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A known threat actor, Tortoiseshell, is targeting U.S. military veterans with a fake veteran hiring website that hosts malware.
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To celebrate Abbey Road's 50th anniversary, a clever redesign of the iconic Beatles album cover has fixed a dodgy piece of parking that's been invading the pavement for half a century. And while it's a neat redux, it's also subtle but worthy print ad for Volkswagen.
If you're not familiar with the album cover, it sees the Fab Four walking on a pedestrian crossing near Abbey Road Studios. But if you look in the background, you'll spot a hastily parked white VW Beetle obstructing the pavement.
Created in partnership between VW and Nord DDB Sweden, the new Reparked Edition sees the car finally shift a few feet to the right and park correctly. And it's not just because VW wanted to swerve into the cultural conversation surrounding the anniversary. The automaker also wanted to promote its Park Assist technology, which makes it easier to parallel park.
What's more, this ad wasn't just dashed off in a couple of minutes in Photoshop. It's a slick recreation that's even being sold as a print, with the profits being donated to Swedish children's rights nonprofit, Bris.
See how it compares to the original Abbey Road cover, below.
Beatles not included
"Volkswagen continuously innovates to make the driving experience better and safer for drivers and pedestrians," said Jeanette Asteborg, marketing director at Volkswagen Sweden.
"We want to show how far our technology has come since that little parking mishap, so that no one else has to live with a constant reminder of their parking fail."
So if you've ever worried that you take too long to park, console yourself with the fact that at least it didn't take you five decades.
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UX is a profession that never stands still, but the latest theories, practices and sub-disciplines can take quite a bit of explaining, and can't just be summed up in a quick tweet or Facebook post.
To keep your UX skills up to date, then, new and up-to-date books can be invaluable. And this year there have been a lot of excellent and important releases.
Here, we’ve selected seven books on user experience, all written by experts in the field and published in 2019, which have been making waves. Whether you’re a UX designer, a manager or just someone who needs to stay informed, they’re all well worth checking out.
Also see our favourite graphic design books, or if you're after a different type of UX tool, check our best web design tools roundup.
01. Loops
If you're building a new digital product, this is the book for you
In 2019, launching a new digital product is a careful balancing act between speed and quality. When budgets are limited and time is tight, how do you ensure you create a product that gets to market quickly but is also fit for purpose?
The founder and president of Nine Labs, J Cornelius has been building digital products since 1996 and shares the benefit of his experience in this superb new publication.
A practical guide focused on getting products out of your mind’s eye and into the real world, it covers the processes, exercises, and methodologies used by some of the world’s fastest moving and most successful startups and corporate product teams, in a way you can apply to your own products.
02. Strategic Writing for UX
Writing is as important as visual design in UX, and this book explains how to do it right
When it comes to UX, visual design is usually the area that gets discussed the most, but getting the words right is just as important for the success of a website or app. And yet it’s a subject that’s often overlooked. This book sets out to fill that gap.
Author Torrey Podmajersky has written UX content for Google, OfferUp, Xbox and Microsoft, and teaches at Seattle’s School of Visual Concepts (SVC), so she has some great advice to offer in this area. In Strategic Writing for UX, she explains how UX text patterns work with different voices, and how to produce text that’s purposeful, concise, conversational, and clear.
Other topics addressed include how UX content works with the software development life cycle, how to use a framework to align the UX content with product principles, and how to explore content-first design to root UX text in conversation.
03. Building Design Systems
Everyone's talking about design systems right now, so make sure you know what you're talking about too
Design systems have been probably the most discussed topic among UX professionals in 2019. Essentially, they allow a design team build a framework that meets their needs by bringing together all of the critical design components, including style guides, pattern and UI libraries, CSS frameworks and other resources, in one place.
Written by two leaders in the field, Sarrah Vesselov and Taurie Davis, this book guides you through the process of defining a design language that can be understood across teams, and explains how to sell it to key stakeholders and other contributors.
You'll learn how to use an interface inventory to surface inconsistencies and inefficient solutions; establish a component library by documenting existing patterns and creating new ones; and create self-documenting styles and components to streamline your UX process.
04. Design for How People Think
Getting under the hood of the human brain can dramatically boost your UX design skills
UX design is ultimately about user behaviour, but how much do we really know about how people really think and act? This book aims to delve deeper into brain psychology to provide some practical answers.
John Whalen has a background as a psychology professor and now works as strategic product/service researcher and designer, so he's the perfect person to write it. In the book, he shows you how anyone on your team, without any specialised training in psychology, can conduct what he calls "contextual interviews" to unlock insights into customer behaviour.
You’ll then learn how to apply that knowledge to design brilliant experiences for your customers. The book also explores practical examples of how Fortune 100 companies have used this system to build successful and profitable experiences.
05. Ruined by Design
Half rant, half call to arms, this book by Mike Monteiro explains how you can help fix the world by taking the right attitude to design
Most books about UX are relentlessly positive and upbeat, and that can sometimes get a bit wearing. So here’s the perfect antidote, in the form of ever-controversial web designer Mike Monteiro.
As a starting point, he points out sardonically that “The world is working exactly as we designed it”. For example, “Facebook’s privacy settings, which have outed gay teens to their conservative parents, are working exactly as designed. Their ‘real names’ initiative, which makes it easier for stalkers to re-find their victims, is working exactly as designed. Twitter’s toxicity and lack of civil discourse is working exactly as it’s designed to work.”
But this isn’t just one long rant: it’s also a call to action to make better decisions as designers, and change the world as a result. And it also provides you with the tools to do so, explaining how to evaluate the potential benefits and harm of what you’re working on, and how to present your concerns, using data and good storytelling to decision-makers, in a way that will actually make them listen
06. Emotionally Intelligent Design
New technologies and techniques can help you engage emotionally with audiences, as this book explains
Another publication probing the moral and ethical issues of UX design, this book explores new research about emotion and examines how design can help promote emotional well-being.
To help you do so, author Pamela Pavliscak, a design researcher and advisor to Fortune 500, examines new technology that engages emotion, and new emotional design practices. In the process, she draws on both her own research and the latest thinking in psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral economics.
Along the way, you’ll learn, among other things, different methods for blending well-being interventions with design patterns, new principles for merging emotional intelligence and design thinking; and how to use a relationship model for framing product interactions and personality.
07. Think Like a UX Researcher
User research is the foundation of UX; learn about the latest techniques in this book
People are unpredictable, and so second-guessing how users are likely to behave in using your website or app is the road to failure. Instead, research is vital, but what’s the best way to go about it?
This book takes a deep dive into the theory and practice of UX research, and offers practical advice on how to plan and conduct it, analyse data, and persuade people to take action based on the results.
Written by researchers David Travis and Philip Hodgson, who have 55 years experience between them, as well as each holding a PhD in Experimental Psychology, this book would be useful to UX researchers, designers, project managers, scrum masters, business analysts and marketing managers. It includes workshop ideas to build your UX maturity, and stories from seasoned researchers, outlining how their research methods can be tailored to your own projects.
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EDR is still recognized as quite efficient against many of the advanced threats security professionals encounter, but today's threatscape demands Next-Gen EDR solutions.
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We're not sure what the Venn diagram of football fans and typography enthusiasts looks like. But if you fall in the overlap between the two, this is the Kickstarter project for you.
Created by self-described football mad design professional Mark Jenkinson, TypeKits is a Kickstarter project that sees typefaces transformed into football shirts. Besides free fonts, what more could the typography obsessive in your life want?
In TypeKits, six famous typefaces and their designers are celebrated as they're cleverly realised as football shirts. There are even a few parallels between the funny old game and type design thrown in for good measure. Check them out in the gallery below.
The mashup of football kits and the world of typography has already been featured in football magazine Four Four Two, despite not having yet reached its pledge goal.
Speaking about how the project came about, Jenkinson said: "I love footie and I love typefaces so one random day I just had the idea of 'what if I mashed these two loves together?' And so began my TypeKits journey.
"What was intended to just be a one off Helvetica jersey quickly started to spark new ideas that brought more parallels between football and design. The history, the men behind them and the passion people feel for them."
The fonts in question include Helvetica, which uses its historic connection to Swiss design to become a red and white kit. It's also emblazoned with the year 1957 in reference to the year it was made.
We're sure you won't get any funny looks if you wear this to a stadium
Any project about popular typefaces wouldn't be complete without the infamous Comic Sans getting a look-in. And TypeKits doesn't let us down. The use of the Millwall chant 'no one likes us. We don't care' on the back of the shirt is clever touch, and the dotted pattern is a nice nod to its comic strip roots.
Other fonts in the collection include Futura, Optima, Franklin Gothic and Johnston Sans. And if football shirts are a bit much, you can also show your support for your favourite typeface with a scarf instead.
To back the project, head on over to the TypeKits Kickstarter page.
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Vulnerability in iOS 13 and iPadOS affects keyboards installed for iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
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If there's one thing that can be relied upon in web design, it's that when you've spent ages designing a stunning site that ticks all the boxes – beautiful responsive design, all client requests (both reasonable and otherwise) met, fast load times, the works – the client will come back at the last minute with something like this:
"Hey, yeah, love the site. Just showed it to the directors and they think it's great; only one little request. Can we make it more engaging?"
Before you reach for a large drink, hang on; it's doable, and it can be done fast. If you really want to delight your clients – and their directors – with an irresistible engagement fix, some eye-catching visuals are the way to do it. And while some striking stills will do the job, to really elevate a site you should incorporate some content that includes movement.
Right now, over half of consumers want to see more video content from brands and businesses they support—and with 85% of all internet users in the US watching online video content monthly, it's time to tap into that need for video and give them what they want. Read on to discover some motion-forward options for driving engagement.
Cinemagraphs
A little motion can draw the eye
Depending on the nature of the site you're working on, you might be concerned about the performance impact of using motion content. There's no getting around the fact that moving images result in larger file sizes, and that can affect load times, so let's start with the quickest option with the smallest file size: cinemagraphs.
A cinemagraph is an optimised form of GIF that only has a portion of its content animated – for example it could be a cup of hot coffee that's still except for a continuous wisp of hot steam coming from it, or a beach that's motionless, except for clouds that continuously roll across the landscape.
The contrast between the stillness of the majority of the image and the animated portion makes for a really eye-catching effect, and it's a great way to introduce motion to your stories and sites. It can help bring your stories to life, and as cinemagraphs are still relatively uncommon, this content is a great way to engage your audiences' interest.
Fully animated GIFs
A fully animated GIF can make a lot of impact
To make a bigger impression you can use fully animated GIFs. Invented over 30 years ago, GIFs predate the web and they're still popular today thanks to their animation properties, making it easy to use a continuous video loop to create new content. If you want to connect to your customers, using animated GIFs is the way to go – they're instantly recognisable and used all over the internet, usually in the form of memes.
GIFs are also incredibly effective in presentations, social media, and more –they're eye-catching and engaging, and can range from hilarious to serious, and anything in between. You can find a huge amount of video content on iStock that's perfect for turning into GIFs – just find the perfect video, download it, and use your design skills to create a new clip that drives engagement.
Videos
SPEED RAMP Motocross rider jumping into air stock video
If file size is no problem then video is the ultimate way to add motion to your stories, and at iStock you can find video content for every occasion. And if you're really interested in visual impact then you'll be delighted to know that all of our 4K video content costs the same as HD.
The beauty of video is how malleable and editable it is; once you've found some clips that suit your project, you can edit them together to create new and unique content that fits perfectly on your site, complementing your designs and engaging your audience.
Research shows that on average, 88% of users spend more time on websites with video; that's why 87% of marketing professionals are adding video to their marketing toolkit. If you're not reaping the benefits of video yet, now's the time to start.
Fill your stories with motion
Now that you've learned about new ways to add motion to your creative campaigns, it's time to get started by searching through iStock by Getty Images to find the perfect, motion-packed content for your clients and their needs. You can also save 10% by using code ISTOCK10 at checkout, only until September 30 2019.
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Overall, Adobe released three patches – one for an “important” flaw and two for critical flaws –in the 2016 and 2018 versions of ColdFusion.
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You're reading Abstract Can Help You Design with Confidence, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook!
Some days the hardest part of your job – and the biggest time suck – can be searching for files, exporting across tools, and gathering feedback. But design work can be easier. That’s where Abstract comes in. The tool is …
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You may have been to a design conference before. But have you ever been to one that starts when the sun goes down?
That's the secret ingredient behind Us by Night which takes place in the evening, leading to a special different atmosphere, that's markedly different from other creative events.
Taking place in Antwerp, Belgium this Thursday, Friday and Saturday (26-28 September), Us by Night is packed with fun activities, including an arcade, a night market, a delicious selection of local food, and fluorescent ping-pong.
But of course, the main attractions are the briliant and inspirational speakers from across the world, and one of the top attractions this year will be the return of Sebastian Curi.
Who is Sebastian Curi?
Sebastian Curi is an Argentinian illustrator and animator, currently based in Vancouver, who's known for his fun characters and bold illustration style, characterised by strong lines, big shapes and simple colour palettes.
Illustration for mobile payment service Venmo by Sebastian Curi
Having spent a decade working in the animation industry, he's recently switched his main focus to illustration, working with a variety of agencies, clients and artists including Apple, Warby Parker, Collins, The New Yorker, IDEO, WeWork, CNN, Soul Cycle and others.
We caught up with him to find out what he'll be talking about at Us by Night, and why you shouldn't miss his talk.
How did growing up in Argentina influence your work?
I’m from Buenos Aires. Growing up, my parents moved a lot around the province in search of better job opportunities so I’m not really from any neighborhood. I started working when I was studying in high school and, as my family had little money, my creative development moved slowly until I reached a job in a graphic design studio.
Argentina is a country of contradictions and instability. As a by-product of that, you learn how to deal with lots of things at the same time.
In my case that involved studying and working at the same time and working in different positions around the design and animation industry, until I found what I liked. Kind of a jack of all trades, master of none situation.
How did you come to live in Canada?
After working for some years in different studios in Buenos Aires, I went freelance as an animator. At some point I felt really stuck with my career, and sent a couple emails to studios in the world that I liked.
Amazingly, I got an offer from a big production company in Los Angeles, and that started a whole different stage for me. LA is an amazing city but travelling the world seemed such an exciting thing to do.
Outdoor Voices 1 by Sebastian Curi
After two years at this production company, I didn’t feel connected to my work and my illustration stuff was still something that I thought as a side job.
So I went looking for a smaller and more cosy studio and that’s how I arrived at Vancouver, Canada to work at Giant Ant.
Was your recent move from animation to illustration an easy one?
I worked in animation for 10 years and leaving that was a very hard move to make. I was very hesitant, and because of that I kept working on studios until I was completely sure I could sustain myself and my wife without problems.
That also created its own problems. Having two jobs put me in a place of lots of stress, little time and all of that impacted in my health a lot.
It took me more than a year of working every morning or night, and putting some weekends into my illustration stuff, to feel that I have something interesting to bring to the industry.
I finally moved into illustration because I feel I can have more ownership of my work as an illustrator. I love the freedom I have to work, how clients move in this industry, the time it takes me to finish a project. Every little thing about illustration seems magical to my “animator eyes”.
Is it important that you create characters with flaws?
I’m all about bold and simple drawings. I like the spontaneity of my process and how they lead to joyful and lively results.
For me, illustration is a way to create moments and have some fun, and this people I draw are perfect for conveying the things I want to say.
Illustration for mobile payment service Venmo by Sebastian Curi
In the beginning, the imperfections in my drawings were due to a lack of ability to draw perfectly. But at some point I fell in love with the textures and handmade vibe they give overall… so I stuck to them.
How much do you collaborate with others?
I love to collaborate. You are as good as the people you work with, and I really like to work with people that I can learn from.
Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of animation with some amazing animators. Also, I worked a week on a huge mural for the Vancouver Mural Fest.
I would say collaborating is the only thing I really miss from animation. Illustration can be a bit lonely.
What’s your approach to colour?
For me, colours have beauty in themselves. It’s all about proportion and vibration. I prefer to work with big shapes and just let the colours do their thing.
Outdoor Voices 2 by Sebastian Curi
I usually tend to start with high vibration colours in big sizes and then I just add details of lines and patterns with low saturation colours. It’s never the same, I like some combinations but I try to keep things fun at this stage.
Colour gives you the tone of the story. It creates the context.
What are you speaking about at Us by Night?
This is my first talk at a design festival so I’m pretty nervous about it. I love to attend these kind of events, listen to podcasts and read about the industry - but saying something that helps people or brings value is a challenging thing to do.
On show at Apple Today
My talk is going to be about changing over time in search of keeping it fun. How to find something you love and make it a job but in a healthy and sustainable way. Basically, it will focus on my journey, how each step took me to where I’m at now.
Us by Night takes place at Antwerp, Belgium from Thursday September 26, 2019 – Saturday September 28, 2019.
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It's that time of year again. The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) has teamed up with Google to take the pulse of the design industry with the Design Census 2019. And its results make for eye-opening reading. In particular we were interested to see that illustrators were among the lowest paid, but they were relatively the most satisfied designers, proving that money can't buy you happiness.
Perhaps this comes as no surprise to illustrators. And while it must be fulfilling to see your best ink drawings or digital illustrations get distributed to a wider audience, it must be a little frustrating to learn that you're earning much less than designers in other disciplines such as animation and motion graphics. Although apparently it's not getting you down too much. Check out how salary and satisfaction compare in this sample from the census.
Click the image to read the results
The Design Census 2019 was compiled with information submitted by 9,429 participants, including students, educators, freelancers and business owners. And while the survey is limited to US creatives, it helps to give us all an idea about the state of the design industry.
The information compiled by the Design Census is free to read and download online. It's broken down into five sections, including 'Who's designing in 2019?', 'How are designers working today?', 'How much are designers making today?', 'How satisfied are designers?' and 'What do designers think about the future of the industry?'
Other standout stats include the revelation that most designers make between $50,000 and $75,000 a year regardless of gender. Unfortunately, higher earning brackets continue to be unequal and male dominated.
The Design Census is a fascinating read wherever you are in your career. Junior designers will be interested to learn that their average salary stands at $44,837 – a useful sum you can use as leverage if you've been thinking of how to raise your prices.
Meanwhile, if you've been in the game a bit longer, it's good to know that you can expect to earn substantially more. For example, designers with five to nine years of experience make $90,205 on average annually.
To read all the results, don't forget to head on over to the Design Census 2019 website.
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Royal Mail has released a new mini-fleet of electric post vans, and there's something about the design that is filling us with happiness. Perhaps it's because it looks like the adorable love child of a van and a coach. Perhaps it's the pleasingly chunky, toy-like exterior. Perhaps its the smooth curves and eye-catching tomato shade. Maybe it's the confusing absence of exterior features like wing mirrors, which make it look a bit like a child's pencil drawing of a van rather than an actual van. Either way, we can't stop looking at it.
A render of the new vans, from Arrival
The project's eco-friendly credentials have pleased us too. These vans are part of an electric vehicle trial that could help make the UK's postal service a little greener. At the moment, there are nine prototype vans in different sizes roaming the capital from the central London depot.
The image you can see above is a digital render of the proposed final design, and slightly different to the vans being trialled. However, those missing wing mirrors are deliberate. The vans currently out and about in London do have mirrors, but the new fleet will use cameras to monitor rear traffic.
The new-look vans are also going down well with the UK public, although parallels have been drawn with a certain well-loved children's TV character design.
These vehicles were created by Oxfordshire car-maker Arrival, and the aim is to see how they cope with the day-to-day demands of the postal service. According to the BBC another batch of 100 electric vans for Royal Mail has been ordered from Peugeot. We'd be pretty pleased to see more of these roaming our streets.
Via BBC.
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Wireless chargers are a great way to ensure your phone and other gadgets don’t run out of battery mid-way through the day. Pop one on your desk and you can ensure your device is constantly charged up without having to plug it into a cable. Or you can have one next to your bed at night so you don’t have to have a cable hanging out from your bedside table, ruining the aesthetic.
A lot of modern smartphones use Qi wireless charging, which is the particular standard supported by most devices that sport the feature. All recent iterations of the iPhone include this, as well as a lot of Samsung Galaxy devices and a wide variety of other Android phones.
Before you buy one of our picks for the best wireless chargers, you’ll want to be certain your device supports Qi wireless charging. We’ve listed the maximum wattage for each charger, but it’s important to note that it won’t be guaranteed to offer that speed for your device if it isn’t capable of specific quick charging features. Here’s our list of the very best wireless chargers you can buy right now.
For more ways to keep your devices juiced up, take a look at our guide to the best portable power banks.
If you don’t want to spend much and you don’t need a super-fast charger, the Boost Up Charge Wireless Charging Pad from Belkin is a solid option. It comes in either white or black, and offers an attractive design… well, as attractive as wireless chargers come.
There’s an LED light on top so you’ll be certain that your phone is charging. This can be particularly useful if your device has run out of charge entirely and doesn’t have enough power to display the charging logo. It comes with an AC adapter in the box too.
This is designed to work with phones that have cases on too, and as long as they’re not more than 3mm thick you should find the charging tech works just as well as it would on your naked phone. Belkin is a trusted brand, and that makes this one of the best wireless chargers on the market.
Looking for a cheaper option than the Belkin above? The Anker PowerWave Pad may be ideal for you. It’s important to note that the version we’re recommending here doesn’t come with an adapter to plug it into the wall, so you’ll need to source that yourself.
It comes in either blue or black, and while it may not have the most fashionable design it’s a piece of tech that works well and is easy to set up. Just place your device on the top of this charger, and it’ll automatically charge it up with relatively impressive speeds for the price. This doesn’t come with any bells and whistles, and instead the PowerWave Pad is attempting to offer a basic wireless charger in its cheapest form.
Want to be able to see what’s happening on your phone while it’s charging? One of the best options is the RAVPower wireless charging stand, which also happens to be one of the more affordable devices on this list as well.
It comes with up to 10 watt wireless charging, but that’s only available with some devices. A number of Samsung Galaxy models support this, as well as the Huawei P30 Pro, but there are a bunch of phones that don't (including iPhone), so check before you buy to avoid disappointment. It comes with temperature monitoring technology that allows you to make sure your phone or the charger won’t overheat, plus it looks attractive when sat on your desk.
You can even lay your phone in landscape orientation on the charger, which is handy if you want to use it to watch videos without battering your remaining battery life.
After a more attractive device that still allows you to use your phone while it’s charging? The Samsung Fast Charging Station acts as a stand for your phone as well as a fast wireless charger, so you’ll be able to see your notifications come in while your device is powering up.
That’s not really something that a standard wired charger can offer you, so this makes sense as a place to prop up your phone during the day if you work at a desk. There’s cooling technology here to ensure this doesn’t overheat your phone, and it reaches some impressively high speeds too, with a maximum of 10 watts. There are a few different models in this range, for charging different devices. It comes in white, grey (although we think it looks more beige) and black so you can colour-match this device to your surroundings as well.
Before we go any further, you may have noticed this is the most expensive option on this list. But it’s also arguably the most useful too. What if you could take your wireless charging pad with you wherever you go?
The Mophie PowerStation Wireless XL is part wireless charger, part power bank. That means you can throw this 10,000mAh battery pack into your bag and take it wherever you go, and you can just place your Qi-compatible device on top, without plugging it in, to charge it back up.
If you want faster charging speeds, or you have another device that needs charging up but it doesn’t work wirelessly, you can also plug in cables making this the most versatile device you’ll find on this list. The charging speeds aren’t incredible for the wireless options, but it’s enough to get your device back up to working order in a short space of time.
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Remember Yahoo? Once upon a time it was the most popular starting point for web users, but those days are long gone. This doesn't mean Yahoo is dead and buried though. In fact yesterday it rolled out a new look and logo redesign (above) created in partnership with Pentagram.
Announcing a new logo design is an important part of any brand launch. And it looks like Yahoo's new logo reveal is suitably timely, with the web services provider promising to roll out new products and features soon.
The latest logo is Yahoo's third since launching more than 24 years ago, and the first significant change to the brand since 2013's '30 days of Change' design campaign. This new logo reflects Yahoo's updated brand strategy, which design consultancy Pentagram says focuses on "helping users find a more personalised, customised experience online".
The new logo design and brand identity as it appears on the Yahoo homepage
So what's new with the logo? Well, the colour purple is still the cornerstone of Yahoo's design. Considering that it's been Yahoo's signature colour since 2003, it makes sense that it's still there. However the palette has been refined to include a primary purple dubbed 'grape jelly', and secondary purples called 'hulk pants' and 'malbec'.
Meanwhile the wordmark is set in Centra No.2 Extrabold. The letters have also been changed to be more geometric and compact. Topping off the logo design is an italicised exclamation mark, which just like the 'y' is set at an angle of 22.5 degrees. According to Pentagram this forward tilt suggests "a sense of momentum and excitement."
The online landscape has changed a lot since 2013, so the new Yahoo logo has been optimised to keep up. This includes the ability to work across various platforms and scales, and the introduction of a simple 'y!' monogram which is perfectly suited to favicons and social media. This monogram will also be used to connect sub-brands such as Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, and Yahoo Weather.
The previous Yahoo logo was the result of a lengthy design campaign
As for those new products and features, they've already started rolling out. On its refreshed news site, Yahoo said that its new Yahoo Mail app will help users to organise their life. It also promised there is much more to come "in our quest to make things simpler, give you control, and put the things you love at your fingertips."
"In the decades since Yahoo first launched, the internet has grown to be so big and ubiquitous, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with information," Pentagram adds. "With its new products, Yahoo will empower users to better sift out irrelevant parts of the digital world, giving them more control of what they see and when they see it."
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Having a good-looking portfolio website is one of the basic things you need to take care of as a designer. But if you're just starting out, or even if you're simply cost-conscious, you might be reluctant to spring for a paid portfolio hosting option.
Finding a free home for your design portfolio isn't easy – there are usually restrictions to the level of service that you won't get with a paid plan. But it's still possible to find a free hosting option for your portfolio that doesn't involve too much compromise; we've found seven of the best services.
01. Portfoliobox
The free version's a little limited, but Portfoliobox has plenty of options
Billed as offering everything you need to create a professional portfolio website, Portfoliobox is specifically geared towards creatives and offers a stack of ready-made templates and layouts that you can edit in the browser through a drag-and-drop interface.
The free version gives you a portfolio with room for 30 images and 10 pages, plus a zero-commission ecommerce platform; the pro version removes the Portfoliobox branding and also gives you a free domain and 24/7 support.
02. Behance
Even if your main portfolio's elsewhere, a Behance presence is useful
Behance might not be your first choice when it comes to finding some portfolio hosting, but as a hugely popular creative network it's the perfect place to show your work. Even if you have your main portfolio elsewhere, it makes sense to have a presence on Behance and to keep it updated with your latest projects.
It's not particularly sophisticated in terms of options, but its straightforward interface makes it easy to design basic pages on which to share your work, and as a free service it's hard to beat, especially once you start picking up followers.
03. Adobe Portfolio
If you have a CC account then Adobe's Portfolio is a good choice
Another Adobe offering, Portfolio isn't strictly free – you need a Creative Cloud account to take advantage of it. But unless you're a staunch Adobe refusenik, always looking for the best Photoshop alternatives, you probably have a CC account, in which case Portfolio is definitely worth investigating.
It has plenty of themes to choose from, all of which can be easily customised – there are loads of examples on the Portfolio site to demonstrate just what the platform's capable of – and naturally it features Behance integration, as well as Adobe Fonts and the option to import photos from Lightroom. All of Portfolio's themes are fully responsive, and once your site's ready to share you can use your own domain name.
04. Crevado
Crevado's free service is limited but worth a look
Like Portfoliobox, Crevado offers a free portfolio hosting service alongside paid plans that offer more capacity and features. And while you might find the free plan a little restrictive – it gives you a maximum of five galleries and can hold 30 images, and doesn't provide a contact form – it's a good starting point that you can build upon later if you want to use a custom domain or sell your work online.
Crevado prides itself on taking care of all the technical issues so that you can simply create a fully responsive portfolio with minimum effort; it also has an extensive selection of example sites for you to check out and get an idea of what you could create for yourself.
05. Coroflot
Are you good enough to get a Coroflot account?
Portfolio hosting is just part of the deal with Coroflot; it's a serious online community created by designers for designers, aimed at helping creative professionals and hiring companies to connect with each other. So if you're looking for more work, having a portfolio on Coroflot is a must, assuming you get accepted.
That's the tricky bit; you can't simply sign up and get your portfolio space. Instead you need to submit an application that demonstrates the quality of your work, and you'll only be accepted if it meets Coroflot's standards. Thankfully it's also provided a guide to getting your application right; make sure you read it before hitting Send on your application.
06. Dribbble
Come for the portfolios, stay for the palettes
Dribbble, like Behance, isn't necessarily the place to host your main portfolio, but as a hugely popular design community it's definitely a place to show your work and also works in progress, and hopefully get seen by potential employers and clients.
As a busy social network for designers it's also a great platform for getting feedback from other designers and also for seeing what other creatives are working on. And our favourite feature? Dribbble automatically generates palettes based on each hosted shot, so if you see a colour scheme you like the look of you can download it instantly.
07. Wix
Wix is a strong all-rounder with plenty of portfolio options
It's hard not to be aware of Wix as it's made a name for itself with as an easy-to-use website builder with a generous free package. And while you might not think of it as the place to build a portfolio website, it's well worth a look. Among its vast assortment of customisable ready-made templates you'll find a good few options for building a good-looking portfolio.
As long as you don't mind your portfolio having a Wix domain name and Wix brand ads then the free option should provide you with plenty of a value; if you want your own domain name, no ads, more storage and additional bandwidth, its paid plans are reasonably priced.
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A competitive analysis is a critical part of any businesses marketing plan. A well-reasoned competitor analysis will structure your whole marketing strategy and position your business for future success. Having a better understanding of the competitive landscape, an insight into what your competitors are doing well, and how you compare, will ultimately help you capitalise on it.
Whether you are upscaling your existing website environment (here are the latest web design tools to help you out), developing a new marketing campaign, or launching a new product or service, you need to know how your competition is performing in the same field.
This tutorial will explain how to gain insight into your competitors’ positioning, efficiency, traffic sources and how they got there. This includes their keyword targeting, social media presence, content marketing efforts, PPC targeting, position in SERP’s, backlink profile, reviews, differentiators, Call To Actions (CTA’s) and page traffic.
By identifying your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses, benchmarked against your own, you can effectively capitalise on new opportunities for growth. Striving to do one better than the competition, standing out and increasing meaningful engaged traffic to your website domain.
01. Identify and qualify your competitors
It’s important that you understand who your competitors are, not only from an industry perspective, but also online. Start by Googling your product or service, and review who appears within your competitive space.
02. Investigate online presence
Detail how the competition appears online; are they in the local pack, do they pay for advertising (PPC), do they take advantage of rich answers, do they use schema data, do they have multiple landing pages, who are their referrals. Identify strong and weak points in your competitor’s marketing.
03. Analyse reputation and reviews
Analyse customer opinions of your competitors
Analyse customer opinions of your competitors, from online reviews such as ‘Google Reviews’, product reviews, social reviews and comments left on blogs. Read both the positive and negative comments, learn what your shared audiences find positive and negative, then capitalise on it.
04. Track mentions of your competitors
Track your competitors
Track and monitor online mentions of your competitors, as well as your own business, with a Google Alert. You can also monitor the web for new content created around your products, services or anything else.
05. Analyse your competitors’ PPC efforts
Gain insights into what keyword terms your competition believe are worth bidding on. Utilise both primary and secondary keywords within the search engines. You can also use third party tools to save time – it will break down which ads are image, HTML or text. Analyse the pages that the ads lead to.
06. Find out competitor keyword positioning
Review what keywords your competition appears for in the top 100 results with ‘ahrefs’
Having an insight into what keyword terms your competition is ranking for can give you a huge advantage. Review what keywords your competition appears for in the top 100 results with ‘ahrefs’.
07. Compare Keyword gaps
A Keyword Gap Tool will take you one step further
Go one step further, with the help of a Keyword Gap Tool. Perform a side-by-side comparison of all the similarities and differences between your keyword (organic, paid, or product listing Ad) portfolios and that of your competitors.
08. Review the competitions link profile
Save time by studying your competitor’s backlink profile, and try to win some of their links for your own website. Look at the referral relationships that give backlinks to your competition, and draw conclusions on the quality of those relationships and their suitability with your own website.
09. Evaluate content
Evaluate what content your competitors cover, and the opportunity to do it better. Scan the competition for all types of content, (onsite and offsite) landing page copy, blogs, news, events, whitepapers, FAQs, case studies, infographics, e-books, videos, webinars, podcasts etc.
10. Snoop on social media
Determine which social platforms your competitors are using, what type of content they post and its regularity, who they engage with, their audience size and the tone of voice they use. You will also get a good idea of how customers feel, what does and doesn’t work well for engagement.
11. Engage with the competition
Review your competitors
Having an insight into what your competitors are doing can detail what is working well for them and how you can capitalise on it. Behave like one of their customers and add yourself to their email newsletters, blog and social platforms. Review their interactions and their content, as well as their Call To Actions and engagement.
12. Analyse SEO
Review the SEO implementation across your competitors
Review the SEO implementation across your competitors. Viewing the source code will highlight on-page meta priority, header hierarchy, og metas, schema data, url structures, image alts, and so on. Utilise Google tools to also review mobile friendliness and speed.
13. Review user experience
Put your mindset in that of a user, and navigate across your competitor’s website pages. Look out for where the Calls To Actions are placed, what they say, how they are represented (text/imagery/video), how they push you down the sales funnel, how they incentivise data capture and contact.
14. Categorise your competitors
Tailor your efforts and focus – group your competitors into those which are direct competitors (those targeting the same audience or have a similar product) and doing it well, and secondary competitors, those which are targeting similar products/services, but the audience is diluted.
15. Benchmark yourself against them
Understand how you fair against your competitors
Now it’s time to compare your competitor’s key metrics to your own. From your observations and insights, you will understand how you fair against your competitors within the shared marketplace, and steps are needed to position yourself against them to stand out.
16. Implement positive change
Take what you have learned, and start to implement positive change. Start with the quick and easy wins (strike at their weakest channels) and move onto the more competitive actions. Competitor analysis is ‘always on’ – monitor and report on your actions, and split test appropriately.
This article was originally published in issue 289 of creative web design magazine Web Designer. Buy issue 289 or subscribe to Web Designer.
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Inktober is almost upon us! 2019 is a landmark year: it's celebrating its 10th birthday. Not heard of it before? Inktober is an art challenge that asks participants to create an ink drawing every day for the month of October. The rules, however, are very much flexible. For example, some participants might just do a drawing every other day, or once a week for the month.
Inktober started life in 2009, when Jake Parker decided he needed a challenge to help him improve his Japanese brush pen technique. Since then it has exploded in popularity, and become a true community event.
"I think it's popular because you can tailor the challenge to your needs as an artist and make it as simple or as challenging as you want it to be," says Parker. To help you get the best from this year's event, we asked some regular challenge participants for their advice on smashing Inktober – read on to find out what they had to say.
For practical techniques, you might also want to take a look at our article on getting started with ink drawing or our roundup of how to draw tutorials. And if your pencil case is looking depleted, check out our guide to the best pens for artists.
01. Use a prompt list
This year's inspiration list
Whether you choose to follow the official prompt list (above) or make up your own, illustrator Cathrine Sandmæl thinks it can be helpful to have a plan of some kind. "If you are set on finishing all the days I would recommend making a prompt list with suggestions of things you can draw, a theme or anything that gives you some idea of what you can draw every day," she says.
Artist Daria Golab echoes her sentiments. "Get to know the list of prompts before you start, if you follow one, or come up with enough of your own subjects or ideas to always have something to fall back to if your creativity is low some days."
02. Make a schedule
Drawings can take 2-4 hours, so you need to block out that time
Derek Laufman is an Inktober veteran who has completed 31 drawings each year since he discovered the challenge in 2014. His top tip? Plan ahead. "When I know October/Inktober is approaching I start to mentally prepare myself, but also set aside time in my schedule," he points out. "These drawings take anywhere from two to four hours, which is a big chunk of my work day. So I make sure that I'm setting aside a designated time each day to make it happen."
03. Don't stress about missing a day
Don't forget that Inktober is primarily about challenging yourself and having fun
Got late stuck at work or ended up on an impromptu day trip without your pens? Don't worry. "I see every year see people who feel stressed out when they think about doing a drawing everyday for 31 days," says Sandmæl. "To them I would say that the most important thing is to have fun and don’t stress out if you miss a day or two."
Sandmæl herself has never completed the challenge 100 per cent, but has still got plenty of value from it. "I always end up with a collection of drawings I feel proud of," she continues. "I've even gotten some client work because of them, so it’s never a waste to try!"
04. Be realistic
It's easy to get carried away with grand plans, but great artwork takes time, and realistically you're not going to be able to create a masterpiece each day. "Be honest with yourself how much time you’ll be able to spend on drawing each day," advises Golab. "Think how complicated you want your drawings to be according to the time you have."
05. Set up your workspace
Consider sketching out your ideas before October starts
Founder Jake Parker is all about preparation. "Set your tools out and get your drawing area ready in advance," he says. "You don't want to waste creative time prepping your space." Parker also suggests getting started early – use September to look at other ink drawings for inspiration, and sketch out ideas, so that come October you can just focus on inking.
06. Try something new
In 2007, Daria Golab created digitally coloured versions of all her Intober drawings
Whether you often work with ink or have fallen out of touch with traditional tools and are looking to reconnect, this is the time to push the boat out and be brave. "Inktober is the best moment for me to experiment, try different ways of inking and come up with some changes or additions to my style that help me evolve and push my skills forward," says Golab.
07. Adapt the rules to your needs
Cathrine Sandmæl tends to do just a few, more complete ink drawings over the period
While the 'official' challenge suggests completing an ink drawing each day, feel free to adapt the rules so you can get the most from the challenge personally. For example, illustrator and comic artist Alexa Pasztor tends to do just two or three artworks across the month. "If I'm going to sit down and do something on paper, I prefer to spend more time on it and make something with a more 'completed' feel to it than just a daily sketch," she says.
08. Get involved on social media
If you get stuck then there's inspiration abound on the Inktober hashtag on Twitter and Instagram – plus plenty of people willing to offer help and advice. If you're comfortable sharing, don't forget to hashtag your work with #inktober and #inktober2019 so others can see it.
"The community aspect of it is a great motivation," says Golab. "Every year it feels like the most creative month, all over social media and even around my friends and colleagues who draw occasionally as a hobby. I absolutely can’t imagine October without Inktober."
What's more, as this will be Inktober's 10th anniversary, Parker is planning some special competitions and giveaways. Check out the Inktober website or follow the Inktober instagram account to make sure you don't miss them.
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Microsoft has issued a patch for an Internet Explorer remote code execution flaw that is being actively exploited in the wild.
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A spearphishing campaign first uncovered in July is hitting more utilities firms and spreading the LookBack malware, which has capabilities to view system data and reboot machines.
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Burger King has launched a new campaign in time for Climate Week. 'Meltdown', pledges to scrap the plastic toys that have been a staple of a children's meal, and comes with its own revamped packaging design, hats and logo.
In fact, the fast food giant is going even further and encouraging people to bring in their old plastic toys, which the company will then melt down to recycle into other items – hence 'Meltdown'. It's a fantastic cause that was borne out of a petition created by two schoolchildren.
So far, so good. But, there's a but. While we wholeheartedly applaud the King of Burgers for its ethical decision to ditch the plastic toys, we think the design team might have made a bit of a misstep with its choice of imagery.
We wonder if the 'meltdown' theme is the best PR choice for the company's new green policy
The Amazon forest has been burning for weeks now, with no sign of slowing down. And a spotlight has been shone on Burger King, with claims that it is one of the companies buying soy feed from the area in Brazil suffering from deforestation. In fact, only today, Greenpeace activists have hung a banner on its flagship Leicester Square store in protest at its alleged buying habits.
Although Burger King denies culpability, this issue is very much at the forefront of public consciousness right now. So with all that in mind, we can't help but wonder if the 'meltdown' theme is the best PR choice for the company's new green policy.
Burger King has been connected to a meltdown in more than one way
The 'I joined the meltdown' label on its burgers is particularly close to the bone, and leaves itself open to parody from activists – when looking at it from that point of view, it could insinuate that by buying Burger King products you're joining the meltdown of the Amazon. And the burning plastic bunny (one of the toys previously sold at BK) is a great representation of the campaign, but some might say it's a little too reminiscent of what's actually happening to animals in the Amazon right now.
Though the campaign is noble, is the imagery a little tactless?
Perhaps we are being unfair. After all, it is a truly great thing that BK is doing with its plastic amnesty, and one that should be replicated across the industry. But we are surprised that no-one at the branding meetings saw the parallels with a current headline issue that's incredibly close to the industry, let alone one that Burger King has been connected to in the press.
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You're reading Email Marketing Tips to Help You Generate More Sales, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook!
Have your email marketing campaigns failed to deliver the results you were after? If you’re scratching your head wondering how to get email marketing right, let me tell you: when it comes to the email marketing copy, there’s nothing a …
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Today's the day. You've finally decided to start your own consulting business. Now what? Getting your new company out into the world can feel like quite the challenge, but it's not as difficult as you may think. These three comprehensive courses will help to guide you through the murky waters of launching your career as a consultant.
01. How to Get Media Coverage
One of the biggest hurdles in starting a new business endeavour is getting your name out there in the press. Jason Feifer, editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur magazine, digs into his career and provides a useful guide into what he's experienced first-hand.
He touches on topics such as what journalists think, what they're looking for, and how to develop a press strategy that will work for you. The one-hour masterclass comes complete with a Q&A panel and includes tips and tricks that will assist you in learning how to scale your business effectively.
Get lifetime access to How to Get Media Coverage for just $19
02. How to Launch a Consulting Business (Pitching & Proposals)
Whether you're already profiting from your business or you're just getting started, this series of workshops is all about getting your finances in check. Discover how to monetise best the services you are providing and learn how to pitch without coming across too sales-y.
Terry Rice, Marketing Expert-in-Residence at Entrepreneur Magazine, leads you through courses that will help to manage expectations and explain how to create better conversion rates for your business.
Get lifetime access to How to Launch a Consulting Business (Pitching & Proposals) for just $19
03. How to Create a Compact Marketing Plan
When it comes to marketing, consultants can often get overwhelmed as they don't always know where to start. Ph.D. Marketer Charlene Walters brings you a comprehensive and compact marketing plan that's split up into sections, making it more digestible and easier to retain.
The workshop will guide you through identifying your business' target market, company messaging, conversion strategy, and so much more. Each area will be broken down into action steps so you can easily apply each phase to your own business.
Get lifetime access to How to Create a Compact Marketing Plan for just $19
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Animation companies have been using charming little clips to introduce themselves and their films for years. Just think of Pixar's hopping lamp or DreamWorks' boy lounging on a crescent moon. But now Paramount Animation has got in on the act with a new logo and mascot, which were recently revealed in a short animation.
For a company set up in 2011, the move to make a logo and mascot has been a long time coming. After all, as our guide to logo design points out, they're a crucial piece of branding that help companies connect with their audiences.
The decision to create a bespoke logo and mascot for the studio comes as Paramount Animation ramps up production, with four films expected in 2021. The project was designed by Christopher Zibach, and produced by creative agency ATK PLN and Reel FX Creative Studios.
In the animated launch clip we see the studio's appropriately named tween mascot, Star Skipper (above), as she skips a stone across a river. This stone then transforms into a star, before zooming up to reveal the new Paramount Animation logo. Check it out, below.
As far as logos go, it's very similar to the Paramount Pictures logo but with the word 'animation' written underneath in a handwriting font. The orange sunset in the background also helps to differentiate it.
Perhaps the new logo didn't need to be a massive departure from its parent company, though. The mountainous, star-encircled Paramount Pictures logo is strong enough to be tweaked and yet still remain recognisable.
The Paramount Animation logo as it will now appear
The Paramount Pictures logo also contains an element which was at the core of the development of the Paramount Animations branding. Speaking to Variety, artist Christopher Zibach said "We were inspired by the idea of stars and reaching for the stars."
Speaking about the decision to make Star Skipper a female character, Zibach added: "In our operation overall, the team that we’ve put together is a majority female team, so it captures the magic of what we’re going for in the division. It's about dreaming big. When we thought about the character, we thought, why wouldn't it be female? And we wanted a girl connected to nature, in who she is and how she looks."
As for whether or not Star Skipper will one day feature in her own film, Zibach says: "Our hope is all of our movies will be successful. We'll wait and see if there are any changes with her as the movies grow. It’s a fun idea."
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Threatpost: Magecart Group Targets Routers Behind Public Wi-Fi Networks
in Ειδήσεις από τον χώρο του Design και Hosting
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Magecart Group 5 has been spotted testing and preparing code to be injected onto commercial routers - potentially opening up guests connecting to Wi-Fi networks to payment data theft.
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