Hi all. We have been doing a lot of work behind the scenes and will be adding 3 introductory workshops over the coming weeks (Squarespace & web design, Canva design & digital marketing, ChaGPT AI and Productivity). The new Squarespace workshop is nearly ready to launch, I’ll have it uploaded in the classroom section in the next few days. You can also access it via our free membership at PixelHaze Academy: https://www.pixelhaze.academy/ Also, I am offering a free (45 minute) 1-2-1 consultation on any of the above topics, providing that you are happy for me to record or live stream the session (and if you are very happy with it, leave a testimonial) for our YouTube channels. Just from me a DM if interested as I’ll have 2-3 slots available next week. Cheers, Elwyn

Hi all, I'm hosting a drop in session today at 4:30. Come along if you have any questions! Meeting Link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/75716052840?pwd=0b26bZ3aV3SbvtWueqKaAF5FRXqbT8.1 Meeting ID: 757 1605 2840 Passcode: 4D57mP

Some great talks at Adobe Content Circle last night, didn’t think I’d ever been networking in Pryzm 😂 Massive thanks to all the speakers, quite inspiring to see how they’ve grown their audience through their passion.

There’s a phrase I’ve come to appreciate: slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. It originally came from military training, but I’ve found it fits perfectly into how I approach web and graphic design these days. If you take your time and plan things out, the process naturally becomes smoother and, in the end, quicker, too. I’ll admit, in my early days of teaching, I used to fly through demonstrations. Whether it was building websites, designing PowerPoint slides, or creating posters in Canva, I’d race through, showing off what I could do. But I realized it didn’t help anyone, especially beginners. It left people behind, and frankly, it was more about me showing off than giving people the tools to create something great themselves. That’s where “slow is smooth” came into play for me. I now focus on guiding my students and clients to slow down, plan properly, and think through their work. And the magic of it? It speeds up everything in the long run. Front-Loading Time = Less Stress Later One of the biggest benefits of slowing down is front-loading your time. By putting in a bit more effort upfront, you can save a lot of hassle later on. For example, if I’m designing an event poster, I don’t just dive into Canva and hope for the best. I start with a rough draft—grab a notepad, chalkboard, whatever works—get a few ideas sketched out, and tear them apart. I ask: - Have we got all the important details front and center? - Who’s the main focus here? Is it clear? - Are we prioritizing the right messages? That 10 minutes of planning saves me so much back-and-forth later. Without it, you end up stuck tweaking endless little details. But with a solid plan, you’re off to the races. Keep It Simple, Especially at the Start Here’s the thing: you don’t need to get fancy with your tools right away. When I say “plan,” I’m not talking about opening up complex software. Grab a pen and sketch out ideas or wireframes with simple black-and-white layouts in Canva. You can use tools like Square Forge as you get more comfortable, but when you’re starting, keep it simple. The goal is to get your ideas down quickly, not to worry about every tiny detail.

Hello everyone