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A customer journey map is a visual representation of the different steps a customer goes through to achieve a goal within your company’s website or product. It’s meant to provide insight into what’s going through a customer’s mind as they’re …View the full article

With Instagram font generators, you can customise the text in your Instagram bio, captions and comments. There are several 'font generators' for Instagram (we'll explain those quote marks in a minute) that make it easy to use custom text styles on Instagram, helping you to make your posts stand out from the crowd. To be honest, these services are all pretty similar. But there are some small differences in terms of reliability, usability, cost and the number of ads. So in this post, we've selected our five favourite Instagram font generators. As we explain below, none of these Instagram font generators are exactly perfect. But overall, these are the best we've found online, and as an added bonus, they're all totally free. Once you've found a design you like, head over to our how to change the font in your Instagram bio article for full details on how to customise your grid. How they work (and why they sometimes don't) Want to use wacky text styles like these on your Insta? Then read on... All the tools on this list work in more or less the same way: You type in your text and change the text style it's set in You open the Instagram app You cut and paste your customised text into your bio, caption and/or comment Simple, right? Unfortunately, nothing's ever simple on the internet, and in practice, this process doesn't always work. That's because, despite being called "font generators", you're not actually generating fonts at all, but a special kind of symbol that's part of a system called Unicode. In theory, Unicode should work perfectly in every browser and on every device, but in reality it just doesn't; not yet anyway. And so depending on what OS and hardware you're using, your text may not show up as it's supposed to, and just appear as blank squares. When the device or browser doesn't play nicely with the Unicode, you get a lot of blank squares where the text should be Where this happens, there's not really much you can do to be frank, other than look at the text styles that have rendered correctly, and choose between those. Also note that all of these fonts can also be problematic for those using screen readers, so make sure you consider this. With all that in mind, then, we now present our favourite font generators for Instagram. (Just please don't blame us if they don't work on your system!). 01. Meta Tags Font Generator Get a feel for your new Insta font with a live preview Meta Tags Font Generator is superior to the other Instagram font generators in this post because it allows you to preview what your new font will actually look like in Instagram by mocking it up on a profile. With the other generators, you have to copy and paste the font you want over to Instagram and click save, and then you only get to see what your new shiny font looks like on your profile once it's live. With the Meta Tags Font Generator, you can preview how your font will look in Instagram or Twitter without having to touch either profile. Once you've got the look you want, you just click 'copy' and then you can paste the whole thing over to your social media profile. There are also quite a few Instagram font options, including some with stars and other such excitement. So there's plenty to choose from. We'd say if you want an Instagram font generator, you'd be wise to start here. 02. Instagram Fonts Type or paste your chosen words into Instagram Fonts, and it will render it in a range of fun text styles Instagram Fonts is our second favourite font generator for Instagram, because it does one thing, and it does it well. The interface is clean and easy to follow, and when we tested it out on both phone and laptop, there was zero lag. You simply type or paste your text into the first text box you see, and then scroll down to see your words rendered in a variety of crazy looking text styles. If you find one you like, you can then paste it into your bio, caption or comment on Instagram. The site sets your words in a variety of text styles, quickly and easily If you don't see anything you like, just click the 'load more fonts' button at the bottom and you'll get more (although don't get too excited, as these are essentially variations on a theme). Beneath all this are some ads. Then below that is a detailed summary of how the Unicode system works, which is very interesting. Don't worry, though: this is purely background information, and you don't need to read it to use the tool. 03. Instagram Fonts Generator Don't try to delete the placeholder text – you can't – just start typing or pasting Number two on our list, Instagram Fonts Generator, works in exactly the same way as the entry above. You type or paste your words into the first text box, and then scroll down to see them cast in a variety of styles, ready for pasting into Instagram. The main difference here is that there are a ton of emojis at the bottom of the page, which you can also add to your text, should you feel the need. This font generator for Instagram comes with added emojis (copy and paste to use them, you can't just click) On the minus side, we found it the act of pasting in our text to be a bit unintuitive and clunky. Specifically, we assumed that we needed to highlight the bold placeholder text and replace it with our own. In fact, you just start typing and the placeholder text disappears; but it took a bit of fiddling for us to work that out. 04. Fonts for Instagram by LingoJam This font generator shows the new and old text side-by-side Fonts for Instagram by LingoJam is another similar tool, the main difference here is a nicer interface, particularly the way the new text appears to the right of the original text, rather than below it. Its creator is clearly keen to improve it further, as there's a suggestion box at the bottom, as well as a facility for comments. A shame then, that most of these comments are just "please follow my Instagram account" and this section could do with a bit of pruning. There are quite a few ads too, but on the whole this site delivers if you're looking to create some cool text for your Instagram. 05. Try Fonts Online Neither fun nor attractive, but it does work Sprezz Keyboard is an iOS app for creating custom keyboard themes and fonts for iOS 8, largely through in-app purchases. But on the site promoting it, Sprezz, there's also a font generator that's free to use within your browser. It's a bit fiddly, and not a particularly fun or attractive visual experience to be honest. But hey, if all the other sites on this list are down or broken for some reason, then this one will at least get the job done. You simply scroll down the page to 'Try Fonts Online', click on the placeholder text, and type or paste your chosen word. They will then appear in a variety of styles below, which you can copy and paste into Instagram. Related articles: How to hack the Instagram algorithm A designer's guide to Instagram Stories The best free fonts for designers View the full article

The internet has gone wild over President Trump's 'Star Trek' redesign of the Space Force logo, which was unveiled on Friday 24 January. Framed as a hilarious rip off of the fictional Starfleet's logo, the logo is extraordinarily similar to that found on the uniforms of the Starfleet personnel. But is it really that simple? We're somewhat disappointed to point out the logo redesign (see here for some of the best logo design out there) may not be as ridiculous as we want to believe it is. Or at least, it looks as if Trump wasn't the one to first emulate the Star Trek logo, anyway. John Noonan tweeted the above just after the Space Force furore began, alerting the Twittersphere to the fact that the logo already looked a lot like the Starfleet Command one. The emblem is the same as it has been since 1982, the starry background is reminiscent of the original, and there are still loops circling the emblem. The reduction of the number of loops from four to one definitely emulates the design of the Starfleet logo, that's for sure. But there's more precedent to this design in the history of U.S. space branding, which may let the current incarnation off the hook. U.S. Space Department logo comparison This image (taken from this SlashGear article which examines the origins of the various logo incarnations in more detail) shows that the single loop is a proud part of the NASA logo. And different numbers of loops can be found in all of the U.S. Space Command insignia dating back to 1985. And the circling typography is also in the Space Command insignia, though the font and placement is definitely more Star Trek than it has been previously (which does make a big impact). Space Command logo comparison So who copied who? Well, the Starfleet Command logo was actually first found in... drumroll please... 1996. In fact, according to Ex Astris Scientia, the Star Trek Sticker book contains an inscription from Mike Okuda (a notorious graphic designer who worked on Star Trek and created the insignia) that states: "The Starfleet Command seal was first seen 'Homefront' (DS9) and later in 'In the Flesh' (VGR), although the agency itself, of course, dates back to the original Star Trek series. The symbol was intended to be somewhat reminiscent of the NASA emblem." The US government branding existed first, and Star Trek emulated it intentionally. However, the current Space Fleet incarnation is clearly the most like the Star Trek insignia out of all the previous versions, and it could definitely be argued that Trump and his team should have noticed and avoided derision by shaking up the branding. The design definitely takes the specific parts of the previous logos and puts them together in a decidedly Star Trek-like fashion. Maybe it's a deliberate branding decision (note: the government says it isn't). Playing with the connotations of futuristic space travel, plus enhancing a link between popular culture and the government is sure to invoke strong feeling from the public – whether positive or negative. In either case, it's one of those controversial branding moments that's got people talking – and just before an election, too. Read more: Has branding become boring? Where to find logo design inspiration Designers give iconic logos a radical makeover View the full article

Louis Vuitton's latest collection is a glorious homage to sci-fi and horror books and films of the '70s. The fashion house has drawn on some mega stars to model for its Pre-Fall collection, including the likes of Jaden Smith, Sophie Turner, Robyn and Chloe Grace Moretz. (If you didn't know that 'Pre-Fall' was a season, you're not alone.) To create the campaign, Louis Vuitton designer Nicolas Ghesquière photographed the stars in the new clothes, and then created made-up B movies or sci-fi or horror book covers around them. The results manage to be gloriously chic and modern, yet with a real retro edge. They may even be up there with some of the best poster designs ever made. Oh, and the clothes look good too. Fancy creating something similar? See our roundup of the best free retro fonts. And if you think that some of the images have a dreamlike quality about them, you wouldn't be far off. According to Vogue, Robyn's cover was inspired by a dream she had where she meets a talking tiger. That became The Night Chaser. The quirky campaign seems to be part of a trend for major fashion houses pushing the boat out with their collection campaigns. Earlier in the month, Gucci caused a major stir when it unveiled a bizarre new logo to promote its Fall Winter 2020 Men’s Collection. Swedish pop star Robyn's poster was inspired by a dream she had What's particularly interesting about Louis Vuitton's campaign is that it was the idea, rather than the clothes, that came first. "William Peter Blatty, who wrote The Exorcist, gave us the rights to print the cover of the book. It started there," Ghesquière told American Vogue. "It’s such a great symbol for me to use a fiction and incorporate it into an outfit. I thought, what’s the reverse? To use the fiction as the illustration of the fashion. It’s a kind of a mirror effect in this action of representing them all in these different characters." We think this is a stunning example of how effective use of character design and illustration can enhance a campaign. See our character design tips for more on creating your own worlds. Read more: Is this the defining movie poster trend of the decade? Hilarious parody posters reveal the truth behind Oscar-nominated movies 5 brilliant brand collaborations (and what you can learn from them) View the full article

If you missed all the early January sales, never fear. Adobe has launched an amazing late January Creative Cloud deal, shaving an impressive 20% off its top apps for users living in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The price reduction applies to image editing favourite Photoshop, vector graphics editor Illustrator, web development tool Dreamweaver, desktop publishing app InDesign, motion graphics software After Effects and video editing powerhouse Premiere Pro. Usually £19.97 / €23.99, this mega deal means you can now get hold of them for just £16.18 / €19.19 each, per month. But you'll need to be quick, this is a four-day-only offer, ending today at 11pm GMT (Monday 27 January). If you're not in EMEA regions, be sure to check out our dedicated Adobe Creative Cloud discount page for the best deals in your area. All of Adobe's apps 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. Need the whole suite of Adobe apps? Here are the best Creative Cloud deals in your area: Related articles: Top-class Photoshop tutorials to hone your skills The 13 best alternatives to Photoshop The best web hosting services for designers View the full article

The flaw could allow a remote, unauthenticated attacker to enter a password-protected video conference meeting. View the full article

Modern web hosting companies are generally more reliable than they used to be. Gone are the days when uptime was the only deciding factor in choosing a host. Today it takes something special to stand out. 20i is a UK web hosting company that’s rapidly becoming the go-to choice for those whose business is the web. Its Reseller Hosting product is ideal for freelancers and agencies – users can host an unlimited number of websites, which can be a great way to add extra value to the business. 20i was created by Jonathan and Tim Brealey, the original founders of Webfusion, 123-reg and Heart Internet. Their vision is clear: “With 20i we wanted to create a hosting package focused on the web professional; those with a large number of websites to host. They might be designers, developers, agencies or those wishing to start a web hosting company. We understand these people, and it’s our ambition to give them better value than any alternative.” Using their experience in the industry, Jonathan, Tim and the team are succeeding in that ambition: 10,000 websites move to 20i every month. Jonathan and Tim Brealey's vision was to create a hosting package focused on the web professional What makes 20i so special? Key to 20i's success is the talent Tim and Jonathan Brealey employ. By developing their own platform instead of relying on off-the-shelf software, they can include features and optimisations you can't find anywhere else. A good example is 20i's new free CDN. As you’d expect, it gives you global edge caching that increases loading speeds wherever you are. It also includes a sophisticated web acceleration suite, which optimises all your content, from images to code – a feature you'd need to pay for with many other providers. My20i is an exclusive, free-forever hosting control panel focused around making bulk site management easy 20i's hosting is managed through My20i – an exclusive, free-forever hosting control panel focused around making bulk site management easy. Resellers’ clients can be given access to a highly customisable control panel, StackCP, through which they can manage their own hosting. By ‘white-labelling’ all its products, 20i gives businesses the freedom to keep their branding consistent across the hosting services they offer. The 20i team can develop new features quickly, and include them for free. For example, in 2019, they released HostShop, which automates most of the routine tasks involved in running a web hosting business. Another example is WordPress Tools, which not only provides one-click WordPress staging, but also enables users to control many WP functions from the hosting control panel. Lightning-fast reseller hosting It isn’t just the ‘extra value’ features that are important to 20i. Its core product – lightning fast, super-reliable shared hosting – is where 20i really shines. Instead of relying on outdated software, 20i offers a unique autoscaling platform that means busy websites aren't confined to single servers. This gives busy sites access to 20i's full hardware estate; as many high-spec servers as the site needs. It ensures busy sites stay fast, and don’t affect other sites on the shared platform. 20i's innovations ensure lightning fast, super-reliable shared hosting Late last year, 20i developers saw an opportunity to further improve performance for their clients. By writing their own PHP-FPM and OPcache code they were able to improve on existing commercially available options. While other solutions will apply limits on cores, memory, bandwidth and processes, 20i's code achieves this without imposing any such restrictions. It gives further credence to 20i's promise of ‘truly unlimited hosting’. Making the switch Switching to 20i is a breeze, thanks to the service's automatic Migration Centre for resellers. Just enter your current hosting credentials, and all your site files, databases and emails are transferred over – no fuss. “People are always pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to move over to us," says customer services manager Austin Brealey (20i is a family firm!). "While our support team is always there to help with any concerns, it’s a quick, simple automatic migration, without any downtime.” This support is another way that 20i is different. Instead of going for remote or outsourced options, the whole support team is based at 20i's HQ in Nottinghamshire, where they have direct access to the developers working on the product. "This means that solutions to customer problems can be found quickly, and if necessary, we can apply updates immediately,” adds Austin. From 20i's reviews, this strategy seems to be working: its Trustpilot score is a perfect 5.0 out of 5.0. You can trial all of 20i’s Reseller Hosting features for just £1 for your first month, at 20i.com. View the full article

The graphics card world (yes, that's a thing) is currently all in a flurry. That's because the battle between AMD and Nvidia, the big players behind basically all the best graphics cards, is heating up. AMD is rumoured to be testing the 'Big Navi' GPU, nicknamed the Nvidia killer. This supercharged graphics card is expected to come out in 2020, as confirmed by AMD's CEO Lisa Su at this year's CES. The latest rumours are suggesting there won't be that long to wait either, as it may launch at Computex in June. Why is the Big Navi so special? Well, according to rumours spotted on the Chiphell forums and reported by our sister site TechRadar, the Big Navi (aka Navi 21 GPU, or maybe the Radeon RX 5950) will run on a completely new form of architecture, compared to previous cards. This new RDNA2 architecture will have 80 CUs (complete units) – that's 5,120 stream processors. This could (emphasis on the 'could') make it doubly as good as AMD's RX 5700, which has 40 CUs. It is also rumoured to feature hardware support for ray tracing, making it the first of AMD's cards to do so. Other rumoured features (according to WePC) include variable-rate shading, mixed-precision compute improvement, better caches, higher instructions per clock and advanced voltage regulation. Which all adds up to a pretty sexy sounding card, if it works, of course. We'll assume that's what the testing stage is for. And if the rumours are to be believed, this means AMD's new card will be in a strong position to fight off the competition from big rival Nvidia. This new super graphics card could end up being 30 per cent faster than Nvidia's GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (number one in our best graphics card roundup), so the nickname Nvidia killer may well be appropriate. However, Nvidia is also set to release its own super-charged consumer graphic card at some point in 2020, too. And these Ampere GPUs are expected to be, well, AMD killers. It's a hard one to call, at the moment. So while we're only working on rumours, and AMD is testing its Big Navi, we'll reserve judgment until we can fully test these new GPUs. In the meantime, we'll settle for twiddling our thumbs and buying ourselves one of the best laptops for graphic design, instead. Read more: Why graphics cards matter and how to pick the right one for your needs The best computer for graphic design in 2020 iPhone 12: Surprising design decision revealed View the full article

Are you ready to take your photos to the next level? You've come to the right place. This Photomatix Pro Plus Bundle is packed with tools and plugins to help you transform your photos quickly and easily – and right now it's available for a bargain price. Read on to learn more about the features in this complete photo transformation bundle. For more options, check out our guide to the best photo apps and photo editing software. Photomatix Pro If you use Lightroom regularly, you know that its high dynamic range (HDR) merge feature offers just one HDR style, limiting your desired photography results. Photomatrix Pro features six HDR styles, and over 40 built-in presets, bringing you endless options so you can find the perfect effect for each image. A free plugin for Lightroom is included, making it a seamless complementary pairing to your usual photo processing process. Other features include batch processing, advanced options for removing ghosts, the ability to blend a source exposure into your final image using a Brush Tool, and so much more. Photomatix Essentials Designed to simplify and expedite the process of creating HDR imagery, Photomatix Essentials helps to composite multiple exposures into a single image to gain greater detail than a single exposure can record. With four HDR styles and 30 preset effects, the program utilises an intuitive interface with the ability to fine-tune the final appearance of your imagery. Lifetime access to the user-customised presets come complete with automatic ghost removal and so much more. Tone Mapping Plugin for Photoshop If you're looking for a transformation tool to integrate with Photoshop, this software is for you. Bring your photos to life in Photoshop with the easy to use Tone Mapping Plugin. Features include contrast optimiser and tone balance rendering, advanced options for blending, flawless finishing (sharpening and contrast), and so much more. You'll be able to enhance images easily and edit your photos with impact. The Photomatix Pro Plus Bundle is valued at over $250, it's currently price-dropped to only $39 (that's 84% off). Kick-off 2020 with a bang and turn your images into stunning pieces of art. View the full article

The Super Bowl is a big deal for lots of reasons, so you'd be forgiven for thinking that there'd be a huge budget to create an incredible brand identity. Not so, it seems. The latest logo for next year's Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Florida has just been leaked, and as logos go, it's pretty underwhelming (and that's us being nice). The new Super Bowl 2021 logo (above) looks almost exactly like the logo for this year (below). Neither is very exciting. And as Brits who haven't grown up watching the games, we have to admit that it took us a while to figure out that the new logo isn't supposed to say LIV, but just LV. (If you're not in the US and do want to get involved, see our guide to how to live stream the Super Bowl for free.) As we detailed in our logo design guide, a good logo should be legible and understandable for those who don't know much about the brand. It doesn't look like this new logo will be making it into our list of best logos anytime soon. The current logo for Super Bowl LIV (not LIIV, apparently) What's different between this logo and the current one? Well... there's no extra 'I', so it doesn't read LIIV, just LIV (to the untrained eye). And the colour of the banner below the letters is now orange, instead of green. Wonderful. We can only assume this is supposed to represent something about the location of the event, but it's not immediately obvious what. Is it supposed to represent Florida's oranges, perhaps? Anyway, the logo follows the template for other Super Bowl logos, as you can see by looking at them in all their marvellous glory below. And while you could argue that this is similar to the PS5 logo debate, in which designers complained that Sony had just used the same logo as always but added a different number, at least the PlayStation logo is actually good in the first place. (Too harsh?) A history of Super Bowl logos in all their glory People on social media were quick to point out their disappointment. Others are still hung up on the 'LIV' thing from this year's logo. On the sort of bright side, there is also this host committee logo, which at least looks like it makes some sort of nod to the setting. There's a ship... and a ball, so that's something Overall, we've got our fingers crossed for 2022. But we won't be holding our breath. Via SportLogos.net Read more: The best Super Bowl commercials ever: and what creatives can learn from them Mock Cleveland Indians logos highlight racist double standards iPhone 11: Surprising design decision revealed View the full article

Apple's next range of iPhones has been the subject of much speculation and rumour, and news of an unexpected change to the handset design is the latest thing to cause a stir. Recent reports suggest there is going to be a significant update to the colour range available for Apple's next smartphones, predicted to be released in late 2020. Apple will be scrapping its Midnight Green shade, and replacing it with a new Navy Blue finish across the pricier iPhone 12 Pro range. Granted the placeholder name is a little underwhelming, but the shade is bang on trend right now: Classic Blue is Pantone's Color of the Year 2020. The new colour options would then be Space Grey, Silver, Gold or Navy Blue (name to be confirmed – we're hoping Apple goes for something a little more imaginative in its official release). This is pretty big news for Apple fans. If you're already an iPhone user, see our guide to the best free iPhone apps for designers. Alternatively, explore Apple's biggest competitors in our guide to the best camera phones 2020. The story comes from industry insider Max Weinbach and has broken on the popular YouTube channel EverythingApplePro, run by Filip Koroy. Check out his renders of how the new shade might look below. A new Navy Blue shade could be joining the iPhone 12 Pro lineup The decision is particularly surprising because it was the Midnight Green that sold out first when the iPhone 11 launched, suggesting this was the most popular shade. However, if Koroy's renders prove accurate, we think this replacement finish is going to look pretty sweet. Perhaps Navy Blue will be the colour to go for in 2020? There's also more speculation surrounding the housing design on the 2020 iPhones. Previous predictions stated the iPhone 12 would adopt a more angular design that harks back to the iPhone 4, but recent reports suggest the iPhone 11's current, curvier casing will be sticking around a little longer – perhaps because a squared design is chunkier and more awkward to hold. There's also more news on the expected sizing for the iPhone 12 range, which looks set to get a fairly major shakeup. Watch the video below for more details. Check out TechRadar's iPhone 12 predictions page for everything else we know so far. Read more: 2021 iPhones could be completely portless – what?! Apple Pencil vs Apple Pencil 2: which should you buy? The best cheap Apple laptop deals in 2020 View the full article

Hailing from Abcoude, a small town near Amsterdam, Nadieh Bremer’s data-visualisation projects are quite simply a joy to behold. Combining a keen understanding of statistics and the stories they can tell, her work pushes both the aesthetic and the communicative possibilities of this ever-evolving medium to reach new and exciting places. Illustrating everything from the differences between dogs and cats for Google to the absurd number of digital trackers that you gather when you browse the web for the New York Times, her projects have won numerous awards and stand as an inspiration for anyone wishing to pursue data visualisation. Ahead of her appearance at GenerateJS, the conference helping you build better JavaScript, on 2 April in London, Bremer explains how she made the journey from astronomy to data viz (learn more about data visualisation here), her go-to tools and how she sees the discipline developing in the future. This data viz Bremer worked on for Google News Lab explores the most popular questions that people have asked on Google to better understand their cats and dogs Could you briefly introduce yourself to anyone who doesn’t know you? I focus on the ‘creative’ side of data visualisation. I custom-make each visual to fit the data, goal and topic and love to spend time experimenting with the design side of things to make the eventual visualisation look both visually pleasing while still being effective. I like to take on the bigger datasets to visualise – those that have a lot of diversity, so I can show context and other stories besides the main insight. I’ve been freelancing under the name of Visual Cinnamon for almost three years. I work mostly on pieces that are used for marketing – either internally or externally – used for articles (in print or online), press releases or maybe even some data art for in the office. How was it that you originally got into data visualisation? My story starts with astronomy. I’ve always loved the topic and studied it full-time for five years at university. But I also knew the next academic step wouldn’t make me happy. So after I graduated in 2011, I decided to join the new analytics department of Deloitte Consulting. The word ‘data scientist’ hadn’t even reached the Netherlands then, so I was a ‘consultant advanced analytics’. I was doing analyses on people and companies instead of stars. Different but still fun and a lot more diverse actually. Yet after about three years, I started to lose my passion for data analysis. I didn’t enjoy spending that extra hour making my predictive model just a tiny bit better. During a data-science conference in 2014, I saw the speaker Mike Freeman calling himself a ‘data-visualisation specialist’ on the first slide. And then it hit me like lightning: ‘You can do data viz as a separate thing?!’ So what was it about data viz that struck such a chord? It combined the maths/data/exact side that I enjoyed with the creative side that I’d also always had. So from that conference onwards, I started to dedicate all of my spare time to learning more about data viz: reading books to learn about the best practices as well as doing personal projects to get better with d3.js. Created for the Data Sketches collaboration Bremer did with Shirley Wu, Olympic Feathers visualises all gold medal winners of the summer Olympics since the first games in 1896 You went freelance in 2017. How has your career developed since then? Going into freelancing is one of the best professional steps that I’ve ever taken; I’ve not regretted it for a single day. I’ve had the opportunity to work with clients I thought I could only dream about, such as Google, UNESCO and the New York Times. I’m also enjoying the wide breadth of clients and datasets I now get to work with, from small startups to big names and from magazines or non-profits to corporates. I generally try to have three to four clients at the same time, so that I can switch between them throughout the week. I might be working on some science-related research, cultural heritage and what people search online for about cats and dogs, all in the same week. I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that maybe the WWF, Disney or NASA/ESA will come knocking on my door at some point. What are your go-to tools? I use R to do my data preparation and analysis at the start of a project. This helps me build a mental model of what the data is about, where the interesting aspects to visualise are and how to restructure the data in a way that I need for the visual. I design using either plain pen and paper or with the Tayasui Sketches app on my iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, so the designs really stay rough. From there, I then go to Visual Studio Code to program my data visualisation with d3.js and JavaScript. Depending on the amount of data to show or the complexity of interactions, I’ll create it with SVG for simpler things or HTML5 Canvas for larger visuals. On some rare occasions I might also create the visual with three.js if the data is really big. Finally, if the finished piece is going to be a static image, I’ll export the visual I’ve made in JavaScript to Adobe Illustrator to add some final touches that are easier to do there than through code, such as a legend or annotations. That said, I’ve recently started to work with and enjoy Affinity Designer and might completely migrate to that for my vector work in future. Get Adobe Creative Cloud What are the biggest mistakes people tend to make when they are creating data visualisations? Not taking the time to think about the visual form they’ll put their data into. I see a lot of people who think that any chart form will work just as well – bar chart, line chart – as long as the data is made visual. They just go straight from the data in a sheet to the ‘available chart list’. However, getting the basic chart form right is actually the most important factor in determining whether the visual will be effective. So take some time to think about your goal. What does this visual need to teach people and what is the best way to convey this? Even sketching out some very rough possibilities and trying different chart forms can make all the difference. Created for the Graphic Science page of Scientific American, this visual reveals the different seasonal patterns that appear when babies are born in the US What do you love most about your work and which parts are the least fun? What I love most is the designing of the visual and creating the static part through code. To build up the idea with the actual data, start to experiment with design ideas and see it slowly come to life. The least fun part – aside from reading and creating contracts – is making the visual work on both mobile and desktop: there’s such a giant difference in space available to work with! It puts a no-fun constraint on my creativity. I’m also quite bummed out when I need to compromise on a design idea I have because the browser can’t keep up in terms of performance. And don’t get me started on browser bugs… What’s been your proudest career moment so far? Winning Best Individual at the Information is Beautiful Awards in 2017. Getting that kind of recognition when there were so many amazing people to choose from just blew me away. I didn’t see it coming and went on stage at the ceremony totally unprepared, overwhelmed and exceptionally honoured. It really boosted my self-confidence, especially since starting out as a freelancer that year had been such a scary step. How will data visualisation change over the next 10 years? I truly have no idea but it’s certainly getting bigger. Companies seem to understand more and more that data visualisation is a good investment and that if you want it done well, you need to hire an expert. The number of people wanting to work in data viz is also growing exceptionally fast, perhaps even faster than demand. So what would you like to see happen? Maybe in 10 years someone will have figured out how to do good data viz through AR/VR. I also hope that the general audience will have gained better graphical literacy through regular exposure to data visualisation in the news, at work and at school. A longer version of this article was originally published in issue 328 of net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Buy issue 328 or subscribe to net. Learn how to build better JavaScript at GenerateJS Join us in April with our lineup of JavaScript superstars including Nadieh Bremer at GenerateJS – the conference helping you build better JavaScript! Book before 5pm on 31 January to save £110 with Early Bird Tickets at generateconf.com Read more: Explore data visualisation with p5.js 35 incredible dataviz tools The top 20 data visualisation tools View the full article

Looking to streamline your creative workflow? Meet the editing tool designed to enhance how you work during every part of the editing process. Loupedeck Creative Tool (Loupedeck CT) brings the tools you use into one powerful, precise and perfectly designed console. Loupedeck CT is a powerful, adaptable and custom console – designed to save you time without sacrificing creative integrity. Create and switch between as many customised workspaces as you need, and go from pen to brush, design to video, or jump between software – all with a quick tap or turn of the finger. Intuitive user experience Loupedeck CT is designed to facilitate a seamless workflow Loupedeck CT is a 'no-fuss' tool that meets the demands of the most complex and versatile creative workflows from photo, design, video, animation and even audio. The team at Loupedeck understand how essential it is to have a console that works in sync with the tools and software you normally use, without any interruption to your workflow. Loupedeck CT provides a seamless experience with your software and will display the tools you use across each working environment, meaning you can switch between Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop, and have instant access to the tools required in each environment. With Loupedeck CT, you can truly enhance the way you work with unlimited customisation possibilities and the ability to organise all tools and functions into workspaces. You can match your editing style by creating as many custom workspaces as you want, which can then be assigned to Loupedeck CT’s colour-coordinated buttons and touchscreens. Ease of use Getting started with the Loupedeck Creative Tool is quick and easy. Simply download the Loupedeck software, plug in your Loupedeck CT using its detachable USB, and select the software you wish to use. By default, Loupedeck CT comes with a set of predefined tools and default workspaces, so you can get started editing in a matter of minutes. To make the integration into your workflow even faster and minimise any learning curve, Loupedeck CT comes with a variety of default workspaces, arranged by project type and editing style. Switching between tools and functions is easy Out of the box, Loupedeck CT provides native support for: Adobe Lightroom Classic Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator Adobe Premiere Pro Adobe After Effects Adobe Audition Final Cut Pro X Ableton Live Who is Loupedeck CT for? Get precise control with this pro editing tool The Loupedeck Creative Tool is a pro-grade editing tool that meets the demands of those who work rigorously within a variety of creative environments and software. Loupedeck CT’s premium build gives you precise control over your work. Easily make incremental edits and fine adjustments with the turn of one of CT’s tactile dials, or dive deeper than ever into colour grading with intuitive access and control over colour panels. This is a console for someone looking for complete customisation and deeper control of their software. It's equipped with high-quality aluminium cover and dials, touchscreens and LED backlighting, while machine-quality ball bearings provide a premium haptic feel. If you’re a pro editor and find yourself doing repetitive tasks within Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, or find yourself wanting to dive deeper into video editing with Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects, then Loupedeck CT is for you. Sound interesting? Loupedeck CT is available for purchase in the Loupedeck Online Store, Wex Photo Video in the UK, and other specialty photography stores across Europe and US for $549/£469/€499. View the full article

If you missed all the early January sales, never fear. Today Adobe has launched an amazing deal, shaving an impressive 20% off some of its top creative apps for users living in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The price reduction applies to image editing favourite Photoshop, vector graphics editor Illustrator, web development tool Dreamweaver, desktop publishing app InDesign, motion graphics software After Effects and video editing powerhouse Premiere Pro. Usually £19.97 / €23.99, this mega deal means you can now get hold of them for just £16.18 / €19.19 each, per month. But you'll need to be quick, this is a four-day-only offer, ending on Monday 27 January (11pm GMT). If you're not in EMEA regions, be sure to check out our dedicated Adobe Creative Cloud discount page for the best deals in your area. All of Adobe's apps 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. Need the whole suite of Adobe apps? Here are the best Creative Cloud deals in your area: Related articles: Top-class Photoshop tutorials to hone your skills The 13 best alternatives to Photoshop The best web hosting services for designers View the full article

The Feds have warned on six vulnerabilities in GE medical equipment that could affect patient monitor alarms and more. View the full article

Back in 2010, Isaiah Mustafa became a sensation when he took on the role of Old Spice guy, in a range of commercials for the range of male grooming products of the same name. Now 10 years on, Old Spice guy is back, with a clever and hilarious new take on the already clever an hilarious TV spots of old. Not familiar with Old Spice guy? Allow us to introduce you. He's the manliest man you've ever met. He's the man you dream your man could be. He's 'the man your man could smell like' (with a little help from Old Spice). The range of viral TV ads showed Mustafa engaging in a range of swoon-worthy activities: strolling topless across the deck of a boat and producing an oyster that opens to reveal two tickets to 'that thing you love', before the tickets turn into diamonds, for example. Get reacquainted in the ad below. (For more clever marketing efforts, see our roundups of the best print ads and the best billboard ads around.) While the ads haven't aged badly, and it's all as tongue-in-cheek as it is possible to be, the 'anything is possible when your man smells like Old Spice and not a lady' probably isn't the most engaging messaging for today's gender-stereotype-shunning new generation. The decade-on range of adverts plays smartly on this, introducing Old Spice Guy's effortlessly cool son, who cringes as his dad carries on with his overtly manly ways. There's a new tagline too: Smell like your own man, man. There's the log-balancing, there's the slick waist-towel removal, and most importantly, Old Spice guy is still on that horse. We can't get enough. Read more: Pepsi reveals baffling new tagline Hilarious campaign tries to rebrand Meat Loaf Real-life renders of animated bedrooms are strangely disappointing View the full article

The critical flaw exists in Cisco's administrative management tool, used with network security solutions like firewalls. View the full article

Most brands feel by now that they need to have a presence on Instagram, but the extent to which they establish a clear visual identity on the social media platform can be patchy. Still only a small minority of businesses hire designers to create a feed with a consistent visual message. As a result many of the most creative Instagram feeds are those of designers and agencies. But some brands are showing how it can be done, using designed feeds to create a brand look. Whether it's through careful use of colour, intervention in the images, or something else, they create an impact and draw eyeballs to the account. On top of that, they also allow the brand to be identified from the visual style without us even needing to see a logo. Here, we look at seven accounts that use unique design to create a brand personality. For more on curating your Insta feed, see our post on how to change the font in your Instagram bio. 01. Halo Top Creamery Colour and superb food styling make Halo Top’s feed stand out The personality of “healthy” Ice cream brand Halo Top’s Instagram feed has been part of its success, helping it expand rapidly despite little advertising. The product is the star of the feed, but it’s presented in an exuberant way that’s immediately identifiable thanks to clean images and airborne packaging on minimalist block colour backgrounds. Art direction from Peck Design Associates and some superb food styling have given the feed the power to stop thumbs and ultimately pinch market share from better-known competitors. 02. Owl and The Pussycat Hotel Consistent design interventions highlight OTP Hotel's quirky personality For the service industry, it’s more difficult to measure the impact that Instagram has on conversions, and so hotels are yet to fully exploit the possibilities to create consistent visual personalities on Instagram. Many opt for a loosely curated patchwork of user-generated content and their own imagery. They might occasionally throw in shots from an influencer trip but there’s often little guiding aesthetic. Owl and the Pussycat, a boutique hotel in Sri Lanka, really stands out from the crowd with a fun feed that runs with the spirit of the Edward Lear nonsense poetry that inspired its name. Designed by Hermana Creatives, the feed features collages of images, videos and stop-motion pieces overlaid with vintage illustrations, often including magical, almost anthropomorphised animals. The interventions mean that a post from the hotel can be immediately recognised without needing to see the name or logo. 03. Versace The Versace Holiday Sage is very, very Versace Fashion is logically one of the areas to take most advantage of the visual possibilities of Instagram. Most fashion brands opt for a capsule approach rocking the look of different seasons for a couple of months before switching to a different style, passing through different tones and colours. Versace largely follows this format, but the brand’s #VersaceHolidaySaga saw the feed dovetail with a holiday campaign developed by Sarah Baker for something distinct and utterly Versace. Themed like a retro Latin soap opera, the feed playfully sends up the brand's own brash glamour with hazy soft-focus shots of big haired soap stars in storylines that involve treacherous relationships. With captions like “When Jacob proposed, Cairo didn’t hesitate to accept. Little did she know his real motives,” how can you but follow? 04. Tiffany & Co Tiffany & Co shows that one colour can be enough to identify a brand feed The jewellers Tiffany & Co also designs its feed around capsules, but it always comes back to the immediately recognisable visual content of gleaming product close-ups with tell-tale accents in trademark Tiffany Blue. It’s a great example of how a legendary heritage brand can use Instagram to modernise its appearance and reach a new customer base. The egg blue colour instantly identifies the feed as Tiffany, while a modern edge and storytelling takes the audience deeper into the brand's contemporary world. 05. Lush cosmetics Lush mixes cosmetics porn with causes they believe in Lush makes great use of often very varied user-generated content intermixed with images of soaps and mud masks, while also heavily promoting causes that the business believes in. It's a varied mix, but strong design in its own posts and close curation bring it all together to create a consistent and credible personality. Cause marketing continues to grow as we enter 2020 and Lush makes it feel genuine through the way it's integrated as a regular feature in the brand's usual posts. 06. Femme and Fierce Femme and Fierce shows a little detail can go a long way This account from women’s clothing line Femme and Fierce shows how even the most simplistic effect can create a consistent and recognisable visual identity. Using little more than background colour and interventions around the figures of models and the clothes they’re wearing, it creates something that can be recognised as a brand style. It’s a nice plus that the style of the interventions in the images nicely follows the line of the micro-interactions on the brand’s website, creating consistency across the two platforms. 07. Juniper Oats Studio Unique patchwork puzzles make Juniper Oats' feed immediately recognisable Juniper Oats Studio sells art prints, but its Instagram feed itself merits framing. Its style can be immediately recognised from its jigsaw of asymmetrical cross-grid patchwork puzzles. Every image blends in not only to the frames next to it, but also the images above and below, creating an infinite grid that’s attractive and ingenious. Accompanied by a consistent colour palette, the device becomes the signature of this brand and its main calling card. Read more: How to turn on Instagram's Dark Mode How to download Instagram photos: A complete guide 6 questions you need to ask your new client View the full article

Launched in November last year, Disney Plus has become a huge hit over the past few months. Already one of the biggest streaming services of the new year, Disney Plus is now available in the US, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand. And there's much anticipation building about the launch of Disney Plus UK and Europe on 24 March 2020 – a week earlier than expected! Looking at what's on offer, it's not hard to see why Disney Plus subscriptions have become so popular. The on-demand services hosts over 500 movies and 7,500 TV episodes produced by Walt Disney Studios. This includes all the classic Disney films, as well as content from Disney's Marvel, National Geographic, Pixar and Star Wars brands. And there's plans for even more hit films and original content yet to come... Disney Plus shows: what's included? It feels like it would be easier to list here what Disney Plus doesn't include. When it comes to content, this streaming service is seriously impressive. First and foremost, users can access all the classic Disney movies and shows, which in itself offers hundreds of hours of entertainment. But the Disney team hasn't stopped there, instead offering blockbuster movies and TV shows from the Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, Pixar and The Simpsons (every single season, just saying) brands too. And there's no signs of content slowing down, with more hit shows looking set to hit Disney Plus throughout 2020. We have to say, the amount and quality of content available here is a pretty mind-boggling. And it's, frankly, unbelievably low cost makes it really excellent value for money. If, by some miracle, you do manage to find a hit film or TV show that isn't listed on Disney Plus, you can bet it won't be long until it is. Be sure to keep an eye on the official Disney Plus Twitter feed for details of any new releases. Is Disney Plus worth it? We're sure all the information so far has answered this question already. But just to be clear, the answer is, unequivocally, yes. Disney Plus and all it's delights will set you back a measly $6.99 / £5.99 per month. That's the same price you pay for the lowest monthly Netflix fee in the UK. And, let's be honest, the non-HD stream to a single device service is nothing to shout about. A bumper Disney Plus pack also available in the US for $12.99 gives users access to Hulu and ESPN Plus streaming services too. How to get a Disney Plus free trial If you're not sure whether a Disney Plus subscription is the right service for you, a seven-day Disney Plus free trial is available via the website. Available with standard membership, this completely unrestricted Disney Plus free trial is a great way to see if the service and content is what you expected. Seven days might not seem like long, but it should plenty of time to help you get a feel for how Disney Plus works and whether you like what you see. If you decide Disney Plus isn't right for you, you can avoid a month's bill by simply cancelling your Disney Plus free trial like so: Log into Disney Plus Click on your user profile Select 'Account' and 'Billing details' Click 'Cancel Subscription' Click 'Complete Cancellation' Et voila! You're done. Disney Plus UK: when will it be available? As mentioned above, the launch of Disney Plus UK takes place on 24 March 2020. You can register your interest in the meantime via the Disney Plus website, which will ask for your email address to notify you when the service becomes available. For those of you lucky enough to download the service now, follow the links below to get signed up. View the full article

Leading publisher DK – formerly known as Dorling Kindersley – has had a modern rebrand courtesy of Angus Hyland at Pentagram. The update encompasses a new tagline ('For the curious'), refreshed brand narrative, and a clean, confident new visual identity. The striking new DK logo is a particularly welcome update. The previous brand marque (below) – also designed by Pentagram – was starting to look a little overthought and old-fashioned. The detailed, multicolour design was also not well suited to use in digital contexts. While you're here, you might also want to check out our roundups of essential books for graphic designers, and the best branding books of 2020. The previous DK logo was starting to look dated This cleaner version keeps the same format – an open book motif housing the ‘DK’ monogram – but makes it simpler and bolder, with bespoke new letterforms. This redesigned logo (below) is more flexible for use in both print and digital contexts, to fit changing demands. The new DK logo is clean, clear and suitable for digital contexts Taking an iterative approach rather than opting for something completely new is a smart move, capitalising on the brand's existing reputation (the original logo is recognised around the world). We're also pleased to see the monogram's serifs have endured in this era of bland sans-serif rebrands. The pared-back DK logo is designed to scale well and work effectively on multiple platforms and applications. The single-colour approach also means it's much more flexible, and can be featured in a variety of colours and finishes to suit different contexts, and fit more seamlessly into the company's different book cover designs. The single-colour logo can be integrated more effectively into different book cover designs DK is an award-winning British multinational publishing house and an imprint of Penguin Random House. It specialises in illustrated reference books and non-fiction for adults and children, on subjects including travel, lifestyle and science. The new tagline – 'For the curious' – captures the DK's mission to encourage exploration and discovery. Find out more on the Pentagram case study page. Read more: New Gucci logo is the most bizarre thing we've ever seen The PS5 logo we all wanted is here New GoDaddy logo is a massive improvement View the full article

WebAR is on the rise, thanks to the biggest obstacle facing app-based AR. You see, since augmented reality became a big thing, the best experiences have been app-based. Think Pokémon GO, or any of those handy AR features that have been added to brand apps, from ASOS to IKEA. But while this type of AR offers advanced technical capabilities, trying to get people to download an app can be tricky. That's why people have started looking seriously into WebAR; it may not have the power of full AR but it still has plenty of potential for experimental design that can enthral your users. Here's what you need to know about it. The changing landscape of augmented reality What is WebAR? WebAR refers to augmented reality experiences that are accessed through a web browser rather than an app. This means all you need is your smartphone or tablet and an internet connection, without having to download an app directly onto your phone. At the moment WebAR offers a limited selection of the main features possible using app AR, including simple animations, video and a certain degree of interactivity. WebAR can also support image target detection to trigger experiences. How do you build it? Because this is a web application, there are platforms that support the creation of WebAR that are similar to normal web development platforms. We've been using A-Frame, which enables the creation of 3D assets and environments using a web framework that looks similar to HTML. A-Frame and other applications are supported by 8th Wall, which is currently the leading SLAM tracking SDK for WebAR on the market. What are the benefits? WebAR projects such as this Google Easter egg are much more accessible than AR apps (click the image to find out more) As already mentioned, the overwhelming benefit to WebAR is the fact you don't have to download an app directly to your device. With an app, the size, data allowance for download and device type etc can all prove a bar to getting people to use AR, but WebAR makes it more immediately accessible and doesn't eat up people's data through chunky downloads – in turn helping AR campaigns and experiences to be more relevant and useful. What's more, WebAR can run to a certain extent on most browsers – so you don't necessarily have to have a certain specification of device in order to support AR, again increasing the reach of a particular experience. What are the limitations? It's still early days for WebAR, so there are limits. Performance is simply better on an app, where there's capacity for more memory and therefore better visuals, better animations and better interactivity. One of WebAR's challenges is the limit of your operating system's web browser – there's only so much memory a web page can have, which has a knock-on effect on the visual and performance quality. What's more, a web page can only have access to certain parts of the device you're using, whereas a native app can access all of a device's capabilities. Because of these things, an AR experience through a web browser will be more basic than that through an app – meaning if you want the convenience of WebAR, you need to be thinking of simple but effective experiences instead. What will WebAR be like in the future? At the moment, it's hard to say. As mentioned, WebAR is currently limited mostly by the browser – so how much the technology will develop rather depends on what the big players like Google and Apple develop. What seems certain is that Apple is very much betting on AR, so it would be both beneficial and make sense for them to build their own AR capabilities straight into their operating system – and a web browser is the simplest option. In any case, Web AR is proving the case for quick and convenient AR experiences that, although simple, can have a real impact – so it's likely we'll only be seeing more of this capability in the future. Vertex is the place to be this February Join us in London for our unmissable event for 2D and 3D artists, featuring workshops from over 20 professional artists from film, video games, VFX and illustration. Book now: vertexconf.com This article was originally published in issue 253 of 3D World, the world's best-selling magazine for CG artists. Buy issue 253 here or subscribe to 3D World here. Related articles: AR.js is bringing augmented reality to the web How to code an augmented reality marker 7 apps that made us go 'wow' in 2019 View the full article

The cool thing about animation is that while the elements of a story may feel familiar – perhaps the characters are human, and live in the sort of houses we recognise – the animated format allows us to suspend our disbelief. Things happen in cartoons that wouldn't happen in real life. And largely, as an audience, we'll happily accept that. And when designers are creating sets for their character designs (see our character design tips for advice on crafting your own), they can also forget the practicalities of interior design. On an animated set, it doesn't matter if the bed frame looks like it cost big bucks, or whether a shelf would in reality be able to hold that many books, or whether it's really practical to live in a tree. As long as it looks good and works in the animation, it's all gravy. With this in mind, Budget Direct and NeoMam Studios have come up with realistic renders of what six well-known animated TV bedrooms would look like in real life. And the results are a bit of a mixed bag. Most are oddly disappointing: real life sure is dull. Let's take a look – click the arrows to compare the 3D render with the original animated bedroom. And if you're after more on TV houses, then see this artist's illustrations of TV home floor plans. First up, Finn the Human from Adventure Time has had his bedroom made into a lifelike render, and it really doesn't look very nice. It probably would be a bit dingy living in a tree, now that we think about it. Morty's bedroom in Rick and Morty was never the most inviting of spaces. The walls are a bit cracked, the posters are hung wonky, but somehow in the cartoon, it works. In real life, it looks like any other teenage bedroom – although we do still like the rug. And how have we only just noticed that the carpet is green? In the manga series Sailor Moon, Serena Tsukino's bedroom is a fun pink haven. In real life, it looks kind of normal... dowdy even. Although from an interior design point of view, we do quite like those curtains. (See how to draw manga if you'd like to create your own manga world.) Perhaps our favourite is the reimagining of Glimmer's room in She-Ra and the Princess of Power. Here, some of the elements that make the room magical, such as the floating staircase, have been transformed over to the render. Perhaps in order for animated sets to feel impressive in real life, they need the more outlandish and unreal elements of cartoons. Or perhaps it really is just all about colours and lighting. See the whole series of animated TV bedrooms brought to life over at Budget Direct Home Insurance's site. Read more: Parody posters reveal the truth behind Oscar-nominated movies Graphic design in film: the ultimate guide Netflix wins rights to Studio Ghibli films View the full article

Two tiny triangular houses in Norway have sparked fierce debate on Reddit. The 'Pan Treetop Cabins' are named after the Greek god of forests and meadows and draw inspiration from the Moomins' magical homes in the work of Tove Jansson. The homes themselves are fitted compactly into A-frame cabins, clad in black oxidised zinc and steel. These are perched, seemingly precariously, on spindly stilts. Visitors access the cabins via free-standing spiral staircases and elevated walkways. The lofty abodes were designed by architect Espen Surnevik and are located in Gjesåssjøen, Norway. Take a video tour below. These charming, long-legged structures are a passion project driven by journalist Kristian Rostad and actress Christine Mowinckel, who recruited some specialists to help bring their vision to life. The houses have actually been nominated for several design awards. However, that hasn't put off grumpy commenters on Reddit, who have plenty to say about just how impractical they think the design is. Let's take a closer look at some of main lines of argument and try and answer the question: is this the most magical home design in existence, or is it wholly impractical? For more architectural triumphs, both practical and impractical, explore our guide to the world's most famous buildings. 01. Woah, that's too many stairs You can always take a break halfway to enjoy the view Many commenters seem extremely worried about the spiral staircase that provides access to the cabin. "I'm thinking about coming home with multiple bags of groceries after working OT. It's a nope," says one. Have these people never lived in a flat? Or even a two-storey house? Look at the scale here – it's two floors' worth of steps maximum. Able-bodied visitors, you can probably manage it. Even while holding your bags of kjøttboller and aquavit. On the same theme is the issue of decorating the flat. "Getting the furniture in there must have been fun," jokes one Reddit user. They may have a sort-of point here. But then again, it's a very small cabin, and it's already been furnished. How those first interior designers got the sofa in will remain a mystery, but until it comes time to redecorate, it's not an issue. 02. That doesn't look very stable "Better hope it’s not windy," writes one concerned commenter. Obviously, this has been addressed. Those legs may look spindly, but they are powerful. In fact, a scientist – Finn-Erick Nilsen – was enlisted to make the calculations that would ensure the structure was nice and stable. The designs can apparently "withstand the force of a double hurricane". There's an added bonus in that you'd never have to worry about flooding, either. And we're betting any heavy snowfall would slide off that steep roof no trouble. 03. Is this a zombie apocalypse house? Also great for avoiding bears We'd have to do some more research to properly assess how this Moomin-style house would fare against a zombie army, but on first impressions we think it looks pretty good. "Zombies would take those skinny legs out in no time," says one commenter – but we've already debunked that theory (see discussion point #2 above). In fact, while a zombie invasion remains distant, there are practical benefits you can enjoy today. These huts are two hours from Oslo, in a huge ecological reserve – which means there are plenty of elk, venison, wolves, bears and lynxes roaming around. So perhaps it is better to be a little elevated. 04. You forgot to build the other half! Those views, though "I think they forgot to build lower floors" says one commenter. "The scene hasn't finished loading yet," quips another. Neither are really valid points. One major selling point here is the views. And the whole aesthetic plays on the idea of a charming little treehouse from a storybook. You want a massive triangular base on that? No. It'd ruin it. Size isn't everything. 05. What about wheelchair users? Entirely valid. Can't argue here, this is no good at all for anyone with mobility problems. Perhaps the next version could find a way to integrate an equally magical lift? It's also going to be a bit of a nightmare for tall people, but they can probably just stay right in the centre. Read the full Reddit thread here, or check out more photos on the Boutique Homes rental site. Read more: What is biophilic design and how can it increase creative productivity? Mid-century modernism: 15 iconic examples Boutique hotels: 10 of the world’s best design hotels View the full article

We know loads of you are impatient to add WhatsApp to your collection of apps with an eyeball-friendly dark mode, so here's some great news: it's kind of available right now for some of you. Clearly that's the sort of announcement that's leading up to a big 'but', and if that's what you're thinking then you'd be right. If you went to update your WhatsApp right now then you'd probably come away disappointed. However, if you're using Android and you don't object to having a beta Android apps on your phone then your luck's in, as WhatsApp has released a new version, complete with dark mode, for beta testing. Instagram and WhatsApp get a rebrand As discovered by WABetaInfo, the new beta replaces the usual WhatsApp looks with shades of dark grey rather than the battery-saving black used in most dark modes. So while it's less likely to make a great deal of difference to the amount of time you'll need between recharges, we reckon it's a little easier on the eye than other dark modes. To be honest, it could be a little darker We've no idea how long it's going to be until this version comes out of beta and is available for everyone; WhatsApp is being typically tight-lipped on the matter. If you can't wait to give your app a deliciously umbral makeover, though, it's pretty easy to get in on the beta programme and download the update. To get the WhatsApp dark mode you'll need to be signed up for its beta programme; the bad news is that, as with the iOS beta, the massive demand for new WhatsApp features means it's full, so if you haven't signed up already then you're out of luck. Though fingers crossed they'll be another round soon. If you're in the special beta club then you should be able to update the app to the beta version right now. If you want to check that you have the right version, simply long-press on the app icon and select 'App Info', then select 'Advanced' and scroll down until you see the version number. As long as it's 2.20.13 or higher then you're good to go. If for some reason that hasn't worked, it's still possible to install the update, but this method is perhaps not for the faint-hearted. You'll need to download the APK for 2.20.13 and install it manually; if that feels a little hardcore then maybe you should just wait for the official release. Once you're all updated you can open the app, tap 'Settings' and select 'Chats', where you'll find a new 'Theme' option with three settings: 'Light', 'Dark' and 'System default'. There's also an option for users of Android 9 or lower to put the app into dark mode whenever your battery's getting low; choose 'Set by battery saver' to enable it. Of course, none of this is any use if you're on iPhone. However as soon as we hear that dark mode is properly available for iOS, we'll let you know. Related articles: How to turn on Instagram's Dark Mode Slack dark mode is live! Here's how to activate it How to implement light or dark modes in CSS View the full article

Valentine’s Day is one of the biggest holidays for couples and people who want to express gratitude to those who they love. Although it is the national day of chocolate, flowers, and restaurants, it does not mean that other businesses …View the full article