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A good logo is instantly recognisable and forever memorable, letting you know exactly what brand you are dealing with. But is good logo design just something that humans can do? What if Twitter bots designed logos, would that change our perception of some of the world's biggest brands?. Darius Kazemi originally launched his bot project, Glitch Logos, over three years ago, and the bot has been redrawing corporate logos ever since. No brand is too big, and several of the world's best logos have had the glitch treatment. Some look like a hammer has been taken to them, some look like they have been put in front of a heater for too long, while some are so malformed you have no idea of what could have possibly happened to them. Check out some of our favourites below. Use the arrows to scroll through to more glitchy logos. Did you recognise them all? Some are easier than others, but even after going through the Glitched Logos Twitter bot, they all still retain an element of the original design. Whether it's a single distinctive shape, an unforgettable colour combination or a font that instantly jogs your memory. While Glitched Logos Twitter bot is fun and amusing and gives a new slant on corporate logos, it does reinforce the power of a well-executed logo. Get it right and people will still recognise it, post-glitch. Check our logo design guide post to find out more about crafting a memorable logo. Like what you see? Then go buy one If you like Kazemi's work, you can get your hands on some merchandise in the shape of a Glitch Logos t-shirt from his online store. The current line-up includes Starbucks, Playstation and the US presidential seal. Read more: Logo memory challenge befuddles participants 10 iconic logos with hidden meanings The 10 best circular logos of all time View the full article

Finding the best running headphones is tricky. You need something that will stay in place as you move, withstand any sweating, and provide great sound quality on top of that. Thankfully, there are some great options on the market – in this article we'll run through our pick of the best running headphones right now. For any creatives out there, running can be the perfect break. Allowing you to clear your mind, really think out that project you've been working on and get you moving and away from your computer – running can help boost creativity with ease. So for those who need a high tempo soundtrack to keep them going, what are the best running headphones? That's the question we're here to answer, with options for everyone, no matter what your priorities are. There are incredibly affordable running headphones for those on a budget; headphones that offer unbeatable sound quality, and even options that allow outside sound in to keep you safe on the road. So for anyone looking to battle creative block and soundtrack their exercise routine, scroll down to find out how to choose the best running headphones for you and see our picks of the top options. Want to explore some more options? We also have guides to the best noise-cancelling headphones, and the best wireless headphones. Choosing the best running headphones With running headphones there are varying factors to consider. Are they sweat-proof? Will they remain comfortable on long runs? Will they stay in when you reach your max pace? These are all crucial questions to consider. And of course, the best running headphones won't just be useful for when you go for a jog, any good pair of running headphones will work for a gym workout, practising football or just generally exercising. As we mentioned above, there are a number of factors to consider when buying a pair of running headphones. Most of the best pairs will be both sweat-proof and have a good fit for when you're moving about a lot. However, past that there are a number of other factors to consider. Would you prefer to have over-ear headphones or in-ear? Would you rather have noise-cancelling or be able to hear what's going on around you? Do you want a light pair that won't drag you down or are you willing to add weight on for increased sound quality. No matter which of the above factors is most crucial for you we've listed options to fit any needs below. And alongside being excellent running headphones, these will all also work great while your working or getting stuck into a creative project. Which are the best running headphones? But what are the absolute best running headphones? The Sennheiser CX Sport blend a level of affordability and excellent sound quality to take our top spot. But for other needs there is a host of other choices that will be right for you. For those on a budget, the Anker SoundBuds will resonate with you or for those who like to be able to hear what's going on around them, the AfterShokz Trekz Air will be perfect. We've listed our absolute top choices for running headphones below: Our number 1 pick for the best running headphones has to be the Sennheiser CX Sport. With the word 'Sport' in the tile you would hope these would be a pair of headphones that can keep up with your active lifestyle - and you would be right. Where these headphones really succeed is in their sound quality. They push a bass heavy performance while still holding up in the mids. Yes, they aren't going to compete with the very top headphones out there but when it comes to a pair of running headphones, the CX Sport will consistently surprise you with their quality. With a battery life of 6 hours, these might not be the ideal choice for marathon runners but for any casual jogger or gym-goer, 6 hours will be plenty. Combine that with the affordable pricing on offer and you've got a number 1 pick. For some people, the most crucial part of a pair of running headphones will be the sound quality. If you're one of those people the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 will be for you. They are quite a simplistic looking pair of headphones and carry a price tag higher than some of the other options on this list but those issues are more than made up for through the excellent sound quality pushed out through these. At this price tag it will be hard to beat sound quality like this. That paired with their light-weight, comfortable design makes these a solid choice for anyone trying to make the ultimate soundtrack for their workout. The KuaiFit Sport Headphones aren't the cheapest headphones on this list or the best sounding but what they are without a doubt is the most feature packed pair of running headphones on this list. Firstly, they are the only pair of running headphones on this list with internal storage meaning you don't even need to bring your phone with you, music can simply be stored on the headphones. But considering these headphones include a fitness tracker, can be paired with a iOS or Android app and include a heart rate monitor, taking your phone with you is a smart choice to release the unbelievable amount of features on board. And of course, they do still sound pretty great, they don't cost too much and they're even sweat proof. There is nothing worse than being midway through a run and then suddenly...your headphones run out of battery. So how do you combat this issue? Wired headphones. Our pick for the best wired headphones for running go to the Bose SoundSport In-Ear Headphones. Coming from one of the biggest names in audio, these headphones can deliver crisp highs, deep lows and will really help immerse you in your exercise. While they do stay in with ease and will rarely fall out, some may find the wires to be an annoying issue while running. If you fear this will cause an issue for you, try one of the other options on this list. Not bothered by cables but charging is a chore for you? These will be the best choice for you. There is a certain comfort in wearing over-ear headphones. For some they stay on better and they provide a better all-round soundscape. If you fall into the category of people who love an over-ear experience, the Bose SoundLink Wireless Headphones II will be an ideal choice. Firstly, they sound great, offering an excellent level of sound quality and although they don't offer ANC, they do a surprisingly good job at blocking out sound. And, due to the over-ear size of these headphones, they are able to pack in more battery power, lasting for around 15 hours. These will be one of the better choices for those looking not just for a pair of running headphones but really, a pair of headphones for every part of life. The Sony WF-1000X have a lot going for them. They offer some excellent sound quality, the carry case doubles as a charger, the battery life has some impressive stretch, lasting up to nine hours and most importantly, they offer noise cancellation to block out the outside world if you like to be alone with your thoughts and music. If you have the funds to spend on these headphones they could well be one of the best pairs of running headphones on the market, especially with the added benefit of Google Assistant or Siri activation. However, they do cost a fair bit more than most other options on this list. For those who want a pair of running headphones but worry about not being able to hear what's going on around them, AfterShokz Trekz Air headphones will be a logical choice. Unlike any other pair of headphones on this list, these do not go over or in your ear and instead they sit just outside of your ears, working through bone conduction. This has a benefit and a drawback. You'll be fully aware of your surroundings and be able to run much safer. However, due to not actually being in your ears, these headphones will feel much quieter than any other option on this list. While they might not be the loudest choice, they are easily one of the most comfortable running headphones on the market and will feel lightweight even when you've been running for a long period of time. If you're looking for a pair of running headphones without breaking the bank, Anker's SoundBuds could well be the way to go. Frequently falling well under £20, these headphones don't require a big investment and yet, they offer a surprising performance. They're Bluetooth enabled, have a comfortable ergonomic fit that won't fall out while running and can be used on a full charge for up to 10 hours. And above all of that, despite its cheap price tag these running headphones sound pretty great. Yes, they can't compete with the more expensive options you'll see above but at this price, they'll certainly be surprising you! Read more: The best VR headsets for 2019 15 ways to stay motivated for longer View the full article

There's a longstanding convention in advertising that you don't tackle rival brands directly. After all, all publicity is good publicity, and you don't want to spend your marketing budget raising a competitor's profile. Plus, your campaign might backfire in some way, or lead to a series of counter-attack ads that inflict lasting damage on your brand. And if you're not careful, you may even lay yourself open to legal action from the company that you're having a dig at. There are, however, some notable exceptions, which show that it is possible to take on a rival brand and win. In this article, we look at five examples of brands that did just that, and the lessons we can learn from them. 01. Wendy’s: Where’s the beef? “Where’s the beef?” was a 1984 campaign for Wendy's fast-food chain, crafted by ad agency Dancer Fitzgerald Sample, which blew up beyond all expectations. The focus was that Wendy's modestly named 'Single' burger had a larger beef patty (and smaller bun) than either McDonald's Big Mac or Burger King's Whopper. In the ad, actress Clara Peller receives a burger with a massive bun, and cries: "Where's the beef?" The offending burger is from a fictional company, but it was obvious to everyone which brands the ad was having a dig at. It was a huge hit, and spawned a successful series of follow-up commercials, all based around the same catchphrase, as well as a spin-off pop song and promotional items including bumper stickers, frisbees, clothing patches and a board game. Meanwhile, the phrase itself took on a life of its own, most famously being used in the Democratic Presidential primaries by Walter Mondale to knock his rival, Gary Hart. Lessons learned: As the saying goes, when you come at the [Burger] King, you’d better not miss. “Where’s the beef?” delivered a knockout punch, by taking an undisputed fact (that Wendy’s burgers contained more actual beef) and boiling it down to a simple, repeatable slogan. There was no need to name McDonald’s or Burger King directly: the point was clear to anyone who likes fast food. 02. Pepsi Challenge First launched in 1975 and continuing to this day, the Pepsi Challenge was based on an idea that was simple, brilliant, and played directly to Pepsi’s strengths compared with market leader Coca-Cola. The challenge revolved around a blind taste test held at malls, shopping centres, and other public places. A Pepsi representative set up a table with two white cups: one containing Pepsi and one with Coca-Cola. Passers-by were encouraged to taste both, and choose their favourite. When the representative revealed which brand they preferred, this often led to a look of surprise on the tester’s face, which formed the basis for the TV commercials. Most significantly, Pepsi claimed that more than 50 per cent of testers preferred Pepsi to Coca-Cola. This exploited the psychological principle of social proof: that people tend to copy the actions of others in social situations. Offering evidence that the majority of people prefer Pepsi is thus a powerful driver for people to make the same, socially-compliant choice. The success of the campaign was instant, winning Pepsi a greater share of the market at Coke’s expense, and leading Coca-Cola to panic. In 1985 Coke even changed their formula to taste more like Pepsi, and launched New Coke, which was a complete disaster. New Coke alienated Coca-Cola's audience and lost the company vast sums of money, before they saw the error of their ways and brought the original recipe back, in the form of Classic Coke. Ultimately, the Pepsi challenge wasn’t successful at displacing Coke from the number one spot, though. And author Malcolm Gladwell points out a possible reason in his 2005 book Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking: the ‘sip test’ method is fundamentally flawed. Why? Because on the first sip, tasters will generally prefer the sweeter of two beverages (Pepsi), but that doesn’t mean they’ll prefer it over the course of an entire can. No matter. Overall, it’s undeniable the Pepsi Challenge was a game-changer. It allowed Pepsi to win market share, dominate the conversation, and put their main rival on the back foot, rather than submitting to Coke’s hegemony and going the way of now-defunct brands like Virgin Cola. Lesson learned: The Pepsi Challenge took a point of difference (that Pepsi is sweeter than Coke), and used it to launch a grand and ambitious vision for the brand. It may not have been the giant killer they were hoping for, but it showed that even the mightiest of rivals can be humbled if you’re strategic about it. 03. Get a Mac Whatever you think of Apple, it’s undeniable that it was the first brand ever to make computing equipment seem ‘cool’. This point of difference was brilliantly exploited in a series of ads created by TBWA entitled ‘Get a Mac’, running from 2006 to 2009. In each ad, two people representing a 'Mac' and a 'PC' discuss a variety of failings seen in Windows-running computers, such as their vulnerability to viruses. Later commercials moved away from focusing on the equipment and towards the operating systems, exploiting widely-reported problems with Windows Vista and Windows 7. However, these specific topics were only really secondary to the main thrust of the campaign: to convey that younger, cooler people should see Apple as their natural brand of choice. And in the days when ‘influencer’ meant people who actually had influence, that turned out to be a very smart move indeed. Lessons learned: Sometimes it’s better not to focus too much on the product specs themselves; particularly in the case of computers, where you run the risk of boring and alienating people. By recasting the difference between your products in terms of personality traits and emotional associations, you can build a far more powerful brand. 04. McDonald’s Flat White Like it or loathe it, McDonald's has certainly run some clever advertising campaigns over the years, and this one from 2018 was no exception. Created by Leo Burnett London, it essentially killed two birds with one stone: introducing a new menu item (flat white coffee) and having a dig at more expensive places to buy the same product. The premise is simple. A variety of customers visit a series of hipster-style coffee houses asking “What is a flat white?” and get a series of pretentious, evasive and confusing replies. Eventually, the same question is asked in McDonald’s, and a short and sensible answer is finally received. The subtext: you can buy a flat white anywhere else, but you’ll probably have people talking down to you, whereas McDonald’s sees you as an equal. It’s a clever play on our constant anxiety over social status: a far more powerful motivator than how a drink actually tastes. Indeed, this ad side-steps any discussion about the quality of the product (an area in which McDonald’s has no obvious superiority) and makes you forget that's even an issue. Lesson learned: As in martial arts, so in branding: take your opponent’s weight and strength and use it against them. If McDonald’s had tried to claim their coffee was superior, it would have failed. Instead, this campaign takes its rivals’ sense of superiority and cleverly turns it into a weakness. 05. Lidl trolls John Lewis All the campaigns we’ve looked at so far have been big-budget TV ads. But these days you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get one over on your competitors. With the right message, you can sometimes cut through with a single tweet. Supermarket chain Lidl did just that in 2018, cleverly exploiting rival retailer John Lewis’ Elton John themed Christmas ad (below). The payoff to the expensively produced commercial was that you could buy a keyboard at John Lewis… and Lidl jumped on the fact that this was not an affordable choice for most families. Lidl's tweet pointed out that, rather than shelling out £872 on a keyboard at John Lewis, you could get one from them for just £89.99. And a killer line, “It’s a Lidl bit funny” (playing on the singer’s lyrics) served as the icing on the cake. Lesson learned: Deliberately taking on a rival brand can easily backfire on social media, where any weakness in your argument, or perceived issues with your tone, can provoke a counter-productive Twitterstorm. By keeping it light, and sticking to undisputable facts, Lidl got across a powerful message, which was amplified by the media to a level worth millions in free advertising. Read more: 5 ad campaigns that changed the world Why the John Lewis Christmas advert is fundamentally flawed The best billboard advertising View the full article

There's no such thing as the perfect logo. No matter how good a new logo looks at launch – and today you can guarantee that it's likely to be met with a barrage of online scorn regardless – sooner or later it's going to start to look its age and out of step with the latest design trends. Except in a very few cases – Ford and Coca-Cola spring instantly to mind – a logo design is eventually going to need updating, and in some case, completely replacing. Every year sees an assortment of logo redesigns touching down, some of which simply tweak and refocus a tired design, while others throw everything out and start over. Here are eight of this year's best, each taking a slightly different approach to updating a well-known logo. 7 logos by famous designers and why they work 01. Volkswagen VW's new flat and minimal logo gives it a more contemporary look Volkswagen has such an instantly-recognisable logo that to change it too much is simply unthinkable. The chunky VW monogram has served it well over the years, but its fussy, embossed look was starting to look a little dated, so this year Volkswagen unveiled a redesigned logo that's still cut from the same cloth but a lot more contemporary. This new, flat logo is designed to scale gracefully across all possible use cases, and features thinner strokes as well as friendly rounded corners on the tips of the letters. 02. Slack The old Slack logo was a bit of a mess; enter Pentagram Slack's original hashtag logo was created before the company had even launched, and it was a bit of a mess, with 11 different colours that never looked good if it was placed on any colour other than white, or if it wasn't rotated at exactly 18º, or if the colours were tweaked at all. Its new logo, designed by Pentagram and revealed at the start of the year, is a simpler four-colour pinwheel design built to be easier to use and more cohesive across multiple platforms. 03. Firefox The new Firefox logo manages to be both minimal and colourful 18 months in the making – including a process in which Mozilla invited the public to share their thoughts on potential designs – the new Firefox logo is a swish simplification of the old logo that's part of a larger branding system for the entire Firefox brand. The new branding is based on four key pillars – 'Radical', 'Kind', 'Open' and 'Opinionated' – and features a new and expanded colour palette that makes great use of gradients. 04. Android The Android bot lost its body and turned a different shade of green Previously a lime green colour that, says Google, was hard for people with visual impairments to see, especially when paired with other colours, the new-look Android bot that's key to the mobile brand has had a paint job. It's now a much more soothing minty green shade that's much more accessible. This year's redesign also saw the cute little android lose its body and get reduced to a still-identifiable head; Google also used the opportunity to ditch its weird version naming system in which every release was named after a sweet, and move to a more conventional number-based process. 05. Macy's We don't like the squashed 's', but overall this is a much-improved Macy's logo A small tweak to Macy's logo this year has made a big difference. The previous version used big letterforms, with an incredibly thin stroke width and really narrow kerning that didn't make for great legibility; the new one brings in thicker strokes and looser tracking that's a lot more readable. We're not keen on the lack of overshoots on the lettering's curves, and the squashed 's' on the end of the logo is never going to look good to us, but on the whole these changes have resulted in a vastly improved logo design. 06. BT Yes, it's just some letters in a circle, and yes, it works The current trend for minimal logos that work well at any size is probably most evident in this year's redesigned BT logo. Created by London studio Red&White, the new logo is as simple as it gets: 'BT' in an unobtrusive sans-serif, surrounded by a circle. While its simplicity inevitably drew flak for looking bland, not to mention the standard criticisms that it looks like something knocked up in five minutes with MS Paint, it's a strong and confident look that's a huge step forward from the previous logo with its meaningless globe motif made up of blobs of various colours. 07. Yahoo! Turns out that Yahoo! isn't actually dead The most surprising thing about the announcement of a new, Pentagram-designed Yahoo! logo is that Yahoo! still exists. The go-to starting point on the web back in the 1990s, today it's a mere shadow of its former self; however its new logo suggests that maybe there's life in the old dog yet. Centred around a logotype set in Centra No.2 Extrabold, with the letters subtly altered to be more geometric and compact, the new design has a definite vitality to it that's enhanced by the italicised exclamation mark that tilts at the same angle as the 'y' – suggesting a sense of momentum and excitement, according to Pentagram. The primary 'grape jelly' purple of the brand's palette is guaranteed to stand out on screen, while a simplified 'y!' monogram is a great favicon and social media fit. Will it turn Yahoo!'s fortunes around? It seems unlikely, but it's at least made us pay attention to Yahoo! for the first time in ages. 08. Grolsch This is a great example of how to completely rework a logo while retaining its identity To finish off, here's an excellent example of a redesign that gives a brand a much-needed refresh while remaining true to its DNA. Created by freelance designer Dan Lawrence, this rebrand for Grolsch addresses an issue that many brands come up against eventually: the gradual iterative tweaking of branding over the years, which results in a design that's an unappealing mix of disparate styles. Lawrence approached this redesign by concentrating on the essentials and stripping out everything that served no purpose; the result isn't the bare minimalism that you might expect, but a lean and keenly-focused branding package that retains the Grolsch identity in a much more pleasing way. Related articles: 5 innovative startup logo designs from 2019 Quiz: Spot the errors in these famous logos 10 of the best logos ever View the full article

The flaw can be trivially exploited. View the full article

[Originally published in May 2019] Twitter has uncovered an official Disney drawing of what Mickey Mouse should look like from above, and it's not pretty. One of the first rules of character design is that your creation needs to look good (or at least make sense) from all angles, but back in 1930 this was apparently not a consideration. Ready to see Mickey in all his bird's-eye view glory? Here you go: Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image [Image: Walt Disney Pictures] It's a blessing that this is not a view often required in cartoons, because there's a whole heap of stuff wrong with this rendering. Why do his hands look like a tutu? Why does his belly stick out so much [update: apparently those are his feet]? And what on earth is going on with his eyes? Explore the best iPad Black Friday deals The original drawing comes from a patent for a Mickey Mouse toy (see it here), but the woman we have to thank for bringing this view of Mickey into our lives is content strategist Chappell Ellison. Responses to the tweet have been more passionate than you might expect for a drawing of a cartoon character. Perhaps because he's so well-known, being faced with this new information feels a little like looking in the mirror and realising your eyes are a different colour than you thought (well, not quite, but similar). Comments range from 'Cursed' to 'Oh hell no!' to 'I HATE THIS SO MUCH'. There's also quite a heated discussion of the famous mouse's ears, with some arguing that they should actually be spherical. Who knows what the discussions were when Mickey was first being penned, but we do know that top-down view of the famous little mouse is something we'll never be able to unsee! Would it be better if it was animated? We'll leave you to ponder that one. Read more: The best Adobe Black Friday deals in 2019: How to get a Creative Cloud discount Why the John Lewis Christmas advert is fundamentally flawed Wacom Black Friday 2019: All the best deals as they go live View the full article

When you look for images on Adobe Stock, you’ll probably notice two things. Firstly, the AI-powered search functionality allows you to find what you’re looking for very quickly. And secondly, that the images themselves are of premium quality. And that’s no accident. Adobe Stock prides itself on gathering the best photography, illustration, graphics, templates and video from leading creators around the world, and that includes Maskot. Sweden's leading producer of royalty-free images, the studio works tirelessly to produce the kind of high-quality images that designers around the world are looking for. In a recent Adobe webinar the co-founders of Maskot, Mattias Drotte and Per Levander, took us behind the scenes and revealed how they consistenly produce superlative images on the subjects of lifestyle and business. Here, we’ve summarised five principles they apply to their process, and you can see some of the stunning results yourselves. 01. Research your subject Low angle view of computer programmers discussing against wall in office, by Maskot The road to the perfect stock photograph begins with careful planning about what and how to shoot. There’s no point in capturing an image if there’s no demand for it, at the same time as designers and art directors are crying out for pictures about specific subject areas. So it’s up to Maskot to bridge the gap between demand and supply. “We do a lot of creative research before we start shooting,” says Mattias. “Obviously we look at the sales stats and stuff like that, to see if there are any content gaps that need to be filled.” But that’s only one side to it: they also need to anticipate future demand, in order that they can meet it in a timely manner. “So we also do a lot of study of social trends, like food, culture, people’s behaviour,” he adds. “This has led us to do shoots on, for example, urban farming, boomerang families and seniorpreneurs.” Sometimes that means they’re ahead of the curve: “Urban farming is a great example. It didn’t sell, for two years. But then it started selling, and became a big seller.” But it’s a risk they’re willing to take, because from the creative’s point of view, too early is far more important than too late. 02. Plan the shoot perfectly Once Maskot has decided on its subject, the shoot itself needs to be planned with military precision. Getting the location right, for example, is very important. “It can lift the entire shoot but it can also ruin it,” says Mattias. “So we’re very careful about where we’re shooting.” Props are also something that need to be managed thoughtfully, from the most important to the most trivial. “You of course need to focus on the main props, such as a beautiful bike if you show people commuting to work,” he says. “But in our eyes, true excellence lies in the rest, in the incidental stuff that lies around the image.” 03. Art direction Cheerful friends using smart phone while resting in hammock at yard, by Maskot Once everything is in place, then as Mattias puts it: “It’s time for execution, time be on set, it’s time for excellence.” And the most important thing on the day is to provide strong art direction, so that the resulting images will tell the story they need to tell. “Good direction encourages the people in the shoot to create the right atmosphere, and make sure they have fun,” he explains. “That’s very important in creating a image that looks unstaged.” 04. Be authentic Authenticity is crucial for all of the images Maskot produces, he says. “We firmly believe there is a big, big need for great looking images with an authentic touch and feel. We want to produce images that are inspired by real people.” To take one example, we’ve all seen images disabled people that are very stereotyped or staged. “So we try to focus more on everyday life situations in an authentic way, and the way to do this is to use real people,” says Matthias. “For example, we wouldn’t put a non-disabled person in a wheelchair, it would need to be someone who actually uses a wheelchair, to make it authentic and real. Similarly, when they were portraying someone living with diabetes, they needed to use someone who really has diabetes. “We followed him throughout his day: on the way to work, at home, shopping,” says Mattias. “It was important we could capture the whole day, because it’s more about their lifestyle than just their illness.” 05. Make diversity matter Cheerful male IT expert showing smart phone to professionals at workplace, by Maskot Right now, here’s a huge demand for images that show diversity, says Mattias, but it’s not just about showing a broader representation of people and lifestyles, but avoiding stereotypes and being patronising. And some attitudes are so ingrained, that can be a constant battle. “On set, for examples. we have to constantly ensure that people do not fall into the old habits of gender,” he explains. “For example, in a business setting, when the viewer’s eye drops into the photos the females should be in focus: that’s very important to us. Similarly, the men in the picture need to be listening to the women. It’s a constant work at directing those things in the shoot.” In short, it’s important to Maskot that their images don’t confirm old habits and negative stereotypes. “This it all comes down to when we cast and when we shoot. We might take traditional gender roles and switch them around. There is a huge demand for these kind of photos. Companies want to use images like this to show they’re a modern company. So we need to think about diversity on all our shoots, rather than making it a specific subject in itself.” Try Adobe Stock for free! With superior quality photos from contributors like Maskot, designers and art directors are everywhere are harnessing the power of Adobe Stock to make imaginative and eye-catching designs. If you haven't started using Adobe Stock, then it's high time you got on board, and here's a great offer to help persuade you. Try Adobe Stock for free for one month and you'll get 10 standard assets with your free 30-day trial! You've nothing to lose, and everything to gain, in terms of making you more efficient, productive and creative. So don't delay, get started with Adobe Stock today! View the full article

Nirvana, the world's biggest band in the early '90s, has been pursuing a copyright case against American fashion designer Marc Jacobs since late 2018 (see our earlier news story on the case). The designer filed a motion to dismiss the complaint in early 2019, but a California federal judge is now allowing the copyright infringement lawsuit to proceed. A good band logo is distinctive, memorable and almost instantly recognisable. Take a look at our beautiful band logos post to see a collection of all-time classics. And, yes, Nirvana is in there. So what's all the fuss about? The band claims a Marc Jacobs shirt – from his Bootleg Redux Grunge collection – copies a design that the late singer Kurt Cobain created in 1991. In Marc Jacobs' original motion he argued that the two designs aren't sufficiently similar. Take a closer look at the two designs side-by-side (see below). We will let you make up your own mind. Are they similar or not? What do you think? It seems that US district judge John A. Kronstadt thinks the designs are similar enough for the case to continue, and has denied Marc Jacobs' motion. He wrote that the only "discernible difference" in the faces is the use of 'M' and 'J' as eyes instead of two 'X's. The judge also wrote, "It is also noteworthy that the Accused Products have combined this protectable artwork with other distinctive elements of the Nirvana T-shirt, including through the use of yellow lines on black background and a similar type and placement for the text above the image on the clothing." In other words, it's all a bit fishy. Perhaps more importantly, judge Kronstadt found that Nirvana's ownership as alleged to be sufficient to survive a motion to dismiss. This means that the case can go ahead unless Marc Jacobs can find another angle. Court case aside, let's be honest, who wants a knock-off Nirvana T-shirt design when you can get your hands on the real deal for a lot less? Read more: Reebok tweaks its classic logo 6 of the most iconic drinks logos Logo swap is surprisingly disturbing View the full article

Black Friday is almost upon us, and the Adobe Black Friday sale has arrived. If you want to pick up a bargain subscription on the industry-leading suite of creative software, now is the time. Adobe is known for making its offers region-specific, but this time it's treats all round: you can get 40% or more off a CC subscription wherever you are in the world. For more deals and advice, take a look at our guide to nailing Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2019, or explore our roundup of all the Adobe Black Friday deals. The price reduction applies to the complete Adobe Creative Cloud suite, which encompasses over 20 different apps. That includes all the big players – photo editing favourite Photoshop, digital artists' go-to Illustrator, video editing software Premiere Pro, web prototyping tool Adobe XD and motion effects creator After Effects. You'll also be able to explore the new additions to the Adobe family, tablet-based art app Adobe Fresco, and Photoshop on iPad. If you need any extra encouragement, remember that when you buy Adobe's full All Apps package you're also getting 100GB of cloud storage (with the option to upgrade to 10TB) and premium features like Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark. Created on Illustrator by Karan Singh The programmes are fully integrated, so you can switch between them (and jump from one device to another) seamlessly – whether you’re out and about or in the studio. Built-in templates help you jump-start your designs, while step-by-step tutorials will help you sharpen your skills and get up to speed quickly. This deal will be available until 29 November 2019, so if you want to save big on Adobe's entire suite of creative software, grab it now. Related articles: Top-class Photoshop tutorials to hone your skills The best Apple Black Friday deals The best web hosting services for designers View the full article

The web skimmer has been spotted on at least 17 popular eCommerce websites, a new Visa alert warns. View the full article

Imagine if the classic Beatles album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band cover art was redesigned for 2019. What would it look like? What would you want it to look like? Should such a classic cover even be tampered with? A design experiment by freelance platform Fiverr sought to find out, reimagining this album along with 11 other classics. German artist, TrippieSteff, has redesigned the Beatles cover to make it relevant for the 21st century. (If you want to do something similar make sure that you check out our best Illustrator brushes post, or our Photoshop tutorials). Gone are the likes of Oscar Wilde, Marilyn Monroe, Laurel and Hardy, Karl Marx and Lewis Carroll. All have been replaced with modern day influencers, thinkers, politicians and celebrities, including activist Greta Thunberg, ex-president Barack Obama, singer Beyoncé, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and chef and restaurateur Jamie Oliver. But, perhaps more controversially the Beatles themselves have been removed. Who have these musical gods been replaced with? Taylor Swift is the new Paul McCartney and Kanye West is a modern day John Lennon. We'll let you make your own mind up on those choices. George Harrison and Ringo Starr have been replaced by Drake and Lil Nas X. The Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Band redesigned for 2019 by TrippieSteff Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is just one in a series of 12 reimagined classic album covers from Fiverr graphic designers and artists. Included in the collection are Blondie’s Parallel Lines, Nirvana’s Nevermind, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures. We're not really into the animated Parallel Lines remake, but we are loving the cutesy nature of the new look Dark Side of the Moon. You can make your own mind up by scrolling down to see the complete reimagined collection, with each individual designer giving their creative reasoning behind the redesign. Let us know which ones you love/hate on Twitter. Nirvana - Nevermind Brought together by gagadesign, the redesign sticks closely to the original in colour and concept, with the artist adding social comment by including a phone. “We have a parent who is not only approving this culture of chasing money, but it also proudly films the baby, with the intention to share it on social media to gain likes which are becoming the new supreme goal,” says the artist. David Bowie - Aladdin Sane Designer jetzon from Chile takes a drastic redirection with no Bowie in this redesign, but keeps the lightning symbol. “The podium reflects the influence that an artist has on a crowd. It is symbolic of their need to feel seen and be heard. The empty podium symbolises the anticipation spectators have waiting for the person to come out.” Bruce Springsteen - Born In the U.S.A Canadian designer boxofwolves says goodbye to this album's bum and focuses on the US flag and national flower. "The red rose is the national flower. I don’t like to have one gender or race represent a group of people, especially a diverse country like the U.S," says boxofwolves. "So I took a dark grey headless figure and had the rose be the face, with the American flag wrapped around it, representing how America has blossomed into the highly diverse society." Prince - Purple Rain Influenced by the artist formerly known as Prince, designer dvincentgomez from Brazil was keen on adding energy. We're not so sure about the flower pattern edge. "I love the space tones used a lot in his songs, and it's something that has always been very present in my work. So I wanted to make this mix of the original concept, mixing with elements of my work that have the same rhythm of the songs.” Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley Designer lizardsalt adds colour, soul and energy to a classic, but it hardly says 2019. “The inspiration for this design was for it to be a Pablo Picasso style meets a colourful psychedelic vintage comic book aesthetic," says the designer. "Elvis in this cover has such a powerful, passionate expression, and I wanted to display his emotions in colour and shape.” Velvet Underground - Velvet Underground Reimagined by designer Georgefairbairn, this really does take an album from the '60s into the present day. “I wanted to modernise his (Andy Warhol) iconic work whilst keeping it true to its original self. Bringing movement to it and adding complementary colours is something Warhol started doing himself and something I draw inspiration from.” Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon Argentinian designer melinarobledo wanted to add context to Pink Floyd's classic. We're not so sure they did but we still love its cute aesthetic. “I think my greatest challenge here was to add some sort of context to that iconic picture of the prism. So, I started thinking outside the frame and came up with this idea where the prism itself could be playing around with lights and hallucinating with the results." Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures This redesign is by Indonesian designer tonymidi, and has us wondering whether some covers should simply be left alone. "Listening to this album, you feel a deeper understanding for Ian Curtis’ life and the struggles he went through over the course of his career," says tonymidi. "When I look at this album cover, I see how it captures beauty and mystery, but I also see how this can represent a heartbeat and vision, where the heartbeat and eye become one.” Supertramp - Breakfast in America Redesigned by Leonardo_araujo, the new look to Supertramp's album adds a little humour with breakfast cereal. “I read that the original album cover was originally supposed to include Cheerios in the Grand Canyon. In order to honour that concept, I decided to put that in my version of the cover as well.” Blondie - Parallel Lines Designer viz_a_viz wanted a contemporary feel for this album. “We added the rainbow colours to the Blondie cover, with each member of the band wearing an individual colour. The rainbow often represents diversity and we wanted to make a statement that the world is more fluid today.” NWA - Straight Outta Compton This is a rap classic redesigned by lannyhoang, and is perhaps lacking real intensity. “N.W.A’s stance and history with police brutality reminded me of what’s happening to black men, women and children today. I wanted to visualise what it’s like to stand up against the police, which often seems like a very large shadow that must be overcome," says the artist. Read more: 15 essential tools for graphic designers in 2019 Where to find free graphic design templates 8 amazing new graphic design tutorials View the full article

VR apps are becoming more powerful as VR technology continues to grow and improve. You can even utilise your smartphone or tablet to create impressive virtual reality experiences, so you don't need to invest in a pricey VR headset to give the experience a go. A lot of the apps available are worth a try but some are definitely better than others, so it pays to be discerning with your choice of app. In this post, we round up the best VR apps around right now. If you'd like to browse a wider range of iPad apps, check out our pick of the best iPad apps for designers. 01. Occulus Medium Download here For those wanting an immersive sculpting experience you can’t go wrong with Oculus Medium. It has a full feature set, for sculpting, painting and stamping, as well as a built-in camera and light system, making it ideal for rapid concept work and much more. 02. Quill Download here Also from the Oculus camp, Quill feels more like a traditional painting app but is in fact full 3D. Artistic brush strokes live in 3D and can be fully animated. Stay in VR space to view your masterpiece or export to your chosen 3D software to light and render. 03. Gravity sketch Download here Comparison has been made to Illustrator and we think that’s fair. Gravity Sketch is a full-on VR content creation app, but it has some really cool and intuitive tools for creating shapes, using splines and curves. It's great for product visualisation, modelling vehicles and the like. 04. Tilt Brush Download here Tilt Brush was one of the earlier art apps in VR to make a big splash and it’s still an enjoyable experience in 2019. It features some interesting animated brushes, a pro mode for the more advanced user and a superb UI. It may be a little more casual than others on this list, but it’s a fun way to rough out ideas or to simply doodle in VR. 05. Beat Saber Download here As much as the apps mentioned above are great fun and also allow you to create content in a truly immersive way, we all need some downtime and Beat Saber is a joy. Get your groove on and spend some time moving to the beat and using a pair of sabres to chop those flying bricks. For the Jedi Master that enjoys Tetris. This article was originally published in issue 251 of 3D World, the world's best-selling magazine for CG artists. Buy issue 251 or subscribe to 3D World. Read more: The best VR headsets right now 7 bonkers VR trends coming your way The best video-editing apps around right now View the full article

The best retro gaming consoles are your gateway to years gone by. They resuscitate machines from decades past, and with the machines come the most popular games from that era. Fans of SEGA, Nintendo, PlayStation, Atari, and beyond won't be disappointed. In fact, all the big hitters from the '80s and '90s are available. Although machines are usually smaller than the real deal and feature upgraded ports for HDMI and USB cables, the original design isn't touched – these may as well be museum exhibits in miniature. That's something of a relief as the best retro consoles are based on some of the most iconic designs in technology, and they recreate every detail perfectly (even down to regional changes, as with the SNES or Genesis/MegaDrive). In this post, we round up the most exceptional choices – and some even have discounts that must be up there with the best Black Friday deals. And if all this talk of retro styling has given you a taste for years gone by, check out our list of awesome retro fonts. Best retro gaming consoles Before we get started, here's a quick word of warning: be sure to check which games are included in your retro gaming console of choice. Because the vast majority of them included 20-30 titles, the one you're looking for may not have made the cut. If you grew up in the 1990s, you often fell into one of two camps – team SEGA or team Nintendo. This particular throwback honors what may be the former's best work. For starters, it's a gorgeous device that's the spitting image of the original. That includes the various dials and switches, but it also stretches to a cartridge slot you can actually open and blow the dust from (despite the Mini not using cartridges in the first place). Better still, it packs 42 classic games drawn from the breadth of the Genesis/MegaDrive era. That includes obvious candidates like Sonic the Hedgehog and Ecco the Dolphin, but you also get more unusual choices such as Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse. Most of these games have aged well, too; their 16-bit graphics are every bit as full of life and verve as they were decades ago. There's even a brand-new menu soundtrack by 16-bit composing legend Yuzo Koshiro using technology from the 1990s. As you'd expect, the design is slightly different depending on where you buy it – the US gets the Genesis, while the UK has the very slightly different MegaDrive, up to and including any localisations on games. Nintendo's legacy stretches back decades before the Switch or Wii, and the SNES might just be the best of their offerings in the 20th century. Another miniature remake, the SNES Classic shrinks that original design into something easy to find space for at home. As you'll notice after a quick visit to some online stores, the one you get will also be dependent on your location. If you're gaming in the US, you'll receive the handsome, angular North American version with purple accents and controller buttons. And the more colorful, rounded design with red, blue, yellow, and green buttons is for UK users. Everything else is pretty much as you remember, and it's heartwarming to see it in your living room again. Even though the controller cords are a little too small for comfort, it won't detract from this heady dose of nostalgia. But what about the games? You'll get 21 fan-favorites with the US and European version of SNES Classic, and they're all excellent. Be it Super Mario World, Star Fox, or The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, these 16-bit icons are every bit as playable today as they were 30 years ago. Almost all of them hold up in terms of visuals and gameplay too, but each one has been boosted with the addition of rewind or suspend options (not to mention the ability to save anywhere). This is the cherry on top of an already appealing cake, and we can't recommend it enough. If you remember the Atari 2600 with fondness, the Atari Flashback 8 Gold Deluxe is a must-have. The Flashback line has always been good, but this version throws in 120 emulated games for your trouble, including Yar's Revenge, Pitfall, and Adventure. It also features two wireless joysticks (not to mention two paddles for specific titles) that are a pitch-perfect ode to days gone by. Equally, the machine itself is as close to 1980's chic as you can get with a fake wooden panel on the front and plastic ridges. While it's not a perfect recreation, it definitely captures the essence of the original. As for those games, the Atari Flashback improves on them with 720p HDMI output and options for saving, pausing, and rewinding the action. And let's be honest - getting 120 titles for your money is superb value. Sony's first foray into console gaming landed with the force of a bomb. As well as being immensely popular at the time, it established a lineage of machines that continue to dominate the market today. As such, it was inevitable that they'd bring the original back for a lap of honor. Fans won't be disappointed with it. Much like the SNES Classic, this re-release reduces the console's size and adds USB and HDMI cable ports. Other than that, it's been left exactly as it appeared in the era of the Spice Girls and Friends. And honestly, why would you change anything about it? It was always a gorgeous machine to begin with thanks to its simple design, friendly oversized buttons, and eye-catching disc tray. Sure, the actual games don't hold up so well – their blocky 3D visuals are something of an eyesore. But you can forgive that to revisit some of the most beloved games ever made. The PlayStation Classic includes 20 in total, ranging from Resident Evil to Final Fantasy VII and Grand Theft Auto. Many of these titles changed the gaming landscape forever, so it's great to take a trip down memory lane with them here. The NES (or 'Nintendo Entertainment System') was where things really began for Nintendo. It was the company's first home console and the birthplace of Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid as we know them today. As such, it's no surprise that Nintendo have chosen to resurrect the system in miniature. It's hard to tell that the NES has been shrunken at first, though – it's a perfect recreation and a slice of history that fits into the palm of your hand. The gray color scheme, red lettering, and bold black stripe have been remade exactly as they were back in the 1980s, and that goes for the iconic controller as well. What's more, its 30-game library features all the classics you'd expect. Much like the SNES and Genesis/MegaDrive, they've aged pretty well thanks to their 2D visuals. The gameplay is much harder and more frustrating than we're used to nowadays, but the 8-bit pixel-art style has an endearingly retro feel nonetheless. If you miss games not included in the retro systems listed above, the Retron 5 is for you. Even though it's a little more expensive, you also get access to a device that can play a range of cartridges from the NES, SNES, Genesis, Game Boy and beyond. It's a jack-of-all-trades, in other words. Better still, it offers HD upscaling to 720p and saving/loading functionality. That's a real bonus when you consider how brutally difficult some older games used to be. The fact that you can use your own controllers with it is another feather in the Retron 5's cap. Unfortunately, this retro console doesn't have much going for it in terms of looks – it's a dumpy brick of black plastic that is 90% cartridge slots. Similarly, the controller… well, it's not the prettiest handset out there. However, being able to play such a huge variety of old games on a modern HD screen (even if you no longer own the original consoles) is a win for the Retron 5. Just be aware that it technically uses software filed under a non-commercial license, so it may eventually be pulled from sale due to a murky legal quagmire. Wait. Isn't this just the NES again? No, dear reader, it isn't (I promise). The Nintendo Famicom Mini is based on the original Japanese version of that console. In addition to the quirky red-and-white appearance that makes it look like a Transformer, this remake also features a clutch of games the NES Classic didn't include. In addition, it packs a few Japanese exclusives that you may never have tried before. Yes, all the menus are in Japanese, but this was an era where games required minimal reading so you'll get away with it if you're not familiar with the language. Another cool touch would be the controllers. To begin with, they're the perfect recreation of the OG Famicom handsets. Secondly, they slot neatly onto the side of the console itself. That makes the whole thing easy to cart around, and it's a neat idea we wish more retro systems used. Did you love the Commodore 64? Is there still a special place in your heart for 1980's games like Stormlord or Alleykat? This is the retro system for you. It's designed specifically to give C64 fans a warm, fuzzy feeling of nostalgia. Although a few awesome games have been left behind, there's still enough here to make a purchase worthwhile. In fact, you end up with 64 games. Which is only right, we suppose. In terms of how it looks, the C64 Mini is a beige 1980s keyboard complete with blocky keys and that multi-colored logo. It also comes packaged with a joystick that couldn't be more '80s if it wore a seagull haircut. The latter is a tidy little device with bold red buttons that are probably visible from the upper atmosphere, and they complete a system that is bold, brash, and a slice of gaming history. Read more: Sleek new-age Game Boy looks better than the original Pixel art: brilliant retro examples How to create pin-up art View the full article

When you fancy a Burger King, you want it there and then. You don't want to be wandering around for too long looking for a restaurant. But that is exactly what you might be doing if you don't pay attention to Burger King's new French billboard campaign. The campaign – produced by Buzzman Paris – aims to promote Burger King's new Deliveroo service. Signs appear to direct potential customers to the nearest Burger King restaurant. But on closer inspection, punters will find they are not getting directions at all. We don't think this one is gonna make it into our list of the best billboard advertising. The signs are marked with 180m, 200m, 400m and 450m distances and a graphic pointing the viewer to an imaginary location. There is even one indoor sign that informs the onlooker that they need to go to level minus three to eat. But, there is no restaurant on level minus three (or even level three). How miffed would you be if you want all the way there to find no restaurant? Still not helping with the hunger Look a bit more closely and you'll spot the Deliveroo reference at the bottom of the sign. But we doubt that those who did read right to the bottom would really order a BK and sit and wait for someone on a bike to try and find them. With people's attention spans getting shorter and shorter, we're not sure that this Burger King campaign will have the desired effect. You could argue it's smart, but you're probably more likely to say the opposite. You could also argue that it will be simply plain annoying and counterproductive for those craving a Burger King. And they'd still be hungry. Read more: The best print ads ever 6 of the most iconic drinks logos The 10 best circular logos of all time View the full article

A threat campaign active since January customizes long-used droppers to infect victim machines and lift credentials and other data from browsers, according to Cisco Talos. View the full article

Instagram is hiding Like counts in a trial that's now being rolled out globally. The experiment started out quietly, with selected users in seven countries including Canada and Ireland no longer seeing Like counts. But it has now been expanded to include accounts across the world. In a bid to provide a less stressful experience for users of the social media platform, the Likes on other people's posts will be hidden – but you'll still be able to see your own Likes. This is a move that's being met with some passionate feedback, especially from influencers and artists who use Instagram to boost their profiles and generate income (we bet they know all the hacks, like how to customise their bio with Instagram fonts and how to activate Instagram's dark mode). Follow Creative Bloq on Instagram Instagram confirmed the move in a series of tweets yesterday and described the feedback from the trial so far as "positive". But the company also acknowledged that the decision could cause a problem for some users who rely on the Like and comment counts to show how well their promoted posts are doing. It has to be said, it's tricky to find the positive reactions to this trial. Responses on Twitter range from blogger Glitz n glam makeup's prediction that there "ain't nobody going to be using Instagram now" to Sonia Murphy's assertion that "it's certainly killed engagement from my perspective. It's a shell of the place it once was." When we asked for your reactions on Twitter, we received a range of responses. JerseyStyle Photography understands why Instagram has made the decision. User rbrtcnkln thinks it's an issue of power. And Hendrik Little thinks that parent company Facebook is using Instagram as a test subject. A valid point of view, given that there's also been talk of Facebook hiding Like counts. Perhaps the positive reactions will be found from those not using Instagram to make money or promote brands but from those viewing the content on Insta. Instagram is reported to be the worst social media platform for mental health, so it's clear that something needed to be done to combat this. How this pans out for brands really depends on what Instagram puts in place to replace Likes as the primary measure of engagement. However, there are already other ways to gauge content interest, and we expect there'll be more use of comments and Instagram Stories in future. Changes to social media are always met with outrage (here's a bunch of recent social media changes you'll want to stay on top of) and then people usually learn to adapt, once their initial anger dies down. Will this be one of those times? Read more: This easy Instagram hack could revolutionise your feed The ultimate guide to social media for creatives The best photo apps and photo-editing software View the full article

Branding books continue to dominate design publishing, with more and more designers (and clients) acknowledging that the presentation of a company can be just as important as its service. Much of the fascination with the science of branding for the public and designers alike, is that it provides tangible proof of the power of design. As David Airey explains in the excellent Identity Designed (more on that below): “When the difference between two functionally similar products is minimal, there’s a need to create an emotional distinction.” At last: design has a real purpose, even if it’s just persuading you McDonald's is nicer than Burger King. The power of branding has also entered the wider consciousness of consumers as well as designers. The aesthetics of a high-profile rebrand are as commonly discussed at the water cooler as the latest Netflix show. Controversial rebrands can trigger furious debate, like when Slack rebranded, or weary cynicism, as with Facebook's latest corporate look, but everyone has an opinion. And with heightened sensitivity to environmental ethics, corporate transparency and political affiliation, effective communication of brand values has become more important than ever. Beyond their immediate educational value, many of these branding books also delight as physical objects. Skimming through a beautifully designed book (see our favourite graphic design books for more recommendations) is more fun than scrolling through internet pages, and some of these titles are beautiful objects of desire in their own right. Most designers will admit that trawling through the glossy pages of a good branding book is one of the most effective methods of triggering the muse, and a beautifully laid out case study of a sumptuous rebrand can often communicate the designer’s art just as effectively as the text. So, read on for the best branding books available right now. Despite being an accomplished branding designer himself, David Airey steps back to allow world-class creatives to talk about their own projects in this new book, Identity Designed: The Definitive Guide to Visual Branding. Branding books live or die the quality of the showcased projects and frankness of the talent involved, and with years of industry experience behind him, Airey proves an excellent judge of killer campaigns and stellar talent. Sixteen inspiring projects by such famed agencies as Freytag Anderson and Together Design reveal a wide range of creative problem solving, with every step of the designer/client process explored. Elegantly presented as a coffee-table tome of brand porn, this is an essential addition to the serious brand designer's bookshelf. This mammoth book by design legend Michael Johnson is a stone cold classic, and is packed with illuminating analysis of the very best branding across the world. In Branding: In Five and a Half Steps, Johnson cuts through to the heart of iconic logos, adverts, campaigns and rebrands to explain the idea, execution and impact with clinical accuracy. Priceless anecdotes from his own seminal campaigns – including Shelter UK and the Science Museum – reveal both the theory and alchemical art of of creative thinking. Johnson is a phenomenal writer, whose passion is infectious, and the book has a compelling narrative. Every page is generously scattered with carefully chosen examples, and In a specialist genre prone to pseudo-science and hyperbole, Johnson reassuringly emphasises the art of storytelling and empathy that underpin great brand building. Zero bullshit jargon-busting and expert insights make this a must-buy for newcomers and professionals alike. As well as running the small London-based agency Brand Nu, author Radim Malinic has forged a successful second career as a writer, his Book of Ideas Vol 2 and (and Vol 1 before it) seamlessly combining both his distinctive graphic style and earnest insights into the creative industry. The dynamic entrepreneurial spirit that has enabled him to carve a unique niche in the industry makes him a perfect guide to brand design. His informal, frank writing style is easy to digest, and despite only featuring his own work in the case studies, his enthusiasm and passion ensure that this a massively detailed and approachable book, and essential reading for anyone wishing to follow in his footsteps and launch their own agency. From copyright laws and client presentation strategies to refining contracts and dealing with disappointments, Malinic excels at the nitty gritty detail and hard graft behind boutique studio branding. Creating a Brand Identity: A Guide for Designers is a fabulously rich and informative introduction to everything a new student of design needs to know about creating brand identity, from the psychology of consumers to the execution and delivery of finished campaigns. Author Slade-Brooking is a senior lecturer on BA Graphic Communication at the University for the Creative Arts, so the attention to detail is phenomenal, with exercises and tip boxes scattered throughout. From the most basic of beginnings (“Why do we brand?”) to sophisticated advice on analysing competitor markets, this book will be invaluable to beginner and pro alike. As befits a book about design, the art direction of Brand Identity is sophisticated and intelligent, with an abundance of visual references and perfectly chosen examples. Endorsed by Paula Scher no less, and now in it’s 5th edition, this enormous book, Designing Brand Identity: An Essential Guide for the Whole Branding Team, is probably the most comprehensive branding book available. A staggeringly in-depth explanation of the principles, theories and practicalities of branding – from brand architecture to managing assets – are detailed and illustrated in exhaustive step-by-step detail. Any reader who still doubts the power of branding as a marketing tool will find the 40+ case studies – from Coca Cola to Mozilla – provide irrefutable evidence of the power of intelligent design. Every page of this book has a fascinating insight or thought provoking quote, and the art and craft of branding is clearly revealed as a seamless hybrid of science and creativity. The final book by industry legend Wally Olins, Brand New: The Shape of Brands to Come, is a thrilling analysis of how branding and globalisation have shaped one another, and how the rapid evolution of technology (and consumers) has made selling and branding an increasingly complex occupation. With the wisdom accumulated from dealing with some of the biggest companies and brands in the world, Olins is unwavering in his championing of high moral standards and ethical solutions. From the opening chapter – a thrilling call out on the ‘new authenticity’ that has dominated marketing for the last decade – to understanding the zeitgeist and the questioning the responsibilities of ‘Big Brand’, Olins is an exceptional guide, fearless in shaming those who fail to live up to his high ideals. But beneath the tough call-to-arms for a more compassionate industry lies the enthusiastic idealism of an advertiser in love with the beauty of meaningful design. This is essential reading for understanding the deeper undercurrents of branding strategy. Read more: Has branding become boring? 5 brands that hit nostalgia hard The best new typography books View the full article

Amazon Music is offering an amazing deal where you can get access to its 50 million-strong song library for four months for just $0.99/£0.99. The Amazon Music Unlimited deal is only open to new listeners. Amazon Music Unlimited trumps both Apple Music and Spotify when it comes to its song library size. It has an impressive five million more songs than Apple Music and a surprising 15 million more than Spotify. So this deal is giving you access to the biggest mainstream streaming library out there for a ridiculously low price. To listen to your favourite tunes you need a decent set of headphones. Check out our best noise-cancelling headphones in 2019 post where you can snag yourself an absolute steal. You might well need a Kindle as well, so check our best ereaders post. Or, if you are looking for great deals on other headphones make sure you check out our post on how to get the best Amazon Black Friday deals. The Amazon Music trial lasts for four whole months, but once it runs out you can continue your membership for a very competitive $9.99/£9.99 a month. If you are signed up to Prime you can continue using the service for a reduced price of $7.99/£7.99. And, if you want to save even more you can grab a $3.99/£3.99 membership that only serves a single Amazon Echo speaker. It seems Amazon's generosity know no bounds. Alongside the Amazon Music Unlimited deal it is offering its Amazon Kindle Unlimited deal. This gives access to over one million titles and thousands of audio books for free for three months. Get signed up for both today, what have you got to lose? Read more: Amazon Black Friday: when to get the best deals Amazon Prime Day 2020: when is it and what to expect The ultimate guide to Amazon devices View the full article

Weren't the '90s great? Britpop! Girl power! Net-surfing in cyber-space over a dial-up connection! What a time to be alive, and we're getting huge '90s vibes off a new US trademark filing from Tesla and its accompanying logo design. Elon Musk tweeted last week that Tesla would be revealing its latest electric vehicle on 21 November, near the SpaceX rocket factory in Los Angeles, and that it would be the much rumoured Tesla pickup truck. Musk also revealed its name: Cybertruck. Possibly the most '90s name that's ever been given to any sort of vehicle, it harks back to a time when adding 'cyber' to the beginning of any word instantly bestowed it with ultimate hi-tech cool (funnily enough, we didn't mention adding 'cyber' to your logo in our guide to logo design). It gets better, though. The same day as Musk tweeted his announcement, Tesla filed a pair of trademark applications at the US Patents and Trademarks Office, which were uncovered this week by an online sleuth at the Tesla Motors Club. Not only has Tesla filed a trademark application for the name 'Cybertruck', it's also put in another for the name 'CYBRTRK', complete with a logo that could have come straight out of The Designers Republic during its imperial '90s phase. That was back when it was responsible for the look of one of the coolest videogames on the planet, WipEout on the PlayStation. Seriously, get a load of that wordmark: You remember CYBRTRK. Came third in the first series of Robot Wars It's not an entirely authentic take on that '90s TDR look; back then we were still using entire words rather than removing half the letters for stylistic effect, but we'll let that pass. What gives it that distinctive retro flavour is those totally pared-back letterforms, removing every single extraneous detail while still just about communicating each letter's identity. We also love the JPG artefacts on the version of the logo posted in the trademark filing, just because it gives the logo the appearance of having been sent by fax, back when sending images by email was still considered poor netiquette. We should also mention the wordmark filed along the 'Cybertruck' application (below), just because it's also really '90s in its own way: 'CYBERTRUCK' in block capitals that look an awful lot like Times New Roman. Hey, everyone loved serifs in the '90s, and Times New Roman was honestly quite cool back then; we also wouldn't be surprised if Musk had deliberately chosen it to annoy the sort of non-pickup-driving people (i.e. us) who think Times New Roman is past it. Now that's just straight-up typographic trolling As for the CYBRTRK itself, no-one knows what that looks like yet and you'll have to wait until 21 November for the reveal. Could it possibly be as awesome as Simone Giertz's Truckla, made from an actual chopped up Tesla? Somehow we doubt it. But we're pleased to note that Musk has invited Giertz and Truckla to the big reveal next week. Related articles: Crediting artists on Twitter destroys the medium, says Elon Musk 10 iconic logos with hidden meanings How to make a logo in Photoshop View the full article

Welcome to our screen resolution guide. In this guide we'll explain why the screen resolution of your monitor is so important for designers, artists and photographers. We'll also look at how the screen resolution of a monitor can impact your digital work, how to buy the best monitor for your needs with the ideal resolution, and how to check the resolution of your current monitor. Knowing what the ideal screen resolution is for your needs is something that every designer, digital artist or photographer needs to know. Your monitor is one of the most important tools when creating digitally, as it shows you what's happening when you're creating your art, as well as of course, showing off the final product. The resolution of your screen has a huge impact in how your work is displayed, and getting the right screen resolution for your needs means you can work comfortably, while ensuring your art looks as good as possible. Having screen resolution that's too high can make icons and texts too small to use, and can add additional strain onto your hardware as it struggles to push those high resolutions. On the other hand, having a screen resolution that's too low can result in poor image quality that doesn't do your work justice, and can mean you don't get as much workspace on your monitor as you need. In order to get your monitor working as well as possible, you may also want to check out our guide to monitor calibration. Or if you want to skip to purchasing a better computer, see our guide to the best laptops for photo editing. Alternatively, you can keep an eye on our best MacBook Black Friday deals or best Surface Pro Black Friday deals posts to grab yourself a bargain in the upcoming sales. In the meantime, read on to find out everything you need to know about screen resolution. What is screen resolution? When we talk about screen resolution, what do we mean? The monitor that's plugged into your PC – or built into your laptop – displays images via pixels, which are essentially small squares of light that change colour. Computer screens are made up of thousands of pixels, and by changing the colours of pixels in certain patterns, the screens can show images, photos, text and all kinds of graphics. Screen resolution is the number of pixels a screen can show, both horizontally and vertically. So, a screen that has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (a popular resolution that's also known as 1080p or Full HD), can display 1,080 pixels vertically, and 1,920 pixels horizontally. The higher the number of pixels a screen can show, the sharper and more detailed the image quality is. However, the number of pixels a screen can show isn't the only factor when it comes to image quality – there's also pixel density. You see, monitors come in all kinds of sizes, as well as resolutions, and you often get monitors of different sizes that have the same number of pixels. So, you can have a 24-inch monitor with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080, as well as a 32-inch monitor with that same screen resolution. The image quality on the smaller monitor can often look sharper and more vivid, and that's because of its pixel density. This is measured in PPI (Pixels Per Inch). So, the smaller screen will have a higher number of pixels per inch than the larger screen. The higher the PPI, the better the image quality, so while it might be tempting to go for the largest screen possible, if you're after the highest image quality, consider getting a smaller monitor with a higher resolution, rather than a larger monitor with a lower resolution. Native screen resolution It's worth noting that the screen resolution that your monitor or screen is advertised as doesn't mean that's the only resolution it can display. This is known as the native resolution of the screen – and it's the resolution that looks best on the display. It is possible to change the resolution of the screen – though you can only change to a lower resolution than the native resolution – not higher. So, if you buy a 4K (also known as an Ultra High Definition) screen, with a resolution of 3840 x 2160, and you find that resolution is too high, you can set your PC, Mac or laptop to display at a lower resolution, such as 1920 x 1080. How to check screen resolution If you want to find out the screen resolution of your monitor or laptop screen, then the process is pretty easy. However, they way of doing it differs depending on whether you use a Windows machine, or a Mac or MacBook. How to check your screen resolution (Windows) You can view and change the screen resolution in Windows here 01. Open the display settings If you use Windows on your PC or laptop, then you can check the screen resolution (and change it) by right-clicking on an empty space on the desktop, and clicking 'Display settings'. In the window that opens, you'll see 'Display resolution' with the current resolution listed underneath. If it says '(Recommended)' next to the resolution, that means it's the native resolution of your display, and the one that will most likely look the best. 02. Change the resolution If you wish to change the resolution of the display, then click the down arrow next to the resolution. This will show a list of all the other display resolutions your screen can handle. Click one, and the resolution will be applied – temporarily at least. Because changing the resolution to something that your screen doesn't support can cause problems, Windows will show you what the resolution is like, and ask you if you want to keep the resolution. If you do, click 'Keep changes'. Otherwise, click 'Revert' to change the resolution back to what it was before. You can also do nothing, and after 15 seconds the older resolution will be applied. This is useful if you accidentally choose a resolution that your display can't handle, leading to it displaying a blank screen. Simply wait 15 seconds, and the old resolution will return. How to check your screen resolution (Mac) It's easy to check the screen resolution on your Mac 01. Find your resolution The easiest way to find the display resolution of your Mac or MacBook is to click the Apple icon in the top-right hand corner of the screen. From the menu that appears, select 'About This Mac'. A window will pop up, and at the top you'll see 'Displays.' Click it, and you'll see the size and resolution of the screen of your Mac. 02. Change the display resolution To change the display resolution of your Mac's screen, click on 'Displays Preferences' in the bottom right-hand corner of the window that's open. In the new window that pops up, select 'Scaled' next to where it says 'Resolution'. Then, choose the resolution based on whether you want larger text or more space. What screen resolution do I need? So, what resolution should you go for? This varies depending on the sort of work you'll be doing, and what kind of machine you'll be working on. Let's start with the kind of work you'll be doing. If you're a graphic artist or 3D modeller, then the minimum resolution you should go for is 1360 x 768. However, if you can, we recommend going for 1920 x 1080 if possible – that extra resolution will give you a bigger canvas to work on, and will improve the image quality. For people working with complex 3D models, such as architects, animators or game developers, going above 1920 x 1080 can begin to put a real strain on the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) in your machine. So, if you want to go for a higher resolution, make sure your hardware can handle it, otherwise you may find your PC performs very slowly when trying to render at those high resolutions. For video editors, we recommend 1920 x 1080 as a minimum. This is because 1080p is the standard high definition resolution for videos, so if you are working with 1080p video, you'll want a screen that can display that natively. If you work with 4K video, then go for 3840 x 2160 as a resolution, as this will allow you to play back 4K footage natively. For photographers, we'd recommend going for the highest resolution you can afford. Still images don't require as much graphical grunt to display on high resolution screens, and most photographs are taken at well above 1080p resolutions. For example, a camera that takes 21 megapixel photos, is actually capturing images at 5,104 x 4,092 resolution. So, even a 4K monitor won't display it natively, but the higher the resolution of the screen, the better (and more accurately) your photos will appear. The best laptops for screen resolution Now, the resolutions we mention here apply to standard widescreen monitors with a 16:9 aspect ratio. However, some devices have different aspect ratios – and therefore different display resolutions. For example, the 15-inch MacBook Pro has a 2,880 x 1,800 resolution screen. That makes it a lot sharper than a standard 1080p display. Meanwhile, the Surface Laptop 3 has a 15-inch display with a 3:2 aspect ratio and 2,496 x 1,664 resolution. Again, that makes it a better display than a standard 1080p screen, though not quite as sharp as the screen on the MacBook Pro. Other brilliant devices with high screen resolutions that digital creatives should try include the Surface Book 2 (with a 3,240 x 2,160 resolution), the Huawei MateBook X Pro (with a 3,000 x 2,080 resolution) and the gorgeous Dell XPS 13, which comes with either a 2,560 x 1,080 screen, or a 3,840 x 2,160 display. Check out our pick of the best laptops for graphic design for more great laptops with high resolution screens. Read more: Hands on: Microsoft Surface Pro X review The best monitor calibrators for designers The best ultrawide monitor View the full article

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are now just a matter of weeks away, meaning soon we'll be practically swimming in top Black Friday deals. And the first pre-Black Friday deals are already starting to appear. So what exactly can we expect from Black Friday 2019, which these days also extends throughout the weekend, all the way until Cyber Monday 2019? And how can you get the best Black Friday deals? Let's find out. When is Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2019? Before we dive head-first into the Black Friday deals we expect to see, let's first make sure you've got the dates marked in your diaries. Black Friday traditionally takes place on the Friday immediately after Thanksgiving, meaning this year it falls on 29 November. That means Cyber Monday is 2 December this year, three days after Black Friday. While Black Friday is a frenzied cacophony of high street and online deals, Cyber Monday was originally conceived by savvy marketers as a way to sell more of their wares online, back when online shopping wasn’t as prevalent as it is today. These days, Cyber Monday usually sees a wider range of deals across individual retailers. It's less about one-off discounts, and more about lower prices generally. Saying that, if stores need to shift stock they’ll follow up Black Friday discounts with further reductions on Cyber Monday – so expect one-off deals too. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday happening a little later than normal this year, it may well be a good opportunity to get your Christmas shopping sorted. The best pre-Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals for creatives Where will we see the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals? While we can't say for sure where and what the best Black Friday deals will be, we can make educated guesses based on previous years. It's wise to keep an eye on any sought-after items throughout the whole of November, because Black Friday deals surface earlier and earlier each year. However, the best deals have historically happened later in the month, with retailers offering bigger discounts on the most expensive items, as well as accessories that might go with them. And typically, the best bargains are still reserved for Black Friday and Cyber Monday themselves. So what kind of items are we talking about? Below are our top predictions on the creative items you might have on your Christmas list this year. But first, here's the early Black Friday deals we're already seeing, and guess what? They're on the items we predicted. 01. Microsoft Surface range The Microsoft Surface range has become hugely popular among artists and designers in recent years. The Surface Pro and Surface Go lend themselves well to the needs of a creative, so it was no surprise to see them fly off the shelves in some of the best Black Friday deals we saw last year. Microsoft has been busy this year, recently announcing six new devices to its Surface range, all of which are aimed at a creative audience. With the release of these devices so close to Black Friday 2019, it's highly unlikely we'll see any discounts on these newer models. However, with the introduction of the new Surface Pro 7 and Surface Pro X, we will almost certainly see some great savings on the Surface Pro 6. A fantastic device in its own right, the Surface Pro 6 is currently one of the best tablets with a stylus around, so if you're not bothered about having the shiniest new Microsoft model, this will be a product to watch out for this Black Friday. Bookmark our dedicated Surface Pro Black Friday deals page for all the latest deals and updates on these popular devices. 02. Adobe Creative Cloud subscription Adobe has offered big Black Friday deals in the past Last year, creative software giant Adobe got stuck in all the Black Friday deals action, offering up to a whopping 40 per cent off a subscription to its Creative Suite of apps. That meant new subscribers could snap up Adobe’s entire collection of 20-plus creative desktop and mobile apps, and more, for just £30.34/€36.29/$22.99 a month, instead of £49.94/€60.49/$52.99 a month. And let's be honest, it doesn't get much cheaper than that (unless you're a student, where we have occasionally seen around 70 per cent off). That said, Adobe offers other discounts throughout the year, so it's worth keeping an eye on our Adobe Black Friday deals post. We expect that Adobe will get involved with Black Friday 2019, and the deals usually last a few days, so should be around on Cyber Monday 2019 too. 03. Apple iPad and iPhone We expect to some great savings on various iPad models this Black Friday and Cyber Monday Apple has been busy this year, launching its new iPad Mini and iPad Air, plus the iPad 10.2-inch. With all these models offering Apple Pencil support, they are a great choice for busy creatives on the go. As shiny new additions to Apple's portfolio, we don't expect to see huge savings on these, but if there are any discounts to be had, we'll keep you posted. And if you're after an Apple Pencil, then see our Apple Pencil Black Friday deals. But the best deals will almost certainly be on older – but still very sought-after – iPad models. For example, last year saw the iPad (2018) reduced to the bargain price of just $249 at Walmart, and it, unsurprisingly, flew off the shelves. If you're after a bit more power, the iPad Pro (2017) was reduced to $524.99 (from $649) at Walmart last year too. Whatever iPad model you're after, we have details of all the best iPad Black Friday deals right now and will update as the best Black Friday deals drop. If it's an iPhone XR you're in the market for, the latest iPhone has just dropped, meaning the ever popular 2018 model will likely see some pretty impressive savings. It's worth noting that these discounts will come from retailers, rather than directly from Apple, which tends to only extend its Black Friday involvement to that of extra Apple gift cards when you make a purchase. Which is fine if you're a super-Apple fan, but not so great if you're only likely to buy one or two Apple products per year. 04. Apple MacBook Pro Oh MacBook Pro, how we wish you were cheaper It's a firm favourite among creatives, but the MacBook Pro doesn't come cheap. So it's no surprise that a load of them got snapped up last year when B&H dropped the 2017 15.4-inch model to $2,149 (from $2,799). It may not be the newest version, but the MacBook Pro 2017 is still a highly capable and powerful machine. It's rare to see big savings like this on the latest Apple products, but if you're not worried about having the most up-to-date specs, you can save an absolute packet, and grab a great bit of kit while you're at it. And the place to do so? On our dedicated best Black Friday Macbook deals post, which has all the biggest savings as and when they arrive. 05. Apple Watch We don't know about you but keeping up with what version the Apple Watch is currently on is exhausting. That said, now there are a number of models (at time of writing the most recent model is Series 5), there's quite a high chance we're going to see some good savings on older (but still highly capable) devices. If you really want to find a bargain, Series 1 and Series 2 are almost certainly going to be where it's at. But if you want the option to have GPS and Cellular connections, go for the Series 3. Keep up to date with all the biggest offers over on our best Apple Watch deals post, which will include all Black Friday savings too. See an early Black Friday Apple Watch offer on the Series 3 Watch below. 06. Apple AirPods Hold tight! You could save a packet on Apple AirPods later this year Rounding up our Apple products Black Friday review is the company's controversial AirPods. Some people love them, others think they look weird/want the headphone jack back. And the release of the AirPods Pro has been even more controversial – here's why we were pleasantly surprised by their release. Last year, the biggest discount we saw was around £20/$30, which isn't much to shout about. However, with the new improved Apple AirPods (2019) out now, plus the AirPods Pro, we're hopeful we'll see much better Black Friday AirPod deals in November (although we're not holding our breath for deals on the AirPods Pro). We'll keep you updated with any great offers that land via our dedicated best Apple AirPods deals post, so make sure to bookmark that page and check back regularly. 07. Wacom drawing tablets Will there be any Black Friday deals to be had on the new Wacom Cintiq 16? Here's hoping. It's tricky to find discounted Wacom products, which is why Black Friday 2018 was such a pleasant surprise for designers in the market for one. Various retailers dropped the price of Wacom's sought-after products, with the best Black Friday deals seeing a whopping $200-$500 knocked off the popular Cintiq Pro range. Wacom has recently released its budget Wacom Cintiq 16. It'll be interesting to see if any Black Friday deals crop up on this already affordable creative pen display. In a similar vein to Apple, it's rare for Wacom to offer discounts directly – if you want to make a saving, you're best looking at major retailers such as Amazon or Walmart. Alternatively, if you're on the hunt for a graphics tablet, but don't mind if it's not a Wacom, last year there were some great bargains on XP-Pens, so that could be one to watch out for. Better still, save yourself the hassle, bookmark our Wacom Black Friday deals page and let us do the work for you. 08. External hard drives Black Friday 2019 could help you make big savings on quality external hard drives Okay, so it's not exactly the sexiest of items, but an external hard drive can form a vital part of a designer's toolset. And, as anyone who's bought one will attest, they don't come cheap. Last year, leading manufacturer Western Digital offered some decent savings on its 'My Passport' range, which starts at around £90 for its 4TB option. We'll be keeping you up to date with any offers over on our best Black Friday external hard drives post, where you'll find all the lowest prices now and over the Black Friday period. Look out for more Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2019 information and deals coming soon! View the full article

Now that the checkm8 BootROM vulnerability has a working exploit, security pros are warning of potential attacks. View the full article

Hold on to your hankies, and get ready to unleash your opinions on the world, because the John Lewis Christmas advert is here. Except this year, it's actually the John Lewis and Partners, and Waitrose and Partners Christmas advert. Or just John Lewis and Waitrose. Either way, this year's Christmas tear-jerker features an accident-prone dragon called Excitable Edgar. The ad by Adam&Eve/DDB has already prompted plenty of hot debate, such as whether or not this particular dragon resembles Julia Donaldson's Zog the dragon (it doesn't), and whether this advert is too sad for children. But we are here to tell you that the premise of the whole advert is fundamentally flawed. If you haven't seen it yet, you can watch it below. For more inspiration, check out our roundup of the best print ads ever made, or explore our character design masterclass. A quick plot synopsis for those who can't be bothered to watch, or were too overwhelmed with emotion to get to the end: Edgar the Dragon keeps setting fire to just about everything. It's hard to be a dragon around snowmen, it turns out, and ice rinks, and most festive celebrations. His friend, a red-haired girl, watches Excitable Edgar's failed attempts to fit in and wants to help him. In order to do so, she decides to camp out outside his house when he doesn't answer the door. It's unclear why camping is the way to help, but she stays outside for an entire night, even blowing out her lantern (why?! It's pitch black!) and still doesn't get anywhere. In the next shot, she's cooking bread when she has an idea. She takes Edgar to a festive banquet, where everyone initially hides when they see him, and then he presents a Christmas pudding and sets fire to it. People seem pleased. This is the end of the advert and the moment we are all supposedly supposed to be overcome with emotion and rush out to Waitrose to buy ingredients for a feast. But really, we're just not convinced. This does not seem like a happy ending. Let's imagine that Edgar sits down and this fiery Christmas pudding is shared among the banquet guests. So far, so good. But then he tastes it, and enjoys it and snorts some more fire out of his nostrils. The banqueters didn't like that before. But it's Christmas, so they may be able to forgive him once. But then what if he wants to embark in a little bit of Secret Santa? And ends up setting fire to all the wrapping paper and in fact the whole table, which looks like it would go up in flames pretty quickly? We really think the year that the village invited Edgar the Dragon for dinner would probably go down in history as the absolute last time he would be invited. Or maybe even the last time there was a village left to celebrate in (too far?). So this advert doesn't have a happy ending. Also (like most John Lewis Christmas adverts), it has absolutely nothing to do with John Lewis. Or really Waitrose. Except we imagine JL will be shifting a lot of stock of Edgar the Dragon. And there might be a small upswing in sales of Christmas puddings. And maybe matches. Read more: IKEA's first-ever Christmas ad is the best thing you'll see today UK finally bans sexist adverts How to generate ideas View the full article

Black Friday is just around the corner but if you're looking for a decent iPad Pro today then look no further than Walmart's latest deal. It is offering an Apple 10.5-inch iPad Pro Wi-Fi 512GB for the incredibly low price of just $599 – that's an impressive reduction of $400. You will struggle to get a better deal than this. The model is second generation from 2017, and while it doesn't include some of the newer nice-to-have features of the 2019 model, such as Face ID or a USB- C connectors, it still packs enough of a punch for today's casual consumer, digital artist or illustrator. You can also match it with a Apple Pencil (see our best Apple Pencil Black Friday deals here). The 2017 iPad Pro specs include a 10.5-inch Retina display, a powerful A10X Fusion chip, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, a 12 megapixel camera with 4K HD video, a 7 megapixel FaceTime HD camera and up to 10 hours of battery life. This is a great set of features at an even better price. This is undoubtedly a very strong early Black Friday deal, and we can expect more as this year's big shopping event gets ever closer. November 29 will bring with it impressive deals on all your favourite hardware and beyond. Make sure you don't miss out on a great Apple tablet deal by visiting our best iPad Black Friday deals page. If that's not quite the right deal for you, see more iPad Pro deals below. Read more: Apple Black Friday deals: The best offers on Apple kit in 2019 4 reasons you need an Apple Pencil New 16" MacBook Pro leaves previous model in the dust View the full article

Craft trends aren't something you might have paid a lot of attention in years past, but in 2019, they've been more visible than ever before. This is, of course, thanks to the internet, but particularly to Instagram. The social media platform has created crafting communities that span continents, making the sharing process quick and easy. Craft is at the basis of the design process, and the act of crafting can be both professionally and personally fulfilling. Makers follow trends that are born out of consumer and social preferences, and the increased visibility of crafting has meant these trends have evolved alongside those in wider design. This year, that's meant a focus on environmentally aware design that's gone hand-in-hand with a search for authenticity. To discover this year's hottest craft trends, we've spoken to crafting pros, who have shared their thoughts on how these trends have affected the wider design industry, plus what to look out for as we head into 2020. We've got plenty more celebration of craft here on Creative Bloq. Why not check out our examples of paper art? Or make your own cut-and-paste mood board with these tips. 01. Visible mending Charlotte Jenner's retreats host people new to visible mending Visible mending makes a feature out of fixing worn or damaged fabric. According to Charlotte Jenner, who runs A Nest of Gentle Makers, a crafting retreat in the New Forest, this is due to a backlash against the way we consume. "People seem to want to mend clothes as they are reading more about the downside of 'fast fashion'," she says, "both in terms of using up the resources of the planet and also the poor treatment and conditions that many of the workers have to tolerate when making clothes for our consumption." Kate Sekules, a repair champion who runs an established visible mending website, agrees that consumption culture has paved the way for the craft's popularity. "Clearly it's the craving for the handmade and unique in our culture, owing to the metastasising cancer of mass production," she says. "If everything's the same, of course we start to want a different look, and nothing shows the individual hand more than visible mending." Kate Sekules has seen a swing to embellishment that's reminiscent of visible mending How has this craft trend affected professional design? According to Sekules, whose book MEND! A Refashioning Manual and Manifesto will be published by Penguin in Summer 2020, visible mending has had a huge impact. She's seen a general swing to embellishment and detail in fashion design that's a reflection of visible mending. Sekules explains: "I'm seeing it in all sorts of consumer goods – the display of joins, instead of slick smoothness – think Kintsugi (porcelain repaired with gold) and boro (historic Japanese patch-on-patch with sashiko stitching), both ridiculously trendy and adopted all over. I've seen 'boro' cushions in TJ Maxx. This is going too far." The trend is set to get more elegant and refined, according to Sekules The interest in visible mending certainly hasn't peaked, says Sekules. She believes that the increasing anxiety people hold about the environment will continue to have an impact on their design preferences. "I think people are really waking up to the impact of their consumer choices so will continue to gravitate to design that's recycled, upcycled, hand-done." But will the aesthetic change? Sekules thinks so. "It's going to get more elegant and refined, not so scrappy and messy. This is more than a trend, since there's so much philosophy behind it. Creative reuse is essential now, and will be reflected in all parts of the design field." 02. Wabi-sabi Manuela Metra stresses the importance of understanding the whole philosophy of wabi-sabi Wabi-sabi is the art of imperfection. An ancient Japanese tradition rooted in Buddhism, the philosophy aims to remind us of the transient nature of life. In design terms, it's the ultimate rebellion against products that are shiny, new and sterile. It’s seeing the beauty in flaws: a cracked pot or a frayed edge – a celebration of the parts of an object that show its history and use. If you search #wabi-sabi on Instagram, you'll see a stream of mismatched imagery that encompasses design of all sorts – in line with the philosophy. "It's of fundamental importance to embrace the whole concept, without cutting any part; neither philosophy nor aesthetics," says Manuela Metra, a wabi-sabi ceramic artist and fine art photographer, who has run the Alice In Wonderland art atelier in Milan for over 20 years. Rather than being a single skill, wabi-sabi is an approach to making and design as a whole, and Metra predicts that the concept will only become more widespread. "I think that wabi-sabi will, in the immediate future, contaminate new areas not directly connected with ceramics," she says, citing design, fashion and textiles as potential new areas for wabi-sabi to infiltrate. 03. Dirty Pouring A round pour by Carruthers Dirty pouring is not as obscure as it sounds. It simply means mixing multiple colours of acrylic paint and pouring onto a surface. As the paint leaves the cup, the colours mix, creating an other-worldly effect that takes on different patterns. It's possibly one of the most accessible crafts (gravity plays a big part here) and the results are pretty delightful right from the outset. Crafters can add different materials (think glitter) to create varying effects, but the skill is in the tilt and the ratios of paint that dictate the outcome of the piece. There's an enormous online presence for acrylic pouring, with thousands of guides and videos that show the popularity of this at-home craft technique. Australian fluid artist Shelee Carruthers offers an e-course in fluid art. Her website invites you to 'Join the Fluid Art Revolution', and it certainly seems to have been a revolution in her own professional life, replacing charcoal as her medium of choice many years ago. This fluid pour was painted to look like a fly that was buzzing around Carruthers' paintings Carruthers has seen acrylic pouring rapidly grow in popularity over the last year, and thinks she knows why. "I believe the ‘instant painting’ you get when pouring instead of using a brush is very attractive to not only artists, but novices and the inexperienced creatives that want to try something new. Anyone can do it and with a bit of luck, you may just create an absolute masterpiece." And she believes that the technique is certain to affect other areas of design. "I most certainly have seen this style evolve and move into other areas like prints, homewares and wallpaper. "In my own personal experience, my work is about to feature on luxury haute couture gowns at the January Paris fashion week! Everyone loves the organic feel of fluid art." Carruthers believes that as we move into 2020, we are sure to see the continuation of the surge of popularity for acrylic pouring. Just as with visible mending, the act of creation is a relaxing antidote to stress and anxiety. And as Carruthers points out "it’s better than meditation because you get a nice piece of artwork in the end!" 04. Pyrography Pyrography is performed with a pen-like tool that burns into the wood Pyrography is the process of etching into wood with charcoal then scraping off the burned wood to reveal the bare, un-scorched wood below. The ancient technique, which used to involve charcoal, is now performed with a wood-burning tool that looks like a pen with a metal tip. Hobbycraft's pyrography search page shows wooden items ranging from spoons to doll's houses, demonstrating the versatility of the technique and the range of items that can be customised – making it an attractive skill to learn. There's a strong community of pyrography artists, too. From Instagram pages to Etsy stores, pyrography inspiration is readily accessible online. Jimmy Wänfelt, artist and admin of the Pyroartcollective Instagram page, says there's something so special about that artform that he sees artists become engulfed, often leaving their previous crafts behind. Wänfelt sees pyrography's tools and techniques evolving over the next year Wänfelt sees differences in the design process to other crafts. In fact, he believes less actual design takes place because of the high-risk nature of the technique itself. "Most [pyrography] is mimicking photos and going for photo realism," he explains. "When people design on their computer or on scrap paper, there are not very big consequences when a mistake is made. You either eras­­­e or start over with very little thought. You can design on those platforms and then take that design to your pyrography, but then you end up making the same piece twice, and many don't have time and energy for that." The future for pyrography lies in different tools and techniques being used, as Wänfelt predicts experimentation such as using a torch as a brush and carving as a highlighter tool. This will make for faster burning and new ways to pyro. 05. Weaving Anthropologie is just one of the places at which weaving has been a massive trend The precise craft of weaving has roots in countries around the world. There are hundreds of weaving techniques, some grounded in culture and tradition, and others more modern. And crafters and designers alike are experimenting with the varied forms, for almost every purpose you can imagine – clothing, wall hangings, jewellery, toys, pet accessories... you name it and you'll find it weaved on Instagram. The trend has found its way into design across the board, including featuring heavily on the high street, with stores such as Anthropologie going big on weaved wall hangings. A peaceful, meditative process, weaving is one of the oldest and most traditional crafts, but it is finding new purpose in the modern design world. Journalist and crafting and colour expert Momtaz Begum-Hossain believes that the year ahead will see craft take a turn toward the extroverted. "2020 is going to be the year of performance craft and we’ll be seeing more ‘live crafting’ mixed in with cabaret style performances." And it won't stop there, as weaving continues to evolve from its tranquil roots. "In recent months I’ve seen knitting inspired catwalk performances, human weaving, someone dressed ‘as knitting’ and even seen metal crochet that creates music," she continues. "It’s all possible and they’ll be more people trying this type of multi-media and live crafting." Read more: The art of craft: inspirational handmade designs How to break into pixel art How to draw: the best drawing tutorials View the full article