Back in December, our Principal + Founder Hayley Nichols sent a letter to Allovus employees. It read: “This has been a roller coaster of a year. Many small businesses are suffering right now. Thankfully, Allovus has been able to weather the storm, and we are ending the year in a healthy position to propel us … Continue reading
Category Archives: creative juice
Building your interview skills
Getting ready for your next interview can be daunting—especially if you haven’t had a lot of practice. Each job you’re interviewing for has a unique set of skills and experience required. So, how do you give yourself the best chance for success? How do you prepare yourself for the next interview? We talked with Jessi … Continue reading
Career transitions
Career transitions are hard. The decision to leave the comfort of your career, job, colleagues, and work that you know can be challenging, and well, downright scary. We were intrigued when we read one of our newest team member’s post in Medium about her career transition from digital marketing to UX research. Vicki Lim’s article … Continue reading
Storyboarding + illustrations: an Allovus case study
Since the inception of storyboarding in the animation world, this graphic representation of how the story will unfold has been invaluable to the behind-the-scenes process. But storyboarding is not just for video or film. In UX, storyboards can be used as a tool to visually predict and explore a user’s interaction with a product. Storyboards … Continue reading
Illustration styles + trends
Whether your art is hanging in a gallery or you’re trying to convey a message to users through UX design, you are doing what all artists and designers do. You’re telling a story. As an illustrator or visual designer, your role as a storyteller is part of the process—whether at the beginning of a project, … Continue reading
Allovus Thanksgiving
Well, 2020 has been… a year. But despite all that’s happened since February, we recognize that there is always room for gratitude. We asked our Allovus family what they are thankful for, and we received some lovely and heartwarming responses. Read on for the warm and fuzzies. I’m very thankful for this ball of love, … Continue reading
Simplifi: an Allovus collaboration
When Allovus Studios first met with Quicken in the fall of 2019, the company was looking for design partners to help them update their user workflows and branding experience for their product Simplifi. Simplifi is an app which helps users reach their money goals with confidence. We first began our work with Simplify with a … Continue reading
Mike LaJoie: an iconic career in icons
Allovus has a reputation for its high quality, experienced icon designers. And Mike LaJoie embodies both of those adjectives. He is the ultimate professional when it comes to icon design, managing icon teams and systems, and keeping his eye on the entire icon creation process. We sat down with Mike to learn more about his … Continue reading
Spooky Halloween art
Since there won’t likely be Halloween parties or trick-or-treating this year, Halloween doesn’t seem like it’ll be much fun. But if you’re feeling the need for some creepy creative work, why not try some of these spooky Photoshop tutorials? Now you have the opportunity to make 2020 even scarier than it already is! Tentacle Queen … Continue reading
Icons: an Allovus case study
When Allovus started 12 years ago, we were a tiny company of about 6 individuals. Our focus back then was icons. Even though we focus heavily on UX careers today, we are still a force to be reckoned with when it comes to icon design! The Allovus Studios team takes on projects big and small, … Continue reading
The history of icons
Icons have been around a long, long time. From ancient petroglyphs and hieroglyphs to the modern tech world, icons have always held a place of importance in our lives. Why is that? Because symbols can break through language barriers and can convey information immediately without using up so much visual real estate. Allovus Studios Director … Continue reading
All things icon
If there’s anyone who knows icons like the back of their hand, it’s David Hose. David has been designing and producing icons since 1997. His first job out of college was designing icons for Microsoft BackOffice. Since then, he’s been deeply immersed in all things icon and has played many different roles in their creation. … Continue reading
Color trends for fall 2020
As much as we want to hold onto summer, autumn is fast approaching. Using trend-worthy colors in your designs can keep your clients’ products and apps looking fresh and current. Colors for websites, print, and UI design often follow the fashion industry, and what better organization to look to for ideas than Pantone? For this … Continue reading
How you can help
The effects of racial injustice are ongoing in our society. It’s important for us to reflect on what each of us can do to help make things right. How can we be a good ally and actively fight racism? Listed below are some courses of action you can take to help. Places to Donate: Seattle … Continue reading
UX resources
Need inspiration before you start a new UX project? It’s always a good idea to take a look at what other companies are doing and to keep up with current trends. In this video, CEO and Product Strategist Jonathan Courtney from AJ & Smart shares his 3 favorite free resources for UX inspiration. “These UX … Continue reading