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Calling all photographers! Get ready to move quickly because there's an incredible deal running on Adobe's Photography Plan, but you need to be super-quick as it ends today. Yes, today! If you're in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, you can take advantage of this awesome deal that takes a sweet 16% off super-popular apps like Photoshop for iPad and desktop, and Lightroom. If you're speedy enough, you could have all the editing apps you'll ever need to up your photography game. Not sure whether this plan is for you? Take a look at exactly what Adobe's Photography Plan offers: Lightroom CC for desktop and mobile photo editing Lightroom Classic CC for desktop-focused photo editing Photoshop CC on both desktop and iPad to transform your photos Spark Premium to create graphics, web pages and videos Adobe Portfolio to build showcase websites easily Adobe Fonts for all your font needs 20 GB of cloud storage to get you started These Adobe apps mean there need be no end to your creativity. Your projects will reflect the limitless possibilities that the precision editing and compositing tools deliver. These tools enable you to create stunning, multilayered artwork by combining images, play with colour and effects to elevate your images, move or remove objects within your images, and even turn photos into paintings or 3D objects. You don't want to miss this offer, but you need to put your skates on as this is your last chance. We repeat: the offer ends TODAY! Not in EMEA regions? Check out our other Adobe Creative Cloud discount post, which we update regularly with all the top offers. Read more: How to make a photo collage in Photoshop Photoshop 2020 review The best alternatives to Photoshop View the full article

Packaging is a layer of communication between a product and the customer. It serves the practical purpose of holding and protecting the product, but also needs to draw eyes to the product on a crowded shelf or online storefront. To stand out from all the competing options, it needs to tell us something about what makes the product different. There’s been a trend in packaging design towards minimalism in recent years, with clear and clean layouts breaking down the noise that accompanies the surfeit of choice on the shelves. Now tougher economic conditions and increased competition are leading to renewed use of stronger patterns and illustrations to create greater emotional connection with the customer and stand out from the competition. Here we round up seven pattern trends to look out for in packaging this year. 01. Nature Everyone wants to be seen as nature-friendly at the moment and many brands are seeking to communicate their green credentials in their packaging. Patterns inspired by nature can suggest organic, natural ingredients in food and cosmetics, and a general concern for the environment. Like all over the design world, a lot of this is happening through flat design, such as in Darling Clementine’s illustrations for Maud’s Teas. But designers are taking influence from everything from vintage botanical illustrations to the bold forms of CW Stockwell's classic Martinique banana leaf wallpaper. Greens and browns are being joined by more varied vibrant but still earthy colours. In eye-catching pattern designs for Pukka teas, The Space Creative gave the products vivid colour schemes and patterns with repeated motifs evoking each flavour. Expect to also see a return to more detailed patterns and illustrations. Examples like Mamba Studio's concept for La Selva coffee show a return towards a maximalist trend, of which more later. Of course, if the product is being presented as green and natural, for credibility design is best followed through with the use of recycled and recyclable materials. 02. Geometric shapes Though hardly a new trend, the use of geometric shapes in packaging design continues to be strong in 2020. Expect to see those shapes getting bolder and taking on more extreme dimensions in darker monochromatic applications in a bid to stand out. This could be by zooming in closer on thick lines, with less repetition of a pattern like in the packaging for French confectioner Ladurée’s range of macarons that pays homage to Carven by using the fashion house’s traditional brand green in thick, bold stripes. Conversely, using very fine lines in black and white can achieve an Art Deco or even tribal-looking feel that conveys a raw energy and more organic aesthetic in the packaging developed by One Darnley Road for London Fields Soap Company. 03. Textures Pattern can be created through texture as well as colour and illustration. This is something we're seeing more of as brands continue to experiment with packaging materials. Textured patterns can create a mature, sophisticated feel. Die cut windows offer the chance to create patterns that reveal the product itself, or to make layered patterns that produce clever effects. Meteorito Studio were awarded at the 2019 Pentawards for its layered packaging design for Secretos del Agua’s Christmas gift pack. The packaging tells a story about the beauty brand's mission and use of water by layering die cut shapes to create depth and give the impression of a grotto as a natural source of water. Textured patterns can also transform the feel of packaging substrate. Japan's DNP used a black matte polyolefin wrap with a textured pattern to give plastic the premium feel of glass in their bottle design for Awanama sake. They used a pattern that resembles traditional Japanese Satsuma Kiriko cut-glass design to create a sense of heritage and luxury while also serving as a light-blocking barrier to extend the shelf life of the drink inside. The innovative design won the diamond award at the DOW Packaging Innovation Awards. 04. Metallic and holographic patterns The application of patterns in special colours using foil stamping can make a product dazzle on the shelf. Metallic patterns in gold and silver have long been used to add a classy vintage feel to products like chocolate, but more vibrant metallics and holographic patterns can appeal to younger customers. Iridescent and holographic patterns have been most used for packaging cosmetics but are now being applied to all kinds of packaging, from tea to fries. It can create a modern, even futuristic look, particularly for exclusive, limited-edition products. Foil stamping on Greenfield tea packaging designed by Alice Macarova created a look that was as novel as the brand's limited-edition ice cream-inspired flavours. Embossed stamps with twin varnishing in matte and gloss play with light and shadow to conjure up the iciness of the unusual inspiration. In China, mooncakes are an important gift during the Mid-Autumn Festival. With so much competition among manufacturers, the use of laser holographic foil stamping to create abstract iridescent patterns representing the moon’s rugged surface make K11’s product stand out as a limited-edition luxury option that feels like a work of art. Holographic patterns are being used for even the most humble of products. In Australia, Hungry Jacks (Burger King) used holographic packaging for fries to deter Seagulls from pinching them, and raised ordering a side of fries to an Insta-worthy moment in the process. 05. Blur The gradient trend has been all over digital and print design and is now firmly in product packaging too. Gradients provide visual interest and dynamism without overwhelming information on the packaging. Something that’s grown out of the trend is the use of multiple gradients or hazy, blurred patterns to evoke a mood or sensation. The cans for Kin, a range of non-alcoholic drinks made from nootropics, adaptogens and botanicals, use warm hazy backgrounds to echo the products' claims to create a feeling of euphoria without the headache the morning after. The look taps into the current retro futurism trend to create a sense of nostalgia coupled with an optimistic vision of the future. Ingrid Picanyol’s labels for Jaume Jordà’s Viamic range of wines initially look like blurred abstract patterns but are designed to resemble Instagram-like images. The sense of mystery is intended to invite us to disconnect from the online world and reconnect physically over a bottle. The imagery is strikingly abstract and creates a clear brand identity across the range. 06. Maximalist design Many of the trends we’re seeing show an overarching tendency to step back from the recent penchant for minimalism to inject louder personality into designs. Tougher competition on both physical and virtual shelves means brands are tuning up their presentation to grab attention and create a desire to know more. Considering that 81% of consumers have tried a new product because of its packaging, it makes sense. Although minimalist designs cut out the nonsense, many consumers like the mystery that more complex packaging design can provoke, and packaging that makes a statement is also more likely to be shared on social media. The label for Forager’s Keep whiskey designed by Greg Coulton uses ornate leaf motifs to give a magical, almost fairytale-like fantasy sense of fun to the product. Kevin Cantrell Studio gave another drinks maker, Star Union, cut-out patterns, illustrations and type covering the majority of the surface area on bottles of brandy, vodka and grappa leaving no chance that the products go unnoticed, even if they're seen in a thumbnail image on an online retail site. 07. Neatly structured layouts Despite the return of maximalism and more elaborate patterns, there is still a lot to be said for the minimalist trend seen in recent years with neat, structured layouts creating an almost apothercary style. What we’re seeing now is that apothecary-style minimalism combining with brighter colour and pattern to produce something that is still very clean but with a less austere feel. This kind of 'minimalism plus' boasts the simplicity and tidiness of minimalist design but with added fun and warmth. SOSOLIFE's packaging designed by Korea’s Triangle Studio uses dabs of colour to add a sense of whimsy to their otherwise understated packaging for biscuits, soups and noodles. Packaging for Slovakian spice range I Can Spice designed by Dekoratio uses a crisp central label but on a bright patterned background to give the product more personality on the shelf, while still being simple to interpret. Read more: 33 standout packaging designs The top design trends for 2020 7 colour trends to watch in 2020 View the full article

The Kr00k bug arises from an all-zero encryption key in Wi-Fi chips that reveals communications from devices from Amazon, Apple, Google, Samsung and others. View the full article

Adobe MAX Creativity Tour London was packed with inspiring stories, jaw-dropping demos and fascinating creative insights. And if you missed out on the main event, you can catch up on all the talks from the comfort of your own home (or desk) right here. It's ideal for a shot of inspiration and motivation in these dingy winter days. Whether you're a designer, illustrator, blogger, photographer or budding student creative, there's something here for you. The evening kicked off with a fascinating and useful insight into the tools you're almost certainly using to bring your projects to life: Adobe Creative Cloud. There have been several headline-grabbing updates to flagship tools, as well as exciting additions to the CC family, but you might not be quite clued up on all the changes. Principal Creative Cloud evangelist Rufus Deuchler offered a speedy tour of the most exciting updates, from the Sensei-powered brushes in new art app Adobe Fresco, to XD's powerful new co-editing capabilities, to Photoshop's downright amazing Object Selection tool. Get up to speed below. The second talk shone a light on the incredible showcase of talent that was the McDonald's 2019 Christmas advert. Designers from Leo Burnett and Passion Animation Studios took to the stage to reveal how they came up with a concept that would capture the nation's hearts, and share how they brought it all to life. Catch up on their presentation below. Rounding off the evening in style, Jamal Edwards MBE joined Adobe's Claire Darley on stage to chat about how he made the journey from getting his first camera aged 15 to curating stages at Wireless and recording interviews at 10 Downing Street. It makes for incredibly inspiring viewing – it's worth tuning in to hear the section on Edwards' hilariously cheeky guerilla marketing tactics alone [2 mins 50]. For more insight and inspiration, plus information on those Adobe Creative Cloud updates, head to the Adobe website. Adobe MAX is heading to Europe There's more exciting news for designers who can't make it across the pond for Adobe's annual US bash – in 2020, MAX will be coming to Europe for the first time! Adobe MAX Europe will take place 15-16 June 2020 at the Feira Internacional in Lisbon, Portugal. The festival will bring together the world’s biggest brands and most inspiring minds to celebrate Adobe’s vision of ‘Creativity for All’ – as well as, of course, revealing the latest innovations coming to Creative Cloud. To register, head to the Adobe MAX Europe site. Don't hang about though – there's a special launch discount that means if you pick up your ticket before the end of February, you'll pay less than half price! View the full article

Have you been thinking about developing your mobile app but have no idea where to start? You've come to the right place. Master the essential skills of designing and programming mobile apps with the help of The 2020 Mobile App Developers Bundle and learn everything you need to start up a successful career in this in-demand industry. Your creations might even end up making our list of the best iPad apps for designers. If you're hoping to leverage your web and mobile app development skills in the ever-changing design world, you'll want to start by learning the core fundamentals. With seven courses and over 250 lessons, this bundle brings you everything you need to get started in the development industry, and conquer all the skills that are required to thrive in the process. As you begin your journey, you'll learn to develop mobile applications for Android and iOS using apps such as Android Studio, Kotlin, Java, Swift, Flutter, and so much more. Master all the basics With over 20 hours of content and lifetime access to every lesson, you'll grasp the complexities of web development comprehensively. As you navigate through these courses, you'll master all the basics for writing clean code, laying out various UI elements for Android and iOS and managing user input. You'll also get tips on how to show data based on search requests, and more. The bundle comes complete with hands-on training so you can apply what you learn in a real-world setting. You'll soon be able to handle a variety of backend and frontend errors and understand how to test them out in various environments. Certification of completion is available once you master each course, which will be a valuable addition to your professional career and résumé. The 2020 Mobile App Developers Bundle can be yours today for only $29.99 – that's a 91% discount off the usual price of $350. Fuel your mobile app developer career and learn the fundamentals to and add new skills to your portfolio. Start your mobile development journey today. Read more: The best Apple Watch apps for creatives in 2020 Mobile app design: A beginner's guide 18 of the best Android apps to download for creatives View the full article

The rivalry between McDonald's and Burger King has played out across billboards and online for years, with the competing chains taking countless swipes at one another – all in the name of healthy (ahem) competition. But this week, a new fighter unexpectedly entered the ring: Nando's. The beef began last week, when Burger King launched a mouldy new ad (below) showing exactly what happens when its famous Whopper is left to age for a month. Spoiler alert: it isn't pretty (and yet, weirdly, sort of is). It's certainly an ad that breaks the mould The mouldy burger is shown with the tagline, 'The beauty of no artificial preservatives'. It's an up-yours to McDonald's, referencing the common rumour that their burgers never decompose. We admire the boldness of the ad – it takes serious photography skills to turn a decomposing burger into a thing of such strange, grotesque beauty. We kind of love it. The ad has led to strong reactions online. They seem to fall into two distinct categories: those who are repulsed, and those who love the dig at McDonald's. This brings up our main criticism of the ad – it's potentially too much of an in-joke. Without knowing exactly what Burger King is poking fun at (everlasting Big Macs), all we're looking at is a mouldy burger – which isn't making us hungry. Enter Nando's. While Burger King was no doubt awaiting the next move from McDonald's, the chicken restaurant swooped in with an unexpected response of its own: If you ask us, it's a bit of a cheap move from Nando's. The joke is simple enough (the Nando's burger hasn't had time to rot because it's been eaten, hence the crumbs), but without the impressive photography of Burger King's effort, this packs less of a punch. And worst of all, it's yet another burger-based in-joke. If you haven't seen Burger King's ad, the Nando's post makes little sense. Somebody needs to break it to the fast food chains that people might not be following the burger wars as closely as they think. Thanks goodness we're here to give you the highlights. We do enjoy a bit of banter between brands – it can lead to some of their most talked-about creative work, as is the case with the mouldy Whopper. IKEA is particularly good at the sport, as demonstrated by last year's hilarious swipe at Apple's cheese grater-resembling the Mac Pro. Check out some of our favourite times brands had a dig at competitors – and won. Related articles: McDonald's ditches its brand in new type-only ads Burger King trolls parliament in cheeky campaign The optical illusion you probably won't want to work out View the full article

Serif's Affinity apps – Affinity Publisher, Photo and Designer – have quickly become popular among creatives, and a just-released version 1.8 update has made all three apps even more attractive. We've long been fans of the Affinity range; its apps offer comparable functionality to Adobe's Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign CC, without tying you into a monthly subscription. There's always the lurking worry, though, that if you switch over you might lose a vital feature or be unable to access your old work, and this new update addresses some of those concerns. Affinity Designer 1.7 review IDML support could help ease the move from InDesign to Publisher What Serif's most excited about is the updated version of one of the best InDesign alternatives, Affinity Publisher, which now offers InDesign file import – after a fashion. Sadly it's not full-on INDD support; rather, Publisher 1.8 supports IDML, the less-loved InDesign file format that's built for cross-version compatibility. It's definitely a step in the right direction, and if you've been considering switching to Publisher but have a large back catalogue of InDesign documents that you still need to be able to work with, this will ease the process. Prevent nasty surprises with Publisher's live preflight checking Reinforcing its credentials as a serious option for professional print workflows, Publisher 1.8 also provides live preflight checking, with a preflight panel that'll instantly alert you to possible errors in your documents. So rather than find out about things like missing or low-res images, overflowing text and bleed problems when your work comes back from the printer, you can spot and fix them before you send off your finished documents. Publisher 1.8 also enables you to merge multiple documents into a single file and to import spreadsheet data from XLSX files, plus smart master pages and a host of other fixes and improvements. And to make your life even easier, you can now save your documents as template files that can be re-used as many times as you want. It's not just Affinity Publisher that's getting template support; it's also been added to Affinity Designer and Photo, and templates can be shared across all the Affinity apps. Smart object support is a welcome addition to Affinity Photo While Publisher's getting the spotlight with this 1.8 update, there are some great new additions to Designer and Photo on top of the template support. Affinity Photo now allows you to import PSD smart objects as embedded documents and edit their layers, and it also supports an expanded range of plugins, including the brilliant Nik Collection 2.5 from DxO, making it an even better option for photo editing. It also has better lens correction, improved metadata handling and support for Canon's CR3 RAW format. Meanwhile Affinity Designer has a new Stock panel to make it easier to add royalty free imagery to your work, and it also features improved expand stroke functionality that gives you accurate results with fewer nodes. Now you can use keyboard shortcuts on iPad One last upgrade that should delight anyone using Affinity Designer and Photo on iPad is the addition of customisable keyboard shortcuts. If you have a keyboard attachment, you can now speed things right up by creating your own shortcuts (and if you don't have a keyboard, check out our selection of the best smart keyboard deals). There are plenty more improvements and additions rolled out today across the Affinity range; you can find out all the details here. Related articles: Affinity Publisher launches, and reveals a ridiculously cool new feature Secret Adobe eyedropper trick will change your life Affinity Designer: how to use effects and styles View the full article

The MacBook Pro is undoubtably one of the best (and most popular) laptops for creatives, and the line-up is due a refresh this year. After the hugely welcome MacBook Pro 16-inch was released in November, it jumped straight to the top of several of our best laptop lists, including the best laptops for graphic design. The web is now awash with rumours about how the 13-inch MacBook Pro will fare in 2020, and based on leaks, it looks like we could be seeing an update to that model as early as next month. What might this look like, how much will it cost, and will there be an update to the keyboard? Here's everything we know so far. MacBook Pro 2020: Tech specs Until Apple officially reveals the new MacBook Pro, we can only speculate about what it will offer internally. That said, leaked benchmarks reported by our sister site TechRadar suggest we might be getting a 13-inch model armed with a 10th-generation Ice Lake processor, one of the best-performing mobile chips around. The least we'd hope for with a refreshed MacBook Pro is a performance boost, and these leaks suggest that's exactly what we'll be getting. MacBook Pro 2020: Release date and price Right now, rumours are pointing to March 31 for the next Apple Event, which means the new MacBook Pro could make its first appearance at the end of next month (alongside a reported update to the iPad Pro). While the release dates for new iPhones are easy to predict (they're nearly always revealed at Apple's September event), the last four years have seen MacBooks released in October, June, July, May and November. The latter was the 16-inch MacBook Pro, which didn't even get a release event. While we can't rule out Apple announcing the new model via a simple press release, we're holding out hope that we'll see it at the rumoured March event – if not before. Pricing details are similarly vague. The only thing we probably shouldn't count on is a price drop. Apple is known to keep prices the same when a product is refreshed. The current MacBook Pro 13-inch starts at $1,299/£1,299 for the 1.4GHz processor base model, and the 2.4GHz model begins at $1,799/£1,799. We're not expecting to see prices drop any lower than that, so it's definitely time to start saving. MacBook Pro 2020: Design If there's one design change we're hoping for with the MacBook Pro 2020, it's an updated keyboard. Of all the controversies Apple has faced in recent years, the butterfly keyboard saga has been the stickiest (quite literally – we've enjoyed many a trip to the Genius Bar with stuck keys). Not only has Apple issued a rare apology for the defect-prone design, but it was even targeted during a speech by director Taika Waititi at this year's Oscars. Thankfully, a better typing experience seems to be on the horizon. Last year's 16-inch MacBook Pro saw a return to the traditional scissor switch mechanism beneath the keys, so we hope (and pray) that Apple will see fit to update the keyboard across its entire MacBook Pro line. The new 16-inch MacBook has our type of keyboard Another design triumph with the recent 16-inch model was the reduction of the bezels around the screen, allowing for a larger display within a similar body to the previous 15-inch model. We called the new screen "gorgeous" in our MacBook Pro 16-inch review. If Apple takes a similar approach again, we could see a 14-inch display within the current 13-inch body. Or, if the display size remains the same, perhaps we'll be getting a smaller machine. Only time will tell which way Apple decides to go. MacBook Pro 2020: Specs and what we'd like to see In terms of screen size, we'd prefer to see a 14-inch display within a similar sized machine than a reduced overall footprint. That extra inch of screen would make all the difference for creatives – and if portability is paramount, there's always the much slimmer MacBook Air. But most of all, we want to see the 16-inch model's lovely new keyboard come to the smaller MacBook Pro. And the Air. The sooner we can brush this butterfly business under the carpet and move on with our lives, the better. We'll update this post as and when more news drops on the new MacBook Pro 2020. But if you can't wait that long to get your hands on one, you can currently get some great deals on the current MacBook Pro models. Here are the best prices in your area: Related articles: New 16" MacBook Pro leaves previous model in the dust Mockup of the iMac of the future looks incredible The best cheap Apple laptop deals View the full article

The best ampersands tell you a lot about a typeface. Thanks to its unusual structure, the curly symbol that's a substitute for 'and' is the character that can make or break a typeface for the type-conscious designer. It's a character that asks the typographer to make certain creative decisions above and beyond the A to Z letter set, the numerals and standard punctuation, and the care that goes into an ampersand is often indicative of the attention to detail that has gone into the typeface across the board. As a designer, the ampersand can be your plaything. It's the maverick character in the set, the one that really tested the typographer in its creation, and the one that can bring the right atmosphere to a project when used at a large scale. If you'd like to assess the ampersands in a range of fonts, have a rummage through our rundown of the best free fonts around. What is the ampersand? While today it is considered a punctuation mark, the ampersand used to be the 27th letter in the Roman alphabet, following Z. People would say 'X, Y, Z and per se and' as the figure itself means 'and'. 'And per se and' was shortened into a word in the 18th century and today we have 'ampersand'. Its form derives from the Latin word for and, 'et'. In some ampersands – commonly the italic form – this combination is more clearly seen than in others, and the character has evolved its highly unique form. Read on for our pick of the best ampersands of 2020. 01. Baskerville These ampersands are the go-to favourite for many graphic designers Price: From £35 Download here Ampersands don't come much better than the refined and classic forms found in the Baskerville typeface family. Originally designed in the 18th century by John Baskerville, in Birmingham, England, it was influenced by Bodoni and Didot. In the Regular version of the typeface, the ampersand feels gentle yet authoritative, and the ampersand in Alan Fletcher's iconic V&A mark is very similar to Baskerville's. Move to Baskerville Italic and a strong, creative and cursive feel emerges the letters E and t shining through more clearly. 02. Miller Here’s ampersand that seems to have a life of its own Price: From £40 Download here Mention ampersands and for some designers, it's Miller time. Although designed in 1997 by Matthew Carter, this is a typeface based on the sturdy, all-purpose Scotch Roman fonts of the early 19th century. Select Miller Display Italic, however, and you'll unlock an ampersand that's as beautiful and flowing as a Highland spring. Somehow, the slightly extreme elevation of the top right ligature doesn't feel out of balance at all. 03. Bella Pro Heavy yet graceful, and with a sense of dynamism Price: From £55 Download here Elegant, and a little extreme, no typeface better reflects the modern penchant for high contrast serifs than Bella, created by Manchester typographer Rick Banks of the F37 Foundry. Newly available as Bella Pro, this font family boasts an ampersand that oozes luxury in both regular and italic forms – it's a character that looks like it's lounging around in an expensive cocktail bar, waiting for the action to kick off. 04. King's Caslon Traditional, classy and with the kind of flourish a regal ampersand needs Price: From £16 Download here This redrawing of William Caslon's classic English typeface from the 17th century was created by Dalton Maag in 1991, and its six fonts deliver a swirling ampersand drawn in a style usually reserved to italic versions of a typeface. Despite its deliberately over-egged curves, it still feels anchored and well-structured. It's hard to go wrong with a Caslon. The one shown here is King's Caslon Display Regular. 05. ITC American Typewriter This ampersand is anything but business as usual Price: From £35 Download here Designed in 1974 for ITC by Joel Kaden and Tony Stan, American Typewriter was inspired by classic slab serif mechanical typefaces. However, unlike its influences, it isn't monospaced and has a funky, fun feel reflecting the decade in which it was born. This is perfectly encapsulated in its playful ampersand, and comes across throughout its weights and styles. Doesn't it resemble a cat dangling a paw, ready to swipe a toy mouse nearby? 06. Josefin Slab Designer Santiago Orozco was quite daring with the ampersand for this Google font Price: Free Download here This free font, created by Santiago Orozco, was inspired by early modernist typefaces as well as typewriter fonts and extends the designer's original Josefin Sans into new areas. The ampersand found here is tall and unusually thin, but still well-balanced. It has the feel of a symbol or an icon, with a sense of motion, and looks almost as though it's posing the question: "And?" 07. Bronx This outline ampersand is close to that of Baskerville and is traditional, but with a soft feel to it Price: From $6 Download here There are numerous typefaces called Bronx, but look out for this one by Jen Wagner Co, which extends her very angular serif Manhattan with a softer-feeling outline font. It's so inexpensive that we've seen it listed as a free font but $6 is more than worth it for the ampersand alone. With languid curves, the outline gives it an upholstered air – comfortable without ever seeming over-stuffed or stuffy. 08. Flux Regular Like the typeface as a whole, Flux Regular’s ampersand looks businesslike, but with a touch of creativity to it Price: From £12.99 Download here Australian designer Monib Mahdavi's typeface Flux brings us an ampersand that doesn't mess around – it's clean, lean and flexible. Unlike many on this list, it's a good candidate for body and display uses. We like the way that, as a form, the E and t hold together rather stiffly, like new dance partners who are serious about not putting a foot wrong. 09. Hoefler Text A unique ampersand that reflects the genius of its designer Price: From $299 Download here Heavily influenced by traditional typography and wanting to bring its many nuances to digital type, Jonathan Hoefler's Hoefler Text was an ambitious launch back in 1991. Despite a heavy nod to the classics, Hoefler was an innovator and his ampersand, here seen in italic, is as individual as its designer. It really feels like it has three distinct strokes – carefully and deliberately placed, and perhaps that's how it should be used. 10. Mastadoni G1 You'd better get out of the way when you see this ampersand coming Price: From £27
 Download here Oh, baby, yes! Here's a typeface with an ampersand that needs a double garage to park in, and then some. Like the prehistoric pachyderm it's named after, Mastodoni brings scale but also borrows from the elegance of the traditional typeface that inspired it: Didone. Here's a worthy, extreme contrast competitor to Bella, which is all about luxury and excess. 11. Windsor Here’s an example of an ampersand that tells the rest of its typeface to loosen up Price: From £23.20 Download here Like a boomerang that comes flying back to you with unexpected force, Windsor's ampersand has a ligature that swooshes around overhead in a way that sets it apart from the rest. It's an example of an ampersand that might just be better than the typeface it comes from – Windsor is often used to say 'old style' and thus has a rather cloying feel in general. Thank goodness for its exuberant ampersand. 12. Chopin Script If a treble and bass clef were to produce an offspring, perhaps it would look like Chopin’s ampersand Price: Free Download here Designers of script fonts tend to go wild with their ampersands but Mediengestaltung held things together rather well with their free font Chopin Script producing something elegant, restrained, unique and – yes – harmonious. The typeface has some lovely swirling capital letters, while the ampersand brings a sense of motion reminiscent of a bow delicately bringing the strings section to life. Read more: The truth about the ampersand will blow your mind 5 of the hottest typography trends The ultimate typography cheat sheet View the full article

Google patches zero-day bug tied to memory corruptions found inside the Chrome browser's open-source JavaScript and Web Assembly engine, called V8. View the full article

To download the accompanying files for 3D World issue 258, simply click this link and a zip file will automatically download the content to your Mac or PC. If you've missed this issue or other editions of 3D World start a subscription. If you have any problems downloading this content, please email: rob.redman@futurenet.com Read more The best cities for 3D artists OctaneRender: A beginner's guide 3D art: 27 stunning examples to inspire you View the full article

Remember the beautifully minimalist UNO concept design that took the internet by storm last month? If, like us, you were desperate to see it become a reality, you're in luck. Mattel has snapped up Brazil-based Warleson Oliveira's UNO Minimalista after the concept (quite rightly) went viral and spawned an impassioned change.org petition – and the classy cards are coming this summer. As we reported last month, Oliveira's beautiful design includes a streamlined logo, block colours and reduced symbols. The box has also been streamlined into a lovely, minimal piece of packaging design, and the reverse of the cards features a new, dark background – a sort of UNO Dark Mode. It seems even card games aren't immune from the dark mode trend. "You asked for it, you got it," tweeted the official UNO account, while UNO manufacturer Mattel tweeted an image of the beautiful cards in the flesh at NY Toy Fair on Saturday (below). As you can imagine, the general response to Mattel's announcement mirrors our own: shut up and take our money. Unfortunately, details are scarce on exactly when Uno Minimalista is arriving, with the UNO account simply replying to several (very excited) tweets with "Stay tuned this summer". This isn't the first time a fan concept has seen the light of day. And of course, we hope Oliveira was properly remunerated for his work. This change.org petition also demonstrates the power of people getting behind designers, and shows the potential benefits of designing concepts and putting them out there online. Swoon-o Oliveira's design was a huge hit when we reported it last month. We have a feeling we won't be the only ones waiting with bated breath for a game of UNO Minimalista this summer. You can see the change.org petition here, and follow Oliveira on Instagram here. Related articles: New Tokyo 2020 prints are a minimal design dream This concept Adidas ad is ingeniously simple The PS5 logo we all wanted is here View the full article

Logos need to communicate a message about a brand's values and personality. Just as there are all kinds of brands, there are all kinds of logos. They come in all colours, shapes and styles. But despite the variety, most designers would agree on certain commandments to follow. A logo should be clear and legible, as you can find out from our guide to brilliant logo design. It should tell us the brand name, whether in words or not. It should also be relevant to the brand and what the brand does, without too much guessing. On top of that, it should be scalable and ideally work without colours to give it versatility. A logo is also usually intended to stand the test of time, which means thinking with longevity in mind and not following passing trends. But rules are sometimes made to be broken. There are cases of logos that tear up the rule book and yet prove to be successful, memorable representations of their brands. Here are seven logos that break the rules and the reasons why they work. 01. Airbnb Simplicity is considered a strength in logo design, but not to the point of such abstraction that nobody understands the meaning. If a logo should tell a story and be relevant to what a brand does, Airbnb’s apparently random abstract mark shouldn’t work. Devised by San Francisco-based DesignStudio, the 'Bélo' was conceived as a symbol representing belonging. It combines the A of Airbnb, a location icon, the shape of a person raising their arms, and a heart. But no one sees any of that. Instead it looks like a laundry care symbol, or worse, something far ruder. Yet despite all that, it actually works. Airbnb's previous blue logotype looked not unlike that of a million other brands in 2008, including Twitter and Skype. The Bélo is distinct, recognisable and memorable. It has an element of arcane mystery, made less intimidating by the bespoke coral colour. Its simplicity and symmetry also make it scalable to fit into an app icon so that it can represent the brand's name on the screen of a mobile phone. 02. Instagram When Instagram ditched its skeuomorphic Polaroid-like camera for a new logo in 2016, many users were predictably outraged. The new glyph was a drab, generic, ultra-minimised flat abstraction of a camera chalked over a sunset colour gradient that would leave it looking dated in the blink of an eye. People complained it looked cheap, poorly crafted, and like something from a set of stock flat design icons. But feelings can change. People calmed down, and a design that initially seemed to lack resonance with the brand’s audience has come to be accepted. It’s also probably a better representation of what Instagram has become in the last four years. No longer simply a tool for aficionados to edit and share pictures, it’s now a branding, marketing and storytelling platform in which imagery is still key but photography plays only a part. The logo seems more in tune with the aesthetics of many of the app's users and the influencer industry it created. The much-mocked gradient doesn’t feel dated yet, and it helps convey some of the warmth missing from the identity of parent company, Facebook. 03. London Symphony Orchestra LSO's logo is hard to read but contains a hidden treat Created from a single flowing line, the London Symphony Orchestra's logo is hardly the most legible monogram. The three capital letters are linked together with ligatures in unsual places, and a viewer’s first impression might be that they’re looking at a foreign script. But the unusual lettering makes us look more closely, and the logo reveals a surprise that’s entirely relevant to the brand. The monogram forms the outline of the most important member of the orchestra – the conductor, baton in his left hand (the L) and his right hand waving to the orchestra (the O). It takes a bit of work to get it, but the LSO’s audience is a cultured lot and the logo is usually going to be seen in context. The modern, flowing lettering still feels fresh and different for the sector, breaking with any staid reputation that a classical orchestra might have. The same consultants, London-based The Partners was later able to capitalise on the initial concept of the logo to develop a striking visual identity for the orchestra’s 2017/18 season by visualising movements of the conductor to create images and type. 04. Nintendo Back to red. After a decade, Nintendo backtracked to its classic colour The Nintendo logo doesn't quite look like the logo of a technology company in the 21st century. Designed in 1976, it looks not only slightly retro, but its red roundedness recalls the cartoonish feel of Mario Bros and the younger age group the games appealed to. It made sense then that the company would try to modernise and 'age-up' the design with the launch of the Wii in 2006. The then-president Reggie Fils-Aimé blocked proposals for a complete redesign but the red was changed to grey. This made the logo less invasive when printed on hardware, and looked more modern and mature, but the grey logo lacked the resonance of the red. In 2016, the company embraced its traditional colour. When a company reverts back to an old logo a decade on, there's a risk it could be seen as going backwards rather than forwards. But for Nintendo, it had the opposite effect. The return to the red 1976 logo showed confidence and pride in the company’s roots, communicating a brand that felt no need to condescend to contemporary trends. 05. Museum of London The Museum of London logo represents more than just a passing trend A good logo should be timeless and strong enough to ride changes in tastes and trends. This means designers should think twice before taking inspiration from current design trends. In the mid-2000s, designs using overlapping liquid shapes were everywhere, including in logo designs. The below logos for the newly merged Bandai Namco and the Brazil tourism board were just a couple of examples. In this context, the Museum of London logo was first accused by some of lazily jumping on the trend for overlaid blobs of colour, and too many blobs of colour at that. And what did it say about the Museum of London? Well actually everything. In this case the blobs of colour mean something. The overlaid shapes represent London's geographic limits as it expanded over time, and will continue to expand in the future: Roman London, medieval London, modern London, and a future inner and outer city. Like a thumbprint made of many layers, the colours also give a sense of the city’s diversity. Designed by Coley Porter Bell, the logo cleverly combines history and contemporary design to create a logo that tells us exactly what the museum is all about – London’s past, present and future. The layers and liquidity of the shape also meant it could be adapted to numerous supports from bags to wraps for black cabs. 06. Demilich Insiders only. You have to be in the know to read Demilich's intricate logotype Logos are often our first point of contact with a brand, so they should tell us what that brand is. That means that when it comes to type, the most elementary rule is to use a clear, legible font or lettering. But just try telling that to Finnish metal band Demilich. The LSO logo mentioned earlier takes a moment to decipher, but with Demilich it’s all but impossible if you don’t already know the band. As an example of how all rules depend on product and the audience you want to connect with, extreme metal bands almost seem to compete to produce unreadable designs that can be deciphered only by insiders. As a fiercely independent genre, the message is that if you don't understand, it's not for you. To outsiders many of these logos might look like Rorschach tests printed in blood, but they have their own subtle language and categories of variations. Demilich's logo from 1990 was one of the first to take influence from nature rather than gore or medieval blackletter script. The result may look like an early maximalist exploration for the Blair Witch symbol, but the intricate design perfectly embodied the complex, precise songwriting and instrumental techniques of their particular subgenre of technical death metal. Read more: 8 big brand logos that never saw the light of day 8 of the best animated logos The 10 best logos of all time View the full article

Software developer builds a malicious proof-of-concept iOS app that can read data temporarily saved to the device’s clipboard. View the full article

If you've been thinking about ways to continue your creative education this year, you've come to the right place. It's never too late to continue learning and finesse your personal and professional objectives. You can brush up on your design skills with the All-in-One Adobe Creative Cloud Suite Certification Bundle, now with 97% off. To extend your Adobe skills even further, you could check out our range of tutorials that include the best Photoshop tutorials, and Illustrator tutorials out there. All levels of expertise can benefit With 60 hours of content and hundreds of tutorials, this updated Adobe CC bundle is the perfect way to get more out of the programs you already use or are interested in learning. The eight-course package is geared toward various levels of experience, so no matter what your expertise, you're bound to get something out of it and master your skills in Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator, Lightroom, After Effects, and more. One of the best parts of the bundle is a certification upon completion, making it a valuable asset to add to your résumé and portfolio that will give you an edge over the competition. Step your content up a gear With endless amounts of lessons, you'll get the guidance you need to build your design portfolio with the latest updates in motion graphics, logo design, user interface design, photography, and so much more. This popular bundle is available 24/7, allowing you to come back and visit when you need to reference a specific tool or need a spark of inspiration for your latest project. Take your content to the next level, explore the latest updates on tool panels for each program, and even learn how to maximize your creative workflow to save you precious time. You'll be exposed to real-life exercises that test your understanding of the content, empowering you to practice what you learn. While lifetime access to this bundle is priced at almost $2,000, The All-in-One Adobe Creative Cloud Suite Certification Bundle is currently price-dropped to only $34 - that's 97% off. It's certainly a great way to learn the latest and greatest in design artistry and continue to grow your career in 2020. Read more: The 5 best InDesign alternatives How to add fonts in Photoshop The 6 best laptops for Photoshop in 2020 View the full article

With just over a month until its release, not one but two new posters have arrived for the 25th James Bond film, No Time To Die – and one of them has finally got us excited. The first poster, shared by the official 007 social media channels on Friday, is giving us serious Sin City vibes. It's a moody, monochrome affair, and we're wondering if it means that No Time to Die will will be taking Daniel Craig's final appearance as 007 into grittier territory. Either way, we like it – and it's the closest any No Time to Die poster has come to our best poster designs list. Moody. We like it We're big fans of the film's typographical logo (in lovely Futura Black) and are rather enjoying that the designers have colour-matched it to Craig's eyes. The new poster also confirms our suspicion that said eyes are so blue, they should have their own Pantone. (If you'd like to create your own Bond stare, perhaps use the RH Hover Color Picker from our list of photoshop plugins?) Less impressive to us is the new IMAX exclusive poster, featuring Bond doing some Sid James-style gurning while riding a Massive Motorbike. While the trailers have promised that the new film will "change everything", all this poster tells us is that Daniel Craig's last ride as 007 will involve some dangerous two-wheeled driving. Nothing new there, then (unless we're looking at 007's cycling proficiency test). Is it an ad for the bike or the film? There's also little that screams 'Bond' here. "If you could swap out Craig's head with another actor in a Bond poster and it doesn't feel out of place," says Reddit user Ryecue, "it's a bad Bond poster." We can't help but agree – it's all a bit Fast & Furious. Aside from the new black-and-white offering, we've been disappointed by No Time to Die's poster campaign. We were particularly unimpressed by the initial teaser poster (below), an extremely basic effort featuring the title slapped over an image of a shifty looking 007 apparently trying to making an inconspicuous exit from somewhere he shouldn't have been. 007's walk of shame And of course, who can forget the subsequent, tantalising series of posters (below), in which the film's minor characters seemed to be showing off their LinkedIn profile pictures? "We read your CV with interest..." Taken as a whole, No Time to Die's poster campaign leaves us wishing the studio had taken more time to design. Still, the new monochrome poster finally has us excited for Daniel Craig's 007 swansong, and intrigued about where it'll be taking the character. If there's another poster to come, we're hoping for more black-and-white, and less motorbike. Read more: James Bond 'No Time to Die' trailer promises big change (but we’re not convinced) The French Dispatch poster is a meticulous masterpiece Epic posters give diseases a movie makeover View the full article

In addition to making animations, iClone can be used to facilitate the compositing process by enabling you to add backgrounds or billboards, textured with real footage, to your 3D models. The tool reduces the number of meshes needed to create complex sets, while at the same time ensuring the scene is highly realistic. See how the process works in the video below, or read on for a full explanation and some expert tips for taking advantage of this feature in your own projects. All these methods are surprisingly straightforward and flexible, allowing you to make adjustments on the fly. The video footage or still images used as textures can be edited like any other material used in your project. This means it’s possible to define masking areas, making part of the billboards transparent. If you're using tessellated planes, you can also include displacement maps to create depth deformation in your surfaces. Find out more about iClone As all the elements are part of the same project, the lights within the scene will automatically interact with the billboards – so the billboard within the scene will cast shadows over its surrounding 3D models, and vice versa, depending on where the lights are placed. Finally, it's possible to set the billboards so they're light-emissive. This enables you to illuminate the CGI objects within the set using a light that perfectly matches the images they contain. For example, you could simulate the flickering light emitted by screens or TVs very easily, but it's also possible to illuminate the 3D models in a very convincing way using real footage of explosions, fires or atmospheric effects. Particle effects and atmospheric effects can also be included in the scene, and similarly interact with the billboards. Being able to mix video billboards with 3D models is very useful. We can control the effect of the lights and the cameras, observing the interaction between all the elements of the scene in real time. Working with iClone, what you see is always what you get, so we don’t need to wait for slow renders and further compositing operations to be sure that the shots have been properly arranged. Working like this, the whole scene can be rendered in a single step, and there is no need to create render layers for compositing. It's an excellent way to speed up animations, saving a lot of time and effort in post-production. Here are some top tips to help you make the most of iClone's compositing tools. 01. Use videos as a texture iClone enables you to use videos as a texture by simply dragging and dropping the video file over a billboard prop. Using these panels with real footage as background and CGI props in the foreground means that we can move the camera to create a cool parallax effect. Set these panels to be self-illuminated, as well as not receiving and not emitting shadows, so they're unaffected by the light conditions of the scene. This way, they can be easily configured to match the original illumination of the footage. 02. Combine videos with transparent areas and CGI props Images containing alpha channels can be loaded as a texture in iClone billboards. The transparent areas of the picture will also be transparent within the billboard, enabling you to create dioramas that mix CGI props, characters and particles with several layers of panels that combine still pictures with transparent areas and video footage. Again, you can create a cool parallax effect when moving the camera through the scene, and some of the panels can be set to be affected by the light of the particles to integrate them more effectively. 03. Use panels with video to illuminate scenes By setting the billboards as self-illuminated and increasing their Global Illumination parameters, they become a source of light within the scene. This way we get a perfect integration between the background videos and the light in the scene, especially when this light changes during the sequence, like in this example of a sci-fi city on a stormy night. Combining 3D models with light emissive billboards, rain particles and panels texturized with semi-transparent fog animations, we can obtain integrated results in one single step, with no need for any extra compositing. 04. Mimic camera motion from real footage iClone enables us to set a video as a fixed background. As it’s not affected by the iClone’s camera movements, we can track and simulate the original camera that filmed the video using dummy characters placed in strategic areas of the footage. Once the iClone’s camera mimics the background footage, we can add CGI elements that will integrate naturally into the scene, thanks to the situation and proportion provided by the dummy characters. View the full article

When patched last week, the bug affected at least 1 million websites. Zero-day exploits were going on then. View the full article

Are you having a difficult time making your digital content stand out? Copywriting is one of the most overlooked elements in a business. Take your digital skills to the next level and learn to create writing that sells with The 2020 Complete Digital Copywriting Master Class Bundle. Effective and clear writing is essential in any position, especially if you want to sell more products and progress in your career (for more advice that'll help your career progress, see our post on how to network). Whether you're looking to build a career in content marketing or you need ways to help your business, this 11-course bundle brings you everything you need to transform your writing into a profitable career. What will you learn? Alan Sharpe, a 30-year veteran copywriter/persuasive mastermind, teaches you step-by-step techniques to take on effective business writing. You'll learn how to carefully craft your message and avoid common mistakes. Become familiar with industry best practice on writing catchy product descriptions that rank well in search results, direct-response copy that generates online sales leads, how to effectively write white papers that stick, and so much more. With access to over 150 lessons, you'll quickly become a master at generating traffic to your website and converting that traffic into sales. If you're looking for a course that will help you get started on a new website or blog for your brand or online business, this bundle has it. Danny Liu, a seasoned 15-year career technologist, teaches you the ins and outs of building and setting up your own WordPress site to host all your content. Lay the foundation needed to scale your website as your brand grows, and learn how to build a professional-looking website in a fast and efficient way. You'll even gain top insights on how to select the best hosting, theme (see our pick of the best WordPress themes), and plugins that are best for your industry. Easy to follow lectures and 24/7 access to the content will motivate you to revisit top-notch advice from the pros whenever you need it. Updates are included, automatically providing you with the latest tips for a successful copywriting career. This comprehensive bundle is even equipped with a certification of completion, allowing for a great résumé booster for your next endeavour. The 2020 Complete Digital Copywriting Master Class Bundle is usually priced at $700, but, for a limited time, you can start writing like a pro for only $39, that's 94% off! Transform your writing and help launch your career today. Read more: 13 of the best creative resumés The best pencils for colouring, drawing and sketching The most powerful laptops in 2020 View the full article

WB Montreal has been teasing a (currently unannounced) new Batman game for a few weeks, and now two new images have emerged on Twitter, appearing to show a brand new bat symbol inside the studio's HQ. The bat symbol has undergone several transformations since the caped crusader first graced the cover of Detective Comics in 1939 – some more dramatic than others. Non-fans might not bat an eyelid at the new logo, shared by games reporter James Sigfield on Twitter (below). It's just a silhouette of a bat, same as ever, right? Not so fast – logo design is a complicated business (although our guide to logo design certainly simplifies things). So is this possible new logo any different? To help you tell one bat from another, Reddit user rdgxxx recently shared a fascinating look at the evolution of the symbol from 1940-2012 (below). Spot the difference While the logo in Sigfield's tweet doesn't completely match any of these iterations, it perhaps most closely resembles the one for 1999's Batman Beyond (compare them below). The head and wings in this new version are rounder, though. One thing's for sure – it's a departure from the logo for the recent Arkham game series. We're pleased to see a return to an all-black design, without the rather obvious 'Batman' splashed across the wings (we get it, guys). The leaked logo and the one from Batman Beyond The Bat symbol is clearly close to fans' hearts – users were quick to comment on rdgxxx's post to declare their favourite – usually the one which evoked the strongest childhood memories. Djentleman5000 says, "I remember the ‘92/‘95 ones. I had The Batman cereal that came with Batman shaped piggy bank. I had a ninja turtles one too. Nostalgia...", while rdgxxx "used to watch the old TV Show every afternoon at home eating croissants with a home made latte! The '66 Logo!" Although it remains unannounced, the studio has teased the new game with a series of mysterious images and videos of, each including the caption 'Capture the Knight'. Fans believe that the crests on display could be related to the Court of Owls, a secret crime group from the Batman comics: Still, for all the teasing and mystery around the game, WB Montreal appears to be playing it safe with the new logo. It doesn't look likely to wind up on our list of controversial moments in logo design, which is just as well – when it comes to the fans, a dodgy bat symbol isn't going to fly. Related articles: Batman and Catwoman swap exposes gender stereotypes Incredible fan art reimagines your favourite superheroes Then and now: The evolution of 3 iconic logos View the full article

A default password would let anyone access the Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem Base platform, even if it's not directly connected to the internet. View the full article

Durex has revealed its sexy new-look flat logo, and we think it hits just the right spot with the design coupled with its clever font name ('One Night Sans', in case you missed it). But as soon as we published our excitement over the Durex rebrand, our enthusiasm was dampened once we received a tweet about it, and discovered a design flaw that could prove to be a major turn off for typography enthusiasts. Digital creative Helder Cervantes has pointed out that the placement of that 'd' seems to be just a teensy bit off. And it's left us a little hot under the collar – not in a good way. (If you'd like to look at some well-spaced logos, you can check out our best logos post). Cervantes has measured the distance between the top and bottom of the 'd', and what those red lines show is potentially not pretty at all. The 'd' looks like it's placed further down than it should be. It's not enough to notice at first glance, but a niggle that is enough to get on your nerves at closer inspection. Once you've seen it, you won't be able to unsee it, which may drive the most pernickety of designers to choose a different brand. After all, no one needs a design-induced migraine at an inopportune moment. Does the 'd' render this one a dud for you? It may not be as big as these design fails that were so bad they were actually good, but if Durex could shift that 'd' up a bit, we'd be interested to see how that compares to the new logo. What do you think? Let us know on Twitter and Facebook. Read more: Do people still dislike last year's most hated rebrands? Where to find logo design inspiration 8 of the best animated logos View the full article

Two critical Adobe vulnerabilities have been fixed in Adobe After Effects and Adobe Media Encoder. View the full article

Devs often struggle with the design of their websites. One thing that holds their designs back the most is the way they handle type, so in this video, we’re looking at 6 simple steps for you to follow to make …View the full article

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a good prototype is worth a thousand meetings. In user interface design, being able to share clear prototypes that all stakeholders can follow and understand is key to achieving smooth and efficient development and handoff without the headache. Prototyping helps keep designers and clients on the same page at all stages by giving clients a clear window into what is being created and the ability to respond with feedback. There are many prototyping tools on the market and no single perfect solution that serves for every product, or every stage of a product's development. Each tool has some benefits and features that others lack, so the best tool for a particular project or task depends on what you need in terms of fidelity, adaptability, collaboration, ease of use, and, of course, cost. Here are eight of the most useful tools on the market now for developing and sharing prototypes for feedback and usability testing. (Also check out our dedicated post on user testing.) 01. InVision InVision is easy to use to create simple click-through prototypes Best for: A low learning curve Price: One prototype, free; unlimited prototypes, $25 p/m Web-based InVision is one of the most popular tools for creating interactive prototypes of static screens that don’t require high-fidelity microinteractions or sophisticated state transitions. The app has a low learning curve thanks to its similarity to the design tool Sketch. It offers an easy connected workflow that allows designers to upload static screenshots and create clickable prototypes in a very simple way. Timeline animations are supported and interaction is quick and easy to understand, though performance can still be choppy with more complex prototypes. Project collaboration features allow feedback but don't reach the real-time collaboration offered by Figma. Another downside is that with no desktop app, you’re limited to online editing. There is a mobile application for native prototyping, but some designers complain that it doesn’t work as well as the browser. InVision also offers its own design app, InVision Studio for both Mac and Windows, which allows designers to skip Sketch or Photoshop and design directly in InVision. 02. Marvel Marvel App is another of the easiest to use prototyping tools Best for: Simplicity of use Price: One project, free; unlimited projects $12 p/m One of the easiest and most intuitive prototyping tools around, Marvel is another good option for making simple screen-linking prototypes if you don’t need to test more complex microinteractions. It works directly from pre-designed PSD or Sketch documents, so visual drafts can be used without conversion formatting. It’s perhaps the easiest app for non-designers to follow, and is very straightforward for stakeholders to use to give feedback. Like InVision, Marvel is limited to an online app. 03. Figma Figma is great for teams thanks to its real-time collaboration tools Best for: Collaborative working Price: Starter account, free; professional account $12 per editor p/m Figma is billed as the collaborative UI design tool and this aspect is what has made it so popular. Real-time collaboration makes it comparable to working on a Google document. The app retains smooth performance even with several team members working on a project at the simultaneously. This makes it great for sharing prototypes with multiple stakeholders and getting immediate feedback, and saves time by allowing teams to ditch the piece-by-piece approach and work across an entire project at the same time. Again like Google docs, previous versions can easily be retrieved, making it easy to keep track of iterations. The web-based tool also has desktop versions for Windows and iOS, and prototypes can be easily shared to Windows, iOS and Android. One drawback for now is the lack of animation features, with no support for lottie files as yet. 04. UXPin UXPin allows prototypes to include animations that come closer to the real thing Best for: Animations Price: From £20 a month If you need to present powerful animations in a prototype rather than simply link screens together, then UXPin is one of the better options. You animate between different versions of any element and update properties between states with a single click. You can also add a layer of logic to prototypes and set rules for when interactions should happen, making it a good tool for showing how interactions will really work in the finished product. You can also use JavaScript to create computational components like shopping carts, and prototypes can easily be shared to iOS and Android via the UXPin Mirror. UXPin also has collaborative tools and provides automatic specs for handoff, making it an all-in-one package that can be uses from the initial design stage right through to delivery. It’s available for Windows, Mac and online. 05. ProtoPie Best for: code-free high-fidelity prototypes Price: $13 p/m ProtoPie comes into its own when you need to show more complex interactions that come close to the real thing. It allows you to demo interactions with an object, trigger, and response flow. It also provides the ability to control smart device sensors in prototypes, including as compass, tilt, sound, and 3D touch sensors. This all makies it one of the best options at the moment for creating high-fidelity prototypes without coding, and for real usability or UX evaluation purposes when you need to show advanced user journeys using variables and conditions that can handle logic and dynamic inputs. Shareable prototypes can be displayed and experienced interactively within the browser app, or more usefully deployed on a mobile device to allow them to be tested like a real native app by simply scanning a QR code. 06. Adobe XD Adobe XD offers an all-in-one package from design to prototype Best for: Designers working with Adobe products Price: £9.98 p/m, per user If you’re committed to the Adobe suite of products, Adobe XD integrates well and offers an all-in-one UI design option with a prototype tab that’s easy to switch into. It feels rather different to other Adobe products, but offers seemless integration. Of course it works on Windows as well as Mac, making it an alternative to Sketch for designing for Windows users. It’s also one of the very few options for creating prototpyes with voice command triggers and playback, which can make it useful for very specific projects. 07. Framer X Best for: Designers who code Price: $144 p/year Framer X is one of the most versatile of all prototyping tools. The caveat is that to use its full potential, it helps to be comfortable writing some code. The majority of prototyping tools are code-free, but Framer X uses the JavaScript library React (read more about how Framer X works here). This and the lack of friendly controls mean that the learning curve can be daunting to non-coders. But if you can code, or are prepared to get up to speed, Framer X allows you to create prototypes that can be almost indistinguishable from the final product. This allows you to demo fully interactive prototypes and collect reliable feedback on natural user behaviour. It offers seamless support for HTML, CSS, and Javascript. It supports calling the system keyboard, inputting real text then using it as data, and real control and monitoring of audio and video. Through its component store, you can also add analytics and heatmaps to test prototypes. 08. Principle Principle allows prototyping of specific complex animations Best for: High-fidelity specific animations for iOS Price: $129 Principle excels at smoothly displaying specific, complex animated interactions for iOS mobile apps. It offers the option to look at individual assets and how those assets animate independently, right down to timings and easing, which is great for prototyping minor interactions within designs. It can import Sketch files, and the Sketch-like interface makes it easy to learn to use. Users of Adobe After Effects should also find the adding of animations to layers quite familiar. Principle is an offline app available only for Mac, so it lacks collaborative tools. The mirror app for live testing is also only available for iOS, with no option available for Android. Read more: 10 painful UI fails (and what you can learn from them) Master the golden rules of incredible UI design The 8 most disruptive apps of all time View the full article