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Videography is quickly becoming a valuable skill in all kinds of industries. If you want to master a new skill this month, these 10 comprehensive videography courses can help. Ease your way in by learning the basics or brush up on what you already know. Each bundle will give you tips and tricks for popular video editing programs such as Final Cut Pro, Adobe After Effects, and Camtasia (see our roundup of the best video editing software for more on this. You can grab this bundle today for only $29.99. If you're looking to learn how to promote your brand through video, you've come to the right place. With over 45 hours of instruction, you'll be able to speed up your learning with tutorials for the video production software currently used in the industry. Although the software itself is not included in this bundle, the step-by-step instructions will guide you through the different equipment used to film videos for all sorts of projects. You'll learn how to create catchy and professional video intros for your brand in After Effects and take your video marketing to the next level with Camtasia 9, a software favorite for creating video tutorials and presentations directly via screencast, Microsoft PowerPoint, or Google. With 24/7 access to the content, you'll be able to come back whenever you need it. The best computer for video editing in 2020 Looking for ways to make your videos for your latest project stand out? Improve your presentations by learning to create professional motion graphics and visual effects. This bundle includes step-by-step guides for Adobe After Effects CC, the industry-standard tool for adding motion to your graphic designs and content (for more of these, explore our roundup of top After Effects tutorials). You'll learn how to animate infographics, and add music to your motion graphics. With over 80 lessons, you'll learn how to create real-world projects, with features such as lower thirds and bumpers, and use video effects and presets to speed up workflow. You don't need to hire a professional to do this for you — you'll soon be able to tackle it yourself. The idea of editing your video needn't fill you with dread, either. Get help for professional-level editing with Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro and more, and learn everything you need to start editing – no previous knowledge or video editing experience required. You’ll be able to master transitions and learn how to sync separate audio and video files together. By the end of the training, you’ll know how to correct and grade the colours of your videos to give them greater style, fix or hide additional video footage, export your videos for high-quality playback on any device, and so much more. While a lifetime membership to The Complete Videography Bundle: Beginner to Expert is valued at $1,990, it is currently price-dropped to only $29.99. It's certainly a great way to kick off your videography skills and get started on producing and editing impactful videos for projects of all sizes. Read more: The best laptops for video editing in 2019 Designers go wild for minimalist UNO concept design These unmissable iPad Pro deals are the best you'll see View the full article

Gucci has caused a social media splash by presenting an updated logo on its Facebook page... and it's quite something. The unusual font, which looks an awful lot like a young child's handwriting, is tied to the luxury brand's Fall Winter 2020 Men’s Collection, which is to be debuted today. The new-look logo has resulted in some controversy plus a whole lot of noise. Facebook and Instagram users, in particular across Vietnam, have updated their own avatars to a similar handwritten font (to get a similar look, see our pick of the best handwriting fonts). Let's find out why Gucci has chosen such unusual styling for its new collection. Accompanying promo material uses the same font It all began three days ago when Gucci updated its Facebook page (with 18 million followers) with the new logo and accompanying images announcing the collection using the same handwritten font. The scratchy, fountain pen-esque scrawl is imperfect, with blots, wobbles and discrepancies in character size and orientation so there's no surprise that the collection it accompanies is heavily linked to childhood. Gucci posted a series of teaser posts about the campaign (see the video below), which has the tagline 'Rave Like You Are Five' and is actually inspired by children's birthday parties. The font is based on a typical French child's handwriting. Vietnamese children also learn to write in this style, which is apparently why the image has gone viral in Vietnam. Alessandro Michele, Gucci's current creative director, masterminded the campaign, which also includes event invitations inspired by the embellished birthday party invitations the children of nobility sent to their friends (below). The reactions across social media have been mixed. The outright joy sparked for the Vietnamese audience is somewhat countered by other reactions, with user Nguyen Tran Sung commenting: "When you haven't paid salaries for your designers yet. Consequences!!!" This sentiment was echoed by Ngoc Anh, who wrote: "Thanks for hiring my 2-year-old cousin for this design! 🤣🤣🤣" But, more positively, Lianne Nguyen commented: "Looking forward to seeing the collection and how it coordinates with this campaign! I'm imagining a bold step towards sth pure and vintage [sic]". And a profound angle from Nguyễn Hà theorises: "When things are highly complicated we do often wish for simplicity." Gucci's usual logo, from which the new look is quite a departure It's certainly an unusual choice for Gucci, and a huge departure from its usual logo (above). The design could translate in more than one way on the catwalk – though the handwritten choice does sing of simplicity, it is also a playful choice. And the connotations of a children's party nod to a more frivolous angle, as do the retro party images that accompany it. That a handwritten style can be interpreted in such different ways is a fascinating insight into typography and branding (for more insights take a look at our roundup of the hottest typography trends for 2020). We look forward to seeing how the design relates to the collection itself. Read more: 4 of this year's must-know typography trends 5 top typography tutorials 15 top typography resources View the full article

Want to get your hands on a shiny, brand new iPad Pro, but don’t want to pay full price? Then you need to check out the trio of deals we have found for you today on Amazon's US site. There are three fantastic iPads on offer. You can go all out and get yourself a top of the range iPad Pro 12.9" model with a whopping 512GB of storage and save yourself nearly $200: it now costs just $1149.99. Alternatively, you can go for 256GB of storage on a 12.9" iPad Pro and still get change out of $1000. Or, if you're looking for a slightly smaller Apple tablet why not try out the iPad Pro 11" model with 256GB of storage for under $800 and save yourself $149? The iPad Pro is a great tool for designers, illustrators, artists and creatives thanks to its edge-to-edge liquid retina screen with anti-reflective coating, powerful A12X processor and 4K video recording. Plus, team up the power and portability of the iPad Pro with some of the best drawing apps for the iPad and an Apple Pencil and you really do have the ultimate portable creative tool. Unmissable iPad Pro deals Good deals and impressive discounts (like the ones above) on the iPad Pro don't come along often, so you really need to take advantage while you can. And, why not choose yourself something from the impressive range of iPad accessories available to keep your iPad Pro shiny and new. Not in the US? Here are some of the best iPad Pro prices in the UK. View the full article

The issue lies in underlying reference software used by multiple cable-modem manufacturers to create device firmware. View the full article

Over 25,000 servers globally are vulnerable to the critical Citrix remote code execution vulnerability. View the full article

Designer Warleson Oliveira has created a concept design for card game UNO, and its beautiful simplicity is proving very popular on social media. The new design for the classic game is a personal project by Oliveira, who is based in Brazil. He's taken the bright colours of the original cards, and placed them on a dark background, creating a kind of UNO Dark Mode. He's also simplified and streamlined the logo, as well as the symbols on the cards.There's even a stylish new box – a nifty piece of packaging design that gives the project that extra edge. Who wants a game? As personal projects go, it's a good one. It's a fully considered idea and all the different elements of the game have been thought of. Oliveira has even made some neat little animations, which he shared on social media (see below). Perhaps not surprisingly, designers around the globe have reacted positively, with many suggesting Oliveira should talk to Mattel, who sell the game, about getting it produced. Others want to buy the designs, and are asking where they can do so. Although the current UNO design is iconic, there have been updates over time. An UNO Braille set was released at the end of last year, and there are also several other versions of the game, including colour blind accessible UNO, UNO Emoji and UNO Finding Dory. Who knew. UNO Braille and the classic UNO sets Perhaps if enough people get in touch with Mattel, UNO Dark Mode may become a thing, and we'll all start pulling sexy looking black boxes out of our bags, ready for a game of UNO in the pub. In the meantime, you can see more about the project and share your appreciation with the designer on the project's Behance page. Read more: 11 amazing concept tips for client work Is this Paris Olympics 2024 concept better than the original design? Retro gaming stamps are an 8-bit nostalgic hit View the full article

Typography is a central part of graphic design so you'll want to stay on top of what's hot with fonts right now. According to a popular graphic design YouTube account, 2020 is going to see innovation and modernisation in typography, bringing the use of fonts hurtling into the new decade (for our pick of the best fonts for designers, see our list of professional fonts). Tom Satori, a designer with almost a decade of experience, has put together a handy video explaining the typography trends of 2020, including how to use them and pitfalls to watch out for. So, let's dive in and take a look at the four font stylings to put to use in the coming year. 01. Bold and heavy fonts Satori advises that the first typography trend will be to go big and bold. "The heavy use of typography can act as a focal point and draw in a viewer as a visual starting point on your design," he says. Satori mentions that it's important to choose the right font family and suggests you adhere to two rules. First, keep the heavy fonts to just a short phrase or a few words or you risk overcrowding, and secondly, contrast the heavy typography with thinner fonts, as it makes the overall design more visually appealing. 02. Typography to create shapes Using typography to create 2D and 3D shapes is about to kick off in graphic design. Satori stresses that it's important to make sure that use of shape fits the design brief, and isn't a random choice that just drops a shape into your design without a reason or "just because it looks cool". And don't just focus on the use of shape. "Make sure you adhere to other design principles while incorporating this trend," Satori advises. "So use things like balance, focal points, contrast and so forth." 03. Maxi typography The maxi trend is all about attention seeking. "This actually has been a trend in 2019," says Satori. "Maxi is the use of typography that is so bold and heavy that it sometimes bleeds off the page, and it really takes centre-stage as a focal point." You can create intrigue and interest with the font becoming obscured by other parts of the design, Satori suggests, and it's important to remember that the maxi typography should always be flat – with zero gradient and no 3D elements. 04. Semi-transparent use of text over design A good choice for busy designs, the semi-transparent text works to blend the composition and stay a prominent element of the design. "It's a nice way to tie everything together and, again, a choice of bold font here is a good move," says Satori. Satori rounds off the video, which you can watch above, with a quiz to help cement that knowledge in your design brain. The video is a great continuation of the hottest typography trends from the end of last year, with some fresh insight. You can check out more of the designer's work on his YouTube channel, Satori Graphics. Read more: 50 top typography tutorials The ultimate typography cheat sheet Invaluable online typography tools View the full article

Let’s collaborate! With the Postcards 2.9 release, there’s a new collaboration feature. Now you can use one Postcards subscription with colleagues and build an email template with your team.View the full article

Being a creative is simultaneously one of the most frustrating and fulfilling things in the world. Whether you stretch your creative muscles as part of your career or simply work part-time as a hobbyist, there are few things more satisfying than a job well done, and at the other end of the spectrum, few things more infuriating than creative block. The way the traditional workplace is structured doesn’t really help matters, either. The drudgery of the nine-to-five isn’t exactly conducive to creative expression. It doesn’t exactly get the juices flowing, nor does it mesh particularly well with how most of us function. What that means for you is that you’ll need to take a few extra steps to take command of your own workflow. You’ll need to understand your own unique approach to your craft, and use that to inform the tools, strategies, and techniques you apply. And we can help. Here’s how you can better access your inner well of imagination, and a few ways ASUS can help you do so. 01. Optimise your workspace... The ProArt PA90 is one of the most compact machines on the market A chaotic or impersonal office can be one of the biggest killers of productivity – and therefore creativity – you’ll ever encounter. Your workspace should be where you’re at your most inspired. It should be where you go when you do your best work. If it’s not that, then there’s something very wrong. There are a few pieces of advice to offer here. First, take steps to reduce clutter as much as possible. If something doesn’t serve a purpose, it has no place in your office. That doesn’t mean throw out your personal decor, of course. But you might want to take a look at your PC. While some people enjoy the aesthetic of bulky, cumbersome desktop towers, the amount of space they take up is usually better spent on other things – like more monitors, for instance. A dual (or even triple) monitor setup can vastly improve your workflow, allowing you to pull up multiple reference sources, collaborate with colleagues, and ultimately make working at your desk more comfortable. Here’s where ASUS comes in. The ISV-certified ProArt PA90 Mini PC is one of the most compact desktop rigs on the market. And it packs a lot of power into a small and elegant package, with a NVIDIA Quadro P4000 graphics card with the capacity to run multiple high-resolution displays. As part of the Quadro line, the P4000 is designed for graphical precision, making it great for 3D model renders and engineering applications. The ProArt Display PA32UCX monitor, meanwhile, is the perfect replacement for any drab, low-resolution displays you may currently struggle with. It’s the world’s first 32-inch 4K monitor, equipped with mini-LED backlighting and support for multiple HDR formats including Dolby Vision. For graphic designers especially, it offers industry-leading colour fidelity, for the brightest whites and the deepest blacks. 02....But know that inspiration can strike at any time Create on the go with the ProArt StudioBook Pro 17 Of course, you already know that you’re not always going to be at your desk when an idea worms its way into your mind. You might be relaxing at home, kicking back at a coffee shop or off on a camping trip. While you certainly could cart around a pen and paper with you, it’s a lot more efficient to have a portable workspace. ASUS offers two of note, depending on your needs. The first, designed for consumers and professionals alike, is the ZenBook Pro Duo. A laptop designed for multitasking on the go, this is in many ways the laptop of tomorrow, with an innovative design that incorporates two screens. Even better, the second is a full-width touchscreen that works with the main display. This allows you to view multiple programs across the two displays, or bust out a stylus for drawing. The ProArt StudioBook Pro 17, meanwhile, is designed more with professionals in mind. As with the ProArt PA90, it incorporates an Nvidia Quadro graphics card – the RTX 3000 to be precise. This gives the 17-inch laptop the necessary power to tackle virtually any project you need it to, no matter where you are on the road. It’s also fully ISV-certified, so it can be easily loaded up with all the applications you need for the workplace. 03. Understand your creative cadence One of the most important details you need to know about being a creator is that it’s a deeply personal thing. Everyone’s creative process is a little different, everyone works at a different cadence. Some people are night owls, and find themselves awash in inspiration only when the moon is high in the sky. Some people can’t focus unless they’ve got smooth jazz playing in the background. Others get their best ideas right after a workout, or with a stiff drink in hand. Disregard any advice about the best time to immerse yourself in your projects, and throw away the concept that there’s one single way to be productive. Figure out what works for you specifically – what inspires you and when you do your best work. 04. Give yourself time to think Is it time you tidied up your desk? Or got yourself a ZenBook Pro Duo? Perhaps the only universal rule about creativity is that it takes time. It’s inadvisable (and probably impossible) to be in a creative mindset 24/7. You need the opportunity to step back from a project every now and then. Start slotting that time into your schedule. Set hard boundaries in terms of when, where, and how you’ll engage in your craft, and stick to them. It might feel like you’re getting less done by working less, but you aren’t – you’re simply giving yourself time and space to breathe and excel. Again, it’s important to note that these boundaries vary by the individual. If you’re passionate enough that you want to dive into what you do 24/7, that’s great. You do you (although don't forget to sleep). 05. Experiment with software Unless you’re working with a very specific set of guidelines – for instance, a client requires that you work within a particular software platform – it’s important not to put any limits on the software you use. Adobe Photoshop isn’t the only graphic design tool on the market. WordPress is not the only content management system, and Airtable is not the only project management tool Just as you should give yourself time to experiment and grow as a creative, you should also take the time to explore potential additions (or alternatives) to what you already have in your toolkit. You might well come across an app that makes you wonder how you lived without it. 06. Remember that work is a mindset, not a place Working in a creative profession can be simultaneously incredibly frustrating and immensely rewarding. It’s the nature of what we do. But by understanding your workflow, using the right software, and equipping yourself with the necessary tools, you can help ensure that it’s more frequently the latter rather than the former. Learn more about how ASUS can support your creative drive via the ASUS website. View the full article

Modern websites require lots of HTML code. Complex layouts with multiple different views and states can be difficult to create with just a simple text editor. Thankfully, there are a host of HTML generation tools out there to work with. Here we take a quick look at two of the more popular tools, Emmet and Pug. However, you still need to know your HTML to use both of these powerful time-saving tools. So, before you dive in make sure you're using the popular semantic HTML tags the right way. Also see our guide to using a HTML boilerplate. Generate HTML on the fly When writing large amounts of HTML in one go, writing each tag out by hand can become very tedious, very quickly. For example, when writing out a list of links, we need to make sure that the <ul>, <li> and <a> tags all open and close in the right place. Otherwise the links may not work and the whole page layout will go completely haywire. Speed up your HTML and CSS workflow with Emmet How to use Emmet To make sure you reduce the chances of this happening you can employ the talents of Emmet. This is a tool that will save you lots of typing and will greatly improve your HTML & CSS workflow. Emmet allows you to create elements by typing out a CSS-like selector. It will then parse and expand that element into regular HTML. Below is the original element created in Emmet. Emmet will detect this element, parse it and then transform the element into standard HTML as shown below. A quick look at the Emmet element suggests that <li> is multiplied by (*3) and each <li> instance will be called Chapter followed by the appropriate number (up to 3). Note how many characters the Emmet element contains and how many the standard HTML contains. Even this small snippet of code demonstrates how much time can be saved by using the Emmet shorthand. Emmet is also aware of context. For example, if we are editing a <table> it is likely we will want some <tr> (these are rows) elements to fill it. All we would need to do is specify how many we need. This is just a quick example of what Emmet can do, but there are plenty more configuration options available. These include CSS editing, BEM (Block Element Modifier) class creation and there is even a Lorem Ipsum generator. It's also worth noting that most code editors either have Emmet built in or support it through plugins. You can find out more about this on the Emmet Documentation page. Use Pug for dynamic content While Emmet is ideal for static content, what happens if content needs to be more dynamic? For example, we may need to generate personalised homepages, complex order tables or repeat common blocks of HTML. This is all possible in JavaScript, but by pre-rendering this content we can get an added speed boost without relying on the user’s browser. Step forward Pug. This is a templating tool for HTML. You can write pages in the “.pug” format and Pug will read that file, inject some dynamic data into it and return standard HTML. The example below is how you would write the code in Pug to create the same HTML as the Emmet example (above). A Pug file uses indentation alone to indicate nesting. It can iterate over values to generate large amounts of HTML in one pass. These “.pug” files are designed to be reused many times across a project. Pug is available to install from package manager npm. But, if you want more information on how to get started with Pug pay a visit to the website. Do you want to learn more about web design? Then subscribe to net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Join us in April 2020 with our lineup of JavaScript superstars at GenerateJS – the conference helping you build better JavaScript. Book now at generateconf.com Create animated CSS art How to use an HTML boilerplate: A guide 10 best CSS frameworks in 2020 View the full article

Cisco patched two high-severity flaws this week, in its Webex and IOS XE Software products. View the full article

The official posters for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are here, and they're an eclectic mix designed by an equally eclectic range of artists. There are 20 posters overall, by 19 artists, with 12 to represent the Olympics, and eight for the Paralympics. Artists include Turner Prize-winning artist Chris Ofili, Japanese manga artist Naoki Urasawa, illustrator Philippe Weisbecker and photographer Viviane Sassen. The designer of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic logos, Asao Tokolo, made two posters, one for the Olympics and one for the Paralympics, and his posters are a nod to his original designs. They actually make us like the emblems more. Elsewhere, there are some abstract takes on the games, with some more rooted in Japanese culture than others. Below, we take a look at some of our favourites from the Tokyo Olympic poster collection. For more inspirational designs, see our favourite poster designs ever, or our best logos roundup. Asao Tokolo's poster for the Olympics, which ties into the logo Some, like Hirohiko Araki, went for a vibrant approach to the brief: This poster conjures up exceptionally strong people, like Olympians We love the brush strokes on this poster by calligraphy artist Shoko Kanazawa. The colours on this piece add a feeling of warmth And here's a delightfully graphic approach from Goo Choki Par. We absolutely love this collage-based approach The subtle line drawing in this piece by Naoki Urasawa is outstanding (see our how to draw manga tutorial to emulate it). This poster shows the power of black and white This one by artist Tomoko Konoike is rather hair-raising. This poster is entitled Wild Things – Hachilympic The Games People Play by artist Chris Ofili incorporates a rather abstract interpretation of the Tokyo flag. This is one that reveals more the more you look at it The posters "have been created based on the themes of the Olympics and Paralympics by Japanese and other global figures in the art world," according to the Tokyo 2020 website, where you can see the entire collection of official Olympic posters. With such a mix of different artists and mediums, there really is something for everyone. The artwork will be on display at a special exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo until 16 February. If you can't make it to Tokyo, you can always get your Olympic logo fix from this Tokyo 1964 Olympic design sheet, which was recently unearthed. Read more: Stunning project turns logos into houses Where to find logo design inspiration Is this the defining movie poster trend of the decade? View the full article

Are you an aspiring entrepreneur involved in the startup world? Then you must have come across the term “lean startup.” But, what exactly does it mean, and why do we think it’s vital for your business? Source: Amazon. What Is …View the full article

Despite only featuring in voice form in the latest Star Wars film, Yoda has been the talk of the internet lately. First, there was Baby Yoda and his tiny weeny toes. And now, there's been a resurgence of a character design from a few years ago: Yoda with human skin. This 3D masterpiece, created Andrea Eusebi, recently resurfaced after video game critic Olly Smith tweeted a photo of it (see below). This Yoda isn't green, which isn't that surprising. And there's something about the redness around his eyes and nose that makes him super-realistic. That and the ear hair and wrinkles, that is. (Perhaps Eusebi had been following our character design tips.) Eusebi details his concept on his blog, including what Yoda with human skin looks like from various angles. The angle below is particularly unsettling. Eek We should also note that considering Yoda is around 900 years old, he's in pretty good shape. We can only assume this is due to the strength of The Force. Sculpted from all angles it is. Yes What's interesting about this Yoda is that Yoda's designer, make-up artist Stuart Freeborn, actually based the original puppet on his own face, as well as Albert Einstein's. So this new character design feels like something of a hybrid between their faces and Yoda. You can find out more about Freeborn and Yoda in the video below. The internet seems to be going wild for alternative character designs at the moment. Baby Thanos and Baby Sonic appeared after all the Baby Yoda hype, so will we soon see a spate of characters with human skin? Is Sonic with human skin coming soon to an Instagram account near you? We sort of hope so. And if you've already created a fun new character, then be sure to share your designs with us via Twitter or Instagram. Read more: 7 free Star Wars fonts The Force is strong with this illustrated Star Wars poster Star Wars Lego sets are here! View the full article

The news of a change – however subtle – to any much-loved logo will inevitably spark reactions. Cadillac found this out when it decided to rethink the positioning of its emblem on its newest cars, baffling many fans. If the move has been bothering you, fear not, because the car manufacturer has provided a solid explanation to satisfy your curiosity. The Cadillac logo holds a special place in many car fans' hearts (to find out more about it, explore our guide to the best car logos – or see how it stacks up against the best logos of all time). Historically, it has always been positioned in the horizontal and vertical centre of the cars' grilles. However, in its newer fleet of vehicles, it's shifted towards the top of the grille. The Cadillac logo was originally positioned in the vertical centre of the grille The Cadillac Society spoke to designers at Cadillac to find out the reasoning behind the move. It all comes down to overall composition, and specifically the size of the grill and where the headlights sit on the front end of the vehicle. The latest iteration of Cadillac's design language features headlights that sit higher up on the front end of the car – as seen for example in the XT6, pictured above. The designers explained that visually, the headlamps form a kind of "bookend" to the grille. So if these are positioned higher up on the car, a vertically centred Cadillac logo will look like it's "falling". A higher placement that lines up with the headlamps creates a more balanced look to the front end of the vehicle. The Cadillac XT6 is one of many new vehicles to feature the repositioned logo So there you have it. The Cadillac logo change isn't a statement in itself, but part of an evolving design language for the car manufacturer. Mystery solved. [Via Cadillac Society] Read more: Have you seen Samsung's invisible keyboard? Designer unmasks the secret of the PS5 logo UAE waves goodbye to eagle with abstract new logo View the full article

We all know the saying that an image is worth a thousand words, but we could also say that it will take an image to get someone to read a thousand words. Images are powerful things. They add value to content not only by illustrating points made in the content but also make people read the content in the first place. Here we look at just how important images are adding value to digital content. Whatever your platform when you’re designing content for, you know you only have a short time to grab your audience’s attention. Research shows people form an impression in 50 milliseconds, and on social media in particular, there is huge competition for eyeballs. No matter how interesting the copy, an image can make the difference to whether it's read or ignored. Wouldn't you like to read what the article accompanying this image is about? iStock by Getty Images has found that articles with images get 94% more views than those without. We like to have something to look at, and this applies both online and in print. It perhaps shouldn’t be at all surprising when you consider that nearly two thirds of people self-identify as visual learners. This means that a meaty article on tackling environmental issues is much more likely to be read if it's accompanied by an image that makes an impact and gets us to sit up and take notice, and the audience will get further into marketing copy if it's led by an aspirational image that shows a goal to aim for. If you're struggling to get readers to pay attention to environmental issues, try an image like this But content with the right image isn’t only more likely to be read; it’s also more likely to be shared. iStock has found that Facebook posts with images get 2.3% more engagement than those without, and Twitter posts with images are shared 150% more than those with text only. A bright image like this one is more likely to be shared on social media The challenge is finding the right image. Instagram users post 49,380 images every minute, and 1 and 3 images used online is a stock image. Bright colours can get attention as can photos that show a sense of fun or something to strive for, while photos with people in them tend to gain more engagement. Use an image like this with both people and animals in it on social media, and you're much more likely to get shares and Likes At Getty’s iStock, they research trends to follow what images are connecting with audiences and use search technology to filter and find the most effective images. To take advantage and gain access to a vast selection of imagery that can add value to a wide range of content, visit iStock by Getty. View the full article

There are few communities within 3D art as reverent or appreciative as the world of fan art. Each recreation or reinterpretation is a labour of love in which artists pay tribute to their favourite characters, comics, films, franchises and more. And these examples are particularly incredible examples of what you can create off the back of 3D movies or comic book characters. Below are some of our favourite creations, plus insight from the artists that made them. For more inspiration, explore our roundup of the best 3D art. Click the icon in the top right of each image to enlarge it 01. Venom Franco Carlesimo’s Venom fan art is a faithful and comic-accurate recreation Franco Carlesimo, who made this Venom character, has been creating fan art for as long as he can remember. "I was introduced to comics as a kid and used to copy or do my interpretations of all the characters I liked." Click the image to find out more and book your place 02. Spider-Man Carlesimo used ZBrush, 3ds Max and V-Ray to create this striking image of Spider-Man Carlesimo also created this incredible Spider-Man. "In 3D you have to try to make it look cool from several angles. I always try to have at least three good angles to look at it," says Carlesimo of his process. 03. Storm Queiroz based this project on one of his favourite designs for X-Men character Storm The recipe for great fan art, according to Victor Hugo Queiroz, who created this image of X-Men's Storm, is a respect for the source material and an acknowledgment of the technical challenge that it presents. “Fan art can be a tricky subject because it’s kind of easy to get positive feedback from the fanbase, which sometimes makes you less exigent about the quality of your work,” he explains. When it comes to capturing the attention of the industry, Queiroz stresses the importance of remembering that not everyone will recognise the source of your inspiration. “Not all recruiters watched that anime that you loved back in the '90s,” he adds. It’s important to make sure that your work is captivating, whether the viewer knows the source material or not." 04. Superman Superman, as you've never seen him before This personal project by Richie Mason depicts Superman facing off against Green Lantern. Mason has always loved comic books and the characters that inhabit them, and so was driven to create his own versions of them. 05. Super Sons Eduardo Silva’s Super Sons fan art is based on the art of comic book artist Jorge Jiménez This fan art by Eduardo Silva is based on DC Universe Rebirth cover, illustrated by super-talented artist Jorge Jiménez. "This cover has a great action scene with the characters in very dynamic poses and good elements to compose the base. The goal now was to make this illustration a statue that works from all angles," says Silva. "The biggest challenge was to make a simple light that would work from some angles and also in the 360," he continues. "After doing a lot of tests I found a setup that pleased me, something that brightened the scene but had hard and soft shadows at the same time, helping to make the scene more dramatic." 06. Spider-Gwen Spider-Gwen fan art by Eduardo Silva The goal of this Spider-Gwen fan art by Silva was to produce a statue with human proportions. Throughout the fan art development process, Silva pays close attention to the essential characteristics of the character he is working on: "the anatomy, accessories, environment in which this character lives, and what kind of story I’m trying to tell. Generally I try to make the characters as faithful as possible while respecting the original creation, adapting only what doesn’t work so well in 3D." For more 3D inspiration, subscribe to 3D World the world's best magazine on all things 3D. Read more: The 11 best Maya plugins These 3D portraits are unbelievably realistic Element 3D: What is it and how to use it View the full article

As January gets underway, the majority of people are trying to upgrade their lives for the new year ahead. Increased productivity is usually near the top of the list for most, and the mornings are super-important when it comes to setting the tone for the day in front of you. In fact, it's the first 10 minutes that could make or break your day, according to productivity experts. If that tiny window for success is inducing a sense of panic within you, don't fret because those same experts have created a handy infographic that will shake up your morning routine and increase your productivity. (See more of our favourite infographics here.) The infographic is full of information related to focusing and planning, like emptying your brain before you begin any work. But there's more. Make sure you're exposed to natural light, don't sit down straight away and, we're sorry to say it, but don't drink any coffee. We know that's a tough one. If you feel inspired to make your own infographic, check out our list of the best infographics tools around. Click the infographic to see it full-sized. For more productivity tips for the new year, see our time management tools or time management tips. Read more: The best infographics 10 productivity tools you can't be without in 2020 19 ways to streamline your workflow View the full article

Users of GnuPG, OpenSSL and Git could be in danger from an attack that's practical for ordinary attackers to carry out. View the full article

Facebook privacy settings may seem like a bit of a paradox. Facebook isn't exactly well-known for protecting its users’ privacy. The company seems to hop from privacy scandal to privacy scandal, with constant revelations appearing about the latest instance of it misusing user data. But that’s not the only reason why it’s a good idea to get on top of your Facebook privacy settings. If you don’t want the world and their dog browsing freely through your photos, you’ll want to tweak a few options. If you have a public or business profile and then a separate private one, you'll also want to make sure you keep your personal profile as private as possible. Unfortunately, Facebook doesn’t make it easy, with settings scattered all over the place. That’s where this guide comes in – follow our tips and you’ll be able to pry control away from Facebook’s grabbing tentacles. For more social media tips for creatives, see our guide to how to change the font in your Instagram bio and the best social media platforms for artists and designers. Click in the top-right corner of each image to enlarge it. Basic Facebook settings to change You can restrict who can see your photo albums, but have to do them one by one A lot of your Facebook content is publicly available to anyone, even people not on your friends list. If that’s not something you want, click the downward arrow on the right of Facebook’s top menu bar, then click Settings. Head to the Privacy section. Here you can adjust who can see your future and past posts, whether you appear in search engines, who can add you as a friend, and more. If you want to restrict who can see your photos, it’s a little more involved. Go to your profile, click Photos > Albums, then click the album you want to adjust. Click Edit, then under Privacy, choose who can see it. To do this for individual photos, go to the Your Photos section, click a picture, then click Edit and choose who it’s shared with. Your About section can reveal a lot about you, but you can stop strangers prying with a few settings Your Facebook About section can also reveal a lot about you, such as the city where you live, your contact info and relationship status. If you’d rather not have this information displayed to any and all who stumble upon your profile, you should restrict it. To do so, head to your profile, then click About underneath your cover photo. Select a section in the left-hand panel (for example, 'Places you’ve lived'), then hover your pointer over the info you want to adjust. Click the Edit button, then use the audience selector to choose who can see it. When you’re done, click Save Changes. Note that some information, such as your name, profile picture and username, is always public and can’t be hidden. How to adjust Facebook privacy settings for individual posts Each time you make a post, you can choose who will see it from a fairly customisable set of options When you make a post on Facebook, you can choose who should be able to see it. Underneath the options for tagging friends, attaching photos and setting an activity, there are two toggles: News Feed and Your story. Each has a dropdown menu on the right allowing you to choose who will see the post. Three options are displayed by default: 'Public', 'Friends' and 'Friends except…', the latter of which allows you to exclude certain friends from seeing your post. If you click 'More…' you get options to share the post with a handful of specific friends, or to only allow yourself to see it. It doesn’t end there, though. At the bottom of this list of options is a 'See all' button; click this and you can set custom rules for your post. This gives you the most control over your post, allowing you to include certain people and lists, exclude others, and choose whether friends of tagged people can see it too. It’s buried pretty deep, but it’s the option to go for if you want the most control. If you want your future posts to only be seen by a certain set of people, you can do so in Privacy settings To make your choice the default for posts going forward, click Privacy in Facebook’s settings, then Edit next to 'Who can see your future posts?' and choose an option. You can also change sharing options for posts after you’ve posted them. Just find the post, then click the audience button next to the date and time info. You get all the same options as when you create a new post. Note that if you shared something on a friend’s timeline, it’s governed by their sharing settings, not yours. Use Facebook lists for more control Creating lists of friends is a quick way to share content only with a select group Sometimes, you just want to share something with a specific group of friends. While you could select individual friends one by one, it’s much easier to create a list and share directly with those people. This also protects your privacy by not oversharing with people who are not the intended audience. Helpfully, Facebook creates a few lists for you. From your home page, click 'Friend lists' in the Explore section on the left-hand side (it may be hidden under 'See more…'). You’ll see three lists: Close friends, Acquaintances and Restricted. Each starts empty, allowing you to add people as needed. The Acquaintances list is for people you only share with occasionally, perhaps like your colleagues. When creating a post, you can choose to share with 'Friends except acquaintances' to exclude them. The Restricted list is for people you really don’t want to share everything with – like your boss – and these people will only see your public content and anything they’re tagged in. If you want a bit more control, just click 'Create List' and start adding friends to a new custom list. Extricate yourself from other people’s Facebook posts If someone tags you in a post, Timeline Review lets you block it from appearing on your timeline If a friend has tagged you in a post or picture that you’d rather not be associated with, there are ways to remove your name from it. On a photo, hover over it and click Options, then click 'Remove tag'. On a post, click the … button in the top right, then click 'Remove tag'. This won’t delete the picture, just your name from it. To do this for things before they’re posted on your page, turn on Timeline Review. Head to Facebook’s Settings section, then click 'Timeline and tagging' on the left; in the Review section, click Edit next to 'Review posts you're tagged in before the post appears on your timeline?'. Change this to Enabled. You can also use this section to review tags before they’re applied to you. There’s a catch, though – Timeline Review can only control what appears on your own timeline, not in people’s News Feed or search results. Read more: 5 tips for presenting your work on social media The ultimate guide to social media for creatives 8 best social media platforms for artists and designers View the full article

Our devices are getting smaller, lighter, and increasingly wire-free, but Samsung has gone step further in our quest for portable productivity: say hello to SelfieType, the first keyboardless keyboard. Sounds crackers, but it's true. The boffins at Samsung Electronics’ in-house incubation program C-Lab have developed AI software that analyses your finger movements and then translates them into QWERTY keyboard inputs on your device. All you need to make the magic happen is a front-facing camera (from a smartphone, tablet or laptop). To use the invisible keyboard, you simply place your device on any flat surface, hold your hands in the typing position and start typing. Take a look at the video below to see SelfieType in action – you will be impressed. (Looking for a more traditional option? See our pick of the best keyboards or the best tablet keyboards.) The more we look at the SelfieType the more we love it – the benefits, unlike the keyboard itself, are obvious for all to see. No more making do with a cut-down keyboard with tiny keys. You can type messages and emails on your smartphone easier and faster than any thumb technique. And, you won't need to lug around any clunky clip-on keyboards. Your keyboard will always be with wherever you are. If seems too good to be true, but they say seeing is believing (ahem). SelfieType is currently still at concept stage, and is being demoed at CES2020. Read more: The best iPad accessories for 2020 Wacom unveils its most affordable tablet yet Designer unmasks the secret of the PS5 logo View the full article

The introduction of the HTML5 specification brought with it a host of new semantic tags, giving more meaning to HTML tags. This meant that web designers no longer needed to produce swatches of <div> tags to build their site structure. The basic semantic HTML tags such as <header>, <footer> and <nav> are almost self explanatory. But, there are a host of newer HTML tags that web designers need to be using as well. Here we pick eight HTML tags that you should be using right now and briefly explain how they should be used. Plus, you'll find five HTML tags that need to be replaced immediately if you are still using them. For more web design advice, see our web design tools roundup or our guide to how to make an app. 01. <picture> The <picture> tag is similar to <img>, the <picture> element provides flexibility by allowing multiple <source> elements for the same resource, which can adapt based on a media query or image type support. For example, it can supply WebP images to browsers that support the newer, smaller file size. 02. <datalist> The <datalist> tag provides an autocomplete interface for <input> elements. Each list contains a set of <option> elements that have an associated value. When linked to an <input> using the “list” attribute, it can provide a drop-down list or even display suggestions as the user types. 03. <dl> This description list, or <dl> tag, element serves as a container for groups of defined terms. Inside, each term (<dt>) and definition (<dd>) are grouped together to form a glossary-like structure. While it applies basic formatting by default, semantic HTML benefits screen readers and other automated tools such as crawlers. 04. <details> Accordions are a common design pattern when lots of data needs to be shown at once, such as a questions page. By using the <details> element alongside <summary>, we can achieve the same effect without JavaScript. Clicking the summary will toggle the rest of the content. 05. <dfn> Complex terms or abbreviations often need defining for those that are not familiar. A term wrapped in a <dfn> tag will be defined by the text that surrounds it. This is an inline element and is designed to be used to highlight definitions in human language. 06. <figure> A figure is defined as a unit of content that often appears in the main flow of a document but can be also interpreted separately. The <figure> element wraps an image or other reference content and can also include a description of its contents with <figcaption>. 07. <code> With technical writing, it can be useful to visually separate computer code from the rest of the sentence. By wrapping each occurrence in a <code> tag, the browser can apply some default formatting to display it more appropriately. Combine with <pre> for larger code blocks. 08. <time> We can write time values differently depending on the context or the language. By marking these values with the <time> tag, search engines and other automated tooling can quickly extract this information. Use the “datetime” attribute to supply a specific time in a more machine-friendly format. 5 HTML tags to avoid The HTML specification has a lot of legacy tags that can still be used, and will still work, but the simple fact is, there is usually a better alternative out there. And, if there is a better option then you really need to be using it. There is also the issue of browser support. Some tags will no longer be supported in every browser, but these can go unnoticed when looking at the design of a page. Again these need to be replaced. Below you will find five tags that should definitely not be sitting inside the HTML of any page. If you spot any of these in your code make sure they are replaced with a more suitable tag or removed altogether. 01. <font> Historically, the <font> tag was used to style a block of text, it’s now best to target and style text with CSS. According to Advanced Web Ranking, nearly 6.5 million websites still use the tag despite it being deprecated for many years. 02. <menuitem> When combined with <menu>, the <menuitem> tag would supply options and actions to perform inside context menus. This has now been removed from the specification as it did not receive much browser support. 03. <big> The <big> tag would have increased the size of the text inside the tag by one level. Its companion <small> is still valid HTML, but now has a more defined semantic meaning referring to small print. 04. <center> Previously the <center> tag was the only way to centralise both block and inline content, but it has now been replaced with “text-align: center” in CSS, which performs the same job. 05. <marquee> The <marquee> tag allowed the text inside the tag to move across the screen like a news ticker. While previously a popular feature of the web it has been classed as obsolete in favour of CSS-based animations. Do you want to learn more about web design? Then subscribe to net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Learn how to build better JavaScript at GenerateJS Join us in April 2020 with our lineup of JavaScript superstars at GenerateJS – the conference helping you build better JavaScript. Book now at generateconf.com How to use an HTML boilerplate: A guide 6 steps to writing better CSS 13 of the best JavaScript frameworks to try View the full article

The United Arab Emirates has announced a brand new logo (above), the country's first for 50 years. Named '7 Lines', the final product is the winner of a competition voted on by 10.6 million people from around the world. The logo is accompanied by a new slogan: Make It Happen, that apparently sums up the nation's journey since the unification of the seven countries 50 years ago. Alongside the rebrand that will carry the nation forward over the next 50 years, the UAE will be planting over 10 million trees in Nepal and Indonesia – one tree for every vote cast. The entire package aims to enhance the UAE's reputation with its global audience. (Compare this shiny new logo to our pick of the best ever in our best logos post.) The new logo was announced by HH Sheikh Mohammed with the above tweet. Seven designers were chosen from each of the seven regions to work on the potential design. The finished logo is comprised of seven multi-coloured lines, each one representing one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE. This was especially important to the nation's rebrand due to global confusion about what the UAE actually means. “The world is going to know us now as seven emirates,” said Ms Al Hammadi who, at 21, is one of the youngest designers involved. She explained that people around the world think that Dubai and Abu Dhabi, for example, are separate countries and that the message of unification is incredibly important to the country. The final entries in the UAE's competition, voted on by 10.6 million people globally The competition winner certainly seems to speak a louder message than those of its competitors (above). Sass Brown, design expert and columnist for UAE publication, The National, explains that the format and direction of the lines are representative of more than just the seven emirates. “The gentle undulation of the form reminds me of the curve of a sand dune or the roll of a wave, both representative of the geography of the territory," says Brown. "The simple sans serif font is clean, modern and easy to read in a digital environment, representative of the stand the Emirates has taken on innovation, entrepreneurship and technology, which propels them into the future." And of course, the lines are also in the shape of the map of the UAE. Unusually, the The old UAE logo (left), and the rebranded version (right) The trees will be planted in West Papua, Indonesia, a centre for marine biodiversity, and at the Amaltaari planting site in Nawalparasi, Nepal to support the endangered species, such as the Bengal tiger, that live there. Whether or not the logo and tree planting drive will help shift the UAE’s global reputation remains to be seen, but, from a design point of view, the logo itself is a strong piece of design with a clear message. It's a clean and modern update on the imperialistic-looking eagle that was introduced way back in 1973, and holds very different connotations. Unlike the Dutch national logo update that came in the autumn of last year, this rebrand has been taken super-seriously, which is perhaps unsurprising given the overarching messages it is attempting to convey. Read more: Where to find logo design inspiration 8 of the biggest logo redesigns of 2019 5 big logo design trends for 2020 View the full article

While colours don’t change overnight when the bells strike midnight on 31 December, there are shifts and developments that can almost come to define each year. The last year has been dominated by bright vivid, almost electric colours, neons and continued use of duotones and colour gradients. While some classic colour palettes are here to stay, there are many design settings that will see new tendencies in the new year – both in the colours that designers use and the way they use them. Here we run through seven colour trends to keep a keen eye on in 2020. For how colours are classically used, see our colour theory explainer. 01. Muted palettes Dosist mutes its palette for a colourful but mature look The trend through 2019 has been largely bold, vivid colours, with many brands brightening up their branding with almost dayglow electric hues. When peer-to-peer lending company Ratesetter updated its branding mid-year, the biggest change was to up the saturation and intensity of its purple brand colour. But the counter movement has already begun. With vivid colours now so prevalent, 2020 will see a growing tendency to step back towards more muted tones. Some brands have already started to take the edge off colours, desaturating them by infusing them with black, white or a complementary colour to make them less abrasive and easier on the eye. Medical cannabis company Dosist show how muted colours can give a more mature look to stand out from competitors. By using muted colours, you also avoid creating a harsh contrast with the white background. LinkedIn has been using muted colours in marketing posts on social media to make its material stand out without shouting. The brand colours are still being used, but they’re toned, showing a possibility here to develop a secondary colour palette based on brand colours by adding some black or white. It feels modern and natural. Don’t be surprised to see the trend extend into imagery too, with designers opting for more subdued and natural-looking photography in place of oversaturated images. 02. Earthy colours 3 Ravens' use of earthy colours gives a homely retro feel Following on from the tendency towards more muted palettes, the recent penchant for vivid neon colours and a cyberpunk aesthetic is starting to give way to a return to more earthy tones. This can sometimes generate an even retro-looking effect conjuring up the homely feel of the 1960s and '70s. Melbourne’s Studio io has been specialising in this throwback look in its packaging designs for the city’s oldest brewery 3 Ravens. It turned to vintage juice and ice cream cartons and labels for the colour inspiration and the resulting labels feels nostalgic, but also fun and authentic. The Nike Hyper Court app in the Philippines went for similar earthy colours to appeal to youngsters and looked much cooler than it would have done had it gone for a more obvious neon-infused futuristic palette. Estudio Santa Rita’s artwork for Dropbox’s Spotify playlist also show earthy colours can give a sense of artisan craftsmanship to tech companies. 03. Monochrome Rappi puts the focus on a single brand colour The trend over recent years for the use of duotone and colour gradients is now getting even simpler as brands start to put the emphasis on a single brand colour. It’s another sign of a step back from so much colour, and an attempt to stand out from the noise with a simple, clear identity across all material. Latin American on-demand delivery startup Rappi uses tones of its brand orange through the landing page for its Rappi Pay payments service in Colombia, and Argentine insurance company Iúnigo adds colour accents in only its brand colour blue throughout its illustrations and UI (designed by DHNN). While monochrome filters may look old-fashioned in print materials, they’re getting a new lease of life online. Monochrome colour filters are being used once more in all or partial elements in graphic composition, like the purple filter on the imagery on this site for Intelligent Artifacts. 04. Metallics A copper effect gives an antique feel to Feletti chocolate While the previous trends all suggest colours being taken down a notch in 2020, we can still expect to see plenty of bling with a growing tendency for metallic looks and effects. For physical collateral like business cards, promotional brochures and invitations, designers are taking advantage of foiling and relief engraving to give a touch of class and luxury, while web designers are adding 3D metallic effects for an equivalent effect online and a sense of dimension. But even here the trend may be heading towards more subdued options, with copper and bronze rather than gold or silver. The packaging design for Feletti chocolates by Happy Centro Design Studio uses a warm copper/bronze to conjure up images of nautical adventures and old portholes – and it looks much better than a more glaring gold would have done. Iridescent metal effects are also being used in products like the Apple Card and By Haus’s branding for Cadabra (see below). 05. Colour gradients mature Cadabra’s identity uses a colour gradient to highlight text Colour gradients have defied all those who said they were the comeback that would never last. Their ability to add depth to an image has given them true staying power and they’re not likely to go anywhere yet. What we will see is their use maturing as designers start to use them as a standard design element rather than the main feature in a design. This can mean using gradients as backgrounds to graphics and to colour text in order to accentuate headlines or key words, like in the brand identity created for visual storytellers Cadabra by By Haus. These illustrations for for Twitter by Leo Natsume show how very subtle colour gradients can be used within illustrations to give depth without being the main focus. 06. Classic Blue Pantone believes this will be the colour of 2020 It’s almost impossible to talk about colour trends for the new year without mentioning the Pantone colour of the year. For 2020, the company behind the colour matching system has chosen 19-4052 Classic Blue, and it certainly is classic. It’s a timeless shade falls somewhere between mid-tone and deep blue. Why has Pantone matched this colour with the new year? Well, the company describes it as "Non-aggressive and easily relatable" and says it offers "the promise of protection". There is something honest and dependable about this shade, while it’s also soothing and relaxing. This may be a reason why so many brands choose blue for their colours and logos. Pantone thinks it captures a global need for greater trust, confidence and tranquility. It’s a great sentiment to enter the new decade. 07. Dark mode Dark mode is everywhere, including on Slack (see how to switch to Slack's dark mode) Not so much a colour, you might say but a lack of it, but dark mode is going to be influencing colour decisions across the board this year. Dark mode is a function in apps and websites that offers the user an interface which is predominantly black or grey instead of white. It’s gaining more and more adherents thanks to claims that it’s easier on the eyes and saves battery, but also because of aesthetics. The contrast of vivid colours against a dark background allows for interesting combinations with saturated colours that pop off the background. Outlook launched a dark mode in 2019, Gmail followed, and Google now has an experimental feature that allows Chrome users to effectively force any website into dark mode by inverting the colours. Many web and UI designers working in UI will be considering designing a specifically for dark mode but in 2020 dark colour schemes aren’t restricted to websites and apps – expect to see dark mode-inspired design appearing everywhere as designers mimic the effect and use dark backgrounds to allow saturated colours to stand out. For example, as seen in some of the work by Dark Design Studio.. While white space remains the definition of clean and crisp design, we might hear people talking more about black space. Watch this (ahem) space. Read more: The events every designer should know about in 2020 The top design trends for 2020 12 design fails that were so bad they were actually good View the full article

A Romanian national has been sentenced to 5 years in prison after racking up almost $400,000 in an ATM skimming scheme. View the full article