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You're reading Online Appointment booking systems: How do you choose the perfect one for your business?, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! Over the last decade, it seems that everything has been happening online, doesn’t it? People like the feeling that they are just a few clicks away from whatever they need. With that in mind, if you are a business owner, … View the full article

The malicious spyware has also been found in use in countries known for targeting human rights. View the full article

We all know what it means to hack a computer or website, and it's usually not a good thing. But a 'life hack' is something much more positive. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “a strategy or technique adopted in order to manage one's time and daily activities in a more efficient way.” And let's be honest, that's something that most of us could probably benefit from. Who wants to work late, fretting over a design that doesn't quite work, when you could be out having fun? In this post, we've gathered together tried-and-tested life hacks from creative pros across the industry, to help you create better designs in less time. Some of them relate to tools for graphic designers, but many are about the way you work and manage your time: we've divided them up into four sections: day-to-day design work, pitching your projects, productivity, money matters, and our bonus quick-fire life hacks to make it easier to find the life hack you're looking for. Day-to-day design work Follow our expert's advice to improve your day-to-day design work The problem with doing the same kind of work every day, even if you enjoy it, is that you tend to slip into familiar patterns and rely on tried-and-tested approaches. So every now and again, it's wise to question the way you do things, and ask whether you can improve your approach. Here are some suggestions that might boost both your workflow and the quality of the results. 01. Save your fonts “When you back up work for long-term storage and archiving, save the fonts in there, too,” advises Patrick Foster, professor of design at Vancouver Island University. “You’ll almost never have the same font library in a year or whenever you need to revisit the work.” 02. Learn the file requirements “After 20 years, I still have difficulty convincing people of this: every print process is different,” says the Canadian graphic designer and illustrator who goes by the name of Sketcher Doodle. “Large format, offset, silkscreen and digital printing all have different file requirements,” he says. “Follow the supplier’s specs: 300ppi/.125" bleed is not a catchall. Digital print/large format print are very new compared to offset lithography, and have very different requirements. A 20-foot billboard has very different resolution and bleed requirements than a business card. Raster four-colour Jpegs won't work for two-colour silkscreen. “Despite being provided instructions,” he adds, “I have seen numerous designers' files rejected because they are built to offset standards instead of product specific requirements. So my advice is: don't miss a deadline because you can't follow instructions.” 03. Correct your crop marks "Crop marks should start outside the bleed, never inside,” adds Sketcher Doodle. “Crop offset should always be set the same distance as the bleed. There is up to .125" of variance on the trim accuracy on prints cut on a guillotine, he explains. “They move under the pressure of the blade. The bottom sheet on a stack of prints can be up to .125" different from the first sheet on a stack. This is why crop marks must be outside the bleed. If they are in the bleed, they may show up in the final image after trimming. “This problem is compounded by the fact that Adobe has set the default crop setting in InDesign at less than .125", which makes no sense,” he continues. “This is an even greater problem when producing large-format graphics, such as canvas wraps, or vehicle graphics. A canvas wrap can be 2-3" thick and can require up to 4" bleed. Crop marks will be visible on the side of the canvas if they are left in the bleed.” 04. Guides aren’t everything Do not rely solely on guides to align elements accurately,” says Sketcher Doodle. “X and Y coordinate fields are the most precise. You can also use math (+ - * /) in these fields to position objects precisely.” As useful as snap to guides/snap to grid is, it is still dependent on your hand motion of clicking and dragging, he notes. “The slightest slip of the hand and you will have misaligned art. I've seen this mistake on two-sided prints not aligning from side to side, and exhibits where elements are supposed to line up on the edge of a panel. “Set the reference point to the side you are aligning,” he recommends, “and you can see in the X and Y fields the exact position on the page. If any of your elements has a different coordinate, simply enter the desired position in the field. If you need to move something precisely, don't use the cursor or click and drag. Go the the coordinate field and add or subtract the distance you need to move. Enter + or - after the current number in the field and add or subtract your desired distance.” 05. Use 1:10 for large graphics "When building very large graphics, like a bus wrap, building banner, or billboard, the dimensions exceed the maximum allowed in most software,” says Sketch Doodle. “If you need to work at a reduced scale, use 1:10 because you simply have to move the decimal one position to calculate measurements and positions. Using a scale other that 1:10 makes your life unnecessarily difficult. Do you know what 372.625" is at 1:3 scale? Neither do I. But I know that it is 37.2625" at 1:10.” 06. Exploit The Noun Project The Icon Project is a free source of great icons “I find that when you need to fit a lot of copy into a small space, it’s better if you can say it in fewer words, or no words at all,” says Jade Trott, art director at in-house specialists Oliver . “The best way to get a big message across clearly, so that it transcends language is to use a piece of graphic design. And there’s only one place in the world to find millions of amazing, royalty free graphic designs: The Noun Project. It has icons for everything; over a million of them, created by a global community.” Chloé Holden, designer at London-based global design agency Conran Design Group, is also a fan. “I wish I had known about The Noun Project sooner,” she says. “When you're pitching for work, you don't always have time to make perfect icons. But using The Noun Project means you can get the idea across for now; they have icons for everything. And then you can make a bespoke suite of icons for a client if you win the job.” 07. Check for accidental plagiarism “I see a lot of work, especially in logos and branding, that is very derivative,” says John Atkin, head of PR for Serif, the makers of Affinity Designer. “When you’re young it’s tempting to think that you’ve come up with a brilliant idea for the very first time, and that’s great enthusiasm, but it’s very rarely the case. "A few minutes spent Googling the key elements of a design (‘camper van in front of mountains with sun’ or ‘skull with auto tools crossed underneath’ spring particularly to mind) can stop you wasting hours creating something for a client, only for them to come back and say ‘But it looks just like…’ – or worse, for you to get a client into trouble over IP theft.” 08. Symmetry vs bleed “Avoid symmetry close to the bleed,” urges Johannes Obermayr, owner of Austrian design agency Artischock. “It probably won’t be symmetrical any more after cutting. ”I had my fair share of misprints in the early years of my career,” he admits. “Some were caused by that symmetry vs bleed thing, and some were because of (my) bad colour management knowledge in 1997. Having to be precise when others are allowed to be imprecise – that's what the bleed is for, after all – is just not a good idea. “For example, if your design gets cut too much on the left by a millimetre, your design is cut too little on the right. Imagine a nice 3mm border around a sheet. It could end up with two on one side and four on the other. Bye bye, symmetry." 09. Colour management saves you money “Did I mention having had my fair share of misprints?” says Obermayr. “I don't know if anyone had implemented good colour management in their work flow back in '97. I hadn't, and I hadn't seen it in specialised prepress companies then. You had to rely on very expensive equipment and experience of several people. It was a mess, especially when trying new stuff. “Some printing companies still fail sometimes but who doesn't? With proper colour management in your workflow, you minimise failure and see what you will get while working. The colour management education work of cleverprinting.de (founded 2004) was a big step forward for many designers as it was for me. Sadly I don't know an English version of such a company.” 10. Boost creativity through bookmarking If you want to boost your creativity and improve the quality of your design work, you need to read stuff you wouldn't normally be interested in, urges Christophe Brumby, creative strategist at Amplify. “Why? Because creativity is everywhere. It usually comes from applying something from a certain area into another area and bookmarking interesting links while adding relevant keywords that you can then easily research later in Chrome (cmd + D is my favourite shortcut) and saving key quotes in the Notes app – also including keywords that you can easily look up." 11. Immerse yourself in culture Expanding your horizons isn't just about what you read, of course. “The smallest things can influence your ideas without you even realising," adds Beth Anderton-Allen, creative at Amplify. “So make sure you take time to go out and immerse yourself in culture. Grabbing a copy of a listings magazine on the way into work, such as Time Out in London, is always great to see what's going on." Pitching your projects Pitching isn't every designer's favourite task, but there are ways to improve your chances of success Most of us are happy enough sitting at our desks, working on crafting beautiful designs. But having to stand up and sell them, whether that's to clients, stakeholders, colleagues or your boss, can be less fun and much more stressful. Here are some tips to help you find pitching success. 12. Bring your own monitor “I take my massive Apple screen to pitches,” says Ben Long, creative director at Dare, an experience, design and engineering company based in London and Bristol. “You can never trust someone else’s IT, especially when their mini projector presents your hard work at a 45-degree angle, looking like it’s been wrung out after a dirty bath. I swear by my heavy-duty Apple monitor; it looks like I’ve stolen it on the way to the pitch, but if I stick it in the middle of the boardroom table, nobody’s looking anywhere but the screen.” 13. Create 15-second animations “A short animation is a great way to get an idea across to a client and get them as excited as you are about it,” says Holden. “However, it only makes sense to do if you can do it in 15 seconds to create maximum impact. Animations help tell your story and bring your concepts and ideas to life. Not only will they help tell your story, they get your message noticed and remembered.” 14. Just present one idea “One thing that we as a studio have learnt over the years, sometimes the hard way, is to never present anything to a client that you are not in love with,” says Alun Shooter, creative partner at Cambridge-based creative agency The District. “The idea of presenting three concepts, or indeed any arbitrary number of concepts, is flawed. “If you put in that idea to 'satisfy' the client, the chances are it will do just that; 'satisfy' the client,” he continues. “Our view is that whilst satisfying the client with respect to timescales, budgets and general project management is important, an idea should do much more than satisfy. “It should challenge, excite, and certainly take the client to a place that they wouldn't naturally go themselves. Otherwise you are not adding value. Equally this idea is unlikely to be the one that captures the imagination of the studio, which in the development of an idea is as important as inspiring the client.” 15. Train in public speaking Training in public speaking could have huge impact on the success of your pitches “Enroll in Toastmasters,” says identity specialist Lisa Stewart. “Seriously. It builds your confidence when speaking to an audience of one or many.” If the idea seems terrifying, don't worry: Stewart had the same reaction initially. “As an introvert who easily implodes in public, I was told, ‘TM is fun! They bring you to the front of the room and ask you questions. You're to speak off the cuff.’ But that was not my idea of fun. What I didn't realise is that they also provide you books with structured speeches and a host of other tiny tasks throughout the meeting hour. You get two books, you get coaching from anyone in the group, you get mentored, you get gentle evaluations on everything you do to show you how to improve.” And in the end, it was all very much worth it. “Speaking gives you confidence,” Stewart stresses. “This skill helps you give presentations to a client or a group of clients, helps you defend your work, and helps you find other speaking gigs to position yourself as an expert. Because ultimately, you want to grow your career and the way to accomplish this is through speaking.” 16. Learn how to justify your design decisions When you sell your designs to a stakeholder, you can’t just say, “it looked cool,” “the story just makes sense this way,” or “these types of icons are really popular right now,” says Jesse Virgil, a graphic designer based in Indianapolis. “They’ll want you to provide an overview of your design process and may ask questions that require you to justify some, or most, of the decisions you made. You can do that by providing granular-level details based on objective data: for example, ‘I chose this colour scheme because they’re the primary colours in the company’s branding guidelines, and the accent colours are reserved for specific services and client industries that aren’t part of the presentation’s content.’ “As designers, we need to ground our decisions in design theory, best practices, and human psychology,” Virgil adds. “So spend time learning about these subjects, and design as much as possible. Start with books like Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug, and The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman. Just like the learning how to use the pen tool in Illustrator CC or Sketch, it’s a skill that you develop over time with practice and commitment. Productivity Get better at planning your workflow and you'll have more time for fun There's a direct correlation between how quickly and efficiently we get our work done and how much time we get to spend at the end of the day enjoying life. So boosting your productivity is something you need to think about a lot. Here's some advice that might help... 17. Note ideas with the microphone button Long recommends you make use of the microphone button next to your iPhone’s spacebar. “You speak the idea and it transcribes for you; a properly essential tool when you just need to get an idea down,” he says. “Yeah, you have to say ‘full stop’ when you want a full stop, but that doesn’t really matter. You get the pure, stream-of-consciousness idea on paper straight away. I was never good at punctuation anyway.” 18. Keep hold of thoughts with Dropbox Paper “Dropbox Paper is insanely good for an influx of thoughts and ideas for various uses; from project planning, transcribing interviews to recording insights,” enthuses Cellyn Tan, junior product designer at digital transformation consultancy Red Badger. “I started using the tool a few months ago after reading a Medium article on how designers and copywriters have used it to document their designs and iterations. ‘It helps to organise my thoughts and kudos to its inline formatting tools. For example, checkboxes helped me loads in fleshing out tasks and to-dos. It embraces the use of emoji, not just for frivolous decorations but to call attention to specific sections, and extremely helpful in communicating statuses. “I use Paper to quickly get my head around meeting and workshop outcomes. It is effortless to create tables, drag visual artefacts into Paper and type away with a clean, simplified interface.” 19. Handle Post-its correctly The correct way to remove Post-its “Learning how to peel off a Post-it correctly is one of the most useful things a designer can master,” says Clementine Brown, product designer at Red Badger. “Many people peel them off in an upwards motion, causing the paper to curl and fall off the wall. Instead, you should peel them off horizontally, as in the gif [shown above]. Also, write your on post-its in Sharpie, so people can read your words from further away.” 20. Break tasks down with Asana “I started using Asana a couple of years ago and it’s become a really helpful tool for staying organised and on track with my work,” says Philip Demir, designer at app design company Potato. “It does so by breaking everything down into smaller, more manageable tasks that can be grouped into categories. “An example would be breaking an email campaign down into tasks based on my typical design workflow: concept sketching, digital rendering, amends, etc. Each can have due dates and priority tags set so I can stay on track with my progress. It’s changed the way I work for the better – I have a work (Potato) account, one for my freelancing, and even one for my personal admin.” 21. Productise your assets "As I’ve been a design strategist for many years now, there are specific diagrams, flow charts and models that have become integral to my practice,” says experience design strategist Rochelle Dancel. “I used to waste a lot of time attempting to design something completely original for every document that added very little value,” she explains. “When I’ve worked in an agile team, I’ve found that my work against the ‘just enough just in time’ principle is greatly enhanced if you productise the assets that you constantly produce. “Now I have clean versions of specific assets I use all the time in a number of formats – Sketch, Keynote and Illustrator – with very basic styling, which makes it easier and faster when I can hand over work for someone else to style, leaving me free to concentrate on the content.” Money matters Follow these tips to make sure you're reaping the full rewards of your design work Much as we love our work and don't like to think about the financial side, we all need to pay the bills and keep the lights on. But keeping your bank manager happy needn't be such a chore. Here are some tips to help boost your finances. 22. Don’t do your own accounting “If you are the creative type like me, there could be a little bit of chaos in you,” says Johannes Obermayr, owner of Austrian design agency Artischock.at. “Book keeping doesn't go well at all with even just a little chaos. In my first year, I just tried to do a part of it and my misunderstanding of the tax system led to more work for my tax advisor. Let him or her do his or her job; these guys are way more effective. If accounting would have been your thing, you would have become a tax consultant. Do what brings you joy.” 23. Raise your rates “However much you charge, there will still be people that find your price quite affordable,” points out Obermayr. “That doesn't mean you should charge £1,000 per hour, but some people who start cheap and attract the attention of low budget customers get stuck with a ‘cheap’ reputation, which they can’t escape for fear of losing clients. I’d recommend instead that you calculate what your earnings should be and double or triple that to find your hourly fee. After all, you cannot sell all the hours you can bill for, because there are a lot of other administrative tasks you need to do beside the design work. “Charging a high rate means you can also afford to invest one or two extra hours in the design, so you can be satisfied and confident about the excellence of your creative outcome. Customers can sense that – which makes relationships much easier. Also don’t forget that one day an unexpected bill will land in your inbox; so make sure you have some of that money set aside. 24. You don't have to subscribe Affinity now has an alternative to Adobe InDesign, in the form of Affinity Publisher One more money tip from Obermayr… “Your work is still worth something a year or some after you've created it,” he points out. “You created this value. You should be able to access your own work at anytime unconditionally. If not, you have basically just rented your own work. “For this reason, I started the transition from Adobe to Affinity three years ago; now, the only Adobe CS6 Apps I still launch regularly are Acrobat for preflight and InDesign. And the Affinity Publisher beta already has its place in my Mac’s task switcher and will replace InDesign early next year.” 25. Be your own client “Treat your own business like you would a client's,” says Nottingham-based graphic designer Jenny Lamacraft. “Schedule and prioritise time for your own branding and marketing materials. Resist the temptation to keep putting the project back and set a firm deadline, otherwise you'll never do it – I've learnt from bitter experience! Obviously paying work has to come first, but I've found that applying this attitude does help.” Bonus: quick-fire life hacks Need more advice ? Here are some bonus, quick-fire tips from Bristol-based CRM agency, Armadillo …. Mock up your ideas. No one is a mind reader (sadly), and some people will struggle to understand your idea without context. Know what you do. As in, really know what you do. Master your craft and everything around it. Get organised. Stay on top of deadlines, stay on top of admin, stay on top generally. Teamwork makes the dreamwork. Ignoring the cliché, collaboration makes the best work. Make use of those around you and their skills and knowledge. Be open to new ideas. Sometimes the best work comes from the most unexpected places. Stay in the know. The latest trends, the newest technology, the successes and the failures – make sure you know what’s going on in your industry. Get out of your own head. Look for inspiration in areas outside of your own field. A cup of tea fixes everything. Read more: The essential guide to tools for designers 6 Instagram hacks to transform your feed 5 simple tools to make life easier as a freelancer View the full article

My journey into making 3D art started a couple of years ago when my brother told me to try ZBrush. Since then I’ve got to know amazing people and talented artists to learn from and to collaborate with. I've always been passionate about drawing and wanted to be able to bring an idea to life. This passion led me to become a 3D artist, turning ideas and illustrations into captivating 3D models. 01. Examine your reference Marylou Faure's original 2D illustration The first thing I do is to search for references to build a 3D model, or I draw one myself. I was lucky to collaborate with the amazing French artist Marylou Faure for this piece. Marylou wanted to see how her illustrations would look in 3D and I was looking for an opportunity to practice my skills on a non-realistic drawing. The basic rule of building a 3D model is the more references the better, especially from various angles. However, Marylou only handed me two reference images, so this was an amazing opportunity to experiment with creating 3D structure in a new way for me. Sign up to the Computer Arts newsletter The main problem with a non-realistic 2D drawing is that the original artist usually doesn’t consider turning the model around, so there might be a missing foot for the sake of composition, or there might be an element that serves a graphic purpose from only one point of view. This has to be solved when working with a sculpture. 02. Start from a sphere The model is made up of various spheres ZBrush is fairly intuitive and easy to use with some practice. I usually start from the sphere. I could use any primitive form but in many cases the sphere is the best choice, especially when sculpting a humanoid shape as it enables conferring organicity to it. I start the project with a basic shape using as many spheres as I need, deformed for the purpose I am using them for. But it’s important to remember that the human body isn’t made out of spheres, so it is necessary to squeeze, move, trim and carve them as appropriate. For this project I didn’t start with making a T-posed shape with symmetry, to preserve the artistry of the original picture. In fact, in this case, taking that kind of approach might have prevented me from pursuing the artistic result I wanted to achieve: the body in her illustration was purposely not proportionate but there was a balance to it. 03. Start sculpting When creating 3D models, you'll need to think about how your subject looks from all angles When happy with the shape, it's good practice to merge the different parts in order to create one whole piece using the DynaMesh button at the resolution needed. I then proceed with some form of retopology to lower the polycount, either using external software or hitting the Zremesher button in ZBrush. With the basic shape ready, it’s time for the sculpting process. Sculpting a human face requires study and practice to learn where the concave and convex parts of the face are and above all, to find the right process that suits your needs. I always move the model around to check the front, side, three-quarter, up and down views to make sure I’m not sculpting in just two dimensions at the time. A second way to examine the progress while working is to compare the 3D model with the original reference by overlapping them, to check the shapes. But the changes done this way are not to be relied on too much since the model is then going to be rotated, showing all the flaws of this approach despite looking good from the point of view of the reference. 04. Think about composition The model after merging the pieces and then welding them using DynaMesh Dealing with composition means figuring out issues that may arise from the 2D, static pose of the original illustration. A good 2D composition doesn’t always mean it’s going to work in a 3D environment, because they respond to different criteria. I decided to slightly change the model according to the many views I needed. The front and the back views had incompatible visual needs and conflicting elements for the composition – the breasts, shoulders and clouds. Wanting to get two images from two separate renders, I decided to modify the mesh to fit the visual purpose of the views, resulting in two 3D models; one to be rendered from the front view and the other one from the back. Another possibility I could have considered would have been finding a compromising point between different shapes and sculpting a single piece. This is the option I would take if I needed to print in 3D or to show the product in motion, for example, with a turntable display. 05. Render your sculpture Render test to check light intensity and colours before applying the materials Before rendering a model, use the polygroup function of ZBrush because it enables grouping every element together, which will then be assigned with the same material. I grouped together all the parts that were going to be red, then nails, hair and the mole for the black group, and so on. I then merged all subtools and exported the file. The program I normally use for rendering is Corona for Cinema 4D, mainly for its versatility for both photorealistic renders and more cartoonish ones. I check that I have selected Corona as the rendering engine, set Full Denoise at 0.7, activate the Global Illumination effect and then set the height, width and resolution. It is then time to import the mesh and start setting the scene, placing a Corona Camera in the relevant view for the render and creating or loading materials. 06. Think about lighting The final model with different polygroups, ready to be exported The shiny look on the skin was incredibly easy to achieve: I created a new Corona material, selected the Diffuse colour and checked the Reflection box. What makes a render so magical is the lighting. One thing to remember is not to place too many lights. It’s generally best to not use more than five, although this does depend on the model structure, especially with such reflective material. Before hitting the final render button, it is useful to enable the multi-pass function and activate the ID Pass, because it creates flat colour for each region, based on the previous polygroups. This makes it easy to select each region with the Magic Wand tool in Photoshop. For this project I used this technique to adjust the redness of the body, which was initially too bright, without altering the red component in the other parts of the image. To get the two images, I started the render by clicking on Render to Picture Viewer and while the engine was working, I started post-producing on the Corona VFB window. When the render was done, in the same window, I selected the Stop button so the program 'de-noised' the scene and lastly I saved both files as PNGs. At this point I had two images ready to be loaded in Photoshop for the final adjustments, such as exposure, contrast and tonal values. This article was originally published in issue 281 of Computer Arts, the world's leading graphic design magazine. Buy issue 281 or subscribe here. Read more: Why 2D artists need to learn 3D 5 mesmerising uses of illustration in branding Pose a character in ZBrush: 4 top tips View the full article

Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past week, you'll know that Apple recently announced its next generation of iPhones: the iPhone XS, XS Max and iPhone XR. The popular smartphone has undergone a number of updates for its latest iteration, and there's been a lot of excitement around its new photography options in particular. Always searching for the best camera phone around, the team at our sister site Digital Camera World have wasted no time in getting their hands on the new iPhone XS and XS Max to write a full review , focusing in particular on the iPhone's new camera specs. Highlights include a 12MP camera, backed by a bigger sensor measuring 1.4µm, to help negate difficult shooting conditions. The XS also has two lenses: a six-element, wide-angle f/1.8 lens, and an f/2.4 telephoto optic in front. True Tone flash and optical image stabilisation are present, too. Meanwhile, the front TrueDepth camera has seen some improvements as well, with a new 7MP sensor and f/2.2 lens. The iPhone XS includes Smart HDR, a new manually adjustable depth control option Enhanced Smart HDR Some particularly interesting features for photographers include Smart HDR, a new manually adjustable Depth Control option, and improved bokeh with Advanced Picture mode. Many of the new improvements are powered by the much-discussed iPhone XS A12 Bionic chip, which, Apple claims, means the iPhone can make a trillion operations per photo. Impressive stuff. With all this added functionality, it's not hard to see why people are excited by the camera's possibilities. And artists and designers should be as well. New and improved depth of field and bokeh options, coupled with enhanced speed and sensors means the iPhone XS offers much greater control in post production, too. Find out how the Digital Camera World crew got on with the iPhone XS and its new camera capabilities – and read the full review – over on the DCW website. Read more: The best cheap Apple Pencil deals of 2018 45 best photo apps and photo editing software The 10 best point-and-shoot cameras in 2018 View the full article

The past two years have seen an explosion in interest for VR and AR technologies. Interest levels are showing no signs of decline, with many major tech companies rumoured to be working on new top secret devices. It’s also no surprise that AR has arrived on the web, thus presenting designers with some important new areas to consider for content creation. If you're interested in exploring AR, there are a number of web design tools around to help you. Here are some of the best. 01. AR.js AR.js is the definitive library leading the way for bringing AR to the web browser. Use either three.js or the simpler A-Frame to display your content with this library. While at the moment it is mostly marker-based AR content, there is an example of it working with Google’s Tango platform. 02. Google AR Google has developed two browsers for AR (WebARonARCore for Android and WebARonARKit for iOS). If your phone can support these browsers you can install them. Build 3D augmented reality content with three.js, making use of your phone’s abilities to see flat surfaces and position your 3D content on them. 03. Jeeliz Face Filter This tool specialises in facial filters This is still technically AR, but focuses purely on detecting faces and augmenting 3D model content on top of the detected faces. Think of all those filters you see in social media applications that put animal ears and noses on selfies, and you'll get a good idea of what you can expect to do with this library. 04. Awe.js Awe.js has some sophisticated features that make this worth looking into – notably the location-based AR (although this can be replicated with the Geolocation API using any other library). It isn’t quite as well supported as other libraries as there isn’t quite the same community around it. 05. Argon.js Argon.js runs on browsers that are able to run AR natively Argon has its own browser – the Argon4 web browser – but it also runs on browsers that are able to run AR natively. This makes a good fallback if you are targeting a demographic that might not have a blisteringly fast phone, but you really want to be inclusive with your technical solution. For more on AR and other current trends in web design and development, don't miss Generate London – buy your ticket today! This article was originally published in creative web design magazine Web Designer. Buy issue 276 or subscribe. Read more: AR.js is bringing augmented reality to the web UX for emerging experiences 17 mesmerising projection mapping demos View the full article

Giving the perfect pitch is never easy. You have to know your subject inside-out. You have to grab people’s attention and know the answer to all their questions. And throughout it all you have to keep smiling, even if you’re dying inside. The good news is there are lots of tools to help the whole experience run smoothly. In this post, we’ve gathered together some of our favourites. If we’ve missed out your preferred tools though, please let us know! Presentation tools Use Powtoon to create animated presentations and explainer videos To truly wow your clients with your pitch, you’re going to have to ‘show’ as well as ‘tell’. Whether that means a series of slides or a short animation, there are a number of tools to help you put together a visual presentation quickly and easily. These apps take your words, images and videos and join them together to create a smooth and elegant slideshow or explainer video: Prezi: This visual storytelling presentation software offers an alternative to the restrictions of the traditional slideshow format. Instead, it gives you a limitless zoomable canvas and the ability to show relationships between the big picture and fine details. Powtoon: A powerful, cloud-based platform for creating animated presentations. Using templates, drag and drop and in-built voice elements, this app enables you to create a professional looking demo or explainer video in very little time, without any technical skills. There are plenty of other tools on the market, of course. So if the above don't float your boat, check out this list of free presentation tools. Prototyping tools Figma is a popular browser-based tool for building interactive prototypes If you’re developing a web app or site, just showing stills of what it will look like may not be enough to satisfy a potential client. When they ask: “What happens if you click this button?”, telling them verbally can be a bit clunky. It’s much more impressive to show them, via a working prototype. And the best news is, you no longer have to spend a lot of time and budget on developing one. The last few years have seen a ton of tools landing on the market that make it quick and easy to get a prototype up and running. They include: Sketch: A Mac-only tool focused on interface design that’s taken the design world by storm since its release in 2010. All the alternatives below are very much playing catch-up with Sketch. Adobe XD: Adobe XD is Adobe’s answer to Sketch. Its most obvious point of difference is that it’s available for Windows as well as OS X. Figma: An interface design tool based in the browser, this free app makes it easy to collaborate on a prototype, even if your team is distributed around the world. Subform: A CAD-inspired design tool centred around the unique constraints of UI/UX design, Subform puts a strong focus on the creation of responsive layouts with consistent styles, using real content. 8 free apps for picking a colour scheme Moodboard tools Moodboard has a range of templates for creating digital mood boards When the design ideas you’re pitching to a potential client are more nebulous, freeform and open to discussion, it can be difficult to know what to show. This is where mood boards come in. Rather than a mockup of a finished product, mood boards communicate creative concepts in a more abstract fashion. Featuring a collection of textures, images, text, fonts, colours and more, they’re about representing themes and encouraging discussion. Mood boards can be analogue or digital, and when it comes to the latter, there are a number of apps that can help you create them. We’d recommend the following: Moodboard: Unsplash’s free app for creating moodboards. You can start with a blank moodboard or use one of a series of templates, then share your moodboard with others via a link. Boards by Invision: A plugin for users of the prototyping app Invision that helps you to creative mood boards collaboratively across teams. The Matboard: A social bookmarking hub for the creative world often described as ‘Pinterest for design work’. Among other things, this cool app offers an easy way to collaborate on creating moodboards remotely. Style Tiles: This online tool has been specifically designed for pitching web design projects. Style Tiles allows you to create digital moodboards featuring different fonts, colors and interface elements. Want more options? Then check out this list of mood board tools. Projectors The Cube LED projector is powerful and portable If you’ve put a lot of effort into creating a cool slideshow, animation or video, you’re going to want your potential clients to see it in the best possible quality, even in daylight. Currently, one of our favourite projectors is the Cube LED projector, a tiny device that transforms any screen (including smartphones) into a cinematic experience, with a fine quality image of 120 inches and an LED life of 20,000 hours. For more options, you can check out more of the latest and greatest business projectors here. Read more: 20 tools that make freelancing easier The essential guide to tools for designers 13 incredible tools for creating infographics View the full article

Are you an illustrator, artist or creator? Then you could probably use CLIP STUDIO PAINT PRO in your life. This tool will help you draw better comics and cartoons, thanks to specialised features designed specifically for digital drawing and painting. It's our pick of one of the best digital art software around, and right now you can pick up a copy for half price. You can access and download 10,000 brushes, tones, 3D models, and more. Integrate the software with Photoshop for even more effective and productive workflow. This all-in-one tool will make you a better digital creator than you could have ever imagined. Get CLIP STUDIO PAINT PRO for just $29.99 – 50% off the regular price. View the full article

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Camera phones, with their ability to let you carry a genuinely superb camera in your pocket, have been a real game changer. And not just for social media accounts: the best camera phones in 2018 have the smarts to produce professional shots and video footage of a ridiculously high standard. Right now, the best camera phone is the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus. We think it's the best smartphone with a camera you can choose thanks to its combination of powerful dual cameras, incredible main sensor and useful additional features. You can read more about our number one choice below. The best camera for photography The 10 best point-and-shoot cameras But there were plenty of contenders for the top spot: manufacturers are constantly pushing the barriers of what can be achieved with these portable snappers, and there's a lot of competition right now. So what features and specs should you look for while choosing the best camera phone for your budget? Sheer amount of megapixels is a good start, but – depending on your photography expertise – you may also want the functionality to change aperture speeds, as well as greater light detection, and consider extra storage for photo galleries and video. Our list of the best smartphones with a camera includes a rich variety of brands, price points and specialties. Read on to discover the best camera phone for your budget... The best camera phones right now Samsung Galaxy smartphones are now so good that the latest iterations generally struggle to make strides on the last. But camera quality is the exception to that rule, and Samsung's latest flagship Galaxy S9 Plus raises the bar again for camera phones. The dual 12MP cameras on the rear are the obvious place to start. They're no longer unique, but the remarkable f/1.5 aperture is, meaning you can take eye-popping shots even in low light. And you can tweak the aperture to the other end of the spectrum in sunnier climes. Samsung has also worked hard reduce noise, too. We love the super slow motion 960fps function for getting creative with videos and the bokeh-enable selfie snapper is impressive as well. But it's the amazing main camera that makes the Galaxy S9 Plus stand out from the crowd. We're not saying it makes standalone cameras defunct, but unless you're a professional photographer, you won't need much more than what this smartphone will give you. Frankly, the Huawei P20 Pro took us rather by surprise when it launched in the spring of 2018. It's proving to be the smartphone that's breaking the Samsung and Apple duopoly on the world phone market – and one of the headline features that has made it so popular is the incredible triple camera (yes, triple!) that you get on the rear of the handset. The combination of 40MP, 20MP and 8MP shooters combines powerfully with excellent image processing, noise reduction and super zoom features making the P20 Pro's overall photo taking prowess something very special indeed. And the thing that may make you go for this instead of the S9 Plus...? The price: P20 Pro deals are much cheaper than on the super-sized Samsung. Sorry folks. The cruel reality is that if you want the best camera possible on an iPhone, you're going to have to splash the cash on Apple's devilishly expensive iPhone X. (Although the good news is that with the new iPhone XS and XS Max due in shops at the end of September, the price of the iPhone X should drop.) Released to mark the tenth anniversary of the iPhone, Apple delighted fans by producing a new iPhone that makes genuine strides on what has come before. In terms of photography, we're talking about dual 12MP sensors on the rear (one for telephoto and both with astute optical image stabilisation) and a 7MP TrueDepth camera on the front in case dazzling selfies are what you need for your business or leisure pursuits. Low light shots are much better than on other iPhones, and we really admire the generally faster focusing and natural colours. Don't fancy parting with all that cash for an iPhone X? We can't say we blame you. You can shave a significant amount off the cost or monthly bills by going for the iPhone 8 instead. It builds on the brilliance of the iPhone 7's camera – so the 12MP main sensor, f/1.8 aperture, a 5X digital zoom and optical image stabilization are all present here – and then adds some handy features, such as 4K video shooting and 240fps slow motion recording at Full HD. As ever with the iOS camera app, the iPhone 8 is devilishly easy to use as a camera and ensure that you get the best of the images you snap. When Google relaunched its mobile phones under the Pixel moniker, it was clear that much of their focus (if you'll forgive the pun) was on the quality of the onboard cameras. Quite simply, camera phones don't come much better than the Google Pixel 2. On any normal day, you'll get colour-rich, natural photographs that can be used in your portfolio. But the f/1.8 aperture on that 12.2MP main camera means that you'll get splendid results in low light as well – much better than we found on some of the Pixel 2's 2017 contemporaries. And a strange thing happened with the Pixel 2, too. Prices reduced drastically quite quickly after release. And now, with the Pixel 3 not far away, they're really affordable. Of course with the phone comes Google's integrated ecosystem. Now that may be a plus or a minus, depending on your perspective. But if you're already enveloped in Gmail, Google Photos and the rest, then it makes sense to go for the Pixel 2 as well. If you want to improve your Insta-game, then you're probably not after the priciest smartphone on the market. That's why we've picked out the still-great-after-all-this-time Samsung Galaxy S8 as our choice camera phone for selfies. With its dedicated selfie mode, the S8 just makes taking photos with the 8MP front camera ridiculously easy. We found that you don't have to mess around taking multiple shots before this phone gets things right – it's on the ball straight away. The fact that it's a former Samsung flagship phone means you get the rest of the package, too: superb screen, premium design, equally impressive main camera. And as it was released over a year ago, you get an affordable price tag. Wileyfox may not be a manufacturer that you immediately recognise the name of, but its been on our radar for a while thanks to its conveyor belt of robustly made, affordable mobile phones. At the price, the Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus was never going to give you stunning shots in low light and tons of features. But you still get a 16MP camera and a 3L8 sensor shipped in from Samsung. This results in photos that are superior to the usual washed out, flat fare found in the albums of most cheap phones. Instead, the images produced by the Swift 2 Plus have rich colours and fine detail. Even the autofocus holds its own. This is easily the best cheap camera around. Ok, so the main reason why we've included the Moto G6 in this list is because we can't think of a better overall smartphone with a camera that you can currently buy for around the $200/£200-mark. It's an exceptional phone that seems even better when you see the price tag. But a big part of that is the camera. Somehow Motorola has been able to afford a dual camera set-up on the rear, with a 12MP and 5MP tag-team. The result? An auto mode that makes taking beautiful pictures really straightforward, and a genuinely useful portrait mode (if that's of use to you). The 8MP selfie snapper on the front is passable, but wouldn't be adequate for the needs of Kim Kardashian and the like. Related articles: 45 best photo apps and photo editing software These are the best smartphones available for designers Our top tips for taking better photos View the full article

University or online studies can’t teach you everything. Almost everyone gets a least a bit of a rude awakening when they dive into the big scary world of work, and the web industry is no exception – being able to create an awesome website layout using the latest responsive web design techniques is only half the job. We rounded up seven web professionals from different corners of the industry to ask them what they wish they’d known when they first started out. 01. Nothing ever stays still When Sally Lait (now a digital transformation consultant) started working a junior developer during a university year in industry, the rate of change in the web industry came as a shock. “Embracing changes in technology, user expectations and societal shifts – even my own interests – over time was something that I initially struggled with rather than welcomed,” she says. “Change often feels scary and tiring but it’s also really exciting to naturally keep evolving on your own personal journey and keep finding new things that you enjoy.” 02. You won’t get paid to experiment Billy Fagan started dabbling in code as a hobby before turning it into a profession. Initially, he didn’t realise he wouldn’t be able to put all the cool new things he found straight into his work. “You’re not doing this as a hobby any more; it’s a professional situation. This means the client is paying for your time,” he points out. “The client almost never has the budget for you to test out your new shiny thing on their project and why should they? You just need to try the shiny stuff on your personal projects.” 03. Big reveals mean big trouble You may be drawn to the idea of a ‘big reveal’ on client projects, but these can lead to unpleasant surprises, cautions freelance designer James Stiff. Clear communication throughout the design process will help keep things running smoothly. “Manage expectations and keep stakeholders actively engaged in the design process,” he says. “When presenting designs, remind stakeholders of the problem that they aim to solve.” Stiff also stresses the importance of backing this up with a contract or statement of work. Alternatively, if you’re in-house, make sure you have a brief (even if you write it yourself). 04. It’s not all about aesthetics When product designer and developer Catt Small was studying, most of her classes focused on aesthetics. However, in the real world you also need to consider usability. “By thinking about the people who will use the experience, understanding them deeply and considering their stories, I have become a much better designer,” she explains. “My favourite thing to do is create scenarios that help me understand when people would use my designs. This not only helps me identify potential pain points but also helps me communicate better with collaborators.” 05. Under-pricing can ruin your business No one wants to be ripped off, but designer and developer Diana Lopez discovered that pricing your services too low can also be damaging to your business, and repel good clients. “They can’t have confidence in you if you don’t have confidence in yourself,” she explains. “Too-low rates can severely affect your business and you can end up feeling frazzled at the end of every month, from overwork and empty pockets.” If you’re having trouble with this, Lopez suggests breaking your quotes into smaller chunks, and breaking down the price by line item in order to reassure clients. “When I started doing this, the scope of work became clearer so I could justify my quote easily,” she continues. “You stop feeling like clients will run away at the sight of your quote.” 06. Design or development is only half the job Don’t underestimate how important business skills – both hard and soft – will be to your career, advises SitePoint co-editor Maria Perna. “I didn’t realise how much I would need business skills and how much easier my professional life would be if I felt at ease building personal connections,” she says. “I took for granted that long-term professional development and continuing to be my usual geeky self would be enough. I had to understand the importance of building up bridges with other devs, both to stay on top of what happens in the industry and to learn about work opportunities. Not to mention getting to grips with marketing and business concepts.” 07. You can’t know everything “It is all too easy to fall into the trap of wanting to learn it all: all the frameworks, all the languages, everything,” says front end software engineer Marco Poletto. “After years in the field and a touch of ‘JavaScript fatigue’, I wish I’d known how to evaluate my options briefly, without wasting time on the array of choices in front of me and then invest my time on that and only that.” If you’re struggling to decide what to focus on, Poletto has a simple tip: follow what you like, and it’ll be much easier to learn. Web design event Generate London returns on 19-21 September 2018, offering a packed schedule of industry-leading speakers, a full day of workshops and valuable networking opportunities – don’t miss it. Get your Generate ticket now. This article was originally published in net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Buy issue 309 or subscribe. Read more: 18 things they didn't teach you at design school 6 must-have skills for young web developers How to collect payments as a freelancer View the full article

Today, River Island launched a new ad campaign with a refreshingly diverse lineup of models. It's part of the high street fashion brand's Labels Are For Clothes initiative, which aims to do away with fashion stereotypes and champion inclusivity. This particular campaign places particular focus on dispelling stereotypes associated with disability. Labels Are For Clothes launched earlier in the year to an overwhelmingly positive response, with a SS18 campaign garnering the brand over 56 million earned impressions and tens of thousands of comments. However, one criticism fired at the campaign was that disabled people weren't represented – something River Island has righted in its AW18 instalment, which includes a 50/50 mixed ability cast. The ads are a far cry from the typical cookie-cutter campaigns gracing shopfronts and billboards. Labels Are For Clothes champions inclusivity "Our mixed ability cast challenge the preconceived notions and labels applied to those with visible physical conditions and celebrate their potential, their personality and their beauty," comments Alistair Green, CSO at Studio Blvd. Integrated creative agency Studio Blvd created the campaign as part of a long-running partnership with River Island. The adverts star models with a range of disabilities, including Paralympian athlete Jordan Luce, who suffers from a condition that means he has to use a wheelchair daily, alongside Down Syndrome models Kathleen Humberstone and Harry Britton, blogger and motivational speaker Mama Cox, who lost her right leg to cancer, and dermatology student Ralph Souffrant, who has hyperpigmentation. Models include Paralympian athlete Jordan Luce (above left) River Island has also partnered with anti-bullying charity Ditch The Label to offer a selection of T-shirts and sweatshirts featuring the Labels Are for Clothes slogan. While the initiative is undoubtedly a step in the right direction for advertising, we're excited for a time when this kind of diversity becomes the norm, rather than the hook for a campaign. Read more: The new frontier of advertising 66 brilliant print adverts Debenhams gets a joyful rebrand from Mother Design View the full article

Radim Malinc’s first Book of Ideas was a surprise bestseller back in 2016, and Volume 2 doesn’t tamper with the winning formula of smart, jargon-free advice for ambitious creatives, generously illustrated by some of Malinc’s own best art direction. Czech-born Malinic has been running his successful London-based micro agency Brand Nu for well over a decade now. As well as his signature style of vividly coloured, exquisite 3D renders, he has worked across the whole gamut of design disciplines, from packaging design and branding to typography and web design. Buy Book of Ideas: Vol 2 on Amazon Malinic is a rare breed of illustrator who has a maintained a distinct style while also expanding his horizons and developing his craft. His insights into branding, design and living the life of a freelance creative are clearly based on many years of hard-earned experience. Malinic doesn’t just talk the talk, he’s also walked the walk. A modest approach Malinic is as confident working with photoshoots as designing complete brands With refreshing modesty (especially for a self-illustrated design publication), Malinic admits in his own foreword that the book “won’t teach you how to design”, but should show you how to “be a better and more thoughtful designer”. This breathless, excited tone – Malinic writes like he’s going to get pulled away from his computer at any moment – is infectious; his energy and enthusiasms palpable. When he confesses that, “Many years ago when I took stock of my career so far, I came to the realisation that I was mostly average in everything that I had done so far...”, it’s impossible not to warm to his modesty. But Malinic’s work and client list tell you all you need to know about his reputation. With clients such as Coke, Adobe and Nike, he is as prolific as he is talented, but as this book proves, it’s not just skill that has taken him so far in the industry – it’s understanding himself, his clients and his priorities. The book shows how lucky breaks, chance meetings and sparks of inspiration may provide brief flashes of success, but it's tenacity, determination and utter professionalism that can propel you to the Premier League. Self-help for designers Copy is kept to single-page entries, making the book endlessly browsable It would be no exaggeration to describe Malinic as a self-help fanatic. His prose seems to pour out, along with page after page of stunning work, to become nothing less than an instruction manual for emotional wellbeing combined with the agility of a ‘visual athlete’. The book is divided into three sections – Work, Creativity and Mind, with each chapter broken down into mini-essays and case studies, all generously studded with insights, advice and lessons learned. The mindfulness section of the book is especially intimate, and Malinic’s openness in addressing subjects like depression and anxiety are bound to strike a chord with many readers. These frank accounts of “the demons” in Malinic’s mind reveal a genuinely open soul – this is a designer who is unafraid to show the whole artist, as opposed to just the shiny, Instagram-friendly highlights. Unfussy, elegant design Malinic is known for his hypnotic colour work As you’d expect for a title designed by a designer, the book is well presented, with a beautifully foiled cover and unfussy, elegant design. There’s maybe an (inevitable) bias towards aesthetics over form: the endless reversed out (white on colour) body copy does look beautiful – Malinic is a master of colour theory – but can become wearing on the eye over time. Luckily, this is a book to be dipped into and savoured, and the copy is kept brief and to the point. The uncoated paper stock also seems a strange choice. It may be synonymous in consumers’ minds with heavy duty quality, but Malinic’s electrifying, hyper-real renders are drenched in light and detail, and the matte finish diminishes the luminous glow that defines his work. A glossy paper stock might have better simulated the illuminated screens so much of this work was designed for. But these are quibbles. With his fourth publication, Malinic continues to be his own best case study, proving that his strategies and philosophies really do work. This really is a lovely, heartwarming hybrid of self-help manual and art direction masterclass. Buy Book of Ideas: Vol 2 on Amazon Read more: Migrant 4: Dark Matters review View the full article

A business card can be the catalyst that leads to future clients picking up your design portfolio and giving you the job, or the scrubby paper that ends up in the bin or being used as a toothpick. Make yours the former by learning from these cautionary tales... 01. Out of shape This disc is crying out to get lost In our 10 commandments of business card design feature, we preached some vital rules: Don’t use a gimmick unless it’s a (really) good one. And don’t vary from common shapes. Now, while the design and imagery on this card is perfectly okay, the fact you have to take the card out of the sleeve to get contact details; and the fact that the contact card itself is round, is a mistake in our eyes. The record design is inventive, but it’s crying out to get lost. Which is a shame, because Vitor Bonates’ work is actually pretty good. 02. QR nightmare A rare sighting of a QR code in the wild This would be a lot of fun if it weren’t for the fact THERE’S NO CONTACT DETAILS ON THE CARD. Just a website. And a QR code. YES! A QR CODE! If there’s one thing you definitely shouldn’t do it’s use a QR code. No one cares about them. No one ever uses them. If the space was used for an email and phone number it would be perfectly acceptable. But a QR code? Come on! 03. A bit of a stretch How would you dial this number? Legibility is key on your business card – it’s hugely important that clients can see your details at a glance. Yes, this is a fun gimmick for a personal trainer – when you stretch it it reveals the logo and name. But you have to work for it to get the contact (we get it, but we still don’t like it). Say you want to call on your mobile? How do you stretch it with one hand? This feels like design for design’s sake. 04. Tools down As chunky as a real Swiss Army Knife, but much less useful Yes, we know you’re like a Swiss army knife – you’re obviously very creative and have a lot of different ‘tools’ in your armoury. But, whilst impressively made, this is another example of a gimmick taken a bit too far. As a concept it’s great, and is admittedly a talking point, but in reality it’ll probably sit on a clients’ desk for a while before being lost or binned. 05. Blown away A gimmick too far This is in the same realm as #3 on our list. And we can’t quite see the point of it. We get it’s for a chest doctor. But, do you blow up the balloon and tie it, only for it to get in the way and deflate before throwing it away? Or you blow it up and then get someone else to write the contact down and then throw the balloon away? 06. Just bad Google thinks this is the apex of rubbish business cards Okay, look up ‘bad business card’ on Google (that’s what we did) and this is pretty much the top result. It’s also the ultimate in rubbish design. For one, there’s a wolf. Why is there a wolf? Secondly, the jumble of typefaces is just wrong. And ‘when good is not good enough, call BAD’? WOW. 07. Meaty problem Deliciously ineffective These are business cards. Made out of meat. Only a jerky would want that, surely? I guess if you were really hungry you could eat the card at your desk. And then you’d have lost the contact. Oh well. 08. Booby prize Not big, not clever A prize goes to this one for trying to be funny. A BOOBY prize! But seriously, the designer behind this must have thought this was a good idea. Think about that for a second. The designer thought this was a good idea – and that clients of this plastic surgeon would genuinely stick their fingers through these holes. We bet this card lost more potential clients than it gained. It's not big or clever. 09. A simple approach Lack of hierarchy is the least of this card's problems Nothing says cutting-edge prototyping than an illegible mess of fonts and colour. It looks like a clown’s been sick. And then a bad typographer’s been sick. 10. Cookie cutter There's no way a template will show off your company to its best We’re not talking about this particular card here (although it’s awful), more about the reams of services out there that offer businesses templated cards. There’s nothing us designers hate more, right? If you’re running a business and have any respect for it, employ someone who knows what they’re doing when creating a card. It's a shame it’s so hard to convince some clients, who instead go for what they think is the easy route. Like this? Read these... How to design a business card: 10 top tips The 22 best business card designs The good, the bad and the WTF of brand apologies View the full article

You're reading Best Free HTML Email Templates of 2018, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! Email campaigns are everywhere. Even if you have a website that represents a small local business, chances are that you have a list of your loyal subscribers to inform about happenings in your company. There are different approaches to generate … View the full article

Illustration can help give a brand personality. It can make a brand more playful, more charming, more accessible or more beautiful – perhaps even all of the above. But unfortunately, brands don't always get it right. Embracing the latest illustration trends is rarely enough to achieve standout – if anything, it'll achieve the opposite. And while more timeless illustration styles can be effective for some, it's all about picking what's appropriate for the brand. Read on for seven examples of brands that absolutely nailed it for different reasons, and how they used illustration to emphasise their own unique brand values... 01. Google shows its playful side Bee Grandinetti's charming animation demonstrates Google's Trusted Contacts app in a playful way When it comes to product design and UI, Google is the master of simplicity. Form follows function: it's primarily the effectiveness and ease of use of its now ubiquitous search engine that people love, after all, rather than its visual design per se. However, illustration has long played a role in giving Google a playful personality that goes beyond that trademark functionality. Google Doodles, for instance, have marked major holidays, events and achievements in a broad range of colourful, creative ways for years now. It's only within the last five years, however, that the brand has clarified its various illustrative expressions with a more coherent 'Google style' of art direction – demonstrating products and services in a colourful, playful way, while still keeping things beautifully simple and accessible. The charming example above, created by Bee Grandinetti in 2016, relates to Google's Trusted Contacts app – which helps you stay connected with your loved ones in case of an emergency. 02. Anna makes finance more fun Alice Bowsher created the quirky characters that give Anna its unique personality Currently in beta, Anna – which stands for Absolutely No Nonsense Admin – is a fintech service unlike any other. A hybrid digital assistant geared specifically at taking the headache out of admin and financial management for creative people, it combines an app, a bank card and a business account. In the pipeline are useful tools to send invoices, chase payments, analyse expenses and predict cashflow. NB Studio and Michael Wolff created an illustration-led brand for Anna that's perfectly balanced: playful yet practical, entertaining yet restrained. Charming, decidedly un-finance-like illustrations of various animals by Alice Bowsher lend a unique personality to the service, while the warm, terracotta brand colour challenges the conventions of the sector. 03. Battersea warms the heart Pentagram's identity for Battersea creates emotive characters with simple mark-making Many charities already occupy a place in people's hearts by virtue of their activities, and the social good they do – but their branding often struggles to match that sentiment. Pentagram's rebrand of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home has a unique and very special charm to it, however. The 'family' of delightfully messy, hand-drawn watercolour illustrations at the heart of the identity feel warm, humane and, like the animals that the shelter rescues, packed with different personalities. That their expressiveness is achieved with just a few simple flicks of a pen makes them all the more appealing. 04. Fanta goes handmade Fanta's paper-cut-style branding scheme by Koto translates across 35 different fruit combinations Koto's global rebrand of Fanta was one of the studio's major breakthrough projects, and illustration was at the core of the new identity – in this case, a distinctive hand-constructed paper-cut style, which was then digitally recreated. Where the illustration really came into its own was when the two orange segments that accompanied the classic Fanta logo were expanded to cater to no less than 34 more fruity combinations, as shown above. Maintaining such a stylised approach across so many applications is no mean feat, but Koto nailed it, giving the brand a coherent, distinctive look and feel across all markets worldwide. 05. Dropbox raises a smile Dropbox has always made use of loose, hand-drawn illustration – its 2017 rebrand evolved the style further Dropbox has maintained savvy use of illustration since it was founded in 2007, using a loose, hand-drawn approach to add wit and warmth to its file-sharing and storage service. Over the years, these have included a range of different styles, often using simple characters to demonstrate particular features or benefits of the service in a charming, relatable way. Dropbox's 2017 rebrand – completed by its in-house team in conjunction with design studio Collins – gave the service a much bolder, more vibrant look, with photography juxtaposed with illustration in strikingly unusual colour palettes. However, the hand-drawn style remained – albeit in a slightly different guise. In examples such as the one above, rough graphite sketches meet colourful, abstract shapes to symbolise bringing the creative process to life. It's a brave evolution of a much-loved style that has helped define the brand over the past decade. 06. Piccolo has the artisan spirit Here Design's illustrations for artisan seed company Piccolo are based on a system of seed-like dots Specialising in "select seeds for the space-limited", Piccolo's range includes the Slim Jim Aubergine and Spacemaster Cucumber, both ideal for city balconies. The Italian company brought Here Design on board to appeal to a new generation of urban gardeners. Good things come in small packages, and Here's illustration-led branding scheme for Piccolo treats the seed packets like a collection of beautiful miniature books. In a fresh, contemporary way that's unique in the gardening sector, they're all tied together by a system of seed-like dots. The project was recently Highly Commended in the Artisan category at the Brand Impact Awards. 07. Ugly rebels against the system Ugly's provocative, rebellious spirit is communicated through H.Y.T. Studio's bright, bold character illustration Last but not least is jkr's D&AD Pencil-winning branding scheme for Ugly Drinks, the first 100 per cent natural, fruit-infused sparkling water. Flicking the finger at its artificially sweet mass-market competitors, the playful and provocative brand relies heavily on cheeky character illustration by H.Y.T. Studio to carry its message. Working with type designer and letterer Rob Clarke, jkr crafted a logo in which the 'U' of 'ugly' doubles as a stuck-out tongue, a motif that translates seamlessly across a whole family of characters that are fruity in both name and nature. In a campaign dubbed The Ugly Truth, the brand's rebellious spirit is expressed through slogans such as 'contains no ridiculous promises' and 'contains no unattainable lifestyles', all accompanied by those cheeky characters. This is a great example of illustration and copy going hand-in-hand to get a brand's values across. Related articles: 5 ways to go viral on Instagram 4 on-trend illustration styles for your next project 10 killer examples of illustrated ad campaigns View the full article

To the untrained eye, a small piece of design or artwork can look like it was created in just minutes. But designers and artists will recognise - and empathise with - the hours behind even the seemingly smallest of drawings. Few will ever see or understand the process, where all the work and magic happens. But LG gets it. Knowing the endless brain-strain and ideating that can go into a project is driving force behind LG’s UltraWide Festival; an initiative championing the efforts and skills of creatives all over the globe. Star participants This year’s LG UltraWide Festival theme is ‘My UltraWide Time’, which focuses on the long hours and tireless effort of passionate creators. One of the highlight participants of this year’s LG UltraWide Festival is Alan Walker, a multiple-platinum DJ and producer, who knows what it’s like to spend countless hours at work, wondering if his efforts would ever be rewarded. He still spends long nights composing on his UltraWide monitor. “Making music takes a lot of time and effort - it’s not something that just happens with a snap,” Walker comments. “It takes time, but the journey is lots of fun.” Also in attendance is YouTube sensation Daniel Hashimoto, creator of action web series Action Movie Kid. The popular series features Hashimoto’s son, James, as the main character, surrounded by eye-popping special effects. For this dad and son, ‘quality time’ is spent in front of a camera and computer. Hashimoto says: “My UltraWide Time is for imagination. Every afternoon we come up with something amazing.” Caring for creatives 2018 marks the fourth year of LG giving creatives a boost with its UltraWide Festival, but the company’s support for creatives extends far beyond this one event. LG equips world-class DJs with UltraWide monitors through the UltraWide Studio program. LG’s UltraWide Academy Sponsorship also nurtures the next generation of international artists, with the company decking out top design, art, and animation schools with state-of-the-art equipment and space for all things creative. Academy Sponsorship first sponsored a brand-new computer lab at Parsons School of Design in 2016, with the Royal College of Art receiving the LG treatment in 2017, and recently ranked the No.1 International Animation School Vancouver Film School set to get the LG treatment this year. Vancouver Film School’s Head of Animation Colin Giles says: “The possibilities with digital art are endless. The students will benefit from this strong partnership with LG and the LG UltraWide Monitor Academy Lab by having access to a literal canvas that removes any possible barrier to their imagination. With a wide, seamless screen that allows for a more immersive use of the software at hand and a colour range that meets their own imagination their creations will jump into reality. ‘The more you see, the better you create’ has never been truer than at VFS.” To see photos of the VFS Academy Lab, head over to @LG_UltraWide Instagram account. It's YOUR UltraWide time So if you want to experience a whole new level of creativity and be in with the chance of winning an incredible LG Ultrawide monitor, get involved with LG’s Ultrawide festival. It’s simple to enter. Take a short quiz, describe a moment, or share a story about your creative process. Get all the rules and details at LG UltraWide Festival event page, or simply do a search for ‘LG UltraWide’. What will you create with your UltraWide time? View the full article

The attack bypasses BIOS mitigations for cold-boot compromise on models from Apple, Dell, Lenovo and all others made in the last 10 years. View the full article

Third-party breaches have become an epidemic as cybercriminals target the weakest link. Organizations such as BestBuy, Sears, Delta and even NYU Medical Center are just a few that have felt the impact of cyberattacks through third-party vendors. The fallout from these breaches can be costly, as the average enterprise pays $1.23 million per incident, up […] View the full article

If you're looking for the best power bank to keep your devices charged while you're out and about, we can help. We've pulled together this list of the best portable chargers right now, so you can be sure your phone, tablet or laptop will never run out of juice at that crucial moment ever again. After all, how many times have you been to a conference or a far-flung client meeting, and found you couldn't take notes, tweet or shoot pictures, because your phone, tablet or laptop had run out of juice? Even the best laptop for graphic design can't save you if you can't find a plug. The good news is there are a number of great, affordable portable chargers on the market to keep your devices topped up. Scroll down to discover the best power banks available at the moment. Which is the best brand for power banks? The best power bank brand, in our opinion and the first on our list, is the Anker PowerCore 20100 power bank. With its huge capacity, fast charging and excellent value, it's basically a no-brainer, unless you're looking for something specific from a power bank. How do you choose a power bank? The best power bank for you is going to depend on a number of factors. If you expect to be away from a power point for long periods of time, you'll be looking for a lot of battery capacity, so you can keep charging and recharging devices: this is measured in milliamp hours (mAh). If you're likely to want to charge more than one device at a time, then the number of charging points the power bank has will also be important. 10 essential tablet accessories If you don't want to lug around a lot of heavy gear, then the size and weight of the power bank are worth checking out too; although you're obviously going to have to strike a balance between lightness and power, as the two are normally in opposition. And finally, you'll of course need to check whether the power bank is actually compatible with your specific devices. We've set out all these stats to make it easy for you. And beyond that, we’ve categorised each the best power banks on this list according to their particular USP: for example, best budget power bank, best power bank for Apple devices, and so on. So read on to discover how you need never be out of power again, and all for a relatively small outlay. This fantastic device quite simply ticks all our most important boxes when it comes to choosing the best power bank. Long and slim, the Anker PowerCore 20100 power bank comes with two 2.4 Amp ports so you can charge two devices at once. It has a huge (20,100mAh) capacity, which means you can charge everything a few times during one trip; the iPhone 8, iPhone 7 and iPhone 6 around six times, the Samsung Galaxy S9, S8, S7, S6 four times. But perhaps most importantly, it’s very fast when you’re charging devices that use PowerIQ or VoltageBoost. (If you have a device that uses Qualcomm QuickCharge, there’s a separate version here). And all of this comes at a very reasonable price. As long as your device is compatible, and lightness/portability is not your main concern (it weighs about the same as a can of soup), buying this portable charger is a no-brainer. With an astounding six ports, the MAXOAK 50,000mAh Power Bank is one of te best portable chargers if you're on a trip with a bunch of colleagues who all need their phones and tablets charging at once (or you just have a lot of devices you need to charge yourself). And with a whopping 50,000mAh battery capacity, you’re certainly going to have enough power to do so, even multiple times. Sadly, you can’t use it to charge your MacBook, but there are plenty of laptops that are compatible from Fujitsu, Sony, Acer, Asus, IBM, Dell, HP, NEC, Samsung and Lenovo. The RAVPower Luster portable charger may be super-cheap, but it still offers a perfectly decent capacity of 6,700mAh, which is certainly enough to power up your smartphone from zero to 100 per cent at least once, and probably twice. This power bank is fairly light (about the same weight as your average mobile phone), will fit in most pockets nicely, and is compatible with a wide range of devices. In short, it’s a great choice for an evening or a weekend away in which you don’t expect to be using your devices mega-intensively. Also, if you find it difficult to find a small black device amongst all your other small, black devices, then this colourful portable charger has the benefit of being easy to spot. RAVPower doesn’t just do cheap and cheerful power banks (see number three on our list). This higher-end device of theirs – the RAVPower Universal Power Bank Travel Charger – is the ideal choice if you have a bit more cash to splash, and love the idea of being able to charge your MacBook or Surface Pro as well as your smartphone. In fact, with both a Type-C (5V/3A) port and iSmart USB (5V/2.4A) port, you’ll be able to charge both at the same time, as there’s plenty of battery capacity (20,100mAh). Alternatively, if you just want to charge one device you can do so over and over again: an iPhone 7 around five times, a Galaxy S7 four times, or the 12-in MacBook once, for example. If you mainly want a power bank to keep your iPhone and/or iPad juiced up, then the Mophie Powerstation Plus XL is the best device on the market for you. That’s mainly because it includes an dual-purpose charging cable with a Lightning adapter that charges your Apple devices. Handily, the adapter can easily be removed if you want to switch it to micro USB, to charge an Android phone, for example. The generous 12,000mAh battery capacity gives you more than four additional charges on your smartphone, or one extra charge for your tablet, while a second USB port lets you charge two devices at the same time. Yes, this is one of the more expensive options on our list. But if you often find your Apple devices dying when you’re away from home, and you’re impatient to get them topped up again quickly, the speed and flexibility this power bank offers may be well worth it. The Anker PowerCore II device doesn’t offer the biggest battery capacity on our list, and there’s only one port, so its usefulness is somewhat limited. But if you’re looking for a small and light device that can nonetheless charge your smartphone a couple of times during your trip away, this could be your perfect sweet spot between size and ability. Smaller than a deck of cards, this power bank is easy to carry around with you, but still packs a lot of punch, offering for example three iPhone 7 charges, 1.2 iPad Mini charges or 2.2 Galaxy S7 charges. It tops them up pretty speedily too. The AUKEY Power Bank 20,000mAh is an impressive bit of kit. With dual USB ports so you can charge two devices at the same time, the battery capacity is high, and it's cleverly tuned to support healthy battery life into the bargain. But the thing that most jumps out at us is the 24-month warranty, which is much more generous than any other device on this list. If you’re the kind of early adopter who upgrades their devices regularly, that sort of thing might be wholly irrelevant to you. But if you're planning to use your power bank throughout the next two years, it may well be an important factor in your buying decision. If money's no object, we recommend the Omni 20 USB-C Portable Power Bank If money is no object, then the Omni 20 USB-C Portable Power Bank is quite simply the Rolls Royce of power bank solutions. This high-powered device with four ports is both a laptop charger and a USB hub, so you can potentially charge two laptops and two smart devices simultaneously. There are two USB ports and two USC ports, the latter offering an individual max output of 60W and a total output of 100W. Plugged in by itself, the pack fully charges in just under three hours. Or you can even recharge the Omni 20 while your devices are still charging, which saves messing about with cables when you get to your hotel room. Granted, it’s much more expensive than the other power banks on our list, but you need to use your devices a lot when you're away, it could pay for itself in terms of the extra work you get completed. 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If you're after a way to make your 3D models more interesting, making them walk or hold an object can work wonders. ZBrush has a wide range of tools to help with this, offering a few posing processes to choose from: Option 1: You can start your modelling right off with a pose, using ZSpheres. This one is useful when you are creating a model that does not need to be in an A-pose for rigging and animation purposes. It enables you to block out a silhouette before modelling and detailing. 10 things you didn't know you could do with ZBrush Option 2: Transpose Master. This one combines all subtools into one. Just like the generic Transform, it is a process of masking and repositioning the model bit by bit, which can be somewhat tedious but gives you a full control of the model. However, if you find yourself not so fond of a pose, you will basically have to start posing it again. Option 3: ZSphere Rig. This combines ZSpheres and Transpose Master, allowing a quick and very easy way to pose characters. It can be a little uneasy to control the skinning weight, but I find it way more enjoyable than masking. Repositioning with ZSphere Rig is much faster too. There is no reason to export your model to another application just to rig and pose it for an image. ZSphere Rig has been available in ZBrush for years, but if you have not tried it yet, follow these four steps and find out for yourself just how easy it is to use. 01. Prepare the model Make sure to drop your character down to the lowest subdivision level before rigging Before you start rigging the character, make sure you drop it down to the lowest subdivision level. If your lowest subdivision is very dense and uneven, for example due to Sculptris Pro mode, ZRemesher can bring it down. Rigging always works best on proper topology, so the edge loops and quads allow nice mesh deformation. 02. Activate ZSphere Rig Draw out a sphere chain/rig and position it within your model With your main subtool selected, go to the ZPlugin > Transpose Master menu and activate the ZSphere Rig, then click the TPoseMesh button. A red ZSphere should appear on screen and the model will go into ghost mode. Just like with the ZSphere modelling, draw out a sphere chain/rig and position it within your model. 03. Bind mesh Use the Move and Rotate tools in order to pose and position your character as desired Notice how activating Transpose Master changes some of the tabs in the Tool menu and some new options are made available. Navigate to Tool>Rigging and click on the Bind Mesh button. Your model should now be skinned to the rig. Next use the Move and Rotate tools in order to pose and position your character as desired. 04. Commit changes When you are happy with the pose, go back to the Transpose Master and commit changes To check how your pose is looking or to get a better idea of mesh deformation, go to Tool > Adaptive Skin > Preview. You can also update the density level to preview it at a higher subdivision level. When you are happy with the pose, go back to the Transpose Master and commit changes with the TPose|SubT button. This article originally appeared in 3D World magazine issue 236; subscribe here. Read more: Master ZBrush digital sculpting with 3D World Why 2D artists need to learn 3D CG Awards 2019: cast your votes now View the full article

It's no secret that a career as a web developer is a pretty lucrative one, and you're unlikely to be out of a job if you can build the proper skill set. If you're looking to launch a new career, or perhaps brush up on your existing skills, check out The Complete Web Developer Course 2.0. This immersive, comprehensive course teaches you the fundamentals of everything from HTML5 to CSS3 to Python. You'll even gain hands-on experience by creating responsive websites using tools such as MySQL 5 and PHP 7. And if you're looking to create a real website for your personal or professional brand, you'll also get free unlimited web hosting for a whole year. Try out The Complete Web Developer Course 2.0 for only $25. Related articles: 20 awesome books for web designers and developers Agile development: why and how to use it in your web and app workflow 6 must-have skills for young web developers View the full article