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You're reading Examples of Magical Winter Email Newsletters with Tips & Tricks, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook! Winter is a season of contrast. It welcomes entrepreneurs with one of the most profitable periods of the year then pours cold water over them in January which is notorious for economic stagnation. However, you can’t just stop email marketing … View the full article

A bit of a retro feel is always a good way to get people's attention. Nostalgia's an easy button to press; that's why people are guaranteed to lose it for shows like Stranger Things and Mad Men, and why each year's design trends are almost certain to incorporate elements from bygone decades. If you really want a vintage twist to hit home, though, you need to aim for an era that's not being milked to death already; does anyone really want to see another 1980s-inspired design at the moment? So we're delighted to see the new poster designs for DC's upcoming Harley Quinn movie, Birds of Prey, which take nostalgia to a new level. Forget the 1980s; these posters, revealed on the Birds of Prey Twitter account, are rocking a killer 1480s vibe. Respect. Is this the defining movie poster trend of the decade? The main poster's inspired by Botticelli's most famous work, The Birth of Venus. Painted at some point in the 1480s, it depicts the Greek goddess Venus emerging from the sea in a giant scallop shell, fully-grown and completely nude. If you want to see the original it can be found in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, Botticelli's The Birth of Venus is the clear inspiration here Harley, played by Margot Robbie, isn't nude in this poster, but the look clearly comes from the Botticelli original. There's the giant scallop shell (adorned with chunky diamonds) and the sea, and while Venus is attended by the got Zephyr and other minor deities, here Harley is backed up by the likes of Black Canary, Huntress and Cassandra Cain. Oh, and a beaver in a pink tutu, because why not? It's a strong look that's quite unlike the current trend in movie posters for a moody extreme close-up of the main character with a bunch of text plastered over it; we'd much rather look at something colourful with plenty of details to pore over. Supplementary posters feature other characters, as well as that tutu-sporting beaver As well as the gorgeous main posters, DC has also released a series of supporting posters featuring individual characters from Birds of Prey, again carried off in that Botticelli style and giving you a closer look at everyone already mentioned as well as Victor Szasz and Roman Sionis (played by Ewan McGregor), all backed up with more bits of weird pre-Renaissance iconography to ponder over. There's no word from DC on who's responsible for these fantastically weird illustrations; whoever it is, though, we like their style. And after the massive success of this year's Joker movie, it's good to have another Batman spin-off to look forward to. Birds of Prey is scheduled for release on 7 February 2020; there's no official site yet, but you can find out more on its Twitter account. Related articles: Check out these incredible posters for movies that never happened A designer's guide to printing a poster 39 stunning poster designs to inspire you View the full article

Why might you want to learn how to Photoshop someone into a picture? Assembling your friends for a photo can be an uphill struggle and there’s no guarantee you’ll fit everyone in – there’s always one straggler, standing awkwardly just outside the frame. This beginner’s tutorial will guide you through the process of taking a person from one image and adding them to another. While directed specifically toward adding people, many of the techniques used in this tutorial can be used in any other compositing work. Get Adobe Creative Cloud to follow this tutorial and explore other projects in Photoshop. If this isn't quite what you're after, or you'd like something more advanced, see our comprehensive list of Photoshop tutorials. 01. Find your image Ideally your person would be on a plain background to make cutting out much easier When picking your two images, it’s important to consider matching perspective and angles, ensuring that any inserted image has the best chance of looking natural and in situ. Try to mimic the resolution and lighting conditions of the original image, since tiny differences can immediately spoil the credibility of a composition. When cutting a person out from their background, it is preferable to have a sharp edge around your subject. If a background is clean enough, such as a plain, block colour, you can often get away with using the Magic Eraser tool for a quick cutout. This involves cycling through the eraser tools by clicking and holding on the icon in the toolbar or pressing Shift + E, until you get to the Magic Eraser. With this tool selected, click on unwanted areas of the image to remove. If it is a blank white background, it should usually disappear in one click. This is destructive and permanent, so it is worth duplicating the layer or backing the image up. 02. Use the Pen tool Draw around the body using the Pen tool. Either draw exact curves in as you go or add them in later The most accurate way to cut out an object in Photoshop is by drawing a path with the Pen tool. Select the Pen tool in the toolbar or with the shortcut P, then make the first point on your path by clicking onto the canvas, somewhere on the edge of your subject. Continue clicking around the whole body, until you connect the final point with the first (ignore the head and hair for now, just roughly draw around it). As you click, hold down the mouse to drag out bezier handles and draw curves. You can add these to anchor points later with the Convert Point tool or edit existing ones with the Direct Selection tool. Hold the alt key as you click to change just one handle independent of the other. You can save this path in the Paths panel or select it by right clicking and pressing Make Selection. 03. Focus on the hair Experiment with the controls in 'Select and Mask' until you are left with just the head and hair The Pen tool is excellent for hard, sharp lines, but unsuitable for anything that has rougher edges, such as hair or fabric. Each designer has their own ‘tried and tested’ trick for dealing with this, including any combination of masks, brushes and alpha channels. But the quickest and most effective method is Select and Mask (previously known as Refine Edge). Use the Quick Selection tool to roughly select the head and hair of your subject, using the square brackets keys to change the size of your brush. Then click on the Select and Mask button in the taskbar to refine your selection. It is then a matter of trial and improvement, experimenting with Radius, Contrast and Shift Edge until you have removed as much of the background as possible. You can then use this selection to either mask out or delete the background until you have removed as much of the background as possible and the hair looks natural. Confirm the selection and then either press the mask button in the layers tab or reverse the selection (right click and Select Inverse) and delete. You can combine this with the Pen tool by performing each process on a separate layer and merging the layers later on (selecting the layers and right clicking in the layers panel). 04. Copy person into your image Use the Free Transform tool to reposition your person on the image. You may have to flip them if they are facing the wrong direction Having cut out your subject with the Pen tool and Select and Mask, flatten any layers, then copy and paste into the other document. Position your person into the picture where they look most natural, without breaking any perspective or proportions. Use Edit > Free Transform to resize and rotate your layer. You may need to mask any areas that are meant to be behind foreground objects. You can use the Pen tool for this, selecting your area before pressing the mask button. 05. Consider lighting Position your adjustment layer above a layer, then hold down alt as you click to adjust just that layer Simulating the lighting conditions of the original image will help your subject really inhabit the world of the image. The easiest way to do this is by adding shadows and editing colour balance. Simple shadows can be added by painting black onto a new layer with a feathered brush. You can then use the opacity of this layer to control the weight of the shadows. Alternatively you can use the Burn tool to darken the areas of the image that need more shadow, though it is worth duplicating the layer first so you don’t make permanent changes. Normally you would adjust the colour balance by clicking on the adjustment layer button in the Layers panel, then selecting which adjustment you want, however this would affect every layer below it in the composition. To make sure an adjustment layer only works on the layer you want, position it above the active layer, then alt click between the layers. You can duplicate adjustments by clicking on the layer and pressing Command + J. 06. How to remove someone from a photo Content Aware Fill can be unpredictable, especially if the background is complex Removing a person is a lot easier than adding them. Photoshop has the perfect tool for this exact situation – Content Aware Fill. The success of this largely depends on the rest of the image and how complicated it is. In an ideal world you would make your selection with the Pen or Lasso tool, then go to Edit > Fill and select Content Aware fill. This would then redraw the selected area, making an educated guess from the rest of the information in the image. In reality this can be a little hit and miss, so it is sometimes easier to do the hard work yourself. There are a few options for this – the Patch tool, the Healing Brush or the Clone Stamp tool, though the latter gives you the greatest control. Select the Clone Stamp tool and alt click to select the area you want to clone from. Then paint onto the layer, keeping a soft brush and a low flow. Again it is worth duplicating the layer so you have something to reference back to. Read more: How to flip a layer in Photoshop How to make a meme in Photoshop The best alternatives to Photoshop View the full article

Apple is always looking to add a big new feature to sell us yet another version of the iPhone. The latest model - the iPhone 11- brought with it, its bug-eyed looking dual‑camera system, the fastest chip ever in a smartphone and all‑day battery life. A great set of specs, but how is Apple going to raise the bar for future models? Rumours from respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, whose research note was seen by MacRumors, suggests that the iPhone is heading towards a "completely wireless experience" in 2021. If you don't own a pair of wireless headphones, now is a great time to get yourself a pair. Alongside the lack of a headphone port - remember the fuss that caused, but we all came around in the end - there will be no Lightning port to power up your shiny new iPhone. Kuo said "Among new 2H21 iPhone models, we expect that the highest-end model would cancel the [Lightning] port and provide the completely wireless experience." So, no headphone port and no Lightning port. What is an iPhone owner to do? Wireless charging is not a new revelation, with several generations of iPhone's being able to charge wirelessly. But, this has always meant purchasing a wireless charger, and why would you when you can charge for free with the supplied charging cable. The lack of a Lightning port also means you can't even use your old headphones with an adaptor. Looks like now is the time to fully embrace the wireless revolution, because it is coming, in 2021 apparently. How is Apple going to better the iPhone 11 in 2020? What will the next generation iPhone look like? We all know there will be a new iPhone in 2020, and we are all desperate to know what features the latest generation will add. Kuo suggests two and three rear cameras (dependent on model), OLED screens, support for 5G, and more interestingly, it will resemble the iPhone 4. A retro iPhone look will get creatives excited. Make sure you check out our iPhone 12 concept suggests 2020 phones could go retro post to get the lowdown on what to expect and a peek at what it might look like. Read more: The best running headphones in 2019 Amazon takes on AirPods with its own true wireless headphones The 100 greatest Apple creations View the full article

You need new and updated software deployed throughout your organization constantly. Security updates, replacement of software that has reached end of life, new releases, application migration efforts attached to a Windows Migration—the list of reasons goes on. Organizations spend way too much time investigating what new software is available and … Source Continue reading Save Time and Money by Enabling IT Staff to Update Software Better and Faster at Flexera Blog. View the full article

The annual Eurovision Song Contest has long been a favourite of anyone who appreciates an evening of cheesy international pop combined with a nail-biting judging process. And while it's generally been a Europe-focused event, the rest of the world is gradually catching on to its kitsch delights, and the contest is becoming bigger every year. The first Eurovision Song Contest, 65 years ago, involved just six countries; over the years, more and more countries have got involved, and next year's contest in Rotterdam sees 41 countries participating. And to celebrate the contest's ever-expanding inclusivity, next year's Eurovision has a data-driven logo design that cleverly involves every country taking part. 8 of the biggest logo redesigns of 2019 The abstract logo design is the work of data visualisation agency CLEVER°FRANKE, and follows on from previous circular designs used when the Netherlands have hosted the contest in the past. Informed by the minimalistic, experimental and innovative characteristics of Dutch design, the new logo features the flag colours of each country competing in the 2020 contest, in the order in which they first participated in Eurovision. As well as the flag colours, CLEVER°FRANKE has also squeezed in a couple of cheeky little references to the Netherlands' own Eurovision record. Not only does the design start off with the Dutch colours – fair play, as the Netherlands opened the first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956 – but the radial background of the design also features five bright beams of light, each one representing the five times the Netherlands won the competition, the last time this year. Next year's design follows a tradition of circular Dutch logos It's not an especially minimal logo, but it's hard not to like this dynamic and versatile design from CLEVER°FRANKE, and we love how it can be used in various ways, focusing on small sections of the design to create vivid, eye-catching bursts of colour that look great on all manner of applications. Imaginative use of details from the logo makes for some eye-catching applications The 2020 Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Rotterdam between 12-16 May; you can find out more about the logo design here. Related articles: 7 famous logos that pass the silhouette test World Cup 2022 logo revealed Facebook's new logo is just about worth a Like View the full article

First hitting the newsstands in 1995, Computer Arts has become an institution in the creative industries; educating, informing and encouraging generation upon generation of graphic designers and illustrators. Now, a quarter of a century on, it's celebrating its 300th issue... in style. The opening pages of Computer Arts 300 feature The magazine has undergone a complete design overhaul, and now boasts a fresh and exciting new look that's perfectly placed for the 2020s. Every page and section has been beautifully redesigned, breathing fresh visual life into Computer Arts' features, showcases and reviews. Get your copy of the new issue! Discover what 'beauty' means in the world of modern design. And what features there are! In a 12-page special, we speak to some of design's biggest names about the impact of the magazine across 300 issues, and how the industry has evolved over this time. With input from the likes of Neville Brody, Paula Scher, Milton Glaser, Stefan Sagmeister, Michael Wolff and many more, this article is a must-read for anyone working in design or illustration. Exclusive F1 competition – enter an animation and stand to win £4,000 and have your work used in the new season Save up to 70% with a subscription now! Issue 300 also contains an exclusive interview with New York Times designer Tracy Ma, and a big feature on the importance of beauty in these ugly times. Elsewhere, Sagi Haviv shares his two favourite pieces of design, Matt Baxter offers tips for creatives wanting to speak in public, and artist collective Sucuk und Bratwurst share the secrets of their success. Leading the digital charge at The New York Times, Tracy Ma wants to develop an original visual language, as she reveals in our exclusive interview. Also in this issue, we take a deep delve into Someone London's identity work for progressive law firm Simmons & Simmons, illustrator Alva Slog explains to draw against stereotypes, and Monotype shows us around their cool creative space. All this, plus the news, reviews, insights and visual inspiration from the creative industries you need to keep up with the latest trends. Swedish illustrator Alva Skog explains how to draw against stereotypes and use illustration as a form of activism. Buy Computer Arts issue 300 or subscribe to Computer Arts magazine. Read more: Branding quotes: The good, the bad and the ugly 32 beautiful examples of paper art 20 top design trends for 2020 View the full article

Applying your design skills to the gaming industry is a high-demand opportunity you may have not previously considered. Job opportunities are growing daily in the field, and more and more qualified applicants are being scouted. This extensive School of Game Design: Lifetime Membership brings you everything you need to kickstart the career of your dreams, now at an additional 15% off with code MerrySave15. All game designers must first learn the fundamentals of the industry to be successful. Starting from the basics and leading up to more technical skills, The School of Game Design brings you access to over 120 hours of step-by-step training videos. You'll start with the core elements and work your way up to performing advanced techniques with Unity3D. From logos and backgrounds to coding and animation, the endless lessons will help navigate you into the programs you need to learn to be successful in the industry. (See our best 3D modelling software post if you want to learn to model in 3D first.) The extensive program comes complete with access to thousands of royalty free game designs and images, helping you find the perfect asset for any gaming project you tackle. Lifetime access to the content will ensure you'll always be up to speed on the newest advancements in both digital artistry skills and coding as new updates are added. Original illustrator files are provided, allowing you to create genuinely custom assets that reflect your aesthetic and can be used time and time again. Plenty of hands-on exercises from industry experts will provide you with easy to follow instructions and allow you to put what you've learned to the test. You'll be able to create advanced 2D and 3D games and receive tips and tricks on how to work faster and create better-designed character assets through detailed lectures. 24/7 access to the lessons and plenty of online support ensures that you can learn at your own pace and keep coming back whenever you need to. While a lifetime membership is valued at $5,990, it is currently price-dropped to only $59 + an additional 15% off using code MerrySave15. It's certainly a great way to kick off your game design ambitions and get started on the next phase of your professional design career. Begin your gaming journey today! Read more: The 8 best retro gaming consoles Inside Games Workshop Unity vs Unreal Engine: Which game engine is for you? View the full article

The authentication bypass (CVE-2019-19521) is remotely exploitable. View the full article

It's hard to choose the best Lego sets for adults because, let's face it, they are all great. Not only can Lego be a brilliant way to get some much-needed downtime, it can also work as a tool to help artists and designers prototype. There really is no limit on the creativity and expression Lego can offer, as proved in these incredible examples of Lego art. In this post, however, we are going to focus on the best Lego sets for adults, which have come on leaps and bounds in recent years. No longer known as just a toy for kids, Lego sets have become more and more sophisticated, now coming in the form of complex film scenes, vehicles and iconic architecture. Here we take a look at the best Lego sets for adults money can buy... Give the gift of Lego this Christmas with this charming winter set Every year Lego releases a new creator set at Christmas, and the 2019 Gingerbread House offering is one of the best Lego sets we've seen. Guaranteed to get you in the festive spirit, this charming set would make a wonderful Christmas gift for the family to enjoy. The Gingerbread design is a two-storey house, which comes features all the home comforts you would expect from a loving family home. There's a comfy-looking bedroom, complete with sweet-themed bedside lamp, full bathroom suite, with toilet and full-sized bath, living room with couch and even an open fire with a battery operated light to give it a real cosy feel. And don't forget the gingerbread family that's included too. There's a gingerbread man, lady and the baby even has it's very own pushchair. The separate elements to this design make it a brilliant set to share and build with others. This spectacular Lego replica of the Buggati Chiron supercar is the perfect set for the car lovers and petrol heads among you. At over 3500 pieces, this is an epic set, which features the most fine detail any supercar fan would wish to see. Developed in partnership with Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S, this hugely impressive set captures the essence of the impressive sports car perfectly. Including a wealth of luxurious features, the bricks for the Bugatti Chiron will enable you to build its aerodynamic bodywork with an active rear wing, logo clad spoked rims with low-profile tires, detailed brake discs and a W16 engine with moving pistons. An 1:8 scale model also features a true-to-life duo-tone blue colour scheme, with a set of stickers for additional detailing. If all that wasn't enough, the set comes delivered in luxurious box packaging and includes a colour collector’s booklet with comprehensive building instructions. This set is far from cheap, however when you add up the number of Lego pieces included, the detail, collectors extras and luxury packaging, it actually offers good value for money. Lego has released a number of high-speed vehicle sets over the years, but if you're a supercar fan, they don't come better than this. OK, so it's a bold claim to call this the best TV Lego set, especially if you're not a fan of Stranger Things (although we've yet to come across anyone who isn't). But we're sticking by it. And we'll tell you why. For a start, the Lego team couldn't have chosen a better scene, opting for Joyce Byers house in a design that features it in both the real and upside down worlds. In true Lego style, this 2,000+ piece set boasts the most intricate detail, including everything from tiny lava lamps in Will's room to the faded, slightly off colours of bricks that represent the terrifying alternate world he gets drawn in to. But probably the biggest highlight comes in the form of a recreated alphabet wall, which fans of the series will instantly recognise. The price tag might initially seem a little steep, and there's no doubt the Stranger Things association has bumped it up somewhat, but for true fans of Lego and the TV show this is a very worthy investment. The build is brilliant, just be mindful after making each world, the set has to be turned upside down, so ensuring everything is fixed together properly is vital if you don't want gravity to do any damage. Overall, an absolute delightful Lego set, that you'll never get tired of looking at. If you're into space and rockets, then this incredible Nasa Apollo Saturn V Lego set is the one for you. Just incase you're wondering why this particular rocket has been immortalised in the famous little brick, between 1967 and 1973, the Apollo Saturn V took multiple missions beyond the limits of earth’s atmosphere and on 16th July, 1969 took the first manned mission to the moon. This almost one meter-high (approximately 1:110 scale) model is built in a way to replicate the craft as much as possible. Just like the real-life rocket, it can break apart into three elements, with removable S-IC first and removable S-II second rocket stages, and removable S-IVB third rocket stage with the Apollo spacecraft and rescue rocket at the top. The set is made up of 1969 pieces - yes, the same year as the moon landing – with the three parts making this a brilliant set to share other space and/or Lego lovers. We couldn't do a list of the best Lego sets for adults without including a Lego Star Wars set. And if we're talking about the best, you can't get much better than the Millennium Falcon. Lego does an unbelievable collector's edition of this set, which, if you've got cashing burning a hole in your pocket, you can pick up here. But aware not everyone has hundreds to spend on Lego, the company has also released this much more affordable model of the famous Star Wars ship. This version of the iconic Corellian freighter features an array of details Star Wars and Lego fans will love, including rotating top and bottom gun turrets, 2 spring-loaded shooters, a lowering ramp and an opening cockpit with space for two minifigures. Speaking of minifigures, this set also includes seven Lego Star Wars characters – Finn, Chewbacca, C-3PO, Lando Calrissian and Boolio, R2-D2 and D-O droid. If the Falcon isn't top of your list, never fear, Lego has developed a huge amount of just as impressive Star Wars-inspired sets over the years, all of which you can find here. Read more: Lego has the final word on Tesla's Cybertruck Introducing Lego, as you've never seen it before The Knight Bus Lego review View the full article

You've just got your hands on a pair of cool white Apple AirPods and you are the envy of your friends. No wires to negotiate, nothing to get tangled in your clothing, just a simple slip-in-your ear experience. Yeah, you know you are looking pretty fly. These bad boys are not cheap, but if you want a pair to join the 'cool crew' then check out the latest we could find. You can save yourself a pretty penny and laugh at those less fortunates with their wired headphones. So you've got the coolest headphones on the planet, and – even if you managed to snap up an Apple Airpods deal, chances are you've shelled out a not-insubstantial amount for them. What accessory could you possibly want? How about some carry straps to make sure that you don't lose them? This is exactly what the retailer Nordstrom is selling for a mere $60 (don't worry, shipping is free). That's right, we've now come full circle, and people are paying extra to turn their expensive wireless earbuds, which are expensive because they're wireless, back into tethered headphones. Amazing. But maybe we are wrong. When we looked at the Nordstrom site, it said 420 people were viewing the AirPods carry straps. Surely out of curiosity? Surely they weren't really going to buy them? Even with the free shipping. Of course we are not wrong, and it seems that the interweb agrees with us. Tech investment banker Ellie Frost, summed up the additional cost nicely. We will not be buying any of these delightful carry straps any time soon, but how well will they sell? Is it a clever marketing ploy from the people at Nordstrom? Or do they simply think they are providing a much-needed product? Whatever the reason we can guarantee that this is the kind of publicity they couldn't buy. But what we are looking most looking forward to is seeing someone walking down the street with their Apple AirPods neatly connected to a set of carry straps. Read more: Why we're unexpectedly excited about Apple's AirPods Pro These fake AirPods are utterly ludicrous 23 best iPad Pro apps for use with Apple Pencil View the full article

If you missed all Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals over the weekend, never fear, one of the best offers we've seen this year is still available. Right now you can save a huge 40% off an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription, wherever you are in the world. But you need to hurry, this mega deal ends today! The price reduction applies to the complete Adobe Creative Cloud suite, which encompasses over 20 different apps. That includes all the big players – photo editing favourite Photoshop, digital artists' go-to Illustrator, video editing software Premiere Pro, web prototyping tool Adobe XD and motion effects creator After Effects. You'll also be able to explore the new additions to the Adobe family, tablet-based art app Adobe Fresco, and Photoshop on iPad. If you need any extra encouragement, remember that when you buy Adobe's full All Apps package you're also getting 100GB of cloud storage (with the option to upgrade to 10TB) and premium features like Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark. Created on Illustrator by Karan Singh The programmes are fully integrated, so you can switch between them (and jump from one device to another) seamlessly – whether you’re out and about or in the studio. Built-in templates help you jump-start your designs, while step-by-step tutorials will help you sharpen your skills and get up to speed quickly. This deal isn't expected to last for long, so if you want to save big on Adobe's entire suite of creative software, grab it now. Related articles: Top-class Photoshop tutorials to hone your skills The 13 best alternatives to Photoshop The best web hosting services for designers View the full article

Who needs to waste time with words or a static image when you can use a GIF to express yourself? GIFs are easy to share and easy to consume. They are cute, funny and popular plus they instantly engage. What more could you want? Google got involved in the world of GIFs last year when it acquired the GIF-sharing service, Tenor. With 300 million monthly visitors and over 12 billion (yes, billion) searches every single month, Tenor also powers GIF search in Google products. This includes Google Images and the popular apps Twitter, WhatsApp and Facebook. (If you're on the lookout for some other great free iPhone apps then try this selection for designers.) This list of the greatest GIFs was created using data from Tenor's GIF Keyboard iOS app. Sorry Android people but there isn't one for you yet. Who's number one? Keep reading to find out. (Hint: it isn't a cat). 01. Grr Poor old Stitch (of Lilo and Stitch fame). He's not looking happy, but this GIF offers more than one simple emotion which is probably why it's so popular. He's frustrated, mad, upset and annoyed. He just wants to be alone. And he's not the only one. 02. So frustrated This one is all about the unmistakeable talents of rubber-faced comedian, Jim Carrey. In this scene from Liar Liar, Carey is frustrated, very frustrated, and you can tell 'cause he's pulling his hair out. 03. Sad Stitch Rain rarely makes anyone happy, and Stitch (of Lilo and Stitch fame) is looking sadder (and wetter) than ever. With his ears down, a quivering lip and a tear in his eye he is miserable – but adorable. 04. Minion spitting out popcorn laugh Those crazy incomprehensible minions make everyone giggle. Providing the humour in children's film Despicable Me, the minions have been known to make children (and some adults – sorry to the people in front of us at the cinema) spit their own popcorn out with laughter. So this GIF is delightfully apt. 05. No Elf Elf's Will Ferrell can't believe it. His dad is a miserable old cynic and so are most of the New Yorkers he meets on his journey. You can see the disappointment in his face. A super-fun selection, and this only the top five. So who else made the top ten? Well, there's a WOW from Mark Wahlberg's not-so-cute-and-cuddly sidekick TED and a fierce "Oh Snap" from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, to name just two. And the fun doesn't stop there. Google also identified the top trending GIF expressions used in North America in 2019. It includes a "Psh" from YouTuber Ed Bassmaster, and "Peasants" inspired by Game of Thrones. But our favourite has to be the incredibly cringeworthy Dad Joke. We won't spoil it and tell you more, but you can find out for yourself by taking a peek at the complete list. Enjoy. [Via CNET] Read more: 33 standout packaging designs Pantone launches a whopping 294 'trend relevant' colours 8 brands that rule at social media View the full article

You might think that branding quotes would be a good place to start when looking to create visual identities. Our pick of branding quotes from some of the world’s brightest brains are sure to help. But are they really that useful? Effective branding is the keystone to any successful business; the set of values by which prospective customers can identity what you do, how you do it, and – crucially – whether or not they want to buy into it. But what exactly constitutes effective branding? What is it that sets the ‘haves’ apart from the ‘have nots’ and the ‘almost certainly will nots’? Well, you could start by looking at some of the best branding books, or graphic design books if you prefer. Aside from writing books, many of the world’s greatest marketing minds – everyone from CEOs to motivational speakers – have had their say on this hottest of topics, providing a deep well of wisdom from which both startups and established companies can source inspiration. Or not, as the case may be. Having spent the past couple of weeks scouring just about every branding quote that’s ever been uttered, we’ve come to the conclusion that some are more useful than others. So, to help you gain the maximum amount of benefit in the least amount of time, we’ve categorised some of the standout nuggets into three distinct categories: the good, the bad and the ugly. Of course, this is purely our opinion and should not be taken as gospel. If you're after more sound advice on creating identities, then see our logo design guide. Click the right-hand corner of each image to enlarge it. The good... Entrepreneur and Ditch, Dare, Do! author William Arruda calls himself ‘The Personal Branding Guru’, and he has the CV – and the teeth – to back up that claim. This gem of a quote pretty much sums up the whole point of branding in seven glorious words. To put it another way: stand out from the crowd and ye shall be noticed! No, actually, we prefer what he said. Howard Schultz founded Starbucks, so he’s clearly no (ahem) mug. And here he succinctly identifies one of the main reasons why consumers return to the same brand time and time again. If you make your values clear from the offset – whether they be political, ethical or social – you might scare some people away, but then you’ll probably gain some customers for life. Virgin founder Sir Richard nails it with this quote, pointing out that consumers in general feel a greater affinity with brands that are passionate (or at least seem passionate) about what they do. Reading this quote from graphic design god John Morgan – author of Brand Against the Machine – seems like a real ‘Eureka!’ moment. But it’s a fairly obvious comment, really: pinpoint exactly what it is that your customer wants, and then ensure that you’re the only brand to deliver it. The bad... Far be it for us to disagree with the richest man in the world, but we’d like to think that our ‘brand’ amounts to more than: 'Has he farted?' 'Who wears bootcut jeans in this day and age?' or 'Does he know he has baked-bean juice down his shirt?' US author Chris Guillebeau is best-known for his book The Art of Non-Conformity. Sadly, he appears not to have conformed to the idea that some alphabets don’t have 26 letters. Better move on to plan Ω, Chris. We can see what Meg – CEO of mobile video platform Quibi – is saying here. People often talk about ‘Hoovering’ the stairs, ‘Tarmac-ing’ the road or ‘Sellotaping’ their Christmas presents. But in most cases, the concept simply wouldn’t make sense. When’s the last time you 'Andrexed' your bottom? German designer Walter Landor was undoubtedly a genius, helping to shape such iconic brands as Coca-Cola, Levi Strauss and Shell Oil. But we’re going to have to throw this one into the ‘Bad’ bin, because surely everything is created in the mind – unless you’re an amoeba, and then nothing much is created at all. And the ugly... The Tesla founder’s quote could be the most brilliant piece of advice in the world… if only we knew what the hell he was talking about. And didn't know that he was the man behind the Cybertruck. What Virgin boss Sir Richard seems to be saying here is: “You can be the owner of a very successful business and have shit hair.” This quote – from US author and ‘lifehacker’ Tim Ferriss – is one of those where you go: 'Yeah, man, that’s really great advice', before remembering all those terrible drunken photos you posted on Facebook. No? Okay, maybe it was just us. The late David Ogilvy was known as ‘the father of advertising’, and we agree with his sentiment to some extent. Does Mr Kipling really make ‘exceedingly good cakes’, or do we just believe that because the TV advert tells us he does? On the other hand, we can’t accept that everything is of the same quality. We bought a black forest gateau from a bloke in a pub once, and it was bloody awful. Read more: Has branding become boring? Are these OTT brand guidelines as ridiculous as they seem? Are trends any good for branding? View the full article

Everyone is going wild about this ballsy advertising stunt from Burger King, and with good reason. The fast food chain adorned a double decker bus with the politician-baiting slogan 'Another Whopper on the side of a bus. Must be an election'. Then, it parked the bus outside the House of Commons. Whatever your political leanings, the stunt has certainly caught the public's attention. For that reason alone, it's probably up there with the best billboard advertising examples around. The campaign has been timed to tie in with the Dec 12 UK election, which for many is focused on Brexit. For our US readers or anyone not in the know (where have you been, though?) the bus appears to be making fun of dishonest political promises by referencing the Brexit campaign, or more specifically the notorious £350 million pledge for the NHS that was driven around on a bus by the Vote Leave campaign. And the Whopper is a burger (of course). Burger King's bus references this infamous Vote Leave campaign “As the Home of the Whopper, we felt that if anyone has the right to stick whoppers on the side of a bus, it's us", said a spokesperson for Burger King. "So naturally, we've taken the opportunity to shine a light on our iconic Whopper in all its flame-grilled glory.” BBH London conceived the campaign, and Frank PR handled the PR. "This is how advertising is meant to work," Ian Heartfield, chief creative officer of BBH commented, before highlighting how bold the messaging is. "Stuart Royall and Phil Holbrook came up with a killer idea, a brave client didn’t hesitate to approve it, we got it made and out onto the streets in next to no time, the nation started talking about it. Job done." Reactions on Twitter have been glorious, ranging from predictions for the upcoming election: To a comparison with the most revered advertising guru of all time: It's not the first time Burger King has jumped into a political situation with a cheeky stunt. Earlier in the year the company responded to milkshake-gate (i.e. one was thrown at Nigel Farage) by tweeting the following: The tweet has since been removed Burger King's cheeky online presence goes hand-in-hand with this tongue in cheek approach, and the company is clearly carving out a niche for itself in its brand messaging. In fact, Burger King's personality-filled Twitter must be up there with the best brands on social media, often responding to tweets individually and referencing pop culture events like Glastonbury. But this stunt goes one step further, and it's certainly got people talking. Read more: Has branding become boring? The 6 best branding books of 2019 5 massive brands that are no longer with us View the full article

Pantone Color of the Year 2020 has been announced! And this year it has gone for a traditional shade: Classic Blue. Or PANTONE 19-4052 to be exact. The shade is elegant, simple and enduring, and Pantone says it instills "calm confidence and connection". Whatever your opinions on this enduring shade, it's sure to influence graphic design trends in 2020. It makes sense that we're trending towards less outlandish palettes right now – it feels like we're living in turbulent times, and a calming, dependable shade could the perfect antidote. Or as Pantone puts it: "This enduring blue highlights our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era." Colour theory suggests blues like this particular shade are restful and tranquil, and Pantone also says it'll promote concentration. Ideal. There's a very zen video you can watch below, if you're feeling frazzled. Do you agree that we could do with a little stability in our lives right now, or does Classic Blue feel like a dull choice? The jury is still out. It's certainly a bit of a departure from recent Colours of the Year. In the past few years Pantone has opted for more invigorating or unusual choices – 2019 celebrated the vibrant Living Coral, 2018 was all about the enigmatic Ultra Violet, and in 2017 it threw out all the rules and chose two shades, blended together. Of course, this could just be the repeating cycle of trends making another loop, rather than something more profound. Read more at Pantone. Read more: Computer Arts unveils dramatic redesign KFC's What the Cluck?! advert banned after complaints New York subway map animation is the best thing you'll see all day View the full article

This Friday, the bible of the design industry, Computer Arts magazine, reaches its milestone 300th issue. And it's marking the occasion by undergoing an eye-catching refresh. The new look is already evident on the cover (below), which uses a special die-cut technique to frame the issue's main interviewee, New York Times designer Tracy Ma, and encloses three free art card prints from Ma, design legends Stefan Sagmeister and Jessica Walsh, and the impactful illustrator Alva Skog. Inside, the pages have been beautifully redesigned, breathing fresh life into favourite article formats, and creating a new look and feel that's bang on trend for the new decade. A special 12-page feature looks back on the last quarter-century of design since Computer Arts launched In the issue's lead feature we celebrate the last quarter-century since Computer Arts launched in 1995, and speak to some of design's biggest names about the impact of the magazine and how the industry has evolved over the last 25 years. With input from the likes of Neville Brody, Paula Scher, Milton Glaser, Stefan Sagmeister, Michael Wolff and many more, this is a must-read article for anyone working in design or illustration today. In short, issue 300 will be an instant collector's item. So if you don't already have a subscription to Computer Arts then tomorrow is the day to make a beeline for your magazine vendor, or our online shop, and make sure you don't miss this very special issue! And of course, if you like what you see, why not subscribe? Read more: Can you spot the design references in this fun poem? Has branding become boring? How to come up with ideas View the full article

The Apple Pencil is a glorious thing. A true designer's tool that feels right to hold, it's weighted perfectly, and it pairs with the iPad Pro and various apps to create a peerless digital drawing experience. If you own an original Apple Pencil, and why wouldn't you, it's still compatible with the iPad 10.2-inch (2019), iPad mini (2019) and iPad Air (2019) from the current line-up and a host of older models. Then this collection of tips is definitely for you. See our cheap Apple Pencil deals if you are in need of a new stylus. There is one problem with the first-gen Apple Pencil though, which has been since fixed in the second-gen model (see our Apple Pencil 1 vs Apple Pencil 2 post), and that's the fact that the Apple Pencil is completely cylindrical. And this leads to a major issue – it can roll off anything but the most level surface, and that can lead to it being lost or damaged. So how can you keep hold of your precious Pencil? We took a look at some of the available accessories plus some devilishly clever hacks to ensure your stylus stays put. For more on what you can do with the Apple Pencil, see our iPad apps for designers post. 01. Mildly magnetic iPad Smart Keyboard The Pencil just about hangs on when held upright… If you are using a Smart Keyboard with your iPad Pro, you'll find that it is mildly magnetic along the left-hand edge, and the Apple Pencil will just about cling on. Okay, this is not a long-term solution, but it will stop the Pencil from rolling away on its own if you leave your desk. 02. Moxiware Magnet sleeve Moxiware has produced a very Apple OE-esque set of sleeves for the Pencil, that give it a truly magnetic connection to your iPad Pro. It works with an iPad 9.7" and iPad Pro 12.9" and 10.5". 03. Pencil clip hack This is an old one but still a good one. Reddit user texasdoesitbest discovered that the Pentel Sharp Automatic Pencil's removable metal clip fits the Apple Pencil exactly. And as it is chrome, it even matches the Pencil's shiny metal band. Discover how it's done here – great gadget hack! 04. Leuchtturm1917 Pen Loop Leuchtturm1917's pen loop is designed for the company's sumptuous notebooks Premium notebook-maker Leuchtturm1917, which is the notebook preference of some of the CB office, sells a handy pen loop to attach to its stationery. It is a quality item, as befits the Leuchtturm1917 brand, and Tumblr blogger #MykeWasRight spotted that this would make an excellent Apple Pencil holder. He's right – it looks neat and you can select a colour to suit your iPad Pro or Smart Cover's dominant hue – but what you really need to do it pair it with the pencil clip hack (03, above) just to ensure that there is something stopping the Pencil from escaping. Belt and braces, and all that… 05. Belkin Stand for Apple Pencil Belkin's stand keeps the tip protected and looks great on your desk Belkin's Stand for Apple Pencil gives you an elegant storage solution to keep your stylus protected between uses. It holds the Apple Pencil upright and protects the tip while also allowing easy access to the device. The compact accessory is made of anodized aluminum and comes with a bead-blasted finish that mirrors the minimal design of the Apple Pencil and iPad Pro, and looks great on your desktop. 06. Make a stand out of Lego Take a leaf out of foul-mouthed Glaswegian illustrator @davidgalletly book and put your Lego to good use. And as David says, it looks f*****g cool. 07. Stylus Sling The Stylus Sling straps your Pencil to your iPad The Stylus Sling is a way to strap your Apple Pencil to your iPad to ensure it's with you at all times. A little utilitarian in design, it maxes on effectiveness – and it cleverly has a little pocket to slot the lightning connector cover into so you don't mislay that, either. Read more: 4 reasons you need an Apple Pencil 23 best iPad Pro apps for use with Apple Pencil The 100 greatest Apple creations View the full article

Black Friday is over, but there are still a few deals here and there. This one from B&H is a standout that's worth checking out even if you (like us) are suffering from deals fatigue. Right now you can pick up Corel Painter for 70% off – but the offer is only live for a few hours so you'll need to be VERY fast. Corel has recently released its 2020 Painter update, but the 2019 version is still a very capable tool for digital artists – we gave it four stars in our Corel Painter 2019 review – highlights included its clear, clean interface and its impressive brush selection. In fact, the only real downside was the price. While you can pick up a copy elsewhere for below the RRP of $429, this is by far the cheapest price we've seen. Not quite what you want? You can still save big on Creative Cloud right now, if that will suit you better (for more alternatives check out our roundup of the best digital art software). Read more: The best camera phones in 2019 Is your new 13-inch MacBook Pro randomly turning off? Here’s what to do KFC's What the Cluck?! advert banned after complaints View the full article

You've just got your hands on a brand new MacBook Pro 13". Your heart starts to race as you power up the machine and get ready to open up your favourite creative software. Then completely unexpectedly your MacBook Pro shuts down. This is exactly what has been happening with the 2019 13" MacBook Pro with two Thunderbolt ports. You switch the machine back on and notice that you still have plenty of juice left in the battery before it randomly shuts down again. This is incredibly frustrating and irritating, but don't worry you are not alone. Vigy_K reported on the Apple forum that it happened on their first 13" laptop and their replacement machine. While your machine is out of action you could get your hands on a mac decal to make it look prettier than ever. That might make you feel better (sorry if it doesn't). So, what's the problem and how can it be fixed? Apple has acknowledged the issue and released an official document that offers a quick guide on how to fix the issue. Thankfully the process is reasonably straightforward. But it isn't exactly a quick fix as you will find out by following the steps below. 01. Make sure battery is below 90% The first thing to do is make sure that your MacBook Pro's battery is less than 90 percent charged. If it isn't then you need to wait until the battery percentage drops below 90 percent, before you can continue. 02. Connect charger and quit applications The next steps are to connect your MacBook Pro to its power adapter and quit all open applications. Once you have done this close the lid of your MacBook to put it into Sleep mode. Now you need to leave the machine for at least eight hours. So, make sure you don't need your MacBook Pro for a while. A backup machine is always good to have and our best MacBook Pro alternatives for designers post offers some great options. 03. Update macOS Once you have waited for eight hours all you need to do is spend just a little longer updating to the latest version of the macOS. You can find more on how to do this within Apple's how to update the software on your Mac post. Warning: this solution might not work Be warned though the Apple Support document doesn't guarantee that this will fix the issue, simple stating that it might help. If you are one of the unlucky ones that is still encountering random shutdowns after trying the fix you will need to contact Apple Support for further assistance. Read more: MacBook Pro 13" vs MacBook Pro 16": Which one should you buy? iPad Pro vs MacBook Air: which should you buy? How to take a screenshot on a Mac View the full article

There are many different PCs available, all at different price points, in a variety of shapes and sizes, and with a bewildering range of specifications. And while you shouldn't overspend, it may not be wise to head too far downmarket either. With the continual improvement in computer components and technologies, the line between what constitutes a consumer PC and a workstation is somewhat blurred, but for our purposes we’ll delineate the two as follows… A consumer PC is one that’s designed for general use: email, web surfing, some Microsoft Office perhaps, storing and editing of photos, playback of music and movies, casual gaming – that sort of thing. None of these are particularly demanding tasks, and even a relatively cheap laptop should be able to handle most of them. With a workstation, we’re generally talking about a desktop machine that’s intended for daily use (see our round up of the best computers for graphic design for some excellent examples). It needs to do a lot of heavy lifting – image manipulation, video editing, motion graphics, 3D visualisation, programming, game development, CAD and so on – and needs to be powerful, stable, durable and reliable. Whether it’s in an office or at home, you probably rely on it for your livelihood, and so things like slow-down, endless progress bars, and insufficient RAM and hard drive space need to be avoided. Don't spend unnecessarily There’s also the issue of budget: you may not want to spend a lot of money on a PC that’s going to be used by the whole family, with the threat of chocolatey fingers and fizzy-drink spillage; but a workstation should be properly specced with the best components you can afford – if you work for yourself it’s a tax-deducible expense anyway. Consumer-level PCs start cheap – very cheap in fact. For around £200 you can pick up a system that will do most of the tasks we described, but will be limited in terms of CPU power, amount of RAM and HD space, and will probably feature an integrated GPU – one that’s built into the CPU chip – and which might prove to be a bottleneck when it comes to anything graphics related, be it games or content creation. However you only need to jump up to the £500 mark to find systems with quad-core processors, a terabyte of storage and a more powerful (though still integrated) GPU. It may only come with 8GB of RAM or so, but this is easily expandable and RAM is cheap these days – you can add an additional 16GB for just over £100. Clearly this isn't a workstation, although you can certainly do work on it. A PC of this standard will handle apps like Photoshop and Illustrator, maybe even Premiere Pro, but you may find that it struggles with big files and grinds to a halt with complex, multi-layered projects. This is where a proper workstation comes into its own – albeit at a higher price. No matter what hardware you need, your workstation should be properly specced with the best components you can afford The benefit of having a bigger budget is that you can configure your PC exactly how you want it. Cheaper machines tend be pre-configured with stock components, but with workstations you can specify them to suit your needs. For example, you could shift some budget to a better GPU, knowing you can upgrade the RAM further down the line; or opt for a more powerful processor while sacrificing storage. Workstations also tend to come in a ‘tower’ form factor, which gives you room to expand; the motherboard will be capable of supporting multiple hard drives and lots of RAM, should your work require it. Entry-level workstation-class PCs tend to start around the £900-£1,000 mark, and with these you’ll see a marked difference in components: CPUs are 6- or 8-core, with higher clock speeds; you get more, higher-rated RAM, larger SSD drives and better I/O options. However you could still be limited to an integrated graphics processor, and so it might worth paying extra to have a machine with a dedicated GPU, especially if you’re doing lots of graphics-intensive work, or your apps can benefit from GPU acceleration. Things start to get interesting around the £1,800-£2,500 mark, with machines that posses real grunt. As well as having a wider choice of multi-core processors, you might also be able to specify a second CPU for extreme workloads. Mid-level workstations will happily support up to 256GB of error correction code (EEC) RAM and lots of internal storage, including NVMe (non-volatile memory express) drives. ECC RAM isn't essential, but if the work you do requires accuracy or long computation times, then its something worth thinking about ECC RAM isn't essential – its rare that the memory errors cause major issues – but if the work you do requires accuracy or long computation times, then its something worth thinking about. Just bear in mind that motherboards on lower-spec machines won't necessarily support it, so check beforehand. Another advantage of workstation-class PCs is that you will get a better warranty, which is normally included in the price (with consumer PCs you may have to pay for it separately). This can include five instead of three years coverage, plus things like free technical support, data recovery and collection for back-to-base repairs. Again, if PC downtime equals lost earnings, this can prove very useful. If you can afford it, a high-end workstation will provide the most flexibility and expandability, with support for the fastest, most powerful components; huge amounts of RAM and storage; plus multiple GPUs which can be important for things like 3D rendering, video editing, visual effects, complex simulations, machine learning and so on. The base machine will be expensive, but you can spread the cost of expansion over the coming months and years. Workstation vs consumer PC: which should you buy? Choosing between a consumer and workstation PC can be tricky, especially in the mid-range, where the distinction isn’t so clear-cut. But the main things to consider are power and reliability: do you require a powerful computer that’s working all day, every day, or do you really just need something to run Microsoft Office with occasional forays into a few creative apps? Either way you should always choose the most affordable computer that fulfils your needs – there’s little point in spending more on multi-core processors that will be running single-threaded tasks, or buying an expensive GPU that sits there twiddling its digits all day long. Conversely, you should always think ahead and make sure you get a machine that can expand and grow with you, your family or your business, over time. Read more: The best graphics cards in 2019 Why graphics cards matter and how to pick the right one for your needs The best laptops for graphic design in 2019 View the full article

A KFC advert that said 'What the Cluck?!' next to '£1.99 fill up lunch' has been banned in the UK by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) due to complaints. The ad had previously appeared at bus stops and in The Sun and The Metro newspapers. One version of the ad also featured what ASA described as an "elongated 'cluuuuuck'." Which is a great turn of phrase if we've ever heard one. The argument about whether or not the ads should be banned centres around whether the word 'cluck' is being substituted for a swear word (no prizes for guessing which one), and many who complained were concerned that the ads were in places where children would see them. It doesn't look like this ad will be making it into our best print ads ever roundup. The full (now banned) ad KFC said they would respect the ruling, but also argued that 'What the cluck?!' would be the customer's response to such a great deal (Are you saying you *haven't* used that phrase?). They also argued that, "the word 'cluck' was used as an onomatopoeic reference to the noise of a chicken, which was in context and wholly relevant to the deal, the product featured and the brand." So clucking apparently only makes everyone think of chickens, and absolutely nothing else. And this is what this campaign is based on. Okay. Interestingly, typography and layout has also made it into this debate (see our typography tutorials if you want to brush up on your skills). ASA's ruling states: "KFC said the ad did not use the word “fuck” and they did not believe there was any ambiguity in the typeface or arrangement of the wording in the ad which could have allowed for it to be interpreted as an expletive. "They said they believed it was unlikely that children would make any connection between “cluck” and “fuck” given the clear typeface they used and would more likely connect it with the sound made by a chicken." There was no backlash to this campaign KFC also said that none of the ads had been within 200 metres of schools, and they'd deliberately been placed in newspapers with adult readerships, and not in the front 20% of the papers for this reason. So, what the cluck? Well, it's an odd one. People are very easily offended, and perhaps KFC had pushed the 'clucking' a bit too far (sorry). But what's particularly interesting about this story is that there was no such response to KFC's FCK apology campaign when it ran out of chicken. In fact, it went on to win a D&AD Yellow Pencil. KFC has had a few other potential misfires though, there was that KFC bucket hat, for example. We loved it, but we're not sure if it caught on. But it looks like KFC will have to be a bit more careful in future. This is what the ASA describes as the 'Action' from its ruling: "The ad must not appear again in its current form. We told Kentucky Fried Chicken (Great Britain) Ltd t/a KFC to avoid in future alluding to expletives that were so likely to offend." So running another FCK apology would probably not be wise. Whatever your thoughts on this, if you've got a bit of time to spare, we recommend you check out ASA's ruling, if only for the gloriously pedantic nature of the 'cluck' debate. Read more: Why everyone's in a flap about the Tories' JFC stunt Coca-Cola launches print ads you can actually hear How to create an identity people can't forget View the full article

Getting your branding right is critical for getting your business noticed. A cool font, a contemporary colour palette and a unique twist are all essential ingredients to success and London-based arts and music venue Kings Place's new branding has all that and more. Its unique twist is a logotype created using sound. The brand was brought to life by digital media artist Joe Pochciol and London design agency Studio Sutherl&, who were looking to bring the energy of Kings Place events and integrate that into the physical branding. And its an approach to logo design that we haven't seen before. How did they do it? Pochciol and Studio Sutherl& got together and built a bespoke software package for audio analysis, visualisation and rendering known as SoundWaveMachine. This generates a unique new logotype based on sound files. The machine does this by producing the initial logotypes, which can be static or animated, then the soundwaves are manifested into a graphic that is overlaid onto the original logotype. To add a new level of uniqueness, the amplitude, gain and modulation can be tweaked to produce a further version of the original soundwave. All clever stuff. Fancy creating your own unique font? Then find out how to make your own font. The SoundWaveMachine generates a unique new logotype based on any sound file But before they could step in and create a logotype like no other Studio Sutherl& founder Jim Sutherland revealed that the first step was to bring "some rational and common identity to everything". A colour palette of red, combined with a bright pink was used to add energy. A contemporary font is crucial in branding and Champion Middleweight was combined with Neue Haas Grotesk, both included for "their modernity and boldness". To show off the new logotype at launch, a flick-book was produced with an animated logotype based on a Bach Cello Suite in G Major Prelude piece (the first piece of music performed in the hall when it opened in 2008). The beauty of the SoundWaveMachine is that bespoke sub brands can be created at will. So, whenever a new event or mini festival needs some new unique branding, it simply a matter of choosing a sound file from the event and calling upon the the SoundWaveMachine to work its magic. But it wasn't just events that got the bespoke treatment, every single member of staff got their own unique business card and email sign off. They all picked a track that had a connection to them and the venue and their very own bespoke design was theirs to enjoy forever. Check out the Kings Place branding in action on the venue's website. Read more: These font football kits are perfect for type nerds Font types: A designer's guide 3 ways tech is changing type View the full article

First hitting the newsstands in 1995, print magazine Computer Arts quickly became the 'Bible' of the design and illustration industries, a role that it's retained ever since. Now this week, it's celebrating its 300th issue and a quarter of century of publication. And some of the leading lights in the profession are coming together to help mark this landmark occasion. In the issue, which is available to buy on Friday 6 December, famed designers such as Milton Glaser, Paula Scher, Noma Bar and more share their recollections of the last 25 years in design and the biggest creative milestones that have shaped the industry along the way. And of course, it's not just about the best logos. In the meantime, Greg Quinton, chief creative officer at Superunion, has done the same, but in a different way. He's written a special poem for Creative Bloq and Computer Arts readers, in which he looks back on his design highlights from the last 25 years, with help from some magic wordsmithing by John Shaw. How many of them do you remember...? A letter sized Apple Mac, tiny byte, So rare that we share it. Worth the fight. Kalman’s Colours mag, watches and data, Charts of weird flotsam. Wonderfully beta. Jony’s pink iMac’s freeze parallel motion. A shocking new order: the RA’s Sensation. Saatchi, Hirst, Hume and Emin’s dirty bed, All the YBA’s. Frieze. Quinn’s bloody head. The titles of Se7en, all scalpels and tension, Sin-crafted frames. Skin-cracked emulsion. Sagmeister’s cronies, helmets shot bare. No idea why. Just giggle and stare. Why not? cut acres of pure granite letters, A comedy carpet. From laughter’s big hitters. MySpace & Vine, Insta & Pinterest, The doodles of Google. Infinite interest. The greatness that stands out from visual diarrhoea With one true essential. A big fat idea. Issue 300 of Computer Arts will be available on Friday 6 Dec in all good booksellers and direct from My Favourite Magazines. Read more: Michael Wolff lists this biggest design influences of his career How to generate ideas Has branding become boring? View the full article

Want to download Adobe InDesign CC, but aren't sure how? Don’t worry: in this post, we’ll tell you everything you need to know. Whether you’re looking to download InDesign for free, or wish to buy a subscription to InDesign through Creative Cloud, we’ll explain the various options and what you need to do. Adobe’s advanced page layout software is the industry standard for publication design, and widely used by both students and professionals to create posters, flyers, brochures, magazines, newspapers, presentations, books, ebooks and more. So read on, and find the best ways of downloading it to your Mac or PC. Can I download InDesign for free? The short answer is: yes – kind of. InDesign is a paid-for tool, but Adobe does let you download a free trial of InDesign for both Windows and Mac. Once you’ve done that, you’ll get seven days to use the full version of the page layout tool, which gives you access to all the latest features and updates. To take out a free trial, you’ll need an Adobe ID. If you don’t have one, don’t worry, it’s free and only takes a couple of minutes to create. Just go to the Adobe account page, and click Get an Adobe ID. You’ll also have to give Adobe your credit card details. If you cancel your subscription before the end of the trial, you won’t be charged a penny. If you don’t, though, Adobe will then bill you for an ongoing subscription, so do keep your eye on the calendar. Taking out a free trial is quite simply the ONLY way to download InDesign for free. Downloading a pirated version from the murkier parts of the internet is not only illegal, it’s also highly dangerous to the security of your devices and data. Along with the pirated software, you’re likely to unwittingly download viruses and malware, and your bank account might end up getting emptied as a result. So this is very much a false economy and we certainly wouldn’t recommend it. How do I buy InDesign CC? The only way to buy InDesign is as part of a Creative Cloud membership, for which you pay either monthly or annually. Your cheapest option is to subscribe to InDesign alone. Alternatively, you might prefer to take out the All Apps subscription, which is more expensive, but will give you access to all of the Adobe Creative Cloud apps, along with a range of other benefits. (If you’re not sure which CC apps would benefit you, then check out our article Adobe software list: Which apps do you need?). Tempted by the latter, but worried about the cost? Adobe often runs promotions that might change your mind. Plus, there are always discounts for students and teachers, as well as separate pricing for businesses, schools and universities. So it’s always worth having a look to see what discounts are on offer. What’s the price of InDesign CC? Global warming designs by Shangning Wang & Jiayan He The cheapest way to buy InDesign CC is through the Single App InDesign plan, which at time of writing costs £19.97 / $20.99 / AU$29.99 per month on an annual plan, and will give you just InDesign, plus 100GB of cloud storage, Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark. The other way to buy InDesign CC is through the Creative Cloud All Apps option, which gives you access to InDesign as well as Adobe’s entire collection of creative desktop and mobile apps. At time of writing, the All Apps plan is one sale, and so it costs £30.34 / $29.99 / AU$43.99 per month on an annual plan. InDesign discounts for teachers and students If you’re a student or teacher, you can buy InDesign as part of a discounted All Apps plan at a much lower rate. So at time of writing, you can get all the Creative Cloud apps, plus 100GB cloud storage, Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark for just $15.99 / £13.15 / AU$21.99 per month for the first year, and $29.99 / £25.28 / AU$43.99 thereafter. How do I get started with InDesign? InDesign is used for both print and digital design Once you've downloaded InDesign, head over to our collection of the best InDesign tutorials to get started with the software, and improve your skills and understanding. We’ve gathered together a great range of InDesign lessons, all free to access, which will teach you new tricks and how to work smarter and more creatively, whether you're a beginner, intermediate-level or a professional user. InDesign CC: key info you need to know Debuting in 1999, InDesign CC is now 20 years old and has become the industry standard for page layout software in the newspaper, magazine and book publishing sectors. It’s typically used by graphic designers, editorial designers, marketing professionals, art directors and production artists to create posters, flyers, brochures, magazines, newspapers, presentations, books, and more. It's primarily used for print, but it also has digital publishing capabilities. InDesign is often used in conjunction with the Adobe Digital Publishing Suite to create content suitable for tablet devices, and it supports export to EPUB and SWF formats for the creation of ebooks and other digital publications. It also supports XML, style sheets, and other coding markup, allowing for the export of tagged text content for use in other digital and online formats. As part of your CC subscription plan, you’ll receive all InDesign updates free. The latest version is Adobe InDesign 2020. Recent additions include support for importing SVG files, a new reverse spellcheck feature, the ability to search for similar images, new self-serve resources available within InDesign to help you get started, support for column rules in a multi-column text frame, support for variable fonts, and support for five new South-East Asian scripts. You can read more about the new features in this Adobe blog post. Adobe InDesign: Android and iOS apps InDesign is currently only available for Mac and PC desktop computers. However, you can use the free app Adobe Comp to create layouts on your iPad, your iPhone or your Android device, and send those files to InDesign to work on further. Terry White walks you through this process in the video below. InDesign alternatives In our view, the best InDesign alternative is Affinity Publisher, which was launched last year by Serif, the makers of Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer. Affinity Publisher is available for a low-cost, one-off fee and requires no subscription. Another good paid-for options is Quark Xpress, which predates InDesign and still offers a decent alternative for those who prefer a one-off payment to a subscription (albeit a much more expensive one than Affinity Publisher). Our favourite free alternative, meanwhile, is the open source tool Scribus, which does a pretty good job at page layout for creatives on a budget. Read more: Create special print finishes in InDesign How to design a book in InDesign 11 inspirational working spaces to make you more creative View the full article