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Okay, we admit it, our headline's pretty clickbaity. But on this occasion it's for a good reason. That's because we don't want to ruin the surprise of which brand is behind this overdramatic ad that's been doing the rounds on social media recently. Once you've watched it you'll be grateful that we didn't spoil it for you. We've watched it in the office without knowing where it goes, and we were all guffawing like idiots by the time it finished. So without further ado, check out this cinematic ad that looks like a remake of Boyhood. We've chosen to share it via this tweet from video director Ryan Simmons to stop the video's title on Vimeo from ruining the surprise. And trust us, you really won't see the ending coming... Finished it yet? Yep, we were cracking up too. Why on earth Subway decided it was a good idea to shoot a miniature film following the various poignant moments of a boy's life before taking a hard swerve to promote its sandwiches is beyond us. Now don't get us wrong. Subway is a fine sandwich company. And the ad is brilliantly shot. We also get that the best television and print ads need to find innovative ways to grab their audience's attention. But this commercial is so earnest that you can't help but laugh when the other shoe drops. What's more, this isn't a new ad. It was originally created by Brazilian production company Stink way back in 2016. But once Simmons discovered and shared it on Twitter, social media had a field day tearing it apart. If this ad teaches us anything, it's that you should be more elegant and subtle when trying to weave your product into a narrative, especially if it's a really sincere one. Although, this ad has got us talking about Subway, so perhaps it does its job well after all? You win again, capitalism! And if you want to watch the ad in all its cinematic glory (Simmons cut a flash of nipple from the video in his tweet), check it out below. Related articles: 5 ad campaigns that changed the world 5 ads so entertaining the message got lost 5 ads that tried to be cool, but failed View the full article

Twenty years in, enterprise VPNs occupy a uniquely solid position in a changing landscape. View the full article

In contemporary web and app design there are often times when the interaction doesn't open a whole new page or screen. The modern approach to creating interactive content requires transitions between design interface elements so that the user is surprised and wowed by the experience of changing content. This all happens on the same screen or page, without a refresh. Designing these kinds of interactions and refining them to work properly can take time, but it's worth doing before writing your code. This is what Adobe XD has spent the last few months of development getting right. Create content in one state on one screen, move that content to the new state on the new screen and simply choose the 'Auto-Animate' option to transition. All the content that is the same on both screens automatically animates from one position to another. If you don't want all the content visible on both screens, make the content invisible on the first and it will transition into place. 8 essential prototyping and build tools Here we'll show you how to create an app prototype that does just this (for more how to create an app tutorials, check out our rundown of the best ones). And going beyond that, a new feature of XD enables the user to control interactions with their voice. We'll explore this as a design feature and how the app can speak back to the user as well, which can provide some interesting design opportunities. Download the project files for this tutorial. 01. Starting the project Install XD and start a new project If you don't have Adobe XD, you can download and install it here. Once the install has completed, open the software and the welcome screen will enable you to choose a screen size to download for. In this case choose the iPhone 6/7/8, as that's the right size for this project, but you will see there are a variety of sizes available. 02. Import the first image Find your first image and import it There are different ways to import images, but in this first instance go to File > Import. Choose the 'assets' folder from the project files and the first image to import will be 'sky.png'. Place it on the top of the screen and move it a just couple of pixels down. 03. Place the cabin Bring in further imagery The next image for the design will be the 'cabin.png'. Just import this in the same way you did in the previous step and then place it to fill the screen. Finally, import the image 'trees.png' and place it at the bottom of the screen with the trees over the lake. 04. Bring in the logo The reason those images are separate layers is so that when a transition is created between screens they can move separately. Go to the File menu and choose Import. This time select 'logo.ai', which is a vector image. Place this image in the top centre of the screen. 05. Add a circle Use the circle tool to draw around the logo Select the circle tool and draw a circle just slightly larger than the logo. In the Properties panel on the right, remove the stroke and make the background black. Select Background blur and reduce the brightness to -30 so that the circle is still black. 06. Reorder the graphics Send the circle beneath the logo Now the circle needs to move behind the logo. Select Object > Arrange and send backwards. Like in other Adobe products, it is also Cmd/Ctrl+[ to move any graphic backwards in the layer order. Using the right square bracket, meanwhile, will bring an object forwards in the order. 07. Drop the mic Place and resize the mic image, and draw a circle around it Now import the 'mic.ai' image and resize the image to be relatively small. Place this at the bottom of the screen. Draw a circle around this and uncheck the fill so that it's removed. Then make the stroke white and two pixels wide. Position that around the 'mic' image. 08. Text message Use the text tool to add the words 'speak to search' below the microphone. Make the text white and change it to Helvetica Neue Condensed Black. In the bottom left of the screen click the Assets panel icon to open it. With the text selected on the screen, click the '+' icon next to 'Character styles' to save this format for the text. 09. Join a group Select the Layer panel icon in the bottom left of the screen. On the screen, select the 'search' text and Shift-click to add the circle and the mic icon. Go to Object and choose Group. In the Layer panel rename this group 'Search'. It's useful to name groups, especially when animating these. 10. Group the logo Group the logo and circle together Just as in the last step, select the logo and the blurred circle around it, then group them together. In the Layer panel, rename the whole group 'logo' so that it is easily identifiable if you need to edit this again later. For the moment the design for the first screen is complete. 11. Extra elements Bring in some more design elements for animation purposes Even though the first screen is complete there are still more design elements that need to be added. This is how animation is created by changing the elements' positioning between screens. Go to the rectangle tool and hold Shift to add a square on the screen, making the border white. 12. Different import Simply drag images in from your operating system's folders Now open the folder for the assets through your operating system. Select the 'cabin1.png' image and drag this directly onto the square that you created in the previous step. It will automatically be masked inside this. Double click to edit the position of the image and make sure that the cabin is visible in the square. 13. Add a label Use the text tool to add labels to assets Using the Text tool, add the label 'Forest Cabin' below the text and use the Assets panel to style the text in the saved style from step 8. Select the image and the label and group them together. Name the group 'left cabin' in the layers panel. 14. Duplicate the group Copy and paste your interface elements instead of using Repeat Grid Normally repeating an interface element is the perfect job for the 'Repeat Grid' tool. However, this is going to need specific animation, which doesn't work with the Repeat Grid. Select the image and text group, then copy and paste it so that it sits next to the original, and add the image 'cabin2.png' instead. 15. Rename then copy again Update the copied text as needed Change the text to 'Snow Cabin', and in the layers panel name this 'right cabin'. Select both the left and right cabin and duplicate them, position the duplicates below and update their text and images with 'cabin3.png' and 'cabin4.png'. Group both of these together and name the group 'lower cabin'. 16. Text title Add some more text Add text to the page with the text 'Search results for cabins'. Give this the Rockwell typeface and save this to the Character Styles in the Assets panel. Now position the 'lower cabin' group right at the bottom of the screen and take the appearance down to zero so that it is invisible on this screen. 17. Changing opacity Set the opacity for the left and right cabins to zero Now select the left and right cabins, move them to the bottom of the screen and take the appearance slider to zero. Repeat again for the search text. When we move to another screen these will all animate to their new positions. In the Layer panel, move the 'left cabin' above all of the other cabin groups. 18. Duplicate the screen Duplicate the screen then move the logo and make it invisible Select the artboard by clicking on its name, then double click the artboard and change the name to 'home'. Copy and paste the artboard and rename it 'search'. Now select the logo and move it up to almost off the screen, then reduce its appearance to zero. 19. Move the backgrounds Move the background and other elements Select the sky image and nudge it up slightly on the screen. Select the cabin image and move it up until the cabin is at the top of the screen. Then click on the trees image and move it over the cabin. Finally, select the 'search' group and reduce the appearance down to zero. 20. New elements appear Now make new elements appear Select the search results in the Layer panel and bring its appearance up to 100. Move it up on the screen. Repeat this for the left cabin, right cabin and lower cabin. Use the pen tool to draw a simple back button and add a circle around it. Make the background blur and take the brightness of that down to -30. 21. Complete the back button Select the back arrow and circle, group them together and name them 'back button' in the Layer panel. Switch over to the 'Prototype ' mode by pressing 'Prototype' in the top left of the XD interface. Select the homescreen, drag the blue arrow to the search screen and a pop-up panel will appear. 22. Voice command Adding voice commands is easy Change the Trigger to Voice and type the word 'search' as the voice command to control this. Change the Action to Auto-Animate and Easing to Snap. Make the duration 1.5s. In the search screen click on the back button and drag the blue arrow back to the 'home' screen. Just change the Trigger to Tap. 23. Test the prototype Press the play button to test your prototype Over in the top right of the XD interface is a play button. Click on this and a working prototype will now pop up on the screen. On the homepage you will need to hold down the Space bar while you speak the voice command 'search'. When you let go of the Space bar it will take you to the next screen and animate the graphic interface into position. 24. Going back Press the back button to return to the homescreen Once the transition has run you can press the back button to get back to the homescreen. Close the prototype and click on the search screen, then click the blue arrow to the right (don't drag). Change the Trigger to Time, make the delay 0s and set the Action to Speech Playback. Make the speech 'search results for available cabins'. 25. Speech confirmation Test the speech confirmation then go back to the Design view Test this now with the play button to hear a voice confirmation of the search. Close the prototype when you have tried this out. Another screen is going to be created, so let's click back on the 'Design' view in the top left of the XD interface. Click on the search screen by clicking the name, and then copy and paste it. 26. Scaling the image Rename your new screen and resize the cabin image Rename the new screen 'cabin'. Double click the image for the 'left cabin' layer. Resize the corner handles so that it fills the screen, then reposition the image inside so that it covers that screen. Click on the search results text and take the appearance down to zero to remove it from view. 27. New screen elements It's time to bring in some new elements Double click the 'Forest Cabin' text as it is part of the group. Enlarge the text size to 26 pixels and move it up slightly on the screen. Add text to the screen in Helvetica Neue Medium at 14 pixels size and set it to white to stand out against the background. Add a white line with the line tool under the heading. 28. Create a button Create a rounded rectangle to use as a button Use the Rectangle tool to draw a rectangle on the screen at the bottom of the design. Drag in the corner handles to give this shape round corners. Add the word 'Reserve' to this, using the saved character style in the Assets panel for Helvetica Neue in Condensed Bold. 29. Move to Prototype mode With everything in place, switch to Prototype mode All the design elements are in place now for the entire design of the app. Move to the 'Prototype' mode by clicking the word 'Prototype' in the top left corner. In the search screen click on the 'forest cabin' group of the image and text. Drag the blue handle from this over to the 'cabin' screen. 30. Animation settings Adjust the animation settings to keep things ticking along In the pop-up panel for the transition between screens, choose Tap as the Trigger, then make Action Auto-Animate. Keep Easing as Snap but reduce the duration of this to 0.6s. This ensures that the animation doesn't drag – the movement of the first screen to the second screen had a lot of movement that required a longer transition. 31. Link up the back button Once you've linked the back button you'll be ready to test Now select the back button from the final screen and drag the blue arrow from this back over to the 'search' screen. All the settings from the previous transition should be remembered. You are now ready to go ahead and test this by clicking on the play button. 32. Auto-animate Now you can see how auto-animate is working What you will see with the auto-animate now is that the image expands to fill the screen, and the elements that are no longer needed will fade away while the new text will fade in. The opposite happens when going back. This provides a good way to see the auto-animate working across three screens. 33. Save the project Don't forget to save a local copy of your project By default your project should automatically save to the Creative Cloud, but it is a good idea to save a copy to your own hard drive in case there are any issues. Click File > Save, change the location to your own computer and name the project with a suitable name. 34. Sharing the project Use the share button to send your project out to other people The whole point of prototyping is to test the project on other people. Fortunately there is a share button on the top right of the XD interface that makes this a breeze. Click the share button, and in the drop menu that appears select the option Share for Review. 35. Publish prototype Create a public link so that people can test the project in-browser In the next screen you are told that auto-animate support is not yet available for the web, but it is coming soon. Click Create Public Link and then click the link in the top right to visit the public link in a web browser. You will need to hold the Space bar down to use the voice command with the prototype. 36. Video version Alternatively you can record the interface in action as a video Another prototype can be shared by recording the interface in action. Click the share button and choose Record Video. This will open a window, and when you close this you will be prompted to save a recording of the screen as an MP4 file, which is also a useful way to share your prototype. This article was originally published in issue 285 of creative web design magazine Web Designer. Buy issue 285 here or subscribe to Web Designer here. Related articles: Mobile app design: A beginner's guide How to create an app with Vue.js Get to grips with mobile app onboarding View the full article

'Go back to Africa' isn't a phrase that a lot of companies would want to associate themselves with, but travel company Black & Abroad decided it was time to reclaim the term. The founders Eric Martin and Kent Johnson are using the phrase to spearhead a campaign that encourages black travellers to explore the African continent. Black & Abroad defines itself as "a brand dedicated to redefining experiences for the modern black traveller", and wanted to "end the hate" that the phrase 'Go back to Africa' is usually associated with. It's worth noting that when doing research, Martin and Johnson discovered that this phrase was used 4,500 times a month online – often in a negative way. Black & Abroad worked with Canadian agency FCB/SIX on the campaign – watch the full case study above – and there are several clever aspects to it. It takes hateful tweets in real-time and erases the racist context to leave just the phrase 'go back to Africa', displayed over a positive image of Africa (see our post on improving your photography skills if you'd like to emulate the images). These images then become targeted ads for different African countries. The campaign also identified that for black people to want to visit Africa, they need to be able to see themselves there. This was problematic in that most people in mainstream travel imagery are white. To combat this, it developed an algorithm that pulls in images of black travellers from across social media, and puts them onto its website: gobacktoafrica.com. With its hyper-targeted ads and clever use of algorithms, this is already a smart campaign, even without the social message. And a quick Twitter search for #GobacktoAfrica shows that as Black & Abroad aims, some of the hateful narrative around the phrase is already being displaced by talk about the campaign, and the beauty of Africa. Read more: The best travel accessories for designers The North Face tries to 'hack' Wikipedia, fails spectacularly TfL removes creepy ad after complaints of bad taste View the full article

Sir Jony Ive, Apple's chief design officer, announced yesterday that he's leaving the company after nearly 30 years of service. Famous for designing some of Apple's most recognisable and revolutionary products, including the iPod and iPhone, Ive has left to set up his own creative company. However Apple will be his first client. Having led Apple's design team since 1996, Ive was responsible for helping to turn the company's fortunes around by creating some of the most influential pieces of industrial design, starting with the iMac in 1998. His work paved the way for Apple's devices to be regarded as some of the best computers for graphic designers, a position that the tech giant recently built on with the launch of its new Mac Pro. Other Apple products designed by Ive include the iPod in 2001, and the iPad in 2010. Ive can also take credit for designing the iPhone, the Apple Watch, and most recently, Apple's AirPods. So if you've ever used some of the best drawing apps for iPad, you've got Ive to thank. Ive's sleek and recognisable devices are also amongst the most beautiful Apple products, and have helped Apple generate a loyal customer base. The proof is in the fact that plenty of people are eager to pick up a discount Apple Watch ahead of the best Prime Day deals. For many people, Ive's work perfectly sums up the Apple brand. It's functional, simple, elegant, and will be a tough act to follow. Plenty took to social media to share their thoughts on Ive's decision to leave. Ive's decision to leave was revealed in an exclusive interview with the Financial Times. "While I will not be an [Apple] employee, I will still be very involved - I hope for many, many years to come," he told the newspaper. "This just seems like a natural and gentle time to make this change." Ive's new venture, LoveFrom, will be launched fully in 2020 once the designer completes his transition from Apple later in the year. Famed industrial designer Marc Newson will join him at LoveFrom. But even though he's leaving his high profile position, both Ive and Apple say that he will continue to work "on a range of projects with Apple." In a statement, Ive added: "After nearly 30 years and countless projects, I am most proud of the lasting work we have done to create a design team, process and culture at Apple that is without peer." Ive will have no immediate successor at Apple. Instead, Evans Hankey will take over as vice-president of industrial design, with Alan Dye becoming vice-president of human interface design. Has Ive's decision to leave got you thinking about going it alone yourself? If so, you should keep in mind the nine thing you need to sort before going freelance. Related articles: Is Apple ditching its 'i'? Apple Card: Is this Apple's sleekest design yet? It cost 50K to digitise: 5 surprising Apple logo facts View the full article

Successful TV show logos integrate carefully with the opening credit sequence and theme tune, evoking an immediate response for the viewer whenever they see it and building excitement for what's to come. The best TV logos help to build the brand and story of a TV show and, of course, provide a great opportunity for merchandise. We've chosen 10 classic TV show logos that go above and beyond, with clever use of design that doesn't just introduce the programme but conveys meaning about the content and themes of the programme. If you would like to explore more iconic logo design, check out our selection of the best logos. Or if you are in need of some ideas for a new logo, head over to our logo design post, that will tell you everything you need to know. 01. The Muppet Show The Muppet Show logo draws on the ornate lettering of the old-time music hall [Image: logolynx.com] Slapstick, absurdist, satirical, outrageous and above all, very funny, the Muppet Show was years ahead of its time. So much so that in the 1970s, American networks wouldn’t touch it, and its producers had to come to British company ATV to get it made. Based on an old-time variety format, the programme’s whimsical logo is delightfully infused with the spirit of vaudeville. Combining a sense of the ornate with the cartoonish, its design nicely mirrors the conflict within the show’s conceit; between high-minded aspiration and hilarious failure. You can trace the evolution of the various Muppet Show logos here. 02. M*A*S*H M*A*S*H’s logo conveyed the sense of military officialdom that was at the centre of its comedy [Image: logos.fandom.com] It’s rare to see M*A*S*H on our screens these days, but for decades its reruns were rarely off the air. This spin-off from the 1970s comedy movie was set during the Korean War but screened at the time of Vietnam, and its anti-authority, anti-war message echoed the mood of many Americans. Plus it was damned hilarious. The title logo for the TV show makes use of custom stencil lettering and trademark asterisks (which were absent from the movie’s wordmark) to convey a clear sense of military officialdom; the source of much of the show’s comedic antagonism. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the letters stand for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. 03. Cheers The Cheers logo faithfully reproduces the lettering of an old-time bar sign Anyone who watched TV in the 1980s will be familiar with the Cheers logo, promising half-an-hour of deceptively witty humour in the guise of lowbrow bar-room banter. It was designed by Castle Bryant Johnsen, a three-person LA studio which also designed title sequences for Roseanne, Moonlighting, The X-Files and Frasier. Combining elements of Victorian and Art Nouveau typography, the painterly design combines the look of a vintage hand-lettered bar sign, completed with a swopping flourish reminiscent of baseball team logos (perhaps a nod to the main character, Sam, being a retired baseball star). The letters themselves are derived from the typefaces Candice (for the ‘C’) and Flamenco Inline (for the rest). You can learn more about its creation here. 04. Friends The Friends logo perfectly matches the show’s opening title sequence [Image: logolynx.com] 1990s comedy Friends wasn’t just a successful show, it broke the sitcom mould. Rather than revolving around a family home or workplace, it followed a group of wayward twentysomethings struggling to find their way in the world. Less about character or story development than the chemistry between its hip young actors, it was the perfect show for the rootless ‘Generation X’. The opening titles feature an anarchic sequence, in which the characters goof off around a fountain with colourful umbrellas, to a track by The Rembrants. The artfully scrawled, handwrittten Friends logo mirrors their sense of fun and abandonment, while the six coloured dots separating the letters replicate the colours of the six umbrellas used in the scene. 05. The X-Files Like the show, The X-Files logo is scary but sophisticated [fontsinuse.com] Another mould-breaking 1990s show, The X-Files was the thinking person’s sci-fi, revolving around two FBI agents investigating paranormal and extraterrestrial phenomena. It was a huge hit, spanning nine seasons and two feature films, and returned to on our screens for a tenth season in 2016. Its beautiful logo, designed by the show’s creator Chris Carter, makes brilliant use of a large, distressed figure ‘X’, uncovered by a spotlight in the pitch dark, to denote the shady, secretive nature of their FBI unit. This main graphic element is then bisected by the full title, set in a sleek, modern font that adds a note of sophistication to proceedings, and with the circle around the ‘X’ adding a further touch of mystery. 06. Buffy Buffy the Vampire Slayer had a seriously weaponised logo [Image: thiswastv.com] Long before Twilight, Buffy the Vampire Slayer summoned the spirit of teen angst and gave it the corporeal form of vampires, demons and other monsters, with which its reluctant titular hero had to constantly battle. The seething violence at the heart of the show is mirrored in its logo, with stylishly brutal lettering that conveys the feeling of ancient script. Incorporating a ‘stake’ motif within the opening letter, and with the ‘f’s conveying a sword and dagger respectively, there’s a real sense of menace to this design, leaving viewers in no doubt that Buffy is not your typical teen drama. It was created by graphic artist Margo Chase of Chase Design, whose clients include Cher and Madonna, and who also designed the logo for the Buffy spin-off, Angel. 07. 24 The 24 logo shows that sometimes, simple is best [Image: wikipedia.org] Bringing us, in real-time, 24 hours in the life of counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer, 24 was one of those early 2000s shows that inspired the idea that ‘TV is the new film’. Throughout each episode, a countdown clock ticks menacingly on the screen, reminding us of the latest impending disaster and ramping up the tension. The logo simply casts the show’s title in those same glowing LCD numbers; a masterstroke demonstrating that the simple ideas are so often the best. 08. Lost Lost’s title logo perfectly evokes the show’s sense of mystery [Image: whats-on-netflix.com] The complex and increasingly fantastical tale of the survivors of an air crash on an unknown island, Lost was a show designed for water-cooler discussion, as fans earnestly debated what in the heck was going on. In many ways a metaphor for the post-Cold War era, Lost reflected the fear that America had lost its way in the world as all the old certainties vanished. Its title sequence echoes that sense of anxiety, as the distant, ghostly logo floats through a dark, empty space, accompanied by a discordant, ominous sound, going in and out of focus. This hauntingly effective 15-second sequence was developed by JJ Abrams, co-creator of the show, who created it on his laptop. 09. Mad Men Mad Men’s logo is dripping with Don Draper-style confidence [Image: thecontentauthority.com] Mad Men was to creative agencies what Life on Mars was to cops; a fond look back to a time when big characters and big ideas ruled the roost, great work was done and political correctness was just a twinkle in the future’s eye. One of the few blockbuster shows to ever portray branding work seriously, you’d expect it to have great branding of its own, and you weren’t disappointed. Cast in the Helvetica-style font Swiss 721 Heavy, with a punchy red-white colour palette, this sans-serif logo is swilling with Don Draper-style confidence, and hits the right sweet spot between nostalgia and modern sensibilities. 10. Breaking Bad Breaking Bad’s logo contrasts the certainties of science with the horror of a life gone awry [Image: noupe.com] The hit of the decade, Breaking Bad was the unlikely story of a high school chemistry teacher, Walter White, who turns to the meth trade to pay for his cancer treatment. With hard science playing a pivotal role in the drama, applying the periodic table treatment to its logo and opening titles was a stroke of genius. The chemical symbols are cast in a clean and clear font, symbolising the purity and stability of science, while the rest of the words appear in distressed and fragmented letters that convey how broken up Walter’s sense of self becomes as he descends into the rabbit hole of criminality. (In case you were wondering: the chemical elements denoted, Bromine and Barium, are not used in the manufacture of meth. However, the title sequence does feature the chemical formula for methamphetamine, C10H15N, along with the number 149.24, its molecular weight. Fans loved the logo, which adorns countless T-shirts and other merchandise, and it inspired a number of brilliant design tributes. And as the ultimate accolade, the show’s main actor Bryan Cranston got it tattooed on his ring finger on the final day of shooting. Read more: How to make a logo in Photoshop 11 steps to better logos 10 of the best logos ever View the full article

You're reading No-Skills-Required Design Tools for Entrepreneurs, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook! This is the age of self-employment and entrepreneurship, and a large number of entrepreneurs today are solopreneurs. This means that they themselves handle a variety of tasks – marketing, branding, sales, accounts, etc. Fortunately, the Internet provides them all the … View the full article

If you live in Europe, the Middle East or Africa, you're a lucky bunch. That’s because today Adobe has slashed the price of its Creative Cloud package for individuals by 40%! So if you’ve been holding off signing up to Creative Cloud for whatever reason, wait no more. This amazing offer is only available between the 28 June to 8 July, so don't delay if you want to sign up. Simply click the link below and start saving. And if you’re after more offers, keep track of the best Prime Day deals with our guide to Amazon’s incredible discounts. Get 40% off Adobe Creative Cloud now What's included? Adobe's Creative Cloud All Apps plan includes: The entire collection of 20+ creative desktop and mobile apps, including Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC, and Adobe XD CC 100GB of cloud storage Adobe Portfolio Adobe Fonts Adobe Spark with premium features The option of up to 10TB of cloud storage The programmes are fully integrated, so you can work between them (and different devices) 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. These deals expire on Monday 8 July. Related articles: The best Adobe deals in 2019 60 top-class Photoshop tutorials The best 4K monitors for designers View the full article

Pentesters say a keyless smart lock made by U-tec, called Ultraloq, is neither ultra or secure. View the full article

Researchers have identified security hole in Microsoft Office’s Excel spreadsheet program that allows an attacker to trigger a malware attack on remote systems. View the full article

Recreating the human figure is one of the toughest challenges artists face, and that includes 3D artists. After all, the human eye is trained to notice even the smallest details in a person. So if you want to create 3D anatomy that looks lifelike, you'll want to brush up on your sculpting skills. To help you polish your 3D anatomy skills, we caught up with digital artist and CGI anatomy trainer Ryan Kingslien. With his 10 tips, which don't pull any punches in the discipline department, Kingslien show you what you need to consider when creating convincing sculpts in ZBrush. And don't forget, if you're stuck for time and need free 3D models, we've got you covered. In the meantime, here's what Kingslien has to say. 01. Start with quality The key to creating great work is a simple equation: garbage in = garbage out. I learned this from sculptor Richard Macdonald. If you want to create quality work, start with quality material. In Richard’s case, instead of using regular life models, he works with world-class athletes. I use PureRef a lot. 02. Learn the way to use tools Mastery is not magic. It’s process. Use the process the masters use and you’ll produce great results. People think they need to take class after class and learn tool after tool. The truth is they’ll grow faster if they slow down and take their learning deeper. Learn the ‘way’ masters use tools instead of just learning the tool. 03. Commit to the daily work It’s ugly – until it’s not ugly. Get over it. Get over the sob story of ‘I should be better’. Get over the drama of ‘I’m not good enough’. Commit yourself to doing the daily work. It will be beautiful in its own time. Stop rushing your greatness. Let it be who it is and by ‘it’ I, of course, mean you! 04. Know that success is built Art is learned. It’s not genetic, or some magical potion. Some have more talent, some have less. Success doesn’t come by accident, nor is it measured in the small ways you might be thinking about now. We all have the ability to be successful as artists but we don’t all build the capacity to achieve it. Success is built – daily. 05. Start with a blank face A basic base mesh helps give your work structure Start with a base mesh. This gives you a blank structure to start with. This gets you the essential structure of the cheek, orbit of the eye, muzzle of the mouth and horse shoe shape of the jaw, as well as the dome of the cranial area. Remember, the basic structure of a human doesn’t change much, otherwise you would be sculpting a different species, so start with a generic human structure and you’ll make your life much easier. Mine is a modified version of one I got from Hossein Diba’s class he taught with me. 06. Settle on a generalisation Time to lay down the key facial features Start with specifics. What does the nose look like? Is the nose small or large? Does it droop down or lift up? Is the chin large and round, or small and pointy? Are the eyes small and beady or are they large and soulful? Is the face tall and thin or is it short and wide? Is the front of the face flat or does it project forward like a pyramid? At this point your tools are Dam_Standard brush, the Standard brush and the Clay Buildup brush. The key to the Clay Buildup brush is to set Brush > Depth > Imbed to 5. Your goal is a soft generalisation that resembles your target but isn’t locked down yet. 07. Paint realistic eyes Carefully painted eyes help to give your 3D face a sense of realism In order for the next few stages to work, we need to bring the level of realism up by painting the eyes. Use simple spheres in ZBrush and just paint the iris and pupil in using Polypainting. A great alpha to use to help paint the striation in the iris is Alpha 05 and Alpha 34. Then make sure to assign the Toy Plastic material to the eye subtool. Also, don’t forget to paint the caruncula lacrimalis. 08. Shift to the Rake brush At this stage you need to crawl the face and give it chracter Now it’s time to shift to a different tool: the Rake brush. I had the good fortune of putting the Rake brush into ZBrush when I worked at Pixologic, but I have a new and better one at ZBrushWorkshops. In this stage your job is to crawl the surface of your model and work to create more of the specific ‘character’ of the face. Instead of focusing on the cheekbone you’ll dive deeper to focus on the palpebromalar groove, the malar mound, the five different fat pads of the face, the eight lines of the face – whatever helps you create more ‘character’ and dive deeper into the specifics of the face. 09. Add the pores Get all your detail down before adding pores At this point, we’ve created a basic shape that has some of the specific character we want, and it’s now time to add in the pores. Make sure that you’ve crawled over the surface of the model with the rake brush before doing this. You want to have as much detail as you can in there before you go into tertiary forms like wrinkles. For this sculpt, I used a process that’s documented on Texturing.xyz’s site under their multi-channel texture packs. It uses a really cool workflow and leverages Photoshop’s Puppet Warp feature to line up the Albedo and Displacement maps for fantastic results. 10. Power through the final push Your best work lies outside of your comfort zone Finally, it’s time to push it! You’ve been staring at this thing for days, and that has made you too close to it. You’ve got to give it that last push and stretch into your discomfort zone. All your future growth is there. I looked for more specific lines and half-tones to establish a deeper, more authentic sculpt. For example, in the final piece I added what I call the associate jugal groove and broke up the lateral cheek fat more. This final sculpt only had an hour of extra sculpting, but it looks a lot better. That’s what happens when you build the foundations right. This article was originally published in issue 130 of 3D Artist. Buy issue 130 or subscribe to 3D Artist. Related articles: The best 3D modelling software 2019 These 3D portraits are unbelievably realistic Sculpt realistic anatomy in ZBrush View the full article

With the one of the biggest events in the retail calendar just a couple of weeks away, we're already seeing some incredible Prime Day deals cropping up. Speaking of which, today Amazon announced an unbelievable offer: right now, Prime members can get four months' access to Amazon Music Unlimited for just 99¢/99p. Just in case you are unfamiliar with Amazon Music Unlimited, let us fill you in. Amazon's on-demand, ad-free music streaming service boasts a library of over 50 million songs, which you can download and listen to on- and offline. You can also control your playlists via Amazon's smart assistant Alexa. If you, like many creatives, recognise the benefit of kicking back with a few of your favourite tunes, you won't want to miss this incredible deal. We can hear you all now – "Alexa, play MMMBop please." If you'd rather enjoy a bit of Hanson in peace, be sure to check out our roundup of the best noise-cancelling headphones and the best wireless headphones money can buy. The deal is for new subscribers only, and you'll need to be a Prime member. Sign up for a free Prime trial now and you'll be able to take advantage of this sweet offer, plus any Prime Day deals (this year's event will start at midnight on Monday 15 July and run for 48 hours), all within the 30-day trial period. Once your four months of Amazon Music Unlimited is up, if you're still a Prime member you can continue the service at $7.99/£7.99 a month (or £9.99 if you've cancelled your subscription by then). This is a limited time offer, with Amazon Music set to return to full price on 17 July 2019. Read more: Forget Amazon Prime... save £100 on an iPad Pro right now! How to get the best Prime Day deals Official Amazon Prime Day 2019 dates announced View the full article

Have you ever felt that your studio's missing something? You might have all the technology and design equipment that you need, a collection of tasteful prints adorning the walls, a smattering of office plants and of course all the commissions you can comfortably handle, but if things still don't seem quite right then maybe you need a studio pet to breathe some extra life into your workspace. Having a friendly animal around the place can be a great stress-reliever, and they're also brilliant at forcing you to take those essential screen breaks. Even better, they can help sharpen your creative skills; what better way to figure out how to draw a cat than by having an actual cat around to practise on? We put the call out to creatives to tell us about their studio pets, and they delivered. Let's take a tour of eight studios and their assorted furry friends. 8 totally amazing design studio dogs 01. Harley, Shelby, Scooby and Watson Clockwise from top left: Harley, Shelby, Watson and Scooby, all of them very good dogs Toronto-based infographic wizards Venngage come top of the studio pet pecking order with a fine-looking quartet of dogs; say hello to Harly, Shelby, Scooby and Watson. Scooby holds the prestigious position of Chief Barketing Officer, while Shelby is Venngage's Head of Pawperations. More pets with job titles, please; the punnier the better as far as we're concerned. 02. Layla and Lexi Both Layla and Lexi would very much like to go out, now Nancy Ruzow is a graphic designer who lives and works in the NYC suburb of Westport, Connecticut, and specialises in annual reports, logo design and ads. She's ably assisted in her work by a pair of cats, Layla and Lexi, who bring some essential skills to her design practice: the ability to always come running when the printer starts up, jumping on the desk when Nancy's on a video call, and eating any important papers she's left lying around. 03. Charlie Charlie knows what time it is Charlie is an English Springer Spaniel, and he helps Paul Edwards, a web consultant and front end developer based in Worthing, Sussex, to keep his sanity. What he lacks in web abilities – Paul says his CSS linting skills are sub-par and he doesn't like mobile menus – are more than made up for by the fact that he's learned the specific key combination Paul uses to lock his PC, and whenever he hears that special sound he springs into action. Walkies! 04. Maya Maya finds graphic design incredibly interesting To Barcelona, and Yellow, a design and audiovisual studio founded in 2011 by Konstantina Gavala. Working on a variety of cross-discipline projects including brand identity, print, packaging, architectural and interior design, photography and digital media, Yellow is also home to nine-year-old Maya. Her main enemy is the office printer, and she likes to keep an eye on how the team is handling projects. 05. Bruin Bruin was recently treated to a pro photo shoot for Bring Your Dog to Work Day Say hello to Bruin, the Head of Visitor Relations at Skeleton, a video production agency in Nottingham. Without doubt a very good dog indeed, he recently led Skeleton's annual fire drill. Useful Bruin facts: (1) his favourite food is all food; (2) he's no longer allowed on video calls because he barks at strangers to protect the Skeleton team; (3) he can go from sleeping to 'OMG-the-door-is-open-gotta-get-out' in precisely 0.3 seconds. 06. Daisy Katy is currently plotting vengeance for the unicorn bib Still in Nottingham, let's pay a visit to Chloe Joy, who's studying game art at university and plans to become a character designer. Chloe also has to protect her Cintiq pen from her 'helper', Daisy, who'll seize any opportunity to chew on it; her talents also include jumping onto Chloe's desk at the most inconvenient times, and tapping her arm with her claws until she gives her head pats. Chloe says that while Daisy isn't overly skilled, she is at least fantastic at cuddling. 07. Poe Cheer up fella, it's not so bad Who's this sad-looking guy? His name's Poe – as in Poe Doggeron, the cutest puppy the resistance had to offer – and he belongs to Melody Foster, a freelance graphic designer and illustrator from Mishawaka, Indiana. He's sad because of Melody's computer – presumably because she's paying more attention to it than to him – and sometimes he attacks her desk chair. Fair play, Poe. Fair play. 08. Katy, Lily and Pooky Don't mess with Katy Finally, a trio of cats who bring their vast feline experience into play at indie game studio, Infinite State Games, which is currently putting the finishing touches to its latest title, Family Tree, on Nintendo Switch. Katy can be found at ISG's Tonbridge studio with CEO Charlie Scott-Skinner; she's one sizeable cat who, Charlie says, isn't conducive to his creativity. Seconds after this photo was taken, Pooky (right) murdered an innocent slow-worm Over at ISG's Bristol studio with creative director Mike Daw you'll find Lily and Pooky; Lily is an adorable, good-natured fluffball, while Pooky is described by Mike as a semi-feral bat-goblin that's murdered most of the local wildlife. Now that's a proper cat. Related articles: World's smallest McDonald's opens for bees – and it's amazing! 11 easy-to-find plants that will improve studio life How to draw a dog View the full article

You're reading A Helpful Guide for Overcoming Design Frustration, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook! Every designer wants to be successful. But success is a subjective measure. For many designers, success means that they are proud of the work they do, but for top designers, this is not enough – top designers want to become … View the full article

An advert for ride-hailing app Kapten has been taken down from London's transport network after complaints about its appropriateness. The ad shows a photograph of a man, with the words 'When you recognise your blind date from the news', and then 'Get me out of here Kapten'. As ads go, it's pretty creepy (compare it to our favourite billboard ads to see how it measures up). And the suggestion behind it is even creepier. The assumption is that this blind date is not on the news for fundraising or saving a life, but rather for something sinister, such as rape or murder. Playing on people's fears of personal safety to promote your taxi company? Hilarious. Mollie Goodfellow sarcastically tweeted about the 'funny' campaign... While others pointed out that the perils of such associations. Goodfellow's tweet was picked up by mayoral candidate and Green London Assembly Member Sian Berry, who asked the current mayor how the advert had got through TfL's approval system at the Mayor's Question Time last week. She pointed out the offensive nature of the ad, and that all adverts that appear on TfL have to go through checks. TFL has now taken down the ad, and said in a statement: "This advertisement was approved in error and we apologise for any offence it has caused. We are working to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. The advertisement does not meet the requirements of our advertising policy and is being removed from across our transport network. Kapten have also said they will not use this poster in any future campaign." Campaign reports that this campaign was created by Mr President, although there's no mention of the work on the agency's website or social media. This isn't the first time adverts approved by TfL have caused offence, and despite the news that sexist ads are now banned in the UK, we can't imagine it'll be the last. Read more: NatWest apologises for patronising women, by patronising women The best print ads ever 5 ad campaigns that changed the world View the full article

We all know that a good logo should sum up a brand in a single image. Just think of McDonald's Golden Arches, Facebook's deceptively simple 'f' icon, or the colourful Comcast peacock. All of these designs are instantly recognisable, but do they really capture the essence of the brand? This is the idea that the artist Future Punk has explored in its latest witty creations. In an effort to represent some of the world's largest corporations a little more truthfully, Future Punk has cleverly tweaked the designs of their logos. This includes the playful swelling of McDonald's Golden Arches to reflect the chain's calorific food, through to on-the-nose designs like the addition of a headstone to the Marlboro logo (smoking's bad for you, kids). Now, of course, it would be branding suicide for a company to use any of these images. Our guide to logo design points out that they're so important because they're often a business' first point of contact with the outside world. However Future Punk's ideas are a fun, subversive look at how to reinterpret familiar designs. Check them out in action below. Which one's your favourite? We're fans of the blurry Budweiser logo. Although we're surprised that Future Punk didn't go after Amazon's smiling logo in the run up to the Prime Day deals that the online retailer has become famous for. If these designs are a bit too earnest or edgy for your tastes though, how about something a little bit more wholesome? Future Punk isn't a total cynic, in fact they've injected some retro charm into the logos of entertainment companies like Hulu and Netflix. These designs offer a tantalising glimpse into a world where the streaming sites existed in the '80s and '90s. Or at least that's when we guess they're from, judging by their simulated VHS blur lines. The animations can be found on Future Punk's Instagram page, with the caption "If corporate logos were a little more honest". Have Future Punk's designs inspired you? Or do you think you can do better? Why not head on over to our logo design apps for beginners page and see what you can whip up. Related articles: 8 of the best free logo design tools 18 controversial moments in logo design and branding 5 logo design terms you should know View the full article

We knew the Wacom Intuos Pro small was coming, and it doesn't disappoint. This latest model completes the new Intuos range, following its medium and large-sized siblings, with all the same functions and features at a more compact size. The Intuos Pro small is perfect for professionals who may need to work on the go. Its physical footprint is small and it can be run via bluetooth, so it's simple to use almost anywhere. And unlike some of it's cheaper competitors, the Intuos Pro small's size doesn't affect its performance (so much so you'll soon find it in our round up of the best drawing tablets money can buy). Wacom Intuos Pro Small: Display The Intuos Pro small's dimensions and active drawing see it come in at just under half the size of the largest in the Intuos Pro range. Despite its diminutive frame, the Pro small still boasts six programmable Express Keys, a touch ring and Multi-Touch features. It's matte black, and somehow, despite weighing less than one pound, it still feels resilient and durable. Wacom Intuos Pro Small: Stylus [Image: Wacom] The Intuos Pro small comes with the glorious Wacom Pro Pen 2, which delivers 8192 pen pressure levels, 60 levels of tilt recognition in every direction, sensitivity on both the pen tip and the eraser, two programmable switches and is battery-free to boot. The Pro Pen 2 is the industry leader, and with good reason. While there are many budget competitors that tout similar levels of sensitivity, Wacom's Pro Pen 2 has a much better Pressure Response than XP-Pen's stylus, for example (read more in our full XP-Pen 15.6 review). Both are good pens, but the Pro Pen 2 will respond to even the lightest touch, and give pleasingly smooth lines without having to adjust a single setting. You won't need to worry about wobbly lines or jitter issues with this stylus. The tilt functionality feels great too. The Pro Pen 2 comes with replacement nibs, six standard and four felt nibs inside the pens stand. The only downside to the Pro Pen 2 is the stand, which doesn't hold the stylus too securely. Wacom Intuos Pro Small: Price and performance At the time of writing, The Intuos Pro small retails for £199.99, which is reasonable, although, for only around £90 more you could get the Intuos Pro Medium. Setting up the Intuos Pro small is a breeze. Initially, you connect the tablet to your Mac/PC/Laptop via USB-A to USB-C cable, download the driver from Wacom's website and you're ready to go. It's that simple. Even better, it won't conflict with any existing Wacom devices you have running currently. We tested ours on an iMac that was also using a Cintiq 24 Pro and it works flawlessly alongside it. The cable itself is over 6.5 feet long so you won't run into any trouble working from a distance, and the cable acts as a charger too, so you can conveniently power up the tablet from anything that has a USB outlet. If you want a tidier workspace, or to be a bit more mobile, connecting via bluetooth is a simple matter of pairing it to your computer and you're ready to go. No wires cluttering up your workspace. Lovely. The Intuos Pro small can work on any monitor, or across all monitors in a multi-monitor setup. Wacom Intuos Pro Small: Key features On the left side of the Intuos Pro small there are six customisable ExpressKeys and a touch ring, which is only two less ExpressKeys than what you'll find with the small's larger siblings. The tablet can be both left-handed or right-handed, thanks to the USB-C cord or bluetooth usage. The multi-touch surface is intuitive and the gestures are programmable; whatever workflow suits your needs, you can achieve it with just a tap of your fingers. We found the gestures easy to to use, and didn't trigger any accidental functions, but if you want to disable the touch features at any moment, you can flip a switch on the side of the tablet, which is much more convenient than having to access some system settings. Flip the switch again and the multi-touch functions will be instantly re-enabled. [Image: Wacom] Wacom Intuos Pro Small: What we don't like There are very few negatives to take from the Intuos Pro small, but it's worth considering the following points. If you're an illustrator, and rely on making larger brushstrokes, you may find the active drawing area somewhat restrictive. It is small, by design, so you may have to adjust to making smaller movements, which may give some artist difficulties, as well as potentially cramp your hand after prolonged usage. It's going to depend on how you draw/paint. Similarly, more heavy-handed artists may find that they get through their nibs faster using the Intuos Pro small. Unlike its larger counterparts, the Pro small does not offer changeable texture sheets, so you're stuck with the surface grain. This could potentially devour nibs at a reasonable rate if you're a creative that pushes down hard. The lack of software that comes as standard with the entry level Intuos range is a disappointment (no options of free Corel Painter Essentials or Clip Studio Pro here). And finally, quite possibly the smallest quibble ever to feature in a review, unlike the medium and large models, the Pro small doesn't come with the customisable colour rings for the Pro Pen 2. Madness. Wacom Intuos Pro Small: Should you buy it? If it's not already abundantly clear, we love this tablet range. If it's just for your office, we'd recommend paying a little more and going for one of the larger versions just so you have a bit more drawing space, but if you're after a portable tablet the size of an iPad to design with and maximise your creativity, the Wacom Intuos Pro Small 2019 is a superb choice. If the Intuos Pro small doesn't meet your artistic needs, here are three other options that might: View the full article

You're reading Speed up Your WordPress Site with Kinsta Hosting, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook! Are you sick and tired of a WordPress website that just seems to drag? The problem could be living in your hosting account. Kinsta is an optimized WordPress hosting platform that’s powered exclusively by Google Cloud Platform and Google’s premium … View the full article

You may have heard about the fancy business card that describes a man who washes dishes at his local café as an ‘underwater ceramic technician’. I like this – I see it as a poignant poke at the over-elaborate, exaggerated and increasingly meaningless job titles we see more and more – especially in the creative industries. Ridiculous job titles are not a new phenomenon, though. They've been around a good while, lingering and flaring up every now and then like an annoying virus. Right now we seem to be in the throes of an epidemic. And it's probably not because people are able to make their own business cards and job titles with business card templates. Why do I care? Well, I’ve been in the business of design and branding a long time, and I’ve always believed that a big part of a designer’s remit is to provide clarity – to ease the flow of complex themes and subtle messages without ambiguity or over-statement. You’d think the design profession would take the same approach to its own nomenclature, yet in many baffling and occasionally amusing cases, you’d be very wrong. Design jobs: find your dream role with Creative Bloq The end of transparency? Since the 1990s, using pseudo-intellectual, jargonistic terminology to describe everything from basic client services to long-established design processes has been on the rise. Today it’s at full crescendo, and arguably the worst afflicted is the straightforward job title. Don’t take my word for it – ask a 2019 ‘creative’ what they do. Better still, ask for their business card… then you have proof. In an age where transparency, and a straight-talking and approachable tone of voice are the preference of the most enlightened brands (because such things work wonders and always did), it seems contrary to have job titles like head of brand provocation, growth hacker and ignitor. Yes, these are real, and they baffle, frighten and anger me. What are these people thinking? More importantly, what do they actually do? Ask a passer by, and I bet they pull a funny face, and say, ‘a what?’ Perhaps people just think designer or client services manager isn’t cool, mysterious or sexy enough I’ll go as far as to say many industry folk don’t really know, either. It seems to be an attempt at conveying niche expertise, or perhaps people just think designer or client services manager isn’t cool, mysterious or sexy enough. Imagine telling your mum you’ve just been promoted to chief visionary officer – and her look of bewilderment before she says ‘sounds like fun, dear’ and asks, ‘what does that mean?’ What was so bad about being a production manager? People know what you do (manage production), so you don’t have to explain – and no one ever calls and asks to speak to the growth hacker. The 'say it out loud' test If you want grandiose or specialist job titles, at very least consider what it’s like to say it out loud – and beyond the clique. What might sound almost acceptable in a soft Southern Californian twang, in a San Francisco creative hub, or vaguely impressive in a middle-class Manhattan drawl on a conference call might not come across the same in, for example, my broad UK Lancastrian. If I say 'head of realisation', it sounds more like 'Ed oh reeli-zayshun'. If I said it at the school parents’ evening, to an inquisitive teacher, they’d think I was mad. Whose bright idea was it to re-brand ‘thinking’ as ‘ideation’? Who promotes the practice of 'design thinking' as 'conceptual innovation'? Who thinks having folders of themed images makes them a 'curator'? I understand the desire to make one’s role sound more impressive, but not to the point where it’s a) wholly unclear what you actually do and b) embarrassing. What’s wrong with being a really good artworker, as opposed to the only and lonely 'minutiae-focused ante-output oracle' on the planet? Emotive name vs informative descriptor I think I have an idea what’s happened. Somehow, our industry has lost the distinction between an emotive brand name and an informative descriptor. Kellogg was a bloke looking to sell cereal in a box, and he named his product ‘Kellogg’s Cornflakes’. A brand name and a descriptor, and the rest is history. British paint company Ronseal produces such a variety of wood-care products (from ‘one-coat-fence stain’ to ‘high-gloss interior varnish’ and everything in between) that it’s almost impossible to have a tagline that encompasses them all. So it simply proclaims, 'Does exactly what it says on the tin'. Brilliant. But doesn’t it come to something when a tin of gloop can teach the design industry a lesson? Why present a potential client with an at-best ambiguous, but more likely baffling explanation of what value you bring to the table? I don’t see what’s wrong with enjoying professional life simply as a designer or artworker I don’t see what’s wrong with enjoying professional life simply as a designer or artworker. In my own companies I’ve successfully championed doing away with the junior, middleweight and senior tags, as they don’t really add anything anyone else needs to know. In other capacities I’ve had colleagues who simply had ‘Strategy’ or ‘Client Services’ on their business cards and email signatures, and I honestly can’t recall any of them being questioned about their seniority, or what their role entailed. Their work built a reputation that spoke for itself. Likewise, I see no place for a VP in a small design agency, or for corporate CEO and CFO acronyms in our industry unless you’re a monster outfit. Someone once told me, ‘oh, that’s essential when negotiating with senior stakeholders in the Asian market'. I don’t believe that one bit. And even if were true, it shouldn’t be encouraged. Perhaps it harks back to the 1990s' obsession with trying to identify a formula or process that more or less guaranteed risk-free and successful innovation and design, and then to package it up in a memorable phrase and sell it to gullible marketers. This spawned a fog of proprietary processes that now includes the gratuitous ‘Store Safari’, the frankly indecipherable ‘Mettle Thinking’, and the profoundly preposterous ‘Imagineering™’. To me, today’s ridiculous job titles are a hangover from this. They do not impress or inspire people; insight, creativity and communication skills do. It’s the quality of the work that matters, and the impact it has that counts. Surely being the best at what you do, individually and collectively, is more important than trying (and failing) to sound clever. Good communication has always been about clarity and simplicity. It engenders approachability and trust in any industry, but especially in the creative sector. Please, let’s not spoil that with cheesy grandeur! Read more: How to find a new job in 2019 5 things NOT to say in a job interview Being an art director: all you need to know View the full article

Cisco has patched two critical vulnerabilities in its Data Center Network Manager software, which could allow a remote attacker to take over affected devices. View the full article

With the right Photoshop Elements tutorials you can do much of what you can achieve with the full version of Photoshop CC, at a fraction of the cost (read our review of Photoshop CC if you're not sure whether you need it). Photoshop Elements contains many of the features of the professional version, and it's a great choice for creatives who don't need all those heavyweight options. These Photoshop Elements tutorials cover versions from 7 upwards, and they'll take you through from basic tools through to more advanced effects. Get Adobe Creative Cloud 01. Introduction to Photoshop Elements Get to grips with the basics [Image: Adobe] If you're new to Photoshop Elements, watch this video by from Jan Kabili of Lynda.com. It'll help you understand the main workspaces – eLive, Media, People, Places, and Events – and also explains how to organise, edit, create, and share your photos. 02. Use the Elements Organiser Take control of your photos with this guide [Image: Adobe] To help you find your way around, this guide will take you on a tour of the Elements Organiser and show you how to view, organise, search, and tag photographs. It'll also teach you about the workspace, layout, views, and how to quickly find photos. 03. Sort and organise images Elements team member Philip Andrews talks through how to sort, manage and find photos really quickly in this video-based Photoshop Elements tutorial. 04. Remove objects or artefacts with Content-Aware Fill Lose unwanted photo elements with ease With more recent versions of Elements you have plenty of useful options for cleaning up photography. In this tutorial for Elements 13, you'll learn how to remove unwanted parts of a photo using Content-Aware Fill, which replaces selected elements with content from elsewhere in the photo. 05. Use the Refine Selection brush Here's a way to ensure that your selections are absolutely perfect When you're trying to make selections around intricately-shaped objects, it can be really fiddly to get things exactly right. This tutorial demonstrates how you can modify an existing selection using the Refine Selection Brush to get the best results possible. 06. Adjust composition with the Recompose tool Recompose your photos to make them easier on the eye If a photo almost looks good but the composition isn't quite right, Elements makes it easy to move things around until it's all a bit more aesthetically pleasing. Watch this tutorial for Elements 13 and you'll learn how to use the Recompose tool to shift everything about, keeping important elements while getting rid of unwanted parts. 07. Clean up your scene The intuitive scene cleaner tool was introduced in Photoshop Elements 7. In this video-based Photoshop Elements tutorial, learn how to add to or remove objects from your image. 08. Fix image exposure and lighting Is your image over exposed? Or are details lost due to poor contrast? Many photos look better with corrected brightness and contrast, learn how to adjust both here. 09. Airbrush and remove blemishes In just 10 minutes this useful Photoshop Elements tutorial covers user interface, airbrushing and smoothing skin, layers and remving blemishes. 10. Create pop art This video-based Photoshop Elements tutorial discusses how to make pop art effects using the Pop Art edit function. For Photoshop Elements 9 and above. 11. Use Guided Photo Edits In Guided Edit mode, you can create eye-catching special effects. From basic photo editing to awesome VFX, this video walks you through the fundamentals of working in this mode. This Photoshop Elements tutorial is for versions 10 and above. 12. Create sophisticated blur effects In this tutorial, the Photoshop Elements team talk through features that allow you to create sophisticated blur techniques, such as tilt shift and lens blur, with ease. 13. Create a Copyright watermark brush Want to protect your work? This 20-minute Photoshop Elements tutorial walks you through how to watermark your images with one click of the mouse. 14. Master the pen and ink filter The pen and ink filter cleverly takes a photograph and gives it a drawn or cartoon look. Follow this short video tutorial to find out just how to use it. Read more: The best alternatives to Photoshop How to resize an image in Photoshop 50 best photo apps and photo editing software View the full article

If you're such a big fan of Star Wars that you simply have to base your home furnishings on it, that's not a difficult thing to do. There are plenty of companies selling licensed Star Wars furniture, but what if that's all a bit too cheap and common for you? What if you really need some luxury Star Wars furniture at a price most can't afford? Well, here's the good news: there's now a range of high-end Star Wars furniture designed by Kenneth Cobonpue, and it comes at suitably eye-watering prices. 6 free Star Wars fonts Who wouldn't want a TIE Fighter chair? Kenneth Cobonpue is an award-winning designer and manufacturer from the Philippines who has made a name for himself by combining natural materials, traditional craft and experimental design to create unique and whimsical pieces of furniture. Given the opportunity to collaborate with Disney on a collection based on the movies or brands of his choice, Cobonpue immediately picked Star Wars, and was given free reign to create as he wanted. The results are some striking-looking pieces with prices to match. The most Star Wars-looking is without doubt the TIE Fighter chair; featuring woven wings and a matching table, it bears a distinct resemblance to the Empire's go-to starfighters, and it's marketed as being the perfect choice for a game room. The Sidious Chair faces off against the Chewie stool, overlooked by a Jedi lamp If you're after something more comfortable, we'd go for the Sidious easy armchair. With a raised backrest to resemble the Emperor's hood, it's an elegant yet menacing piece that looks great for lounging around. On a similar note, there's also a Vader easy armchair with its own foldable swivel table and an open weave canopy for that echo of the Dark Lord's famous helmet. Ideal if you want a bit of privacy for hatching evil plans. By far the most adorable piece in the collection is the Chewie rocking stool, adorned with a thick Wookiee-style coat of microfibre strips and wrapped in a fabric belt resembling Chewbacca's bandolier. And the weirdest piece? The Little Jedi lamp, made out of what looks like a tangle of lightsaber-wielding Jedi action figures going into battle against a solitary red Sith. Hatch your evil plans from the safety of the Vader easy chair The best thing about this strange collection is that none of it looks too Star Wars-y; it's fantastic-looking deco furniture with just enough of a Star Wars feel to get the fans – at least the ones with deep pockets – flocking to it. And yes, those pockets will have to be pretty deep; the TIE Fighter chair clocks in at $2,700 (with the matching tables another $655), and if you have an eye on the Vader easy chair then that's going to cost you a cool $4,320. There's good news for those of you who can't quite run to those price tags, however: the Chewie rocking stool could be yours for just $1,345. Puts that $999 Apple monitor stand into perspective, doesn't it? And if you still can't stretch to that, then check out our best office chair buying guide instead, which has some more affordable (non Star Wars) options. Previously available only in the Philippines, the Kenneth Cobonpue Star Wars collection is now available through outlets in the US; find your nearest outlet here. Related articles: How to illustrate a Star Wars-inspired environment The best office desk Stunning trailer shows what Star Wars might have been View the full article

A bug in the Electronic Arts gaming platform's single sign-on mechanism could have allowed hackers to access game accounts. View the full article

When it was released last month, Apple's new Mac Pro was praised for its incredible specs. Despite this, people were distracted by the unusual design of the computer's tower, which was compared to a cheese grater. Was this a fair comparison or an unwarranted jibe? To settle the matter, a YouTuber has created a replica of the tower to see whether it can in fact grate cheese. So forget whether or not the Mac Pro is set to become one of the best computers for graphic designers, let's take a look at how it shreds lumps of dairy products. Keep in mind that Moy doesn't test an actual Mac Pro though. We don't blame him either, seeing as the upcoming computer is set to cost a hefty sum and there won't be Prime Day deals this year to bring the price down. You don't exactly want to clog it up with strips of cheddar. As you can see in his comprehensive seven minute video, YouTuber Winston Moy puts the matter to bed by proving that the Mac Pro does not actually grate cheese all that well. Moy isn't the first person to find an inventive use for the Mac Pro's cheese grater aesthetic though. Only recently IKEA released a tongue in cheek advert promoting its cheese graters with the phrase "designed for apples". With its clever use of typography, this IKEA ad is one of the best print ads we've seen in a long time. And if this video has made you hungry to try out Moy's model for yourself, he's shared the files for his Apple Mac Pro-inspired cheese grater on his Thingiverse page. Although he admits it's better suited to being a soap dish than a cheese grater. Related articles: $999 Mac Pro stand: Has Apple lost the plot? First Look: Apple Pro Display XDR monitor Is Apple ditching its 'i'? View the full article

If you find yourself struggling to build or optimise fast web pages, there may be an alternative solution for you as a developer. Why not turn to an open-source tech solution called accelerated mobile pages (AMP)? AMP offers near-instant delivery of mobile pages (0.8 seconds average), making it an ideal perfect solution for a user's first interaction with your website. Progressive web apps (PWA), on the other hand, enable you to offer more interactivity and engagement features. AMP and PWAs are really just sets of technologies or web pages offering complementary ways of achieving different goals. In this guide, we'll show you how to combine the two to create truly compelling and ultra-fast mobile web experiences. For more helpful advice, take a look at our roundup of tutorials exploring how to build an app. 9 amazing PWA secrets AMP: Accelerated mobile pages AMP loads 85% faster than standard mobile pages AMP delivers blazingly fast, smooth landing pages. The framework itself is quite simple to code, with most developers taking less than a week to fully implement it. AMP puts content in front of users quickly, loading 85 per cent faster than standard mobile pages. So long as your page remains 'AMP valid', you can be confident of not breaking the code or sacrificing performance. You can develop a valid AMP page following the framework built with AMP HTML, AMP JS and AMP Cache and then using AMP Validator to check you haven't missed anything. For more on how to build APM, take a look at the Google Developers site. It's always important to test AMP for impact. We recommend that you A/B test AMP with respect to what effect it has on your mobile performance with a 50/50 split test on traffic. This way you can safely see the results that AMP has for yourselves. PWA: Progressive web apps PWAs are essentially websites that behave like native apps A PWA combines the reach of the open web with the functionality of native web applications. It's essentially a website that behaves almost like a native mobile app. They are quick to load – especially on cached or repeat mobile visits – available offline, secure and can be accessed from your home screen. However, their first load is hindered by the fact the site's service worker (assets and app shell) only accelerates delivery to a repeat visitor on a site's subsequent load. Service workers in PWAs enable reliable experiences when there is no network or slow/intermittent network connections. A major benefit of PWAs is that they use web technologies at the right time and can replace app-like permissions, push notifications, payment request APIs and better form interactions (autocomplete, input types, etc). PWAs can also work towards less download requests for a user, which can be quite taxing on smartphones in general, using 50 per cent fewer external JavaScript requests. PWAs literally put your business at your consumer's fingertips once installed (with an app-like icon) and provide richer experiences – and more immersive ones with push notifications enabled – compared to the average website you will visit. It's through the set of technologies (https, service worker and a manifest file) enabled that enhance your website, even making it accessible offline. In addition, they can be easily discovered because users are far more likely to download the PWA when prompted to 'add to home screen' while they are browsing the web, rather than visiting an app store and looking for applications. How to combine AMP and PWA Since AMP and PWAs are really just sets of technologies or web pages offering complementary ways of achieving different goals, we should really take a second to acknowledge the unique strengths of each. Plus, both technologies have their own shortcomings when implemented individually that should also be considered. AMP presents fast-loading, out-of-the-box content that requires relatively low effort but has some features missing. PWAs, on the other hand, offer more advanced platform features, are fast-loading for repeat visits and content is reliable even in offline mode. However, PWAs are not as strong as AMP during first content load because they are not quite as fast. AMP and PWAs can be combined to create an engaging and super-speedy mobile web experience. Think of it as the perfect tech match. Here's the simple two-step process you need to follow: 01. Build your site with AMP That doesn't necessarily have to mean your entire website: you can focus on 'entry points' or landing pages. Decide on where you would expect to see the biggest incremental gains from AMP's speed. When implemented correctly, AMP should retain interest with the lightning fast load time when it's served from Google Cache. In order to integrate PWA logic with AMP, it all starts with an AMP component called amp-install-service worker, which can install a service worker from any AMP page. This makes the magic happen. It enables service worker installation from the AMP cache, so the service worker is installed by the time users visit the origin site. The user-experience remains uninterrupted and the service worker runs whenever the AMP file is served from the origin where the AMP file is published. Before integrating PWA features, it's a good idea to serve AMP in this way as an entry point via 'leaf pages' to your site and warm up the PWA 'behind the scenes' before switching a user to the smooth onward journey. 02. Progressively enhance with PWA features After you've implemented AMP and the service worker, progressively enhance your site with the PWA features that best meet your business goals. PWAs have a vast array of benefits when fully integrated, which makes it easy to delight more users, grow engagement and increase conversions. Here is a useful checklist that explains what it takes to produce a baseline PWA and then develop it into an exemplary PWA. The best teams out there are the ones willing to adapt to the new consumer expectations. AMP and PWAs go well together and ensure that your website holds a user's attention and is more engaging. One thing's for sure, we like websites to be fast and we want content to arrive ready and easy to complete. In our modern world where almost everything is skippable and we can choose to disengage, we need to focus on retaining interest. Remember: the smallest screen represents the largest opportunity. Book now for a super early bird discount This article was originally published in net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Buy issue 318 or subscribe. Read more: The best monitors for programming 2019 5 different ways to develop a mobile app The best web hosting services View the full article