Rss Bot

HTML5 reached recommended status in 2014, so when can we expect HTML6? Well, WHATWG – the standards body driving changes to the HTML specification – has decided to implement a 'living document' approach to standardisation. This means we are unlikely to see a large 'HTML6' update in the future, as smaller changes to the specification now happen more frequently. However, HTML specifications are being revised and improved upon constantly. Browser vendors are always busy implementing the latest features to release into the wider world, which means we always get new things to try out. There are changes heading your way that are worth noting – read on for two game-changers. While you're here, you might also want to explore our beginner's guide to HTML tags, learn how to use an HTML boilerplate, or browse our pick of the best HTML APIs. Native modals One change making its way into browsers is the <dialog> element. This acts as a native equivalent to JavaScript-powered modal windows, which are a common design pattern on many sites. It can be opened and closed by toggling the open attribute. By default, it will show hovering above where it was placed in the page. Calling its openModal method through JavaScript will then use a more familiar modal-like interface. By default, the background becomes greyed out and the content below it is no longer interactive. Forms inside a modal dialog can have a method attribute of dialog, which will submit the value and pass the value back to the dialog object itself. This makes <dialog> a great tool for confirming actions or other small interactions. The element is standardised, and currently, only Chrome and Samsung Internet browsers have full support. Those without will still show the contents of a dialog, but it will be placed inside the page instead. Smarter menus Some web applications allow users to perform groups of actions within their interface. These would affect the current page in some form, such as adding an item to a list. Previously these would be marked up as a <ul> – an unordered list of actions a user could take. While the <ul> is intended for a list of display items, it is not best suited to interactive elements. A menu holds a set of actions, which would be triggered by <button> elements inside of them. Other than that, the <menu> element acts no different to a usual list of items. As browser adoption improves it may help assistive technologies find these interactive elements more easily. There are many smaller changes constantly appearing in the specification and making their way into browsers. Keep an eye on each browser’s update pages and take a look through the WHATWG living standard. This information originally appeared in Web Designer magazine. Explore all Web Designer articles on CB, or, for a monthly hit of web insight and inspiration, subscribe to net magazine. Read more: 8 HTML tags you need to be using (and 5 to avoid) How to unify your UX across platforms 16 stunning parallax scrolling websites View the full article

Multiply is the financial app you've never heard of. And Ragged Edge is here to change all that, as it has recently rebranded the UK's first FCA-approved AI app. The service provides free, automated financial advice, and its new tongue-in-cheek visual identity promises to propel it to new heights. The concept is pretty simple, the app is called Multiple and so Ragged Edge went for rabbits, because erm... rabbits multiply. But simplicity is memorable (as our logo design guide shows), and we think this works. The refreshed logo also includes some neat little details, like the rabbit ears formed in the negative space of the 'M'. It's perhaps a slight stretch, but we like it. The black-and-white colour scheme helps make the message stand out The wordmark uses Sharp Type’s Doyle Black Italic, a modern take on Cooper Black, which was used on the likes of The Beach Boys' album, Pet Sounds. This choice of typeface conveys a sense of fun and familiarity. Elsewhere, playful animations of the rabbits and engaging copy help draw people in. Overall, this doesn't look like it should be the identity for a finance app, and that is kind of the point. This would get our attention while waiting for the train "Rabbits. Multiply. When you see it, you get it. The visual identity is all about that confidence," says the Ragged Edge project page. "In a category of look-a-likes and sound-a-likes, it all comes together in a stupidly simple but surprisingly deep brand. A brand that can both educate and motivate." We're inclined to agree. Engaging people to care about their finances can be tricky, and we think Ragged Edge has done a good job of helping Multiply to stand out in this sector. We also love the little rabbit ears that pop up around the identity. They give a little nod to the rabbit theme, without taking it too far (they could've really gone for it with rabbit puns, for example). Overall, we think this is a very effective visual identity. Read more: Freelance finance: How to make more money Can the Halifax rebrand humanise banking? New Marvel Eternals logo leaked View the full article

Looking to spruce up your résumé but don't have the money to spend on training? This shiny new deal is for you. For a limited time, Shaw Academy is offering a four-week course of your choice, all for the perfect price of zero dollars. Pick from several different classes, in all sorts of fields, and get started on learning new skills to add to your repertoire. With courses in photography, health and wellness, marketing, design, business, and more, Shaw Academy can help you achieve your goals for the new year. You'll be able to choose one of 21 interactive courses, led by industry experts that come complete with valuable certifications that can be added to your résumé and give you extra expertise you need to one-up the competition. For more top training, see our post on upping your photography skills, or our inspirational design portfolios. Best of all, the extensive courses are all accredited by the CPD Certification Service, an independent body that ensures qualifications are in line with the most current standards, making your certification even more potent to employers. With a flexible education model, you'll be better equipped to take on a new job, business venture, or career change with a little help from the top specialists. With over five million graduates, Shaw Academy provides courses available on web and mobile so that you can access them at home or on the go. Each session is accessible 24/7 throughout your four week period, allowing you to easily revisit the material if you need to brush up on a concept or lesson. Live updates are included, allowing for access to the most revised content from professionals in industries of all sorts. Generally priced at around $50, for a limited time, you'll be able to take any four-week course for free. Whether you're looking to start up a new career or complement the skills you already possess, take advantage of this offer and gain more knowledge in 2020. Read more: How to unify your UX across platforms The best camera for creatives 9 of the best monogram logos ever made View the full article

If you consider yourself an artist, crafter, DIYer, designer, or anyone who has ever used their creative talents to make something special, you owe it to yourself to check out the Launch Your Etsy Store: 3-Course Bundle. Chances are you're already familiar with Etsy and may have even purchased something from the platform before, but if you've been hesitant about putting your own creations on Etsy to sell, this three-course collection can shed some light on what's involved and the steps you can take to build a successful shop. Here's a breakdown of what's included: If you want more advice on building your online portfolio, see our inspirational design portfolios and tips on how to start a blog. 01. Build an Etsy storefront that sells Getting your products seen on Etsy may seem like a daunting task, especially if you want to make a profit from your craft. Learn how to make your hard work pay off and create a viable online storefront with the help of Etsy expert Lisa Jacobs. With over 15 lessons and 5 hours of content, you'll learn how to showcase your products effectively, polish your storefront to attract visitors, and avoid mistakes that may be driving customers away. 02. Etsy 101: Launch your homemade shop You created your beautiful products, now what? Make the most out of your craft and set up a store with the help of Etsy veteran, Marlo Miyashiro. Having been involved in the retail and wholesale craft industries for over 20 years, she knows a thing or two about selling jewelry online. With 14 lessons, you'll learn how to navigate the interface, get a guide to setting up your shop and listings, and gain insights on relevant Etsy policies, so you're better equipped to launch your store properly. 03. Marketing your Etsy shop for sold-out success If you're wondering how to transform your shop into a primary source of income, this 15-lesson course is for you. Lisa Jacobs, a top-earning Etsy shop owner and marketing consultant for creative entrepreneurs, brings you robust marketing strategies to help get your brand the exposure it needs. Build on your passion and work toward getting paid to do what you love with lessons on creating consistent business plans, brand voice strategy, and so much more. Originally around $130, this Etsy store master class bundle is on sale for only $19.99 (that's 84% off). Launch your online store and start selling the products you want to share with the world. Prices subject to change. Read more: How to succeed as a designer-maker 16 great places to sell your design work online The best last-minute Valentine's Day gifts View the full article

Finding the perfect video for your project can have you spending extra money and extra hours that you don't have. Picking a stand-out video crew, finding the ideal talent, and figuring out usage rights is a job in itself, taking time away from reaching your marketing goals and deadlines. Cut down the time and money spent with the Design Wizard: Stock Video Bundle, bringing you access to curated video content at under $1 per asset. (If you want to create your own video, then see our best computers for video editing.) It's no secret that video is quickly becoming a go-to medium for online content. Design Wizard, an up-and-coming video and image design software, helps you navigate through the video content world with ease. With access to a trove of premium videos, curated for all different types of topics, you have a good shot at finding assets that will fit the needs of your brand. You'll be able to choose any 50 videos of your liking to use for upcoming projects, social media, presentations, and so much more, helping your brand shine and stand out. The intuitive software interface allows for quick editing and personalisation, so you can carefully craft every video to cater to your brand. An easy-to-use timeline will give you access to several customisable features to complement each video. Features include adding animated text, images, logos, and so much more. The edited videos will never expire, allowing you to use your assets for an unlimited amount of time and throughout different digital platforms. Access to Design Wizard: Stock Video Bundle is usually $1,000. For a limited time, this video content powerhouse bundle is price-dropped to only $49, that's a savings of 95%. Prices subject to change. Read more: The best video editing apps How to make an animated video Video editing software View the full article

Eternals is set to be released this year as part of Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase Four, and has just finished production. And although the official logo was released when the film was announced at Comic-Con last year, another logo used on the crew's clothing has now been leaked. It's not uncommon for Marvel to tweak the official logo before release. This new logo (see our logo design tips to create your own version) uses the same lettering, but with added symbols on the left-hand side. These appear to be related to the Celestials, the ancient beings responsible for the creation of the Eternals. And as the film's plot will reportedly take place over thousands of years, it makes sense that time is an important theme, and therefore represented in the logo. The tweet has come from MCU Direct, MCU's fan account, so it's not official. But if the crew actually have this symbol on their clothing then that does suggest this might be the real logo. It doesn't exactly look like the slickest piece of branding we've ever seen, but it's probably a bit too early to judge. The official logo for Eternals The official logo for Eternals also has a slightly cosmic feel about it. The film is set for release on 6 November 2020, and stars Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani, Richard Madden, Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry, Salma Hayek, Lia McHugh, Don Lee, Kit Harington, Gemma Chan and Barry Keoghan. Watch this space to find out more. Hopefully this won't be another leaked logo disaster like the Dune fiasco. We haven't seen any parody Eternals logos made out of pasta yet, but please do tag us on Twitter if you end up making one (and see our best logos post for some inspiration). Read more: Who is Rosette? And why is everyone drawing her? BrewDog gets neutered in sensible rebrand How to create a comic page View the full article

Cartoon Animator (CTA) is recognised among the easiest 2D animation software to use. Version 4 connects the tool with users of all the mainstream PSD tools, from Adobe Photoshop to Krita, Affinity, Clip Studio and Photopea. Creatives who use these PSD tools can now swiftly turn their creative concepts into animations, using their original processes, via Cartoon Animator. "Reallusion has created a clean, roundtrip workflow between digital content creation tools and Cartoon Animator," says John C. Martin, VP of product marketing at Reallusion. "Now, the connection between Cartoon Animator and mainstream PSD tools enables users to simultaneously work on their concept art and drive it to a final look." Now, you can animate your work at any stage in the artistic workflow, from early doodles right through to final production. "Simply send your drawings to Cartoon Animator, already auto-rigged for animation," explains Martin. "Return to edit the PSD, and roundtrip to CTA without losing a single keyframe animation." Turn your PSDs into animations There are some exciting features in Cartoon Animator that enable you to integrate animation seamlessly into your workflow. Let's take a look at how it works. Set up a 3D-like parallax effect from PSD layers First, it's now possible to use CTA to turn PSDs into scenes. Manageable scene elements can be created from PSD layers and sent to CTA for the arrangement of Z-depth. Use 3D depth to sort 2D scene elements and decide the relative order of characters and props in your scene. Easily build up hierarchical props by following the parent-child naming rule It's also now possible to turn PSDs into props. Import a PSD file as a prop and apply Elastic Motion effects to generate organic animations. Alternatively, follow PSD layer naming rules to group items and set object hierarchy for Compound Prop Animations. Automatically set up facial and body rigs for 2D actors designed with PSD Character Templates Finally, there's now a speedy way to turn PSDs into characters. Rig any imaginable 2D character design with the Free Bone Tool or use PSD Character Templates for biped human and quadruped animals. Simply replace the image layers with your own designs to automatically set up the character rig. Use CTA with PSD tools and Wacom Photopea is a free online image editing tool, and a great option for those who don't have a PSD editor at hand. And there's better news: Reallusion has partnered with Photopea to offer all paying CTA users an ad-free version of the tool. And for Wacom tablet users there's a new workflow to take your concept art to animation production. Start with storyboard sketches and bring them to CTA for animation. The really exciting part is that all the animations will remain intact even as you update the artwork. Sign up for a 30-day trial to explore the amazing CTA 4 features yourself. About Reallusion Reallusion Inc. is a 2D and 3D animation software and content developer. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, with R&D centers in Taiwan, and offices and training centers in Germany and Japan. Reallusion specialises in the development of real-time cinematic animation, virtual production, and motion capture tools that connect professional 3D animation technologies to creators, both independent and studio-based. The company provides users with pro character animation, facial and body mocap, and voice lipsync solutions for real-time filmmaking and previsualisation and production. Reallusion's core technologies are widely used by trainers, educators, game developers and filmmakers. View the full article

Valentine's Day is nothing if not divisive. For some, it's a day to stare adoringly at your loved one over a romantic dinner, and for others it's a huge pain in the ass. Whatever your personal feelings, though, you don't want to be in the proverbial dog house with your significant other because the day escaped your mind. But designers and artists are notoriously hard to buy for, so what can you get them to best describe how you feel? Luckily for you, we've found a number of items that are sure to bring joy to the creative love of your life. And, more importantly, will arrive before the big day. Want a present that's a little less 'Valentine's-y' ? See our list of graphic design books instead. 01. Retro walkman & wireless headphones On the 40th anniversary of the Walkman, Sony has released a wireless music player that has the retro stylings of a cassette tape, perfect for hit of nostalgia this Valentine's day. Note: they also come in other colours, that aren't the hue of your heart. Pair it with some wireless headphones – these Sony noise-cancelling ones are generally regarded as the best on the market right now – and you can crank up the Barry White wherever you are. 02. Chilly's Emma Bridgewater Pink Hearts bottle Everyone loves an insulated water bottle. And why not theme it up with some Valentine's-appropriate love hearts? A gift that'll be used every day, this bottle will remind your one true love of you every time they hydrate. What could be better than that? (If you'd like a less romantic water bottle, you could check out our pick of the best hydroflasks available). Buy Chilly's Emma Bridgewater hearts bottle on Amazon US / Amazon UK 03. Film Map – Original Open Edition Is your intended a bit of a film buff? This clever poster is a map that features over 900 film titles including Jurassic Park, Reservoir Dogs, Carlito's Way, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Valley of the Dolls, Chinatown and The Wolf of Wall Street. Based on a vintage Los Angeles street map, it has it also includes districts dedicated to cult British horror movies, and Hitchcock. The map is printed on 120gsm uncoated art paper with 4 colour litho print, and is H60 x W80cm. Buy the poster from Dorothy 04. LEGO Puppy/Bee You can always rely on LEGO when looking for the perfect gift. Over the past few years, the humble little brick has been transformed into various new Brick Headz designs, which includes this adorable Valentine's Day Puppy. It may not be the furry, four-legged friend your loved one might want, but it's a pretty great – less messy – alternative. There's also a really lovely LEGO Valentine's Bee design too (click the arrow to see image above), if you prefer. But hurry, both these little guys are flying off the shelves. Buy Lego Brick Headz Valentine's Puppy on Amazon US / Amazon UK Buy Lego Brick Headz Bee on Amazon US / Amazon UK 05. You're my Lobster Valentine's Day card Even if Valentine's Day isn't you thing, the very least you can do is buy the love in your life a card. This You're my Lobster design is one of many fun screenprinted designs from Sarah Chapman of Little Red Sparrow. Not only do we love the illustrations, we're big fans of how Chapman has balanced the mushy love aspect with tongue-in-cheek humour. Buy the card on Etsy 06. Bath Tray Artists and designers are busy people, so downtime is vital. This gorgeous bath board is the perfect excuse to relax and unwind with your favourite book or movie while having a long hot soak. But forget wrapping this gift up, get it set up over a hot bath, ready and waiting for your loved one when they get home for maximum brownie points. US: Buy Royal Craft Wood bath caddy from Amazon UK: Buy Relux bamboo bath caddy from Amazon 07. Alessi Espresso Coffee Maker If there's one thing lots of creatives rely on, it's coffee. So what better way to say I love you than with this beautifully designed Alessi six-cup espresso coffee maker. Richard Snapper is the man behind the design, which was the first espresso coffee maker in Alessi's history and the the first Alessi item exhibited at the MOMA in New York. Made of 18/10 stainless steel and a cast iron handle, this highly stylish yet functional item is sure to go down a treat with any coffee-loving creative. 08. Hotel Chocolat Straight from The Heart What works better to get the creative juices flowing than fancy chocolate? Spoil your loved one (and yourself – let's face it, it's a gift to share) with this beautiful heart-shaped box of Hotel Chocolat chocolates. A variety of milk, dark and white chocolate is included, with a range of 35 different recipes to sample. US: Browse the Hotel Chocolat gift range on Amazon UK: Buy Hotel Chocolat heart box on Amazon 09. Laboratory Samphire Eau de Toilette British brand Laboratory Perfumes craft unique, gender neutral fragrances, all of which are made in the UK using socially conscious, environmentally friendly and cruelty free ingredients. Add to that its 'do no harm' motto and you've got a wonderful gift that shows you not only care about the recipient but the planet too. Laboratory has a number of fragrances and candles in its portfolio – Samphire promises zesty hints and juniper berry top notes, while the Gorse is infused with coconut and gorse bush, with top notes of citrus and a "spicy depth". US: Buy Laboratory Perfumes Gorse Eau de Toillette on Amazon UK: Buy Laboratory Perfumes Samphire Eau de Toillette on Amazon 11. Bellroy Travel Folio Help your loved one travel in style with this luxury, compact travel folio from Bellroy. Featuring a leather divider to store cards, boarding passes and cash, there's also space for multiple passports and a handy micro pen. Want to really push the boat out? Fill this beautiful gift with future travel plans for you and your loved one as very special extra. Buy from Amazon: US / UK 12. Movado Watch If money is no option this Valentine's Day, these beautiful Movado watches will make sure the creative in your life never loses track of time. There are a few different styles on offer to suit different tastes, but the whole range is simple and elegant, and all feature the trademark shiny dot on the dial. Browse the Movado range on Amazon US / Amazon UK Read more: The best camera phones in 2020 7 alternative interpretations of love How to begin a figure drawing View the full article

The flaw was recently patched in Android's February Security Bulletin. View the full article

It's 2020, and you need a travel mug. That's because the world is turning its back on unsustainable single-use cups. Grabbing one of the best reusable coffee cups will help you cut back on what you send to landfill. Plus, you can choose something that suits your preferences for size and how it feels to drink from, and some are even made from recycled materials. Lots of our best travel mugs picks are also properly insulated, so they'll keep coffee and tea warm for longer. If you tend to wolf your drinks down right away and just need something to hold them in, you might not be bothered about this – but if you want something to help you get through a longer commute or last for an afternoon-long meeting, it's a big bonus. (Also check out our best Hydro Flask deals for some more bargain travel mugs.) We've even got a smart mug, with a heating element and battery, which will keep your drink at the exact temperature you prefer, so you get the maximum taste from it – perfect for the coffee connoisseur. (For more smart solutions, see our best smart home devices, or our smart keyboards for iPad.) We've focused on the lids and leak-proofing parts of lots of these cups, because a big part of how satisfied you are will come down to how much of a hassle a mug is to drink out of… and you'll definitely be unhappy if it leaks in your bag. Our reusable coffee cup picks range from the hyper-secure to the casual, across a range of prices. Some have clever engineering, some have beautiful aesthetics, some are made from ingenious sustainable materials, but all are great ways to get your coffee fix. Read on for our top picks. The Tefal Travel Mug doesn’t have the sharpest looks (though there’s little wrong with it) or some of the lofty engineering claims of some of the mugs here, but it’s the best travel mug because it’s an unbeatable balance of temperature-holding, size, price and leakproofness (which is definitely a real term you’ve heard before). The black rubbery middle band has a slightly cringey typographical design on it, but it adds texture for gripping, so we can live with it. To drink, you press a button in the centre of the lid, which pops up to open a gap, and you can then drink from any side without sloshing. Press it again to seal it from leaking. It’s dishwasher-safe too. If you want something no-nonsense and large, this is it. We’ve chosen the bigger version of this Contigo West Loop mug, because we know that sometimes starting the day requires a lot of help, but you can get a smaller version of Contigo’s Autoseal mugs if you don’t think half a litre of coffee is strictly necessary. The real trick here is the big Autoseal button – press it when you’re drinking and it opens a valve, so you can pour happily. Don’t press, and nothing comes out. The single-press-and-release system is a small thing, but those who drink on the go will struggle to switch back to anything with a more fiddly method of securing the cup once you’ve tried it. Even better: we like the simple curves and metal of its stainless steel build, and it comes in a really great range of matt and metallic finishes. We’re especially partial to ‘gunmetal’ and ‘latte’, pictured above. For those who refuse to be without their favourite loose-leaf blend, T2 has you covered. Lacking insulation, this T2 Explorer mug isn’t designed to keep things warm for hours (T2 does make proper vacuum flasks, if that’s what you want), but is made from durable Tritan tempered glass. You can obviously fill yourself a big hot drink with your favourite tea in the stainless steel infuser, but the large size means you could drop in ice cubes and brew an iced tea of your choice, equally. A flip-open lever stopper keeps things from spilling, but we like how easy it is to just pop your thumb under and ping it open. This bioGo Travel Mug isn’t so much intended for keeping your coffee warm over long periods, but if you just want something for drinking on your commute, its double-wall insulation will be enough. But that’s not really why you go for it anyway: being made from rice husks, its green credentials are second to none, and this also makes it incredibly light – just 180g for this 450ml version (a smaller 350ml is also available). It’s textured for a secure grip, and a simple flip-open half-ring on the lid stops spills. We like the flecked design in fetching pastel tones (plus a more vibrant yellow option). This Ember Temperature Control Travel Mug is the most expensive mug on our list by a long way, but that’s because it’s the only one that has an actual heating element, rather than just relying on physics. You can use a dial on the bottom of the mug to choose a temperature between 48.9°C and 62.8°C, and the mug will keep your drink at that exact temperature until the battery runs out – perfect if you’re a real connoisseur who’s a stickler for that kind of detail. And if you place it on its charging coaster, the battery will never run out, so you could disappear to an all-day meeting and come back to a drink that’s still at the perfect temperature. The design is plain (but good), and and it’s pretty heavy, but it’s impossible to overstate how magic it feels to drink coffee that’s always at exactly the right temperature – it will even cool freshly made coffee more quickly down to that temperature before keeping it there. Genius. KeepCup’s claim to coffee fame is that its reusable glass cups are “barista-standard”, made of a tempered Tritan glass that calls to mind your favourite coffee shop that won all those awards. The cork ring of the KeepCup Cork Brew keeps your hands from burning, and is made from a sustainable material – and there’s definitely an appealing truth-to-materials aesthetic of the cork and glass together. It comes in a shorter 227ml size too, or a larger 455ml option, but this middle-ground is just right for most. No design-conscious kitchenware list is complete without an entry from Alessi. The simple, gleaming stainless steel of the Alessi Caffa Travel Mug looks fab, and there are a few different colours of top – we especially like the lightness of the white and metal combo, but the red and brown both use stronger hues to great effect. There's a big cover to the lid you need to flip open to drink – good for leakproofing, but maybe a tad more effort than some others here. It was designed by Giulio Iachetti, who’s done beautiful work for the likes of Moleskine and Lavazza, among others. If you want to keep it super-simple, cheap and largely environmentally sound, grab this cup from a brand that admittedly means a lot more to London commuters than it does the rest of the country. This LEON Bamboo Fibre Travel Mug is made from bamboo fibre, as you might have surmised, and has a protective ring to keep your hand from overheating, because there’s no insulation here. Similarly the top doesn’t seal totally closed at all – there’s a permanent hole. It’s basically a reusable alternative to a disposable cup, and for this cheap price, that’s fine with us. Stojo’s simple travel mug telescopes down into a smaller puck shape for stashing in a bag when it’s empty, and then you pop it up when needed. It’s a smart design, and while it means there’s no insulation for long-term heating, it does have a fully leak-proof sliding lid design, and a heat sleeve that collapses right with it. We love the pale colours it comes in – very Smeg – as well as the bolder variants. Read more: The most powerful laptops right now The best running headphones The best cheap Hydro Flask deals View the full article

RCE and myriad other types of attacks could take aim at the 19 percent of vulnerable companies that haven't yet patched CVE-2019-19781. View the full article

Want to learn how to make an animated video? We've gathered industry-leading artists and storytellers for a masterclass in making engaging animated shorts. The world of short animated films is a rich corner of the 3D community, presenting viewers with quick bursts of creativity, while granting the individuals behind them an opportunity to experiment with visual styles and storytelling techniques. Such is the value of animated shorts as a medium that London-based studio Blue Zoo has a programme that allows its artists to direct their own, and bring it to life with the help of their colleagues. 3D World spoke to three such artists to find out how you can create your own animated short. Elsewhere, 3D generalist Rok won Hwang will share insights from the process of creating Bruised, the short film he worked on with Samantha Tu. For more inspiration, browse our pick of the best animated music videos. Every animated short begins with an idea that forms the initial concept, and it’s from this moment of inspiration that the film takes shape. Let's take a look at the inspiration behind some of the most effective concepts. 01. Make it personal Inspiration can also come from a personal place, as was the case for Izzy Burton, the director and artist behind Blue Zoo Animation’s award-winning short Via (scroll to step #7 to watch it). “The idea for Via formed from a simple wish to make a short film that highlighted my love for environmental art,” says Burton. “Initially it was going to be a personal project so I had limited the animation to one walk cycle of a man traversing different environments.” As Blue Zoo allowed Burton to utilise more of the team, Via developed into the human story of three characters. The short shares its name with a poem by Rachel Cladingbowl, which narrates the entire film. “A lot of people think via is formed around the poem, but actually the poem came much later,” explains Burton. “About six months in once the story was already developed, it just fit perfectly into what I had created.” 02. Find a cause you're passionate about For Hwang and his short film Bruised, it began in the winter of 2017, at Ringling College of Art & Design in Florida. “I watched a video on YouTube about domestic violence and child abuse by chance and it really caught my attention,” he tells us. “In the video, it told me that around a quarter of children under 18 in America experience child abuse, whether it’s physical, psychological or verbal.” These shocking statistics inspired Hwang and his thesis partner Samantha Tu to work on a film about child abuse. 03. Find an untold story For Dane Winn, director of Blue Zoo’s latest short Ada (watch the trailer at step #9), history proved to be the ultimate inspiration. “The film was based on the true story of an Alaskan woman named Ada Blackjack,” Winn explains. “In 1921, her son had become ill, so she joined a daring expedition to the arctic to earn the money for his treatment. With no wilderness experience, she had to teach herself to survive.” Even the short’s hand-drawn style was inspired by Ada’s incredible story and the idea that she, along with her companions, had kept a diary of her time on the island. “We tried to make something that felt sketched, with minimal environment detail,” says Winn. “Other inspiration came from the designer, Sukanto Debnath, who provided us with some fantastic initial sketches that felt mature and suited this idea well, giving us something to aim for.” 04. Mix up the genre Will Cook created Blue Zoo’s darkly comic short, Christmas With The Moonies, and was inspired by a rebellious desire to break away from the child-friendly nature of his usual output. “I knew I wanted to do something dark and gross because I needed to do something different,” he explains. “After a big day of directing Numberblocks jumping around Numberland happily, I sat down to write about eating dead reindeer, manslaughter and festive cheer.” Further inspiration came from the likes of Killing Eve and Inside No. 9, two series that balance comedy and drama. “It was the soundtrack to Killing Eve that really caught my attention,” Cook continues. “The soundtrack often juxtaposed the visuals, which supplemented the storytelling.” This influenced the decision to have Christmas music soundtrack the Moonies’ misadventures. Once the initial concept is established the real fun of creating your animated short can begin. Here are some tips for developing your story. 06. Organise your split sheet While working on Bruised, Ringling's course requirements meant Hwang and Tu split the workflow evenly between them. The pair began by making a split sheet using Google Sheets for props, character modelling, texturing, animation, and lighting. “Having a clean and organised split sheet is very important, even if you’re not working in a team,” Hwang adds. “We marked our progress on the sheet so that we could share the status of each shot. We worked in the same lab most of the time, so we could closely communicate and even flexibly help each other if needed.” 07. Try a different dimension For VIA, Burton was able to apply her passion for environmental art to creating layered environments that were painted in Photoshop, before being spaced apart in Z space using After Effects. The team at Blue Zoo helped to make and animate the characters in Maya before they were brought into the After Effects compositions. This process lends the film its distinctive 2.5D aesthetic. “Ultimately I wanted the film to feel like an illustration or piece of concept art if you paused it on a single frame,” explains Burton. “Before painting each environment, I made groups in Photoshop with the layer names so that I could remember to paint things only in the layer in which they would exist in the final thing,” explains Burton. This also ensured the parallax effect would work correctly in After Effects, which is where all the compositing happened. 08. Have faith in your concept Despite the inevitable technical challenges of creating an animated short, Burton maintains that the biggest challenge was keeping belief in her idea. “It’s so easy for artists to doubt themselves and I had many a moment where I questioned what the hell I was doing,” she admits. “About midway through working on it I had this secret breakdown moment where I thought it wasn’t worth making." Burton powered through because of Blue Zoo's involvement in the project. "I think if I had been working alone I may have given up on the idea at that point. I’m so glad I didn’t, it taught me a lot of lessons of resilience. I think it’s best to remember that you truly believed the idea was good enough when you started it, so don’t let midway doubts make you forget that.” 09. Strip out everything but the essentials The logistics of telling your story over the canvas of a short film can also come with its fair share of challenges. “For Ada there was a very long story that could be told,” says Winn, who had to devise a way of presenting Ada Blackjack’s incredible story in the short form. “It was important for me to narrow down on what I found most compelling about it,” he continues. “I would suggest figuring out your ending; finding the moment you want to leave the audience with will help strip away parts of the story that don’t help get there.” As with any creative endeavour, there is no right or wrong way to direct your short. There are, however, some ingredients that 3D World’s experts consider important to the success of any project. 10. Don't forget to communicate For Hwang, communication proved vital. “It doesn’t matter how big or small the team is,” he asserts. “My team was only a team of two, yet communication was a key in creating a film.” He adds that the process would have become needlessly painful without good working relationships. 11. Get familiar with the whole pipeline When making a 3D short, a good knowledge of the entire pipeline can also prove beneficial. Hwang adds: “You can hire or team up with other artists, so you don’t have to be super proficient with the whole pipeline, storyboarding, character design, animating, modelling, texturing, lighting, rendering and editing, but it’s helpful if you’re at least familiar with each step.” 12. Don't be put off by an unfamiliar process Unfamiliarity shouldn’t act as a barrier though – there are numerous opportunities to learn as you create your short. According to Burton, all you need to make an animated short is a story and the ability to tell it. “I know so many people who are waiting until they can do certain things before they make anything,” says Burton. “Don’t do that.” Her advice? Use what you do know and build on that. "I didn’t have all the skills to make VIA when I started, but I didn’t let that stop me," she continues. She resolved to teach herself the skills she didn't know, and ask for help on anything she couldn't figure out. "I treated the whole process as an opportunity to learn and wasn’t going to let anything scare me away from the opportunity to tell a story I wanted to tell.” 13. Stick to your guns Burton also stresses the importance of integrity and authenticity in your storytelling. “Everyone will have an opinion and a critique for you on your idea or film,” she explains. It’s important to respect the opinions of those you ask for advice, but equally important to stick to your guns when you feel strongly about something. “There was a time in VIA where I was given advice to keep the wife alive at the end by people whose opinions I greatly respect,” she continues. “I took the advice and drew it up into storyboards, but I found that my idea was a lot about finding strength on your own and being happy with the life you had, it wasn’t about a cutesy, heartwarming moment of a couple together. In the end I didn’t take their advice because it took away from what my film was meant to be, but I did consider it.” 14. Let your story guide your style Animated shorts are also an opportunity to experiment with visual styles, and with Ada’s hand-drawn aesthetic, Winn has some experience in this area. “I read a quote once that said something like, ‘you don’t figure out what style you want to do, you figure out how you want to communicate an idea’,” he says. “I think that is very true of animation. A lot of stories can work in a variety of styles and mediums, so I would say decide what you want to say with the story and start experimenting.” Winn and the team at Blue Zoo looked at a host of designs and concept art for Ada, knowing that they wanted to convey something raw, organic and mature. This article was originally published in 3D World, the world's best-selling magazine for CG artists. Buy issue 241 or subscribe. Read more: Understand Disney's 12 principles of animation Real-life renders of animated bedrooms are strangely disappointing Disney characters' homes as Tiny Houses will leave you wanting more View the full article

If you've been perusing Twitter over the last few days, you may have noticed that people have been posting drawings of a lady using the hashtag #Rosette. There are some amazing interpretations, but it's not immediately obvious as to who this woman is, or what the challenge is all about. If you're feeling confused, we're here to help. We've done some digging and found the story behind all these interpretations of a black-and-white photograph. If it looks like Rosette is part of a police lineup, that's because she is. Rosette Duccinni Davie, also known as Rose Davie, was a brothel owner in Ogden in the 1940s and 1950s. A transcript of an interview with her has recently been unearthed, but as it is written in an old-fashioned form of shorthand, no one is able to read it. How does this relate to illustrations shared on Twitter? It seems that @cgcumber and @tinynoggin started drawing Rosette after @cgcumber found her online, and they were discussing creating a zine full of images of her. They then decided it'd be a better idea to get different artists to draw her and put those images into a zine. And so the challenge was born. If you'd like to take part, don't miss our how to draw tutorials or our tips on black and white drawings. Interpretations of Rosette have varied wildly, and there are some real gems to be found. See some of our favourites below. Others went for a more comic-book approach. We love the mood of this one. While this version has some serious attitude. To join in on the challenge, simply share your image with #rosette. Fingers crossed we'll see the zine full of these soon. Read more: The powerful sketching tool you didn't know about (but probably should) This surprising fact about The Simpsons' living room will make your day The truth about the ampersand will blow your mind View the full article

Self-styled 'punk' brewery Brewdog has unveiled a new brand identity that's the graphical equivalent of taking out its earring and getting a sensible haircut. The new-look cans pare everything right back, replacing the fussy background with bold, block colours and shapes, rotating the typography so it sits the right way up, and removing the grungy styling in favour of something altogether smarter. A cleaner, less fussy identity is certainly more in line with current branding wisdom, and we agree it was time for Brewdog to refresh its identity. But we can't help feeling that the brand has stripped out all of the things that made it unique in the first place. "We've grown, and we've grown up," reads Brewdog's press statement. Boo to that. Compare the previous and new packaging below (or see how it stacks up against our pick of the coolest packaging design right now). Where's the anarchy in Brewdog's new look (right)? Brewdog has a history of causing upset with its campaigns – its misguided attempt to promote gender equality in 2018 being a particularly memorable example. So we were a little apprehensive to discover this rebrand also comes with a new initiative for Brewdog. Thankfully, this one looks like it might be a little more well conceived. The 'Brewdog tomorrow' campaign makes steps to tackle the climate change crisis. There are several parts to this initiative, including a plan to reuse old cans ("don't be surprised if your beer comes in a cola can" says the site), reduce waste by turning imperfect beer into vodka, and encouraging fans to brew their own Brewdog beer at home to reduce transport miles. See the full campaign here. Read more: BrewDog gets a roasting for its punk whisky design New Sonic logo proves difficult to swallow Google Maps gets a new look, and it’s simply genius View the full article

TrueCar is a website and app designed to help people buy new and used cars, and it's recently been rebranded by Pentagram, led by Michael Gericke. There's a new logo, a new tagline: 'Buy Smarter. Drive Happier.,' and a redesigned interface. Usually, we think think that anything Pentagram touches turns to gold, but here, we're not so sure. It's hard to have much to say about the old logo, apart from that it was dull and unmemorable, and had a horrid mix of caps and lowercase letters. The new one – with the typeface, Radikal – is objectively better, but there's still something about it that doesn't sit quite right for us. Is it the contrast between the black 'true' and the colourful 'car'? Is it the use of the gradient within the word 'car'? Might a solid colour have worked better? Or perhaps it's those little circles within the letters, which we assume are supposed to represent wheels. Or perhaps a magnifying glass. It's not totally clear. We don't think this one is going to make it to our list of the best logos ever made. Pentagram says the new logo "evokes TrueCar’s many choices and options, and sets the brand apart from the blue typically used by its competitors". The move away from blue definitely seems like a good decision, and the new logo certainly feels less clinical and unobtrusive than the old one. The aim of the rebrand was to "appeal to a wider audience as it personalises the car-buying journey for consumers". And as Lucas Donat, chief brand officer of TrueCar told Fast Company, it was also to resonate with women: "A main driver of our rebrand was to resonate with women, who make or influence 82 per cent of vehicle purchases in the US," he says. It's hard to say whether or not this rebrand will appeal to a whole gender, but its new look is perhaps less masculine than before. Don't try this at home There are also a lot of women in the illustrations and animations, created by NiceShit Studio and Hornet/Moth, respectively. The illustrations of faceless people feel pretty on trend right now (or at least they were last year), although whether they have true staying power remains to be seen. The animations feel fun and fresh, although they do show people with their legs sticking out of cars and lying on top of cars, which doesn't feel like the most sensible of choices for a car selling site. We just hope people don't take them literally. Would you want this on your car? Overall, this rebrand has all the elements of a thought-through piece of work, yet for us, it doesn't quite hang together properly. And it's not often we say that about Pentagram. We raved about its DK rebrand, or recent refresh of Fisher-Price. What do you think of the new look? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook. Read more: This surprising fact about The Simpsons will make your day Should the NBA logo feature Kobe Bryant? Design for good: 8 ways to use your creativity to make a difference View the full article

Technology loves the new: the hot new app, the startup, the disruptor. But that obsession with what's fresh sometimes blinds us to the advantages of mature technology and companies: a user base that’s familiar with your product, a feature set honed by years of iterations, the resources that come from running at a profit. The trick is to maximise the advantages of mature technology while scraping off the barnacles that have accumulated on your hull over the years. As chief product officer at Adobe, it's a challenge myself and the rest of the Creative Cloud team face every day. We have advantages that most startups would give up a major round of funding for: millions of customers worldwide; a feature set that includes virtually everything creative professionals need; plugins and partnerships that extend our apps' effectiveness. But barnacles – we have a few of those, too. Some of our apps are complex and the learning curve can be steep. While more of our apps are going mobile, some are still desktop-only. And over many years of adapting code for different operating systems, hardware setups, and third-party plugins, bugs and performance issues crept into our products. The Creative Cloud team is attacking those issues aggressively. I’d like to share some of the lessons we've learned along the way. Not signed up for Creative Cloud? See our roundup on the best Adobe CC deals here. Lesson #1: Empathy is everything To improve your products, you have to listen closely to your customers, hear what frustrates them, what confuses them, what they wish they could do with your tools. And look closely at the data to get an overall view of users’ experiences. Sometimes, that requires learning new skills. We’ve recently been training more members of our product team to engage directly with customers on social media so they can hear first-hand about both the pleasures and frustrations of using our tools. We also pay attention to media stories about our products and, especially, the reader comments attached to those stories. This feedback can sometimes be hard to read, but it’s all valuable. If you don’t put in concentrated effort, you’ll hear only the loudest voices among your customers Case in point: When we launched a new version of Photoshop on the iPad, some Photoshop veterans were disappointed that it didn’t include all their favorite tools and they let us know in online comments and reviews (read CB's Photoshop for iPad review and Photoshop 2020 review). We learned that we needed to be much more transparent about our intentions for Photoshop on iPad and we committed to a public roadmap for adding some of the most-requested additional features. Effectively interpreting the data from your applications is an acquired skill, too. The problem today is never having too little data – it’s having too much. We’ve investigated and experimented to figure out which data points in the welter of information we have are most telling about our customers’ experiences. The most important thing about empathy is remembering that it is work. If you don’t put in concentrated effort, you’ll hear only the loudest voices among your customers and that can lead you in the wrong direction. Lesson #2: Pay attention to the First Mile The First Mile of a product is everything that a new user relies on to get oriented: the welcome tour, the default choices, the explanatory copy, and more. Those elements are essential to newcomers' success and satisfaction with your product, so it’s bewildering that the First Mile is often given so little focus. When we looked at the issue of our products' steep learning curves, we recognised two things. First, some of our tools are sophisticated, professional-grade products that will never be simple to pick up. But, second, we were inadvertently making things worse by not putting enough effort into the First Mile. CC Libraries are designed to make Adobe's collections easier to find for new users Over the past couple years, we’ve focused on the First Mile and we’re seeing some encouraging results. One great example is Creative Cloud Libraries. These collections of brushes, colour schemes, stock photos, and more are a great way to organise your own work and to create collaboratively with others. They weren’t used often enough, though, simply because they were hard to find and work in. We rolled out a new version of our Creative Cloud Desktop application that brings Libraries front-and-centre and makes it easy to see their benefit. And we’ve seen a big spike in usage. Examine all the things you take for granted and ask whether they'd be as obvious to someone who’s never seen it before We've also recognised that sometimes a customer just needs to learn a new technique – they know that their photo is too flat, but they don’t know how to fix the problem. In Lightroom, we’ve introduced new interactive tutorials from master photographers that guide users step-by-step through common tasks, like balancing the light in a sunny portrait. Want to work on your own First Mile? Start by examining all the things you take for granted about your product and ask whether those things would be as obvious to someone who’s never seen it before. Lesson #3: Be prepared to rethink everything When you first build a product, you build it based on the assumptions and technical limitations of the time. As time goes by, those baseline assumptions change, and you have to make sure your product changes along with them. When we started building creative tools, only desktops were powerful enough to handle complex creative projects and local storage of files was the only option. Now, of course, mobile hardware has become so powerful that devices like the Apple iPad and Microsoft Surface are fully capable of running complex creative applications (see CB's pick of the best drawing apps for iPad). Product leaders should think about expansion... as an opportunity for reinvention The same is increasingly true for web browsers and the potential for web apps to generate industry-grade output. And network connections have become so fast that storing large files in the cloud is not a problem. We’re working hard to take advantage of these developments with new products and features that expand Creative Cloud’s footprint, including Cloud Documents, creative files that live online to make it easy to collaborate and create anywhere; live co-editing of projects in Adobe XD, our interface design and prototyping tool; and Adobe Spark web apps that let you create social posts, videos, and webpages in a browser. And, of course, we launched the first version of Photoshop on iPad. Products such as Photoshop for iPad required Adobe to completely rethink its flagship tool We’ve learned that large changes like that don’t just let you extend your product to a new platform. They give you an opportunity to engage new types of customers and completely rethink the way your product works. Building Photoshop for a mobile, touch-oriented device helped us completely reimagine the interface of this nearly 30-year-old application, making it more direct and intuitive. And introducing Cloud Documents doesn’t just give people a new way to store their projects. It fundamentally changes the way people create and collaborate. Cloud Documents make it easy to start a project on one device, then finish it on another, or share projects with others to collaborate on or review. We’re applying those lessons as we develop additional creative tools for mobile platforms. Last summer, Adobe Fresco, our new drawing and painting app, debuted on the iPad and we quickly brought it to the Microsoft Surface Pro X and Wacom MobileStudio Pro (read CB's Adobe Fresco review). Fresco is also fully compatible with Photoshop on both desktop and iPad. We’re currently developing an iPad version of Adobe Illustrator, a version that will also be interoperable with key Creative Cloud apps. Product leaders often think about expansion to a new platform only as an opportunity to grow their markets. We should also think about it as an opportunity for reinvention. Lesson #4: Don't lose sight of performance All of your new features and other product improvements won’t mean much if your tools aren’t reliable and fast. No piece of software is perfect, but users have a baseline expectation for stability and performance and if you don’t meet it, they will look elsewhere. Through listening to our customers, we realised we have more work to do to meet and exceed their expectations. To attack the problems, we’ve fundamentally changed how we build products. We’ve brought in new engineering leaders with fresh perspectives. We’ve set ambitious goals for reliability and performance. And we’ve significantly evolved our internal testing procedures and sped up our release schedules to rapidly squash bugs. With mature technology platforms, you have a responsibility to ensure that your products remain accessible and high-performing We’re starting to see real gains in both reliability and speed. In Photoshop, creating a new document, a process that used to take as much as six, finger-drumming seconds is now virtually instantaneous. Cloud Documents, after a rocky start, are now much more reliable. And you can work smoothly and fluidly with literally hundreds of assets in Adobe XD. There are so many benefits to working on products like Creative Cloud with a legacy and a loyal base of users, and I know that’s true of many mature technology platforms. With those benefits, though, comes responsibility. A responsibility to ensure that your products remain accessible and high-performing. And a responsibility to never rest on your laurels and always look to the future. Read more: The 24 best Photoshop plugins The 13 best alternatives to Photoshop The 6 best laptops for Photoshop in 2020 View the full article

Google Maps came along 15 years ago, wiping out the need to commit routes to your long-term memory and provoking sales of road maps to plummet. To mark its birthday, Google has given the platform a total overhaul, with a brand new look, a plethora of new features and a shiny new app icon. Google Maps' icon was last updated in 2015, to a map featuring a pin plus its 'G' symbol. But this new incarnation has ditched the lettering altogether, and put the well-known pin icon firmly centre-stage. (If you'd like to up your icon game, check out our list of the best free icons.) The above video tracks the evolution of the app icon, with a nod to the original real-life drawing pin that inspired the virtual one. Because the pin is now on its own, it has transformed from a humble red into a smorgasbord of Google's brand colours, in the formation of roads on a street map. According to Google, the icon "represents the shift we’ve made from getting you to your destination to also helping you discover new places and experiences". And be sure to keep an eye out for a "celebratory party-themed car icon", which will appear for a limited time over this birthday period. The icon looks lovely when overlaid against images like these The updated app design will see the introduction of five tabs to organise your Maps experience into categories that include Commute and Explore. Live View is expanding, and there will be more capability in the Public Transit section, too. We think the new design is streamlined and unfussy, and the evolution of the pin makes for a neat story. Read more: Designers give iconic logos a radical makeover Discover the unknown stories behind everyday icons 10 iconic logos with hidden meanings View the full article

On the second Tuesday of each month, many IT leaders rejoice—or maybe cringe, depending on their view—as software patches are released for Microsoft products. They call this day Patch Tuesday, and although it started with Microsoft, it hasn’t ended there. Vendors across the industry, from Oracle to Adobe, SAP to … Source Continue reading One Patch Tuesday to Rule Them All at Flexera Blog. View the full article

The file-sharing service also disclosed details of past notable bugs for the first time. View the full article

Whether it's brainstorming ideas, working on a prototype or finding the right colour for your logo, nailing down all the fine details of a creative project be extremely time-consuming. Which is why we're always super-excited to discover creative tools that can help make life just that little bit easier. Continuity is Apple's technology, which allows users to seamlessly move between multiple devices. Handy indeed. And it just got a whole lot better, as the latest Catalina (Apple's OS) update introduced two new members of the Continuity family: Continuity Markup and Continuity Sketch. And it's the latter of the two that's really piqued our interest. Continuity Sketch allows users to create a sketch on an iPad or iPhone, which they can then automatically insert into any document on a Mac (see our list of the best drawing apps for iPad to get started). While it might not seem like a big thing, the potential this has to enable creatives to be able to seamlessly develop artwork across multiple devices is huge. It also undoubtedly saves time (and hassle) when transferring assets. Working across devices has never been easier The technology requires iOS 13, iPadOS and macOS Catalina or later to work, plus compatible devices must have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on, and be signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID. With devices connected, all you need to do position the cursor where you want to insert a sketch, choose File > Import from iPhone or iPad > Add Sketch. A blank window will appear on your iPad or iPhone with markup controls for you to draw with an Apple Pencil or your finger, and voila! When you're done, simply click Done and the sketch will appear on your Mac as a file to save. For more information on Continuity and Apple's Sidecar technology, which enables an iPad to work as a second screen, visit the Apple website. And if you're looking to get your hands on some of Apple's best kit, then see today's best deals below. Read more: The 23 best iPad Pro apps to use with Apple Pencil Apple Pencil vs Apple Pencil 2: which should you buy? The best iPad accessories for 2020 View the full article

For the second year running, Disney China has released a series of Chinese posters in celebration of Chinese New Year. The beautifully illustrated series, uploaded on Chinese social media site Weibo, celebrates Disney's upcoming film releases in 2020. There's a diverse portfolio of films on show here (see here for more inspirational poster design). And while it's not exactly hard to imagine the live-action remake of Mulan in a Chinese setting, it's more of a leap to picture a Chinese take on Marvel's Black Widow, or the superhero-horror flick, New Mutants. Black Widow has been given a Chinese edge (left), as has New Mutants (right) The posters include elements of traditional Chinese culture like calligraphy, lanterns and flowers, as well as fireworks and the moon, which work together with the themes of the films to create a dream-like aesthetic. Much of the artwork feels like a fusion of styles. Free Guy has a science-fiction edge while the Death of the Nile visual is distinctly Egyptian but bound up in a swirl of Chinese-inspired smoke. Death on the Nile (left) and Free Guy (right) are great examples of thematic fusion The West Side Story characters have been clad in traditional Chinese dress and transported from the streets of 1950's New York City – though their signature dancing style is super-recognisable. We also had to include this Toy Story 4 from 2019. This one was probably the hardest to imagine, but seeing Woody, Jessie and Hamm all dressed up to celebrate is a real treat. And given the pig represents luck in China, it's no wonder he is centre-stage. West Side Story has been transported (left), as were the Toy Story characters last year (right) All this has got us excited about this year's films. Movie-fans should also check out these alternative Oscars statues, as well as this incredible live-action remake of Toy Story 3, made by two teenagers over eight years. Read more: Is this the defining movie poster trend of the decade? Tokyo Olympics posters are a delightfully eclectic mix Billboard advertising: Traffic-stopping examples View the full article

In web design we’re boxed in to, well, websites. Our focus is very myopic. Our goal is to distil all the pain points in conversion and then improve upon them. But web design doesn’t just live on a desktop or mobile device anymore. It lives on all sorts of things, from smart watches to televisions, virtual reality to gaming consoles. This forces us as professionals to take a step back, look at the complete user flow of a customer and try to understand why they choose to use a certain device. To help better understand how customers use a device a little user testing is needed. Customers now experience brands and products on-demand and in the way that works best for them as individuals. But a brand experience is larger than the platform in which it’s experienced. When you build consistent experiences users attribute that to your brand – that establishes loyalty. They don’t really care how you built it or how it works. All they care about is how it impacts upon them personally. To get a better understanding of cross-platform UX and brand consistency, we are going to focus on Netflix and why it has become such as success. One big reason is that it removed the barrier of only being able to consume the content you wanted in a specific place. Now you can watch a movie wherever you are. Consistency is a key to success In 2013, Netflix launched a redesigned user experience that established a consistency of interaction whether you were accessing the service on a video game console, Roku device, tablet, phone and just about everything else that connects to the internet. Up until that point, each device had a different user experience meaning customers had to learn how to use the service again when on a different device. Netflix had backed itself into a corner surrounded by speed bumps and each speed bump was a point of mental friction for users just trying to enjoy the product. A redesign of its service may seem like a straightforward decision but at that time Netflix users were watching more than 5 billion hours of video per quarter and it had 44.35 million subscribers worldwide. Users do not like change – even if the result is generally better for them. That antipathy intensifies when they are paying you for access. Netflix is a great example of a user experience that works across all platforms Making the decision to potentially impact customer satisfaction negatively was likely not an easy one for Netflix. After all, large companies are very risk averse, as one wrong step can derail years of hard work. However, when doing the cost analysis, its probable growth looked to outweigh the potential negative implications in various ways. The reduction of technical debt, support time and speed of improvement leads to new platform implementation and increased customer satisfaction. This prioritisation in building a consistent user experience across all platforms took Netflix’s team nearly two years. Thankfully, its information architecture was already built with consistency in mind. It was standardised on WebKit, enabling its team to deliver nearly identical code across all platforms. This opened the door to enabling users to access their account from anywhere. Everything was connected. Everything was the same. Like Netflix, many designers are left seeking out the middle ground of safety and progression. So, how do we step away from designing for individual platforms and look at the brand experience holistically? Focus on the customer Figure out what your customers want The easiest way to become future proof is ignoring the moving target of software and technology. If you focus on that, you will always be playing catch up. New frameworks, devices and expectations manifest weekly. So instead focus on the constant, the sure thing: your customers. They are the centre of every successful decision you will make. With a simple email survey, website questionnaire, user test or even a quick review of behavioural data from a service like Google Analytics, you unlock a roadmap toward improvement. It’s like having a cheat code to success. All you need to do is ask for it. So how do you go about capturing valuable feedback and establishing a framework for consistency with your brand? Let’s break down a few core methods that are frequently used to assess types of user research. Types of user research methods How do you go about capturing valuable feedback and establishing a framework for consistency with your brand? Here we are going to break down a few core methods that are frequently used to assess types of user research. 01. See people in their natural environment Think about when people will be using your app Going beyond a typical interview, in person or remotely, an ethnographic interview involves observing the participant in their natural environment. This can be very useful when it comes to collecting feedback that goes deeper than a simple pass/fail or qualifying how the participant felt. It enables the interviewer to find gaps in usability brought upon by the environment. If a participant is sitting on their couch using a dating app it may provide a different perspective than if they typically use your app while on the public bus or in the office break room. Certain situational elements can play heavily into feedback. Not just qualitative feedback but also technical feedback like how the quality of wi-fi impacts their perception of your service. This method is best applied when the world outside of your website or service is important to study. It can be paired well with usability tests in order to provide a holistic view. 02. Collect in-use feedback Better understand customers with the help of UserTesting tools It’s possible that you’ve used a service like UserTesting to perform unmoderated usability tests with remote participants. It’s typically the most cost-effective way to collect in-use feedback and get to see results (typically) within 24 hours. These tests require a participant to agree to the testing scenario and install a small piece of software that records their screen, audio from their microphone and sometimes a webcam video so that you can capture their reactions. Moderated testing is very similar but requires the participant to either meet in person, sometimes in a usability lab, or remotely via a screenshare service like GoToMeeting. The facilitator’s delivery and perception are crucial to the success of moderated tests, which is why smaller agencies or freelancers do not typically go that route. Regardless of the format, usability testing can capture both qualitative and quantitative feedback from participants. 03. Send out surveys and questionnaires A quick win is to send out a survey or questionnaire and observe the answers If your client or organisation does not have the resources (time or money) to invest in either of the previous options, you will likely be able to collect all that you need from surveys generated with tools such as Wufoo, SurveyMonkey or Google Docs. These services enable you to quickly generate a form and email it to large groups of customers. If you do not have your own list of customer emails, with some services you can pay extra to send the survey to lookalike audiences that match your demographic requirements such as age, gender, location and household income. The downside to the surveys is that you have no direct interaction with the participants. This leaves responses up to interpretation, which can be worse than having no data at all. Remember, do user research throughout a project User research should be ongoing Realistically, budget and available time will dictate which method you use but if you have the resources, start with low level data research or surveys. This will enable you to compare data to the goals of the business. This means you can form a hypothesis that outlines what may be happening and how you can improve an experience. From that, actual usability tests or ethnographic testing can be done to validate the assumption. The most important thing to remember is that user research should be done incrementally throughout a project’s life cycle. It should never end. Users will come and go, creating fluctuation in demographics, expectations and satisfaction. Your product or business goals may change with time as well. User experience and user research are never a one size – or one test – fits all solution. Having relevant data from recent testing is important for the next step. The future of UX is tied to users, not technology Each time a new device, technology or trend emerges, it’s important to not make reactive, knee-jerk decisions. It can be fun – and creatively fulfilling – to take an existing brand and explore the possibilities of adapting its current experiences to new platforms but it’s important to note that data and business context should always be the drive behind any recommendations. If your boss or a client requests that their new app or service be adapted to the Apple Watch or VR, that’s great. But ask why. Is it because it’s trendy? Is it because those platforms are selling really well? Are their current customers requesting the change? Are their customers even using those platforms? The future of user experience isn’t tied to technology. It’s tied to users. Each organisation is different. Each project is different. The process through which we collect and analyse data is the constant that can be leveraged to make sound decisions that have a shelf life to them. Following trends for the sake of not being left out is a recipe for disaster. Every decision should be vetted against research. The depth at which this is done depends on the complexity of the feature or platform. Find a way to bridge the gap between business goals and user expectation and fight for that. It will move the discussion away from personal preference, trends and the loudest person in the room and toward future proofing strategic growth. When you aren’t held back by trying to learn every piece of new software or new coding technique, you can move quickly to try new solutions or rapidly prototype an idea to determine if more time should be spent exploring a business case. Get the prototype in front of real users. See if they want it. Some organisations even offer hackathon or creative day style time at the office for exploration. Check out Netflix’s Hack Day breakdown, which dates back to 2014. When an organisation can reach this level of UX maturity, there is a clearly defined process to validate the decision to move forward or question whether to have a discussion at all. This enables everyone to buy into the bigger picture and quickly determine if the solution is in alignment with expectations internally and externally. Stakeholder buy-in is just a fancy way of saying that you’ve understood the pain points from all sides and presented a reasonable solution for everyone. That is your sole responsibility with user experience. This article was originally published in issue 325 of net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Buy issue 325 or subscribe to net today. Learn how to build better JavaScript at GenerateJS Join us in April 2020 with our lineup of JavaScript superstars at GenerateJS – the conference helping you build better JavaScript! Book your ticket at generateconf.com Read more: The 6 best branding books in 2020 7 golden rules of UX 78 best free fonts for designers View the full article

Advertising seeks to appeal to our emotions, and one of the best ways to do that is by making us laugh. But humour is also one of the most difficult things to get right. Satire in particular can all too easily go wrong. Will people get that it’s satire? Will it be understood? Will those being satirised take it personally or feel offended? Will people laugh with you or at you? And then there’s always the danger that people simply don't find it funny. A misjudged campaign can damage a brand’s reputation, leaving the joke on them. But done with a deft hand, satire can create such a strong connection with the public that the ad becomes a memorable campaign that goes viral. Here are seven of the best satirical adverts from the last decade that we think got it right. For more ads of all shapes and sizes, see our favourite print ads of all time. 01. Ikea takes a bite at Apple Big brands often steer clear of satire and will rarely risk raising heckles by satirising other companies, but Ikea has had a ball with it, and set social media ablaze in the process. Its social media posts were widely shared when it provided guidance on how to distinguish a genuine IKEA tote bag from a $2,000 Balenciaga “forgery”. But it's the brand’s satirising of Apple that has been particularly hilarious. It mercilessly spoofed Apple’s tech evangelism in an ad designed by BBH to launch the 2015 IKEA catalogue as a novel “bookbook”. Shot against a white background like an Apple product demo, “chief design guru” Jorgen Eghammer expounds features such as no lag when turning the pages. "Once in a while, something comes along that changes the way we live, a device so simple and intuitive, using it feels almost familiar," he says. Ikea was at it again in 2017 when it piggybacked the launch of the iPhone8 to remind us of its wireless charging furnishings using tongue-in-cheek reworkings of Apple slogans, including switching “This changes everything” to “This charges everything”. And then there was also that cheese grater ad. Genius. 02. Outnet satirises its own industry By 2017, the social media influencer industry was ripe for satirising. Net a Porter’s online discount fashion store Outlet got there just at the right time. Pretty Influential was a six-episode series of short-form mockumentaries that follows two wannabe influencers (comedy writers and actors Sara and Erin Foster) and their attempts to get behind the scenes at New York Fashion Week. It was a prescient move into short-form video advertising and it won viewers over by knowingly poking fun at the fashion industry’s (and the brand's own) use of social media influencers. The brand acknowledged its own complicity in the industry by following up with 'shop the look' calls to action after the videos. Another fashion brand may have feared alienating influencers themselves, but for a discount brand, it hit the right note and brought a welcome break from the earnestness in fashion advertising. “I think you should prioritise this because I’m pretty influential,” Erin says when she calls the hotel concierge to ask for someone to be sent up to check who’s knocking at her door. 03. Nature Rx launches a cure-all prescription medicine Satire works when your audience shares your appraisal of what’s being sent up. In the US, prescription medicines are regularly promoted in formulaic and cliched television advertising. Everyone could appreciate the joke then in this hilarious spot-on pastiche of these ads' stock content of bike rides and walks on the beach. "Tired, irritable, stressed out? Try Nature." Additional disclaimers include "Results may vary. Golf is not nature," and "Warning: Nothing in Nature is clickable." The three-part series of ads was produced by Nature RX, a grassroots movement that aims to raise awareness of research showing that spending more time in nature improves your health and wellbeing and leads to making better environmental decisions. Viewers found it refreshing to see science about the benefits of nature presented through humour rather than through infographics or quotes from experts. The fact that the ad made people laugh ensured its serious message remained much more memorable. 04. Royal Jordanian trolls Trump Politics is a dangerous subject to satirise owing to the risk of alienating a large group of potential customers, but Royal Jordanian found a victim that few in their target audience had sympathy for. The Middle Eastern airline took to social media on US election day in 2016 to mock the Republican candidate’s proposed ban on travellers from several Muslim countries with the phrase, “Just in case he wins, travel to the US while you’re still allowed to.” The company turned a business threat into an opportunity and showed that using satire could compensate for a low budget to help a little-known airline get noticed between deep-pocketed regional giants like Emirates and Qatar Airways. The original ad was shared ferociously, reaching 450 million people and winning awards for agency Memac Ogilvy. The campaign later followed up with a message altered from "Ban voyage" to "Bon voyage" after a court overturned Trump’s travel ban. The airline was also quick to react again when the US banned electronics on flights from several Arab airports, offering a list of "12 things to do on a 12-hour flight with no laptop or tablet". The satire in the ads won over customers by sharing their own frustration at something that was beyond their control in a lighthearted way. The airline said it saw a 50 per cent increase in bookings as a result. 05. Duolingo brings pushy push notifications into the physical world Laughing at others can be funny, but laughing at yourself even more so. A little self-deprecating humour can be a great way to win customer trust, or to win a little forgiveness for any minor failures. For months, users of the language learning app Duo Lingo had been sharing memes that sent up the app’s use of persistent, pushy notifications that sometimes almost tried to shame users into taking their language classes. On April Fools’ Day 2019, the company itself joined in with an ad that announced the launch of a new premium feature. To ensure users could no longer ignore the apps notifications, Duo, the brand's green owl mascot, would materialise in your office, gym, or even while you’re out on a date to provide a "subtle reminder" to study. The ad showed that the company was aware of users' experiences of its app and was able to laugh at itself, and demonstrated that a self-aware jab at a product's foibles can humanise a brand. Duo Lingo reported a surge in followers on Facebook and Twitter as a result of the campaign. 06. UNISON highlights careworkers’ conditions Humour can also be a way to approach serious issues in a disarming way that can make audiences more likely to engage. The trade union UNISON used the winning combination of a familiar celebrity sending up their own work to satirise goverment policy and spur people into signing a petition demanding better working conditions for care workers. The ad by London agency Don’t Panic had the original presenter of the interior design TV series 60 Minute Makeover reprise her role but with the original 60 minutes cut to 15. Former Brookside actress Claire Sweeney sends up her own energetic, chirpy commentary as a care worker has just 15 minutes to help an elderly man out of bed, bathe and dress him and prepare his medication. A more earnest approach might have made people look away, but humour helped connect to a wider public and sneak in a serious message without obscuring its urgency and clear call to action. 07. Chipotle takes on the entire agribusiness Brands will often try to use satire without starting a war by making a direct attack on the victim of the joke, but if the brand strategy involves highlighting ethical principles, then picking a fight can make sense. Chipotle, the US-based Mexican restaurant chain, had already sought to show itself as a promoter of small-scale sustainable farming. It truly threw down the gauntlet when it directly attacked agribusiness in a full-blown satirical comedy series of four 30-minute episodes for video streaming service Hulu. The series Farmed and Dangerous involves the discovery and launch of Animoil, described as "the biggest improvement in agriculture since genetic growth hormones", but which leads to "cows exploding all over the internet". The audacious branded series serves as a lesson in ecosystem marketing. Rather than selling the Chipotle product, it makes a statement as part of the brand's wider 'Food with Integrity' campaign. It attracted heavy criticism from the Cattle Network and other agricultural associations because of its negative portrayal of an entire industry, so it can be wise to use satire only if you have the time and resources to be able to respond to the criticism. "Those people died of eating, not of starving. That's progress!" Ray Wise’s character declares at the end of the trailer for the series. Read more: 7 totally distinct brand instagram feeds Billboard advertising: 42 traffic-stopping examples Discover the unknown stories behind everyday icons View the full article

The design of the AirPods has always been a bit weird. When they first came out they seemed utterly ridiculous. Why would anyone want a wireless headphone that dangles down from the ear? But Apple being Apple, we were all quickly convinced that we did indeed want to spend our money on the AirPods (see our AirPods deals to pick up your own pair). And now, the AirPods seem cooler than ever, as Mashable illustrator Bob Al-Greene has imagined how they would look as Star Wars-esque spaceships. Al-Greene's illustrations include a spaceship based on the AirPods case, which does have a certain space-like feel about it. Even if it isn't 'Space Grey' like many other Apple products (see the best Apple laptop deals to get your own Space Grey tech). "The idea to use the AirPods case, and then the AirPod itself, as a model for a spaceship, came from seeing other artists online doing similar exercises with household objects," explains Al-Greene. "I'd seen artists use spoons, tongs, and other random things as a base shape and I wanted to try the same thing. The AirPods and their case are so sleek, and I admire their design, but I wanted to try to turn them into something a little chunkier and more textured." Our favourite illustration is his drawing of a solitary AirPod as a spaceship. He asked on Twitter what they should be called, and got a few suggestions to add to his own idea of Pod Wing, including P-Wing, a wingpog and Starpods. We like Starpods the best. The whole series could perhaps be called Pod Wars. We love all the details in this piece, including the background There's also another rendering of the AirPods case. The top half of this one almost looks like a train. The coolest headphones in the galaxy? We're hoping to see more of Al-Greene's AirPods-based illustrations soon, especially as he has already decided to do an AirPods Pro version at his colleague's request: "It's fun to think about because in space a vehicle doesn't need to be aerodynamic, so you can turn and orient it any way you want," he says. Follow Al-Greene on Twitter to make sure you don't miss the next illo. In the meantime, for more Star Wars-related fun, you can also check out the best Baby Yoda memes, ranked, as well as our favourite Star Wars fonts. Or if it's AirPods you're after, see today's best deals below. Read more: The best free fonts for designers This surprising fact about The Simpsons' living room will make your day The best running headphones right now View the full article

A high-severity vulnerability could allow cybercriminals to push malware or remotely execute code, using seemingly innocuous messages. View the full article