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So you've got a perfect design portfolio, you've mastered all the nuances of responsive web design and your user experience skills are tip top, but there's something holding you back from progressing in your career. Sometimes, to get better at your day job, you need to look a little outside your particular specialism. You could take on a side project, try a new creative hobby, or simply pick a cutting-edge new area to skill up in. We asked seven top web professionals what they were planning on doing to add some new strings to their bow. 01. Game development Tools like Unity have made game development more accessible “I love playing video games (at the moment I’m currently hooked on Stardew Valley), and there are some really great ones coming out from indie developers that I follow on Twitter,” says frontend developer Anna Debenham. “Watching them share their progress of crafting walking (as well as dancing) bears, and teaching cubes to chase a banana using machine learning, is something that has really inspired me.” Game development software is becoming more and more accessible for beginners, and platforms such as VR are opening up possibilities for more confident web pros. Debenham plans to try her hand at building a 3D game using Unity. Get started: Build your own WebGL physics game 02. iPad design Learning to design on an iPad takes a little dedication There are plenty of great painting apps to help you create artwork on the go, but it takes time and effort to make the most of them. Web designer and frontend developer Katherine Cory finally invested in an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil last year, with the aim of using Procreate to create amazing digital paintings, but is still getting to grips with the new workflow. “I naively thought I’d start creating work as great as the time-lapses I see on Instagram, but after a few hours of playing and only creating scribbles, I’ve realised it’s a skill I need to learn,” she smiles. “I’ve signed up to an Udemy course and have joined Skillshare. Hopefully, by the end of the year I’ll be creating designs like a pro (pun intended).” Get started: Paint a classic fairy tale scene with Procreate 03. Artificial intelligence AI raises ethical questions for developers Digital transformation consultant Sally Lait started playing with neural networks last year, and she’s keen to expand her skills. While AI isn’t something she aims to offer directly to her clients, Lait thinks it’s an important area for web professional to be aware of. “With AI being a growing corner of tech where there’s a lot of hype and even greater amounts of ethical concerns, I’d like more hands-on, practical experience to better inform my knowledge of these important issues,” she explains. “I see it as my responsibility to experience and understand the impact that different technologies can have.” Get started: How the intelligent web will change our interactions 04. Podcasting Podcasts are a great way to immerse yourself in the web industry “2018 is the year to get back to combining technology with stories from real people, therefore I’m relearning a skill from years ago: podcasting!” announces frontend developer and consultant Jenn Lukas. Lukas used to co-host the Ladies in Tech podcast, and will be reprising her skills with a new show No, You Go alongside CEO Katel LeDû and Sara Wachter-Boettcher. To get the podcast launched smoothly she’ll be learning the new WordPress updates, refreshing her audio editing, and brushing up on interviewing skills. Get started: 18 great web design podcasts 05. Soft skills Brushing up on skills like communication can really pay off Don’t forget ‘soft’ skills such as communication and persuasion. Improving these can have a massive effect on your career. Over the coming months, Make Us Proud’s Inayaili de León Persson aims to focus on design leadership and research, to suit where her career is currently headed. “I’ve been reading a lot of books and articles, and watching talks around these subjects, and I’m planning to attend some conferences too – and, of course, learning on the job,” she shares. Get started: How to network successfully 06. AR and VR VR is a completely different ball game An area that’s getting a lot of attention at the moment is virtual reality and augmented reality. In order to understand the possibilities and the limitations in this medium, creative director Shane Mielke plans to spend some time getting to grips with the new tools that are making VR and AR more accessible, including Unity and ARKit. “By understanding the tools and process, I can more confidently solve design and navigation problems in a world that doesn’t follow the standards of the web-only projects that I have most of my experience in,” he explains. Get started: The VR web is here 07. A rounded approach Don't panic over every hot new tool or technique While all these new tools and techniques are exciting, if you try and learn every new thing that comes along, you’ll find yourself running to stand still. So if reading this list is putting you into a panic, worry not. “If you can think algorithmically, share your skills, work with a team and empathise with users, there will always be work,” councils Web Standards specialist Bruce Lawson. “Being rounded is the skill I want to develop.” This article was originally published in net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Buy issue 304 or subscribe. Read more: The complete guide to SVG 5 web typography trends to look out for The dos and don'ts of perfect portfolios View the full article

Games are very much part of our daily routine now, whether you're playing a game on your PC or tapping away on your phone. If you've ever thought of creating your own, now you can go from playing games to building them with the 30-Minute Unity Bootcamp Bundle, on sale for just $19.99 (approx. £15). The 30-Minute Unity Bootcamp Bundle is your chance to turn your game obsession into something more productive. All you need is half an hour a day to work through these crash course style lessons. This bundle is packed with the knowledge you need to go from exploring virtual worlds to building them. From physics to controls, and everything in between, the 30-Minute Unity Bootcamp Bundle has all of the courses that you need to get your start as a game developer. You can get the 30-Minute Unity Bootcamp Bundle on sale for just $19.99 (approx. £15)! That’s a savings of 95% off the retail price for a bundle that is sure to please any aspiring game developer, so grab this deal today! View the full article

Ulrike Rausch is a type designer and letterer, and the founder of her own type foundry, LiebeFonts. Her studio is dedicated to crafting handwriting fonts with love, with the likes of KFC using her lettering to give its branding a personal touch. In her talk at TYPO Berlin 2018 (tune in to the livestream here), Rausch shattered some of the romantic illusions surrounding font design and pointed out that handwritten fonts can go from unique to boring very quickly if they’re used unimaginatively. So how do typographers keep their work fresh? In her talk, 'Brush, Ink and Code - The Making of a Font', Rausch revealed some advice for combining digital know-how with traditional methods in order to create a handwritten font with a sense of individuality. Here are some of the key tips from the talk, which Rausch says help “preserve the liveliness of irregularities.” 01. Create handwritten alternatives LiebeDoris was used for a KFC campaign Repetition of letter shapes can kill the charm of a handwritten font dead in the water. After all, even the neatest human handwriting contains subtle idiosyncrasies between one use of a letter and the next. Why should handwriting fonts have an uncanny sense of uniformity about them? One way around this is to create handwritten alternatives. This is what Rausch did for her KFC lettering, with the project taking around a year and a half to complete thanks to this extra level of effort with the type design. By creating different variations of each letter by hand, the branding team had the flexibility to shake-up the lettering in its marketing and stop the font from becoming stale. 02. Use OpenType features LiebeLotte offers a variety of ligatures and alternates via OpenType features If there was one message Rausch was keen for typographers to take away from her talk, it was to use OpenType features. If you’re unfamiliar with OpenType features, don’t worry. According to Rausch, design software tries its hardest to hide these features from its users. So what are they? Put simply, they’re a series of tools that make fonts look and behave differently, which is perfect for changing characters in handwritten fonts. When used with a batch of handwritten alternatives, OpenType features, in particular the contextual alternate feature, are a way of jumbling up the occurrence of a letterform. There’s a lot of scope for flexibility with OpenType features. For example, they can be programmed to sniff out repetitions of a letter shape that appears twice in a row, or multiple times in the same sentence. Perfect for keeping handwritten fonts lively. 03. Make sure the client uses the features Rausch's work for KFC didn't live up to its potential... because the client didn't turn on the OpenType features If OpenType features are hard for designers to find and use, just think how difficult it is for clients with no typography skills. For Rausch, her KFC lettering was sure to be the pride of her portfolio, with the alternate lettering set to spice up the fast food chain’s marketing. This wasn’t quite the case. When she saw it in reality, the lettering had that handwritten yet uniform look she dreaded. The reason? KFC had not turned on the OpenType alternate features option when it came to writing out its branding messages. 04. Beware the glyph palette LiebeGerda comes alive with OpenType magic – most characters three variations that are automatically shuffled and inserted as you type Even if you’ve been extra careful and alerted the client to the OpenType alternate features, this doesn’t mean you’re home and dry yet. That’s because each piece of design software, as well as making OpenType features hard to find, apparently doesn’t make them straightforward to use, either. One particular glitch Rausch pointed out could be found in the glyph palette. If this is opened up while working with a set of alternate fonts it has the annoying habit of turning off the contextual alternate feature. Definitely one to point out to your client before you see your hard work become another repetitive handwritten font out out in the wild. Related articles: 8 elegant script fonts 23 great places to download fonts for free 19 top free brush fonts View the full article

Professional artists share how 3D software can take your digital art to the next level in ImagineFX 162 - on sale now! Acting as a medium in itself or as a framework for other tools, 3D software have a range of creative possibilities. With concept and games artists possibly best suited to benefiting from 3D software, we talk to 5518 Studios to hear how they incorporated the tools into their workflow. Meanwhile in our in depth workshop we learn from Adam Dewhirst how to quickly work up a 3D concpet using ZBrush and Photoshop. Buy issue 162 of ImagineFX here Elsewhere in issue 162 we hear from Ara Kermanikian how to model a sci-fi composition model ready to be painted over. It's not all 3D fun though, as there are plenty of traditional art workshops to enjoy, including Nicolas Delort's pen tutorial which explores how to draw an iconic fantasy encounter. Topped off with all the latest news, reviews and reader art in our FXPose, you won't want to miss ImagineFX issue 162. Check out what's in store by taking a look over the lead features, below. Never miss an issue: Subscribe to ImagineFX here Add a new dimension Learn why you need to add 3D to your skill set Is 3D software the shortcut to a creative career? Or does it depend on which route you decide to take your art? We talk to artists who use 3D software in a variety of ways to find out how artists can benefit by adding technical wizardry to their artistic tool belt. Artist portfolio: Pablo Carpio Pablo Carpio went from having no job to working for Disney When it comes to carving out a career as an artist, there can be moments when you have to take a leap into the unknown. That's just what happened to Pablo Carpio as he found himself with no job, no leads, but a lot of ambition. We talk to the artist to hear how he made it and ended up working on AAA games. Find your motivation Get out of your creative slump with these tips An artistic funk can strike anyone at any level of their career. To help you out of your creative doldrums, Mel Milton is on hand to share his tried and tested motivational tips. Tackling everything from goals and challenges to dreaming big, this advice is sure to give your creativity a kick start. VR sculpting workshop Technology has finally caught up with VR Artists with their finger on the pulse will be all too aware that the industry seems to be going through something of a VR renaissance. Thanks to easier access to powerful computers, more and more artists now have the chance to harness the possibilities of the VR medium. Glen Southern shows you how to sculpt a character for VR with this workshop. Master watercolour basics Tame the tricky medium with these tips Thanks to its habit of running away with itself, watercolours have a bit of a reputation with artists. Kelly McKernan argues that this protean nature is something to be celebrated as she walks us through the basics of watercolour in this new core skills series. ImagineFX is the world's best-selling magazine for digital artists – packed with workshops and interviews with fantasy and sci-fi artists, plus must-have kit reviews. Related articles: 30 top examples of 3D art New Illustrator plugin lets 2D designers easily work in 3D Bring 3D tools into your 2D art View the full article

The company urges customers to patch three vulnerabilities that received the highest severity rating of 10. View the full article

Threatpost talked to several security researchers about what's changed in the past year. View the full article

Following hot on the heels of this year’s successful Generate New York, tickets for Generate London 2018 are now officially on sale. And if you’re quick off the mark you can gain all the expert web design insight and advice on offer at an even better price: we're offering 50 early-bird tickets to the country’s premier web-design event. You can pick up a two-day or three-day pass for £100 off the usual price! > Buy your Early Bird ticket for £100 off Taking place once again at London’s Royal Institution, the home of the Christmas Lectures, from 19-21 September, Generate London is a three-day event packed full of inspiration, education and networking opportunities. Generate kicks off with a day of workshops, it transitions into two single-track conference days offering talks from world-class web designers. Here’s just a taste of what you can expect: Sarah Parmenter Having cut her teeth working for clients such as Adobe, Ellen Degeneres, Apple, and News International, and picked up Designer of the Year at the 2011 net awards, few people know the world of high-profile web design like Sarah Parmenter. Her keynote at Generate will dive into the subject of quarterly website design reviews with a “design once use everywhere” mantra, plus digging into the ever changing world of Instagram algorithms, Facebook marketing, and topical social media takeaways. Sara Soueidan Sara is an award-winning freelance front-end UI developer and author from Lebanon with clients including Netflix, The Royal Schiphol Group and Smashing Magazine. Her Generate keynote will serve up a wide range of possibilities for improving the overall user experience of your UI using CSS (with sprinkles of SVG and JavaScript here and there). Bruce Lawson 'Shokunin' is a Japanese word often translated as 'artisan’. But the woodwork master craftsman Tasio Odate writes, "such a literal description does not fully express the deeper meaning. The Japanese apprentice is taught that shokunin means not only having technical skills, but also implies an attitude and social consciousness … The shokunin has a social obligation to work his/her best for the general welfare of the people." Following this lead in his keynote, Bruce Lawson, the web standards consultant to Wix and former deputy CTO at Opera, will look at the web standards and the mindset required to be a Shokunin of the web. Marpi Marcinowski Marpi Marcinowski is a Polish-born San-Francisco-based digital artist who currently works with Obscura as director of web and experiential design. His artworks are interactive, scalable, and multiplatform, giving anyone ability to shape them, and create their own. His talk will take you on a journey through all interactive media and technologies and how anyone can create their own generative worlds and interact with one another. Richard Rutter In Douglas Adams’ novels, Dirk Gently is a "holistic detective" who makes use of "the fundamental interconnectedness of all things" to solve crime. Through a series of stories, Richard Rutter, the co-founder of Clearleft and Fontdeck, will use his talk to show you how to be like Dirk and work out which of a service’s pieces need to fit together, determine how well they meet user needs and rebuild them from the ground up so that they do. Steven Roberts Sure we all know about the power of CSS transitions, we use them day in and day out to animate the state of a button or link; but CSS is capable of so much more, especially when paired with SVG and it’s about time we started utilising it. Learn the best tools for the job with front-end designer and developer Steven Roberts in his talk recreating some of the best animations the web has to offer, while discovering the possibilities and limitations of animating with just CSS. With so many great speakers on offer and many more still to be announced, it’s safe to say that the 50 early-bird tickets will sell out fast. So make sure you grab your ticket while they last. Related articles: 10 new web design tools for April 2018 10 reasons to attend Generate NYC 2018 10 fantastic new web design tools for March 2018 View the full article

Moving from print to digital, there's one obvious and important difference to consider when it comes to typography. Unlike with print, in digital design, your type is not going to remain static. "Printed type can be tightly controlled, with the outcome exactly as the designer intended," says Jack Statham, mid-weight designer at Ragged Edge. "But typography on-screen may be rendered with varying levels of detail for different users, depending on their device." That doesn't mean typography loses its importance, though; quite the reverse. "In recent years, web and app design has rid itself of superfluous decoration and now gives more space to content, and therefore to text," explains Massimiliano Frangi, senior design director at CBA Italy. "So the choice of a great font is now a key element for the success of a web project." In recent years, web and app design has rid itself of superfluous decoration Jack Statham Nowadays, specialist web fonts are optimised to display as cleanly and consistently as possible across multiple devices and screen resolutions. "Often, typefaces designed for print have ink traps and a high contrast in stroke-width," says Statham. "Typefaces designed for the web usually feature more consistent stroke weights, higher x-heights, and more open bowls and counters." All this means that if your design is going to work, look good, and be legible on multiple devices, screen sizes and orientations, then choosing the right font carefully and displaying it correctly is essential. Legibility is key "Just because a typeface is beautiful doesn’t mean it will readable in all sizes," says Martha Lisboa, digital designer at CBA Paris. "So avoid crazy typefaces, condensed styles and letterforms with thin strokes. And be aware that type effects such as shadows or bevels may look great at larger sizes but won’t work on small screens. "In short, go with something simple and of a standard weight to ensure readability on all devices, especially for long paragraphs of text." When it comes to typesetting, hierarchy is always important, but it becomes especially so when people are using your interactive design to achieve a goal, says Statham. "You have a limited area in which to set type and reduced navigation and wayfinding elements," he points out. "So a clear type hierarchy helps a user to quickly find their way around the screen, and acts as a bit of a shorthand for the user to digest the information on screen." Fifteen's Nottingham Hospitals website design features a friendly, handwriting style font Alexandra Lofthouse, senior UX designer at Fifteen, agrees, and reminds us that people don't generally use apps to read massive paragraphs of text. "So text should to be easy to read and digest," she stresses. "This comes down to the tone of voice used throughout the copy, and the typographic style fusing together in an interesting and an engaging way." And of course, legibility is hugely important in digital. "Especially in long passages of text, the goal is to make typography 'invisible', in that the user is able to pass over a paragraph quickly, without having to focus too hard on each letterform," says Statham. He advises you "pay attention to paragraph measure; keep them to between 45-75 characters. Provide generous spacing between lines: aim for a minimum line height of 1.5 for body copy. Aim for a slight increase in tracking, to give type room to breathe. And choose a reasonable point size: actual character size varies between fonts, but 16px is a good minimum." Accessible typography Colour is also an important consideration when it comes to legibility, he notes. "Backlit screens can increase the contrast between pure black and white, which can be tiring on the eyes, so using a softer black for text or pale grey background can make text more readable. Also there are a few apps, such as Contrast, which we often use to help ensure any colour combinations in a body of text are compliant with current accessibility standards." Lee Carroll, interaction designer at Seymourpowell, offers similar advice. "Watch out for lack of contrast between text and background colours," he says. "Use the Snook.ca colour contrast checker to ensure the ratio is high enough for a double-A or triple-A standard of accessibility." He also suggests remembering that it might not be the colour alone that needs to change to solve some of these issues, sometimes a thicker weight or bigger text is what’s needed to increase the contrast. Massimiliano Frangi's redesign for De Nigris aimed to captivate viewers through its narrative And all that's just for starters: in 2018, the field is evolving at breakneck pace. "The technology that we use to view type is constantly changing, and so the requirements of type on screen is changing too," says Statham. "Prototypo, for example, has some incredible features in its typefaces which allow you to use one font file for several instances. You might have finer serifs on your headlines than in your captions at smaller sizes, say, or decrease the width of characters on narrower viewports. Browser support is increasing all the time, so we're hoping to utilise this soon." And staying ahead of this curve also means being on good terms with your more technically minded colleagues, says Dan Bradshaw, design director at TH_NK. "One of the main differences with digital typography compared with print is that once you’ve designed it, it needs to be built," he points out. "So get friendly with a developer if you're not too familiar with the code side of things, to ensure your designs can be brought to life justas you've laid them out." This article was originally published in Computer Arts, the world's best-selling design magazine. Buy issue 277 here or subscribe to Computer Arts here. Related articles: 5 typography trends for 2018 50 top typography tutorials Better web typography in 13 simple steps View the full article

You're reading Designing a Portfolio Website with Oversized Typography, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! The goal of any portfolio site is to showcase your work. That’s a given. But you also want to sell your work in a way that grabs attention. You can do this with visuals, or by focusing just on content. Or by … View the full article

Hit the icon in the top right to see the final image full size For this video Photoshop tutorial, I'll be taking you through the art techniques and tools that I use to create full-colour images from a greyscale line art starting point. This method will work with any layer setup, workflow and Photoshop brushes, and I'll be demonstrating my approach using Photoshop's default tools. For this walkthrough I'll be working with an ink drawing that I love from fellow artist Hunter Bonyun. Some previous knowledge of how to use masks and layer groups is useful to have before going into this tutorial, but experience using them within a workflow isn't necessary. You'll notice that I point out my personal preferences when tackling a certain step. Nothing's set in stone, especially where painting is concerned, so feel free to adapt my approaches to your own creative workflow! Watch the video tutorial below, or scroll down for some expert tips. Tip 01: Use adjustment layers I like to use adjustment layers because they are a non-destructive way of colourising. Furthermore, I can either go back into them and adjust them when I have more tones down, or pile them on top of each other for a better effect. This is true whether I'm colourising or just adjusting the balance of my work. 02. Play with local colour Trying to get all of the colours to feel right more or less on your first attempt can feel overwhelming. My method can be used to put down local colours instead. You can then adjust them after the image is in place, without any destructive or negative effects. 03. Take care with photo textures If I'm working with photo textures within a piece that has a painterly style, then it's crucial not to leave them as is, or as the final step in texturing. Painting on top of the textures enables me to create a tactile feeling without the dissonance of combining photorealism with non-realistic pieces. The print version of this tutorial appeared in ImagineFX magazine. Subscribe here. Read more: Photoshop shortcuts to speed up your workflow How to improve your character drawing The best Photoshop plugins View the full article

Social media is a fantastic way to promote yourself or your business – it can increase awareness of your brand, bolster your design portfolio, improve your site's SEO, and help you to genuinely connect with your customers. It's easy to set up a social media page, but gaining traction and turning handfuls of followers into thousands and thousands of engaged users is tough. How to create a killer social media campaign There's no magic formula to success in social media, and it can feel like it's taking a very long time to attract the right followers. There are some social media tricks and some basic rules you can follow to help things along. However, these vary between social media platforms, so we've zoned in on five power tips for each of the three main players: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you follow this advice, and remain patient during the lulls in follower activity, you will be well on the path to audience engagement. On this page we look at Facebook, and on the following pages you'll find power tips for Twitter and Instagram. Let's dive straight in… Facebook power tips Image credit: Tim Bennett 01. Get local If you are only going to do one thing with social media from now on then it should be this. Join as many local community groups as possible and post regularly in them. Get known, provide advice, answer questions. Just participate. People buy from people they know. So make sure everyone knows you. 02. Know your audience Every single Facebook tip boils down to one thing. Get to know the people around you, and make sure they know you. Talk to people, answer their questions for free, be the guy everyone likes, the first person they think of. Then when they need something, you’ll have already sold it. 03. Share memes People love to share funny pictures. The picture itself isn’t going to get you any business, but becoming known as a person who is funny isn’t going to do you any harm at all. Social media is about interaction. Be the person that everyone likes. Try to make what you share relevant… 04. Integrate email marketing Do you have a regular newsletter? If not then shame on you, go start one now. Then integrate the sign up with your Facebook page. There’s no point in going to all of the effort of making people like you if you don’t leverage it to get an opportunity to pitch your business. 05. Retarget We know it kinda goes against the ethos of this list to suggest you simply pay for adverts, but Facebook’s retargeting system rocks. And even better it doesn’t have to cost much. The more people see you the more likely they are to buy, so retarget to make sure they see you again! Recommended app: Tabsite Tabsite adds features to your Facebook page This tool enables you to create tabs in Facebook, so you can run competitions, sweepstakes, and special offers. Next page: Tips for making the most of Twitter Twitter power tips 01. Tweet a lot The average lifespan of a single tweet is measured in minutes. Even assuming you have a good audience then tweeting once a day is only ever going to reach a tiny fraction of them. You should be aiming to post multiple times a day. Retweet yourself if you have to. 02. Become the expert If you aren’t tweeting links to interesting articles about your industry then you are missing a trick. Portray yourself as being knowledgeable and at the cutting edge without having to write your own content. That a real win-win situation. 03. Start a conversation It seems a little odd to think of Twitter as a place for conversations when you remember the character limit, but it really is. Answer people, compliment them, thank them for retweeting you. Show them the person behind the tweets, and you will reap the rewards. 04. Use moving pictures Everyone likes a good GIF right? Get yourself over to Giphy and start using them as answers. You’d be amazed at how many conversations are taking place on Twitter right now with nothing but GIFs. Come and join in. 05. Ride the coat-tails of fame Tag people. The more followers the better. Make sure they are relevant to your business, and your tweet is relevant to them. All it takes is one retweet, or reply from a big name in your industry for people to notice you. Recommended app: Tweetdeck Control multiple accounts and see various feeds at once in Tweetdeck Do you want to manage multiple Twitter streams at the same time? Then TweetDeck is the app for you. Next page: Last, but by no means least, Instagram... Instagram power tips Image credit: Hans Vivek 01. Get on brand Creating a content strategy helps keep you on track when deciding what to post. Make a recognisable look for everything you do and soon people will start to know it is you before they even see your name. Help your potential customers see the world your way to make them feel connected. 02. #UseHashtags Hashtags are massive on Instagram. Unlike on other social media sites where they have been shown to have a negative effect, hashtags genuinely help people find your content. Use trending hashtags to get visibility, and create your own brand hashtags for others to use. Just make sure that you monitor them! 03. Connect with video Because Instagram is so focused on photo sharing, people often forget about video. Lots of people don’t bother because of the length restrictions, but if you’re happy to record live then you can have video of up to an hour in length. 04. Remember the community Whatever your feelings about Instagram, it’s still social media. Which means it’s about interaction. Like your customers’ pics, especially if they have your products in them. Reply to comments on your images, and make sure to comment on other people’s. Don’t forget to tag people too! 05. Run competitions As a general rule of thumb the sort of person who is active on Instagram is creative and likes taking pictures. Running a competition with a specific hashtag is a lovely way to drive awareness of your brand while letting people do what they already like to do anyway. Recommended app: Hootsuite Hootsuite helps take control of Instagram scheduling along with all your other social media accounts Many professional marketers would be lost without Hootsuite. It’s a one-stop-shop for everything social. This article was originally published in creative web design magazine Web Designer. Buy issue 270 or subscribe. Related articles: How to launch a successful Kickstarter How to start a blog: 11 pro tips 10 best portfolio templates for designers View the full article

Building your website doesn’t necessarily mean hours upon hours of coding. And protecting it shouldn't take a cybersecurity expert. With WordPress Build and Host Bundle, the entire process is made easy with Dragify and SSDPage. Get a lifetime subscription to this can't-miss bundle, on sale now for 96% off the retail price! While it's good to know how to code and work with programming languages, developing a professional website doesn’t always require specialised expertise. Dragify offers 44 prebuilt elements you can move around freely, enabling you to create the perfect setup in no time. Once your site is ready to go live, you can host it with SSDPage's Anti-Hacker Web Hosting, which provides enterprise-level security to your site to keep it safe. A lifetime subscription to the services in the WordPress Build and Host Bundle usually costs $1,344.40, but you can save 96% off the retail price. That's a huge saving for two essential tools for any web designer, so grab this deal today! View the full article

You're reading This WordPress Theme Follows the Latest Design Trends – and the Results are Stunning!, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! How to stay relevant, if you are a web designer? You need to put in the time and effort needed to keep pace with the latest design trends. As is the case with the latest technologies, new trends in design … View the full article

Once you've mastered the basics of object creation in Illustrator it's very easy to quickly fill a design with many vector elements, and pattern creation is a great way of doing this. Whereas once this would have involved a lot of time consuming, precise work, Illustrator now has a number of tools and tricks that make it easy to intricate repeating patterns. Get Adobe Creative Cloud Through the next five steps I'll run through my five essential tips and tricks that you need to know when embarking on pattern creation in Illustrator, including using the Patterns panel. This tutorial was completed in CS6, but the techniques we explore here can be applied to any version of the programme. To expand your vector skills further, take a look at these amazing Illustrator tutorials. 01. Create radial patterns Start by creating the shape you want to duplicate Creating radial patterns in Illustrator is quick and easy. Begin by simply creating a shape/graphic of any shape or size, in this case a simple round dot. With this selected hit 'R' for rotate and whilst holding alt+click on a point that will act as the centre of your radial pattern. In the following dialog panel enter a fraction (e.g 360/20), preview it then hit copy. Once back on the art board hit cmd+D to repeat the pattern. Simple. Enter a fraction into the dialog box 02. Use pattern fills This is perhaps the simplest way to create solid patterns One easy pattern creation technique that is often overlooked is to draw a shape and drag it into the swatches panel. You can now draw any other shape and choose this as your pattern fill, as shown above. This technique only becomes tricky if you want there to be spaces between the elements within your pattern – for solid patterns, it's perhaps the simplest approach. 03. Try the Pattern panel The Pattern panel (found under the Window menu) is where things start to get really interesting. To quickly jump to the Pattern panel simply double click on the pattern swatch – you now have a multitude of options to choose from including the tile type, brick offset, spacing and number of copies. Once upon a time all of this would have to have been set manually. When you're happy with your pattern you can save it or save a copy if you want to retain the original design. 04. Work with blends This approach is ideal for creating overlapping patterns The blend options can be used to quickly create repeating objects and can then be used within the Pattern generator. Draw two simple shapes, in this case squares. Navigate to 'Object > Blend > Blend options' and select 'Specified steps'. Enter the number of steps you'd like your blend to be, and then navigate back to 'Object > Blend' and select 'Make'. You can then drag this into your swatches panel and use it in conjunction with the Patterns panel to create some intriguing designs. Select the number of steps required in your pattern 05. Apply patterns to 3D objects Your patterns don't need to stay in two dimensions Once you have a pattern swatch set up its very easy to apply it to a 3D object. Start by creating a pattern fill on the artboard and drag this into the Symbols panel to be used later. We're going to make a cube, so we'll start with a square. Now create a cube by drawing another square and navigating to '3D > Effect > Extrude and Bevel'. Turn your pattern into a symbol to work with it Hit Preview to see how the cube will look and then click 'Map art'. In the symbol drop-down, select your pattern swatch and apply it to one of the sides. Cycle through the different sides, applying your pattern until you're satisfied with the results. Like this? Read these... The best free graphic design software The best laptops for graphic design 2018 10 huge graphic design trends to know for 2018 View the full article

Time management is one of the most difficult things to get your head round as a designer. Deadlines looming, working from home with distractions, family commitments, clients requesting amendments... it can all get a bit much. While there are many techniques to managing one's time, I find that the simple approach works best - at least for me. But works for me may not work for another, plus, things change, so being able to adapt to any situation is important. With that in mind, let's take a look at some ways to help you beat procrastination and better manage your time. 01. Use a calendar Whether you opt-in on a digital calendar, like Google Calendar, or you prefer to go old school and use a daily planner or wall calendar, there really is no better way to help manage your time. Remember, though, it takes time to keep it up-to-date, and you need to be diligent in checking it daily. Up until recently, I used a wall calendar. However, I discovered that a digital calendar offered me a lot more options – like daily reminders and the ability to always have it with me. 02. Make a to-do list Use a to-do list to help prioritise your daily tasks Okay, I won't lie... I'm not a list maker. To be honest, to-do lists intimidate me; but many people absolutely swear by them. To-do lists are a great way to keep track of what you need to do each day. If you write down the estimated time for each task, this information is really handy in helping you prioritise them. 03. Delegate Asking others for assistance is okay. Repeat: it's okay! When you delegate, you're actually managing your time in one of the most efficient ways possible. Granted, you can't delegate everything, but take a look at your task list; is there anything o that someone else can do for you? More importantly, is there anyone who can do it more efficiently? If so, consider delegating that task so you're free to work on other things. 04. Understand the power of yes and no 'Yes' and 'No' are a powerful words. In fact, did you know that you can't use one without using the other? That's right! Every time you say 'yes' to one thing, you're saying 'no' to another. Time is not infinite. We only have so much of it before the sun sets at the end of the day. Be selective in what you agree to do. Understand that saying 'no' is perfectly acceptable. 05. Take breaks, often Get out and relax! There's always time to de-stress At some point, you need to recharge yourself. If you're like me, you'll forget that even the most productive person needs a break. I once attended a conference where James Dempsey spoke about going AFK (away from keyboard) and taking time for yourself and for your family. His touching story about the relationship between him and his dad was something I needed to hear. Now, because of his talk, I take more time for myself and my family. The picture above was taken during one of my breaks. 06. Use software to help Many apps have been designed to help you to control and monitor your time I mentioned calendars and to-do lists, but this article would be remiss if I didn't provide a few options for how to manage them. While this list is certainly not all inclusive, it will give you a starting point. Fantastical: An excellent way to manage your calendar. I use it to keep my personal appointments in order. Trello: I use this every day to keep my tasks in order – everything I'm working on gets a Trello Board. I can share my boards with other team members so we can all participate in getting the job done. Google Keep: A fantastic, easy-to-use list app. Use this through its website via the iOS or Android App. Managing your time isn't easy, especially when you have a lot to do, or a lot of people counting on you. It can run even the strongest person into the dirt. But with a little structure and maybe some digital help, even the busiest person can be happy and productive. Related articles: Design a portfolio that packs a punch How art can be a healing technique How to manage a huge client View the full article

Managing my time is one of the most difficult things I have to do. Over the years, I've discovered what works and what doesn't. While there are many techniques to managing one's time, I find that the simple approach works best — at least for me. I also believe that what works for one person may not work for another. Also, things change. Being able to adapt to any situation is important. So with that in mind, let's take a look at some ways to help you better manage your time. 01. Use a calendar A calendar helps to put your tasks into perspective Whether you opt-in on a digital calendar, like Google Calendar, or you prefer to go old school and use a daily planner or wall calendar, there really is no better way to help manage your time. Remember, though, it takes time to keep it up-to-date, and you need to be diligent in checking it daily. Up until recently, I used a wall calendar. However, I discovered that a digital calendar offered me a lot more options – like daily reminders and the ability to always have it with me. 02. Make a to-do list Ticking off your tasks is satisfying and stops them from stressing you out Okay, I won't lie... I'm not a list maker. To be honest, to-do lists intimidate me; but for many people, they absolutely swear by them. On a recent episode of Invisible Red, my co-host, Angela Scott, explains how she uses to-do lists to help keep track of what she must do each day. She talks about how she writes down the estimated time for each task, and then how she uses that information to help prioritize things. Speaking of which... 03. Prioritise your tasks Self-impose deadlines if they haven't been imposed on you Being able to prioritize your tasks is another fantastic time management technique. While it may not be possible to do everything on your list in one day, you need to find a way to decide what's required now, and what can be put off until later. Pro-tip: deadlines help. The bottom line... master the skill of prioritization, and you're well on your way to becoming a Time Lord. 04. Delegate Delegation is a difficult hurdle to overcome Asking others for assistance is okay. Repeat: it's okay! It doesn't mean you're weak. When you delegate, you're actually managing your time in one of the most efficient ways possible. Granted, you can't delegate everything, but take a look at your task list; is there anything listed that someone else can do for you? More importantly, is there anyone who can do it more efficiently? If so, consider delegating that task so you're free to work on other things. 05. Understand the power of yes and no Knowing when to say yes and no is crucial to good time management 'Yes' and 'No' are a powerful words. In fact, did you know that you can't use one without using the other? That's right! Every time you say 'yes' to one thing, you're saying 'no' to another. Time is not infinite. We only have so much of it before the sun sets at the end of the day. Be selective in what you agree to do. Understand that saying 'no' is perfectly acceptable. 06. Take breaks, often Get out and relax! There's always time to de-stress At some point, you need to recharge yourself. If you're like me, you'll forget that even the most productive person needs a break. In February, I had the privilege of hearing James Dempsey speak at RWDevCon 2016 about going AFK (away from keyboard). James talked about taking time for yourself and for your family. His touching story about the relationship between him and his dad was something I needed to hear. Now, because of his talk, I take more time for myself and my family. Note: The picture above was taken during one of my breaks. Follow me on Instagram and come walk with me. 07. Use software to help Many apps have been designed to help you to control and monitor your time I mentioned calendars and to-do lists, but this article would be remiss if I didn't provide a few options for how to manage them. While this list is certainly not all inclusive, it will give you a jumping off point. FantasticalThis is an excellent way to manage your calendar. I use it to keep my personal appointments in order. I also have it tied into my shared Google calendar which Charlie Fulton and I use on Roundabout: Creative Chaos for scheduling our guests. TrelloTrello is how I keep my tasks in order. I use it daily and everything I'm working on gets a Trello Board. What's nice about Trello is that I can share my boards with other team members so we can all participate in getting the job done. Google KeepGoogle Keep is a fantastic way to share lists (or keep them to yourself). You can access Google Keep through their website or using the iOS or Android App. If you're looking for an easy-to-use list app, check this one out. In conclusion Managing your time isn't easy, especially when you have a lot to do, or a lot of people counting on you. It can run even the strongest person into the dirt. But with a little structure and maybe some digital help, even the busiest person can be happy and productive. View the full article

Right now, typography pros and aficionados are gathering in Berlin for the perpetually popular TYPO festival. Couldn’t make it? From 2pm today (GMT) you can tune in right here on Creative Bloq and get a front-seat view of all the action. Just scroll down to watch the livesteam. This year’s festival is themed around the idea of triggering and boasts an incredible lineup of speakers, including graphic design legend Aaron Draplin and typography guru Prof. Gerd Fleischmann. Check out our article 10 reasons we're looking forward to TYPO Berlin 2018 for more info on the speakers and their talks. Livestream schedule Here’s who you can watch and when (times are in CET, so make sure you adjust them for where you are in the world). Talks are in English (E) or German (D). Thursday 17 May 15:00 Jonathan Key (E) 20:00 Frank Rausch (D) Friday 18 May 11:00 Elizabeth Carey Smith (E) 16:00 dina Amin (E) 19:00 Johann Jungwirth (E) Saturday 19 May 16:00 Erica Wolfe-Murray, Alex Mecklenburg (E) 19:00 Underware (E) Related articles: 70 best free fonts for designers 50 top-quality typography tutorials Typography rules and terms every designer must know View the full article

The vulnerability allows an attacker to execute a malware or other payloads on a client machine by sending malicious messages from the DHCP server. View the full article

Cryptominer WinstarNssmMiner is an aggressive malware strain that has launched 500,000 attacks in the past three days earning criminals $28,000. View the full article

'Wearables' has become the catch-all term for any wearable tech that we have on our connected selves. Whether it's watches that do more than just tell the time, virtual reality headsets, or bands that enable us to track our fitness as we run to our desks, wearable tech has infiltrated just about every area of our lives. The 6 best smartphones for designers in 2018 And of course, wearables can also help you be more productive, reminding you about client meetings and helping you be more aware about taking breaks from your computer (the Apple Watch reminds you periodically to get up and walk around). Here we’ve listed our favourite bits of wearable tech in each category, plus two alternatives at varying price points. Naturally, as designers we want the tech we own to look good, so we’ve made sure that all our options look the part, too. The best smartwatch for designers Has there ever been a better smartwatch? When it comes to wearable tech, the answer is no. The cellular connectivity is nice to have, but remains an expensive luxury at £5 per month. Added to which, it’s still only available through EE, which isn’t much good if your iPhone isn’t on the network, too (it has to be, you see). If you have an Apple Music subscription, or iTunes playlists synchronised to your phone, then getting music onto the Apple Watch is a cinch anyway. On the fitness side, it’s no Garmin (see below) but if you’re a casual runner, swimmer or gym-goer then its fitness tracking is more than enough. The battery life is a lot better than other similar devices, and you can get nearly two days out of it. The integration with iOS is predictably excellent and the waterproofing welcome. Plus, there are numerous finishes to choose from and plenty of choice in terms of straps as well. And if you have trouble remembering to go to meetings and keeping track of notifications then the Apple Watch will certainly help there, too. The best fitness tracker for designers Although Fitbit keeps trying to get into the smartwatch space (currently with its Versa and Ionic), fitness trackers are still what it is best at. The Charge 2 is the company’s best fitness tracker at the moment, and can track step counts and sporadic exercise. The key benefit is that this band doesn’t need you to say you’re starting exercise to track it – it just keeps a log of whatever you’re doing. That should be standard for many pieces of wearable tech, but the fact is that a lot of smartwatches and trackers need to be told when you’re starting a period of increased activity. And nobody remembers to do this every time. It isn’t a running watch, however, and it also isn’t that smart, with notifications limited to call, text and calendar. That’s a shame, since the large screen is perfect for additional information. It is comfortable, however, and tracks general fitness consistently well. The sleep information provided within the app (iOS and Android) is also very welcome. The best headphones for designers Like other products from Bang & Olufsen’s more accessible sub-brand, the H8i’s are superbly finished. And, like other B&O Play headphones, they’re designed by Copenhagen-based Jakob Wagner Studio, one of Denmark’s most respected design studios. The H8is are brand new this year, are wireless via Bluetooth, and feature active noise cancellation that you can toggle on and off with a switch. Available in black or ‘natural’ (the tan colour you see here) they feature up to 30 hours playback, though you can get a lot more than that by attaching a cable. They will even pause your music when you remove them thanks to a proximity sensor, while a transparency mode means you’ll always be able to tune into an office conversation should you need. There are two voice microphones for making clear phone calls. It helps they sound fantastic, too. The best VR headset for designers If you’re interested in VR and the potential of it as a platform of the future, there have so far been two ways you can go; a cheap headset (like the Daydream View below) that you pair with a compatible smartphone, or a high-end super-expensive headset that requires a fairly powerful PC. The Oculus Go fits into neither camp; it’s a comfortable, smartphone-free headset that doesn’t cost the earth. It’s similar to the more expensive Oculus Rift (which does rely on a PC). The Go doesn’t need a smartphone because it basically is one, running on a similar Qualcomm Snapdragon platform to many high-end phones. It has its own 5.5-inch display and 32GB of storage (there’s also a 64GB option). It’s not as immersive as more expensive headsets on the market as you are limited to three degrees of freedom, and the app selection isn’t the best, but there’s a lot more to come here. The best VR headsets for designers The best wireless earbuds for designers The AirPods have one big disadvantage: they look silly. It would be way better even if they were black or grey. Anyway, once you’ve got over that, they will gradually weave themselves into your life as one of the most versatile pieces of tech you’ve ever owned. While they can work with other types of Bluetooth devices, they’re designed for Apple gear, obviously. If you have an iPhone 7 or later they will automatically sync, and they work particularly well with Apple Watch. The main advantage of the AirPods is that you hardly even know you’re wearing them. You can use one or both as a headset, which is brilliant if you make a lot of calls. They automatically switch depending on which one is in your ear, and auto-pause if you take one out to talk to someone. Sound quality isn’t top notch but is so much better than the wired EarPods that Apple bundles with its phones. The battery life is a disadvantage – you will wear it out in a long morning – but the charging case carries enough juice for 24 hours of total listening. Related articles: 6 things to know about getting freelance clients The ultimate guide to design trends The best cheap Apple pencil deals of 2018 View the full article

Images are an integral part of the design process, and when it comes to selecting them and using them in a project, it's important to make the right choices: one of them speaks 1,000 words, after all. So whether you're art directing an on-location photoshoot for a glamorous ad campaign, or searching a stock image library for the perfect visual asset for an email newsletter, you should still apply a discerning eye and not settle. While there's no one-size-fits-all approach, there are a few key dos and don'ts for using images in your design projects – and some hard and fast rules for using them for different purposes, from catching attention to making the hard sell. Read on for our essential guide to using images more effectively in your design work. We will continue to add to this collection with more tips and advice each month... 01. How to use images in graphic design 02. How to use images in digital design 03. How to source the best images View the full article

If you've taken the time to master the best 3D modelling software around, the last thing you want to do is ruin your artwork with a bad render. Here, Polish 3D artist Łukasz Hoffmann shares his top tips for creating realistic 3D renders, specifically cars. His expertise in this field is evident from the fantastic image above, which won the silver award in one of Hum3D's Car Render Challenges. Check out Hum3D's latest competition on creating the best car in a post-apocalyptic style, judged by a team that includes 3D Artist's editor Carrie Mok. 01. Start simple In the modelling stage, try to maintain a simple shape and focus on leading proper curve lines. Cut out details after the main shape is established. 02. Make use of fresnel shaders Use more complex shaders to create great effects While creating a car material, keep in mind that real car paint is a combination of a few layers of dielectric and metallic materials. Use complex shaders, comprised of multiple basic shaders, and make use of fresnel (an incidence angle) to blend between them at a specific angle. You can also add a procedural voronoi (which is a specific type of noise algorithm) or similar texture into the normal channel of the shader to create a metallic flakes effect. 03. Choose HDRI wisely Use high-dynamic-range imaging, which will accentuate the shape of the car. The best choice would be a high contrast HDRI, which will help to enhance the reflections along the curvature of the car. Use a high-resolution 32-bit HDRI to get appropriate light information for your scene. You will find that the simple studio HDRIs are the best for most car scenes. 04. Use additional lighting Add in additional light sources for a more believable scene If your environment or HDRI is not enough, make use of additional light sources in your scene. Make sure the highlights are emphasising the shape of the car and try setting up a rim lights to pop out the silhouette of the car. 5. Consider composition You can easily tilt your camera to add a sense of movement in dynamic shots, place a car in an interesting environment with a pleasant colour palette or sell your render with a good focal point and additional close-up shots. When creating an entire scene try to separate first, second and third plane, and lead the viewer’s eye with guide lines and focal points. 6. Bevel every edge Bevel your edges for a realistic look Don’t forget about beveling edges in the modelling stage. Even the sharpest edge in the real world is not perfectly sharp. Adding a subtle bevel, especially on refractive elements such as light diffuser, will catch a nice, realistic light reflection. Related articles: 4 easy steps to improve your render Sculpt realistic anatomy in ZBrush 5 pieces of killer hardware every 3D artist will crave View the full article

The main purpose of Grobios malware is to help attacker establish a strong, persistent foothold in a victim's system, in order to drop additional payloads later. View the full article

Adding an animation to your website is a great way to grab user's attention. However, as any digital artist will confirm, good animation takes knowledge, skill and a lot of patience. Good news is, there are many tools designed to help with such a task, including the HTML5-based Animatron Studio Pro. And right now you can get a lifetime membership to the service for just $49.99 (approx. £37). Animatron Studio Pro offers an easy-to-use drag and drop system to get the look and style that you’re after, with no need for any coding. The tool utilises a WYSIWYG editor, so you are able to see exactly how your final product will look as you create it. It's simple, straightforward and produces high-quality results. The lifetime membership to Animatron Studio Pro usually retails for $1,000, but you can get it right now for just $49.99 (approx. £37). That's a savings of 95% off the retail price for this must-have tool for any aspiring animator. Grab this deal today! View the full article

Packaging is often a consumer's first point of contact with a product, so to say it's important is a little bit of an understatement. Not only does it need to be memorable and look good, it also needs to protect the valuable contents and be easy to open. From wine bottles and tins, to jars and boxes, the chosen colour palette, typography, choice of materials and label design all play an incredibly important role in informing and persuading consumers to choose the product over its competition. Aware of this at Shillington, the students are regularly set the challenge of creating their own packaging design concepts. Below are some examples that we really wish weren't just a figment of their imagination... Razers by Christian Schubert It was a close shave for Shillington student Christian Schubert with this fun packaging concept Shillington student Christian Schubert created this brilliant concept packaging design for a fictional male grooming brand - aptly naming the product 'Chin'. The quirky packaging includes the strapline “smooth chin, practical chin” along with illustrations of a male character with an unusually long chin. We love the individual boxes and hint of retro in this design. Science of Sweet by Robert Mead Science of Sweet 'pushing the boundaries of what chocolate can be for the good of mankind' Based around a fictitious institution dedicated to “pushing the boundaries of what chocolate can be for the good of mankind”, Shillington student Robert Mead's concept product design takes inspiration from the Periodic Table and uses a simple monochrome identity with line drawings to represent the different ingredients. “If Willy Wonka were real, he wouldn’t be a whimsical character, he’d be an incredible chemist,” Mead comments. Infinite Brew by Marusa Rimc Beer, anyone? There's nothing quite like a beer in the sunshine, especially when the packaging looks like this. Created by designer Marusa Rimc, a graduate of Shillington's New York campus, each Infinite Brew design is meant to evoke emotions associated with the different seasons; the Pale Ale, for instance, pays homage to summer while the Double IPA represents winter. Want more? To see the full list of packaging concepts, head over to the Shillington blog. View the full article