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The United Kingdom might not be the biggest country in the world, but it's certainly punching above its weight when it comes to the amount of famous people it's produced. And it's these celebrities who take centre stage in a new UK map that replaces city names with their most searched for resident on Wikipedia. The interactive map does a bang-up job sifting through the Wikipedia search data, so much so that we can't decide if it's a map or one of the best infographics we've ever seen. Created by The Pudding, the People Map of the UK uses four year's worth of Wikipedia search data to determine the top person associated with each town or city in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. And for people who are famous for being associated with multiple places, they get more than one entry. London's crowded with celebrities [Image: The Pudding] The map functions a bit like Google maps. Drag it around with your mouse, then scroll to zoom in and get details about each person. For UK residents, it's a fun new way to explore the geography of their country, and you'll find yourself bouncing around various locations going: 'I can't believe they came from there!' Obviously, areas such as London are more densely clustered than rural towns. But there are plenty of surprises to be found if you venture out to the corners of the country. Did you know that Tim Curry has connections to Plymouth, or that Thandie Newton spent some of her early 20s in Penzance? Neither did we. If anything, it's slightly reassuring to find these bizarre connections. It doesn't matter if you come from the ends of the Earth, you too can become a Wikipedia-famous person. The Pudding haven't left US audiences out either, there's a People Map of the US ready for you to explore once you've finished scrolling around the UK. Related articles: Is this the London Underground map of the future? Infographic tools - 19 incredible options How to create amazing infographics View the full article

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If anyone knows how to handle a tricky brief, it's the clever designers at Jack Renwick Studio. Known for its distinctive stripes, plain but bold website, and award-winning projects, the studio boasts a list of impressive clients, and equally impressive work. And while its team makes the work look easy, the designers wrestle with tricky briefs like the rest of us. We've already seen how other creators have turned their ideas into experimental design, but how do Jack Renwick take bizarre or even mundane briefs and transform them into eye-catching pieces? To find out, we caught up with two designers from Jack Renwick Studio, Susie McGowan and Ash Watkins, to hear how they approach complex tasks. And hopefully their insights will help you with your next project. 01. Dissect the offer "Our process always begins with getting to grips with the problem," says designer McGowan. "We dissect the client's offer, their ambitions, their aesthetics – and that of their competitors – once we’re familiar with the world surrounding the client, the insights become easier to spot, and helps clear a path for the interesting directions you can take a project." 02. Ask a lot of questions You should always ask lots of questions, says McGowan, "even the ones you think you know the answer to. Getting a comprehensive overview of the problem always pays off later in the process." These beer mats created for Weird World Cup celebrate the many bizarre moments from the tournament's history [Image: Jack Renwick Studio] 03. Be aware of your audience "Try to think like the end user of the project, not a designer," says senior designer Watkins. "If you can always keep this person in your mind, then the solutions you come up with will be far more relevant." 04. Use Post-its "I like to keep the key words of the brief Post-it-noted to my desk," says Watkins. "Especially in the early stages of a project, it helps to embed my thinking in the brief and stay on track." Jack Renwick Studio can even make school fun with these curriculum posters for charity Wide Horizon [Image: Jack Renwick Studio] 05. Test your ideas Once you’ve got your main idea, it’s important that it’s simple enough to communicate easily, says McGowan. "Can the idea be explained over the phone? And if a proposed concept can work as a sketch on a Post-it, you know you’re on to a winner." 06. Go outside When all else fails and you’re really stuck, "press the ejector seat," says Watkins. "Walk around the room, leave the room, get some fresh air, reset your mind and see what clicks into place." McGowan agrees that the answer is often not at your desk. "A visit to an art gallery, a rummage in a junk shop, or simply a half-hour walk around the city can spark original thoughts," she adds. This article originally appeared as part of a longer feature in issue 291 of Computer Arts, the world's leading design magazine. Buy issue 291 or subscribe here. Related articles: How to write the perfect brief 9 techniques for tackling an illustration brief 13 great tools for pitching to clients View the full article

Painting is a relaxing and rewarding hobby. If you've never taken an art class though, learning how to paint can be a difficult skill to master. That's what The Complete Learn to Paint Bundle is here for. With this bundle you'll follow along with professional painters and learn how to create masterpieces that will look great on your wall or as a gift for a loved one. And thanks to their expert advice, you'll learn how to paint everything from scenic landscapes to realistic portraits and stunning buildings. The artists in this bundle have more than 35 years of experience, so you know you're in good hands. Get The Complete Learn to Paint Bundle for just $29. Related articles: 7 must-know painting techniques for artists Tackle portrait painting with oils How to create digital plein air paintings View the full article

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There's no doubt that the best way to learn your way around graphic design is by committing to a degree course and then following that up by learning on the job. But that route isn't for everyone, and luckily if you have a passion for design and a desire to learn then there are other ways that you can pick up the skills and knowledge that you need. There are some great graphic design tutorials available as well as plenty of free ebooks packed with useful information, but if you're after more depth then there are also some really good online courses that can give you a proper grounding in various areas of graphic design. Even better, some of them are available for free. Here are six of the best available now; some will take a you a good few months to work through, and others will give you a quick schooling in under an hour. 29 books every graphic designer should read 01. Graphic Design Specialisation This free, in-depth course will give you a thorough grounding in graphic design Coursera's specialisations are series of courses built to help you master a particular skill, and its Graphic Design Specialisation takes you through four courses that'll give you a thorough grounding in graphic design. It starts with the fundamentals before moving on to an introduction to typography, then gets serious with an introduction to image making, and finishes off by putting everything in context with a look at ideas from the history of graphic design. Taught by instructors from the California Institute of the Arts, this course will take around six months to complete and while you can access all the course materials for free – ignore Coursera's 'Free trial' offer and instead choose the 'Audit this course' option – if you want to get your work marked and earn a certificate at the end then you'll have to pay. 02. Introduction to Graphic Design History Learn how graphic design has developed over the centuries Anyone serious about graphic design needs to have a sense of its history, and how the various design fundamentals that we all take for granted came into being, and the Introduction to Graphic Design History course from the faculty at Maryland Institute College of Art will give you just that. Over seven sessions – with about six hours of work per session – this beginner-focused course kicks off with the origins of text and graphic design, and takes you through subjects such as the avant-garde, photomontage, typography and modernism. Most of the course is free – although each session features a premium exclusive lesson for paying students – but as with other free online courses, if you want a certificate at the end you'll have to pay up. 03. Introduction to Graphic Design Grab a quick briefing on the basics of design If you want to pick up the basics of design but you're in a hurry, Udemy's free Introduction to Graphic Design course could be what you're looking for. It consists of just one 23-minute video and one article, but it promises to teach you the fundamentals of what is and isn't design, the basic elements and five main principles of design, how to identify design elements in the wild and more besides. Naturally it's aimed at complete newcomers to the world of design, but if that's you and you fancy a swish certificate of completion at the end, then this one's well worth signing up for. 04. Applying Design Principles Nail key design concepts over the course of an afternoon Suitable both for graphic designers just starting their career and working designers wanting to refresh their knowledge, Alison's course in Applying Design Principles will guide you through some fundamental design concepts such as composition, balance, contrast and hierarchy, and demonstrate how to apply them to your work. After that it moves on to the application of colour, shapes, tones and points in design projects. Using some of the most successful designs in recent years as reference, this two to three-hour course should increase your understanding of key graphic design concepts and give your work a real boost. 05. From Doodle to Logo A speedy guide to bashing out a quick logo Want to create your own logodesign from scratch? From Doodle to Logo is a quick course that'll help you take a simple doodle into a finished logo using Adobe Illustrator. Aimed at beginners and intermediates in need of a refresher, this straightforward course will lead you through the process of taking a hand-drawn image, scanning and importing it into Illustrator, then using image trace and layers to turn your doodle into a polished logo with a unique flare. It covers three different examples of the course of a 30-minute video, and promises that all you need are Adobe Illustrator and a bit of creativity. 06. The Practical History of Typography Why not finish off by learning some typography as well? Even if you're not specifically a typographer, an understanding of typography is essential to a career in graphic design, and The Practical History of Typography from New York's School of Visual Arts will give you an historical appreciation of both the art and science of typography. Serving as an introduction to Kadenze's Complete Typographer paid course, it consists of four sessions, each with a number of lessons covering different aspects of the history of typography, from its very beginnings through to the latest developments. You'll also pick up an understanding of the principles and basics of typography along the way. As with other Kadenze courses there are premium lessons only available to paying students, and you'll also need a premium membership to earn a certificate at the end. Related articles: The best free graphic design software Mid-century modern graphic design: a designer's guide The best laptops for graphic design in 2019 View the full article

The second Wonder Woman film might be a year away, but today we got a tantalising taste of what to expect with the release of the movie's official teaser poster. And what a tease it is. Unveiled by Wonder Woman actor herself Gal Gadot, along with the film's director Patty Jenkins, the poster for Wonder Woman 1984 is a suitably retro masterpiece. With its bold and straightforward layout, this teaser is up there with the most inspirational of poster designs. We're a big fan of its saturated colours, and the front and centre positioning of Wonder Woman herself. There's also the new costume design reveal that's sure to excite fans. The artwork is a welcome change to some of the crowded superhero posters of recent years, which lead us to ask: are movie posters in a design crisis? If the poster for Wonder Woman 1984 is anything to go by, the answer is: not anymore. Comic book fans have been lapping up the poster on social media. Many have commented that the lurid colours and striking design means that the poster has gone "full Ragnarok". This is a reference to the Marvel film Thor Ragnarok, the official poster for which was also warmly received by designers. Don't get us wrong, we love the poster for Wonder Woman 1984. But question whether its design is authentically 1980s-themed, as the film title suggests. The neon colours and eye-catching graphics have lead us to debate whether they're more suited to the '90s? (The stacked metallic 'W' lettering calls to mind the '90s logo for WWF wrestling.) Either way, this Wonder Woman poster has a very retro feel about it, but also looks stylish and appealing to modern audiences to, which is no easy feat. All we've got to do now is wait a year to see if the film lives up to the standard of its poster design. Related articles: The good, the bad and the ugly of movie posters Is your design retro… or just dated? It burns! Vampire posters catch fire in the sun View the full article

Mozilla Firefox was due to reveal its shiny new logo design on 10 June, but you might already be able take a look at it right now. The potential redesign was discovered on the browser's developer site, as well as being leaked on social media by the web browser's lead designer. As far as slip ups go, this early reveal is a pretty big one. Our comprehensive guide to what makes a good logo design points out that launching an identity is an important part of any rebrand process. The potential new logo (above) was pounced on by CNET, and we can see that the icon still retains all the familiar Firefox design elements. Orange fox? Check. Blue globe? Check. The pair are even wrapped around each other in the same way as the previous logo, which has been in use since 2017. The previous Firefox logo has been in use for two years [Image: Mozilla] What is different though is that the fox is more sleek and stylised. The simplified logo has chopped off the poor vulpine critter's arms, although it does look like its coat's been given a brush. The gradient colours are pretty similar to the previous design, but the whole thing looks that bit more polished. Sean Martell, Firefox's communication design leader, appeared to reveal the design on Tuesday. In a photo he tweeted of a box of stickers, packs of the new logo can clearly be seen. There are two versions of the logo, including the regular orange and yellow design, plus a blue and purple variation that could be used in the browser's developer platform. A purple and green version can also be seen on the developer platform. This design matches the image Martell tweeted, making it likely that this is the logo users can expect to see soon. If you're a fan of all things Firefox, you might remember that last year we covered how the open-source web browser already asked people to help design its new logo. Back then, creative director Tim Murray also presented people with two potential design systems and invited the internet to share feedback. And out of those systems it looks like Firefox settled a version that falls halfway between the two. This makes it difficult to predict how the accompanying icons will appear. But if the Firefox tweet Martell replied to is anything to go by, users can expect to see line-based graphics from the second design system. The new Firefox logo as it appears on the developer site for Fenix. [Image: GitHub] While it's very likely that this is the new Firefox logo design, we have to wait until next week to be certain. The nonprofit will officially reveal its new logo on 10 June. Related articles: 18 controversial moments in logo design and branding 8 of the best free logo design tools 5 logo design apps for beginners View the full article

Looking for the best Dell XPS 15 deals? You've come to the right place. The Dell XPS range lends itself perfectly to the needs of artists and designers, the Dell XPS 15-9570 model in particular. While it may not look much different to its predecessors, this is very much a case of don't judge a book buy its cover. Under that familiar aluminium chassis that Dell favours, you'll find a whole heap of power and a beautiful screen that creatives are sure to love. Recognised as one of the best laptops for graphic design, the Dell XPS 15 sits above the competition when it comes to its touchscreen capability, which comes with an optional 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) resolution. Simply put: this display will make your work, whether it's digital art, photos or videos, look as good as it can. The best Dell XPS 15 deals To help you find the Dell XPS 15 deals at the best price possible, we've rounded up the most amazing offers currently floating around the internet. Thanks to our dedicated tool, which checks prices across all the major online retailers, you'll be able to grab this portable powerhouse at the lowest price possible. It might also be worth bookmarking our best Amazon Prime Day deals posts, which we'll be updating with any new Dell XPS 15 deals too. Backed up with 100% AdobeRGB coverage, the Dell XPS 15 is capable of handling all the colours and textures you can throw at it. Media content can be edited on this machine easily too, and due to its slim casing, videographers can tinker with their footage on the move. Topped off with a high quality keyboard and touchpad, the Dell XPS 15 makes short work of low stress tasks. Sleek, powerful, and stress resistant, it's no wonder that this device has got people flocking to it. If there's one thing that holds potential users back from the Dell XPS 15 though, it's the price tag. In the scheme of things, this device is adequately priced for what it's capable of, but snapping up a bargain is always welcome. That's why we've worked hard to bring you the best Dell XPS 15 deals that are available right now. Check them out below. Related articles: The best computer for graphic design The best free graphic design software 11 of the biggest graphic design trends for 2019 View the full article

We're entering a golden era of collaboration tools. Distributed teams are much more common, and it's easier than ever to work with individuals in different cities... or even different continents. Collaboration tools make it easier and faster for designers to get feedback and approve artwork in a professional manner, with nothing getting lost in translation. In this article, we gather together some of the best online collaboration tools that enable creatives to work together in real time. Some are created specifically for designers, others serve as a concept crafting whiteboard. We've also included some more full-on project management tools for when you need to take your collaborative project to the next level. After something different? Take a look at our guides to the best infographic tools, web design tools, or tools for graphic designers. 01. Slack Keep in touch with your team – wherever they may be – with Slack [Image: Slack] Want to improve communication within your team? Or work remotely but still stay in touch? Collaboration tool Slack is a fantastic solution for clear, real-time communication that keeps everyone in the loop. It's so popular now, chances are you're using it already. Perfect for anyone managing a team of remote employees, Slack enables project development to move forward more smoothly. Different channels help keep conversations on track, while having all team communication in one place ensures no one gets left out of the loop. Slack can also help you grow your design business by reducing email and meeting times. 02. InVision InVision is a top tool for prototyping [Image: InVision] Created specifically for designers, InVision is a web-based tool and mobile app that turns your designs into fully active prototypes, complete with gestures, transitions and animations. Clients can provide feedback in the form of comments on your designs , and you can keep them up to date with the project’s progress in real time through actionable to-do lists. Getting started on your first project with InVision is free, but any more than that and you'll need to move to a paid plan. 03. Asana Keep track of your tasks on an Asana 'board' [Image: Asana] Asana will help you stay on top of your workflow by enabling you to create to-do lists, keep track of tasks via a project 'board', set deadline reminders, comment on others' posts, and send requests to colleagues. Employers can also use it to keep track of how projects are progressing. This collaboration tool first launched in 2008, and is still very popular. 04. Trello Share your to-do list with others in real time using Trello [Image: Trello] This project management tool is like a magical customisable to-do list on a single interface, which you can share with others in real time. Based on a system of 'cards' (which are essentially Post-it notes), you can categorise and order text, photos, drawings and mockups whichever way you want. There's also a nice progress gauge so you can keep an eye on your project's pipeline, as well as the ability to set appointment reminders. Most brilliantly of all: Trello is completely free. 05. Visme Visme puts all your team activities in one central place [Image: Visme] Browser-based collaboration tool Visme collects all your team activities in one place. It's especially good for designers because it enables you to create a variety of visual projects, including presentations and infographics. There are built-in features to help you monitor on each user’s workload, progress, and activity on ongoing jobs. 06. Google Keep Share lists and ideas with Google Keep [Image: Google] Google Keep is a fantastic way to share lists and ideas (or keep them to yourself). You can access Google Keep through its website or using the iOS or Android App. If you're looking for an easy-to-use list app, check is a collaboration tool that's definitely worth checking out. 07. appear.in Put a face to a name with this video conversation app [Image: appear.in] You want to see all your team's smiling faces, right? That's not always possible when working remotely, but online collaboration tool appear.in is the next best thing. This brilliant video conversation app allows up to eight people to converse in a chatroom, with no login or downloads required. It's free to use, or you can bump up to a paid Pro plan for extra features. 08. Basecamp Basecamp has been around for over 10 years [Image: Basecamp] The daddy of project management, Basecamp was created when 37Signals couldn't find a project management app that wasn't insanely complicated, and so decided to build its own. It worked so well that clients wanted to use it, too, and things grew from there. Featuring a whole suite of collaborative tools including to-do lists, wiki-style documents, file sharing and messaging, it packs in just about everything you need to keep any project running smoothly. You can use it via the web or with iOS and Android apps, and if you want to get a feel for it you can sign up for a 30-day free trial. 09. Podio Podio gives you a way to organise confusing workflows [Image: Podio] Online collaboration tool Podio aims to help you improve the structure of your workflows by offering a way to organise unwieldy stacks of work and assign different employees specific tasks. It enables you to share files, get feedback on work, and view the status on ongoing projects. One of the most enticing features is its third-party integrations – it works with a whole load of services, from Dropbox and Google Drive to Evernote. There are also mobile apps for use while you're out of the office. 10. Red Pen Want constructive criticism? This feedback tool makes it easier [Image: Red Pen] More fun than a teacher's marking pen, this feedback tool is particularly great if you're a freelancer looking for some constructive criticism on a project. Specifically created for designers, Red Pen lets you drag and drop your designs into a dashboard and invite specific colleagues (or even clients) to let you know their thoughts in real- time as you roll out your latest updates. One of Red Pen's best features is that it keeps track of the numerous versions so you can always reclaim that earlier design if you change your mind. 11. Mural Gather and sort ideas and resources in different formats [Image: Mural] Mural is a creative tool for you to drag-and-drop rich media files, links and documents onto a big HTML5 drawing board, which is a great way to collect inspiration and gather your thoughts. It also supports collaboration that allows designers to brainstorm cool ideas remotely. Plus, it is optimised for iPad and gesture-friendly. Mural is not just designed as a pinboard like Pinterest – its main goal is gathering and organising ideas. Anyone can join you to edit and collaborate, and changes are reflected on the board in real time. Just send an email invitation or set up a password for the board and you are ready to go. Tools like Mural are lighter than some of the more traditional brainstorming tools, and if you're new to collaborative brainstorming then this could be a good place to get started. 12. GoVisually GoVisually allows you to comment, annotate and discuss a project [Image: GoVisually] Free tool GoVisually allows you to mark annotations and place comments on any part of your project. With it, designers and clients can collaborate to revise projects online without sending painful emails, which should ultimately increase productivity. For your annotation you can chose an elliptical, rectangular or lasso selection, as well as customising its colour and weight. These functions are very useful, and are as simple to apply as you'd find in a basic drawing app. When multiple team members are on the same page, GoVisually applies layers for each user, like in Photoshop. Clicking on each user hides or displays relevant content, which is particularly useful when collaborating with different departments. Revisions can be easily upload and it is simple to switch between different versions of the same document or project. 13. MindMeister MindMeister is a collaborative mind-mapping tool [Image: MindMeister] Mindmeister is a powerful mind-mapping tool, but also has the functionality of many collaboration tools, so designers can use it to craft ideas and concepts. It might feel a bit quirky to organise a design idea through mind mapping, but this is still a great collaboration tool to try out. You can create up to three mind maps for free, or swap to one of the paid plans if you find this tool works well for you. 14. Conceptboard Conceptboard is an instant whiteboard tool [Image: Conceptboard] Conceptboard is an instant whiteboard for teams and projects, and designers can also reap benefits by using it as a collaboration tool. Indeed, it's optimised for creatives and is more like a one-stop solution for crafting concepts, managing projects, and providing feedback at any time. There's a free version, but you'll only be able to add up to 50 objects to each board you create. If you need more than that, you'll need to swap to a paid plan. 15. Ideaflip Compose, collect and clarify your ideas with Ideaflip Ideaflip makes it easy for your team to quickly turn thoughts into ideas, and share or refine them – whether your collaborator is in the same room or on the other side of the world. A beautifully simple web app, Ideaflip is perfect for group brainstorming and individual ideas, and offers a great way to compose, collect and clarify your ideas. With this collaboration tool, it's free for guests to view and contribute to boards, but to create a board yourself, you'll need to subscribe to a paid plan. 16. ProofHub Another web-based project management and collaboration tool, ProofHub promises that it'll enable you to plan, organise and deliver projects of all sizes faster. It offers all the tools you'd expect, including Gantt charts to help schedule and track multiple tasks, and a proofing tool that aims to ease the whole process of approving and reviewing designs. It's available as a online, or as an Apple or Android app, and you can try it for free for 30 days. 17. Concept inbox Concept inbox features visual feedback and real-time collaboration [Image: Concept inbox] Describing itself as the simple way for designers, teams and clients to collaborate, Concept inbox provides you with a straightforward dashboard where you can upload images, get fast feedback from clients and add revisions with full version control. It also enables you to create interactive prototypes; just the thing if you have a brilliant idea for an app and want to communicate how it would work. 18. Cage This online collaboration tool is specifically for designers [Image: Cage] Cage is an online collaboration tools specifically built for designers. The original app allowed you share images of designs and get contextual feedback on them, but it's now much more comprehensive. You can add tasks, approve files, and even explore a more engaging experience with web-based presentations. Read more: The best free fonts for designers A guide to Google's web tools 20 top UX tools and resources View the full article

WWDC 2019 was a particularly exciting event. Apple used the conference to announce the spectacular new Mac Pro and XDR monitor (and its not-included $999 stand). But while the eye-wateringly expensive hardware has been grabbing most of the headlines, there were plenty of bombshells for Apple Developers, too. With over 100 sessions this year and many exciting announcements, it's easy to miss something or not know where to focus your attention. So, what are the key takeaways for developers about this year? In this round-up, we'll take a look at the top seven frameworks and announcements that Apple developers are most excited about at this year's WWDC. The best web hosting services in 2019 01. SwiftUI SwiftUI brings with it a single set of tools and APIs for building interfaces [Image: Apple] SwiftUI is a new way for Swift developers to build user interfaces for all Apple devices using a single set of tools and APIs. With SwiftUI, you'll gain automatic support for dynamic type, dark mode, localisation, and accessibility all while keeping your code simple, clean, and compact. It's integrated into the new Xcode 11 (more on that at number 2). SwiftUI also lets developers use declarative syntax. In other words, they can simplify their code by simply declaring what the user interface should do, and at runtime, the system will understand what to do and how to behave regardless of state. Watch the talk: Introducing SwiftUI: Building Your First App 02. Xcode 11 A new preview option lets devs see a live rendering of their UI alongside their code [Image: Apple] The new year offers developers a new version of Xcode. Xcode 11 is faster and more efficient than previous versions and includes more options and better overall flexibility. With Xcode 11, you get the inclusion of SwiftUI and its companion design tools, and you can also now bring your iPad app to the Mac simply by selecting a checkbox in Xcode. Xcode 11 also includes a new preview/real-time view option. With this option, developers can quickly get a live rendering of their app's UI alongside their code. Watch the talk: What's New in Xcode 11 03. PencilKit PencilKit is a small framework that lets developers use the input captured from the Apple Pencil or the user's finger, with tools for creating, erasing, and selecting lines. Developers will be able to save this information and turn it into an image for later use within an iOS or macOS app. Creating drawing and note-taking apps is about to become a whole lot easier. Watch the talk: Introducing PenilKit 04. ARKit 3.0 The hottest announcement this year centers around ARKit, Apple's framework for creating augmented reality experiences. In ARKit 3.0, Apple has added people occlusion, motion capture, collaborative sessions, and multiple face tracking features – all of which will help developers create more immersive AR content. Plus, with additional improvements like better plane detection using machine learning, developers will have an easier time setting up the AR environments in the real world. Watch the talk: Introducing ARKit3 05. RealityKit & Reality Composer Apple has made it even easier for developers to work with realistic 3D content [Image: Apple] It's clear that this year Apple is focused on augmented reality and its ARKit framework. And thanks to the new RealityKit framework and the Reality Composer app, Apple has made it even easier for developers to create and add realistic 3D content using the data provided by ARKit. With RealityKit, developers can create and import full models made with the Reality Composer app, place audio sources within the environment, animate objects, and synchronise AR experiences across devices. Developers can also create sophisticated models for use with AR Quick Look. Watch the talks: Introducing RealityKit and Reality Composer and Building Apps with RealityKit 06. Console Controllers for AppleTV and iOS 13 Apple is adding support for Xbox One and Dual Shock 4 controllers [Image: Apple] When designing and developing games, controlling the action is extremely important. For many developers, especially those targeting tvOS on the Apple TV, options for controllers were limited. Good news! This is no longer this case, thanks to some updates to the Game Controller framework. Apple is planning to support Xbox One controllers and Dual Shock 4 controllers (PS4) on the Apple TV and within iOS 13. This, along with the new Apple Arcade Services, will help developers make exciting new gaming content for everyone to consume. Watch the talk: Supporting New Game Controllers 07. Independent Watch Apps Before WWDC 2019, developers that wanted to target the Apple Watch had to also build a companion app for the iPhone. Not any more. With the new watch0S 6, Apple is allowing developers to build Watch-only apps. To sweeten the deal, users will be able to download and install watchOS apps directly from their Apple Watch using the App Store, which is now available on the Watch. Watch the talk: Creating Independent Watch Apps Read more: Is Apple ditching its 'i'? 19 best iPad Pro apps designed for Apple Pencil The best VPN service 2019 View the full article

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Video editing is an important skill across many fields, whether you're a marketing manager, a blogger, an entrepreneur, or a journalist. And one of the most-used pieces of software for editing videos is Adobe Premiere Pro CC. To learn everything this top-notch video editor has to offer, sign up to the Adobe Premiere Pro CC Masterclass: Video Editing Made Easy. Broken down into easy-to-follow classes, this course is packed with tips that will help bring your footage to life. The best cloud storage 2019 That's because with this course you'll learn how to start a new project, edit footage, improve audio, and add transitions and titles. You'll even learn more complex skills like adding visual effects and colour-correcting your video. Plus, you'll get hands-on experience in editing a one-minute documentary using footage supplied to you by the course. By the end, you'll be well on your way to editing your own videos! Get Adobe Premiere Pro CC Masterclass: Video Editing Made Easy for just $21 -- that's 89% off the regular price. Related articles: The best free graphic design software The best video editing apps in 2019 The best video editing software in 2019 View the full article

We're entering an exciting era in tech. From robots to smart appliances, many things that fell into the sci-fi category a few short years ago have now become reality. The creators of cult classic Back to the Future II envisaged a crazy world in which you could control your home using only your voice. Now, not only is it perfectly possible to switch your lights on or select music using your voice, you can do these things via an app on your phone while you yourself are miles away. And although the technology driving these smart tool is complex, designing the UX for them doesn't need to be. UXPin's API Request feature enables you to prototype these kinds of experiences from directly within your design tool - with no need for code. As Doc Brown would say: Jumpin’ Gigawatts! You can get a taste of it in action in the video below. As you can see, API Request enables you to create app prototypes that 'talk' to your products – for example, simulating the changing colours of your smart light bulbs. Or if you were working with a car manufacturing company, you could build a prototype that would be able to communicate with the car; even saving data from the prototype to a spreadsheet. It works by enabling you to send HTTP requests to an external API. UXPin is known for merging design and engineering to enable web professionals to develop products quickly and easily, no matter how complex or cutting-edge the technology being prototyped for. API Request is the latest addition to UXPin's Interactions capabilities. Try the new feature for yourself with a free trial, and start prototyping the user experiences of the future. View the full article

Apple's conferences always cause a stir, and this year was no different. Key takeaways from WWDC 2019 included the announcement of the most powerful (and eye-wateringly expensive) Mac ever – the new Mac Pro, as well as a stand for it that costs almost $1,000, and the introduction of a new App Store for the Apple Watch. And in the spirit of out with the old, in with the new, Apple also announced it is ditching its once much-loved music service, iTunes. The now bloated iTunes will be replaced by newer apps that form part of Apple's Services offering: Apple Music, Apple TV and Apple Podcasts. iTunes was once the apple of Apple's eye/i (sorry), and its removal suggests a much wider brand positioning shift from the company. It also suggests that Apple could be slowly phasing out its 'i'. There is, after all, no 'i' in many of Apple's latest products, including Apple Music, HomePod, Apple Watch and Apple Pay. Amazon Prime Day 2019: Where to get the best deals A brand moving forward There will be some mourning the loss of what is now an almost retro music service, but the loss of iTunes, and potentially the 'i' in Apple's products may actually signify Apple staying ahead of the curve when it comes to meeting their customers' expectations. According to Manfredi Ricca, global chief strategy officer at Interbrand, this is just another example of Apple being Apple, that is: focusing on modernity, introducing innovative new products, emphasising ideas and experience over purchases and products, and crucially, ditching old ideas and products that no longer work. The discontinuation of iTunes shows that Apple is looking forwards and not backwards, says Ricci, and is "addressing customer expectations through utility, another distinctive trait in Apple’s approach." As Apple has slowly and discreetly dropped the 'i' symbol, it has introduced a new era, says Ricci, including a host of new products that don't need the 'i' to show they're part of Apple. What does this mean for Apple's 'i'? Apple Music will replace iTunes, and it does have a nice-looking logo. We'll miss the musical notes, though [Image: Apple] Why was the 'i' so important anyway? What does it actually stand for? In 1998, the 'i' in 'iMac' meant 'internet', but Steve Jobs later added that it could also mean 'individual', 'instruct', 'inform' and 'inspire'. These are all fairly vague sorts of words, and today, companies all over the world try to make themselves synonymous with such ideas. One reason for ditching that 'i' could be that having the word 'internet' before your products sounds pretty old-fashioned in 2019. The internet is now everywhere, so distinguishing between an 'internet phone' (have you ever thought of your iPhone like that?) and just a phone, or 'tunes from the internet' (iTunes sounds even older now) versus just 'tunes' seems almost redundant. Also, when something is called Apple 'something', you can use the Apple logo with the name, à la Apple Music, and that looks pretty sweet (see above). According to Ricci, the 'i' itself doesn't really matter. "Whether the i-prefix will stay or not is, in a sense, marginal," he says, "However, its gradual removal makes Apple’s offer simpler to navigate and more cohesive, and prepares the ground for a true subscription-based business model, where content becomes increasingly important." Apple's move to Services It seems, then, that the removal of iTunes is a symbol of Apple's focus on Services, which includes not only Apple Music, but iCloud, the iTunes Store, and Apple Pay. "And for good reason," says Ricci. "Analysts have been paying a lot of attention to Apple’s Services, not least of all because it’s shown solid growth." Apple has also recognised that with the power of its brand – one that has a logo so great it's one of our favourite textless logos – it can transform its business model with much less risk. As for its 'i', we can imagine it being phased out further, although we predict that Apple will keep the 'i' in 'iPhone' and 'iPad', because these products and brand names are such a big part of everyday life. Plus, we can't imagine Apple calling its tablets 'Pads', and Apple Pads sounds like a new form of sanitary towel. As for Apple being the most forward-thinking brand on the planet, we're pretty convinced. Though this is a company that has also had its fair share of misses, along with the hits (see the most beautiful and the ugliest Apple products ever made). It also remains to be seen whether Apple Music will ever seriously take on Spotify, and whether the $1,000 monitor stand gamble will pay off. Read more: First look: Apple Pro Display XDR monitor Logo design: everything you need to know Apple Card: Is this Apple's sleekest design yet? View the full article

For a while now we've been pre-empting the date Amazon Prime Day 2019 will fall on. But if a recent PR email is to be believed, we might be able to be a lot more specific. Picked up by our friends over at Real Homes, it looks like Amazon Prime Day 2019 is due to start on Monday 15 July. And if this is the case, creatives on the hunt for a bargain can expect deals to last through until Wednesday 17 July. So how did they deduce this useful piece of information? An innocent PR email about a Prime Day vacuum cleaner offer, which is due to start on 16 July, is to blame. Knowing an opportunity when they see one, the team at Real Homes pushed the advantage and asked if this was indeed part of the Amazon Prime Day discounts. That's when the PR contact appears to have let the cat out of the bag by replying: 'Yes, this is part of Amazon Prime Day deals on July 16th. The promotion will run July 16th to 17th.' Gotcha! (You can read the full story over on Real Homes). The ultimate guide to all Amazon devices There are a fair few assumptions at play here, the first one being that the PRs information is, indeed, correct. But this is our best insight so far as to when Amazon Prime Day 2019 will kick off. Admittedly, the email to Real Homes doesn't cover how long the deal will last, and we're assuming, based on last year, that Prime Day 2019 will start on a Monday. But as far as educated guesses go though, it's pretty solid. If this has whetted your appetite for all things Amazon Prime Day, why not check out our guide to how to get the best Amazon Prime Day deals for artists and designers. Here you'll find killer tips and tricks on how to bag the best creative bargain. Related articles: The best cheap iPad deals in 2019 The best super-fast fibre broadband deals in 2019 The best Dell XPS 15 9570 deals View the full article

A working exploit for the critical remote code-execution flaw shows how an unauthenticated attacker can achieve full run of a victim machine in about 22 seconds. View the full article

What does your to do list look like? If it’s anything like mine, it includes things like grocery shopping, laundry, buying dog food, putting gas in the car, sweeping the floor, walking the dog, and cooking dinner. Colloquial wisdom holds that a good number of to do items for each day is roughly 6-12 items, assuming that each take 30 minutes to an hour. That’s nice and all… but we haven’t even gotten to my work to-do list. So how, as humans, do we manage to get all of this done? The answer, obviously enough, is prioritization. pri·or·i·ti·za·tion /ˌprīˌôrədəˈzāSH(ə)n,ˌprīˌôrəˌtīˈzāSH(ə)n/ noun the action or process of deciding the relative importance or urgency of a thing or things. We all know how to do this; we do it literally every day of our lives. Buying dog food is more important than sweeping the floor, because the dog gets grumpy when he runs out of food. Easy enough, right? But what about more complicated issues? What about things where we can’t always tell what’s more important? What about issues like cyber security, where every report has a potentially catastrophic outcome? What is your process then, to decide the importance of a thing? There’s an app for that. Sort of. Vulnerability Management is a type of tool designed to be able to help provide insight into how to prioritize overly length InfoSec to do lists, with the ability to get clear views of not only what your potential exposure is, but how pressing each item is. Flexera is taking it one step farther, by integrating the proprietary research from the Secunia team, and applying it towards enabling prioritization and optimization of processes for managing software vulnerabilities to mitigate exposures, before the likelihood of exploitation increases. By understanding and prioritizing the criticality of patches applicable to your environment leveraging our vulnerability and threat intelligence insights, you’re able to get your list down to a manageable number – and still buy the dog his food on the way home. Source View the full article

You're reading Transactional Email Design: Examples and Best Practices, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook! Transactional emails and promotional emails lay a sound foundation for every email marketing campaign. While the first one is responsible for luring people in, promoting products, and keeping the readers up-to-date, the second one is used for numerous notifications. Even … View the full article

Affinity users have been champing at the bit for updates to its software suite, and this week their patience has been rewarded. Not only has Serif announced the launch date of Affinity's desktop publishing app, today it also revealed the biggest-ever updates to Affinity's Designer and Photo tools. The v1.7 upgrades see Affinity push the performance of its apps even further thanks to the introduction of GPU compute acceleration, HDR monitor support, and a rewritten memory management system. Improvements are being rolled out across across Mac and Windows versions of the tool, as well as the iPad version – already at the top of our list of the best iPad apps for designers. Not only that, but the Designer and Photo apps are now optimised to work on the incredible new Apple Pro Display XDR monitor, as well as being tweaked to run faster than ever on new Macs. New features are iPad-compatible too [Image: Affinity] The good news keeps on coming for Mac users as Affinity revealed that they will now be able to enjoy end-to-end Metal compute acceleration. In terms of how this pays off in the software, all raster layer and brush operations will work 10 times faster than before. The support of multiple GPUs, either as internal or externally connected units, can also take these performance gains further. Windows users aren't left behind though. Serif promises that a hardware acceleration is on the way for them too, and in the meantime it's delivered a rewritten memory management system that sees its tools running up to four times as fast as current speeds. Not only that, but Dial and Pen support for Microsoft Surface devices have been upgraded. What's new for Affinity Photo? Get ready for a faster and better-performing Affinity Photo [Image: Affinity] As for the individual tool upgrades, Affinity Photo has been given an improved RAW processing engine that will load files faster. This will also benefit the tool's new demosaicing algorithm, deliver more effective noise reduction, and assist with hot pixel removal and wide colour space development. Affinity Photo users are also treated to a rewritten brush engine that includes all-new multi-brushes. A 32-way symmetry mode and nozzle rotation powered by shortcut keys accompany the launch of these brushes. Completing the upgrades to Affinity Photo are improved batch processing, a new assets panel that allows creators to simply drag and drop commonly used elements, and an overhauled layers panel. "Using Affinity Photo with an HDR monitor offers a simply stunning experience," says Serif Managing Director Ashley Hewson. "It's amazing the detail and dynamic range the latest SLR cameras capture when shooting in RAW, and Affinity Photo now offers the opportunity to actually see all that depth while editing on an HDR monitor. "But this isn't just for high-end photography. As more and more graphic content is being consumed on HDR displays, it will start to become important that designers are using an app which can both work in a 32bit colour space and render the results on an HDR monitor. Affinity Designer is the first professional graphic design application to do both." Affinity Designer upgrades Images pop on that new HDR display [Image: Affinity] Speaking of Affinity Designer, the popular tool at the heart of many a vector art tutorial has been gifted new isometric tools that allow designers to work on any isometric plane. This feature will also fit existing elements to a plane with a single click. Not only that, but vector shapes can now contain an unlimited number of strokes and fills. Users can control how these are blended together, and there is complete freedom to interleave different attributes. Almost all of Affinity Designer's vector art tools have been given an improvement, too. A wider selection of lasso modes, a sculpt mode for the pencil tool, and a new point transformation tool are just a taste of the many updates to hit the software. "This update isn’t only about the big new features and performance gains – we've also made literally thousands of little tweaks and improvements to both apps based on all the feedback we get from our customers every day," adds Hewson. "It's a lot of these little enhancements which add up to mean both Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer are more productive than ever before." Thankfully, one of Affinity's tastiest lures, its one-off fee, is still present and correct. The new 1.7 versions of both Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer are available now with a 20% discount ($39.99 desktop, $15.99 iPad), while existing users can download the updated versions for free. Related articles: Get started with Assets in Affinity Designer Affinity Designer video tutorial: Use Symbols The 9 best alternatives to Photoshop View the full article

With the size of the 3D industry growing year on year, it's more important than ever to make sure your work stands out from the crowd. Whatever your skill level as a 3D artist, there are key principles that are sure to take your character animation up a level. Character movement and gesture are vital for ensuring your characters are realistic and watchable. That means many of these tips are geared towards improving your skill as a puppet master making your characters dance. If you want to learn more about how to design excellent characters, check out our post on character design. 01. Research, reference and record There are many ways to study character. Make it a habit to plan your work. Look at people other than yourself. Look at actors who are similar to your character. “Good artists copy, great artists steal,” claimed Picasso. The trick is to not steal from other animation. Always take from life and make it the essence of what you referenced. 02. Notice the design in movement Animation is designed movement and all sorts of paths of motion exist in a character. You have to design movement to fit the scene. Sometimes the design of movement in animation is overdone. Focus on how your gestures move through space. Look for ways of making it feel physical but also beautiful to watch. 03. Embrace the power of stillness Often it makes sense for your character to be still When in doubt, throw it out! Often it makes sense to just do nothing. I’m not saying don’t move the character, but look for moments to tone down the animation or find other things to do besides gesturing. In live-action films, some of the most powerful moments are subtle. Animation does not need to be overdone. 04. Understand the gesture space It's important to understand the area the character is gesturing in. Is it inside the body space, outside, near or below the face? What is the story point? Does it read? Does it need to be a large open gesture, or is it meant to be a secondary element? Look for areas to change between gesture spaces – contrast is a great tool. 05. Consider contrast Texture and timing is important. Contrast: show something tense, relaxing, or a loose gesture changing into a quick move. Break up the enemy of animation: evenness. Movement can be even, but always having evenness is boring and uninteresting to watch. Think about where can you put a punctuation on a gesture. 06. Reinvent clichés A cliché used to be a genius idea, but it was used over and over until it turned into the worst idea; an idea that everyone knows and has seen. Some common ones in animation are neck rubs, points, W gestures. If you’re going to use a popular gesture or cliché, do it a different way. Find a way to make it yours. 07. Add props Gesturing with props feels real In animation I love the idea of giving the character objects to use. You are trying to make things in animation look spontaneous. Gesturing with props feels real. An animator needs to find ways of squeezing the entertainment out of scenes – just don’t overuse or overspice the shot. Use it as something to accent a scene. 08. Use head movements Every part of a character can move, so let’s just think about the ways you gesture if you can’t use hands. If you had to tell a story using just the head, what do you do? How do you describe things? What angles does your head take? When you animate head gestures, start simple and polish. Take into account the weight of the move. 09. Avoid common mistakes The biggest mistake is just too much. Less is more. Another is to not polish it well. It’s important to make gestures feel like they have weight and physicality. Understand that we’re trying to create characters that have a truth to them. A toy, a bug, a superhero – each will gesture differently, and will have its own language of gestures. 10. Imagine the future What could be next for character animation? I’m interested in interaction – the ability to move cloth, hair, etc. Capture tools could be useful for gestures; a hand pose capture, a way of moving the character that might be easier than manipulated a rig... I want to see animation that pushes acting ideas in different ways. Be original, entertaining and true to the character. This article was originally published in issue 130 of 3D Artist. Buy issue 130 or subscribe to 3D Artist. Read more: How to draw a character in pen-and-ink Insider advice from a master film character designer How to create a video game character in ZBrush View the full article

You can't beat an Apple keynote for getting people riled. If there's not something in there that makes someone utterly furious then Apple's probably not doing its job properly. So it's no surprise that this week's WWDC 2019 reveal of the new Mac Pro has provoked a torrent of online scorn; not for the Mac Pro itself, but for the Pro Stand for its swish new Pro Display XDR monitor, which comes separately for $999. What? $999 for a monitor stand? Is Apple stupid? LOLZ!!! Clearly we're into uncharted territory here. You buy a monitor, you kind of expect the stand to come with, right? And you absolutely, definitely don't expect to be stung for a grand. The best Amazon Prime Day deals for artists and designers And so the big takeaway from WWDC seems to be that Apple's completely lost the plot with its $999 monitor stand. Because seriously, what sort of idiot's going to pay that sort of money for something you should get thrown in for free? The Pro Stand does all this, but is it really worth a grand? [Image: Apple] Well, hold your horses for just one second. For starters, Apple clearly isn't stupid. It does very nicely indeed out of high-end kit where you pay a premium for the Apple badge and the slick design. Everyone knows that for the price of the average iMac or MacBook you can buy one of the best computers for graphic design that are a whole lot more powerful but some of which look like they've been hit with a sack of ugly spanners, and for many people that distinction makes it well worth paying the additional Apple tax. So we have no doubt whatsoever that a healthy chunk of that $999 Pro Stand price tag is pure profit aimed straight at the top of Apple's ever-growing cash mountain. But we also have no doubt that Apple has done its sums and its research and decided that this is the right price for the Pro Stand. Built to perform When you look at what the Pro Stand actually does, it becomes apparent that this is a serious piece of kit that's built to perform. It's described as making the seven-and-a-half kilo Pro Display XDR feel weightless, it enables you to adjust the height and tilt it effortlessly, and it leaves the screen absolutely stable once it's in place. We're not engineers, but that sounds like quite an achievement to us, especially when you factor in that as well as doing all that, the Pro Stand has to be utterly reliable and built to last – after all, it's the one thing stopping your $5000 monitor smashing onto the desk. So, we suspect that, as with so much other Apple kit in the past, once the Pro Stand's out there and people get to play with it, they're going to love it. And they're probably going to go on and on about it. The bastards. Still, though, selling a $5,000 monitor that doesn't have a stand at all feels like a bit of a misfire. If you're not sold on the Pro Stand then there is of course another option: the $199 VESA mount that you can use to attach your Pro Display XDR to the wall mount or desk stand of your choice. We've had a bit of a look around, though, and there doesn't seem to be any sort of VESA stand that looks as good or works anything like as nicely as the Pro Stand does. Of course, what Apple could have done is ship the XDR with a basic stand like the one on an iMac, with the Pro Stand as an optional extra. But hey, that's Apple; we suspect that this would be an inelegant solution in its view. Selling a monitor without a stand seems like madness, but if Apple included the Pro Stand and bumped the XDR's price by $1,000, anyone who instead wanted to wall-mount their monitor – which, given that a lot of Mac Pros are going to end up in editing suites and the like, could be quite a proportion of the market – would be rightly annoyed at being charged for an unwanted high-end stand. If your workspace doesn't look like this then $12,000 of new Apple hardware probably isn't for you [Image: Apple] And ultimately, it seems that most of the people complaining about the Pro Stand and its price aren't actually the people who are going to be buying it. The new Mac Pro isn't for the average creative, it's for serious video and film production companies and the like, and while it's clearly expensive for what it is, it's also clearly going to find a market, with all the expensive extras and complete with the Pro Display XDR and its $999 stand, because it's Apple and because it does exactly what these high-end studios need while looking fantastic. Suck it down, haters. Related articles: Apple's new free system font isn't actually that new The best laptops for graphic design in 2019 The 10 most beautiful Apple products (and the 5 ugliest) View the full article

Experts at Infosecurity Europe shed light on how IT and operational technology teams can better collaborate as industrial IoT takes hold. View the full article

The Brand Impact Awards celebrate the very best in branding produced around the world, with the sixth annual show taking place in London this September. There's still time to enter, but only if you're quick! Entries close this Friday 7 June at 5.30pm BST. Presented by Computer Arts magazine and Creative Bloq, the Brand Impact Awards have a fluid, celebratory and colourful new look this year, as the result of a collaboration with the ‘code poet’ Zach Lieberman. Submit your best branding now If you missed last year’s celebrations, here’s a brief look at the awards (and drinks) that were dished out. Who should enter the Brand Impact Awards? Entries are welcome from design studios, consultancies, branding agencies, ad agencies, in-house design teams and brand owners, and work can be branding programmes and branded campaigns commissioned nationally or internationally. Superunion won several trophies last year, including for its project Inside the Mind of Mark Denton (self-branding category) The list of previous category winners is a who’s who of creative talent, and in previous years best-of-show winners have included Superunion, Johnson Banks and Rose. It doesn’t matter if the work comes from a massive agency or a small studio, just as long as it catches the eyes of the judges. How are the BIAs judged? Entries are judged on their originality, how well they serve their original brief and consistency – specifically consistent quality of idea and execution across two or more brand touchpoints. They are also judged in context of their market sector – product design is not lumped in with sports, just as self-branding is judged exclusively from fashion. And lastly, campaigns that extend or enhance existing brands are accepted, unlike with many other award schemes. To find out more about this year’s Brand Impact Awards and the awards ceremony, plus all the categories, how to enter, and to see last year’s winners, head over to the new website. Read more: Brand Impact Awards 2018: winners revealed Build a better personal brand 7 ways illustration can help brands stand out View the full article

Want to take a big step forward in your career development? Want to land that big promotion that could put you well on your way to achieving your dreams? You're in luck, the Virtual Training Company: Lifetime Subscription can help you get there. For just $79 you'll get your hands on one of the world's largest producers of online learning. You'll also get access to video tutorials and helpful content covering everything from Apache to Dreamweaver to Flash. The best antivirus software in 2019 Plus, you'll get a strong foundation in skills like animation, graphic design, and MySQL, and you'll learn to code in languages such as HTML5, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails, and a whole lot more. Get Virtual Training Company: Lifetime Subscription for just $79 -- that's 96% off the regular price. Related articles: How to use an HTML boilerplate: A guide 14 of the best JavaScript APIs Revealed: The latest JavaScript trends View the full article