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Web design has come a long way over the years, but this doesn't mean that it's perfect. There are still plenty of user interface issues that bug people when they try to fill out a form or sign up to an agreement. And it's these clunky UI headaches that get brilliantly called out in this parody site, User Inyerface. We've already looked at what you should do when designing an online page with our guide to the perfect website layout. But if you're looking for something a little sillier, User Inyerface is an entertaining alternative that demonstrates the frustrating consequences of bad UI (you can also see our post on painful UI fails). Created by Belgian digital product agency Bagaar, the disgustingly designed User Inyerface challenges visitors to complete a sign up form as quickly as possible. If you've ever filled in your details to get registered on a website, the questions will look familiar. However it's never been more difficult to submit your name, contact email and date of birth. That's because User Inyerface bends over backwards to make the process as irritating and tricky as possible. Data fields require you to delete content before you type in your details, reCAPTCHA tests use vague and confusing language, and an intermittent pop up with a confusing button layout will pester you at every turn. Weirdly, once you've got your head around what it's doing User Inyerface becomes a fun exercise in frustration. Just when you think it can't get any more difficult, it'll pull a confusing button or age slider out of the bag. And for web designers, the site will leave them wondering if they're guilty of any of its UI design sins. If you power through to the end and complete the forms, you'll be greeted by a GIF of Carlton from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air doing a dorky dance. There's also a link through to the Bagaar job page, which makes us wonder if User Inyerface is some kind of filtration process for a vacancy. (See our design jobs page if you are looking for a new design role.) Either way, we managed to complete User Inyerface in a tortuous five minutes and fifteen seconds. Can you do any better? Related articles: Top UI trends for 2019 Create cool UI animations with CSS 20 best UI design tools View the full article

Doodling a penis is something lots of people did at school, probably in the margins of an exercise book as they killed time in a boring lesson. But in the latest project from interactive design studio, Moniker, drawing the male member has become a way to rebel against automated censorship systems used by the likes of Google. If you've been amazed by the creations in our round up of the best doodle art and you want to have a sketch, this project is the perfect opportunity for artists of every level to put their skills to good use. Created by Amsterdam-based studio Moniker with support from Mozilla, Do Not Draw A Penis is a witty drawing tool that kicks back against Google's open-sourced Quickdraw data set. That's because while the search engine's self-described "world's largest doodling data set" contains lots of family friendly sketches, there's not a single penis to be found. "This made us at Moniker think about the moral reality big tech companies are imposing on our global community and that most people willingly accept this," says the studio on the Do Not Draw A Penis project page. To combat this censorship, Do Not Draw A Penis has been collecting phallic doodles from rebellious users. When you head over to site, you'll be presented with a blank canvas just waiting for you to doodle a masterpiece with the pencil tool. A soothing HAL 9000-sounding AI moderator will narrate your sketches and provide motivational support. If you draw, say, a house, the voice might encourage you by saying it's full of character. But when you decide to ignore the site's name and draw a penis, a warning alert will flash up on screen and the eraser tool will automatically leap into action to scrub out the offending doodle. The AI moderator even becomes more stern and chillingly observes, "we assume this was a mistake, sorry," as it rubs out your sketch. It's a funny and effective way to highlight how site's can control what they deem to be inappropriate, and so far the Do Not Draw A Penis project has collected more than ten thousand penis doodles. Perfect for cleaning up spillages Moniker has even compiled the drawings in a data set that's formatted in the same way as Google's Quickdraw. If you want to take a look at this sketchy sausage fest, you can download it from this Github repository. And if you want to support this project even further, you can order a tea towel decorated with 5,000 unique penis doodles from Moniker's webshop. Related articles: Google launches free drawing app 8 Google Chrome extensions to make your life easier 5 ways to improve your digital art skills View the full article

Design that resonates with an audience is about more than clever copy and well-crafted photography. An intuitive website goes deeper than thoughtful information architecture guiding users toward their destination. Peeling back the layers will bring you to a core principle in design education: the decisive selection of colour. The validity of colour psychology and colour theory as a marketing strategy is an often-debated topic because we each have different preferences. Your favourite colour may be blue. Or it may be orange. Or purple. Red? You get the point. But couldn’t that suggestion also relate to any design methodology? When designing a website, are you trying to design it for one person or are you trying to connect with a generalised audience that is representative of your ideal customer? The base of successful design requires you to remove the bias of an individual and step back to see how it affects a larger audience. Design around audience expectations When it comes to selecting the 'best' colour for a brand, research has found that predicting consumer sentiment toward the relevance of a colour and a brand is more important than the colour selection itself. For example, when thinking of health, many people correlate that to the colour green. If a new health initiative for a large organisation or food product decided to brand themselves with bright red, something would feel off about that choice. We may not always consciously realise why it feels that way but behind the scenes that feeling is our brain's way of filtering through what aligns with past experiences that were learned or conditioned. This is even more apparent in colour choices. Much like in UX, it's important to consider how jarring things that don't match user expectations can be. In 2003, Joe Hallock wrote an undergraduate paper on colour assignment. He surveyed a sample size of 232 people and was able to distil core colour associations by gender and age. For example, he was able to determine that the emotional resonance of trust correlated mostly to blue (34 per cent of all survey participants). Joe Hallock's research was launched on a website Again, whether you personally feel blue best represents trust or not isn't the focus. There were plenty of others that felt white (21 per cent) or green (11 per cent) conveyed trust. When designing for larger audiences or market segments, we want to assess the ideal customer over anyone else's personal bias. If you are Microsoft and you'd like to position Bing in the marketplace to imply trust, you look at it as a numbers game. Internet Live Stats suggests there are over 3.5 billion searches per day on Google; it has a market share of about 93 per cent of all searches. If Microsoft is looking to gain more of a market share, a focal point of that effort may be establishing trust through design and branding. According to a recent survey facilitated by SurveyMonkey, 65 per cent of all participants said that trust influences either a lot or a great deal in their decision making when supporting a brand. If blue represents trust in 34 per cent of that (1.19 billion) audience, that’s a large segment of people over white (735 million) or green (385 million). Percentages on a graph can be misleading until you apply the context of what they really represent. Building trust with the colour blue is often used with businesses that carry out transactions using personal or financial information. It’s why you see banks and social media rely on blue as a primary colour in their branding. Leveraging small subconscious triggers, like using blue in branding, can help new customers connect quickly. It's not magic but meeting the expectation of an audience will prevent their brain from firing off a warning signal that something isn’t quite right. Buying a few extra seconds to solidify sentiment toward your brand is highly valuable. Know the financial power of a single colour Bing’s three top colours are white, grey and blue. The top two are neutral, meaning anything blue pulls the user’s primary attention toward it Did you know that 84.7 per cent of a customer's purchasing decision is influenced by colour usage? Selecting the right colour can have a large impact in revenue and conversions. When Microsoft was designing what would eventually become Bing, its design team explored a large variation of colours to represent links. In 2010, Bing's user experience manager Paul Ray gave a presentation at MIX10, a long-gone Microsoft conference. He discussed the level of multivariate testing done on the factors of colours and typography – among others – and the impact they had on revenue, return rate, time to first click and more. Microsoft's testing was so granular that it included multiple shades of blue for the link colour. It found that a specific colour blue (#0044CC) drove an estimated $80m to $100m dollars a year more than the lighter blue that was originally used. This shade of blue is special. It goes beyond the colour psychology 101 understanding of blue being a representation of trust. What's fascinating is that this particular shade of blue uses the golden ratio mathematically. The testing done by Microsoft for Bing is a masterclass in colour psychology The golden ratio – closely tied to the Fibonacci sequence – is best known as the rule of thirds. It's used in photography to frame a composition by dividing the image into three equal vertical rectangles and three equal horizontal rectangles. This is something designers do innately as our brains are conditioned to perceive value in compositions that align to that ratio. So how does this golden rule of thirds factor into a website Hex code for Bing’s blue? Hold on. We’re almost there. Hex codes represent the red, green and blue markers of a pixel. The first two numbers of a hex code determine the value of red, the second two the green, and the final two blue. Bing's blue is #0044CC. Converting that to a standard RGB colour spectrum results in: Red: 0, Green: 68, Blue: 204. Still with me? What do you get when you divide the blue value by the green? Exactly three. Paul Ray’s presentation defined Bing’s shade of blue as a perfect mathematical blue. Keep in mind your design context It’s important to note that the perfect blue doesn’t increase conversions by itself, much in the way that having a red button doesn't magically generate more sales. Selecting a single colour for an element of your design is a portion of the collective design psychology. As with user experience, colour theory is best understood in context. Bing's blue stands out because it's paired with a large percentage of neutral colours. Eighty-six per cent of the 'above the fold' search results on Bing are neutral according to a study done by UX Triggers (UXT). UXT is a colour psychology analysis tool that breaks down each pixel of an image to determine the percentage of colour use in relation to other colours and how that context impacts the perception of different genders and age groups in terms of factors such as trust and quality. Using a tool such as UX Triggers will help you break down the colour psychology of your product In the study, neutral colours (predominantly white with 67 per cent of the image) intensifies the focus on secondary non-neutral colours. In this case, blue was the most prevalent colour used at 5 per cent of the screen. The overall design focuses heavily on cool colours (91 per cent). Cool colours tend to evoke a more calm or tranquil mood. Which is important when looking at the context of the design itself. Search results pages contain a massive amount of information. Each page only has ten total results but includes hundreds of words describing each page, the website URL, the page title and additional sidebar callout information that may be pertinent to the user. It’s a lot to consume when most users only spend between 4.39s and 8.64s on the first page of a search engine. This is why colour selection plays such a crucial role in user experience and design overall. It’s not about the colour blue or red: it’s actually about all of the colours surrounding it. Bing’s three top colours are white (67 per cent), grey (19 per cent) and blue (5 per cent). The top two are neutral, as already discussed. Because of this, anything blue pulls the user’s primary attention toward it. When you factor in that the blue text links are also larger than the secondary description text (20px for the enlarged links versus 13px for body copy), it creates tunnel vision and enables users to focus on the page titles, which provide the most value on the page. Our brains quantify what we perceive as ideal subconsciously All other content becomes secondary by design. Oh, and guess what: the size of the enlarged blue link text (20px) is mathematically perfect in relation to the body text (13px). The blue text is 65 per cent the size of the body copy – which is only 1 per cent away from a perfect golden ratio. That’s not to say that designers purposely create mathematical fractions or equations to drive their design. The takeaway from this is that our brains quantify what we perceive as ideal subconsciously. It just so happens that we can define that with some maths after the fact. It’s like design science. Just because we can add comprehension to something that exists with maths doesn’t mean that it exists purely because someone used maths to make it that way. Maths is a language and it’s often overlooked in design or colour theory because some designers can innately make those connections. Influence customers with colour and texture It’s important to understand the purpose of design before doing any actual design work. Strange, right? You need to ask questions like: how does it relate to the business goals? How does it relate to the customer’s expectations? From a website perspective, colour choice won’t necessarily slow down a visitor and encourage them to spend more time on the page. That’s more of a user experience, product value and market messaging topic. What colour can do is help establish your place in the ecosystem. Last year Slack redesigned its website and featured wonderfully textured illustrations and thoughtful colour usage. It helped it stand out in a sea of overly corporate-style SaaS websites vying for attention. The result was professional yet playful, which spoke to its core market. When Slack overhauled its brand identity, it did such a good job that other companies soon copied its look But then everyone copied it. The same font style. The same illustration style. The same colour scheme. Slack’s brand style became a template for everyone else. No one stood out any more. Not because the product was the same but because the overall collective design experience was the same. That works well for organisations looking to establish themselves but it’s counterproductive for industry leaders because these are two different business models with two different use cases. You may be asking: how do business goals relate to colour usage and design decisions? Did you know that the dining areas of fast food restaurants were traditionally painted in bright colours, like red and yellow, because it created a sense of action or unrest in patrons? Fast food generates revenue from being fast and convenient. If patrons take their time while eating, it impedes the table turnover and slows the amount of product the restaurant can sell in a day. They were focused on the potential revenue and not the customer experience. This trend has begun to shift in the last few years. They’ve started using neutral colours, natural design elements like wood and softer lighting. It’s less abrasive and more comforting. Market expectation has dictated that families want to sit down and enjoy a meal, even if done on a budget and relatively quickly. Working with your customer is necessary for long-term success. Influencing behaviour should be done with restraint and care. It’s not always about driving customers into a sales funnel. Sometimes the most proactive design decision is slowing down. This article was originally published in net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. You can subscribe to net here. Related articles: Top UI trends for 2019 5 tips for understanding colour theory A short lesson on colour theory View the full article

After hours of debate from the world-class judging panel, we can now reveal the full list of shortlisted projects for 2019's Brand Impact Awards. Scroll down to see the 60 projects, from 27 different agencies. Brought to you by Computer Arts and Creative Bloq, the Brand Impact Awards reward the very best branding from around the world, and the scheme's rich heritage of past winners represents the cream of the global branding industry. This year, the Brand Impact Awards received a record number of entries – a grand total of 195 projects. The winning and highly commended projects will be revealed at the sixth annual Brand Impact Awards ceremony at the Ham Yard Hotel, London, on Wednesday 11 September. Early bird prices are valid until 19 July, so book your tickets now to join the world's top agencies and discover this year's winners. Book your Brand Impact Awards tickets Being shortlisted for the Brand Impact Awards is an accolade in itself. Standards are unfalteringly high, and if judges felt that none of the projects submitted in a category met the criteria, that category was cut altogether. Those criteria are: A strong, compelling concept that's appropriate for the client Beautiful and consistent execution across two or more brand touchpoints Branding that stands head and shoulders above the rest of its market sector Even being the only agency shortlisted in a category does not necessarily mean taking home a coveted BIA trophy on the night. So without further ado, in alphabetical order, here are the 27 agencies that have made the shortlist in the Brand Impact Awards 2019... Alphabetical Foyers Lodge by Alphabetical Project: Foyers Lodge Shortlisted: Transport & Travel B&W Studio Mandela and Me by B&W Studio Project: Mandela and Me Shortlisted: Culture Bond & Coyne No Fuss Fundraising by Bond & Coyne Project: No Fuss Fundraising Shortlisted: Not-for-profit DixonBaxi All 4 by DixonBaxi Project: All 4 Shortlisted: Entertainment FOX Sports Netherlands by DixonBaxi Project: FOX Sports Netherlands Shortlisted: Sports & Leisure GBH. London Le Collectionneur by GBH. London Project: Le Collectionneur Shortlisted: Bars & Restaurants Brach Hotel by GBH. London Project: Brach Hotel Shortlisted: Transport & Travel The_Modern Hotel by GBH. London Project: The_Modern Hotel Shortlisted: Transport & Travel Hat-trick Design The Great War Centenary by Hat-trick Design Project: The Great War Centenary Shortlisted: Public Sector Here Design Deliciously Ella by Here Design Project: Deliciously Ella Shortlisted: FMCG An Anarchy of Chillies by Here Design Project: An Anarchy of Chillies Shortlisted: Publishing Simple by Here Design Project: Simple Shortlisted: Publishing The Fife Arms by Here Design Project: The Fife Arms Shortlisted: Transport & Travel Jack Renwick Studio Monument by Jack Renwick Studio Project: Monument Shortlisted: Professional Services Johnson Banks Picture The News by Johnson Banks Project: Picture The News Shortlisted: Self-Branding Landor Kellogg's by Landor Project: Kellogg's Shortlisted: FMCG Magpie Studio Super Lyan by Magpie Studio Project: Super Lyan Shortlisted: Bars & Restaurants MOO Print Ltd MOO Handshake Don'ts by MOO Print Ltd Project: MOO Handshake Don'ts Shortlisted: Professional Services Mr B & Friends Bristol City Football Club by Mr B & Friends Project: Bristol City Football Club Shortlisted: Sports & Leisure Music Christie Proton Beam Therapy Centre by Music Project: Christie Proton Beam Therapy Centre Shortlisted: Not-for-profit NB Studio Petit Pli by NB Studio Project: Petit Pli Shortlisted: Fashion ANNA by NB Studio Project: ANNA Shortlisted: Financial Services A Flag for Bankside by NB Studio Project: A Flag for Bankside Shortlisted: Not-for-profit The Drum by NB Studio Project: The Drum Shortlisted: Publishing Journeysmiths by NB Studio Project: Journeysmiths Shortlisted: Transport & Travel Nude Brand Creation The Surrey Copper Distillery by Nude Brand Creation Project: The Surrey Copper Distillery Shortlisted: Wine, Beer & Spirits Onwards Agency Manual by Onwards Agency Project: Manual Shortlisted: Pharmaceuticals & Toiletries Pearlfisher Jacob's by Pearlfisher Project: Jacob's Shortlisted: FMCG YQ by Yoplait by Pearlfisher Project: YQ by Yoplait Shortlisted: FMCG Rose Fresh Awards by Rose Project: Fresh Awards Shortlisted: Artisan Remembering D-Day at Bletchley Park by Rose Project: Remembering D-Day at Bletchley Park Shortlisted: Culture 10bet by Rose Project: 10bet Shortlisted: Sports & Leisure Sennep Alphaputt by Sennep Project: Alphaputt Shortlisted: Self-Branding SomeOne The Pack Is Back by SomeOne Project: The Pack Is Back Shortlisted: Sports & Leisure Studio Sutherl& St Albans Museum + Gallery by Studio Sutherl& Project: St Albans Museum + Gallery Shortlisted: Culture Superunion Not Coffee Co. by Superunion Project: Not Coffee Co. Shortlisted: Bars & Restaurants BBC Two by Superunion Project: BBC Two Shortlisted: for Culture, Entertainment and Public Sector London Symphony Orchestra 2019/20 by Superunion Project: London Symphony Orchestra 2019/20 Shortlisted: both Culture and Entertainment ESL by Superunion Project: ESL Shortlisted: Sports & Leisure Level destination posters by Superunion Project: Level destination posters Shortlisted: Transport & Travel Equinor by Superunion Project: Equinor Shortlisted: Utilities The Hangry Duck by Superunion Project: The Hangry Duck Shortlisted: Wine, Beer & Spirits Taxi Studio Carlsberg by Taxi Studio Project: Carlsberg Shortlisted: FMCG and Wine, Beer & Spirits Creative Discomforts by Taxi Studio Project: Creative Discomforts Shortlisted: Self-Branding Texture Combat Stress magazine by Texture Project: Combat Stress magazine Shortlisted: Not-for-profit Parkinson's UK by Texture Project: Parkinson's UK Shortlisted: Not-for-profit Trademark.com by Texture Project: Trademark.com Shortlisted: Professional Services The Clearing Celebrity Fitness by The Clearing Project: Celebrity Fitness Shortlisted: Sports & Leisure Turner Duckworth McDonald's by Turner Duckworth Project: McDonald's Shortlisted: Bars & Restaurants Tim Hortons by Turner Duckworth Project: Tim Hortons Shortlisted: Bars & Restaurants Medivet by Turner Duckworth Project: Medivet Shortlisted: Professional Services Tillamook by Turner Duckworth Project: Tillamook Shortlisted: FMCG Equal Justice Initiative by Turner Duckworth Project: Equal Justice Initiative Shortlisted: Not-for-profit VBAT/Superunion Amsteldok by VBAT/Superunion Project: Amsteldok Shortlisted: Property Buy your Brand Impact Awards tickets now! Tickets include drinks reception, canapés and bowl food, and of course a chance to toast your success or drown your sorrows at the BIA after-party. Buy early-bird tickets (until 19 July) Seats: £105 + VAT Standard tickets Seats: £115 + VAT A group discount of 10% per ticket is available for five or more tickets purchased at the same time. Good luck to all the shortlisted agencies! Related articles: 10 logos we never want to see change Top 10 fictional brands from film and TV Killer examples of illustrated ad campaigns View the full article

Launched just a few short weeks ago with a fresh new format, Generate CSS is a concentrated conference offering attendees talks and tuition from some of the brightest names in CSS. While we’ve so far kept the details under wraps, we’re excited to be able to finally share some of the fantastic speakers joining us at Generate CSS at Rich Mix in Shoreditch, London on 26 September 2019. Natalie Weizenbaum Having worked on Sass since before its first release in 2006, Natalie Weizenbaum is something of a CSS superstar. Not only has she lead the development of the language and its reference implementation since its inception, but in her current role at Google, she divides her time between working on Sass and leading the company’s CSS infrastructure team. Sass has now become one of the most widely recognised and used tools in CSS developers’ repertoires. But with many of its initial functions – such as selector nesting, browser prefixing and variables – increasingly picked up by PostCSS or even rendered unnecessary by developments in browser capabilities, why is Sass still a mainstay for CSS devs? And why is Google embracing it for an increasing number of its products? In her keynote ‘Sass in a PostCSS World’, Weizenbaum will explore the new role Sass is playing in CSS development and how you can integrate it with PostCSS to take care of all of your styling needs. Additionally, she’ll be covering the new Sass module system that makes sharing styles a breeze. Michelle Barker A front end developer with a love for CSS, Michelle Barker spends her days polishing UX for mobile-ordering startup Ordoo and her nights tinkering with CSS and documenting her experiments on her blog CSS {In Real Life}. She also writes for publications such as CSS Tricks and Smashing Magazine and is a Mozilla Tech Speaker. In her talk, 'A Guide to Debugging CSS Grid’, Barker will run you through how to handle the powerful layout tool when things go wrong. Talking through examples of some common issues people face and breaking down the CSS Grid specs into more manageable chunks, she will help you understand what’s happening when Grid goes wrong. You'll be able to get your grids working in unison with other layout techniques and build flexible but foolproof designs. With such fantastic speakers already confirmed and the remaining lineup to be announced imminently, demand for Generate CSS is building. So if you want to secure your place at the London conference on 26 September 2019 – particularly at our wallet-friendly super-early bird price of £149 + VAT – make sure you buy your ticket now. Generate CSS, the conference for web designers, takes place at Rich Mix in Shoreditch, London on 26 September 2019. SAVE £100 with a Super Early Bird Pass! Only £149+VAT when you book before 5pm on 15 July 2019. Related articles: Generate CSS is coming to London! How to code smart text effects with CSS Has CSS finally come of age? View the full article

Planning a wedding should be one of the happiest times of your life. But let’s be honest, it can also be pretty challenging. There are so many hundreds of tasks that need doing, preferably yesterday, and you don’t want to rush any one of them. After all, it’s not any wedding: it’s your wedding, and you want it to be perfect. When it comes to wedding stationery, for example, you want to create original designs that are as unique as your relationship, which you can look back on fondly in your scrapbook for years to come. But how do you find time to craft the perfect visuals when you’re knee-deep in sorting out everything from the venue to the transport, the gift list to hotel bookings for out-of-towners? Well here’s a great way to jump-start your creativity and save a ton of time. Adobe Stock has an amazing range of top quality templates for your wedding designs that are fully customisable within Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC and InDesign CC. So rather than spend time reinventing the wheel, why not let these professionally designed templates take the strain, and get you started with your invites, menu designs and more? Easy to use Because Adobe Stock is fully integrated into the Creative Cloud, you can access these templates directly within Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Premiere Pro, making them super-easy to use. If you love the template as it is, you can just edit the text and you’re done. Alternatively, if you’d rather use it as a building block for your own bespoke design, you can customise everything from fonts to colours until it’s exactly what you’re looking for. You can also pull other Adobe Stock assets, such as photos, illustrations and graphics, into your designs, all without ever leaving Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign. Experiment with watermarked versions of all of these for free until you're happy. (You’ll find a full guide to using Adobe Stock with CC here.) In short, it’s crazy to waste time crafted your wedding designs from scratch when Adobe Stock makes it so easy to get started! Read on to discover five ways Adobe Stock could be the secret sauce in your wedding planning... 01. Wedding invitation templates By Roverto Castillo The most important item in your wedding stationery is the invitation, and every couple wants it to be special. So you’ll be pleased to know there are a ton of beautiful, professionally designed wedding invitation templates available from Adobe Stock. Covering a wide range of styles, from vintage and ornate to modern and funky, you’re sure to find a template that’s right for you, whether you’re working in Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign. To see a large version of each one, just hover over the image and click on the ‘eye’ icon that pops up. Once you've chosen your favourite, you can select any of the individual layers within your Adobe CC app, and customise it to your heart's content. It's a great way to create your perfect invitation in a way that's quick, easy and fuss-free. 02. Save the date templates by rawpixel At the very start of your wedding planning, when you’re still waiting to confirm details such as the venue and the start time, you still want to get the word out to your guests before they get booked up. Okay, so you could text or email them, but let’s face it, not everyone’s as organised as you. And a beautifully designed ‘Save the Date’ message, which they can place on their mantelpiece or stick to the fridge, is going to be more effective in reminding them not to make other plans for that day. Happily, there are some gorgeous ‘Save the Date’ template designs on Adobe Stock, some available on their own and others as part of a broader wedding invite set. So don’t wait around! Find the one that’s right for you, customise it accordingly, and get your designs printed and mailed out pronto. Then sit back, safe in the knowledge that none of your loved ones will miss out on your special day. 03. Thank-you templates By Wavebreak Media It takes a lot of people to put on the perfect wedding, and those people need thanking properly, whether they're volunteer helpers, service providers or just each and every guest who come. Hence the well-established tradition of the post-wedding thank-you card... and Adobe Stock has you covered here as well. There's a great selection of colourful and attractive thank-you template designs to choose from, for Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. And like all Adobe Stock templates, each is fully customisable, so you can really make your thank-you card personal and unique. 04. Menu design templates By Wavebreak Media For a standard wedding, the venue will usually provide menus as part of your catering package. But you might find them a little, well, boring. So if you prefer the notion of accenting each place setting with a special, personalised touch, why not consider crafting your own menu designs? After all, Adobe Stock has a number of inspired wedding menu design templates to get you started. Some are provided as single templates, others as part of a set, and there are templates for Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. As with all Adobe Stock assets, you can experiment with watermarked versions for free; so there's nothing stopping you from checking out the menu templates, seeing what visual ideas they spark, and having a play around with them. 05. Motion design templates by Wavebreak Media Nowadays, in the runup to their wedding, many couples like to craft a personalised video or slideshow of their history together. It's a great way of adding a special touch to the big day when, for example, projected against the wall of the dancefloor during the evening do,. And these days, you don't have to be hire a trained professional to make it. It's perfectly possible to create something pretty slick yourself using a tool like Adobe Premiere Pro. You may need some help, however, when it comes to giving your video or slideshow some nice looking titles and captions. That's something Adobe Stock can help you with too. There are well over a hundred motion design templates that are specially themed for wedding-related videos. These are easy to access, directly within Premiere Pro, and are fully customisable too. Featuring everything from traditional script to modern hipster styles, there's an amazing choice of titles to help bring your video to the next level and make it a real talking point on the big day. View the full article

With Amazon Prime 2019 just days away, we've already seen some incredible Prime Day deals. And they don't show any sign of slowing dow, with Walmart joining the party with this incredible 10-inch Microsoft Surface Go deal. The particular model on offer is packed with an Intel Pentium processor, 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage, all for just $339 – that's a huge $60 saving on the normal retail price! Voted one of the best tablets for photo and video editing in our round up, this is the cheapest price we've ever seen this Surface Go model go for – and we doubt we'll see such an offer again. Finding such a good discount on a Microsoft device is rare, so if you've had your eye on one of these nifty little devices, now's the time to buy. Perfect for being creative on the go, the 10-inch Surface Go weighs in at just 1.15lbs, making it Microsoft's smallest and lightest Surface yet. The battery boasts a life of up to nine hours and the in-built kickstand means you can use it in a variety of modes – laptop, tablet and studio – to suit your workflow. The tablet also comes complete with a USB-C port, Surface Connect for fast charging and a headphone jack. For those of you living in the UK, we couldn't find quite as good a deal as the one above (sorry guys), however, we did manage to find a cracking deal with a £50 saving on a Microsoft Surface Go with slightly higher specs: View the full article

Have you always wanted to animate with Scalable Vector Graphics? If so, you'll be able to pick up the basics in no time with the Master SVG Animation Using HTML & CSS: Build 8 Projects bundle. For a mere $10 you’ll build eight projects that will introduce you to animation using CSS, HTML, and JavaScript. You'll discover all sorts of useful insights, including ZSVG programming, the language that allows you to create two-dimensional graphics that scale and can even be manipulated using CSS, HTML, or JavaScript. The best cloud storage 2019 This beginner-friendly course will also introduce you to logo design and teach you how to enhance their web design capabilities. Plus you'll learn to add text to your SVG, better understand the syntax, and apply filters to images to take them to the next level. Get the bundle now for only $10. Related articles: How to add animation to SVG with CSS Add SVG filters with CSS Animate SVG with JavaScript View the full article

Google APIs take up a sizeable chunk of land in the API universe. In this article, we've picked the most powerful, innovative and interesting plugins from Big G. APIs are an invaluable tool for developers, as they let your sites and web apps stand on the shoulders of giants. They enable you to focus on unique application logic, instead of having to hack together plumbing from scratch. Here’s our guide to some of our favourite Google APis, and how to use them in your projects. For more interesting plugins, explore our guides to the best JavaScript APIs and HTML APIs. The best web hosting services in 2019 01. Cloud Machine Learning Engine API Speaking non-technically, machine learning is a process taking input fields and then mapping them to a number of outputs. A classic application is turbine data, which is used to determine failure probabilities. While machine-learning algorithms can be posted on any computer able to run Python, the amount of resources you need rises significantly the larger the involved data sets get. As can be inferred from the other Google APIs highlighted in this feature, Google has experience handling all kinds of machine-learning-related jobs. As a result, floating the job to Big G’s servers is a convenient way to solve the problem. In addition to removing the CPU burden from your machines, offloading the machine-learning payloads also improves the learning speed – due to the large amount of iterations it can run, the company has been able to greatly accelerate the normally tedious machine-learning process. However, developers looking to get started with machine learning must be made painfully aware that the Cloud Machine Learning Engine API is not a silver bullet. If you do not understand the basics of machine learning, your models will not work well. 02. Google Maps There are a whole range of incredibly popular Google APIs that can be used to add Google Maps functionality to your sites, including mapping capabilities, street view, navigation and more. The APIs range from simple (basic page embeds you can use to display a map on a web page) to complex (JSON web services that enable you to, for example, receive a set of directions for navigation between locations). The selection is split by platform and function. 03. Cloud Natural Language API When analysing customer service costs, the friendly customer service person sitting in front of a workstation tends to be the most significant – meaning it’s in your interest to maximise their time. If programs could analyse text, bots could shave off precious seconds from every interaction between unhappy customers and expensive support employees. Google’s Cloud Natural Language API is dedicated to doing exactly that. Plug in a query in the user’s own words into the product and it returns a field of information related to all kinds of related metadata it has found. In the AutoML edition, you are furthermore allowed to create custom models that are more tailored than the API’s standard predefined categories, enabling you to focus on more niche expertise or areas of knowledge. 04. Google Cloud Vision API Whether you’re looking at bringing in image screening or want to offer users functionality based on their images, being able to understand user-generated and user-uploaded images can be invaluable. Sadly, creating neural networks by hand is an incredibly tedious job that takes lots of time and an insane amount of training images. Google’s Cloud Vision API lets your programs tap into Big G’s machine learning systems. Upload an image or two and feast your eyes on the vast amounts of image data the company has at its disposal. Not only can the Cloud Vision API determine if an image contains explicit or infringing content, it can easily identify the content of images and even highlight specific features – useful if you need to pick out facial features in a busy image. A special mode returns cropping advice – this is helpful if uploaded images are to be cut down to a specific format required by your user interface. 05. Google Cloud Video Intelligence API Google is always looking for new ways to generate extra revenue: an interesting avenue involves letting the Vision API loose on videos. This is the raison d’etre for the Cloud Video Intelligence API – provide it with video data and prepare yourself for a torrent of metadata, cropping advice and various other bits of auto-generated information. 06. Cloud Speech-to-Text and Text-to-Speech APIs While text might be king in many applications, there are plenty of situations where you may want to include voice output or input – whether that’s catering to those with accessibility issues or enabling people to use your sites and apps hands free. As the development of vocoders is cost-expensive, offloading this task sounds attractive. Google has you covered with two sets of APIs: the Cloud Speech-to-Text API takes speech and turns it into string text, while the Cloud Text-to-Speech API takes the text and generates a spoken WAV file. From a technical point of view, these Google APIs tend to work and see use in a variety of systems like Android. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that companies such as Nuance offer speech detection engines that significantly surpass the accuracy of Google’s in some cases. 07. Cloud Translation API Multi-language applications are here to stay. A neat way to distinguish your product involves handling translation in-line: if your Gab viewer automatically translates English into Russian and German, not only will people living in the latter two countries jump for joy but you will expand your potential market. Sadly, getting machine translation right remains among the most complex problems in IT. Google’s Cloud Translation API should be well-known to all those of you who use its Translate app – in its simplest form, you send a string and get a translated one in response. While this works okay with general purpose texts, some applications require a little more attention. Google lets you provide a set of keywords to tune the algorithm – this is helpful for texts related to scientific domains, such as electrical engineering. 08. Hangouts Chat API Google has had a bumpy start into social networking. The Hangouts chat service seems to be the most valuable IP Google has salvaged from its defunct social play Google+ and seems quite likely to become its next big thing – especially as it can be extended to contain customer service bots. Take a look at the Hangouts Chat API. The bot behaves just like the IRC servers of yore – it hangs around waiting for a user to invoke it by mentioning its name. The moment this happens, your code receives a callback with the incoming information and a bit of metadata about the user. This data can then be used for a variety of ways – a good example was the #srcedit bot, which used to hang out in the channel on freenode and provided ways to interact with information found in SVN. This article was originally published in net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Subscribe here. Read more: A coder's guide to APIs The best new web design jobs A web designer's guide to CSS methodologies View the full article

If you've got an iPhone, there are some exciting upgrades coming your way. That's because Apple has revealed what we can expect from iOS 13, which is due to launch this autumn. And with Apple's mobile devices already dominating the landscape, helped in no small part by the best iPhone apps for designers, it looks like they're set to become a portable creative powerhouse when iOS 13 rolls out. So what's in store with iOS 13? Apple recently released details of what users can expect, and we've rounded up the top features we think you'll be excited about. 01. Portrait Lighting Control Get your lighting just right It's no secret that the iPhone is home to some of the best photo editing apps around. However with iOS 13 it looks like creatives will have even more editorial control over their snaps with the Portrait Lighting Control. This feature will give users the ability to "virtually adjust the position and intensity of each Portrait Lighting effect", according to Apple's press release. The upshot of this is that you'll be able to sharpen eyes or brighten other facial features with ease. And with a monochromatic effect, you can create black and white masterpieces. 02. Refined image search Image management is easier than ever Smartphones have revolutionised the way we take and store photos, but this also means users have to sift through stacks of snaps to find that perfect picture they want to share with their friends. This is where the all new Photos tab comes in. The tool has been completely redesigned with the help of machine-learning to intelligently hide similar photos. With less digital clutter kicking around on your device, your image library will be more straightforward to navigate. On top of this, a new curated view will surface your best pictures to help you relive your most treasured memories. 03. Advanced photo and video editor Videos can finally be edited and rotated The fun doesn't end there for image editors. With a new video editing tool, you can apply practically all of the tools and effects you use on your photos onto your footage. It's so simple that with a few taps of your screen you finally edit and rotate videos and bring your directorial vision to life. If you're used to using Instagram's image editing tools (and who isn't), the redesigned iOS 13 image editing features will look familiar. With the help of sliders for brightness, contrast and saturation, the way you tweak photos on iOS 13 looks set to get much more intuitive. 04. Accessible voice control Here's a welcome accessibility upgrade. With iOS 13, users will be able to control their device entirely by voice alone. We've already seen how Apple is keen to shake up how people interact with its devices, even going so far as to patent hover-based gestures. But this upcoming voice control feature could provide an even bigger benefit for users who would otherwise struggle to interact with a smartphone. Watch it in action with the video above. 05. Greater font management Spell out your message with improved font management With iOS 13, fonts are due to get a whole lot more personal. That's because users will be able to install custom fonts and use them in their favourite apps. They'll even be easy to find and install because they'll all be available from the App Store. And if you want to manage what you've installed, just tap settings to flick through your fonts. Basically, if you've got something to say in a project document, you'll soon be able to spell it out in the font of your choice. And this is just the tip of the iceberg .For a complete look of what to expect from iOS 13, head on over to Apple's preview page. And if this list has whetted your appetite for a new device, check out our guide to the best smartphones in 2019 for creatives on the move. Related articles: Google Pixel 3 deals: Get the best price on this amazing camera phone The best budget camera phones in 2019 Huawei P30 Pro deals: best price on AI camera phone View the full article

Amazon is kicking off the retail party early with one of the best Prime Day deals we've seen so far. Right now, you can get this quality Huion Kamvas Pro 20 graphics tablet for just £337.40, that's a whopping £144.60 off the retail price. A saving of 30%, you won't currently find the Kamvas Pro 20 cheaper anywhere else – but you'll have to be quick, this epic deal ends tonight at 11:55pm (BST). Makers of some of the best drawing tablets, Huion is renowned for making quality products. And the Kamvas Pro 20 is no exception, featuring a 19.5-inch, HD display, with a working area of up to 434.88 x 238.68mm. The tablet comes complete with a PW500 digital pen, which features 8192 levels of pen pressure, is battery-free and support 60 degrees of tilt recognition. Customisable hot keys for both left- and right-handed users complete its key features. If the Kamvas Pro 20 doesn't quite meet your needs, there's even more good news. Huion has a number of other tablets in its range, which are also heavily discounted today. Take a look below at the deals currently on offer, and bag yourself a shiny new graphics tablet at a bargain price! Read more: How to get the best Amazon Prime Day deals The best Apple Watch deals ahead of Amazon Prime Day Amazon Prime Day 2019 dates finally revealed View the full article

An illustrator has created intentionally offensive versions of an American baseball team's problematic logo in an effort to highlight racial double standards. The designs point out the harmful impact of the Cleveland Indian's former logo, Chief Wahoo, by imagining racially-charged alternatives. If you're unaware of the controversy surrounding the Cleveland Indians, the professional baseball team had been using the Chief Wahoo logo (above) up until this year. The design made its last appearance on uniforms in 2018, and has since been replaced by a letter 'C' monogram. Chief Wahoo drew criticism for presenting a harmful racial stereotype of Native Americans. The problem was compounded when the Cleveland Indians were gifted the MLB All Star Game in exchange for retiring the logo. For illustrator Jesse Alkire, this was an embarrassing move that prompted him to ask "why are we still okay with the Cleveland Indians brand?" Given that our guide to logo design explains that they're one of the first points of contact between a brand and a company, it's no surprise that Chief Wahoo has attracted this negative attention. To highlight the damaging impact of the team's brand, which includes what Alkire describes as a "problematic moniker", he decided to create alternative logos that relied on similar racial stereotypes. They're a powerful set of inappropriate logos that make Alkire's point very effectively. You wouldn't tolerate these alternative logos "The aim of this project is of course to shock, but perhaps the most shocking thing is that many would look at these other logos and be more shocked," says Alkire in a blog post explaining the project. "How are these logos any different from what Cleveland did for so long? The truth is they’re not." "We’re rightly outraged at racist depictions of Blacks, Asians, Jews, and others," he adds, "but why are we somehow alright with bigotry towards Native Americans?" "Looking at them all side-by-side, these should all be viewed with the same amount of scorn. One or a few of these are not worse than the others. You're either outraged at all of them or none of them." The new Cleveland Indian's logo doesn't go far enough for Alkire Alkire went one step further and created mockups of uniforms and merchandise emblazoned with the racist logos. It's all part of his argument that the Cleveland Indian's move away from Chief Wahoo is half-hearted. He claims that the team has "put the brand in limbo" by removing the design from uniforms, and that much more could be done to set things straight. Alkire imagined how his logos would look on uniforms "A better move would have been a full-on re-brand preceded by a heartfelt apology, encouraging education on the issue and spurring fans to rid the city of the terrible logo," he says. "A chance for everyone to move on and start something new that the entire city and country can be proud of." The Cleveland Indians isn't the only brand to be criticised for its problematic design choices recently. Earlier this week Nike pulled its Independence Day-themed sneaker line after former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick privately complained about its use of the Betsy Ross flag. Related articles: 18 controversial moments in logo design and branding 5 logo design fails (and what you can learn from them) 5 logo design terms you should know View the full article

Apple Watch deals aren't always that easy to come by, but in the run up to Amazon Prime day – see our dedicated post for all the best Prime Day deals – there are more of them to watch out for (see what we did there?). Our dedicated price comparison tool also ensures that you'll get the best Apple Watch deal available. Which Apple Watch should you buy? Well, the newest Watch is the Series 4, which is a must if you want the absolute best technology, as well as the most stylish design. If you'd like the option to have GPS and Cellular connections, but aren't too fussed about having the latest design, go for the Series 3. And if you really want to pick up a bargain, then the Series 1 and 2 models are where it's at. Apple Watches come in either 38mm and 42mm (Series 3 or older) or 40mm and 44mm (Series 4). Check out the best Apple Watch deals below: Best Apple Watch Series 4 deals The Apple Watch 4 has a bigger screen, an improved speaker and a dial that's more pleasing to use than the older Watches. It also has health features such as a heart rate monitor, Fall Detection and Emergency SOS capabilities. As this is the latest Apple Watch, and the first Watch with a tweaked design since the launch of the first Apple Watch, it's much sought after. That means it's harder to find deals on, although that's not to say they don't exist. There are also other versions of the Series 4 Watch to add an extra degree of style, namely the Nike and Hermes collections. Best Apple Watch Series 3 deals You'll be more likely to find some sweeter bargains on the Apple Watch Series 3. The most exciting thing about the Series 3 Watch on its launch was the introduction of Cellular, which meant it could be used without an iPhone or Wi-Fi. This took the Watch's capabilities to a whole new level. The Series 3 doesn't have quite the same speed or swish design as the Series 4, but it's still works well and looks good, so if you want to save some pennies, then this could be the model for you. There's also a Series 3 + Nike collection available. Best Apple Watches Series 1 & 2 deals The cheapest Apple Watches are the Series 1 and 2 models, which lack the finesse and power of the Series 3 and 4 models. They've now been discontinued by Apple, but that means you can pick them up for an especially cheap price. Read more: The best Apple Pencil deals of 2019 Sir Jony Ive leaves Apple to start own creative business The best fibre broadband deals in 2019 View the full article

Adobe Dimensions is part of Adobe's huge push into 3D. However, it can be hard to keep up with the many different offerings Adobe is adding to the 3D space, either as standalone applications or as elements within core applications such as Photoshop. At the vanguard of this 3D push is Adobe Dimension CC, a rare standalone Creative Cloud application. It creates a 3D environment that can take assets from either 2D or 3D applications, and renders them to a professional level quickly and easily on a wide variety of computer hardware. For other 3D software options, check out our rundown of the best 3D modelling software around right now. Get Adobe Creative Cloud What is Adobe Dimension? The great thing about Adobe Dimension CC is that it assumes the user has little to no knowledge of working in 3D, and therefore provides a wide range of assets to help you along. The software provides 3D models, materials, environments and lighting which can enable artists, out of the box, to create anything from a sci-fi landscape to a product model shot with ease. Adobe Dimension CC has two main interfaces. One is a real-time layout interface, where an artist adds models, materials and images and the general environment and lighting. This view can support camera effects such as depth of field. When the scene is ready, switching over to the render view allows a full production render image to then be created. Adobe Dimension CC offers either its own render engine, which supports de-noising, or the Chaos Group’s V-Ray render engine. These options allow Adobe Dimension to create renders as good as those from any 3D application. If the assets that come with Adobe Dimension CC are not suitable, 3D files can be added from a wide variety of formats, and the material system in Adobe Dimension supports a wide range of image inputs including Normal maps. Adobe also provides a wide range of stock assets at that can be natively used with Adobe Dimension CC, making it an excellent all-round 3D layout tool. So let's press on with learning how to get started. 01. Add models There are loads of starter assets to choose from To add models to Adobe Dimension CC, the best place to start is with the starter assets. There are a wide range to choose from, especially for demoing graphic design elements such as food packaging, book covers, clothing and T-shirts. Objects can be moved, scaled and rotated as desired, making setting up a scene very simple. As each element is added it can be seen in the ‘Scene’ palette on the right-hand side of the screen. 02. Select materials All materials can be modified in terms of colour, reflection and gloss Again, just as with adding models, Adobe Dimension CC has an array of starter materials to help with quick and easy scene creation. Each of these materials can be modified in terms of colour, reflection and glossiness to create a range of looks from one starter material. Images can also be added, and these have their own separate material controls allowing a metallic label to be placed on a matte cardboard bag with ease. 03. Create a lighting environment The lighting and backdrop create an environment for a scene Dimension CC has two distinct parts to creating a convincing environment for a scene. First is the lighting, provided as an asset from a range of options. It allows full surround lighting, which can interact with a ground plane and be rotated to suit the scene. The other element is the backdrop; in some cases Dimension can adjust the perspective to match the background image, great for setting up convincing shots that match the perspective of the background. 04. Render in Adobe Dimension Dimension renders with its own engine or with V-Ray While the real-time view supports advanced features such as depth of field, when switched to the Render tab, the application is capable of creating professional-grade renders. Using either its own engine or V-Ray, Dimension renders details such as reflective elements and true lighting. There are three render settings, Low, Medium and High, fast to slow respectively. The Dimension engine is quicker than V-Ray, so bear that in mind when deadlines are tight. 05. Take advantage of stock assets A 3D asset costs the same as a normal still asset Adobe Dimension CC works with stock.adobe.com to add even more possibilities. There are a huge range of additional materials, lighting setups and models which can be added via Adobe’s stock resources. While these have to be paid for there are discounts to be had, and a 3D asset costs the same as a normal still asset. As the assets are curated you can be sure that they will work seamlessly with Adobe Dimension CC. 06. Use Adobe Libraries Share assets using Adobe Libraries The Adobe Libraries system is the key to sharing assets with Adobe Dimension. These can be assets from stock.adobe.com or Adobe Fuse models, which need to be exported from Photoshop to work with Dimension CC at the moment. Other assets can be created in applications such as Illustrator and Photoshop, which can be added to a library for instantaneous use. Libraries can also be used to store colour swatches, ensuring all assets across all media are matching. 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. Read more: These 3D portraits are unbelievably realistic 10 ways to improve your 3D anatomy 20 4D Cinema tutorials to up your 3D skills View the full article

It's 4 July, and in celebration, we're taking a look at some of the great brands the USA has given to us over the years. We're all familiar with the really big American brands that you'll find in all the lists - McDonald's, Apple, Coca-Cola and the rest. But there are plenty more that are just as ingrained in our minds and culture, and just as worthy of recognition; read on for some star-spangled, all-American logo design inspiration. Can you guess the brand from its original logo? 01. Colgate Colgate's almost as old as America itself The founder of Colgate, William Colgate, was actually English, but his family emigrated to Baltimore when he was 15 years old. In 1806, at the age of 23, he established his own starch, soap and candle business in Manhattan. It wasn't until 1896, though, that the Colgate company introduced the product that would become synonymous with its name: toothpaste in a collapsible tube, kicking off a brand identity that's still going strong today. 02. Atari It's past its prime, but Atari used to rule the videogame universe It's a name that can be traced back to the very dawn of the videogames business, and while the name Atari is Japanese and comes from the board game, Go, the company itself is all-American. Or at least it was until it was bought by the French games company, Infogrames. Its iconic logo was created in-house by graphic artist George Opperman; sometimes described as 'Fuji' because of its resemblance to the Japanese mountain, it was designed to look like a letter A while being a representation of Atari's original hit game, Pong. The two side pieces represent the players, while the middle stroke is the centre line of the Pong court. 03. Holiday Inn Would you pick one for your holiday? Originating as US motel chain, but now British-owned with over 1,000 hotels worldwide, Holiday Inn is one of the world's largest hotel chains, and while it might not be your first choice when it comes to holiday destinations, it's definitely recognisable. In its early heyday, it was notable for its big and friendly Holiday Inn logo, in a peculiar reverse-italic script font; a relaunch in 2007 saw it ditch both the logo and the last of its motels, and a new Interbrand-designed logo came to the fore. 04. Dell Dell's recent rebrand retained that jaunty 'E' While Apple and Microsoft are the two big names in computing, Dell has been doing its thing for 35 years, growing from a dorm-room operation in Austin, Texas into a multi-billion dollar corporation with over 145,000 employees worldwide. Since 1989, its logo has featured a canted letter 'E' – supposedly to reflect Michael Dell's ambition to turn the world on its ear – and this easily identifiable piece of visual shorthand was retained in its most recent rebrand, courtesy of Brand Union. 05. Ben & Jerry's Stick that on your apple pie Ben & Jerry's has been in the ice cream business for over 40 years, starting out as an ice cream shop in Burlington, Vermont in 1978, growing steadily through the 1980s and going worldwide from the 1990s onwards. Since the beginning, it's retained its charming hand-drawn Ben & Jerry's logo, designed by creative director Lyn Severance; a 2014 global redesign by Pearlfisher revamped its branding but left the logo intact. 06. Old Spice Until fairly recently Old Spice was a bit of a has-been brand, most notable for its UK TV adverts from the 1970s featuring surfers and the dramatic tones of Carl Orff's O Fortuna. And while its branding is largely unchanged these days – that combination of script font and boat logo is far too recognisable to throw away – it's done a great job of repositioning itself for a younger demographic thanks to inspired branding and marketing work from Landor, along with Wieden+Kennedy and Citizen Relations, celebrating the art of manliness in fun and unexpected ways. 07. Spam Who's up for a road trip? We know; you don't like Spam. Nobody does. But 82 years after it was originally launched, Spam – a mouth-watering blend of pork, water, salt, potato starch, sugar, and sodium nitrate – is still going strong. The reason it still does well? It's cheap – when the global economy tanked in 2008, Spam sales went up. And while the name has become synonymous with junk email, that hasn't hurt the Spam brand, and just look at that logo: it's unabashedly retro and utilitarian, with the name picked out in bright yellow ITC Souvenir Bold. You may hate the product, but you have to love the branding; you may even want to visit the Spam museum in Austin, Minnesota. 08. WD-40 WD-39 wouldn't have had the same ring to it A similarly no-nonsense piece of all-American branding comes from that essential unjammer of everything, WD-40. Everyone has a can of WD-40 around the house, either under the kitchen sink or in the garage, ready to be whipped out whenever a lock gets stuck or a hinge becomes a bit too squeaky. WD-40 is one of those items that doesn't need a clever brand identity; the name derives from what it does – water displacement – and the fact that it was invented on the 40th attempt at getting the formula right. It does the job and that stark blue-on-yellow logo makes it easy to find when you need it. 09. Gillette Once you see those hidden blades you can't unsee them It used to be 'the best a man can get', but as of this year Gillette is 'the best men can be'; a subtle development, but an important one in these #MeToo-flavoured times. Founded in 1901 as the American Safety Razor Compan, Gillette pioneered disposable safety razors and became one of the world's biggest names in shaving, and the brand name continued after the company merged with Procter & Gamble in 2005. The familiar bold italic Gillette logo has been in use since 1989, but it was revamped in 2009 with a neat hidden feature: the circular tittle on the 'i' was replaced by a quadrilateral, and now the negative space within the 'G' and the 'i' creates the effect of a pair of razor blades. 10. Harley-Davidson Get your motor running You can't have an article on American brands without featuring Harley-Davidson; big, brash, loud and occasionally dangerous, it's pretty much the embodiment of the American dream. Founded in 1901, it didn't even have a logo until 1910, and the distinctive 'bar and shield' design has formed the basis of Harley-Davidson logos ever since. Today the logo isn't just available on motorbikes; Harley-Davidson-branded merchandise is available in all shapes and forms, including clothing, toys and home décor. Related articles: 18 controversial moments in logo design and branding How to make a brand more human 21 outstanding uses of colour in branding View the full article

Founded in Romania, CyberGhost is a typical VPN provider that's thrown quite a few additional features into the mix. Its teams in Romania and Germany cater to a user base consisting of more than 30 million people across the globe, and its service is a strong contender for the prize of best VPN. Plans and pricing CyberGhost offers its services under four pricing plans. The most expensive is the one-month plan at $12.99/£10.29, followed by the one-year option at $5.99/£4.59 per month. The two-year subscription is available at $3.69/£3.09 per month, while the most cost-effective choice is the three-year subscription option at $2.75/£2.10 per month. For an additional $5/£4 a month, you can get a dedicated IP address. The subscription plans can be paid for using credit cards, PayPal, and Bitcoin. If you first want to give the service a test run, there are several options at your disposal. If you sign up using a Windows device, you have the right to a one-day free trial. This period increases to seven days if you choose an iOS device for signing up. If you download the app on your Android device, you get a seven-day free trial, without even needing to sign up. The provider also offers a 45-day money-back guarantee in case the service doesn’t work out for you after all. This is a rather long money-back guarantee period in the business. Features CyberGhost currently offers access to more than 4,500 servers in 55 countries. Its platform covers the usual features but also some more unusual ones. One of the common tools employed is a kill switch, which shuts down your entire Internet connection if the VPN connection suddenly drops, protecting your data from prying eyes. Another typical option is split tunneling, a feature that allows the user to route some apps through the VPN tunnel, and leave others on your main Internet connection. CyberGhost has this feature on its Android app only. As for the less than typical features, there are plenty. First of all, the Windows app interface allows you to choose your VPN profile (such as Surf Anonymously, Unblock Streaming or Protect Network), each of which has its own set of features. For instance, the Surf Anonymously profile allows you to enable the automated HTTPS redirecting, preferring encrypted HTTPS connections instead of the unencrypted HTTP connections to websites. All clients except the iOS one also feature a blocker of ads, trackers, and malicious websites. Data compression is an especially useful feature for mobile devices, as it saves you money by reducing the amount of data transferred through CyberGhost’s VPN tunnel. Servers can also be filtered according to their purpose (torrenting or streaming), by the number of concurrent users, by country, and more. Not only can you connect up to seven devices at the same time, but you can also install CyberGhost on one of the select routers, allowing you to connect an unlimited number. Privacy and logging Privacy is guaranteed with the help of OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP-IPSec, and IKEv2 transfer protocols and military-grade encryption provided through the 256-AES algorithm CyberGhost also provides sturdy DNS and IP leak protection and a special system of servers called the NoSpy servers. These are physically located in Romania and are therefore safe from any snooping governments and regimes. Additional advantages of these servers include higher speeds, increased bandwidth, and backup generators that ensure they are always on, even in case of a power cut. The no-logs policy states the usual - there will be no monitoring or retaining of any kind of traffic information, connection logs, or IP address during the usage of the provider’s platform. Although this can’t be confirmed and you just have to trust CyberGhost on this, the company does publish annual transparency reports listing all the DMCA complaints and police data requests it receives, with an aim to give you peace of mind. That said, Restore Privacy has voiced some concerns around CyberGhost users’ privacy and security. These concerns, among other things, refer to session-recording scripts on the provider’s website and collection of statistical data through third parties. Performance CyberGhost’s performance has some issues, such as slow download speeds for servers further away from the user device’s location. Longer connection times are also common, although this doesn’t affect the overall usefulness drastically. Image credit: CyberGhost Netflix One of the most common requirements stated by VPN users is the provider’s ability to offer them access to popular geo-restricted streaming services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime and HBO. CyberGhost excels in this area, supporting a vast choice of such services and websites. Torrents The provider allows safe and unlimited torrenting on its P2P-enabled servers, even helping you get the most out of it with a filtered list of such servers offered in the apps themselves. Client setup CyberGhost can be set up on a wide array of platforms, including Windows, Android, iOS, Mac, Linux, Fire OS, Chrome OS, Raspberry Pi, routers and more. Additionally, you can install a browser extension if you’re using Chrome or Firefox. The clients for major platforms can be found on the website, in addition to manual installation guides for all other supported devices. All the clients are user-friendly and intuitive, even for a beginner. Support Help is available in numerous forms. You can try browsing or searching the website’s support section, or simply reach out to the company’s helpful customer service agents. They are available 24/7 via live chat and email. Final verdict CyberGhost offers plenty of features at a low price but does little to instill confidence in its privacy-related capabilities. The platform is a great choice if you’re focused on limitless torrenting and streaming on a high number of devices at the same time. However, in some cases, it offers only a one-day free trial, which is far from enough to fully test out the service and check if it’s right for you. The fact that this period differs from one platform to another adds unnecessary confusion. The overall performance is satisfactory although not without its own problems. Thankfully, the support staff is always there to help you out. View the full article

Comodo Antivirus for Windows 10 is a free antivirus suite built around multiple security layers, making it some of the best antivirus software for maintaining your PC’s safety. Comodo Antivirus for Windows 10 provides real-time protection that can identify and shut down known malware before it inflicts any damage. Upon encountering some potential malware, Comodo will wall it off in a sandbox, thereby keeping the system safe from an infection. This sandbox also has other uses, such as running web browsers or other software in an isolated environment. It can even be used to create a virtual desktop, which will totally isolate the rest of the system from any potential threats, including attempts to hijack online data and activities. Expert users will also appreciate Comodo’s Host Intrusion Protection System, which provides complete control over what software can do on your system. One noticeable omission is web filtering, which means Comodo Antivirus for Windows 10 has no ability to block malicious URLs. The auto-sandboxing function can confine many threats, but this is a less direct solution than preventing you accessing malicious sites in the first place. However, despite this lapse, there are plenty of other bonus features that complete this security solution. This particular release, Comodo Antivirus 11, doesn't offer many significant upgrades from the previous version, but the developer says "major changes" are due to arrive with version 12. Details aside, Comodo Antivirus for Windows 10 remains a capable solution, and climbing up to Comodo's starter commercial product, Comodo Advanced Antivirus 11, only brings a few more features, such as protection for shopping and banking, and unlimited support. This edition costs $19.99 (about £16) to cover one device for one year. Setup Comodo Antivirus for Windows 10 is free to use, and has a few annoying quirks that are common to free software. During installation, it went right to work modifying our browser, resetting its home and new tab pages to Yahoo, as well as changing the default search engine. It is possible to avoid this by unchecking various boxes during installation, but speeding through without really reading the fine print will leave your browser in a mess. It's quite simple to prevent this that Comodo left our browser alone, and realize that this really doesn’t make our PC more secure. It's not all bad news though; the installer also offers to install some important features, including Comodo's secure Dragon Browser and Comodo Secure DNS. When you install the Comodo Dragon browser, your full Chrome settings (such as bookmarks, cookies, and history) are imported automatically. This is convenient if you're a fan of Google's browser, but we'd also like to see some support for others as well. Avast, for example, grabs settings from both Chrome and Firefox when its secure browser is installed. Setup takes some time due to a slow pre-installation scan and a virus database update that took two minutes to complete in our tests. Antivirus features Comodo Antivirus for Windows 10 provides a flexible interface with options to suit different purposes. Security status check-ins and scans are easily initiated with a tiny desktop widget, with another option to access the more traditional antivirus console. There's also an Advanced View available, which provides instant access to Comodo's most powerful features. There are plenty of options for new users (Comodo can perform just like other antivirus programs, with a choice of quick and full scans), but power users will want to step up to Comodo's advanced options. These include a Rating Scan, which checks running processes, focusing on commonly infected areas, and provides a reputation score for everything it finds. Some processes aren't full fledged malware, but are marked out as untrusted due to their behavior. If you suspect that your PC might be infected by a new type of malware, but need verification, the Rating Scan can point you in the right direction. When it comes to regular antivirus scans, Comodo can check your whole PC, or focus on specific files and folders. It can also focus on commonly infected locations, or just scan the processes currnetly running. Individual scans can be fine-tuned in various ways, with adjustable heuristics (the ability to check for new threats that haven't yet been catalogued), the option to check for reputation scores online, and an adaptable scheduler. You can choose to run scans on a regular schedule (Tuesdays at 3pm, for example), or scan your PC only on weekdays, or when the system is totally idle powered by AC current. The choice is yours. Comodo also offers the ability to create your own bootable CD or USB thumb drive, which you can use if your PC is too badly infected to boot into WIndows. It's important to create this while your PC is running smoothly, and keep it in a safe place for emergencies. Additional security tools The Comodo sandbox lets you run software from questionable sources in a safe environment, keeping it isolated so it can’t do any damage. You can also run a web browser inside the sandbox for a defense against web-based malware. It's also possible to create a complete virtual desktop, providing a secure, isolated environment where you can install potentially risky software without any threat to your actual system. We appreciate this option, but we're not sure why it requires you to install Microsoft SIlverlight. Microsoft stopped development of Silverlight in 2013, with the exception of criticual secuity updates, and Google Chrome ended support for it several years ago. Comodo Antivirus for Windows 10 also includes a secure browser, Comodo Dragon. This is a Chromium-based browser with antivirus protection baked in. Unlike Chrome, Comodo doesn't provide activity reports back to Google, blocks third-party tracking cookies, forces HTTPS connections, provides alerts for dubious SSL certificates, and more. Unfortuntely, Comodo seems to force Dragon on its users, with frequent pop-ups urging you to make it your default web browser, even if you're not interested. Comodo Antivirus for Windows 10 also offers Host Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS), a powerful security layer to give complete control over what other software does on your PC. If a program carries out a potentially dangerous action (such as running an executable file), HIPS will warn you and let you choose whether the software should be allowed to proceed. It's possible to tweak the HIPS behavior rules, but this requires some expert knowledge. Interrupting running processes can make your system unstable, but it's a handy tool for experienced users, offering plenty of ways to improve and fine-tune your system for optimal security. The Comodo KillSwitch is a big step up from the Windows Task Manager, allowing you to quickly terminate malicious programs. One highlight is the KillSwitch Repair option, which can determine whether malware has affected your PC's HOSTS file, DNS settings, Explorer policies or even more, and restore the default settings with a single click. The package is rounded off with an array of settings that are handy for all users, including a chocie of interface theme and power-aving options that prevent software updates if you're using a laptop away from its charger. Protection A downside of Comodo Antivirus for Windows 10 is that it's not included in the majority of tests from independent antivirus testing labs. However, AV-Test has examined Comodo's Internet Security Premium protection, and rated it very highly overall with a few exceptions. AV-Test found that that programs launched more slowly with Comodo running, and ranked it an unimpressive 19th among 20 contenders in terms of system performance. AV-Test found that a typical website that normally takes six seconds to load will take seven seconds with an average antivirus suite installed. With Comodo installed, the site loaded in 7.75 seconds – a difference so minor you're unlikely to notice it in real-world conditions. To test Comodo Antivirus for Windows 10's protection, we pitted it against our own custom ransomware simulator, which tests the security software's ability to identify new threats. We initiated our simulated ransomware and used Comodo's default option, running the program partly isolated, and allowing only limited rights on our PC. The ransomware did run, but because it was sandboxed, it was unable to encrypt any of our files. We were impressed by this, and appreciate that this strategy will deal with many threats. The shortcoming is that human intervention is needed, with the user successfully classifying safe software from malware that requires sandboxing. This path is fine for experts, but novices will prefer an automated antivirus that can do the heavy lifting. View the full article

Bluehost is a popular web hosting provider that was founded in Provo, Utah in 2003 by Matt Heaton and Danny Ashworth, and is one of our top recommendations for the best web hosting service. The company provides comprehensive tools to millions of users worldwide and its web hosting services power over two million websites. Since 2010, Bluehost has been a part of the Endurance International Group which is behind a lot of big names in the web hosting business including Domain.com, iPage, HostGator, SiteBuilder.com and more. So let’s take a closer look at the company’s plans, features and support to see if this web host is a good choice for your website. Image credit: Bluehost Cost and what's covered Bluehost offers a wide variety of plans including ones for shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated hosting, WordPress hosting and even ecommerce hosting powered by WooCommerce. However, in this review we’ll be looking at the company’s shared hosting packages, which are a great place to start for beginners and provide a good overall view of the services on hand. Bluehost offers four different shared hosting plans depending on the needs of your website. The ‘Basic’ plan includes one website, 50GB of SSD storage, unmetered bandwidth, a free SSL certificate and one domain for just $2.95 (about £2.50) per month. This plan is geared towards beginners just getting started with their first website and as such its features are limited compared to the higher tier plans. Next up we have the ‘Plus’ plan for $5.45 (about £5) per month that gives you unlimited websites, unlimited SSD storage, unmetered bandwidth and unlimited domains. Bluehost’s ‘Choice Plus’ plan includes all the ‘Plus’ plan has to offer, along with domain privacy and extended backup functionality. Finally we have the ‘Pro’ plan that includes everything the “Choice Plus’ plan does as well as dedicated IP and two spam experts. While Bluehost’s prices seem quite low, do keep in mind that the prices shown on the site are for what you would pay monthly if you signed up for a three-year plan. Image credit: Bluehost Signing up Bluehost’s signup process starts with the company asking you to choose a domain. You can enter a new one if it’s available or use an existing domain that you already have. There’s even an option to transfer the domain to Bluehost but it’s not required as you can easily update your name servers later. To create an account, you need to provide the usual details including your name, address, email address and phone number. Next you’re taken to the package information section where you can see the prices for the plan you’ve chosen as well as its features and extras. Remember how we mentioned earlier that the low monthly prices shown on Bluehost’s page require you to sign up for a three-year plan? Users that are unsure about signing up for a three-year plan can instead opt for the 12-month contract which costs $71.40 (about £55) for the year or $5.95 (about £5) monthly. Another important thing to note is that the ‘Pay by credit card’ option is ticked by default but there is actually a ‘More payment options’ section where you can pay with PayPal if you prefer. Image credit: Bluehost Creating a site Bluehost provides you with a simple Weebly-based website builder to help you get started creating a website, which is more than some other web hosting services give you with their basic plans. You can also choose to have WordPress and other popular apps setup for you automatically. This feature is powered by a Mojo Marketplace system which works in a similar way to other hosts where you’re asked to provide a few details and then your app is installed. If you’re familiar with WordPress and want to use its platform to create your site, Bluehost also offers a one-click install and the company is even listed as the top web host on WordPress’s own site. While other web hosting services either focus on being easy-to-use or on being powerful, Bluehost manages to do both which makes it a great choice for experienced users and beginners alike. Image credit: Bluehost Performance When reviewing a web hosting service, we like to start by first taking a look at the support options on hand as users will more than likely run into some issues along the way. Bluehost’s support begins with an extensive knowledgebase with tutorials on WordPress, email, domains, your account and the control panel to help you with any difficulties you might have getting your site setup. The company also has a regularly updated blog with articles on a variety of topics including online marketing, web hosting, WordPress and of course, news about the company itself. If you can’t find the help you need in either Bluehost’s knowledgebase or blog, live chat is also available. We tested the company’s live chat out for ourselves by asking a question and we were connected with an agent in less than a minute. Bluehost does offer 24/7 customer support over the phone but live chat is a welcome feature for dealing with pressing issues quickly. Finally we did some performance tests on our site by running Bitcatacha on Bluehost. Response time from the US was excellent and we would expect no less from a US-based site. Ping times from the US and Europe were more than acceptable but we did notice some slowdowns when connecting from locations far from the US such as Singapore and Sao Paulo. Overall though, Bluehost performed well during all of our tests. View the full article

The font vs typeface debate is a reminder that industry terminology changes gradually over time. Most of the time, the two words are used interchangeably and it’s not a problem. But, at a technical level, the words ‘font’ and ‘typeface’ do have distinct meanings and – depending on the context – if you use them incorrectly, you may get caught out. With this in mind, let's take a look at the history of the words font and typeface in relation to typography and graphic design, and settle the debate once and for all. Don't care about the nuances and just want some fonts (or was it typefaces?), see our post on the best free fonts. Font vs typeface: What's the difference? Studio DBD asked font foundry F37 to create a bespoke typeface for its Foilco rebrand The main difference between a ‘font’ and a ‘typeface’ is that the former exists as part of the latter. Helvetica is a typeface – a complete set of sans serif characters with a common design ethos. However, it is made up of a whole collection of fonts, each in a specific weight, style and size, with different levels of condensation as well as italic versions. Because most designers are used to working on Macs, where you install fonts and then select them from the Font menu, we tend to use the word font in daily discourse, but if you are asked by an executive creative director what font you’ve used in a project, it’s possible they want to know the precise details. Helvetica would be the typeface chosen for the project, but the font might be Helvetica Regular 9 point. In certain contexts – not just when you’re talking to a typographer who is a stickler for accuracy – knowing the exact font is critical. When coding an app for a specific type of display, adhering to a particular font selection may lead to optimum legibility. For most people these days, the terms ‘font’ and ‘typeface’ are often used interchangeably Dave Sedgwick Brand guidelines (see our favourite example style guides) are another case in point with identity designers choosing typefaces in certain sizes and weights to support the brand aesthetic they want to portray. In the world of packaging, there are consumer protection regulations to adhere to. For example, EU law stipulates a minimum size for the text in the nutrition declaration. However, in most circumstances even experienced designers alternate between the two and we’re not ashamed to admit that it even happens right here on Creative Bloq. “It’s probably sacrilege but I’m not sure I’ve ever known the difference,” says Dave Sedgwick, founder of Studio DBD in Manchester. “For most people these days, the terms ‘font’ and ‘typeface’ are often used interchangeably and most clients probably don’t know the difference either so when we’re presenting directly to them we use simple, straightforward terminology that doesn’t suggest we’re attempting to overcomplicate things.” And he’s right. Usually it doesn’t matter, but when the distinction is important it might help to look at it like this. We choose a typeface because of its common aesthetic qualities. Then we refine it down to a specific font by setting its size, weight, style and sometimes the character set such as Roman, Cyrillic or Greek when we use it. For example, you might love the typeface Futura because of its modernist look, and so the font you used for the captions on your site is Futura Condensed Extra Bold 8 point. If the font is the song, the typeface is the artist. Font vs typeface: A history MuirMcNeil’s Cut typeface is a modernist homage to 18th and 19th century typefaces such as Didot The difference between a font and a typeface has its roots in the history of printing. The word font itself comes from the Middle French 'fonte', meaning cast in metal. Printers cast complete sets of metal letters to make up a font. Fonts with a common design made up a typeface. In a box containing a specific font were two cases – one for capitals and one for small letters – which is where upper and lower case comes from. Blocks of text were assembled letter by letter to form a page layout, which was then rolled with ink and pressed onto paper to make prints. With the advent of digital typesetting, much of the hot metal terminology was maintained, but the context and the possibilities changed completely. In pure computing terms, there actually isn’t any distinction between a font and a typeface. If you have the Helvetica font data installed on your computer, you’ll be able to render the entire typeface. Each letter is completely scalable, based on the same vector formulae. A traditional typesetter might have had a font labelled Times Roman 7pt back in the day, but on your Mac the size isn’t important because your font file will contain all the data needed to change it in an instant. The reason we focus on fonts today is largely as a result of desktop publishing and word processing applications, which have a Font menu. When you click it, you get a list of typefaces to choose from – Arial, Baskerville, Caslon etc – and from there you set the specifics of the font – Medium Italic 16 point, for example. When he wrote The Visual History of Type, published by Laurence King in 2017, typographic designer Paul McNeil of MuirMcNeil avoided using the word ‘font’ to describe anything before the digital era. “Instead I referred to the embodiment of type in metal with the word ‘fount’ in order to be accurate,” he says. “The book’s editors would not accept this word, probably correctly: typographers can be too myopic.” Ironically, although it irks typographers that people mix up the terms font and typeface, people today actually know far more about type than ever before thanks to their computers. Font vs typeface: Does it matter? With a focus on food branding, Sweet Sneak has crafted lettering out of biscuits, cold meats, pasta and more Whether it matters in the industry is a different question. “The distinction between the two definitely serves a purpose,” continues McNeil, “but only for those who understand what it is – typically people who have trained in graphics, typography or type design. In my experience, typefaces are either indistinct or invisible to many people so most terms of reference are irrelevant.” Take the discussion outside of the English-speaking world and things get even more interesting. Copenhagen studio Sweet Sneak has a multinational team that includes Germans, Austrians, Danes and Dutch creatives. When we asked them about the distinction between ‘font’ and ‘typeface’, it sparked a wider linguistic discussion. “The terminology in our native languages is a bit different, maybe even more finely nuanced than in English,” says Brini Fetz, co-founder and creative director. If you want to express yourself precisely it is important to distinguish between the two terms Brini Fetz “If you want to express yourself precisely it is important to distinguish between the two terms, but we still tend to use the word ‘font’ in daily office language. The term ‘font’ in Dutch and German often refers only to the digital version of a typeface, so it gets even more complicated when you look into what the terms mean in different languages.” Whether someone says ‘font’ or ‘typeface’ isn’t as important as how they actually work, according to Sedgwick. “I’m more interested in how designers think than I am in about whether they are entirely clued up on all the relevant terminology. I believe a good attitude and a genuine desire to learn or find things out is more important, and I’m not even sure design students are being taught the fundamentals of type in the correct language these days anyway.” Read more: 15 top typography resources Typography rules and terms every designer must know 20 free ebooks for designers View the full article

Microsoft's social media team appears to be building up to something. Earlier this week the tech company's accounts started to tease the launch of Windows 1.0, the operating system that was first launched back in November 1985. So is this a publicity stunt, an unprompted trip down memory lane, or the build up to a product launch? The confusion kicked off on Monday 1 July, when the official Windows Twitter account shared a video that cycles through the history of operating system's logo designs before settling on the original Windows 1.0 icon. The video was accompanied by the caption "Introducing the all-new Windows 1.0, with MS-Dos Executive, Clock, and more!!" What could it mean? Twitter user Zachary Jorgensen spoke for a lot of people in his tweet that asked: "are you re-releasing all the previous Windows operating systems again or what? Is this even real or is it just a joke? What is this supposed to be exactly? Why is this a promoted ad? WHAT IS GOING ON??? I’M SO CONFUSED." Meanwhile others took the opportunity to indulge in some Windows-related nostalgia. As for Windows, it's enjoying remaining tight-lipped for the time being. In response to questions about what it's up to, Windows has replied with suitably '80s-sounding tweets. The nostalgia trip doesn't end there though. Windows seems to be sticking to its latest obsession by changing its social media profile pictures to the Windows 1.0 logo. On Instagram it's even gone one step further and erased all content that isn't about Windows 1.0. This isn't the case on Twitter, but both channels have started pushing Windows 1.0 content. These posts include quizzes about the memory required to run Windows 1.0 in 1985, and a look at the exciting programs the operating system will run "this summer". A popular theory is that this is all heading towards a Stranger Things tie-in. If this is the case, Windows wouldn't be the first brand to piggyback on the success of the popular fantasy show set in the '80s. LEGO released this epic Stranger Things set, and Coca-Cola got involved with the series by bringing back its unpopular New Coke, which was originally launched in 1985. In the meantime though, we're just going to have to sit tight and wait for Windows to reveal why it's getting all retro on us. Related articles: Microsoft brings React Native to Windows Microsoft announces absurdly powerful new XBox console The best Microsoft Surface deals in 2019 View the full article

If you're looking for the best fibre broadband deals, you've come to the right place. Fibre broadband, super-fast fibre broadband in particular, isn't as rare as it once was. With coverage now available to over 90 per cent of UK premises, it's probably available at your home or studio. And it doesn't cost the earth either. Prices of fibre broadband deals have fallen dramatically over the last few years and a speedier connection now only costs a few pounds more a month than slower ADSL. That's a small price to pay for the extra productivity that fibre broadband affords you. There are rapid downloads and uploads, stutter-free video calling and, of course, lightning quick internet browsing – all without the desk-thumping frustration caused by old-fashioned broadband connections. Our easy-to-work, up to the minute price comparison below will let you quickly see what the best fibre broadband deals in the UK today are. And below that we've answered some commonly asked questions about fibre, what speeds you really need and more. Just want the lowest cost internet possible? Head to our best cheap broadband deals page Do I need a fibre broadband deal? In the same way that you wouldn't scrimp on your laptop, camera equipment or video editing software, it really pays dividends to invest in your internet connection as well. Bearing in mind that you're only looking at an extra fiver a month max, that's just an extra £60 to find each year for average broadband speeds of more than triple what you get with cheaper ADSL. So yes, if fibre is available where you are, then we'd heartily recommend you make the upgrade. Can I even get fibre broadband? As we said at the top of the page, fibre is now enormously common and is being rolled out to more places all the time. We've seen estimates that say fibre is now available to more than 95 per cent of UK premises. And it's really easy to see whether you're one of the majority that can get fibre. Simply enter your postcode where indicated immediately above the fibre broadband comparison above. If deals show in the table, then you're good to go. If all the tariffs suddenly disappear, then it looks like fibre isn't an option for you...sorry! What fibre broadband speed do I need? The range of speeds that you can get are enormous. They start at around 35Mb and can go all the way up to a faintly ridiculous 1Gb. An average speed of 35Mb is the equivalent download speed of just over 4MB per second. That should be absolutely fine if you're after home broadband and want to strike the balance between price and speed. If you're hunting for an internet plan for your small studio or 4K TV streaming is a must (either professionally or to help you unwind), then it's worth cranking up the speeds to 50Mb or over. Pretty much every provider out there can cater for these speeds. Still not fast enough for your needs? Then there are even faster options still... What about Virgin Media broadband deals? Virgin Media follows a very different model to most other ISPs. It doesn't faff around with slower ADSL connections and its entry-level package begins at around a rapid 50Mb, going all the way up to 350Mb (43MB per second). That may sound tempting – and Virgin is certainly very good value considering how fast it can be – but be warned that the availability of Virgin is much lower than the other internet companies. It's more like six in ten households that can get Virgin broadband. That's because it uses its own cable wiring instead of the standard Openreach fibre. That gives it greater control over speed and results in less bandwidth being used up by your neighbours. It also means however, that there are usually greater installation costs and you may be waiting longer to get started if you're in a rush. Can I get a 1Gb fibre broadband deal? Ultra-fast 1Gb broadband has only been rolled out to a very tiny proportion of the population as yet – only around 1 per cent. While the likes of BT and Vodafone have experimented with ultra-fast, other smaller providers have entered this space in the market, too. For example, less recognised companies such as Hyperoptic and Gigaclear have also begun rolling out 1Gb fibre. And often in more rural areas, too. So again, head on back up to the postcode entry box above the broadband price comparison at the top of the page and that will let you know within seconds whether any 1Gb fibre plans are available on your street of residence or work. Related articles: The best laptops for graphic design Things no graphic designer should be without The 5 best desks for your home office or studio View the full article

Learning how to draw an arm that looks realistic is a vital part of a life drawing. The layers of complex anatomy need to be accurately portrayed, and succeeding at this whilst conveying a sense of movement and strength is no easy feat. In this guide, we’ll be studying the arm, particularly the twisting (pronated) forearm. The arms, if drawn gesturally, can have a rhythmic appearance. If the gesture of the anatomy isn’t taken into consideration then they can look stiff due to their structural up-and-down hinge movement. The hinge joint is the elbow of the lower arm’s ulna bone fitting into the spanner-like condyles of the upper arm’s humerus bone. For more step-by-step drawing guides, check out our rundown of the best how to draw tutorials, our spotlight on figure drawing, or you could focus on improving your pencil drawing techniques. In my oil painting, Jason and the Golden Fleece, you can see the importance of understanding the rhythm and power of the arms and how they turn The Three Hells Gesture, structure and render are everything we need to create heavenly drawings, but these three components can be hellish if unbalanced. When we rely too much on gesture, our figure drawings become floppy and boneless. This is gesture hell. And if we rely too much on structure our drawings become wooden and stiff – welcome to structure hell. If we use render to hide poor gesture or structure then our drawings will look laboured and dull. This is the worst hell. We’re all sinners at one point or another... Check the study sheet at the end for anatomy landmarks and proportions as you go, but for now let’s get drawing that arm. Click on the icon at the top-right of the image to enlarge it.Draw an arm: 01. Follow the twist This twisted arm is gesture heaven Looking at the twisted arm study (right), you can see how the straighter arm study (left) was started with broad gestural shapes, from the large deltoid top to narrower wrist at the bottom. This is gesture heaven. Note how much twist the wrist is capable of by following the ulna (elbow) bone. 02. Develop a good plot Base the structure on simple anatomy Having plotted out the basic structural shapes, based on simple anatomy, I wipe the drawing back to a ghost form with tissue. This creates a faded road map for me to articulate the more sophisticated lines and tones to follow. I add proportional head-size based divisions to help control the length. 03. Stay sharp Improve the anatomy using the faded structure lines I keep my pencil lead long and sharp, which helps keep my lines long, gestural and accurate. With the faded structure lines underneath I have the confidence to make each line more gestural and fluid on top. This also gives me the chance to improve the anatomy with every stroke. 04. Soften the flesh Notice the bunching muscles I lay in some forms with the pencil edge, then soften the forms broadly with a shammy leather cloth to create an early feel for the softness of flesh. Notice in the right-hand drawing how the muscles are bunching upward due to the twist and flex of the forearm. 05. Keep in mind the hierarchy of muscles The deltoid is king Here the study begins in earnest. At this point I’m overlapping the pectoralis muscle across the biceps, but under the twisting deltoids. Knowing the hierarchy of muscles helps me understand depth and form. “The deltoid is king” is a good phrase to remember for the arm 06. Get ahead in anatomy studies Use the below comparisons to gauge the length of the hand Here I seize the chance to draw some digits in detail – a luxury that life-drawing classes don’t always have time for. To sight the length of a hand I compare the bottom of the nose to the top of the head. I also use a measurement of three-and-one-third heads from shoulder to fingertips. 07. Capture the twisting of arm muscles Considered study keeps us in gestural heaven Now I work on both arm studies at once, going back and forth as I shade the curved forms. Doing this helps us understand the twisting and bunching of fibrous muscle as the arm turns. At this point we are in gesture and structural heaven. Considered study has kept us from falling into both gestural and structural hell. 08. Stay out of render hell We could ruin our structure by overdoing the blending and softening I use a paper stump to blend and render tone. This is a dangerous place as we can easily screw up our solid structure by over-blending and softening the edges so much that we slowly change the form without noticing. This is what I mean by render hell. Of the three hells, this is the most fearful and destructive. 09. Notice the sorcery afoot The bones twist and pull the muscles along with them Here are the bones that live under the muscles. The white dots indicate where they meet the surface. The main sorcery to note is how the flat-ended radius bone has twisted across the ulna bone to bring the thumb to the back, while pulling the forearm muscles with it. 10. Focus on the ball and socket Focus on the rotation of the joint While the forearm is doing most of the turning, the humerus bone of the upper arm follows to a lesser degree as it rotates inside the shoulder and twists the deltoid. The rotation occurs via the ball and socket joint-connection of the scapula called the glenoid process. 11. Don't sweat the small stuff Render by following the form rhythmically The other problem with render hell is that we tend to focus on the small stuff and lose sight of the big picture. To avoid the stiff quality of slow-cooked render hell, I render gesturally, following the form with pendulum-like rhythmic strokes, moving back and forth, all the way down the arm. 12. Blur the lines Fade lines with tissue and use eraser to draw highlights Here I’m using a pencil eraser to ‘draw’ the highlights. It’s worth noting that I rarely use erasers to erase errors. I prefer to fade lines with tissue and keep drawing. If I make an error that requires major erasing, I find it’s simply better to start again with fresh rhythm. 13. Pop the highlights Use a kneadable eraser for the softer highlights Using charcoal and tissue I smudge and rub into the background to provide a grey tone that visually ‘pops’ the highlights of the flesh by providing contrast. For softer highlights I use a kneadable eraser, moving down the arm as before, swaying in rhythm, always drawing, and moving it side to side. 14. Remember nobody's perfect Adding tiny details may crack open the doors to render hell With all the hells avoided, we end with a study that is neither too gesturally floppy nor too structurally stiff. Proud of myself, I self-indulge in a bit of needless render, adding tiny details such as wrinkles and veins. Yes, I’ve creaked open the sinful doors to render hell again, but hey, nobody’s perfect. The pronated arm study sheet Use this sheet to further explore the anatomy of the arm When the palm is up, the hand position is know as supination. When the palm is down, it’s called pronation. With pronation, we turn the thumb toward our body, twisting the muscles attached to the radius bone across the ulna bone, much like a bunched-up towel. A good ballpark length of the arm from shoulder to fingertips is three-and-one-third heads. Note that although it’s the flat radius bone on the thumb side that twists over the ulna, it’s easier to see the ball shape of the ulna on the wrist. Just follow the ulna. You can also see that biceps attach to the radius, while the brachialis under the biceps attaches to the ulna. Finally, the Ulna bone is the landmark that divides the extensors on the top of the arm from the flexors under the arm. This article was originally published in ImagineFX, the world's best-selling magazine for digital artists. Subscribe to ImagineFX. Read more: How to draw muscles How to draw a figure The best pencils for colouring, drawing and sketching View the full article

Cancer Research UK's latest campaign is at the centre of an online controversy around fat shaming. The campaign, which sees the word 'obesity' appear on the front of cigarette packets in the place of brand names and health warnings, is one of the more impactful examples of billboard advertising we've seen. In a blog post, Cancer Research UK explains the thinking behind the divisive ads by revealing that obese people outnumber smokers two to one, and that excess weight causes more cases of certain cancers than smoking. "The campaign compares smoking and obesity to show how policy change can help people form healthier habits, not to compare tobacco with food," the charity says. But despite Cancer Research UK's reasoning, the campaign has quickly provoked an intense backlash from the public. Web developer Ken Lynch criticised the campaign by describing it as a "new low" in a widely shared post on Twitter. This tweet lead to a flurry of back-and-forth replies, where people either voiced their disgust with the campaign or defended it. A common theme running through the responses was that Cancer Research UK was fat shaming obese people. This isn't the first time Cancer Research UK has been accused of fat shaming, either. Last year, a similarly hard-hitting campaign from the charity caused offence when it invited people to guess that obesity was the biggest preventable cause of cancer after smoking. At the heart of the controversy is the confusion around who Cancer Research UK is targeting. In a tweet, user Ann Coates say that the ads will cause "nothing but harm" for obese people. But the charity insists that it isn't punching down with these billboards. Instead, it wants to use them to go after the government in order to implement a policy change that will halve childhood obesity rates by 2030, and place restrictions on adverts for junk food on TV and online. Speaking in the blog post, Cancer Research UK's prevention expert, professor Linda Bauld, added: "There isn't a silver bullet to reduce obesity, but the huge fall in smoking over the years – partly thanks to advertising and environmental bans – shows that Government-led change works. It was needed to tackle sky-high smoking rates, and now the same is true for obesity. "The world we live in doesn't make it easy to be healthy and we need Government action to fix that, but people can also make changes themselves; small things like swapping junk food for healthier options and keeping active can all add up to help reduce cancer risk." Related articles: 5 ad campaigns that changed the world 5 ads that tried to be cool, but failed Gillette cuts close to the bone with #MeToo-inspired ad View the full article

Picking the best sketchbook is no easy task. It's an important decision and one that can have a huge impact on your work. For example, a sketchbook with heavier, thicker paper is more likely to be suitable for artists using watercolors and markers, whereas lighter paper is a better choice for dry media. The 'tooth', or texture of the paper is also an important consideration. Paper with more tooth has more pits and grooves to hold pigment from charcoal and pastels, while smoother paper is more suited to your best pencils and inks. A spiral-bound sketchbook will lie nice and flat while you work, whereas some hard-bound sketchbook may be tricker to use. For sketching on-the-go, a smaller hard-cover sketchbook will serve you well, fitting into a bag or pocket and protecting your work, whereas large-format sketchbooks will give you more space and freedom. With all that in mind, here's our pick of the best sketchbooks to make you a better artist – however you like to work. Image credit: Moleskine The Moleskine Art Collection Sketchbook is ideal for sketching on the move, and wins our vote for best sketchbook overall. This is the larger of the two sizes, giving you plenty of room to work, but it's still convenient for carrying thanks to its elastic closure, which keeps it neat in a bag, and rounded corners that won't become bent. Its ivory-colored paper is quite smooth, but with enough tooth for most dry media. With 240 pages, you won't need to worry about filling it up too quickly, but the price is so reasonable that it wouldn't matter if you did. Image credit: Leda If you're new to sketching, this superb all-rounder will serve you well as you learn and progress, and is inexpensive enough to use for everyday practising, wherever you are. The Leda Art Supply Premium Sketchbook is a little smaller than A4 size, enabling it to fit neatly into most folders and bags. Its cover is waterproof to protect your work on the move, though it's worth noting that it's flexible, so you'll need a hard surface to support it. Despite being thread-bound, it lies just as flat as a spiral-bound notebook, and its cream-colored pages have micro-perforations for easy removal. Image credit: Strathmore Strathmore's specialist papers are made with specific uses in mind, paying careful attention to color, absorbency, weight and texture. For professional artists, the Strathmore 400 Series Sketch Pad is one of the best sketchbooks around, with a fine tooth that carries graphite, coloured pencils and pastels well. This is the smallest pad, but it comes in a wide range of sizes (all the way up to 18 x 24 inches) if you need more space to work. This top quality general purpose pad is ideal for structural sketches, though the price per sheet means it's probably a little too expensive for practising. Image credit: Canson Mixed-media pads can be useful, but they rarely perform as well as pads designed for specific tasks. The Canson Artist Series Watercolor Pad is made to made to withstand repeated washes. Its thick paper won't ripple of deform as it dries, and there'll be no bleeding. Each page is perforated, but Canson has factored that into the size, so you won't lose an inch of paper when you tear a page out, as you do with many similar pads. This sketchbook works out quite pricey per page, but so thoughtfully designed, we think it's well worth the extra outlay. Image credit: Canson Another excellent wet media sketchbook from Canson, the Canson XL Marker Paper Pad provides 100 pages of thin, slightly translucent paper that's quite unusual, but works well for sketching and tracing. The surface is smooth with little in the way of tooth, so you won't need to worry about your markers snagging, and the ink won't bleed through to the next page. The translucent paper means you'll be able to see your sketches on the reverse, so you won't be able to sketch on both sides, but there are enough sheets for this not to be an issue. Image credit: Strathmore Toned sketchbooks are ideal for learning to use values, encouraging you to use a whole range and helping you achieve more realistic results. Strathmore also offers a gray toned pad, but we've picked the Strathmore 400 Series Toned Tan Pad as the best sketchbook because its warm colour lends life to portrait sketches. The paper's smooth texture works particularly well with coloured pencils and graphite, though it carries all dry media well. If you've not used toned paper before then you might prefer a less costly pad at first, but Strathmore's paper is a joy to use once you're confident. Image credit: Canson Many sketchbooks are roughly A4-sized, but there's no need to confine your work to such small spaces. This version of the Canson Artist Series Universal Sketch Pad is two feet long, giving you space to draw freely. Its paper doesn't have much tooth, so it's best for use with pencils and charcoal. The spiral binding lets it lie flat as you work, the hard cover provides protection and support, and each page is easy to remove for storage in a portfolio. Keep an eye out for multipacks of Canson sketchbooks, as these are often a good way to stock up. Image credit: Pentalic At the other end of the scale, we have the neat little Pentalic Wire-Bound Sketch Book, which is small enough to fit in a pocket, and tough enough to survive some rough treatment. Its hard cover prevents damage from everyday knocks and bumps, and its double wire spiral bounding resists bending. There are no perforations for tearing out pages, so this is better for exercises and rough work than pieces you want to keep in a portfolio. That's fine by us, though, and its affordable price means we've no reservations about filling it. One of the best sketchbooks for any artist on the move. Read more: How to draw: the best drawing tutorials The best art jobs The best travel accessories for designers View the full article

The best graphic design memes will have designers nodding their heads in agreement, as they see elements of their daily lives played out in images or GIFs. These graphic design memes show everything from struggles with clients to naming conventions in Photoshop, and chasing up late payments. The internet is awash with such memes, so once you've checked out the graphic designer's price list, dive into our list of graphic design memes. How many can you relate to? For more colourful depictions of an array of different subjects, see our list of the best infographics. 01. Brief vs budget We've all had that sort of client, the one who isn't after a 'small favour'. They aren't suggesting you work 'for the experience'. They've got money to spend on this project. Except the amount of money they're willing to spend in no way matches the amount of work they want you to put into it. They want a blockbuster on an indie budget. 02. Defend yourself, firmly but fairly Clients often want you to work miracles but they don't want to pay miracle-prices, but that's not the most annoying thing. The thing many designers can't stand – and simply will not put up with – is the client literally or figuratively loitering over your shoulder and questioning every stage of the design process. This sort of backseat-designing is enough to make anyone want to defend themselves. 03. Client push back They say the customer's always right? But when you know they're absolutely not, things can get heated. When the studio manager mediates, it often gets more heated, and it seems that the creative director is always, quite conveniently, "in a meeting." 04. The good/cheap/fast conundrum Most clients want the work to be either good, cheap or fast. The problem comes when they expect it to be all three. This is in fact impossible, as the above GIF shows. 05. When inspiration strikes When you're ready and waiting for a dazzling idea to hit – you've cracked open a brand new limited edition Moleskine sketchbook, you're holding your freshly sharpened Blackwing pencil, and you're at your adjustable, ergonomic, sit/stand workstation – which cost more than your car – it inevitably doesn't. Picasso reckoned inspiration really does exist, but it has to find you working. But, more often than not, inspiration finds you eating, shopping, showering – it finds you anywhere but your adjustable, ergonomic, sit/stand workstation (see our best desks if you want one). 06. File naming Once you're at the designing stage, it's all too easy to decide that there will only be one 'final' version of that document. It's only then you realise you've missed something, and then something else... 07. Two types of designer Once you decide to tweak this, redo that, all of sudden, the whole project has become far more complicated than you ever imagined it would be. It's easy to wish you were one of those organised designers, someone who has a tried and tested workflow, who keeps their layers nice and tidy. These people must exist. 08. Balancing act Of course there had to be a meme on work-life balance. When you're balancing clients, meetings, chasing invoices, doing good work, doing satisfying work, doing work that pays, that pays well, work-life balance (what life?), worrying about how work will be received, worrying you're doing too much work, worrying you're not doing enough work: balancing all of these things, you think, makes you tougher, stronger, a better designer, a better person. But you also think that maybe balancing all of these things makes you look like a moron. 09. The idea in your head The gap between the idea and the made thing The author Cormac McCarthy said the thing you end up making is never as good as the idea in your head. The exciting bit is trying to bridge that gap. But, of course, then other people have to stick their beaks in. The idea in your head is normally a million miles away from the way the thing you end up making is received (as these logo fails show). 10. Getting paid Once you've done the work-work, often the real work begins: getting paid. You invoiced the client weeks ago, months ago, last year. You've heard all the excuses. The invoice is "being processed." The invoice is "with accounts". The invoice is "signed off". Meanwhile you're subsisting on Weetabix and refreshing your online banking at five-minute intervals. Until finally, the sweet moment comes. Read more: This guide highlights everything that's wrong with modern branding 9 things you need to sort before going freelance Best free fonts for designers View the full article