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The font vs typeface debate is a reminder that industry terminology changes gradually over time. Most of the time, the two words are used interchangeably and it’s not a problem. But, at a technical level, the words ‘font’ and ‘typeface’ do have distinct meanings and – depending on the context – if you use them incorrectly, you may get caught out. With this in mind, let's take a look at the history of the words font and typeface in relation to typography and graphic design, and settle the debate once and for all. Don't care about the nuances and just want some fonts (or was it typefaces?), see our post on the best free fonts. Font vs typeface: What's the difference? Studio DBD asked font foundry F37 to create a bespoke typeface for its Foilco rebrand The main difference between a ‘font’ and a ‘typeface’ is that the former exists as part of the latter. Helvetica is a typeface – a complete set of sans serif characters with a common design ethos. However, it is made up of a whole collection of fonts, each in a specific weight, style and size, with different levels of condensation as well as italic versions. Because most designers are used to working on Macs, where you install fonts and then select them from the Font menu, we tend to use the word font in daily discourse, but if you are asked by an executive creative director what font you’ve used in a project, it’s possible they want to know the precise details. Helvetica would be the typeface chosen for the project, but the font might be Helvetica Regular 9 point. In certain contexts – not just when you’re talking to a typographer who is a stickler for accuracy – knowing the exact font is critical. When coding an app for a specific type of display, adhering to a particular font selection may lead to optimum legibility. For most people these days, the terms ‘font’ and ‘typeface’ are often used interchangeably Dave Sedgwick Brand guidelines (see our favourite example style guides) are another case in point with identity designers choosing typefaces in certain sizes and weights to support the brand aesthetic they want to portray. In the world of packaging, there are consumer protection regulations to adhere to. For example, EU law stipulates a minimum size for the text in the nutrition declaration. However, in most circumstances even experienced designers alternate between the two and we’re not ashamed to admit that it even happens right here on Creative Bloq. “It’s probably sacrilege but I’m not sure I’ve ever known the difference,” says Dave Sedgwick, founder of Studio DBD in Manchester. “For most people these days, the terms ‘font’ and ‘typeface’ are often used interchangeably and most clients probably don’t know the difference either so when we’re presenting directly to them we use simple, straightforward terminology that doesn’t suggest we’re attempting to overcomplicate things.” And he’s right. Usually it doesn’t matter, but when the distinction is important it might help to look at it like this. We choose a typeface because of its common aesthetic qualities. Then we refine it down to a specific font by setting its size, weight, style and sometimes the character set such as Roman, Cyrillic or Greek when we use it. For example, you might love the typeface Futura because of its modernist look, and so the font you used for the captions on your site is Futura Condensed Extra Bold 8 point. If the font is the song, the typeface is the artist. Font vs typeface: A history MuirMcNeil’s Cut typeface is a modernist homage to 18th and 19th century typefaces such as Didot The difference between a font and a typeface has its roots in the history of printing. The word font itself comes from the Middle French 'fonte', meaning cast in metal. Printers cast complete sets of metal letters to make up a font. Fonts with a common design made up a typeface. In a box containing a specific font were two cases – one for capitals and one for small letters – which is where upper and lower case comes from. Blocks of text were assembled letter by letter to form a page layout, which was then rolled with ink and pressed onto paper to make prints. With the advent of digital typesetting, much of the hot metal terminology was maintained, but the context and the possibilities changed completely. In pure computing terms, there actually isn’t any distinction between a font and a typeface. If you have the Helvetica font data installed on your computer, you’ll be able to render the entire typeface. Each letter is completely scalable, based on the same vector formulae. A traditional typesetter might have had a font labelled Times Roman 7pt back in the day, but on your Mac the size isn’t important because your font file will contain all the data needed to change it in an instant. The reason we focus on fonts today is largely as a result of desktop publishing and word processing applications, which have a Font menu. When you click it, you get a list of typefaces to choose from – Arial, Baskerville, Caslon etc – and from there you set the specifics of the font – Medium Italic 16 point, for example. When he wrote The Visual History of Type, published by Laurence King in 2017, typographic designer Paul McNeil of MuirMcNeil avoided using the word ‘font’ to describe anything before the digital era. “Instead I referred to the embodiment of type in metal with the word ‘fount’ in order to be accurate,” he says. “The book’s editors would not accept this word, probably correctly: typographers can be too myopic.” Ironically, although it irks typographers that people mix up the terms font and typeface, people today actually know far more about type than ever before thanks to their computers. Font vs typeface: Does it matter? With a focus on food branding, Sweet Sneak has crafted lettering out of biscuits, cold meats, pasta and more Whether it matters in the industry is a different question. “The distinction between the two definitely serves a purpose,” continues McNeil, “but only for those who understand what it is – typically people who have trained in graphics, typography or type design. In my experience, typefaces are either indistinct or invisible to many people so most terms of reference are irrelevant.” Take the discussion outside of the English-speaking world and things get even more interesting. Copenhagen studio Sweet Sneak has a multinational team that includes Germans, Austrians, Danes and Dutch creatives. When we asked them about the distinction between ‘font’ and ‘typeface’, it sparked a wider linguistic discussion. “The terminology in our native languages is a bit different, maybe even more finely nuanced than in English,” says Brini Fetz, co-founder and creative director. If you want to express yourself precisely it is important to distinguish between the two terms Brini Fetz “If you want to express yourself precisely it is important to distinguish between the two terms, but we still tend to use the word ‘font’ in daily office language. The term ‘font’ in Dutch and German often refers only to the digital version of a typeface, so it gets even more complicated when you look into what the terms mean in different languages.” Whether someone says ‘font’ or ‘typeface’ isn’t as important as how they actually work, according to Sedgwick. “I’m more interested in how designers think than I am in about whether they are entirely clued up on all the relevant terminology. I believe a good attitude and a genuine desire to learn or find things out is more important, and I’m not even sure design students are being taught the fundamentals of type in the correct language these days anyway.” Read more: 15 top typography resources Typography rules and terms every designer must know 20 free ebooks for designers View the full article

Microsoft's social media team appears to be building up to something. Earlier this week the tech company's accounts started to tease the launch of Windows 1.0, the operating system that was first launched back in November 1985. So is this a publicity stunt, an unprompted trip down memory lane, or the build up to a product launch? The confusion kicked off on Monday 1 July, when the official Windows Twitter account shared a video that cycles through the history of operating system's logo designs before settling on the original Windows 1.0 icon. The video was accompanied by the caption "Introducing the all-new Windows 1.0, with MS-Dos Executive, Clock, and more!!" What could it mean? Twitter user Zachary Jorgensen spoke for a lot of people in his tweet that asked: "are you re-releasing all the previous Windows operating systems again or what? Is this even real or is it just a joke? What is this supposed to be exactly? Why is this a promoted ad? WHAT IS GOING ON??? I’M SO CONFUSED." Meanwhile others took the opportunity to indulge in some Windows-related nostalgia. As for Windows, it's enjoying remaining tight-lipped for the time being. In response to questions about what it's up to, Windows has replied with suitably '80s-sounding tweets. The nostalgia trip doesn't end there though. Windows seems to be sticking to its latest obsession by changing its social media profile pictures to the Windows 1.0 logo. On Instagram it's even gone one step further and erased all content that isn't about Windows 1.0. This isn't the case on Twitter, but both channels have started pushing Windows 1.0 content. These posts include quizzes about the memory required to run Windows 1.0 in 1985, and a look at the exciting programs the operating system will run "this summer". A popular theory is that this is all heading towards a Stranger Things tie-in. If this is the case, Windows wouldn't be the first brand to piggyback on the success of the popular fantasy show set in the '80s. LEGO released this epic Stranger Things set, and Coca-Cola got involved with the series by bringing back its unpopular New Coke, which was originally launched in 1985. In the meantime though, we're just going to have to sit tight and wait for Windows to reveal why it's getting all retro on us. Related articles: Microsoft brings React Native to Windows Microsoft announces absurdly powerful new XBox console The best Microsoft Surface deals in 2019 View the full article

If you're looking for the best fibre broadband deals, you've come to the right place. Fibre broadband, super-fast fibre broadband in particular, isn't as rare as it once was. With coverage now available to over 90 per cent of UK premises, it's probably available at your home or studio. And it doesn't cost the earth either. Prices of fibre broadband deals have fallen dramatically over the last few years and a speedier connection now only costs a few pounds more a month than slower ADSL. That's a small price to pay for the extra productivity that fibre broadband affords you. There are rapid downloads and uploads, stutter-free video calling and, of course, lightning quick internet browsing – all without the desk-thumping frustration caused by old-fashioned broadband connections. Our easy-to-work, up to the minute price comparison below will let you quickly see what the best fibre broadband deals in the UK today are. And below that we've answered some commonly asked questions about fibre, what speeds you really need and more. Just want the lowest cost internet possible? Head to our best cheap broadband deals page Do I need a fibre broadband deal? In the same way that you wouldn't scrimp on your laptop, camera equipment or video editing software, it really pays dividends to invest in your internet connection as well. Bearing in mind that you're only looking at an extra fiver a month max, that's just an extra £60 to find each year for average broadband speeds of more than triple what you get with cheaper ADSL. So yes, if fibre is available where you are, then we'd heartily recommend you make the upgrade. Can I even get fibre broadband? As we said at the top of the page, fibre is now enormously common and is being rolled out to more places all the time. We've seen estimates that say fibre is now available to more than 95 per cent of UK premises. And it's really easy to see whether you're one of the majority that can get fibre. Simply enter your postcode where indicated immediately above the fibre broadband comparison above. If deals show in the table, then you're good to go. If all the tariffs suddenly disappear, then it looks like fibre isn't an option for you...sorry! What fibre broadband speed do I need? The range of speeds that you can get are enormous. They start at around 35Mb and can go all the way up to a faintly ridiculous 1Gb. An average speed of 35Mb is the equivalent download speed of just over 4MB per second. That should be absolutely fine if you're after home broadband and want to strike the balance between price and speed. If you're hunting for an internet plan for your small studio or 4K TV streaming is a must (either professionally or to help you unwind), then it's worth cranking up the speeds to 50Mb or over. Pretty much every provider out there can cater for these speeds. Still not fast enough for your needs? Then there are even faster options still... What about Virgin Media broadband deals? Virgin Media follows a very different model to most other ISPs. It doesn't faff around with slower ADSL connections and its entry-level package begins at around a rapid 50Mb, going all the way up to 350Mb (43MB per second). That may sound tempting – and Virgin is certainly very good value considering how fast it can be – but be warned that the availability of Virgin is much lower than the other internet companies. It's more like six in ten households that can get Virgin broadband. That's because it uses its own cable wiring instead of the standard Openreach fibre. That gives it greater control over speed and results in less bandwidth being used up by your neighbours. It also means however, that there are usually greater installation costs and you may be waiting longer to get started if you're in a rush. Can I get a 1Gb fibre broadband deal? Ultra-fast 1Gb broadband has only been rolled out to a very tiny proportion of the population as yet – only around 1 per cent. While the likes of BT and Vodafone have experimented with ultra-fast, other smaller providers have entered this space in the market, too. For example, less recognised companies such as Hyperoptic and Gigaclear have also begun rolling out 1Gb fibre. And often in more rural areas, too. So again, head on back up to the postcode entry box above the broadband price comparison at the top of the page and that will let you know within seconds whether any 1Gb fibre plans are available on your street of residence or work. Related articles: The best laptops for graphic design Things no graphic designer should be without The 5 best desks for your home office or studio View the full article

Learning how to draw an arm that looks realistic is a vital part of a life drawing. The layers of complex anatomy need to be accurately portrayed, and succeeding at this whilst conveying a sense of movement and strength is no easy feat. In this guide, we’ll be studying the arm, particularly the twisting (pronated) forearm. The arms, if drawn gesturally, can have a rhythmic appearance. If the gesture of the anatomy isn’t taken into consideration then they can look stiff due to their structural up-and-down hinge movement. The hinge joint is the elbow of the lower arm’s ulna bone fitting into the spanner-like condyles of the upper arm’s humerus bone. For more step-by-step drawing guides, check out our rundown of the best how to draw tutorials, our spotlight on figure drawing, or you could focus on improving your pencil drawing techniques. In my oil painting, Jason and the Golden Fleece, you can see the importance of understanding the rhythm and power of the arms and how they turn The Three Hells Gesture, structure and render are everything we need to create heavenly drawings, but these three components can be hellish if unbalanced. When we rely too much on gesture, our figure drawings become floppy and boneless. This is gesture hell. And if we rely too much on structure our drawings become wooden and stiff – welcome to structure hell. If we use render to hide poor gesture or structure then our drawings will look laboured and dull. This is the worst hell. We’re all sinners at one point or another... Check the study sheet at the end for anatomy landmarks and proportions as you go, but for now let’s get drawing that arm. Click on the icon at the top-right of the image to enlarge it.Draw an arm: 01. Follow the twist This twisted arm is gesture heaven Looking at the twisted arm study (right), you can see how the straighter arm study (left) was started with broad gestural shapes, from the large deltoid top to narrower wrist at the bottom. This is gesture heaven. Note how much twist the wrist is capable of by following the ulna (elbow) bone. 02. Develop a good plot Base the structure on simple anatomy Having plotted out the basic structural shapes, based on simple anatomy, I wipe the drawing back to a ghost form with tissue. This creates a faded road map for me to articulate the more sophisticated lines and tones to follow. I add proportional head-size based divisions to help control the length. 03. Stay sharp Improve the anatomy using the faded structure lines I keep my pencil lead long and sharp, which helps keep my lines long, gestural and accurate. With the faded structure lines underneath I have the confidence to make each line more gestural and fluid on top. This also gives me the chance to improve the anatomy with every stroke. 04. Soften the flesh Notice the bunching muscles I lay in some forms with the pencil edge, then soften the forms broadly with a shammy leather cloth to create an early feel for the softness of flesh. Notice in the right-hand drawing how the muscles are bunching upward due to the twist and flex of the forearm. 05. Keep in mind the hierarchy of muscles The deltoid is king Here the study begins in earnest. At this point I’m overlapping the pectoralis muscle across the biceps, but under the twisting deltoids. Knowing the hierarchy of muscles helps me understand depth and form. “The deltoid is king” is a good phrase to remember for the arm 06. Get ahead in anatomy studies Use the below comparisons to gauge the length of the hand Here I seize the chance to draw some digits in detail – a luxury that life-drawing classes don’t always have time for. To sight the length of a hand I compare the bottom of the nose to the top of the head. I also use a measurement of three-and-one-third heads from shoulder to fingertips. 07. Capture the twisting of arm muscles Considered study keeps us in gestural heaven Now I work on both arm studies at once, going back and forth as I shade the curved forms. Doing this helps us understand the twisting and bunching of fibrous muscle as the arm turns. At this point we are in gesture and structural heaven. Considered study has kept us from falling into both gestural and structural hell. 08. Stay out of render hell We could ruin our structure by overdoing the blending and softening I use a paper stump to blend and render tone. This is a dangerous place as we can easily screw up our solid structure by over-blending and softening the edges so much that we slowly change the form without noticing. This is what I mean by render hell. Of the three hells, this is the most fearful and destructive. 09. Notice the sorcery afoot The bones twist and pull the muscles along with them Here are the bones that live under the muscles. The white dots indicate where they meet the surface. The main sorcery to note is how the flat-ended radius bone has twisted across the ulna bone to bring the thumb to the back, while pulling the forearm muscles with it. 10. Focus on the ball and socket Focus on the rotation of the joint While the forearm is doing most of the turning, the humerus bone of the upper arm follows to a lesser degree as it rotates inside the shoulder and twists the deltoid. The rotation occurs via the ball and socket joint-connection of the scapula called the glenoid process. 11. Don't sweat the small stuff Render by following the form rhythmically The other problem with render hell is that we tend to focus on the small stuff and lose sight of the big picture. To avoid the stiff quality of slow-cooked render hell, I render gesturally, following the form with pendulum-like rhythmic strokes, moving back and forth, all the way down the arm. 12. Blur the lines Fade lines with tissue and use eraser to draw highlights Here I’m using a pencil eraser to ‘draw’ the highlights. It’s worth noting that I rarely use erasers to erase errors. I prefer to fade lines with tissue and keep drawing. If I make an error that requires major erasing, I find it’s simply better to start again with fresh rhythm. 13. Pop the highlights Use a kneadable eraser for the softer highlights Using charcoal and tissue I smudge and rub into the background to provide a grey tone that visually ‘pops’ the highlights of the flesh by providing contrast. For softer highlights I use a kneadable eraser, moving down the arm as before, swaying in rhythm, always drawing, and moving it side to side. 14. Remember nobody's perfect Adding tiny details may crack open the doors to render hell With all the hells avoided, we end with a study that is neither too gesturally floppy nor too structurally stiff. Proud of myself, I self-indulge in a bit of needless render, adding tiny details such as wrinkles and veins. Yes, I’ve creaked open the sinful doors to render hell again, but hey, nobody’s perfect. The pronated arm study sheet Use this sheet to further explore the anatomy of the arm When the palm is up, the hand position is know as supination. When the palm is down, it’s called pronation. With pronation, we turn the thumb toward our body, twisting the muscles attached to the radius bone across the ulna bone, much like a bunched-up towel. A good ballpark length of the arm from shoulder to fingertips is three-and-one-third heads. Note that although it’s the flat radius bone on the thumb side that twists over the ulna, it’s easier to see the ball shape of the ulna on the wrist. Just follow the ulna. You can also see that biceps attach to the radius, while the brachialis under the biceps attaches to the ulna. Finally, the Ulna bone is the landmark that divides the extensors on the top of the arm from the flexors under the arm. This article was originally published in ImagineFX, the world's best-selling magazine for digital artists. Subscribe to ImagineFX. Read more: How to draw muscles How to draw a figure The best pencils for colouring, drawing and sketching View the full article

Cancer Research UK's latest campaign is at the centre of an online controversy around fat shaming. The campaign, which sees the word 'obesity' appear on the front of cigarette packets in the place of brand names and health warnings, is one of the more impactful examples of billboard advertising we've seen. In a blog post, Cancer Research UK explains the thinking behind the divisive ads by revealing that obese people outnumber smokers two to one, and that excess weight causes more cases of certain cancers than smoking. "The campaign compares smoking and obesity to show how policy change can help people form healthier habits, not to compare tobacco with food," the charity says. But despite Cancer Research UK's reasoning, the campaign has quickly provoked an intense backlash from the public. Web developer Ken Lynch criticised the campaign by describing it as a "new low" in a widely shared post on Twitter. This tweet lead to a flurry of back-and-forth replies, where people either voiced their disgust with the campaign or defended it. A common theme running through the responses was that Cancer Research UK was fat shaming obese people. This isn't the first time Cancer Research UK has been accused of fat shaming, either. Last year, a similarly hard-hitting campaign from the charity caused offence when it invited people to guess that obesity was the biggest preventable cause of cancer after smoking. At the heart of the controversy is the confusion around who Cancer Research UK is targeting. In a tweet, user Ann Coates say that the ads will cause "nothing but harm" for obese people. But the charity insists that it isn't punching down with these billboards. Instead, it wants to use them to go after the government in order to implement a policy change that will halve childhood obesity rates by 2030, and place restrictions on adverts for junk food on TV and online. Speaking in the blog post, Cancer Research UK's prevention expert, professor Linda Bauld, added: "There isn't a silver bullet to reduce obesity, but the huge fall in smoking over the years – partly thanks to advertising and environmental bans – shows that Government-led change works. It was needed to tackle sky-high smoking rates, and now the same is true for obesity. "The world we live in doesn't make it easy to be healthy and we need Government action to fix that, but people can also make changes themselves; small things like swapping junk food for healthier options and keeping active can all add up to help reduce cancer risk." Related articles: 5 ad campaigns that changed the world 5 ads that tried to be cool, but failed Gillette cuts close to the bone with #MeToo-inspired ad View the full article

Picking the best sketchbook is no easy task. It's an important decision and one that can have a huge impact on your work. For example, a sketchbook with heavier, thicker paper is more likely to be suitable for artists using watercolors and markers, whereas lighter paper is a better choice for dry media. The 'tooth', or texture of the paper is also an important consideration. Paper with more tooth has more pits and grooves to hold pigment from charcoal and pastels, while smoother paper is more suited to your best pencils and inks. A spiral-bound sketchbook will lie nice and flat while you work, whereas some hard-bound sketchbook may be tricker to use. For sketching on-the-go, a smaller hard-cover sketchbook will serve you well, fitting into a bag or pocket and protecting your work, whereas large-format sketchbooks will give you more space and freedom. With all that in mind, here's our pick of the best sketchbooks to make you a better artist – however you like to work. Image credit: Moleskine The Moleskine Art Collection Sketchbook is ideal for sketching on the move, and wins our vote for best sketchbook overall. This is the larger of the two sizes, giving you plenty of room to work, but it's still convenient for carrying thanks to its elastic closure, which keeps it neat in a bag, and rounded corners that won't become bent. Its ivory-colored paper is quite smooth, but with enough tooth for most dry media. With 240 pages, you won't need to worry about filling it up too quickly, but the price is so reasonable that it wouldn't matter if you did. Image credit: Leda If you're new to sketching, this superb all-rounder will serve you well as you learn and progress, and is inexpensive enough to use for everyday practising, wherever you are. The Leda Art Supply Premium Sketchbook is a little smaller than A4 size, enabling it to fit neatly into most folders and bags. Its cover is waterproof to protect your work on the move, though it's worth noting that it's flexible, so you'll need a hard surface to support it. Despite being thread-bound, it lies just as flat as a spiral-bound notebook, and its cream-colored pages have micro-perforations for easy removal. Image credit: Strathmore Strathmore's specialist papers are made with specific uses in mind, paying careful attention to color, absorbency, weight and texture. For professional artists, the Strathmore 400 Series Sketch Pad is one of the best sketchbooks around, with a fine tooth that carries graphite, coloured pencils and pastels well. This is the smallest pad, but it comes in a wide range of sizes (all the way up to 18 x 24 inches) if you need more space to work. This top quality general purpose pad is ideal for structural sketches, though the price per sheet means it's probably a little too expensive for practising. Image credit: Canson Mixed-media pads can be useful, but they rarely perform as well as pads designed for specific tasks. The Canson Artist Series Watercolor Pad is made to made to withstand repeated washes. Its thick paper won't ripple of deform as it dries, and there'll be no bleeding. Each page is perforated, but Canson has factored that into the size, so you won't lose an inch of paper when you tear a page out, as you do with many similar pads. This sketchbook works out quite pricey per page, but so thoughtfully designed, we think it's well worth the extra outlay. Image credit: Canson Another excellent wet media sketchbook from Canson, the Canson XL Marker Paper Pad provides 100 pages of thin, slightly translucent paper that's quite unusual, but works well for sketching and tracing. The surface is smooth with little in the way of tooth, so you won't need to worry about your markers snagging, and the ink won't bleed through to the next page. The translucent paper means you'll be able to see your sketches on the reverse, so you won't be able to sketch on both sides, but there are enough sheets for this not to be an issue. Image credit: Strathmore Toned sketchbooks are ideal for learning to use values, encouraging you to use a whole range and helping you achieve more realistic results. Strathmore also offers a gray toned pad, but we've picked the Strathmore 400 Series Toned Tan Pad as the best sketchbook because its warm colour lends life to portrait sketches. The paper's smooth texture works particularly well with coloured pencils and graphite, though it carries all dry media well. If you've not used toned paper before then you might prefer a less costly pad at first, but Strathmore's paper is a joy to use once you're confident. Image credit: Canson Many sketchbooks are roughly A4-sized, but there's no need to confine your work to such small spaces. This version of the Canson Artist Series Universal Sketch Pad is two feet long, giving you space to draw freely. Its paper doesn't have much tooth, so it's best for use with pencils and charcoal. The spiral binding lets it lie flat as you work, the hard cover provides protection and support, and each page is easy to remove for storage in a portfolio. Keep an eye out for multipacks of Canson sketchbooks, as these are often a good way to stock up. Image credit: Pentalic At the other end of the scale, we have the neat little Pentalic Wire-Bound Sketch Book, which is small enough to fit in a pocket, and tough enough to survive some rough treatment. Its hard cover prevents damage from everyday knocks and bumps, and its double wire spiral bounding resists bending. There are no perforations for tearing out pages, so this is better for exercises and rough work than pieces you want to keep in a portfolio. That's fine by us, though, and its affordable price means we've no reservations about filling it. One of the best sketchbooks for any artist on the move. Read more: How to draw: the best drawing tutorials The best art jobs The best travel accessories for designers View the full article

The best graphic design memes will have designers nodding their heads in agreement, as they see elements of their daily lives played out in images or GIFs. These graphic design memes show everything from struggles with clients to naming conventions in Photoshop, and chasing up late payments. The internet is awash with such memes, so once you've checked out the graphic designer's price list, dive into our list of graphic design memes. How many can you relate to? For more colourful depictions of an array of different subjects, see our list of the best infographics. 01. Brief vs budget We've all had that sort of client, the one who isn't after a 'small favour'. They aren't suggesting you work 'for the experience'. They've got money to spend on this project. Except the amount of money they're willing to spend in no way matches the amount of work they want you to put into it. They want a blockbuster on an indie budget. 02. Defend yourself, firmly but fairly Clients often want you to work miracles but they don't want to pay miracle-prices, but that's not the most annoying thing. The thing many designers can't stand – and simply will not put up with – is the client literally or figuratively loitering over your shoulder and questioning every stage of the design process. This sort of backseat-designing is enough to make anyone want to defend themselves. 03. Client push back They say the customer's always right? But when you know they're absolutely not, things can get heated. When the studio manager mediates, it often gets more heated, and it seems that the creative director is always, quite conveniently, "in a meeting." 04. The good/cheap/fast conundrum Most clients want the work to be either good, cheap or fast. The problem comes when they expect it to be all three. This is in fact impossible, as the above GIF shows. 05. When inspiration strikes When you're ready and waiting for a dazzling idea to hit – you've cracked open a brand new limited edition Moleskine sketchbook, you're holding your freshly sharpened Blackwing pencil, and you're at your adjustable, ergonomic, sit/stand workstation – which cost more than your car – it inevitably doesn't. Picasso reckoned inspiration really does exist, but it has to find you working. But, more often than not, inspiration finds you eating, shopping, showering – it finds you anywhere but your adjustable, ergonomic, sit/stand workstation (see our best desks if you want one). 06. File naming Once you're at the designing stage, it's all too easy to decide that there will only be one 'final' version of that document. It's only then you realise you've missed something, and then something else... 07. Two types of designer Once you decide to tweak this, redo that, all of sudden, the whole project has become far more complicated than you ever imagined it would be. It's easy to wish you were one of those organised designers, someone who has a tried and tested workflow, who keeps their layers nice and tidy. These people must exist. 08. Balancing act Of course there had to be a meme on work-life balance. When you're balancing clients, meetings, chasing invoices, doing good work, doing satisfying work, doing work that pays, that pays well, work-life balance (what life?), worrying about how work will be received, worrying you're doing too much work, worrying you're not doing enough work: balancing all of these things, you think, makes you tougher, stronger, a better designer, a better person. But you also think that maybe balancing all of these things makes you look like a moron. 09. The idea in your head The gap between the idea and the made thing The author Cormac McCarthy said the thing you end up making is never as good as the idea in your head. The exciting bit is trying to bridge that gap. But, of course, then other people have to stick their beaks in. The idea in your head is normally a million miles away from the way the thing you end up making is received (as these logo fails show). 10. Getting paid Once you've done the work-work, often the real work begins: getting paid. You invoiced the client weeks ago, months ago, last year. You've heard all the excuses. The invoice is "being processed." The invoice is "with accounts". The invoice is "signed off". Meanwhile you're subsisting on Weetabix and refreshing your online banking at five-minute intervals. Until finally, the sweet moment comes. Read more: This guide highlights everything that's wrong with modern branding 9 things you need to sort before going freelance Best free fonts for designers View the full article

As the lives of creative professionals become ever-more demanding, so too do the requirements for the hardware they’re using. In order to fully support a creative workflow, laptops need to be highly versatile, offering a balance of flexibility, power and portability. While a combination of these requirements can be found in some current laptop models, it’s rare to find a device that delivers well on all. Until now. Introducing the new P65 Creator laptop from MSI. “The form factor and the weight of the P65 is amazing,” Emmanuel Shiu comments. Shiu is a freelance concept artist for the film industry, whose creative career spans over two decades. In that time he has worked at LucasFilm and Image Movers (owned by Disney), and created artwork for a number of blockbuster movies, including Deadpool, Blade Runner 2049 and Thor Ragnarok. The very nature of Shiu’s role requires a huge amount of versatility in his hardware. “I tend to jump very quickly in to 3D when I’m working, and have recently got really heavily into GPU rendering so need a machine that can handle such tasks,” Shiu says. “I’ve tried using laptops and tablets before – including the Wacom companion – with very little success. But the P65 can give my desktop, which has multiple GPUs, a run for its money.” This comes as no surprise when you consider what’s under the P65’s hood. The device runs on the latest 9th Gen Intel i9 processor and Nvidia’s new RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU, the combined power of which making light work of even the most labour intensive creative tasks. “The P65 can give my desktop, which has multiple GPUs, a run for its money.” - Emmanuel Shiu Portable power You’d be forgiven for thinking that to house all this power, the P65 would be a bit of a bulky affair. However, it’s anything but. Weighing in at just 1.8kg and sporting a chassis less than 2cm thick, this powerhouse is highly portable. “The P65’s size surprised me,” Shiu says. “When I opened it I was like ‘Is there really a 2070 in here?’. It’s really light and small and yet packed with so much power. “When you consider what it can do, the weight is pretty amazing,” he adds. “I carry it pretty much everywhere in my backpack with no trouble, and as someone in a self propelling wheelchair, that really says a lot.” The P65 can give my desktop, which has multiple GPUs, a run for its money Emmanuel Shiu The balance of portability and power in the P65 is proving hard to beat. “Working as a freelancer in the film industry means very rarely do you have a permanent office, where hardware is readily available,” Shiu explains. “It’s usually a temporary office with a bunch of people who have to rely on laptops. I was working recently with a lot of people using Macs, which are super-light and sleek, but weren’t able to perform certain tasks due to lack of power. It came as a big surprise to them – and me initially – that the P65 doesn’t limit your productivity in this way. On set I was able to do continue doing the same work I would on my desktop, including complex 3D renders. With a laptop performing such tasks there are always going to be thermal issues, and the P65’s fans were blowing like crazy. But it got the job done.” The P65 also holds its own when it comes to battery life. Thanks to its larger battery capacity, the device can last up to eight hours after a full charge. But how does it hold up under pressure? “On set I was using the machine pretty hard to demo some 3D renders and it lasted a good hour,” Shiu says. “It obviously isn’t going to last all day without charge doing such intensive tasks, however it was great to have a portable rendering unit that I could take to the director for on the spot for feedback.” Picture perfect display The P65 Creator’s stunning 4K HDR display is perfect for showcasing artwork Shiu also had no worries when it came to showcasing his artwork, with the P65’s in-built True Colour Technology, 100% Adobe RGB colour coverage and 4K HDR display doing every pixel justice. “It’s super-bright, I love it!” he says. The only thing Shiu would like is more of it. “The only down side for me was that the screen is just a little small,” he comments. “The bigger the screen, the easier it is to show the director or production designer my artwork, and so 17 inches is really the optimum size for me to work creatively on a laptop.” However, clearly not a deal breaker as the P65 has become a firm fixture in Shiu’s workflow. “The P65 is a very welcome addition to my tool bag,” he says. “So much so, if I ever have to work remotely, or in another state or country, this would probably be the only hardware I’d take with me as I know it would be up to whatever creative tasks I could throw at it.” Want your own powerful mobile workstation? The MSI P65 Creator is available at Amazon now. View the full article

Bugs in Arlo Technologies’ equipment allow a local attacker to take control of Alro wireless home video security cameras. View the full article

IBM has disclosed multiple critical and high-severity flaws across an array of products, the most severe of which exist in its IBM Spectrum Protect tool. View the full article

Google fixed several critical and high-severity vulnerabilities in its Android operating system. View the full article

Nike has pulled a new line of Independence Day-themed sneakers following criticism surrounding the inclusion of the 13-star 'Betsy Ross flag'. It has been widely reported that the decision was prompted by a private complaint to Nike from Colin Kaepernick, former NFL quarterback and political activist. The Air Max 1 USA included the flag, which shows white stars arranged in a circle over a blue background, on their heels. The flag's name relates to the Philadelphia seamstress popularly credited with creating the design at the request of George Washington. The problem is, the historical flag was later adopted for use by the American Nazi party and, in recent years has started cropping up in association with racist ideologies, specifically in relation to the Ku Klux Klan. The Wall Street Journal has reported that Kaepernick got in touch with Nike to let the company know that he and others consider the flag offensive, and suggest it pull the line. Nike has not commented specifically on the reasons behind the decision. "Nike has chosen not to release the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July as it featured an old version of the American flag," said Nike spokesperson Sandra Carreon-John, in a statement on Tuesday. The news has been met with impassioned responses, opinion split between those who think the criticism is valid, and those that see it as 'weak' and 'unpatriotic'. Kaepernick previously appeared in a divisive campaign for Nike Kaepernick has history with the sportswear giant, having appeared on an ad campaign marking the 30th anniversary of its 'Just Do It' slogan. The ad bore the slogan 'Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything' – a reference to Kaepernick's decision to kneel during the National Anthem in protest against police brutality in the US. The ad sparked a boycott of Nike products, but also earned the company over $6 billion. The line was due to be released in celebration of Independence Day, but has been officially cancelled, with its release 'indefinitely postponed' and retailers being asked to return any stock they have to Nike, according to Sneaker News. Read more: How Nike's circular design aims to save the world UK finally bans sexist adverts Amazon Prime Day 2019: get the best Prime Day deals for creatives View the full article

Have you ever gazed up at the night sky and wanted to look down on planet Earth from outer space? Us too. And while the sad truth is that most of us will never become astronauts, we can now look at what they see with the augmented reality NASA Space Mug. That's because this out-of-this-world cup can be paired with a special app to show you stunning views from the International Space Station. Simply point your phone over the top of the mug to see hi-res satellite photos taken from data provided by NASA and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). NASA fans will also be pleased to see that the mug stays true to the space agency's aesthetic, which is so well outlined that its manual made our shortlist of the best design style guides. The famous NASA 'worm' logo can be seen on a crisp white protective canister, while the peculiar lumpy mug is inspired by the shape of satellites. Take a look at the NASA Space Mug in action with the video below. Pretty cool, huh? And with over 200 countries and 10,000 cities to view, you'll likely never get bored of peering down on the likes of the Amazon Rainforest and the Grand Canyon via the app. The mug was released in partnership with AstroReality to commemorate 60 years since NASA was founded, and can be yours for just shy of 30 bucks when you head over to buy it from BH Photo. This low price isn't the only bargain you'll be able to pick up over the coming weeks, either. Bookmark our guide to the best Prime Day deals to stay on top of all the discounts on creative goodies. Related articles: The changing landscape of augmented reality 7 bonkers VR trends heading your way Get started with WebVR View the full article

Often the hardest thing about working in design has nothing to do with the actual creative process, and everything to do with being organised and productive. Creatives tend to have a bit of a reputation for being chaotic, and while that's something of an easy truism, we can mostly agree that maybe our working setups could stand being just a little more orderly. You might be just about keeping on top of the admin side of things and hitting those deadlines, but we can all use a little help sometimes. Whether you're a freelancer or an art director, with the right apps to hand you can add a vital extra layer of structure to your workflow, have more time to spend on the important creative side of things and even avoid those all-nighters. Here are eight apps that'll help you maximise your productivity without bogging you down in tedious admin. How to grow your design business 01. Wunderlist Wunderlist helps you ensure your to-do list gets done The best way to get things done is to have a to-do list, and then do everything on the list. However, while that works just fine for simple tasks, more complex projects require a more sophisticated to-do list, and you'd be hard pushed to find a better one than Wunderlist. It's free, it runs on just about any platform you care to name, and it enables you to create multiple to-do lists of any size, add reminders and due dates, share them and assign tasks to other people, and plenty more. 02. Slack Everyone's on Slack; maybe just a little too much This one's a bit of a double-edged sword. Slack's without doubt an excellent way to communicate with a team and ensure that everyone's on top of everything, but it can also become a bit of a time sink. It's like having a big chat window open all day, and unless you're extraordinarily disciplined you can lose plenty of hours to enjoyable off-topic and entirely unproductive conversation. Make sure you disable desktop notifications. 03. Toggl Find out how long you're taking on various tasks and plan your time more efficiently Time, as we all know, is money, and often it's not enough to just get things done. You also need to know how long it's taking you so that you can charge accordingly (and also identify things that take up too much of your time for not enough money). Toggl's a simple but effective time-tracking app that'll help you do just that; the basic version is free to use and comes in desktop and mobile versions that sync together, and once it's set up you can start breaking down your working day, boosting your productivity and winning back your time. 04. Evernote Be ready whenever inspiration strikes When you're working on a creative project you never know when you might have a brilliant flash of inspiration, and it's useful to have an app that enables you to organise all your random thoughts and ideas. Evernote's the go-to solution for that situation; it's a note-taking app that enables you to jot down thoughts and also grab images, links and chunks of online articles, and stash them all in their own workspace. You can sync your stuff across multiple devices and also add reminders that'll send email alerts for important tasks. The basic version's free to use, but if you need more advance collaborative tools there are plenty of paid choices. 05. Trello For when that to-do list isn't enough, there's Trello If Wunderlist isn't quite up to managing your life, or if you need something that can cover everything from to-do lists through to more heavyweight project management, Trello is probably what you need. You set up your projects as Trello boards, drag cards onto them to represent tasks, complete with priorities and deadlines as well as the option to add checklists, files and links if you need, and you're good to go. There are also Power-Ups, cards that enable you to bring third-party services into your workflow, plus plenty of collaboration tools to keep things ticking along. Trello's free to use, and of course there's a more advanced paid version available. 06. Pocket Pocket's the perfect place for all those cool links you come across every day Over the course of the average day you're likely to be bombarded with a whole stack of interesting and useful things online, plenty of which you'll want to look at again later on but then completely forget about. Avoid losing vital inspiration with Pocket; it's a neat little app that you can use to stash all that exciting online stuff and then return to it later. It'll hold articles, videos and other content – not only from the web, but also from services such as Twitter, Flipboard and about 1,500 others – and it can also download content for viewing offline, plus you can share links with other Pocket users or post them via social media. The free version works just fine if you don't mind ads; the Premium version removes them, makes your content a permanent resource and also has useful search tools. 07. LastPass Install LastPass and never worry about remembering passwords again Passwords are a pain. It used to be that you only had to remember a tiny handful of passwords, but now you're likely to use any number of online services and websites that each have their own passwords and also require that dreaded combination of both upper and lower-case letters, numbers and special characters. You can't remember them all, so let LastPass sort it out for you. Available for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS, it'll generate strong and secure passwords for you that are available on whatever device you're using so you can log in anywhere, and it'll also remember payment and shipping details for online shopping. The basic version is free to use and will save you loads of time waiting to reset those forgotten passwords; premium options are also available. 08. Join.me Take most (or at any rate, some) of the pain out of meetings with Join.me For a simple way to set up virtual meetings and conference calls, Join.me is a great choice. You create your own personalised meeting link to share with others, and they can paste it into their browser to join in, without any client software to download, or just dial in through a dedicated number. You can set up audio or video meetings, with the useful option to share screens to present ideas, and meetings can be scheduled and recorded. You can set up a free trial and create your own join.me URL, and if you find it useful the prices start at $10 per month for meetings of up to five people. Related articles: 5 logo design apps for beginners 50 best photo apps and photo-editing software 10 apps for endless design inspiration View the full article

There's exciting news for Sketch users, as soon you'll be able to harness the prototyping power of UXPin within your design workflow. UXPin is introducing a much more streamlined integration that will enable designers to import Sketch files and edit them in UXPin. Explore the improved Sketch integration with a free UXPin trial At the moment, Sketch shines when it comes to design, but its prototyping capabilities are much more limited, with designers typically needing to export their designs into another tool to tackle this part of the process. Now there's a way to seamlessly transition into UXPin without disrupting your flow. If this step has put you off continuing with UXPin in the past, now's the time to take another look. Unlike many other UI design tools, which let you fake interactions by linking static screens or artboards with transitions, UXPin gives you everything needed to design prototypes that work like the real product. You can use real text inputs on your designs, include interactive stateful elements, and add conditions to your interactions, and more. How to work with Sketch designs in UXPin If you aren't quite sure how to make the most of this new integration, read on. Importing Sketch files into UXPin is super-simple. Here's what to do: 1. Create a new project in UXPin, and name it 2. Click Import Sketch, images or documents and choose your file 3. OR drag and drop your file directly onto the project dashboard Visit the full tutorial on the UXPin website for more detail. Once you've imported your design, you'll be able to pick up exactly where you left off. Continue working on your creation to turn it into a fully interactive prototype, using the power of UXPin's dedicated tools. Try it now Prototyping offers a way to bring digital designs to life, and is increasingly part of a web designer's job. With this update, you'll be able to seamlessly combine two of your favourite tools, to power up your workflow and boost your capabilities. To explore the improved features yourself, sign up for a free 14-day UXPin trial. View the full article

You're reading Limitations of HTML Email Templates in MailChimp, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook! In the last two years, we have seen considerable improvements in CSS. Flexbox and Grid have finally hit their stride in overcoming the majority of obstacles in browser compatibility. We have eventually begun to enjoy all their possibilities creating various … View the full article

For creative studios and advertising agencies, finding a new angle on a familiar brand is all in a day's work. And that's a good thing. Because if we were to always see brands from one perspective, they'd soon grow stale and ineffective. This fun quiz goes one step further and finds a new angle on finding a new angle. Our guide to everything you need to know about logo design points out that the best brand icons keep things simple and easy to recall., and as you'll see with this quiz, that's certainly true of some logos more than it is others. That's because you're about to see if you can identify a logo from a birds-eye view vantage point. Created by the team over at award-winning audio branding agency, why do birds, this quiz presents famous logos from above, and challenges you to guess them. To get you started, take a look at the logo above. Red background, thin golden icon, what could it be? Of course, it's McDonald's famous Golden Arches, but you probably figured that out already. Now you've got the hang of it, why not try and guess some more logos in our gallery below? How did you do? We'll admit, some of them left us stumped. To see the full set of bird's-eye view logos, head over to the why do birds site. To reveal the brand in question, just hover over the image and watch its shadow reveal all. Well, all except the last one, which is on a black background and will frustrate you forever if you can't guess what it is. And if this quiz has made you want to whip up a logo design all of your own, check out our guide to the best free logo design tools. Although it's up to you if you want to design them with a bird's-eye view in mind. Related articles: Quiz: Spot the errors in these famous logos The Creative Types Quiz: What's your creative style? You probably won't get 100% on this colour quiz View the full article

Parallax motion, the concept of moving layers at different speeds, has been used for years in animation. The official website of Bear Grylls (one of our favourite parallax scrolling sites), takes the effect in new and interesting directions. The background mountains scale down into position, while fading up so that they become fully opaque, and in the background of the page, the text ‘adventure’ rises up into place behind the mountains as it fades in. For more inspiring motion effects, check out our guide to the best CSS animations and how to code them. The Bear Grylls site design is the work of UK creative marketing agency Outpost, and with a target audience ranging from 16 to 55 years of age, and over 7 million followers worldwide, they had a serious task on their hands. "The main feature of the website was the homepage; we wanted visitors to literally jump into the screen and join Bear on his adventures," explain co-founder Chris Wilcock and creative director Dan Williams. "To achieve this, we utilised some clever transitions, coupled with edited videos, dramatic imagery and the overall language on the site." See the site in action at www.beargrylls.com. In this article, we'll explain how to recreate the effect on your own sites. Start by downloading the tutorial files. 01. Create the scaling effect The structure to allow all of the animating content to work is relatively simple. A wrapper holds everything, and hides any overflow content. Then there are essentially three layers of div tags over the top. 02. Start the CSS To make the design, the background gradient image will be added to the body and set to fill the size of screen. The wrapper holds all of the layers, and the overflow for content is hidden so that scaling effects can be applied. 03. Position each layer The next code ensures that each layer is positioned absolutely, one over the other, inside the wrapper. The size of this fills the viewport width and height so the images fill the screen. 04. Add the text The text class really just adds the right image, and sets its start position before animating it into place using the moveUp keyframes that will be added in the final step. 05. Animate the first mountain The first mountain is the one further away from the screen, and this will get a small scaling that will be animated. The opacity of all the layers is also set low so that they appear in place. 06. Animate the foreground mountain The mountain for the foreground is almost identical to the other mountain — it just does much more of a scale into place. Both mountains share the ‘scaler’ keyframes for their animation. 07. Add keyframe animation The keyframes are now created that specifies that. at the end state of the movement, this end state will be held in place. The text is moved up, and the mountains are scaled down, to fit into the design. Pick up a ticket to Generate CSS now for a big discount This article was originally published in issue 289 of Web Designer – on sale now. Subscribe here. Read more: How to add animation to SVG with CSS Dos and don'ts for delightful web animations How to design with CSS shapes: An introduction View the full article

First, let me say that there is no 100 per cent 'right' way to build a design portfolio. Every company looks for something different when hiring a designer, and different roles require varying presentations. If there was one single correct way, Semplice (my customisable portfolio system for designers) wouldn’t exist and we’d all be using the same boring template. However, I have seen designers make certain mistakes over and over again with their portfolios. It's these missteps that mean designers get stuck and fail to launch their portfolio site, or result in a site that doesn't properly sell their work. 01. Turning it into an art project A designer's portfolio is the ultimate personal project. So it’s understandable that we approach it like a masterpiece. We aim to create something fantastic and creative; a site that not only showcases our work but expresses our identity. Why is that the wrong way to go about it? Dazzling animations, overly complicated designs and confusing user flows only distract from the task at hand First, it’s a lot of pressure. Designers notoriously procrastinate before launching their portfolio, and it’s likely for this reason. They either have so many ideas that they don’t know where to begin, or they want it to be so perfect they are never satisfied with their creation. This approach can also lead to an unusable site. I’m all for making a beautiful portfolio, but when we’re too focused on it, we forget our users: the recruiters, companies or collaborators who just want to see our work, understand who we are and hopefully, contact us. UX is just as important for our personal site as it is for our clients, and dazzling animations, overly complicated designs and confusing user flows only distract from the task at hand. 02. Saving case studies for last Case studies may be the most dreaded part of portfolio building. As designers, we are more interested in the visuals, creating a beautiful layout with pictures of our work. We start there and save the case studies for the end. Then we either a) procrastinate on our case studies, putting off launch for months or b) write a case study to fit our layout, which usually doesn’t result in an effective case study or c) skip writing case studies entirely (I can’t tell you how many case studies I’ve seen with just a contextless grid of images). Instead of putting off your case studies, start with them. This will help you create more meaningful project layouts that better tell your story. It will guide any photos you need to take for your projects. And it will get the most daunting task out of the way first. To help make your case studies more enjoyable and effective, take a look at this article on how to write engaging case studies, or explore the visual guide on the Semplice blog. 03. Trying to impress other designers I don’t know when or why designers got the idea that success means impressing our peers. We try so hard to fit into the design community, we forget that the 'community' is not our target audience. In most cases, our potential clients or employers are. We try so hard to fit into the design community, we forget that the 'community' is not our target audience An avant-garde homepage design might look cool, but does it help a potential client understand whether you’d fit their project? Fancy animations may seem impressive to another designer, but do they make it more difficult for your client to find your work? Design your portfolio for what you’re after. Maybe you’re looking for a full-time gig, or perhaps you’re seeking freelance clients. Or maybe you are indeed aiming to impress your community in an effort to collaborate with other designers. In any case, these are all different objectives. Think about what your target audience needs to know to appreciate who you are, how you work and what you are capable of creating. Read more: How to curate a creative portfolio 5 little portfolio details that make a big difference The dos and don'ts of perfect portfolios View the full article

Want to launch a career in digital marketing? The Complete Guide to Digital Marketing Course can kick off a lucrative career path in this industry. Get your guide for just $11. With this course you'll learn strategies that apply to blogging, copywriting, email, SEO, and a whole lot more. You'll be able to grow your knowledge with downloadable guides, and manage your progress with downloadable checklists to make sure you stick to your goals. What's more, the inclusion of case studies can teach you important strategies through real-life examples. Pick up The Complete Guide to Digital Marketing Course for only $11. Related articles: 5 ways to boost your website's SEO Facebook takes on Patreon, but its terms enrage artists 10 must-know SEO tools for search success View the full article

Want to learn the tricks of the trade where it comes to User Experience? If so, you'll need the Ultimate UI & UX Designer Bundle, and the good news is that it can be yours for just $24. UX has been around for years, but it can definitely be tricky to learn. However, it pays better than graphic design and can be a super interesting field to dive into! The best VPN service 2019 This course will teach you to understand a UX project, illuminate the difference between UI and UX, and show you the responsibilities of a typical UX designer. You'll also find out how to run user testing sessions and how to build user profiles and personas. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Get the Ultimate UI & UX Designer Bundle for only $24. Related articles: 7 golden rules of UX 20 top UX tools and resources Perfect object-oriented UX View the full article

Do you want to create apps like no other? If so, the Complete Master Photoshop & Adobe CC Bundle can help you get there for only $31. Even if you don’t have much coding experience, you’ll be able to get tons out of this master class. It’s a comprehensive, easy-to-follow approach to mobile app design using Photoshop. The best cloud storage 2019 With bundle you'll also be able to master Material Design, understand the principles of colour and typography, and pick up all sorts of design tips and tricks - all for one low price. What's more, you can access the 149 lectures and 14 hours of content any time of the day or night. Pick up The Complete Master Photoshop & Adobe CC Bundle for $31. Related articles: Mobile app design: A beginner's guide Spotify takes on Apple with app redesign The best video editing apps in 2019 View the full article

Swedish furniture giant IKEA has moved into the world of type design with the launch of Soffa Sans. Described by IKEA as the "comfiest font ever", the typeface was inspired by customers who played around with its sofa-building tool. Soffa Sans is unlike any of the best free fonts for designers we've previously seen. That's because the letters are made up of carefully arranged couches, effectively using the furniture as pixels to spell out characters. The font was announced on Twitter, with IKEA acknowledging that the typeface took its lead from people having a laugh with the chain's couch design tool, VALLENTUNA. So what connects a sofa design tool with typography? Well, keep in mind that if you give social media users the chance to personalise something, they'll likely come up with something humorous. Think of Soffa Sans as the Boaty McBoatface of fonts. And VALLENTUNA gives people lots of opportunity for customisation. Originally it was intended to give homeowners a chance to create the ideal layout of their sofas, but it wasn't long until people started getting creative with the tool. And that included spelling out messages. Not one to be left out of the joke, IKEA worked with customer experience agency Proximity London to launch a fully-realised font family built around VALLENTUNA. Speaking to The Drum, the living rooms sales leader for IKEA UK and Ireland, Marcos Tejedor, said: "We've been really enjoying seeing the fun that people are having with our sofas, and the innovative solutions they are creating. "Inspired by their creativity, we've launched Soffa Sans: the world's comfiest font. Its modular form and relaxed letter-spacing makes it one of the most versatile fonts out there and we're looking forward to seeing where it’s used." The font is available to download for free in a range of colours and sizes from the IKEA site. And that's just as well, because The Drum crunched the numbers and realised that it would cost £106,320 to purchase the 1434 sofas that make up the typeface. This is a great example of a brand listening to what its audience is getting up to and owning the joke. And if anyone knows how to use humour, it's IKEA. We're still chuckling at its cheese grater ad, which had a pop at Apple's new Mac Pro. Related articles: IKEA's new logo is... different Adjustable font gets a playful upgrade Font types: A designer's guide View the full article

Welcome to Creative Bloq's guide to the best laptop stands. A good quality laptop stand can be one of the most important tools you'll buy for creative work. Laptops are far more convenient than hefty desktop computers for most tasks, but they're not designed for long periods of work. Ideally, the screen you're working at should sit at eye level, but the design of a laptop means you'll be hunched over, peering at its display instead. The best laptops for graphic design When you're looking for a laptop stand, ergonomics is one of the most important factors to consider, but you'll also want to think about portability – particularly if you use a shared workspace. Some of the stands here even fold up so you can tuck them into your laptop bag. If your device tends to run hot, you might want to choose a stand with built-in fans for extra cooling – or at least a well ventilated design (alternatively, you could pick up one of the best laptop cooling pads). Finally, you'll want a laptop stand that looks great, and fits well with your studio. Stylish stands don't have to be expensive, so there's no need to settle for something bland. Image credit: Twelve South If you've invested in a new Apple device, you'll want a suitably smart stand to match, and the Twelve South HiRise for MacBook is exactly that. Not only does it look the part, finished in brushed aluminum, it's also a practical choice for creatives thanks to its spring-loaded piston design. This feature lets you raise your laptop up to six inches, so you can position it level with a desktop monitor with a flick of a switch. The only downside to its minimal design is that there's no 'lip' to stop your laptop sliding forwards, but the non-skid surface should keep it in place. Image credit: Bovision The super portable Ergonomic Aluminium Foldable X-Stand has a very simple design, but does an excellent job of holding your laptop at a more comfortable angle for working and viewing. It lacks fans, but its open, cross-shaped design means there'll be a good flow of air under your laptop to stop it from overheating, with rubber feet to keep it off your desk. This little stand is also extremely portable, weighing a mere 18 grams and folding up neatly into a package small enough to tuck into your laptop bag. A handy addition to any designer's toolkit, and an affordable one too. Image credit: Thermaltake The Thermaltake Massive TM Notebook Cooler will keep your laptop nicely chilled during demanding tasks like video rendering, preventing overheating and extending the life of its components. This certainly isn't the most elegant laptop stand (it was created with gamers rather than designers in mind), but it's definitely one of the smartest. It features a temperature sensor that detects heat in four different areas and responds automatically, plus manual controls if you want to take things into your own hands. The angle and height of the laptop stand can be fine-tuned using a pair of adjustable legs at the back for more comfortable viewing. Image credit: Rain Design This handsome device is one of Rain Design's best-selling laptop stands, with the added bonus of a 360-degree swivel base. The RainDesign mStand 360 is another stand designed with MacBooks in mind, and is available in a range of colorways that match Apple's designs. It features rubberized grips to keep your laptop firmly in place, plus a cable management hole at the back to keep wires neatly out of the way. If you also use an iPad for work, Rain Design's range also includes a tablet stand that will keep it at the same height for a dual-screen setup. Image credit: Lavolta For comfortable working in bed or at a desk, the Lavolta Folding Laptop Table Desk Tray Stand is hard to beat. Its auto-locking joints rotate a full 360 degrees, enabling you to choose the perfect height and angle, wherever you're working. It features two built-in fans, powered by your laptop's USB port (though there's also a fanless version available if you prefer), and it even offers a removable mouse board to keep your hand in a more natural position (take a look at our guide to the best mouse). Its chunky, articulated design won't be to everyone's liking, but we think this stand's versatility more than makes up for any stylistic concerns. Image credit: Twelve South The Twelve South BookArc Stand is a little different from the other entries on our list. Laptops can take up a lot of valuable desk space when not in use, gathering dust and taking up room you might otherwise use for sketchbooks and other work. That's where vertical laptop stands come in. The Twelve South Bookarc Stand has been specially designed for MacBooks, and will keep your computer neatly out of the way when it's shut down, or connected to an external monitor and keyboard. Its sleek design complements Apple's hardware, and there are interchangeable inserts available for different size laptops. All inserts are soft and flexible, so you don't need to worry about your MacBook getting scuffed. Image credit: WaldenGoods Aluminum laptop stands are fine if you prefer a slick, modern aesthetic, but if you lean more towards natural materials or want something to fit in a more traditional-looking workspace then a wooden laptop stand might be a better choice. The WaldenGoods Portable Wood Laptop Stand is designed to suit 13-inch Macbooks, raising the screen to a comfortable height and providing space for a keyboard to be tucked neatly underneath. Each stand is made to order from solid walnut, so delivery will take a few days more than for other laptop stands – but the result is worth the wait. Image credit: HP If you struggle to get comfortable when working, the HP Dual Hinge II Notebook Stand could be exactly what you need. Its height can be adjusted and locked, it can be tilted to an ergonomic position, and the chunky base offers 360-degree panning. If you own an HP laptop, you can take advantage of this stand's docking station, which allows you to connect peripherals such as keyboards, mice, drawing tablets and external hard drives directly to the stand. However, it also works perfectly well as a versatile, robust stand for any other laptop, and its considerable weight helps keep it stable while you experiment. Read more: The best Dell laptops in 2019 The most powerful laptops right now The best Walmart laptops View the full article

The world's most attended comic book convention, Comic-Con International, is less than three weeks away. And if previous years are anything to go by, San Diego Comic-Con International 2019 is set to be a real treat for attendees. The pop culture phenomenon will see hundreds of thousands of comic book fans – all armed with their best pencils, sketchbook and a cracking outfit, no doubt – gather in California to celebrate everything comics and Hollywood for four days. Event organisers keep the schedule pretty quiet in the lead up to the event, not usually releasing the full programme until two weeks before the convention (which would put this year’s release date around 4 July, so stay tuned for further updates). In the meantime, let's take a closer look at what we already know about Comic-Con International 2019. Comic-Con International 2019: When is it? If you're worried you're going to miss Amazon Prime Day and all the best Prime Day deals by attending Comic Con, never fear. The San Diego comic convention, known as Comic-Con International, starts just after Prime Day on Thursday 18 July and runs through to Sunday 21 July. The four-day event will be hosted at the San Diego Convention Center. Comic-Con International 2019: How can you get a ticket? The short answer to that is: with difficulty. Comic-Con International is so popular, badges (tickets) sell out in record speed and so trying to get hold of one often requires the power of a superhero. There's very little chance of getting in this year, however plans are already being set in motion to let people register for next year's event. The official website states: "If you are interested in attending Comic-Con 2020, you will need to purchase a badge during one of our two badge sales: Returning Registration or Open Registration. We encourage you to sign up for a Comic-Con Member ID well in advance of any registration event. The Comic-Con Member ID system will close – without notification – prior to any badge sale." Comic-Con International 2019: What's on? The official San Diego Comic-Con International schedule is yet to be released (look for updates around 4 July), but there are many revelations already out in the public domain. Here's what we already know about Comic-Con International 2019: Game of Thrones cast members, including Jacob Anderson (Grey Worm), John Bradley (Samwell Tarly) and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), will reunite for panels and autograph signing sessions. 'Artists Alley' will once again welcome some of the world's leading comic book artists, where attendees can meet, talk and, in some cases, commission artwork from them. The line up this year includes Eisner-nominated artist Michael Walsh and artist and animator at Pixar Animation Studios Eliza Ivanova. Among the autograph and signing schedules is co-publisher and chief creative officer of DC Comics Jim Lee and The Amazing Spider-Man artist Todd McFarlane. We'll be keeping you updated with all Comic-Con International schedule as it comes in, so make sure to bookmark this page for all the latest news. Read more: The 11 best drawing books Start creating better comic art with ImagineFX 14 imaginative web comics to inspire you View the full article