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EDR is still recognized as quite efficient against many of the advanced threats security professionals encounter, but today's threatscape demands Next-Gen EDR solutions. View the full article

We're not sure what the Venn diagram of football fans and typography enthusiasts looks like. But if you fall in the overlap between the two, this is the Kickstarter project for you. Created by self-described football mad design professional Mark Jenkinson, TypeKits is a Kickstarter project that sees typefaces transformed into football shirts. Besides free fonts, what more could the typography obsessive in your life want? In TypeKits, six famous typefaces and their designers are celebrated as they're cleverly realised as football shirts. There are even a few parallels between the funny old game and type design thrown in for good measure. Check them out in the gallery below. The mashup of football kits and the world of typography has already been featured in football magazine Four Four Two, despite not having yet reached its pledge goal. Speaking about how the project came about, Jenkinson said: "I love footie and I love typefaces so one random day I just had the idea of 'what if I mashed these two loves together?' And so began my TypeKits journey. "What was intended to just be a one off Helvetica jersey quickly started to spark new ideas that brought more parallels between football and design. The history, the men behind them and the passion people feel for them." The fonts in question include Helvetica, which uses its historic connection to Swiss design to become a red and white kit. It's also emblazoned with the year 1957 in reference to the year it was made. We're sure you won't get any funny looks if you wear this to a stadium Any project about popular typefaces wouldn't be complete without the infamous Comic Sans getting a look-in. And TypeKits doesn't let us down. The use of the Millwall chant 'no one likes us. We don't care' on the back of the shirt is clever touch, and the dotted pattern is a nice nod to its comic strip roots. Other fonts in the collection include Futura, Optima, Franklin Gothic and Johnston Sans. And if football shirts are a bit much, you can also show your support for your favourite typeface with a scarf instead. To back the project, head on over to the TypeKits Kickstarter page. Related articles: 50 top typography tutorials The ultimate typography cheat sheet 8 invaluable online typography tools View the full article

Vulnerability in iOS 13 and iPadOS affects keyboards installed for iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. View the full article

If there's one thing that can be relied upon in web design, it's that when you've spent ages designing a stunning site that ticks all the boxes – beautiful responsive design, all client requests (both reasonable and otherwise) met, fast load times, the works – the client will come back at the last minute with something like this: "Hey, yeah, love the site. Just showed it to the directors and they think it's great; only one little request. Can we make it more engaging?" Before you reach for a large drink, hang on; it's doable, and it can be done fast. If you really want to delight your clients – and their directors – with an irresistible engagement fix, some eye-catching visuals are the way to do it. And while some striking stills will do the job, to really elevate a site you should incorporate some content that includes movement. Right now, over half of consumers want to see more video content from brands and businesses they support—and with 85% of all internet users in the US watching online video content monthly, it's time to tap into that need for video and give them what they want. Read on to discover some motion-forward options for driving engagement. Cinemagraphs A little motion can draw the eye Depending on the nature of the site you're working on, you might be concerned about the performance impact of using motion content. There's no getting around the fact that moving images result in larger file sizes, and that can affect load times, so let's start with the quickest option with the smallest file size: cinemagraphs. A cinemagraph is an optimised form of GIF that only has a portion of its content animated – for example it could be a cup of hot coffee that's still except for a continuous wisp of hot steam coming from it, or a beach that's motionless, except for clouds that continuously roll across the landscape. The contrast between the stillness of the majority of the image and the animated portion makes for a really eye-catching effect, and it's a great way to introduce motion to your stories and sites. It can help bring your stories to life, and as cinemagraphs are still relatively uncommon, this content is a great way to engage your audiences' interest. Fully animated GIFs A fully animated GIF can make a lot of impact To make a bigger impression you can use fully animated GIFs. Invented over 30 years ago, GIFs predate the web and they're still popular today thanks to their animation properties, making it easy to use a continuous video loop to create new content. If you want to connect to your customers, using animated GIFs is the way to go – they're instantly recognisable and used all over the internet, usually in the form of memes. GIFs are also incredibly effective in presentations, social media, and more –they're eye-catching and engaging, and can range from hilarious to serious, and anything in between. You can find a huge amount of video content on iStock that's perfect for turning into GIFs – just find the perfect video, download it, and use your design skills to create a new clip that drives engagement. Videos SPEED RAMP Motocross rider jumping into air stock video If file size is no problem then video is the ultimate way to add motion to your stories, and at iStock you can find video content for every occasion. And if you're really interested in visual impact then you'll be delighted to know that all of our 4K video content costs the same as HD. The beauty of video is how malleable and editable it is; once you've found some clips that suit your project, you can edit them together to create new and unique content that fits perfectly on your site, complementing your designs and engaging your audience. Research shows that on average, 88% of users spend more time on websites with video; that's why 87% of marketing professionals are adding video to their marketing toolkit. If you're not reaping the benefits of video yet, now's the time to start. Fill your stories with motion Now that you've learned about new ways to add motion to your creative campaigns, it's time to get started by searching through iStock by Getty Images to find the perfect, motion-packed content for your clients and their needs. You can also save 10% by using code ISTOCK10 at checkout, only until September 30 2019. View the full article

Overall, Adobe released three patches – one for an “important” flaw and two for critical flaws –in the 2016 and 2018 versions of ColdFusion. View the full article

You're reading Abstract Can Help You Design with Confidence, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook! Some days the hardest part of your job – and the biggest time suck – can be searching for files, exporting across tools, and gathering feedback. But design work can be easier. That’s where Abstract comes in. The tool is … View the full article

You may have been to a design conference before. But have you ever been to one that starts when the sun goes down? That's the secret ingredient behind Us by Night which takes place in the evening, leading to a special different atmosphere, that's markedly different from other creative events. Taking place in Antwerp, Belgium this Thursday, Friday and Saturday (26-28 September), Us by Night is packed with fun activities, including an arcade, a night market, a delicious selection of local food, and fluorescent ping-pong. But of course, the main attractions are the briliant and inspirational speakers from across the world, and one of the top attractions this year will be the return of Sebastian Curi. Who is Sebastian Curi? Sebastian Curi is an Argentinian illustrator and animator, currently based in Vancouver, who's known for his fun characters and bold illustration style, characterised by strong lines, big shapes and simple colour palettes. Illustration for mobile payment service Venmo by Sebastian Curi Having spent a decade working in the animation industry, he's recently switched his main focus to illustration, working with a variety of agencies, clients and artists including Apple, Warby Parker, Collins, The New Yorker, IDEO, WeWork, CNN, Soul Cycle and others. We caught up with him to find out what he'll be talking about at Us by Night, and why you shouldn't miss his talk. How did growing up in Argentina influence your work? I’m from Buenos Aires. Growing up, my parents moved a lot around the province in search of better job opportunities so I’m not really from any neighborhood. I started working when I was studying in high school and, as my family had little money, my creative development moved slowly until I reached a job in a graphic design studio. Argentina is a country of contradictions and instability. As a by-product of that, you learn how to deal with lots of things at the same time. In my case that involved studying and working at the same time and working in different positions around the design and animation industry, until I found what I liked. Kind of a jack of all trades, master of none situation. How did you come to live in Canada? After working for some years in different studios in Buenos Aires, I went freelance as an animator. At some point I felt really stuck with my career, and sent a couple emails to studios in the world that I liked. Amazingly, I got an offer from a big production company in Los Angeles, and that started a whole different stage for me. LA is an amazing city but travelling the world seemed such an exciting thing to do. Outdoor Voices 1 by Sebastian Curi After two years at this production company, I didn’t feel connected to my work and my illustration stuff was still something that I thought as a side job. So I went looking for a smaller and more cosy studio and that’s how I arrived at Vancouver, Canada to work at Giant Ant. Was your recent move from animation to illustration an easy one? I worked in animation for 10 years and leaving that was a very hard move to make. I was very hesitant, and because of that I kept working on studios until I was completely sure I could sustain myself and my wife without problems. That also created its own problems. Having two jobs put me in a place of lots of stress, little time and all of that impacted in my health a lot. It took me more than a year of working every morning or night, and putting some weekends into my illustration stuff, to feel that I have something interesting to bring to the industry. I finally moved into illustration because I feel I can have more ownership of my work as an illustrator. I love the freedom I have to work, how clients move in this industry, the time it takes me to finish a project. Every little thing about illustration seems magical to my “animator eyes”. Is it important that you create characters with flaws? I’m all about bold and simple drawings. I like the spontaneity of my process and how they lead to joyful and lively results. For me, illustration is a way to create moments and have some fun, and this people I draw are perfect for conveying the things I want to say. Illustration for mobile payment service Venmo by Sebastian Curi In the beginning, the imperfections in my drawings were due to a lack of ability to draw perfectly. But at some point I fell in love with the textures and handmade vibe they give overall… so I stuck to them. How much do you collaborate with others? I love to collaborate. You are as good as the people you work with, and I really like to work with people that I can learn from. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of animation with some amazing animators. Also, I worked a week on a huge mural for the Vancouver Mural Fest. I would say collaborating is the only thing I really miss from animation. Illustration can be a bit lonely. What’s your approach to colour? For me, colours have beauty in themselves. It’s all about proportion and vibration. I prefer to work with big shapes and just let the colours do their thing. Outdoor Voices 2 by Sebastian Curi I usually tend to start with high vibration colours in big sizes and then I just add details of lines and patterns with low saturation colours. It’s never the same, I like some combinations but I try to keep things fun at this stage. Colour gives you the tone of the story. It creates the context. What are you speaking about at Us by Night? This is my first talk at a design festival so I’m pretty nervous about it. I love to attend these kind of events, listen to podcasts and read about the industry - but saying something that helps people or brings value is a challenging thing to do. On show at Apple Today My talk is going to be about changing over time in search of keeping it fun. How to find something you love and make it a job but in a healthy and sustainable way. Basically, it will focus on my journey, how each step took me to where I’m at now. Us by Night takes place at Antwerp, Belgium from Thursday September 26, 2019 – Saturday September 28, 2019. View the full article

It's that time of year again. The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) has teamed up with Google to take the pulse of the design industry with the Design Census 2019. And its results make for eye-opening reading. In particular we were interested to see that illustrators were among the lowest paid, but they were relatively the most satisfied designers, proving that money can't buy you happiness. Perhaps this comes as no surprise to illustrators. And while it must be fulfilling to see your best ink drawings or digital illustrations get distributed to a wider audience, it must be a little frustrating to learn that you're earning much less than designers in other disciplines such as animation and motion graphics. Although apparently it's not getting you down too much. Check out how salary and satisfaction compare in this sample from the census. Click the image to read the results The Design Census 2019 was compiled with information submitted by 9,429 participants, including students, educators, freelancers and business owners. And while the survey is limited to US creatives, it helps to give us all an idea about the state of the design industry. The information compiled by the Design Census is free to read and download online. It's broken down into five sections, including 'Who's designing in 2019?', 'How are designers working today?', 'How much are designers making today?', 'How satisfied are designers?' and 'What do designers think about the future of the industry?' Other standout stats include the revelation that most designers make between $50,000 and $75,000 a year regardless of gender. Unfortunately, higher earning brackets continue to be unequal and male dominated. Check out the Creative Bloq jobs board The Design Census is a fascinating read wherever you are in your career. Junior designers will be interested to learn that their average salary stands at $44,837 – a useful sum you can use as leverage if you've been thinking of how to raise your prices. Meanwhile, if you've been in the game a bit longer, it's good to know that you can expect to earn substantially more. For example, designers with five to nine years of experience make $90,205 on average annually. To read all the results, don't forget to head on over to the Design Census 2019 website. Related articles: The best keyboards for designers in 2019 11 ways to bag your first design job 10 graphic design memes designers will love View the full article

Royal Mail has released a new mini-fleet of electric post vans, and there's something about the design that is filling us with happiness. Perhaps it's because it looks like the adorable love child of a van and a coach. Perhaps it's the pleasingly chunky, toy-like exterior. Perhaps its the smooth curves and eye-catching tomato shade. Maybe it's the confusing absence of exterior features like wing mirrors, which make it look a bit like a child's pencil drawing of a van rather than an actual van. Either way, we can't stop looking at it. Where to find the best Adobe discounts A render of the new vans, from Arrival The project's eco-friendly credentials have pleased us too. These vans are part of an electric vehicle trial that could help make the UK's postal service a little greener. At the moment, there are nine prototype vans in different sizes roaming the capital from the central London depot. The image you can see above is a digital render of the proposed final design, and slightly different to the vans being trialled. However, those missing wing mirrors are deliberate. The vans currently out and about in London do have mirrors, but the new fleet will use cameras to monitor rear traffic. The new-look vans are also going down well with the UK public, although parallels have been drawn with a certain well-loved children's TV character design. These vehicles were created by Oxfordshire car-maker Arrival, and the aim is to see how they cope with the day-to-day demands of the postal service. According to the BBC another batch of 100 electric vans for Royal Mail has been ordered from Peugeot. We'd be pretty pleased to see more of these roaming our streets. Via BBC. Read more: Yahoo makes an unexpected comeback with new logo Is it just us, or is the BK 'Meltdown' a bit tasteless? Where to find the best Adobe deals View the full article

Wireless chargers are a great way to ensure your phone and other gadgets don’t run out of battery mid-way through the day. Pop one on your desk and you can ensure your device is constantly charged up without having to plug it into a cable. Or you can have one next to your bed at night so you don’t have to have a cable hanging out from your bedside table, ruining the aesthetic. A lot of modern smartphones use Qi wireless charging, which is the particular standard supported by most devices that sport the feature. All recent iterations of the iPhone include this, as well as a lot of Samsung Galaxy devices and a wide variety of other Android phones. Before you buy one of our picks for the best wireless chargers, you’ll want to be certain your device supports Qi wireless charging. We’ve listed the maximum wattage for each charger, but it’s important to note that it won’t be guaranteed to offer that speed for your device if it isn’t capable of specific quick charging features. Here’s our list of the very best wireless chargers you can buy right now. For more ways to keep your devices juiced up, take a look at our guide to the best portable power banks. If you don’t want to spend much and you don’t need a super-fast charger, the Boost Up Charge Wireless Charging Pad from Belkin is a solid option. It comes in either white or black, and offers an attractive design… well, as attractive as wireless chargers come. There’s an LED light on top so you’ll be certain that your phone is charging. This can be particularly useful if your device has run out of charge entirely and doesn’t have enough power to display the charging logo. It comes with an AC adapter in the box too. This is designed to work with phones that have cases on too, and as long as they’re not more than 3mm thick you should find the charging tech works just as well as it would on your naked phone. Belkin is a trusted brand, and that makes this one of the best wireless chargers on the market. Looking for a cheaper option than the Belkin above? The Anker PowerWave Pad may be ideal for you. It’s important to note that the version we’re recommending here doesn’t come with an adapter to plug it into the wall, so you’ll need to source that yourself. It comes in either blue or black, and while it may not have the most fashionable design it’s a piece of tech that works well and is easy to set up. Just place your device on the top of this charger, and it’ll automatically charge it up with relatively impressive speeds for the price. This doesn’t come with any bells and whistles, and instead the PowerWave Pad is attempting to offer a basic wireless charger in its cheapest form. Want to be able to see what’s happening on your phone while it’s charging? One of the best options is the RAVPower wireless charging stand, which also happens to be one of the more affordable devices on this list as well. It comes with up to 10 watt wireless charging, but that’s only available with some devices. A number of Samsung Galaxy models support this, as well as the Huawei P30 Pro, but there are a bunch of phones that don't (including iPhone), so check before you buy to avoid disappointment. It comes with temperature monitoring technology that allows you to make sure your phone or the charger won’t overheat, plus it looks attractive when sat on your desk. You can even lay your phone in landscape orientation on the charger, which is handy if you want to use it to watch videos without battering your remaining battery life. After a more attractive device that still allows you to use your phone while it’s charging? The Samsung Fast Charging Station acts as a stand for your phone as well as a fast wireless charger, so you’ll be able to see your notifications come in while your device is powering up. That’s not really something that a standard wired charger can offer you, so this makes sense as a place to prop up your phone during the day if you work at a desk. There’s cooling technology here to ensure this doesn’t overheat your phone, and it reaches some impressively high speeds too, with a maximum of 10 watts. There are a few different models in this range, for charging different devices. It comes in white, grey (although we think it looks more beige) and black so you can colour-match this device to your surroundings as well. Before we go any further, you may have noticed this is the most expensive option on this list. But it’s also arguably the most useful too. What if you could take your wireless charging pad with you wherever you go? The Mophie PowerStation Wireless XL is part wireless charger, part power bank. That means you can throw this 10,000mAh battery pack into your bag and take it wherever you go, and you can just place your Qi-compatible device on top, without plugging it in, to charge it back up. If you want faster charging speeds, or you have another device that needs charging up but it doesn’t work wirelessly, you can also plug in cables making this the most versatile device you’ll find on this list. The charging speeds aren’t incredible for the wireless options, but it’s enough to get your device back up to working order in a short space of time. Read more: The best free fonts for designers Where to find the best Adobe discounts The best noise-cancelling headphones in 2019 View the full article

Remember Yahoo? Once upon a time it was the most popular starting point for web users, but those days are long gone. This doesn't mean Yahoo is dead and buried though. In fact yesterday it rolled out a new look and logo redesign (above) created in partnership with Pentagram. Announcing a new logo design is an important part of any brand launch. And it looks like Yahoo's new logo reveal is suitably timely, with the web services provider promising to roll out new products and features soon. The latest logo is Yahoo's third since launching more than 24 years ago, and the first significant change to the brand since 2013's '30 days of Change' design campaign. This new logo reflects Yahoo's updated brand strategy, which design consultancy Pentagram says focuses on "helping users find a more personalised, customised experience online". The new logo design and brand identity as it appears on the Yahoo homepage So what's new with the logo? Well, the colour purple is still the cornerstone of Yahoo's design. Considering that it's been Yahoo's signature colour since 2003, it makes sense that it's still there. However the palette has been refined to include a primary purple dubbed 'grape jelly', and secondary purples called 'hulk pants' and 'malbec'. Meanwhile the wordmark is set in Centra No.2 Extrabold. The letters have also been changed to be more geometric and compact. Topping off the logo design is an italicised exclamation mark, which just like the 'y' is set at an angle of 22.5 degrees. According to Pentagram this forward tilt suggests "a sense of momentum and excitement." The online landscape has changed a lot since 2013, so the new Yahoo logo has been optimised to keep up. This includes the ability to work across various platforms and scales, and the introduction of a simple 'y!' monogram which is perfectly suited to favicons and social media. This monogram will also be used to connect sub-brands such as Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, and Yahoo Weather. The previous Yahoo logo was the result of a lengthy design campaign As for those new products and features, they've already started rolling out. On its refreshed news site, Yahoo said that its new Yahoo Mail app will help users to organise their life. It also promised there is much more to come "in our quest to make things simpler, give you control, and put the things you love at your fingertips." "In the decades since Yahoo first launched, the internet has grown to be so big and ubiquitous, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with information," Pentagram adds. "With its new products, Yahoo will empower users to better sift out irrelevant parts of the digital world, giving them more control of what they see and when they see it." Related articles: Logo swap is surprisingly disturbing Is this the most blatant logo theft ever? 10 iconic logos with hidden meanings View the full article

Having a good-looking portfolio website is one of the basic things you need to take care of as a designer. But if you're just starting out, or even if you're simply cost-conscious, you might be reluctant to spring for a paid portfolio hosting option. Finding a free home for your design portfolio isn't easy – there are usually restrictions to the level of service that you won't get with a paid plan. But it's still possible to find a free hosting option for your portfolio that doesn't involve too much compromise; we've found seven of the best services. 6 big portfolio trends of 2019 01. Portfoliobox The free version's a little limited, but Portfoliobox has plenty of options Billed as offering everything you need to create a professional portfolio website, Portfoliobox is specifically geared towards creatives and offers a stack of ready-made templates and layouts that you can edit in the browser through a drag-and-drop interface. The free version gives you a portfolio with room for 30 images and 10 pages, plus a zero-commission ecommerce platform; the pro version removes the Portfoliobox branding and also gives you a free domain and 24/7 support. 02. Behance Even if your main portfolio's elsewhere, a Behance presence is useful Behance might not be your first choice when it comes to finding some portfolio hosting, but as a hugely popular creative network it's the perfect place to show your work. Even if you have your main portfolio elsewhere, it makes sense to have a presence on Behance and to keep it updated with your latest projects. It's not particularly sophisticated in terms of options, but its straightforward interface makes it easy to design basic pages on which to share your work, and as a free service it's hard to beat, especially once you start picking up followers. 03. Adobe Portfolio If you have a CC account then Adobe's Portfolio is a good choice Another Adobe offering, Portfolio isn't strictly free – you need a Creative Cloud account to take advantage of it. But unless you're a staunch Adobe refusenik, always looking for the best Photoshop alternatives, you probably have a CC account, in which case Portfolio is definitely worth investigating. It has plenty of themes to choose from, all of which can be easily customised – there are loads of examples on the Portfolio site to demonstrate just what the platform's capable of – and naturally it features Behance integration, as well as Adobe Fonts and the option to import photos from Lightroom. All of Portfolio's themes are fully responsive, and once your site's ready to share you can use your own domain name. 04. Crevado Crevado's free service is limited but worth a look Like Portfoliobox, Crevado offers a free portfolio hosting service alongside paid plans that offer more capacity and features. And while you might find the free plan a little restrictive – it gives you a maximum of five galleries and can hold 30 images, and doesn't provide a contact form – it's a good starting point that you can build upon later if you want to use a custom domain or sell your work online. Crevado prides itself on taking care of all the technical issues so that you can simply create a fully responsive portfolio with minimum effort; it also has an extensive selection of example sites for you to check out and get an idea of what you could create for yourself. 05. Coroflot Are you good enough to get a Coroflot account? Portfolio hosting is just part of the deal with Coroflot; it's a serious online community created by designers for designers, aimed at helping creative professionals and hiring companies to connect with each other. So if you're looking for more work, having a portfolio on Coroflot is a must, assuming you get accepted. That's the tricky bit; you can't simply sign up and get your portfolio space. Instead you need to submit an application that demonstrates the quality of your work, and you'll only be accepted if it meets Coroflot's standards. Thankfully it's also provided a guide to getting your application right; make sure you read it before hitting Send on your application. 06. Dribbble Come for the portfolios, stay for the palettes Dribbble, like Behance, isn't necessarily the place to host your main portfolio, but as a hugely popular design community it's definitely a place to show your work and also works in progress, and hopefully get seen by potential employers and clients. As a busy social network for designers it's also a great platform for getting feedback from other designers and also for seeing what other creatives are working on. And our favourite feature? Dribbble automatically generates palettes based on each hosted shot, so if you see a colour scheme you like the look of you can download it instantly. 07. Wix Wix is a strong all-rounder with plenty of portfolio options It's hard not to be aware of Wix as it's made a name for itself with as an easy-to-use website builder with a generous free package. And while you might not think of it as the place to build a portfolio website, it's well worth a look. Among its vast assortment of customisable ready-made templates you'll find a good few options for building a good-looking portfolio. As long as you don't mind your portfolio having a Wix domain name and Wix brand ads then the free option should provide you with plenty of a value; if you want your own domain name, no ads, more storage and additional bandwidth, its paid plans are reasonably priced. Related articles: The wrong way to build a portfolio 10 on-trend portfolio templates The best web hosting services in 2019 View the full article

A competitive analysis is a critical part of any businesses marketing plan. A well-reasoned competitor analysis will structure your whole marketing strategy and position your business for future success. Having a better understanding of the competitive landscape, an insight into what your competitors are doing well, and how you compare, will ultimately help you capitalise on it. Whether you are upscaling your existing website environment (here are the latest web design tools to help you out), developing a new marketing campaign, or launching a new product or service, you need to know how your competition is performing in the same field. This tutorial will explain how to gain insight into your competitors’ positioning, efficiency, traffic sources and how they got there. This includes their keyword targeting, social media presence, content marketing efforts, PPC targeting, position in SERP’s, backlink profile, reviews, differentiators, Call To Actions (CTA’s) and page traffic. By identifying your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses, benchmarked against your own, you can effectively capitalise on new opportunities for growth. Striving to do one better than the competition, standing out and increasing meaningful engaged traffic to your website domain. 01. Identify and qualify your competitors It’s important that you understand who your competitors are, not only from an industry perspective, but also online. Start by Googling your product or service, and review who appears within your competitive space. 02. Investigate online presence Detail how the competition appears online; are they in the local pack, do they pay for advertising (PPC), do they take advantage of rich answers, do they use schema data, do they have multiple landing pages, who are their referrals. Identify strong and weak points in your competitor’s marketing. 03. Analyse reputation and reviews Analyse customer opinions of your competitors Analyse customer opinions of your competitors, from online reviews such as ‘Google Reviews’, product reviews, social reviews and comments left on blogs. Read both the positive and negative comments, learn what your shared audiences find positive and negative, then capitalise on it. 04. Track mentions of your competitors Track your competitors Track and monitor online mentions of your competitors, as well as your own business, with a Google Alert. You can also monitor the web for new content created around your products, services or anything else. 05. Analyse your competitors’ PPC efforts Gain insights into what keyword terms your competition believe are worth bidding on. Utilise both primary and secondary keywords within the search engines. You can also use third party tools to save time – it will break down which ads are image, HTML or text. Analyse the pages that the ads lead to. 06. Find out competitor keyword positioning Review what keywords your competition appears for in the top 100 results with ‘ahrefs’ Having an insight into what keyword terms your competition is ranking for can give you a huge advantage. Review what keywords your competition appears for in the top 100 results with ‘ahrefs’. 07. Compare Keyword gaps A Keyword Gap Tool will take you one step further Go one step further, with the help of a Keyword Gap Tool. Perform a side-by-side comparison of all the similarities and differences between your keyword (organic, paid, or product listing Ad) portfolios and that of your competitors. 08. Review the competitions link profile Save time by studying your competitor’s backlink profile, and try to win some of their links for your own website. Look at the referral relationships that give backlinks to your competition, and draw conclusions on the quality of those relationships and their suitability with your own website. 09. Evaluate content Evaluate what content your competitors cover, and the opportunity to do it better. Scan the competition for all types of content, (onsite and offsite) landing page copy, blogs, news, events, whitepapers, FAQs, case studies, infographics, e-books, videos, webinars, podcasts etc. 10. Snoop on social media Determine which social platforms your competitors are using, what type of content they post and its regularity, who they engage with, their audience size and the tone of voice they use. You will also get a good idea of how customers feel, what does and doesn’t work well for engagement. 11. Engage with the competition Review your competitors Having an insight into what your competitors are doing can detail what is working well for them and how you can capitalise on it. Behave like one of their customers and add yourself to their email newsletters, blog and social platforms. Review their interactions and their content, as well as their Call To Actions and engagement. 12. Analyse SEO Review the SEO implementation across your competitors Review the SEO implementation across your competitors. Viewing the source code will highlight on-page meta priority, header hierarchy, og metas, schema data, url structures, image alts, and so on. Utilise Google tools to also review mobile friendliness and speed. 13. Review user experience Put your mindset in that of a user, and navigate across your competitor’s website pages. Look out for where the Calls To Actions are placed, what they say, how they are represented (text/imagery/video), how they push you down the sales funnel, how they incentivise data capture and contact. 14. Categorise your competitors Tailor your efforts and focus – group your competitors into those which are direct competitors (those targeting the same audience or have a similar product) and doing it well, and secondary competitors, those which are targeting similar products/services, but the audience is diluted. 15. Benchmark yourself against them Understand how you fair against your competitors Now it’s time to compare your competitor’s key metrics to your own. From your observations and insights, you will understand how you fair against your competitors within the shared marketplace, and steps are needed to position yourself against them to stand out. 16. Implement positive change Take what you have learned, and start to implement positive change. Start with the quick and easy wins (strike at their weakest channels) and move onto the more competitive actions. Competitor analysis is ‘always on’ – monitor and report on your actions, and split test appropriately. This article was originally published in issue 289 of creative web design magazine Web Designer. Buy issue 289 or subscribe to Web Designer. Read more: 8 steps to inclusive web design Useful responsive web design tutorials 5 inspiring web design case studies View the full article

Inktober is almost upon us! 2019 is a landmark year: it's celebrating its 10th birthday. Not heard of it before? Inktober is an art challenge that asks participants to create an ink drawing every day for the month of October. The rules, however, are very much flexible. For example, some participants might just do a drawing every other day, or once a week for the month. Inktober started life in 2009, when Jake Parker decided he needed a challenge to help him improve his Japanese brush pen technique. Since then it has exploded in popularity, and become a true community event. "I think it's popular because you can tailor the challenge to your needs as an artist and make it as simple or as challenging as you want it to be," says Parker. To help you get the best from this year's event, we asked some regular challenge participants for their advice on smashing Inktober – read on to find out what they had to say. For practical techniques, you might also want to take a look at our article on getting started with ink drawing or our roundup of how to draw tutorials. And if your pencil case is looking depleted, check out our guide to the best pens for artists. 01. Use a prompt list This year's inspiration list Whether you choose to follow the official prompt list (above) or make up your own, illustrator Cathrine Sandmæl thinks it can be helpful to have a plan of some kind. "If you are set on finishing all the days I would recommend making a prompt list with suggestions of things you can draw, a theme or anything that gives you some idea of what you can draw every day," she says. Artist Daria Golab echoes her sentiments. "Get to know the list of prompts before you start, if you follow one, or come up with enough of your own subjects or ideas to always have something to fall back to if your creativity is low some days." 02. Make a schedule Drawings can take 2-4 hours, so you need to block out that time Derek Laufman is an Inktober veteran who has completed 31 drawings each year since he discovered the challenge in 2014. His top tip? Plan ahead. "When I know October/Inktober is approaching I start to mentally prepare myself, but also set aside time in my schedule," he points out. "These drawings take anywhere from two to four hours, which is a big chunk of my work day. So I make sure that I'm setting aside a designated time each day to make it happen." 03. Don't stress about missing a day Don't forget that Inktober is primarily about challenging yourself and having fun Got late stuck at work or ended up on an impromptu day trip without your pens? Don't worry. "I see every year see people who feel stressed out when they think about doing a drawing everyday for 31 days," says Sandmæl. "To them I would say that the most important thing is to have fun and don’t stress out if you miss a day or two." Sandmæl herself has never completed the challenge 100 per cent, but has still got plenty of value from it. "I always end up with a collection of drawings I feel proud of," she continues. "I've even gotten some client work because of them, so it’s never a waste to try!" 04. Be realistic It's easy to get carried away with grand plans, but great artwork takes time, and realistically you're not going to be able to create a masterpiece each day. "Be honest with yourself how much time you’ll be able to spend on drawing each day," advises Golab. "Think how complicated you want your drawings to be according to the time you have." 05. Set up your workspace Consider sketching out your ideas before October starts Founder Jake Parker is all about preparation. "Set your tools out and get your drawing area ready in advance," he says. "You don't want to waste creative time prepping your space." Parker also suggests getting started early – use September to look at other ink drawings for inspiration, and sketch out ideas, so that come October you can just focus on inking. 06. Try something new In 2007, Daria Golab created digitally coloured versions of all her Intober drawings Whether you often work with ink or have fallen out of touch with traditional tools and are looking to reconnect, this is the time to push the boat out and be brave. "Inktober is the best moment for me to experiment, try different ways of inking and come up with some changes or additions to my style that help me evolve and push my skills forward," says Golab. 07. Adapt the rules to your needs Cathrine Sandmæl tends to do just a few, more complete ink drawings over the period While the 'official' challenge suggests completing an ink drawing each day, feel free to adapt the rules so you can get the most from the challenge personally. For example, illustrator and comic artist Alexa Pasztor tends to do just two or three artworks across the month. "If I'm going to sit down and do something on paper, I prefer to spend more time on it and make something with a more 'completed' feel to it than just a daily sketch," she says. 08. Get involved on social media If you get stuck then there's inspiration abound on the Inktober hashtag on Twitter and Instagram – plus plenty of people willing to offer help and advice. If you're comfortable sharing, don't forget to hashtag your work with #inktober and #inktober2019 so others can see it. "The community aspect of it is a great motivation," says Golab. "Every year it feels like the most creative month, all over social media and even around my friends and colleagues who draw occasionally as a hobby. I absolutely can’t imagine October without Inktober." What's more, as this will be Inktober's 10th anniversary, Parker is planning some special competitions and giveaways. Check out the Inktober website or follow the Inktober instagram account to make sure you don't miss them. Read more: How to find your art style The best mechanical pencils for artists and designers Pencil drawing techniques: Pro tips to sharpen your skills View the full article

Microsoft has issued a patch for an Internet Explorer remote code execution flaw that is being actively exploited in the wild. View the full article

A spearphishing campaign first uncovered in July is hitting more utilities firms and spreading the LookBack malware, which has capabilities to view system data and reboot machines. View the full article

Burger King has launched a new campaign in time for Climate Week. 'Meltdown', pledges to scrap the plastic toys that have been a staple of a children's meal, and comes with its own revamped packaging design, hats and logo. In fact, the fast food giant is going even further and encouraging people to bring in their old plastic toys, which the company will then melt down to recycle into other items – hence 'Meltdown'. It's a fantastic cause that was borne out of a petition created by two schoolchildren. So far, so good. But, there's a but. While we wholeheartedly applaud the King of Burgers for its ethical decision to ditch the plastic toys, we think the design team might have made a bit of a misstep with its choice of imagery. We wonder if the 'meltdown' theme is the best PR choice for the company's new green policy The Amazon forest has been burning for weeks now, with no sign of slowing down. And a spotlight has been shone on Burger King, with claims that it is one of the companies buying soy feed from the area in Brazil suffering from deforestation. In fact, only today, Greenpeace activists have hung a banner on its flagship Leicester Square store in protest at its alleged buying habits. Although Burger King denies culpability, this issue is very much at the forefront of public consciousness right now. So with all that in mind, we can't help but wonder if the 'meltdown' theme is the best PR choice for the company's new green policy. Burger King has been connected to a meltdown in more than one way The 'I joined the meltdown' label on its burgers is particularly close to the bone, and leaves itself open to parody from activists – when looking at it from that point of view, it could insinuate that by buying Burger King products you're joining the meltdown of the Amazon. And the burning plastic bunny (one of the toys previously sold at BK) is a great representation of the campaign, but some might say it's a little too reminiscent of what's actually happening to animals in the Amazon right now. Though the campaign is noble, is the imagery a little tactless? Perhaps we are being unfair. After all, it is a truly great thing that BK is doing with its plastic amnesty, and one that should be replicated across the industry. But we are surprised that no-one at the branding meetings saw the parallels with a current headline issue that's incredibly close to the industry, let alone one that Burger King has been connected to in the press. Read more: 8 brands that rule at social media 10 iconic logos with hidden meanings How to make a logo in Photoshop View the full article

You're reading Email Marketing Tips to Help You Generate More Sales, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook! Have your email marketing campaigns failed to deliver the results you were after? If you’re scratching your head wondering how to get email marketing right, let me tell you: when it comes to the email marketing copy, there’s nothing a … View the full article

Today's the day. You've finally decided to start your own consulting business. Now what? Getting your new company out into the world can feel like quite the challenge, but it's not as difficult as you may think. These three comprehensive courses will help to guide you through the murky waters of launching your career as a consultant. 01. How to Get Media Coverage One of the biggest hurdles in starting a new business endeavour is getting your name out there in the press. Jason Feifer, editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur magazine, digs into his career and provides a useful guide into what he's experienced first-hand. He touches on topics such as what journalists think, what they're looking for, and how to develop a press strategy that will work for you. The one-hour masterclass comes complete with a Q&A panel and includes tips and tricks that will assist you in learning how to scale your business effectively. Get lifetime access to How to Get Media Coverage for just $19 02. How to Launch a Consulting Business (Pitching & Proposals) Whether you're already profiting from your business or you're just getting started, this series of workshops is all about getting your finances in check. Discover how to monetise best the services you are providing and learn how to pitch without coming across too sales-y. Terry Rice, Marketing Expert-in-Residence at Entrepreneur Magazine, leads you through courses that will help to manage expectations and explain how to create better conversion rates for your business. Get lifetime access to How to Launch a Consulting Business (Pitching & Proposals) for just $19 03. How to Create a Compact Marketing Plan When it comes to marketing, consultants can often get overwhelmed as they don't always know where to start. Ph.D. Marketer Charlene Walters brings you a comprehensive and compact marketing plan that's split up into sections, making it more digestible and easier to retain. The workshop will guide you through identifying your business' target market, company messaging, conversion strategy, and so much more. Each area will be broken down into action steps so you can easily apply each phase to your own business. Get lifetime access to How to Create a Compact Marketing Plan for just $19 Related articles: 5 winning personality traits all studios are looking for 31 books every graphic designer should read 4 things you should NEVER do in a design studio View the full article

Animation companies have been using charming little clips to introduce themselves and their films for years. Just think of Pixar's hopping lamp or DreamWorks' boy lounging on a crescent moon. But now Paramount Animation has got in on the act with a new logo and mascot, which were recently revealed in a short animation. For a company set up in 2011, the move to make a logo and mascot has been a long time coming. After all, as our guide to logo design points out, they're a crucial piece of branding that help companies connect with their audiences. The decision to create a bespoke logo and mascot for the studio comes as Paramount Animation ramps up production, with four films expected in 2021. The project was designed by Christopher Zibach, and produced by creative agency ATK PLN and Reel FX Creative Studios. In the animated launch clip we see the studio's appropriately named tween mascot, Star Skipper (above), as she skips a stone across a river. This stone then transforms into a star, before zooming up to reveal the new Paramount Animation logo. Check it out, below. As far as logos go, it's very similar to the Paramount Pictures logo but with the word 'animation' written underneath in a handwriting font. The orange sunset in the background also helps to differentiate it. Perhaps the new logo didn't need to be a massive departure from its parent company, though. The mountainous, star-encircled Paramount Pictures logo is strong enough to be tweaked and yet still remain recognisable. The Paramount Animation logo as it will now appear The Paramount Pictures logo also contains an element which was at the core of the development of the Paramount Animations branding. Speaking to Variety, artist Christopher Zibach said "We were inspired by the idea of stars and reaching for the stars." Speaking about the decision to make Star Skipper a female character, Zibach added: "In our operation overall, the team that we’ve put together is a majority female team, so it captures the magic of what we’re going for in the division. It's about dreaming big. When we thought about the character, we thought, why wouldn't it be female? And we wanted a girl connected to nature, in who she is and how she looks." As for whether or not Star Skipper will one day feature in her own film, Zibach says: "Our hope is all of our movies will be successful. We'll wait and see if there are any changes with her as the movies grow. It’s a fun idea." Related articles: Is this the new Lucasfilm Animation logo? Understand Disney's 12 principles of animation Inside Aardman Animations View the full article

When it comes to creating art, there's a distinction to be made between a 'perfect' image and one that’s 'complete'. A piece of work can be said to be complete for a number of reasons: for example, it fits a role for a client or explores a technique that an artist wanted to experiment with. Achieving perfection, on the other hand, is invariably more demanding and time-consuming. And that's even with the help of our how to draw tutorials. That's because perfect art has to live up to the expectations of perhaps the toughest critic: the creator themselves. The best digital art software For Atlanta-basesd illustrator Nuri Durr, the desire for perfectionism became not only an obsession, but a hindrance to his growth as an artist. And it turns out that he wasn’t alone. A common problem Taking to Twitter, Nuri recently shared his struggles with perfectionism, and how completing work instead was much more gratifying. His followers agreed, and at the time of writing Nuri's tweet has racked up nearly 5,000 likes and dozens of comments from other artists dealing with the same predicament. But for Nuri, the response didn't come as much of a surprise. "I've always felt that perfectionism was a thing that most people tend to struggle with," he says. “It’s difficult to talk about, because we all want to present the best version of ourselves. There's this feeling that every piece of work has to be better than the last one, or at least match it, which is just not true. I think everyone hits this wall at one point or another. It's not always vocalised though, so it's important that we have these types of conversations.” Letting go of perfectionism benefited Nuri’s art for himself and his audience: “The end result is more honest and fun to look at.” Unfortunately, the desire to achieve perfectionism can be drilled into artists while they're developing their craft. "Perfectionism is definitely not your best friend while you’re learning," says Chengwei Pan, a senior illustrator at Riot Games. "In order to improve you must be brave to make mistakes in your art. I've seen artists take brave chances and therefore improve much faster than me." Chengwei continues: "I started to question why this was happening, then I realised that they were making bold decisions that enabled them to overcome their weaknesses. There is no single 'perfect' artist - it simply comes down to style." Developing a style “I’ve often been labelled as perfectionist, because I care deeply for everything I do and I have pride in my work,” says Kalvachev Speaking of style, different studios and publishers have their own unique looks. These house styles can set a high bar for artists, but for visual storyteller Viktor Kalvachev, they help to relieve some of the expectation of perfection. "Knowing how to understand a style and being able to recreate it is probably the biggest advantage in my career," says Viktor, who has worked with the likes of Disney, Pixar and DC Comics. "I usually adjust my style to what the client wants and try not to force my personal view on the project, unless I'm asked to." Similarly, Chengwei found the pressure of living up to the perfectionism of the Riot Studios house style a useful incentive. "When I was just a junior artist, our art director showed us an example of Jason Chan's art, which immediately inspired me," he says. “Don’t be shy if you’re chasing perfectionism,” says Chengwei, “but just be mindful that when you are learning it can potentially slow you down and limit your mistakes and artistic growth.” "I built up my foundational skills over the following years and the process became cleaner, enabling me to work more efficiently and deliver higher-quality art as a result." Meanwhile, for comic book artist J Scott Campbell, chasing the perfection of his artistic heroes helped to build his own unique visual language. "By settling on to a combination of four or five of my top artistic influences, and a mix of my own personal observations, I was able to get over my frivolous pursuit of unattainable artistic cloning and move forward on this more rewarding, artistically exciting and freeing path," he reveals. Does perfectionism exist? Wei Weng’s stylish art for World of Warcraft was a big influence on Chengwei, who says, “It feels similar to a traditional oil painting.” These different types of perfectionism, either from studio expectations or personal standards, beg the question: does absolute perfectionism exist? "Perfectionism is a desire for the object to be perfect, not that it is perfect," says Chengwei. "Perfection is simply something that lives within the artist. It's an idea that they want to become the best version of themselves." For Viktor, perfectionism is much more concrete than an idea: "From my point of view, perfectionism does exist and can be damaging to the creator. “A friend of mine would redraw a comic book page over and over again until he thought it was semi-decent, only to move to the next one and repeat the self-torture. All his pages were masterpieces to the rest of us, but to him they were awful and disgraceful. One day he discovered how to let go and move on, and he's been really happy ever since." How to power through On occasion, J Scott Campbell has felt perfectionism pressure from companies: “I’ve had to push back against those pressures to preserve my artistic voice.” Finding a balance between productivity and abandonment seems to be the cure for creativity that's been blocked by perfectionism. "It's also important to understand that you're not alone in the creative process," says Chengwei. "There are thousands of artists and their style is based on perfectionism, including myself. Sometimes I spend over six months on a single image. "Be confident in yourself and what you like and know that we're all going through the same process," he adds. "There were many teachers and fellow artists who told me to not be perfect, but to be rough and loose with my art. I know they wanted to encourage me to be brave and make mistakes, but the desire to make perfect art has led to my current style and ability." For Nuri, getting over perfectionism is all about remembering what inspired you to create in the first place and recapturing that feeling. "Also, embrace healthier working habits and try not to be so hard on yourself. "Focus on enjoying the creative process and learning as you go, even if it doesn't turn out exactly as you wanted. It's better to have finished something than nothing at all." This article was originally published ImagineFX, the world's best-selling magazine for digital artists. Subscribe here. Related articles: How to adapt your digital art to feedback 5 ways to improve your digital art skills 8 inspiring digital art portfolios and why they work View the full article

Did you know that during the summer a car's internal temperature can reach up to 70 degrees Celsius? That's hot enough to bake a dog treat, but it's also hot enough to kill a dog. A range of car-baked dog treats called Hot Hounds has used this connection, as well some clever packaging design, to highlight the risk that hot cars pose our canine friends. Released last month by Canadian social enterprise Earth Paws, Hot Hounds was a limited edition range of dog treats that were baked in overheated cars. The biscuits and logo are centred around a deceptively cute design, which features a deceased dog in a flame. It can take a moment to process the morbid message, but once you do, you'll realise that Hot Hounds has used its packaging and graphic design in a really smart way. With its twee logo and typeface, you could almost mistake Hot Hounds for a regular brand of dog treats. This makes it all the more effective when its statement hits home. Together with pastel colours, the contrast of Hot Hounds' cheerful branding and serious message is a disturbingly inspired way to raise awareness of the threat canine heat stroke. As if the angle of car-baked dog treats wasn't good enough, Hot Hounds were made with 100 per cent natural and organic ingredients. You can even see them getting cooked in a car in the video above. Unfortunately, Hot Hounds has completely sold out. But the good news is that all proceeds from the sales have gone to the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. What's more, you can still make a donation to the SPCA when you head over to the Hot Hounds website. Related articles: 6 times brands temporarily changed their packaging 20 packaging concepts we wish were real Online packaging archive is a design delight View the full article

There's still another few weeks to wait until all the best Black Friday deals start appearing. But it looks like Adobe is kicking off the big savings early, now offering artists and designers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa a whopping 39% its entire collection of creative apps. That means instead of costing £49.94/€59.99 per month, you'll pay just £30.34/€35.99! The price reduction applies to the entire Adobe Creative Cloud suite, which encompasses Adobe's 20+ applications, including photo editing favourite Photoshop and digital artists' go-to Illustrator. You'll also find video editing software Premiere Pro, web prototyping tool Adobe XD and motion effects creator After Effects among the impressive toolset. Not in EMEA regions? Take a look at our guide to the best Adobe deals, which we update with all the best offers when they go live. > Get Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps with 39% off As if that wasn't enough, when you buy Adobe's full 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. And if you'd like to include Adobe Stock too, then you can get Adobe All Apps + Adobe Stock for just £58.92/€71.98 – reduced from £78.52/€95.98. 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 will be available until 30 September 2019, so if you're in EMEA regions and want to save big on Adobe's entire suite of creative software, grab it before it's gone. Related articles: 60 top-class Photoshop tutorials The best 4K monitors for designers The best web hosting services for designers View the full article

Forcepoint has fixed a privilege escalation vulnerability in its VPN Client for Windows. View the full article

You might've thought that we've discovered every single colour under the sun by now. But no, colour expert Pantone has stumbled across 294 new shades and added them to its popular Pantone Matching System. The new spot colours are the first additions to Pantone's world-renowned chromatic system in three years, and together they bring its total number of colours to 2,161. We're looking forward to how these shades play into what we know about colour theory. What's more, artists and designers can use these colours digitally thanks to Pantone's colour libraries, which can be stored and accessed as an extension across Adobe Creative Cloud applications. If you're not already a subscriber, you can sign up to Creative Cloud here. According to the description on Pantone's formula guide page, these new shades are "trend and market relevant graphics colours." Fancy. The colours are also available as fan decks "We are always attuned to the changing market and the needs of our creative customers," said Adrián Fernández, vice president and general manager of Pantone. "As a result, we are excited to create an even more efficient workflow as we roll out new colours for the graphic arts and improved cross-referencing between Pantone's PMS and FHI colour systems. "Adding the launch of the Pantone Extension for Adobe Creative Cloud to this mix will enhance the ability to identify, communicate and verify colours both physically and digitally in the Pantone universe." If you want to get your hands on the 294 new colours physically, you can also buy them as a swatchbook. Related articles: Pantone announces its Color of the Year 2019 If celebrities were Pantone colours Discover your 2019 Pantone with this quiz View the full article