Creativity Orange: Energy, Enthusiasm, Warmth, Playfulness, Vitality Pink: Romance, Femininity, Love, Sweetness, Youthfulness Brown: Stability, Earthiness, Reliability, Warmth, Simplicity Black: Elegance, Power, Sophistication, Mystery, Formality White: Purity, Cleanliness, Simplicity, Innocence, Space Gray: Neutrality, Balance, Professionalism, Timelessness, Conservatism Gold: Luxury, Prosperity, Prestige, Elegance, Wealth Silver: Modernity, Sleekness, Innovation, Technology, Futuristic

COLOR

Red: Energy, Passion, Love, Excitement, Aggression

This image is an example of a duotone effect, which limits the value creation to a combination of two designated colors (in this case, the orange and teal found throughout this booklet)– perfect for spot color printing without breaking the bank!

RGB / CMYK / SPOT RGB (Red, Green, Blue) An additive color model used for digital displays. It combines varying intensities of red, green, and blue light to create colors. In RGB, colors are created by adding these primary colors, with white resulting from the full combination and black from none.

CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) A subtractive color model used in color printing.It involves subtracting percentages of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink from a white background to create colors.

COLOR PSYCHOLOGY

Spot Color (Pantone or Spot Ink) A printing method using pre-mixed ink colors (e.g., Pantone) for precise and consistent results. It’s ideal for brand-ing and designs requiring exact color matching. A single ink is used to achieve vibrant and uniform colors, distinct from standard CMYK printing. This printing method is typically the most costly, and limiting distinct colors to one or two spot inks (+paper color) is recommended.

nk the tunes and find the flow. found the perfect job for yourself.”

In essence, RGB is for digital screens, CMYK is for general color printing, and spot color is for precise, consistent, and custom ink colors, often used in logo design and branding. The choice depends on the medium and specific requirements of a project.

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THE QUICK REF. GUIDE FOR ADHDESIGNERS

SIZE MATTERS AT LEAST IN DESIGN...

Standard sizes, whether for print materials like business cards, brochures, or digital media like social media images, website banners, and screen resolutions, offer consistency and predictability in design.

They help designers create content that fits seamlessly into various platforms and mediums, ensuring a harmonious visual experience for the audience. While creative freedom is essential in graphic design, the adherence to standard sizes serves as a reliable foundation that aids in effective communication and presentation of visual content across diverse media.

Remembering all of those sizes, though? For the ADHD Designer, that’s quite the challenge. The table on the right lists some of the most common sizes you will work with on a day to day basis.

When in doubt, always clarify with your client and/or printer!

Logos must be scalable to a wide range of sizes without sacrificing legibility, brand recognition, or accessability.

Design them as a vector and stress-test them at various sizes.

THE QUICK REF. GUIDE FOR ADHDESIGNERS

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FACEBOOK BANNER

800 x 312 PX

TWITTER BANNER

1500 x 500 PX

INSTAGRAM SQUARE

1080 x 1080 PX

INSTAGRAM STORY

1080 x 1920 PX

SHOW POSTER

11 x 17”

HANDBILL

4.25 x 5.5”

FLYER

8.5 x 11” TYPICALLY

SKYSCRAPER AD

120 x 600 PX

SUPER-SKYSCRAPER

160 x 600 PX

BUSINESS CARD

3.5 x 2”

BILLBOARD

VARIES

LETTERHEAD

8.5 x 11” (US)

POSTCARD

4 x 6” / 5 x 7”

FLYER

8.5 x 11” / 5.5 x 8.5”

WEB GRAPHICS

1920 x 1080 PX

BROCHURE

8.5 x 11” (BI) / 11 x 17” (TRI)

EMAIL NEWSLETTER

600 - 700 PX WIDE

DPI = DOTS PER INCH (PRINT) = PPI = PIXELS PER INCH (SCREEN)

300 DPI is the standard for high-quality print materials.

Magazines, Newspapers:

Digital Graphics

SO DOES

Print Materials

Brochures, Flyers, Business Cards:

Web Graphics: 72-96 DPI is standard for web images, but 150 DPI can be used for high-quality web graphics.

Social Media Graphics: 72-96 DPI is sufficient for most social media platforms.

150-300 DPI, depending on the publication’s quality and paper type.

Large Format Prints (Posters, Banners): 150-300 DPI for close viewing, but large billboards may use lower resolutions.

RESOLUTION 4

THE QUICK REF. GUIDE FOR ADHDESIGNERS

TIME IS MONEY

Keyboard commands are essential to the efficiency of a graphic designer’s workflow. These commands allow designers to swiftly navigate intricate design software and access crucial tools without the need to interrupt their creative flow by searching through menus and toolbars.

With a deft combination of shortcuts, designers can effortlessly switch between tools, adjust settings, and manipulate elements on the canvas, saving precious seconds that accumulate into hours of productivity over time. In the fast-paced world of graphic design, where time is of the essence, mastering keyboard commands is a cornerstone of success. There are so many that it’s impossible to memorize them all, but find your favorites and keep adding to that muscle memory to enhance your workflow over time.

Why some commands aren’t ubiquitous across the Adobe CC suite, only the evil geniuses at Adobe could tell you. Probably to torture me.

Here are some of my favorite time-saving shortcuts.

COMMON (ACROSS ADOBE SUITE)

CMD + A = SELLECT ALL CMD +/- = ZOOM IN/OUT CMD + SHIFT = SELECT MULTIPLE CMD + R = SHOW/HIDE RULERS CMD + U = SMART GUIDES ON/OFF CMD + SHIFT + S = SAVE AS / CMD + S = SAVE CMD + { = MOVE BACK / CMD + ] = MOVE FORWARD CMD + SHFT + [ = MOVE ALL THE WAY BACK CMD + SHIFT + ] = MOVE ALL THE WAY FORWARD SHIFT + CMD + , = REDUCE SELECTED TEXT SIZE SHIFT + CMD + . = INCREASE SELECTED TEXT SIZE CMD + ; = SHOW/HIDE GUIDES / OPT + CMD + ; = LOCK/UNLOCK GUIDES SHIFT + CMD + , = REDUCE SELECTED TEXT SIZE SHIFT + CMD + . = INCREASE SELECTED TEXT SIZE SHIFT + ANY ARROW KEY = MOVE SELECTED, 10X INCREMENTS (MOVE FASTER) CMD + G = GROUP SELECTED / SHIFT + CMD + G = UNGROUP SELECTED ALT + DRAW SHAPE, TEXT/CONTENT BOX, ETC. = DRAW FROM CENTER [ OR ] WHILE USING A BRUSH TOOL = DECREASE/INCREASE BRUSH SIZE HOLD SHIFT..

WHILE SCALING = SCALE PROPORTIONALLY WHILE ROTATING = ROTATE IN 45 DEGREE INCREMENTS WHILE DRAGGING OBJECT = MOVE STRAIGHT (HORIZ. OR VERTICAL)

AND WE CAN’T FORGET EVERY DESIGNER’S BFF... CMD + Z (UNDO!) THE QUICK REF. GUIDE FOR ADHDESIGNERS

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ILLUSTRATOR OPT + CMD + A = SELECT ALL ON ACTIVE ARTBOARD V = SELECTION TOOL A = DIRECT SELECTION TOOL CMD + 2 - LOCK SELECTED OPT + CMD + 2 = UNLOCK ALL I = EYEDROPPER TOOL SHIFT + CMD + P = PLACE IMAGE CMD + 3 = HIDE SELECTED SHIFT + CMD + E = APPLY LAST EFFECT SHIFT + CMD + O = CREATE TEXT OUTLINES SHIFT + M = SHAPE BUILDER TOOL X = TOGGLE BETWEEN FILL/STROKE ALT + DRAG = DUPLICATE CMD + 7 = MAKE CLIPPING MASK

INDESIGN

PHOTOSHOP

V = SELECTION TOOL A = DIRIECT SELECTION TOOL CMD + L = LOCK SELECTED ALT + CMD + L = UNLOCK ALL F = RECTANGULAR FRAME TOOL CMD + D = PLACE LINKED IMAGE SHIFT + CMD + P = ADD PAGE CMD + ARROW UP/DOWN = NEXT/LAST PAGE OPT + CMD + O = FIT SPREAD IN WINDOW OPT + CMD + W = TEXT WRAP SHIFT + W = PRESENTATION MODE

CMD + J = NEW LAYER (COPY) SHIFT + CMD + J = NEW LAYER (CUT) CMD + SHIFT + N = NEW LAYER (CREATE) CMD + I = INVERT LAYER MASK TAB = TOGGLE VIEW MODE SHIFT + CMD + I = INVERT SELECTION SHIFT + (+ PLUS) OR (- MINUS) = CYCLE THROUGH BLEND MODES ALL NUMBER KEYS 1-0 = CHANGE OPACITY (1 = 10%, 0 = 100%) CMD + M = MARQUEE TOOL C = CROP TOOL CMD + E = MERGE SELECTED LAYERS

“Every new idea is just a mashup or a remix of one or more previous ideas.”

- Austin Kleon, ‘Steal Like An Artist’

FREE DESIGN RESOURCES FOR...

Inspiration

Typography

photos & illustrations

curated design inspo

filter by ‘100% free’

high-res photography

collect what inspires you

ai-powered font pairing

mix-&-match illustrations of people

ui/ux design inspo

fonts & pairing

Imagery

DRIBBBLE

PIXABAY

PINTEREST

UNSPLASH

NICELYDONE

HUMAANS

TYPEWOLF

BLUSH

what’s trending in type

UNDRAW

curated color combos

DUO

customizable illustrations open-source illustrations

SHOTSNAPP device mock-ups

FEATHER ICONS

LOGOLAB

open-source icons

DAFONT

FONTJOY

FONTPAIR TYP.IO

popular font pairings

GOOGLE FONTS open-source fonts

Misc.

stress-test your logos

DESIGNER MILL

THE ADHD ARTIST PODCAST

Life, art, superpowers, &... wait what was I saying?!

Hosted by Sarah Gise, your fellow ADHD artist.

BUT FREE IS BETTER collection of freebies in all categories

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THE QUICK REF. GUIDE FOR ADHDESIGNERS

ADHD IS YOUR SUPERPOWER

GO FORTH & CREATE