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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 George Harrison and Ringo Starr have been replaced by Drake and Lil Nas X. The Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Band redesigned for 2019 by TrippieSteff Sgt.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

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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

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Part of the joy of working in the creative industries is that every year new tools come along that can speed up your workflow and give you new options and capabilities that you previously wouldn't have dreamed of. Just keeping up with them all can be a struggle, and that's before you get to the business of actually affording them. That's why we've looked around at this year's new arrivals and narrowed them down to a selection of our favourite creative tools. Whether you're a freelancer or art director, there's bound to be something here that tickles your fancy; remember, though, that there are bound to be some great Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals coming up, so don't rush into a purchase if there's a chance of getting a discount soon. The best laptop deals in 2019 01. Adobe Fresco The subscription model's hard to swallow, but there's no denying Fresco's great drawing tools Adobe Fresco is a bit of a weird one; it's a fantastic new art app for iPad with a slick and intuitive interface, good drawing and painting tools and the ability to blend vector, live and pixel brushes to create eye-catching and distinctive artwork. The problem with it is that artists on iPad are already well-served by the likes of Procreate and ArtRage – the latter providing much more impressive oil-painting tools – and both of those are apps that you simply pay for once, rather than subscribing for £10 per month. However if you have a Creative Cloud subscription – which is pretty likely if you're already working as a designer – then its powerful drawing and painting tools (especially the watercolour brushes) make it a no-brainer. 02. iPad mini 5th generation Combine it with an Apple Pencil and the iPad mini's a perfect pocket-sized drawing board We've never quite seen the point of the iPad mini until this most recent version. Now with a serious power upgrade, plus support for the Apple Pencil, the iPad mini has become a perfect little creative platform that you can easily take with you anywhere. It's ideal for sketching and drawing on the move, and now that Photoshop for iPad is finally out, it's even suitable for more demanding creative applications. 03. Wacom Cintiq 22 Finally, a full-size Cintiq that you can probably afford Wacom's Cintiq displays are the sort of hardware that many artists and designers dream of, at a price that makes you think that maybe you can get along with your current workflow for a while longer. The Cintiq 22 changes all that, though; it's a full 22-inch HD pen display that gives you plenty of space to create in, at a price that's not exactly cheap, but a lot more palatable than what you'd have to pay for a Pro or HD model. 04. Wacom Intuos Pro Small This Intuos is small but perfectly formed Another essential creative tool from Wacom, the Intuos Pro Small is a lightweight and durable drawing tablet that manages to pack all the professional features you're likely to need into a compact package. It comes with a battery-free Pro Pen 2, with 8,192 pressure levels and 60 levels of tilt recognition, plus six customisable ExpressKeys and a touch ring, and at $199.95/£199.95 it hits that sweet combination of price and performance. 05. Corsair One Pro i180 A workstation-grade PC that you'd be happy to put on display rather than under the desk When you get to the bottom of it, it seems that the big appeal of Macs to designers and other creatives is just how lovely they look; you don't mind paying extra for a computer when it's also a stunning piece of desktop eye-candy, and it's hard to find a PC that isn't either a dull box or a garish boy-toy clad in too many LEDs. Corsair's One Pro i180 has us tempted, though; it's packed full of power, squeezed into a compact case that's very easy on the eye with subtle LED lighting, and surprisingly near-silent, even when running the most demanding apps. At a shade under four grand it's far from cheap, but you'll struggle to find a more attractive workstation-grade PC. 06. Procreate 4.3 Procreate's new type tools are a game-changer Adobe Fresco and Photoshop for iPad are all very well, but they're going to have a hard time luring artists away from the established king of iPad drawing apps, Procreate. Version 4.3 came out earlier this year, putting it more into Photoshop's league with a much-demanded set of text tools as well as other improvements. The big excitement now is focused on the upcoming version 5, which promises a faster graphics engine and the potential to combine brushes to make custom Dual Brushes, as well as the ability to import Photoshop brushes. 07. Affinity Publisher Can Affinity Publisher shake InDesign's dominance? One of the big creative stories of recent years has been Serif challenging Adobe's dominance with a range of reasonably-priced but feature-packed apps that are doing an excellent job of luring designers away from the Creative Cloud. Both Affinity Photo and Designer are the go-to alternatives to Photoshop and Illustrator, and now there's an alternative to the mighty InDesign in the form of Affinity Publisher. This one's a tough nut to crack; InDesign is baked into just about every publishing workflow you could care to mention, but with all the features that most people need from a publishing app, including Master Pages, facing-page spreads, grids, tables, advanced typography, text flow and full professional print output, Publisher is a serious alternative option. 08. MacBook Pro 16-inch It's far from cheap, but this brand new MacBook Pro's an enticing choice Squeaking in at the last minute comes this heavyweight addition to Apple's MacBook range. The brand new MacBook Pro 16-inch is an absolute beast of a laptop, promising up to double the performance of the 15-inch model and packing a 16-inch Retina display with 500 nits of brightness, a P3 wide colour gamut and a razor-thin bezel. Best of all, it's abandoned Apple's terrible butterfly switches and has a keyboard with more reliable scissor switches. Of course it's not cheap; the basic 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD model with a 6-core 9th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and Radeon Pro 5300M GPU is going to set you back $2,399 (£2,399), but we doubt that's going to stop it becoming a must-have piece of hardware for many creatives. Related articles: The best camera for creatives in 2019 15 essential tools for graphic designers in 2019 19 ways to streamline your workflow View the full article

Under Armour has accused fellow sportswear company, Hotsuit, of trademark infringement. According to Under Armour, weight-loss and sauna suit brand Hotsuit is selling too-similar clothing stamped with a logo that's a copycat of the trademark UA design. The lawsuit claims that the design "has already caused confusion and gives Defendant an unfair boost in the marketplace at the expense of both Under Armour and consumers". Under Armour is seeking a jury trial and an injunction that will order Hotsuit to stop using the logo. But is this case justified? Is the logo design really similar enough to cause confusion? Let's have a look. There's no doubt that the basic shape very similar, but the flowing lines and loop of the UA logo sets a very different tone to the blocky pointed corners of the H. The use of negative space in the H does feel reminiscent of the UA, but inverted – with UA's central block cut out and the middle join of the H filled in. The middle part being such a feature on both is part of what gives such a similar impression. But, it kinda just looks like an H. As you would expect from a brand called Hotsuit. Opinions are mixed on the subject, with some pointing out that the context matters: We do see what he means. The fact that the brands share a space in the apparel arena makes for more confusion than if they were in different sectors, as the picture below demonstrates. When in context, the designs do look similar, but do you need to squint to see it? But others still think think it's a real stretch, commenting that you need to squint from a distance to confuse the two. Others have, amusingly, suggested other brands that Under Armour might want to take on: And logos that are even more similar to Hotsuit have also been shared. The diverse reaction shows just how much grey area there is when dealing with infringement cases. Under Armour, though, is convinced that the design is a real threat to the brand. “Since 1996, we have worked hard to deliver great product and build Under Armour into the strong, global brand that we are today,” the company asserted in a statement to WJZ. “We have an obligation to enforce our rights against similar marks and prevent any confusion in the marketplace.” An image from the court filing We guess we'll wait and see what happens with Under Armour and Hotsuit, but we don't envy the folk having to make the decision. Will it go down in history as one of the many high-profile cases of plagiarism or is it too much of a stretch? Read more: These logo design mashups will mess with your head 18 controversial moments in design and branding Where to find logo design inspiration View the full article

Warner Bros, the home of programming spanning from Looney Toons to The Sopranos, is approaching its centenary and has celebrated with a logo transformation. The streamlined update of its time-honoured shield has been unveiled on the famous water tower in the Burbank lot in the presence of more than 500 employees – and a super-fancy Bugs Bunny. The original logo which must be up there with the greats (see here for our guide to great logo design), has been part of the Warner Bros brand since 1923, but has now been refreshed and modernised to take the company into its second century. Ditching the shiny gold/yellow that's been such a feature so far, the shield itself is now blue and the iconic lettering is now in a striking white. Warner Bros' two new logo formats Pentagram is to thank for the studio's cohesive new brand image, which will tie together the many branches of the studio's output. The team, headed up by Emily Oberman, tweaked the original design in an update described as a reincarnation rather than a reinvention. Dee Dee Myers, Warner Bros' executive vice president of worldwide corporate communications and public affairs, described the old visual identity as "a little dated", but it was the mismatch of identity that seriously needed to be addressed – the "logo soup" across departments needed to go. One of the previous versions of the Warner Bros logo That's where the Pentagram team stepped in, not to totally overhaul the design but to tweak and streamline the brand for modern platforms, and the modern era. Oberman told Fast Company that the shield has been reimagined to look "more sleek and clean", put into a golden ratio and thinned out. The letterforms were also redrawn to give more of a sense of balance, as the process below shows. The dimensional quality of previous logos hasn't been lost altogether though, as there are now two versions of the logo in play. The dimensional version will be used by the TV and Film departments, with the flat logo in use everywhere else. Reactions to the change are lacklustre on Reddit, with some users wondering what exactly had changed. Commenter heyimjared asked, "What's new about it? The "B" is angled now?". And others stated their dislike outright. "Doesn't have that glamour to it. I like flat designs but this one I despise", said user thoughtsmachine. On Twitter, opinions were more mixed, but it's clear the reincarnation isn't setting the world on fire. And user Elf340 would rather returned to the retro version. Accompanying the logo is a brand-new mission statement to drive the company ethos forward. Putting storytelling firmly in the centre, Warner Bros' aim is “to be the world’s leading creator and distributor of extraordinary entertainment by partnering with the world’s most inspiring storytellers.” The company's brand message is now summed up in a simple sentence. "We believe in the power of story.” It's a snappy, succinct assertion. And, with WarnerMedia gearing up to release its streaming service, HBO Max (coming next year), Warner Bros' is clearly stating its intention to be a serious competitor in the crowded streaming marketplace. Rather than a total design overhall, it's tweaking a classic logo that seems to be popular right now (see Reebok's redesign), especially for a brand with so much history. It's a branding choice that keeps consumers connected to a company's history whilst stating its intention to march towards the future. Read more: Logo memory challenge befuddled participants 6 of the most iconic drinks logos Where to find logo design inspiration View the full article

What's the best laptop for your creative work? Some cry 'Macbook!', but are they right? We'd argue that when it comes to actually getting things done, with the kind of smooth workflow that allows you to get into the zone and properly unleash your creativity, then – whisper it – there may well be better options out there. Whether you're a designer, photographer, digital artist or videographer, the HP ZBook x2 is certainly worth investigating as an alternative. The jewel in HP's crown, this powerful tablet-laptop hybrid runs Windows 10 Pro 64 and is super-flexible, incredibly powerful, and has a lot of brilliant features (more on that in a moment). But maybe you're worried about the faff of switching from macOS to Windows? Don't stress. Ask anyone in your studio who's used both Macs and PCs (which will probably will be most of them) and they'll assure you that it's really not a big deal these days. It's kind of like when you get a new phone: there are a few key differences that may trip you up from time to time, but you soon get used to them, and if you ever get stuck, a quick Google search invariably provides the answer. Let's face it: fear of change wouldn't make you stick with the same phone forever, and the same logic should apply to your laptop. So read on, as we explain exactly how the superior features of the HP ZBook x2 can save you time and energy, and make you more creative. 01. It's super-flexible Perhaps the most obvious thing about the HP ZBook x2 is that it's a combination of laptop and tablet in one. That means it offers ultimate flexibility wherever you're doing your work; whether that's at your desk, on the train, in a cafe, held up waiting in someone else's meeting room, or wherever. The HP ZBook x2 can be used in four different ways. You can use it as a tablet, using your fingers on the touchscreen, or drawing with an EMR Wacom pen. You can use it as a laptop, by pulling out the stand and attaching the keyboard. You can detach the keyboard and use it wirelessly. Or you can use it docked and connected to an external monitor or keyboard, with Thunderbolt 3 allowing you to connect to a 4K screen. Depending on the task you're engaged in, and the location you're working in, it really is useful to be able to switch things around like this, quickly and flexibly. Can your current laptop boast the same adaptability? Want to create digital art? Just detach the screen and use it as a tablet using an EMR Wacom pen 02. The screen is awesome Whether you work in 2D or 3D, static design or moving images, consumers nowadays are getting used to seeing everything in higher and higher resolutions, and as creatives, we need to be sure our creations are pixel-perfect. So it's great news that the HP ZBook x2 comes with a screen that is simply sensational. The world’s most advanced detachable PC screen, the HP DreamColor provides you with an astonishing one billion colours, in a 4K, multi-touch, 14-inch diagonal display that boasts high-end anti-glare technology, making it easy to use in real-world situations. In non-techie terms, that basically means your creative work will look amazing, and you're able to see everything in the minute detail that you need to ensure your designs are perfect. You can use the Bluetooth keyboard attached to or detached from the screen: it works just as efficiently either way 03. Adobe shortcuts are built in In 2019, the vast majority of creative professionals make heavy use of Adobe's Creative Cloud software. So HP has gone to extra mile, and made these easier to use on the HP ZBook x2. Both the tablet and the detachable Bluetooth keyboard come with built-in Adobe app shortcuts, and there are 18 in total. This might sound like a minor thing, but in practice makes for much smoother workflow, helping you to work more intuitively, as well as adding up over time to some serious time-saving. 04. It's mega powerful and offers great performance If you just wanted to do some light web surfing with your laptop, we'd probably recommend something like a Chromebook. But if you need to do regular professional-level creative work, using Adobe Creative Cloud apps, then you're going to need a device with serious power. And the HP ZBook x2 has plenty of that. Armed with the latest Intel Quad Core processors and up to 4.2GHz of turbo boost, the HP ZBook x2 quite simply enables you to work at the speed that you think. And anyone who's ever drummed their fingers, waiting for their laptop to catch up with their brain, knows exactly how important that can be. And there's more. Nvidia Quadro graphics provide real-time visualisation of your multi-layered artwork and creative projects, and the HP ZBook x2 comes with an impressive 32 GB RAM Dual Channel Memory – twice the memory capacity of any other detachable PC. You won't get slowed down by large assets, either: HP Z Turbo Drive storage is 4 times faster than SATA SSD and 14 times faster than traditional HDD storage. There's an impressive number of ports for a small detachable device. And the Ultrabook-class battery life, along with ultra-fast recharge, means you'll never have to cut your working day short due to a lack of power. Conclusion When it comes to laptop-tablet hybrids, HP ZBook x2 is best in class. Thoughtfully designed, supremely powerful, and above all, hugely flexible, this is a device that's perfectly positioned for professional creative work in the 2020s. Enabling you to speed up your workflow and design more intuitively, this clever laptop will help you to better unleash your imagination and truly raise the level of your creative output. And if your work is important to you, isn't that worth the investment? View the full article

Fusion 360 is a new tool from Autodesk that is taking the 3D world by storm. The tool lowers the barrier for entry into CAD software, making it a great way to utilise the precision modelling tools that CAD tools offer, which can then be exported to any 3D modelling software for the advanced texture and animation capabilities that they provide. Thanks to Fusion 360’s straightforward spline and modelling tools, along with an excellent model history paradigm, an artist new to CAD software will find their feet quickly (for more on why Fusion 360 is so innovative, jump to the section on the difference between CAD and 3D software). An example of what can be achieved in Fusion 360 Fusion 360 is an excellent way of creating hard modelling objects, as can be seen from the gun model by Boy Sichterman, shown above. As you can see from the image, a lot of detail can be created directly within the tool. And as Fusion 360 enables the modification of a model via the history timeline, it is easy to adapt as the design develops. Fusion 360 is available as a free product if being used by a student, and has a similar cost per year compared to many of the tools a 3D artist uses from day to day when using it professionally. Let’s take a closer look at the tools of features on offer. 01. Model in Fusion 360 Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image Autodesk Fusion 360 allows the creation of a variety of shapes, but for bespoke elements, it is often best to start with a spline. Splines can be precisely drawn out in an elevation view. Fusion 360 provides live feedback while drawing, which shows dimension and angles, ensuring that the spline is created to a set size that can be modified later. There are a range of spline drawing tools available, from freehand to standard shapes. 02. Modify a spline and Extrude Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image The corners of a spline are easily modified using the Fillet tool. When happy with the shape of the line, it can be easily extruded using the Extrude function to a set dimension. When the extrude is complete, another spline can then be created – for example, a circle that can be used as a cutting object when it is extruded into the initial extruded shape. This technique allows the creation of complex objects in seconds. 03. Use the History timeline Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image The history timeline is a series of icons at the bottom left of the screen showing each creation stage of the modelling process. The timeline can be moved back in time to allow you to modify your design. In the example shown, the original spline has had an offset applied to it to allow the hollowing out of the initial shape via an extrude. The history timeline is a great way to both ensure changes are easy to manage and new designs are easily branched off. 04. Export to a 3D application Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image To enable the export options available in Fusion 360, the model needs to be saved to the Autodesk cloud. From here, a wide range of file types are available for export. FBX is an excellent format that can be used in a wide range of 3D packages, while also retaining a lot of the detail. It is best to experiment with a variety of different formats, as Fusion 360 makes subtle changes to the geometry dependent on the format used. 05. Explore the interface Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image One of the great things about Fusion 360 is the amount of work that Autodesk is putting in to constantly improve it. A good example is the user interface, which is in the process of being updated. To access new features, such as the preview of the updated UI, which simplifies the toolsets for new users, you can go to the Preferences menu and select Preview > UI Preview in order to see the latest update. What's the difference between CAD and 3D software? When looking at a computer screen running CAD and digital content creation software, many people would likely find it difficult to tell them apart – they both make models that can then be moved and rotated around the screen. The truth of the matter though, as many 3D artists are only too aware, is that CAD software is actually very different, using another modelling paradigm that utilises NURBS and volumes rather than subdivision surfaces, which are typically found in 3D software. Not only this, but CAD software also differs in that it operates with precision in mind, rather than the more freeform creativity that can be achieved in 3D software. This can lead to a more clunky workflow. Finally, there is the cost, which is prohibitive for many 3D artists, who only use CAD software to convert models. This article was originally published in 3D World, the world's best-selling magazine for CG artists. Buy issue 251 or subscribe. Read more: Has Paramount got it right with this redesigned Sonic? The best graphics cards in 2019 Behind the scenes of Toy Story 4 View the full article

In the past, webpage creation was the sole dominion of expert coders, an unavoidable hurdle that could prove expensive and inflexible. But these days, the world of web design is easier and more accessible than ever, with plenty of tools available to make the process simpler. Before coding a website in HTML, you must first design the UI layout and create assets, either for your own use or to send to a developer. Illustrator is well equipped for this, since it has a pixel-perfect interface, vector graphics, CSS generation, good colour management, as well as access to Adobe Typekit. In this tutorial you will learn how to download a website template from Adobe Stock, customise it for your own use and export as slices. 01. Search for a template When searching for templates on the Adobe Stock website, you can filter the results to only include Illustrator documents. Any design job is a careful balance of inspiration and know-how. If you’re new to web design or want a quick solution, Adobe Stock provides a wealth of templates that can make the job simpler. Illustrator’s New Document window offers a limited choice of free templates, which can be downloaded without ever leaving the app. Access these by clicking one of the tabs at the top of the window: Mobile, Web, Print, Film & Video or Art & Illustration. For a more varied choice, visit the Adobe Stock website, which is home to a library of professionally designed templates, graphics and images. Type ‘website design’ into the search bar and sort the results by clicking on the View Filters button, which opens a sidebar of options. By selecting Illustrator, you will ensure that you are only seeing projects for that specific software. Click on any template you like and license it. I used one of Illustrator’s free templates, which downloaded and opened instantly into the app. 02. Inspect the document Click on the arrows to delve deeper into the Layers panel. Use the eye icon to toggle visibility on or off. This document contains three artboards, designated by the black borders that appear around them. These are all set to a width of 1280px, a standard screen size for web. The height of the page will ultimately depend on the content you add and can be changed later on by going into the Document Setup and opening Edit Artboards. This template is broken down into a nested hierarchy of layers, which can be accessed in the Layers tab. Click on the arrows next to each layer to delve down and find what you are looking for. You can also toggle layer visibility and lock them by clicking on the icons to the left. It can be useful to place a screenshot of a web browser behind your design to see how it will look on a screen. 03. Add your own text As well as adding fonts from Adobe Typekit, you can sync and activate any missing fonts when opening the document. This template comes with textboxes already placed on the page, filled with dummy text. To edit the text and add your own copy, it’s a simple matter of double-clicking inside the textbox and replacing the dummy copy. You can also add your own textboxes with the Type tool, by clicking and dragging onto the artboard. This is the perfect time to experiment with different typefaces – you may have your own preferences or simply want to run down the list in Illustrator’s font family. You can access more in Adobe Typekit, by clicking on the cloud icon in your computer’s taskbar and clicking on fonts. If you are missing any then you can activate them with Typekit when opening the file. Illustrator comes with most of the same text tools that you find in other Adobe software. These include Leading, Tracking and Kerning, which are all useful when editing your text. Don’t spend too much time refining long passages of text, but it is worth kerning any large standout words, as well as your logo. 04. Images and clipping masks With your two objects selected, make a clipping mask to turn one into a container frame for the other. All images are represented as grey rectangles on the page. To replace these with your own images you will need to place images into the document, either by dragging straight in from Finder or using the Place shortcut Shift + Command + P (also found in File > Place). Move your image over the rectangle you wish to replace and send it behind. You can do this by dragging the layer down the Layers panel or by sending the layer back using Command + square brackets (Command + Shift + [ will send the image to the back). Select both layers and make a clipping mask by pressing Command + 7 or Object > Clipping Mask > Make. The image should now appear wrapped in a container made by the rectangle. You can still move the image around inside the mask by double-clicking on it and dragging it around. Repeat this process with the rest of the images on the page. 05. Positioning Spot the difference between snapping and not snapping to pixels by turning on Pixel Preview. After adding your own bespoke content, you may find that it no longer fits the current artboard and you will have to resize and reposition. It is important to use exact measurements when doing this as it will cause you fewer problems down the line. Change the size of the artboard by going to Document Setup and clicking on the Edit Artboards button. You can then click on the artboard and change its height by dragging the handles of the frame or typing new dimensions into the taskbar. It may help if you have previously drawn a rectangle to give you an idea of the correct height. Turn on pixel grid and make sure you have Snap to Pixel turned on in View, which will ensure your edges remain crisp and clean. You can check this by going to View > Pixel Preview, which shows how Illustrator divides objects across individual pixels. Use the Transform panel to make any pixel-precise movements or set your Keyboard Increment to a specific pixel distance in Preferences. 06. Theme it up While you can download icons from Adobe Stock and use in your projects, you don't own them, so cannot use for a trademark logo. Part of Illustrator’s appeal to web designers is its versatile colour management. While it is possible to go through and change the colour of each element individually, it is much more efficient to use swatches, which automatically update any incidence of that colour across the whole document. Go to the Swatches panel and double-click on any of the preset swatches or create a new one. The document colour mode will already be set to RGB, so you will be presented by three sliders to play around with. I used a combination of teal and orange to accent certain parts, while sticking to black and white for text. If you already have your own logo then you can paste it into the top-left corner to replace the dummy text, otherwise type your name in and set it to whatever typeface you require. You could create a quick, temporary logo by downloading an icon from Adobe Stock, but it is important to understand that you don’t own any Adobe Stock images, so cannot use them when trademarking a real logo. 07. Exporting for web Use the CSS Properties window to generate CSS style sheets for character styles and named layers. At this point it might be enough to just send your Illustrator document to a professional web designer, who can then turn it into a fully functional HTML webpage. Alternatively you may wish to do this process yourself. To move elements from Illustrator to a website, you will need to slice your design into pieces, which can then be reassembled in HTML, or export them as svgs. There are two main methods for achieving slices – Create from Guides or Create from Selection. The first requires you to draw guides over your artboard, isolating graphics you wish to export, while the other uses the slice tool to define areas you wish to export. Then go to File > Export > Save for web, selecting the slices you wish to export. To export individual elements as svgs you must first click on the object, go to Object > Artboards > Fit to Selected Art. Then open the ‘save as’ window and select svg in the drop down box and use artboards. You will need to do this for every graphic you wish to export. Illustrator can convert character styles and named vector layers into CSS. It will do this for individual elements, but you can also select all and generate a global CSS style sheet, including image assets as png files. Open the CSS Properties panel and select the style or object for the CSS code to automatically appear. View the full article

Hospitals and IoT device manufacturers must take a dual approach in securing connected telehealth devices. View the full article

Grav is a content management system (CMS) with a difference. Content management systems are commonplace in the modern web, with platforms like Wordpress powering a large percentage of websites. They provide an easy-to-use graphical interface for non-technical users to add articles and content while the developers handle the code separately. The major drawbacks come when the CMS is bloated with unneeded features, or forces developers to work in a counter-productive manner. Even a basic CMS-built website that's little more than a landing page relies on a database, which can make migration and management a larger task than it should be. Meet Grav, the CMS built with the purpose of being lightweight, flexible – and without a traditional database. Yet it still has an optional administration panel with a graphical interface, user management and the same features expected of a CMS. While Grav doesn't have a traditional database running on MySQL or similar, it does have a type of database which is stored in folders and plain text files. These files store content with the Markdown syntax with configuration stored in YAML. As with learning any new system, Grav can take a bit of effort in order to get started, and the documentation, though improving, leaves some questions unanswered, leaving you to dig through pre-made "skeletons". This tutorial will help you install Grav and add pages using the default quark theme. Download the files for this tutorial. How to choose the right CMS 01. Configure local environment Grav requires a webserver, such as Apache or Nginx, and at least version 7.1.3 of PHP. Set up a local WAMP, MAMP or LAMP server to work with. git and composer will also be used to ensure that these can be used in the command line. 02. Create a working directory Within the web root of the local server, create a new directory and call it "Grav-project" Open a command prompt or terminal and test to see if PHP is installed with "PHP -v" if a version number is returned. If not, make sure PHP is installed. 03. Install a copy of Grav The easiest way to install Grav is to download the zip file from the website and extract it to the folder created earlier. Use the git installation method to explore the Grav CLI. Navigate to the web root of the local server and run the following command. 04. Install dependencies Use composer to install the dependencies you need Skip if installing with zip. Change directory to "Grav-project", then use composer to install the required dependencies. Once installed, use the Grav CLI to install the theme and plugins. On Windows, Grav commands must be prepended with "php" 05. Test the installation Try not to get a 404 Grav can be accessed at localhost/Grav-project. Opening this page in a browser shows the Grav welcome screen. Click onto the typography page to test for errors. If you encounter a 404 error, refer to Grav's troubleshooting in the documentation. 06. Add a new page Grav pages are stored as text files A page in Grav is a text file in the directory "user/pages". To create a new page, navigate to the "Grav-project/user/pages directory" and create a new folder named 03.about, then create a new file which will be called default.md. Grav uses "Markdown syntax" to render pages. 07. Install the admin panel In order to speed up the process of creating and managing content and unlock the full, user-friendly potential of the Grav CMS, the admin panel module can be installed. From the command line, run the following command: 08. Create an admin user With the admin module installed you can create an admin user Refreshing any page on the Grav website once the admin module is installed will open up a prompt to create a new admin user. Fill in your details and make a note of the password to proceed to the dashboard. 09. Edit with admin interface With the admin panel set up click on pages in the left-hand bar then click the about page made earlier. Once this loads, you will be able to see a content entry area that allows easy editing of the content of the pages. 10. Add child pages Delete the typography page in the admin panel, then add a new page to replace it. Enter services for the title and folder name, then click continue, keeping the rest of the options as their default value. Enter some content for this page and click save. Now create another page with the "add" button, and enter a service name. Make sure that "visible" is set to yes, then continue. 11. Set homepage to modular For more complex pages, change the template to modular While being able to add text and headers easily to a page is quick and easy for basic websites, it is understandable that a website will have more complex requirements. Edit the homepage and on the advanced tab change the page template to modular. Make sure to save the page. 12. Add a module Let's add a hero module Modules are content blocks set by the theme that can be used when building a page with differently styled sections. Now that the homepage has been converted, delete the pre-made content for the homepage and save the changes. Then at the top of the page, click add > add modular and fill in the title "hero" and set the page to "home". For the modular template, pick the "hero" option. 13. Populate the Hero module Modules render into a block on their parent page Modules are treated the same as subpages in the admin panel, but instead of forming a subpage, they render their content into a block on their parent page. Edit the newly created hero module and add a header, some text and add a hero image into "page media". Save the page. 14. Add a features module Repeat the above step, but select features module. When editing the page, notice the "features" tab that allows you to set a layout, and add individual columns with an icon, header and text. Add four of these columns and give them content. 15. Add a text block The last module on the homepage will be a standard content block. Add this and enter the desired content into this area, attaching an image and save the page. Lastly, open each block so far, including the parent homepage, and remove any CSS classes by going to the advanced tab and emptying the body classes field. These are CSS classes set by the theme that allow you to customise each block. 16. Configure options To set the site logo and an array of options for the theme, head to the "themes" menu and then click on Quark, the currently active theme. Adjust these settings, then click on "configuration" to access options such as "Site title". This article was originally published in issue 291 of creative web design magazine Web Designer. Buy issue 291 here. 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