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It's Amazon Prime Day today, but that doesn't mean that all the best Prime Day deals are to be found on Amazon. And we've unearthed an absolutely cracking deal from Walmart that can net you an iPhone for half price. Let's get real for a bit, though. While Walmart can be the best place to go for good prices on the best smartphones, it's not about to knock 50 per cent off the price of a brand new model. Rather, this is a deal on a prepaid 32GB iPhone 6S – a bit long in the tooth, but still a decent little smartphone, especially if you're the sort of person who tends to end up dropping their phone down the toilet at some point or another. And while the iPhone 6S is ancient in smartphone years, at this price it's hard to say no. Walmart usually sells these for $299 on its own Straight Talk network, but today you can grab one for just $149 – an especially sweet deal, we're sure you'll agree. This 32GB iPhone 6S comes in Space Gray or Rose Gold, and features a 4.7-inch Retina display, a 12MP camera that'll do 4K video at 30fps, plus a 5MP FaceTime HD camera with Retina Flash for selfies and video chats. It uses TouchID for extra security, and it'll even work with Apple Pay – that's a lot of phone for your money, even if it's a little past its prime. And there's no need to worry about getting set up on a network - this prepaid iPhone 6S is good to go on Walmart's Straight Talk service, which enables you to get all the talking and data you need without a contract. Of course, if this bargain iPhone 6S simply isn't powerful enough for you, that's no problem; check out our our roundup of the best Walmart smartphones and you might find some other great savings online. Related articles: The best smartphone in 2019 5 top tips to improve your smartphone photos The 29 best iPhone apps for designers View the full article

Amazon Prime Day 2019 is here! The Creative Bloq team will be bringing you all the best Prime Day deals as soon as they go live, wherever you are in the world. This year's event runs for 48 hours (15-16 July). In order to get all the best Prime Day deals, you need to be an Amazon Prime subscriber. If you're not a member, sign up for a 30-day free trial now, and you can always cancel if it's not for you. There are already lots of incredible Prime Day deals for designers and artists in this year's event, with more rolling out over the next few hours. If you have been waiting for the moment to shell out for a new laptop or graphics tablet, there's likely to be an Amazon Prime deal that will make the investment a little easier on the wallet. In past years we've also seen discounts on creative software (including Adobe Creative Cloud) and nifty gadgets to make your design life easier. You'll find all the best Prime Day deals in our roundup below. Excitingly, we're seeing other retailers getting involved with the event this year, with people like Walmart and John Lewis offering some top deals too. Jump to the category relevant for you now using the boxout opposite, or scroll down to browse all the best deals. Get a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime: US | UK | Canada | Australia | India Amazon Prime Day 2019: stuff for your studio Laptops: The best Prime Day deals Tablets: The best Prime Day deals Amazon Prime Day 2019: software and apps Last year we saw 20% discounts on Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions: the Creative Cloud Photography Plan, which includes Lightroom CC, Photoshop CC, Spark Premium, Adobe Portfolio and 20GB of cloud storage, was down to $95.95 / £79.99 for a year’s subscription. This year, we're expecting more discounts. Keep your eyes peeled for more deals on our Adobe deals page. In the meantime, here's a top early deal from Walmart. Graphics tablet deals Amazon Prime Day 2019: cameras Prime Day deals: Audio and headphones Best Amazon Prime Day phone deals Prime Day art deals How to get the best Amazon Prime Day 2019 deals Sticking with us is a good strategy: we’ll spend the days up to and including Prime Day scouring Amazon for the best genuine deals for creatives. We’d also recommend doing your homework before the day itself, deciding on what you want and what you want to pay for it, and ignoring any deals that aren’t on your shopping list: a deal is hardly a bargain if it ends up gathering dust in a corner of your studio. Beware stunt pricing, too. To see if a deal is really a good deal, we’d recommend using CamelCamelCamel.com to check its Amazon price history and PriceSpy.co.uk to see what other retailers are selling it for: while many deals are genuine, some sellers increase their prices just before big events so that the discounts appear to be much bigger than they actually are. When is Amazon Prime Day 2019? Prime Day 2019 is due to run for 48 hours, from Monday 15 to Tuesday 16 July. Prime Day deals started rolling in at a minute past midnight on Monday 15 and will end at 11:59pm on Tuesday 16, wherever you are in the world. In the US, deals start at midnight Pacific time, and 3am on the East coast. Is there an Amazon Prime Day 2019 in Australia? Yes there is. Amazon.com.au has a holding page prepped and ready to go. We'd expect Prime Day Australia to be a bigger event in 2019 than its 2018 debut. Last year Australian shoppers were only offered 340 deals, compared to 2,800 in the US, and the focus was on smart home and gaming devices. In 2019 we’re expecting a wider range of products and many more offers. Also read: The best laptops for video editing The best drawing tablet 8 best external hard drives and SSDs for Mac and PC View the full article

It's Amazon Prime Day 2019 and the best Prime Day deals are ready to be snapped up. If you're after a monitor, you've come to the right place. This Samsung LC49HG90DMUXEN 49" Curved 1ms Ultra Wide is on sale for an incredible £809, a saving of almost £200! And if you're looking for a lower-spec model at a bargain price, there are plenty of other monitor deals around. Scroll down for our pick of the best bargains. To qualify for the awesome deals on Prime Day, you need to be an Amazon Prime member (sign up here). The Samsung LC49HG90DMUXEN 49" Curved 1ms Ultra Wide gaming monitor will usually set you back £999.99, but this incredible Prime Day deal slashes the price tag to just £809.19. That's a saving of 19%, or £190.80, by far the best deal around for this epic gaming monitor. The LC49HG90DMUXEN's 3840 x 1080 resolution is designed for gamers, which means it has a lot of features that make it ideal for designers to view their creations, too. The 49-inch curved display has an innovative 32:9 aspect ratio and is equivalent to standing two 27-inch 16:9 monitors side by side, with the screen curving around your line of vision. Its 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time also mean transitions are super-smooth, ensuring you can multi-task to your heart's content. To find out more about what ultra-wide monitors are all about, see our guide to the best ultra-wide monitors, or for more monitor options, see our best monitors post. If you're not quite ready to go ultra-wide, there are plenty of other fantastic Prime Day monitor deals on offer: Not a Prime member yet? You can sign up easily for a 30-day trial and can cancel at any time, so you're not tied into anything as long as you remember to cancel at the end of the 30 days. Get a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime: US | UK | Canada | Australia | India You can also check out more monitor deals below: Read more: The best monitors for programming The best monitors for photo editing The best monitor calibrators View the full article

Anyone who works in a team knows that having the right tools is essential. There’s nothing more irritating than getting lost in an email chain full of different people, or trying to juggle an enormous to-do list with no way to assign or prioritise tasks. That’s where collaboration and productivity tools come in. But with so many different options out there, which one should you choose? monday.com is an intuitive and powerful collaboration tool for designers and creatives all over the world. Why’s it so good? It allows you to do the following: 01. Create a customised space monday.com is completely customisable and can be adjusted to meet your team’s needs. You can decide what tasks you want to focus on, and pick the template that best suits you, whether that’s Task Management, Project Roadmap, Content Calendar or Invoice Tracker. Have lots of different tasks and need lots of different templates? No problem. Use as many as you like. monday is also incredibly intuitive to use, so much so that once you start using it, you'll be hooked. It's easy to drag and drop elements within your template, and simple dropdown menus make selection easy. 02. See what's happening You can customise your dashboard to show you the information you need With so many different templates, things could get confusing, but monday has been built with the end user in mind. It offers big-picture control to allow you to see exactly what’s going on across multiple boards. Customisable dashboards can provide as much or as little info as you need, and give a quick and easy overview of projects. You can also view each template in a number of different ways, allowing you to visualise your progress in a way that makes sense to you, for example using Timeline, Chart or Kanban view. All these tools mean that collaborating, project planning and tracking are easier than ever. 03. Streamline your workflow monday’s integration with third party apps such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Slack and Excel allows you to manage your entire workflow in one place. File sharing is easy, and you can improve your efficiency by setting up automations and notifications – freeing you up to focus on the important stuff. Communicating with your team or clients within monday is also a breeze, as you can simply @mention a team or individual to get their attention. 04. Share your work easily All your project files can live in monday, ready to be shared with clients when needed Once your work is ready to show your client, you can share your board with them, even if they don’t have monday, using shareable boards. That means you can wave goodbye to having to reformat your work before you share it. 05. Access support, fast If you do get stuck, there’s no waiting around on the end of a phone for hours. monday’s email and phone support is available 24/7 and the response time is just 10 minutes – much faster than the industry norm. So even if you have a panicked question at 3am the night before your deadline, monday’s support team are on hand to help. To see how monday can help you and your team, try a free trial of monday today. View the full article

Amazon Prime Day 2019 is upon us and we have already found some incredible Prime Day deals that are not to be passed up. If the sound in your ears is in need of an upgrade, these Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphone – Satin Gold, on offer with 44% off might be just what you're looking for. They've been discounted for Amazon Prime members for today only, from £249.99 to just £139.99 and Amazon reviews have awarded them a whopping four-and-a-half stars. Not an Amazon Prime member? Sign up for a free trial to claim this discount. These Beats headphones provide beautifully balanced and clear audio with longevity, as the wireless battery lasts an impressive 40 hours. The on-ear controls are great for busy creatives mid-flow on a project as you can control your music, take calls and activate Siri without using your hands. Want something slightly different? Check out our guide to the best wireless headphones in 2019. To qualify for the Amazon Prime Day deals, you need to sign up to become an Amazon Prime member, but there is a free 30-day trial period available – perfect for you to take advantage of Prime Day with no strings attached. You can cancel the subscription at any time without charge. Get a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime: US | UK | Canada | Australia | India. If you'd like to see some other deals on Beats Solo3 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones, check out the ones listed below: Read more: The best noise-cancelling headphones for 2019 iPad Air 2019 review The best cheap iPad deals in 2019 View the full article

Amazon Prime Day has begun in the UK, and there's some amazing Prime Day deals to be had for artists and designers. One of the best we've seen so far is this incredible Sony A7 III deal, which sees a whopping £360 knocked off the price, taking the camera and 28-70mm lens kit down to £1,039. The Sony A7 II is a great all-rounder. The tech behind it includes a 24.3 megapixel, 35 mm full-frame Exmor CMOS sensor and BIONZ X image processing engine, which basically translates to super-powerful. The A7 II has been superseeded now by its younger sibling the A7 III, currently voted one of the best cameras in our round-up, however, the fact Sony is still producing this older model speaks volumes. The A7 II represents a fantastic option for photographers wanting to step their skills up to the next level. If the Sony A7 II doesn't quite suit, good news is there are lots more incredible Prime Day deals for photographers. Here are the best offers currently available: View the full article

Amazon Prime Day is now in full swing and we've already seen some amazing Prime Day deals. And this cracking XP-Pen Artist 16 Pro offer is no exception. Usually priced at £369.99, for a limited time you can now get your hands on it for just £220 – that's a whopping 41% discount! If you're not familiar with XP-Pen, the Japanese graphics tablet company has been developing pro drawing products since 2005, offering a very decent, budget alternative to high-end Wacom tablets. The Artist 16 Pro features a beautiful 15.6-inch screen, comes with two rechargeable pens, a HDMI adapter for Mac and cleaning cloth and a 12-month warranty. It's a fantastic option if you're starting to seriously think about digital art and want a quality but affordable device. But remember: the deal listed below is only available for Prime member and is only available for a limited time. So you might want to hurry, currently almost half the retail price, we don't expect stocks to last long. Don't want to miss out? Sign up for a free 30-day Amazon Prime trial and get every deal as soon as it's available. (You can cancel your trial afterwards with no strings attached.) If you're on the hunt for something slightly bigger, Amazon has also discounted the size up XP-Pen tablet too: Related articles: Review: XP-Pen Artist 15.6 graphics tablet The best drawing tablet: our pick of the best graphics tablets The best tablets with a stylus for drawing and note-taking in 2019 View the full article

Right now Prime members can get a massive £110 off a Wacom Intuos Pro pen tablet (Medium). And when we say right now, we do mean right now – this is one of Amazon's Lightning deals, so it's only going to stick around for a matter of hours (and at this price, we're not expecting stocks to last that long). The professional graphics tablet comes with a Wacom Pro Pen 2 stylus (and replacement tips) included, and is compatible with Windows and Apple. Not a Prime member? Sign up for a free trial now We're calling it: this is the best Prime Day offer we're going to see this year, especially for creatives. For more great prices on creative kit (all over the world), take a look at our guide to the best Prime Day deals. As you'll no doubt know, Wacom rules the roost when it comes to graphics tablets. This model is suitable for left- and right-handers, comes with Pro Pen 2 stylus included, and offers 8192 pen pressure levels and 60 levels of tilt recognition in every direction, to give an impressively natural drawing experience. The tablet itself includes eight adjustable express keys, a customisable touch ring that you can personalise to streamline your workflow. The multi-touch surface is also intuitive to use. For more on this impressive bit of kit, read our Wacom Intuos Pro review. This Lightning deal is only around for a limited time, and only while stocks last, so if you want one, get it in your basket now. Of course, to take advantage of this deal (and all the other bargains at Amazon right now) you need to be a Prime subscriber. It's simple and free to sign up, with no strings attached, so you can grab all the Prime Day deals you want and cancel your subscription at any time without charge. Get a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime: US | UK | Canada | Australia | India Not in the UK, or missed the deal? These are the best prices on a Wacom Intuos Pro Pen Tablet (Medium) where you are: View the full article

We think the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 is the best 2-in-1 around, and right now Prime members can pick up a 12.3-inch Surface Pro 6 with £159 off the usual price. It's one of many awesome Prime Day deals that will be rolled out by Amazon over the next 48 hours as part of its annual bargain bonanza. Not a Prime member? Sign up for a 30-day Amazon Prime trial here to take advantage of this deal. This powerful 2-in-1 offers impressive versatility. You can use it as a tablet, a laptop, or, if you're at your desk, dock a keyboard and monitor and turn it into a fully-powered Windows machine. Designers will appreciate the high-resolution PixelSense Display, and while on-the-go freelancers will be pleased to find it's also super-slim and light, weighing in at just 771g. Specs-wise, this platinum machine includes Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM and 128 GB SSD, and runs Windows 10 Home. Get a free 30-day Amazon Prime trial: US | UK | Canada | Australia | India You need to be a Prime member to take advantage of this deal. If you're not sure it's for you in the long term, sign up for a no-strings 30-day free trial (links above), and you can always cancel after Prime Day. Not in the UK? Check out the best prices on the Surface Pro 6 wherever you are in the world: Read more: The best laptops for graphic design View the full article

Amazon Prime Day has arrived and there is a huge range of products available at knock-down prices, including some of the best Prime Day Deals there have ever been (more offers will be going live over the next 48 hours). For creatives, its a great time to stock up on art essentials, such as this set of Derwent Inktense Permanent Watercolour Pencils, on sale for less than half price. With an RRP of £121.50, Amazon Prime members can currently pick up this set of 72 professional-grade, quality pencils for just £49.96. We rated Derwent's Inktense range amongst the best watercolour pencils on the market. Not an Amazon Prime member? Sign up for a free trial to claim this discount. These pencils can be used dry or with water to give a rich, vibrant, ink-effect to your artwork. They blend and shade beautifully and you can use them to paint onto fabric. Once water has been added, the ink locks down and can be layered. The pencils also work alongside watercolour paintbrushes. The cheapest we've seen these pencils elsewhere is at Homecrafts, which has them priced at £64.99, so this Prime Day deal is a really great saving. You do have to sign up for Amazon Prime in order to get all the best deals, but you only have to be a member when you buy the goods so the 30-day trial is a perfect no-strings attached way of tapping into all the deals available. You can cancel your subscription at any time, and if you sign up now you'll be able to take advantage of the full Prime Day event. Get a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime: US | UK | Canada | Australia | India Not in the UK, or missed the deal? Take a look at the best prices on Derwent watercolour pencils below: Read more: 18 watercolour techniques every artist should know The best pencils for colouring, drawing and sketching How to draw: the best drawing techniques View the full article

Most respondents in a recent survey say they're losing the battle despite having up-to-date protections in place. View the full article

Vulnerability experts Michiel Prins and Greg Ose discuss the 15 most common vulnerability types. View the full article

If you've been patiently waiting for the best Prime Day deals, the good news is there's not long to go. With the main Amazon event kicking off in a matter of hours, we've already seen other retailers reveal some incredible offers – and this Sony TV deal from Walmart is one of the best so far. Originally $1,998, this Sony 70-inch 4K Ultra HD TV is now just $1,098 – that's a huge $900 saving! So, if you've got a space big enough to fit in a 70-inch TV, this is one deal you'd be daft to miss. Sony is renowned for its quality products, and when it comes to TVs, it's up there with the best of them. Part of its Bravia range, this X830F model's colours are rich and vivid thanks to its Triluminos display, and the innovative technology of its HDR processor X1 results in remarkable realism. This deal isn't available outside the US, but that doesn't mean we've forgotten about the rest of the world. Here are the best deals on a range of other giant monitors in your area – see our guide to the best ultrawide monitors for details: Read more: The best office chair of 2019 The best laptops for graphic design in 2019 The best drawing tablets View the full article

London's Southwark Park Galleries has really let its creativity off the leash for an upcoming contemporary art show all about dogs. That's because it's enlisted the help of our four-legged friends to curate the dog-related artwork, which will be on display in the Lake and Dilston galleries. The exhibition, called Dog Show, is part of the celebrations for Southwark Park Galleries 35th birthday. A group of 15 cultured canines were used to help select the artworks, which include a print by Lucian Freud (below), paintings by Ryan Brown, and an animation by David Shrigley (above). If you like the sound of this show and you're inspired to create your own canine-themed masterpiece, don't forget that you can find tips on our how to draw page, which is packed with plenty of illustration tutorials. As for Dog Show, we can expect to see a variety of mediums. "With a little help from their human companions, these canine curators have selected artworks in what is believed to be the first exhibition of its kind," Southwark Park Galleries explains on its site. 'Pluto, aged 12' by Lucian Freud is one of the works on display These aren't just any old dogs either, they belong to a variety of artists and curators. We'll just overlook the fact that their human owners had some influence over the selection process. Sadly, the galleries don't reveal how the dogs chose their preferred artwork. Were the pieces hidden and the dogs had to sniff them out? Did the pooches show their approval for a painting by performing tricks? We'll just never know. What we do know though is that the show will run from 18 July until 8 September. Related articles: Toddler knocks over fly sculpture worth £45K Draw a pencil portrait of a dog 8 totally amazing design studio dogs View the full article

A lack of a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) pairing mechanism leaves the smart IoT devices open to malicious manipulation. View the full article

The best MacBook Pro alternatives have the great features of Apple's design, but at a lower cost. MacBook Pro may be most designers' laptop of choice, but it’s no longer alone in its prowess for design and performance – there are plenty of Windows machines that have superb specs and, increasingly, look great. It’s also true that cross-platform software compatibility is now rarely an issue. With so many productivity apps being based on the web now, plus Adobe’s CC (get Adobe Creative Cloud here) having full support for the superb Windows 10, you won’t find yourself suddenly up the creek without a paddle. Many Windows 10 PCs also have touch screens, which can be rather handy if you do wish to use a stylus – it’s certainly a better touch solution than Apple’s Touch Bar. Of course, it remains the case that Macs are an expensive investment for a freelancer or studio and some of the Windows alternatives offer the same power for less (although check out Apple laptop deals post to see what bargains are available). Apple has recently slashed its factory-fitted SSD upgrade prices, but if you configure a MacBook Pro with all the bells and whistles things start rising steeply upwards. We must also say though, that although the MacBook Pro has risen in price in the relatively recent past, so have many PC equivalents. So let’s explore some of the best MacBook Pro alternatives you’ll find. We’ve listed the core specs of the base model in each case, but naturally more expensive (and better performing) options are available in each case. If you’re looking at a MacBook Pro equivalent that’s a PC you’ve just found it. Available in two sizes, the Surface Book 2 is a powerful, do-anything machine. Its party piece is a detachable touch display that pops on and off of the keyboard base and works as a separate tablet, although the Surface Pen is an optional extra. And with Windows being very touch-friendly, the tablet isn’t just for show – you can really put it to work. The display is excellent, too – pin-sharp – while there’s support for USB-C and USB-A, although you do have to put up with a proprietary power connector that we hope Microsoft will dump when it revises this machine next. While the base machine is competitively priced, things start to jump up when you talk about opting for the Nvidia dedicated graphics that reside in the base (so can’t be used with the tablet unless it’s attached to the keyboard). Another disadvantage is that it’s heavier than a MacBook Pro. But there are few other computers that have the same quality about them – it’s a robust, well-put together machine, too. This could have gone one of two ways – should we recommend the XPS 13 or its bigger brother, the XPS 15? Well we recommend both, depending on what size you want (and what you need to do). If you’ve got an idea that Dell isn’t a good brand to buy from, it’s time you binned that notion – these are some of the best laptops available anywhere and are very well designed indeed. The XPS 13 comes in various models and could be seen as a MacBook Air equivalent in many ways, but it can be given plenty of power (though not more advanced graphics than Intel’s integrated options, unfortunately). The XPS 15, on the other hand, has Nvidia GTX 1650 graphics across the board as standard in addition to top-line, latest 9th generation Intel Core i7 processors, while several models have 4K OLED displays, too. Both the XPS 13 and 15 are also available in (more expensive) 2-in-1 versions where you can flip the screen 360-degrees. When Surface Laptop was first announced, it seemed odd – why would Microsoft go backwards from the superb Surface Book? But it makes a lot of sense. By producing a premium device without the tablet part, Microsoft could cut down on the weight and produce a go-anywhere Surface device for those who wanted, well, a laptop rather than a tablet (you can still use the Surface Pen with this super PixelSense display should you wish to). It’s available with some high-end options including bags of storage and memory, while it’s very well designed like its more expensive brother and there’s something distinctive too; hardy Alcantara fabric surrounds the keyboard. Some won’t like it, but it’s definitely a talking point and, before you ask, it doesn’t stain. There is one moot point, however – there’s no USB-C port at all. Goodness only knows why Microsoft has been so resistant to adopt the ever-more-prevalent standard, but we reckon the company will fix that if it does a new model later in 2019. Read our full review of the Surface Laptop 2 HP’s ZBook Line comes in a variety of configurations and styles – you even can get a 360-degree convertible version (Studio x360), too. The HP ZBook Studio 15 is our pick of the bunch though since it has workstation-level specs. Indeed, you’d be hard pushed to find as much power for the price anywhere. Not only is there Nvidia Quadro P1000 graphics under the hood, but you also get Intel’s top-line Core i9 processor, 32GB of memory and a 512GB SSD. The DreamColor 4K display also has 100 percent Adobe RGB coverage, too. You’re able to ask HP for a custom configuration should you so wish. Think business laptops and you’ll probably come up with the ThinkPad. However, since the ThinkPad line was taken over by Lenovo, no longer are all ThinkPads black and rather dull. Indeed, while the 14-inch Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon has an understated look, it’s a genuine MacBook Pro competitor that’s lightweight – starting at around 1.1kg – but can be specified with various options up to 8th generation Intel Core i7 processors, a super-bright 4K Dolby Vision-certified display and up to 16GB of memory and 2TB of SSD storage. However, like the Surface Laptop, there aren’t any discrete graphics options which could be a deal-breaker. But there is a lot to like with the X1 Carbon – the array of ports is impressive for something 15mm thick, with HDMI, 2x USB-A and dual USB-C Thunderbolt 3, one of which is located alongside a proprietary network port – those two can be plugged directly into a desk dock. There’s even a model with integrated mobile broadband – simply slot in a SIM and you’re always on. What better MacBook Pro alternative could there be than an alternative MacBook Pro? Let us explain. Like many other computer manufactures (Dell Outlet being another good example). Apple sells off machines that get returned to it for less than they were originally on sale for. These machines aren’t faulty – or have had a faulty part replaced. Often they’ve just been returned for refunds because the customer changed their mind. So they’re repackaged, reformatted and sold to you with savings that can run into the hundreds. Sounds good, doesn’t it? The only downside is that sometimes the machines can have odd configurations – or you have to wait around for the model you want to pop-up. Still, it’s always worth seeing what’s available. Everything comes with a one-year warranty and there are plenty of other Apple products available, too. Read more: The best laptop stands The most powerful laptops The best computer for graphic design in 2019 View the full article

When faced with a problem, limited resources can sometimes lead to the most creative and effective solutions. For advertising agency Jekyll & Hyde, the problem was that it needed to find a Russian-speaking art director to design cool packaging. And even worse, it had no budget for a talent search. Yet despite this, the agency managed to attract thousands of CVs from relevant candidates at a cost of $0, all thanks to a clever piece of copywriting. Given that art director positions are one of the most coveted roles in the industry, it's fascinating to see how agencies go about recruiting people for the job. If you've always wanted to be one, check out our guide to all you need to know about being an art director, and also check our design jobs board. So how did Jekyll & Hyde filter down potential candidates? Simple, it spoke to them in their own language. In a recently released video (below), the agency reveals that it distributed a packaging concept with labels that advertised the art director role – see our packaging design for more inspirational creations. However, given that the labels were written in Russian, only relevant (or at least, Russian-speaking) designers were able to see the vacancy and apply. "When the packaging was published, the ad was understood only by our target audience, i.e. Russian-speaking designers," the video explains. "For everyone else, it was just ordinary packaging." As far as filtration methods go, this one is so effective that we're surprised that it isn't more commonplace. (Or maybe it is and we just don't see them...) And for Jekyll & Hyde, the campaign paid off. The concept designs appeared in front of thousands of designers after being shared by the likes of Packaging Of The World, and the agency was flooded with CVs and portfolios from its target audience. Related articles: 9 brilliant portfolios from young designers Online packaging archive is a design delight 20 packaging concepts we wish were real View the full article

3D rigging, like other CGI techniques, can be confusing to newcomers. This guide aims to break it down so that every artist can learn how to rig a 3D model. A lot of time creating 3D art is spent on how the shell of an object looks. This is great for stills, but when animating, it is just as important to concentrate on where the movement comes from. For most objects, creatures and characters, this is from within. There is no getting around the fact that rigs are one of the most complex systems in CGI, and like most tools in CGI there is not, unfortunately, a unified workflow between the major applications (see our list of the best 3D software). That being said the principles of animating a rig are reasonably similar, and processes like forward kinematics (FK), where a joint chain animation originates from the base joint (such as the shoulder of an arm), and inverse kinematics (IK), where the animation of an arm would originate from the tips of the fingers, are universal principles that can be applied across applications. Let’s take a look at some more of the basics of 3D or animation rigging. What is 3D rigging? Think of a 3D rig as a basic skeleton 3D rigging is in effect the process of creating an invisible skeleton that defines how an object moves. An animation or 3D rig usually comprises a system of ‘invisible’ objects that can be seen in a 3D viewport but not in a final render. At the most basic level, these objects are nulls/groups and joints. Joints are objects that essentially act as the bones of the skeleton, where the nulls/groups/ targets act as the cartilage to define the range of movement. Nulls can also create controllers that are tied to specific objects within a skeleton, to allow an artist to move and control elements much more easily than actually trying to select the specific points themselves. 24 of the best free 3D models When parented correctly, a joint and null system creates a logical way of moving elements, and when this system is bound to an organic mesh it can create a convincing range of movements. 3D rigs can work just as well with hard-bodied systems such as cars, where controllers can be an invaluable part of an animation setup. Rigging a character A typical animation/3D rig for a humanoid form will consist of parented joints or bones, which act as a basic skeleton. These joints are controlled by a series of nulls that allow an artist to manipulate the model in a more logical fashion than by animating each joint. Always remember when rigging characters to have the model and rig in a neutral pose, such as a T-pose. Creating hard-body rigs Hard-bodied objects can be animated in particular ways Hard-bodied objects can be animated with a rig as well, but this depends on a logical parenting of objects and control nulls. While joints can be used, they tend not to be used as much in hard-bodied rigs. A good example of a hard-bodied rig is a car rig, such as the one shown for Cinema 4D by Ahmed El-Hofy (above) that provides a single control for steering and spins the wheels at the correct speed. These sort of rigs can be as complex or as simple as required by the need of the shot. Binding a mesh A rig does not simply parent an object After creating an animation rig, it is not always obvious how to connect it to the geometry that needs to be animated. This is not achieved by just parenting an object, the mesh needs to be attached via a binding process where the 3D applications apply the rig to various elements throughout the rig, which can be modified after the binding process through weights and constraints. These controls differ between each application, but the underlying process is the same. Inverse and forward kinematics Kinematics can control movement and positioning These define the direction a rig works in when it is being animated. Forward kinematics are the most logical for newcomers, controlling the movement of the rig from the base joint in the process, such as the shoulder or hip joint. Forward kinematics can require a lot of work if a character needs to sit, whereas with inverse kinematics creating a sitting animation is easy – the rig is controlled by the end points such as the feet or hands, and works backwards through the rig. This article was originally published in issue 247 of 3D World, the world's best-selling magazine for CG artists. Buy issue 247 or subscribe to 3D World. Related articles: Turn photos into 3D animations with Photoshop 20 Cinema 4D tutorials to up your 3D skills The best 3D modelling software 2019 View the full article

Branding has always been an integral part of being a band or musician. Now, the industry is more crowded than ever before, with Spotify alone adding over 40,000 tracks a day. This means an eye-catching and captivating campaign extends far beyond album artwork. Branding campaigns for musicians need to work across video content, merchandise, social media, band logos and more. A musician's branding needs to be synonymous with the its music and members, instantly recognisable and above all, timeless. These well-known and indie acts offer a range of examples when it comes to nailing a musician's branding campaign, and they all teach us something slightly different about the art of branding. For more on branding in general, see our post on logo design and check out our favourite style guides. 01. Taylor Swift As one of pop’s biggest stars, Taylor Swift is one of the most influential artists out there. She has consistently nailed her branding campaigns, from 1989’s polaroid-heavy nostalgia, to the villainous Reputation era. Reinventing herself for each album release has become a mainstay for Swift and that Reputation branding campaign, created by boutique agency ST8MNT is a masterclass in marketing. Deleting her entire Instagram feed, Swift then teased fans with images of a snake that flipped her previous bad press as a sneaky back-stabber into someone who was unapologetic, ruthless and inspiring. It’s certainly one way to reinvent yourself. 02. The 1975 British indie band The 1975 show just what you can do with a simple shape. Creative director, artist, graphic designer and photographer, Samuel Burgess Johnson is responsible for most of their designs, which often include a rectangle surrounding their name across a multitude of their releases – proving that keeping things clear and concise can work wonders. The shape has become synonymous with the group, with fans tattooing the shapes on their bodies and the band regularly using it for merchandise and tour imagery. Although their most recent release A Brief Enquiry Into Online Relationships seemed to stray from the rectangle, eagle-eyed fans pointed out that by connecting the squares, you could make out an array of rectangles. 03. Paramore If you’ve been a band (or perhaps a studio or brand) for over 10 years, it’s important to keep things exciting – especially if you’ve had a reshuffle of members. Paramore’s 2017 release After Laughter completely reinvented the band’s image from pop-punk kids to a glossy, 80s-inspired group. Created by LA based designer Scott Cleary, After Laughter used bold duotones, clashing patterns, and zine sensibilities to completely transform Paramore's image (much to some die-hard fans dismay). This new branding extended throughout their videos and merch, with the band also donning bright and bold jumpsuits in press imagery. Juxtaposing colourful imagery with an album that comments on mental health issues and isolation is a brilliant move. 04. Slowthai Northampton’s Slowthai is a perfect example of grassroots branding done right. With an album titled Nothing Great About Britain, the grime artist had billboards placed all over the UK with facts about the country’s problems including statistics about climate change, homelessness, the gender pay gap, hate crime, mental health and more. Encouraging fans to locate and send him pictures of the various billboards in London is a great way to engage with listeners and create a buzz around an album, weeks ahead of its release. By placing the name of the album at the bottom of each billboard, the cryptic message would intrigue just about anyone. The lesson here? Where you can, seek to engage and challenge your audience. 05. Christine and the Queens Here's another great example of an album title doing the talking for you, French artist Christine and The Queens decided to (sort of) change her stage name. Christine and the Queens is very much a character that the pop star adapts as artistic expression but for her second album, she evolved into Chris: a fluid identity. The album, also titled Chris, was first teased with a crossed out Christine and the Queens logo, prompting an immediate marketing buzz. The scribbled typography went on to cover the artist's merch and encouraged a message of being yourself no matter what. It just goes to show that if you're big enough and you do it right, you can survive a name change. 06. Ariana Grande Mega-star Ariana Grande followed up her 2016 release Dangerous Woman with 2018’s No Tears Left To Cry, teasing fans with upside-down imagery across her social media accounts. Created by SB Projects’ art director and lead designer, Jessica Severn, this upside-down branding extended throughout Grande’s video for the lead single while merch was adorned with upside-down portraits of the singer. It makes a case for literally flipping an image for a simple and strategic campaign that works – as Desigual did recently with its logo. The singer also adopted her own Instagram filter for the branding campaign, which is a sure-fire way to engage fans and intrigue others. 07. Ed Sheeran Back in 2015, Ed Sheeran announced via his social media platforms that he was taking a break to travel the world and see everything that he’s missed. Exactly one year after that, Sheeran returned to Instagram, posting a simple plain light blue square. Of course it caused a stir and marked the beginning of the branding campaign for his album Divide. It took the singer almost an entire month to post again, this time officially announcing the record. This use of one bold colour along with a simple divide symbol made this one of the singer’s most successful branding campaigns. The campaign was created by UK-based agency Adult Art Club, with loose watercolour illustrations from Kasiq Jung Woo and a typography collaboration with illustrator Charlotte Audrey. Read more: The 25 greatest animated music videos Spotify takes on Apple with app redesign Instagram designers: who to follow for creative inspiration View the full article

If you write regularly, you know that sometimes the process can leave you stuck in a rut. Or, the opposite can happen, and your brain is filled with so many ideas that you're in major need of organisation. Either way, Writer’s Blocks 5 is a powerful tool that can help you reach you writing goals for just $39. With Writer’s Block 5, you’re getting visual outlining tools that will help you capture and organise large amounts of information that may be swirling around in your head. The best cloud storage 2019 This is done using "blocks," which is like a word processor document, but it can organise and structure vast quantities of text, notes, and information. Simply drag and drop text blocks easily to rearrange them, and use different fonts and colours to highlight and categorise the information. Writer's Blocks 5 can change and upgrade your writing workflow for just $39. Related articles: 8 powerful productivity apps to help you get things done 5 top tips for creating a productive workspace The best new tech products for designers in 2019 View the full article

There's just three days to go until Amazon Prime 2019 kicks off and we no doubt see some of the best Prime Day deals surface. But if you can't wait that long to grab a great deal, Walmart is getting the party started early with this incredible 2017 iPad Pro offer. Priced at just $474, this is currently the cheapest price you'll find this 10.5-inch iPad Pro model – saving a whopping $175 on the retail price. Since it was first introduced back in 2015, the iPad Pro has since become a highly sought-after tool for designers. Featuring power similar to that of a laptop and support for the brilliant Apple Pencil, this quality device provides the perfect great balance of power and portability for busy creatives on the go. When it comes to Apple devices, it's really tricky to find discounted items. But the good news about Apple's constant innovation is it makes finding great deals on its older models a little easier. So if you're not bothered about the latest, shiny new device, this 2017 iPad Pro is still a very competent tool – and right now it's a bargain to boot! Want an iPad Pro with different specs? Our round-up of the best iPad Pro deals will have all the best offers in your area. Not in the US? Never fear, there are some brilliant iPad Pro deals across the globe, details of which you can find here: Read more: The best iPad accessories in July 2019 19 best drawing apps for iPad The best iPad stylus in 2019: top iPad styluses for drawing and note-taking View the full article

Do colours match shapes? According to Wassily Kandinsky, the two go hand in hand. The Russian painter, art theorist, and Bauhaus teacher put his theory to the test with an exercise for his students, which you can now complete online. Do your answers align with the ideas of the Bauhaus master? If you're not familiar with Kandinsky, he was an authority on colour theory even before joining Bauhaus thanks to his book, On the Spiritual in Art. In it, he establishes distinct emotional and spiritual associations between specific colours and forms. To communicate the relationship between colour and shapes, he created an assignment for his students. Now, thanks to an online exhibit created in created in partnership with digital innovation studio yU+co and the Getty Research Institute, you can take Kandinsky's test. Named the Kandinsky Form and Color Exercise, this simple drag and drop quiz challenges you to match a primary colour with its corresponding shape, including a triangle, circle and square. Take the quiz right now by clicking here. Artist Erich Mrozek made these colour studies based on Kandinsky’s ideas Once you finish the quiz you'll be shown if you match Kandinsky's theory. You'll also find an explanation of why a certain colour can be matched to a particular shape. "The results of Kandinsky's survey seemed to prove his argument," the results page explains, "as the majority of respondents answered according to his model". The exercise is part of the interactive online exhibition Bauhaus: Building The New Artist, which celebrates 100 years of the famous school through various interactive activities. "The desire of museums and cultural institutions to engage the public in new ways is the perfect opportunity to combine new technologies with our experience in storytelling in order to create something groundbreaking and enriching," says Garson Yu, founder and creative director of yU+co. Want some of the Bauhaus aesthetic in your life? Check out our guide to the 10 objects that will bring Bauhaus style to your studio. Related articles: The impact of Bauhaus on modern culture A short lesson on colour theory You probably won't get 100% on this colour quiz View the full article

If you're looking for the best iPad Pro deals right now, you've come to the right place. These popular devices offer slick looks, powerful performance, and portability, but they don't come cheap. However, there are bargains to be had if you know where to look. The article brings you the very best iPad Pro deals. Our dedicated tool automatically searches for the best prices from the most reputable retailers, so you can be confident you're not missing a bargain (including the best Prime Day deals offers from Amazon on 18 and 19 July). Apple's tablets are now available in a range of sizes, models and colours, and are popular with creatives thanks to their winning balance of power and portability. Team them up with an Apple Pencil and one of the dedicated drawing apps for the iPad and you'd be hard pushed to find a more capable portable creative tool. There are also plenty of iPad accessories you can use to customise your device further. In this guide, we've rounded up the best iPad Pro deals to be found online right now. Covering both the iPad Pro 11-inch and iPad Pro 12.9-inch models, these deals make the industry-leading Apple tablets more accessible than ever. The best iPad Pro 11-inch (2018) deals Don't miss out on this iPad Pro at a rock-bottom price Offering the strength of a desktop machine in an ultra-thin package you can easily carry around with you, the iPad Pro 11-inch is designed to give users more creative freedom. For more information, take a look at our iPad Pro 11" review, but headline features include Apple's specially developed A12X Bionic chip. This powerful engine delivers incredible speeds, especially when backed up by the machine's 6GB of RAM. Our heads were also turned by the screen's sharp 264-pixels per inch screen. Promising truer colour reproduction than competitors, the iPad 11-inch's display is perfect for artists. Other stand out tools include variable pressure levels that bring out the best of the Apple Pencil. And considering that there are plenty of creative apps waiting to take advantage of what the Apple Pencil has to offer, most notably Pixelmator and Procreate, the iPad Pro 11-inch is sure to go down a storm with digital artists. If you've been put off buying the iPad Pro-inch before now because of its cost, your patience has been rewarded. A limited time offer has seen the price of this powerful tablet come crashing down by over $100. So if this deal puts the device within your budget, make sure you order today so you don't miss out. The best iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2018) deals The iPad Pro 12.9 has a larger screen that's perfect for creators It's not just the iPad Pro 11-inch we've managed to find at a lower price. Apple's biggest and best digital canvas, the iPad Pro 12.9-inch, can also be found for less if you know where to look. Take a look at our full iPad Pro 12.9" review. Boasting a massive display and an incredible performance, this device is a favourite amongst digital artists thanks to its immersive screen. The recently released 2018 model is a huge upgrade on older models, however even iPad Pros from 2017 are incredible tools for creators. Notable additions to the iPad Pro 12.9-inch 2018 include the Apple Pencil Gen 2, and a P3 colour gamut that will benefit illustrators and photo editors. There's good news for video editors too as its refresh rate has been upgraded to an adaptive 120Hz. This means that the device offers smooth frame rates that trump other models in the iPad range. As you'd expect, a larger device demands a larger price. But if you're determined to get the best iPad Pro possible, this is the one you will want to start saving up for. And to make things a little easier, we've unearthed the lowest prices going for the 12.9-inch model. These cover unlocked devices and models from previous years, as well as the 2018 digital canvas. We sort through thousands of deals to offer the best prices from the most trustworthy retailers. You can support us by clicking these independently selected links, as we may earn a commission on any purchase you make, at no extra cost to you. Contact us if you have any questions or have found a better price. Related articles: 18 iPad Pro apps designed for Apple Pencil iPad Air (2019) review The best iPad deals on all models View the full article

The tech giant addressed a widely publicized Zoom bug with an automatic update mechanism usually reserved for removing malware. View the full article

Unless you're extremely fortunate or exceptionally gifted, if you want to make a name for yourself in design then you'll need to get the self-promotional bandwagon rolling. For some designers, it's a natural step on their path to global domination, while for other, less outgoing creatives, it can feel like a daunting task. For some, merely having a stunning design portfolio and getting it seen by the right creative directors can be enough to set a fabulous career in motion. For everyone else, though, a bit more groundwork is going to be necessary, so here are eight killer tips to help you start getting noticed. 7 ways to craft a killer self-promo campaign 01. Remember you're the brand If you've been in design for any amount of time then you'll have worked with a variety of brands, and you'll know all about the importance of brand guidelines. Well, now you're the brand, and you need to apply the same thinking to how you promote yourself. At the very least you'll need your own logo design; a strong, instantly recognisable colour palette is another good way to push your brand identity. Also, though, you should think about your brand voice and what it says about your business. It never hurts to ramp up the positivity and enthusiasm when you're speaking as your brand rather than your everyday self; it might feel a little alien if you're naturally more reserved and self-deprecating in real life, but it works. 02. Work your social mojo Social media is a must, but don't let it rule your life Self-promotion these days can be a lot easier than it was when you had to mail out physical portfolios and do the rounds of agencies in person. A decent social media footprint is a must – check out our guide to nailing your social media strategy for plenty of helpful tips – and can help you get your work seen by the right people. Just don't fall into the trap of spending your entire day chasing likes and retweets; keep things focused. 03. Keep everything updated The downside to having a heavy social media presence on top of your portfolio site is ensuring that everything's up to date. There are few things more off-putting than visiting a designer's portfolio and discovering that the last update was months or even years ago. So you need to ensure that once you have a new piece of work worth sharing, it gets shared in all the relevant places. Remember, too, to include as much information as you can; it doesn't have to be a full case study, but at least try to answer the most salient questions that you think visitors might have about each project. 04. Find your audience Helpful though it can be, social media is merely part of the self-promotion process. If you're serious about raising your profile and finding opportunities then you need to bite the bullet and contact some potential employers. This can be an arduous task, however you can make it considerably less so by being smart about your targeting. Firing your portfolio at every agency you can think of isn't the best use of your time, but if you do your research and identify the firms whose work you love and where you believe your own work would be an excellent fit, and then contact the key people and make your case to them, you should get a much better hit rate than with a scattergun approach. 05. Meet in person Nothing makes an impression like going out and meeting the people you want to work with You can achieve a lot, self-promotion-wise, without even leaving your studio, but don't ever underestimate the potential of getting out there and meeting people. Whether it's turning up to your local networking events and pressing some flesh, or heading for the nearest city and visiting the agencies and studios you'd most love to work with, some face-to-face contact is your opportunity to make the sort of impression that you'll never quite carry off over email or social media. 06. Collaborate if you can Collaboration is a two-way street. Obviously there are benefits for less established designers in collaborating with a better-known name, but for the senior partner in the project there's also the opportunity to produce some work that's out of their comfort zone and gains them a little street cred to go with their respectability. So if a collaboration with one of your design heroes is on your bucket list, go ahead and make your pitch – the worst that can happen is that they'll turn you down. 07. Grow your reputation Share your accumulated wisdom with a cracking conference talk Once your self-promotion efforts start to pay off, you can't afford to rest on your laurels. Now's your chance to build your reputation, whether it's by getting out there and delivering some conference talks, doing some pro-bono work for a good cause that you'd like to support, entering yourself for some relevant awards or pursuing your own individual design dream. If the opportunity comes up to promote yourself in a way that fits in with your personal brand – and it's not going to take up too much of your time and energy – then go for it. 08. Enjoy yourself – but do the work Self-promotion can feel like a never-ending task, but if you figure out your game plan and devise an approach that works around the sort of promotional techniques that you love to see, there's also a lot of fun to be had in staking out your place in the design industry. Just don't get so caught up with it that you let the important stuff slide. Keep on creating work that delights people and make sure that's your main focus; the self-promotional side is the means by which you can get people to see it, and to ensure that you get to produce much more of it. Related articles: 7 ways to make your studio more Instagram-friendly How to self-publish a book 5 inspired self-promo ideas for design agencies View the full article