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The UX design process itself is very flexible and can change significantly depending on the circumstances, with different design teams having different ways of implementing their process. However, without a solid UX design process in place, a design team could be working completely in the dark. A clear and concise UX process, on the other hand, makes it possible to craft amazing and less problematic experiences for the user. But how do you implement such a process if you're working as a solo designer – which is a common position to find yourself in these days? In this tutorial we take a look at a simple UX process to help streamline your solo workflow – including which web design tools to use along the way. Generate CSS is a bespoke conference for web designers: Grab an early bird ticket now 01. Define your problems Define the problem(s) first! You need to understand clearly what you’re trying to solve: ask your clients if you are working in an agency and ask business stakeholders or the product manager if you are in a product team. UX design is a problem-solving discipline and helps the end users to achieve their goals with ease. So discovering if your product idea will fulfil these needs is your first step. 02. Gather data from real users Surveys enable you to get a decent amount of data from real users. By using clever questions, you can discover more about who they are, where they are and what their needs and goals are. You can use many available tools to carry out surveys, such as SurveyMonkey and Google Forms. 03. Analyse your competitors By looking at who your competitors are, you can get a much better feel of how you can create something more unusual. However, this shouldn’t be a long process, as all you’re doing is seeing how viable your product idea is and whether or not it has a place within the market. 04. Create personas With the data you have from the user surveys and analysis of your competitors, you can now create personas. Personas are not the customers you want but the customers that actually exist, whether they’re the ones you already have or potential customers in the market. Even though these personas are fictional, they should represent real people’s behaviours, motivations, goals and needs. Although the effectiveness of creating personas has been hotly debated of late, it is a very good way to remind yourself that you’re not the user. 05. Define user flows With the information we now have within our personas, we can begin to map out the flow our users would take. This is a user flow – the path taken by a prototypical user on a website or app to complete a task. The user flow takes them from their entry point, through a set of steps towards a successful outcome and final action, such as purchasing a product. In most cases, a user flow is a visual chart that shows each screen a user will or could find themselves at. Even though this is a great way for designers to visualise and work with the site, it can also help developers see and understand the typical user journey. 06. Brainstorm! Brainstorming is a combination of informal problem solving and lateral thinking. It’s a great way to generate ideas that you would not be able to come up with by sitting down with just a pen and paper. However, this will be the hardest step to follow as a solo designer because, in most cases, this is done within a group. So here are some steps you can follow to make your solo brainstorming a success. Firstly, break out of solitude, get outside and look around as small scenes can lead to big ideas. If you’re working for a company, go and ask questions of the developers, project managers, receptionist – even the boss! Getting fresh perspectives can spark all kinds of ideas. Now using sticky notes or a blank sheet of paper, spend 15-30 minutes writing down as many ideas as you can. Don’t judge them; just keep writing down what you’re thinking. 07. Create paper wireframes Pen and paper are all you need record your ideas, ready to be honed to the final product By now you should have a decent number of ideas, either on sticky notes stuck to a wall or scribbled on paper. Now it’s time to get even more creative and start sketching out those ideas on paper – sometimes referred to as paper wireframes. Sketching things out is a very efficient way of trying out a multitude of ideas and iterating them before settling on the best one. Using a pencil first, we can draw a lot of basic sketches to look at the problem from many angles and consider different solutions. Once you’ve settled on the solution, you can now go over your sketches with a pen and then rub out the pencil. To make things clearer, make sure you add annotations and notes where possible. Once you’ve done a few sketches, go and have a break and come back to your sketches a while later. Take a look at them and see if they still make sense. 08. Develop the wireframes Low-fidelity wireframes include the most basic content and visuals and are usually static (non-interactive). They are often used to help map out the shell of the interface, its screens and basic information architecture. There are many wireframe tools available nowadays, including Figma, Sketch and even Photoshop. Whatever tool you use, your low-fidelity wireframes usually serve as a checkpoint for the beginning of the design process for stakeholders and product teams and you should be able to present clear solutions to them. 09. Build a basic prototype At this point you have all these nice wireframes designed with your favourite design tool, so now what? Well if you’re using a tool such as Figma, Sketch or InVision Studio, then it’ll be nice and easy to create a low-fidelity prototype. The prototype is a simple and easy translation of the product and design concepts. It’s used to turn the design ideas into testable and tangible artefacts, collecting and analysing the user demands at this early stage, refining your product as you go. 10. Refine the visual design We are now the proud owners of a working prototype and all stakeholders and the product team is happy. It's usually the case that this is the stage where you would hand your prototype over to a UI designer. But because we’re flying solo, it’s also our job to create the final visual elements. Even though there are loads of design tools available, only a couple are considered ‘industry standard’ for UI design and that’s Sketch and Figma. Both tools are very similar, so whichever one you pick you’ll be able to switch easily at a later date if you change your mind. 11. Don't forget design systems Design systems are a great way of utilising a collection of repeatable components and a set of standards that outlines the use of those components. Many companies have been able to change the pace of creation and innovation within their teams due to design systems. As a solo designer, managing your company’s (or even your own) design system won’t be easy but is definitely well worth doing in the long run. You can use design tools such as Figma and Sketch to create reusable UI components within a pattern library or you could work with the front-end dev team and build them out using code. This collection of reusable components can then be assembled together quickly in order to build any number of applications. Join us on 26 September for Generate CSS, brought to you by Creative Bloq, net and Web Designer. Save £50 with an Early Bird Ticket when you book before 15 August 2019. This article was originally published in net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Subscribe now. Read more: 5 emerging UX trends in 2019 20 top UX tools and resources How to use colour to shape UX View the full article

If you're looking to build a career as a designer, there's a lot you need to learn. There's the technical intricacies of graphic design software, theories like the golden ratio, and a bunch of industry specific terms that you must know if you want to communicate effectively with colleagues and clients. It's these terms which are clearly explained in this Design Dictionary from Creative Market. In it, you'll find fundamental words and phrases that designers use to communicate and help realise their ideas. The design dictionary is a perfect reference point for beginners, but there's no harm in seasoned pros using it to brush up on their knowledge. Every term is outlined in plain English, with an accompanying graphic to give you an idea of what it looks like in action. There are 36 terms in total, covering everything from fonts, negative space, and image types. Check it out below. Click the image to take a closer look at the design dictionary While some of these terms might seem obvious even to a beginner, it's always a good idea to go over the basics to make sure you know what you're talking about. And we're sure that there are some words in here that will push your understanding of design to the next level. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to design terminology. But with these terms under your belt, you'll have a strong foundation to build on in the future. And if you're after a device to help bring your design ideas to life, look no further. We've rounded up the best laptops for graphic designers, which includes a range of models to suit all needs and budgets. Related articles: The best computer for graphic design in 2019 The best free graphic design software The best graphic design portfolios from around the web View the full article

Good web design is imperative to attracting users to your site, but in order to keep them when they arrive, you have to make sure the user experience is spot on too. When it comes to creating an excellent website, user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) go hand-in-hand. The UI & UX Design Bootcamp is an online training course that will teach you how to build digital products that both look and work beautifully. Across six lessons and over 39 hours of premium content, you'll get to grips with what makes the world's most visited websites tick. The training covers everything from UX and UI basics and essential design principles, to how to design apps from start to finish and top tips for creating habit-forming products. And if you're in need of some resources to help you along, check out our round-up of the best UX tools from around the web. Here's a sneak peek of what to expect from the UI & UX Design Bootcamp course: Mobile User Experience: The Complete Guide to Mobile This course covers the design process involved in building mobile apps that not only look great, but work beautifully too. You'll be introduced to the design principles and considerations behind the world's most popular apps, get to grips with understanding users' specific needs and testing designs that resonate with them and run usability tests to find the design that would get people hooked. To fortify your learning, you also get to ask questions and consult the instructor on course material. How to build habit-forming products This two-hour course revolves around mastering the art of building a successful product with an active user base. Instructed by Hooked: A Guide to Building Habit-Forming Products author Nir Eyal, you'll explore habit formation principles and how they can be applied to the design process, as well as comprehend common design patterns of popular digital products. You'll also learn how to optimise products for user retention and get acquainted with the Hook Model, a framework that highlights the design components that influence user behaviour. Become a Senior UX Design Strategist Want a career as a UX professional? This course will equip you with the knowledge and skills to build a successful UX consulting career. In the three-hour lesson, you'll get an overview of UX strategy fundamentals, learn how to develop and streamline a UX strategy, and acquire tips on how to lead a design team. You'll also get to master essential skills like interviewing users, developing projects from start to finish, and a whole lot more. A value of $995, you can now get the UI & UX Design Bootcamp on sale for $39 – that's a whopping 96% off the retail price! Read more: Top upcoming web conferences in 2019 The best web design jobs The best free blogging sites View the full article

Map illustration has had a real resurgence over the past few years. An exciting alternative to a dry Google map, illustrated maps can be filled with character and fun detail to truly capture the atmosphere of a city. Creating your own map illustrations is a challenging exercise in composition, but can be a great addition to your design portfolio. Every map is a careful balancing act of plotting elements to their geographic location whilst also ensuring the illustration layout works in harmony. In this tutorial I’ll walk you through a step-by-step guide to how to create your own map illustrations, from initial layout to final image. All you need is access to Google maps and your digital art software of choice. 01. Select your location Make sure there are enough landmarks to keep things interesting First you need to decide the location for your illustrated map. This could be your favourite city or perhaps your last holiday destination – just make sure there are lots of interesting iconic landmarks to choose from. In this example I’ll be using a map of Seattle I created for the Visit Seattle tourist board. 02. Use Google Maps to make a plan Plot your chosen landmarks to check how they're spread out Google Maps makes it easy to plot the landmarks out. Sign in to Google Maps and choose ‘Your places’ from the main menu. Click the ‘Maps’ tab and then ‘Create map’. You can now search for any landmark and once the pin has dropped on to the map, choose ‘Add to map’. Create 6-8 pins across your map and take a screenshot. It will help to choose landmarks that are evenly distributed across the map and think about whether the layout needs to be portrait, landscape or square. 03. Add the main arteries of the city Start with rivers, main roads and trainlines Open Illustrator or Photoshop (other software packages are available) and import the screenshot of the Google Map. Set the transparency of the map screenshot to ‘Multiply’ and lock the layer. You can now create new layers underneath and you’ll always have the Google map as a handy reference. Add a background colour and start drawing the main arteries of the city: the roads, rivers, train lines and so on. You’ll begin to see the form of the map start to take shape. 04. Add your labels As well as being useful, labels are important design features Text can be a feature in itself, so add the labels early on to start building up the density of the map. Handwritten labels can really help add to the character of the artwork. 05. Sketch out and balance your icons Start playing around with icon size and placement Research the landmarks and collect images of them from different angles. Think about which viewpoint works best with your map. I like to sketch out the landmarks on paper, then scan the sketches in and import them into my map, but you can do all this digitally if you prefer. Try out different placements and sizes until you feel like the layout is evenly balanced. If some of the landmarks are all clustered together try spacing them out and adding arrows to help connect them with their geographic location. The beauty of illustrated maps if that they don’t need to be 100 per cent accurate. A bit of artistic licence is encouraged. 06. Choose your colour palette Think about the mood you want to evoke when choosing your palette Try and select colours that help capture the atmosphere of the location. A sunny holiday destination might have a yellow background and a rural map could be predominantly green. It can also help to base your colour palette on one of the iconic landmarks and use this to set the tone for the rest of the map. Experiment with different combinations and try and find a complementary colour for the icons that helps them stand out from the background. Start to colour your landmarks. At this point you might need to resize them again, as the impact of the colour can alter the balance of the composition. 07. Build up detail Add some people and animals alongside the buildings Add a few people and animals to breathe some life into your map. In the Seattle map the client wanted to include lots of different sports, such as canoeing and cycling, to show all the different activities you can do in the city. People are also a good way to help fill any empty space you might have. Add a bit of fun and play around with the scale of the characters – they could be as big as a building if you want. 08. Research the local cuisine Local delicacies add more flavour Icons of food and drink specific to the area are another great way to add more interesting detail to your map. Coffee cups and beer glasses are an ever-present in lots of the maps I create, but adding some unusual local delicacies will make your map more memorable. 09. Fill in any gaps A few trees and texture details help fill in any blank space Small details such as buildings, road signs and trees help fill any remaining space and bring the whole map together. Double-check your colours and make sure everything is harmonising. Sometimes just the addition of a few small trees can alter the focus. Zoom out so you can see the whole map on screen and tweak the composition and colours until you have a well-balanced final composition. Below you can see my final design for the Visit Seattle tourist board magazine. Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image Read more: These tutorials show you how to draw just about anything 20 sketching tips to help you make your first marks The best drawing apps for iPad View the full article

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Malware infection technique called TxHollower gets updated with stealthy features. View the full article

There's no doubt that the most important thing about your portfolio site is your selection of work. That, after all, is what potential clients and employers are going to want to look at. But just as any painting can be enhanced by the right choice of frame, the look and feel of your design portfolio can be really helpful, not only by complementing your work but also by showing off some of your personality and also demonstrating that you're in touch with the current design trends. Modern web design technologies give you almost infinite options for creating eye-catching portfolio websites that'll show your work off to best effect. You can easily find website templates that'll help you achieve the right look for you, or if you know your code then you might be able to create your dream site by hand. For some helpful inspiration, though, take a look at six current portfolio trends that you might want to use for yourself, as well as some excellent examples of sites that use them to their advantage. How to curate a creative portfolio 01. White space Remember that white space doesn't always have to be white White space has long been the designer's friend; it gives your words and pictures room to breathe and can balance out an otherwise far-too-busy page. The web, though, has always been preoccupied with catering to short attention spans and getting as much information across as quickly as possible. If you're willing to go back to design basics and employ white space in your portfolio, the results can be striking; for a prime example, take a look at Abdelkader El-Issaoui's slick but calm portfolio, which showcases his artwork beautifully. 02. Clever interface effects Little glitches and animations can add life to your portfolio There are so many visual effects that you can pull off in the browser that it's all too easy to go too far and overload your audience while increasing loading times and wrecking performance. But with restrained use of JavaScript, WebGL or even good old CSS you can bring in some micro-interactions or other visual flourishes that can serve to highlight your work and add an element of discovery and delight to your portfolio. Vadim Tyurin's site does just that, with neat mouseover glitch effects, moving buttons that can't quite evade your mouse cursor, and a subtle parallax effect; it's just enough visual excitement to please they eye without overwhelming the work. 03. Click-and-drag Give your portfolio a more tactile feel, even on desktop Many web design conventions are based around tried and trusted paradigms that just work, and while it's often self-defeating to break convention for the sake of it. Having a bit of a play with convention, however, can often work in your favour; for example, see how Luis Henrique Bizarro's portfolio site lets you scroll through his work. For starters it's a side-scroller rather than vertical, and while the mouse scroll wheel will take you through it just fine, you can also click and drag to whizz through his project, much like you'd swipe through on a tablet. It's a small touch, but an engaging one. 04. Vibrant colours Make the most of neon palettes while you can, because we'll soon become tired of them If you've been keeping an eye on this year's big visual trends then you'll know that as far as colour is concerned, the bigger and bolder the better. Ultra-saturated shades and neon hues are the order of the day, with perhaps a bit of contrast being provided by judicious use of calmer, pastel tones. Depending on your preferred palettes you can work this contrast to your advantage, colouring your site to contrast with, and draw attention to your work; otherwise you can take Likely Story's approach and create a site that's a beautiful barrage of high-impact colour schemes. 05. Split-screen layout Split-screen layouts are a popular and effective use of screen space Modern web design techniques such as CSS Grid and Flexbox means that you're a lot more free to play around with layouts these days and create portfolios that have more in common with the printed page than with traditional websites. A popular look right now is a split-screen layout, with images on one side and text on the other; we're particularly taken with Marvin Bernd's new portfolio site, which uses the left-hand side of the page as a vertical slider, with all the facts you need to know on the right. Click through to a project and it uses the split-screen differently, with the left-hand third of the page explaining the project, and the other two thirds containing either a static image or another vertical slider. 06. Oversized typography Big typography can be mixed with other effects for stunning looks Web typography continues to evolve and improve, again making it much easier to create print-like layouts on web pages. One look that you can't get away from right now is the liberal use of oversized fonts to draw the eye; it's a strong look but it's one that works better if there's more to it than a really big point size. Text along a path isn't easy to fake on the web, but it looks amazing One fabulous example is Zef Cherry-Kynaston's site, which not only makes good use of enormous sans-serifs, but also cleverly simulates text along a curved path through careful use of the translate and rotate functions on individual letters. And for other imaginative applications of oversized typography, check out Vincent Saisset's portfolio, which pulls off all manner of clever tricks with massive lettering. Related articles: 10 on-trend portfolio templates The wrong way to build a portfolio 5 little portfolio details that make a big difference View the full article

Legendary designer Stefan Sagmeister stepped down from his famous design agency Sagmesiter & Walsh yesterday, giving his business partner Jessica Walsh the opportunity to oversee commercial operations. As of now, Sagmeister & Walsh is no more, instead the new studio will go by the name &Walsh. And, being such a prominent feature of the old studio's logo design, it comes as no surprise that Walsh's new identity places a major focus on the ampersand. The new logo (above), features a fluid, curvy ampersand shape that stands in contrast to 'Walsh', which is displayed in Milieu Grotesque’s Maison. Pushing the art of typography to new limits, the design is supported by 50 secondary ampersands, all of which will appear as bizarre, distorted versions of the logogram. The idea being to clearly and effectively communicate Walsh's goal to help brands "find their weird". The previous logo (below) was a clever way to communicate the partnership between Sagmeister and Walsh. Foregrounding the ampersand addressed Sagmeister's head-turning decision to offer Walsh a partnership position in 2012 when she was 25. It's a powerful example of a typography-based identity, see more examples of this in our guide to logo design. The old logo looks more formal in comparison On the &Walsh branding page, the studio adds: "Our branding uses an ampersand for both the visual identity and tonal expression. This typographic system includes our clients, projects, collaborators, experiments & endeavors: hence the (Blank) & Walsh." "We’ve drawn 50 final ampersands in our style and will draw a custom ampersand for every new project or team member. The ampersand is one of the most beautiful typographic characters and will challenge ourselves to continuously reinvent its form." Check out how these iterations appear in the gallery below. There's been some confusion as to how the new studio will work, given that Walsh wrote in a blog post that "this isn't the end of Sagmeister & Walsh". It looks like Sagmeister has done a bit of a Jony Ive, in that he's left, but will still collaborate on art projects, just not commercial ones. In terms of operations, &Walsh will still maintain the 25 people who already work for the firm. It's an exciting development for Walsh, who points out that: "Only 0.1% of creative agencies are women-owned. POINT. ONE. PERCENT. How does this make any sense when women drive about 80% of consumer purchasing?" Related articles: Design a killer logo in Illustrator 15 top typography resources 53 top typography tutorials View the full article

Apple's much-anticipated 16-inch MacBook Pro is due to be released in October, according to a recent report from Taiwan's United Daily News. The LCD device will be Apple's largest MacBook Pro since its 2012 17-inchers, and will come with an equally supersized price tag: prices are rumoured to start at around $3,000 (roughly (£2,450). So do the specs justify the cost, or will you be swayed towards one of the best MacBook Pro alternatives? Let's have a look at what we know so far. According to reports, this device will be a halfway house between an iMac and iMac Pro. In terms of specs, users can look forward to an LCD screen instead of an OLED display, with a 3K pixel resolution of 3,072 x 1,920. Design-wise, we're expecting smaller smaller bezels, as well as that generous 16-inch screen. And as for processor technology, UDN's report says the new MacBook Pro will ship with Intel's 9th or 10th-gen Core i series chipsets, although this is yet to be confirmed. However we do know that Apple will come with up to 32GB of memory (the same as the current MacBook Pro offering). Whether the functionality will justify its mega price tag remains to be seen. Of course, big prices for Apple products are nothing new. Earlier this year the new Mac Pro 2019 made headlines for its whopping price tag and equally eye-wateringly expensive stand (sold separately). If this MacBook Pro's suggested three grand sticker price is a bit beyond your budget, check out our guide to the best cheap Apple laptop deals for some friendlier prices. While we're pretty sure the new model will be hitting shops in October, the specific release date has not been confirmed. Given that it's only a couple of months away, we expect to hear more updates soon – and will be updating this article with all the news as soon as we hear it. So while some of the details are still up in the air, it does look like Apple has a portable, professional-grade device up its sleeve. And with Apple's increasing focus on content creators and developers, here's hoping that it will serve those audiences well. Roll on October. Related articles: The best Walmart laptops in 2019 The 5 best laptops for Photoshop in 2019 Samsung announces its answer to the MacBook Pro View the full article

A local development environment allows you to use your own machine to run your website, instead of using one provided by a web hosting company. You can customise the setup without worrying that it'll affect your live site, as well as make and test site development before uploading your site. Taking away risk when building something makes the development process much less stressful. Another benefit of working locally is that you don't have to be connected to the internet. If you have slow wifi, like to work in the garden or are travelling, there is no need to search for a wifi signal all the time. The time spent FTPing to a staging site and waiting for your site to refresh really adds up over a day of development. A local environment will let you focus on code and the fun bits of building websites. This tutorial assumes you are on a Mac, and the tutorial for getting started with Valet focuses on this. For a PC alternative, try Homestead. A basic knowledge of Terminal is good, although you should be able to follow along, as the commands are all fairly simple. They are mainly to get the prerequisite components installed and running. After completing this tutorial, you will have set up PHP, Homebrew and Composer on your machine, installed Valet and learnt how to set up local sites. Download the files for this tutorial. 5 ways to speed up your websites and apps 01. Install Homebrew Start off by installing Homebrew from the terminal First step here is to install Homebrew. Type the following command in your Terminal. 02. Install PHP Make sure that your PHP is version 7 Next we need to install/upgrade to PHP7, so check using php -v. If you need to install you can type: If you restart your Terminal window now and type php -v again, it should show v7 installed. 03. Install Composer You will need to download Composer, and then put it in a directory that is part of your PATH. 04. Move to your PATH Put Composer in your PATH Now move Composer to a directory within your PATH. Once done, you can check your access to it by typing composer-v. 05. Check your PATH If you type echo $PATH, you will see what it contains. If it doesn't, then type the following to add it. 06. Require Valet globally Now we have the pieces installed, we can get on with installing Valet. First. let's check nothing is using port 80. Type the following, and if it returns nothing, we are good to go. 07. Install Valet We use Composer to install the Valet package for us, and then we can run valet install. 08. Park/unpark directories Create a directory for your development sites and tell Valet to serve them. Note that folders inside this can be accessed as sub domains. 09. Forget directories In a similar way to park, if you no longer want a folder to serve through Valet just use the forget command from inside the directory. 10. Link/unlink directories You can also link to directories. This allows you to choose the name you use. 11. Share your site with the world You can share your local dev url to the outside world. In the directory of your project, type valet share and it will create a URL you can use. 12. Using a database You will need to install your database of choice – for WordPress, we can go ahead and install MySQL. 13. Choose a database tool With a database set up, a tool to import and export data is useful, since we don't have phpMyAdmin or similar with Valet as it is so lightweight. 14. Download Sequel Pro Sequel Pro is a straightforward database tool We are using Sequel Pro, as it offers a simple interface. You can download it here. 15. Connect the database Using the default settings from MySQL, add the following details and test your connection. 16. Set up a WordPress site Install the WordPress Core in your Valet directory With everything now in place, set up a WordPress site. Create a new folder inside your Valet directory and install the WordPress Core. 17. Add a database Create a database in Sequel Pro In Sequel Pro, create a new database with the same name as the folder you created. Update the wp-config file to suit. 18. Test it's all working Head to the browser and check it's working Now if you open your browser, and navigate to (your-folder).test you should see the WordPress install screen. Follow this through as normal. 19. Taking it further Valet is not just for running WordPress installs on, it was actually originally created for Laravel development. Whether you are building something bespoke in PHP or using a framework, you can easily create a new site by creating a new directory for it in your root folder. Join us on 26 September for Generate CSS, a bespoke conference for web designers brought to you by Creative Bloq, net and Web Designer. Save £50 with an Early Bird Ticket when you book before 15 August 2019. This article was originally published in issue 287 of creative web design magazine Web Designer. Buy issue 287 here or subscribe to Web Designer here. Related articles: 40 brilliant WordPress tutorials The best WordPress hosting services in 2019 4 different ways to create a website mockup View the full article

You're reading Adding Social Proof to Your Website with Client Logos & Press Mentions, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook! One huge concept that many designers overlook on their landing pages is social proof. This can come in the form of user reviews, testimonials, or bigger companies vouching for your website. You can accomplish this in many ways but one design … View the full article

Over the past year we've seen some amazing deals on Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions, with the company offering users all over the globe huge discounts. And right now we're happy to offer another incredible offer, which sees the price of CC slashed by a whopping 40% for those living in the UK, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands. The price drop means users living in these countries can get a 12-month CC subscription for just £30.34/€35.39, opposed to the regular £49.94/€60.49. The price reduction applies to the entire Adobe Creative Cloud suite, which encompasses Adobe's 20+ applications, including photo editing favourite Photoshop and digital artists' go-to Illustrator. You'll also find video editing software Premiere Pro, web prototyping tool Adobe XD and motion effects creator After Effects among the impressive toolset. If you're not living in the above mentioned countries, take a look at our guide to the best Adobe deals, to see if there are any discount in your area. Make sure to bookmark the page too as we update it with all the best offers when they go live. > Get 40% off Adobe Creative Cloud As if that wasn't enough, when you buy Adobe's full package you're also getting 100GB of cloud storage (with the option to upgrade to 10TB) and premium features like Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark. The programmes are fully integrated, so you can switch between them (and jump from one device to another) seamlessly – whether you’re out and about or in the studio. Built-in templates help you jump-start your designs, while step-by-step tutorials will help you sharpen your skills and get up to speed quickly. This deal will be available until 4 August 2019, so if you're in the UK, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden or the Netherlands and want to save big on Adobe's entire suite of creative software, grab it before it's gone. Read more: Get started with Adobe Dimension CC The best digital art software in 2019 The 9 best alternatives to Photoshop View the full article

The Surface Pro has become a hugely popular and sought-after device for creatives since it first appeared back in 2017. One of the best tablets with a stylus around, in our opinion, this highly portable and extremely powerful machine allows artists and designers to express and develop their creativity whenever, wherever. But while it's great for using as a graphics tablet and running creative software – we're talking full-on Creative Cloud apps such as Photoshop CC – without compromise on features or performance, this nifty little device can be turned into a laptop in seconds by connecting it's compatible Surface Pro Type Cover keyboard. However, like with most devices these days, such accessories cost extra, and they rarely come cheap. Until today. Right now, you can get a the Type Cover at less than half the regular price with this incredible deal at Amazon. Usually £139.99, the Surface Pro accessory price has been slashed to just £59.99 – that's a huge 57% discount on the retail price! Looking to buy a Surface Pro too? Amazon also currently has the device at a price that's hard to argue... Not in the UK? Here are the best Surface Pro and Surface Pro Type Covers prices in your area: View the full article

If you're familiar with Reddit, you'll know that if you leave a popular post in a community then you'll be blessed with a virtual award from a moderator. And as of today Reddit has started rolling out Community Awards for members to have fun with in selected Subreddits. Community Awards, as their name suggests, are specially designed gifts relevant to each Subreddit. They're the result of months of user testing and will allow for a broader range of expression between users. Reddit ultimately hopes they will encourage healthier communication on the platform, especially seeing as they're created in collaboration between moderators and members. There's also an added bonus for the site itself, because these awards are purchased using Reddit Coins (Reddit's in-app currency, which users buy with real cash). So how do Community Awards work? Well, take the r/DunderMiffin Subreddit, which is dedicated to the US sitcom, The Office. A popular post could be treated to the 'Classic' Award, which looks like a stapler encased in jello. This is a reference to a practical joke in the show, which members of the community will recognise and appreciate. Take a look at how the Community Awards look in the gallery below. To bestow a Community Award on a worthy post, users click on the "give award" option, which appears under a comment. Receiving a Community Award has no practical upshot for the user, besides probably making them feel good. However 20 per cent of the funds used to buy the award go back into the Subreddit's coffers. Community Awards are created by moderators, and they remain exclusive to that particular community. Moderators are encouraged to collaborate with community members on the look of the awards, which can be priced at anything between 500 and 40,000 Reddit Coins. To give you some context, the latter price is roughly $100. "What we're most excited about with this feature set is the potential of elevating the conversation and making it healthier, and strengthening the relationships between users and mods," says product manager Vin Sathyamoorthy over at Mashable. Or, to tell this whole story in a way Reddit users would understand - TL;DR: Community Awards could create healthier Subreddits and boost the site's bottom line. Join us on 26 September for Generate CSS, a bespoke conference for web designers brought to you by Creative Bloq, net and Web Designer. Save £50 with an Early Bird Ticket when you book before 15 August 2019. Related articles: Slack's had a massive update and you're all going to love it 8 powerful productivity apps to help you get things done 5 logo redesigns that got it right View the full article

Thanks to its slick looks and powerful performance, the iPad Pro is a popular tool among creatives. However a quality tool like this doesn't come cheap. If you've always wanted to get your hands on an iPad Pro but couldn't justify paying the sticker price, today could be your lucky day. We're giving you the chance to win a brand new 11-inch iPad Pro for free – you won't find cheaper than that, right? The model in question features a liquid Retina display, 512 GB of storage, a 12-megapixel camera and is powered by Apple's A12X Bionic chip. We're even throwing in a new Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard Folio to make this giveaway all the more exciting. To be in with a chance of winning, simply sign up here and you'll automatically be in the running. A unique link will be generated upon entry, which you can share with friends and family for more chances to win. If you're not successful, never fear, our round-up of the best iPad Pro deals will ensure you still get a great price. Or if you're not bothered about the latest new devices, there's also some great offers that will save you hundreds of dollars on refurbished iPads. Check them out: Related articles: iPad Pro 11-inch (2018) review The best cheap iPad deals in 2019 The best Apple Pencil deals of 2019 View the full article

An isometric drawing is a type of 3D drawing that is set out using 30-degree angles. It's a type of axonometric drawing in which the same scale is used for every axis, resulting in a non-distorted image. Isometric grids are relatively easy to set up, and once you've mastered the basics of isometric drawing, creating a freehand isometric sketch is quite straightforward. In this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about isometric drawing. Learn what exactly defines an isometric drawing, how it differs from one-point perspective, how to get started creating your own isometric projection, and more. Boost your art skills further with our guide to how to draw just about anything, and this run-down of the art techniques you should know about. What is isometric drawing? An isometric drawing is a 3D representation of an object, room, building or design on a 2D surface. One of the defining characteristics of an isometric drawing, compared to other types of 3D representation, is that the final image is not distorted. This is due to the fact that the foreshortening of the axes is equal. The word isometric comes from Greek to mean 'equal measure'. Isometric drawings are built around 30-degree angles Isometric drawings differ from other types of axonometric drawing, including dimetric and trimetric projections, in which different scales are used for different axes to give a distorted final image. In an isometric drawing, the object appears as if it is being viewed from above from one corner, with the axes being set out from this corner point. Isometric drawings begin with one vertical line along which two points are defined. Any lines set out from these points should be constructed at an angle of 30 degrees. Isometric drawing vs one-point perspective Both isometric drawings and one-point perspective drawings use geometry and mathematics to present 3D representations on 2D surfaces. One-point perspective drawings mimic what the human eye perceives, so objects appear smaller the further away they are from the viewer. In contrast, isometric drawings use parallel projection, which means objects remain at the same size, no matter how far away they are. One-point perspective mimics what the human eye perceives Basically, isometric drawing doesn’t use perspective in its rendering (i.e. lines don’t converge as they move away from the viewer). Isometric drawings are more useful for functional drawings that are used to explain how something works, while one-point perspective drawings are typically used to give a more sensory idea of an object or space. How to draw an isometric cube Drawing a cube using isometric projection is very easy. You will need a piece of paper, ruler, pencil and protractor (or for the shortcut version, using gridded paper, jump to the next section). Using the ruler, draw a vertical line on the page, and mark three equally spaced points along it. Draw a horizontal line through the lowest point, and using the protractor, mark out a 30 degree angle up from the line on either side. Draw a line back through the lowest point from the 30 degree angle on each side. Repeat this step through the middle point and the same through the top point, but with the top point, mark out the angle downwards. The lines from the second and third point will cross at a certain point, and from this intersection, draw a vertical line down towards the angled lines coming from the bottom point. You should be able to see the form of the cube where all of the lines intersect. Using an isometric grid For all the cheats out there who don’t have the necessary tools (or inclination) to create an isometric projection, there is a foolproof way to bash out your axonometric drawing: simply use an isometric grid. The pattern can be downloaded online, and will save you lots of time and effort. Alternatively, learn how to set up your own grid in Illustrator by following the video tutorial below. Once your eyes become accustomed to the trickery of the triangular pattern, you will immediately notice how the isometric works. The super handy thing about the grid is that it already has all of the 30 degree angles set up for you. This tutorial walks you through how to draw a cube using an isometric grid. The benefits of isometric drawing Isometric drawings are very useful for designers – particularly architects, industrial and interior designers and engineers, as they are ideal for visualising rooms, products, and infrastructure. They're a great way to quickly test out different design ideas. There are a number of other situations in which isometric projection is useful. In wayfinding systems, for example in museums or galleries, an isometric wall maps can show visitors where they are in the building, what is going on elsewhere, and how to get to get around. Some of the best infographics use isometric projection to enable them to show more information than would be possible in a 2D drawing. Some logo designs also use this approach to create impact. Representations of places, such as this one created by Jing Zhang, are just one use of isometric drawing techniques Exploded isometric drawings are useful for revealing parts of a product that might be hidden or internal. They're used by architects, engineers and product designers the world over to better explain the intricacies of a design. To create an exploded isometric, you need to know the detailed inner workings of whatever you are drawing, so they're are usually used at the final design stage for presentations to clients. Isometric drawing examples Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image Illustrator and art director Mauco created this isometric map to represent the areas surrounding the SPECTRUM buidling in London. It shows just the main roads and landmarks to help people orientate themselves. Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image Jing Zhang is an illustrator working mainly with clients in the advertising industry. She's built a particular reputation for her detailed exploded isometric designs, including this creation for Slack. It's part of a series to accompany the brand's stories, focusing on elements such as a happy mobile workforce (above). Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image This design was created for an article in the The California Sunday Magazine, entitled The Tech Revolt and exploring political activism 
in the tech industry. In it, illustrator Tim Peacock uses isometric projection as a way of revealing the inner workings of a Silicon Valley office block. Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image MC Escher was perhaps the king of using isometric projections in his artworks. His use of parallel geometries to depict mind-bending staircases that go nowhere will be familiar to most. In Cycle (1938), is it clear how isometric projection comes into his work, from the pattern on the ground to the use of cubes that turn into steps. Read more: How to design isometric typography The best vector art tutorials Adobe Illustrator tutorials to sharpen your skills View the full article

There's exactly one year to go until the 2020 Olympics kick off in Tokyo and to mark the date, the organisers have revealed the medals that all the competitors will be hoping to take home with them. And from a sustainability point of view, they're all winners. While the medals at the Rio 2016 games were made from 30 per cent recycled materials, thanks for a drive by the games' organising committee, the Tokyo medals are fully recycled. It put the call out to the people of Japan to donate unwanted electronic devices, and from these it was able to reclaim all the metals necessary to make next year's medals. There's been some controversy surrounding the Tokyo 2020 logo (many have argued that this concept logo is better than the official design), but with its recycled medal designs it looks like the organisers may have struck gold. Where to look for logo design inspiration The Tokyo 2020 medals were designed by Junichi Kawanishi of SIGNSPLAN, and were chosen out of over 400 entries into the Tokyo 2020 medal design competition. Kawanishi's winning designs are based around the themes of light and brilliance, with the medals resembling rough, polished stones surrounded by concentric, overlapping rings. According to the Tokoyo 2020 organisers, the medals reflect myriad patterns of light, symbolising the energy and friendship of athletes and their supporters. Both the silver and gold medals contain about 550g of recycled silver, with the gold medals plated with an additional 6g of recycled gold, while the bronze medals are made of 450g of red brass, which is 95 per cent copper and 5 per cent zinc, all recycled. That's not a bad haul of precious metals from discarded electronics, and the medals' green credentials don't end there. Even the ribbons are recycled and environmentally-friendly To go with the medals themselves, the ribbons that they'll hang from are recycled too. Designed to reflect traditional Japanese chequered patterns and kimono layering techniques in a modern way, these ribbons are made from recycled polyester fibres that produce less carbon dioxide in their manufacturing process. With approximately 5,000 medals to produce for the 2020 Olympics this has been quite an undertaking for the organisers, and it's impressive to see it all carried off in such an environmentally-friendly way that has involved the whole country. You can find out more about the medals at the Tokyo 2020 site. How to create work that could change the world 18 controversial moments in logo design and branding Ethical brands: real revolution or fluffy fad? View the full article

If you design something on the cheap, chances are it isn't going to go down well. That's just what happened with the Malaysian tourism ministry, whose zero budget Visit Malaysia 2020 logo was slammed online for its amateurish look. To fix this, the country has recently unveiled a new and altogether more sophisticated logo (above), which is the winner of a government competition. And despite being mocked for having a logo that's difficult to read, the design elements are a definite improvement. In our guide to logo design we point out the importance of listening to public criticism, and it looks like the Malaysian tourism ministry has done that here. Its new graphic includes distinctive features of the country, such as a hornbill, a hibiscus flower, and a wild fern. Each has been depicted in a stylised way that looks like the region's famous wax-resist dyeing technique, batik. It's still not perfect, but it's unarguably a more elegant and well realised logo than the previous Visit Malaysia 2020 effort (below), which featured cartoony graphics of the region's native wildlife wearing sunglasses. This Visit Malaysia 2020 logo was designed in-house for free It's fair to say that this logo didn't go down well on social media. Twitter user Aven Fauzi summarised a lot of feelings by saying that due to the logo, the country was going to "be a joke for another 2 years and beyondddd." The hunt for a new logo was organised by the newly elected Malaysian government, Pakatan Harapan, which ran a competition calling for ideas. Graphic designer Alfred Phua Hong Fook's logo was chosen as the winning design out of hundreds of entries. Malaysian prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad officially unveiled it in a tweet on Monday. And, by and large, it looks like the new logo has gone down well. Twitter user jasmin has given the design her seal of approval by saying it's superior to the 'stoner orangutans' of the old logo. Meanwhile Eskentirka says that it represents a logo where the client values the designer's input. You can't please everyone though. And given that people can see the finalists that didn't make the cut, some Twitter users were quick to jump in and point out which ones they would have preferred. On a more serious note, some users speculated that the logo was made from assets found on Shutterstock, which had then been hastily copied and edited. If there's one complaint we can agree with though, it's that the slogan is difficult to read. When read from left to right, the message appears to be "Visit Truly Asia Malaysia". However when you take into account that the logo uses two different fonts, it suddenly clicks in place to read: "Visit Malaysia, Truly Asia". We'll be honest, we didn't realise this until Twitter user Hamka pointed it out. As far as copywriting goes, this is a bit of a swing and a miss on behalf of the Malaysian tourism ministry. Its Twitter profile uses a version of the slogan "Malaysia Truly Asia" for its account name, but what happened to the "Visit"? Nitpicks aside, this is a vast improvement on the previous Visit Malaysia 2020 logo. But its real test will be whether or not it attracts more travellers. Think you could do better? You'll need some logo design tools. And luckily for you we've rounded up the best free logo design tools to help you on your way. Related articles: 5 logo design apps for beginners 18 controversial moments in logo design and branding 5 logo design terms you should know View the full article

However hard agencies fight against it, branding has always been subject to stylistic trends. Whether brands embrace or resist the status quo, the fact that some kind of aesthetic benchmark exists remains significant. Arguably, there’s some value in a new launch sharing certain visual characteristics with the rest of its sector. It helps build familiarity and trust, as a sort of visual shorthand for consumers. There’s no denying that standing out is always easier if you position yourself against the grain of a trend, but you must work a lot harder to do so successfully. In this article, we round up three stylistic approaches were all the rage in recent months, but are starting to look a little passé (and three more that aren't going anywhere any time soon). For some awesome examples of advertising that made a giant impact, check out our roundup of the best print ads and the most innovative billboard advertising. 01. The age of Innocents Innocent's style of anthropomorphic voice has fallen out of favour For years, Innocent was the de-facto benchmark for brands seeking an informal, quirky, casual brand voice. Chris Moody, Wolf Olins' chief director and chair of this year's Brand Impact Awards, is tired of it. “It’s time to lay to rest the ask of: ‘Can we sound like Innocent?’” he says. “The whole thing of giving carrier bags an anthropomorphic voice is done. The focus should be on creating genuinely interesting dialogue with brands.” 02. Generic geometrics Landor's 2010 redesign of the city of Melbourne was cutting-edge at the time, but branding has moved on from the geometric design trend Like the ubiquitous geometric sans-serif typefaces embraced by digital-first brands, geometric illustration is a common sight across the branding spectrum. “It’s easy to make and replicate by internal teams, but the drawback is it’s not particularly ownable,” says Rob Coke, an executive creative director based at Output, which was a winner at last year’s BIAs for its BBC Sport rebrand. “Brands want to be seen as content creators rather than just selling products, so a more expressive style of illustration helps them appear more editorial in their approach.” 03. 50 shades brighter Brands using bright colours are trying to grab our attention in an already crowded market Bright and poppy ‘challenger’ colour palettes show no sign of waning. “Often driven by digital disruption, the use of colour is a starting point to signify: ‘Notice us, we are different,’” asserts James Greenfield, founder of Koto. “Banks with pink debit cards, turquoise advertising and clashing palettes want to grab our attention.” But if everyone’s shouting with colour, then who’s really standing out? Three broader design movements built to last “There was once a school of thought that all branding should be timeless,” says Johnson Banks founder, Michael Johnson. “Now, many rebrands happen within four or five years, rather than every 10 or 15. Branding has become much more tactical, and we’re seeing more designs that are style based.” “In their early stages, trends can be useful to help align you with a style of work, a movement,” says Coke. “The brand benefits from being seen as contemporary, part of the culture. It’s possible to be part of it and yet put a different spin on it.” For Moody, it’s clear which route to take. His view is that trends are to be avoided at all costs. “House styles suck, trends suck, looking like your competitors sucks,” he says. But what can brands do to ensure their strategies are built to last? Consumers expect more of brands than ever before, and these creative movements all consider the bigger picture. 01. Standing for something Applying a moral purpose to a branding strategy has to be done sincerely to have a positive impact From Nike standing shoulder to shoulder with ‘disgraced’ American footballer Colin Kaepernick to Gillette attempting to tackle toxic masculinity, many brands are choosing sides and playing an advocacy role on pressing social issues. Some are more successful than others. “We regularly turn down projects that we think are taking a ‘false’ position,” says Johnson. “The upswing of FMCG brands trying to persuade me that their soap, breakfast cereal or toothpick has a higher moral purpose makes my teeth grind.” Louise Kyme, Studio Texture's strategy director, observes that an increasing number of brands are leading with a “female-centric, body-positive, diverse and rebellious spirit,” while Greenfield draws attention to the ‘good versus bad tech’ debate, brought starkly into the spotlight by the likes of Facebook. “Some companies already have this on the agenda, some need a little encouragement,” he says. 02. Embracing relevant technologies Studio Texture's sister company, Texture, is devoted to AI For Kyme, artificial intelligence is where the most exciting potential for branding innovation can be found – and Studio Texture puts its money where its mouth is, with a sister company entirely dedicated to A.I. “We see enormous opportunity for machines learning to augment the work we creatives do,” she says. “One A.I. tool we’re working on seeks to predict emotional responses to creative content at a speed and scale that was previously unimaginable. Not just positive and negative sentiment, but the full spectrum of emotions, from specific audiences – at the push of a button. This will enable us to test messaging in an instant.” While Moody believes the over-hyped VR revolution is a technological red herring – describing VR headsets as the equivalent of 3D glasses in the 80s – he’s a strong advocate of the role of sound design in a modern brand toolkit. “All respectable brands launching this year should have a point of view on voice, and a sonic landscape,” he says. 03. Thinking more sustainably TOMS is a brand with sustainability at its heart Sustainability is moving further and further up the agenda for many brands. “It’s huge, but should be treated like hygiene,” says Moody. “The trap many brands fall into is making a big thing about stuff they should be doing anyway. All corporate social responsibility (CSR) teams on the planet should be disbanded immediately and merged into the blood-flow of the business.” Andy Howell, co-founder and creative director at The Clearing, agrees: “Sustainability shouldn’t be a campaign that comes with an inevitable time-limit. It should be built into the essence of the brand,” he says. “Things like sustainable HQs, supply chains, materials and circular systems should become part of how companies work.” This content was originally published in issue 292 of Computer Arts, the world's best-selling design magazine. Buy issue 292 or subscribe to Computer Arts. Read more: 7 musicians that nailed their branding campaigns How the world's biggest brands got their names 5 brands that hit nostalgia hard View the full article

Android tablets (as well as large-screen Android smartphones) can be wonderful tools for digital artists, and in this guide to the best stylus for Android in 2019, we take a look at the top pen-like devices that can really transform your Android gadgets. There are a number of things to look for when buying the best stylus for Android. While there are plenty of cheap styluses out there, which are essentially plastic pens, the best stylus for Android will have tactile ends that ensure your device's screen doesn't get scratched. The best Android tablets rarely come cheap so it's imperative to find a stylus that won't cause any damage. How to choose the best stylus for Android Some of our picks for the best stylus for Android in 2019 are powered by batteries, and this allows for additional features. For example, they can connect to your Android devices via Bluetooth, and include buttons to change the style of drawing or writing. So, a press of a button can change the thickness of the lines the stylus draws, or the color. Or, by holding down a button, it could turn on the eraser tool, allowing you to rub out any mistakes. You'll also want a stylus that feels comfortable to hold and work with, has a decent level of friction when used against the glass screen of your Android device, and is precise when used. By investing in one of our picks for the best stylus for Android devices, you'll find your smartphone or tablet can turn into a versatile tool for drawing, sketching and writing on. The Wacom Baboo Tip is our pick for the best stylus for Android devices overall. It manages to bring a decent amount of features without over complicating things. So, it doesn't need paring up with your Android device, instead, you can just begin using it. This means it's compatible with most touch-screen devices as well. However, it does have a built-in battery, which helps give the stylus a bit more control over your drawing, as it uses Reflective Electro Static that allows it to have the accuracy of more expensive fine-tipped styluses. The battery is good for 20 hours, and can be charged via MicroUSB. It's also nicely designed and well balanced, so if feels good to draw and write with. The Adonit Dash 3 is another stylus that isn't 'active', so it doesn't connect via Bluetooth. That means it's easy to get started with it, but it does lack some of the advanced features active styluses benefit from. However, thanks to its fine tip that's made with new and improved material, the drag of the stylus leads to a more natural writing experience. There's a single power button which you press to turn the stylus on, and the battery lasts for up to 14 hours of continuous use. While it's our pick for the best stylus for writing, it's also great at drawing as well. If you're looking for a cheap – yet dependable – stylus for your Android device, then the AmazonBasics Executive Stylus is an ideal pick. Some budget styluses feel cheap and can leave marks on your screens, but Amazon's affordable stylus are comfortable to hold, feel solid and have a silicone tip the responds well. Best of all, Amazon sells these in packs of three, which means you have have spares in case you lose one. As you'd expect due to the price (and name), this is a basic stylus that doesn't offer any additional features, but it does the job well enough. If you're new to digital art, then the Staedtler 180 22-1 Noris Digital is an ideal stylus. It's designed like Staedtler's iconic traditional pencils, and it feels like one as well, which means you get a natural writing and drawing experience. It uses passive EMR technology, which means it doesn't need a battery, and it offers decent compatibility across devices. It also features palm rejection, so it doesn't get confused if you accidentally rest your palm or wrist on your Android device while drawing. Spare nibs are included as well. With one thousand levels of pressure sensitivity and a programmable button that lets you change modes on the fly, the Wacom Bamboo Fineline 3 is an excellent premium stylus for some Android devices. We say 'some' as not all devices are compatible with its advanced features, so make sure you check to see if your Android device is supported before you buy. If it is, then you'll get a well built stylus that is well balanced and comfortable to hold, with a level of resistance when used on a screen that makes drawing and note taking feel natural. Basically, it's everything you'd expect from a company like Wacom. Read more: 18 of the best Android apps to download for creatives The best drawing tablet The best tablets for photo and video editing in 2019 View the full article

We live in a free market society, and so – in theory at least – whatever the public demands, the public shall get, albeit at a price. But in practice, there are some weird anomalies. Seemingly popular products, from chocolate bars to beauty products, disappear from the shelves for no apparently good reason. The internet erupts with complaints, petitions are launched, and fans start avidly hunting for surviving examples on Ebay. Yet despite this, the original makers seem stubbornly resistant to bringing them back. All, though, is not lost. As we’ve seen from Kodak’s success in reviving Polaroid cameras, you should never say never when it comes to old favourites. In this post, we give a shout out to eight discontinued products we’d love to see make a triumphant return. For some of our favourite products that have survived, take a look at our guides to the best tools for graphic designers and the top web design tools. Or hit us up on Twitter, and let us know what you’d like us to add to the list below. 01. Money-back bottles In the days when Corona was king, you could bring back your 'pop' bottles in exchange for cash If you were a kid in the 1970s you’ll remember how, once you’d finished your glass bottle of ‘pop’, you could return it to the shop and get a partial cash refund. This meant the chances of you throwing it away as litter was zero. It also encouraged you to liberate discarded bottles from hedges, parks and gardens, as a way of supplementing your pocket money. That all came to an end in the 1980s, though, due to the rise of cheap, disposable plastic bottles. But with the seas now filling up with plastic at an unsustainable rate, it seems like a good time to bring it back. Thankfully, it looks like that might happen soon. Businesses and politicians have been talking a lot about new deposit return schemes, and recently, a trial was carried out in Scotland, where reverse vending machines installed at various shops offered 10p for every can or bottle deposited. Let’s hope the rest of the country follows suit quickly, because it really does strike us as a no-brainer from both an economic and environmental point of view. 02. Cadbury’s Fuse Bar If we were to list all the discontinued food and drink products we’d like to bring back, we’d probably be here all day. So we’ll be restrained and just choose one. We’re genuinely mystified why Cadbury withdrew the Fuse Bar in 2006, because we can think of few chocolate products to ever attract such a passionate fanbase. Living up to its name, it combined 70 per cent chocolate with a selection of nuts, raisins, crisp cereal and fudge pieces, in a way that added up to more than the sum of its parts. Truly, a meal in a bar. It was once so popular that it was even promoted to the highest echelons of Cadbury elite; the Miniature Heroes selection box. And Cadbury must know it’s sorely missed, as it even brought it back as a limited edition over Halloween 2015. Stop teasing us, Cadbury. You revived Wispa, and look how successful that was. Bring back the Fuse; quite honestly, nothing else can touch it! 03. The Delorean Marty and the Doc made everyone fall in love with the Delorean The work of John Delorean, who left General Motors to manufacture his own dream car, the Delorean was quite simply the coolest car in creation. It sported gull-wing doors, brushed stainless-steel outer body panels, innovative fibreglass body structure and a steel backbone chassis. If you’ve ever watched Back to the Future (and if you haven’t, do so at once), you’ll know what we’re talking about. Unfortunately, its actual performance never quite matched its looks and price tag. And so only 9,000 DeLoreans were ever made, before production halted in early 1983 and the company shut up shop. But hey, the first Apple computer wasn’t perfect either. So why hasn’t someone taken this classic design and combined it with modern engineering, to create a car that any wealthy nerd would bend over backwards to buy? Well, it turns out a company called DMC Texas have been trying to do just that, originally planning to return the Delorean into limited production in 2008, only to be hit by legal problems. The last announcement, in February 2018, promised production would start in January 2019, but we’re still waiting. C’mon, guys! 04. Phones with keyboards We miss those little keyboards! Remember the early 2010s, when everyone thought the coolest phone around was the BlackBerry? Embarrassing, right? Well actually, not everyone sees it like that. While the BlackBerry’s blinking red lights and push email may be a thing of the past, some people who find it difficult to use a touchscreen dearly miss those clickable little keyboards. Sadly as of 2016, BlackBerry no longer produces mobile devices at all. And while the brand has been taken up by Chinese manufacturer TCL, its devices aren’t particularly sophisticated, and are unlikely to be putting in an appearance in your local phone shop any time soon. For those of us who crave the soft click of a button under our finger, though, we hope TCL can develop a device that matches up to the iPhones and Samsungs of this world... and bring back the QWERTY phone to the high street in style. 05. Deadline magazine Tank Girl and Deadline were way ahead of their time Unless you were young and hip in the 1990s, you probably haven’t heard of Deadline. And that’s a shame, because it truly was a publishing phenomenon, albeit a niche one. Created by 2000 AD artists Brett Ewins and Steve Dillon, Deadline surfed the wave of an era when comics stopped being just for little kids and could appeal to adults too. Featuring left-leaning social and political commentary in its comic strips, along with written articles about the indie and alternative scenes, Deadline championed Britpop and had a close relationship with the hip bands of the time, including Blur, Ride, Curve and Carter USM. Its best comic strip was Tank Girl, created by Jamie Hewlett and Alan Martin, which followed the adventures of a punk girl who drove a tank and lived with a mutant kangaroo. Its feminist, kick-ass spirit was hugely ahead of its time; unfortunately, the resulting movie was an artistic and commercial disaster, heralding the eventual closure of the mag in 1995. That shouldn’t be held against it, though. After all, the 1995 movie of 2000 AD’s Judge Dredd wasn’t exactly brilliant. Let's face it, it was an era when Hollywood simply just worked out how to make comics work on screen. That’s clearly no longer the case. And at a time when there’s renewed enthusiasm for left-wing and feminist ideas amongst young people, we reckon it’s the perfect opportunity for Deadline to make a comeback. 06. The one pound note 30 years on, we'd still like to see a return to the £1 note It’s been more than 30 years since the pound note has been in circulation in England and Wales, after it was withdrawn in 1988 and replaced by the one pound coin. But those of us of a certain age still miss it dreadfully. Why? Because it was light, compared with all those coins now weighing down our wallets. It was much easier to find than rummaging around a bunch of loose change. You were far less likely to lose it down the back of a sofa. And it was much more difficult to counterfeit (it’s estimated that 20 per cent of £1 coins in circulation today are forgeries). In short, it’s no wonder that the original pound notes are still a collector's item, going for £8.90 on Amazon, no less. The note was originally withdrawn because of its short life, but Australia has since introduced a plastic based note that’s longer lasting and easy to manufacture. So why can’t we follow suit? Then just think what cool new designs we could come up with... 07. Ladybird Books Enough of the parodies, bring back the real thing already! Even if you weren’t alive when Ladybird Books were a thing, you’ve no doubt seen them at school, in libraries, or at jumble sales. And for good reason, because despite being out of print since 1999, they still rank amongst our favourite children's books, and continue to be loved by countless generations. These pocket-sized hardbacks broke down every subject you could think of into bite-sized explanations that children could understand, with beautiful illustrations to match. And there’s been nothing like them since. In recent years, we've seen a successful series of parodies, explaining such modern phenomenon as ‘The Story of Brexit’ and ‘The Hipster’, published by Michael Joseph. There have also been some new, non-parody Ladybird books for adults, walking through topics such as ‘Quantum Mechanics’ and ‘Climate Change’. But we’re still eagerly awaiting the return of traditional-format Ladybird books for kids. In fact, we can’t think of a more worthy candidate for a discontinued product to return to market. 08. Bioform Bra Despite M&S support, the Bioform Bra never made the market breakthrough it deserved Back in the year 2000, the Bioform Bra from Charnos was one of the biggest design stories of the new decade. Developed by design consultancy Seymour Powell using 3D body scans of hundreds of women, at a cost of £2million, it was hailed as a revolutionary step forward for the industry. The bra's sides were made from firm pre-moulded plastic covered by soft materials, thus removing the need for a traditional underwire. The Bioform was ideal, in the words of this author’s girlfriend, "for the bustier woman who didn’t want her boobs trying to escape up her armpit all the time". Marks and Spencer described it as "probably the most important development in the history of women's underwear", and backed it to the hilt. Unfortunately, the cost of production was high, and within a few years, Charnos was bought out. The organisation restructured, and the Bioform bra was phased out as a result. Of course, every woman’s body shape is different, and the Bioform wasn’t for everyone. But for many, the design never been bettered, and the number of websites trading in originals suggest that many are aching to see the Bioform make a return to market. Read more: The 100 greatest Apple creations How the world's biggest brands got their names The best camera phones in 2019 View the full article

You're reading How to Make the Most of Appointment and Events Scheduling with Amelia 2.0, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook! Today’s web users are almost always in a hurry. If your page does not engage them in a few brief seconds, they’re likely to try their luck elsewhere. In addition, if your users are already established clients or customers, they … View the full article

An ongoing malvertising campaign is exploiting WordPress plugin vulnerabilities to redirect website visitors to malicious pages. View the full article

There's more to ITV than Broadchurch and... whatever else is on ITV. The British free-to-air channel also has a creative side, as seen in this new batch of experimental idents made by artists and designers, which start rolling out today. These idents see the channel's logo design taken in some strange and fascinating directions. The project is part of ITV Creates, which got 52 different artists and designers play with the channel's branding. Why 52? That's how many weeks there are in a year, meaning that each ident will get seven days in the limelight as they help to break up the scheduled programming and adverts. Kicking off the creative idents is a beautiful henna design drawn on eight pairs of hands, which symbolise an offering. This ident was made by junior creatives at Saatchi & Saatchi, Emily Downing and Olivia Weston, and represents the start of ITV's 'new talent' takeover month. The following weeks will see the work of students from Newcastle University, Arts University Bournemouth, the University of West England , and Manchester Metropolitan University take to the air. Get a taste of what to expect in the gallery below. "ITV Creates is a dream project to curate," artistic director and curator Charlie Levine said in a press statement. While curating the work for this project, Levine had to keep in mind that the artists were briefed to customise the ITV logo in any way they wished. "Being able to showcase some of the best UK wide art talent is a rare opportunity and one that I have thoroughly enjoyed - I feel ITV Creates is a real snapshot of what is happening in the arts right now," Levine adds. "It has been a priority to make the 52 artists representative and for the project to broadcast a selection of different art approaches, styles and missions." For a full look into the new talent behind this month's idents, head on over to the ITV Creates page. Related articles: BBC and ITV launch new streaming service BritBox Top 10 TV logos of all time Netflix channels the magic of the cinema in new ident View the full article

A patch does not yet exist for a critical buffer overflow vulnerability in VLC Media Player that could enable remote code execution. View the full article