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January Patch Tuesday tackles 50 bugs, with eight rated critical, all as it pushes out its last regular Windows 7 patches. View the full article

The cloud-focused program will pay out $10,000 as its top reward. View the full article

Web domain giant GoDaddy has a new logo and brand message. This dramatic redesign represents a new (and welcome) direction for the web hosting company, which was previously operating behind a somewhat quirky brand image, full of personality but projecting a confused aesthetic. One of our recommended web hosting services, GoDaddy has been operating since 1997 and is now entering a new era that aims to put all the focus on its users. Announced today in the above tweet, the new logo, known as the 'Go' is an interlocking G and O. The design steers in the same direction as the recent rebrand at airbnb, with a friendly, curvy heart-like shape and minimal noise. The new GoDaddy logo was created by GoDaddy's internal design team in collaboration with external branding firms Codo and Lippincott. The curvy logo is a world away from the kooky cartoon head of old (previous incarnations of the logo design) Many would say a new look is overdue for GoDaddy, which rose to popularity accompanied by an unsettling, in-your-face cartoon head. This icon was removed from the brand's website in 2018, and since then, GoDaddy has been operating without a logo, relying solely on its wordmark. The new logo marks a welcome shift in positioning for the company, and seeks to create a completely different kind of emotional response. The new website covers the real-life stories of the 'Everyday Entrepreneurs' that use the service Along with the new logo and identity comes a new website and new advertising campaigns, both of which are sleek, sparse and devoid of the sales pitches and cartoon images of old. The 'everyday entrepreneurs' mentioned in the brand message are at the centre of the new advertising strategy, which features real-life GoDaddy users telling their stories. The new billboards display the new brand aesthetic, which aims to 'get out of the way' of the user's journey "It represents the entrepreneurial spirit," GoDaddy chief brand officer Cameron Scott told Fast Company. "All of our customers have an idea, and they all have initiative. We are there to say, ‘We’re here with you for your first step. We’re here with you for your next step. And we’ve got your back every step of the way." The brand message clearly aims to be uplifting, but the wording (on the tweet at least) comes across as – dare we say it – a little bit twee. However, GoDaddy is deadly serious in its crossover to the new brand identity. The brand was conscious that is own personality was getting in the way of the user's story, and the streamlined design and user-centred message aims to put the customer firmly back in the driver's seat. GoDaddy is bucking the recent rebrand trend (see Reebok and Warner Bros), which has been to refresh rather than rebrand, to build on brand history with the aim of strengthening public attachment. But since the public doesn't have the same sort of emotional attachment to GoDaddy, a change in direction is definitely welcome in this case. Read more: Has branding become boring? The 6 best branding books right now Are trends any good for branding? View the full article

Overall Adobe patched nine flaws in Illustrator CC and Experience Manager. View the full article

If you're loving Netflix fantasy drama the series The Witcher, but can't quite get your head around what seems like a constantly jumping timeline, we have a solution. You need to check out the beautifully crafted 'Map of the Continent', the official companion website to the series. The site is packed with snippets of extra information that enhance the characters' back stories and draw you further into the world of the Witcher. However, what makes the site so enticing is the visual presentation. The site is a treasure trove of beautiful design elements, smart and engaging interactivity and CSS animation, all of which come together to provide a storytelling experience of the highest order. Drag the timeline to reveal key plotline points and event information The timeline is split into four tracks dedicated to different story elements: users can follow leading characters, Geralt, Yennefer or Ciri, or explore the general history of the magical world. All four tracks converge when the timeline is dragged to 1250, the birth of Ciri. Key points along the timeline animate to inform the user there is something to read: a pop-up window slides up to reveal an event, and more usefully for Witcher-lovers, what episode and what year a key plotline occurs in. Enhancing the timeline and embellishing the whole storytelling experience is a dynamic map that uses animation to add atmosphere by reflecting the weather. The map might boast a familiar feel as its underlying code is very much part of the Google Maps experience. Zoom in, zoom out and drag to wherever you want to go on the map. Search for information about your favourite characters Google's influence doesn't stop here. A well-timed, animated slide-out side panel reveals a search omnibox giving fans quick access to Witcher information when they want it. Completing the picture is the classic hamburger menu icon to reveal the essential company information. The Witcher's 'Map of the Continent' website is a perfect example of how to bring different media together to create a complete and compelling storytelling experience. The site uses subtle and smart UI animations to engage users, and give users the information they want. It borrows from well-known everyday elements (like Google Maps) to ensure an intuitive and vastly enjoyable experience. Visit the Witcher interactive map to explore for yourself. Learn how to build better JavaScript at GenerateJS Join us in April 2020 with our lineup of JavaScript superstars at GenerateJS – the conference helping you build better JavaScript. Book now at generateconf.com Read more: Epic ocean visualisation is strangely addictive 30 Chrome extensions for web designers and devs How to animate with the mo.js library View the full article

New year, new web design trends. We are already starting to see some design elements that will be hot in 2020 (and maybe beyond). Most of these trending web design themes are continuations of things that have been building in …View the full article

Videography is quickly becoming a valuable skill in all kinds of industries. If you want to master a new skill this month, these 10 comprehensive videography courses can help. Ease your way in by learning the basics or brush up on what you already know. Each bundle will give you tips and tricks for popular video editing programs such as Final Cut Pro, Adobe After Effects, and Camtasia (see our roundup of the best video editing software for more on this. You can grab this bundle today for only $29.99. If you're looking to learn how to promote your brand through video, you've come to the right place. With over 45 hours of instruction, you'll be able to speed up your learning with tutorials for the video production software currently used in the industry. Although the software itself is not included in this bundle, the step-by-step instructions will guide you through the different equipment used to film videos for all sorts of projects. You'll learn how to create catchy and professional video intros for your brand in After Effects and take your video marketing to the next level with Camtasia 9, a software favorite for creating video tutorials and presentations directly via screencast, Microsoft PowerPoint, or Google. With 24/7 access to the content, you'll be able to come back whenever you need it. The best computer for video editing in 2020 Looking for ways to make your videos for your latest project stand out? Improve your presentations by learning to create professional motion graphics and visual effects. This bundle includes step-by-step guides for Adobe After Effects CC, the industry-standard tool for adding motion to your graphic designs and content (for more of these, explore our roundup of top After Effects tutorials). You'll learn how to animate infographics, and add music to your motion graphics. With over 80 lessons, you'll learn how to create real-world projects, with features such as lower thirds and bumpers, and use video effects and presets to speed up workflow. You don't need to hire a professional to do this for you — you'll soon be able to tackle it yourself. The idea of editing your video needn't fill you with dread, either. Get help for professional-level editing with Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro and more, and learn everything you need to start editing – no previous knowledge or video editing experience required. You’ll be able to master transitions and learn how to sync separate audio and video files together. By the end of the training, you’ll know how to correct and grade the colours of your videos to give them greater style, fix or hide additional video footage, export your videos for high-quality playback on any device, and so much more. While a lifetime membership to The Complete Videography Bundle: Beginner to Expert is valued at $1,990, it is currently price-dropped to only $29.99. It's certainly a great way to kick off your videography skills and get started on producing and editing impactful videos for projects of all sizes. Read more: The best laptops for video editing in 2019 Designers go wild for minimalist UNO concept design These unmissable iPad Pro deals are the best you'll see View the full article

Gucci has caused a social media splash by presenting an updated logo on its Facebook page... and it's quite something. The unusual font, which looks an awful lot like a young child's handwriting, is tied to the luxury brand's Fall Winter 2020 Men’s Collection, which is to be debuted today. The new-look logo has resulted in some controversy plus a whole lot of noise. Facebook and Instagram users, in particular across Vietnam, have updated their own avatars to a similar handwritten font (to get a similar look, see our pick of the best handwriting fonts). Let's find out why Gucci has chosen such unusual styling for its new collection. Accompanying promo material uses the same font It all began three days ago when Gucci updated its Facebook page (with 18 million followers) with the new logo and accompanying images announcing the collection using the same handwritten font. The scratchy, fountain pen-esque scrawl is imperfect, with blots, wobbles and discrepancies in character size and orientation so there's no surprise that the collection it accompanies is heavily linked to childhood. Gucci posted a series of teaser posts about the campaign (see the video below), which has the tagline 'Rave Like You Are Five' and is actually inspired by children's birthday parties. The font is based on a typical French child's handwriting. Vietnamese children also learn to write in this style, which is apparently why the image has gone viral in Vietnam. Alessandro Michele, Gucci's current creative director, masterminded the campaign, which also includes event invitations inspired by the embellished birthday party invitations the children of nobility sent to their friends (below). The reactions across social media have been mixed. The outright joy sparked for the Vietnamese audience is somewhat countered by other reactions, with user Nguyen Tran Sung commenting: "When you haven't paid salaries for your designers yet. Consequences!!!" This sentiment was echoed by Ngoc Anh, who wrote: "Thanks for hiring my 2-year-old cousin for this design! 🤣🤣🤣" But, more positively, Lianne Nguyen commented: "Looking forward to seeing the collection and how it coordinates with this campaign! I'm imagining a bold step towards sth pure and vintage [sic]". And a profound angle from Nguyễn Hà theorises: "When things are highly complicated we do often wish for simplicity." Gucci's usual logo, from which the new look is quite a departure It's certainly an unusual choice for Gucci, and a huge departure from its usual logo (above). The design could translate in more than one way on the catwalk – though the handwritten choice does sing of simplicity, it is also a playful choice. And the connotations of a children's party nod to a more frivolous angle, as do the retro party images that accompany it. That a handwritten style can be interpreted in such different ways is a fascinating insight into typography and branding (for more insights take a look at our roundup of the hottest typography trends for 2020). We look forward to seeing how the design relates to the collection itself. Read more: 4 of this year's must-know typography trends 5 top typography tutorials 15 top typography resources View the full article

Want to get your hands on a shiny, brand new iPad Pro, but don’t want to pay full price? Then you need to check out the trio of deals we have found for you today on Amazon's US site. There are three fantastic iPads on offer. You can go all out and get yourself a top of the range iPad Pro 12.9" model with a whopping 512GB of storage and save yourself nearly $200: it now costs just $1149.99. Alternatively, you can go for 256GB of storage on a 12.9" iPad Pro and still get change out of $1000. Or, if you're looking for a slightly smaller Apple tablet why not try out the iPad Pro 11" model with 256GB of storage for under $800 and save yourself $149? The iPad Pro is a great tool for designers, illustrators, artists and creatives thanks to its edge-to-edge liquid retina screen with anti-reflective coating, powerful A12X processor and 4K video recording. Plus, team up the power and portability of the iPad Pro with some of the best drawing apps for the iPad and an Apple Pencil and you really do have the ultimate portable creative tool. Unmissable iPad Pro deals Good deals and impressive discounts (like the ones above) on the iPad Pro don't come along often, so you really need to take advantage while you can. And, why not choose yourself something from the impressive range of iPad accessories available to keep your iPad Pro shiny and new. Not in the US? Here are some of the best iPad Pro prices in the UK. View the full article

The issue lies in underlying reference software used by multiple cable-modem manufacturers to create device firmware. View the full article

Over 25,000 servers globally are vulnerable to the critical Citrix remote code execution vulnerability. View the full article

Designer Warleson Oliveira has created a concept design for card game UNO, and its beautiful simplicity is proving very popular on social media. The new design for the classic game is a personal project by Oliveira, who is based in Brazil. He's taken the bright colours of the original cards, and placed them on a dark background, creating a kind of UNO Dark Mode. He's also simplified and streamlined the logo, as well as the symbols on the cards.There's even a stylish new box – a nifty piece of packaging design that gives the project that extra edge. Who wants a game? As personal projects go, it's a good one. It's a fully considered idea and all the different elements of the game have been thought of. Oliveira has even made some neat little animations, which he shared on social media (see below). Perhaps not surprisingly, designers around the globe have reacted positively, with many suggesting Oliveira should talk to Mattel, who sell the game, about getting it produced. Others want to buy the designs, and are asking where they can do so. Although the current UNO design is iconic, there have been updates over time. An UNO Braille set was released at the end of last year, and there are also several other versions of the game, including colour blind accessible UNO, UNO Emoji and UNO Finding Dory. Who knew. UNO Braille and the classic UNO sets Perhaps if enough people get in touch with Mattel, UNO Dark Mode may become a thing, and we'll all start pulling sexy looking black boxes out of our bags, ready for a game of UNO in the pub. In the meantime, you can see more about the project and share your appreciation with the designer on the project's Behance page. Read more: 11 amazing concept tips for client work Is this Paris Olympics 2024 concept better than the original design? Retro gaming stamps are an 8-bit nostalgic hit View the full article

Typography is a central part of graphic design so you'll want to stay on top of what's hot with fonts right now. According to a popular graphic design YouTube account, 2020 is going to see innovation and modernisation in typography, bringing the use of fonts hurtling into the new decade (for our pick of the best fonts for designers, see our list of professional fonts). Tom Satori, a designer with almost a decade of experience, has put together a handy video explaining the typography trends of 2020, including how to use them and pitfalls to watch out for. So, let's dive in and take a look at the four font stylings to put to use in the coming year. 01. Bold and heavy fonts Satori advises that the first typography trend will be to go big and bold. "The heavy use of typography can act as a focal point and draw in a viewer as a visual starting point on your design," he says. Satori mentions that it's important to choose the right font family and suggests you adhere to two rules. First, keep the heavy fonts to just a short phrase or a few words or you risk overcrowding, and secondly, contrast the heavy typography with thinner fonts, as it makes the overall design more visually appealing. 02. Typography to create shapes Using typography to create 2D and 3D shapes is about to kick off in graphic design. Satori stresses that it's important to make sure that use of shape fits the design brief, and isn't a random choice that just drops a shape into your design without a reason or "just because it looks cool". And don't just focus on the use of shape. "Make sure you adhere to other design principles while incorporating this trend," Satori advises. "So use things like balance, focal points, contrast and so forth." 03. Maxi typography The maxi trend is all about attention seeking. "This actually has been a trend in 2019," says Satori. "Maxi is the use of typography that is so bold and heavy that it sometimes bleeds off the page, and it really takes centre-stage as a focal point." You can create intrigue and interest with the font becoming obscured by other parts of the design, Satori suggests, and it's important to remember that the maxi typography should always be flat – with zero gradient and no 3D elements. 04. Semi-transparent use of text over design A good choice for busy designs, the semi-transparent text works to blend the composition and stay a prominent element of the design. "It's a nice way to tie everything together and, again, a choice of bold font here is a good move," says Satori. Satori rounds off the video, which you can watch above, with a quiz to help cement that knowledge in your design brain. The video is a great continuation of the hottest typography trends from the end of last year, with some fresh insight. You can check out more of the designer's work on his YouTube channel, Satori Graphics. Read more: 50 top typography tutorials The ultimate typography cheat sheet Invaluable online typography tools View the full article

Let’s collaborate! With the Postcards 2.9 release, there’s a new collaboration feature. Now you can use one Postcards subscription with colleagues and build an email template with your team.View the full article

Being a creative is simultaneously one of the most frustrating and fulfilling things in the world. Whether you stretch your creative muscles as part of your career or simply work part-time as a hobbyist, there are few things more satisfying than a job well done, and at the other end of the spectrum, few things more infuriating than creative block. The way the traditional workplace is structured doesn’t really help matters, either. The drudgery of the nine-to-five isn’t exactly conducive to creative expression. It doesn’t exactly get the juices flowing, nor does it mesh particularly well with how most of us function. What that means for you is that you’ll need to take a few extra steps to take command of your own workflow. You’ll need to understand your own unique approach to your craft, and use that to inform the tools, strategies, and techniques you apply. And we can help. Here’s how you can better access your inner well of imagination, and a few ways ASUS can help you do so. 01. Optimise your workspace... The ProArt PA90 is one of the most compact machines on the market A chaotic or impersonal office can be one of the biggest killers of productivity – and therefore creativity – you’ll ever encounter. Your workspace should be where you’re at your most inspired. It should be where you go when you do your best work. If it’s not that, then there’s something very wrong. There are a few pieces of advice to offer here. First, take steps to reduce clutter as much as possible. If something doesn’t serve a purpose, it has no place in your office. That doesn’t mean throw out your personal decor, of course. But you might want to take a look at your PC. While some people enjoy the aesthetic of bulky, cumbersome desktop towers, the amount of space they take up is usually better spent on other things – like more monitors, for instance. A dual (or even triple) monitor setup can vastly improve your workflow, allowing you to pull up multiple reference sources, collaborate with colleagues, and ultimately make working at your desk more comfortable. Here’s where ASUS comes in. The ISV-certified ProArt PA90 Mini PC is one of the most compact desktop rigs on the market. And it packs a lot of power into a small and elegant package, with a NVIDIA Quadro P4000 graphics card with the capacity to run multiple high-resolution displays. As part of the Quadro line, the P4000 is designed for graphical precision, making it great for 3D model renders and engineering applications. The ProArt Display PA32UCX monitor, meanwhile, is the perfect replacement for any drab, low-resolution displays you may currently struggle with. It’s the world’s first 32-inch 4K monitor, equipped with mini-LED backlighting and support for multiple HDR formats including Dolby Vision. For graphic designers especially, it offers industry-leading colour fidelity, for the brightest whites and the deepest blacks. 02....But know that inspiration can strike at any time Create on the go with the ProArt StudioBook Pro 17 Of course, you already know that you’re not always going to be at your desk when an idea worms its way into your mind. You might be relaxing at home, kicking back at a coffee shop or off on a camping trip. While you certainly could cart around a pen and paper with you, it’s a lot more efficient to have a portable workspace. ASUS offers two of note, depending on your needs. The first, designed for consumers and professionals alike, is the ZenBook Pro Duo. A laptop designed for multitasking on the go, this is in many ways the laptop of tomorrow, with an innovative design that incorporates two screens. Even better, the second is a full-width touchscreen that works with the main display. This allows you to view multiple programs across the two displays, or bust out a stylus for drawing. The ProArt StudioBook Pro 17, meanwhile, is designed more with professionals in mind. As with the ProArt PA90, it incorporates an Nvidia Quadro graphics card – the RTX 3000 to be precise. This gives the 17-inch laptop the necessary power to tackle virtually any project you need it to, no matter where you are on the road. It’s also fully ISV-certified, so it can be easily loaded up with all the applications you need for the workplace. 03. Understand your creative cadence One of the most important details you need to know about being a creator is that it’s a deeply personal thing. Everyone’s creative process is a little different, everyone works at a different cadence. Some people are night owls, and find themselves awash in inspiration only when the moon is high in the sky. Some people can’t focus unless they’ve got smooth jazz playing in the background. Others get their best ideas right after a workout, or with a stiff drink in hand. Disregard any advice about the best time to immerse yourself in your projects, and throw away the concept that there’s one single way to be productive. Figure out what works for you specifically – what inspires you and when you do your best work. 04. Give yourself time to think Is it time you tidied up your desk? Or got yourself a ZenBook Pro Duo? Perhaps the only universal rule about creativity is that it takes time. It’s inadvisable (and probably impossible) to be in a creative mindset 24/7. You need the opportunity to step back from a project every now and then. Start slotting that time into your schedule. Set hard boundaries in terms of when, where, and how you’ll engage in your craft, and stick to them. It might feel like you’re getting less done by working less, but you aren’t – you’re simply giving yourself time and space to breathe and excel. Again, it’s important to note that these boundaries vary by the individual. If you’re passionate enough that you want to dive into what you do 24/7, that’s great. You do you (although don't forget to sleep). 05. Experiment with software Unless you’re working with a very specific set of guidelines – for instance, a client requires that you work within a particular software platform – it’s important not to put any limits on the software you use. Adobe Photoshop isn’t the only graphic design tool on the market. WordPress is not the only content management system, and Airtable is not the only project management tool Just as you should give yourself time to experiment and grow as a creative, you should also take the time to explore potential additions (or alternatives) to what you already have in your toolkit. You might well come across an app that makes you wonder how you lived without it. 06. Remember that work is a mindset, not a place Working in a creative profession can be simultaneously incredibly frustrating and immensely rewarding. It’s the nature of what we do. But by understanding your workflow, using the right software, and equipping yourself with the necessary tools, you can help ensure that it’s more frequently the latter rather than the former. Learn more about how ASUS can support your creative drive via the ASUS website. View the full article

Modern websites require lots of HTML code. Complex layouts with multiple different views and states can be difficult to create with just a simple text editor. Thankfully, there are a host of HTML generation tools out there to work with. Here we take a quick look at two of the more popular tools, Emmet and Pug. However, you still need to know your HTML to use both of these powerful time-saving tools. So, before you dive in make sure you're using the popular semantic HTML tags the right way. Also see our guide to using a HTML boilerplate. Generate HTML on the fly When writing large amounts of HTML in one go, writing each tag out by hand can become very tedious, very quickly. For example, when writing out a list of links, we need to make sure that the <ul>, <li> and <a> tags all open and close in the right place. Otherwise the links may not work and the whole page layout will go completely haywire. Speed up your HTML and CSS workflow with Emmet How to use Emmet To make sure you reduce the chances of this happening you can employ the talents of Emmet. This is a tool that will save you lots of typing and will greatly improve your HTML & CSS workflow. Emmet allows you to create elements by typing out a CSS-like selector. It will then parse and expand that element into regular HTML. Below is the original element created in Emmet. Emmet will detect this element, parse it and then transform the element into standard HTML as shown below. A quick look at the Emmet element suggests that <li> is multiplied by (*3) and each <li> instance will be called Chapter followed by the appropriate number (up to 3). Note how many characters the Emmet element contains and how many the standard HTML contains. Even this small snippet of code demonstrates how much time can be saved by using the Emmet shorthand. Emmet is also aware of context. For example, if we are editing a <table> it is likely we will want some <tr> (these are rows) elements to fill it. All we would need to do is specify how many we need. This is just a quick example of what Emmet can do, but there are plenty more configuration options available. These include CSS editing, BEM (Block Element Modifier) class creation and there is even a Lorem Ipsum generator. It's also worth noting that most code editors either have Emmet built in or support it through plugins. You can find out more about this on the Emmet Documentation page. Use Pug for dynamic content While Emmet is ideal for static content, what happens if content needs to be more dynamic? For example, we may need to generate personalised homepages, complex order tables or repeat common blocks of HTML. This is all possible in JavaScript, but by pre-rendering this content we can get an added speed boost without relying on the user’s browser. Step forward Pug. This is a templating tool for HTML. You can write pages in the “.pug” format and Pug will read that file, inject some dynamic data into it and return standard HTML. The example below is how you would write the code in Pug to create the same HTML as the Emmet example (above). A Pug file uses indentation alone to indicate nesting. It can iterate over values to generate large amounts of HTML in one pass. These “.pug” files are designed to be reused many times across a project. Pug is available to install from package manager npm. But, if you want more information on how to get started with Pug pay a visit to the website. Do you want to learn more about web design? Then subscribe to net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Join us in April 2020 with our lineup of JavaScript superstars at GenerateJS – the conference helping you build better JavaScript. Book now at generateconf.com Create animated CSS art How to use an HTML boilerplate: A guide 10 best CSS frameworks in 2020 View the full article

Cisco patched two high-severity flaws this week, in its Webex and IOS XE Software products. View the full article

The official posters for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are here, and they're an eclectic mix designed by an equally eclectic range of artists. There are 20 posters overall, by 19 artists, with 12 to represent the Olympics, and eight for the Paralympics. Artists include Turner Prize-winning artist Chris Ofili, Japanese manga artist Naoki Urasawa, illustrator Philippe Weisbecker and photographer Viviane Sassen. The designer of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic logos, Asao Tokolo, made two posters, one for the Olympics and one for the Paralympics, and his posters are a nod to his original designs. They actually make us like the emblems more. Elsewhere, there are some abstract takes on the games, with some more rooted in Japanese culture than others. Below, we take a look at some of our favourites from the Tokyo Olympic poster collection. For more inspirational designs, see our favourite poster designs ever, or our best logos roundup. Asao Tokolo's poster for the Olympics, which ties into the logo Some, like Hirohiko Araki, went for a vibrant approach to the brief: This poster conjures up exceptionally strong people, like Olympians We love the brush strokes on this poster by calligraphy artist Shoko Kanazawa. The colours on this piece add a feeling of warmth And here's a delightfully graphic approach from Goo Choki Par. We absolutely love this collage-based approach The subtle line drawing in this piece by Naoki Urasawa is outstanding (see our how to draw manga tutorial to emulate it). This poster shows the power of black and white This one by artist Tomoko Konoike is rather hair-raising. This poster is entitled Wild Things – Hachilympic The Games People Play by artist Chris Ofili incorporates a rather abstract interpretation of the Tokyo flag. This is one that reveals more the more you look at it The posters "have been created based on the themes of the Olympics and Paralympics by Japanese and other global figures in the art world," according to the Tokyo 2020 website, where you can see the entire collection of official Olympic posters. With such a mix of different artists and mediums, there really is something for everyone. The artwork will be on display at a special exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo until 16 February. If you can't make it to Tokyo, you can always get your Olympic logo fix from this Tokyo 1964 Olympic design sheet, which was recently unearthed. Read more: Stunning project turns logos into houses Where to find logo design inspiration Is this the defining movie poster trend of the decade? View the full article

Are you an aspiring entrepreneur involved in the startup world? Then you must have come across the term “lean startup.” But, what exactly does it mean, and why do we think it’s vital for your business? Source: Amazon. What Is …View the full article

Despite only featuring in voice form in the latest Star Wars film, Yoda has been the talk of the internet lately. First, there was Baby Yoda and his tiny weeny toes. And now, there's been a resurgence of a character design from a few years ago: Yoda with human skin. This 3D masterpiece, created Andrea Eusebi, recently resurfaced after video game critic Olly Smith tweeted a photo of it (see below). This Yoda isn't green, which isn't that surprising. And there's something about the redness around his eyes and nose that makes him super-realistic. That and the ear hair and wrinkles, that is. (Perhaps Eusebi had been following our character design tips.) Eusebi details his concept on his blog, including what Yoda with human skin looks like from various angles. The angle below is particularly unsettling. Eek We should also note that considering Yoda is around 900 years old, he's in pretty good shape. We can only assume this is due to the strength of The Force. Sculpted from all angles it is. Yes What's interesting about this Yoda is that Yoda's designer, make-up artist Stuart Freeborn, actually based the original puppet on his own face, as well as Albert Einstein's. So this new character design feels like something of a hybrid between their faces and Yoda. You can find out more about Freeborn and Yoda in the video below. The internet seems to be going wild for alternative character designs at the moment. Baby Thanos and Baby Sonic appeared after all the Baby Yoda hype, so will we soon see a spate of characters with human skin? Is Sonic with human skin coming soon to an Instagram account near you? We sort of hope so. And if you've already created a fun new character, then be sure to share your designs with us via Twitter or Instagram. Read more: 7 free Star Wars fonts The Force is strong with this illustrated Star Wars poster Star Wars Lego sets are here! View the full article

The news of a change – however subtle – to any much-loved logo will inevitably spark reactions. Cadillac found this out when it decided to rethink the positioning of its emblem on its newest cars, baffling many fans. If the move has been bothering you, fear not, because the car manufacturer has provided a solid explanation to satisfy your curiosity. The Cadillac logo holds a special place in many car fans' hearts (to find out more about it, explore our guide to the best car logos – or see how it stacks up against the best logos of all time). Historically, it has always been positioned in the horizontal and vertical centre of the cars' grilles. However, in its newer fleet of vehicles, it's shifted towards the top of the grille. The Cadillac logo was originally positioned in the vertical centre of the grille The Cadillac Society spoke to designers at Cadillac to find out the reasoning behind the move. It all comes down to overall composition, and specifically the size of the grill and where the headlights sit on the front end of the vehicle. The latest iteration of Cadillac's design language features headlights that sit higher up on the front end of the car – as seen for example in the XT6, pictured above. The designers explained that visually, the headlamps form a kind of "bookend" to the grille. So if these are positioned higher up on the car, a vertically centred Cadillac logo will look like it's "falling". A higher placement that lines up with the headlamps creates a more balanced look to the front end of the vehicle. The Cadillac XT6 is one of many new vehicles to feature the repositioned logo So there you have it. The Cadillac logo change isn't a statement in itself, but part of an evolving design language for the car manufacturer. Mystery solved. [Via Cadillac Society] Read more: Have you seen Samsung's invisible keyboard? Designer unmasks the secret of the PS5 logo UAE waves goodbye to eagle with abstract new logo View the full article

We all know the saying that an image is worth a thousand words, but we could also say that it will take an image to get someone to read a thousand words. Images are powerful things. They add value to content not only by illustrating points made in the content but also make people read the content in the first place. Here we look at just how important images are adding value to digital content. Whatever your platform when you’re designing content for, you know you only have a short time to grab your audience’s attention. Research shows people form an impression in 50 milliseconds, and on social media in particular, there is huge competition for eyeballs. No matter how interesting the copy, an image can make the difference to whether it's read or ignored. Wouldn't you like to read what the article accompanying this image is about? iStock by Getty Images has found that articles with images get 94% more views than those without. We like to have something to look at, and this applies both online and in print. It perhaps shouldn’t be at all surprising when you consider that nearly two thirds of people self-identify as visual learners. This means that a meaty article on tackling environmental issues is much more likely to be read if it's accompanied by an image that makes an impact and gets us to sit up and take notice, and the audience will get further into marketing copy if it's led by an aspirational image that shows a goal to aim for. If you're struggling to get readers to pay attention to environmental issues, try an image like this But content with the right image isn’t only more likely to be read; it’s also more likely to be shared. iStock has found that Facebook posts with images get 2.3% more engagement than those without, and Twitter posts with images are shared 150% more than those with text only. A bright image like this one is more likely to be shared on social media The challenge is finding the right image. Instagram users post 49,380 images every minute, and 1 and 3 images used online is a stock image. Bright colours can get attention as can photos that show a sense of fun or something to strive for, while photos with people in them tend to gain more engagement. Use an image like this with both people and animals in it on social media, and you're much more likely to get shares and Likes At Getty’s iStock, they research trends to follow what images are connecting with audiences and use search technology to filter and find the most effective images. To take advantage and gain access to a vast selection of imagery that can add value to a wide range of content, visit iStock by Getty. View the full article

There are few communities within 3D art as reverent or appreciative as the world of fan art. Each recreation or reinterpretation is a labour of love in which artists pay tribute to their favourite characters, comics, films, franchises and more. And these examples are particularly incredible examples of what you can create off the back of 3D movies or comic book characters. Below are some of our favourite creations, plus insight from the artists that made them. For more inspiration, explore our roundup of the best 3D art. Click the icon in the top right of each image to enlarge it 01. Venom Franco Carlesimo’s Venom fan art is a faithful and comic-accurate recreation Franco Carlesimo, who made this Venom character, has been creating fan art for as long as he can remember. "I was introduced to comics as a kid and used to copy or do my interpretations of all the characters I liked." Click the image to find out more and book your place 02. Spider-Man Carlesimo used ZBrush, 3ds Max and V-Ray to create this striking image of Spider-Man Carlesimo also created this incredible Spider-Man. "In 3D you have to try to make it look cool from several angles. I always try to have at least three good angles to look at it," says Carlesimo of his process. 03. Storm Queiroz based this project on one of his favourite designs for X-Men character Storm The recipe for great fan art, according to Victor Hugo Queiroz, who created this image of X-Men's Storm, is a respect for the source material and an acknowledgment of the technical challenge that it presents. “Fan art can be a tricky subject because it’s kind of easy to get positive feedback from the fanbase, which sometimes makes you less exigent about the quality of your work,” he explains. When it comes to capturing the attention of the industry, Queiroz stresses the importance of remembering that not everyone will recognise the source of your inspiration. “Not all recruiters watched that anime that you loved back in the '90s,” he adds. It’s important to make sure that your work is captivating, whether the viewer knows the source material or not." 04. Superman Superman, as you've never seen him before This personal project by Richie Mason depicts Superman facing off against Green Lantern. Mason has always loved comic books and the characters that inhabit them, and so was driven to create his own versions of them. 05. Super Sons Eduardo Silva’s Super Sons fan art is based on the art of comic book artist Jorge Jiménez This fan art by Eduardo Silva is based on DC Universe Rebirth cover, illustrated by super-talented artist Jorge Jiménez. "This cover has a great action scene with the characters in very dynamic poses and good elements to compose the base. The goal now was to make this illustration a statue that works from all angles," says Silva. "The biggest challenge was to make a simple light that would work from some angles and also in the 360," he continues. "After doing a lot of tests I found a setup that pleased me, something that brightened the scene but had hard and soft shadows at the same time, helping to make the scene more dramatic." 06. Spider-Gwen Spider-Gwen fan art by Eduardo Silva The goal of this Spider-Gwen fan art by Silva was to produce a statue with human proportions. Throughout the fan art development process, Silva pays close attention to the essential characteristics of the character he is working on: "the anatomy, accessories, environment in which this character lives, and what kind of story I’m trying to tell. Generally I try to make the characters as faithful as possible while respecting the original creation, adapting only what doesn’t work so well in 3D." For more 3D inspiration, subscribe to 3D World the world's best magazine on all things 3D. Read more: The 11 best Maya plugins These 3D portraits are unbelievably realistic Element 3D: What is it and how to use it View the full article

As January gets underway, the majority of people are trying to upgrade their lives for the new year ahead. Increased productivity is usually near the top of the list for most, and the mornings are super-important when it comes to setting the tone for the day in front of you. In fact, it's the first 10 minutes that could make or break your day, according to productivity experts. If that tiny window for success is inducing a sense of panic within you, don't fret because those same experts have created a handy infographic that will shake up your morning routine and increase your productivity. (See more of our favourite infographics here.) The infographic is full of information related to focusing and planning, like emptying your brain before you begin any work. But there's more. Make sure you're exposed to natural light, don't sit down straight away and, we're sorry to say it, but don't drink any coffee. We know that's a tough one. If you feel inspired to make your own infographic, check out our list of the best infographics tools around. Click the infographic to see it full-sized. For more productivity tips for the new year, see our time management tools or time management tips. Read more: The best infographics 10 productivity tools you can't be without in 2020 19 ways to streamline your workflow View the full article

Users of GnuPG, OpenSSL and Git could be in danger from an attack that's practical for ordinary attackers to carry out. View the full article