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Scottish design studio Tom Pigeon has released six brand new screen prints celebrating Team GB's key sports at the Tokyo 2020 olympics – and we want all six on our wall right now. There's nothing we love more than an eye-catching poster (we've even compiled a list of our favourite poster designs) and these are certainly striking with their minimalist approach and muted palette, along with a graphic nod to the Japanese flag's red rising sun. Can you guess which sports these represent? The designs take inspiration from the movements of athletes in six sports: sailing, cycling, athletics, gymnastics, rowing and swimming. The movement is conveyed through a series of abstract circles and lines, created as a result of studying and sketching over photographs. The Olympics has a particularly strong relationship with graphic design. Just last month, 20 official posters were revealed for Tokyo 2020. Tom Pigeon's Creative Director, told Creative Review they were inspired by classic posters from the 1960s and 1970s, and that this "dream collaboration" with Team GB has been "a really exciting opportunity to explore our amazing athletes through colour, line and shape". We love those curves Visit Tom Pigeon's website to view the full collection. Related articles: Paris 2024 Olympic logo is mercilessly mocked 15 inspiring examples of screen printing Design sheet for the iconic 1964 Olympic logo unearthed View the full article

If you missed a top bargain in last year's Black Friday deals and the January sales, fear not. HP's Presidents' Day sale sees huge price drops on everything from laptops and desktop PCs to printers, monitors, accessories and more. But the one deal that got our attention was this epic $702 saving on the powerful HP Envy 17t. That price cut includes the original $650 discount, plus a cheeky extra 5 per cent off to celebrate Presidents' Day (use code 5PDS2020 at the checkout).That means right now you can get your hands on this impressive piece of kit for just $997.49! This is one of a number of discounts across a range of HP devices, many of which you can use the above code for a further 5 per cent discount. And there's also the chance to get an additional 10 per cent off select PCs and monitors with code 10PDS2020. The HP Envy range has become a popular choice among creatives in recent years, so much so it features prominently in our roundup of the best laptops for video editing. Packing plenty of performance, full HD display and roomy enough to handle the most labour-intensive tasks, it's not hard to see how the HP Envy range has caught many a designer's eye. If the HP Envy 17t's specs don't fit your needs, HP has a lot more to offer. Below are some more of the best HP deals currently running. To see the full range of laptops, and other hardware and accessories on sale, visit the HP website. Not in the US? Here are the top HP laptop models, with the very best prices, in your area: View the full article

Why would creatives need to learn project management concepts? Well, if you have your own business, are thinking of starting one or work in a big team environment, you'll want to know the fundamentals to streamline your work process. Lean Six Sigma helps you push your business to success with project management skills that will help your creative workflow, and, for a limited time only, you'll get an additional 15% off with code PRESIDENT15. If you're growing your business, you might want to update your business cards. If so, check out our pick of the best business card templates out there. Manage team dynamics Working with different people and personalities can sometimes be challenging. Add the stress of project deadlines and chaos can ensue. Discover how to work with different leaders successfully, and manage your team dynamics better, with the help of Lean Six Sigma. You'll learn how to present projects to instructors, peers and managers in an organised way to increase the quality of your work. You'll soon learn how to assist your colleagues better, and more efficiently. Learn how streamline your resources With access to four valuable online courses and over 30 lessons, this master bundle will also teach you ways to eliminate wasted resources and reduce unwanted activities that may be blocking your growth in the workplace. You'll learn how to streamline everything you do. With over 45 hours of content, these lessons will expose you to Lean's concepts, so you can optimise your processes, increase quality and drive maximum value in any business. Explore data-driven results Amp up your content and make sure you're hitting your goals with Minitab, a critical statistical software project managers count on to explore data. Familiarising yourself with the software will allow you to learn how to communicate valuable information to others and analyse what is and isn't working. You'll also earn a certificate at the end of the training, allowing you to boost your résumé and add it to your list of skills, making you stand out. The Lean Six Sigma Expert Training Bundle is usually priced at over $2,000, but, for a limited time, you can start streamlining your creative business like a pro for only $41.65 with code PRESIDENT15. Transform your workplace and begin implementing values that will help you be more productive and efficient in your craft. Hurry, this offer ends on February 18th! Read more: The best project management software for designers 8 sensational side projects to inspire you 8 survival secrets for creative freelancers View the full article

The Sonic saga has been a rollercoaster. A total character redesign, a release date delay and a studio closure plagued the hedgehog's big screen debut before he even got started. But we're pleased to tell you that it's all been worth it as the opening weekend has surpassed expectations, smashing box office records. Sonic has whirled past his closest movie rival, none other than Detective Pikachu, to take the record for the best opening weekend for a video game film adaptation. If you want to create an equally successful character, check out our character design tips. If you'd like to catch up on the Sonic story so far, see our posts on the redesign and studio issues. Plus, you'll definitely want to take a look at Baby Sonic. The redesign was more cartoon-like (right) and less bizarrely human (left) The Blue Blur's first cinematic weekend has seen box office totals of $57 million (£43 million) in the United States. For comparison, the previous record-holder Detective Pikachu amassed just $54 million (£41 million), $3 million less than his spiky counterpart. Given the turbulent reactions to the first incarnation of Sonic, it's clear the final Sonic design needed to be totally on point to ensure the success of the film. Sonic's signature eyes were a major part of the problem for gamers who grew up with him, as were his human-like features (including his naked hands, devoid of white gloves), and pointy nose and mouth. Director Jeff Fowler knew that the reaction of the fans was the most accurate barometer. “It was pretty clear on the day the trailer was released just seeing the feedback and hearing the feedback… that fans were not happy enough with where we were at,” Fowler said in an interview with our sister site Games Radar. When the second trailer was released (see it below), fans were jumping for joy as it became clear that Fowler had ordered a total redesign that solved the issues. As for the reaction to the film itself, it's an across-the-board hit. Fans on Twitter are thanking Paramount and calling the film a masterclass. And some are going even further with their praise. Sonic's success shows the power of social media in communicating fan feedback, and we applaud Fowler for listening. We bet Paramount is applauding him, too, with returns like that. Read more: Disney characters' homes as Tiny Houses will leave you wanting more 9 character designers you need to know How to draw: The best drawing tutorials View the full article

For social media aficionados, screen orientation across platforms is an irritating issue. While TikTok only displays vertically, YouTube videos are best viewed on full-screen mode, which is horizontal. If you're a content creator, this means either filming duplicate videos or cropping the existing video to fit both screen orientations. But a social media/tech genius has come up with a solution that's bound to catch on, if you can handle the dubious glances that might be directed at you. And all that's needed is the humble rubber band and not one but two of the best camera phones. (Although some awesome photo apps for editing wouldn't hurt). A Vox reporter Rebecca Jennings tweeted the above gem, sharing the ridiculous hack this unidentified TikToker came up with to solve the problem. Again, you will need two phones – one for filming for YouTube and the other for TikTok (see our guide to the TikTok app for the uninitiated), but the double outlay seems like a small price to pay. You need to cross them over each other, one sitting vertically and the other horizontally so that the horizontal phone can film horizontally and the vertical one can film, well... vertically. Then hold them in place with a rubber band and voila! We admire this Blue Peter-style initiative and wonder if it will provoke any tech manufacturers into tweaking the smartphone camera somehow to create a similar effect. After all, the Samsung has already tackled the screen rotation issue head on with its invention of a TV that literally spins on its axis to rotate from horizontal to vertical, so its clearly an issue that's on at least one tech giant's radar. Responses on Twitter confirm this. One user claims to have solved the problem already, with his tongue-in-cheek pitch to Apple. All innovation has to start somewhere, right? And heavy social media users are often the ones to invent hacks that fill in the gaps in the tech (as with this nifty Instagram feed hack) until the technology is tweaked. Read more: The ultimate social media guide for creatives The 5 best Instagram font generators 8 best social media platforms for artists and designers View the full article

Last week, Banksy confirmed that a new piece of Bristol graffiti many are associating with Valentine's Day was his by posting images of it on his website and Instagram. But just a few days later, the work has been covered up by a piece of board and cornered off after it was vandalised, according to the Bristol Post. The new Banksy in Barton Hill was defaced by graffiti that says: "BCC wankers", which is perhaps a shot at Bristol City Council, and a shoddily drawn heart. It looks like the perpetrator had not looked at our how to draw tutorials. Nor do they appreciate the best examples of street art. The pink colour doesn't really add anything The artwork on the side of a house in Bristol's Barton Hill shows a young girl firing roses from a slingshot, creating an explosion of petals that looks not unlike a blood splatter, but is actually made up of spray-painted ivy. You can count on Banksy to bring satire to pretty much any holiday (see his comment on homelessness over Christmas here). Before this latest act of vandalism, a plastic sheet had previously been put over the artwork to protect it, but it was soon destroyed. The flowers placed on the Marsh Lane road sign were also stolen. The graffiti was brought to our attention on Thursday morning by James P. Bullock on Twitter, who had noticed people with scaffolding on the same building earlier in the day. It's in Banksy's trademark style, and the line drawing of the young girl is similar to the girl in his famed work, Balloon Girl. The people of Bristol have been crowding round Marsh Lane to get photos of the Banksy over the weekend. If you're in the area and manage to catch the piece when it is eventually uncovered (which we assume it will be), check out our street photography tips in order to get the best shot. And get yourself one of the best camera phones while you're at it. Read more: The best art easels in 2020 Art terms: The ultimate artist's glossary 34 top free graffiti fonts View the full article

Ben the Illustrator's annual illustration survey is here, and the results once again show some positive things about the industry, as well as some areas for improvement. There's some very positive news straight off the bat: the survey shows that 97 per cent of respondents are proud to be illustrators. That same percentage of people also motivated to be better artists, which is good news (especially because we have plenty of how to draw tutorials here on Creative Bloq). However, only 88 per cent are motivated to improve their business. Perhaps the rest are just nailing it already. Money worries Sadly, it seems that money troubles continue to plague illustrators. The survey reports that only 45 per cent of people were confident giving initial estimates to clients, and 46 per cent were confident negotiating. It'd be interesting to know whether those are the same confident people. Ben comments that "nothing has changed in three years, we're still not confident with money, but we need to be. We're asking for deposits and kill-fees more than before, but still not as standard and still not often enough." In terms of money earned overall, it seems that many are not reaching the AOI's minimum salary of £20,000 a year, with 55 per cent of those working full-time as illustrators not earning this amount. There were also concerns around commissioners and their understanding of illustration and areas such as licensing and the importance of a clear brief. Social media Instagram was cited as being the most beneficial social media platform to illustrators – 84 per cent said it was helpful – with Twitter following close behind on 53 per cent. Interestingly, the image-based Pinterest didn't get much of a look-in, with only nine per cent saying it was useful. Forty-six per cent of illustrators also said that Instagram was one of the ways they got most work in 2019, which was beaten only by regular/repeat clients (whether or not those clients were found on Instagram, we don't know). Despite using social media platforms to get so much work, only 20 per cent of respondents said they were confident using the platforms' algorithms to their advantage. (Perhaps they need our Instagram engagement tips.) When citing their top three sources of inspiration, 66 per cent of people said they looked at other illustrators' work online. Of those 66 per cent, 77 per cent look at others' work on social media. Ben says this is a worrying statistic: "Mimicking illustrators on Instagram is not the foundation of a long-term creative life." We're inclined to agree. Diversity Two-thirds of illustrators don't feel that BAME, LBGTQ+ and female professionals are fairly represented within illustration, nor that the industry is doing enough to be more inclusive. Ben has some suggestions as to how we can combat this: "We need to highlight artists who aren’t getting the attention they deserve. We need events to stop filling the stage with successful white men; we need to help people who can't afford to go to university to still find a way into the industry; we need magazines, blogs and books to ensure there is no bias in who they are featuring." There was also a call for more female illustrator podcasts. For the full survey, which is supported by Adobe, Cass Art, The AOI and Survey Monkey, visit the Illustrator's Survey website. Read more: 10 illustration trends for 2020 Artist's illustrations of TV home plans are oddly fascinating Pokémon fans are losing it over Grand Oak View the full article

The creative heart of Games Workshop, the Warhammer studio is inhabited by born storytellers; a diverse group of artists with exceptional abilities and a shared love of the worlds of Warhammer. Every day, their passion and creativity brings complex gaming universes to life – something you could soon be a part of. Right now, Games Workshop is offering talented creatives the chance to join its enthusiastic and inspired team, and forge a long, productive career in a world-class design and manufacturing studio. There are a number of positions available, all of which offer an amazing opportunity to be immersed in an unlimited world of creativity. Read on to discover the roles up for grabs, and, crucially, how to apply. Citadel Miniatures Designer The job of a Citadel miniatures designer is to realise characters, heroes and equipment in three dimensions, as the physical miniatures that the studio produces. Working to a brief, this role requires the creation of amazing models, which will be sold to customers all over the world. “Working as part of the Citadel Miniatures Design team is a fantastic experience," says Citadel Miniatures Designer Darren Latham. "Being in a creative role, surrounded by talented designers is hugely valuable in terms of developing my own creativity. You are constantly learning from others and sharing your knowledge as well. The team is only getting bigger and better because of this, which means our miniatures are always improving.” Citadel Miniatures Conceptualiser The job of a Citadel miniatures conceptualiser is to excite world-class designers with ideas for new models, via sketches and drawings. A successful conceptualiser should be willing to experiment and be radical with designs and ideas, whilst remaining respectful of and informed by the existing backgrounds and stories from the Game Workshop universes. "Being at the starting point of creating a miniature is great fun – you can let your imagination run wild to really explore new ideas," says Citadel Miniatures Conceptualiser David Ferri. "It's also extremely rewarding seeing how other members of the team expand on your sketches and ideas, and watching the direction they take when making the finished product." ‘Eavy Metal Painter The job of an ‘Eavy Metal painter is to amaze Warhammer fans by painting Citadel miniatures in remarkable and inspirational ways. The art is to convey the story of every model through its design, all while remaining faithful to the imagery, colour schemes and iconography of Warhammer Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40,000. “Games Workshop allowed me to follow my passion in life and inspired me to be the best version of myself, in the best painting team in the world,” says ‘Eavy Metal Painter Natalie Slinn." If you like the sound of any of these jobs and feel that you have the passion and drive to be part of this world-class studio, apply today! Trainee Citadel Miniatures Designers Talent Programme Whether you are a traditional miniatures sculptor or a 3D artist using up to the minute software, everyone is welcome to apply to become the next generation of Warhammer miniatures designers Once accepted onto the programme, the first assignment is to copy an existing miniature. If successful, the second assignment consists of reimagining an existing model, and showing an understanding of the core elements for that character by creating a unique physical miniature. “The great thing about the Talent Programme was the opportunity to get feedback from the artists that made your favourite miniatures," says Citadel Miniatures Designer Trainee Alessandro Columbo. Fancy joining the Games Workshop Talent Programme and getting feedback from some of the best miniatures designers in the world? Apply here, or stop by our booth at Vertex 2020 to meet the team and find out more. Citadel Miniature Designers FAQs Do I need to be experienced in 3D design software to be considered for the Trainee Citadel Miniatures Designer Talent Programme? And if so, which ones? Not at all. Traditional physical sculpting methods and 3D design methods are both applicable. Do I need to have made any miniatures before I apply to the Trainee Citadel Miniatures Designer Talent Programme? Yes, to be considered, you need to have demonstrated your passion for making miniatures by having a portfolio of your own work. Do I need to be a hobbyist to work in the team? No, not necessarily. Many of the team are hobbyists – painters, collectors, gamers, or all three. It would be hard to love Warhammer without channelling that love into the hobby, but not impossible! Do I need to be an accomplished illustrator to be a successful conceptualiser? No, far from it. We don’t need polished illustrations, it’s more important to be able to quickly communicate your ideas and visions in an inspirational, exciting and clear way. Do I need to have won a Golden Demon to be considered for the ‘Eavy Metal team? No, but it wouldn’t hurt! The ‘Eavy Metal team is the best team of miniatures painters on the planet, and to be considered, you need to be that good. View the full article

Generate – the conference for web designers and developers – is offering a hard-to-resist £100 off the price of a standard ticket for one week only. The offer runs until 5pm on Friday 21 February. So make sure you don't miss out by getting your ticket today. To get your reduced price GenerateJS ticket to see the stellar line-up of speakers at this year's event, simply head to the GenerateJS web site, add a few details and input the promo code FLASH100 on the payment page. That's it. Though note that this discount cannot be used in conjunction with other offers and is not available on student tickets. Why should you go to GenerateJS? Below are three reasons you won't want to miss this event. 01. Learn all about JS Catch inspiring, thought-provoking and on-the-money talks from leading lights in the world of JavaScript. Web stuff do-er Jeremy Keith reveals how to design and develop websites that work offline with the help of Service Workers. Remy Sharp brings together a mix of Web Audio, canvas API, cameras, audio jacks, binary, typed arrays, blobs, history of computing and a lot of questionable JavaScript to create a 1980s horribly slow and loud loading screen. Charlie Gerard is a senior front-end developer at Netlify and will talk about how to build a simple gesture recognition system using JavaScript, Arduino and Machine Learning. Nadieh Bremer is going to create an effective and beautiful data visualisation from scratch in her live coding session, and Phil Hawksworth will explore a “serverless” web with the help of dynamic APIs backed with data services. 02. Network with JS stars Conferences are great for networking, and at GenerateJS you can hobnob with our JavaScript experts, mingle with fellow developers and designers and talk shop. Plus, you can brush shoulders with brands and associate with agencies. 03. Free drinks post-conference Once you have had your brain filled with fountains of JavaScript knowledge you can sit back and take it easy. Enjoy a selection of delicious snacks, as well as breakfast and lunch, participate in our Creative Bloq break activities and at the end of the day enjoy a few free drinks with all attendees. See you there? Book your discounted tickets here. Read more: 25 of the best JavaScript APIs 13 of the best JavaScript frameworks to try Revealed: The latest JavaScript trends View the full article

Security experts say that 5G supply chain concerns should be taken seriously – whether it’s in the context of Huawei or not. View the full article

The malicious Chrome extensions were secretly collecting users' browser data and redirecting them to malware-laced websites. View the full article

Top stories of this week include a new Emotet Wi-Fi hack and Robbinhood ransomware operators using a "bring your own bug" technique. View the full article

PlayStation has unveiled a new advert, which is designed to truly stick in the memory. Not to spoil things for you, but the focus in on hearts, and not in the way you'd expect to see on Valentine's Day. It's the work of adam&eveDDB, the ad agency best known for its work on the John Lewis & Partners Christmas adverts. But the Bear and the Hare this is not. The scene is set in a dingy, dramatic tunnel. Uneasy soldiers navigate the gloom with their torches. So far, we're firmly in traditional war game territory. But then our poor soldiers happen upon a scene that throws all that out of the water. The tagline for the spot is 'Feel the Power of PlayStation'. Watch it for yourself below. For more impactful ads, see our roundup of the best print ads. The aim is to capture what it feels like to play a great PlayStation game – thrilling, tense, new. Once you've got over the weirdness of the whole thing, it's actually an extremely effective advert, and more great work from adam&eveDDB. The sound design is immersive; the scale is cinematic. There's something about the sound of an accelerated heartbeat that makes you, as a viewer, feel excited. The collection of beating hearts also calls neatly to mind the social aspect of the gaming community. The odd, dark style and subject matter is reminiscent of PlayStation ads of old. And we're all for it. The dramatic unveiling of the new PS5 logo at CES was met with widespread mockery (there's nothing wrong with it... but some argued it was a little too obvious, and some designers tried their hand at creating alternative versions). So we're pleased to see PlayStation is back on form when it comes to promotion. Read more: Banksy confirms new Bristol Valentine's Day graffiti is his The 8 best retro gaming consoles 27 top character design tips View the full article

The onboarding email newsletter is a part of a welcome email series that plays a crucial role in creating a comfortable environment for the subscribers. Not every company needs them, but if you are planning to sell goods, offer services, …View the full article

An art critic has broken a sculpture valued at $20,000, by either standing too close to it with a Coke can, or trying to rest her can on the piece: the details are disputed. The piece by Mexican artist Gabriel Rico was entitled Nimble and sinister tricks (To be preserved without scandal and corruption) I (2018) and consisted of a sheet of glass with objects suspended through it, including two balls, a stick, a feather and a stone. It was on display at Mexican gallery Galeria OMR. The art critic, Avelina Lésper was less than impressed with the piece, and as a critical comment, she set her empty drinks can on the floor next to it, in order to show that the artwork would remain unchanged: "it could be two balls as it could be two cans", she told Milenio. Avelina Léspe, shortly before the sculpture broke Lésper said that as she moved the can towards the stone, it was "as if the piece had heard my comment, as if it had felt what I thought of it," and it shattered and fell on the floor. Some reports have said that Lésper placed the can on one of the stones, and that's when the piece shattered. The gallery said on Instagram that it is "irrelevant how it happened," and that Lésper getting too close to the artwork is what destroyed it. It added that the incident suggests a "huge lack of professionalism and respect". In her statement, Lésper talked about how art can be improved by its destruction, suggesting that the piece should be exhibited as it is. She said she was sorry for what had happened, and added: "I didn't do it on purpose, I didn't break it, I didn't hit it, I didn't touch it." Spanish speakers can listen to her whole statement, below. Whether or not Lésper touched the artwork seems to be the sticking point here, although perhaps the details of the incident don't really matter. The breakage brings up the question of whether fragile objects should be on display where people can get so close to them. Or maybe whether drinks cans should be allowed in galleries. Either way, we hope the artist's dreams haven't been completely shattered. Read more: Banksy confirms new Bristol Valentine's Day artwork is his How to draw a rose: Beginner and advanced tips 8 alternative representations of love View the full article

There are plenty of reasons you might need public speaking tips. Perhaps it's a big fat wedding, a significantly round-numbered birthday or a much-loved colleague leaving a long-held job. All of these special occasions call for a few well-chosen words to mark the moment. In short, they all need a speech. But here’s the thing: most designers hate speaking in public. In fact, some of us hate it so much we’d rather eat a D&AD annual (even a really fancy one from the late '90s) than speak in front of an audience. It’s against our very nature. It's a bit like telling us all we need to learn how to network, immediately. Think about it: many designers enter the profession because they’re naturally predisposed to the sorts of behaviours that make us good designers (and bad public orators) in the first place: we’re quiet, introverted, diligent and obsessed with detail and minutiae. We love nothing more than quietly losing ourselves in a creative challenge. Ideally alone, with a posh pen and a swanky sketchbook. Not on stage under swivelling spotlights, with a head-mic and some booming intro music. Matt Baxter speaking at a design event The requirement to present publicly in front of audiences becomes increasingly pressing as our careers progress. And I’m not talking here about presenting to a design team or a small audience of clients or stakeholders. Both of these things are vitally important for the success of your projects, but they’re also both things that we eventually do with enough regularity for them to become a natural part of the job. No, what I’m talking about here is the sort of speaking that involves lecterns, theatre-style seating, multi-coloured lanyards and tickets. The sort of speaking that fills up the schedules of design events all over the world, from beer-fuelled Pecha Kucha-style six minute and 40 second-long quickies, to hour-long career retrospectives. What I’m referring to here is the dreaded ‘design talk’. If you’re making great work, or if you’ve designed something that made the industry sit up and take notice, or if you’ve been slogging in the industry for long enough that your insights are of value, then you’ll find yourself invited to talk about your good fortune to audiences. The good news is that you can learn all about public speaking very much as you might learn whizzy new Photoshop skills If you’re in that fortunate position, fear not trepidatious speaker: help is at shaky hand. The good news is that you can learn all about public speaking very much as you might learn whizzy new Photoshop skills via Photoshop tutorials, or ninja-level project management techniques. For starters, you can simply take yourself to a design talk and learn from the seasoned experts. A busy and vibrant creative industry means there’s no shortage of design events all around the country. You can also read about this stuff, too. The business section of your local bookshop is chock-full of books about public speaking. Some good, some terrible. I’m afraid you’ll have to read a few to sort the former from the latter. And as for my advice? Well, based on my own board-treading experience, here are four things I’ve learned so far. (If you like, you can imagine me standing on a stage, telling you about them.) 01. Find your style Think of the very best design talks you’ve been to. Can you picture them? Good. Were they excruciating, monotonous, pompous or self-aggrandising? No, of course they weren’t. They were charming, surprising, entertaining, and (most importantly, I think) sounded natural, right? I bet that the speaker looked like they were at ease on stage and spoke in a way that seemed genuine. They were speakers who had found – most likely through years of terrifyingly live practice – their own style. And to be clear, I don’t mean that they were slick (though some most definitely are). One of my favourite industry speakers is avuncular polymath Supermundane, known to his mum as Rob Lowe. He most definitely has his own style and – while far from slick and all the better for it – it’s genuine, charming and very funny (and may well involve wigs). 02. Make it personal Talking about yourself to an audience of ticket-buying punters takes some skill. Get it wrong and you risk looking either irritatingly self-regarding or dispiritingly self-deprecating. It’s a flipping minefield. But done well, the inclusion of a personal perspective can transform a talk. Pentagram partner Michael Bierut does this brilliantly well. I’ve seen the New York-based designer speak many times and I feel like I know as much about his background and upbringing as I know about his opinions on Helvetica. He’s (almost) as happy to talk frankly about his failures as he is to talk about his successes. The result of this personal approach is that we feel like we’re getting a sneaky and privileged peek behind the design curtain. 03. Be opinionated If you’ve been invited to speak to an audience at a design event, then it’s likely to be because your work is good and lots of people like it. Which means that audiences want to hear you speaking about that work. They want to hear about the process that lead to your brilliant solution. But I’d also suggest that they want to hear about what you think. They want your opinion, rather than just a description of a process. Design speakers like Michael Johnson, Paula Scher or Michael Wolff don’t just tell you about the work. They tell you what they think. About the work, about the industry, about the world. 04. Rehearse And finally: practice! When my sister, ace copywriter Kate Van Der Borgh and I were invited to talk at last year's D&AD Festival in London, we planned and practised, and it still didn’t feel like enough. Our talk – called Beat The Bullshit: Finding Creative Clarity – was, by its very nature, strongly opinionated. Our session aimed to define exactly what is meant by ‘brand bullshit’, before exploring why it’s a barrier in our industry, and showing how we can all cut the confusion and find the creative clarity that produces outstanding work. Because we didn’t have the crutch of project imagery to lean on, it felt important to know our stuff and to deliver it clearly. Kate insisted that we rehearse our double act thoroughly, and she was right. So what are you waiting for? It's time to say a few words… This article originally appeared in issue 300 of Computer Arts, the world’s leading design magazine. Buy issue 300 or subscribe here. Read more: Design for good: 8 ways to use your creativity to make a difference 5 tips for presenting your work on social media The events every designer should know about in 2020 View the full article

Banksy has confirmed that a new piece of Bristol graffiti many are associating with Valentine's Day is his work. Or at least, he posted about it on Instagram at midnight on 14 February. The caption-less image is probably about as much information as we're going to get from the mysterious street artist. The artwork on the side of a house in Bristol's Barton Hill shows a young girl firing roses from a slingshot, creating an explosion of petals that looks not unlike a blood splatter, but is actually made up of spray-painted ivy. You can count on Banksy to bring satire to pretty much any holiday (see his comment on homelessness over Christmas here). Like many of our favourite street art examples, the artwork has already had a piece of perspex placed over it, presumably to protect it from being vandalised. Although according to the BBC, this piece of plastic has already been stolen, along with the flowers placed on the road sign. The graffiti was brought to our attention by James P. Bullock, yesterday morning on Twitter, who had noticed people with scaffolding on the same building earlier in the day. It's in Banksy's trademark style, and the line drawing of the young girl is similar to the girl in his famed work, Balloon Girl. The people of Bristol have already been crowding round Marsh Road to get photos of the Banksy. If you're in the area, check out our street photography tips in order to get the best shot. And get yourself one of the best camera phones while you're at it. Read more: The best art easels in 2020 Art terms: The ultimate artist's glossary 34 top free graffiti fonts View the full article

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Some new graffiti has popped up in Bristol's Barton Hill that looks like it could be a Valentine's Day present from Banksy. The artwork shows a young girl firing roses from a slingshot, creating an explosion of petals that look not unlike a blood splatter. You can count on the mysterious street artist to bring satire to pretty much any holiday (see his comment on homelessness over Christmas here). The graffiti was brought to our attention by James P. Bullock, this morning on Twitter, who had noticed people with scaffolding on the same building earlier in the day. It's in Banksy's trademark style, and the line drawing of the young girl is not unlike the girl in his famed work, Balloon Girl. (See our favourite street art examples for more inspirational artwork, or our best Valentine's Day gifts if you'd like to purchase something a little less bloody for your loved one.) So far, there has been no confirmation of whether or not this is a real Banksy. That doesn't mean the people of Bristol won't be crowding round Marsh Road this evening. If you're in the area, check out our street photography tips in order to get the best shot. And get yourself one of the best camera phones while you're at it. Read more: The best art easels in 2020 Art terms: The ultimate artist's glossary 34 top free graffiti fonts View the full article

The Liga Latinoamérica is the Latin American league for League of Legends – Riot Games' wildly popular online game. There were previously two Latin American leagues, one based in Mexico and one in Chile, but they have now merged, and DesignStudio has given the new, combined league a funky identity. The Liga Latinoamérica (LLA) now has a striking new monogram (see our best monograms) with bold colours and a custom type. "This new raw look and feel encourages LLA to infuse its fiery spirit – 'Fuego' – into all communications," says DesignStudio on its website. While we agree this new look from the studio behind the controversial Airbnb and Deliveroo rebrands packs plenty of punch, it's rather weaker on the legibility front. If you don't know what you're looking at, you may well mistake 'LLA' to read 'UA' or even 'HA'. (See our graffiti fonts if you'd like to recreate the look.) We see what DesignStudio was going for, and we like it We do love the tape type though, and the look overall, which portrays an edgy feel that we wouldn't normally associate with online gaming. This seems like a smart move from Riot Games, whose recent update of the League of Legends logo was pretty much universally slated back in October last year. To avoid too many messages getting lost, this fiery new logo is paired with what DesignStudio calls a "more authoritative new type", Hielo (which means ice in Spanish). Thankfully, this one is a lot more legible. The juxtaposition of the two fonts enables LLA to "communicate facts while injecting messages with a sense of irreverent humour". The new identity's eye-catching new look on mobile DesignStudio had previously updated the European league's identity and given it a similarly fresh and funky feel. It seems that League of Legends is now a whole lot cooler than we previously imagined, and on a global scale, too. Read the full DesignStudio case study here. Read more: The 8 best retro gaming consoles Pokémon fans are losing it over Grand Oak Controversial Sears logo gets a hasty update View the full article

If you missed a top bargain in last year's Black Friday deals and the January sales, fear not. HP's Presidents' Day sale sees huge price drops on everything from laptops and desktop PCs to printers, monitors, accessories and more. But the one deal that got our attention was this epic $702 saving on the powerful HP Envy 17t. That price cut includes the original $650 discount, plus a cheeky extra 5 per cent off to celebrate Presidents' Day (use code 5PDS2020 at the checkout).That means right now you can get your hands on this impressive piece of kit for just $997.49! This is one of a number of discounts across a range of HP devices, many of which you can use the above code for a further 5 per cent discount. And there's also the chance to get an additional 10 per cent off select PCs and monitors with code 10PDS2020. The HP Envy range has become a popular choice among creatives in recent years, so much so it features prominently in our roundup of the best laptops for video editing. Packing plenty of performance, full HD display and roomy enough to handle the most labour-intensive tasks, it's not hard to see how the HP Envy range has caught many a designer's eye. If the HP Envy 17t's specs don't fit your needs, HP has a lot more to offer. Below are some more of the best HP deals currently running. To see the full range of laptops, and other hardware and accessories on sale, visit the HP website. Not in the US? Here are the top HP laptop models, with the very best prices, in your area: View the full article

Animated logos are becoming a huge trend, and with good reason. The main purpose of a logo is to create brand awareness, and movement gets attention. A logo that moves has more chance of getting noticed, can keep the viewer's attention for longer, and can be more memorable since it needs fewer interactions to be recalled. As our logo design guide states, logos also need to live and evolve. Adding movement is a clear way to bring a logo to life and can make even a staid logo seem more fun and whimsical. Animation can range from subtle movements to complex 3D effects, and moving logos are being placed in the intros and outros of videos, in social media posts, email campaigns, presentations, and in place of regular logos on websites. Some brands are even using several animated logos for different uses, following the trend of developing temporary logos for individual campaigns and products. Here we look at 10 of the best examples of moving logos to inspire your work. 01. WWF There are many ways to animate a logo but sometimes a very subtle movement is best. Even the smallest of movements is enough to draw the eye and create a pleasing effect that keeps the viewer watching a second longer. While there are a lot of animated logos out there with both the mark and logotype forming and disappearing, an animation that lasts too long can detract from the logo itself. Jenny Leibundgut’s 1986 WWF logo is a well-known classic. When Brien Hopkins animated it for a Planet Nutshell-produced animated film for a campaign to prevent arctic drilling (below), he added just enough movement to the mark in the logo lockup to make us smile, and add extra emotional engagement and interest. The design was for one single use. Bringing the panda to life with movement of the paws and head to make it look like it's walking fits with the mood of the animation in the film that precedes it. 02. Designtorget A more elaborate take on animating a logo can involve using the movement to tell us more about what the brand does than the static logo alone. This animated logo created by Stockholm design agency Kurppa Hosk for Scandinavian interior design store Designtorget tells us more about the brand, and about its logo. The 'D' and 'T' are used to create various products that the store sells – furniture, tableware – in a way that also highlights the brand's stylish, often minimalist Scandinavian aesthetic. It's a great example of how animating a logo can contribute to the story behind a brand. 03. Allvit Another use of animated logos is to draw attention to something we may not have noticed in the original logo. Many logos carry meaning through symbols used in place of letters or hidden in the negative space in their designs, but sometimes people take some time to notice – think the famous FedEx logo (or the more recent Multiply logo). These features can be exploited and made more apparent in moving versions. This animated logo by Nikita Melnikov for Norwegian online book search depository Alvit makes the magnifying glass in the negative space of the 'a' explicit, telling a story that highlights the website’s searchability. 04. Feral Sphere Animation can also emphasise the personality of a logo, and of the brand itself. UK fashion label Feral Sphere makes clothing made from organic cotton using 100 per cent renewable solar and wind energy. Its logo, devised by Mind Design and illustrator Lenia Hauser, was inspired by Japanese Shinto spirits. It is quite literally a feral sphere, and the animation highlights its feral personality even more. The movement of the lines brings to mind the wind in trees, flocking birds and swarming bees, all connections to nature that seem appropriate for a brand with a commitment to sustainability. The movement emphasises the brand's organic feel by highlighting the wild sense of freedom in the logo's hand-drawn design. It feels distinctive, personal and hand-crafted. 05. Fox Animating logos can also be useful when making a transition to a new brand identity. If a rebrand is particularly radical, animation can be used to show a recognised logo transition into a new design to communicate the change. Last year, Fox Entertainment launched an additional logo to complement its main identity, with radically different chunky letterforms. The abstract treatment for animations and digital use, designed by Trollbäck + Company, has a satisfying weight to it and aims to show a company taking risks and leading the way. But used alone it may have confused viewers, particularly since the 'F' looks more than a little like a 'V', meaning the logo could be read as Vox. Using it in animations showing a transition from the regular logo help to ease the new identity on board. 06. Eat Black and white is a classic combination for logos and there's no reason to stray from that when animating them either. Black and white logos are among the most enduring and can potentially never go out of style. They can be simple and classy, they can call attention without distracting, and they can be applied to a wide range of designs. This simplicity also allows motion designers to play with concepts when animating them, like in this logo for EAT, an exhibition on food in Singapore. Designed by Fable, it plays with beefing up the logotype as it eats, and becomes "FAT". 07. Yokohama For additional impact that creates a memorable logo, movement can be combined with sound. A logo with its own soundmark can even become a meme – the Intel logo chime anyone? (See our best audio logos for more examples.) Television and film companies have long used moving logos accompanied by sound at the intro or outro of productions to generate strong brand awareness. In 2018, Japanese rubber company Yokohama took a novel approach when it animated its red lines logo by recording the sound of the wind passing through the leaves of trees in the company's own forest, to show its greater commitment to the environment. It even made the above video about the making of the sound. The video of course closes with the logo in question. 08. Boro When it comes to logotypes, animation is a great way to bring out the character of the type, whether that involves rigid geometry, sharp angles or rounded curves. This animated logo designed by UI design agency Boro for itself accentuates the rounded shapes of the type, showing the letters rolling out of each other. The finishing touch is the little surprise of the full stop that pops out of the curve of the 'r' after a slight hesitation. It makes the agency seem modern, fun and approachable. Read more: The 10 best logos of all time Where to find logo inspiration Infographic: take a tour of the top logo trends for 2020 View the full article

Apple's iPhones are always much-coveted, but the most common criticism is that they're too expensive. But it looks like a new "budget" iPhone could be with us sooner than expected. Rumours suggest that the iPhone 9, also referred to as the iPhone SE 2, will be released in March, at a cost of just $399. This is around the same price as the first iPhone SE (SE stands for Special Edition, in case you were wondering). This means the iPhone SE 2 could end up on shelves in just a few weeks, and may be a strong contender for one of the best smartphones available. There's a lot of buzz around this release (and the usual deluge of rumours). OnLeaks and iGeeksBlog have put together a video (below) showing how this new phone might look. Compared to the now discontinued iPhone SE, version 2 is expected to have a slightly bigger screen – 4.7-inches, which is in line with the iPhone 8. There'll be Touch ID with a Home button at the bottom of the screen (not Face ID, though we don't imagine that will be a huge problem for most) the same super-fast A13 Bionic Chip used in the iPhone 11, and the same camera – albeit with just a single lens. That means the camera should be pretty capable, could this cheaper iPhone even make it into our list of the best camera phones? Looks-wise, the Apple logo has moved to the centre of the phone like in the iPhone 11. And there's expected to be frosted glass on the back of the phone, rather than the glossy glass of the iPhone 11. OnLeaks thinks it'll be available in red, space grey and silver. With these specs and that price, we can imagine the iPhone 9 flying off the shelves. Although of course, Apple hasn't confirmed anything yet. There's also the issue of Coronavirus holding up production, meaning that the mid-March release date could be optimistic. There has been a lot of the debate around the name. Calling this phone iPhone 9 may sound like Apple is going backwards, but it sort of makes sense when you consider this design follows the iPhone 8 more closely than any other. And it seems that iPhone 9 is more likely than iPhone SE 2. Notebook Check reports that images from South Korean company, Korea Telecom, show the phone is being advertised as the iPhone 9, along with the Galaxy S20 series. Will it really be called the iPhone 9? Fast Company suggests that this low-cost phone may help Apple compete in the Chinese and Indian markets, as well as appeal to a range of people who previously couldn't afford an iPhone. And its strategy may well be to sell these customers a cheaper phone, in the hopes of drawing them into Apple's ecosystem overall. Because once you've got an iPhone, you'll then probably want an iPad (see our cheap iPad deals), and you may even sign up to services like Apple TV or Apple Music. As usual, we'll take all these rumours with a pinch of salt. We'll just be sitting here with our fingers crossed that a budget iPhone with an incredible camera could soon be within our grasp. Read more: iPhone 12: Surprising design decision revealed 4 things we love about the new iPhone 11 (and 3 things we do not) The best iPad accessories for 2020 View the full article

The release of Firefox 73 fixed high-severity memory safety bugs that could cause arbitrary code execution and missing bounds check that could enable memory corruption. View the full article

Among other issues, the music platform didn't limit the number of login attempts someone could make. View the full article