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If you're struggling to think of great Christmas gift ideas, you're in luck. Apple's iPad and iPad Pro are on the wish list of many an artist and designer, and you can make their Xmas dreams come true with some incredible deals from Best Buy. Right now, the brand new, 10.2-inch 2019 iPad has been reduced to just $249.99, and the 11-inch iPad Pro to less than $650! That's a huge saving of $80 and $150 respectively. As of this moment, you won't find these items cheaper anywhere in the world. Apple's iPad and iPad Pro have become popular tools among creative professionals in recent years. The Pro in particular, boasting power similar to that of a laptop, a design that easily slots, almost barely noticeable, into most bags and support for both generations of Apple Pencil. The new iPad, recently earlier this year, has also become a highly sought-after product. The price tag before this discount was a huge selling point, so shave another $80 off and this quality device is currently a total bargain. Impressive discounts like this on Apple products don't come along often, so if you're interested, you'll need to be quick. Oh, and don't forget to get an Apple Pencil to go with your shiny new device too! There's also some great deals running in the UK, albeit not quite as impressive as the US, but still a decent savings on all-new iPad. Not in the UK or US? Here are the best same spec iPad Pro prices in your area: View the full article

The best art books continue to be an important part of an artist’s toolkit, along with the pencils, paints and brushes that help them to bring their work to life. Art books can inspire and educate in equal measure. With the help of an art book, whether it covers classical works, drawing tips or the behind-the-scenes craft of an animated blockbuster, creators can get a greater understanding of their profession. And even though digital platforms continue to influence the art world and how creators gain information, books still have a unique and valuable place. They have the room to explore a topic in greater detail, and crucially, they are tactile and visually appealing. It’s a benefit that isn’t just limited to artists. Designers can develop their understanding with graphic design books, and we’ve already seen how fine artists can refine their skills with the best figure drawing books. In this guide we’ve cast the net wide to bring you some of the standout art books of 2019. Covering a Japanese master, parallel universes and lessons on perspective, we’ve made sure there’s something for everyone. If you're after more art supplies, see our list of the best pencils and the essential art supplies for painting. Even if you only have a casual appreciation for Hokusai, you’ll know that he was the print maker behind one of Japan’s most famous pieces of art: The Great Wave. If you’ve wanted to learn more about the works of the seminal printmaker, or perhaps you’re already familiar with him and you want to experience his work in amazing quality, then this book should sate your curiosity. Presented with luxurious silken binding with an additional explanatory booklet, Hokusai: Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji takes a detailed look at the artist’s series of prints based around the natural landmark. As its title suggests, this book has a narrow scope that focuses on a fraction of Hokusai’s career, but it makes up for this by presenting them beautifully. You don’t have to be a Hokusai expert to appreciate this hardback, in fact it’s one of the most stylish ways to dip your toe into his work. To coincide with the five hundredth anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci, Taschen has celebrated the polymath’s life work with this comprehensive survey of his output. Accompanying the fifteen paintings that are often attributed to the Renaissance man himself, this book also packs in nearly 700 of his drawings. With a subject as well-trodden as da Vinci, it can be difficult to find a new angle. However this large hardback presents da Vinci’s work in a historic and contemporary context that will surprise even his most scholarly of devotees. It’s a deep-dive into the world of the famous artist, and some passages may be too dense for newcomers or more casual readers. This is offset by the imagery though, which shows off the artist's work with the help of detailed close-ups. As the Financial Times says: "there’s no legal way of approaching Leonardo’s work more closely." You don’t have to look back as far as Leonardo da Vinci to find great artists. The annual Spectrum collections prove that there’s plenty of contemporary art to appreciate, and 2019 appears to be no exception. As its name suggests, this book is the twenty sixth in the best-selling series. In its pages you’ll find exceptional works from extraordinary creators spanning a wide variety of mediums including illustration, sculpture, fine art, video games and more. If you’re an artist working today, Spectrum 26 gives you an idea of the standard you need to live up to. Don’t let it make you jealous though. As the publishers themselves say, Spectrum is meant to be a celebration of very special artists that helps them to find a wider audience. So if you find an intimidatingly-good new artist inside, don’t feel defeated, instead use them as inspiration for your next project. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse stepped up our expectations of what a superhero film could achieve. And not just in terms of the incredible storytelling. A pivotal part of its success was its stunning animation and art design, and this book reveals some of the work that went into it. If you’re a Spider-Man fan, or even just into the MCU, this book is well worth checking out. Not only does it explore the artistic decisions behind some of the stranger characters and settings, it also teases who might return in a sequel. And that’s what sets this art book apart from similar releases. You can tell all of the artists involved were giving it their all as this film allowed them to show off their ideas to the max, rather than playing second fiddle to live-action elements. Regardless of whether you usually pick up art books, this one will give you a greater appreciation of the story as well as giving you the chance to savour some of the film’s incredible visuals on the printed page. We’re bending the rules a little bit here with an art book that won’t be on the shelves until January 2020. In our defence though, you can pre-order it right now, and it’s not often that we see figure drawing books aimed at the nine to twelve-year-old age bracket. Promising to be a fun way to approach figure drawing, this guide makes the subject accessible to young readers by using examples of familiar people, namely pop culture icons and superheroes. It also promotes different body types, which itself can be lacking in figure drawing books pitched at adults. If you know a young artist who could do with some figure drawing guidance, it looks like you could do worse than this book. And it sure beats those poor quality art sets that often find their way into the stockings of creative children on Christmas morning. Do you have trouble making your horizons taper off into a vanishing point? Fear not, graphic novelist Dan Cooney is here to walk you through the basics of perspective in an engaging, easy-to-understand way. Tips on perspective drawing can sometimes be sidelined in other how to draw books, so it’s good to see the technique getting the attention it deserves here. Especially seeing as it’s a fundamental drawing principle. Dan Cooney’s accessible writing style comes from a place of being equally frustrated and troubled by perspective, so he’s perfectly positioned to explain how it works. With chapters dedicated to each of the three perspective points, he guides you through it so effortlessly that by the time you finish you’ll wonder how you ever drew without this advice. It’s not just kids who have been treated to some figure drawing books this year. For adult artists, Michel Lauricella has put together this brief breakdown of how you can draw the human body with the help of just a few simple shapes. If you’re familiar with figure drawing, you’ll already know that thinking in terms of geometric shapes can help make sense of the model. However, this guide deviates from the traditional approach to figure drawing by showing you how you can draw everything from heads, torsos and limbs with just a small collection of forms that can be combined and shaped into more complex structures. Given that figure drawing and human anatomy can be intimidating for newcomers, Lauricella does a good job of grounding it and going back to basics. So if you’ve ever thought about trying to draw figures, or maybe you’re returning to it after some initial struggles, this is an accessible way to do so. Related articles: The best picture books The books every graphic designer should read Discover this year's hottest design books View the full article

The latest Apple Mac Pro may look like a cheese grater, but it is one hell of a machine. Buying one also has a hefty price tag. The Mac Pro will cost you at least $6,000, and you could spend over $52,000 on the highest spec version. With such a big outlay, you'd want it to be reliable. No one wants to splash out a such a wad of cash to only have to pay again to get to it fixed. But according to iFixit – a site that that teaches people how to fix almost anything – the latest Mac Pro is "Fixmas miracle,". It's "a masterclass in repairability”. Though iFixit sadly didn't test out how to fix those $400 Mac Pro wheels you can buy as an extra. Looks easy to fix. Doesn't it? So what makes it easy to repair? Well you can fix it using "only standard tools" and more interestingly, with "no tools at all", meaning that some parts are repairable with just your fingers. Another plus point is the adoption of "industry-standard sockets and interfaces" for its major components. This means that they're easy to get hold of (see Apple’s list of approved repairs) and replace. But, be warned, there are a few drawbacks as noted by iFixit. The SSDs (Solid State Hard Drives) used by Apple are custom-made, and replacing these does require an Apple technician. We love that the Mac Pro is offering peace of mind (well sort of) and making its desktops easier to fix. But, when you are paying a premium for a top of the range model, you really shouldn't be worrying about having to fix it. You should simply be enjoying what it brings to your everyday existence. And if you'd spent $6,000 or more on a machine, would you be brave enough to fix it yourself? Read iFixit's full breakdown here. IKEA takes a bite out of Apple in hilarious new ad Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch review $999 Mac Pro stand: Has Apple lost the plot? View the full article

Looking for a smart keyboard for your iPad Pro, iPad or iPad Air? We've got everything you need to know right here, including all the best prices right now. If you know what you want, scroll straight down to our price widgets to see the best price in your area. If you're still a bit confused about Apple's Smart Keyboard for iPad options, read on as we tackle all the big questions... While you're here, you might also want to explore our guide to the best iPad accessories, or if you don't have an iPad yet, cast your eye over the best iPad deals. What is a Smart Keyboard and how does it work? Apple's Smart Keyboards are keypads that attach to the iPad and enable users to type as they would on a regular keyboard instead of using the on-screen version included in the tablet software. There are three different Smart Keyboards for iPad: the Smart Keyboard Folio for iPad Pro (12.9-inch and 11-inch versions), the Smart Keyboard for iPad and iPad Air. The latter can also be used with certain iPad Pros. Smart Keyboards attach to your iPad magnetically, and feature clever tech that means there's no need to faff around with switches, wires or pairing to make it work. There's a Smart Connector on the back that transfers both power and data between the iPad and Keyboard. That means you can just snap on the keyboard and start typing. When you remove it, the on-screen keypad will automatically appear again. Similarly, there's no need to actively charge it. Smart Keyboard Folio for iPad Pro Compatible with: 12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd Generation) or 11-inch iPad Pro The Smart Keyboard Folio is a keyboard and a case all in one. It attaches magnetically to the back of your iPad Pro, and provides protection for the back and front of the tablet when you're not using it. When you want to do some typing you can simply unfold the case to use the keyboard. The clever design can be folded to prop the iPad Pro up while you're writing – and you can choose from two different angles. It's all nice and slim and streamlined when closed, and the iPad will automatically wake up when you open the Folio. Handy. Check out the best price for a Smart Keyboard Folio for the iPad Pro 11-inch and 12.9-inch below. Smart Keyboard for iPad and iPad Air Compatible with: iPad (7th generation), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Pro 10.5-inch The Smart Keyboard for iPad and iPad Air is similar to the Folio version for iPad Pro. It connects to your iPad magnetically and charges automatically via the Smart Connector. Your iPad senses it connected so there's no need for any further pairing, and when not in use it can be folded over the screen to act as a protective, lightweight cover. Simply choose the one to match the model of iPad you have. Take a look at the best prices in the widgets below. Read more: Photoshop for iPad review iPad mini review The best drawing apps for iPad View the full article

If you want to know how to Photoshop with iPhone, you've come to the right place. Although Adobe has recently released Photoshop for the iPad, a fully-fledged version of the original desktop software, this has yet to port across to smartphone users. For now, iPhone (and Android) owners with even the best smart phones available are left without Photoshop on the iPhone, but there are not just one, but three separate Photoshop apps that each have their own specialism – Photoshop Express, Photoshop Mix and Photoshop Fix. Use the links on the right to click straight through to a mini review and tutorial on each app. Photoshop Express can be seen as 'Photoshop lite' for the iPhone and does a good job at providing plenty of editing tools combined with selective adjustments to cover just about every editing requirement you’d need while mobile. Photoshop Mix picks up the ability of layering images into composites and gives users the opportunity to cut out sections of shots and overlay textures to make more creative artwork. Finally, Photoshop Fix focuses on the retouching side of things by including a well-thought-out approach to healing tools, selective adjustments and includes good brush properties for minute retouch work. It’s good for any kind of photographic genre, but works especially well on portraits due to the automatic face and skin detection algorithms. Get Adobe Creative Cloud So let’s take a look at what each app does and see which one’s right for your workflow. The added benefit of using one (or all) of these Adobe apps is that they’re free. Although Photoshop Express, Photoshop Mix and Photoshop Fix do offer in-app purchases, this doesn’t limit the tools available on start-up. As well as explaining each Photoshop on the iPhone app, we'll also show you how to perform a simple action within each app. For more on using Photoshop, see our Photoshop tutorials. And you might also want to check out our Photoshop for iPad review. Photoshop Express is a good all-round image editing app for a mid-level edit of photos. It contains many of the standard tools Photoshop users will recognise, but unlike the main version, Express’ layout is strange and unformulaic. However, the gesture visuals upon first use on iOS and general layout make it a much more approachable app than its Android counterpart. Large thumbnails act in real-time to show users how the tools will affect the image before its even used. Selective editing is also possible and touches on the same functions that Photoshop Fix and Photoshop Mix both have but combines them in one space. Photoshop Express is the closest Adobe app to the desktop/iPad Photoshop on smartphone. How to add overlays and selective adjustments in Photoshop Express 01. Add Light Leaks Myriad overlays easily blend in with photos on Express, each tidied into a theme in the menu In the Blending panel we’ve added some gentle bokeh (B14) to act like twinkling light over this gorgeous staircase. It also embellishes the warmer magenta tones of the shot. The slider was increased to around 60% of full effect. 02. Selectively adjust brightness Express automatically splits the image into separate light and dark areas which makes altering brightness much easier In the Adjustments panel we’ve targeted the brighter sections of the shot to increase dynamic range by boosting highlights and darkened shadows. To do this we’ve selected the appropriate parts in the automatic masking on the right-hand side of the photo. Photoshop Mix is aimed exclusively towards users who want to combine imagery and make composite artwork through the use of cutting and blending layers and adding looks. It comes with a small layout of basic controls to refine selections, alter brightness, change colour and crop your images accordingly. Photoshop Mix is great for quick, on-the-go layer processing, but for more detailed work users will want to send their piece straight to Photoshop through the app, where more complex masks can be made with accurate tools such as the Pen tool. The text tool comes with a good spread of fonts and the ability to change several parameters such as colour, size, style, fill and alignment. How to cut selections and content-aware fill in Photoshop Mix 01. Cut it out Quick selections are easily created through the Smart brush tool In the Cut Out panel quick selections of complex scenes can be swiftly chopped with the Smart tool brush where contrasted edges are sought by the app to make selections. Then edges can be enhanced using the Refine panel. For more accurate selections pinch or double-tap to zoom on the image first. 02. Fill blank areas Content-Aware Fill works excellently like its matching counterpart in Photoshop to fill areas of the scene Use the Content-Aware Fill tool to improve blank patches in your scene. With the Basic brush selected paint over a gap in a blue sky and have the app automatically fill the selection with another part of the image, here the app has added a pink cloud to the top-right. Here the skin has been made smoother, structure added to the face and eyes made larger with the use of Liquify Photoshop Fix is predominantly a retouching app that allows users to Heal unwanted blemishes from any image, though it is most adept at portrait retouching because of its face recognition algorithms. It has a good layout of image adjustment tools including Exposure, Contrast, Clarity and Saturation but its focus is on selective adjustments using brushes. Brush properties can be changed with intuitive gestures, from brush size, hardness and opacity and a coloured overlay is even available to toggle on/off during editing. As with Mix, it’s hard to get surgical precision with the finger but zooming in on the subject helps a lot. Automatic skin and face detection help alleviate laborious masking, speeding up workflow. How to retouch a face in Photoshop Fix 01. Use Liquify to adjust features Automatic face nodes aid Liquify controls in portraits In the Liquify panel Fix automatically detects faces and lays face nodes over the most important features such as forehead, eyes, cheeks, nose, mouth and chin. From here click on a control point and adjust using either Warp, Swell, or Twirl to make adjustments. Hit Restore to undo changes in longer chains of editing. 02. Smooth the skin With the overlay button selected you can easily trace the selection if any parts have been missed Press and slide on the Size button to adjust brush size and make a simple selection of the skin you want to smooth. Pinch to zoom in on the eyes, lips and hair and use the Restore button to remove unwanted effects from these areas. You can also use the Sharpen tool to focus on features such as the eyes or hair for a crisp-looking finish. Read more: The 13 best alternatives to Photoshop How to Photoshop someone into a picture How to flip a layer in Photoshop View the full article

For digital artists and designers, choosing a drawing tablet is no easy feat. The market is saturated with appealing models from a variety of manufacturers, as we’ve already seen in our guide to the best drawing tablets of 2019, which makes it difficult to know where to begin. And seeing as drawing tablets boast impressive technical capabilities, it’s not long until you’re trying to find a compromise between their performance and your budget. Thankfully XP-Pen has made the selection process more straightforward with this bundle discount that couldn’t come at a better time. If you’re looking to treat the creative in your life to a new drawing tablet this Christmas, or maybe you just feel like spoiling yourself, the XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro Holiday Gift Edition could be what you’re looking for. This bundle contains the popular XP-Pen Artist 15.6 drawing tablet along with a range of other goodies, including a stand, battery-free stylus and drawing glove, which will help users to bring their ideas to life with ease. The main attraction of this bundle is of course the XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro drawing tablet. Our review of the device even described it as “the best screen tablet alternative to Wacom 16” thanks to its quality screen, shortcut keys and tilt functionality. One of its key selling points is the fact that it’s a budget alternative that delivers value for money, a strength that has been taken even further with this bundle as it’s been cut in price from £449.99 all the way down to £299.99. This is cheaper than you would normally pay for the drawing tablet on its own, let alone with the host of treats in this Holiday Gift Edition. The dazzling screen displays your work at its best When you dig deeper into the specifications of the XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro drawing tablet, you can see why it’s a hit with digital artists and designers. For starters the screen supports 60 degrees of pen tilt functionality, meaning that it can get the most out of commonly-used creative software such as Photoshop, Painter and Gimp. This sensitivity also allows the drawing tablet to accurately pick up the gesture of the stylus and turn that into a real tilting brush effect. In short, users will be able to enjoy a natural drawing experience that produces virtually no lag and create a variety of line and shading effects. Unlike other XP-Pen models, the 15.6 Pro drawing tablet has a fully laminated screen with next to no parallax. And with the help of a replaceable anti-glare optical film that comes included as standard, the device will maintain a crisp display even in bright lighting conditions. This display works brilliantly in tandem with the screen’s superb colour accuracy of 88% NTSC (120% sRGB) to ensure that your work appears as dazzling and sharp as you intend it to be. (Keep in mind that this based on test data from the XP-Pen laboratory and that values may vary depending on your environment.) Topping off the Artist 15.6 Pro is the revolutionary Red Dial interface. With a design that fits comfortably into the user’s hand, this control allows digital creators to zoom in and out of their projects intuitively and helps to create a more efficient workflow. It can also be programmed to scroll up and down, or be personalised in a way that will help to unleash your digital creative expression. The Red Dial can also be used in conjunction with fully customizable shortcut keys, so you can create a setup that’s specifically tailored to your preferences. A battery-free stylus is included in the bundle Speaking of customization, the stand that comes with the Holiday Gift Edition lets artists work on the Artist 15.6 Pro in their preferred position. This lightweight stand doesn’t compromise the device’s portability either. You can carry both of them wherever you need to be and start drawing on the go. The stand’s Pen Holder will also keep your stylus and nibs nice and safe as you travel about, too. As if that wasn’t enough, the Holiday Gift Edition comes with a cleaning cloth so you can keep your Artist 15.6 Pro in mint condition, as well as a phone stand, enamel pin, and calendar. These are lovely editions which round off a release that was already delivering on many fronts. Usually retailing at £449.99, the Holiday Gift Edition can be yours for just £299.99 when you order before 30 December. To avoid disappointment, we advise that you order as soon as possible as there is limited stock. If you want to pick yours up in time for Christmas, head on over to the XP-Pen website now to place your order. This bundle is available in North America, UK, Australia, Germany and many more from the XP-Pen web store. Related articles: 10 top illustration trends for 2020 The best digital art software in 2019 5 ways to improve your digital art skills View the full article

You might have missed out on the MAX conference in LA, but we have the next best thing for you: Adobe has taken its mega-event on the road, and you can catch up with the talks from the MAX Creativity Tour London right here. Adobe gathered a stellar lineup of speakers for an evening of inspirational talks and jaw-dropping demos. To start with, let's take a look at the opening keynote. Principal Creative Cloud Evangelist Rufus Deuchler kicked off the evening with a whirlwind trip through the most exciting updates to the industry-leading suite of Creative Cloud tools, with a little help from some Adobe artists. You can catch up with his talk below. In this video, you'll see Deuchler inviting creatives to the stage to demo the new features live in front of the audience. Adobe Creative Resident Octavia Bromell shows off the incredibly lifelike, Sensei-powered brushes in new art app Adobe Fresco ("I have spent hours of my life blending colours. It really is as satisfying as it looks," she laughs). Adobe XD Evangelist Stephanie Maier offers a tantalising taste of the prototyping tool's new co-editing capabilities, and a quick demo of how to use the incredibly helpful Component States. Deuchler also whizzes through the new AI capabilities in InDesign 2020 (we won't spoil the surprise, but it features pancakes); and the "magical" Object Selection tool in Photoshop. The talk finishes, as all great talks should, with the speaker inviting a dinosaur into the auditorium, courtesy of revolutionary augmented reality app Adobe Aero. Adobe's Stephanie Maier showed off the latest additions to Adobe XD To find out more about these innovations, check out the Adobe Creative Cloud website. Or for more from the MAX Creativity Tour, including a behind-the-scenes look at the nation's favourite christmas advert and an inspiring talk from one of the most impressive young creators right now, check out the full video playlist. View the full article

An empowering year of protest has seen rebellion in its many forms influence art and design, from fashion and product through to services and the way in which we consume. It has infiltrated the likes of graphic design and communications, from substrates and mediums to the use of colour, and none more so than climate activism. In this article, we'll explore the art and design movements that have intertwined with this mood of rebellion over the course of 2019. The discourse around climate change is shifting. Today’s youth are rising up, declaring a state of emergency and seeding an infectious sense of agency at a time of inaction. It is schoolchildren who are pushing the climate crisis to the top of the international agenda, humbling and inspiring audiences of all generations to demand action. This renewed activist vision is a far cry from hard-edged punk rebellions. It’s about human potential and community strength And while the devastating effects of our current models of consumption have been known for some time, it is Greta Thunberg’s hand-scribed ‘Skolstrejk För Klimatet’, her #fridaysforfuture and heroic Atlantic crossings to the United Nations headquarters that are inspiring young people across the world to fight for a future at all. With the weight of the planet seemingly on their shoulders, Gen Z-ers (and Alphas) are indeed angry, but also hopeful and resilient in their crusade for change. Explore our 20 biggest design trends for 2020 This renewed activist vision is a far cry from hard-edged punk rebellions. It’s less about apportioning blame and instead about human potential, community strength and local stories bringing people together to learn and create. Never before has messaging found such rhythm, brought about by the lo-fi creation of signage and symbols shared across social media. In this new age of activism, digital platforms are a resource for grass-roots action. Thought-provoking creatives Do The Green Thing act as a ‘public service to the planet’, while the Entry Level Activist’s Instagram platform is designed to “make activism more relatable + less overwhelming”. Design duo Josie Tucker and Richard Ashton, who make up climate club Adapt, are creating manifestos for change employing satirical graphics in a meme-like manner to make real change digestible and accessible to those discouraged by overwhelming facts and conflicting science. The rise of the insta-activists continues to fill feeds with visually led infographics designed to provoke action. 01. Join the rebellion 2019 has been a year of revolution, not least due to the impact of international movement Extinction Rebellion (XR) in forging a new and empowering path for environmental protest. Remaining explicitly apolitical and non-violent, their energy connects people around the world in a show of solidarity, boldly unified by an era-defining visual identity. XR uses a palette of different colours to signify that it's open to anyone Instead of claiming a single colour traditionally used as a signifier of allegiance, its array of 12 lively hues have become synonymous with their key messages to Rebel For Life and Tell The Truth. “Our use of lots of different colours signifies that we’re many things – that we’re open to all people, we’re not a closed movement,” said Clive Russell, design director at This Ain’t Rock ‘n’ Roll, the agency behind XR’s intersectional aesthetic, in an interview with Viewpoint Colour magazine. The explicit palette creates a visual spectacle that unifies crowds, who can access the tools to create protest materials themselves via the dedicated arts group (one of many open-source skillshares at XR). Fashion has long been a great vehicle for protest Fashion remains a momentous vehicle for protest, with icons such as Vivienne Westwood and Katharine Hamnett breaking convention and galvanising audiences. Hamnett’s seminal T-shirt designs Choose Love, Cancel Brexit and Vote Trump Out express block type political slogans, designed to be easily copied in order to reach as many people as possible. A limited range for today’s young activists includes tees such as Save The Future. Similarly, Wolfgang Tillmans’ Between Bridges foundation, set up in 2017, intends to advance democracy and LGBTQ rights by engaging a non-typical audience through the arts. Tillmans’ multilingual slogan tees and posters trended both prior to the initial EU referendum and again for the MEP elections this year. This protest movement is fuelling a graphic language that’s spontaneous, rich in unrefined textures and kinetic in application of colour. While the global picture is sombre, the message for the future is to collaborate and inspire, with the intention of propelling us toward solutions. 02. DIY activist Responding to a need for a more inclusive and democratic political and environmental conversation, the rise of creative workshop culture has led to community-driven activism that amplifies the voices of all. The aesthetic of the DIY Activist is makeshift: whether hand-assemblage or digital collage, the process is wholly ad hoc. The visual language has evolved from design collectives such as Protest Press and Collage Club, which are bringing hacktivism to the fore by embracing an imperfect aesthetic in open-to-all cut-and-paste workshops. Using the poster as a vehicle for bold messaging, slogans are expressive, savvy and shorthand in style. Scissored lettering suggests uncompromised intention and the anonymity of a collective voice. The material-led palettes are defined by salvaged and appropriated matter in industrial pastels and dulled synthetic brights of reclaimed papers and plastics, knocked back with concrete greys and cool off-whites. Adapt's guide to tackling climate change uses humour to offset the gloomy outlook This reclaimed aesthetic translates well into digital collage, maintaining elements of the rudimentary using naive illustration and rough-cut stencil forms. Climate club Adapt is on a mission to side-step the gloom surrounding the existential crisis by melding humour with design. Its nine-point guide to tackling individual climate action, designed for It’s Nice That, stays true to poster conventions boasting digital nostalgia in the form of flattened two-dimensional layouts. Spray-can smileys and a limited primary palette of washed-out reds, blues and yellows are reminiscent of early Microsoft Paint. Online or in real life, its highly shareable, meme-like graphics make the climate crisis a more accessible conversation. Glug invited artists to create their own climate protest posters Championing design communities around the world, creative networking movement Glug is building the world’s largest database of climate protest posters, titled Protest by Design, in support of the UK Student Climate Network and Fridays For Future. The informal open-submission is encouraging designers to use “slapstick imagery, comedy, banter, stupid phrasing, and downright light-hearted mockery if needed” to protest that the time for a business-as-usual mindset is over. 03. The zine mindset The look and feel of DIY activism is strongly influenced by zine culture. Punk zines grew in the 70s with an improvised aesthetic and then in the 90s, feminist zines subverted mainstream content producing personal and political manifestos that could be distributed readily. Moving forward to today, zines are pedalling social and environmental concerns of young activists, using the do-it-yourself design tool to take action. And streetwear brands are adopting this zine aesthetic to communicate sustainable agendas to a youth market. Adidas UB19 Decode posters by AMATEUR(DOT)ROCKS AMATEUR(DOT)ROCKS crafted a visual language for Adidas’ Run For The Oceans campaign. This was a socially charged activation designed to spark the conversations around the global plastic problem and educate the next generation of climate activists. AMATEUR(DOT)ROCKS describe its typographic repetition as representing “collective voice and urgency” with an approach to photography “that captured new running in a real, raw and authentic way.” Layering wrapped plastic textures in a collaged manner drives home the crisis. Ad hoc, spontaneous and reconfigured, the language of DIY activism is very much an assemblage of the salvaged and reappropriated. Materials are hacked and remade as valued waste is given a second life. A quick and dirty design approach is a vehicle for bold, action-led messaging. 04. Chaotic colour Pantone’s Vibrant Rebellion describes the activist generation as rising up and reclaiming ownership of their future. Colour is explosive, chaotic and this design direction is a call to action, provocative and unapologetic. It represents a manifesto for urgent measures, an uncompromising and tribal approach to protecting the planet. The hyper-tactile narrative sees a frenzy of pigment, pattern and texture overloading billboards and storefronts, catwalks and editorial in a very public campaign of anger and vibrant optimism. Today’s youth are angry: they want their hopes and dreams back. Phoebe Walters' Peace Paint project uses the skin as a canvas for expression As explored in Viewpoint Colour Rise Up, make-up artist Phoebe Walters’ Peace Paint features smudged, smeared and sprayed pigments, thickly layered in unrefined textures as the skin becomes a canvas for expression. An update on the concept of war paint, the haphazard and confident finger strokes apply sugary-sweet hues and dirtied primaries to bare skin for a striking message of activism and communal purpose. Adopting well-established vehicles of resistance, Vivienne Westwood’s AW19 show at London Fashion Week elevated social issues from freedom of speech to saving the planet with all the theatre and disorder of a protest rally. Placards carried emotive slogans while the frenetic layering of a punk collection expressed anger in an audacious clash of patterns. The pink yarn used here is an homage to the pussyhats worn at the Women's March on Washington The subversive adoption of textiles in protest graphics often speaks to a feminist narrative. In 2017, Sagmeister & Walsh’s Resist cover for The New York Times designed type with knitted swatches and unravelling yarns, in an ode to the fuschia hats made for the Women’s March on Washington. 05. Digital overload In the gritty and anarchic Maison Margiela Artisanal show in Paris earlier this year, a glitched layering of digital graffiti blurred garments with stage sets in a graphic overload. Saturated cobalts fought with fiery reds and deep violets in kaleidoscopic excess. This rebellious use of kinetic mark-making can be seen across digitally printed textiles and printed campaigns. For example, Sydney-based graphic designer Kris Andrew Small has a bold and abstract visual identity that layers sweeping colour in a riotous assault of 90s tropicana, shaking up visuals for festival branding and streetwear drops. Maison Margiela Artisanal SS19 embraced the graphic overload aesthetic The activist generation is driving a digital revolution, exploring an immaterial future by creating hyper-tactile textures in a virtual realm. Selfridges Presents The New Order is defining the future of fashion and retail in a vibrant celebration of the phygital, promoting creatives such as Ines Alpha and Digi.gal, a global womxn’s network of 3D designers [the spelling is intentional to reject the idea of ‘woman’ being ‘of man’]. The store fronts are otherworldly landscapes that stretch the imagination, rebellious in their use of digital motion and immediately shoppable product. An uplifting and unapologetic visual expression of activist rhetoric, tangy hues bleed into one another in a kinetic but gritty flow of colour. As a vehicle for rich political and environmental narratives, the story is heavily textile (both material and immaterial), clashing saturated brights with graffiti-style type. 06. Changing the gaze The global feminist uprising has evolved from the suffragettes to today’s youth who are calling out inequality across the world. Not only are they questioning outdated social norms, they’re demanding a voice at the table, reclaiming space in the creative industries and redefining power on their own terms. At the centre is collaboration, uplifting and empowering all female-identifying people. A by-womxn-for-womxn model is driving a new aesthetic that moves away from a subversive millennial pink, to the confident honey-warmth of tangerine in a renewed show of energy. Fashion brand Birdsong employs female artisans to create politically inspired tees In an age of #metoo and #timesup, there’s an ongoing message of solidarity and persistence in the fight for equality. Womxn are seeking out products that speak to them, not for them. Fashion brand Birdsong is part of the fight, employing female artisans to make politically inspired tees for those who dress in protest. Hand-embroidered or screen-printed, its slogans encourage all to Resist & Persist by protesting inequality with everyday acts. Birdsong’s design for International Women’s Day 2019 uses a retro-inspired orange font that speaks to the history and future of the cause. 07. Come together A growing pool of female content creators are instigating change through collaborative platforms. Creative playground Daisie is the brainchild of Maisie Williams and Dom Santry. Daisie uses bold sans serif messaging, layered with illustrative scribbles and mark-making in social-style communications. Wonder Women, a recent initiative of the platform, was designed to bring together teams of womxn to shine a light on raw, underrepresented talent. The graphics for the open-call combine playful, softly-lit analogue photography with deep indigo backdrops. Layered on top are digitally drawn embellishments that act as graphic furniture throughout their online presence. Daisie uses bold sans serif messaging, layered with illustrative scribbles Complementary palettes are evident throughout communications by and for womxn; with inky blues, moss greens and warm tangerines offset with heavy, nearly-black type. Tactile, brushed paper stocks are the canvas for Room For Rebellion’s club night posters, designed by Caterina Bianchini to raise awareness for abortion rights across Dublin, Belfast and London. The hand-cut rouge shapes are delicately layered and framed by weighted hand-drawn type that brings strength to a soft composition. Girls Like Us magazine represents a community of womxn within arts, culture and activism Girls Like Us magazine, which captures the stories, essays and beautiful visuals of a community of womxn within arts, culture and activism also uses a border-style type. The authentic nature of the content shines through in hazy film photography on the cover, framed by type that’s spaced in such a way to encourage pause with every word. Let’s Talk About It mural by Lola Brooklyn Straight-talking and taboo busting, the messaging from LOLA is “Let’s Talk About It.” Communicating in a way that’s honest and open, life-long feminine healthcare brand LOLA is opening up the dialogue around uncomfortable subjects, ranging from periods to sex. Its larger-than-life mural in Brooklyn, New York, adopts painterly illustrations of the female body as a backdrop for a telephone hotline that shares intimate and real experiences within the public sphere (a campaign spearheaded by agency Giant Spoon). The stylised illustrations communicate the autonomous female body with a robust femininity. Messaging is always straight-talking and honest, driving creative collaboration and instigating change. Brushed paper stocks stained with painterly, gestural mark-making celebrate the female form in all its diversity. Palettes of two or three colours, warm neutrals with inky blues and tangerines move toward a more complex feminine colour space. 08. The new eco warrior The New Eco Warrior is all about paring back and slowing down, in a backlash against gluttonous excess. The less-is-more aesthetic sees traditional hand-tooling and natural treatments as a step toward a more considered future. Designers are embracing imperfect aesthetics that are aged or dirtied, scratched or darned. Far from makeshift, this is a luxe design direction that honours the time-old traditions of craft. Story MFG is an artisanal patron of the slow-made movement The New Eco aesthetic is a quiet act of protest, driving a desire for the well-loved, the treasured one-offs. Tie-dye and block printing are of a language that’s imperfect by nature. The muddied pastels of Story MFG’s collection stain cottons and linens, creating cross-directional prints in a patchwork effect. The airy cloths are contrasted with heavy cotton twills that, when dyed, create a crumpled aesthetic in raspberry and sand. As Story MFG told New Order Mag in an interview earlier this year, “Our setup is almost more like a fine winery than a fashion brand. We leave a lot of the design up to the weather, soil, crop and we just work with what we’re given. It’s liberating and challenging in equal measures.” Changing the parameters of possibility and bringing it back to the resources that are available on a local and sustainable level can lead to innovative results. Pieced together and over-embroidered, Story MFG is an artisanal patron of slow-made. 09. Plant origins To reduce the impact of toxic chemical dyeing, brands are turning to plant-based pigments resulting in earthy tones stretching from khaki greens to sunbleached ochres. Nike’s Plant Color Collection is a nod to colour futures exploring alternative material treatments and finishes across product design. Increasingly, unbleached textile fibres and papers in light fawn, oatmeal and putty are replacing stark whites. Nike’s Plant Color Collection explores alternative material treatments and finishes Tangent GC’s garment care solutions are designed to prolong the life of carefully crafted clothes, and their products carry the same weight of artistry. Painterly marks and watery translucency are elevated in its packaging designs by Åsa Stenerhag, design director at Totême, resulting in 100 unique soap boxes across four fragrances. The organic papery textures and earthy palette reimagine packaging as an object to treasure. With consumers demanding more sustainable solutions, afterlife is ever-increasingly an important material consideration. Brands are turning to biodegradable and compostable substrates, made of and for the Earth. Haeckels’ cosmetic products are based on ingredients from the coast around Margate for its mineral-rich properties, enabling a restoration of calm. Haeckels’ cosmetics are based on ingredients from the coast around Margate As investors in coastline conservation and natural innovations, Haeckels has developed bio-contributing mycelium packaging for its products. Rather than smoothing and perfecting the surface, the pulpy and fibrous textures of mycelium proudly embrace their wholesome philosophy. Home-compostable coffee capsules from Halo are the world’s first, celebrating a zero-waste aesthetic made of sugar cane and paper bagasse that breaks down in the ground, releasing rich fertilising coffee grounds into the soil. The pared-back aesthetic finds beauty in the slow-made, the plant-based and that which is designed to outlive us. Sympathetic treatments using natural pigments and organic matter stain coarse surfaces in unpredictable ways, before being pieced together in tapestry-like compositions or grown as living materials into entirely new forms. This article was originally published in Computer Arts, the world's best-selling design magazine. Buy issue 299 or subscribe. Read more: 10 top illustration trends for 2020 Are trends any good for branding? The biggest portfolio trends for 2020 View the full article

This might be the most blatant copy of one of the most famous fonts on the planet. Unveiled last week as the new logo for the Chinese city of Dalian, the design won a competition named 'Dalian has a good gift', run by the Dalian Culture and Tourism Bureau. The competition received nearly a thousand entries in less than three months – but the winning choice has prompted an investigation into plagiarism following a complaint. The logo design (see our best logos post for a bunch of designs that are more successful) managed to get through the selection process without anyone noticing, something we find kind of hard to believe given the 'D' looks as if it's been lifted directly from the trademarked Disney logo. The controversial logo design with images representing the fonts used in the design The design, named the City logo of Dalian features a lighthouse standing above stylised blue water, and the word 'Dalian' sits underneath the image, in Pinyan and Chinese characters that include 'Iron Mountain Lighthouse', 'Moonlight Sea', 'Playful Dolphin' and 'Dalian'. A Chinese graphic design site initially pointed the finger at the logo's creator, Su Zhanying. "At first glance I felt the logo was all right, except the image was too complicated with too many colours," says the blog, "but then I found something very similar when I checked the font… Isn’t it the same font of the Disney logo?" Frankly, we think that's being pretty kind. The 'D' jumps off the page immediately, as does the loopy dot on the 'i'. So much so that you'd be forgiven for thinking the logo has a direct connection to Disney. The logonews blog created these GIFs to highlight the font issues. The first shows the exact letters that are problematic: And the second imposes the Disney font on top of the Dalian City logo lettering, to cement the point even further. And the controversy doesn't stop there. Plenty of internet users have taken issue with other parts of the design too, as the tweet below details. The graphic itself has similarities with this Brisbane Pathway logo, created by an online artist known as blueii. The water graphic is super-similar to the water found in the Lianshui city logo (another Chinese city). To top it all off, the circle that loops around the lighthouse is reminiscent of the animated Disney star. Competition entrants were required to guarantee the intellectual property rights of their work, but it's as if the artist has magpied bits of other logos he's found and smushed them all together to create his entry. We wonder if Disney's lawyers will see fit to get involved. The designer may have to give up his 30,000 yuan (US$4,300) prize money and faces disqualification. "The investigation is currently under way," says the statement from the Dalian City government, "and the results will be announced as soon as possible". It certainly says something about the selection process that this wasn't picked up on before the design actually won the competition. Has the Dalian city government never seen a Disney film? Given that Disney recently opened a $5.5 billion theme park in Shanghai, we find it hard to believe. This saga deserves to be ranked up there with the most blatant attempts of plagiarism ever. We can only assume the designer was particularly naive to copyright law, otherwise how on earth did he think he'd get away with it? Read more: Stunning project turns logos into houses Where to find logo design inspiration 8 of the biggest logo redesigns of 2019 View the full article

Here’s the deal we’ve been waiting for throughout 2019... up to 50% off dr.fone tools for iPhone and Android with this special Christmas and New Year offer. Wondershare’s dr.fone toolkits provide a first-class software suite to solve common problems with using and transferring data across iOS and Android devices. Top features include data recovery from broken phones; migrating data between phones and platforms; system repair without data loss; removing your Lock screen and Cloud ID; permanently erasing data from your device, and much more. In short, if your data is important to you and your work, dr.fone toolkits are a must-have. Whether you need to back up your WhatsApp messages or transfer data to a new phone; whether you've forgotten your password or need to recover lost data, Wondershare has you covered. And with these special Christmas and New Year discounts, you’d be a fool not to take advantage. What can they do? These tools are invaluable in managing your mobile phone data There are three kinds of dr.fone toolkits: one for iOS, one for Android and one for both. Taking the iOS toolkit as an example, the main features are as follows: dr.fone Recover lets you restore deleted photos, videos, contacts, messages, notes and call logs from your iPhone, iTunes and iCloud. Details here. dr.fone Switch allows you to freely transfer data between iPhone and Android in a single click. Details here. dr.fone Restore Social App enables you to restore social apps, including backup of your WhatsApp chat history, and transfer between iPhone and Android. Details here. dr.fone Unlock allows you to get past your iPhone or iPad lock screen if you’ve forgetten your password. Details here. dr.fone Repair enables you to repair common iOS system problems, including getting stuck on the Apple logo, bootloop and black screen, in minutes; all without suffering data loss. Details here. dr.fone Backup&restore allows you to back up your iPhone data and restore either all of it, or selective files, to a new phone. Details here. dr.fone Erase enables you to completely erase all or part of your data, permanently. Details here. dr.fone Transfer allows you to transfer your data from your iPhone to your PC, including contacts, text, images, audio and video. Details here. How much will I save? There are lots of different ways to save in this Christmas and New Year sale The dr.fone toolkit normally sells for $99.95 for iOS, $79.95 for Android and $139.95 for both platforms. But in this Christmas and New Year sale, Wondershare is giving customers a massive 40% off. That brings the cost down to just $59.97 for iOS, $49.97 for Android, and $83.97 for both platforms. Alternatively, if you’re only interested in specific tools, Wondershare’s special two-in-one sale means you can get an incredible 50% off with specific bundles. So for example, you can buy Switch + Restore Social App for just $24.94 (normally $49.90); Backup&Restore + Restore Social App for just $19.96 (normally $39.94); iOS Repair + iTunes Repair for just $39.94 (normally $79.90); and iOS Eraser + Apple ID Unlock for just $34.94 ($69.90). FInally, if you just want one tool, you can get a 40% discount off ANY single tool in the Wondershare dr.fone range. All in all, this sale is too good to be missed. But time is running out to get your discount. So check out the full details of what’s on offer before it’s too late! View the full article

Having to move the cursor and make multiple clicks for a routine action you perform all the time can frustrate and slow down your process. Fortunately, Windows offers a range of keyboard shortcuts that can help anyone working on a PC do things more quickly and easily. Most people know the common shortcuts like Ctrl + C to copy and Ctrl + V to paste, but there are many more combinations that can speed up the design process. Here are 11 of the most useful processes that offer shortcuts that should be as instinctive as reflex actions for any Windows-using designer. For more shortcuts for creatives, see our Photoshop shortcuts roundup. 01. Rename file or folder (F2) Simply hit F2 to rename a batch of files Nothing is more tedious then having to right-click on every single file or folder when you have a whole batch of deliverables that need to be renamed in the correct format before being shared. Thankfully, Windows makes this a lot easier with one of the most useful shortcuts out there. Simply select a file, or a whole range of files, and click F2 to rename. If you select a range of items, they’ll all be given the same name followed by a number in parentheses. To make things even quicker, if you need to rename every file in a folder, you can press Ctrl + A to select all. 02. Create a new folder (Ctrl + Shift + N) Press Ctrl + Shift + N to quickly create a new folder Folders are great for making work easier to find, so you may find you create rather a lot of folders and subfolders within them. Trying to find space to right click in an already cluttered folder to create a new one can be a nuisance and slow you down, but if you’re in Windows Explorer all you need to do is press Ctrl + Shift + N to automatically create a new folder. And if you’re not in Windows Explorer, a quick way to bring it up is by holding down Windows Key + E. 03. Switch applications or tabs (Alt + Tab and Ctrl + Tab) Hold down Windows Key + Tab to see all the applications you have open Chances are that when you’re working on a design and simultaneously looking back at a brief and responding to emails, by the end of the day you have an unwieldy amount of applications and tabs open. To switch between all the different applications you have open, press Alt + Tab. You can reverse the direction by pressing Alt + Shift + Tab. To take a glance at all of the applications you have open at once, press Windows Key + Tab. Meanwhile, to switch through multiple tabs within the same programme, for example between tabs in your browser or in Illustrator press Ctrl + Tab. Again, to change the order you move through the tabs, simply add shift: Ctrl + Shift + Tab. 04. Find your desktop (Windows Key + D) Similarly, with so many windows clogging up your screen, finding the desktop can sometimes be a time-consuming task. Delve under the clutter by holding down Windows Key + D to immediately show the desktop. This also offers a way to quickly save an image from the web. By clicking and holding the image, you can enter this shortcut and drag and drop the image straight to your desktop. Press the same shortcut again to bring back all the windows as they were. If you only need to take a quick peek at the desktop, you can press Windows Key + , This will let you view the desktop until you take your finger off the Windows Key. To be able to view more than one windows on screen at once, try Windows Key + Right Arrow or Left Arrow to your current window to half screen. Pressing Windows key + Up Arrow will restore it to full size. 05. Close Window (Ctrl + W) Here's one final essential shortcut that makes it easier to manage the multitude of windows open on the screen. This one allows you to quickly close the current window with a tap of the keyboard rather than by having to move the cursor and click on the cross in the top right corner of the window. If you’ve got a bunch of windows open and have finished with the active window, press Ctrl + W to create some much-needed room. 06. Recover recently closed tab (Ctrl + Shift + T) Accidentally closed a tab on your browser? An all-to-easy slip of the hand can cause the tab in front of you to disappear before your eyes. Don’t panic, there’s no need to go searching in History. To restore the last tab closed in any of the most popular browsers, press Ctrl + Shift + T and it will pop right back where it was before. It’s also worth knowing that you can quickly open a new tab by pressing Ctrl + T. 07. Work with text (various) There's more to manipulating text than copying and pasting. Ctrl + Left or Right Arrow will move the cursor to the next special character or space, and Ctrl + Shift + Arrow will do the same, highlighting the text it finds on its way to allow you to easily apply changes to whole chunks of text. Deleting text can also be made a lot quicker by erasing whole words on either side of the cursor with Ctrl + Backspace and Ctrl + Del. 08. Screenshot a specific area (Windows + Shift + S) You’ll often want to take a screenshot of a specific area without capturing the rest of the clutter on your screen. Just press Windows Key + Shift + S and the screen will fade to indicate that you can capture a screenshot. Pull the cursor across the area you want to capture and everything inside will automatically be copied to the clipboard. Note that you’ll need to paste the shot into an image editing application to save it. If you want to take a screenshot of only the active window, it’s even easier. Just press the keyboard shortcut Alt + Prt Scn and a shot of the window you’re currently working in will be saved to the clipboard. Again, you’ll need to open it in an image editor to save. 09. Use multiple screens (Windows Key + P) Windows Key + P will bring up your options for connecting to another screen in Windows 10 Need to make a presentation? Connecting a Windows 10 device to an external monitor or projector is as easy as a click. Just press Windows Key + P and all the options pop up on the right hand side. This allows you to duplicate the display, extend it or mirror it, and can take a little of the stress out of setting up a presentation. 10. Run an application (Windows key + 1, 2, 3, etc) A nice feature added in Windows 10 is the ability to run any of the programmes that are on your taskbar by simply pressing the Windows key + a number. For example, If you have an internet browser, Photoshop and Skype on the taskbar in that order, pressing Windows Key + 2 will automatically open Photoshop. Add shortcuts to the applications you use most often to the taskbar and once you know the order that they appear, this shortcut can save the time it would normally take to find the application on your desktop or in the start menu. If you already have the programme open, pressing the same key combination will make it the active window, making this also a quick way to toggle between applications. 11. Insert emojis (Windows + .) Add a smiley with Windows + . Want to quickly add an emoji into text? Hitting Windows + . brings up a pop up box with emojis to choose from. If you know the name of the emoji you’re looking for you can type the name and hit return to select it and enter it into your text without having to use the cursor at all. Read more: The ultimate Adobe CC keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet 12 Mac shortcuts every designer should know The 8 most disruptive apps of all time View the full article

Christmas day is a pretty exciting time for many. You get presents, you get to eat all day, there are Christmas crackers. But this year, it may be that you'll have to wait till Boxing Day to order the best gift of them all. On 26 December, Star Wars fans in the UK will be able to get their hands on a host of brand new Star Wars Lego sets, while those in the US will need to wait until New Year's Day. Some of these hot new best Lego sets for adults are based on the new film, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which came hits the cinemas today. And if you're likely to have splurged over Christmas, then the good news is there are sets for a range of budgets, as these Star Wars Lego kits start at just £8.99. Our favourite of these new sets is Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder, from Star Wars: A New Hope. Not only does it include two of Star Wars' most famous main characters – Luke and C-3PO – there's also an armed Jawa. Oh, and let's not forget the impressive Landspeeder, which includes a trunk for Luke's macrobinoculars and clip for his blaster rifle. Okay, Lego, just take our money already Okay, so we know he's a baddie, but we also can't help but love this little Kylo Ren Shuttle Microfighter set from The Force Awakens. The shuttle has foldable wings for flight and landing modes, plus 2 stud shooters for battle action. A minifigure of the iconic Kylo Ren comes complete with red lightsaber too. Finally, if you're after a souvenir from the new film The Rise of Skywalker, this Sith TIE Fighter (pictured above) is a top (very affordable) option. The 470-piece set features an opening cockpit, two spring-loaded missiles and a docking tower for launch, plus First Order TIE Pilot, Knight of Ren and Finn minifigures. All of the above sets will be available to order on 26 December. If you can't wait that long, here is a selection of Star Wars Lego (and non-Star Wars Lego) you can get your hands on right now... View the full article

New Year is the last milestone in an annual email marketing campaign. Coming right after the biggest shopping events, Black Friday and Christmas, its importance is often overlooked and underestimated. The deal is that at the end of the day, …View the full article

Many employees don't follow company security policies when they use handy productivity tools. View the full article

An attacker could exploit CVE-2019-1491 to obtain sensitive information that could be used to mount further attacks. View the full article

Remote attackers can easily compromise the device and pivot to move laterally through the LAN or WAN. View the full article

Lego is loved by millions, Star Wars is loved millions, put the two together and fans of both could be about to get the greatest Christmas gift of all. The only dilemma is choosing which Star Wars Lego kit to buy – there's a lot of them. To make things a little easier, right now at Walmart and Argos you can get some impressive deals on The Rise of Skywalker Lego kits, as well as other Stars Wars favourites. The missile-firing, bomb-dropping Rise of Skywalker Resistance Y-Wing Starfighter is definitely a must-have addition for any Star Wars/Lego fan. The set boasts five characters, including commander and decorated star pilot Poe Dameron, making it perfect for recreating your favourite Star Wars scenes. You can get your hands on The Rise of Skywalker Resistance Y-Wing Starfighter right now for over 20% off and there's also free pickup, so it can be yours in time for Christmas. If you want something a little cuter, you can get Poe Dameron's assistant BB-8 for more than $30 off, or there are plenty more options available at Argos, which is offering 10% off its Star Wars kits. That includes a Scout Walker 20th Anniversary Set for just £20, or the X-Wing Starfighter toy building set for £16 less than usual. There's never been a better time to buy. Here we have brought together a selection of the best Star Wars Lego deals, to suit every budget, available right now from Walmart (US) and Argos (UK). If you're in the UK, check out these epic Star Wars Lego deals from Argos. If you're after non-Star Wars Lego, check out the best deals on other sets below. Read more: The best Lego sets for adults in 2019 The Knight Bus Lego review Stranger Things Lego set available now – and it's EPIC! View the full article

Is it still possible to identify a brand when its logo has been stripped back to just block colours and simplified shapes? Lisbon-based graphic designer Pedro Almeida has created a range of ultra-minimalist logos to explore just that. The best logos become so ingrained in our consciousness that in theory, you should be able to remove a lot from them before they become unrecognisable. And of course, a key logo design rule is to keep things simple in the first place. Almeida began this personal project as a way of illustrating the importance of visual communication for businesses. "I wanted to emphasise the value of creating a logo that would leave a memorable impression," he explains on his site. "Visual communication is the easiest and most important way to communicate, it should be easy, that is the graphic designer's role." So if you're designing a logo, perhaps a good exercise might be to strip it back to just the key colours and primary graphic element, and see if it still makes sense. You might also want to check out these 7 famous logos that pass the silhouette test, to see what happens when you remove colour from the equation too. This big brand has been feeding our binge-watching habits this year. We're lovin' this minimal look for a major fast food chain. You might head to this site to pass on that dodgy Secret Santa gift. Time for a trickier one – this British brand is known for its four wheel drive vehicles. Having trouble identifying the brands above? This search engine might help you. Take a look at the full selection of minimalist logos on Pedro Almeida's website, and see how many you can name. Read more: Stunning project turns logos into houses Where to find logo design inspiration New Levi's logo is infuriating typophiles View the full article

As much as the holidays are a time for family, you can't ignore the endless ads in the run up to Christmas. So Wunder, an independent Canadian creative agency, decided to buy up $10,000 worth of advertising space and fill its with absolutely nothing but plain white space. The self-promo campaign, called White Christmas, is across various mediums – including print, digital and radio – and offers respite from a deluge of in-your-face holiday advertising for the locals of Halifax, Nova Scotia. (For some ads that aren't just plain white, see our great examples of traffic-stopping billboard advertising). What's particularly interesting about this idea is that it comes from an agency that creates adverts for other people, so it's definitely a new approach to self-promo. Would you recognise this as an ad? What was the thinking behind it? Wunder creative director Stephen Flynn explains, "The first and most striking visual that came up in the concept phase was a giant blank white billboard...We started to think of it kinda like AdBlock but in real life." Getting the White Christmas campaign into physical spaces was easy, but taking it to the radio airwaves was more of a challenge. The local radio station wouldn't allow the agency to air 'silence' so they had to do with a long pause (that's not really that long). You can watch the campaign come to life and listen to the radio spot in the video below. With no colour, no slogans and no message, The White Christmas campaign could easily have gone wrong. But the timely release of the ads, coupled with the title – White Christmas – and the plain white colour (which suggests snow) combine for a success story. But, it seems another factor might well have had a part to play. "People seem to be really drawn to the absurdity of someone spending money to run a completely blank ad, and they appreciate the bold move," says Flynn. We are not so 100 per cent convinced, but this case, it definitely works. Read more: The 10 best Christmas ads of all time New ads lead people to imaginary Burger Kings 5 ad campaigns that changed the world View the full article

To get the best from your tablet, you'll need the best iPad accessories. And iPad accessories can make fantastic Christmas gifts for the creative in your life – especially when you don't have the cash to buy them a whole new tablet. They're also the sort of thing you can buy as a cheeky Christmas gift to yourself, with the excuse that they'll help you work more productively in 2020. From keyboards and stands to turn your iPad into a serious workstation, to cases to keep your tablet clean and protected, to speakers and headphones, there are plenty of iPad accessories that can improve your user experience. The right stylus could mean you're best placed to create high-quality art work on your tablet, or it could help you annotate documents faster and more efficiently than ever before. Get yourself the right keyboard and you'll find your tablet becomes a powerful computer, so you can work at full capacity wherever you are. The small extra investment of an iPad accessory can be worth so much more to you or your loved one this Christmas. In this guide, we've picked the best iPad accessories from a range of different categories. Use the quick links to jump to the section you're looking for. With all the work done, all you need to do is decide which iPad accessory will be the best Christmas gift this year. Not got an iPad yet, or looking to upgrade? Here are the best iPad deals right now. And if you've got your heart set on a stylus, you might want to take a look at our in-depth guide to the best iPad styluses, or the best Apple Pencil deals. Being the official Apple stylus, the Apple Pencil (2nd gen) is near perfect for the job. It magnetically attaches to the iPad Pro and charges wirelessly while there. The Pencil features a double-tap sensor that allows you to switch pen styles easily. It's also both pressure and tilt sensitive so can be used more like a real pen. You can increase pressure for thicker lines or tilt for shading, all while leaning your hand on the screen without marking your work. The Adonit Jot Pro is a great choice if you want to save some money without sacrificing on style (this bargain stylus looks good even when paired with the design perfection that is Apple's iPad). A magnetic core allows this to clip to your iPad while the precision head with clear plastic jot dot offers for super levels of accuracy – you can see exactly what you're pressing against. Of course, at this price, you sacrifice all the smart extras like pressure sensitivity and tilt support. This is a super-budget stylus that works on all iPad devices. The Griffin Balanced Stylus Pointer, as the name suggests, is a simple way to get more control over drawing, writing and annotating on an iPad. Since it's passive, it'll work on most touchscreens, doesn't require charging or connecting and even comes with a handy clip so you don't lose it. Griffin is a well-known brand that is able to offer this quality stylus for a silly-cheap price. If you want most of the features of the Apple Pencil but can't justify the expense, the Logitech Crayon is a good alternative – this still offers the tilt sensor and palm recognition of the Pencil. It pairs instantly when turned on and features an anti-roll shape so can be set down easily. You lose the pressure sensing and tap features of the Pencil but you save a lot of money too. Be aware: this only works the 6th gen iPads. The Wacom Bamboo Sketch is the best stylus for use on any iPad thanks to its wide compatibility and Bluetooth connectivity. The 2,048 pressure levels of sensitivity make it ideal for drawing, hence that sketch name, but it will also do the job of annotating or signing documents just fine. The ergonomic triangular design of the pen makes for a very comfortable and accurate holding position while the fine tip and pressure sensitive nib offer a paper-like drawing experience. The USB-charged battery life is really impressive too and the Bluetooth means shortcut control buttons are quickly available. The official Apple Smart Keyboard for 10.5-inch iPad Pro is one of the best ways to turn your iPad into a laptop. You get Apple-quality design and build, which means top-quality keys for typing, as well as a luxurious finish to the case itself. Everything attaches easily thanks to the Apple Smart Connector, and the case is thick enough to offer protection but slim enough to stay mobile. While this list is geared towards iPad accessories, if you've got devices from different brands, you'll want to go for a universal keyboard – the Microsoft foldable keyboard is compatible with iPad, iPhone, Android devices, and Windows tablets. Another great feature is its ability to be paired to multiple devices – switching over to the next device is as simple as pushing a button. Plus, with this being a foldable keyboard, it's easier to store when it's not in use, and nice and portable too. Logitech has been in the keyboard game for nearly as long as it has existed, which is just one of the reasons this Logitech Slim Folio Case with Keyboard is sold officially on the Apple Store. Bluetooth LE connectivity, complete iPad protection, dedicated iOS shortcut buttons, a stand mode plus a staggering four year battery life make this a winner at that low price. The Brydge 9.7 is aptly named as it aims to bridge the gap between tablet and laptop. Using its Bluetooth connected keyboard, it offers a MacBook style experience with an iPad. You get a full QWERTY keyboard with dedicated iOS shortcuts, high-grade aluminium build, 3-level backlit keys and a lifetime warranty. The Fintie Blade X1 keyboard case for iPad is, as the name suggests, knife thin and as such it's plenty light too. The keyboard is Bluetooth for quick connectivity while the case uses a leather outer and anti-slip rubber for good looks, resilience and usability. Despite the detachable keyboard being a super-slim 7mm, the case unit also offers an adjustable stand for landscape iPad use, making it ideal for work and movie viewing sessions. The iPad Smart Cover is the original and defining iPad accessory that made tablet cases such a necessity. It not only protects the tablet display with a thin yet strong polyurethane and microfibre build, but it also acts as a stand when folded back. The case also features a magnetic connection to hold to the iPad, which allows for smart awakening and sleep when opened and closed. There are a number of copycat versions available now, too. The Griffin Survivor is a superb way to make sure your iPad stays protected. Yes this isn't the most sleek or attractive case, but then it can go all the places that a pretty case couldn't. This iPad accessory is great for those with children, or anyone leading a hectic life who wants to be able to throw their iPad in and out of bags as they travel around. The MoKo Case for iPad 9.7 is an astonishing balance of super low price and multiple features. This offers the auto wake and sleep magnetic flip case of the official Apple smart cover, but also adds rear side protection with heat dissipating materials to avoid overheating. There is also shock absorption for drops and a screen protector to evade scratches. Overall, this case has a superb feature set for the low price. The Skech Flipper iPad case perfectly balances portability and protection meaning this won't add much bulk to your slate but it will offer protection for up to an eight foot drop. This is thanks to tough reinforced corners as well as a bezel protector for your screen. The case uses the active open and close to wake or sleep your iPad and it can also be propped up as a stand. There's even a small loop to hold your Apple Pencil and an option for a transparent rear to see your iPad in all its shiny glory. The official Apple AirPods have been designed from scratch to offer the ultimate wireless audio experience with an Apple device. That means a simple tap to connect and then automatic recognition when you pop them in your ears. A tap gets you Siri for voice controls without the need to touch your iPad. You get a 24-hour battery with charges from the case, plus decent audio for music and voice. And if you really fancy pushing the boat out, you can also get the new AirPods Pro . The Bose QuietComfort 35 ii headphones offer a fantastic way to drown out the world around you with active noise cancellation while giving wireless connectivity and decent battery life. These are ideal for travelling or at home where background noise can affect concentration. Comfort levels are high, meaning they can be worn for a long time without being noticed. They're the perfect flight companion. If you want to go for more subtle in-earphones but wish to stay wireless and on a budget, these Soundcore Spirit Sports are a great option. These sweat- and rain- resistant buds offer up to eight hours of listening before they need a charge. That makes them not only useful at home with your iPad but also great to head out the door for a run with your iPhone, getting you even more for that affordable price. The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ is a powerful yet portable Bluetooth speaker that offers 360-degree sound to fill most rooms. It even comes with Siri support allowing for easy voice controls via your connected iPad. The battery should keep going for 16-hours, while the IPX4 rating means splash and dust resistance to set your mind at ease as you enjoy the high-quality sound. Sonos started the multi-room speaker revolution and is still leading the way with quality products like the Sonos One. This enables you to connect using your iPad to control the speaker, or any other Sonos speaker in the home, using AirPlay for super simple access. It also supports Siri voice controls and allows you to use two speakers for stereo sound. For Sony-quality sound on a budget, this Sony SRS XB-10 is a great iPad accessory. This portable and affordable Bluetooth speaker will work with any iPad, and offers decent bass for the size and enough audio punch fill most rooms. The battery life is an impressive 16-hours and with IPX5 water and dust resistance you can take it pretty much anywhere you need to go. Despite the name, the Joby GripTight GorillaPod Stand Pro actually fits lots of different iPad types. Thanks to its malleable legs, it can be manipulated to hold the tablet at varying heights and angles – ideal for watching video or (thanks to side-on tilting) FaceTime chatting. The rubber feet hold the unit in place and you can even wrap it around a chair back or pole, for example, to get it in place where you need. The Logi Base Charging Stand for iPad Pro is a typical Apple style design that uses metallic minimalism at its best. The slither of a stand not only looks good and solid but also uses the Smart Connector for easy attachment and charging of the iPad Pro. The iPad can be placed in portrait or landscape mode for use as a video player, work station or even a FaceTime video chat interface. The Anker Portable Multi-Angle Stand works with most iPads as well as a host of smartphones including the iPhone. This stand offers support for portrait and landscape viewing and can be titled to offer the perfect viewing angle. While this is great for videos and FaceTime, you won't have any cable hiding or charging support, but at this price would you expect to? Read more: The best laptop bags right now The best cheap iPad deals right now The best iPad stylus: top iPad styluses for drawing and note-taking View the full article

What visuals would you use if a client set you the task of illustrating the issue of cybersecurity? Many designers still opt for dark colours, screens full of flying numbers, and perhaps an anonymous hooded figure hunched over a keyboard. It’s a lot like something from a William Gibson novel, and it’s an image that is starting to feel more than a little tired. With 2020 almost upon us, does this sinister and sensationalised idea of cyber doom really represent the depth of breadth of the cybersecurity field? Much of the imagery used to illustrate the sector in articles and marketing materials still draws from 1990’s pop culture – chains of green numbers straight from The Matrix (1999) or stylishly disaffected young people care of Hackers (1995). This was a time when the internet was new and unfamiliar, but with 95 per cent of UK households connected, the internet is now part of daily life; not something people want to feel afraid of. The word 'hacker' itself has even spawned ubiquitous non-threatening uses, with hackathons fostering innovation and collaboration, and life hacks offering shortcuts to self‑improvement. As a result, cybersecurity today is as much about feeling safe as it is about danger, and companies know by now that more positive visuals can make their businesses seem less threatening. In a trend noted at iStock by Getty Images, editors are increasingly choosing a more optimistic and more human aesthetic that focuses on the solutions rather than the threats. iStock has seen increases of more than 100 per cent in searches for 'cybersecurity', 'information security' and 'data privacy', while searches for 'hacker computer' are down by 30 per cent. What does this mean for designers? Firstly, think positive. Ditch the sinister image of the hacker to avoid your work immediately looking tired and out of date, and focus instead on making people feel safe. Product users and potential customers want to feel reassured, not afraid. For example Cybersecurity firm Hunters.AI uses friendly graphics with warm colour palettes inspired as much by Kandinsky and Mondrian as by cyberpunk science fiction. Focus on the solution rather than the threat for a more welcome and more contemporary feel. Secondly, if you’ve been hired for a project by a computer security provider, bear in mind the results of this 2019 study by the Hewlett Foundation and IDEO showing that computer security experts feel that hoodies, circuit boards, padlocks, and pop‑up windows don’t accurately represent who they are or what they do. Those working in the industry consider themselves innovators and defenders, and want to be pictured as such, so think about how you show the industry’s people in your imagery. Steer away from these cliches and show the human side, for example with smart professionals working in server rooms, and the client is less likely to come back with extensive revisions. As well as looking more contemporary and making people feel better, humanising cybersecurity is also more accurate. Phishing attacks, the most common form of cybercrime, exploit human weakness through a simple e‑mail, not through any complicated coding. For a more human take on this vulnerability that highlighted the ubiquitousness of the internet in our lives, but without any code in sight, data‑protection firm Varonis launched an ad campaign that features an oblivious naked man going about his daily business as a metaphor for being vulnerable online. But think also about the real dangers and how they work. Cybercrime will surely continue to evolve as fast as technology, and increasingly visuals will be needed that paint a clear and true picture of what users are up against online, and how the available solutions can help them. If you want to take advantage of this trend and refresh your design with more contemporary imagery, iStock can help you with a vast collection of imagery. To read about more of the trends identified by iStock & Getty Images, take a look here and save 10% on any credit pack with code ISTOCK10 (live until 31 Jan 2020). View the full article

Developers who understand design are much sought-after. When talking about upping your design skills, it’s important to understand that design does not equal colour palettes and graphics; although colour theory and visual design can be helpful, they are nothing but a small part of the field. Design involves taking an idea and moulding it into something that’s tangible through careful planning, modelling and consideration. These alone are already core skills of good developers who need to work on large-scale products and systems. When talking about digital product design, it is almost impossible to avoid mentioning UX. Although only quite recently defined as its own field, UX is a vast discipline in itself. But the philosophy behind it is simple: empathise with your user and make sure they enjoy using your product. At the very least, UX can be simplified to include five key parts: user needs, functional specifications, interaction design, information design and visual design. And of course there's user testing, which is arguably important at every stage. As you can see, developers already play a part in most of the process. Why should developers learn design? Further enhancing your understanding of the whys and hows of the user-centred approach can help you deliver a better product as a developer. This is especially true for those involved in front end user interface development. A large number of jobs targeted at experienced front end developers require UX and HCI understanding, as those creating interfaces are responsible for delivering interactions and experience to the end user. Executing designs in a way that’s fast-loading, intuitive and enjoyable is as important as the design itself. Failure to empathise with your users at any step of the product creation can cause issues for the business in the long-run. A quick search on dice.com for jobs with developer in the title that mention UX within the ad shows over 37,000 jobs. Even non-hybrid-developer roles list UX and human-centred design as one of the requirements or ‘nice-to-haves’. This means that even if you are not particularly interested in transitioning into hybrid roles, learning the basics of design can still benefit you in your developer career. Another more obvious reason to learn design is enhancing your ability to collaborate with designers, better understand the place they’re coming from and their struggles. This, in turn, will make working with the design team easier and faster and eliminate the need to constantly double-check what they mean. How can coders learn design? Leaning to design is about a lot more than just Pantone swatches Here comes the second big question: how should you go about learning design? The most important thing you will need to change is the mindset with which you approach a problem. Talking from personal experience, developers tend to disregard user needs for the sake of technical simplicity and elegance. If you want to truly practise good product design principles when you’re faced with a challenge, you need to try and solve it for the user and not for your dev team. What’s best for the user may not always have the most straightforward or graceful technical application; this is a sacrifice you will need to make and be conscious of during product creation. The best places to learn design online Depending on just how deep you want to go, many options are available. There are masters and bachelor’s degrees in digital design, HCI and, as of late, even UX that you can go for if you don’t mind spending time and money. Some of the more affordable and flexible online university programmes available include UC Irvine's Master of human-computer interaction & design, which lasts one year and costs $49.500. There's also Glasgow Caledonian University, where you can get a professional diploma in UX design in six months, at a cost of £2,250. Then there's the University of Nottingham, which offers a usability and human computer interaction HCI PGCert by distance learning. This programme takes one year and costs between £3,600 and £7,100. You can find more degrees available on the Top UX School website. For those not interested in committing to a full-fledged degree, there are many short-term courses available for either a small fee or even for free. In addition to the obvious choices like Coursera and Udemy, you might also want to check out Hack Design, which consists for 50 self-paced lessons and is free, Interaction Design Foundation, which costs between $9-$13 per month, or CareerFoundry, which costs between $690-$6,700. How can coders get really good at design? The next step once you have the basic skills learned from courses or books (you may also want to check out these graphic design books), is to practise your newly acquired knowledge. Practice makes perfect and that is especially true when it comes to design. The obvious place to start applying your design skills right away is your current workplace, especially if your team is small and the company structure is flat. Assess whether there are things that could be improved in the design of the app or website you’re working on. Make a list of improvements you think would be beneficial and double-check with your product designer; chances are your technical knowledge will bring light to some parts designers may have missed. Worst-case scenario, if your suggestions are not the best from the design perspective, you’ll get valuable feedback that you can learn from and use to become better. You might be able to use your existing job to hone your new skills If there’s a clearer role separation within your company and crossing over to design in such a way sounds like it won’t be welcome, you still might be able to use your existing job to hone your new skills. Is there an in-house app that your company uses for anything? Maybe some custom admin dashboard or time tracking software? Many times such tools are overlooked and built without designer involvement in the first place. Talk to HR or your teammates and ask if perhaps you can try improving the UX of such tools. If you’re a front end developer who regularly works on implementing somebody else’s designs, there’s an even bigger space for opportunities. Next time somewhat minor specs are missing from the design documentation, try and think about what the best approach would be and see if you can implement something without double-checking with the designer. You’ll be surprised but a lot of the time, your solution will be exactly what the designer had in mind. Or maybe even better than what they expected! Learn design skills with a side project Another obvious place you should look for some design practice is a hobby project. Many developers will have a side project at any given point in time; you can either redesign your existing project or apply your design know-how to a new idea you’ve had for a while. Product Hunt is a great place to look at for inspiration when thinking of a new app or tool. If a real-life application isn’t something easily achievable at this particular moment, don’t get discouraged. You can search for case studies on the redesign of existing apps and websites and create one on your own. UX Collective has a whole sub-category of design case studies, many of which are hypothetical. Another thing you can do is sign up for sites like Dribbble or Behance and participate in one of the many available design challenges. Posting your real or conceptual work will also help you build up your design portfolio and let you exchange critiques with other designers. This article was originally posted in issue 324 of net magazine. Buy issue 324 or subscribe to net. Join us in April 2020 to see our lineup of JavaScript superstars at GenerateJS – the conference helping you build better JavaScript. Book now at generateconf.com Read more: The best website designs of 2019 6 of 2019's best graphic design portfolios 6 huge web design trends for 2020 View the full article

With Christmas now just days away, time is running out to get that perfect gift. However, today Adobe has launched a killer deal for those living in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), which is guaranteed to put a smile on the face of the creative in your life and will be delivered in time for the big day. For just 72 hours, you can get 19% off a selection of single apps in the Adobe Creative Cloud suite. The offer includes all the big players – photo editing favourite Photoshop, digital artists' go-to Illustrator, video editing software Premiere Pro, web building tool Dreamweaver and desktop publishing and typesetting software InDesign. This single app deal is great, cost-effective solution for artists and designers who only need access to specific tools. So if you know someone longing to start image editing in Photoshop or work their drawing skills in Illustrator, this could be the perfect Christmas gift. If you're not based in EMEA regions, be sure to take a look at our round-up of the best Adobe deals in your area. Below are all the details you need to take advantage of this great deal. But hurry, this offer is only around for three days (ending on 19 December). All of these deals are only available until 19 December 2019, so if you want to save big on some of Adobe's most popular apps, grab them now. Want the full Adobe Creative Cloud suite? Find the best deals in your area here: Related articles: Top-class Photoshop tutorials to hone your skills Secret Adobe eyedropper trick will change your life The best web hosting services for designers View the full article

Every good film relies on well-written characters to convey the essence of the story. But in an animated feature, good writing doesn't guarantee success. Everything depends on character animation. And character animation used to cost a lot of money. This was the problem I faced when planning animated film noir and video game The Chest with my production company Rendered Frames (watch the trailer below). 10 or 15 years ago, only the bigger studios could produce good-quality animation; it was a challenge for indie animators to find the budget and the staff they needed. But this has changed in the past few years. More and more companies have realised the opportunities presented by solo artists and small studios, and the new generation of animation software they have created has opened up new horizons for ambitious freelance teams. Created using Reallusion software While working out how to create The Chest, I looked for tools that could form a rock-solid production pipeline, from character creation to the final render. After a bit of research, I found three pieces of software from Reallusion that became the main pillars of my workflow. The first is Character Creator. I use this to create fully rigged 3D characters, complete with all of the morphs needed for facial animation. The second is 3DXchange, which imports assets and motion-capture data from external sources. And finally there's iClone, my main animation tool. I use this to put together all of my characters' movements and to lip-sync speech. Rendered in Unreal Engine To create and render the neon-lit retro-noir world of The Chest, I used Unreal Engine, Epic Games' powerful real-time graphics engine. This tool makes it possible to create very complex scenes, like Budapest in the 1960s, or the cellar of a medieval castle. In a film noir lighting is critical, so the direct visual feedback that Unreal Engine provides is very important. But before I can see how my characters are being lit inside a scene, I have to export all of my iClone animations to Unreal. Although iClone has included built-in presets, everything is exported as an FBX file, which must then be imported into Unreal Engine manually. This isn't the fastest way to work. Thankfully, the new iClone Unreal Live Link plugin sets me free from this annoying export/import process. United by iClone Unreal Live Link iClone Unreal Live creates a bridge between the two applications, making it possible to make changes to a character in iClone and see instant visual feedback in the Unreal Engine viewport. When using iClone Unreal Live Link, export becomes automatic, with the plugin even generating materials based on Epic's Digital Humans research. This process takes only a few minutes, saving weeks of hard work. And you can still fine-tune the appearance of the character manually, thanks to the instanced materials generated by the plugin. It is also possible to use a motion-capture suit to track character movements in real time, with the actions being saved to Unreal Engine's Sequence Recorder. You can even use Reallusion's Live Face app to record facial movements on an iPhone. A powerful pipeline for indie animators Thanks to Reallusion's software and the real-time rendering capabilities of Unreal Engine, character animation isn't a struggle for me any more. The tools help me to achieve my creative goals, with The Chest recently winning a prestigious Unreal Dev Grant. Installing and setting up iClone Unreal Live Link takes only a few minutes. As a visual storyteller, I highly recommend that you try it. No matter whether you are an indie artist or an industry professional, the plugin makes your life easier, handling technical tasks automatically and leaving you free to focus on the narrative. From that point on, the only limit is your imagination. Read more: Make vehicle animations with iClone 7 Live Face for iClone 7 review View the full article

The Surface Pro 7 is Microsoft’s seventh attempt to create a tablet that’s powerful enough to run full Windows 10 programs, while remaining sleek and light. While Microsoft might be best known for its software, with the Surface range of products, it’s also built a rather impressive reputation for building stylish and desirable devices that have proven popular amongst digital creatives, even if mainstream success has still alluded it. The Surface Pro line-up of tablets is supposed to be Microsoft’s flagship Surface device. However, while the original Surface Pro felt fresh and exciting, recent generations have felt a little stale. After the Surface Pro 6 proved to be a solid – yet unexciting – entry, many of us were hoping that Microsoft would really pull out the stops with the Surface Pro 7, and reignite our enthusiasm for the products. Unfortunately, Microsoft has made just another iterative upgrade with the Surface Pro 7. Its design is pretty much identical to the Surface Pro 6, but there have been some tweaks behind the scenes. So, is the Surface Pro 7 a good tool for creatives? Should it get a spot in our pick of the best tablets with a stylus? Read on to find out. Surface Pro 7 review: Price As with previous version of the Surface Pro, the Surface Pro 7 comes in a variety of configurations. The base model costs $749/£799, and this gives you an Intel Core i3 processor (CPU) 4GB of memory (RAM) and a 128GB solid-state drive (SSD). This is actually a cheaper price than the Surface Pro 6’s base model when it launched, which cost $899/£879. It’s still very pricey for a tablet, however, especially considering Apple’s excellent iPad Air costs almost half the price at $499/£479, whilst the iPad Pro 11 costs $799/£769. It’s also pretty expensive when you consider those specs. For any sort of creative work, 4GB RAM is just not enough – and that 128GB hard drive is going to fill up quickly if you store large files such as photos and videos. So, for creatives, you should only be considering configurations with at least 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage. A version of the Surface Pro 7 with those specs, and a more powerful Intel Core i5 processor, begins at $1,199/£1,169. In short, that’s incredibly expensive. You can even go as high as an Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD, which costs a huge $2,299/£2,249. For that kind of money, you’re better off looking at a laptop like the MacBook Pro. It’s also worth pointing out that even with these high prices, the Type Cover (which protects the screen and doubles as a keyboard) and the Surface Pen stylus are not included – so you’ll need to buy them separately at a cost of $160/£149 and $99/£99 respectively. Surface Pro 7 review: Power and performance One of the biggest benefits the Surface Pro 7 has got over its processor is that it uses Intel’s latest 10th generation processors, which use the new 10-nanometer (nm) process – whereas the Surface Pro 6 used CPUs with the 14nm Intel process. Now, we won’t bore you with loads of jargon, but what this essentially means is that Intel has made a new series of processors that are more powerful and also power efficient. So, with products like the Surface Pro 7, you should see improved performance and battery life compared to the Surface Pro 6. In our time with the Pro 7, we certainly felt that the new tablet was a lot faster, with Windows 10 feeling smooth and responsive when in use. Intel has also improved the integrated graphics of its 10th generation processors, now using Intel Iris Plus graphics over the older Intel UHD graphics. This means that the Surface Pro 7 is better at handling graphic-intensive tasks, such as video rendering, as well as even some light gaming. Now, this won’t be able to compete with a device with a dedicated graphics card, but we were seriously impressed with the integrated graphics performance of the Surface Pro 7. It’s able to do a pretty good job at handling graphics whilst still remaining thin and light. The model we tested came with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, and it handled most day-to-day tasks well. We installed some pretty intensive apps, like Photoshop, which worked well, and when using the Surface Pen stylus, the Surface Pro 7 was able to keep up with our scribbles without much noticeable lag. However, if you go for a version of the Surface Pro 7 with less powerful hardware, you may find that your experience isn’t quite as smooth as ours. While the performance of the Surface Pro 7 is a nice step up from the Surface Pro 6, the same cannot be said for the battery life, which we found to be shorter than its predecessor. In our battery life tests, we found that running a looped 1080p video, the Surface Pro 7’s battery lasted six hours, well below the eight hours and 45 minutes the Pro 6 achieved. When using the Surface Pro 7 for even more intensive tasks, battery life dropped even further, with it achieving just three hours with the PCMark 8 battery life test, which replicated document creation and video calling. This is a worryingly short battery life for something you may want to use throughout the day. For a longer battery life, we’d recommend the older Surface Pro 6, then, or one of Apple’s iPad competitors. Surface Pro 7 review: Display The Surface Pro 7’s screen is 12.3-inches, with a 2,736 x 1,824 resolution and 3:2 aspect ratio. That offers a pixel density of 267 pixels per inch, and results in an impressively sharp display that’s also bright and vibrant. As you’d expect, it’s also touchscreen, and when in tablet mode, Windows 10 works well, changing the interface to better suit being jabbed at by fingers. It doesn’t support standards like sRGB or P3, which means if you’re after a tool that offers industry-accurate colours, then this is probably not the right device for you. It’s effectively the same screen as the one found on the Surface Pro 6, and while that’s not a particularly bad thing, as the Pro 6’s screen is pretty lovely anyway, it’s a bit of a shame that Microsoft didn’t take the opportunity to upgrade the screen with the Pro 7 – especially if it wants to win over creative professionals. Surface Pro 7 review: Features Perhaps the biggest selling point of the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is that it is a tablet that’s able to run Windows 10 in full, while also being able to turn into a laptop if you need to fire off some emails (and have the optional Type Cover). If you do grab the optional extras, you’ll find the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 to be a very versatile device. The Type Cover is made of a gorgeous Alcantara fabric which feels lovely, and gives the Surface Pro 7 a premium look and feel. Despite doubling as a cover, the Type Cover also does a good job as a keyboard, with the keys being large enough to hit accurately when typing fast, and with enough travel to make them feel satisfying when pressed. Of course, if you don’t want to spend extra on the Type Cover, then you’ll miss out on these features. We really wish Microsoft would include the Type Cover, and the Surface Pen (which works brilliantly), as they are essential to getting the full Surface Pro 7 experience – especially if you’re a creative. The Surface Pro 7 also at long last features a USB-C port, bringing it in line with many modern devices. It’s great for people who have a growing collection of USB-C peripherals. However, it is not Thunderbolt 3, which means it can’t quite reach the speeds of the ports found on the MacBook Pro. However, where the Surface Pro 7 does have an advantage over the MacBook Pro (and iPads) is the selection of ports. Alongside the USB-C port is a standard USB port, for older peripherals, a Surface Type Cover port, which makes it easy to connect the Type Cover, and a MicroSDXC card reader – this is particularly useful for photographers, and its absence with the MacBook Pro is something we’ve often complained about. Power is supplied via the Surface Connect port, which is a magnetic power port that makes connecting and detaching the power supply quick and easy. Surface Pro 7 review: Should you buy it? The Surface Pro 7 is a tempting device if you’re looking for a tablet computer that has enough power to run full Windows 10 programs. If you don’t want to be stuck using Android or iOS apps, which can often feel stripped down compared to their Windows 10 counterparts, then this is one of the best Windows 10 tablets you can buy. However, while it’s undoubtedly a stylish and powerful tablet, it does feel like Microsoft hasn’t put a lot of passion into this version. Everything seems like a little iterative upgrade, rather than a revolutionary leap. This means that the cheaper Surface Pro 6 is a better buy for people on a budget, as you’re not sacrificing much – and you get a better battery life as well. Ultimately, the price of the Surface Pro 7 will determine if you should buy it. At it’s current price, it’s just too expensive when compared to the iPad. Apple’s tablets offer a comparable experience with better battery lives, and for a lot less. Sure, they don’t run Windows 10 apps, but iOS apps have come a long way, and they now offer features and performance that are just as good as the Windows 10 versions. Meanwhile, there are plenty of Android tablets out there which offer even better value for money. Unless you’re really wedded to Windows 10, we suggest skipping the Surface Pro 7. Hopefully Microsoft will come back with a new Surface Pro in 2020 that will give creatives a reason to fall in love with their devices again. View the full article