Pulley Blog

Take a look at Highway, a shiny new typeface from Young Jerks....

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:46:00 -0400

Take a look at Highway, a shiny new typeface from Young Jerks. Inspired by a cross-country road trip, and built with alternates and ligatures galore, it’s now available for purchase securely and swiftly thanks to Pulley.

Purchase now at: youngjerks.com/Highway-Typeface

Cantora Records uses Pulley to sell music

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:07:43 -0400

Before the uber-hip MGMT was taking the indie music world by storm with Oracular Spectacular they had a stellar lil’ EP out on Cantora Records called Time To Pretend. Now if you want to rock this gem on your MP3 player you can do just that by downloading music straight from the Cantora Records store. With the help of Pulley this EP, plus other great albums (from Young Buffalo, Bear Hands, Savoir Adore, and more), are available for your instant download satisfaction.

Check out the entire Cantora Records digital catalog here: cantorarecords.bigcartel.com

What Delilah Did uses Pulley to sell cross stitch patterns

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:24:28 -0500

Cross stitch can be a calming craft. But if you’re anything like Sophie Simpson then you may have a hard time finding cross stitch patterns that you actually want to make. Luckily, Sophie’s frustration has been the craft world’s gain. She’s designed her own cross stitch patterns which now make up her shop, What Delilah Did. There you can download an array of classically beautiful cross stitch patterns that still feel modern and fun to make.

View the full line of cross stitch patterns and more here: whatdelilahdid.bigcartel.com

Sibling Rivalry Press uses Pulley to sell books

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:32:00 -0500

Ah, technology. Simplifying our lives with MP3s and now e-books, it’s easier than ever to board a plane with ample entertainment and plenty of room in our carry-on bags. Sibling Rivalry Press is on top of the new reading option and offering their customers the choice of a physical book to shelf or an e-book to take on the go. Using the power of Pulley, you can very simply download SRP e-books for your Kindle, Nook, iPad, or iPhone.

View all available ebooks here: siblingrivalrypress.bigcartel.com

One Charming Party uses Pulley to sell party plans

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:11:00 -0500

Let’s be honest, we all want to throw a killer party, but not all of us were born with the creative insight to pull it off. Enter One Charming Party. Purchase and download a party plan from an expert. Your PDF plan includes tutorials, photos, recipes, and printables galore (think invitations, thank you cards, and place cards). So go ahead, pick your theme and party down.

View all of the party plan options here: onecharmingparty.bigcartel.com

Jessica Hische uses Pulley to sell fonts

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:57:00 -0500

Beautiful, unique typography can make a lasting impression. These unbelievably affordable fonts from Jessica Hische promote just that. Take your type projects to the next level, whether you’re a designer or simply updating your perfectly typeset resume.

To purchase these fonts and other #hischegoods, visit: jessicahische.bigcartel.com

Sah-Rah uses Pulley to sell cupcake toppers

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:47:00 -0500

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and surely you need an original and thoughtful gift. Don’t we all? Whether your gifting to the love of your life or a classroom full of first-graders, these cupcake toppers from SAH-RAH may be just what you need. Print a speech bubble to say it your way, or download the beautiful Danish Heart for a more classic approach to the holiday.

Check out all the options at the full online store: sahrah.bigcartel.com

Bridget and Lucy uses Pulley to sell clothing patterns

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:50:28 -0500

Handmade children’s clothes are often the cutest and, more often, the priciest. If you have expensive taste on a budget try making your own unique wardrobe for the kiddos using adorable and downloadable patterns from Bridget & Lucy.

Heart Shaped Skull uses Pulley to sell digital comics

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:50:07 -0500

Heart Shaped Skull is taking comic books into the digital age using Pulley to deliver high-quality PDF downloads of their horror/comedy hybrid known as ELDRITCH! At less than a buck a piece, you can’t pass up on this e-entertainment that was once dubbed “winner” in a DC Comics’ Zuda webcomic competition. Dig into ELDRITCH! and more here: heartshapedskull.bigcartel.com

Fine Goods uses Pulley to sell beautiful icon sets

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:21:36 -0500

Check out the full shop at: finegoods.bigcartel.com

BC: Can you tell us a little about yourself? How did you come to start Fine Goods Market?

FG: I’m (Rogie) a designer, front-end developer and illustrator. Fine Goods has been a dream of mine for a long time. I’ve always been designing goodies for the design community and also been obsessed with quality, fun shirts.

Fine Goods was created when I got the inspiration for the scripted type. I drew it up, made it into a logo, and a year later, here we are! Fine Goods, as a brand, is sort of an anti-brand. It’s really generic and feels like you’ve known about it forever. That’s why I like it.

BC: Your site launched earlier this week. How has the response been? Any immediate lessons learned?

FG: The response has been great! Everybody’s loving the goodies and all of the cool design details on the site. Oh, and yeah, sales aren’t too bad either.

The first immediate lesson I learned: If you have a mechanism to bring you massive traffic, turn on overselling at the beginning of launch and closely monitor your inventory levels. I found that tons of people were adding things to their carts, and lots of other shoppers couldn’t add an item because it was in another person’s cart, who may or may not have bought it.

BC: What makes your icons, tees, and plugins stand apart from others available online?

FG: I keep all of my products really close to my chest and I’d like to think I have an eye for detail and quality. Because of that, I’m not farming designs out, and I truly care about each product being quality. Quality is key.

BC: What are some of your design inspirations?

At some level, I’m inspired by people all around me. When it comes to icons, Tim VanDamme, Benjamin DeCock and Tanya Maifat do a wonderful job. When it comes to graphic design and lettering, I appreciate Jon Contino, Drew Melton, Chris Sandlin, Ryan Clark, Simon Walker and DISNEY.

BC: How has your experience been using Pulley to offer digital files?

FG: What I love about Pulley is the design. It’s dead simple and easy to use. I love that you upload a zip, enter a name, and bam! You’ve got a link to sell.

BC: Fine Goods Market is a beautifully customized shop that has all of the Big Cartel staff in awe. Can you tell us about your customization and design process for the site?

FG: I designed Fine Goods in the same way I’d design a site: limitless, without regard for the technology. I don’t want to think of how I have to cater my design to the e-commerce solution. Rather, I designed the site, implemented it as static HTML files, and when I was done, applied it to Big Cartel. With the awesome api you guys have, I just plugged it all in. You really have made a nice product with plenty of extendability.

BC: Any special plug or info you want to share that hasn’t been covered yet?

FG: I love how Big Cartel followed up on Twitter just to double-check and make sure that I didn’t need further help. Keep on keepin’ on! I’m loving your product.

Web Icon Sets via Pulley

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:43:13 -0500

Providing the finishing touches on websites around the globe, Web Icon Sets uses Pulley to seamlessly and securely deliver sleek icon files right to your inbox. Purchase individual icon sets or become a member and get instant access to the entire line of icon sets. View the full range of sets at: webiconset.com

Introducing new dashboard charts for desktop and mobile

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:07:00 -0500

Good news Pulley fans, we’ve just released some new and improved charts to your dashboard. These charts were initially displayed using Flash, which at the time gave us the right look and user interaction we wanted for Pulley, but unfortunately didn’t work on most mobile devices. Since we know you like keeping tabs on your Pulley orders on the go, we’ve now updated our charts to use JavaScript, giving you the ability to more easily load and monitor your digital sales from any desktop or mobile device, anywhere. We sincerely appreciate the feedback from those that requested this feature, and hope you’ll appreciate a more accessible way of monitoring your sales with Pulley.

Dear Miss Modern uses Pulley to sell design kits

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:03:11 -0500

We had a chance recently to sit down with the wildly talented and extremely gracious Christine Tafoya, the brains behind Dear Miss Modern.

Check out the store here: dearmissmodern.com

Rumor has it you’re a self-taught designer. How did you get involved in this level of design?

The rumors are true. I was seriously born a hyper-active design fanatic.

I designed a birthday invitation (on a teeny tiny little mac) when I was about 20, with absolutely no computer skills at all. I did it in Microsoft Publisher, printed it out, and glued little confetti hearts to it. I made a bunch of copies and everyone loved them. That was kind of a turning point; I was hooked. After that, I would design anything I could get my hands on, and kept creating new little “businesses” so that I could design the branding for them. Finally someone (ok, my mom) said, “you know, you could make a business out of doing that for other people.” And here we are.

Where did your inspiration come from for not only your design-style, but also the business in general?

I create what I like to look at. I don’t really know where the design-style itself came from, but like any designer will tell you, I’m influenced by everything. The little Asian market on the corner has the best packaging. I’m a foreign film and magazine junkie, and simplicity always wins.

Just paying attention is the best influence. Every day I’m amazed by my business; how much I love it, how well it’s doing. That’s inspiring.

How did the notion of selling pre-made logos and design templates come about?

I was actually really against selling anything pre-made for a long time. People would ask me if I had pre-made logos and I would cringe. I truly do feel that design should be specific to the client, the personality, and the feeling of the business, but after so much interest in the templates, combined with the wait list for custom work (and the instant nature of technology), I couldn’t say no anymore.

I’ve had the Dear Miss Modern shop for a little over a year, and I couldn’t be happier with it. It’s a creative outlet for my creative outlet, and it’s fun, pretty, instant gratification for my clients. It’s really satisfying to come up with an idea, run it by the facebook crowd, and put it in the shop the next day with smashing results. That’s instant gratification for me.

In addition to your pre-made templates, you also offer customized services—what are some of your favorite custom jobs you’ve worked on?

I love custom work, and it’s the main part of the business. My husband and I opened a restaurant in Northern California, and I have to say it was my hands-down favorite design project. Because it wasn’t just design. It was the whole nine. Company name, (complete with fun story behind it) logo, menus, tag line, website, events, decor, marketing, facebook—all of it. It all has to work together, all the time, and it all has to come from the same voice. No excuses.

What has been the biggest hurdle for you to overcome in selling digital design files?

Honestly, time. I can design things all day long, but when it comes to getting the files ready for the shop, which means setting them up in a way that my clients can edit them and use them, it takes me forever.

I have the most awesome help now though, so problem solved. (Say hi to Michele everyone).

The items you sell on your site are digital files. Can you talk about how Big Cartel and Pulley work for you to make your online shop a legit working download store?

I cannot say enough good things about Big Cartel and Pulley. I mean it. I LOVE what your service has enabled me to do with my business, and the way it’s set up is so clean, seamless, and easy. I was a little afraid of having the shop and dealing with technical difficulty, but there’s been none.

I will tell anyone who will listen how fabulous you are, and I can’t imagine ever using anything else. Keep up the good work you guys- it’s seriously brilliant.

Metafizzy uses Pulley to sell jQuery plugins

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:19:00 -0400

Get your jQuery plugin fix at: metafizzy.co

How did you get into front end development and where did the name Metafizzy come from?

MF: I’ve always been interested in visual arts, math, and geometry. Years ago in college, I started a photography blog. I became more interested in tweaking the site than posting the photos. Learning web design was fulfilling as it satisfied my desire to create visuals and work with logic systems. The reward of putting your creative output online for thousands to see is intoxicating. Web design does an excellent job at bringing this all together.

I wanted the name of my business to be something fun and playful. What’s more joyous than tiny bubbles? Superficially, “Metafizzy” is a derivation from “metaphysics.” This topic can be a highfalutin, full of wacky concepts. Switching it to “fizzy” almost mocked it, which I think is cute.

What are some of the things you see coming up that will change the interface/interaction game for web users?

MF: CSS transitions and transforms are that game changer and they are ready for prime time. While animation and movement have been around for years, the CSS implementation of transitions and transforms put them in the front of the web developer’s tool set. Together these features can be leveraged to create new layout paradigms and design patterns. Designers and developers will need to consider not just the visual composition of their sites, but also how movement plays a role. Dan Mall wrote a terrific article on this subject, discussing how animation can establish a brand in Real Animation Using JavaScript, CSS3, and HTML5 Video.

One of my projects, Isotope, relies heavily on animation. In fact, you could argue that it does nothing more than add a layer of animation to the sorting and filtering functionalities that have been available with server-side development. But the animation is not just a whizz-bang effect for sugarcoating. Animation significantly adds value to interaction. Movement and animation help the user understand what changes are currently transpiring. This comment on Hacker News in response to Isotope put it best:

“If you didn’t have the animation it would not be easy to see which items had risen and which fallen. You would have to compare your memory of the order before the change with what you’re looking at. This is cognitively very difficult.”

When you’re not wearing your code-wizardy hat, what do you like to do?

MF: I love riding my bike. My commute is short enough that I can easily bike it, which I truly enjoy. Lately at home I’ve been reading comics like The Walking Dead, Empowered, and Ex Machina.

What inspires you?

MF: It’s a great time to be in web development. Specs are being proposed and re-written, browsers are racing one another to add in features, and developers are creating little demos that try to play around with a couple of them. I feel this push for experimenting is especially healthy for the dev community.

I love picking apart a demo or a small feature on a site to see how the developer got it done. I especially enjoy when somebody breaks the rules. That can be using a horizontal layout, adding gigantic imagery, deconstructing typography, or overloading the computing power on a web browser.

How has your experience been using Pulley?

Pulley has been a tremendous boon for my business. When I first started planning out how I was going to monetize Metafizzy, other solutions required too much time-investment and offered unnecessarily complex features. As a web designer and developer, I am comforted by how you guys at Big Cartel are cut from the same cloth. You get it.

The dashboard is downright gorgeous and a pleasure to use. So much so, that it pains me to take a look at PayPal when I have to. Implementing Pulley was especially easy, and it requires little maintenance. Pulley enabled me to profit from my work, without costing me the hassle of managing online transactions. I’d recommend it for any designer or developer looking to do the same.

Honey Design uses Pulley to sell fonts and things

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:55:01 -0400

Rina Miele (honey design) is a full-time freelance creative director and designer from Sleepy Hollow, New York. She uses a seamless mixture of Pulley and Big Cartel to bring her fans everything from free vector critters to fonts, patterns and textures.

Check out the full shop at: honeydesign.bigcartel.com

iA uses Pulley to sell themes

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:00:00 -0400

The crew over at iA(information Architects) use a very specific and refreshingly-simple formula when approaching each product.

We research
We draw wireframes
We create design sketches
We make prototypes
We test
We launch
We measure & optimize

Nowhere is this more apparent than in these beautiful templates offered securely through Pulley. Their store (also an example of their beautiful work and a stunning example of Big Cartel customization) showcases these templates and products in a way that clears everything not completely neccesary out of the way and organizes the good stuff for concise visual consumption.

Liam McCabe uses Pulley to sell web elements

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:05:35 -0400

Liam McCabe is a young student and designer getting his feet planted in the world of UI design. He’s put together a shop showcasing a few collections of his best icons and web elements. Pulley is a perfect way to sell anything downloadable— automated, secure transactions so designers like Liam can focus on that meticulous pixel-tweaking.

DA Store uses Pulley to sell typefaces

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:52:44 -0400

Digital Abstracts has set up a well curated, digital font shop of sharp, modern typefaces from artists all over the world.

From best-selling offerings like GHS and Norpeth, to charmers like Berque and Minta One, everything is available for instant, secure download thanks to Pulley.

Introducing 14 new currencies

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 16:34:00 -0400

The efficient, highly-skilled robots behind Pulley are now able to complete secure transaction in 14 new currencies. Whether your Norwegian black-metal band is selling its new digital EP or your Brazilian zombie film is ready for the world stage, you can now take advantage of the simplest way to sell downloadable goods online.

For the full list of new currencies, check out this help article »

Glyphish uses Pulley to sell icons for Mobile apps

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:33:01 -0400

If you’ve spent any time online lately you’ve probably seen the pixel-perfect handiwork of Joseph Wain. As Glyphish, he crafts some of the most concise icons around. The simplicity and scalability make them perfect for the who’s who of influential apps including; Twitter, Dribbble, Flipboard and even Pulley.

Grab the full set or download a free sampler from his shop: glyphish.com