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Finding your favourite audio content on Spotify has just got a whole lot easier for Premium users thanks to a redesign of the streaming service's 'Your Library' section, which launched last week. The redesign, which splits up music and podcasts, aims to streamline and personalise the listening experience for users. This is sure to be music to the ears of creators. Whether you're creating a playlist of music to work to, or looking to catch up on the latest episode of your favourite design podcast, Spotify's easy to navigate interface is there to help. Although it might not be a design tool in itself, Spotify is up there with the best iPhone apps for designers thanks to its new decluttered library. Once you fire up Your Library, you'll immediately notice that Music and Podcasts are separated out into two tabs. Simply swipe or tap to toggle between them. In each section you'll see subdivided lists of songs and podcasts. The new Spotify app design makes it easy to switch between music and podcasts [Image: Spotify] Podcasts are split into Episodes, Downloads and Shows. Meanwhile, the Music tab is categorised by Playlists, Artists and Albums. Both tabs make short work of sifting through tracks, and the refreshed menus help to close the gap between Spotify and iTunes. In a blog post announcement, Spotify said: "Everything about the reimagined Library is designed to get you to the content you want faster. It also makes getting started and staying up-to-date with podcasts on Spotify a seamless, personalised experience." The updated design has already been available to Spotify's free users, but Premium users have been able to access it since 13 June. To get the most out of your music and podcasts, you'll want a premium pair of headphones. Check out our roundup of the best wireless headphones for suggestions that match all budgets. Related articles: 10 amazing podcasts for digital artists 7 top tips for performant design The best wireless speakers in 2019 View the full article

In a world where it's becoming increasingly difficult to tell what's real and what's fake any more, how are you supposed to illustrate brands and products in a way that connects with your audience? Face the facts: authenticity is overrated, as iStock by Getty Images has identified with this new visual trend for the very opposite. Reject the mundane and embrace the weird [Image: iStock] Magazines, adverts and cinema have always presented us with an idealised version of reality, from airbrushed cover models to serving suggestions that look nothing like what ends up on your plate. And despite the old adage about the truthfulness of cameras, the best photographers have always known the tricks for making the camera lie like a snake oil salesman. Surprise and delight with unexpected imagery [Image: iStock] Now, though, it's harder than ever to tell what's for real. The rise of Photoshop means that we can never take photographs at face value, and with AI-powered technology becoming increasingly powerful, you can't even be sure that videos or audio recordings are the real deal. Social media bots and the 'fake news' phenomenon have ramped up our cynicism about any reporting we see. The world's in a mess and who's to say what's real and what's fake? Peculiar compositions are the perfect antidote to a depressing reality [Image: iStock] As Hunter S. Thompson once said, when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. And with things as weird as they are right now, the only sensible option is to reject dull authenticity and inject a little weirdness into your visual palette. It's an attitude that's cropped up over and over again in times of turmoil, from artistic movements such as Surrealism, Dada and Cubism, through to more social movements such as Psychedelia, New Romanticism and even Acid House; people pushing back against the status quo with new ideas, new visual language and new sounds. Push back against the status quo with anti-authenticity [Image: iStock] This notion's key to the current trend for eye-catching anti-authenticity, whether it's in stock photography, illustration or graphic design, and it's something you can find in abundance at iStock by Getty Images. Rather than opt for the safe and comforting fake reality that's so often brought in to signal authority and reliability, creative expression has recently been leaning in more playful and dream-like directions, mixing up retro stylings and futuristic invention to create a dazzling new super-saturated aesthetic. Unnatural lighting and vivid colours are just part of this trend [Image: iStock] You can see it everywhere from music videos to Instagram feeds through to films such as Boots Riley's surrealistic 'Sorry to Bother You' or anything by Wes Anderson. It's also visible in the latest illustration trends, which see creatives rejecting faithful representations of the world in favour of retro wave palettes, liquid effects, sparkling metallics and juddering glitches. The only rules seem to be to avoid the mundane, relatable and the commonplace, and to instead embrace fantasy, nostalgia, dreams and surrealism, crazy colour schemes and challenging compositions. Inspire, amaze and unsettle; provoke a reaction rather than go down the safe route with a tried and tested campaign. Don't go down the safe route; inspire, amaze and unsettle [Image: iStock] Whether you're creating imagery or searching for stock visuals that'll provide you with a look that transcends reality and transports the viewer away from the everyday, if only for a moment, this trend for anti-authenticity is one to watch out for. Go for those clashing palettes that you'd normally avoid, bring in unnatural poses and anachronistic props, raid the dressing-up box and create whole new worlds that people have never seen before. Make it weird, make it fantastic and make it exciting. The incongruous and anachronistic are your friends [Image: iStock] You can find all manner of strange and unusual imagery to spark the imagination at iStock by Getty Images. Get 15% off annual subscriptions by using the code ANNUAL15, or get 10% off credit packs with ISTOCK10 until Sept 30 2019. View the full article

Is your creative project taking longer than you anticipated? If so, check out EpicPxls. This design package will streamline your productivity by providing you with premium curated fonts, graphics, templates, mobile app designs and much more. Whether you're a graphic designer, web developer or a blogger, there's plenty to enjoy with this EpicPxls deal. You'll be able to download 20 premium items per month for life, all for the reduced price of $99. That's a massive 95 per cent saving on the regular price of $2,400. The best cloud storage 2019 With no recurring payments, you can sign up today safe in the knowledge that you're not going to get stung by charges further down the line. Supercharge your creativity and your productivity today by getting your EpicPxls deal for $99. Related articles: The best free graphic design software The best laptops for graphic design in 2019 Graphic designer's price list is (still) priceless View the full article

Threatpost editors Tara Seals and Lindsey O'Donnell discuss a recent lawsuit against Amazon for its privacy policies, a Telegram DDoS attack and more. View the full article

Attackers are exploiting a Linux Exim critical flaw to execute remote commands, download crypto miners and sniff out other vulnerable servers. View the full article

Learning how to edit videos can be a rewarding hobby, and is a skill that may come in handy at work, too. In filmmaking, the editor is one of the most important jobs. As an editor, you're responsible for the final feel of a film – almost as much as the camera-wranglers creating the footage in the first place. If you’re just getting started, it’s important to approach learning how to edit videos with the right mindset. But it’s not for us to tell you how to piece together that visual masterpiece, or in what order. Your clips are your own. We’re not even going to tell you what software to use – there are options aplenty, here's the best video editing software if you're still not sure, and here are the best laptops for video editing if you're looking to upgrade your machine. Whether you’re creating a documentary, a commercial, a comedy masterpiece or a YouTube special, these beginners' video editing tips are all about getting yourself started right, getting the tools you need arranged and familiar, and doing everything required to produce a fantastic end product, whatever your skill level. 01. Know your limits Before you even start filming, consider the strength of your kit, and what you’re trying to achieve. Filming at 4K will create better quality footage (perhaps at the expense of frame rate) but the resolution puts massive demands on editing hardware, and could make the process much more frustrating if you don’t have the computer to match your ambition (see our best computers for video editing if you're looking to buy new kit). On the flip side, many clients will not be satisfied with a 1080p end product, and blowing up lower resolution footage rarely leads to good results. So weigh up the strength of your hardware and software and get (or set) specific requirements for the end product before recording a single frame. 02. Keep it organised File management is vital when you're making lots of small adjustments This isn’t an editing tip as much as it is a sanity one: if you’re attempting to stitch together a video made of lots of little clips, digging through a single bucket full of randomly named files is just going to drive you mad. Before you start the editing process, step through your footage and label your files properly to reflect the scene and the take, drop them in folders separated by theme, and organise them in such a way that you can find them quickly, as you need them. Make folders for your sounds, music and images too, and put your project file in the root of a main folder encapsulating everything. If you can at all help it, don’t send anything to the trash: you never know when that seemingly botched take might come in handy. 03. Keep track of your files On the same note, no matter what the medium, we’ve probably all felt the pain of not hitting Save and losing a huge amount of work. Saving your project often (and versioning it, so you can roll back on overzealous editing errors) is a given, but what happens if your hard drive gives up the ghost and your raw footage is lost forever? That’s potentially much more catastrophic. Backup experts swear by the 321 rule – three copies, in at least two different places, one of which is off-site – but as long as your raw footage is on at least two physical drives, and you regularly send your project off to your backup location, you’ll be adequately covered. An online service like Google Drive could be a good target for an online backup, though you'll likely need to spend a little more than average given the size of most video. 04. Don't be scared to try it Modern editing isn’t like the old days of splicing and cutting – it’s non-destructive, which means that no matter how crazy you get with editing, your original footage stays entirely as it was. You can import whatever you like into your editing software, and adjust your cuts to your heart’s content without losing a thing. If a transition between shots doesn’t feel right, change it until it does. If a clip feels too roomy, tighten it up until the pace of your video quickens. There’s a reason good editors are so highly prized: there’s no direct formula which makes for a good video. It’s all down to feel. 05. Colour counts Colour grading will make a big difference to your final film It could be argued that the best editing is completely unnoticeable; there is little more jarring than obvious differences in camera colour. The editor’s job extends beyond order and pace, because It’s essential to get the colour right. That does mean a fair amount more work, colour correcting each clip for consistency, and then colour grading the final footage to give your video a classier look. You don’t need to make everything Matrix-green, but a grade (even something which uses a simple LUT for a filmic wash) can make all the difference to the end product and turn a simple edit into something much more professional. 06. Keep it simple Effects and transitions are exciting, right? Well, sort of. Before you get all star wipe happy, think about your viewer, and what kind of film you’re trying to present. If you’re jumping between clips, there is usually no need whatsoever for a transition – even a neat dissolve – when a simple cut would do. Don’t let that stop you from experimenting with the tools your software has to offer – that’s a vital part of learning to edit – but save the effects for the moments where they make sense. A wipe might signify the passage of time or a change of location, while a fade to black (or even white) is a good way to definitively end a scene as long as it’s not overused. Keep the same thought in mind if you’re adding text to your video: make it clean and easy on the eye. 07. Use B-roll Depending on what you’re trying to put together, B-roll footage can be absolutely essential. You’ll likely have noticed those moments in on-camera interviews where a camera trained on the subject suddenly switches to one on the interviewer, nodding thoughtfully – this footage is often taken after the fact, and used to subtly edit out speech stutters or gaps without a noticeable jump in the footage. We’re not suggesting you follow the over-excited formula many modern editors employ, with a cut every two seconds or so, but switching to a second camera can help turn momentarily poor footage into a perfectly useable shot. 08. Cut it short An Avid keyboard can help accelerate your editing speed [Image: Editors Keys] You’ve likely seen Avid keyboards, or well-worn Macbooks covered in pastel stickers, used by pro editors. These only exist because keyboard shortcuts are so incredibly important to the editing process; if you’re fumbling around and only clicking a mouse, your edit is going to take so much longer than it will if you know what to hit to perform crucial functions. You don’t necessarily have to deface your equipment, but learning the basic controls, and perhaps picking up a gaming mouse with extra buttons, which can be mapped to quick actions, will make your life as an editor much easier. See our list of best mice or best keyboards if you're looking to see what's out there. Read more: The best video editing apps right now The best tablets for photo and video editing 50 After Effects tutorials to sharpen your motion skills View the full article

When it comes to design, it's tough being a Spider-Man fan. On the one hand, the comic book franchise can deliver visual delights such as the incredible film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. On the other, it can churn out some fairly underwhelming posters. This includes a recent effort to promote the IMAX release of Spider-Man: Far From Home (below). Click the icon in the top right to see the full-size poster [Image: Spider-Man Movie] Released on the official Spider-Man: Far From Home Instagram page, the poster sees characters clumsily arranged on a jazzy background of famous landmarks from around the world. As far as promotional material goes, it's a bit of a hodge-podge that looks like it would benefit from one of our collage maker tools. And because the internet can be a creative place when designers hate something, the poster has inspired funny imitations that take the awkward look to the next level. There's this one with a hand drawn eye-patch... And this pixellated mess turns villain Mysterio's spherical head into a goldfish bowl. Microsoft Paint looks like it got a good workout in this version. Meanwhile the dreaded Comic Sans makes an appearance in this mess: And this is just a fraction of the deliberately terrible creations knocking about on Twitter. What's more, this isn't the first time Spider-Man fans have been let down by a poster. When the cluttered Spider-Man: Homecoming poster was revealed in 2017, we asked whether or not movie posters were in a design crisis. It looked like Wonder Woman was going to save the day when the stunning retro poster for Wonder Woman 1984 was released recently. However with this IMAX poster, it looks like we're back on course for crowded compositions. It's important to keep in mind though that this isn't the be all and end all when it comes to the film's poster. This is the poster being used to promote IMAX screenings, but there are plenty of other (arguably better) posters out there that are drumming up interest for Spider-Man: Far From Home. For example, this coming soon poster takes a more professional approach. That's more like it [Image: Sony Pictures, Marvel Studios] But perhaps we're being too harsh on the IMAX poster. As Instagram user selenfrantastic pointed out on the film's official account, "I actually think this is a pretty accurate poster. It feels very high-schooler's notebook-y which is perfect for Peter's whole storyline." When you take that into account, maybe this poster isn't so bad after all. Related articles: 7 hidden design secrets from Into the Spider-Verse 27 top movie title sequences The good, the bad and the ugly of movie posters View the full article

Last week, we reported that a grocery store in Vancouver – East West Market – had come up with a novel way to discourage plastic bag use. It had printed supposedly 'shameful' slogans, such as 'the colon care coop' and 'Dr Toeurs' wart ointment', on its five-cent plastic bags in a bid to stop people buying them. We thought this seemed like a great idea, but predicted it might backfire. The bags are so good-looking we thought people would want to buy them. And guess what? We were right. The owner of East West Market, David Lee Kwen, told the Guardian that some customers were keen to collect the designs – which include some rather stylish typography (see our roundup of retro fonts to copy the look). Many of them were doing so "because they love the idea of it," said Kwen. Despite, this, he claimed the scheme is working: "Even if you have the bag, you have to explain its origin to your friends. And then, we’ve started a conversation." And of course, this is all just happens to be good publicity for East West Market. One of the 'shameful' bag designs [Image: East West Market] We also thought that one way to get round people wanting the bags would be to print the designs on canvas bags instead of plastic ones. And again, our predictions came true, as Kwen plans to do just that. "It’s a double-edged sword," he said of the scheme. "We wanted to address an issue, but we’ve also made something popular, so it’s turned out great." But it's not all been positive for East West Market. Some have pointed out that the store uses a lot of plastic in its other packaging. When East West Market posted an image of two customers who had chosen to carry their groceries instead of use a bag on Facebook (see below), many of the comments focused on the amount of plastic used to wrap the goods. It seems that becoming 'environmentally friendly' or campaigning to reduce plastic in your business is not as simple as many imagine. It also goes to show that if you can produce and design something beautiful related to plastic use, if nothing else, you'll at least get people talking. Read more: 38 standout packaging designs 5 ad campaigns that changed the world How to create work that could change the world View the full article

Back in 2017, design agency høly broke records by creating the most successful crowdfunded font in history. Its OpenType font, Futuracha, proved to be popular thanks to a feature that automatically adjusted letter shapes to fit whatever the user had written. And earlier this week, høly announced an updated and redesigned version of the font: Decoracha. Inspired by the principles of the Art Deco movement and the quirky antennae of a Madagascan cockroach, Decoracha builds on Futuracha by introducing capital letters, numbers, positional alternates, varied diacritics, and four different stylistic sets. And just like its predecessor, Decoracha still adjusts and readjusts to fit whatever you've typed. Decoracha is available to purchase with three licenses: student, personal, and commercial. Prices start from as little as €19, but if you're after something even cheaper, check out our list of the best free fonts for designers. Watch Decoracha in action below to get an idea of what it's capable of. As well as including up to seven alternates for every letter, Decoracha is also available as a webfont version. All of these updates mean that the flexible font is now more versatile than ever. It remains to be seen if Decoracha can top the work of Futuracha in terms of success. But given that Futuracha was downloaded by over 50,000 people in its first year of publication alone, we're expecting big things from this enriched redesign. To download Decoracha, head over to the høly site and pick you license. Related articles: Quirky font magically adjusts to what you're writing How to design a handwriting font that isn't boring Transform your type online with variable fonts View the full article

Archviz is one of the 3D world's most exciting communities. The term, which stands for architectural visualisation, melds architectural flair with technical know-how. But to those on the outside of the community, it can be a mysterious and often daunting area. That’s why we've assembled the experts to lift the lid and explore the foundations of archviz. So if you've checked out our free 3D models and went to take your skills further, let's hear what they have to say. What is archviz? Jeff Mottle, CEO and founder of CGarchitect, the leading online magazine for architectural computer graphics, has some thoughts: "At its core archviz is using some form of computer generated visualisation to depict architecture. In reality, the term encompasses an entire profession that ranges from image generation to real-estate marketing films, VR/AR, touch-screen installations, apps, etc." He adds: "There is very little standardisation in what we call ourselves in this field, so there are many terms and titles, but in the end it’s all about using visualisation in a compelling way to sell or design architecture and real-estate." Victor Bonafonte, art director and co-founder of creative collective Beauty & The Bit, expands the definition further: "It's the ability to portray forthcoming and unbuilt architecture in the present. Good archviz isn't attached to any specific technique. It can be anything, from a Frank Lloyd Wright watercolour to a CG city asset in a sci-fi movie. In the end both of them are showing hypothetical architecture." A still from Beauty & The Bit’s animated short film, Landmark [Image: Beauty & The Bit] It appears that the only defining factor of archviz is that architecture is, in some way, visualised. But what attracts talented artists to this vast corner of the CG industry? "I've loved architecture from a very young age and always knew I wanted to be somehow involved with it," says Mottle. "I also had a lot of interest in computers and all things technical, which I guess naturally led me into archviz." For freelance visual designer Mohit Sanchaniya, the appeal is similar: "The best thing about archviz is that it brings out your creativity, imagination and showcases architecture through an artistic masterpiece." What's the appeal of archviz? Back in 2001 there were very few resources available to those that wanted to indulge their passion for archviz, something that prompted Mottle to start his online magazine CGarchitect, which caters to the architectural computer graphics industry. Victor Bonafonte gathers inspiration from cinema, painting, traditional photography, videogames and concept art [Image: Victor Bonafonte] "The industry has grown exponentially since then, but CGarchitect has stayed the course and continues to be the leading and central hub for pros around the world looking to connect, advance their careers and learn," he explains. Sites like Mottle's have helped to cultivate the lively archviz community of today. "CGarchitect has become many things to many people," he continues. "We write and publish articles, feature top artists, advocate for the industry and regularly survey the field to provide the most up-to-date information." "We also host the 'Oscars' of our industry in the CGarchitect 3Dawards, now in their 16th year. I think that's my favourite project I work on each year. Regardless of the things we do, our mission is to evangelise the industry and elevate professionals in the field so they can pursue rewarding careers." In more recent years artists like Sanchaniya have emerged in a community that's more connected than ever. "I started my archviz career in 2014, during my college days," he reflects. "I graduated in civil architecture, which led to me focusing on architectural illustration. Early in 2017 I participated in the Tomorrow 2017 archviz challenge, which helped me to get a job at Tomorrow’s studio in Stockholm." Misty Chicago, Mohit Sanchaniya's winning image for the Evermotion Challenge in 2018 [Image: Mohit Sanchaniya] While Sanchaniya was busy studying in 2012, Bonafonte was starting Beauty & The Bit from home, with his partner Lina Garau. The small boutique studio is based around, but not limited to, archviz. "We provide architectural illustrations with a strong art direction, crafting iconic visuals that drive the observer’s emotions," says Bonafonte. This takes much more than placing blocks and materials in the correct place, as Bonafonte explains: "We like to think of our images not as a collection of checkmarks in a PDF document, but as something with much more coherence and intention." "When I started this company I was already working with people like SHL, SOM and BIG. I wondered if they'd think I was managing their projects from the same room that held all my home recordings. We've been growing consistently from that very moment." Beauty & the Bit is a boutique archviz studio based in Madrid, Spain [Image: Beauty & The Bit] Beauty & The Bit's growth has been such that in 2018 they embarked upon their most ambitious project yet, Landmark, a non-commissioned animated short project that aimed to go beyond the usual architectural approach. "At that moment in time I wanted to show that a different animation style is possible for architecture. Architecture has drama and storytelling, just like a movie, so why can't we incorporate those elements into architectural animations?" argues Bonafonte. He continues: "At some point there has to be something that breaks the rules and tries to give another turn to the screw. It was proudly worked on in our spare time last year, and believe me, we have hardly any spare time. It's been widely recognised and highlighted, not just in archviz circles but in several cinemas, as well as on sites dedicated to animation and visual effects." How can you start an archviz career? Even if you have the blend of artistic flair and technical wizardry necessary for archviz, taking the first step in your career can be a challenge for some. We asked our contributors to impart some wisdom, based on their own experiences. KAAN, Beursplein, Belgium. Created by Beauty & The Bit in 2017 [Image: Beauty & The Bit] "One of the positive aspects of being a freelancer is that you have a creative freedom on projects and are able to make them unique," explains Sanchaniya of his own route. "You can work in your own style, experimenting with new stuff and different workflows." However, there are things to be carefully considered before embarking on a freelance venture. Sanchaniya explains that it can be difficult to manage the business end of things on your own. There is also the small matter of making a name for yourself in the industry, something that takes time in and of itself. "I think the biggest single piece of advice I could give would be to ensure you understand why this industry exists and what role visualisation plays," says Mottle, someone who has a rare perspective over the industry. "I think there are far too many people that have entered the field on the back of being software experts, without a lot of thought into the value they bring. Some are purely technicians that leverage software to do the heavy lifting, and some are fine artists who leverage their skills as artists to bend the software to their will." "At the end of the day though, this profession is about telling a compelling story through architecture or leveraging the tools to help visualise during the design process," he continues. Beauty & the Bit utilised iToo Software’s Forest Pack for some exterior shots in their short film Landmark [Image: Beauty & The Bit] "Right now we're on the cusp of a major shift where software and technicality will play a much less visible role in the profession. This is going to leave a giant hole for those relying on their expertise in software. I think creative thinking and artistic ability will eventually be what is needed almost exclusively to work in this field." Another option is of course to apply for work at a studio focused on architectural visualisation, like Beauty & The Bit. When asked what advice he has for artists, Victor Bonafonte said: "Just follow your intuition, don't form an opinion of your work based on other people's comments. Commenting and criticising is easy and cheap, but having the guts to do something, that's a whole different thing." He continues: "Keep reinventing yourself, it's a unique way to grow as an artist. Work your ass off, be self-critical with what you do, and have some fun. Don't just chase money, it makes living easier but don't be exclusively focused on it. Chase excellence, chase quality, and chase beauty in what you do." This article was originally published in issue 246 of 3D World, the world's best-selling magazine for CG artists. Buy issue 246 or subscribe to 3D World. Related articles: The best 3D modelling software 2019 20 Cinema 4D tutorials to up your 3D skills How to create 3D grass View the full article

Calculating your rate as a designer or illustrator is a notoriously tricky task, as is managing clients that think they can design, or believe they are masters of design thinking, who are hiring you just so you can agree with them. If you can relate to the above, then you'll appreciate the graphic designer's price list. We originally wrote about this price list back in 2015, but have found that versions of it are still doing the rounds, suggesting that it continues to be relevant today. Plus, it's still pretty funny (or sad, depending on how you look at it). Still want to design everything? [Image: Digital Synopsis] There are several version of the price list on the net, this one is one of the better-looking ones around (some of them seem to be horribly low-res, we assume on purpose?), and is from Digital Synopsis. Based on the Fibonacci sequence, the fees follow the 1:1.61 ratio – otherwise know as the Golden Ratio – spiralling upwards as the client increasingly takes control. Clients: take note. If this price list is anything to go by, your design 'skills' might be about to get rather costly. Read more: 10 steps to getting a reluctant client to pay How to make money on Pinterest as a creative The best monitor stands for your studio (that don't cost $1,000) View the full article

Evernote's web clipper extension for Chrome is vulnerable to a critical flaw that could have exposed the data of more than 4.6 million users. View the full article

The critical bug in a connected medical device can allow an attacker to remotely manipulate hospital pumps, either to withhold meds or dispense too much. View the full article

With its amazing design, brilliant battery life, and focus on fitness, it's no surprise that the Apple Watch Series 4 is regarded as the best smartwatch money can buy. However, it's also the priciest smartwatch on the market. But if you've got an Apple Watch Series 3 or an appropriate smartphone that you're ready to trade in, you could save a whopping £340 on the RRP at John Lewis. The timing of this deal is no surprise. With Amazon Prime Day 2019 just around the corner, online retailers are dropping their prices on a range of goods. Depending on what you currently own, you could be the proud owner of an Apple Watch Series 4 model for just £59. For a list of full what you can trade in, click here. What sets the Apple Watch Series 4 apart from previous models is a screen that stretches to the edge of the device. Other improvements include better colour depth and unparalleled access to third-party apps. There are plenty of models to choose from on the John Lewis site, but take a look at some of the most eye-catching smartwatches below. Related articles: The best smartphone in 2019: be more creative on the move The 10 most beautiful Apple products (and the 5 ugliest) The best cheap Apple Pencil deals of 2019 View the full article

We're nearly halfway through Pride Month, the annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. It happens in June every year to mark the date of the Stonewall riots in New York, and this year's a big one as it's the 50th anniversary of Stonewall. This year also feels like a particularly important one thanks to the current social and political climate that's seeing attacks on LGBTQ+ rights from a number of quarters, so it's heartening to see big brands doing their bit and showing their support for Pride Month in various ways. Even if it's just something like a temporary logo (read more about logo design here), new packaging in support of Pride, or a line of rainbow T-shirts, it all helps. Here, then, are eight brands supporting Pride Month in various – and colourful – ways. The stories behind Pride flag designs 01. Skittles Four LGBTQ+ artists, including Kate Moross, created these packaging designs [Image: Skittles] Skittles has had a long association with Pride, and for the past couple of years it's marked the event by draining its rainbow in favour of colourless packaging. This year, though, it's decided on a different approach, and challenged Straight Forward to come up with a new packaging concept for Pride. The London agency brought in four artists who identify with the LGBTQ+ community – Thomas Wolski, Fox Fisher, Kate Moross and Maia Bokye – to create a collection of limited edition packaging designs that celebrate Pride while staying true to Skittles' brand messaging, with fantastic results. 02. Apple It's the perfect excuse to get a new strap for your Apple Watch [Image: Apple] There are very few major companies with an openly gay CEO, and Apple is one of them. Tim Cook tweeted in support of Pride Month last week, and while Apple never goes as full-on its support for Pride as other brands do, in recent years it's marked the event by releasing limited edition rainbow straps for the Apple Watch. This year is no exception; the new Pride Edition Sport Loop is available now. 03. Converse SHUT UP AND TAKE OUR MONEY [Image: Converse] Converse is pushing the boat out with its 2019 Pride collection, with eight limited edition designs that aren't just rainbow-themed. For the first time, Converse is also reflecting the transgender community with a set of designs using the pink, blue and white of the trans flag. As well as straightforward rainbow stripes there are some amazing lightning bolt designs, and it's not just footwear; there are some great-looking tops, too, as well as a hat and a bum bag. Converse will be donating proceeds from its sales to long-standing local and global LGBTQ+ partners, including the It Gets Better Project. 04. Instagram Instagram has set up 10 Pride Month installations across New York [Image: Instagram] Instagram has quite a few tricks up its sleeve to mark Pride Month 2019. It's unveiling 10 installations across New York that celebrate lesser-known LGBTQ+ pioneers, places and movements, and with the #UntoldPride hashtag it plans to honour history, empower queer expression and foster safety across the Instagram platform. It's also introducing more inclusive gender options [Image: Instagram] Instagram is also rolling out some new features for Pride Month. Along with GLAAD it's identified a set of popular hashtags such as #lgbtq and #pride2019, which will be displayed in a rainbow gradient this month. It's also partnered with The Trevor Project to create a guide to online well-being and self-care, and it's updating its gender selection options in Profile to be more inclusive, with the 'Not specified' option being replaced by 'Prefer not to say' plus a 'Custom' option. 05. Budweiser It's not just rainbows; Budweiser has a flag cup for every identity [Image: Budweiser] Another brand that recognises that there's more to Pride Month than the rainbow flag is Budweiser. As a sponsor of Pride in London it's running an inclusive Fly the Flag campaign, and has produced a whole set of flag cups reflecting the many different palettes of the LGBTQ+ spectrum, ensuring that no community gets lost in the crowd. And to help ensure that its impact lasts beyond Pride, it's partnered with nine charities that support the whole LGBT+ community. 06. Gap For anyone who finds all these rainbow designs just a bit too loud, there's always Gap. Its Pride collection for 2019 turns down the saturation just enough so that you can show your support without dazzling anyone, and it's also produced a set of understated black and white videos focusing on LGBTQAI advocate Jodie Patterson and her 'chosen family' of friends, relatives, mentors and neighbours. Fifteen per cent of its Pride collection sales will go to the United Nations Foundation in support of the UN Free & Equal campaign. 07. Marks & Spencer The M&S sandwich is both brilliantly conceived and thoroughly delicious [Image: author's own] We can't do a Pride Month round-up without recognising the brilliance of Marks and Spencer's LGBT sandwich. Whoever came up with the notion of adding guacamole to a BLT, we salute you. We're pleased to note that M&S has donated £10,000 to the Albert Kennedy Trust, as well as another £1,000 to BeLong to Youth Services in Ireland. The sandwich is delicious, too. 08. NASA All right, NASA isn't officially supporting Pride. You may have noticed that the USA has banned its embassies from flying the rainbow flag during Pride Month, and someone at NASA has decided that this simply isn't good enough. In reaction the US State Department's ban, rogue NASA staff got artist Lauren Power to create a NASA Pride 2019 logo, and we absolutely love it. Head this way if you want a t-shirt, tank top, sticker or mug adorned by it; all proceeds go to the artist. Related articles: How to encourage diversity in the design industry Rainbow flag designer commemorated with free font family 6 times brands temporarily changed their packaging View the full article

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Learning how to draw muscles in motion means knowing how to add fluidity and movement into a still image. In this tutorial, we will study the male back and arms, exploring the natural rhythm of muscles and the expressive nature they display as they counter-balance and work in union to move the body with style and grace. As someone who loves anatomy, this is simply a beautiful thing to observe but being an artist also opens a world of possibilities, of flowing shapes, lines and rhythmic tones. If you would like to further extend your drawing capabilities with more amazing tutorials, check out our post on figure drawing and our roundup of the best how to draw tutorials. Click on the icon at the top-right of the image to enlarge it. The challenges of anatomy Reference photo of the author in a relaxed pose. Notice the appearance of the back muscles [Image: Patrick J Jones] Before we begin the tutorial, a word on anatomy. Anatomy is basically the same for everyone in a non-action pose, but the moment we move, the muscles change shape and affect each other as they jostle and push against each other. In other words, muscles are shape-shifters. Add to the fact that we’re all different shapes and sizes with different personalities and degrees of expression, and we end up with unlimited chances for expression using the human figure. Look at the way a boxer moves compared to a ballerina and you’ll see a world of difference in expression of line and tone within what is basically the same human anatomy. Of course, studies by nature are a notoriously slow affair, with a studied drawing usually ending up on the stiff side. Notice how the shape of those muscles have changed when the body has carried out an action [Image: Patrick J Jones] To identify the muscles and their interactions, reference the photos shown here against the Tug-of-War study sheet at the end of the article. My first book, The Anatomy of Style, was initially all study sheets documenting my knowledge of anatomy, but then became a more voluminous book. Taking those first notes and learning anatomy memory clues and basic structural shapes gradually fed my subconscious and freed me up to draw gesturally. Unfortunately, I’d not drawn for a month before this assignment. I’d been in the US for the wonderful IX show on imaginative realism, where I was giving a lecture on my latest book, Figures from Life, which is about the gesture of anatomy. On that note, the best way to counter stiffness borne of outrageous rust is to draw lots of gestural drawings beforehand. Okay, with that said, let’s get started… 01. Find the motion in stillness Notice the waves created from the rib-cage biting into the shoulder blade [Image: Patrick J Jones] In this photo, the rhythm of life in muscle movement is evident – when we learn to see it. Note the waves created when the rib-cage bites into the side obliques, and the rolling hills running from the shoulder across the raised arm. Here, the body suggests motion even in stillness. 02. Search for simplicity Gesture is king to ensure our drawings aren't stiff [Image: Patrick J Jones] Using my two-finger-wide sharpened charcoal piece, I draw in the simple shapes to begin with. The male figure is notoriously blocky and I need to find as much gesture as I can. By finding simplicity we can uncover gesture, even in blocks. Remember that gesture is king. If we work only with structure in mind, then our drawings will be stiff. Keep lines long and loose whenever possible. 03. Work the pinch The 'pinched' side of the body has shorter lengths to deal with [Image: Patrick J Jones] I work on the ‘pinched’ side of the body first because the distances between forms is shorter and easier to judge than on the wider, longer stretch side of the body. This is a tip I learned from master draftsman, Steve Huston. As usual I’m working with simple shapes first, which makes it easier deal with the complexities ahead. 04. Get down the shapes of the muscle blocks Muscles share similar shapes at their borders [Image: Patrick J Jones] With the block-in stage mostly complete, I once again employ the help of gesture to regain some fluidity. By working from one muscle to another it becomes apparent that they share similar shapes at their borders. It’s time to dance and to chase the rhythms of muscle and flesh. 05. Draw with rhythm Draw from one side to the other, in rhythm [Image: Patrick J Jones] Continuing down the model’s left arm, I continue the dance by drawing from one side to the other in rhythm. Note the natural flow of things, and how the forearm bulges are higher on the outside, like much anatomy such as the calves of the legs. I’m chasing rhythms here: left to right, high to low… 06. Engage the great motivator Choose the music that gets your creativity flowing [Image: Patrick J Jones] I title the art, The Pearl Fishers, after a piece of opera I first heard as a young boy. To get into the mood I play the music as I work and find it a great motivator with its similar echoes of rhythm and gesture. Next up is Madame Butterfly, to really get the passion flowing! 07. Render with rhythm Dust the drawing off with tissue for a softer undercoat you can work with [Image: Patrick J Jones] With the rhythms taken care of, I dust the drawing back with tissue to achieve a softer undercoat that I can work the darks and lights out of. I begin rendering the forearm and hand – an area so complex that it’ll have its own workshop – and up into the upper arm, rendering with the same rhythm as before. 08. Realise the ripples and echoes Shading in the darks creates ripples [Image: Patrick J Jones] Laying in the darks reveals the nature of muscles pushing into flesh to create ripples. See how the scapula pushes into the rhomboid muscles, creating wave-like echoes all the way down the spine to the sacrum dimples of the hips. All this poetry leads me to draw a sensitive face, such is the power of rhythm. 09. Avoid getting stuck in Render Hell Be careful not to overdo the render [Image: Patrick J Jones] We could call the drawing finished because the more we render, the stiffer a drawing becomes. But as this is a study I’ll continue to draw the minutiae and see if Render Hell raises its ugly head. I’ve also drawn a thicker rope than I posed with in the reference, for added authenticity. 10. Feel the clammy touch Abstract shapes in the background will add movement [Image: Patrick J Jones] Drawing the arm bracelet leads me into a stiff corner and feeling the clammy touch of Render Hell, I take a piece of compressed charcoal and engage my gestural hand again. I also add some abstract shapes in the background with willow charcoal for added movement. 11. Add detail to the sarong and adjust the face Don't fear failure when adding detail [Image: Patrick J Jones] I add ‘gold’ spots to the fisherman’s Lavalava sarong with an eraser, which feels a touch feminine for a fisherman, but I like the spots too much to let them go. To counter this, I draw a rugged face. This may not be an improvement, but nothing kills creativity more than the fear of failure, and so I blaze ahead regardless. 12. Admire the beautiful antagonist Highlight with erasers and detail with pencils [Image: Patrick J Jones] I continue highlighting with erasers and detailing with pencils. Note the beautiful antagonistic nature of the triceps and biceps of the raised arm as they work in sync. The triceps are lengthening to enable the bicep to contract and shorten. The opposite is happening on the straight arm. 13. Play the long game Experimentation wins when playing the long game [Image: Patrick J Jones] As I suspected, the continued rendering has killed a lot of the gestural energy of the earlier stages. However, experimentation wins out when playing the long game, and I’m all in as far as art goes. I swirl around some abstract storm clouds to see what happens. There are no mistakes in art. You just have to think of every stroke as a learning experience, regardless of the finished drawing. 14. Behold the shape-shifters Extra rendering will give you more experience of how muscles work [Image: Patrick J Jones] I work an oily sheen into the flesh by contrasting the darks and lights more. I’m left with a drawing more rendered than I would like, but I’ve cemented further knowledge of how muscles work and shape-shift into my subconscious, and that makes it all worthwhile. 15. Tug-of-war study sheet The more anatomy we study, the more knowledge we will have about drawing with gesture [Image: Patrick J Jones] With studies, I go into great depth identifying muscle landmarks and shapes and in this particular study I’m interested in how all that knowledge flows into gesture. If we learn our anatomy well enough it’ll embed itself into our subconscious and enable us to draw gesturally. This article was originally published in issue 170 of ImagineFX, the world's best-selling magazine for digital artists. Buy issue 170 or subscribe to ImagineFX. Read more: How to draw a face 15 observational drawing tips The best figure drawing books View the full article

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Thanks to its pressure and tilt sensitivity, the Apple Pencil is one of the most popular stylus options. However its functionality could be set to change if Apple puts in place a patent it was recently granted. The patent, which covers future iPhones and iPads, could see Apple explore the possibility of proximity-based interfaces, aka hover screens. If the possibility of drawing on a screen without actually touching it sounds a little far-fetched, keep in mind that Apple made some fairly out-there launches last week. This is the company that launched its new Mac Pro alongside a monitor stand that almost costs $1,000 after all. But back to the patent. This news could potentially shake-up the user interfaces of the best drawing apps for iPad. In a similar vein to digital assistants like Siri, the patent aims to step in when it's unwise for users to constantly touch their screens, like when they have wet or dirty hands. If you're an artist who flits between using traditional mediums and digital tools, this could be a handy way to avoid getting paint on your iPad. Amazon Prime Day 2019: Where to get the best deals Picked up by AppleInsider, the patent is for: "Devices, methods, and user interfaces for interacting with user interface objects via proximity-based and contact-based inputs". Catchy. Thanks to the use of one or more sensors, Apple devices could be able to detect the proximity of an input object. This includes the Apple Pencil or even a finger. Not only could a device detect these inputs, it would also be able to register the intensity of the contact with the display. In layman's terms, we hazard a guess that this means an iPad or iPhone will be able to pick up how users are gesturing at the air above a screen. Hard jabs could indicate one command, while a smoother gesture could be translated into movement. Of course, this is just our speculation, Apple probably has plenty more innovative ideas up its sleeves. This flexibility means that the hover screen has some useful functionality options. For example, the interface could prompt menus to appear on the screen display when the stylus is held at a certain distance. A tap on the desired option would then select it. Depending on how it plays out, this could potentially streamline the workflow of digital artists when it comes to choosing brushes, colours and textures. Hovering over the screen could open up menu options [Image: AppleInsider] The hover screen also has some futuristic-sounding capabilities. By grabbing the air above an iPad, users could rearrange text and images, then drop them into a new place by releasing their grip. It's important to keep in mind though that this patent doesn't mean Apple is certainly going to put hover screens in place. However if it wants too, it now has all the approval it needs. And if you're on the lookout for an Apple Pencil bargain, head on over to our guide to the best cheap Apple Pencil deals and grab the popular stylus for less. Related articles: 19 best iPad Pro apps designed for Apple Pencil New iPad Air and Mini come with Apple Pencil support Is an Apple Paintbrush on its way? View the full article

Good user interface design improves overall user experience. It makes the user’s interaction with an app or site simple, intuitive, efficient and fluid, so much so that you when it works well, the user might not even notice it’s there. Many a team appreciates the apparently effortless simplicity of Trello’s lists to manage their pipelines, fantasy sports fans can attest to the easy digestibility of a huge amount of information in the ESPN Fantasy Sports app, and Artsy’s sleek lines and colour palettes make great design for a small handheld device look easy. But when it goes wrong, that’s when people really notice. Bad UI can dissuade, or directly prevent, users from continuing their experience. The ten bloopers below, some comical, some just plain annoying, can all teach us something, even if it's just what to avoid. It should also be noted that Bad UI is also often linked to a lack of testing – see our list of the best user testing software for our favourite testing tools. 34 web design tools to help you work smarter 01. Want 120 eggs with that? A fundamental of UI design is to choose the right tool for the job, which should normally mean respecting existing conventions and employing control elements in a way that users are already familiar with. So perhaps you’re training like Rocky Balboa and really do want to add an extraordinary number of eggs to your order, but checkboxes? The legend appears to prohibit the ordering of 120 eggs, because of course that would be ridiculous, but the fact that they’ve had to say that demonstrates that perhaps the wrong tool has been used. Checkboxes are used for when we can mark more than one option, and radio buttons for when only one choice is allowed, although perhaps here a plus and minus button may have worked better. Either way, we’re even more disappointed that there’s no discount for ordering 15 eggs. 02. Change your phone number to use our service Get a new number [Image: flyflair.com] There are cases when you may want to cater solely to users from one geographical region with its own specific formatting conventions, but the website of an airline operating out of several international airports is probably not one of them. In this example from Canada’s Flair Airlines, if you’re from a country where phone numbers have more or fewer than 10 digits, you have no choice but to enter a false number. Although, since there’s no field for a country code, they won’t be able to call you anyway. When designing a UI for anything that will have – or could gain – users from multiple regions, make sure use isn’t constrained by local naming and numbering conventions. Adapt to users rather than forcing them to adapt to your interface. 03. How do you say 'switch language' in Chinese? Mozilla’s website in Chinese [Image: Mozilla] So you go online during a trip abroad and you’re greeted by something like this. Where do you look first? Top right? Nothing there. Top left? Nope. Your third guess might have you scroll all the way down to the bottom in search for anything that looks like a dropdown menu, and in this case, that’s where you’ll find the language option. But considering that changing the language is the first thing you’re going to want to do if you end up on a site that you can’t read, it probably makes sense to make that option as easy to find as possible, and ideally selectable before having to perform any other action such as logging in. A globe icon or the language icon designed by Farhat Datta may help people find the option. Whatever you do, just don’t use flags to represent languages unless you want to upset an awful lot of people. 04. When clarification obscures We’re all perfectly used to marking checkboxes to add things, and clicking checkboxes to say we don’t want things is by no means beyond us, so on the face of it, there shouldn’t be much room to mess this up, but here, Homeburger’s attempt to explain the process just leaves us baffled. You have to uncheck the thing you don’t want in order to not get it? Beware of ambiguity, but also beware of attempts to avoid it that just make things more complex. 05. Can we fit anything else in here? iTunes' cluttered UI will be missed by few [Image: iTunes] There’s nothing like a cluttered interface to make a user feel from the outset that they’re in for a painful experience, and unfortunately, there’s no shortage of examples of big players with overly busy UI design that hurts the eyes and takes too long to navigate. Few people are mourning the death of Apple’s iTunes, while many big name online stores (including Amazon) continue to throw in everything and the kitchen sink on to their shopfront in a way that hardly facilitates navigation. Even the application of colour theory and wise use of contrast can do little to make an overly cluttered UI look more appealing, so make sure you pare it back. But don't go too far, there’s also danger in going to the other extreme of absolute minimalism. The options still need to be findable. 06. Death by dropdown This dropdown menu that makes anyone less than a knight feel inadequate [Image: Boden] Everyone hates dropdowns, so it’s perhaps strange that some UI designers still haven’t realised this. When it comes to filling in online forms, there are few things more frustrating than having to find your country if it’s at the bottom of the list, or choose your year of birth rather than simply type it in, which just seems a perverse form of torture for the young or old, and one that’s no more likely to prevent someone from making a mistake. This example from Boden is at least entertaining, if a little deflating to anyone lacking a fancy title – there’s not option of Mx we notice. Perhaps the broader lesson in this example is that sometimes you have to stop and ask, is this even necessary? Just pity all the wing commanders out there who have to scroll all the way down the bottom of the list. And if you want to know more about designing forms, see our post on 6 form patterns and when to use them. 07. Waiting around KLM's iFly50.com looks very nice but underestimates the reader's patience [Image: iFly50] Animation and novel ways of interaction have been heralded as a way of producing a delightful experiences, but let’s make sure they don’t become an excuse for designers to show off. Remember that while look and feel is important, the core of a great UI is function: Even something as innocent as Twitter’s 'like' button animation earned vitriol for being annoying and childish, and while a playful loading icon can raise a smile first time round, it will have people hating it if they have to see it too often. Any unnecessary interaction that creates friction in using the UI can be just as irksome. KLM’s iFly50.com showcase of 50 travel destinations has some great imagery but is anyone really going to hold down a button for several seconds each time they want to see more information? Avoid adding friction unless the point is to put users off performing an action. 08. Say what? Bright, and even fluorescent colours have become a bit of a trend in UIs and they can be very effective in making content look sharp and stand out, but remember that text needs to readable. Teamweek's mint green looks a treat, but it’s not so easy to read white text on a mint green button. Colour isn’t the only cause of readability fails. The trend towards lower contrast may aim to be easier on the eye, but it doesn’t help if you have to strain to read the type, while fine fonts and unresponsive sites can also hurt users’ eyes. Check text is easy to read, and check it can be read on different devices. And if you are looking for your dream font, then don't miss our list of free fonts. 09. Thinning out content The Grit has a lot to say about itself [Image: The Grit] Is someone really going to want to enter separately into 'about us', 'our values' AND 'our mission'? These might be separate concepts in the eyes of the company but it seems unlikely that a user would want to enter to one of them specifically, and why make the user go through five clicks to get the whole story? This example from The Grit immediately looks like thin content that would be better merged together, otherwise a user may not read any of it. 10. Shame on you! Paleo Flourish makes you feel bad for turning down an offer [Image: Paleo Flourish] Confirmation shaming is not big and it’s not clever. This example from Paleo Flourish is one of the more aggressive in a trend of shaming website modals. Occasionally, it can be done in a humorous way, but in general insulting your target audience by forcing them to choose between 'Go on then', or 'No, I prefer to remain a sad, lonely, loser, thanks' is no way to win them round. Read more: 20 best UI design tools 6 UI mistakes that are killing your conversion rates Create cool UI animations with CSS View the full article

An attacker can use Rowhammer attack to induce bit flips, thereby leaking the victim's secret data. View the full article

If you're looking for a new camera, but aren't bothered about having the absolute latest model, you're in luck. Although the mirrorless Fujifilm X-T2 has now been super-seeded by the Fujifilm X-T3, the X-T2 is still a fantastic camera, with specs that will be more than enough for most. And in the run up to Amazon Prime Day 2019, we're starting to see deals on this model. It's currently on offer for half price, costing $799 rather than the usual $1,599, and there's even over $200 worth of accessories thrown in to Adorama's offer. What's so good about this particular camera? Let us explain... The Fujifilm X-T2 has a 24.3MP APS-C sensor, meaning it produces stunning stills. It can also record 4K video at 30fps, or 1080p at 60fps, and boasts impressive pro features such as focus peaking and Zebra shooting. The non-touch tilting three-inch screen has 1.04 million dots, there's a precise electronic viewfinder with 2.36 million dots, and best of all for adventurous photographers, it's also dust, moisture and low temperature resistant, meaning you can take photos rain or shine. If you'd like to compare it to your other options, then don't miss our post on the best cameras for creatives. If you'd like some lenses as well as a new camera (and let's face it, you'll need at least one lens if you don't have one already), then Adorama has another deal that might be of interest. In this offer, you get the same Fujifilm X-T2 camera body plus an 18-55mm lens, and the free accessories from the deal above. If you're in the UK, you won't get all those free accessories, but there's still a pretty sweet deal to be had on the Fujifilm X-T2 camera body from Amazon, it's down from £999 to £884, and with a lens included, costs £1,190, down from £1,349. Read more: The best cameras for beginners The best memory cards for your camera Get a bargain PS Pro 4 View the full article

With Progressive Web Apps and Single-Page Apps (PWAs and SPAs), developers have the technical tools to deliver fast and engaging web experiences, rivalling their native counterparts. But there exists a missing piece of the puzzle, a catalyst that can propel a high-performing web app to a hyper-performant, best-in-class user experience. This ingredient is found through considering performance a fundamental principle of the UX and visual design process. This is Performant Design. A delay between 300 and 1,000 milliseconds makes the user feel like a machine is working, but they begin to mentally context-switch above 1,000 milliseconds. Anything that provides the content faster will result in a more positive engagement. These tips will show you how to make an app along performant design principles; follow them to get your web apps flying. How to build a Progressive Web App 01. Use lazy loading Load times can be significantly reduced by Lazy Loading offscreen elements. This deconstructs the initial payload to render content that is in view first. Images and other heavy elements load later in the sequence, or as the user scrolls. Lighthouse is a Google tool full of actionable insights that help designers and developers optimise performance in fine detail across the loading spectrum. 02. Don't download fonts Downloading custom fonts cost around 200–500ms on 3G connections. Letting the device handle font rendering by using system fonts ensures text loads instantly, and using variable fonts offers typographic variation without forcing the user to download fonts in multiple weights. Check out variable fonts in action at v-fonts.com. 03. Optimise vector art This demo of SVGOMG shows 60 per cent+ savings from optimising artwork markup [Image: SVGOMG] Exporting vector icons and illustrations often adds a lot of unnecessary bloat to the file. This can be cleaned up considerably, reducing a site's image payload and giving the user quicker access to key icon-based navigation and signposting. Coming from Google's Development Team, SVGOMG is a useful tool to help optimise SVGs. 04. Optimise images Squoosh demonstrates how huge file savings can come without compromising image quality [Image: Squoosh] The task of optimising images is a job that holds space in both the design and development process. The art of image optimisation comes from the human eye judging the compression tool's impact on image quality. Several algorithms and rendering techniques can significantly reduce the size of an image in ways that are invisible to the naked eye. The Google Chrome team introduced Squoosh to help in both these processes. This powerful web-based image compression tool puts high-resolution visual comparison to the forefront, while giving users access to all the complex behind the scenes compression options. 05. Ensure it feels fast When motion is used effectively it helps inform users and guide the their next step Delays of less than 100 milliseconds still feel instant, but anything above that is perceptible. When it comes to optimising speed, it's what the user perceives that really matters, which is what makes designing for those in-between states integral to delivering hyper performance. Content placeholders, or skeletons, are used to construct a preloaded version of a page while content is loading. They not only prevent jagged and disruptive 'reflows' — where rendered elements are pushed out of view by subsequent items loading in their place — they can also make users believe the page is loading quicker than it really is. When implementing skeleton screens, content should be rendered as soon as it is ready, rather than blocking it until everything is ready to show. Which works best? Which one feels faster? An app where the user has no indication when the content is coming? Or one that uses staggered loading animations, skeleton screens, frosted images and metadata on content? These two examples may take the same amount of time to load, but the user perception of length is completely different. Using a spinner shows no indication of when the page will be finished loading. Brief animations, on the other hand, can mask the loading transition and imply that the system is 'progressing' rather than 'processing.' We all want to see reaction to our actions, and it's no different on the web. Smooth scrolling, silky animations and tap feedback states all help to increase a user's perception that the experience is responding immediately to their touch. Considering tap, hover, loading and passive states all help to simulate a performant experience, Google's Material Design provides guidance of how to effectively craft all these states. Today's user is impatient, and the more you make them think, the more likely they are to go elsewhere to get the job done. Clarity and simplicity are therefore key components of any highly performant web experience. Emphasised call to action (CTA) buttons allow users to move forward quickly in their task with confidence. Paying careful attention to CTA size, colour, placement and microcopy helps make the key actions more obvious and reduces thinking time. Patterns first seen in native apps, such the floating action button and fixed header bar, get the user moving quickly and translate well to any performant web app. A general rule of navigation is 'out of sight, out of mind'. Patterns such as a Bottom Navigation Bar and Tabs successfully put primary user actions front and centre, while the traditional 'hamburger' menu has a lower engagement rate. Facebook found that by moving from a hamburger menu to a tabbed approach improved engagement, satisfaction, revenue and perception of speed. Having a strategy of the type of content you want to promote is important, and simply treating all navigational items as equal will result in a decrease of engagement in the areas that you want to improve. Spotify found that by reducing the number of options in the tab bar to five increased the reach of Spotify's programmed content — a great example of how promoting certain navigation items over others can focus the user's experience. 06. Use one-tap payments and sign-in Digital wallets like GooglePay and upcoming automatic sign-in API both leverage data stored on the device to simplify friction-heavy user flows. GooglePay allows shoppers to complete multiple checkout steps in a single tap, while one-tap sign in gets users into their account in the same way. Results from early adopters show that removing the interruption of login screens and checkout forms, along with the mental friction of remembering and entering information, speeds up task completion and improves engagement. 07. Make it work everywhere Financial Times is one of the highest profile responsive PWAs, allowing desktop readers to consume articles offline and on the go. Today's user spends around six hours a day online with an average of 6.5 connected devices per person. Not only is it fundamentally important to design for a number of different devices, but to design for areas of low and no connectivity. Users often take multiple sessions to complete a task, and delivering performant experiences on each device ensures that entire process is smooth and satisfying. Desktop supports PWAs and designing performant responsive PWAs without the bloated code commonly associated with responsive websites, means designing mobile first. This brings the essentials to the forefront, adding more items only when the user agent can handle it. Service Workers allow PWAs to stand up when the network connection goes down. This opens the door to craft offline user experiences by use of clear network status messaging and disabling elements that would otherwise derail the experience. This article was originally published in issue 286 of creative web design magazine Web Designer. Buy issue 286 here or subscribe to Web Designer here. Related articles: How to design app icons Performance UX: A primer How to make responsive web apps with container queries View the full article

3D portraits are difficult to create but astonishing when done right. Getting the hang of designing in 3D is especially tricky when you're trying to mimic objects from the real world, and one of the hardest things to recreate in 3D is a human. Your audience spends so much time looking at people that mistakes will be spotted quickly. That is what makes the following pieces of art so impressive. We've found some of the most jaw-dropping 3D portraits and collated them here for you. The artists that created these amazingly realistic portraits describe the techniques they used in the portraits that took months to complete. Scroll down to take a look at some of the most amazingly realistic 3D portraits we've ever seen. We'll hear from the artists that created them as they describe the techniques they used in their projects that took months to complete. If you would like to explore more amazing 3D art, and want to hone your own 3D skills, explore these tutorials for KeyShot , ZBrush and Blender. Or, take a look at what can be achieved without a computer in our roundup of incredibly realistic pencil drawings. Click on the icon at the top-right of the image to enlarge it. Register interest for VERTEX 2020, the ultimate event for 2D and 3D artists 01. Abdelrahman Kubsi Kubsi is inspired by the challenge of mimicking nature [Image: Abdelrahman Kubsi] This awesome 3D portrait of Walter White took character and creature artist Abdelrahman Kubisi six weeks to complete, working in his spare time around his full time job at MPC. Discussing his technical approach Kubsi says: "I used the new Arnold 5 shader for the skin, and used Texturing.xyz maps for displacement detailing and colour textures." He continues: "I always start by collecting reference, it's the most important part in the job for me, then I start the digital sculpting inside ZBrush. I texture inside Mari, building layer upon layer to make the skin look real." When asked what inspires him to create, Kubsi says: "Mimicking nature, which in my opinion is very difficult, and trying to make things that look hyper-realistic. If I'm able to make people think my work is a photo, then I feel like I’ve done a good job." 02. Tsubasa Nakai Nakai's female face is made great by its celebration of fine details [Image: Tsubasa Nakai] Director and CG supervisor Tsubasa Nakai created this stunning female face using Maya, ZBrush, Photoshop, Mari and Substance Painter. The detail of the smudges of make-up, porous skin and freckles are astonishing. It's the imperfections that make this face so stunningly realistic, and the light in her eyes is breathtaking. "In order to create this beautiful CG woman, I tried using Multi-channel Faces texture from Texturing.xyz. The technical goal of this project was to express the fine details. Texturing.xyz and XGen really helped me to achieve this. I projected a Multi-channel Faces texture to the model, with a Photoshop UV workflow." You can see how to do this here. 03. István Vastag Vastag created hairs that grow from below the skin's surface [Image: István Vastag] This incredibly lifelike image took Digic Pictures environment supervisor István Vastag nine months of evenings and weekends to complete, using 3ds Max, ZBrush, Mari, V-Ray and Nuke. “There were several interesting issues that I had to face,” Vastag explains. “I paid great attention to where the face geometry meets the eyeball geometry. All the hairs are growing from below the skin surface so they are all correctly affecting the subsurface scattering. Textures were painted in Mari using simple brushes and adjustment layers.” 04. Jacques Defontaine Defontaine uses basic tools to capture the emotion on an individual face [Image: Jaques Defontaine] Freelance artist Jacques Defontaine is a master of hyper-realistic 3D portraits (take a look at his portfolio if you don't believe us). Before starting each new character, he likes to experiment and try out new skills. He insists that his approach to creating such lifelike images is actually fairly straightforward: “I have a little collection of stamps and stencils that I use for sculpting and painting textures, but apart from that it’s all basic tools. In ZBrush I always use the Geometry HD and Layers features, as I find those very powerful.” Having worked in the CG industry since 1996, Defontaine has years’ worth of experience to draw from. “Many things inspire me but the human face is my favourite, they can look so different and convey so many emotions. Being able, or at least to try, to capture that look and emotion is a real challenge, and that’s what drives me.” 05. Artur Tarnowski Tarnowski likes to have a lot of control over the skin, using masks for detail [Image: Artur Tarnowski] Artur Tarnowski is a character artist for Warsaw-based studio Layopi Games, with a wealth of experience in modelling. This image took him just a month and a half to complete. “I had almost everything done in two weeks,” he says. “The rest of the time was spent adjusting the model, hair shape, shader parameters, and lighting setup. All those little – some would say unnoticeable – details that make the final image look realistic.” During the process Tarnowski used a displacement shading network in Arnold to blend three types of maps. “The first is my secondary detail from ZBrush,” he explains. “The second is Texturing XYZ micro detail and the third is a tileable micro detail with pores, etc. The skin shader is also quite complex as I like to have a lot of control over the skin in Hypershade. That means a lot of masks for makeup or freckles as well as many remap nodes for adjusting roughness, specular and skin tones.” 06. Emerson Silva Silva enjoys creating texture and rendering [Image: Emerson Silva] 3D artist Emerson Silva began his career by creating low-poly models for mobile games back in 2004. “It was a very small area in Brazil, and few companies survived for more than two years,” he explains of his decision to advance in his artistry. His approach towards ‘Sadhu’ began by gathering references to build a mental image, right down to details like lighting and rendering. He continues: “My next step is to make a simple base mesh, I love working with low polygon because it’s easier to make changes. I always do this in 3ds Max before sending it to ZBrush.” It’s then that Silva creates the final look of his piece, setting the pose and getting the model ready for work in Substance Painter. “I currently use Substance Painter for the entire texturing process, I find it very enjoyable to create textures in. I usually do texturing and rendering at the same time, and always in sections. I start with the head and only go to the other part when I’m satisfied.” 07. Saurabh Jethani Jethani creates characters for video games [Image: Saurabh Jethani] When Saurabh Jethani's not living his dream of creating characters for video games, he lends his talents to making hair, clothes, hard-surface characters and creatures. With technical elements like the low-poly and UVs already in place, the artistic process for this particular portrait took Jethani just a week to complete. “I used TexturingXYZ displacement for pores and albedo for skin colour,” he explains. “Their separate displacements (secondary, tertiary and micros) can be combined in the RGB channel of an image to be projected together simultaneously. This allows me to separately control the value of each channel. I would recommend anyone going for realistic face information to try those maps out.” 08. Ian Spriggs Spriggs pays attention to personality when representing people [Image: Ian Spriggs] Ian Spriggs is a 3D portrait and character artist working in Maya, Mudbox, V-Ray and Photoshop. "I love trying to figure people out and work out what makes them who they are," he explains. "Portraits are like a window into the subject’s life; you really have to know someone to be able to represent them well – it's not only facial features you are representing, but also their personality." For this reason, he likes to create portraits of friends and family members. "Digital humans need a personality to make them believable; characters in a T-pose might look real, but we won’t connect with them," he adds. Find out how Spriggs created this portrait and have a go for yourself in this step by step guide. 09. João Victor Ferreira Ferreira uses light source to keep his art realistic [Image: João Victor Ferreira] “First, I took dozens of photos for reference in many different lightings, including daylight and interior light,” explains character modeller João Victor Ferreira. Using these photos for comparison, he then began to sculpt the head from a base mesh. He continues: “Importantly I created my 3D scene in an ambient with the light source being as close as possible to one of my reference photos. This gave me a sense of how close the model was to reality.” In fact, Ferreira believes that taking the time to gather reference is amongst the most important elements in creating great art, and he is motivated by the desire to better himself with every new piece. This article was originally published in 3D World, the world's best-selling magazine for CG artists. Subscribe to 3D World . Content has also been included from issue 130 of 3D Artist. Buy issue 130 or subscribe to 3D Artist. Read more: The best free 3D models How to create 3D grass Cinema 4D tutorials to up your 3D skills View the full article

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