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The potential of Patreon for artists is life-changing. In case you haven't heard, Patreon is a membership program for artists that keeps creators creating through regular donations from supporters. Whether you make street art or 3D movies, it might be just what you need to push you forwards with your projects. To many onlookers, Patreon can appear to be a numbers game. Artists who use the platform jockey for subscribers, and therefore funds, as part of a transaction for their work. As for the site itself, the statistics speak volumes. Set up five years ago, Patreon has sent over $150 millions to its creators, who in turn get to keep 90 per cent of received donations. The site has had an impact beyond these figures, though. Patreon has put creators back in the driver seat and freed them up to create more personal work. How to make money on Pinterest as a creative For many, it’s been the platform they’ve been waiting for. "I’d been dreaming of Patreon for 10 years before it existed," explains Peter Mohrbacher, a fantasy illustrator whose passion had always lain in personal work. "After about seven years working in the games industry, I stopped seeking new employment because I wanted to pursue the dream of making a full-time living from my personal work. Not long after that, Patreon launched and I jumped right on board." We've found artists who are using Patreon to achieve their goals, and asked for their tips on how you can utilise it with maximum success. So read on for seven things you can do to get the most out of the platform. Click on the icon at the top-right of the image to enlarge it. 01. Embrace the new model Wylie Beckert released her first playing card deck, Wicked Kingdom, via Patreon [Image: Wylie Beckert] Illustrator and artist Wylie Beckert turned to Patreon out of frustration with the traditional career model of working for clients, brands and commissions. "I realised that if I was ever going to make it in the industry, I had to cut out the middleman and create that product myself," she explains. By setting up shop on Patreon, Beckert was able to concentrate on her own work. Seeing her art turn into a reliable income is an immensely gratifying draw to the platform for her. "There’s this poisonous misconception in our culture that if a creator isn’t creating sheerly for the joy of it, then they’re somehow less of a legitimate artist. Yet in reality, it’s a heck of a lot harder to create something worthwhile when you’re stressed about money or burned out after a long day at your ‘real’ job." 02. Build an audience Michael Lim built his fanbase before creating a Patreon page [Image: Michael Lim] Despite the fulfilment it offers, Patreon won’t do the legwork for its users. "Having a fan base is key, and is probably one of the most important aspects of creating a Patreon page," says Michael Lim, aka Daarken. "All of the people I know who are making a decent amount on Patreon had a large fan base beforehand. With the oversaturation of art and tutorials online, trying to make a name for yourself can seem almost impossible." Concept artist Irshad Karim agrees, "Patreon’s a great tool for monetising an audience, but I don’t find it to be effective at building one from nothing. Before you even think about launching your Patreon campaign, get out there and show people you’ve got something to offer." 03. Find your fit Orc and Gnome's Mild adventures is one of Karim's Patreon-funded projects [Image: Ishrad Karim] Karim explains that every project requires a different approach: "Unfortunately, it’s not a one-size-fits-all scenario. My Drawabox campaign has grown steadily since it was launched. I also draw a web comic, Orc and Gnome’s Mild Adventures, which itself has a Patreon campaign – and it’s a whole other beast to contend with. Balancing what to give away for free and what to hide behind a pay wall is an inherently uncreative decision." 04. Offer incentives The enamel pin Beckert produced as an incentive [Image: Wylie Beckert] To attract an audience, and therefore more funds, Lim suggests offering personalised incentives. "If people think they’re receiving something that no one else does, then it becomes more valuable. It feels more like the creator created something specifically for them. Patrons want to feel like they are a person, and not a number." This is exactly what Beckert did when she launched a Patreon-exclusive enamel pin, promising one to every patron who signed up by a deadline as a signing bonus. "My patron count nearly tripled in a month," the artist reveals. "This was a bit of a risky investment. Manufacturing and shipping around 700 pins cost me thousands of dollars and many days of stuffing envelopes. "Yet while a lot of people dropped their pledge as soon as they got their pin, today [six months later] I still have about twice as many patrons as I started out with, and Patreon has gone from supplementing my commercial work to almost completely replacing it." 05. Support and share Karim's Orbs of Knowledge: Patreon is a way of garnering support [Image: Ishrad Karim] Patreon also gives creators the chance to support the development of other artists by sharing their knowledge. Karim found himself moving on to the platform after spending time passing on his accumulated expertise via Reddit and amassing a large community in the process. "People started asking how they could help contribute and give back for what they’d received," Karim says. "At that point I hadn’t thought about monetising the community. Rather, I figured it could help me develop a reputation, and then further down the road perhaps I’d offer mentorships or something, when I felt my skills and experience levels were ready for that. And so, my Patreon campaign – as well as the Drawabox website itself – was born. "I’ve always seen Patreon not specifically as a way to make money, but as a means of garnering support," Karim adds. "It just so happens that the easiest way for someone to support you is with a burger’s worth of dollars each month." "If I hadn’t been lucky enough to enter the field at a time when this platform was available to creators, I’d probably be building spreadsheets instead of strange fantasy worlds," says Beckert. 05. Value the community Giving back to the community is just as useful for the teacher as it is the student. "Tutorials serve a hidden purpose for me," says Beckert. "Normally, it’s all too easy to zone out while working on a piece and start to rely on habit instead of conscious decision-making – at which point, the quality of my work starts to suffer. Documenting the process as I go keeps me engaged and reviewing my photos and notes after the fact helps me find ways to fine-tune my process." And Patreon has an inbuilt way of connecting with your audience, Karim explains, "Patreon’s Discord chat integration is a seemingly minor feature, but truly an amazing one. It’s simple to set up and enables you to build a stronger bond with your community. And that is how one succeeds on Patreon!" 06. Use Patreon to balance tough industry conditions Morbacher's Redux. Morbacher couldn't have devoted his full attention to his work without Patreon [Image: Peter Mohrbacher] "There are a lot of creative industries where the pay and the terms of work continue to slide into unliveable conditions,” says Mohrbacher. “Illustrators in particular have become abused and exploited by their industry. “I’m hoping that an alternative to working for big companies will create the competition we need to help improve wages and terms." For artists like Lim, though, Patreon hasn’t really affected his freelance work because he uses the platform to offer a different service altogether. "Since the decline of my mentorship attendance, Patreon has enabled me to keep the lights on," he explains. "Without the monthly revenue stream from Patreon, I wouldn’t be able to pay my bills." This article was originally published in issue 170 of ImagineFX, the world's best-selling magazine for digital artists. Buy issue 170 or subscribe to ImagineFX. Related articles: Boost your illustration career with these 6 tips The art of going freelance Why you should embrace design thinking View the full article

Nobody wants a straightforward website or app any more. These days you need a more than just an excellent website layout; you need a whole design system that provides you with all the elements you need to create a whole set of sites, pages and apps that follow the same design rules and can evolve as required. Having a robust design system in place can really ease the process of designing and building apps and sites, and now Adobe has taken the first steps to enabling you to deploy them using Adobe XD. In its May update, XD introduces new features aimed at helping you create cloud documents with reusable colours, character styles and components that can be shared with team members to create their own documents. Everything you need to know about design systems The key part of XD's new design system toolset is the introduction of components. Replacing XD's symbols, components are reusable elements that designers can bring into their own designs, and customise them if necessary. Crucially, though, if the master component is updated - say, if the client changes their mind about the colour scheme - these updates are rolled out across all non-customised instances, so every design based on that particular system is updated to reflect the changes. The various components, colours and fonts that might make up your design system can be controlled and curated through XD's assets panel. And beyond that, there's also the option to create style guides in the form of 'sticker sheets', which can be published online for reference by external designers or developers. Adobe's guide to how design systems work in XD The beauty of design systems is that everyone, from designers to developers, is reading from the same hymn sheet throughout the build process, so if you're using Adobe XD in your workflow then this should be an exciting update. Adobe says it plans to follow up with refinements offering more fine-grained control over permissions and distributing updates to design system elements. Other new additions in the Adobe XD May update include the ability to drag guides onto artboards, support for keyboard and gamepad triggers within prototypes, a new polygon tool and improved text formatting with the ability to make text upper, lower or title case as well as defining strikethroughs. You should be able to check them all out in the updated Adobe XD right now; find out more on the Adobe blog. Related articles: The best new web design tools of 2019 so far Explore top companies' design systems Develop reusable React components View the full article

Taiwanese electronics company Asus has a track record of releasing innovative and top of the range devices, but it might just have out done itself with its recently announced dual-screen laptops. Unveiled at Computex, the ZenBook Pro Duo and ZenBook Duo feature two in-built 4K screens, with the aim to help users create more intuitively. Building on 2018's ZenBook Pro 15, which came with a touchscreen trackpad, the ZenBook Pro Duo features an impressive 4K main screen and an accompanying touch-sensitive 4K 'Screen Pad Plus' located directly underneath. An LED backed touchpad completes this device's unique setup. We've yet to see the device in action, but if early reports are anything to go by, the ZenBook is headed for a spot in our best laptops for graphic design round up. Super Screen Pad Plus If you're trying to figure out how the Screen Pad Plus works, think of a supersized MacBook Pro Touch Bar. The secondary display is the same width of the laptop's 15.6-inch 4K main screen, and can still be classed as 4K itself thanks to its 3840 x 1100 resolution. In comparison, the main screen packs more of a punch thanks to its 3840 x 2160 pixel display. So what can you use the Screen Pad Plus for? According to the promotional video and press previews, it looks like it's ready for a whole number of tasks. Digital artists can use it with a stylus for an intuitive drawing experience that looks set to make the best Photoshop brushes pop. Meanwhile gamers can view info and stream simultaneously. It also functions as an extended workspace, a multi-app launcher, or as a storage space for content creator galleries. Stylus compatibility gives the ZenBook Pro Duo an intuitive feel. Image: Asus The secondary screen also shakes up web browsing. Users can either view websites on the main display and line up other sites in the Screen Pad Plus, or they can sync them so pages appear descend all the way down to the keyboard. Speaking of the keyboard, the additional screen doesn't put the squeeze on it as it comes in a regular size. In terms of power, the 2.5kg laptop boasts a 9th generation Intel Core i9 CPU, a GeForce RTX 2060 GPU, Wi-Fi 6 capability, up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD worth of storage. On top of this, it also comes with a Thunderbolt 3 port, a pair of USB-A ports, a full-sized HDMI port and let's not forget the headphone jack. Fans of Asus will be all too familiar with its range of innovative laptops, including the Asus Chromebook Flip, which we chose as one of the best 2-in-1 laptops available right now. But with the ZenBook Pro Duo, Asus is pushing the limits of the laptop even further. Currently there's no pricing information, but we've a feeling the ZenBook Pro Duo might be quite pricey. Good news is there's a smaller version too, the 14-inch ZenBookPro Duo, which will almost certainly be cheaper than it's bigger sibling. This slimmed down model comes with a 12.6-inch ScreenPad Plus, an Intel Core i7 CPU and GeForce MX250 GPU. At the time of writing Asus haven't mentioned any concrete release dates for these devices, but it's expected to announce a Q3 shipping date in the coming weeks so stay tuned for further updates. Related articles: The 5 best laptops for Photoshop in 2019 The best laptop cooling pads in 2019 The best Walmart laptops in 2019 View the full article

Once you get stuck into a serious font collection it's almost impossible to stop adding things to it. Not only are there all the classic fonts that every designer ought to own, there's also an ever-growing selection of free fonts available online, all clamouring for your attention. There's so much to choose from, though, that it can be hard to pick out the best ones and avoid the dross. So to help you out, we've looked around and found 10 of the best free sans serif fonts released this year; whether you want a sensible all-rounder or something quirkier with a bit of visual flair, there's certain to be something here to give your font library a welcome boost. 19 great places to download fonts for free 01. Red Hat Red Hat's not just for Linux nerds The name might not mean much to you if you're not into Linux and open source, but Red Hat is big enough to have recently brought in Pentagram's Paula Scher to redesign its branding, and part of this process has been a Red Hat type family. Designed by Jeremy Mickel, it's a fresh take on a geometric sans and inspired by American sans serifs such as Highway Gothic and Tempo. It comes in two optical sizes and in a range of weights, including italics, and the entire family is available to use under the SIL Open Font Licence. 02. Mattone Mattone's bold, curvy and versatile A highly visible sans serif designed by Annunziato Mazzaferro, Mattone is a wonderfully wide and curvy font with sharp, straight-cut endings, and is built to fit beautifully with bold graphics. It'll also work as an attention-grabbing display font or a stand-out paragraph font. 03. Luciole Luciole mixes visibility and Gallic flair The result of a two-year project by France's Centre Technique Régional pour la Déficience Visuelle and typographies.fr, Luciole has been designed to be easy for people with impaired vision to read. It features strong, heavyweight characters and extra-bold punctuation, accents and mathematical symbols, and it comes in four weights: regular, bold, italic and bold italic. All of them are available under a Creative Commons licence. 04. Public Sans Public Sans is a sensible font for serious stuff Created as part of the United States Web Design System, Public Sans is a free and open source webfont designed with interfaces, text and headings in mind. It's based on Libre Franklin and is a strong, neutral font with a broad range of weights and as few quirks as possible. If it's a no-nonsense sans that you're after, you can't go far wrong here. 05. Sophia Sophia is wonderfully retro and slightly quirky On the other hand, if you're after something a little more sophisticated then allow us to direct you towards Sophia, a free sans serif from Goicha for personal use only. Its gloriously thick stems and thin hairlines give it a lovely retro feel, and it has some excellent little quirky touches that really draw the eye. If you like what you see, you might want to check out Goicha's bundle of 17 fonts for just $48. 06. Köhne Makina Köhne Makina also comes in lovely textured version Another pleasingly quirky font, this time from Krafti Lab. Köhne Makina is a tall vector all-caps font with lovely rounded ends with an urgent but friendly feel to it, and it's free for personal and commercial use. If you want something a bit grungier it's also available from Krafti Lab in a textured version. And the name? Apparently Köhne means old, worn or outdated in Turkish and Persian. 07. Aire Exterior Get that '50s B-movie feel with Aire Exterior One for fans of terrible cult sci-fi, Aire Exterior is a public domain geometric sans serif that's based on the title screen of Ed Wood's infamously bad 1959 classic, Plan 9 from Outer Space. Despite its truly awful heritage, the font itself is quite a looker; we'd advise grabbing the font but not bothering to check out its inspiration. 08. Ferghaus Sans We love the free version of Ferghaus; you might want to pay for all the OpenType features, though Described as a modern sans with a twist, Ferghaus is a versatile font with plenty of OpenType features such as alternate characters, ligatures and swashes, and is suitable for everything from classic-style designs or more modern creations. This free demo version only contains the standard characters, but it's more than enough to give you a feel for Ferghaus' capabilities. 09. Gorgeous Grafix Gorgeous Grafix is perfect for drumming up a bit of excitement Looking for a sans serif that's a little bit futuristic? Darrell Flood's Gorgeous Grafix could be just the thing; we reckon it has a bit of a Star Wars feel to it, with thick, sharp strokes really stand out on the page. It's free for personal use, but Darrell adds that he appreciates donations. 10. Goodlight We'd like to wish you all a very Goodlight A modern header font designed by Daler Mukhiddinov, Goodlight is a sans serif that's apparently inspired by walking home at night; we'll take Daler's word for that. It's a splendidly clean-looking font that comes in normal and light flavours, and it's free to use in commercial projects under the SIL Open Font Licence. Related articles: 15 top typography resources Typography rules and terms every designer must know The 41 best free web fonts View the full article

New American television series, The Passage, found a brilliant way to promote its premiere in Brazil. The show, which sees scientists battling against genetically altered vampires, is the latest in a long line of fiction centred around the folklore monsters. But with its combustible posters, the show has proven that there's still plenty of ways to drum up interest in the famous blood-suckers. Created in partnership between Fox and ad agency BETC São Paulo, the marketing campaign for The Passage includes four displays of The Vampire Poster. This design comfortably sits alongside the most inspirational poster designs we've ever seen thanks to its vampiric aversion to sunlight. As we all know, vampires can't stand a direct hit of sunlight as it causes them to curl up in flames. It's one of their biggest weaknesses, along with stakes to the heart, garlic, and door thresholds. And while a dose of vitamin D is bad news for vampires, it's a dream opportunity for advertisers. The posters appeared on the streets of São Paulo [Image: BETC/Havas] By coating the back of the posters in a special paint that combusts in sunlight, the creative team were able to make an advert that truly reflected its subject. Not that vampires have reflections, mind. But you know what we mean. Upon being exposed to daylight, the posters burst into flames, garnering lots of interest and online impressions in the process. A glass case stopped the posters from harming passers by, and a message on the base of the display told viewers all they needed to know about the upcoming series. Bizarrely, this isn't the only ad campaign we've seen recently that centres around posters going up in flames. Burger King recently invited customers to set fire to its competition's posters in exchange for a free Whopper. Although that was an AI campaign, so there were no real-life fires. The Vampire Posters have a brief lifespan, given that they can't survive the day. But having achieved a reach 688 per cent higher than estimated by investors (according to the stats at the end of the video), this short and sweet campaign appears to have hit the spot. Related articles: The 12 best London Underground posters A designer's guide to printing a poster 14 beautiful travel posters View the full article

Even the biggest successful brands don't get it right all the time. But the most successful ones learn from past mistakes, and, best case scenario, find ways to use them to an advantage. Right now Coca-Cola is attempting just that, reintroducing a product that failed first time round 34 years ago. If you haven't heard the story of 'New Coke', let us take a moment to fill you in. Recognised as a brand so strong it doesn't need a logo, Coca-Cola took arguably the biggest risk in consumer history back in the mid-80s when it changed the formula for its flagship product. The term 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' springs to mind. But Coca-Cola did. And it failed spectacularly. 18 controversial moments in logo design and branding The change marked the first time Coke had altered its recipe in 99 years, and the Coca-Cola website reports it 'spawned consumer angst the likes of which no business has ever seen'. The backlash was so fierce, New Coke was withdrawn a mere 79 days after its initial release. A point in Coke's history you'd think they'd want to forget, right? Wrong. Despite New Coke being an utter flop, Coca-Cola is resurrecting the formula following a recent partnership with Netflix's Stranger Things. Set in the summer of 1985, when New Coke was first released, the old-now-new design will feature in various episodes of the third series, giving the show added authenticity. (We can't help but wish New Coke also featured in this epic new Stranger Things Lego set too). Speaking to CNN Business, Stuart Kronauge, president of Coke's business unit and senior vice president of marketing for Coca-Cola North America, said: "Maybe a while ago we wouldn't have done this. But we're changing and trying to innovate in ways that are beyond traditional new products. This is a cultural innovation." Kronauge also stated the comeback of New Coke is a way for Coca-Cola to "not take ourselves too seriously." It's a brave move for a brand to resurrect a product that was originally such a monumental disaster, but something tells us things will be slightly different this time around. The ability to recognise and play on a not-so-successful part of Coca-Cola's history shows strength and personality from the brand, which we can't help but admire. Want a New Coke can for yourself? You can find them at various Stranger Things-themed pop-up vending machines in various cities this summer. But you’ll need to be quick. Coca-Cola has produced under 500,000 of the New Coke 12-ounce cans, and we don't expect them to hang around for long. Read more: 21 outstanding uses of colour in branding Can you guess the brand from its original logo? Liquid Death is 2019's stupidest branding View the full article

You're reading Background Images in Email Templates, How to Use, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook! Use of multimedia in an email newsletter is not something new. Almost every other message in our inbox is packed with images, icons, and even gifs and videos. Rich multimedia is an integral part of the web sphere and designers … View the full article

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The Windows 10 update that's rolling out addresses insecure Wi-Fi hotspots with new user notifications. View the full article

From cartoons to crochet, stop-motion to 3D models, the new issue of Computer Arts reveals the secrets to strong character design, with the insight of the talented cover artist Julian Glander, Elenor Kopka, Jeron Braxton and Philippa Rice. We explore the tips and tricks to better implement communication and storytelling in creative projects, look at how techniques and trends in character design have changed over the last 15 years, and pick out the standout talents of that period. And, for our men's fitness-style magazine cover, we've partnered up with illustrator Julian Glander and our cover treatment pals at Celloglas to achieve a beautiful colour palette that fits perfectly with the fluted foil CA logo and a soft touch finish. Buy Computer Arts issue 293 now Bulk up on big ideas and get buff at character design Talking of covers, we've announced our sixth annual cover competition! If you're a student or a recent graduate, head over here to find out more, and be in with a chance of winning an £800 commission to create our cover. We also speak to the wayfinding and graphic design legend Lance Wyman about branding Mexico City, collecting war masks and the power of meditation. Elsewhere, we delve into the benefits of embracing, and learning from, your mistakes – with a whole raft of creative professionals dishing the dirt on the the biggest blunders they've made, and why they wouldn't change a thing about them. Save up 59% on a print and digital subscription now We also head over the pond to take the pulse of US design studio COLLINS, and sit down with NB Studio and find out how it created a D&AD shortlisted packaging project that turns into a jet pack! Flick through some of the page below... Computer Arts is the world's best-selling design magazine, bursting at the seams with insight, inspiration, interviews and all the best new design projects. For all this delivered direct to your door each month, subscribe to Computer Arts. Right now you can save up to 70 per cent off the cover price. Related articles: Win a commission to design the cover of Computer Arts 5 huge illustration trends for 2019 12 top learning resources for illustrators View the full article

You're reading Free Bootstrap Themes and Templates, 2019 Updated, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook! It is no secret that free bootstrap themes and templates are the first options when it comes to creating a presence online. There are several reasons for that. First, most designers are used to this boilerplate. It has been with … View the full article

Want to become an app developer? Get started with Hacksaw Academy. A lifetime subscription to this training tool is only $19.99. Among the sea of generic coding videos that populate the Internet, Hacksaw Academy stands out from the pack. Rather than teach you generic, overly complex coding styles, Hacksaw Academy is an interactive elearning platform that helps you build real tech skills which will get you employed. The best VPN service 2019 The platform offers bite-sized, easily digestible programming projects that help you master essential coding tools, such as HTML and JavaScript. You'll learn how to create important things like landing pages and portfolios, and these hands-on projects are perfect training for what you'll design when you're a developer. Get Hacksaw Academy: Lifetime Subscription for only $19.99. Related articles: The best code editors The future of web design Agile development: How to use it in your web workflow View the full article

Making people listen to your brand is arguably harder than ever. People are overwhelmed with a cascade of content via social media, which means that well-meaning messages can sometimes get muscled out by companies with more budget and clout. However, with craft and careful consideration of what your brand means, there are still lots of ways to get your point across without compromising your integrity. We’ve seen creators from all corners of the design universe share their advice at this week’s D&AD Festival. They had plenty to say about how they connected with their audiences with both straightforward and experimental designs in a way that stayed true to their brand. Here’s what we learnt... 01. Don't be afraid to be human If you’re locked away in a studio or office all day, it can be easy to lose sight of the fact that your brand is talking to people, not online algorithms. So it makes sense that a brand should communicate in a human way. For Susan Hoffman, the executive creative director at Wieden+Kennedy, forgetting this is a fatal error, “without humanity, our creative voices are drowning". Of course, what being 'human' means is a huge topic. But in terms of branding, the team at Wieden+Kennedy have cracked it because, as Hoffman puts it, "they let weirdos do their job". This off-the-wall approach has resulted in some fantastically bizarre campaigns, such as the smooth-talking goofiness of the Old Spice ads (above), and an overhaul of the KFC identity that saw Colonel Sanders crowned the 'world’s sexiest chicken salesman' by People magazine. This isn’t weirdness for weirdness sake though, and Wieden+Kennedy keeps the important things in its cross hairs at all times. “The work comes first,” adds Hoffman. "We like to make people feel something." After all, if all you’re focused on is the hard-sell, how do you forge a human connection? When it comes to the balance of profit and creativity, Hoffman reveals that, "you can be driven by one or the other, but not both". 02. Respect the needs of your audience It might sound obvious, but knowing the needs of your audience will direct the tone of your brand’s voice. What isn’t so straightforward though is the way that their needs will translate to your communications. For Henry Firth and Ian Theasby, AKA plant-based cooking duo Bosh!, a certain word at the heart of their whole operation was off the table when it came to setting up the voice for their recipe videos and online content. "We didn’t shout about veganism", says Firth, having found out the hard way that it could irk potential customers, including family and friends. In fact they steered clear of the word vegan entirely to begin with, and relied on the fact that their recipes just happened to not include animal products. The reason behind this, Theasby argues, was that: "people going vegan didn’t want to change who they are". By showing good food instead of telling people about its vegan credentials, the brand could tap into the market of 23 million flexitarians in the UK in a welcoming way. 03. Focus on good design, not profit Okay, this is always going to be a hard one to sell to cash-conscious clients. However the benefits of good design have a direct impact on your brand, and therefore its revenue. For Mark Adams, the managing director at furniture company Vitsœ, good design also generates a brand’s most valuable asset: trust. At the core of Vitsœ’s work are Dieter Ram’s 10 principles of good design. The renowned and forthright German designer created furniture for the company in the '60s, and his approach is still felt today. During his talk on the importance of good design, Adams highlighted that between 50 and 60 per cent of Vitsœ’s customers are returning clients, purely because its products are so well made that they have embodied trust. Not only that, but according to Adams, Vitsœ undersells to its customers. You won’t see any seasonal or Black Friday displays in the Vitsœ shop window. The effect of this is that it reinforces the honesty present in the brand. Shoppers understand that they’re getting the best and fairest price possible all year round for a product that is built to last. Related articles: Build a better personal brand Liquid Death is 2019's stupidest branding Google's new gaming logo is cleverly off-brand View the full article

Adobe Fuse has recently been added to Adobe's Creative Cloud suite, and it's shaking up the world of character design. Creating new characters can be a tricky task for any 3D artist, and it’s even harder when the artist is new to CGI creation. While downloading basic models from stock sites can certainly be a good starting point, Adobe Fuse helps when you need something more bespoke. Adobe Fuse enables artists to create bespoke humanoid models, and clothe them using the array of clothing presets that come with the software. Adobe Fuse is primarily designed to work with Adobe Photoshop’s 3D system. Get Adobe Creative Cloud now What is Adobe Fuse? This often-underused system allows a 3D model to be part of a normal ‘2D’ Photoshop file. The model can be posed directly within Photoshop thanks to a wide array of poses and animations that can be stopped at the desired point for a still. Adobe Fuse files can be exported as OBJ models with their associated textures for rigging in 3D applications. They can also be uploaded to Adobe’s Mixamo service, where rigging and animation can be managed on the fly for the creation of an animated FBX or OBJ file. At first glance the current options in Fuse are limited (it is still classed as Beta software by Adobe). However, the wide range of customisation points for modifying the body, along with detailed control of elements such as eye detail and skin effects, make the creation of many unique characters very easy. This makes Fuse an ideal solution for a wide range of character uses. We've put together a step-by-step guide to creating a character with Adobe Fuse. Let's see what it can do. Click on the icon at the top-right of the image to enlarge it. 01. Create a character Fuse allows the user to choose each body part then blends elements together Starting with the head, Adobe Fuse allows the artist to choose the major body parts. Although there are distinct body parts for each figure, the four main constituent parts (head, torso, legs and arms) can be assembled together in whatever order the artist desires. Adobe Fuse will do its best to create a blend between the elements. Fuse follows normal 3D application conventions in terms of its UI, making it easy to move around and zoom in on the figure. 02. Customise the Adobe fuse figure Use the slider on the right-hand side to customise the figure Customising the figure can be done using a couple of methods. On the right-hand side of the UI are a range of sliders that control a wide variety of points on the model. The more intuitive method involves moving the mouse over an element and clickdragging it. Responsiveness is quick no matter what computer hardware Fuse is running on, and the appropriate slider is highlighted in the UI when selected. 03. Add clothing Change colours and tweak the underlying body model Clothing is the one area where Adobe Fuse could definitely do with more options. Still, colours can be changed and if the artist wants to tweak a feature on the underlying body model, any selected clothing will re-proportion itself to accommodate the change on the fly. Skin and hair can also be aged and changed, with convincing wrinkles and wear and tear on the skin. Eye colour and even cataracts can be added to the eye to denote age. 04. Integrate with Photoshop Move, scale and relight the model within Photoshop By exporting the Adobe Fuse model to a Creative Cloud Library, the character can be easily added to Photoshop. The model can be relit, moved and scaled within Photoshop, and works as a normal layer. Poses to the model can be easily added from hundreds of options from the Properties palette, and facial expressions can be modified as well. This allows a large range of options to be integrated into any Photoshop document. 05. Work with other 3D applications Fuse provides the base model to import to other applications Fuse can provide a base model that can be exported as an OBJ file with all the necessary textures (up to 4K). This file can then be imported into a 3D application for rigging for animation, or just to be used as a still. Textures are applied as generic UVs which means they could be further enhanced with texture work within the 3D application, or via texture-painting applications such as Allegorithmic’s Substance Painter. 06. Process with Mixamo Process your character through the Mixamo service Adobe Fuse characters can be processed through the Mixamo animation service. Fuse models are exported to Mixamo directly through the ’Send to Mixamo’ button on the UI, and after the model is uploaded, it is automatically rigged and can then have one of the hundreds of free-to-use motion samples applied to it. These can then be downloaded as an FBX or similar file to be used in any Digital Content Creation software. This article was originally published in issue 245 of 3D World, the world's best-selling magazine for CG artists. Buy issue 245 or subscribe to 3D World. Related articles: How to create water simulations 24 free 3D models The hottest new tools for 3D artists this spring View the full article

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Justice League is the original superhero team, created in 1960 as the Justice League of America and providing the impetus for Marvel's Stan Lee to develop his own superhero gang, the Fantastic Four. It's getting on for 60 years old now, and with an eye on this anniversary DC has just unveiled a brand new logo design for its Justice League comic. What's the deal with that star? Image: DC. Just as the line-up of the Justice League has changed over time – the current roster is comprised of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Martian Manhunter and Hawkgirl – so the logo itself has been redesigned and modified, most recently in 2016. This one, however, harks back to the style of the original 1960 logo. How to create a comic page Over the years the Justice League logo has featured a signature star – in fact the original version had a load of them, perhaps a few too many – and while it's been missing in recent incarnations, for this latest version it's back, along with clean lines and just a hint of depth. The original Justice League logo from 1960. So many stars. Image: DC, cover art by Mike Sekowsky and Murphy Anderson. There's a slight weirdness to it that you might not immediately be able to put your finger on, however, and it's this: while the Justice League wordmark is slanted at a jaunty angle, the star itself isn't. Not only that, one of the vertices runs parallel to the angle of the text; it's clearly a deliberate design decision, but it does look a little bit odd. Maybe that's the idea; it certainly catches the eye. As well as marking the Justice League's 60th birthday a little early, this new logo marks the beginning of DC's Year of the Villain event, and it gets its first outing on the front cover of Justice League #25. In this extra-sized anniversary issue, Lex Luthor makes the world an offer: reject the Justice League and follow his plans to save humanity, because justice isn't getting the job done. The new logo makes its debut on the cover of Justice League #23. Image: DC, cover art by Jorge Jiménez and Alejandro Sánchez The new issue goes on sale in stores and online on 5 June; you can find out more over at DC Comics. Related articles: How to colour comics 14 imaginative web comics to inspire you How to combine 3D and comic art in ZBrush View the full article

Most creatives don't realise you can make money on Pinterest. Many consider it a floaty sort of place where you can look at interiors, recipes and wedding crafts, and while you can do all those things, Pinterest is actually a very powerful tool. Pinterest is used by 250 million people per month, and 84 per cent of users use it when they're trying to decide what to buy. That means that as a designer, illustrator or artist, it's the ideal place to promote yourself and anything you're trying to sell – whether that's your services or your products. (If you're looking to sell more online, then you can also check out our inspiring list of ecommerce websites.) But how can you best use Pinterest? How can you get more followers? How many boards should you have on the platform? And how can you transform your pins into cold hard cash? To find out, we spoke to those who are currently making money from Pinterest to discover the secrets to their success. If you'd like to swot up on making the most of Instagram too, see our guide to how to make money on Instagram, as well as how to change the font in your Instagram bio. 01. Think Pinterest when creating images It may be worth making bespoke images for Pinterest, like these ones by Vicki Psarias Award-winning blogger and author, Vicki Psarias has been using Pinterest since 2012. The platform is the second biggest referrer to her blog after search traffic, and an average of one million unique users visit her Pinterest page every month. Psarias makes sure that she thinks about Pinterest when she's creating images for her blog – something that many overlook. "Now I have bespoke Pinnable images on almost every blog post in addition to editorial images," she says. What sort of images do well on Pinterest? Long and thin images tend to stand out, but apart from that, Pinterest works like any other platform. "I think the fact I opt for high res, eye-catching, beautiful images definitely appeals," says Psarias. Don't forget that you can also pin videos, Psarias pins directly from YouTube. 02. Curate carefully Just some of Mr Cup's Pinterest boards It's easy to just keep clicking 'pin', but the most successful Pinterest users curate their boards carefully. Psarias advises having "100 boards maximum with a minimum of 40 pins per board." She also recommends using a mix of different image styles, for example, "a mix of Pinnable images ie. text over an image, and editorial images without text too, so as to appeal to all pinners." Fabien Barral, aka Mr Cup, agrees that curation is key. He's been using Pinterest to promote his products since 2010, and has over 55,000 followers, meaning that Pinterest is now making him money. He prefers boards that have a theme. "I like people who are creatives with their boards, ordering by colours, or texture," he says. His own boards include colour, wine, wood blocks and nice to meet you – where he visits studios. He often links to his blog, which links up nicely to his shop. When it comes to what to post, Psarias recommends going with your gut. "Pin what you like," she adds. "It sounds simple but as with SEO, a like-minded audience will find you so don't worry if you think you're the only person in the world who wants to dedicate a board to glitter make up." It's also a good idea to offer your audience some content they can learn from. Psarias suggests blogging tips, how-tos, tutorials and quick recipes, and artists could also include WIP shots and quick process videos. 03. Switch to a business profile If you're using a personal Pinterest account, then switching to a business one is probably the easiest way to help you understand the platform and your place on it. Find out how to get a business account here. Once you have a business account, you can see your posts' impressions, and gain insight into your audience – finding out key metrics such as their average age and where they're based. If you have business accounts on other platforms (learn how to switch to a business account on Instagram here) you can then compare this data with them, and tailor your posts accordingly. 04. Pin other people's content Psarias' boards contain roughly 40 per cent of her own content, and the rest is other people's "Pinterest isn't interactive in the same way Instagram, Facebook or Twitter is," says Psarias. "There isn't a conversation happening there and in many ways it offers you a chance to rest from that." That doesn't mean that you shouldn't pin content from other people, though. "Do some research and follow accounts which catch your eye (with both large and small followings) and dedicate some time to pinning others' content as well as your own," says Psarias, who likes to balance her page with 60 per cent of other people's content, and 40 per cent her own. "Join group boards too with large audiences too (they'll mention how in their bios) and that way your own pins, which redirect to your blog/site, will get seen by more than just those who follow you." 05. Post regularly Like with most platforms, the more you post, the more you'll get out of the platform. Psarias posts daily. Barral posts: "When I have a new project going on, or I see a picture I like and it fits one of my boards and I do not want to lose it." Try to set yourself a schedule and stick to it. If you want to schedule pins, Psarias recommends paid-for service Tailwind, which also works with Instagram. 05. Include keywords in your bio and descriptions Anagrama's bio includes various keywords If you think of Pinterest as a sort of Google for images, then it makes sense that including the right keywords will lead to more people finding your boards. To do this you can think about what sort of words people might be using to search for your content, e.g. letterpress business card, and add those words into key areas of your Pinterest profile. If you'd like to do more in-depth keyword research, you can also use tools such as Google Trends to investigate further. Where should you add these keywords? First of all, you can optimise your bio so that people will find it, and know exactly who you are when they land on your page. Think about who might be looking at your boards, and try and curate appropriately. If you sell one thing in particular e.g. cactus prints, then include that in your bio. You can also add keywords in the alt text of your image, in the description of your image as well as your boards. Instead of just having a board called 'design', go for something more specific – 'lino print design', for example. 06. Focus on building a following Like most platforms, making money on Pinterest can take time. Focus first on building a following and a bespoke selection of boards that are visually appealing, and make sure that you include a link to your site where possible – as well as in your bio. "Do not try to make money out of it, be yourself and touch people with your personality and money will come," says Barral. "Share your world, and your creations, as everything is linked." Read more: How to hack the Instagram algorithm How to nail your social media strategy The best infographics View the full article

If you want to present your images in style, having a quality collage maker is valuable tool. A fantastic way to show off a selection of images, it's no surprise to find that collage makers are hugely popular right now. Many popular mobile and web applications are now including built-in collage maker tools to simplify the process, and there are several dedicated collage makers out there in app and browser format. The quality of these varies wildly, so we've tried some out to see if they're up to scratch. Of course, it's perfectly possible to use general design software, such as Adobe's suite (get Adobe Creative Cloud here) as a collage maker tool. However, unless you already know what you're doing, you're going to need to set aside some time and probably hunt out some Photoshop tutorials in order to be successful. What's more, as technological innovations mean many smartphones can now take great quality photos, opting for a collage maker app means you can create eye-catching collages directly from your camera phone. 01. Photo Joiner Photo Joiner has an intuitive interface Photo Joiner offers a range of different collage maker options. The one we're most interested in here is Collage; a classic collage maker tool. The process is easy to follow: upload images, choose a template, drag your images into the slots (you can zoom in and out, mirror or rotate to suit the layout), then save and share. You can narrow templates by number of photos included, and set custom image sizes and borders. If that's not what you're after, take a look at one of the other Photo Joiner tools. Stitch is a simpler tool designed for joining together photos vertically or horizontally, using one of Photo Joiner's preset layouts. Meme lets you add text and decorations to images. FB Cover offers a range of templates to fit Facebook's cover image dimensions, to take the effort out of creating an impressive cover collage. Price: Free Download here 02. Ribbet Flash-based collage maker Ribbet is simple and fun Free online collage maker Ribbet has a smart interface, which is a delight to use. There are plenty of handy features to help you create a custom collage: pick a template, upload images, adjust sizing, round corners, edit lighting, exposure and so on. If you change your mind, you can easily adjust your template by adding extra rows or columns. The basic version is free, but to access the majority of the more complex templates you'll need to upgrade to the Premium version. There's also a free iOS app and one for Android too. Price: Free (Basic); from $4.95/mo (Premium) Download here 03. Adobe Spark Spark distills Adobe goodness into a super-simple interface Spark is a free photo collage maker from Adobe. Its simple interface means it doesn't require the same learning curve demanded by most Adobe applications: simply name your project and use the various design options available to arrange your photos into an eye-catching collage. You need a Creative Cloud account for full CC benefits (sign up here), but it is perfectly useable without. Price: Free Download here 04. Canva Collage Templates Canva offers a big selection of collage templates Canva offers one of the best free online collage makers around. This is an all-round design package you can use in the browser or as an app for iOS and Android. The basic package is completely free, but there are paid plans available if you want something more advanced. Amongst Canva's tools is a big selection of collage templates, which look great and are easy to use. You can also spice up your collages with Canva's enormous selection of effects, filters, fonts, shapes and more. Price: Free; from $12.99/mo (Pro) Download here 05. BeFunky BeFunky is available in the browser or via a mobile app BeFunky is one of the best free online collage makers around. It offers tons of templates, a simple interface and seamless integration with the BeFunky Photo Editor. The free version works well, but if you're after more photo effects, higher-resolution downloads and the ability to use your collages commercially, you'll need the BeFunky Plus account. As well as an online tool, BeFunky is available as an app for iOS or Android. Price: Free (Basic); from $4.99/mo (Plus) Download here 06. piZap The free piZap is funded by ads, but they're not intrusive Ad-funded online collage maker piZap has the option of a Flash interface or a new HTML interface. The latter is currently in beta, and to be honest there are more intuitive free collage maker tools on this list. However, there are plenty of templates, stock images and fonts to choose from, and you can add text and stickers to liven things up. A nice feature is the inclusion of Facebook banner templates, to help you upgrade your social media branding with ease. The Pro version offers ad-free designing, a much bigger selection of fonts, stock images and templates, the ability to download your collage in super high resolution, and more. You can suss it out via the free trial before you commit. Price: Free (Basic); from $2.99/mo (Pro) Download here 07. PhotoCollage PhotoCollage has preset social media banner sizes PhotoCollage has a does-what-it-says-on-the-tin name, and the web-based collage maker is no less straightforward. It works on Mac, Windows, Android and iOS platforms including touchscreens, and you can choose from collage templates or use your skills to create freeform collages. You work with low-resolution images, then once you're happy with the arrangement you can choose to 'order' a high-resolution version of your design. One frustrating feature is that the editing tools aren't sticky, so you'll probably need to scroll up and down to find the ones you want. The interface also isn't as nicely designed as other tools on this list. Price: Free Download here 08. Fotor collage maker Fotor is a pro-level online collage maker Fotor is a professional-level online collage maker. You can import a load of images, which are displayed on the right-hand bar, then choose when and where to place them in your collage. This simple feature makes it easy to put together attractive collages. The only glitch we ran into is that large images failed to load, with no error message to indicate the problem. You can only get part of the way with the free version – you can design collages, but they'll feature the Fotor watermark, which isn't ideal. For advanced features, an ad-free interface, watermark-free collages and cloud-based storage, you'll need to shell out for the Pro version. Price: Free (Basic); from $3.33/mo (Pro) Download here 09. Photovisi Photovisi is a little on the cheesy side Photovisi is a stand-alone collage maker with no fripperies and no photo editing tools to distract and confuse. You simply select a collage design, add your photos and drag them around till you're satisfied, then download it. What could be easier? If you want to download a watermark-free collage, you'll need to pay up on the Premium plan. Some of the templates are a little on the cheesy side, and overall this collage maker tool is looking a little dated. Price: Free (Basic); $4.99/mo (Premium) Download here 10. Google Photos Google Photos used to be Picasa Google Photos, once known as Picasa, is an image organiser and photo editor – but did you know it comes with a built-in collage maker? You can experiment with six different collage types in the hands-on collage creation screen, and they will be saved in your 'Collages' folder. It's pretty basic, but as you'd expect from Google, the interface is nice and clear and what it does do, it does well. Price: Free Download here 11. Kizoa Kizoa offers dozens of ready-made templates The web-based Kizoa collage maker is one of the most difficult collage maker tools to navigate, but it does offer dozens of ready-made templates (both static and animated) for all kinds of occasions. You can customise the templates or create your own from scratch, then add photos, GIFs, videos and even stickers to your designs, and finish the whole thing off with some text. Kinoa membership also includes access to a movie maker and photo editor, so you can accomplish any number of creative tasks from inside the browser. Price: Free (Basic); lifetime Premium memberships from $29.99 Download here 12. FotoJet FotoJet enables you to create show-stopping collages Price: Free (Basic); $6.99/mo (Plus) Download here Pearlmountain's FotoJet is a free online collage maker that enables you to create collages, photo cards, posters, Facebook covers, Twitter headers, YouTube banners, fun photos and more. There are hundreds of templates for you to work with, including some of the most creative designs we've seen so far – such as this one, where you can add images into coconuts. The paid Plus option offers a much wider range of resources to work with. 13. PicMonkey Collage PicMonkey's free tools give you plenty of control over your collages Part of the PicMonkey suite – a web app that also offers image editing, touch-up and design tools – PicMonkey collage maker is a fast and powerful way to organise your images into attractive shapes. Import images from your computer or connect to online services such as Facebook, OneDrive, Dropbox and Flickr. You can fine-tune your collage by adjusting the zoom and placement of your images, and add filters. 'Supremium' users also have access to advanced touch-up tools. This was once a free online collage maker, but you now need to subscribe to PicMonkey to download your design. There are three different plans available, depending on your needs. However, you can design your collage for free, and there is a week-long free trial available, which is worth exploring before you shell out. Price: From $7.99/mo (free trial available) Download here 14. PicCollage PicCollage is crammed with features Price: Free with IAP Download here Collage maker app PicCollage is crammed with features to help you create impressive collages from photos, GIFs and videos. Choose from a portrait canvas or a square one (ideal for Instagram fans), pick from over 60 templates, and clip images with your finger. There's a face detection template in case you want to add things like party hats to your friends, and you can share your creations to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, SMS, email, and more. 15. Layout from Instagram Layout for Instagram lets you select and rearrange images Instagram's Layout app is designed to help people create collages of their images and share their creations on social media. Layout lets you select and rearrange images by dragging and dropping, and you can also control the size of images by pinching, or tap to mirror or flip them. This collage maker app includes a built-in Photo Booth that you can use to take spur-of-the-moment shots, and instantly see them laid out in various combinations. When you're done, you can easily save, and share your collage across your social media networks. It's very highly rated on both the App Store and Google Play, so you can be confident you're getting a quality product. Price: Free Download here 16. PhotoVideoCollage Pro PhotoVideoCollage brings video to the world of collage makers PhotoVideoCollage brings the classic photo collage to the next level. Not only can users add photos but also videos and soundtracks of their favourite music. The user can select a layout template from a multitude of presets, add photos and videos to the layout and adjust additional settings like border width, curvature, colour and texture. The placement of the photos and videos inside the collage can be easily changed via drag and drop. Price: $9.99 Download here Related articles: 20 pro tips for creating inspirational mood boards 4 huge visual trends for 2019 The 65 best infographics View the full article

The world of the web moves quickly, and keeping up to date with new web design tools can often be a job in itself; no-one wants to be using old tools and techniques when there are new ones available that make your life easier and enable you to implement the latest techniques in your builds. To help you ensure that your workflow's up to date, here's a selection of some of the best new web design tools we've seen so far this year, covering everything from CSS animation and accessibility through to colour management and dealing with user feedback, and many of them are completely free to use! 6 best web design tools for coding novices 01. CSSFX Give your interface a touch of movement A little bit of movement on your website is a great way to draw the visitor's eye to important interaction and make navigation easier, and here's an easy way to implement it. CSSFX features a collection of open source animations that provide visual feedback when users click or hover over elements; simply select the ones you need and the CSS is automatically copied for you. 02. Humane by Design Eliminate dark patterns in your apps Ever felt that you're being manipulated by mobile apps? Often they're designed specifically to be addictive, to exploit psychological vulnerabilities through dark patterns, and to monetise our personal information, and Humane by Design, created by product designer Jon Yablonski, is a resource that aims to combat this. It provides guidance on creating ethically humane digital products that put people first and encourage healthy user behaviours; why not be one of the good guys? 03. Accessibility Insights Sort your accessibility with this helpful extension Accessibility is one of those things that everyone agrees is a vital element of good web design, but which many designers leave until the last minute. Accessibility Insights, a Chrome extension and Windows app from Microsoft, makes it easy to identify and fix accessibility fails on your sites, with a quick check that'll point out the most common problems in seconds, and an in-depth audit to help you make your site WCAG 2.0 Level AA compliant. 04. Absurd Design Why have normal illustrations on your site? Illustration is a popular way to give a landing page a bit of visual interest, but it often ends up being groups of colourful cartoon figures doing stuff that sort of reflects the company's product or service. If you want something a bit different, Absurd Design is the place to go; it has a whole load of fantastic-looking free-to-use images, and they're all wonderfully whimsical and utterly surreal. 05. Social Sizes Perfect for those of us who can never remember the right image sizes for social sites Getting images and video the right size can be hard enough when you just work with one CMS, but once you throw in social media things can get really complicated, so keep Social Sizes bookmarked to make your life easier. It contains image and video templates for Sketch, Photoshop and Adobe XD that'll help you get things right across all of the right major social sites: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, Pinterest and Twitch. 06. Colour Harmonies Play around and discover palettes you'd never have thought of If you're in search of the perfect colour palette for a new site, Colour Harmonies is a fun way to find eye-catching combinations that you might not have considered. It's styled like a set of paint colour swatches, and by playing with the various sliders you can create well-matched palettes of all sizes and see how well they fit with each other. Once you find a combo that you like, you can simply copy the hex values and you're good to go. 07. Velocity Make design systems a little less terrifying Creating a whole design system from scratch is a daunting prospect even for the most seasoned designer, but with Velocity the whole process can feel a lot more manageable. It's a combined design system and UI kit that works with InVision Studio, Sketch and Photoshop, and features 30 screens covering all manner of common app functions in small, medium and large sizes. With over 300 UI elements and 70 components to play with, it's an excellent way to approach building an app. 08. Nolt Collect, manage and act upon user feedback effectively User feedback can be a vital element in ensuring that your build does all the right things, but actually collecting and managing that feedback effectively can be a task in itself. Nolt provides a great way of handling it; it integrates with tools such as Slack, Jira and Trello, and enables users to leave anonymous suggestions that others can vote and comment on, while allowing you keep your users up to date on how updates are progressing. 09. CodeTalks Catch up with all the amazing keynotes you've missed There's nothing like a good conference to bring you up to speed on the latest trends and techniques in web design and development, but it's not always convenient to attend. At CodeTalks, however, you can catch up with all those great conference keynotes that you missed – or get a refresher on the ones you did see but forgot to take notes. All of them are arranged by event and topic, and there's a full list of categories to make it easy to find a talk on the subject you need to know about. 10. Verifier Say goodbye to fake sign-ups It's great to get loads of people to sign up for your product or service, but it's not so great if you get inundated with sign-ups done with fake or disposable email addresses. With Verifier, though, you can eliminate most of these at the sign-up phase; it checks against a list of 18,000 disposable domains, and will also check that the address's domain is valid and actually exists. Related articles: The future of web design Colour in web design: all you need to know The 7 deadly sins of web design View the full article

Have you ever wished you had more hours in a day? Or that you could be more productive so that you would have more time to be creative? In this one-of-a-kind exercise, Tim Ferriss, bestselling author of recent New York Times' number one bestseller Tools of Titans and The 4-Hour Workweek, uncovers the little changes you can make that will help create better habits and routines in your life. Tim Ferriss was listed as one of Fast Company’s 'Most Innovative Business People' as well as Forbes Magazine’s Names You Need to Know. He is also listed as the seventh 'most powerful' personality on Newsweek’s Digital 100 Power Index – so you can bet Ferriss knows a thing or two about being productive and efficient. This exercise claims to help you become 10 times more productive – and comes straight from the horse's mouth. How Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers Master Productivity with Tim Ferriss is yours for $19.99. Related articles: How to network successfully: 19 pro tips What is biophilic design and how can it increase creative productivity? 5 top tips for creating a productive workspace View the full article

We don't normally get over-excited about games consoles on Creative Bloq, but this one's an exception. Panic, best known for its Mac and iOS apps – and more recently for publishing the wonderful, thoughtful and atmospheric Firewatch – has just announced the Playdate, and it's without doubt the most beautiful and intriguing gaming handheld we've ever seen, and an amazing piece of experimental design. Developed over the past four years, it's a handheld system with a difference. It's bright yellow with the most amazing industrial looks, it features a black and white, high reflectivity screen, and it has all the connectivity you'd expect – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C and a headphone jack. 11 best video game character designs The little crank is the work of Sweden's Teenage Engineering. Image: Panic The most bonkers thing about it? An actual crank on the side, a flip-out rotating analogue controller created by Teenage Engineering, the Swedish electronics boffins best known for their gorgeous, tiny and expensive synthesisers (you doubtless have at least one friend who won't stop bloody going on about them). As well as supplying the crank, Teenage Engineering collaborated with Panic on the Playdate's design and build. Another sweet touch is how you actually play games on it. Rather than buy them as-and-when, when you get your Playdate a 'season' of 12 games is included. Once the Playdate launches they'll be delivered over-the-air, once a week for 12 weeks, and part of the fun is that each one will be a surprise – you won't know what you're getting until the new game light flashes. Simulate having your own Playdate and irritate pets with Panic's brilliant AR press kit Panic says it has recruited some of the world's best game designers to create the Playdate's titles, including Keita Takahashi, creator of the legendary Katamari Damacy. The one Playdate game that Panic is talking about is Crankin’s Time Travel Adventure created by Takahashi, in which you use the crank to control the flow of time and get Crankin' to his date with Crankette while avoiding ridiculous obstacles. Other top designers making games for the Playmate include Zach 'Spelltower' Gage, Bennett Foddy and Shaun Inman. If you want a closer look at the Playdate, get out your phone and check out Panic's media kit; there are couple of AR options available that'll let you put a virtual Playdate wherever you like. We've wasted a lot of time this morning playing with it already. The new issue of Edge has all the Playdate facts you need to know The Playdate is due to ship in 2020 for $149; pre-orders will open later this year, but Panic advises that there's going to be limited stock, so you should sign up for its mailing list right now if you don't want to miss out. Want to know more? Our friends at Edge magazine have loads of inside info; it's all in issue 333 which is available in stores today, or you can buy it online. Related articles: 5 casual games for designers How to create a video game character in ZBrush Unity vs Unreal Engine: which game engine is for you? View the full article

NatWest bank has launched a campaign that apologises to women for having patronised them in the past. But judging by the tone of the campaign, that doesn't look set to change any time soon. The campaign saw men dressed up as 'typical bankers' in pinstriped suits and bowler hats handing out letters in copies of Stylist magazine to London commuters. The letters apologise for "creating a culture that still, in 2019, has made you feel uncomfortable and unwelcome when it comes to talking about money." In doing so, the bank has managed to make plenty of people feel uncomfortable and unwelcome, as well as pretty pissed off. The ads won't be making it into our list of brilliant print ads any time soon. The letter in full, from 'Mr Banker'. Image: Stylist This is the sort of behaviour we might expect from a bank, although that doesn't make it any less disappointing. But one of the oddest things about the campaign is that it's backed by Stylist, a publication that prides itself on providing content through a "feminist lens". That lens, it seems, has become blurred – or perhaps skewed by the subject of the campaign – money. The front cover of Stylist showed a bunch of flowers containing £20 notes, with a tag saying,"I'm sorry, we seem to have been using sexist imagery and language for the last few decades. But we're changing! Honestly!" However, the use of flowers, and the stereotype this suggests – that all women love them – feels tired and outdated. Many took to Twitter to express their disgust at the campaign. The word 'patronising' came up a lot. Others were 'disappointed' by the campaign... While some wondered who the bank was trying to target... To its credit (or was it its detriment?), NatWest kept on replying. The campaign was created in response to research by YouGov, which found that 83 per cent of women feel banks don't make products easy to understand. The same survey found that 79 per cent of men felt the same – so it's not totally clear why the bank felt the need to target women in particular. NatWest aims to help women feel more confident when talking about their finances. Sadly, this effort at doing feels misjudged, and frankly, a bit embarrassing. If it really wanted to talk to women, why did NatWest draw on an age-old stereotype of Mr Banker to do so? You can read more about the campaign on the NatWest website, and on Stylist. Read more: Join the fight for gender equality in design The problem with period product branding Can the Halifax rebrand humanise banking? View the full article

McDonald's has created some clever marketing campaigns over the years – featuring regularly in our round up of the best print ads ever – but the one the company revealed this week has got to be our all-time favourite. Opening what it is calling 'the world's smallest McDonald's' in Sweden, you'll find no Happy Meals or Big Macs served at the new McHive, for this restaurant is open to just one special customer: the wild bee. Celebrating World Bee Day and as part of the brand's sustainability efforts in Sweden, McDonald's collaborated with marketing communications agency NORDDDB to create the miniature restaurant, which is also as a fully-functioning beehive. The idea came about after finding many of Sweden's McDonald's outlets had beehives on their rooftops. “We have a lot of really devoted franchisees who contribute to our sustainability work, and it feels good that we can use our size to amplify such a great idea as beehives on the rooftops,” said Christoffer Rönnblad, marketing director of McDonald’s Sweden. The beehive design was created by award-winning set designer Nicklas Nilsson, and has already proved so popular another four have been implemented across the country. There's no denying McDonald's impact on global food supply and therefore the vested interest the company no doubt has in ensuring these gorgeous little creatures keep doing what they do. But if this campaign places more focus on and awareness of the wellbeing and preservation of bees as a result, we're all in favour. Here's hoping McDonald's continues to use its platform to raise awareness of issues like the plight of bees, and other big brands follow closely in its footsteps. Read more: 40 traffic-stopping examples of billboard advertising Russian studio reinvents the periodic table Jumbled beer labels promote Repsnosilbe Dirnking View the full article

Everyone loves a good video. Not only does it build trust, promote engagement and keeps Google happy, it can also make you some serious money. But if you’re new to the world of video creation or want to upskill in the discipline, it can be daunting, especially when presented with some of the complex video editing software currently available like Adobe Premiere Pro. Good news is there’s a quicker and easier way of creating professional-looking video. FilmoraPro from Wondershare is a video editing tool that makes the life of a creative much more simple, offering all the tools you’ll need to create quality video without the steep learning curve. Built very much with the user in mind, FilmoraPro’s powerful features can be accessed via a highly customisable, easy-to-use interface. Including everything from compositing and motion graphics tools to special effects and colour correction features – it’s powerful, easy and fun to use. Power up your story Whether you want to create an eye-catching new marketing campaign, add some footage to your online portfolio or be the person behind the next video to go viral, FilmoraPro’s impressive toolset can help you reach your creative goals. Key features include: A dynamic timeline to help you edit more efficiently with unlimited tracks, advanced editing modes, grouped timeline clips, range markers, split edits, and more Powerful audio editing features in Filmora’s Pro, including noise reduction and audio transitions, to help perfect your soundtracks The ability to create custom animations for text and graphics using keyframing. Ease in and ease out tools also feature to help replicate real life motion Visual effects tools even the biggest Hollywood studios would envy. We’re talking lens flares, chroma keys, blurs and distortions – the lot! Professional colour correction tools, including colour wheels, scopes and controls for highlights, midtones and shadows, to help define your video’s visual style Navigating FilmoraPro’s highly intuitive and customisable interface is a cinch One editing solution for all FilmoraPro is compatible for both Windows and Mac [links here], and, unlike other video editing software, available for a one-off fee, which gives you lifetime access to the software. FilmoraPro’s bestelling plan costs just $149.99 – one payment for lifetime access that covers all future updates and technical support. There’s also a free trial option if you want to take Filmora’s Pro for a spin before you commit – it’s super-easy to get started, especially with this dedicated FilmoraPro video editor film guide to hand. If recent growth and current trends in production of online video content is anything to go by, being able to create quality video footage is a must-have skill for any creative wanting to stay ahead of the curve. And if you want a professional but fast and easy solution, you’ll be hard pushed to find better than FilmoraPro. View the full article