It's that special time of the month again, where the team here at Briefbox HQ reveal our latest additions to Good Finds, our curated list of resources, tools, podcasts, blogs and inspiration sites specifically chosen to help you take your design and illustration game to the next level.

This month, we're taking a look at some of the best time-saving browser extensions and Adobe plugins, type tools and foundries, intricate texture packs and curiously unique colour palette tools and generators.

Without further ado, let's take a look at some of the best discoveries we've made this August!


1) Muzli

Muzli is a browser extension for Chome, Safari and a standalone iOS application that curates a selection of content from a wide variety of different online design, technology and news publications.

Opening a new browser tab automatically loads up the Muzli interface, and ensures you stay on top of the latest trends in the graphic design industry without having to spend hours manually browsing through inspiration feeds like Dribbble and Pinterest, keeping you inspired throughout the course of your day and helping you stay focused and inspired while creating seriously cool pieces of design.

https://muz.li/


2) True Grit Texture Supply

Founded in 2015, True Grit Texture Supply are one of the industry leaders when it comes to pro-quality tools, textures and effects to add those final touches needed to bring your portfolio pieces to life.

From high-quality Photoshop, Illustrator, Procreate and Affinity brushes to automated Photoshop actions and textures, True Grit Texture Supply's vast selection of products really helps in establishing an authentic and rustic look to your designs. There's even a selection of free sample packs to help you get you started before committing to a full purchase.

Check them out below, and use code BRIEFBOX for 10% off your next order!

https://www.truegrittexturesupply.com/


3) Studio 2am

Studio 2am is a proudly independent market for designers, illustrators, photographers and videographers, hosting a wide variety of different design assets, effects and templates for practically anyone in the creative industries.

From texture-laden print effects to photographic presets and digital collage assets, there's something disruptive on offer for everyone regardless of their chosen specialism.

https://www.studio2am.co/


4) Fonts Ninja

Have you ever been on a website with a typeface that you loved but just weren't able to identify, but didn't have the time or coding knowledge needed to be able to work out which font was used?

Fonts Ninja solves this problem with their free-to-use browser extension that pulls through all typefaces used on a website in just a single click. What's more, these typefaces can then be automatically fed through to your chosen design software, enabling you to trial them in your own design workflow before committing to buying a specific font family outright.

Try speeding up your digital workflow with Fonts Ninja using the link below and let us know how you got on!

https://www.fonts.ninja/


5) Pangram Pangram Font Starter Pack

Pangram Pangram are a Montreal-based type foundry that specialises in creating trend-conscious and stunning typefaces. Targeted specifically towards graphic designers, each typeface on their online store is available in a free-to-try variant so that you're able to see a given font in the context of your own design before going through with the full purchase.

What's particularly cool is that the team and Pangram Pangram offer an annually-updated starter pack that includes every single font and weight available on the store at a massively discounted price.

Be aware however that the fonts in this pack are for personal and trial use only. If you're looking to use them in a commercial client setting, then you'll need to purchase a licence for each individual project you want to use them in.

https://pangrampangram.com/products/fsp


6) Fontself

Making your own unique typefaces as a graphic designer used to be an incredibly tedious and time-consuming process that could put even the most experienced lettering artists off the idea.

Nobody understood this more than the team at Fontself, who have created an easy-to-use extension for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator that enables designers to create their own typefaces with all of the hassle removed.

Fontself allows you to convert any shape into a character, drag and drop into the extension and create fonts in seconds, all with variations, ligatures and kerning available as options within the software.

https://www.fontself.com/x


7) Color Hunt

Color Hunt is an online tool that allows users to discover, create and explore a selection of curated colour palettes by graphic designers and illustrators.

Through an incredibly easy-to-use interface, users are able to navigate through a wide variety of popular, random, or personally-tailored colour palettes, each organised into their own categories. Users can even favourite popular colour combinations for their own reference later down the line when it's time to start working on a fresh piece of design!

https://colorhunt.co/


8) Color Leap

Arguably one of the most unique colour tools for designers currently available, Color Leap gives its users the ability to journey through time and explore a selection of colour palettes sourced from reference material spanning back 4000 years.

Whether you're looking to create a poster with that classic 50's vintage look or are looking to emulate colours from renaissance paintings, Color Leap is tailored for any designer looking to recreate the aesthetic from a specific period of time without needing to manually search through an overwhelming amount of reference material, cross-checking their findings for historical accuracy.

https://colorleap.app/


🎤 Podcasts added to Good Finds

Pathfinder by Shillington
'Offering relatable content that helps designers navigate the highs and lows of the journey from graduate to working designer.'

Creative Rebels
'Inspiring interviews with creative people who have rebelled against the 9-5 (and advice on how you can too).'


Have your say and win $150 to spend at Briefbox!

As we approach our annual mega Briefbox library refresh, we'd love you to help shape our library, curriculum and general focus as we roll into 2022, letting us know what changes you'd like to see from our online design school.

Let us know the type of learning material you would like us to focus on over the next 12 months and be in with a chance of winning $150 credit to spend how you like at Briefbox.

https://www.briefbox.me/pages/briefbox-survey-september-2021


That's it for our Good Finds in August, but don't worry! Check back in with Briefbox HQ in September where we'll be sure to share more tools and resources designed to help take your design game to the next level.