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Adobe has really been treating creatives this year. The company is no stranger to offering users all over the world huge discounts on its Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions, and now we can announce that for today only European creatives can save 20% on single app purchases.
This handy discount means that users living in European territories can pick up a single Adobe Creative Cloud app for just £16.18/ €19.67, instead of the regular price of £19.97/ €24.59.
The price reduction applies to a selection of Adobe Creative Cloud apps, including popular photo editing tool Photoshop, and digital artists' beloved Illustrator. If you've always wanted to check out an Adobe app but haven't fancied buying the whole Creative Cloud suite, there's never been a better day than today to buy one individually and give it a try.
If you're not based in Europe, don't worry, just head on over to our best Adobe deals page and see if there's a discount in your area. You'll also find a whopping 40% off Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps in certain territories. We're updating this page all the time too, so it's worth bookmarking it and checking back later.
> Get 20% off Adobe Creative Cloud single apps
The full list of apps that you can buy individually with 20% off include: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Adobe XD, Acrobat Pro DC, Dreamweaver, Animate (Flash Pro) Adobe Premiere Pro, Premiere Rush, After Effects, Spark, Dimension, Audition, and InCopy.
What's more, each comes with 100GB of cloud storage and premium features like Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark.
We can't stress enough that this deal is valid for today only (29 July). So don't hang around if you're in a European territory and you've always wanted to grab an Adobe Creative Cloud app for less, buy yours now before time's up.
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For a long time, CSS didn’t contain a huge number of surprises. Developing at a leisurely pace, the language was content to style your fonts and float your divs, while languages like JavaScript did a lot of the heavy lifting.
However, in recent years, the language has enjoyed a midlife renaissance, with its W3C working group carving out much more real estate for it in the modern development landscape. Whether you’re putting together responsive website layouts, meticulously crafted animations or constructing pixel-perfect components, CSS now has an enormous amount of horsepower under its hood. But while this offers you a whole new toolkit when styling your sites, it does mean that its easy to miss new tricks that you can incorporate into your development workflow.
At Generate New York in April this year, our audience had the chance to learn some tips straight from some of the best and brightest CSS experts in the industry, such as designer and developer advocate at Mozilla and a member of the CSS Working Group Jen Simmons.
But rather than hoarding these hacks, we wanted to share them with you and show you some the neat things Simmons taught us to help you up your CSS game. You can watch the full talk below or read on for the key takeaways.
01. Creating CSS grid layouts is a breeze
Okay, it’s probably safe to assume that at a lot of people have gotten this message by now. But, as Simmons’ talk makes abundantly clear, grid is a super smart way of laying out your sites. First of all, setting up your initial grid is a cakewalk. Want to just create a simple 12-column grid to start laying out your core divs and components? All you have to do is tell grid to repeat 12 columns, with each being an equal fraction of the grid:
And rather than faffing about with floats, placing elements is a breeze. Say you want a div spanning the centre of your site, leaving two columns of white space either side, again the code could not be simpler:
Basic stuff so far. But what Simmons' talk makes abundantly clear is how smart grid is. Before you’ve defined the position you’d like your content to take, CSS grid will automatically lay content out in subsequent rows or columns, making it easier to see the elements you’re going to structure. Alternatively, say you've gotten stuck into laying things out and you haven’t yet defined your grid; rather than leaving you staring at a borked layout, CSS will infer the number of rows and columns your grid should have from the maximum grid-row and grid-column values you’ve used.
02. Grid is nothing like HTML tables
When anything new comes along, there will always be people ready to criticise the change. CSS grid is no exception; it was certainly greeted with its fair share of naysayers, who claimed that it’s just a reheating of the stale, old practice of laying sites out with HTML tables.
Fortunately, Simmons' talk put this to bed. In the dark old days of web design, table-based grids were flat, inflexible things. The second a developer needed two elements in adjacent cels to overlap, they were forced to break down and save content as static images – which feels less old-fashioned and more palaeolithic.
Conversely, grid not only allows you to stack and overlap elements but it allows you to do so flexibly and responsively: rather than fixing layouts in stone, you can use it to dictate exactly how elements respond to and slide over each other.
03. Subgrid adds a whole new layer to layouts
If HTML tables are the dim and distant past and grid is the present, subgrid is the future. As you can see in Simmons' talk, grid only goes so far – a grid on a parent affects its children but any grandchildren don’t inherit the grid. And while you can place a new grid within the original grid, it won’t adhere to the parent’s rows and columns, leading to the kind of messy layout work you thought you’d left behind long ago.
Fortunately, subgrid solves this problem, meaning, if you like, your layouts can be grids all the way down. And thanks to the fact they adhere to the properties set by their parent grids, you can create some fantastic layouts with a very granular level of control in their grids.
04. Variable fonts are absurdly versatile
As you can probably tell from Simmons' delight tinkering with them in her browser’s dev tools, variable fonts are a big deal. Ship just a single variable font with your site and you can reference an almost infinite variation of weights, tracking and styles, effectively allowing you to do the heavy lifting that’s normally the preserve of entire font families. All in all, a cracking tool when building creative new layouts.
05. CSS smashes type layouts
Another great CSS secret is just how flexibly it handles type – an excellent example comes from Simmons' video. If you want to utilise languages that are conveyed from right to left, you can simply use the property ‘direction: rtl;’ to get them appearing as they should. Alternatively, say you want the lines of your paragraph to be rotated 90 degrees clockwise, you can just use ‘writing-mode: vertical-rl;’ – or ‘writing-mode: vertical-lr’ should you want your first line to appear on the left with each subsequent line further to the right.
While support is still mixed for both ’vertical-rl’ and ’vertical-lr’, these nifty snippets of CSS are worth bearing in mind when adding progressive style enhancements to your sites.
Learn more about CSS at Generate CSS
CSS is evolving all the time and, as you can see, there are always plenty of new tips and hacks to learn from. That’s why if you’re looking to spruce up your designs and elevate your layouts, you should come along to Generate CSS, our focused web design conference catering to all things CSS, which is taking place at Rich Mix, Shoreditch, London on 26 September.
And it's worth snapping up your tickets now. If you grab yours before by 5pm UTC on 15 August, you can save £50, paying just £199 + VAT. Buy your ticket now!
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Cinematics are crucial to the world of video games. Although they rarely receive the same attention as in-game elements such as video game characters, they serve a variety of purposes, from advancing the story of a game to promoting its release. According to Hungarian studio Digic Pictures, game cinematics are a special genre of full-CG short films, sitting somewhere between VFX and 3D animation.
There’s an art to creating cinematics that are compelling enough to go toe-to-toe with gameplay, or convince people to buy a game in the first place. We've gathered a host of leading industry experts to find out how they’re made, and to tell us how you can create cinematics that captivate your audience.
If you're inspired by the expert tips and you want to boost your 3D artwork skill set, head over to our post rounding up the best Cinema 4D tutorials.
01. Use in-engine rendered cinematics
Creative Assembly has developed its process significantly since Total War: Rome 2004
As one of the UK’s oldest and largest game developers, Creative Assembly has a wealth of experience in crafting memorable cinematics, particularly for their Total War series. “In our early games, cinematics included the game introduction and specific narrative moments,” say the team at Creative Assembly’s Horsham studio. “The in-engine tools that we developed for Rome: Total War in 2004 allowed us to start making trailers using the game engine.”
They continue: “Fast forward to today and our games feature a mix of in-engine rendered movies, 2.5D narrative movies and heavily stylised 2D-animated movies. Our team is constantly evolving and growing to meet the demands of higher-quality cinematic experiences.”
Creative Assembly’s in-engine cinematics are parts of the game that require cinematic cameras, for example panning around the campaign map at the start of a game or introductions to historical battles. 2.5D refers to in-game cutscenes that are created as animated 2D layers. Pre-rendered cinematics are generally outsourced by Creative Assembly, as they require huge teams. “We only do one every year or so,” they add. “In-engine rendered cinematics make up the majority of our team’s work, we create trailers for marketing and cutscenes for the games using the game engine.”
02. Treat the trailer as its own genre
A still from Platige’s Scavengers cinematic, created for brand-new developer Midwinter Entertainment
One studio collaborating with Creative Assembly on cinematics is the Poland-based Platige Image. “As far as video game cinematics are concerned, the intro and outro for the first instalment of The Witcher franchise marked our first foray into this field,” explains director and art director Jakub Jablonski.
“Video game cinematics and trailers have become a permanent fixture of our output and we’ve since had the pleasure of producing movies for a number of games that we grew up on.” These games include the likes of Ghost Recon, Halo 5 and Hitman.
Platige also work on a number of CG game trailers. Jablonski explains: “The video game trailer is a genre unto itself, blending a traditional movie trailer with a product commercial and the innovative storytelling of animated shorts.”
03. Focus on the atmosphere
The Total War: Three Kingdoms cinematic showcases cultivated atmosphere
Producing game trailers is very different to run-of-the-mill VFX work, and is a much greater challenge artistically, Jablonski explains: “A stand-out trailer needs to have two things: good CGI, from both the technical and artistic perspective, and a captivating storyline.”
He adds: “In my experience, the best trailers also feature a well-constructed reveal of a key detail, either related to the setting or a specific game mechanic. Personally, however, I believe that the atmosphere of an individual title is often the key element that the film’s success hinges on. Capturing that can be incredibly difficult, especially in view of the fact that we rarely have the opportunity to play the finished product before we start work on the trailer. This is where the game’s developers come into play, and their assistance is often invaluable.”
04. Tell the story effectively
Consider the storyline in the finest detail ( Still from Total War: Three Kingdoms)
A range of disciplines come together to create stand-out cinematics, from storytelling to cinematography. “You need a beginning, middle and end,” say the team at Creative Assembly, when asked how they approach narrative. “Even the smallest sequence of shots should be a story in itself: an archer firing a bow should be aim, fire, impact.”
The Total War series provides Creative Assembly with a unique proposition when it comes to storytelling: “The series is an interesting beast as it’s based on history, yet the story in the game is what the player decides. The narrative exists in the player’s mind as they play and it can evoke emotions as powerfully as any novel or film. As we tell the story of renowned characters, like Caesar, Attila and Liu Bei or even Karl Franz, we need to make sure the character’s motives and appeal are in line with their story. Our trailers need to give viewers a peek into the emotions Total War will provide them – what’s it like to be commanding thousands of troops and defending an empire? What’s it like to rewrite history?”
05. Take risks for maximum impact
Platige took the term cinematic to new extremes with their recent work on the announcement trailer for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, the long-awaited sequel to a cult classic video game. “The production had a very tight deadline, but it seems like our first-person vision of Seattle has really managed to electrify game players worldwide,” says Jablonski. The mocap session for the trailer saw GoPro cameras mounted on the heads of stunt performers. Jablonski adds: “Thanks to our incredible stunt team, under the direction of Maciej Kwiatkowski, we managed to shoot all the underground combat sequences in one take.”
The trailer introduces a plethora of memorable characters and even homages The Shining. “The actions of our protagonist, the brutality and desire to climb to the very top of the vampire hierarchy in the city, are mirrored, somewhat abstractly, in the blood which slowly overwhelms the city,” he says of the trailer’s final shot, which shows a visually arresting wave of blood about to wipe out the entire Seattle waterfront.
06. Adapt your approach
Digic Pictures, whose latest collaboration is on Darksiders Gensesis (above), approach each project differently
Digic Pictures’ approach to storytelling varies depending on the demands of a particular cinematic. “It depends on what story the customer wishes to tell, and what the particular story requires,” says narrative director Csaba Vicze. “We work with a variety of directors and each of them is exceptional in different ways. There are those who have a stylised, classical animation style, and there are others who are better with quick cut actions, or who take inspiration from classical filmmaking.”
After choosing a director appropriate for the project, Digic respond to a brief sent by the client with a preliminary narrative package and a script. “This way, it’s possible to easily clarify what kind of film tools we want to use for the cinematic,” adds Vicze. To gain a better understanding of the approach the team gather examples from well-known movies: “We make a rip-o-matic version where we can show what kind of camera tools, lenses and editing styles we want to use.” Alongside this process, the team at Digic will undergo a visual development process, where they will develop the mood, set design, costume design, character design, lighting and the main setting.
07. Speed up your workflow
Freelancer Sofia Gariazzo, who created this character 'Jim Darkmagic' agrees that the biggest test lies in handling tight deadlines
A unique art form breeds unique challenges, and game cinematics are no exception. Our experts have all experienced their fair share of technical and artistic challenges in the pursuit of cinematic greatness. “As usual during the creative processes, the biggest challenge is finding the opportunity for creative development, and at the same time, adapting ourselves to the production deadlines and expectations,” says Róbert Kovács, head of CG at Digic Pictures. “The desire of every creator is to develop unique, exceptional work. This is no different for Digic. We like to give the opportunity to our artists to work on exciting projects and to make extraordinary movies.”
In the world of video game cinematics artists and studios are required to work with very tight deadlines. It’s often a challenge to meet the high bar they set for themselves, something Sofia Gariazzo, a freelancer who specialises in modelling, shading and grooming, attests to: “The biggest challenge with cinematics is the pace. The deadlines are so tight that you have to be constantly learning how to speed up your workflow while still delivering decent results and staying within the pipeline of a particular studio. I don’t have much experience outside cinematics, just a couple of gigs here and there, but I’ve never experienced deadlines so demanding.”
Jablonski refers to Platige’s biggest challenge as “a temporal paradox,” in which they are often required to show something that is in the early alpha stages or in various stages of development. “Time is almost always the biggest challenge that we face,” he adds.
08. Use your own in-house studio
Creative Assembly work on games like Total War (above) from their own in-house studio
The team at Creative Assembly are able to circumvent some of these taxing deadlines by using their own in-house mocap studio. They’re one of only a handful of developers in Europe to have one. “Having our own mocap studio a short walk away is incredibly useful,” say the team. “The turnaround on the data once shot is fast and if we need to make any unexpected last-minute changes we can simply run up, dive into a suit and recapture. It gives us real flexibility and the opportunity for plenty of creative freedom.”
Digic are able to make use of a similar mocap facility, equipped with a Vicon motion capture system. Their system is able to capture up to ten actors along with props. Thanks to their in-house developed Vicon Blade Tools the team are able to quickly process the footage in post.
09. Face the challenges
A character from Platige: Ubisoft’s For Honor, note the detail in the face
But Jablonski and his team also face their fair share of artistic challenges: “Character work is always the hardest, particularly when it comes to facial expressions and emotions. The uncanny valley is always there, just waiting to strike. But we nevertheless try to push the envelope as close to realism as possible, always hoping to break through the barrier. Luckily for us, CGI characters don’t always have to be hyper-realistic to have that spark of life to make them stand out.”
10. Press play on your career
There are a number of things you can do to make yourself an appealing candidate
If this combination of game development and cinematic sensibilities sounds appealing, then you might be wondering how to tailor your skill set towards it. Should you apply to work at a studio, or build a portfolio from your own home?
“What worked best for me was spending a couple of years in a studio,” explains Gariazzo. “Before that I didn’t get much work and the ones I did were usually pretty bad. In a studio you get to make a portfolio and learn a ton of stuff, but most importantly you make contacts.”
Whether applying to work at a studio or setting out as a freelancer, a good portfolio is the ultimate weapon in your arsenal. “You need to have a good portfolio to land a job,” Gariazzo asserts. “If you don’t have any professional work, then work on some personal projects and make them look as good as you can until you get offered something, and then do your best on that.” (Here are some brilliant design portfolio examples, if you need them.)
11. Sell your specialist skills
The bigger the studio, the more specific skill set they'll be looking for, says Digic Pictures
According to Digic, the bigger the studio is, the more specific skill sets they will be looking for. This is where a wide-ranging knowledge of CG will become helpful. In the game cinematics industry, a deeper knowledge of video game development could be a huge advantage, how they are created, the engines, different types of gameplay, and so on. By building a portfolio this way you’ll be able to hone in on your preferred field. For many of the most experienced artists, there is little difference between game cinematics, VFX or 3D animation films.
Jablonski boils success down to some more fundamental qualities. “In my opinion, a good artist working in a studio like ours has to have good communication skills, a healthy fascination with CGI and a desire for self improvement. Independence and self-reliance are also very important traits, and many in our industry tend to forget how important these qualities are for their personal, technical and artistic development.”
This article was originally published in issue 247 of 3D World, the world's best-selling magazine for CG artists. Buy it here or subscribe to 3D World.
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Gamers are easy pickings for credential crooks, thanks to lax security hygiene and poor gaming company practices.
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A credit-card skimmer on Magento sites was found loading JavaScript from a legitimate-seeming Google Analytics domain.
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The UX design process itself is very flexible and can change significantly depending on the circumstances, with different design teams having different ways of implementing their process.
However, without a solid UX design process in place, a design team could be working completely in the dark. A clear and concise UX process, on the other hand, makes it possible to craft amazing and less problematic experiences for the user.
But how do you implement such a process if you're working as a solo designer – which is a common position to find yourself in these days? In this tutorial we take a look at a simple UX process to help streamline your solo workflow – including which web design tools to use along the way.
- Generate CSS is a bespoke conference for web designers: Grab an early bird ticket now
01. Define your problems
Define the problem(s) first! You need to understand clearly what you’re trying to solve: ask your clients if you are working in an agency and ask business stakeholders or the product manager if you are in a product team. UX design is a problem-solving discipline and helps the end users to achieve their goals with ease. So discovering if your product idea will fulfil these needs is your first step.
02. Gather data from real users
Surveys enable you to get a decent amount of data from real users. By using clever questions, you can discover more about who they are, where they are and what their needs and goals are. You can use many available tools to carry out surveys, such as SurveyMonkey and Google Forms.
03. Analyse your competitors
By looking at who your competitors are, you can get a much better feel of how you can create something more unusual. However, this shouldn’t be a long process, as all you’re doing is seeing how viable your product idea is and whether or not it has a place within the market.
04. Create personas
With the data you have from the user surveys and analysis of your competitors, you can now create personas. Personas are not the customers you want but the customers that actually exist, whether they’re the ones you already have or potential customers in the market. Even though these personas are fictional, they should represent real people’s behaviours, motivations, goals and needs. Although the effectiveness of creating personas has been hotly debated of late, it is a very good way to remind yourself that you’re not the user.
05. Define user flows
With the information we now have within our personas, we can begin to map out the flow our users would take. This is a user flow – the path taken by a prototypical user on a website or app to complete a task. The user flow takes them from their entry point, through a set of steps towards a successful outcome and final action, such as purchasing a product. In most cases, a user flow is a visual chart that shows each screen a user will or could find themselves at. Even though this is a great way for designers to visualise and work with the site, it can also help developers see and understand the typical user journey.
06. Brainstorm!
Brainstorming is a combination of informal problem solving and lateral thinking. It’s a great way to generate ideas that you would not be able to come up with by sitting down with just a pen and paper. However, this will be the hardest step to follow as a solo designer because, in most cases, this is done within a group. So here are some steps you can follow to make your solo brainstorming a success.
Firstly, break out of solitude, get outside and look around as small scenes can lead to big ideas. If you’re working for a company, go and ask questions of the developers, project managers, receptionist – even the boss! Getting fresh perspectives can spark all kinds of ideas. Now using sticky notes or a blank sheet of paper, spend 15-30 minutes writing down as many ideas as you can. Don’t judge them; just keep writing down what you’re thinking.
07. Create paper wireframes
Pen and paper are all you need record your ideas, ready to be honed to the final product
By now you should have a decent number of ideas, either on sticky notes stuck to a wall or scribbled on paper. Now it’s time to get even more creative and start sketching out those ideas on paper – sometimes referred to as paper wireframes.
Sketching things out is a very efficient way of trying out a multitude of ideas and iterating them before settling on the best one. Using a pencil first, we can draw a lot of basic sketches to look at the problem from many angles and consider different solutions. Once you’ve settled on the solution, you can now go over your sketches with a pen and then rub out the pencil.
To make things clearer, make sure you add annotations and notes where possible. Once you’ve done a few sketches, go and have a break and come back to your sketches a while later. Take a look at them and see if they still make sense.
08. Develop the wireframes
Low-fidelity wireframes include the most basic content and visuals and are usually static (non-interactive). They are often used to help map out the shell of the interface, its screens and basic information architecture.
There are many wireframe tools available nowadays, including Figma, Sketch and even Photoshop. Whatever tool you use, your low-fidelity wireframes usually serve as a checkpoint for the beginning of the design process for stakeholders and product teams and you should be able to present clear solutions to them.
09. Build a basic prototype
At this point you have all these nice wireframes designed with your favourite design tool, so now what? Well if you’re using a tool such as Figma, Sketch or InVision Studio, then it’ll be nice and easy to create a low-fidelity prototype. The prototype is a simple and easy translation of the product and design concepts. It’s used to turn the design ideas into testable and tangible artefacts, collecting and analysing the user demands at this early stage, refining your product as you go.
10. Refine the visual design
We are now the proud owners of a working prototype and all stakeholders and the product team is happy. It's usually the case that this is the stage where you would hand your prototype over to a UI designer. But because we’re flying solo, it’s also our job to create the final visual elements.
Even though there are loads of design tools available, only a couple are considered ‘industry standard’ for UI design and that’s Sketch and Figma. Both tools are very similar, so whichever one you pick you’ll be able to switch easily at a later date if you change your mind.
11. Don't forget design systems
Design systems are a great way of utilising a collection of repeatable components and a set of standards that outlines the use of those components. Many companies have been able to change the pace of creation and innovation within their teams due to design systems.
As a solo designer, managing your company’s (or even your own) design system won’t be easy but is definitely well worth doing in the long run. You can use design tools such as Figma and Sketch to create reusable UI components within a pattern library or you could work with the front-end dev team and build them out using code. This collection of reusable components can then be assembled together quickly in order to build any number of applications.
Join us on 26 September for Generate CSS, brought to you by Creative Bloq, net and Web Designer. Save £50 with an Early Bird Ticket when you book before 15 August 2019.
This article was originally published in net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Subscribe now.
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If you're looking to build a career as a designer, there's a lot you need to learn. There's the technical intricacies of graphic design software, theories like the golden ratio, and a bunch of industry specific terms that you must know if you want to communicate effectively with colleagues and clients.
It's these terms which are clearly explained in this Design Dictionary from Creative Market. In it, you'll find fundamental words and phrases that designers use to communicate and help realise their ideas. The design dictionary is a perfect reference point for beginners, but there's no harm in seasoned pros using it to brush up on their knowledge.
Every term is outlined in plain English, with an accompanying graphic to give you an idea of what it looks like in action. There are 36 terms in total, covering everything from fonts, negative space, and image types. Check it out below.
Click the image to take a closer look at the design dictionary
While some of these terms might seem obvious even to a beginner, it's always a good idea to go over the basics to make sure you know what you're talking about. And we're sure that there are some words in here that will push your understanding of design to the next level.
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to design terminology. But with these terms under your belt, you'll have a strong foundation to build on in the future.
And if you're after a device to help bring your design ideas to life, look no further. We've rounded up the best laptops for graphic designers, which includes a range of models to suit all needs and budgets.
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Good web design is imperative to attracting users to your site, but in order to keep them when they arrive, you have to make sure the user experience is spot on too. When it comes to creating an excellent website, user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) go hand-in-hand.
The UI & UX Design Bootcamp is an online training course that will teach you how to build digital products that both look and work beautifully. Across six lessons and over 39 hours of premium content, you'll get to grips with what makes the world's most visited websites tick.
The training covers everything from UX and UI basics and essential design principles, to how to design apps from start to finish and top tips for creating habit-forming products. And if you're in need of some resources to help you along, check out our round-up of the best UX tools from around the web.
Here's a sneak peek of what to expect from the UI & UX Design Bootcamp course:
Mobile User Experience: The Complete Guide to Mobile
This course covers the design process involved in building mobile apps that not only look great, but work beautifully too. You'll be introduced to the design principles and considerations behind the world's most popular apps, get to grips with understanding users' specific needs and testing designs that resonate with them and run usability tests to find the design that would get people hooked. To fortify your learning, you also get to ask questions and consult the instructor on course material.
How to build habit-forming products
This two-hour course revolves around mastering the art of building a successful product with an active user base. Instructed by Hooked: A Guide to Building Habit-Forming Products author Nir Eyal, you'll explore habit formation principles and how they can be applied to the design process, as well as comprehend common design patterns of popular digital products. You'll also learn how to optimise products for user retention and get acquainted with the Hook Model, a framework that highlights the design components that influence user behaviour.
Become a Senior UX Design Strategist
Want a career as a UX professional? This course will equip you with the knowledge and skills to build a successful UX consulting career. In the three-hour lesson, you'll get an overview of UX strategy fundamentals, learn how to develop and streamline a UX strategy, and acquire tips on how to lead a design team. You'll also get to master essential skills like interviewing users, developing projects from start to finish, and a whole lot more.
A value of $995, you can now get the UI & UX Design Bootcamp on sale for $39 – that's a whopping 96% off the retail price!
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Map illustration has had a real resurgence over the past few years. An exciting alternative to a dry Google map, illustrated maps can be filled with character and fun detail to truly capture the atmosphere of a city. Creating your own map illustrations is a challenging exercise in composition, but can be a great addition to your design portfolio.
Every map is a careful balancing act of plotting elements to their geographic location whilst also ensuring the illustration layout works in harmony. In this tutorial I’ll walk you through a step-by-step guide to how to create your own map illustrations, from initial layout to final image. All you need is access to Google maps and your digital art software of choice.
01. Select your location
Make sure there are enough landmarks to keep things interesting
First you need to decide the location for your illustrated map. This could be your favourite city or perhaps your last holiday destination – just make sure there are lots of interesting iconic landmarks to choose from. In this example I’ll be using a map of Seattle I created for the Visit Seattle tourist board.
02. Use Google Maps to make a plan
Plot your chosen landmarks to check how they're spread out
Google Maps makes it easy to plot the landmarks out. Sign in to Google Maps and choose ‘Your places’ from the main menu. Click the ‘Maps’ tab and then ‘Create map’. You can now search for any landmark and once the pin has dropped on to the map, choose ‘Add to map’.
Create 6-8 pins across your map and take a screenshot. It will help to choose landmarks that are evenly distributed across the map and think about whether the layout needs to be portrait, landscape or square.
03. Add the main arteries of the city
Start with rivers, main roads and trainlines
Open Illustrator or Photoshop (other software packages are available) and import the screenshot of the Google Map. Set the transparency of the map screenshot to ‘Multiply’ and lock the layer. You can now create new layers underneath and you’ll always have the Google map as a handy reference.
Add a background colour and start drawing the main arteries of the city: the roads, rivers, train lines and so on. You’ll begin to see the form of the map start to take shape.
04. Add your labels
As well as being useful, labels are important design features
Text can be a feature in itself, so add the labels early on to start building up the density of the map. Handwritten labels can really help add to the character of the artwork.
05. Sketch out and balance your icons
Start playing around with icon size and placement
Research the landmarks and collect images of them from different angles. Think about which viewpoint works best with your map. I like to sketch out the landmarks on paper, then scan the sketches in and import them into my map, but you can do all this digitally if you prefer.
Try out different placements and sizes until you feel like the layout is evenly balanced. If some of the landmarks are all clustered together try spacing them out and adding arrows to help connect them with their geographic location. The beauty of illustrated maps if that they don’t need to be 100 per cent accurate. A bit of artistic licence is encouraged.
06. Choose your colour palette
Think about the mood you want to evoke when choosing your palette
Try and select colours that help capture the atmosphere of the location. A sunny holiday destination might have a yellow background and a rural map could be predominantly green. It can also help to base your colour palette on one of the iconic landmarks and use this to set the tone for the rest of the map.
Experiment with different combinations and try and find a complementary colour for the icons that helps them stand out from the background. Start to colour your landmarks. At this point you might need to resize them again, as the impact of the colour can alter the balance of the composition.
07. Build up detail
Add some people and animals alongside the buildings
Add a few people and animals to breathe some life into your map. In the Seattle map the client wanted to include lots of different sports, such as canoeing and cycling, to show all the different activities you can do in the city. People are also a good way to help fill any empty space you might have. Add a bit of fun and play around with the scale of the characters – they could be as big as a building if you want.
08. Research the local cuisine
Local delicacies add more flavour
Icons of food and drink specific to the area are another great way to add more interesting detail to your map. Coffee cups and beer glasses are an ever-present in lots of the maps I create, but adding some unusual local delicacies will make your map more memorable.
09. Fill in any gaps
A few trees and texture details help fill in any blank space
Small details such as buildings, road signs and trees help fill any remaining space and bring the whole map together. Double-check your colours and make sure everything is harmonising. Sometimes just the addition of a few small trees can alter the focus. Zoom out so you can see the whole map on screen and tweak the composition and colours until you have a well-balanced final composition.
Below you can see my final design for the Visit Seattle tourist board magazine.
Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image
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Webinar examines challenges in patch management and offers solutions to streamline the process.
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Malware infection technique called TxHollower gets updated with stealthy features.
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There's no doubt that the most important thing about your portfolio site is your selection of work. That, after all, is what potential clients and employers are going to want to look at.
But just as any painting can be enhanced by the right choice of frame, the look and feel of your design portfolio can be really helpful, not only by complementing your work but also by showing off some of your personality and also demonstrating that you're in touch with the current design trends.
Modern web design technologies give you almost infinite options for creating eye-catching portfolio websites that'll show your work off to best effect. You can easily find website templates that'll help you achieve the right look for you, or if you know your code then you might be able to create your dream site by hand.
For some helpful inspiration, though, take a look at six current portfolio trends that you might want to use for yourself, as well as some excellent examples of sites that use them to their advantage.
01. White space
Remember that white space doesn't always have to be white
White space has long been the designer's friend; it gives your words and pictures room to breathe and can balance out an otherwise far-too-busy page. The web, though, has always been preoccupied with catering to short attention spans and getting as much information across as quickly as possible.
If you're willing to go back to design basics and employ white space in your portfolio, the results can be striking; for a prime example, take a look at Abdelkader El-Issaoui's slick but calm portfolio, which showcases his artwork beautifully.
02. Clever interface effects
Little glitches and animations can add life to your portfolio
There are so many visual effects that you can pull off in the browser that it's all too easy to go too far and overload your audience while increasing loading times and wrecking performance. But with restrained use of JavaScript, WebGL or even good old CSS you can bring in some micro-interactions or other visual flourishes that can serve to highlight your work and add an element of discovery and delight to your portfolio.
Vadim Tyurin's site does just that, with neat mouseover glitch effects, moving buttons that can't quite evade your mouse cursor, and a subtle parallax effect; it's just enough visual excitement to please they eye without overwhelming the work.
03. Click-and-drag
Give your portfolio a more tactile feel, even on desktop
Many web design conventions are based around tried and trusted paradigms that just work, and while it's often self-defeating to break convention for the sake of it. Having a bit of a play with convention, however, can often work in your favour; for example, see how Luis Henrique Bizarro's portfolio site lets you scroll through his work.
For starters it's a side-scroller rather than vertical, and while the mouse scroll wheel will take you through it just fine, you can also click and drag to whizz through his project, much like you'd swipe through on a tablet. It's a small touch, but an engaging one.
04. Vibrant colours
Make the most of neon palettes while you can, because we'll soon become tired of them
If you've been keeping an eye on this year's big visual trends then you'll know that as far as colour is concerned, the bigger and bolder the better. Ultra-saturated shades and neon hues are the order of the day, with perhaps a bit of contrast being provided by judicious use of calmer, pastel tones.
Depending on your preferred palettes you can work this contrast to your advantage, colouring your site to contrast with, and draw attention to your work; otherwise you can take Likely Story's approach and create a site that's a beautiful barrage of high-impact colour schemes.
05. Split-screen layout
Split-screen layouts are a popular and effective use of screen space
Modern web design techniques such as CSS Grid and Flexbox means that you're a lot more free to play around with layouts these days and create portfolios that have more in common with the printed page than with traditional websites.
A popular look right now is a split-screen layout, with images on one side and text on the other; we're particularly taken with Marvin Bernd's new portfolio site, which uses the left-hand side of the page as a vertical slider, with all the facts you need to know on the right. Click through to a project and it uses the split-screen differently, with the left-hand third of the page explaining the project, and the other two thirds containing either a static image or another vertical slider.
06. Oversized typography
Big typography can be mixed with other effects for stunning looks
Web typography continues to evolve and improve, again making it much easier to create print-like layouts on web pages. One look that you can't get away from right now is the liberal use of oversized fonts to draw the eye; it's a strong look but it's one that works better if there's more to it than a really big point size.
Text along a path isn't easy to fake on the web, but it looks amazing
One fabulous example is Zef Cherry-Kynaston's site, which not only makes good use of enormous sans-serifs, but also cleverly simulates text along a curved path through careful use of the translate and rotate functions on individual letters. And for other imaginative applications of oversized typography, check out Vincent Saisset's portfolio, which pulls off all manner of clever tricks with massive lettering.
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Legendary designer Stefan Sagmeister stepped down from his famous design agency Sagmesiter & Walsh yesterday, giving his business partner Jessica Walsh the opportunity to oversee commercial operations. As of now, Sagmeister & Walsh is no more, instead the new studio will go by the name &Walsh. And, being such a prominent feature of the old studio's logo design, it comes as no surprise that Walsh's new identity places a major focus on the ampersand.
The new logo (above), features a fluid, curvy ampersand shape that stands in contrast to 'Walsh', which is displayed in Milieu Grotesque’s Maison. Pushing the art of typography to new limits, the design is supported by 50 secondary ampersands, all of which will appear as bizarre, distorted versions of the logogram. The idea being to clearly and effectively communicate Walsh's goal to help brands "find their weird".
The previous logo (below) was a clever way to communicate the partnership between Sagmeister and Walsh. Foregrounding the ampersand addressed Sagmeister's head-turning decision to offer Walsh a partnership position in 2012 when she was 25. It's a powerful example of a typography-based identity, see more examples of this in our guide to logo design.
The old logo looks more formal in comparison
On the &Walsh branding page, the studio adds: "Our branding uses an ampersand for both the visual identity and tonal expression. This typographic system includes our clients, projects, collaborators, experiments & endeavors: hence the (Blank) & Walsh."
"We’ve drawn 50 final ampersands in our style and will draw a custom ampersand for every new project or team member. The ampersand is one of the most beautiful typographic characters and will challenge ourselves to continuously reinvent its form."
Check out how these iterations appear in the gallery below.
There's been some confusion as to how the new studio will work, given that Walsh wrote in a blog post that "this isn't the end of Sagmeister & Walsh". It looks like Sagmeister has done a bit of a Jony Ive, in that he's left, but will still collaborate on art projects, just not commercial ones.
In terms of operations, &Walsh will still maintain the 25 people who already work for the firm. It's an exciting development for Walsh, who points out that: "Only 0.1% of creative agencies are women-owned. POINT. ONE. PERCENT. How does this make any sense when women drive about 80% of consumer purchasing?"
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Apple's much-anticipated 16-inch MacBook Pro is due to be released in October, according to a recent report from Taiwan's United Daily News. The LCD device will be Apple's largest MacBook Pro since its 2012 17-inchers, and will come with an equally supersized price tag: prices are rumoured to start at around $3,000 (roughly (£2,450).
So do the specs justify the cost, or will you be swayed towards one of the best MacBook Pro alternatives? Let's have a look at what we know so far.
According to reports, this device will be a halfway house between an iMac and iMac Pro. In terms of specs, users can look forward to an LCD screen instead of an OLED display, with a 3K pixel resolution of 3,072 x 1,920.
Design-wise, we're expecting smaller smaller bezels, as well as that generous 16-inch screen. And as for processor technology, UDN's report says the new MacBook Pro will ship with Intel's 9th or 10th-gen Core i series chipsets, although this is yet to be confirmed. However we do know that Apple will come with up to 32GB of memory (the same as the current MacBook Pro offering).
Whether the functionality will justify its mega price tag remains to be seen. Of course, big prices for Apple products are nothing new. Earlier this year the new Mac Pro 2019 made headlines for its whopping price tag and equally eye-wateringly expensive stand (sold separately). If this MacBook Pro's suggested three grand sticker price is a bit beyond your budget, check out our guide to the best cheap Apple laptop deals for some friendlier prices.
While we're pretty sure the new model will be hitting shops in October, the specific release date has not been confirmed. Given that it's only a couple of months away, we expect to hear more updates soon – and will be updating this article with all the news as soon as we hear it.
So while some of the details are still up in the air, it does look like Apple has a portable, professional-grade device up its sleeve. And with Apple's increasing focus on content creators and developers, here's hoping that it will serve those audiences well. Roll on October.
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A local development environment allows you to use your own machine to run your website, instead of using one provided by a web hosting company. You can customise the setup without worrying that it'll affect your live site, as well as make and test site development before uploading your site. Taking away risk when building something makes the development process much less stressful.
Another benefit of working locally is that you don't have to be connected to the internet. If you have slow wifi, like to work in the garden or are travelling, there is no need to search for a wifi signal all the time.
The time spent FTPing to a staging site and waiting for your site to refresh really adds up over a day of development. A local environment will let you focus on code and the fun bits of building websites.
This tutorial assumes you are on a Mac, and the tutorial for getting started with Valet focuses on this. For a PC alternative, try Homestead.
A basic knowledge of Terminal is good, although you should be able to follow along, as the commands are all fairly simple. They are mainly to get the prerequisite components installed and running.
After completing this tutorial, you will have set up PHP, Homebrew and Composer on your machine, installed Valet and learnt how to set up local sites.
Download the files for this tutorial.
01. Install Homebrew
Start off by installing Homebrew from the terminal
First step here is to install Homebrew. Type the following command in your Terminal.
02. Install PHP
Make sure that your PHP is version 7
Next we need to install/upgrade to PHP7, so check using php -v. If you need to install you can type:
If you restart your Terminal window now and type php -v again, it should show v7 installed.
03. Install Composer
You will need to download Composer, and then put it in a directory that is part of your PATH.
04. Move to your PATH
Put Composer in your PATH
Now move Composer to a directory within your PATH. Once done, you can check your access to it by typing composer-v.
05. Check your PATH
If you type echo $PATH, you will see what it contains. If it doesn't, then type the following to add it.
06. Require Valet globally
Now we have the pieces installed, we can get on with installing Valet. First. let's check nothing is using port 80. Type the following, and if it returns nothing, we are good to go.
07. Install Valet
We use Composer to install the Valet package for us, and then we can run valet install.
08. Park/unpark directories
Create a directory for your development sites and tell Valet to serve them. Note that folders inside this can be accessed as sub domains.
09. Forget directories
In a similar way to park, if you no longer want a folder to serve through Valet just use the forget command from inside the directory.
10. Link/unlink directories
You can also link to directories. This allows you to choose the name you use.
11. Share your site with the world
You can share your local dev url to the outside world. In the directory of your project, type valet share and it will create a URL you can use.
12. Using a database
You will need to install your database of choice – for WordPress, we can go ahead and install MySQL.
13. Choose a database tool
With a database set up, a tool to import and export data is useful, since we don't have phpMyAdmin or similar with Valet as it is so lightweight.
14. Download Sequel Pro
Sequel Pro is a straightforward database tool
We are using Sequel Pro, as it offers a simple interface. You can download it here.
15. Connect the database
Using the default settings from MySQL, add the following details and test your connection.
16. Set up a WordPress site
Install the WordPress Core in your Valet directory
With everything now in place, set up a WordPress site. Create a new folder inside your Valet directory and install the WordPress Core.
17. Add a database
Create a database in Sequel Pro
In Sequel Pro, create a new database with the same name as the folder you created. Update the wp-config file to suit.
18. Test it's all working
Head to the browser and check it's working
Now if you open your browser, and navigate to (your-folder).test you should see the WordPress install screen. Follow this through as normal.
19. Taking it further
Valet is not just for running WordPress installs on, it was actually originally created for Laravel development. Whether you are building something bespoke in PHP or using a framework, you can easily create a new site by creating a new directory for it in your root folder.
Join us on 26 September for Generate CSS, a bespoke conference for web designers brought to you by Creative Bloq, net and Web Designer. Save £50 with an Early Bird Ticket when you book before 15 August 2019.
This article was originally published in issue 287 of creative web design magazine Web Designer. Buy issue 287 here or subscribe to Web Designer here.
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You're reading Adding Social Proof to Your Website with Client Logos & Press Mentions, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook!
One huge concept that many designers overlook on their landing pages is social proof. This can come in the form of user reviews, testimonials, or bigger companies vouching for your website. You can accomplish this in many ways but one design …
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Over the past year we've seen some amazing deals on Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions, with the company offering users all over the globe huge discounts. And right now we're happy to offer another incredible offer, which sees the price of CC slashed by a whopping 40% for those living in the UK, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands.
The price drop means users living in these countries can get a 12-month CC subscription for just £30.34/€35.39, opposed to the regular £49.94/€60.49.
The price reduction applies to the entire Adobe Creative Cloud suite, which encompasses Adobe's 20+ applications, including photo editing favourite Photoshop and digital artists' go-to Illustrator. You'll also find video editing software Premiere Pro, web prototyping tool Adobe XD and motion effects creator After Effects among the impressive toolset.
If you're not living in the above mentioned countries, take a look at our guide to the best Adobe deals, to see if there are any discount in your area. Make sure to bookmark the page too as we update it with all the best offers when they go live.
> Get 40% off Adobe Creative Cloud
As if that wasn't enough, when you buy Adobe's full package you're also getting 100GB of cloud storage (with the option to upgrade to 10TB) and premium features like Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark.
The programmes are fully integrated, so you can switch between them (and jump from one device to another) seamlessly – whether you’re out and about or in the studio. Built-in templates help you jump-start your designs, while step-by-step tutorials will help you sharpen your skills and get up to speed quickly.
This deal will be available until 4 August 2019, so if you're in the UK, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden or the Netherlands and want to save big on Adobe's entire suite of creative software, grab it before it's gone.
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The Surface Pro has become a hugely popular and sought-after device for creatives since it first appeared back in 2017. One of the best tablets with a stylus around, in our opinion, this highly portable and extremely powerful machine allows artists and designers to express and develop their creativity whenever, wherever.
But while it's great for using as a graphics tablet and running creative software – we're talking full-on Creative Cloud apps such as Photoshop CC – without compromise on features or performance, this nifty little device can be turned into a laptop in seconds by connecting it's compatible Surface Pro Type Cover keyboard.
However, like with most devices these days, such accessories cost extra, and they rarely come cheap. Until today. Right now, you can get a the Type Cover at less than half the regular price with this incredible deal at Amazon. Usually £139.99, the Surface Pro accessory price has been slashed to just £59.99 – that's a huge 57% discount on the retail price!
Looking to buy a Surface Pro too? Amazon also currently has the device at a price that's hard to argue...
Not in the UK? Here are the best Surface Pro and Surface Pro Type Covers prices in your area:
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If you're familiar with Reddit, you'll know that if you leave a popular post in a community then you'll be blessed with a virtual award from a moderator. And as of today Reddit has started rolling out Community Awards for members to have fun with in selected Subreddits.
Community Awards, as their name suggests, are specially designed gifts relevant to each Subreddit. They're the result of months of user testing and will allow for a broader range of expression between users. Reddit ultimately hopes they will encourage healthier communication on the platform, especially seeing as they're created in collaboration between moderators and members.
There's also an added bonus for the site itself, because these awards are purchased using Reddit Coins (Reddit's in-app currency, which users buy with real cash).
So how do Community Awards work? Well, take the r/DunderMiffin Subreddit, which is dedicated to the US sitcom, The Office. A popular post could be treated to the 'Classic' Award, which looks like a stapler encased in jello. This is a reference to a practical joke in the show, which members of the community will recognise and appreciate.
Take a look at how the Community Awards look in the gallery below.
To bestow a Community Award on a worthy post, users click on the "give award" option, which appears under a comment. Receiving a Community Award has no practical upshot for the user, besides probably making them feel good. However 20 per cent of the funds used to buy the award go back into the Subreddit's coffers.
Community Awards are created by moderators, and they remain exclusive to that particular community. Moderators are encouraged to collaborate with community members on the look of the awards, which can be priced at anything between 500 and 40,000 Reddit Coins. To give you some context, the latter price is roughly $100.
"What we're most excited about with this feature set is the potential of elevating the conversation and making it healthier, and strengthening the relationships between users and mods," says product manager Vin Sathyamoorthy over at Mashable.
Or, to tell this whole story in a way Reddit users would understand - TL;DR: Community Awards could create healthier Subreddits and boost the site's bottom line.
Join us on 26 September for Generate CSS, a bespoke conference for web designers brought to you by Creative Bloq, net and Web Designer. Save £50 with an Early Bird Ticket when you book before 15 August 2019.
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Thanks to its slick looks and powerful performance, the iPad Pro is a popular tool among creatives. However a quality tool like this doesn't come cheap. If you've always wanted to get your hands on an iPad Pro but couldn't justify paying the sticker price, today could be your lucky day.
We're giving you the chance to win a brand new 11-inch iPad Pro for free – you won't find cheaper than that, right? The model in question features a liquid Retina display, 512 GB of storage, a 12-megapixel camera and is powered by Apple's A12X Bionic chip. We're even throwing in a new Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard Folio to make this giveaway all the more exciting.
To be in with a chance of winning, simply sign up here and you'll automatically be in the running. A unique link will be generated upon entry, which you can share with friends and family for more chances to win.
If you're not successful, never fear, our round-up of the best iPad Pro deals will ensure you still get a great price. Or if you're not bothered about the latest new devices, there's also some great offers that will save you hundreds of dollars on refurbished iPads. Check them out:
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An isometric drawing is a type of 3D drawing that is set out using 30-degree angles. It's a type of axonometric drawing in which the same scale is used for every axis, resulting in a non-distorted image. Isometric grids are relatively easy to set up, and once you've mastered the basics of isometric drawing, creating a freehand isometric sketch is quite straightforward.
In this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about isometric drawing. Learn what exactly defines an isometric drawing, how it differs from one-point perspective, how to get started creating your own isometric projection, and more.
Boost your art skills further with our guide to how to draw just about anything, and this run-down of the art techniques you should know about.
What is isometric drawing?
An isometric drawing is a 3D representation of an object, room, building or design on a 2D surface. One of the defining characteristics of an isometric drawing, compared to other types of 3D representation, is that the final image is not distorted. This is due to the fact that the foreshortening of the axes is equal. The word isometric comes from Greek to mean 'equal measure'.
Isometric drawings are built around 30-degree angles
Isometric drawings differ from other types of axonometric drawing, including dimetric and trimetric projections, in which different scales are used for different axes to give a distorted final image.
In an isometric drawing, the object appears as if it is being viewed from above from one corner, with the axes being set out from this corner point. Isometric drawings begin with one vertical line along which two points are defined. Any lines set out from these points should be constructed at an angle of 30 degrees.
Isometric drawing vs one-point perspective
Both isometric drawings and one-point perspective drawings use geometry and mathematics to present 3D representations on 2D surfaces. One-point perspective drawings mimic what the human eye perceives, so objects appear smaller the further away they are from the viewer. In contrast, isometric drawings use parallel projection, which means objects remain at the same size, no matter how far away they are.
One-point perspective mimics what the human eye perceives
Basically, isometric drawing doesn’t use perspective in its rendering (i.e. lines don’t converge as they move away from the viewer). Isometric drawings are more useful for functional drawings that are used to explain how something works, while one-point perspective drawings are typically used to give a more sensory idea of an object or space.
How to draw an isometric cube
Drawing a cube using isometric projection is very easy. You will need a piece of paper, ruler, pencil and protractor (or for the shortcut version, using gridded paper, jump to the next section).
Using the ruler, draw a vertical line on the page, and mark three equally spaced points along it. Draw a horizontal line through the lowest point, and using the protractor, mark out a 30 degree angle up from the line on either side. Draw a line back through the lowest point from the 30 degree angle on each side.
Repeat this step through the middle point and the same through the top point, but with the top point, mark out the angle downwards. The lines from the second and third point will cross at a certain point, and from this intersection, draw a vertical line down towards the angled lines coming from the bottom point. You should be able to see the form of the cube where all of the lines intersect.
Using an isometric grid
For all the cheats out there who don’t have the necessary tools (or inclination) to create an isometric projection, there is a foolproof way to bash out your axonometric drawing: simply use an isometric grid. The pattern can be downloaded online, and will save you lots of time and effort.
Alternatively, learn how to set up your own grid in Illustrator by following the video tutorial below.
Once your eyes become accustomed to the trickery of the triangular pattern, you will immediately notice how the isometric works. The super handy thing about the grid is that it already has all of the 30 degree angles set up for you. This tutorial walks you through how to draw a cube using an isometric grid.
The benefits of isometric drawing
Isometric drawings are very useful for designers – particularly architects, industrial and interior designers and engineers, as they are ideal for visualising rooms, products, and infrastructure. They're a great way to quickly test out different design ideas.
There are a number of other situations in which isometric projection is useful. In wayfinding systems, for example in museums or galleries, an isometric wall maps can show visitors where they are in the building, what is going on elsewhere, and how to get to get around.
Some of the best infographics use isometric projection to enable them to show more information than would be possible in a 2D drawing. Some logo designs also use this approach to create impact.
Exploded isometric drawings are useful for revealing parts of a product that might be hidden or internal. They're used by architects, engineers and product designers the world over to better explain the intricacies of a design. To create an exploded isometric, you need to know the detailed inner workings of whatever you are drawing, so they're are usually used at the final design stage for presentations to clients.
Isometric drawing examples
Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image
Illustrator and art director Mauco created this isometric map to represent the areas surrounding the SPECTRUM buidling in London. It shows just the main roads and landmarks to help people orientate themselves.
Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image
Jing Zhang is an illustrator working mainly with clients in the advertising industry. She's built a particular reputation for her detailed exploded isometric designs, including this creation for Slack. It's part of a series to accompany the brand's stories, focusing on elements such as a happy mobile workforce (above).
Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image
This design was created for an article in the The California Sunday Magazine, entitled The Tech Revolt and exploring political activism in the tech industry. In it, illustrator Tim Peacock uses isometric projection as a way of revealing the inner workings of a Silicon Valley office block.
Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image
MC Escher was perhaps the king of using isometric projections in his artworks. His use of parallel geometries to depict mind-bending staircases that go nowhere will be familiar to most. In Cycle (1938), is it clear how isometric projection comes into his work, from the pattern on the ground to the use of cubes that turn into steps.
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There's exactly one year to go until the 2020 Olympics kick off in Tokyo and to mark the date, the organisers have revealed the medals that all the competitors will be hoping to take home with them. And from a sustainability point of view, they're all winners.
While the medals at the Rio 2016 games were made from 30 per cent recycled materials, thanks for a drive by the games' organising committee, the Tokyo medals are fully recycled. It put the call out to the people of Japan to donate unwanted electronic devices, and from these it was able to reclaim all the metals necessary to make next year's medals.
There's been some controversy surrounding the Tokyo 2020 logo (many have argued that this concept logo is better than the official design), but with its recycled medal designs it looks like the organisers may have struck gold.
The Tokyo 2020 medals were designed by Junichi Kawanishi of SIGNSPLAN, and were chosen out of over 400 entries into the Tokyo 2020 medal design competition. Kawanishi's winning designs are based around the themes of light and brilliance, with the medals resembling rough, polished stones surrounded by concentric, overlapping rings. According to the Tokoyo 2020 organisers, the medals reflect myriad patterns of light, symbolising the energy and friendship of athletes and their supporters.
Both the silver and gold medals contain about 550g of recycled silver, with the gold medals plated with an additional 6g of recycled gold, while the bronze medals are made of 450g of red brass, which is 95 per cent copper and 5 per cent zinc, all recycled. That's not a bad haul of precious metals from discarded electronics, and the medals' green credentials don't end there.
Even the ribbons are recycled and environmentally-friendly
To go with the medals themselves, the ribbons that they'll hang from are recycled too. Designed to reflect traditional Japanese chequered patterns and kimono layering techniques in a modern way, these ribbons are made from recycled polyester fibres that produce less carbon dioxide in their manufacturing process.
With approximately 5,000 medals to produce for the 2020 Olympics this has been quite an undertaking for the organisers, and it's impressive to see it all carried off in such an environmentally-friendly way that has involved the whole country. You can find out more about the medals at the Tokyo 2020 site.
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If you design something on the cheap, chances are it isn't going to go down well. That's just what happened with the Malaysian tourism ministry, whose zero budget Visit Malaysia 2020 logo was slammed online for its amateurish look.
To fix this, the country has recently unveiled a new and altogether more sophisticated logo (above), which is the winner of a government competition. And despite being mocked for having a logo that's difficult to read, the design elements are a definite improvement.
In our guide to logo design we point out the importance of listening to public criticism, and it looks like the Malaysian tourism ministry has done that here. Its new graphic includes distinctive features of the country, such as a hornbill, a hibiscus flower, and a wild fern.
Each has been depicted in a stylised way that looks like the region's famous wax-resist dyeing technique, batik. It's still not perfect, but it's unarguably a more elegant and well realised logo than the previous Visit Malaysia 2020 effort (below), which featured cartoony graphics of the region's native wildlife wearing sunglasses.
This Visit Malaysia 2020 logo was designed in-house for free
It's fair to say that this logo didn't go down well on social media. Twitter user Aven Fauzi summarised a lot of feelings by saying that due to the logo, the country was going to "be a joke for another 2 years and beyondddd."
The hunt for a new logo was organised by the newly elected Malaysian government, Pakatan Harapan, which ran a competition calling for ideas. Graphic designer Alfred Phua Hong Fook's logo was chosen as the winning design out of hundreds of entries. Malaysian prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad officially unveiled it in a tweet on Monday.
And, by and large, it looks like the new logo has gone down well. Twitter user jasmin has given the design her seal of approval by saying it's superior to the 'stoner orangutans' of the old logo. Meanwhile Eskentirka says that it represents a logo where the client values the designer's input.
You can't please everyone though. And given that people can see the finalists that didn't make the cut, some Twitter users were quick to jump in and point out which ones they would have preferred.
On a more serious note, some users speculated that the logo was made from assets found on Shutterstock, which had then been hastily copied and edited.
If there's one complaint we can agree with though, it's that the slogan is difficult to read. When read from left to right, the message appears to be "Visit Truly Asia Malaysia". However when you take into account that the logo uses two different fonts, it suddenly clicks in place to read: "Visit Malaysia, Truly Asia".
We'll be honest, we didn't realise this until Twitter user Hamka pointed it out.
As far as copywriting goes, this is a bit of a swing and a miss on behalf of the Malaysian tourism ministry. Its Twitter profile uses a version of the slogan "Malaysia Truly Asia" for its account name, but what happened to the "Visit"?
Nitpicks aside, this is a vast improvement on the previous Visit Malaysia 2020 logo. But its real test will be whether or not it attracts more travellers.
Think you could do better? You'll need some logo design tools. And luckily for you we've rounded up the best free logo design tools to help you on your way.
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However hard agencies fight against it, branding has always been subject to stylistic trends. Whether brands embrace or resist the status quo, the fact that some kind of aesthetic benchmark exists remains significant.
Arguably, there’s some value in a new launch sharing certain visual characteristics with the rest of its sector. It helps build familiarity and trust, as a sort of visual shorthand for consumers. There’s no denying that standing out is always easier if you position yourself against the grain of a trend, but you must work a lot harder to do so successfully.
In this article, we round up three stylistic approaches were all the rage in recent months, but are starting to look a little passé (and three more that aren't going anywhere any time soon).
For some awesome examples of advertising that made a giant impact, check out our roundup of the best print ads and the most innovative billboard advertising.
01. The age of Innocents
Innocent's style of anthropomorphic voice has fallen out of favour
For years, Innocent was the de-facto benchmark for brands seeking an informal, quirky, casual brand voice. Chris Moody, Wolf Olins' chief director and chair of this year's Brand Impact Awards, is tired of it. “It’s time to lay to rest the ask of: ‘Can we sound like Innocent?’” he says. “The whole thing of giving carrier bags an anthropomorphic voice is done. The focus should be on creating genuinely interesting dialogue with brands.”
02. Generic geometrics
Landor's 2010 redesign of the city of Melbourne was cutting-edge at the time, but branding has moved on from the geometric design trend
Like the ubiquitous geometric sans-serif typefaces embraced by digital-first brands, geometric illustration is a common sight across the branding spectrum. “It’s easy to make and replicate by internal teams, but the drawback is it’s not particularly ownable,” says Rob Coke, an executive creative director based at Output, which was a winner at last year’s BIAs for its BBC Sport rebrand.
“Brands want to be seen as content creators rather than just selling products, so a more expressive style of illustration helps them appear more editorial in their approach.”
03. 50 shades brighter
Brands using bright colours are trying to grab our attention in an already crowded market
Bright and poppy ‘challenger’ colour palettes show no sign of waning. “Often driven by digital disruption, the use of colour is a starting point to signify: ‘Notice us, we are different,’” asserts James Greenfield, founder of Koto. “Banks with pink debit cards, turquoise advertising and clashing palettes want to grab our attention.”
But if everyone’s shouting with colour, then who’s really standing out?
Three broader design movements built to last
“There was once a school of thought that all branding should be timeless,” says Johnson Banks founder, Michael Johnson. “Now, many rebrands happen within four or five years, rather than every 10 or 15. Branding has become much more tactical, and we’re seeing more designs that are style based.”
“In their early stages, trends can be useful to help align you with a style of work, a movement,” says Coke. “The brand benefits from being seen as contemporary, part of the culture. It’s possible to be part of it and yet put a different spin on it.”
For Moody, it’s clear which route to take. His view is that trends are to be avoided at all costs. “House styles suck, trends suck, looking like your competitors sucks,” he says.
But what can brands do to ensure their strategies are built to last? Consumers expect more of brands than ever before, and these creative movements all consider the bigger picture.
01. Standing for something
Applying a moral purpose to a branding strategy has to be done sincerely to have a positive impact
From Nike standing shoulder to shoulder with ‘disgraced’ American footballer Colin Kaepernick to Gillette attempting to tackle toxic masculinity, many brands are choosing sides and playing an advocacy role on pressing social issues. Some are more successful than others.
“We regularly turn down projects that we think are taking a ‘false’ position,” says Johnson. “The upswing of FMCG brands trying to persuade me that their soap, breakfast cereal or toothpick has a higher moral purpose makes my teeth grind.”
Louise Kyme, Studio Texture's strategy director, observes that an increasing number of brands are leading with a “female-centric, body-positive, diverse and rebellious spirit,” while Greenfield draws attention to the ‘good versus bad tech’ debate, brought starkly into the spotlight by the likes of Facebook. “Some companies already have this on the agenda, some need a little encouragement,” he says.
02. Embracing relevant technologies
Studio Texture's sister company, Texture, is devoted to AI
For Kyme, artificial intelligence is where the most exciting potential for branding innovation can be found – and Studio Texture puts its money where its mouth is, with a sister company entirely dedicated to A.I.
“We see enormous opportunity for machines learning to augment the work we creatives do,” she says. “One A.I. tool we’re working on seeks to predict emotional responses to creative content at a speed and scale that was previously unimaginable. Not just positive and negative sentiment, but the full spectrum of emotions, from specific audiences – at the push of a button. This will enable us to test messaging in an instant.”
While Moody believes the over-hyped VR revolution is a technological red herring – describing VR headsets as the equivalent of 3D glasses in the 80s – he’s a strong advocate of the role of sound design in a modern brand toolkit. “All respectable brands launching this year should have a point of view on voice, and a sonic landscape,” he says.
03. Thinking more sustainably
TOMS is a brand with sustainability at its heart
Sustainability is moving further and further up the agenda for many brands. “It’s huge, but should be treated like hygiene,” says Moody. “The trap many brands fall into is making a big thing about stuff they should be doing anyway. All corporate social responsibility (CSR) teams on the planet should be disbanded immediately and merged into the blood-flow of the business.”
Andy Howell, co-founder and creative director at The Clearing, agrees: “Sustainability shouldn’t be a campaign that comes with an inevitable time-limit. It should be built into the essence of the brand,” he says. “Things like sustainable HQs, supply chains, materials and circular systems should become part of how companies work.”
This content was originally published in issue 292 of Computer Arts, the world's best-selling design magazine. Buy issue 292 or subscribe to Computer Arts.
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Tiny Lion King does the circle of life in two minutes
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Disney's weird sort-of live action CG remake of The Lion King might have unsettled plenty of fans by transferring the action from the African plains to the uncanny valley complete with creepy almost-realistic character design, but that doesn't seem to have done it any harm.
Despite decidedly mixed reviews that have criticised it for being a joyless retread of the original – not to mention its typographically-infuriating logo – the remake is absolutely killing it at the box office and looks set to make a lot of money for Disney.
Before you grudgingly head out to watch it, though, here's a little something that could save you approximately 116 minutes of your life, and that's not including the time it'll take you to get to the cinema and back. It's the work of Dutch animator Cas van de Pol, and it crams the entire Lion King story – or at least the salient bits – into a breakneck two minutes of glorious cartoon fun.
Cas has called it The Ultimate "The Lion King" Recap Cartoon – we prefer to think of it as Tiny Lion King – and it does the job absolutely perfectly. Not only does it cover just about every major plot point that you need to know about, it's also fantastically executed.
There's a wonderfully rough and ready look to it that reminds us more of the work of animators such as John Kricfalusi and Butch Hartman than anything Disney has ever put out, and there are some brilliant comic beats along the way.
Get all the traumatic bits out of the way in seconds!
It's a whole lot of fun, and not only is it a great alternative to trudging out to see the remake, it's also the perfect way for anyone who somehow has never actually seen The Lion King – apparently such monsters really exist and actually walk among us – to get up to speed on the story without much effort.
The really impressive thing is that van de Pol animated the whole two minutes of Tiny Lion King single-handedly, with other artists stepping up to provide the music, sound design and stunning voice work.
"Remember, the Force will be with you... always."
You can find more of Cas van de Pol's work on his YouTube channel, and if you want to support his endeavours then there's a Patreon page here that you can sign up to.
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