Hi First name / friend, Welcome to The Friday Finisher! We’ve had quite a few new faces join this week, so a big hello to all of you. If you missed it, I launched a brand new, completely free short video course this week, and it seems like you’re all really enjoying it! Watch it here if you missed it. The course is a step-by-step guide on creating animations using Firefly. As someone who’s not naturally comfortable with motion, this tool has been a game-changer for bringing my ideas to life. I hope you enjoy it and feel free to send over any feedback!
For those new here, welcome! This newsletter is your go-to spot for everything design-related I discover each week. From branding insights and design assets to news articles, videos, podcasts, and more, think of it as your Friday treat to wrap up the week and stay in the loop.
Shall we get into it? |
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A Fresh Identity for QR Tech
Koto Studio (seriously my favourite design agency right now) partnered with Uniqode (formerly Beaconstac), a leading enterprise QR code platform, to redefine its brand strategy and identity. The rebrand positions Uniqode as a secure, scalable, and customer-first solution, tailored for major clients like Amazon, Hilton, and Nestlé. It highlights the platform’s ability to connect businesses and audiences through smart, intuitive QR code experiences.
At the heart of the identity is the concept of “stitching,” a metaphor for linking physical and digital worlds. This idea comes to life through a custom typeface: Uniqode Sans, which carries across photography, iconography, and illustration. The new visual system adds a sense of polish and cohesion across all brand touchpoints, from web to marketing. QR codes can be seen as a bit boring, so to see this branding project excite me, I see it as a job well done. |
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Beyond Still: The Future of Branding
I’ve noticed more and more recently job postings and freelance opportunities are asking for graphic designers who can also work with motion. Sure, you could argue that graphic design and motion design are separate roles—but that’s a debate for another day. The reality is, the demand for motion skills is growing fast, and it's becoming an expected part of the modern designer’s toolkit.
Creative Boom’s article, Why Motion is the Future of Brand Identity, backs this up. It explores how animation is now essential in today’s digital-first branding—bringing energy, depth, and memorability to visual identities. Motion helps brands stand out and form deeper connections with their audiences.
This article also comes at the perfect time. As mentioned above, I just shared my free course on creating motion graphics with Adobe Firefly, so if you’ve been thinking about adding motion to your design skillset, there hasn’t been a better time to start. Motion is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s becoming a must, unfortunately or fortunately, depending on what side you're on. |
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Photography in Design Trend Report Stills' 2025 Photography in Design Trend Report spotlights a shift toward authenticity and texture in visual storytelling. Brands are moving away from overly polished imagery in favour of candid, unfiltered moments that feel more human and relatable. This trend is especially strong in lifestyle and fashion, where the focus is on capturing real experiences rather than just showcasing products.
The report also highlights a resurgence of abstract and textural imagery. Designers are using depth and tactile elements to balance the clean, digital aesthetic with a more grounded, sensory feel. If you're a designer that works with imagery a lot, this report is worth taking a look through. |
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Draw Your Own Fonts Fontself is an intuitive app designed for both experienced designers and beginners, allowing you to easily create custom fonts without the complexity of traditional font design tools. It’s a great fit for non-type professionals who are curious about experimenting with typography. The app enables you to draw letterforms and convert them into fully functional fonts, all within the familiar environments of Illustrator, Photoshop on your desktop or your iPad.
I’ve been exploring it myself since I got an iPad a few months back and it’s been such a fun experience! The best part is that it’s a one-off price, no subscription, which is always a plus. I’m really excited to share some of my creations from the app soon.
If you want a way to dive into font design, this handy little app might be what you've always been looking for. |
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Mastering Kerning in Simple Terms Kerning can be a daunting concept for many designers, trust me, I’ve had my own moments of worry, thinking my spacing might be off and that the typography experts will call me out for it.
But Heyadamdesign on Instagram has made a fantastic, easy-to-understand video that breaks down the simple rules of kerning when working with different letters. It’s a great resource that takes the guesswork out of it. I highly recommend checking out the full video, and if it helps you, be sure to let him know you enjoyed it! |
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