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New illustration and design trends can spread globally almost overnight. But any creative worth their salt will look to forge their own path and solve a brief in their own way, even if influenced by a larger movement. It's about driving the discipline forward, not blindly following the crowd. At the start of 2018, we identified a list of major illustration trends, as well as three broader visual movements that capture modern life, as identified by the team at Getty Images. Here, we explore how leading practitioners have evolved some of them over the past six months. Read on to discover four on-trend illustrators who could be perfect for your next design project... 01. Unexpected colour palettes: Cristina Daura One of the key trends we identified earlier in the year across both illustration and design is an increasing use of brave, bold and unexpected colour palettes – as encapsulated by the high-profile rebrand of Dropbox, for instance. Barcelona-based creative Cristina Daura is a leading exponent of this approach. Her influences are diverse, and include Matisse and the wider Fauvism movement, architect Ricardo Bofill, illustration duo Icinori, and comic artists such as Daniel Clowes, Adrian Tomine, Chris Ware and Olivier Schrauwen. "I think colour is my main defining mark, that and the composition of my illustrations," explains the illustrator, who strives to "bend reality" using bold colours and playful forms. "I’m very fond of primary colours: red, blue and yellow mainly, but also green and pink. I try to work with a very limited colour palette to express my story, and provoke attention and visual pleasure – at least for me," she grins. Daura has witnessed a growing number of clients seeking bold colour palettes in their commissions. "Although I hope it doesn’t go too far or we'll get sick of it too fast," she warns. "If a client asks me for a specific palette just because it’s what people want now, that doesn’t work for me." 02. Softer take on masculinity: Tianju Duan In the wake of the #MeToo crisis, the notion of toxic masculinity has gone hand in hand with the rise of female empowerment and the wider equality movement. Conversely, the reaction to this has also included a trend for a more emotionally nuanced, less toxic and stereotypical portrayal: masculinity undone. Illustrator Tianju Duan is at the forefront of this movement, through his recent project, Boy Power! "I came across young queer artists posing on social media some time ago, many of whom don’t represent mainstream male beauty, but they are all so comfortable in their own skin," he recalls. "I was drawn to their confidence, and decided to draw them." Boy Power! celebrates the non-stereotypical qualities of masculinity, depicting "sensitive, sensual, vulnerable or flamboyant" subjects, as Duan puts it. "There's a wide LGBTQ+ rights movement in recent years. As a queer artist myself, I feel uplifted by this trend," he adds. "Even though the movement hasn’t brought positive changes in every corner of the world, I have good hopes that it will." 03. Rebirth of surrealism: Andrey Kasay These are strange, turbulent times we live in, and another significant recent trend in illustration has been the rebirth of surrealist, absurd styles and subject matters. Illustrator Andrey Kasay originally hails from the far-east of Russia where, as he puts it, "my neighbours were the Amur tiger and the Dingo dog, who taught me to draw and make animated videos" – which sets the scene nicely for his surreal work. While the rising trend for conceptual realism in photography gives surreal and abstract subjects a grittier, more 'real' aesthetic, illustration can more comfortably straddle the line between realistic and fantastical. "I want to surprise others, and myself," shrugs Kasay. "My work is mostly done intuitively, when I’m in a flow." And while surrealism is on the rise in general, its various proponents all have a uniquely bizarre twist on the movement. "I feel alone in my world - in a good way," Kasay adds. "Walk alone. Look around, notice things and do works – all alone. It’s good to be somewhere in between, and not part of a system." 04. Retro 1990s aesthetic: Xaviera Altena For the last few years, the 1980s have reigned supreme when it comes to retro aesthetics in design and illustration, as well as pop culture output such as Stranger Things and Thor: Ragnarok. Rotterdam-based illustrator Xaviera Altena, however, is part of a growing trend for reawakening the 1990s aesthetic, and brings pop culture references from the decade to life with bold, simple linework and bright, poppy colours. "Bold colours, loud noises, and bold statements were a common thing on television, posters and T-shirts," recalls the illustrator, who was born in the mid-'90s. "Nowadays everything is black and 'simple'. We've lost all the happiness that was so alive in the '90s." For subject matter, Altena lists "ballsy ladies, big sunglasses, big boots, crazy hairstyles, patterns and feminism – all with a big splash of pop thrown over it." Her influences include Laura Callaghan, Hattie Stewart, Sara Andreasson and Celia Jacobs: similarly-aged, female creatives with an occasional political edge. While Altena isn't convinced that the '90s aesthetic has replaced the '80s obsession - she's currently working on an '80s-inspired brief herself – she believes it's the edgy attitude that's most in-vogue. "I draw fierce and bold women, and that ties into the whole new-feminism wave that is happening right now," she adds. Related articles: The designer's guide to illustration 4 design trends we're tired of hearing about 10 huge graphic design trends for 2018 View the full article

If you work in the fast-paced animation industry, it’s essential to have an up-to-date showreel. Whether you specialise in films, video games, television or mobile, animation can be a volatile field: studios close; projects are cancelled; technology changes rapidly. “It’s important to stay on your toes,” says Jonathan Cooper, an animator at American video game developer Naughty Dog. “Always have as much recent work as possible available to make a demo reel in a bind – with permission, of course. “Even beyond job-hunting, though, your showreel is a great way to get your work out there in the animation community – outside of the actual finished product on the shelves – highlighting your skills and what you specifically worked on,” he continues. 32 brilliant design portfolios to inspire you So what’s the secret to creating the perfect animation showreel? Should you tailor it? And what do the world’s top studios want to see? After all, you’ve only got one chance to make a lasting impression. Leading animators from Pixar, Blue Sky Studios and Naughty Dog share their best advice for creating the perfect showreel... 01. Show storytelling Monsters Inc's Mike Wazowski was the first character Gordon got to lead “Piece together pieces so that you’re telling your prospective viewer that you understand cutting, continuity and staging. You want to say: ‘Hey, I’m a film-maker’,” advises Pixar Animation Studios directing animator Andrew Gordon, who’s worked on everything from A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc and Toy Story 3 to Pixar’s Academy Award-nominated short film Presto. “I love the idea of seeing a lot of shots and continuity. Show me a character that I’m really engaged in watching; that’s well-posed and has a funny little story. When I see that, I know this person is thinking about entertainment. People don’t want to see just great animation. They want to see if you can tell a story.” 02. Entertain “At Disney we would talk about portfolios that stuck out – and they stuck out because the work was consistently entertaining throughout,” explains Oscar-nominated animator Aaron Blaise. “We’re in the business of entertainment. I want your portfolio to entertain me.” 03. Demonstrate the principles of animation “I look for stuff that first and foremost shows someone understands the principles of animation,” says Gordon. His blog, Spline Doctors, has a wealth of helpful animation-related tips, although it is no longer being updated. “They need to understand weight, physicality, overlap, squash and stretch,” he continues. “More importantly is the ability to show that somebody has good acting sensibilities and understands how to gesture or when not to gesture.” 04. Add personality “Remember, we're artists,” points out Lisa Allen, an animator at NYC’s Blue Sky Studios and portfolio reviewer at the most recent CTN animation expo. “Don't forget to put yourself into your work.” Remember, we're artists. Don't forget to put yourself into your work. Lisa Allen, Blue Sky Studios Allen’s worked on Epic, Rio 2, Peanuts and Disney’s Wreck It Ralph, and was a year-and-a-half out of college when she won her first full-time animation job. “I was a junior-level animator at the time, but they liked that I took a simple, quick shot of a guy walking and talking, and gave the walk a lot of personality,” she recalls. “You can watch a reel with great animation, where the polish, arcs, everything is perfect. But what makes me remember it is that one unique choice – maybe it’s an unexpected acting choice; maybe it’s surprising and interesting timing. These little things make me think, ‘Oh, this animator can bring ideas to the table that no one else would think of.’” 05. Less is more “For me, the perfect reel is about three-five clips and around a minute long. If you're on the fence about throwing in that one old piece from three years ago just to pad your reel, don't do it,” states Lisa Allen. “If the clip doesn't represent your full abilities as an animator, and leaves the reviewer questioning anything, it’s better to leave it out and have a shorter reel.” 06. Quality, quality, quality “I’m a broken record on this, but only include your best, most impressive work, urges Aaron Blaise. “If you’re an animator, I don’t want to see the walk cycles you did in your first year of college. I want to see your latest, best work. Remember: quality over quantity.” If you have a thesis film, I want to see it finished. Unfinished thesis films speak volumes about the person presenting the portfolio. It could be poor time management, lack of focus, an inability to gauge ones work abilities. None of these are good.” 07. Tailor your reel “For a game-focussed animation reel, I hope to see actions and a style that pertain to the role I'm hiring for,” says Naughty Dog’s Jonathan Cooper, who’s posted some handy showreel tips section on his website, GameAnim and has worked on games including Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. “For the types of games I make, this means navigation around a complex environment involving jumping, climbing and vaulting, one-on-one-combat, walk and run cycles and so on,” he explains. “Dialogue and acting scenes are a huge bonus, as we're always blurring the lines between gameplay and cinematic storytelling, and game animators are typically expected to at least have a hand in both aspects on the job. “Some camera work – or at least decent framing of the animated characters – will help you stand out from reels that have none,” he continues. “Just try to show your characters in the best light possible. Final production quality – render, lighting, music – matters, because it gives an idea of how polished you finish your work.” 08. Put your best work first “Demo reels are traditionally ordered by the quality of work, with the best first and moving from there,” adds Cooper. “This has the dual benefit of grabbing my attention immediately with the best example and tells me what the animator believes to be best in that order which can often reveal some blindspots in their self-critique.” 09. Ditch long animated titles “One thing that immediately puts me off is a long animated title,” says Cooper. “Don't waste time with that – an animator only has a few minutes to show their work and this kind of padding goes against the need to show as much quality work as possible, within the few minutes someone hiring will afford on your portfolio.” 10. Customise your rig An example of the old stock Norman rig “The number one thing that I really don’t like is the use of a rig that I’ve seen a million times before, when it hasn’t been customised,” says Gordon. “You can spot them: there’s the Animation Mentor rig, the iAnimate rig, the Norman rig. The problem comes when people forget to customise the rig and don’t make it their own. It just looks like a store-bought product. “Leaving the default shading and geometry in place is a bad idea. It shows a potential employer that you don’t really have the imagination to come up with a character and scenario to do something original. Whenever I see any stock rig and or situation, I usually end up not watching much…” 11. Don’t forget the breakdown “Include a short written description of each shot,” advises Allen. “For example, where did you get the rigs from? Make sure you give credit. If you only animated part of the shot, make sure you specify which characters.” Cooper agrees: “The only written info required is the breakdown,” he says. “It’s essential for describing exactly where the animator was involved on team-created work and avoids confusion at the interview stage.” 12. Stand out with personal projects “Something that grabs my attention is usually an action or acting sequence that I haven't seen a million times before,” says Cooper. “As such, if you're a student and you start your reel with your class assignments, I’m almost guaranteed to have seen several other reels with the exact same actions and characters.” Something that grabs my attention is usually an action or acting sequence that I haven't seen a million times before Jonathan Cooper, Naughty Dog “Make sure you include personal projects you're proud of. They will ideally be as good as, or better than, your classwork – so use them to stand out from the crowd. Game animation is a much more competitive field than when I started, so even veterans need to keep pushing the quality bar to land that ideal job.” 13. Update it once a year Jonathan Cooper’s last shipped project was Uncharted 4 “Things change so fast in the games industry,” says Cooper. “I've heard too many stories of projects being cancelled, studios closing or general layoffs to keep me on my toes and always have as much recent work as possible available to make a demo reel in a bind – with permission of course. “Even beyond job-hunting though, it's a great way to get your work out there in the animation community outside of the actual finished game on shelves, highlighting your own skills and what you specifically worked on. I find it an almost therapeutic way to put a bow on a years-long game project so I can mentally move onto the next. 14. Don’t forget your website “Your showreel is really the only part of your portfolio that matters for getting a job as an animator,” reflects Allen. “Ideally, the pieces in your showreel demonstrate your eye for acting, posing, design, and composition. If you've done work in any other categories like life drawing, or illustration or anything, that's great – but keep them in a separate part of your website, rather than your showreel.” 15. Showcase your reel everywhere “If you’re applying for a job, a personal website is the easiest to share – but a link to your latest reel in your resume is enough,” says Cooper. “I prefer Vimeo over YouTube because of the final render quality and overall cleanliness of the site, but there's nothing stopping you uploading to both. I recommend adding your reel everywhere – even LinkedIn. Related articles: How to land your dream job in animation Learn to animate for kids 20 top character design tips View the full article

If you're making the move from print to digital, there are lots of criteria to keep in mind when it comes to keeping your typography looking as sharp as possible. We've already looked at what designers can do to improve their digital typography, but to help you take your online lettering even further, be sure to keep these words of wisdom in mind. 01. Build in flexibility “The biggest mistake you can make is to imagine static typographic compositions as written in stone,” says Massimiliano Frangi, senior design director at CBA Italy. “Flexibility, readability and personality: these are the three fundamental characteristics when we speak of web typography.” 02. Limit typefaces “It’s important to not choose too many typefaces, because this will crowd your design,” says Martha Lisboa, digital designer at CBA Paris. “A maximum of two or three will suffice, and this will allow for a lighter app that can be loaded in a few seconds.” 03. Test your type “The most important thing is to test your designs on different device sizes,” adds Lisboa. “The more devices you try your text styles on, the better idea you will get about how it works for the user.” 04. Understand CSS “Use the same skills you’ve developed for print – hierarchy, pairings, colour - but also read up on how type is used when creating web pages,” says Dan Bradshaw, design director at TH_NK. “If you’re just starting out, getting an understanding of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and how they work is a good nerdy start. There are loads of useful tutorials out there, including this one.” 05. Get responsive “We’ve used responsive typography across many projects – it’s actually something our developers have actively encouraged,” says Bradshaw. “We use techniques like CSS locks, as this allows you to smoothly transition between sizes depending on your viewport, as opposed to snapping from one size to another. From a designer’s perspective, this approach is still about considering your type sizes at the various breakpoints, getting it into your browser and testing it out.” This article was originally published in issue 277 of Computer Arts, the world's best-selling design magazine. Buy issue 277 here or subscribe to Computer Arts here. Related articles: How to improve your digital typography 5 typography trends for 2018 How to design a handwriting font that isn't boring View the full article

From grid theory to the Golden Ratio, there are a set of fundamental principles that are passed down from generation to generation of designers. Every good designer should know them, and any decent design course or instructional book will cover them. As well as written rules, design has a number of unwritten rules But as with anything else in life, alongside those written rules are a number of unwritten rules. Many of us only learn these from bitter experience, after unwittingly breaking one. So to save you the anguish, we asked some top designers to reveal the secrets that can help turn you from a good designer into a great one. 01. The client is right (even when they're wrong) Who do you work for? Your client. Who knows their business better than anyone? Your client. "Leave your ego at the door," says Adam Morris, design lead at Made By Many. "It's the user who is the final judge of whether your design is successful." Adds Graham McDonnell, international creative director for The New York Times: "Design is always subjective and although you might be on the bleeding edge of the latest design trends, your client usually knows their audience better than you." 02. Find out the real problem first The brief is not the end of the discussion, but its starting point Never skimp on the discussion stage. You have to dig deeper and understand the brief – or you'll end up revising the work a lot. There are certain things that should be included in every brief, and it's worth looking out for those and clarifying any gaps or vague areas. Remember, you're looking for a clear explanation of the client's problem here, rather than their uniformed idea for a solution. "What is the client trying to achieve?" asks designer and art director John Stanyon. "Prescriptive briefs are often a client's 'design solution' rather than the problem they wish to overcome." 03. Read the brief This advice from Steven Scott is worth quoting in full. It may seem brain-mashingly obvious, but there's a really easy way to derail any job. "Sounds basic, but always read the brief!" says Scott. "Read it once through, then once again to highlight any of the key points. Its amazing how many designers will already think they have answered the brief from a verbal discussion." You'll find more advice on fulfilling a creative brief in this article. 04. Agree deliverables upfront "Agree the level of output up front," says Ben Woolf, head of creative brand experience at RPM. "It sounds obvious, but so many projects are started in earnest without having this agreed." We wholeheartedly recommend Woolf's advice. As well as making sure you're not wasting your time on a deliverable your client doesn't really want, if you leave your client's expectations open, there's a real danger they'll run you ragged – or at the very least have to have some very awkward conversations further down the line. 05. Stay off the computer Pen and paper focuses the mind and frees you from distractions While there are plenty of great prototyping tools around, when you first start developing a design there's still nothing more intuitive that a fist full of pens and some paper. "It helps focus the mind, frees you from the distractions and encourages you to think about content," say digital designer Michael Ibrahim Heins. "Thought hits paper immediately and stops you worrying about which typeface to choose and how big your column needs to be." Creatives agree that computers can sometimes be limiting rather than liberating. "Computers limit your vision to what has already been created, not the possibilities of what can be created," says Ed Bolton, creative director at BrandCap. 06. It's OK to start again How many times have you carried on with a dog of a design, hoping that you can make it right? Sometimes it's better – and less time consuming – to wipe the slate clean. "If you can't make an idea work – move on," says creative director Martin Wells. creative partner Chris Clarke offers a more philosophical perspective: "There is never enough time to do something, but always enough time to do it again." 07. Know when to stop A perennial problem in the creative industries is knowing when a job is finished. "The point at which you think it needs a little something extra is the point you should stop designing," says freelance designer Rob O'Neill. Scott Walker, design director at Lewis, goes a step further, saying the last stage of the process should be to strip things back. "When you think you're finished, ruthlessly strip out the unnecessary bits and you'll be left with a much clearer and refined piece of work." 08. Sleep on it Coming at your design with fresh eyes in the morning can make all the difference Here's a rule that's unwritten because it seems like good old fashioned common sense. Common sense that we sometimes forget. "Taking a break from your design and coming back with fresh eyes is like seeing your design again for the first time," Rob Sterry, UX design consultant at Foolproof. "Sleeping on it is even better." 09. Work in stages It's all well and good being super-creative, but without some kind of workflow process or you'll end up wasting your time. Freelance designer Joe Whitaker thinks good organisation is one of the foundations of design. "Working in stages is a great way to keep organised and look back over the progression of a project," says Whitaker. This practice can help in a couple of ways. It helps you track the progress of a job as you're doing it. In future, you'll find it easier to quote for work as you'll have a better idea how long specific tasks take. 10. Learn to take criticism Criticism will help you improve in the long run As a professional designer working with paying clients, people will sometimes tell you that your work isn't quite what they wanted. Don't take it personally, and don't let it hurt your feelings. "Learning how to take criticism is the toughest part of the job, especially when you're proud of your work" says Bolton. "But without criticism, there's no improvement… " 11. Get paid up front Take a percentage of the fee as a down-payment We'll leave the final word to Joe Morris, commercial director at Tonik: "Take cash up front." Brutal, and straight to the point – but in this age of austerity you have to think about getting paid. Taking a percentage as down-payment on larger jobs shows that your client is serious about making a commitment. Read more: Let's talk about money Nuggets of advice for fresh design graduates How to upgrade yourself View the full article

A Microsoft Windows vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary code – and there’s no patch yet. View the full article

An attacker can pick up the profile picture, username and the "likes" of unsuspecting visitors who find themselves landing on a malicious website. View the full article

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are growing in popularity. PWA support started with Chrome on Android, and is now available on most other Android browsers, such as Opera, Firefox, Samsung Internet and UCWeb, as well as iPhones and iPads from iOS 11.3 and Edge for Windows and Chrome on desktop operating systems. How to build a Progressive Web App To help you create a good experience for this growing user base, we're going to share some vital tricks and ideas. 01. WebAPK vs Android shortcut In 2017, Chrome rolled out a new feature for Android users: WebAPK. Now, when your users install your PWA (if it meets the requirements), a Google Play server will create an APK (Android Package, a native app container) on the fly and install it in the device as if it's coming from the Play Store. Your user doesn't need to enable insecure sources or touch any other settings. When the PWA is installed, it will appear in the home screen, in the app launcher, in Settings and as any other first-class citizen app in the OS, including information on battery and space used in the system. If your PWA doesn't meet all the requirements, the Play service is down, there is a connection issue, or another Android browser such as Firefox or Samsung Internet is being used, a standard shortcut to the home screen will be created. That icon will be browser-branded from Android 8+. WebAPK also enables a nice but dangerous feature you need to be aware of: the PWA will own the domain and path within the boundaries of the Android OS. Based on the scope attribute of your Web App Manifest, every link the user receives to that scope will be forwarded to your full-screen app and not the browser, which means you must pay attention to the URLs you use. Let's say you have a PWA serving mobile users and it's on the root folder of your domain. When the app is installed through WebAPK, the whole domain will now be owned by the PWA. If you have a survey at /survey that you share through Facebook, or a PDF with terms and conditions that you email to your users at /terms.pdf, the OS will open PWA and not the browser when clicking those links. It's essential to check if your PWA routing system knows about those URLs and how to serve them and, if not, to open them in a browser on a different scope. 02. Create a custom web app installation banner We can't customise a browser's web app installation banner, but we can defer them after we show more information to the user Several browsers invite the user to install your PWA if certain conditions are met, including recurrent visits from that user for your PWA. At the moment, the banner doesn't include enough information for why a user should accept. However, we can use events to avoid the banner and, more importantly, to defer it for something more likely to generate acceptance, such as an install icon. The first step is to cancel the appearance of the banner and save the event object for later usage: The next step is to provide a user interface to explain the advantages of installing, or an Install button. That user interface will call our next function: 03. Share content from your PWA On compatible browsers, the Web Share API will trigger the well-known share dialog from the operating system When your PWA is in full-screen mode, there is no URL bar or Share action from the browser for the user to share content with social networks. We can take advantage of the Web Share API and have a fallback to open native social apps. 04. Analytics tracking When you have a PWA, you will want to track as many events as possible, so let's take a look at everything we can currently measure. You can use Google Analytics APIs or any other analytic tools to track these events later. The next important tracking event is when the user opens the app from the home screen. That means the user has clicked the app's icon or, on Android with WebAPK support, also clicked on a link pointing to the PWA scope. The simplest way to do this is through the manifest's start_url attribute, adding a tracking event in the URL that can be automatically used as an origin from an Analytics script, such as: Also, the following script leaves us a boolean stating if the user is currently in a browser (true) or a standalone app mode (false): Then, if you use push notifications, you can track several events in the service worker, such as: 05. Create a compatible iOS PWA When doing PWAs on iOS, always make sure you check your status bar definition, which will create different status bar experiences While many think PWA support is about to land for the first time on iOS 11.3, the truth is that the concept – albeit with a different name – was presented by Steve Jobs more than ten years ago at WWDC 07. That's why iOS supported home screen and offline apps for a while, using legacy techniques. But from iOS 11.3, it will start to support the same specs as Android. If you still want to offer an installation experience before iOS 11.3, you need to add meta tags or use a polyfill this author created at https://github.com/firtman/iWAM Now your PWA will be offline-capable and installable on iOS even if you don't opt-in for iOS. It's important to understand some differences that might affect your PWA user experience on iOS: Icons on iOS must be square and non-transparent to avoid UI problems. Don't use the same icon you have on Android. Use 120x120 and 180x180 for iPhones. If you have an SPA or you link to other pages on your scope, be careful with navigation, as iOS users don't have a way to go back or forward if you don't provide navigation links within your UI. Swipe gestures don't work on full-screen PWAs. As of the first versions of iOS 11.3, the OS reloads PWAs on every access to the app, so if the user needs to get out of the app to come back later (for example, for a two-way authentication process), remember your app will start from scratch by default. 06. Syncing data in the background Service workers have a separate life cycle from the PWA window or browser's tab. That's why you can make network operations in the background, even after the user closes the PWA. If there is a pending operation and there is no available network access at that point, the engine will let us process while in the background if a connection is detected later. The Background Sync API is currently only available on some browsers, so you must provide a fallback. The idea is that your PWA will set a flag with a string tag, stating that it needs to do background sync operation. Then, on the ServiceWorker we listen to the event, and if it's the label, we are expecting we return a promise. If the promise is fulfilled, then the operation is flagged as finished. If not it will keep trying later in the background. 07. Social networks and pseudo-browsers If your users share your PWA content on social networks, or if they use pseudo-browsers (browsers without their own engine but using web views), you need to be aware of some issues. For example, Facebook uses a WebView inside the Android and iOS apps to offer an in-app browsing experience when the users click on a link. On Android, most of the WebViews don't support service workers and can't install your PWA, so when the user opens your content from Facebook, your PWA will act as if it's a non-compatible browser without any cached files or session details. From iOS 11.3 the WebView will support service workers, but it will be a clone of the same PWA that the user has used in Safari or even in other pseudo-browsers, such as Chrome or Firefox on iOS. Therefore, if you are rendering an installation banner or installation hint dialog explaining the value of installing your app, check if you are within a WebView because the user won't be able to follow your steps. Hide that information or invite the user to open the URL in the default browser. This applies to Facebook on Android, Facebook on iOS, Chrome on iOS and Firefox on iOS, among other apps. Doing a live check if you are on a WebView or not is tricky, but there is a helper tool available. 08. Test on Android devices and emulators Testing service workers and Web App Manifest requires https, with the exception of localhost. While local desktop testing is fine initially, at one point we want to see our PWAs in action on Android devices. How can we do that? Accessing a dev server from our phone or Android emulator won't work because it's not https and it's not localhost from an Android OS point of view. The solution appears with Chrome Developer Tools. If we go to chrome://inspect and open an emulator or a real device with USB debugging connected, we will be able to enable port forwarding. Then http://localhost on our Android device will be forwarded to our host computer's localhost or any other host. With this trick, Android will render the PWA properly over a non-secure connection. Have in mind, though, that while WebAPK will create the package and install it, it might not work in standalone mode. 09. Publishing to stores PWA Builder is a Microsoft online tool to create store-compatible PWA packages for Windows 10 and other operating systems While the PWA approach didn't start with the stores in mind, some offerings, including Twitter Lite and Google Maps Go in the Play Store, started to serve PWAs on the stores. If this is something you are interested in, to distribute your PWA without packaging it with Cordova, your available options are: Microsoft Store: You can create a PWA for Windows 10 using the official tool from pwabuilder.com Google Play Store: At the time of writing, the Trusted Web Activities available on Canary Channel enable you to create an Android app that just opens a PWA you own and distributes it in the Store, creating a similar solution to WebAPK. You can learn more here. Apple App Store: Currently there are no official solutions to distributing PWAs, but WKWebView will support service workers from iOS 11.3, so it won't be difficult to create a simple wrapper for a PWA. The question is, will Apple approve it in the Store? Apple doesn't want solutions that are just websites with a wrapper on it. This article was originally published in issue 304 of net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Buy issue 304 here or subscribe here. Related articles: How to make responsive web apps with container queries Trends that will shape app design in 2018 How to make an app View the full article

I’ve been working as a freelance illustrator and collage maker for nearly five years. At university I flapped around, unsure of my visual language and how to adopt a style that suited me and what I wanted to say. I discovered collage at the end of my second year of study, after realising that my love of film photography and the aesthetic of the prints could be incorporated into my illustration. Ever since then it’s been a case of refining and reflecting in equal measure. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, learnt a lot of lessons and become more confident in the way that I work. My process has twisted and changed over time. It’s essential for me to work quickly and efficiently, particularly when it comes to working on a fast turnaround for editorial clients – sometimes you’ve got five hours from brief to final. Time really is money, so I’ve found ways to ensure I can deliver quality artwork on time. Finding photos My priority initially is to make sure I can source relevant material for the brief. I use copyright-safe archives and free stock image sites as a first port of call. The material can really dictate the direction of the illustration – it does mean I have slightly less control, but equally gives space for happy accidents and experimentation to take place. Clients also provide me with source material they’d like me to include and I also take or use my own photos, bringing us back round full circle to why I fell in love with this style in the first place. Eleanor Shakespeare used an original photo of women jumping over hurdles to create a self-initiated piece on the theme of International Women’s Day. The contextual integrity of the source material can really matter. When creating the illustrations for my book Stormy Seas, I worked closely with the publisher to make sure the images I was using were historically and contextually accurate. When creating non-commissioned work, I am much more free in what I use. Last year, I was producing a self-initiated piece of work in response to International Women’s Day, and was looking for material to inspire me. I came across an old photo of three women jumping over a hurdle, and it summed up exactly what I wanted to convey. The images I find can have so much power on their own, and it’s really exciting to enhance and breathe new life into them. The collage process Once I’ve gathered my images, I cut them out in Photoshop using a Wacom tablet. I use the Eraser tool and cut round the object. I find this method most closely represents the process of physical cut and stick collage. A work in progress cut out of the central image for a commission for BBC World Histories (art directed by Susanne Frank), plus the final image (right). It’s then a case of layering, dragging, resizing and playing with the composition and colours. I have archives of handmade textures that I’ve collected and produced over time, as well as found material which I then use to make my work distinctive and bring depth to the illustration. Sometimes I just use one key photograph, and find a concept to hang the image on. Other times, it’s about stitching together a whole range of different material. Either way, I find that a limited colour palette and rich, inky textures and found ephemera make my work unique. From rough to final I’ve worked on hundreds of editorial jobs and the experience differs hugely depending on factors such as client, deadline, budget and topic. Ultimately, I have to remember I’m working for other people, so must find a balance: creating artwork that I’m happy with, but that also satisfies the brief and client. Some of the elements, textures and colours changed as this piece for the Guardian (art directed by Chris Clarke) developed Although I am usually working exclusively with the art director, they are serving as the go-between for me and the editor, designers, their client, sometimes the writer too, so it is vital that I stay flexible and open-minded. Simultaneously, I am a professional image maker, so it’s okay for me to push my ideas and make suggestions. Illustrations develop naturally from roughs to finals and my job is most enjoyable when my vision is in line with the vision of the art director. I don’t tend to draw sketches because my work is so dependent on found imagery, so I loosely put together a rough of what I imagine the final to look like, using materials I plan to use. Achieving cohesion One factor that can define how an image will take shape is the layout and composition of the page. With both editorial and books I try to consider how the page will look as a whole, and I love it when there is flexibility with the layout. The final layout included spot illustrations In a recent illustration for the Guardian, I created the main image – there was no time for roughs – and then we used spots to bring cohesion to the whole spread. Occasionally, clients will have specific colour palettes they’d like me to use, which can be because of other illustrations featuring in the publication or because of the tone of the article. I’m also often restricted by the dimensions given to fit the illustration into. All of these challenges help keep my portfolio diverse and me engaged and excited about what I do. It’s great to see an illustration unfold with the guidance and support of talented art directors. Finding balance This particular Guardian commission was for publication in the launch week of its new tabloid format, so I wasn’t willing to turn it down. At the time, though, I was stranded in New York, meaning there was a five-hour time difference on an already tight six-hour deadline, not to mention that I was simultaneously negotiating flights home and fighting fatigue. My tendency is to say yes to a commission and figure out how to do it afterwards (caffeine!), because once I’ve agreed to a job I have to do it. There are certainly a few tips I’ve learnt along the way to make the fast-paced nature of this career more manageable. I read and reply to emails as soon as I can, more than three icons on my desktop make me feel sick and there are always lists, notes and Post-Its. I’ve learnt that this level of organisation categorically makes my working life easier, but maintaining work-life balance is important too. The flip-side is that I am working with amazing clients on a wide variety of really exciting projects and that makes any moments of stress totally worth it. Related articles: How to create a mixed-media collage The Guardian redesigns with new logo and font How to balance life and work View the full article

If you're looking to start a career in web design, you'll need resources to brush up and strengthen your skills. The Web Design and Front-End eBook Bundle includes 14 ebooks that cover everything you need to know about web design and frontend development. You'll learn how to create meaningful, eye-catching websites that are sure to increase your page clicks and views, and you'll develop the strategies, habits, and workflow necessary to be successful in the industry. On the frontend side of things, you'll study real-life examples that you can emulate, while mastering HTML semantics as well as best practices for performance optimisation. Before you know it, you'll be pursuing a lucrative new career, thanks to this $19.99 ebook bundle. Related articles: The future of web design 5 articles to improve your web design career How responsive web design changed the world View the full article

A site needs to be seen, and ranking highly in search engines such as Google is a key way to make sure people can find it. There are a host of factors that will help make this happen. There is on-page SEO, optimised titles, images alts, targeted keywords and phrases and much, much more. Check out this set of tools to help get your site on the first page of Google. 01. Mobile-friendly Test See how your site does on Google's mobile-friendly test Search engines value sites that have well-performing mobile pages. This tool enables you to test how easily a visitor can use your page on a mobile device, according to Google’s mobile-friendly test. Simply enter your page URL to see how your page scores. 02. PageSpeed Insights Check how speedy your site is Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool carefully analyses the content of your web page to check its performance. Simply enter a webpage URL for your results. It will then generate suggestions of how to make that page faster. 03. Structured data guide Help Google understand the content of your site To know where to rank your website, Googles needs to understand the content of your site. You can help it by adding schema data. This guide will help you provide explicit clues about the meaning of your website pages to Google. It will help you to include structured data on your pages. 04. Keyword Planner Find the right keywords for your site To rank highly, you need to know the terms people are typing into Google to find the services you're providing. Google's Keyword Planner will help you find these. Reach the right customers for your website with the right keywords. Get ideas to help build your campaigns with the AdWord’s Keyword Planner. 05. Google Webmasters Get the right tools to keep Google happy Get the data, tools and diagnostics needed to create and maintain Google-friendly websites with Google Search Console. Analyse clicks, get alerts on errors and test if Google understands your content. 06. Hotjar Understand how your customers interact with your site Utilise heat-mapping tools to review the reading and scanning habits of your users. By understanding how they interact with your pages you can start the conversion rate optimisation process better. 07. Google: My Business Get a free Google listing and attract new customers Google My Business enables you to create and update the Google listing for your business, to help your site stand out, and bring customers in. It's free, so claim it and then start optimising. Without it you won’t appear on the local map listings in the SERPs. 08. SEMrush Check the links pointing to your domain A powerful website backlink checker that shows all links pointing to your domain and their quality, as well as helping you to discover everything about your competitors’ backlinks. 09. Alerts Create custom alerts for new and interesting content Monitor the web for interesting new content and mentions of your business and that of your competitors. Simply create an alert, and new content will be emailed to you directly. 10. Google Analytics Analyse your site's performance Everyone should be using this tool. It’s free and has a huge set of features. Measure your website, app, digital and offline data to gain valuable customer insights into the impact of your marketing activities. Sign up to Generate and see Bruce Lawson in action Standards embrace all parts of the web and it is crucial that designers and developers adhere to them. The web standards lovegod and web standards consultant to Wix reveals the mindset needed to embrace web standards and apply it to your projects. At Generate London 2018 Bruce will talking about how to become a 'Shokunin of the Web'. Not sure what that means then get your ticket today to make sure you are there in September to discover how to become a web standards artisan. Related articles: 7 essential SEO tips for developers Essential SEO checklist for web designers The 7 best SEO blogs View the full article

Welcome to our list of the best drawing tablets for kids in 2018. If you know a child who loves to draw, then a kid-friendly pen display or graphics tablet is a great way to introduce them to the world of digital art without breaking the bank. (It's also a great way for children to hone traditional drawing and painting skills without the mess – handy for when you've just tidied up.) Drawing tablet devices have proven to be big hits with kids: interaction is highly intuitive thanks to their touchscreens, so the learning curve is small. Many of the best drawing tablets for kids are also made out of rugged materials that can survive knocks and bumps, and have parental controls for peace of mind. Bear in mind that there are a few different types of drawing tablets for kids: Pen display tablets. These come with a built-in touchscreen monitor with a pressure-sensitive surface that you draw on with a stylus. Graphics tablets. These plug into a computer. Kids draw and paint on the surface, and the image is show on the monitor of your computer. Tablet computers. Like pen display tablets, these touchscreens work well with styluses and display the art as its being drawn. Think iPad, for example. You’ll find a more detailed explanation at the bottom of this article. But to help you choose the best drawing tablet for your kid, we've listed our top picks here: every option below is child-friendly, easy to use and makes drawing a joy – so you can't go wrong. Even better, our price comparison tool is continually checking all the major retailers to make sure you’ll get the best deals as well. The best drawing tablets for kids The Wacom Intuos Draw is our pick for the best overall drawing tablet for kids. This is down to its affordable price, along with the sturdy build quality and feature set that we've come to expect from Wacom, which is a brand to be reckoned with in this area. It's a great drawing tablet for beginners, and it can cope with more advanced uses as your child grows in skill and confidence. There's an optional wireless module you can buy to make it easier to use as well. The major downside is that the small version may soon feel a little cramped. In our view, the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition is the best affordable drawing tablet for kids in 2018. That doesn't necessarily mean it's the cheapest, but the functionality you get for the price is hard to beat. It comes with a rugged case and a two year no quibble warranty, which means you won't have to worry about it being dropped when at school. It's a tablet PC device, which means it wasn't built solely for digital art. This has benefits, as it means it's a more versatile device that can perform other tasks, but it also has drawbacks. It doesn't have some of the more advanced digital art features, and it doesn't come with a stylus, so you'll need to buy one separately. The XP-Pen Artist 15.6 is an excellent pen tablet for kids, offering a good-sized drawing area, comfortable pen with a good range of sensitivity levels and a very good screen. It has a robust design that means it can handle knocks and bumps pretty well, and it's a great introduction for kids who want to use a pen display tablet for their digital art. The Huion H640P is an excellent drawing tablet for kids. It's small and portable, making it perfect for little hands – and also easy to carry around in a backpack. At just 10.2 x 5.8 inches, this option is no thicker than a smartphone, but offers a handy set of shortcut keys, which makes up for its compact size. It's pretty competitively priced as well, which makes it an ideal choice for young beginners. This is an excellent mid-range pen tablet that offers more advanced features than some budget rivals, without costing too much. You get a fantastic build quality for the price, and it's compact enough to easily carry around and be used by smaller hands. The stylus doesn't need a battery, which means your kids won't be frustrated by it suddenly not working when the pen is out of juice. It's not the easiest tablet to get hold of, but if you're looking for a pen drawing tablet for kids that gives a bit more freedom, this is a great choice. Wacom Bamboo Slate isn't technically a graphics tablet – it's what Wacom calls a "smartpad". This turns handwritten notes and sketches into digital art that can be sent to a tablet via Bluetooth, or a PC via USB. It's a great choice if you have an arty kid who's just starting out: they can doodle on the Bamboo Slate, then edit their work on a PC or tablet. The H430P is a great graphics tablet for kids, as it gives you all the basics without requiring a big investment. This means, if they lose interest, or quickly outgrow the small drawing area, then you've not lost out on too much money. While the drawing area is small, the pen is sensitive enough to allow kids to draw and paint easily, giving them a taste of what it's like to create digital art using a graphics tablet. If you want the best iOS drawing tablet for kids, then the new iPad (2018) is the one to get. It gives you the best of Apple's tablet world – including an upgraded A10 processor and access to all the best iOS art apps – in a form factor that's not only beautiful, but highly portable. The headline feature? It works with the Apple Pencil (although you’ll have to buy that separately – you’ll find the best Apple Pencils deals here), making the new 9.7-inch iPad a huge win for artists everywhere. It's also reasonably affordable, for Apple, anyway. Throw in the fact that you can use the iPad for a lot of other tasks besides drawing, and the new 9.7-inch iPad is easily one of the best drawing tablets for kids you can buy. The Asus ZenPad is something of a direct rival to Apple's best tablets thanks to a slick and stylish design, yet it's also quite a bit cheaper than any of its iOS rivals. It has a sharp and bright touchscreen that works well with stylus devices for drawing, and the size of the display is larger than other tablets at this price point. If you're looking for the best Android drawing tablet for kids, then Asus' recent offering is the one to go for. The Acer Switch 3 is the best Windows 10 tablet for kids who want to get into digital art. It's solidly built, and has powerful-enough hardware to keep things feeling quick and responsive. It runs Windows 10, which means you can use full versions of desktop software such as Photoshop, rather than just being confined to apps. It also comes with a top-notch active digitizer and pressure-sensitive pen, and the price is pretty competitive as well. How to choose the right drawing tablet for kids As we said above, there are three main types of drawing tablets... Also read: The best drawing tablets of 2018 | The best Apple Pencil deals | The best cheap 4K monitor deals | View the full article

Huawei stamps out four high-severity bugs impacting 20 server models ranging from its XH, RH and CH lines. View the full article

Photorealism is an art technique in which the artwork appears incredibly realistic – almost like a photograph of the subject. The artist may use paint of any kind, their best pencils, or even inks. But the results will mimic a photo so convincingly the viewer will often need to do a double-take. In this post, we've rounded up some incredible examples of photorealism to inspire you in your efforts. These illustrators, painters and artists have an amazing talent. Creating photorealistic portraits and landscapes using only a pen, pencil or brush, the attention to detail is awe-inspiring. Take a look at some of the best examples of photorealism around. 01. Gottfried Helnwein Helnwein's unsettling work often tackles tough subjects If Gottfried Helnwein's incredible photorealistic work seems a little unsettling, it's with good reason. One of the best-known and most controversial German-speaking artists since World War 2, his hyperrealistic paintings often feature children, sometimes wounded or bandaged, sometimes in Nazi uniforms. Helnwein tackles difficult and controversial subjects in his work, and his painstaking attention to detail makes them it all the more provocative. 02. David Kassan David Hassan's portraits can take up to two years to complete David Kassan's life-size photorealistic paintings can take him anywhere between two months and two years to complete; he says that he doesn't simply try to replicate his subjects, rather he tries to capture their essence and imbue them with their own voice. He's currently working on a project with the USC Shoah Foundation, for which he paints portraits of Holocaust survivors that will be exhibited along with their written testimonies and short films. 03. Elizabeth Patterson Elizabeth Patterson's coloured pencil work is both photorealistic and impressionistic Elizabeth Patterson's artistic career was put on hold in 1984 after a severe injury left her without use of her drawing hand. Returning to art 15 years later, she hit upon her defining style: urban scenes as viewed from the behind a car windscreen in the rain, drawn using coloured pencil, graphite and a touch of solvent, which manage to be both impressionistic and photorealistic in their execution. 04. Ester Curini There's a touch of the anthropomorphic to Ester Curini's animal portraits Born in Italy and based in New York, Ester Curini is a self-taught painter who specialises in highly detailed animal portraits set against stark white backgrounds, often in startlingly human poses. "Capturing the unique energy, essence and spirit of each creature I paint is the centre of my work," she explains. "Isolating the figures on seamless white backgrounds lets me concentrate only on the essentials that matter to me." 05. Richard Estes Artist Richard Estes and an entire street scene is meticulously reflected in the glass window in Double Self-Portrait (1976) For a masterclass in photorealism, look no further than American artist Richard Estes. One of the foremost practitioners of the late 1960s international photorealist movement, Estes primarily paints stunningly convincing urban scenes. Estes compiles his compositions from multiple source photographs before reconstructing reality in hyper-real renderings. Look closely and you'll often see a reflective surface, such as a shop window, enhancing the scene with additional details. 06. Diego Fazio Like most of Diego Fazio's portraits, Sensazioni was created with pencil and paper Italian-born artist Diego Fazio, aka DiegoKoi, refined his skills when he first started out by drawing koi. Years later, the water in his incredible portraits looks as though it's been caught on camera, but his artwork is, astoundingly, drawn in pencil. 07. Raphaella Spence Raphaella Spence is a photorealist painter based in Todi, Italy Raphaella Spence's photorealistic cityscapes and landscapes are included in private, public and corporate collections throughout America, Canada, England, Russia, Italy, Austria and Germany. The London-born, Italy-based artist started out in still life before developing her technical skills, and has received worldwide recognition for her stunning hyperrealistic paintings. 08. Don Jacot Space Guns evokes a 1950s childhood American photorealist artist Don Jacot works in acrylics, oils, gouache, watercolour and charcoal. Largely self-taught, Jacot's best known for his attention to light, colour and form, often focusing on objects with historical or cultural significance. Space Guns, pictured here, is a striking six-foot oil-on-linen masterpiece that enlargens the toys to several times their actual size. 09. Pedro Campos At 162 x 97cm, Legs is a large oil-on-canvas piece Pedro Campos didn't begin oil painting until the age of 30. Now in his 50s, his incredibly realistic still life shots, city and seascapes are regularly mistaken for photographs. The Madrid-based artist lists Lucien Freud, Richard Estes, Francis Bacon, Antonio López and Anish Kapoor among his influences. He's best known for his pictorial attention to detail and a series of drinks cans and fruits wrapped in plastic sheets. 10. Rob Hefferan Rob Hefferan mainly focuses on portrait work Based in Cheshire, UK, Rob Hefferan is an exceptionally talented figurative artist. Working predominantly with oil and acrylics, Hefferan focuses his photorealistic work on that of portraits. His attention to detail on the skin and folds in fabric make his work utterly wonderful. 11. Juan Francisco Casas Ruiz Juan Francisco Casas Ruiz creates imagery like no other Juan Francisco Casas Ruiz is a Spanish visual artist. He has been exhibited in New York, Miami, Chicago, Seoul, Singapore, London, Paris, Mexico and Basel, and received numerous awards. His work is represented in major collections including the Museum Atrium, or the ABC Museum, and in private collections around the world. 12. Halim Ghodbane We love the lighting in Halim Ghodbane's work Halim Ghodbane's attention to detail is breathtaking. His portraits are often covered in gorgeous soft lighting, highlighting his impeccable brush skills. He even dabbles in celebrity portraits. Check out his work for some photorealistic inspiration. Next page: more incredible examples of photorealism 13. Michael Gaskell Michael Gaskell's work is exhibited across the world Michael Gaskell's work has been the subject of five solo shows in London. He has won a number of prizes in national painting competitions and been on the shortlist of the BP portrait award at The National Portrait Gallery on five occasions, winning second prize in 2003, 2009 and 2010. His work is represented in private collections all over the world. 14. Jeremy Geddes Fall in love with Jeremy Geddes' world Jeremy Geddes creates otherworldly and abstract photorealistic paintings. His work is entrancing and beautiful, with exquisite attention to detail. We especially love this painting and the incredible detail in the smashed glass. 15. Adolfo Fernandez Rodriguez Adolfo Rodriguez uses coloured pencils to create these photorealistic pieces Focusing on hands, water and sculptures, Adolfo Rodriguez's attention to detail is astonishing. The bubbles, reflections and shadows ensure that each picture is as photorealistic as possible – making for a series unlike any other we've come across. Other work by Rodriguez mimics oil paintings. He's created an extensive range of these illustrations, so be sure to check out his Facebook page for more. 16. Roberto Bernardi Roberto Bernard is incredibly well known across the world Italian-born Roberto Bernardi is one of the most well-known photorealist artists there is. His work is displayed around the world. Using still life pieces for his subjects, Bernardi paints vivid and unbelievably life-like paintings of fruit, sweets and glass. 17. Doug Bloodworth Bloodworth focuses his paintings on the nostalgic aspects of childhood American artist Doug Bloodworth enjoys evoking the viewer's nostalgic feelings of childhood. His oil paintings often focus on comic books, games and comfort foods, and are available across a number of galleries in America. 18. Alyssa Monks We're absolutely gob-smacked with the attention to detail in Alyssa Monks' work American artist Alyssa Monks creates incredibly realistic paintings of the human form and exhibits her art across the world. Using thick strokes in delicate colour pallets, she creates filters including glass, vinyl, water and steam to distort her subjects, who are often women bathing. The water ripples are mind-blowing. 19. Paul Cadden The incredible talents of Paul Cadden When we first saw the work of Paul Cadden, it took a while for us to realise that they were in fact illustrations. Even more unbelievable is the fact that the hyperrealist artist used just graphite and chalk to create these stunning images. Working from photographs and video stills, Cadden's work proves that if you're super-talented, all you need is the simplest of tools. 20. Dan Witz Dan Witz triumphs with another photorealistic crowd portrait Dan Witz specialises in photorealistic portraits of crowds. Mixing paint and pencil with digital aspects, his drawings display an incredible attention to detail. The folds of clothes and expressions on faces are amazing. 21. David Eichenberg No, really. This isn't a photo. We can't believe it either! No, we can't quite believe this one either. There's a vast array of photorealistic work out there and we're continuously dropping our jaw to the floor – but this offering from David Eichenberg is fantastic. The strokes of hair and precision of the patterned jumper is mind-blowing. 22. Ralph Goings Ralph Goings has been creating photorealistic paintings for decades Ralph Goings is a realist painter who has exhibited in the UK, Europe and Japan, and is represented in museums and private collections across the globe. He is recognised as one of the original members of the hyperrealist or photorealist group of the late 1960s. 23. Jason De Graaf We love the subtle shadows created in this photorealistic painting Jason De Graaf explains his photorealistic strategies: "My paintings are about staging an alternate reality, an illusion of verisimilitude on the painted surface. I try to use objects as a vehicle to express myself, tell a story or least hint at something beyond what is actually painted". 24. Keng Lye Keng Lye specialises in creating 3D animals painted in layers of resin Ok, so Singapore-based artist Keng Lye's work is sculptural rather than 2D, but we couldn't do a round-up of the most incredible photorealistic artists and leave his 3D paintings out. Lye's convincing sculptures are created through an unusual technique of filling bowls, buckets and other vessels with alternating layers of acrylic paint and resin, with parts protruding from the surface to add another level of dimension. Check out his goldfish... Related articles: 26 phenomenally realistic pencil drawings How to render a photorealistic sky 85 brilliant Photoshop tutorials View the full article

If you'd have asked me ten years ago, 'Hey, are there any apps that will let me code websites visually?', I'd have given you that awful stare that only an annoyed web developer can give. 'No,' I would have said. Then I might have shrugged my shoulders, pursed my lips, and pointed to a nearby bookshelf with a five-inch thick web design book dedicated to JavaScript, HTML and CSS. 'Good luck,' and I'd have patted you on the back and been on my way. Two things glare at me as I recount the above: Wow, I hope my people skills have improved My attitude toward visual coding has about-faced, and I couldn't be more excited We've seen smart industries choose to empower creatives rather than belittle or neglect their unique and potentially cataclysmic (for good!) talents. The film and gaming industries have adopted tools that leverage a visual thinker's mental model. I mean, have you seen the latest 3D modelling software packages or video game engines? They are mind-bogglingly good. They give creatives a visual means to solve complex problems without employing a single line of maths. This is a staggering engineering feat. Just peruse Dribbble or Behance for the stunning effects technical ambition has wrought. Also read: 6 ways to get into creative coding The web development industry has yet to enjoy such an epoch. For an industry delicately predicated on the co-operation of design and technical skills, it's a wonder we have not seen design tools bring those disciplines closer. Until now. If you listen closely, the rattling breath of these medieval times is giving way to the sharp inhale of a creative renaissance. The uprising of user experience practitioners, who focus on empathy over analytics, have forced us to contend, design for, and fix problems wholly unrelated to our own. These stewards of empathy have lighted the path to empower a legion of new doers. Bret Victor (worrydream.com) is one such steward. His talk, Inventing On Principle, and essay, A Brief Rant On The Future Of Interaction Design, delve into why technology must solve problems for human needs foremost by providing creators an immediate connection to their work. The uprising of UX practitioners, who focus on empathy over analytics, have forced us to design for problems wholly unrelated to our own Coding does not solicit immediate feedback. It can take seconds, or much more, to verify the result of a single character change. This latency cripples the creative process. Imagine daubing a canvas with a loaded paintbrush… and seconds later the colour appears. How infuriating would that be? Inflicting on humans obvious violations of the physical world is a recurring theme in technology, and I hope to see a big, black curtain fall on it in the near future. Victor gives us simple language through which to address and repair this persistent theme. We have 'problems', such as pushing a sliver of metal into wood, and a need for 'tools' that amplify human capacity, which in this case the hammer is an admirable response. The hammer fits a person's hand, snugly, naturally, as if it were designed for a human. Its feedback is instant: strike, and see an embedded nail. It's a human-first solution, and it keeps the human's innate capabilities top-of-mind. Interaction design can learn a lot from a hammer. Could we lose code in favour of a visual solution? What if we could "code" without coding at all? What if that "code" could display instant hammer-to-nail visual feedback? What if we could solve many of the problems in web design through a user interface mapped to a creative's mental model? How many more people could join the fray and steer us toward a more beautiful and usable web? As Victor has proposed, and the game and film industries have proven: this reality of visual problem solving is all too possible. As an engineering manager at a company whose sole impetus is to empower designers, I haven't been this excited about the challenges that lay ahead, and I haven't had this much pride for the successes my team has already earned. But I'm most excited for the empowered and for all their patrons. Let the renaissance begin. This article was originally published in issue 269 of creative web design magazine Web Designer. Buy issue 269 here or subscribe to Web Designer here. Related articles: 7 essential tools for today's web designer Add a glitch effect to your website 6 amazing 'About' pages to inspire you View the full article

If you're just about to graduate: congratulations! Years of hard work have paid off and now you're a certified graphic designer. You might even get a piece of parchment with your name printed on it if you're lucky. This doesn't mean the hard work's over though – in fact, it's just begun. Taking your first step into the big wide world as a graphic designer can be intimidating. Armed with your qualifications and design portfolio, it's now up to you to start carving out a career. But there are some things design school won't have prepared you for. Scary things like taxes and tricky things such as work ethics. 15 things they didn't teach you at design school To help budding designers on their way, Dann Petty recently took to Twitter to offer three pieces of advice for creatives fresh out of university, and asked his followers to do the same. His followers didn't disappoint. Petty's tweet promptly took off, with hundreds of favourites, retweets and replies tackling all sorts of areas of the design industry. Covering everything from budgets to networking recommendations, the thread quickly became a treasure trove of hard-won design knowledge. We've featured a selection of insightful tweets below to help you on your way to design greatness. They're only a snapshot of the range of responses, so be sure to head over to the thread to read all of the replies. Got some advice that isn't in these tweets? Why not join the conversation and leave your thoughts to help new designers start their career? Related articles: 5 top tips for graduate designers 6 trail-blazing design graduates you should know Meet the best graduates from two corners of the UK View the full article

Looking to bring an olde worlde look to your designs? Old English fonts can help you infuse your creative with a powerful sense of history, mysticism or majesty. These distinctive fonts have a variety of popular uses, ranging from gangsta rap album covers to religious Christmas cards; retro flyer designs, broadsheet newspaper mastheads and hipster beer labels. They’re also a good choice for any design that requires a sense of stately authority and permanence, such as a professional qualification certificate. What is an Old English font? It’s worth noting at the outset that the term ‘Old English’ has a specific meaning within typography and doesn’t actually refer, as you might expect, to the early language of the Anglo-Saxons. In fact, what we call ‘Old English’ script (aka Gothic script, Gothic minuscule or Blackletter) was used not just in England but also in France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, from the 12th to the 17th centuries. 70 best free fonts for designers It’s characterised by heavy and dramatic strokes, demanding both large amounts of ink and instant attention from the reader. In this post we’ve gathered together some of our favourite Old English fonts for your modern-day projects. 01. Monotype Old English Text A modern typeface based on a classic type design Created by Monotype in 1990, Old English Text is based on Caslon Black, a typeface originally cast by William Caslon in 18th century England that combines the design attributes of both the medieval and Victorian eras. 02. Mariage Mariage evokes the medieval era with its elaborate stylings Designed by Morris Fuller Benton (1872-1947) of the American Type Founders in 1901, Mariage is a heavily classicized Old English font. It was based on the elaborate textura letterforms of medieval times, but cleaned up and made more legible for the Victorian audience. 03. Amador Amador is a modern Open Type font with deep historical roots Designed in 2004 by Jim Parkinson as a Type 1 font, Amador was re-released in 2012 as simple Open Type. This Old English font is inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement and the works of Frederic Goudy and Rudolf Koch. 04. DTL Flamade A Dutch twist on the textura tradition Founded in 1990, The Dutch Type Library is mainly focused on creating new, contemporary typefaces, but it also revives valuable historic typeforms. Created by Matthew Carter and released in 2017, DTL Flamande is based on textura types by the Flemish punchcutter Hendrik van den Keere, in particular the Gros Canon Flamande and the Parangonne Flamande, which both date from 1571. 05. Cloister Black Cloister Black has its roots in the 18th century Created by Bitstream, one of the first independent digital type foundries, which was acquired by Montotype in 2012, Cloister Black is based on the classic font designed by Joseph Warren Phinney and Morris Fuller Benton in 1904, based on 18th century sources. 06. LTC Goudy Text Biblical characters informed the creation of this Old English font This Old English font was designed by Frederic Goudy of the Lanston Type Company and is based on the typeface used on Gutenberg’s original 42-line Bible. More recently, the Lombardic Caps were designed as an accompaniment and are offered paired with the lower case as an alternate option. 07. Engravers Old English BT A revival of Morris Fuller Benton’s turn-of-the-century font, derived from Calson Text Engravers Old English BT is another classic Old English font revived by Bitstream, which was originally designed by Morris Fuller Benton in 1906 and cut by American Type Founders. It’s essentially an improved version of the 19th-century font Calson Text. 08. Notre Dame Notre Dame was inspired by liturgical text styles Notre Dame was created in 1993 by Karlgeorg Hoefer, who was inspired by the structure of forms once used mainly for liturgical purposes. Digital techniques were used to incorporate ornaments and borders that bring a feel of late Gothic to the design. 09. P22 Sting This hybrid font combines Old English and Roman styles Now for something a little different.... Sting is a hybrid of lowercase Old English and Roman capitals. Originally drawn by Michael Clark in pen and ink, this design evolved over several years and is now available in font form, for both documentation and decoration. 10. New Old English This hybrid font features thicker hairline strokes than on standard Old English type, and circular instead of rhombic punctuation Finally, a modern take on Old English, if that’s not too much of a contradiction in terms. New Old English was inspired by two Victorian coins: the gothic crown and gothic florin, which featured a gothic script lowercase with quite modern-looking, short ascenders and descenders fitting snugly around the queen’s head or heraldic motif. Related articles: How to design a handwriting font that isn't boring 6 steps to the perfect online reading experience Free online tool shows you what your fonts can do View the full article

It used to be that anyone who wanted to be a writer had to go through a publisher, and let's face it, publishing companies aren't exactly lining up at the doors of amateur authors. But thanks to modern-day technology and the Internet, self-publishing is becoming more and more popular. In fact, many people are reeling in thousands of dollars a year by writing eBooks. With The eBook Self-Publishing Bundle, you'll learn how to become a successful eBook author. The bundle will guide you through how to build an effective author website, how to format a Kindle eBook correctly, and how to use the popular writing program Scrivener. You'll even learn how to boost your productivity as a writer so that you can write more, and earn more. The eBook Self-Publishing Bundle is yours for just $25. Related articles: 22 free ebooks for designers and artists Free ebook on Practical Typography Techniques 5 free ebooks for freelancers View the full article

The user experience is ever-changing. New experiences are emerging all the time, from VR and AR to voice. For more details, take a look at our article on the biggest new trends in UX. These technologies all present new challenges, and as you might expect new tools are appearing that will help take up this challenge. Here you can find six essential tools to help build better UX. 01. A-Frame A-Frame is a web framework for building Virtual Reality (VR) experiences. Originally developed by Mozilla, it is an independent open source project. A-Frame is HTML, making it simple to get started. 02. Funkify Disability Simulator Experience the web from the POV of users with different disabilities Funkify is an extension for Chrome that helps you experience the web and interfaces through the eyes of users with different abilities and disabilities. Funkify is created by a team of usability and accessibility experts in Sweden. 03. BotPreview Design chatbot interactions, code-free Sketch and design your own chatbot interactions using the BotPreview online editor and share them or export as static HTML or MP4/GIF video, without writing a single line of code. 04. Microsoft HoloLens The first self-contained holographic computer Microsoft’s ‘mixed-reality’ product, HoloLens, is the first self-contained, holographic computer, enabling you to engage with your digital content and interact with holograms in the world around you. 05. Bots UI Kit for Sketch Design UI elements with Sketch A simple and fully customisable Sketch UI kit to help you design and showcase your Facebook Messenger Bots. All elements are turned into new branded Sketch symbols, so prototyping has never been easier. 06. UseContrast Check your colours are WCAG compliant A macOS app that provides access to WCAG colour contrast ratios. The entire app UI updates instantly when picking colours, making it easy to get the colour contrast information you need to make informed decisions about the colour of your text. Sign up to Generate today and learn the laws of UX Generate - the conference for web designers Generate London 2018 brings together a host of leading lights from the industry imparting many words of wisdom. Front-end UI developer Sara Soueidan presents her 'Front-End Meets UX: Designing & Creating Universal UI Components' workshop ably accompanied by her talk on 'Using CSS (and SVG) for the Good of UX'. These are two of many talks and workshops not to be missed. Get your ticket today Related articles: Discover Google's UX design secrets 5 top UX tips for graphic designers How to design a bitcoin UX View the full article

A serious vulnerability was patched by developers behind Git that closes the door on a flaw that could lead to arbitrary code execution on a developer's system. View the full article

The botnet operators behind two infamous trojans have banded together to gouge victims in a costly scheme. View the full article

Google has rolled out its newest browser version (Chrome 67.0.3396.62) for Windows, Mac and Linux this week with new security fixes and biometric features. View the full article

Anyone can fall into a skills gap. Sure, it’s an issue often faced by new graduates or older workers facing redundancy – but even if you’ve dedicated a decade to following your design passion, the technology, techniques and thinking driving a field can evolve dramatically (Flash, anyone?). And that’s before we throw in the seismic shift currently being delivered by AI and machine learning. Across the creative industries, changing skill requirements are already creating major pinch points – both in traditional areas, such as art direction, and newer areas like motion capture. In a 2017 report by the Creative Industries Federation, nearly 60 per cent of those surveyed said they were facing skills shortages when employing new people. 12 tips to turbocharge your design career So how can you make sure you’re investing in the right skills to achieve your creative goals? Whether you’ve fallen into a skills gap in your current position, or you’re actively looking to propel yourself to the next level in your chosen area, we can help. Here, leading designers and educators explain how to identify your personal skills gap, where the corresponding opportunities are in the industry, and how to bridge the gap. Read on to find out how to assemble the ultimate toolkit of skills. Know your why A skills gap happens when there’s a difference between the skills required by an employer, project or field generally, and the skills offered by the workforce. Conducting a skills gap analysis enables you to identify what you need to meet your personal goals – and the good news is they’re easy to do. However, before starting you need to “know your why”, points out Benji Holroyd, founder and creative director of SB Studio. “At a time when ‘purpose’ is such a buzzword, finding your purpose early on is invaluable,” he says. At a time when ‘purpose’ is such a buzzword, finding your purpose early on is invaluable Benji Holroyd, SB Studio Ragged Edge co-founder Max Ottignon agrees. He says that it’s important to follow your passion: "We talk a lot about T-shaped people – those with a broad range of knowledge and skills, and an in-depth specialism. The latter needs to be something you’re really passionate about,” he explains. It’s good advice. Passion is what sets you aside from everyone else: it keeps you motivated, makes your work better, and attracts employers and clients. In a rapidly changing industry – where software skills, particularly, can quickly become outdated – following your passion is a savvy way to navigate your creative path, helping you choose which skills to invest in at which time. Do a skills gap analysis Whatever your end goal, once you know what it is, you can plot your course with a skills gap analysis. The first step is to identify the skills needed in the position or project you’re looking at, and list them in a spreadsheet. Aside from reading job adverts and design blogs, the best way to determine what you need is to speak to people who are already doing what you want to do, whether it’s your boss, somebody at another studio, or a designer you follow on social media. There are also hundreds of online design communities you can ask to join – not least the excellent The Designers League Facebook group. The rules are simple: don’t be rude, and don’t harass people when asking for career advice. Join The Designers League Facebook group online community of nearly 12,000 creatives from all over the globe! Once you start listing the skills needed, it can help to categorise them into different sections, such as responsibilities, tasks and knowledge required. It’s wise, too, to consider skills that might be necessary in the future. Step two: next to each skill, create a scale of measurement to show how important each one is (low, moderate, high) and mark the skill level required (a scale of one to five, for instance, could range from inexperienced to expert). The next step is to measure your current skills against this scale, assigning the same numerical rating to your actual skill level. For example, your table might read: Skill: leadership. Importance: high. Skill level required: 5. Current level: 3. Be honest. What are you good at, and what are you not so good at? The final step is to analyse the data. Using the numerical rating system, you can quickly see where your skills gaps are – and because you know which requirements are most important, you know where to start your development. There’s another way, too. “Take time to reflect on your portfolio and ask others to give you constructive feedback on your work,” advises Robyn Dooley. She’s the founder of OH, an alternative education company designed to connect creative talent with industry, and bridge the gap between education and employment. “Don’t let the feedback dictate your entire approach to design, but do let it support you in your endeavour to improve your skills,” she continues. What's needed in 2018 When it comes to deciding which skills to focus on first, it helps to know which skills are most needed – and least in demand – in the industry. At Ragged Edge, two of the most in-demand additional skills for designers are motion design and 3D. This isn’t new: we’ve been talking about these skills for a decade – and yet today they’re more valuable than ever for designers. “Brands designed for screens need to be built with motion in mind. So designers who can bring some movement into their work are worth their weight in gold,” Ottignon explains. “The most obvious example would be bringing a logo to life with an animation. Even the simplest movement gives it so much more impact when you present it.” A designer who has good conceptual skills, alongside the ability to bring these to life in 3D, will have a real point of difference Max Ottignon, Ragged Edge He says that After Effects tends to be the starting point here. “A number of designers at Ragged Edge have added this to their armoury,” he adds, “and it’s really helped them sell their ideas.” The ability to apply your work across 3D objects or spaces is also invaluable – and Ottignon has great advice here. “In the rush to go digital, the physical world sometimes gets neglected. A designer who has good conceptual skills, alongside the ability to bring these to life in 3D, will have a real point of difference.” Take Ragged Edge’s brand guidelines for Grey Goose vodka. “We incorporated a whole section on in-store activation,” he says. “That meant lots of 3D renders of retail environments and displays, all brought to life in Cinema 3D.” Ragged Edge’s work for Grey Goose incorporated a whole section on in-store activation, meaning lots of 3D renders “Increasingly, I find that the projects I get involved in require coding skills,” says graphic designer, author and RCA visiting lecturer Adrian Shaughnessy. “I’m a Neanderthal when it comes to code, so I rely on people with coding skills. I’m never happy bluffing or faking it. If you haven’t got the skills, it shows.” “The demand for UX designers has gone up,” agrees Dooley. “If you’re looking to further develop your design skills, I’d suggest getting your head around the concept of it and the language of UX,” she continues. Designers who have dabbled with HTML and CSS are also in demand, she adds. “You certainly don’t have to become an expert, but understanding what’s under the bonnet of front-end development will support your designs.” However, Dooley says the real skills gap in the creative industry is soft skills. “The ask from designers now appears to be less focused on the technical skills of design, and more so on communication and ways of thinking. It sounds like a cliche, but it’s essential, and will be more so over the coming years.” She continues: “Having the ability to communicate ideas confidently – and in a way that’s digestible for everyone in your team to understand and visualise – is a sought-after quality. There’s a skill within being able to articulate the creative process behind your ideas, the ‘why’ behind designs and how you got from A to B. We’re also increasingly speaking to studios who are asking for designers that have a background or interest in psychology,” she says. What to avoid Are there any skills to avoid learning? The top-level consensus is no. “Anything you can bring that’s a bit out of the ordinary is worth having,” says Ottignon. “You never know how you might be able to apply it with a bit of creative thinking.” That said, software and new trends can quickly become obsolete. At Shillington, the curriculum is constantly updated to ensure courses don’t teach outdated software, skills or trends. “In the past five years, we’ve scrapped a lot of print projects to concentrate on design thinking, UX and UI, as a plan to create designers that are better prepared to work in collaborative teams and have the problem-solving skills to adapt in a fast-changing environment,” says Anthony Wood, Shillington’s managing director. “Being aware of digital trends and having a confident grasp of UI design will inevitably become increasingly important, as will competency of AR and VR,” he continues. “But it’s important to remember that a designer’s strongest and most important skill is research – both for the client and user – with a creative problem-solving ability to back it up.” Bridge your skills gap So what’s the best way to acquire the skills you’ve identified? Online learning platforms like Skillshare, Udemy and Lynda are packed with short, affordable courses on everything from creative to business skills. Brooke Young, digital marketing manager at Skillshare, says it’s less about learning one specific skill to make you a better designer, and more about continually improving your skills. “That’s why we give our members unlimited access to classes for a low monthly or annual price,” she explains. “It makes it easier and more affordable to take many classes over time.” Don’t feel that you have to commit to completing a class in one sitting. “Watching 10 minutes of a class every day is a lot less intimidating and makes it easier to complete,” Young points out. With Skillshare’s mobile app, you can also download classes to your device and watch them offline – meaning you can learn from anywhere. Being able to learn wherever you are doesn’t mean that learning shouldn’t be structured. Time perimeters are paramount, says Wood. While there’s a time and place for unstructured “play”, he says that if you want to truly master a new skill, treat it like a college assignment or client project. “Set strict timelines, identify a deadline and create incentives to stay on track,” he advises. “Accountability is also key,” says Wood. “Create your own classroom. Don’t be afraid to connect with fellow designers – whether that’s in person or online – who want to upskill too. This is why we have special graduate partnerships with RookieUp, an on- demand mentorship platform, and Briefbox, a library of practice briefs and helpful resources, to keep challenging our students, even after graduation.” Online learning platforms like Udemy are packed with short, affordable courses on everything from creative to business skills Also, don’t be afraid to learn on the job – it’s probably how you acquired many of the skills you already have. “If there’s a brief that requires a skill you don’t have, can you take it on and learn at the same time? It will probably mean a few late nights and early mornings,” says Ottignon, “but it will be worth it.” I’ve always found the best, easiest way to learn a new skill is to invent a project for yourself Bonnie Siegler, Eight And if you can’t learn on the job? Invent a project incorporating whatever it is you need to learn. “I’ve always found the best, easiest way to learn a new skill is to invent a project for yourself,” reflects Bonnie Siegler, founder of design studio Eight and a Half. “Then you have to solve all the problems that appear before you. For retention purposes, nothing beats figuring it out yourself.” For Shaughnessy, learning from your peers is the most effective way to up-skill. His experience, both in working life and education, is that designers learn best from each other. “I don’t know many designers who use software manuals – instead they immerse themselves in the subject and then look for someone to help them,” he says. “Online tutorials can be helpful. But ultimately, peer learning is the best way forward.” He encourages students to learn new skills as well as enhance existing ones. “But my emphasis is always on learning how to learn,” he explains. “Many skills will be redundant by the time students have perfected them. Acquiring skills is a lifetime exercise – so you’d better know how to be a constant learner.” Lead image: Tishk Barzanji This article originally appeared in Computer Arts issue 277; subscribe here. Read more: 6 sure-fire ways to build your creative network How to excel at everything Let's talk about money View the full article

In the world of branding, some companies' are so strong they don't even need a logo, while others need, let's say, a little imaginative thinking. But why should all the cool branding work go to the coffee shops, clothing lines and craft beer companies? Who says the lawyer can't have the best business cards? And what's wrong with referencing a rebel Dutch designer when rebranding a company that cuts metal? We spoke to studios around the world to find out how they created cool branding schemes for industries that don't naturally set people's pulses a-racing: from cement and flooring to a mortgages and an organisation specialising in perioperative medicine (nope, we didn't know what that was either). 01. EJET: Cutting specialist EJET's elegant branding was inspired by rebel Dutch designer Jurriaan Schrofer EJET is a company that "specialises in cutting". It cuts metal. It cuts plastic. You live in Greece? You want something cut? Go to EJET. But how do you create a brand for a cutting specialist that isn't obvious or, well, dull? Luminous Design Group managed it by drawing inspiration from rebel Dutch designer Jurriaan Schrofer. This interlocking pattern is used throughout EJET's identity system Themistocles Tsiamis is art director at the Luminous Design Group Athens studio: "The symbol we designed, encapsulates in its aesthetic the company's main activities – industrial design and cutting process of metallic surfaces. Taking cues from the company's specialty, decorative design, we created an interlocking pattern that was used throughout the identity system. Additionally, we applied some printing techniques that added to the overall feeling of metallic texture." 02. Rezult: MDF flooring Rezult’s print collateral makes sharp use of the brand colours When Ukraine-based MDF flooring manufacturer Rezult needed a new identity, it turned to Kiev-based agency Fedoriv. Challenged to help the plant shift from Russian to European and Asian markets, Fedoriv focused on elevating the quality of the product in the new branding. The new tagline is short and witty “Our research made it clear that some people treat renovation very seriously, regardless of what part of the world they live in,” explain the team. “These people do a thorough remodelling job, applying effort to extend the lifetime of their house. They aren’t against paying more, as they believe that cheap cannot be good.” Fedoriv intended the company’s new name, Rezult, to have a Germanic twang of efficiency, a theme emphasised by the red-and-black colour scheme. A witty tagline – ‘Stand On Quality’ – completes the package. 03. Osteo Poly Clinc: Medical massage This osteopathy branding cleverly uses a circle to represent a human being in perfect condition This outstanding piece of design looks like a Vaughan Oliver 4AD album cover. It's actually for a clinic specialising in osteopathy (the manipulation and massage of bones, joints, muscles), a meticulous project in which everything means something. When the elements get back to the perfect circle, it means recovery "It was important to explain what is osteopathy and how it works," say Victoria Ermolaeva, from branding specialist Ermolaev Bureau. "Doctors use their five fingers to treat people – five main points in the name of the company form the perfect circle. The circle is a symbol of a human being in perfect condition. A broken circle shows that there are some problems with health, its compositions stand for different problems with human body. The most distorted circles define the worst diseases. When the elements get back to the perfect circle, it means recovery." 04. Habito: Mortgages This mortgage company wants to appeal to the mainstream While the big banks are becoming increasingly savvy to the power of good design, it takes real skill to make the prospect of borrowing vast sums of money to buy a house look carefree and cool. Driven by an ambition to become a household name in mortgages, new service Habito asked London-based agency MultiAdaptor to create a brand that would appeal to a mainstream audience and take the company to the next level. This branding gives mortgages a carefree face With consumer trust in financial services at an all-time low, Habito needed a fresh, authentic, empathetic brand to cut through and connect with people. “We created a distinctive anti-gravity graphic language and calming visual world for Habito,” explains MultiAdaptor co-founder Andy West. “Seemingly heavy forms are lifted up to give them an unexpected floating feeling, reflecting the big idea at the heart of the brand: lift away your mortgage worries.” 05. Telma Gonçalves: Law This branding for lawyer Telma Gonçalves is a far, refreshing cry from the usual gavels and scales Law is another industry not known for its love of aesthetics. Humana Studio took on the challenge to brand Telma Gonçalves, "a young, open-minded lawyer". The Lisbon studio wanted its work to differ from typical lawyer identities. It had to find a way to represent justice and balance without relying on traditional symbols likes gavels and scales. Two horizontal lines form the symbol representing justice and impartiality Ana Abreu is an illustrator and creative director. "Our solution," she says, "was to make every element balanced, by being horizontally aligned. This way it represents justice and impartiality. The two horizontal lines form the symbol, a minimal reference to the balance." 06. Mark Spencer: Forensic botany The tagline captures the magic and mystery of the profession Mark Spencer is a forensic botanist: he consults with police departments and forensic services on cases where plant-based evidence can unlock crimes. OK, so that's quite cool when you know what it is – but conveying that in a branding scheme is not so simple. The skeletonised leaf mimics an eye Fieldwork Facility was asked to create an identity for Spencer that was intelligent, simple and memorably executed. The logo – a skeletonised leaf that resembles an eye – represents Spencer’s observational skills and vast botanical knowledge. The tagline ‘Plants Hold Secrets’ tells the story of his forensic work, while ‘Plants Tell Stories’ is used for his public-facing work, such as TV. “We created imagery for these two worlds by commissioning Robin Friend, a British landscape photographer, to join us on a simulation of a forensics investigation with Mark,” explains Fieldwork Facility creative director Robin Howie. 07. Dansk Erhverv: Chamber of Commerce Two words: modern and innovative Dansk Erhverv is the Danish chamber of commerce network for the service industry in Denmark. Charlie Tango took on the job of rebranding the organisation because "their visual identity no longer suited the work they perform or the perception they had of themselves." The Copenhagen studio held workshops with employees to find out more about their culture and values. They came up with eight words. Charlie Tango picked two of those words to guide the design process: modern and innovative. From those two words they ended up with a "sharp, professional and Nordic minimalist design." Clear blue and deep orange provides a clean and easy-to-understand hierarchy Managing director Andreas B. Iversen says: "We started to make the logo sharper, so today it appears more significant, modern and robust. In addition, we defined new brand colours: the clear blue and deep orange provides a clean and easy-to-understand hierarchy in both printed matter and digital elements. We also defined a new, tighter image style that appears more professional and reflects the Nordic countries and Nordic values. Finally, we introduced a 5th element in the form of a dotted grid that creates recognition across the Dansk Erhverv." 08. LafargeHolcim: Cement Branding for Swiss-based construction materials and solutions company LafargeHolcim follows a Russian constructivism vibe LafargeHolcim is Swiss-based construction materials and solutions company. So how did it end up with a Russian constructivism vibe on the packaging for its cement? The redesign of LafargeHolcim was undertaken by Moscow-based studio Ohmybrand Nadie Parshina is creative director at Ohmybrand, the Moscow-based studio challenged with the rebrand in Russia, where the company was competing with similar packaging and even fakes. "The biggest challenge when working with international companies," Parshina says, "is they don't understand often the specifics of local markets – in particular, the Russian market. But the Russian office of LafargeHolcim gave us serious support, and we managed to comply with corporate standards and solve important the tasks: visibility and recognisability of the brand." 09. Securrent: Internet security Seçkin Uysal Studio Recode held workshops to find Securrent's 'brand essence' Securrent is a Turkish IT security provider. Seçkin Uysal is founder and managing director of Studio Recode in Istanbul. Uysal says companies wanting a rebrand generally prefer something conservative, something pretty close to what they already have. With Securrent, he held workshops to find out what was the "brand essence." The finding from these workshops helped him sell the final rebrand. The biggest challenge was creating symbols and metaphors for the brand "The brand identity," Uysal says, "which comes after brand essence, was almost easy. However, there was the challenge of creating symbols and metaphors for the brand. Our solution was presenting a base moodboard based on the workshop we had and then could go on with ease." 10. UK Scouts The biggest challenge for the NotOnSunday team was creating something that had to be used by 7,000 different Scout groups The Scouts may have undergone a modern revamp in recent years, but here in the UK the organisation traditionally isn't the coolest. But London agency NotOnSunday approached the rebranding job the same way it would any brand. It picked out the organisation's key strengths, its sense of belonging, its focus of skills for life, and built up the project from there. The NotOnSunday team picked out the organisation's key strengths and built up the project from there "The biggest challenge," co-founder Trev Townsend says, "was creating something that had to be used by 7,000 different Scout groups throughout the UK. We didn’t want to overcomplicate the layouts. The creative fun will flow out over the next couple of years. We had to create something that could be used by all, including non-designers." 11. TRIPOM: Perioperative medicine After exploring numerous styles, a triangular-rotational form was selected for Tripom's branding Perioperative medicine is the "medical care of patients from the time of contemplation of surgery through the operative period to full recovery." Not an easy job when it comes branding. Mark Richardson – aka Superfried – took on a "challenging project, requiring design discipline" for an organisation called TRIPOM (Trainees with an Interest in PeriOperative Medicine). Richardson wanted his work to stand apart from medical design cliches. Check out the organisations website – before and after – to see to his outstanding work in action. The new brand identity is fun, vibrant and connects with TRIPOM's target student demographic "They required a new brand identity," Richardson says, "and the development of a complex web-based platform that was fun and vibrant to connect with their target student demographic. Numerous arrangements and styles were explored, but a triangular-rotational form was selected – having an apt chemical-medical diagrammatic feel. For the logotype bespoke uppercase lettering was developed with the subtle addition of dots to convey it's acronym nature." Read more: 21 outstanding uses of colour in branding What's your brand archetype? Logo design tips from the pros View the full article

Automotive brands are some of the most established, powerful and recognisable in the world. Emblazoned on the front (and back) of one of the most expensive single purchases we make, the best car logos become badges of pride, as well as signifying quality of design and engineering. Many are over a century old now, but like all the best logos have stood the test of time and won a place in the logo design hall of fame. Read on to discover the fascinating and unusual stories behind seven of the best car logos of all time... 01. Mercedes-Benz The three-pointed star shows dominance of sea, air and land Mercedes-Benz's three-pointed star is now a powerful statement of efficient German engineering and premium quality, but its roots are rather more charming. In 1872, Gottlieb Daimler, technical director of petrol engine manufacturer Deutz, drew a star above his house on a postcard of Cologne and sent it to his wife, vowing that one day the symbol would adorn his own factory. Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft trademarked that three-pointed star as its logo in 1909. Following a merger in 1926, the company was renamed Mercedes-Benz and acquired the Benz laurel wreath, which became a simple ring in 1933. Mercedes-Benz doesn't just make cars, of course – and the three points are said to represent motorised dominance of the sea, air and land. 02. Ferrari The prancing horse was first seen on a WW1 fighter plane Enzo Ferrari first saw the prancing horse that would later adorn his eponymous sports cars on the side of a First World War fighter plane, flown by ace Italian pilot Count Francesco Baracca. Baracca's parents urged Ferrari to use the symbol as his logo, to bring him luck, as they believed it had for their son. He did, when founding the Scuderia Ferrari racing team in 1929 – adding canary yellow to honour his home city of Modena. If luck translates into profitability, it certainly paid off – nowadays, Ferrari-branded merchandise brings in almost as much cash as the cars do. Count Baracca, however, was not so fortunate as he was later killed in action. As a mark of respect, Ferrari made the horse black – rather than red, as it was on the plane – to mourn the ace pilot that inspired the iconic logo. 03. Cadillac Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac's crest was actually made up In 1902, the Cadillac Automobile Company chose the crest of Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who founded the city of Detroit in 1701, as its logo. However, the plot thickens: 'Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac' was not in fact his real name. He took it at the age of 24 when he enlisted in the military, to give the illusion that he hailed from high society. On his arrival in the New World, no one could check his true origins, and Cadillac assembled a coat of arms from various sources. The three coloured bands represent boldness, virtue and valour. The crest also incorporated a crown, a wreath, and a several Merganser ducks – a rather humbler creature than the prancing stallion above, or the pouncing big cat below. Re-workings of the Cadillac logo in 1999, 2002 and 2014 lost the ducks and the crown in favour of a sleeker, more modern metallic shield. 04. Jaguar Jaguar's distinctive hood ornaments are no longer permitted Symbolising speed, strength and power, the leaping jaguar is a hugely distinctive and highly energetic addition to our list of iconic car logos. It is usually depicted in simple yet refined colours such as black, metallic grey and gold – intended to represent elegance, integrity and high-performance, as well as class and sophistication. Until fairly recently, a highly distinctive jaguar ornament could be seen leaping from the hood/bonnet of classic Jaguar cars, but pedestrian safety regulations mean they are no longer permitted. 05. Volvo Volvo's symbol represents war, iron, and masculinity Swedish car manufacturer Volvo can boast another fascinating tale behind its logo, and it's one steeped in mythology and ancient symbolism. Its distinctive logo is the symbol of the Roman god Mars, long associated with war and weaponry – but also the alchemist symbol for iron, and masculinity. Volvo needed a badge that lived up to its reputation for safe, sturdy and reliable vehicles, and adopted the circle with upward-pointing arrow in the 1920s. The name 'Volvo' itself means 'I roll' in Latin, although the association with wheeled vehicles is fortuitous. It refers to the company's original output: ball bearings. 06. Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo's serpent isn't eating a man - he's being reborn Even a quick glance at the Alfa Romeo logo implies there's a decent story behind it, and you wouldn't be wrong. While the red cross on the left-hand-side is the symbol of Milan, home of the Italian car maker, on the right it appears to have chosen a man-eating snake. Otone Visconti, a knight from the former ruling family of Milan who fought in the First Crusades, is said to have taken the symbol of a serpent devouring a man from the shield of a Saracen he defeated in battle. Alfa Romeo, however, claims that the man is in fact emerging from the snake, purified and renewed, and the scene is a symbol of rebirth. 07. Chevrolet Not even the founder's family agrees on Chevy's logo origins Sometimes the heritage behind a highly recognisable logo can be a little cloudy, as is the case with the 'bowtie' marque adopted by American car-maker Chevrolet. There are, in fact, three different versions of its origin story, from three different members of the family of its founder, William C. Durant. Durant himself claims the design was inspired by wallpaper in a French hotel, and this version was upheld in Chevrolet's 50th anniversary publication. According to his wife Catherine, a 1911 advertisement for 'Coalettes' fuel in a 1911 newspaper was actually the source of inspiration. Their daughter Margery disagreed, and argued that Durant simply sketched a nameplate design "in between the soup and the fried chicken" one evening. Chevrolet itself now acknowledges the uncertainty, with its 100th anniversary publication stating the logo's true origin is unknown. Read more: 5 unusual uses of colour in logo design Big-brand logos that pass the silhouette test Iconic American logos that changed branding forever View the full article

Like most technical skills, video editing is something that seems really difficult if you've never learned how to do it. But it's an important skill to have these days, with more and more industries going digital and becoming video-based. For $21, master one of the most widely used video-editing platforms in the world with Adobe Premiere Pro CC Masterclass: Video Editing Made Easy. This comprehensive course will teach you everything from the very basics – starting a project, adding video transitions, incorporating titles – to more advanced techniques, such as colour-correcting, adding visual effects, and editing chroma key footage. Whether you want to become a video-journalist, a social media expert, or even a Hollywood film editor, you can learn the video-editing skills you'll need with Adobe Premiere Pro CC Masterclass: Video Editing Made Easy. Related articles: The best video editing software 2018 The best computers for video editing 2018 6 best laptops for video editing 2018 View the full article