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Looking for the best monitor stands? Everyone's been talking about them lately thanks to Apple. Its new Mac Pro is a remarkable machine, but it and its accompanying monitor are seriously expensive. And when Apple revealed that the monitor stand alone will cost a staggering $1,000, even the brand's most committed fans winced (although some still think Apple's monitor stand is worth it). A career as a creative is hugely rewarding, but very few of us can justify that kind of expense for what it, ultimately, a piece of highly engineered metal. That's why we've gathered together a collection of the very best monitor stands that are great quality but still affordable. The stands we've chosen are all robust enough for daily use, ergonomically designed for all-day comfort, and flexible so you can adjust them to suit you. We've also included a dual monitor stand if you prefer to work with two screens. If you haven't got a monitor yet, then don't miss our guide to the best 4K monitors. [Image: Eletab] The Eletab Single Monitor Arm Stand looks far smarter than you'e expect for its diminutive price tag. With 90 degree tilt, swivel and rotation, it's not quite as adjustable as some of the slightly pricier options here, but it gives you far more flexibility than Apple's offering. It supports up to 19.8lb, so make sure you check your monitor's weight before buying, particularly if you have a superwide display. This is the gas spring version, but there's also a mechanical spring version for even less if you're not going to be changing your monitor's height regularly. [Image: TechOrbits] The smart-looking TechOrbits Dual Monitor Mount Stand is infinitely adjustable, with two gas spring arms that make adjusting your screens a breeze. It's tough, too – the stand is suitable for 13-inch to 30-inch monitors, and each arm can support up to 20lb. It's made from high quality aluminium, making it stylish, strong and lightweight. All for a tenth the price of Apple's stand. After you fit your monitors, you might need to tighten the arms a little with the included Allen key, but once that's done, this stand will keep both your displays well supported for many years to come. Buy TechOrbits Dual Monitor Mount Stand from Amazon for £100 [Image: Ergotron] The Ergotron LX Desk Mount Arm will keep your monitor up where you can see it comfortably, raising it up to 13 inches off your desk to help you maintain good posture. It rotates and pans 360 degrees, and tilts 75 degrees, so you can adjust it any way you like. This stand is available in two colourways to suit your workspace: plain black, and silver and black, and when you've finished working, it folds neatly out of the way if you're short of desk space. It supports monitors up to 34 inches in size, and weighing up to 25lb. [Image: Ergotron] If you use a standing desk to reduce back and neck strain while you work, the Ergotron LX Sit-Stand Wall Arm could be the monitor stand for you. Like Ergotron's desk mount arm (above), it offers 360-degree pan and rotation, with 75-degree tilt. It will hold screens up to 42 inches in size and weighing up to 25lb, so it's also an excellent choice for TVs. With a polished aluminium design and neat cable routing, it's a stylish choice that'll give Apple's stand a run for its (considerable) money in the looks department. [Image: Humanscale] Until recently, we would have considered the table-mounted Humanscale M2CW1S M2 Monitor Arm a seriously premium monitor stand, and it still looks the part, finished in brushed aluminium and gloss white. It's well built, too, with self-lubricating bearings for smooth movement year after year, plus a counterbalance indicator so you can configure it for your monitor's weight before you attach it. The super-sleek Humanscale isn't as heavy-duty as some of the other monitor stands here, only able to support a maximum payload of 15lb, but provided you're not using an ultrawide display (see our pick of the best ultrawide monitors here), that should be sufficient in most cases. Read more: First Look: Apple Pro Display XDR monitor The best monitors for photo editing The best laptops for graphic design View the full article

Gamers will be well aware that E3 is currently in full swing. And while there are plenty of exciting announcements for gamers to savour, there are also some amazing releases that will capture the imaginations of creatives. Take the trailer for upcoming RPG The Legend of Wright, which uses a charming hand-drawn aesthetic. Created by Japanese indie studio Desk Works, The Legend of Wright takes place inside a student's notebook. The game's distinctive graphics excellently recapture the look and feel of jotter scribbles, as we see dragons and ogres come to life on the page. These hand-drawn visuals are also a brilliant digital recreation of the results you can get when you use the best pencils for sketching. In the video below you can see how the player controls a fantasy hero to solve puzzles and vanquish all manner of mythical beasts. To stop the hand-drawn visuals from looking a bit grey and monotonous, The Legend of Wright frames the notebook with colourful controls and vibrant maps. Accompanying tools such as a compass and an eraser also suggest that the player will be able to use more stationery than just a pencil. The announcement for The Legend of Wright took place during Microsoft's E3 2019 presentation. Another significant Microsoft story from the conference includes the unveiling of its absurdly powerful new Xbox console, which looks set to take the gaming experience for players and developers to a whole new level. And just like Xbox Project Scarlett, there's no concrete release date for The Legend of Wright. However we do know that it will be available on mobile, PC, and Xbox One at some point during 2020. Related articles: 15 observational drawing tips The 11 best drawing books How to draw a figure View the full article

You're reading Different Faces of Gamification in Web Design, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook! It will come as no surprise that games have become a part of our everyday life. Whether it is a multiplayer online role-playing game like PUBG or just a small oversimplified platforming video game like Doodle Jump, you’ll certainly have … View the full article

Game developers and designers are set to see their work come to life like never before. This is thanks to the announcement of Microsoft's next generation console, which goes by the tantalising codename: Xbox Project Scarlett. Revealed on 9 June at the Los Angeles E3 conference, Project Scarlett is the successor to the XBox One. In the launch video for the console, below, the creative team behind Project Scarlett promise that it will deliver "the most immersive gaming experience ever". Sounds like exciting news if you want your environments, characters or even free textures to look their very best. But how exactly will the console deliver on this promise? Project Scarlett claims to deliver a four times more powerful gaming experience when compared to previous generation consoles. Games will also run more smoothly due to Project Scarlett being able to handle up to 120 frames per second. The best Amazon Prime Day deals for artists and designers Images will be displayed in up to 8K resolution, although it's unclear if this will be limited to video streaming or include video games, too. Meanwhile 3D lighting will look more realistic than ever with the help of hardware accelerated ray tracing. On top of that, load times will be drastically reduced with the support of a solid-state drive. In short: get ready for a load-time-free gaming experience that's suited to bringing immersive worlds to life. All in all, these updates have lead to Microsoft claiming that Project Scarlett is the biggest generational leap yet in terms of its consoles. If this has whetted your appetite for all things Project Scarlett, you'll have to wait until Christmas 2020 to get your hands on it. Microsoft hasn't revealed any pricing details yet, however it has unveiled that Halo Infinite will be among the console's launch titles. Related articles: How to get a job as a video games artist Riot Games' new logo packs a punch Playdate is the most adorable games handheld ever View the full article

It’s nearly time for Amazon Prime Day 2019, the day when Amazon celebrates summer by dropping the prices of all kinds of things. Deals on Amazon hardware and smart home products are a given; as we discovered last year, there are often decent deals on software, laptops, accessories and all kinds of consumer electronics. Prime Day is rather like Black Friday, but it’s Amazon’s baby and it has a different focus. Where Black Friday is largely about buying things for other people, Amazon Prime Day is more about buying things for yourself. That’s good news for designers, as it can mean money off things you actually want and things you actually need. At least, it can mean that if you’re careful. Like any big sales event, There Be Dragons. Let’s find out how to put their (Kindle) fires out. 01. Remember to cancel your Prime account We keep our Prime membership all year round, but if you’re only signing up for Prime Day so you can access the Prime Day deals then make sure you cancel again before the 30 day free trial period is up. If you forget, congratulations! You’ve just dropped more on a Prime membership than you may have saved on Prime Day itself. 02. Look out for the deals Many of Amazon’s deals are time-limited or have limited stocks available, so make sure you set a reminder for the ones you really don’t want to miss. When they’re gone, they’re gone. Mostly. But sometimes you get a second chance. Did somebody say 'wait list'? 03. Use the wait list That must-have lightning deal you forgot about may appear to be sold out, but just like in a real shop, a sale isn’t a sale until it goes through the checkout and the retailer gets paid. That means it’s worth joining the wait list on any deals you’ve missed. The wait list isn’t always available but when it is, it could mean you get the product when someone else changes their mind. 04. Check around for better deals What may appear to be a massive discount on the RRP could just be the same price everybody else is charging. Use Pricespy.co.uk to check, and don’t forget eBay either: it’s packed with retailers who may have better deals. 05. Consider if Amazon's deal is a good one CamelCamelCamel.com is your friend here. It enables you to see a particular Amazon products’ price history to make sure the deal really is a deal. Some product prices vary wildly over time, and if the product you’re looking at is one of them then there’s a lot less urgency: if you could use the same money better elsewhere, you can use it elsewhere and be confident the price will come back down again soon. 06. Do your homework It’s really important to plan ahead for big events such as Prime Day. For example, if you want to buy a particular kind of product, what’s the going rate for it? What specs do you really care about? That laptop isn’t a great deal if the graphics card isn’t what you need; that iPod touch may not be such a bargain if it’s the recently replaced model, which uses a four-year-old processor. Check out our range of buying guides, such as our guide to the best computers for graphic design and the best graphics cards to get some advice. 07. Pay attention to other retailers One of the reasons Amazon started Prime Day was because competition was making it harder and harder to stand out during Black Friday Super Bargain Enorm-Deals Week, or whatever Amazon’s calling it this year. It was a cunning plan, but the thing about enormous annual sales events that you have to announce in advance is that other retailers can do their own discounting to compete with you. Which is exactly what the big-name retailers have started to do on and around Prime Day. 08. Buy stuff you actually need Just because it’s cheaper doesn’t mean you need it, and if you don’t need it then it doesn’t matter how good a deal it is. We still haven’t unwrapped the wireless headphones we bought last Prime Day. Had we waited, we’d have seen their price get even lower. Or we’d have realised that we didn’t actually need them in the first place. 09. Believe in the potential Not all the deals on offer will be exciting. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be deals worth getting excited about. If you’re considering any kind of hardware purchase, or if you just need to stock up on coloured pens, it’s worth hanging on to see whether Prime Day will make it cheaper. Read more: Amazon Prime 2019 date leaked? The ultimate guide to all Amazon devices How to get the best Amazon Prime Day deals View the full article

Rollover links are a great way to grab a user's attention, especially if they do something unusual or original. Middle Child has a great effect, seldom seen elsewhere, that captures each letter and splits them apart with animation, which kicks in when the visitor hovers over the word. The animation helps convey the sandwich brand's playful character. In this article, we show you how to recreate the effect on your site. For more inspiration, take a look at our guide to the best CSS animation examples (with instructions on how to code them). 01. Rollover text effect One of the great text effects on the Middle Child website is for the rollover effects on the menu, where the letters split apart on the text and rotate slightly. Start this with some simple HTML tags. 02. Create CSS Use a separate CSS file or style tags to add the following CSS rules and make the page fill the full size of the browser by ensuring the body and the wrapper take the full height available. 03. Position the word The word class centres the word in the grid. Any text that is given the word class can have this applied. The up class is going to be applied to every other letter and these will move upwards. 04. Up and over Now the down class shares very similar settings to the up but the hover shows the movement upwards for the up rollover. Upwards is also rotated slightly to enhance the look. 05. Hovering down When the user hovers over the text, the down class moves the text downwards. Later in JavaScript the text will be split into separate spans with the classes added automatically to alternate spans. 06. Automatic for the people It's a bit of a hassle to have to put every letter in alternating spans with different classes, so we'll automate the process by getting JavaScript to query the selector and take each letter. Here the str variable grabs the current letter as it loops through the text. 07. Add alternating classes Now another loop places each letter in its own span element and adds either the up or down class to the spans. If you look at this in the browser you will see the text split by each letter up and down, while rotating slightly. You can see the effect in action on the Middle Child website. This article was originally published in creative web design magazine Web Designer. Buy issue 286 or subscribe. Read more: Add SVG filters with CSS How to design with CSS shapes: An introduction 5 cool CSS Grid generators View the full article

A design scholarship can go a long way to making your artistic dreams come true. But that takes a lot of time and money, right? Wrong. If you can’t afford much of either, you’re in luck. Right now, leading creative college Shillington is offering aspiring designers the opportunity to win both a full scholarship in London and half scholarships for its September 2019 full- and part-time graphic design courses at various locations around the globe. Shillington’s innovative approach to teaching sees students learn the creative process fast. In just three months (full time) or nine months (part-time), Shillington students can be industry-ready and graduate with a polished graphic design portfolio to boot. Super scholarships If Shillington’s style of study sounds like it suits, the college currently has two incredible opportunities to help boost your creative skillset. First up, there’s a chance to win 50% off the total cost of fees to the college’s September 2019 graphic design courses in New York, London, Manchester, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The perfect partnership Shillington has also partnered up with Champion, a creative enterprise with a social mission to help young creative talent (under 25s) from disadvantaged backgrounds, to offer one aspirational designer a full scholarship in London. One successful applicant will receive a 100% scholarship to study graphic design at Shillington (£11,400 value), along with equipment loan and a living bursary.. Presenting passion Use your creativity to show the Shillington team why you love design and you could win a super scholarship So what is Shillington looking for? The opportunity to give these potentially life-changing scholarships to people with a passion for design, that’s what. Whether you have zero design experience, want to kickstart your creative career or simply want to hone your skills, a real affection for design and a unique way of presenting it is all you need to apply. The rules of entry are, there are no rules. Mostly. After answering a short set of questions, super-flexible requirements means how you show the Shillington team why you love design and want to learn from them is entirely up to you. PowerPoint, collage, poetry, Instagram accounts, the choice and, more importantly, creativity is all yours. You can find full terms and conditions (including extra requirements for New York applicants), plus where to submit your entries over on the Shillington website. The deadline for submissions to win both the full and half scholarships is Monday 8 July at 1700 (BST). So what are you waiting for? Apply today for a chance to win a design scholarship and study in some of the most creative cities in the world! View the full article

If you're looking for the best home design software in 2019 to plan your workspace or studio, then you've come to the right place. The best home design software allows anyone to plan their own home or workspace without having to study to become an architect. They should be easy to use with a clear and concise user interface that gives you all the tools you need to design the perfect studio for your creative work. You can then export your plans to give to architects and builders – who will then turn your designs into reality. There are plenty of reasons why a creative would want to buy the best home design software for their needs. You may want to design a studio or workspace that gives you the room you need to take your creative work to the next level, while complimenting your existing building or home. Of course, you may also want to use the best home design software we've included on this page to extend your home or build a dream house from scratch. Because you're a creative, and not an architect, the best home design software that we've picked will make it easy for anyone to come up with quick and good-looking designs. They will also allow you to add features such as doors and windows, while also guiding you so you don't make any dangerous, impractical or downright impossible designs! So, when choosing the best home design software for your needs, you'll need to consider how easy it is to use – and if there are any features such as manuals and video tutorials that can help you get started. Every piece of software we've included in this list of the best home design software has been picked because it offers an excellent balance between features and ease of use. That means you can pick any of our choices here with confidence, knowing that you're not spending money on advanced features you'll never use, and overly complex software, nor will it be too simple and lacking in features. The best free home design software Before we get into our main list for the best home design software, we'd like to highlight our pick for the best free home design software: RoomSketcher Home Designer. This is the perfect home design application for people who just want to dip their toes into the home design waters, and test out the software before spending any money. It's basic, but it does the job, and allows you to make a quick and easy floor plan with windows, walls, stairs and doors, and you can also add objects to get an idea of how the building your designing will look. It offers basic tools, but doesn't match the paid-for home design software we list below. You're limited to designing five buildings – though you can buy five more for $10, and your designs are saved online so you can access them from other internet-connected devices. Plus, it has an app for iOS and Android mobile devices, so you can get designing while on the go. Virtual Architect Ultimate Home Design is our pick for the best overall home design software thanks to its easy-to-use interface and sample plans that will get you designing your home, studio or workspace in no time at all. It's incredibly easy to use thanks to a number of wizards that take you step-by-step through the process of designing each room, and it has a large object library for you to add to your design. It also automatically calculates what materials you need - and there's a price calculator as well which gives you an idea of how much it will cost to build your designs. TurboFloor Plan Home & Landscape Deluxe is our pick for the best value home design software due to the fact that it is almost half the price of the other entries in this best home design software list, yet it still comes with almost all of the features its more expensive competitors offer. So, you've got 45 sample plans to get you started, as well as the QuickStart feature which lets you jump right in and begin designing your buildings. It has a huge library of video tutorials that can help you if you get stuck, but there's no step-by-step wizards to help you create rooms – unlike Virtual Architect Ultimate Home Design above. However, it still offers fantastic value for money, and is perfect for people on a budget. Macs are very popular with digital creatives, however, they don't have the same breadth of choice when it comes to home design software. If you use a Mac, it means you're limited to only a few software suites - and Home Designer Suite by Chief Architect is by far the best. It comes with a huge selection of features for designing the inside and outside of your building and it's compatible SketchUp and Trimble 3D Warehouse, which host ready-made 3D models which you can include in your designs. It's also easy to export your designs into formats used by architects and builders. Oh, and it's also available for Windows PCs as well. If you're just designing a small project, then you don't want to spend a fortune on a complex suite of design applications that include features you'll never use – which is why DreamPlan is an excellent choice. It gives you all the tools you need to quickly whip up designs for small projects, without overwhelming you. Of course, if you're going for a large project - like a total renovation of your home - then this isn't the tool for you, due to a lack of cost calculator, only one sample plan and a small object library. For for small projects, that should be more than enough. View the full article

JavaScript is one of the first languages any programmer should learn. And with the Comprehensive JavaScript Bundle, you’ll gain 42 hours of knowledge that will give you a solid JavaScript foundation. What's more, this bundle can be yours for just $31 – that’s 97% off the regular price. This bundle will teach you how to create dynamic JavaScript content. You’ll even practice building five mini applications entirely from scratch. The best web hosting services in 2019 You’ll also learn how to build games using the coding language, which will get you up to speed if you’d like to launch a career as a game developer. The Comprehensive JavaScript Bundle is the perfect package that will introduce you to JavaScript and teach you everything you need to know about the language. Make sure you don't miss this offer, grab the bundle now for just $31. Related articles: The best code editors 14 of the best JavaScript APIs All you need to know about JavaScript code splitting View the full article

Time's up on public disclosure of six serious bugs impacting the vendor’s IPM-721S model security camera. View the full article

It's been a busy week in the world of Apple. If you've been keeping up with the announcements coming out of the WWDC 2019 keynote, you'll be aware that Apple's been rolling out some controversial products (including this $999 monitor stand). One update that's sure to keep iPad users happy though is the launch of iPadOS, a new version of iOS specially geared towards its tablets. Announced by Apple's software chief, Craig Federighi, iPadOS is a separate version of iOS that caters towards the user experience of people working on iPads. Due to launch in Autumn, iPadOS will make multitasking easier. It's also set to improve the lives of digital artists and designers by working better with the Apple Pencil. Crucially, the iPadOS update will improve the latency of the Apple Pencil. This means that it will drop from 20ms to 9ms, so it will feel even more like writing or drawing on paper. Great news if you're already using some of the best iPad apps for designers. The best Amazon Prime Day deals for artists and designers Usability, such as the ability to pin widgets, was warmly received [Image: Apple] Not only that, but the tool palette is getting a redesign. Users will be able to shrink it and move it around to wherever suits them best. By dragging the pencil form the corner of the iPad, you can also take a screenshot and start working on it right away. Handy. A new pixel eraser tool will allow iPad users to remove exactly what they want and nothing more, while a ruler tool will make drawing lines a more straightforward process. Over on its preview page, Apple says that iPadOS users will also be able to get fonts from the App Store to use in documents. Custom fonts can also be installed to make your work truly your own (check out our best free fonts for some typographic inspiration). There's also new photo library options, augmented reality support, and text editing options. The upcoming iPadOS will support custom fonts [Image: Apple] Other workflow updates include a smoother split-screen experience that will help to make multitasking easier. A new home screen sees widgets expand alongside conventional app icons, and an improved Files app will feature a column view similar to macOS. The Files app will also be able to support USB drives and SD cards. So if your projects are stored all over the place, it looks like soon you'll be able to edit them all on an iPad. With all this on the iPad, and Photoshop for iPad launching soon (sign up to be a beta tester here), will creatives even need to bother buying a laptop at all? Related articles: The best iPad accessories in 2019 Apple's new free system font isn't actually that new The best cheap iPad deals in 2019 View the full article

One in four underground merchants offer advanced hacking services, once reserved for APTs and well-funded organized crime gangs. View the full article

Chat is a super-hot topic in the web world. "Digital conversations are increasingly becoming our preferred way to communicate," says Verne Ho, Shopify's UX director. "We're not only chatting more than ever before, we're chatting in more places than ever before." Conversational interfaces are evolving – chat has shifted from being merely a means of communication, to a means of getting things done. Ho works with a team at Shopify to define the experience offered by Kit, the company's virtual assistant. At Pixel Pioneers Bristol, he took to the stage to share what he's learnt in the role. He also pointed out that while we all know how to chat in real life, creating a bot that speaks in a natural way is surprisingly difficult, and offered his advice for creating chatbots that don't feel like chatbots. Here are four top takeaways from the talk. The best laptops for programming in 2019 01. Decide on your tone of voice A simple one to start with. Anyone who has done any kind of branding work has likely come across this phrase before. The idea, Ho explains, is to represent what your business would be, if it was personified. You need to figure out the personality your chatbot will have – how excitable is it? How formal? Keeping these things consistent helps build trust and ensure the experience isn't jarring. In figuring out your tone of voice, you of course need to think about what will resonate with your target audience. What level of reading ability is assumed? Will you stick to jargon-free, plain language, or will they appreciate something a little more technical? 02. Actively break down the conversational structure Ho suggests actively breaking the different elements into chunks, with explicit labels. For example, for a 'confirmation' element, might always start with acknowledgement, such as 'Okay' or 'Alright'. "It's important to be deliberate about this, because it enables you to acknowledge the role every element has in moving the conversation forward," says Ho. "These are the things that when done properly, are a better reflection of how we as humans naturally converse." 03. Set some best practice rules The next stage is to set up guidelines as to how different common scenarios should play out. These include things like permissive language (for when you're asking the user if you can do something) and persuasive language (when you're making recommendations). It's not only how you define the patterns, but which patterns you choose to define, that say a lot about your brand, says Ho. 04. Drill down to word level The first three tips have been to do with sentence and conversation structure, but you're going to have to get even more specific. Your chatbot needs a vocabulary. Shopify's view is that Kit should be as specific as possible, while still using plain language. For example, it uses 'customers' or 'visitors' rather than 'people'. "I know this seems like nit-picking, but words come with pre-exiting connotations and associations," says Ho. Picking the wrong ones is an easy way to unintentionally misrepresent your brand. Read more: 5 emerging UX trends in 2019 20 top UX tools and resources The best web design jobs in June 2019 View the full article

These days, there's a certain shame in admitting you've forgotten your reusable bag and need a plastic one, in some circles at least. East West Market in Vancouver has capitalised on those feelings by redesigning its plastic bags to sport embarrassing slogans, advertising a 'colon care coop' (above), wart ointment and an 'adult video emporium' (below). Underneath these shameful slogans, written in typography reminiscent of retro pharmaceutical goods (see our list of retro fonts here if you fancy recreating the look), is the slogan: 'Avoid the shame. Bring a reusable bag'. As campaigns go, we think it's pretty great. It's simple, it's clear, and it's beautifully executed. By drawing attention to the issue of plastic waste in a fun way, East West Market encourages its customers to bring their own bag, and also think more about the plastic they're consuming. You can see the bags in action in the video below, which was posted to East West Market's Facebook page. The only problem we can see with this campaign, which has already garnered a lot of attention, is that the bags actually look really good. So good in fact, that we don't think people will be embarrassed to carry them around. It's possible that they'll even want to buy them over normal plastic bags, or instead of their normal reusable bag. If that happens, then the campaign will have failed its environmental goal, although if the designs really take off, perhaps East West Market could print them on tote bags instead, and phase out plastic bags altogether. Wart ointment, anyone? Read more: Lacoste replaces its crocodile with endangered species The best logos of all time Inspiring examples of packaging design View the full article

Remember Tetris? The iconic puzzle game turned 35 this week, and to celebrate it's revealed a sleek new logo. The design ties into other changes for Tetris, including new games, products and partnerships. As far as new logos go, this one is a textbook example of our logo design inspiration tips in action. Tetris has respected the essence of its identity, but straightened it out and glossed it up to prepare the brand for the future. The new logo (above) was released on 6 June to mark Tetris' 35th anniversary. In an official press release, Tetris said that the new logo "was designed to convey a fresh, contemporary and dynamic look for the brand. At the same time, it continues to honour the core look for which the brand is recognised globally." The old Tetris logo had been in use since 1997 [Image: Logopedia] That core look refers to the geometric Tetris puzzle piece, otherwise known as a Tetromino. This shape has formed the basis of the Tetris logo since 1997 (above). Two decades is a long life span for a logo, and the recently unveiled version gives it some much-needed tweaks to bring it in line with the expectations of modern audiences and gamers. These updates include a chunkier frame around the Tetromino, colourful lettering that reflects the game's playing pieces, and a rounded font with uniform kerning that makes the logo easier to read. All of these refinements bring the design elements together and make Tetris look more sophisticated. It's a clever move by Tetris that will hopefully prevent it from being remembered purely as a gaming relic from the '80s and '90s. And considering that the Tetris press release reveals that it's been downloaded more than 500 million times on mobile devices, it doesn't look like the game is going to be left behind any time soon. So happy birthday Tetris, and here's to another 35 years of infuriatingly addictive puzzle gaming fun! Related articles: 11 best video game character designs How to get a job as a video games artist 5 casual games for designers View the full article

V-Ray Next for Maya (aka version 4) includes most of the improvements and overhauls revealed when the 3ds Max edition launched in May last year, and some that are unique to Maya (voted by us as the best 3D modelling software around). V-Ray Next includes several under-the-hood changes, including improved scene intelligence, redesigned IPR (Interactive Production Rendering) and new GPU architecture. In quantitative terms, an overall rendering performance speed increase of 25 per cent on average has been recorded by Chaos Group, which is a very welcome update for anyone creating complex 3D art. Since version 3, V-Ray has been auto-analysing scenes in the background as they are rendering using Adaptive Lights and Automatic Sampling. V-Ray Next has been developed to use a quick-learn process for scene intelligence, granting faster results, and the coding is now applied to Adaptive Dome Lighting for optimised IBL rendering, with the bonus of eliminating the requirement for setting up Light Portals when rendering interiors. Put simply, V-Ray is becoming faster because it’s becoming smarter. V-Ray Next for Maya: Redesigned IPR Different aspects of a scene can now be previewed directly in the IPR with the new debug shading modes For workflow, Next's almost completely re-written IPR is worth getting excited about. It’s faster, allows continuous feedback and is thankfully more stable than previous versions, where it was tediously routine to restart the IPR for failing to update. In this release, it feels a lot more capable and robust, and even supports playblasting and scrubbing animations. New to the viewport are buttons for quick launch, real-time AI Denoising and shading options for debugging. The integration of Nvidia’s AI-based OptiX render denoising technology to the V-Ray pipeline requires Nvidia GPUs and allows denoising a render in real-time, giving a good prediction of the final image, and is a valid viewport replacement. Some limitations exist, such as that the denoised image is clamped at 1 and won’t give the same range as HDRI, and denoise isn’t always ideal for animation. The debug shading options are designed to speed up lookdev by isolating geometry and shading networks and can be combined with denoise and also playblasted in the IPR. V-Ray Next for Maya: GPU advancements GPU advancements have led to V-Ray RT being retired in favour of Next GPU. The new, redesigned, production-ready GPU works at twice the speed, on average, for production-quality renders in Chaos Group’s benchmark testing. GPU bucket rendering sampler type is now supported to allow for faster distributed rendering with multiple GPUs. Bucket mode also enables having Cryptomatte render element output. The GPU now also supports volume rendering effects, such as fire, smoke and fog, Phoenix FD support, Open VDB support and Field 3D. Minor changes, like the Render elements available are now filtered depending on which production engine is selected, are icing on the cake. For compositing the GPU bucket rendering mode now supports rendering Cryptomatte as a render element V-Ray Next for Maya: Improved PBR workflow There’s a new Metalness parameter in the V-Ray Standard material giving improved PBR workflow support for real-time engines such as Unreal Editor and Unity. Metalness makes it easier to create PBR compatible materials from applications such as Substance Designer to continue a PBR workflow without resorting to a new shader. For hand-drawn or anime-styled renders there’s new Toon Shader controls available on a per material basis that doesn’t take long to learn. There’s also a new layered texture, making it easier to create complex materials with individual mask controls and blending options. The Chaos Group Cloud rendering service, which is currently in Beta is accessed from the Shelf. This new service is worth keeping an eye on, especially if Chaos Group utilises it to further develop how scene intelligence works, as this should generate further advances in render speed and accuracy in conjunction with future releases. Buy V-Ray Next for Maya from Chaos Group (£290 for an annual licence) This article was originally published in 3D Artist – Subscribe to 3D Artist. Read more: 24 free 3D models View the full article

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

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

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

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

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

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

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