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Cisco has patched two critical vulnerabilities in its Data Center Network Manager software, which could allow a remote attacker to take over affected devices. View the full article

With the right Photoshop Elements tutorials you can do much of what you can achieve with the full version of Photoshop CC, at a fraction of the cost (read our review of Photoshop CC if you're not sure whether you need it). Photoshop Elements contains many of the features of the professional version, and it's a great choice for creatives who don't need all those heavyweight options. These Photoshop Elements tutorials cover versions from 7 upwards, and they'll take you through from basic tools through to more advanced effects. Get Adobe Creative Cloud 01. Introduction to Photoshop Elements Get to grips with the basics [Image: Adobe] If you're new to Photoshop Elements, watch this video by from Jan Kabili of Lynda.com. It'll help you understand the main workspaces – eLive, Media, People, Places, and Events – and also explains how to organise, edit, create, and share your photos. 02. Use the Elements Organiser Take control of your photos with this guide [Image: Adobe] To help you find your way around, this guide will take you on a tour of the Elements Organiser and show you how to view, organise, search, and tag photographs. It'll also teach you about the workspace, layout, views, and how to quickly find photos. 03. Sort and organise images Elements team member Philip Andrews talks through how to sort, manage and find photos really quickly in this video-based Photoshop Elements tutorial. 04. Remove objects or artefacts with Content-Aware Fill Lose unwanted photo elements with ease With more recent versions of Elements you have plenty of useful options for cleaning up photography. In this tutorial for Elements 13, you'll learn how to remove unwanted parts of a photo using Content-Aware Fill, which replaces selected elements with content from elsewhere in the photo. 05. Use the Refine Selection brush Here's a way to ensure that your selections are absolutely perfect When you're trying to make selections around intricately-shaped objects, it can be really fiddly to get things exactly right. This tutorial demonstrates how you can modify an existing selection using the Refine Selection Brush to get the best results possible. 06. Adjust composition with the Recompose tool Recompose your photos to make them easier on the eye If a photo almost looks good but the composition isn't quite right, Elements makes it easy to move things around until it's all a bit more aesthetically pleasing. Watch this tutorial for Elements 13 and you'll learn how to use the Recompose tool to shift everything about, keeping important elements while getting rid of unwanted parts. 07. Clean up your scene The intuitive scene cleaner tool was introduced in Photoshop Elements 7. In this video-based Photoshop Elements tutorial, learn how to add to or remove objects from your image. 08. Fix image exposure and lighting Is your image over exposed? Or are details lost due to poor contrast? Many photos look better with corrected brightness and contrast, learn how to adjust both here. 09. Airbrush and remove blemishes In just 10 minutes this useful Photoshop Elements tutorial covers user interface, airbrushing and smoothing skin, layers and remving blemishes. 10. Create pop art This video-based Photoshop Elements tutorial discusses how to make pop art effects using the Pop Art edit function. For Photoshop Elements 9 and above. 11. Use Guided Photo Edits In Guided Edit mode, you can create eye-catching special effects. From basic photo editing to awesome VFX, this video walks you through the fundamentals of working in this mode. This Photoshop Elements tutorial is for versions 10 and above. 12. Create sophisticated blur effects In this tutorial, the Photoshop Elements team talk through features that allow you to create sophisticated blur techniques, such as tilt shift and lens blur, with ease. 13. Create a Copyright watermark brush Want to protect your work? This 20-minute Photoshop Elements tutorial walks you through how to watermark your images with one click of the mouse. 14. Master the pen and ink filter The pen and ink filter cleverly takes a photograph and gives it a drawn or cartoon look. Follow this short video tutorial to find out just how to use it. Read more: The best alternatives to Photoshop How to resize an image in Photoshop 50 best photo apps and photo editing software View the full article

If you're such a big fan of Star Wars that you simply have to base your home furnishings on it, that's not a difficult thing to do. There are plenty of companies selling licensed Star Wars furniture, but what if that's all a bit too cheap and common for you? What if you really need some luxury Star Wars furniture at a price most can't afford? Well, here's the good news: there's now a range of high-end Star Wars furniture designed by Kenneth Cobonpue, and it comes at suitably eye-watering prices. 6 free Star Wars fonts Who wouldn't want a TIE Fighter chair? Kenneth Cobonpue is an award-winning designer and manufacturer from the Philippines who has made a name for himself by combining natural materials, traditional craft and experimental design to create unique and whimsical pieces of furniture. Given the opportunity to collaborate with Disney on a collection based on the movies or brands of his choice, Cobonpue immediately picked Star Wars, and was given free reign to create as he wanted. The results are some striking-looking pieces with prices to match. The most Star Wars-looking is without doubt the TIE Fighter chair; featuring woven wings and a matching table, it bears a distinct resemblance to the Empire's go-to starfighters, and it's marketed as being the perfect choice for a game room. The Sidious Chair faces off against the Chewie stool, overlooked by a Jedi lamp If you're after something more comfortable, we'd go for the Sidious easy armchair. With a raised backrest to resemble the Emperor's hood, it's an elegant yet menacing piece that looks great for lounging around. On a similar note, there's also a Vader easy armchair with its own foldable swivel table and an open weave canopy for that echo of the Dark Lord's famous helmet. Ideal if you want a bit of privacy for hatching evil plans. By far the most adorable piece in the collection is the Chewie rocking stool, adorned with a thick Wookiee-style coat of microfibre strips and wrapped in a fabric belt resembling Chewbacca's bandolier. And the weirdest piece? The Little Jedi lamp, made out of what looks like a tangle of lightsaber-wielding Jedi action figures going into battle against a solitary red Sith. Hatch your evil plans from the safety of the Vader easy chair The best thing about this strange collection is that none of it looks too Star Wars-y; it's fantastic-looking deco furniture with just enough of a Star Wars feel to get the fans – at least the ones with deep pockets – flocking to it. And yes, those pockets will have to be pretty deep; the TIE Fighter chair clocks in at $2,700 (with the matching tables another $655), and if you have an eye on the Vader easy chair then that's going to cost you a cool $4,320. There's good news for those of you who can't quite run to those price tags, however: the Chewie rocking stool could be yours for just $1,345. Puts that $999 Apple monitor stand into perspective, doesn't it? And if you still can't stretch to that, then check out our best office chair buying guide instead, which has some more affordable (non Star Wars) options. Previously available only in the Philippines, the Kenneth Cobonpue Star Wars collection is now available through outlets in the US; find your nearest outlet here. Related articles: How to illustrate a Star Wars-inspired environment The best office desk Stunning trailer shows what Star Wars might have been View the full article

A bug in the Electronic Arts gaming platform's single sign-on mechanism could have allowed hackers to access game accounts. View the full article

When it was released last month, Apple's new Mac Pro was praised for its incredible specs. Despite this, people were distracted by the unusual design of the computer's tower, which was compared to a cheese grater. Was this a fair comparison or an unwarranted jibe? To settle the matter, a YouTuber has created a replica of the tower to see whether it can in fact grate cheese. So forget whether or not the Mac Pro is set to become one of the best computers for graphic designers, let's take a look at how it shreds lumps of dairy products. Keep in mind that Moy doesn't test an actual Mac Pro though. We don't blame him either, seeing as the upcoming computer is set to cost a hefty sum and there won't be Prime Day deals this year to bring the price down. You don't exactly want to clog it up with strips of cheddar. As you can see in his comprehensive seven minute video, YouTuber Winston Moy puts the matter to bed by proving that the Mac Pro does not actually grate cheese all that well. Moy isn't the first person to find an inventive use for the Mac Pro's cheese grater aesthetic though. Only recently IKEA released a tongue in cheek advert promoting its cheese graters with the phrase "designed for apples". With its clever use of typography, this IKEA ad is one of the best print ads we've seen in a long time. And if this video has made you hungry to try out Moy's model for yourself, he's shared the files for his Apple Mac Pro-inspired cheese grater on his Thingiverse page. Although he admits it's better suited to being a soap dish than a cheese grater. Related articles: $999 Mac Pro stand: Has Apple lost the plot? First Look: Apple Pro Display XDR monitor Is Apple ditching its 'i'? View the full article

If you find yourself struggling to build or optimise fast web pages, there may be an alternative solution for you as a developer. Why not turn to an open-source tech solution called accelerated mobile pages (AMP)? AMP offers near-instant delivery of mobile pages (0.8 seconds average), making it an ideal perfect solution for a user's first interaction with your website. Progressive web apps (PWA), on the other hand, enable you to offer more interactivity and engagement features. AMP and PWAs are really just sets of technologies or web pages offering complementary ways of achieving different goals. In this guide, we'll show you how to combine the two to create truly compelling and ultra-fast mobile web experiences. For more helpful advice, take a look at our roundup of tutorials exploring how to build an app. 9 amazing PWA secrets AMP: Accelerated mobile pages AMP loads 85% faster than standard mobile pages AMP delivers blazingly fast, smooth landing pages. The framework itself is quite simple to code, with most developers taking less than a week to fully implement it. AMP puts content in front of users quickly, loading 85 per cent faster than standard mobile pages. So long as your page remains 'AMP valid', you can be confident of not breaking the code or sacrificing performance. You can develop a valid AMP page following the framework built with AMP HTML, AMP JS and AMP Cache and then using AMP Validator to check you haven't missed anything. For more on how to build APM, take a look at the Google Developers site. It's always important to test AMP for impact. We recommend that you A/B test AMP with respect to what effect it has on your mobile performance with a 50/50 split test on traffic. This way you can safely see the results that AMP has for yourselves. PWA: Progressive web apps PWAs are essentially websites that behave like native apps A PWA combines the reach of the open web with the functionality of native web applications. It's essentially a website that behaves almost like a native mobile app. They are quick to load – especially on cached or repeat mobile visits – available offline, secure and can be accessed from your home screen. However, their first load is hindered by the fact the site's service worker (assets and app shell) only accelerates delivery to a repeat visitor on a site's subsequent load. Service workers in PWAs enable reliable experiences when there is no network or slow/intermittent network connections. A major benefit of PWAs is that they use web technologies at the right time and can replace app-like permissions, push notifications, payment request APIs and better form interactions (autocomplete, input types, etc). PWAs can also work towards less download requests for a user, which can be quite taxing on smartphones in general, using 50 per cent fewer external JavaScript requests. PWAs literally put your business at your consumer's fingertips once installed (with an app-like icon) and provide richer experiences – and more immersive ones with push notifications enabled – compared to the average website you will visit. It's through the set of technologies (https, service worker and a manifest file) enabled that enhance your website, even making it accessible offline. In addition, they can be easily discovered because users are far more likely to download the PWA when prompted to 'add to home screen' while they are browsing the web, rather than visiting an app store and looking for applications. How to combine AMP and PWA Since AMP and PWAs are really just sets of technologies or web pages offering complementary ways of achieving different goals, we should really take a second to acknowledge the unique strengths of each. Plus, both technologies have their own shortcomings when implemented individually that should also be considered. AMP presents fast-loading, out-of-the-box content that requires relatively low effort but has some features missing. PWAs, on the other hand, offer more advanced platform features, are fast-loading for repeat visits and content is reliable even in offline mode. However, PWAs are not as strong as AMP during first content load because they are not quite as fast. AMP and PWAs can be combined to create an engaging and super-speedy mobile web experience. Think of it as the perfect tech match. Here's the simple two-step process you need to follow: 01. Build your site with AMP That doesn't necessarily have to mean your entire website: you can focus on 'entry points' or landing pages. Decide on where you would expect to see the biggest incremental gains from AMP's speed. When implemented correctly, AMP should retain interest with the lightning fast load time when it's served from Google Cache. In order to integrate PWA logic with AMP, it all starts with an AMP component called amp-install-service worker, which can install a service worker from any AMP page. This makes the magic happen. It enables service worker installation from the AMP cache, so the service worker is installed by the time users visit the origin site. The user-experience remains uninterrupted and the service worker runs whenever the AMP file is served from the origin where the AMP file is published. Before integrating PWA features, it's a good idea to serve AMP in this way as an entry point via 'leaf pages' to your site and warm up the PWA 'behind the scenes' before switching a user to the smooth onward journey. 02. Progressively enhance with PWA features After you've implemented AMP and the service worker, progressively enhance your site with the PWA features that best meet your business goals. PWAs have a vast array of benefits when fully integrated, which makes it easy to delight more users, grow engagement and increase conversions. Here is a useful checklist that explains what it takes to produce a baseline PWA and then develop it into an exemplary PWA. The best teams out there are the ones willing to adapt to the new consumer expectations. AMP and PWAs go well together and ensure that your website holds a user's attention and is more engaging. One thing's for sure, we like websites to be fast and we want content to arrive ready and easy to complete. In our modern world where almost everything is skippable and we can choose to disengage, we need to focus on retaining interest. Remember: the smallest screen represents the largest opportunity. Book now for a super early bird discount This article was originally published in net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Buy issue 318 or subscribe. Read more: The best monitors for programming 2019 5 different ways to develop a mobile app The best web hosting services View the full article

A concept logo for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games (above) has got creatives debating the merits of its design. The unofficial logo, created by designer Daren Newman, has been praised for elegantly capturing the spirit of the games and the Japanese city, although it's also prompted people to defend the actual Tokyo 2020 identity. The idea for the logo was recently posted by Newman on his social media channels. The design plays with the shapes of the Olympic rings and makes them read '2020'. It also fills in the red ring to make it look like the rising sun disc found on Japan's flag. Our guide to logo design stresses the importance of shape and symbolism, so we can see why Newman's idea, which plays with familiar imagery, has been warmly received by some. Reddit user DiImmortalesXV said that it: "Perfectly encapsulates the modernity and simplicity that it wishes to convey. Beautiful." And people on Twitter even had some nice things to say about it. However some Twitter users have been less favourable with their feedback. The massive reaction took Newman by surprise. "I just put it out there on my Instagram feed expecting it to just get lost in the sea of other posts," Newman tells Creative Bloq, "but the opposite happened and it has since gone a bit bonkers!" "I’ve had people getting in touch with me from all over the globe. I wasn’t sure why this was happening, and then a few people got in touch to tell me it was on Reddit and it had created a bit of a storm. And then a fair few people on Twitter started reposting it!" "There has been a lot of positive response to it which is great. There have also been a fair few negative responses, which I’m more than willing to accept – I’m just overwhelmed with the response to it." So why has Newman's concept logo split the opinion of designers? Perhaps it's to do with the way the logo has been shared. Plenty of places, including this thread on Reddit, don't make it crystal clear that Newman's idea is a concept design. In fact the official design for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games (below) was created by Asao Tokolo. This isn't the first time the game's identity has whipped up a dispute either. There's a controversial story behind the Tokyo 2020 logo in that the original official design, created by Kenjiro Sano, was scrapped due to accusations of plagiarism. The official Tokyo 2020 logos were chosen from thousands of submissions Logo designs are often incredibly personal and controversial things. Back in 2012 the London Olympics logo came in for a lot of flack, but we've spoken to designers who defend it. So ultimately it's up to you whether you think this design is better or worse than the official logo. Beyond personal preference though, Newman's design does run into a few usability issues. That's because the Olympic rings have to adhere to some specific usage guidelines, which this Tokyo 2020 concept don't follow. For example, the Olympic rings should not be distorted into other shapes, and their width should not be adjusted. So while you could argue that Newman's concept is at least a succinct and neat way to communicate Tokyo 2020, it unfortunately wouldn't hold up in an official capacity. There's plenty to enjoy in both this concept and the official logo though. And considering that Tokolo's geometric design was chosen by a public vote, it looks like a lot of people like the Tokyo 2020 identity just as it is. Related articles: Does Eurosport's Tokyo 2020 logo embrace the spirit of manga? 10 of the best logos ever 11 steps to better logos View the full article

Web analytics firm plugs a hole in its platform that allowed attackers to open a reverse shell that could be used to attack the service. View the full article

Researchers have found samples of malware that targets a recently-disclosed, unpatched MacOS vulnerability. View the full article

If you're tuned into the artistic side of Twitter, chances are you might have seen Pokémon fan art inspired by bizarre mashups filling your feed. The reason for this is that a tool called Pokemon Fusion has found a new lease of life on the social media platform, and artists are celebrating by getting creative. For those who are new to the world of Pokémon, or perhaps don't spend their time trawling through Twitter, Pokémon Fusion is an online program that combines two different Pokémon into one absurd critter. Often with hilarious results. As far as tools go, Pokémon Fusion is a fun way to shake up your imagination and see familiar characters in a new light. And considering that Pokemon creatures are a great example of our character design tips in action, this is no mean feat. Not only that, but the program has spawned some truly unique Pokémon that have been immortalised as fan art. How fan art can get you paid The funny thing is that Pokémon Fusion has been around for ages. In fact web developer Alex Onsager originally launched the Pokémon Fusion site way back in 2010. So why is it back in the spotlight now? As is the case with a lot of fan art, the story leads us to Tumblr. In a recent post from a Tumblr user with the handle ijustreallylikeeevee, the reader is told: "Whatever Pokemon appears when you load Pokefusion is now your government assigned starter." The fresh spin on the old meme was all it took for Tumblr users to fire up the program again. And the whacky combinations it produced proved to be so popular that Pokémon Fusion fan art soon spilled out onto Twitter. Here are some of the creations that caught our eye. To get a look at all the Pokemon Fusion antics, just check out the Pokefusion hashtag. And if this fan art has made you want to create a masterpiece of your own, you might want to take a look at our best tablets for drawing. Related articles: Artist reimagines Pokémon as real-world creatures Insider advice from a master film character designer 5 key trends in character design View the full article

So, you've decided to try mobile app design, but you're not sure where to start. No worries, we've got you covered. In this article, we'll outline five things you need to know to help get you started in mobile app design. This guide is aimed at beginners to mobile app design. If you've already got some skills, take a look at our roundup of tutorials that will walk you through different aspects of how to make an app, in detail. What is mobile app design? To put it in very broad terms, app designers are in charge of making an app look good, while developers make it work correctly. Mobile app design encompasses both the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). Designers are responsible for the overall style of the app, including things like the colour scheme, font selection, and the types of buttons and widgets the user will use. So, where do you start? At the beginning. Which platform should I design for? Android or iOS? [Image: Pixabay] Depending on your reasons for wanting to design mobile apps, you may already know which platform you want to work with and why. But, if you're just starting out and you're not sure which is right for you, got for the one you're most familiar with. If you're using an Android phone, design for Android. If you're using an iOS device, start there. Alternatively, you could decide design for both, but it's best not to bite off more than you can chew – at least not in the beginning. What tools should I use? Photoshop, Adobe XD and Sketch are all strong contenders Once you know what platform you're designing for, the next step is to select the right web design tools to get the job done. When it comes to designing mobile apps, the good news is that regardless of the platform, you can generally use the same tools for both. Popular options for app design include Adobe Photoshop, Adobe XD, and Sketch. There are many, many more, but these are the heavy hitters in the industry. Sign up for Adobe Creative Cloud here. You might think Photoshop is your best option for mobile app design – especially if you've used it for other types of design work – however when it comes to designing mobile apps, you're better off with Adobe XD or Sketch. That said, Sketch is considered the de facto standard here, although Adobe XD is putting in some strong competition, having recently added design systems. One of the biggest reasons for using Adobe XD or Sketch over something like Photoshop is that these two tools are built with designing and prototyping in mind. They help streamline your design workflows and are targeted at UI and UX designers, whereas Photoshop is more for image manipulation. One important note here: If you're planning on cross-platform development or support, Adobe XD is the clear winner here as Sketch is only available on macOS. OS design guidelines Before you start designing, because you first need to understand the dos and don'ts of your platform. Generally speaking, mobile app design shares some similarities between the different operating systems, such as: Goal-driven design Keep it simple (less is more) Maintain the flow Readability is key Respect the platform That last one, 'respect the platform', is more important than you may realise. When users download and install an app to their device, they expect it to behave in a way that's familiar and intuitive to them. They base their opinions on what they know, so when an app goes against 90 per cent of the OS-specific design rules, users are likely to delete it. Not only do you need to consider the different navigation patterns that iOS and Android have, but you also need to think about buttons, font selection, and placement of UI objects – all of which vary for each platform. The good news is that you don't need to guess what's acceptable. Both Apple and Android have a set of design guidelines that you can review before you get started (and while you're actively designing): iOS Human Interface Guidelines Android Design Guidelines Wireframes and app flow Use a dedicated wireframe tool, or stick to pen and paper [Image: Pixabay] Before designing an app's look and feel, it's essential to work on its flow control and structure. This is where wireframes come into play. Wireframes help you understand how users will navigate and use an app. They're generally simplified in their design so that the focus is on flow and usability. While there are many dedicated wireframe tools, it's not uncommon for designers to simply use a pen and paper. However, if you're looking for something more hi-tech and collaborative (which is especially important when you're working with a remote team), consider creating your wireframes in Sketch or Adobe XD. The benefit of using these tools for wireframing is that you can turn your low-fidelity wireframes into high-fidelity previews with relative ease. Note: With Adobe XD, you can even grab yourself some free kits to help get you started. Mockups and prototypes Time to turn your wireframes into working products [Image: Pixabay] Once you've worked through your wireframes and shared them with the development team and/or your client for discussion and approval, it's time to make some mockups and prototypes. This step is generally easier if you've used the same design tool to create both your wireframes and your mobile app design. If you haven't it might take you a little longer to populate your design tool, but once you do, you're well on your way. Many tools, including UXPin (which integrates with Sketch), include ways to annotate your wireframes with the detailed information required by devs, to remove the need for any guesswork. While you're working on the app's design is an excellent time to start building a shared library of assets. For example, standard buttons, icons, and other elements that you create here might prove useful in other apps you design, so make sure you save them. Find out more about this step in our article: 4 different ways to create website and app mockups. Handing over to development This step won't actually look like this [Image: Pixabay] Designers are also responsible for delivering these elements and visual assets to the developer. Things like icons, backgrounds, logos, and even fonts, are all things a designer might hand off to a developer. Once the developer has everything they need, it's their job to take that design – and its various parts – and make it work. Sometimes, however, a designer doesn't understand the limitations a developer faces. And when that happens, all hell breaks loose. As a mobile app designer, you could ignore the developer and the development process altogether, but it's better to understand the challenges a developer faces, whether they be with the tools they're using or the limitations of the operating system and/or devices on which your apps will run. Armed with this knowledge, you can design mobile apps more efficiently, with less push back from your developer, while at the same time fostering a more collaborative environment. Read more: How to create an app with Vue.js Get to grips with mobile app onboarding Top Sketch plugins to try View the full article

Working in web design means that you're constantly having to keep track of all the latest developments. New technologies and techniques are cropping up all the time, and if you want to deliver the sites that your customers demand then you need to at least be aware of up-and-coming web design tools. Beyond the technical, though, there's also the visual angle to consider. Tastes are always evolving, and what looked good a couple of years ago is likely to look less appealing today. If you want your website layout to look fresh and stand out from the crowd, it pays to be up to speed with the latest trends. So read on for eight of this year's hottest looks, some of them technical, some of them more aesthetic, and most of them essential. The future of web design 01. Strong typography Safari Riot's site is big on typography and bigger on doing amazing, attention-grabbing stuff with it Web design has always been a bit of a poor relation of graphic design, and part of the problem is that while a graphic designer has more or less complete freedom to create across the page, web designers were for a long time shackled by primitive layout options and the most basic typography. This is, thankfully, changing; CSS Grid and Flexbox give designers the opportunity to create more print-like pages, and vastly improved typography tools have meant that big, bold, and experimental typographic layouts are very much the in thing right now, making full use of oversized retro fonts in all the styles and weights, and complete with assorted effects and deformations to add extra character. 02. Progressive Web Apps The Starbucks PWA won't set your world on fire, but it'll just work, whatever They're not a one-size-fits-all solution, but if you're building a site that's predominantly targeting mobile users who don't always have the bandwidth they want, a Progressive Web App is an elegant way of doing it. PWAs are progressive and responsive, so they should work on any platform and look good too, and they deliver an app-like experience that, crucially, isn't dependent on having an internet connection, using service workers to allow offline use. And while you wouldn't want to use a PWA for your next full-blown desktop site, they're ideal for creating fast and lightweight ecommerce sites when high engagement is a must. 03. Illustration Cytora's guide to AI underwriting uses illustration to make a complex subject understandable It's hard to visit a new startup's site these days that doesn't have a smattering of flat and funky cartoon figures illustrating its business and providing some much-needed character for visitors to identify with. They're everywhere and they don't seem to be going anywhere for now, but while we're sure this particular style of illustration will fall out of favour sooner or later, illustration itself as a staple element of web design is one that seems set to stick around; it's just the style that's likely to evolve. If you're keen to incorporate modern-looking illustration into your site, be sure to read our guide to 2019's illustration trends to know about. 04. Animation and video The Stonewall Forever site mixes video and 3D animation to fabulous effect While it's not always wise to build sites that deliver a performance hit while guzzling bandwidth, if you want to make an impact then it's a lot easier these days to go full-on with all the attention-grabbing visual flair you feel you need. It's not that long since embedded full-screen video was simply unthinkable; now it's visible on an ever-increasing number of sites, and a great way to deliver instant visual interest while getting a brand story across. And for a less heavyweight visual punch, JavaScript or CSS animation used well not only looks good on the page, but can also be used to breathe life into navigation and enhance the user experience. 05. Pastel palettes We're not sure what Liebe Quark is, but its colour scheme is to die for Because web design trends are so much more closely linked to more general visual trends these days, it's not surprising that many of the must-have looks for web sites tend to mirror the sort of design decisions you can already see in print pages and advertising. An outmoded palette is the perfect way to turn people off, and if you want a site to look bang up-to-date then you need to reflect current colour trends. Right now gentle pastel tones are a strong look – see Pantone's 2019 colour of the year, 'Living Coral', for example – but what can really help bring them out is adding one or two really vibrant shades in the same way that print designers use spot colours. 06. Custom cursors Romain Avalle's portfolio site does some impressive things with your mouse input With modern websites being home to so much visual interest these days, the humble mouse cursor can sometimes feel a bit lost, which would go some way to explaining the increasing number of sites that try to do something exciting with the pointer. Merely changing the mouse cursor into something else has been possible for a very long time, but the return of custom cursors sees much more elaborate techniques coming into play, such as reactive cursors that change in response to site elements, and secondary pointers that follow the cursor around, but sweeping across the screen in a much more organic manner. They're very much the fashion right now, but we suspect this trend will run out of steam before too long. 07. Colour gradients Just look at Abella Andrade's gradients; whatever they're selling, it looks delicious Beautiful colour gradients have long been available to graphic designers, but until recently they've been difficult to bring to web designs as they have to be rendered as bitmaps that don't always scale well. Now, though, CSS gradients mean that it's easy to enliven a page with an eye-catching gradient, whether it's simply to provide a gently colourful backdrop, or as an overlay providing an attractive way of fading in photography from one side. CSS gradients are just as versatile as the ones you'll find in Illustrator or Photoshop CC, and combined with CSS blend modes there are almost unlimited ways to use them imaginatively. 08. Micro-interactions A better Montreux Jazz Festival experience through micro-interactions Sometimes the devil is in the details, and spending time on adding delightful extra touches can add a much-needed dose of personality to a site. A little animated feedback can be a great way to keep users engaged and entertained, but there's more to micro-interactions than simple visual feedback. They can be used to make navigation clearer, to reassure visitors while they're waiting for something to load, or to draw attention to useful features such as the inevitable hamburger menu. And used imaginatively, they can help your audience find the information they need without any unwanted noise; for example, check out this site for the Montreux Jazz Festival, which will put together a custom list of the acts you'll want to see, based on a handful of decisive swipes. Nice. Related articles: Colour in web design: all you need to know The 7 deadly sins of web design How to survive as a web designer beyond 2020 View the full article

Sometimes creative briefs can get a bit, well, boring. After all, there are only so many times designers can read the same buzzwords before their eyes glaze over and their creativity dries up. If this sounds familiar, this parody branding deck that pokes fun at bland guidelines is sure to make you laugh. Created by copywriter Vikki Ross in partnership with ad agency Mellor&Smith and its junior designer Grace State, the Bland Book is a parody of the decks that brands give designers to help them get a feel for a company. In particular, the Bland Book takes a swipe at companies who describe themselves with mundane and meaningless phrases like 'dedicated', 'authentic' and 'passionate'. The Bland Book is so spot on because surely a company should be all of these things anyway? Businesses that use these terms are missing the point of what makes their brand tick. For an example of creative outlines done right, check out our feature on how to make a style guide. Originally the guide was launched on April Fool's Day. However pages from the Bland Book can now be found in Ross' hilarious Twitter thread roundup (below). Chances are its witty contents will look familiar to projects you've either seen or worked on. All the main culprits (generic fonts, boring stock photos, uninspiring copywriting) are all present and correct, with each one coming in for an overdue mocking. So if you're in need of a chuckle, check out some of the pages from the Bland Book below. We particularly like the keen attention to detail in the Bland Book. For starters, the colour scheme is so generic yet so accurate, that you get the impression that Ross and the team created this project out of bitter experience. 'Always make the logo bigger' is one of the most frequent and irritating requests to bug designers. So of course, the Bland Book dedicates one of its pages to really ramming home how annoying it is. Generic stock photos of happy smiling people also get a dressing-down by the Bland Book. And rightly so. How is a brand meant to stand out if its imagery looks similar to the photos uses by plenty of other companies? To download the Bland Book, head over to Mellor & Smith's site. As Ross says herself, "thank us later". Related articles: 18 controversial moments in logo design and branding Liquid Death is 2019's stupidest branding 8 brands celebrating Pride Month View the full article

After months of speculation about when Amazon's biggest retail event is happening, this morning the company finally confirmed that Prime Day 2019 will start at midnight on Monday 15 July. And in what will be the longest Prime Day ever, the event will run for 48 hours, ending at 11:59pm on Tuesday 16 July. So if you've been holding out for a creative bargain, you can now mark the dates firmly in your diary and bookmark our best Prime Day deals page, which we will be updating as and when all the best offers come in. The official dates were revealed in an email sent out to Amazon customers earlier this morning, which stated: 'This year we're celebrating Prime members with exclusive entertainment offers, brand new product launches, and more. Prime Day brings you the best of shopping and entertainment and starts at midnight on Monday 15 July with hundreds of new deals popping up every hour.' While the Prime Day bonanza is still a couple of weeks away, it looks like Amazon has started the party for its Prime members, already discounting a number of new products for a limited time. If you're not currently an Amazon Prime member, it's easy and free to sign up, and you can cancel at any time during the initial 30-day trial period with no strings attached. If last year is anything to go by, we're expecting to see some incredible creative deals this Prime Day so make sure you stay tuned. In the meantime, don't miss our tips on avoiding a Prime Day rip off and how to get the best creative Prime Day deals on the day. Read more: The best laptop for graphic design The best external hard drives for Mac and PC users The best power bank in 2019 View the full article

If you're looking to grow your brand, increase web traffic, or earn revenue, YouTube ads could be the way to go. But how do you get started with them? To help demystify how they work, sigh up to The Complete YouTube Master Class. can be your one-stop shop for learning how to grow your Youtube channel. Consider this class to be your one-stop shop for learning how to grow your YouTube channel. In it, you'll learn how ads can jumpstart your YouTube channel with the help of 62 lectures and 5 hours of content. The best cloud storage 2019 Once you sign up, you'll find out how to create professional-quality videos even if you don’t have a big budget to work with. On top of this, you'll learn how to improve your channel through analytics and monetise your channel through ads. Not only that, but you'll also discover how your channel can enhance your brand and business. Best of all, it’s yours for the low price of $11. Related articles: How to become a YouTube sensation 18 web design YouTube channels you need to watch The 10 best YouTube art channels View the full article

One of the hardest aspects of learning 3D is figuring out how to transfer a rough idea into a 3D shape. Most 3D applications depend upon the user having a working knowledge of a complex system of mouse clicks and keyboard shortcuts to move around and draw in 3D space. It would be great to have a 3D application that offers an intuitive modelling environment, and can still create geometry that is able to be transferred to other 3D software when finished. Gravity Sketch fulfils goes a long way towards fulfilling this need. For awesome examples of other 3D software you could use with Gravity Sketch, we have a rundown of the best 3D modelling software for your perusal right here. Gravity Sketch on Oculus Rift review Gravity Sketch creates its modelling environment in VR which helps it along its way towards becoming the dream application. It has a transformative impact on modelling creation, and along with a deceptively simple control scheme that is manipulated by VR hand controllers, Gravity Sketch can quickly make any artist feel at one with their model. As Gravity Sketch is dependent upon hand controllers, only full PC VR systems will run it. Both HTC Vive and Oculus Rift are fully supported, as are a range of Microsoft mixedreality headsets. VR sets have had massive price reductions in the past year, and Gravity Sketch itself starts at an affordable price for a full-featured creative version that's only missing out on some of the more advanced export options. This base version happily exports OBJ models, allowing a Gravity Sketch creation to work with practically any 3D application on the market. 01. Create in VR Hand controllers are essential as they contain all the tools needed to use Gravity Sketch [Image: Mike Griggs] To use Gravity Sketch, a VR-capable Windows machine is needed along with an Oculus Rift, HTC Vive or certain brands of Windows mixed-reality headsets. Whatever headset is used, hand controllers are essential, as they contain all the tools needed to use Gravity Sketch. Gravity Sketch is available either through Steam or the Oculus Rift store. For this tutorial the standard version of Gravity Sketch was used. 02. Get sketching Switching on the axis makes drawing in symmetry easy [Image: Mike Griggs] After pulling in reference imagery by clicking and dragging from the intuitive interface, sketching can begin. Switching on the axis makes drawing in symmetry easy. As Gravity Sketch creates vector lines, even in the sketch phase, each sketch line can have its control points edited, deleted or moved. This makes Gravity Sketch an excellent tool for artists of any skill level, as any mistake can be quickly tweaked and refined. 03. Work with layers The layer and grouping system on Gravity Sketch is excellent [Image: Mike Griggs] Gravity Sketch has an excellent layer and grouping system. Grouping objects is controlled by the left controller, and objects can be added and groups broken with a single click. The layer palette can be pulled into the VR environment, and an object can be dropped into the correct layer by picking it up and dropping it into the blue box at the end of each layer title. Layer visibility and activation are all easily controlled using the larger buttons on the layer palette. 04. Pull out surfaces You need both hands for pulling out surfaces [Image: Mike Griggs] When creating the main surfaces, both hands are needed. Surfaces are literally pulled into shape and can snap to guide geometry such as paths. Like all elements within Gravity Sketch, these surfaces can then be modifi ed and adjusted after they have been created. Standard 3D practices such as less control points enable surfaces to work well with Gravity Sketch, as it makes the control points easier to capture. 05. Lathe tool and array drawing The methodology for creating lathe objects is unique [Image: Mike Griggs] Gravity Sketch has a unique methodology for creating lathe objects. Using the secondary hand to place the axis, lathe objects are drawn out in situ. Again, these can be edited after they have been drawn. This methodology also works with the circular array system within Gravity Sketch, which uses the same axis to allow multiple instances of the same spline to be created – a great way of creating wire looms and other detailed elements. 06. Export to a 3D application The ability to create geometry for export into 3D applications is invaluable [Image: Mike Griggs] The basic version of Gravity Sketch allows OBJ exporting, which is fine for most uses. The OBJ can be geometry-heavy, so be prepared to retopologise the model if needed for real-time or animation requirements. If colours are added during the Gravity Sketch creation process they carry across as separate materials. Gravity Sketch is capable of creating basic renders, but its ability to create geometry for export into 3D applications makes it an invaluable creation tool. This article was originally published in issue 246 of 3D World, the world's best-selling magazine for CG artists. Buy issue 246 or subscribe to 3D World. Read more: These 3D portraits are unbelievably realistic 24 free 3D models 20 Cinema 4D tutorials to up your 3D skills View the full article

It is now illegal to include harmful gender stereotyping in UK advertising, as a new law from the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) comes into force. The law dictates that: [Advertisements] must not include gender stereotypes that are likely to cause harm, or serious or widespread offence. This applies to broadcast and non-broadcast media, including print ads, and online and social media advertising. Ad creators have had a six-month grace period to get in line with the new laws, but as of now they're being enforced in full. Any complaints will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, considering the content and context to determine if they violate the new guidelines. The best Prime Day Deals The updated rules come as a result of a review of gender stereotyping in advertising by the ASA (Advertising Standards Agency), the body that works with CAP to write the UK's Advertising Codes. “Our evidence shows how harmful gender stereotypes in ads can contribute to inequality in society, with costs for all of us," says ASA chief executive Guy Parker. "Put simply, we found that some portrayals in ads can, over time, play a part in limiting people’s potential. "It’s in the interests of women and men, our economy and society that advertisers steer clear of these outdated portrayals, and we’re pleased with how the industry has already begun to respond." What gender depictions are now illegal? Prior to this change in legislation, the UK Advertising Codes dictated that adverts shouldn't cause harm or serious offence, including on the grounds of gender, but did not specifically address gender stereotypes. Further research following the original investigation found that the use of gender stereotypes isn't always harmful, and as a result has not been banned completely. The CAP gives some examples of stereotyping that could violate the new regulations. These include: An ad that depicts a man or a woman failing to achieve a task specifically because of their gender (e.g. a man’s inability to change nappies; a woman’s inability to park a car) An ad that depicts a man with his feet up and family members creating mess around a home while a woman is solely responsible for cleaning up the mess An ad that seeks to emphasise the contrast between a boy’s stereotypical personality (e.g. daring) with a girl’s stereotypical personality (e.g. caring) However, it states that ads showing 'a woman doing the shopping or a man doing DIY' would not be problematic, neither would the representation of one gender only in an advert for a product aimed specifically at that one gender. CAP will review the effect of the regulation change in 12 months’ time. Read more about the new rule here. While we've come a long way when it comes to gender equality in advertising and branding, recent misfires – including BrewDog's Pink IPA and NatWest's patronising apology to female customers – prove we're not quite there yet. Here's hoping the new laws mark an era of more responsible gender representation in advertising. Read more: 5 ad campaigns that changed the world IKEA takes a bite out of Apple in hilarious new ad The problem with period product branding View the full article

Are you designing a website for your business or brand? Or maybe you're creating a portfolio for your web design business? Either way, any design project can be made easier with Visualmodo WordPress Themes. Get a lifetime subscription for only $39. With this bundle you'll be able to access a huge library of responsive WordPress themes. You’ll find a massive variety to suit all different types of projects. And because they’re responsive, they adjust seamlessly to accommodate any screen resolution. The best web hosting services in 2019 Should you come across any issues, keep in mind that you can implement quick fixes with just a click of the mouse. And rest assured that all themes are super efficient to install, ensuring that your websites can go live right away. Get a lifetime subscription for only $39. Related articles: 14 wonderful WordPress websites to explore Introducing the WordPress Gutenberg editor 25 top-quality WordPress portfolio themes View the full article

Want to improve the communication between your team and stakeholders? Scrum could just be the useful framework for you. Learn all about it and get certified with the Complete Project & Quality Management Certification Bundle. If you're not already aware, Scrum is a popular hybrid of AGILE. Teams love using Scrum because it allows for adaptive problem solving, the efficient delivery of products and services, and improved communication. The framework has helped many teams develop a smoother dialogue with their stakeholders. The best VPN service 2019 In this course, you'll analyse team performance, discuss problem detection, and aim for continued and constant improvement. You'll also learn Agile principles that will help your team work better and more efficiently. Get this useful certification bundle while it's on sale for the low price of just $29. Related articles: 15 essential tools for graphic designers in 2019 21 ways to improve productivity with npm 5 top tips for creating a productive workspace View the full article

Google Go, also known as Golang, has become a favourite programming language among coders and developers. Thanks to its system-level access, Go brings simplicity and safety to the table. If you've always wanted to learn how to code using Google Go, you'll want to check out The Complete Learn to Code Master Class Bonus Bundle. And seeing as the popular bundle has dropped in price to just $25, there's no better time to snap it up. Thanks to its well crafted design, Go is user-friendly and lets programmers create multi-core programs with ease. The best antivirus software in 2019 What's more, it's specifically formulated for multi-core CPU computers invented in the past decade. This is the coding language of the 21st century, and if you're a coder, it should be in your skill set. So don't miss out, pick up this course for only $25, that's a massive price drop from its rrp of $1,783.99! Related articles: The best code editors How to code smart text effects with CSS 6 ways to get into creative coding View the full article

Ambient Design Ltd has released the latest iteration of its digital painting app, ArtRage 6. The software, which recreates the experience of using traditional paints, now boasts improved Custom Brush options, as well as other features that give digital artists more creative flexibility and control. It's available for the one-off price of $79. If you're familiar with the best painting apps for iPad, you've likely heard of ArtRage. The software is a popular tool among digital artists thanks to its true-to-life painting experience and accessible interface. We gave the previous iteration of ArtRage a five stars (read our ArtRage 5 review here), so we can't wait to get our hands on ArtRage 6. With ArtRage 6, all of the capabilities from ArtRage 5, ArtRage Lite and ArtRage Mobile are brought together, along with a whole host of new features. These include greater Custom Brush options that deliver a more lifelike painting sensation. What's more, Photoshop standard bitmap brush heads can be imported in to the Custom Brush tool. Other key updates include a wider range of realistic painting and drawing tools, plus utility tools that make it easier to fill colours, edit gradients, and select elements. Usability is streamlined even further with the Scripting engine and Actions. Operating in a similar fashion to Photoshop actions, ArtRage 6 Actions allow users to record a simple process and play it back on the current canvas with a single click. Previous issues we've had with ArtRage include lagging and usability problems, so hopefully these have been addressed in ArtRage 6. ArtRage artist Jon Hodgson creates these incredible illustrations with the software [Image: ArtRage/ Jon Hodgson] Thicker brushes, a Custom Brush designer, and customisable canvas controls complete the release. So if you're looking for an accessible digital art tool that recreates the sensation of using analogue mediums, ArtRage 6 looks set to be an excellent option. For a complete look at everything ArtRage 6 offers, head over to its full feature list. Digital platforms that recreate traditional art tools seem to be having something of a renaissance. Earlier this month Adobe shared more details about its Fresco app, which targets a similar niche to ArtRage 6. Formerly known as Project Gemini, Adobe Fresco is in pre-release testing ahead of a launch later in the year. But if you're eager to get your hands on a next-level traditional art software right now, ArtRage 6 could be a good solution. Suitable for Windows 7 or later and macOS 10.10 or later, ArtRage 6 is available now for the one-off price of $79. And if you're an existing user, you get to claim a discount when you upgrade. Has the sound of ArtRage 6 has got you excited to create digital art? Why not check out our pick of the best graphics tablets for drawing. Related articles: Get started with ArtRage How to create a digital oil painting using ArtRage Paint expressive portrait art with ArtRage 5 View the full article

What's next? It's the question on many a graduate's mind at the moment. With grad shows being disassembled as quickly as they were set up, for many the next couple of months will be a time of reflection of the last three years, and some sober planning for the future. We're here to help with this issue of Computer Arts! We explore the realities facing creative graduates in the UK right now, and speak to industry insiders about what steps to take – and why to take them. And to make the issue's cover as engaging as possible, the cover lines are all hidden! With the help of our cover treatment partners Celloglas, you can scratch the foil bars off to find out out just exactly what we've got in store this issue (or read below). Buy Computer Arts issue 294 now Discover what the next steps into the industry are Elsewhere in the mag we visit the studios of 2018's Brand Impact Awards Best in Show super-power Superunion. The team discuss their recent D&AD pencil-winning work on the BBC 2 rebranding in depth, and reveal why they aim to retain the feel, and ethos, of a boutique studio. We also chat to Emily Forgot about her design/art/illustrations, check out a new digital exhibition that calls out misogyny while pushing the case for climate change, speak to Michael Johnson about his new book on where the best ideas come from, and pick renowned design writer Stephen Heller's brains on the three concepts that have helped graphic design evolve. Save up to 70% on a subscription now! There's also loads more inside, including a look at the key objects that have inspired the lives of eight top creatives. Have a look at the gallery below, and then grab your copy today! Computer Arts is the world's best-selling design magazine, bursting at the seams with insight, inspiration, interviews and all the best new design projects. For all this delivered direct to your door each month, subscribe to Computer Arts. Subscribe today, and you can save up to 70 per cent off the cover price! Related articles: 7 survival tips for design graduates How to create the perfect design resumé The best graphic design portfolios from around the web View the full article

Facebook's new cryptocurrency, Libra, has come under fire from several angles. First of all, there's the concept itself – a bank and currency owned by Facebook. Then there's the logo for Libra, which many felt had seriously missed a trick by not featuring a pair of scales like its starsign namesake, and then, there's the logo for Libra's digital wallet, Calibra, which looks rather like the logo for the bank Current. Current, which calls itself 'the bank for modern life' posted a cutting tweet last week of its logo next to Calibra's, with the comment: "This is what happens when you only have 1 crayon left." Perhaps the designers could have benefited from reading our guide to logo design. It's hard to deny that the logos are similar. The Current logo features a tilde in a circle, and the Calibra logo features, well... a tilde in a circle. There are, of course, differences including that the Current logo's circle is a gradient, while Calibra's logo is monochrome, hence the 'one crayon left' comment. So was this an honest mistake? That's where the plot thickens. Current's logo was designed by San Francisco design firm, Character. And Stuart Sopp, CEO of Current, told CNBC that Character also created the logo for Facebook's Calibra. The co-founder of Character also posted on LinkedIn about working on a secret crypto project with Facebook – the post has since been deleted. “We put six months of hard work into this with that design firm, which they basically reused for Facebook without changing much,” Sopp told CNBC. “Facebook is a big company that should have done their due diligence on this.” According to CNBC, Current has asked a law firm, Goodwin Procter, to determine if it has a trademark or patent infringement case. Will this copyright case have much impact on the social media giant and its plans for financial domination? We can't help but doubt it. Although one Twitter user has proposed an alternative logo, just in case Facebook is looking: Read more: Facebook unveils biggest redesign in a decade What's up with the new Facebook app logo? How to nail your social media strategy View the full article

If you're after discounts on the most capable tablets around, this offer could be just what you've been waiting for. Apple's iPad Pro range is a popular digital canvas among creatives due to its balance of power and portability. And thanks to online retailer Very, you can get £100 credit back when you buy a select model on 12 months Buy Now Pay Later. This tempting offer comes ahead of Amazon Prime Day 2019. Around this time of year we typically see retailers whipping out juicy offers in a bid to beat the best Prime Day deals that are just around the corner. And while we don't know for certain if Amazon can beat this deal on Prime Day, we're betting Very is doing all they can to compete with it. The models on offer from Very include the best-selling iPad Pro 2017 25Gb, Wi-Fi, 10.5 inch in a stylish Space Grey, and the more recent iPad Pro 2018 256Gb, Wi-Fi, 12.9 inch in Space Grey. There are dozens of models on offer, so to check out the full selection, head on over to Very's iPad Pro Credit to Account page. If you're interested in this iPad Pro deal, don't hang around. You have until 27 June 2019 21.00 BST to get £100 credit back on an iPad Pro. The iPad Pro isn't the only Apple product on offer from Very. The online retailer is also offering money back on the iPhone XR, the iPhone 8, and Apple Watch Series 3, plus many more. To see the full range of eligible items, head over to Very's Credit to Account Apple page. Read more: Amazon Prime Day 2019 date leaked... again The best iPad accessories in 2019 The best cheap iPad deals in 2019 View the full article

If you want to make it as a creative in the audio and visual mediums, you're going to want to learn how to perfect a sound mix. Luckily, The Ultimate Logic Pro X Music Production Bundle contains everything you need to know about the basics of audio engineering you podcasts, YouTube videos, and more. In this course, you’ll learn to create sound mixes that work well for podcasts, audiobooks, tutorials, and plenty of other platforms. By using Logic Pro X, you’ll become skilled at the same tool used by music producers and audio engineers. The best cloud storage 2019 On top of that, you'll find out how to create the highest quality mix for your voice, and build a voiceover track from scratch. As if that wasn't exciting enough, this bundle has dropped in price from $690 all the way down to $19! Related articles: The best free graphic design software The best wireless headphones in 2019 The 15 best graphic design podcasts View the full article