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For a lot of people, owning a piece of art is an ambition that's always going to be out of reach. Not only is a lot of original artwork itself beyond most people's budgets, but even the cost of sourcing and framing high-quality prints can be unfeasible. Factor in the possibility that lives and tastes change – rendering investing in expensive artwork or prints a risk not wholly unlike adorning your body in tattoo art – and it's clear to see there's a problem that needs solving. Art techniques: top tutorials for painting and drawing Enter Canvia, a recently launched Kickstarter project that aims to bring art to the masses. Canvia is a smart digital display that wants to make the process of choosing, displaying and enjoying art easier than before. Canvia makes it easier and more accessible to display art Digital picture frames are nothing new, but often they aren't geared towards displaying the high level of detail that Canvia boasts. Thanks to cutting-edge hardware, proprietary image processing, and image-based sensors, Canvia presents and digital artwork as a high-quality painting or print. This means that viewers will be able to see original artwork details such as colour, texture, contrast and even individual brushstrokes. And ambient light sensors, which adjust the colours depending on the image's surroundings, ensure the artwork looks as fresh and sharp as its creator intended. Canvia captures the detail of individual brush strokes Artwork for Canvia can be selected from a massive online library app, cutting out the hassle and expense of sourcing and displaying new pictures. And once you start using Canvia, you'll get recommendations of what to hang up next. Users can also take a photo and chuck it up on the screen. Having worked closely with traditional artists, the team at Canvia understand how best to transfer painting from the canvas to the screen. The project has already smashed its goal on Kickstarter, with a week to go until its campaign ends. There's still time to donate though, so if you want to get in on the ground floor of this innovative device, be sure to head over to the Canvia Kickstarter page and make a pledge. Related articles: 8 inspiring digital art portfolios and why they work How to start your digital art journey Painter 2018 blurs the line between traditional and digital art View the full article

There's no point having a beautifully designed website if no one can find it. That's where Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) comes in. SEO is both an art and a science, it's all about ensuring that when people search for a relevant term online – for example, 'cheap hotel in Birmingham' – your website appears high up the results page, in a way that grabs attention and encourages click-throughs. You might think SEO is something you can hand over to someone 'technical' once the website layout has been agreed on and the whole thing is designed. But rather than being bolted on after the event, it's increasingly baked into the design process from the start. "For brand new websites, SEO is definitely something clients want to discuss straight away," says Mark Stringer, managing director of Manchester agency AHOY. "And for those undertaking a refresh, it's usually the next question after the UI discussion." Exactly what's requested will vary from client to client. "Smaller businesses and sole traders tend to ask about marketing in general, or maybe even how to get on Google," says Eji Osigwe, head of design and development at Cedarwood Digital, also in Manchester. "Larger businesses seem more aware of the terminology and the kind of work involved, and so may ask for very specific work." How SEO works Cedarwood Digital worked to improve SEO on improvisational comedy group Impro Quo's website. This mainly involved research into what people are searching for, considered copywriting, and good use of headings There was a time when SEO was a dark art involving tricks like 'keyword stuffing', which meant visitors were often greeted by the mindless repetition of a phrase like 'cheap hotel' through a site. Thankfully, in 2018, search engines are more sophisticated, and so nowadays the most fundamental building block of SEO is, quite simply, to create a quality website people will love. "Strong, quality content that keeps visitors engaged – especially content informed by an up-to-date keyword strategy – will help you move higher in search results," says Eric Johnson, director of experience design at 50,000feet. "Think of the winning formula as visitor time spent + high-quality content + keywords." Techniques for boosting your SEO Fireworx rebuilt and redesigned the website of wealth management firm Edison; it was crucial to preserve the site's current link equity with a comprehensive plan for 301 redirects One is to structure the information on your site so it can be displayed as a separate section within your main listing. "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) is a good example of high-quality, useful content that will get included," notes Johnson. "The next time you search on Google, check out the 'People Also Ask' module, which displays questions that are similar to your search; this will help you get an idea of questions to include in your FAQ." Another important thing to consider, especially when it comes to refreshes and rebrands, is 301 redirects. These little bits of code send both site visitors and search engines to a different URL when, for example, a temporary campaign ends and you want people to visit the main site instead. Broken links will get you penalised on Google, so a solid 301 redirect strategy is vital to good SEO. SEO is not an exact science, though, because the algorithms used by search engines like Google to rank sites are both secret and constantly changing. For this reason, optimising the SEO of a site is not a 'one and done' deal, but something that needs constant attention. Thankfully, it's easy to gather data on how your strategy is working, and tweak accordingly. 35 brilliantly designed 404 error pages How to measure SEO "SEO is very easy to measure with analytics tools such as Google Analytics and a range of other platform tools," explains Adam Innes, technical architect at 50,000feet. "Insights gained from these tools include key search terms, visitors by type of device, and duration of visits – all of which are vital in continuing to optimise the experience for engagement and performance." It's also important to keep an eye on trends. For example, Google has made it a priority to measure the speed at which web pages load, with slow-loading sites getting demoted in the rankings. Google also puts huge stock on responsive web design – essentially whether your site adapts seamlessly to mobile or other devices. Innes, meanwhile, believes other factors will become important in future. "With a growing awareness of fake content, there will be more emphasis on a website's TrustRank and user security," he predicts. "Google has already taken steps to include a small bump in preference to sites using HTTPS. Providing not only quality and engaging content but also truthful and secure content will become more and more important." Learning about SEO Frontend and backend development helped support both topical browsing and targeted keyword searching on 50,000ft's website for Sappi Limited, a South African pulp and paper company (also featured in lead image) Regardless of the specifics, one thing is clear: SEO is something all creatives need to be aware of. So how can designers develop their awareness of it? Firstly, says Stringer, know your limitations. "Understand that this is not your forte, and it's hard enough for SEO specialists to keep up with Google's changing algorithm let alone a graphic designer." But at the same time, the more you can learn about SEO the better. "Take responsibility and get up to speed so you have a rough understanding of best practice," Stringer urges. "It's better for your career, your sanity and the team. I've always found that learning from your peers is the most useful way to gain new skills, and the digital sector is probably one of the most community focused sectors out there, so you’ll never find a shortage of people willing to help," he continues. "If you are lucky enough to work in a team that has a search specialist in house, or that comes in to help, don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions and don’t let the account manager or project manager do all the work for you," says Stringer. "As the sector grows, there will always be more and more people you can call upon for a skills swap." This article was originally published in issue 279 of Computer Arts, the world's leading design magazine. Buy issue 279 or subscribe here. Read more: The best laptops for graphic design in 2018 Why graphic designers need beautiful websites 6 hot new websites to be inspired by View the full article

Half of breached firms say they were compromised due to a vulnerability for which a patch was available but not applied. View the full article

Although many creatives aren’t aware of it, you can actually get a qualification in software like Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC and InDesign CC. You just need to take the Adobe Certified Expert Exam (ACE). However, these qualifications are not (usually) necessary to get work as a designer, illustrator or animator. So why exactly should you bother? There are several reasons you might want to become Adobe certified. Your employer might insist on it, or suggest it will help you get a raise or promotion. Having an official ‘Certified’ badge on your website may help you win clients as a freelancer. You may wish to teach Adobe skills to others. Or you may just realise there’s a lot of things you’ve never learned to do within the software, and fancy a challenge. If you pass the test, you get a certificate and can put this badge on your site That’s exactly what spurred Jamie Carroll, a graphic artist based in Missouri, to pursue Adobe accreditation. “After working as a designer for many years, I knew I didn’t necessarily need the certification,” he recalls. “But I needed a new challenge at the time and I was ready to learn new things, and test my knowledge of the software.” (You can read about his experiences in detail in this blog post). It was a similar story for Garrett Scott Schue, a graphic designer for the marketing department of Liberty University in Virginia. “My reasoning for taking the test was to push myself to learn as much as I can,” he explains. “This test is the industry standard for design and I wanted to prove that I had mastered these programs.” In this post, we’ll explain how to go about becoming Adobe certified and offer tips on how to succeed. 01. What the test involves The Adobe training website is your first port of call to getting certified To become an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) in, say, Photoshop you need to pass a test that involves multiple choice questions about the different tools and functions within the software. Just to be clear then: you don’t actually have to do any creative work at all. You’re not tested on your ability to design, illustrate or animate; only your knowledge of the software. That means that even if you’ve spent many years using the software in question, you'll still need to read up on the tools and features you’ve never needed to use. To give you a flavour, here's a sample question from the Photoshop test. 'How could a user apply a non-destructive vignette to an image?' The possible answers are: A. Use the Burn Tool to selectively brush in image edge darkening B. Add a Photo Filter layer and adjust the vignette slider for each edge C. Apply a Black to Transparent Gradient to the edges of an overlaid empty layer D. Select the Multiply blending mode and use the Brush tool to paint the darker areas (To find the answer, scroll down to the bottom of the post). 02. How do I book a test? The website will point you towards your nearest test centre To book a test, you’ll need to create an Adobe ID if you don’t already have one; you can create one here. Then head to the Adobe Certification Exams website and scroll through the options to find the specific software you wish to take the test in and click on the blue ‘Schedule an exam’ button. You’ll be given the option of taking the test at a physical test centre, or taking the test online. If you choose the former, you just enter your address and will be presented with the nearest test centres and a list of available dates and times. If you opt for the latter, the website will check that your system is compatible, so it helps if you apply on the device that you’ll be using to take the test. Oh, and did we mention you have to pay? Right now, it costs $180 to book the Photoshop test, whether you are taking it online or in person. 03. What might trip you up? However well you know your software, there may be some traps along the way Desmond Du, a Singaporean currently studying motion media design in Georgia, found one thing particularly surprising about the test. “The most challenging part was the ambiguous phrasing of some of the questions and answers,” he recalls. “Based on how you interpret the questions, you might arrive at two plausible answers, but there can only be one correct choice.” Carroll agrees. “The most difficult part of the test is the way the questions are worded,” he notes. “The answers are generally similar and worded in a way that makes you second guess your choice.” For this reason, doing as many practice exam questions as possible in advance comes highly recommended. Also be aware that what you commonly use Adobe software for may not be the whole story. “When I took the tests the biggest surprise for me was that InDesign has a large part of the questions based on animation,” recalls Schue. “This completely caught me off guard.” One thing particularly struck Du when took the Photoshop exam (which he details in full in this blog post). “You have to know every nook and cranny of the software, such as the function of some shortcuts,” he stresses. “If you don’t, you’re bound to fail.” Schue takes a similar view. “You need to to study hard, and make sure you just know the full program,” he says. “It’s easy to master your day-to-day work flow, but it’s very challenging to master parts of a program you never use. This is not a test for beginners, and I would recommend many years of experience before taking the test.” “I have received a few personal messages from designers that have attempted the test and not passed,” adds Carroll. “My advice is to focus on preparation and diversify your training resources. I took the preparation very seriously and studied for several weeks leading up to the test, dedicating much of my free time to preparation. Many hours.” 04. How to prepare for the test You can't wing this test; you need to study How the best prepare for the exam will of course depend on the software in question, your level of expertise and experience, and your personal study pattern. But in general, Du offers the following tips. Examine the software. Open up the software which you will be tested for, and examine every single button in there. If something seems foreign and confusing, research and clarify your doubts about their functions. Read the manual. This might be a little extreme, but I actually printed the software manual PDF for After Effects and read it like a textbook to study for my exam. Having a hard copy to read was more comfortable for my learning than reading the PDF off the screen. Read a book. Of all books that I found, Adobe Photoshop CC on Demand is the perfect book to prepare you for taking the Photoshop exam, as it covers almost everything you need to know about Photoshop. It is detailed and concise with each spread covering one or two specific components of the software. Test the waters. Take the Photoshop exam first because it is the easiest compared to the ones for After Effects and Illustrator. That way, you can understand the structure of the exam and gauge your knowledge of the software." (Du has written separate guides to the Photoshop test, Illustrator test and After Effects test.) 05. The joy of passing Pass the test, and it can be a boost to your design career If all this sounds like a big headache for something you don’t necessarily need, then note that there are also many benefits to getting Adobe-certified. “Although I would always put more emphasis on a designer’s portfolio than credentials, the certification does set you apart,” believes Carroll. “Since getting the certification, people will contact me more frequently asking for freelance work,” reports Shue. And for Du, it was life changing. “In retrospect, studying for the Adobe Expert exams became my first step to rebuilding myself after being rejected by local universities,” he explains. “I would have never foreseen that it would someday help me get into one of the best art schools in the world [The Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia]. “On a technical level, studying for the exam made me realised there are so many hidden functions inside Photoshop that can improve my workflow, such as automation using Create Droplet," he adds. "On an interpersonal level, my peers respected me more and trusted my skills in the software, so much so that I even got offers to become a software instructor.” If you do decide to pursue Adobe certification, then we wish you the best of luck. Oh, and that sample question? The answer was C. Read more: The future of design: AR will be bigger than the internet 60 top-class Photoshop tutorials to try The 10 commandments of Photoshop etiquette View the full article

'Oh, that'll take months to replace.' 'We can't touch that… [in a whisper]... we really don't know what it does, let alone how it works.' I've lost track of the number of times clients have said these kinds of things to me. But all is not lost. You can innovate with your existing tech solutions; you don't have to throw everything away and start from scratch. Web design automation: tune up your design process Imagine this scenario – quite a few years ago, a factory created piecemeal systems to support its internal functions, such as finance, manufacturing, dispatch, marketing and dealing with visitors. As customers' expectations have grown, its website has not been kept in check. Now more than half of the business's traffic comes from mobile or small-screen devices but the website does not properly adapt. And the IT solutions are all glued together but still work in silos, similar to the physical teams – making it almost impossible for them to all serve the same customer. This means that five, 10 or 20 years down the road, the business' IT systems and lack of attention to responsive web design are now inhibiting its growth. It is possible to build something out of old ruins So how do you adapt? Use the same principles you take while refurbishing a building. Think about when you've walked into a meeting room that has just undergone an almost overnight refresh. You are startled and pleased by the instant transformation but if you think about it, you know the building itself has all the same structure, heating, water and electricity. A plasterboard stud partition can hide a whole load of history and messy plumbing, cabling and ducting. Look a bit closer and you will see the same services but modernised with the help of now-universal sockets. The meeting room now has things such as USB power sources, VGA and HDMI ports for displays. However, behind the scenes, they all feed into the same tangled mess of electrical cables. We can take this same approach to old IT systems. The goal would be to connect these systems so that we can deliver a seamless user experience across channels. But what could be some of the challenges working with legacy systems? Let's take a look at some of the hurdles that you might face along the way. Duplicate customer information: multiple instances of the same individual could exist across different systems such as finance, web, visitor marketing or dispatch. In our fictitious example, there would be six different versions of the same customer across the six different systems. Depth of data: systems hold information in different ways and to different depths. For example, the operational side of business will often use code numbers for products with the shortest of English descriptions and contain data about things like composition, source of materials and weight. Conversely, marketing material tends to contain copious amounts of text to advertise the features of the product, in addition to including images and consumer pricing. Different methods of exporting data: in this case you might find some systems will only offer a data export, while others use a 20-year-old standard like SOAP or others use a modern interface like REST. Interface: some of these systems may have no web interface. Even if they do have one, it may fail to meet accessibility standards or adapt to mobile devices, let alone look consistent from a brand experience. New channels: there is no way to deliver a service to a new channel such as a Chatbot. Scale: some systems will be designed to service a small number of users, while others will be designed to be used at internet scale. Reliability: depending on how they were built, some of these systems may not be reliable or even available all of the time. Build modern facades to legacy systems A lick of fresh paint can make the world of difference To build a modern web or mobile experience for a business that will better stand the test of time, we look for the frontend to concern itself only in the experience, adapting to the medium the user chooses. The frontend should be flexible enough to be composed of multiple independent functions. In building refurbishment, we put up new plasterboard and paint the walls, while the superstructure, electricity supply and plumbing behind the scenes stay the same. We can follow the same approach for breathing new life out of your old IT systems: we can put up a new facade that connects to the back-end functions like product data or order management. Overcome technical complexity Despite the seemingly insurmountable barriers to accessing monolithic old systems, there are still ways that enable you to create clean connections between the backend and the modern frontend. Picture that faceplate that exposes the modern meeting room sockets we require: HDMI, USB, etc – this is what you need to overlay over your 'legacy' systems. We call these APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). The importance of APIs as a concept cannot be overstated. One of the factors in the success of Twitter, for example, is that it launched its platform along with an API and openly encouraged developers to create rival frontends or apps with the ability to tweet directly from developers' own products. Your organisation, like the factory, should be creating APIs like product API, order API and account API. Initially, these APIs would be for internal use (but a bold organisation will make them available to outside parties). Design API contacts The design of the API is the most critical phase – your stakeholders need to consider what information would be needed for all cases and ensure the API is scoped to deliver it (this is called an API contract). This can then be filtered so that a consumer won't see all of the manufacturing data and instead only receive the information they need. Implement APIs Apigee can help implement API With the APIs decided upon, it's then about implementing the API and retrieving the data from the one or more underlying systems. This is often the hardest part of the process but there is a wealth of software ready to assist with this, for example Apigee and IBM DataPower. Some other software options, while still being enterprise-grade, are free to use, such as WSO2's API Gateway and WSO2 ESB. These tools are capable of translating between SOAP to REST, file-based transfer (exports), handling concurrency, caching results and transforming them. That alone ticks several of the requirements we've already covered. Once the API contracts are approved, you can start building new services – such as an Alexa skill or an order-tracking app – upon them. You'd will no doubt expect multiple consumers to access the same API; a mobile app, Chatbot or website would all need access to the product API, for example. A separate part of the website would give access to authorised users for historic orders via the order API and so on. If the original backend doesn't offer a function to, say, issue a tweet or send a mobile phone notification, then a new function can be added to the API. If you want to add a new website function, app or new channel to market, just set these up as new consumers to your APIs. And you can be sure there will be new consumers: social media applications, Alexa skills or AI Bots. Whatever is next around the corner. Working with legacy technology is similar to refurbishing an old building. The general idea is not to throw out your legacy IT systems but merely wire them into a new API – transforming data along the way as necessary – to give them new life. Illustration: Kym Winters This article was originally published in issue 308 of net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Buy issue 308 here or subscribe here. Related articles: 10 tips for better testing The web designer's guide to Flexbox UX for emerging experiences View the full article

If you're a fan of Pixar films, you know how powerful animation can be. Just as animation can move us to tears and make us laugh, it can also be used as an effective and successful marketing tool. With Animatron Studio Pro Plan: Lifetime Subscription, you're getting a set of tools that will allow you to create exciting graphics and pretty animations, even if you have no graphic design experience whatsoever. You'll be able to choose from a varied collection of thousands of totally free, pre-animated characters and backgrounds, and you can also edit your own images, audio, and even video content. You'll be amazed at all the amazing artwork you can create directly on your browser. Get Animatron Studio Pro Plan: Lifetime Subscription for only $49.99. Related articles: Create and animate SVG polygons Understand Disney's 12 principles of animation Perfect your animation portfolio with these tips View the full article

Given that Generate London offers an unparalleled opportunity to learn direct from some of web design’s brightest minds, there are already plenty of good reasons to buy a ticket. But generous souls as we are, we’ve decided to add another: for just 24-hours only – running from midnight to midnight BST – you’ll be able to get 50 per cent off full-price tickets in our flash sale, meaning two days of conference and a full day of workshops can be yours for just £297.50. And we’re sure you’ll agree that’s not much moolah for a whole lotta conference. Here’s just a few of the benefits... See amazing conference speakers for half the price Out of the gate, your ticket will give you the opportunity to attend conference sessions from the industry’s best and brightest designers and devs. For example, Ricardo Cabello, the designer and developer who brought the world three.js and frame/js, will explore the WebVR and WebXR APIs and help you to start crafting your first VR and AR projects with three.js. Meanwhile, keynote speaker and founder of You Know Who, Sarah Parmenter will offer up insight into making sites marketing sing, covering how to hold quarterly website design reviews with a “design once use everywhere” mantra and diving into the ever changing world of Instagram algorithms, Facebook marketing, and topical social media takeaways. Packed with more top design and development talent, the conference schedule also features: Alexandra Etienne, AR/VR evangelist, Lightform Bruce Lawson, web standards lovegod / fashion consultant Cassidy Williams, head of developer voice programs, Amazon Kristijan Ristovski, founder, React Academy Marpi Marcinowski, digital artist, marpi.pl Richard Rutter, co-founder, Clearleft Sara Soueidan, front-end UI developer Steven Roberts, creative developer, Asemblr.com Further stellar speakers still to be announced Enjoy additional perks and benefits But a ticket to Generate London doesn’t just offer up a chance to catch these great conference speakers in action. Tickets also include: Two full days of conference sessions A full-day workshop of your choice (with the three-day pass) Lunch and refreshments each day Free drinks at the after-party Goodie bag that includes net magazine Free workshops by our sponsors in the break so you can squeeze in some extra learning Access to videos of all the sessions list So if you want to save some cash while securing your place at the hottest conference in web design, don’t hesitate: grab your ticket to Generate London this Thursday. Related articles: Further web design royalty confirmed for Generate The best colour tools for web designers Create a responsive layout with CSS Grid View the full article

Creating your first theme is a big deal. You might know how to turn a functional site into a thing of beauty, but building a WordPress theme means acquiring a new set of skills to make it function the way you want it to. Here are some top tips for designers looking to build their first WordPress theme. You'll learn what makes a good theme, some of the tools you should be thinking about and what you need to know about coding. Not ready to build a WordPress theme yet, or looking for something different? Take a look at our roundup of great WordPress tutorials to pick up some more skills. 01. Explore existing themes first Before you begin building your first WordPress theme, you need to have an idea of what works and what doesn’t. This is the inspiration stage. Now, that doesn't mean stealing other people’s work. What it means is researching into what different themes look like, how they function, and how they are put together, taking that idea, and turning it into something different. It’s all about the execution. Take a look at these WordPress portfolio themes for some inspiration. 02. Don't dilute the purpose When it comes to building a WordPress theme, you should have the end goal in mind at all times. What do you want your site to do? Do you want to create a theme to sell products? Or maybe improve brand awareness? Or build a blogging platform? Or drive lead generation? Decide on the purpose of your theme, and keep it focused – don’t dilute things by choosing too many different aims. 03. Start with a template You’ve got your goals in mind and the foundations for a strong theme are laid, so now you need to decide whether you are going to build your WordPress theme from scratch or customise an existing template. Starting with an existing template and adding your own customisation is an easy way to start. Take a look at our roundup of great free WordPress themes if you want to go down this route. Using an existing theme framework means you’ll get access to a lot of functionality and structure (which could be key if you don’t want to spend hours learning basic coding). However, you won’t have the same level of customisation you’d get if you were building a WordPress theme from scratch. 04. … or code from scratch To build from scratch, you need to be prepared to put in the time to learn code. If you do decide to go down this route, embrace Stack Overflow and the WordPress Codex to help you build and customise your theme. The WordPress Codex serves as an incredibly useful online manual from the developers of WordPress. It’s a huge resource bank of information on every template, function, plugin and feature you can think of, including tutorials on how to use and develop WordPress sites and themes. Stack Overflow, on the other hand, is an unofficial but trusted online community for developers to learn and share programming knowledge. Both are very useful. WordPress also has a helpful tutorial on how to develop a WordPress theme from scratch. 05. Hunt out some quality images You want your website to look the best it can and perform to a high standard. This means you need images that will catch the eye. The good news is tools like Design Wizard are readily available and easy to use to help you create stunning images. Design Wizard actually has thousands of pre-made templates to suit every need. Other tools, such as Pikwizard, PixelDropr and IcoMoon allow you to gather free stock images, create buttons, icons and fonts. Check this out for more essential web design tools. 06. Don't forget plugins One of the best things about WordPress is the amount of tools – called plugins – that are readily available to add functionality to your site. WordPress plugins can easily be integrated with your theme to capture information, insert social posts, add Google Maps and so on. While building, you’ll need to ensure sure your theme is compatible with any major plugins you may want to include. Here are a selection of popular plugins to consider: Yoast SEO: An SEO plugin for improving website visibility and search rankings Contact Form 7: A customisable, flexible contact form Akismet: A spam-fighting plugin to protect against comment and contact form spam Jetpack: An all-in-one plugin for analytics, design, marketing and security WP Rocket: Rocket fuel caching for speeding up Wordpress and improving web traffic 07. Don't mess with core code Just keep in mind, everything you want to build should be done in the WordPress wp-content folder – you don’t want to be messing around with core code! There are lots of folders within WordPress, each of which are responsible for different functionalities. A word of caution before you make the decision to build from scratch or not – it’s fairly easy to end up building a theme that looks nice, but doesn’t work. So be careful to ensure you don’t end up with a theme that doesn’t actually function and requires hours of effort to improve the coding. Read more: 6 top tips for CRO success in WordPress How to start a blog: 11 pro tips The 14 best iPad apps for designers View the full article

When it comes to creating an effective logo design, most brands want something instantly recognisable yet completely unique. No mean feat. A pair of creative eyes can always find a fresh spin on a design classic, though, and that's just what award-winning Japanese designer Taku Oomura has done with these logo-cum-objects. Oomura, who is an architecture graduate and founder of oodesign, designs innovative objects for a living. And in his downtime it looks like he can't suppress the creative urge – if his Trial and Error project is anything to go by. In the project, Oomura takes iconic logos and finds a new use for them with the help of a 3D printer. So, the Honda 'H' becomes a bottle opener that utilises the logo's unique shape, while the McDonald's logo doubles up as a paper-fastener and picture holder. It's a series of clever creative spins on familiar designs, and we're sure that it'll spark your imagination and make you look at logos differently. Get a glimpse of Trial and Error by scrolling left to right in the gallery below with the arrows. If that whet your appetite, here's the full list of all 47 creations, where you'll see Coca Cola-inspired rings and Louis Vuitton business card holders. [Via BoredPanda] Related articles: Prep your work for 3D printing: 8 top tips 27 free 3D models The best 3D modelling software 2018 View the full article

Growing up, my favourite comic covers were the ones featuring characters conveying strong emotion in tense situations. I was also fascinated with watercolour techniques. The way the paint bled off the page, the visceral nuances that the brush left, the splatter, the texture, the imperfections. Now that I’m creating covers myself, the attraction for this traditional medium is even stronger. My process is pretty simple. I draw it, then colour it. I’ve always felt more of a storyteller than a painter, so I see it as less of a painter’s way of thinking, and more of an illustrator’s approach. Along the way, there might be some nuances and some happy accidents, but for me sketching and the initial sketch are the most important thing in my covers, I feel it should carry that emotion and weight to the final piece. The paint should complement it in the finished piece. How to draw people For this workshop, I chose to go with a cover for a monthly comic series created by myself and writer Jeff Lemire. The series is Descender, a sci-fi and fantasy tale about a galaxy in conflict – but really, it all comes down to a very personal story following a young robot child trying to find his human brother, and their place in the madness of it all. As much as I enjoy working on licensed properties, my biggest joy (and least amount of stress) comes from working on something that we own outright. We’re able to make every decisions ourselves, sometimes on the fly, without needing approval from anyone. Going by our own judgment and imagination to create these new worlds and characters… that’s where the biggest freedom in creator-owned comics lies. This cover features a character who we created and then watched grow over the course of the series. The finished art is close to my heart, as all Descender covers are, so drawing each one is always a joy, even if most are rushed out over a weekend! 01. Create preliminary sketch Preliminary sketches help to nail the composition I start with a quick sketch. When working on a cover for a client, I’ll normally provide between two and four different concepts for them to choose, but because Descender is a property that’s owned by myself and Jeff Lemire, I can skip all that and go directly to what I want in an image. 02. Make the face first An emotional portrait can lead an illustration For me, faces are everything. Usually, I’ll tackle the face first so it can carry the rest of the drawing for me. It’s a bit of a motivational technique. Telsa was a character we created and watched grow throughout the series, so she’s a very personal character to me to draw. 03. Consider the composition The composition allows room for cover elements I lay out the rest of the cover, making sure to leave room for cover title logos and trade dressing (the Image Comics logo, credits, pricing and so on). One of the main differences between laying out a cover versus laying out just a pin-up or poster is making sure all those elements work together, and balance out in print. 04. Start with light colours first When painting with colours, work from light to dark I normally start most paintings from the lightest colours first, which is usually skin tones and light sources. Even though Telsa has an alien blue-ish, purple-ish skin tone, I’ve become accustomed to starting with a character’s skin. I tackle that first, using a combination of Sennelier Turquoise green with Holbein Watercolor’s (HWC) Permanent violet and Prussian blue. 05. Use a wash on the background Even with steely colours there's room for variation I move on to a wash of the background. In this issue, Telsa’s on an alien ship made up of mostly cold steel. There’s not old tech or any rust, but at least a bit of age to the ship, so I try to give the background some texture. It should feel cold and harsh in this part of space. 06. Add warm colours Warm colours will be used sparingly for greater effect The few warm colours in this cover will be Telsa’s hair and the tip of the laser rifle that she’s carrying. I limit this warmth to these three colours (shown above). All my paints are usually kept in sealable containers with holes punched to the side so that they can dry, but not collect dust. 07. Carve out some details Not a drop of masking fluid to be seen Using a smaller 1/4-inch chiselled tip flat brush, I work in Telsa’s hair and laser rifle tip, leaving nuances of highlights here and there. People often ask if I use liquid masking – I don’t. It’s just easier and more natural to just not paint in the areas you want highlighted. 08. Rough it up A dark costume acts as an effective contrast On to the rest of the costume, I go with a neutral tint for her top and use a bit of HWC’s Vandyke brown and Ivory black to dirty up her boots a bit. She’s been on quite a journey up to this point, and her once-pristine military uniform is now looking tired and worn out. 09. Create a claustrophobic setting The colour helps to establish a sense of tension I move on to other parts of the page, giving the background some depth. I want her sitting near some sort of vent in the lower levels of the ship, holed up in a confined space with just a bit of room to think and breathe. 10. Lay down hard lines The fine lines will appear even thinner when scaled down in print I move on to finalising the image with some hard lines, using a soft mechanical pencil and thinner brushes for the smaller details. I use a 0.3mm pencil here for some of the details on her boots and the section lines on the wall. The fine lines become finer as I bear in mind that the image will be scaled down in print. 11. Know when to stop Leaving a painting to dry is a good opportunity to reflect and take stock I set the piece aside and give it some time to dry. My biggest fear is that I end up overworking a painting. I’ve never considered myself a real portrait painter, or even close to drawing any sort of likeness and realism, so it worries me when I spend too much time trying to perfect a painting. 12. Clean up in Photoshop Photoshop helps to fix some analogue mistakes I scan in the final piece for cleaning and touch ups in Photoshop. I spilled some paint inside the dome of the fan and decided to just make it a big hole. I had to move fast so that the paint would lay evenly, so didn’t get a photograph of the accident. It turned out okay, though. 13. Address the little things Texture and dust can be cleaned up digitally I touch up some highlights in the more saturated areas, the section lines along the walls, highlights on textures of her boots and bits of dirt. It’s mostly whatever I forgot to do in the painting phase. This is also where I clean up any dust that I scanned in by mistake. 14. Convey a sense of conflict The portrait is the heart of the picture, so it requires extra attention Some more touch ups. Using Photoshop I highlight parts of Telsa’s hair, the rifle tip and some more small details. My main focus, though, is Telsa’s eyes, brows and lips. I want to convey a sense of conflict, difficult choices to be made, and the heartache in making them. 15. Finish your image The final image allows plenty of room for cover elements Here’s the final image of the cover. I clean up around the left and bottom, making room to cropping and text placement (that’s what the white space is for). All looks good and we’re ready to go to print. This article originally appeared in ImagineFX issue 160; subscribe here. Related articles: How to create glazes with watercolour 18 watercolour techniques every artist should know Master wet-in-wet watercolour painting View the full article

There are many ways to approach a rebrand. A trend of late has been to focus on reawakening a brand's heritage by looking to the past, but sometimes a huge overhaul of a visual identity isn't what's needed. If a brand hasn’t lost its way entirely, but is becoming a little tired, sometimes the rebranding process is more about modernising, and making a brand fit-for-purpose, rather than dramatically looking either forwards or backwards for inspiration. But sometimes making small steps towards a new identity or tweaking things slightly is actually more difficult than starting from scratch or making big changes. 5 brands so strong they don't need a logo Here, leading designers reveal how to best go about rebranding in small steps. 01. Don't disregard the current brand SomeOne's rebrand of UK Parliament Like so many high-profile projects before it, SomeOne’s recent rebrand of the UK Parliament faced a wave of initial criticism for spending public money on what was perceived to be a few tiny tweaks to the portcullis logo. But as the tweets piled up, and more of the ‘brand world’ was revealed, it became clear to anyone willing to dig a little deeper that the rebrand was about digital versatility. “Only a fool rushes into an established brand with a total disregard for the brand’s history,” believes Simon Manchipp, co-founder and executive strategic creative director at SomeOne. “There’s nearly always something worth preserving,” he insists. Sign up to the Computer Arts newsletter “With the UK Parliament, the portcullis is part of the very fabric of the buildings," continues Manchipp. "The Royal documentation. Even the curtains. So there was never a question of replacing it. It’s a globally recognised symbol, which in brand terms is worth billions. “It was streamlining and making it digitally adept that formed the basis of our brand work, as well as creating systems to better clarify Parliament’s role in a modern democracy. Connecting many parts to make one cohesive whole.” 02. Make small changes that make a big impact Ericsson’s recent minimalist rebrand involved small tweaks to the angle of its lines Chris Moody, chief creative officer at Wolff Olins, compares this approach to the principle of ‘incremental gains’ embraced by Team Sky in cycling events, and admits that Wolff Olins has actively encouraged it in recent years. “However, just like Team Sky, I’m now questioning the true validity of doing this,” he adds. “It’s not so much about being unable to plug in to other people’s designs, but more that it’s more important than ever to design with totality in mind.” If you aren’t pissing someone off a bit, you aren’t trying hard enough Chris Moody, Wolff Olins If small changes make a big impact, he reasons, then it’s a course of action worth pursuing, but you need to be completely honest with yourself. “If you are fiddling with line weight for the sake of it, then it’s a waste of everyone’s time,” he smiles. Moody gives the example of Ericsson’s recent minimalist brand overhaul: “It’s pure hygiene,” he argues. “This is commendable, and a critical part of any brand design process, but it’s neither genuine ‘rebranding’ in any major sense, nor newsworthy. “Fetishising these tweaks – see also eBay, Audi, and YouTube – gives them an inflated level of importance,” he adds. “It feels like [highly-acclaimed architect] Richard Rogers making a big deal about bleeding the radiators in one of his buildings. Designers should aim for big, bold, radical change. If you aren’t pissing someone off a bit, you aren’t trying hard enough.” 03. Make a brand digital-friendly “If you’re going to change anything, you must have a good reason. Something should be fundamentally broken, or substantially shifting in the market,” says The Clearing’s Richard Buchanan. “Making sure that brands are fit-for-purpose, particularly digitally, is what people are most concerned about. If not a digital-first strategy, they need a digital-friendly strategy. Look at Audi: it’s got to work as a badge on the front of a car, but also a 16x16-pixel favicon.” 04. Let form follow function Lufthansa has taken an incremental approach to updating its logo “Small incremental changes are about subliminal reaction to the change, not overt signalling of newness,” explains North's Sean Perkins. “They’re useful when brands need to address certain functional issues to move forward, without jeopardising the equity and reputation in their existing brand recognition.” Perkins gives Lufthansa as a great example of this approach: "incremental change, with huge effect on recognition. Masterfully successful, in my opinion.” 05. Make the change visible “Tiny tweaks become very hard to justify, when you consider the cost of rebranding projects,” believes Michael Johnson of Johnson Banks. “There may be a legitimate business reason to tweak your verbal brand and not the visual – but my old boss Wally Olins called his job ‘change made visible’, and I still subscribe to that view. If nothing appears to have changed or the changes are imperceptible, it makes it much harder to re-position a brand on just words.” 06. Pick your battles A range of assets featuring the new UK Parliament identity “Change in general is resisted by all but the most progressive of thinkers,” reflects Manchipp. “Part of our position is to identify the elements of the brand that will make the greatest positive impact. In the UK Parliament’s case, the symbol is well-known and needed technical attention but not a radical creative overhaul. However, the infographic systems and iconography to aid non-written communications were underdeveloped, and increasingly sought after.” 07. Don't reinvent the wheel Johnson Banks rebrand of Historic Houses (also featured in the lead image) “As a younger designer, I avoided ‘evolutionary’ routes,” recalls Johnson. “Now? I’m a little wiser, and can see that some clients’ previous identities weren’t completely broken. They just needed to work better. We changed Action Against Hunger’s confusing symbol to simply one of food and water. Historic Houses’ monosyllabic old symbol became a visual reminder of the many houses they represent.” This article was originally published in issue 279 of Computer Arts, the world's leading design magazine. Buy issue 279 or subscribe here. Related articles: 5 rebranding hurdles designers face today 5 small-client rebrands that attracted big attention Bring a brand to life with illustration View the full article

To be a successful and effective project manager, you'll need to learn the tactics, strategies, and techniques adopted by the best. That's the knowledge you'll get with The Pay What You Want: Project Management Mastery Bundle. You'll learn the secrets to success utilised by project managers in the fields of business and engineering, and you'll also receive comprehensive training to help you pass the PMP certification exam. You'll discover how to refine the project management process to ensure top-notch, high-quality results every single time. Best of all, you'll pay whatever you want for all this knowledge. The Pay What You Want: Project Management Mastery Bundle can be yours today. Related articles: Top tips for nailing project management Best project management software The tools of the trade for project management View the full article

'Iconic' is a big label. But there's more to an iconic brand than just the logo. It certainly helps, but you'll often find that the biggest brands aren't the ones with the best logos. Logo design aside, what makes a brand iconic? Ask the experts and they'll tell you that it's a combination of things. "We respond to experiences," says Ben Marshall, creative director at Landor Associates, "stories we can pass on, and frankly, some things that are simply unusual or inspired." Michael Johnson of Johnson Banks agrees that an iconic brand should deliver on multiple levels – the product or service itself, the environment it appears in, its tone of voice, and more. "Thinking about 'branding' from this cinematic perspective is relatively new," he admits. "It's pretty difficult to deliver successfully." In some cases volume of exposure can force brands into public consciousness, but it can be enormously expensive. "I can't tell you how many times we've been asked to design a logo as iconic as the Nike tick," says Paula Benson, partner at Form. "Our question: do you have the budget to repeat it boldly and consistently all over the world?" With all this in mind, we asked these experts and others to select 20 brands that they feel qualify as iconic. Here's what they came up with... 01. The Red Cross The Red Cross: universally associated with medicine and saving lives Top brands can be universal in what they represent; the Red Cross logo is so ingrained into our collective consciousness that we automatically associate it with medical assistance. "Some of us have never interacted with the Red Cross, yet we perfectly know what it stands for and how it changes people's lives across the world," says Andra Oprisan, strategist at Saffron Consultants. "We are able to recognise its logo anywhere." 02. Apple Apple's iconic logo is instantly recognisable without the name. "It embodies all the company's principles," says Paula Benson It would have been inconceivable not to include Cupertino's finest on any top brands list. "It's a truly great brand because it's become synonymous with innovation and outstanding design," says Form's Benson. "Its brand values permeate through absolutely everything, from usability to design to language to packaging to retail stores." "Apple has large revenues but only a very small number of products," Benson adds. "The real hallmark is care." 03. Bass The Bass logo and branding has recently been redesigned to give it a clearer standout The Bass logo is by far the most venerable of this collection; the Bass brewery was founded in 1777, and its red triangle logo is notable for being the first trademark registered in the UK, on 1 January 1876. For Kieren Thorpe, creative director at BrandOpus Australia, Bass's bold use of a very simple primary shape and colour has helped it towards top brand status. "It's since been redesigned with a bigger icon and a smaller word mark, giving it a much clearer standout," he believes. "We recognise colour and shape before the written word," explains Thorpe – and Bass goes for the jugular on both. 04. Uniqlo English and Japanese characters appear side-by-side in the identity, which Michael Johnson heralds as a "masterstroke" Founded in Japan as the 'Unique Clothing Warehouse', this basics-clothing line became Uniqlo, or yoo-nee-koo-roh in Japanese. "What sounds very Japanese actually derives from English," explains Johnson. "They'd already developed a world-class product and environment – the bilingual logo was the masterstroke that pushed them into being iconic." 05. Subway If you want a quick sandwich, you probably think of Subway Logo Design Love's David Airey believes all of the top brands offer the 'go to' product or service within its market. "If you want a quick sandwich made with care, you think of Subway," he observes. "Some people might consider them great simply because of the product or service that backs up the brand: ultimately, that's what it's all about." 06. Ralph Lauren According to Geoff Phillips, Ralph Lauren "owns American style and all its permutations" – and the brand is never static Although its logotype may be relatively uninspiring in and of itself, Ralph Lauren is unquestionably iconic and one of the top brands in the world. "It has successfully connected the Ralph Lauren mythology with the American collective psyche and the American dream. Together, they form the brand," suggests Geoff Phillips, design director at MetaDesign. "That goes much deeper than any logo itself could achieve." 07. Veuve Clicquot The Veuve Clicquot label combines its anchor heritage mark with beautifully set typography This champagne brand, according to Thorpe, has used colour to great effect to stand out from its competitors. "As a distinctly yellow brand in a world of category conventional colours such as black, gold and cream, the scope to create instant recognition across a multitude of touch points is clear," he points out. The identity carries across its advertising, with the signature becoming the flourish of an artist's brush. 08. Zippo Marshall believes that, rather like Victorinox Swiss Army, the Zippo logo is "simply a reassurance" For Landor Associates' Marshall, Zippo is a prime example of a brand that easily transcends its logo, which he dubs almost irrelevant. "It's a great innovation – windproof – and has great integrity in its history, having switched from commercial to military-only supply in the war," he says. "Its form, interaction and even sound are all unique." "I love the smell of a Zippo," says Marshall. "Face it, even people who don't smoke want a Zippo." 09. Adidas According to Benson, Adidas' Olympics ads were loud and proud, but not overly attention-grabbing or corporate Two distinctive graphic devices lie at the core of the Adidas brand: the trefoil of Originals, and the three stripes of the Sports division. "It also received the most positive uptake of any brand involved with the Olympics, which helped it secure its iconic status," says Benson. 10. Google Google's visual identity is expressed through its logo, the signature colours, and its much-loved 'Doodles' Google is another must-include on this list – although its logo alone is hardly a work of art. "Consider the bigger picture," advises Oprisan. "Google's brand lives in its products; its culture (those famous job interviews); its environment (its enviable creative offices); its advertising; and also its visual identity." 11. Paul Smith Paul Smith's signature excudes an effortlessly classic quality The Paul Smith signature wordmark is beautifully crafted in itself, but for Thorpe it's the continuity of the pinstripe livery that brings the brand iconic status: "It represents the 'classic with a modern twist' ethos." Johnson concurs, having nominated the same brand: "This recognisable 'graphic wallpaper' makes everything from carrier bags to scarves instantly recognisable." The pinstripe livery is at the heart of the brand's iconic status 12. IKEA Ikea has become shorthand across the world for cheap self-assemble furniture Airey believes that modern customers are looking for a complete experience, and highlights the free coffee that IKEA gives family-card holders as part of the global home furnishing giant's wider brand experience: "If you want to kit out a new home without spending a fortune, you think of IKEA," he adds. 13. Charity Water Sophisticated infographics and National Geographic-style photography help define the brand's look and feel Compared to most non-profits, argues Phillips, Charity Water has particularly high design acumen. "The founder said that charities' poverty mentality reflects in their brands: he wanted a more aspirational approach," he says. "The jerrycan logo is an iconic symbol of water accessibility. It has some notoriety, but it's not in the top brands yet – although it deserves to be." 14. Toms The Toms logo isn't over-designed, which for Thorpe, fits its brand personality Like Charity Water, Toms is another brand tipped for iconic status in the future: "It doesn't necessarily have a great logo," admits Thorpe: "A modern-looking san serif font, in the context of an Argentinian flag – the place where inspiration struck. But it's a cause-related brand dedicated to making things better, or in the words of the founder: 'Making things that matter.'" 15. Dyson "The product is innovative, the result is better, the aesthetic is unique. It's these qualities that truly elevate," reflects Marshall Marshall advocates a simple mantra: "to be iconic, be the first, best or only." In the modern marketplace, this often means truly innovative products cut through the competition. "When I was a kid, a vacuum cleaner was a Hoover; it was the byword," he recalls. "By using new, radical (and importantly, better) technology, Dyson eclipsed all others in people's minds." 16. The Rolling Stones Homage to Mick Jagger's famously full pout, the graphic is one of rock's best known logos Designed by John Pasche in 1970 and first used on the Sticky Fingers album cover, the illustrated lips and tongue became an iconic emblem for the Rolling Stones. "It sums up the band brilliantly, and is one of the world's most instantly recognisable symbols of rock and roll," argues Benson. 17. Coca-Cola "Coca Cola has seemingly endless possibilities through its core design," says Thorpe If any of the top brands have nailed global ubiquity, it's Coke. "It's a shining example of continual evolution, as relevant and desirable today as it was over a century ago," believes Thorpe. And the highly distinctive script logotype has remained a constant throughout its lifetime – compare that to bitter rival Pepsi's multiple radical rebrands. 18. The V&A "Everything about it is working; I think few Londoners would disagree," says Johnson of the V&A brand Alan Fletcher's V&A logo has been a classic since the late-'80s, but Johnson recalls a time when it was better loved than the museum: "It was dusty, labyrinthine – the kind of place a design student loved to get lost in, but confounded the everyday visitor," he says. "It's since elevated itself into one of the world's greats." 19. Pixar "The animated intro of the bouncing lamp isn't grandiose, like most production company intros," Phillips observes. "It's witty, simple, down-to-earth and intimate. Pixar's brand is rooted in original stories, rather than sampling traditional children's literature, sugar coating it and watering it down. They've proven that audiences don't always want what they've already seen and heard." 20. Irn-Bru Scotland's other national drink. Made from girders! Perhaps a slightly unconventional choice from Marshall: Scotland's finest, Irn-Bru. "Looking beyond its distinctive neon-ginger aesthetic and brilliant straplines, why is it one of the few markets that outsells Coca-Cola?" he poses. "Because it's part of the Scots' outlook. The challenger. It will always be this." This article first appeared in Computer Arts magazine. Subscribe here. Related articles: New Burberry logo is stripped of its knighthood 37 beautiful band logos to be inspired by 11 places to find logo design inspiration View the full article

Good design, much like anything, begins with a solid understanding of the basic principles. By building a strong foundation and mastering the fundamentals, you can quickly gain the skills you need to bring even your wildest creative visions to life. But where do you start? In the first of a series of free ebooks, The Ultimate Study of Design by Route 1 Print has everything to help you fully grasp the infrastructure of graphic design. Volume I kicks things off with some of the most fundamental elements of design - line, shape, composition and scale - features which are used to create designs and enhance user experience. Learn all about the different line types, their purpose, style and intentions, before moving on to an in-depth look at shapes and what they can mean for your designs. Symmetry and asymmetrical design is also on the agenda, and last, but by no means least, the subject of scale, including balancing design elements, how to use the golden ratio and how scale can be used to fully communicate your artwork. Marvel-ous case study Alongside all the in-depth technical advice, The Ultimate Study of Design also features an inspirational case study on Sony’s upcoming movie Venom. Based on the Marvel comic book character, The Ultimate Study of Design takes a closer look at the decision to create a symmetrical identity for the alien character whose eyes have always been represented, in the comics, as unpredictable, asymmetric forms. Download the ebook now for more details and see what you think. Download The Ultimate Study of Design: Volume I By the time you’re done with all this amazing content, the team at Route1Print will be ready to keep you busy with Volume II, featuring colour, texture, pattern, repetition and depth. So what are you waiting for? Download your copy of The Ultimate Study of Design today and become a design pro! View the full article

Freelance life can be wonderful, but it's not for everyone. Sure, there are plenty of pros to going it alone, and many freelancers never look back – but it's not a bed of roses, and you should always do your research first. For a start, there are plenty of tools for designers that your employer would normally pay for, and you'll need to stump up the cash for yourself. Besides creative skill, in order to be a successful freelancer, you also need the right balance of business savvy, self-discipline, confidence and more. So if you're thinking about taking the plunge yourself, read on to discover four pros (and four associated cons) of life as a freelancer... 01. Higher earning potential... You're gonna need a bigger wallet (maybe) It's no secret that freelance day rates are almost always higher than their in-house equivalents. Agencies and clients will pay more for specialist skills on-demand. They can also use you on a project-by-project basis, so can budget accordingly without the need to keep a steady flow of work to justify your salary. If you can pull in enough regular work from different source – 'if' being the caveat – then it's true, you stand to earn a lot more than you would within a studio environment. And that's definitely one of the potential perks to consider when considering freelance life. The fact that you can set your own day rates will help, of course, so long as you do your due diligence first: going in all guns blazing with an outrageously high pitch is how not to get hired as a designer. You may even be laughed out the room. Remember, there's always scope to increase your rates as you get more experience, or for particular types of work – it can certainly be easier than lobbying for a pay rise. ...but no sick/holiday pay Lie back, relax! But don't expect to get paid for it Here's the flip-side to a higher earning potential: you only earn when you're working. You sacrifice all employee rights, not least sick pay, holiday pay, redundancy package, and any kind of bonus (unless you award yourself one). There are many ways you can save money as a freelancer to help counterbalance this, although having a savings buffer in place before you leave is always wide. This will cover you in fallow work periods, as well as for sickness and holiday – it may also be worth setting up an insurance policy in case of long-term sickness. 02. Choose your own hours... Don't like mornings? Change your working hours Sick of working thankless overtime at evenings and weekends, and struggling to see friends, partner or kids? Perhaps constant delays on your sweaty, noisy commute are making you late to the studio almost daily? Or maybe you're a night owl, and just wish you didn't have to get up so early in the morning? The good news is, as a freelancer, you can do away with all of that. You can still work evenings and weekends if you really want to, or if a heavy deadline requires it. But no more lobbying for flexi-time, or time-off in lieu, or just sucking it up... you can take the next morning off at a moment's notice if you like. Sure, your holidays may not be paid – but if you're organised, you can plan projects around them so you don't come back to a stack of work to catch up on. And you can be much more flexible around other life commitments, such as childcare – especially if you work from home. ...but spend them on dull admin Everyone loves a nice pile of expense receipts Unfortunately, you'll need to fill at least some of those free and flexible hours with stuff you really don't want to do – there are no legal, marketing or accounts teams to fall back on, after all, or a resource manager to tell you how to spend your time. Being your own boss comes with boss-like responsibilities. Some of this can be absorbed by hiring third-party help, such as an accountant, or an agent – and there are plenty of productivity tools for designers that'll make your life easier. But invoices, expenses, bills and all manner of other studio admin tasks will still commandeer a chunk of your time – and not billable time, either. 03. Pick your own clients... Choose the sweetest clients (if they'll work with you) Naturally, this one depends on your own self-promotion and pitching skills. As well as studio admin, all the responsibility for winning the work is on you too, and time hunting for new business isn't billable either. All these things considered, though, the ball is in your court in terms of what projects you want to do – as well as the balance between client briefs and self-initiated work. You can choose to hone your core specialities with clients you want to work with (and turn down ones you don't), or explore a range of new opportunities – such as collaborating with others to tackle projects outside your usual comfort zone. It's genuinely exciting to be in full control of your own destiny. ...but you have to chase them for payment Some clients need more chasing than others This is the bane of most freelancers' lives. No matter how much you enjoy a project, chasing your invoice for payment afterwards is no fun for anyone involved. Some clients are prompt and cheerful with their payments – hold onto them while you can! – but every freelancer has a tale of a nightmare late-paying client. You'll need to be more business savvy to deal with it. Put a solid process in place – with a contract to protect you wherever possible – and get ahead of your finances so a stack of unpaid invoices doesn't force you onto the breadline. 04. Work where you want... Working from your favourite cafe is a definite perk As well as being flexible with hours, depending on the nature of your work, you can pick your location too. Whether it's converting a spare bedroom into a home studio, sharing workspace with fellow freelancers, roaming between coffee shops or even working while travelling, it's your call. There are various tools to help you work remotely as a freelancer, but at a minimum you'll need a lightweight laptop, a decent battery pack and mobile WiFi. ...but you may get lonely As a freelancer, you have to like your own company Whether home alone for eight hours a day, or surrounded by the hustle and bustle of strangers in a coffee shop, if you're used to a buzzing, collaborative studio environment with constant conversation, stimuli and like-minded people to bounce ideas off, you may struggle as a freelancer. Sure, you can meet friends for lunch, or collaborate with others on certain projects, but the likelihood is you'll spend a lot of time with your own thoughts. Some people thrive in that scenario and are far more productive without distractions; others go stir-crazy within a week – only you know which one best describes you. Related articles: Freelance survival guide 4 design tools you never knew you needed Design agency survival guide View the full article

Being a designer can be expensive. Once you’ve coughed up for some pricey hardware, the costs keep on coming – everything from hosting to imagery can come with a price tag. With a little investigation online, you’ll find there are plenty of deals and discounts that will help you get set up, upgrade your kit, and generally get focused on being creative without bankrupting yourself. There are tools for creatives of all kinds here, but if you're a student, jump to the bottom of the page for some deals especially for you. Hardware deals Hardware is likely to be one of your biggest upfront costs A new laptop, PC or tablet can be a major expense. However, there are plenty of ways to cut down the price of creative hardware. Here’s where to look. Apple No doubt about it, Apple kit is going to cost you. However, a smart way to save is by exploring Apple's refurbished goods. These are second-hand, but refurbished and given the stamp of approval from Apple before being resold, which means you can be confident they’ll work as expected. It’s a great way to get your hands on quality products with a significant discount. There’s also a clearance section to explore. Apple offers special discounts for students (read more on that in the student deals section). However, it's worth noting that these can also be used by anyone working in an education environment. That includes teachers, administrative staff, and so on. Online marketplaces You can often find good second-hand hardware on online marketplaces such as Gumtree and eBay. Without an official stamp of approval, you’ll need to be a little more careful to ensure you’re getting a good deal. However, occasionally you’ll hit on a gem, with someone selling a basically new item on the cheap. Creative Bloq If you're not sure what you want to buy or which device is worth your money, we have a whole host of buying guides for you. You'll find advice on all the core tools you'll need – such as the best drawing tablet or laptop for graphic design – as well as accessories such as computer mice and keyboards. We also have a dedicated tool that searches thousands of sites for the best prices on these devices, so if a retailer is having a promotion, we'll know about it and the information on the page will update to show you the cheapest available price. Creative software and tools Quality software doesn't have to cost a fortune While hardware might be your biggest upfront cost, ongoing expenses such as creative software subscriptions, fonts, and stock imagery can all add up. Luckily, there are deals to be had, as well as free options to explore if you know where to look. Adobe Adobe's creative suite of tools remains a popular choice for designers. Deals and bargains are few and far between, but here at Creative Bloq we are pleased to be able to offer some exclusive discounts – right now you can get 15% off Adobe Creative Cloud. For more savings, including those on specific applications, take a look at our guide to the best Adobe deals. Note: The student discount (see the Student Deals section) also applies to those in primary or secondary education, or even those who are being homeschooled. Free software It won't be as comprehensive as the software you'd get from the likes of Adobe or Serif, but if you're just getting started in a particular specialism, you can get a taste for it by playing around with some more basic tools. There's plenty of free graphic design software to explore while you're still learning. Stock library memberships If you’re in need of stock photography with a bit more edge, there are plenty of good membership deals out there that will get you more bang for your buck. The 99Club gives you access to four million images – including vector images – and offers 200 downloads a year for US$99. The Adobe Stock image subscription is a bit pricier, but offers more regular resetting of downloads available. Copyright-free images There are millions of copyright-free images online. If you’re not interested in paying for images to use in your work, the best free sources of copyright-free images include Unsplash and Negative Space. Vector art If you're pushed for time, existing vector artwork can be a lifesaver. There are lots of places you can find this for free online, but we've sorted out the best quality ones and put them together in one handy post: the best places to find free vector art. Fonts for designers There are a lot of fonts being offered up for free on the internet. However, quality and reliability varies wildly. Take a look at our pick of the best free fonts for designers if you don't want to end up in a pit of typographic doom. Money-saving tips If you're smart, there are lots of ways to cut down your outgoings There are always places you can find a handy discount code or two to apply to an upcoming purchase you might be considering making. Read on for some more money-saving tips. Deals sites Discount king Groupon offers deals on electronic goods – alongside holidays, experiential activities, haircuts, and pretty much anything else you could think of. It’s hit and miss what you’ll find on there, but it's worth keeping an eye on it. Other great online stores with discounted goods include Micro Center, TechBargains and Slickdeals. It’s also worth investigating Lifehacker’s Dealhacker section for updated offers. Voucher codes Money Saving Expert runs a constantly updating page full of links to discount codes for a lot of different major chains, as well as sites like VoucherCodes. You can also automate your efforts by using a browser extension like Cently or Honey, which both search automatically for any applicable coupon codes you can apply to online purchases. Cashback If you can’t find a discount code online, using cashback programmes is another option to work some of your outgoings back into your account. Quidco and Swagbucks are two popular options, as well as Shop At Home. Swagbucks and Shop At Home both offer Web, Android and iOS versions. Do note that many of these sites will have a threshold you have to hit before you can withdraw. Check these carefully, and note too that some sites will ask for annual fees, so tread carefully. Be sure to check that any cashback deal will actually save you money. If you see a product for $200 online with a $50 cash back, but you could also buy the product outright in stores for $100, it’s obviously not worth it. The same applies if you have a great coupon code or promo code – these usually can’t be applied to cashback deals. Your discount might be worth a lot more than the cashback, so investigate this option first. Design student deals If you're lucky enough to have a valid student email, read on A student status can help you get all sorts of creative products on the cheap, so make the most of it! If you’re a recent graduate and still have access to your .edu email address, you can also use that to sign up for a lot of these benefits on the sly. Here are some of the best student savings. Apple Apple offers education pricing in many of its international stores online; simply enter your educational institution’s name in order to qualify and receive the discount. These discounts vary according to the type of stock (i.e. they are not a uniform 10 per cent discount applied to all products, but vary according to the range and newness of the model). Adobe Students of all kinds can get access to Adobe tools for less. The student discount can be used by those attending university or college, but also anyone in primary or secondary school education. It’s well worth looking into this, as it will save you over 65 per cent. UniDays UniDays offers regular discount codes just for students, on all sorts of goods and services. It comes in handy app and web form so you can browse the latest deals whenever you want. Amazon Prime Student For a whole host of other kinds of discounted goods and services to get creative with, it’s worth signing up for Amazon Prime Student. Read more: How to make money on Instagram as a creative 50 free web tools 6 ways to save money as a freelancer View the full article

You’ve been browsing different design portfolios for ages, and you’ve finally found the perfect illustrator to collaborate on your latest project. But how do you make sure you get the very best from them? Read on for five tips from leading agencies on how to commission illustration the right way. 01. Set a clear brief Commissioning great illustration is about great communication. To make sure this happens, set a clear brief covering exactly what you want in an image and the style, as well as the timeline. Make it plain why you're commissioning that person for that job, and give them as much information as possible to let them interpret that creatively. 02. Respect your collaborators Nothing makes for a better working relationship – whether between a brand and agency, agency and illustrator, or all three – than trust, respect, and dialogue. "It's a balance between respect for who you are as a brand and flexibility to impose no limits on the creativity," says artist Dennis Osadebe. "A great client is one who can communicate effectively and understands the importance of allowing the artist to embrace their talent." 03. Think about scale When commissioning illustrations for packaging design, remember the canvas will generally be pretty small. You have to strike a balance between work that's suitably detailed as to be interesting close up, but is also bold, visible and legible enough to stand out on the shelf. 04. Consider specialising Hired Guns Creative and Thirst Craft are two branding agencies that specialise in drinks clients. According to Hired Guns Creative, specialisation was initially a scary move, but has been "a fantastic thing." Thirst Craft – the agency behind the branding scheme for Loch Lomond Brewery that appears in the opening image – echoes its sentiments. "This is our story now, and it's given us a really deep understanding of the drinks industry now and the right questions to ask people," says creative director Matt Burns. 05. Look to the future According to Canadian agency Hired Guns Creative, augmented reality technology is likely to become a big innovation in illustration across alcohol packaging, and is already being used across Australian winery's 19 Crimes wine, which uses an app to show portraits of real former criminals on the labels. This article was originally published in Computer Arts, the world's best-selling design magazine. Buy issue 279 or subscribe. Read more: The designer's guide to illustration 20 illustrators to follow on Instagram Our pick of the best graphics tablets in 2018 View the full article

Values are present in almost every drawing or painting we create – and often, they can make or break a piece. To create a successful image, we must navigate various light effects and quirks of perception. This can often be frustrating! However, the same challenges will always crop up regardless of your subject or medium. Whether you’re figure drawing, painting still lifes, pastel drawing or working plein air, the principles are the same when it comes to values. 9 top tips for drawing in black and white If you are looking to create believable and realistic images, there are some key ideas to get to grips with, and having some methods to hand to help solve common problems will help your work flow more smoothly. The more we practise, the more intuitive working with values becomes. For the past ten years, I’ve studied and taught drawing and painting, picking up some useful advice and tips for how to draw along the way. In this workshop I’ll share some of these tips with you. Let’s get started… 01. Separate light and shadow Making a distinction between light and shadow families is fundamental This is the foundation for all shading decisions. First make a distinction between the ‘light family’ and the ‘shadow family’ (shown above). The light family consists of all areas that are touched directly by the light source. A good way to test this is to look at your subject from the direction of the light, so you can see what the light can ‘see’. The shadow family consists of everything that is hidden from the light source. This includes all shadows and reflected light areas. 02. Use a value scale Get your head around tonal relationships with a scale A value scale is a tool that will help you understand tonal relationships. I recommend a nine-step scale because it has a middle value. You can make a value scale by marking nine swatches, as shown above. Then, using light lines, begin with swatch 1 (as dark as you can go) and 9 (leaving as just paper). Then add an estimate for tone 5 in the middle. Now, add tones 3 and 7. Add the remaining tones to complete the scale. For more details, see my tutorial. 03. Relativity of value Which square looks darker to you? Our perception of how bright something is changes depending on what surrounds it. The example above shows the same 50 per cent grey surrounded by black and white. Can you see how the grey looks much darker against the white background? This effect happens all the time when we draw from observation and it can really throw off our value judgements. 04. Light effects As light hits an object, there are many effects to be aware of. Click on the diagram below to see how light spills over an object and creates areas of light and shade. Click to see the full size diagram 05. Reflected light Drawing correct reflected lights gives a great sense of volume. To create a realistic sense of light, it’s important to understand what affects the intensity of indirect (reflected) light. The first is local value. This is the ‘actual’ brightness of an object, independent of light effects. Lighter materials reflect light more strongly than darker materials. Another factor is distance – the further reflected light has to travel, the weaker it gets. The image here shows the effect of distance on a white material with maximum reflective strength. Scroll left to right in the gallery above with the arrows to see these influences in action. 06. Three common shading mistakes Get your shading just right by avoiding these common mistakes The first common shading mistake is making reflected lights too light (1). This creates confusion between halftones and reflected lights, making it difficult for the viewer to interpret the image. The second is making light halftones too dark (2). This results in a dirty look. The third is making dark halftones too light (3), which takes away from the sense of form. 07. Make a value study Break down your subject into groups of values Get your head around confusing values by organising them into groups in a separate drawing (a value study). The goal is to summarise the image by grouping similar tones together. Four or five value groups are ideal. Define the lightest and darkest tones, then find two to three tones that are most common in the image. Do your best to combine similar values. You should now have a clear plan for establishing values. 08. Test your understanding Experiment with creating shade in new media and from memory It’s always good to conduct experiments. Work with both artificial and natural light and note the differences. Try out a variety of media in order to learn how to take advantage of each. Try and create images from imagination. Can you remember all 11 effects from tip #4? Are you successfully avoiding the three common shading mistakes? The image above shows different students’ drawings of John Asaro’s Planes of the Head, shading 100 per cent from imagination. 09. Limited range and value compression Light contrasts found in nature are hard to replicate in art A value range describes how big the spectrum is between the lightest light and darkest dark. Each medium has its own range. Nature has an enormous range: from the brightest light (the sun) to the darkest dark (complete blackness). Often it is difficult to match the range of nature in your art. The solution is to diminish contrast at both ends of the spectrum. 10. The light guide A sphere is useful for referencing light in a scene To understand the light in a scene, draw a little sphere and indicate the light direction, the brightness of the shadows, and the strength of reflected light. In a complex image, you can make a light guide for individual objects. To study nature, hold up an egg in different light scenarios and observe how these three aspects change in different environments. This article was originally published in Paint & Draw. Related articles: How to paint with acrylic washes Prepare a board for painting in 3 easy steps How to paint realistic waves in Photoshop View the full article

Want to master the art of coding? Knowing how to code in multiple different programming languages can be the key to opening up new job opportunities and career paths for yourself. With Pay What You Want: Learn to Code 2018 Bundle, you'll get your hands on a comprehensive training bundle, and you can pay whatever price you want for the entire thing. In this bundle, you'll practise building eight different Python apps, use iOS 11 and Swift 4 to create usable iPhone apps, and construct real projects to gain experience with React. You'll also gain a solid foundation in MySQL, Javascript, and Java 9. All this knowledge can be yours for whatever price you name. Related articles: The web designer's guide to Flexbox The web designer starter toolkit Beware the cutting edge of web design View the full article

Every place in the world has its own style and cultural influence, which can be a great source of inspiration for a designer. Here, we showcase a selection of travel poster designs created by artists and inspired by many wonderful and diverse places on Earth – and beyond... 01. Travel posters from Mexico Rita Duczmańska documented the often overlooked parts of travelling Rita Duczmańska documented her trip to Mexico by designing a series of posters on the trip. The series includes colourful prints of parrots and flamingoes, as well as posters depicting often overlooked elements of travelling, including noisy flights, jet lag and diarrhea. Check out the full series on her Behance page. 02. Dailies This poster forms part of a set formed over 16 days for a design challenge named Dailies As part of a 16-day daily design project, Toral Bheda created a series of travel posters that use simple elements related to each country and transformed them into a poster. We particularly like the simple design and pared-back colour palette of the poster above, depicting the Maldives. See the full set here. 03. Round the world Night & Day is David Popov's abstract artistic expression of his experience in New York This Night & Day New York design was part of an illustrative travel project by Pop & Pac's David Popov. An ongoing, self-initiated project, Popov created a series of abstract posters as a visual expression of the experiences he's had on his travels around the world. He has created prints for many cities and countries, including London, Paris, Bangkok and Italy. Popov's designs have been so well received that they are now available to buy online. 04. San Francisco Simple, clever design created by graphic designer Suzanne Pfutzenreuter Graphic designer Suzanne Pfutzenreuter is the lady behind these contemporary poster designs for San Francisco's Travel Spring 2013 campaign. Every year, the company chooses a handful of 'must see' events to promote in the city, which Pfutzenreuter has illustrated here, tying the event with a San Francisco icon. Which is your favourite? 05. Orient calls Mune Satomi's choice of composition and colour in this poster sells the Orient perfectly Type the search term 'travel posters' into Google and you'll be presented with thousands of examples of vintage posters. But this 1936 Orient Calls poster by Mune Satomi caught our eye. This beautiful composition and colour palette was entirely handcrafted. 06. London Graphic artist Neil Stevens was inspired by old airline baggage tags When London-based creative illustrator, image-maker and graphic artist Neil Stevens came across some old airline baggage tags, he decided to turn them into a series of posters. Stevens created prints for various airports, all of which can be purchased online. 07. Have you ever been to... How many places on Federica Bonfanti's list have you been to? We just love this awesome travel-inspired print by designer and artist Federica Bonfanti. Similar to the well-known 1,000 Places to See Before You Die book, this poster lists 84 places around the world, each with carefully chosen typography that best suits the country it represents, accompanied by a beautifully illustrated icon. How many can you tick off the list? 08. Free Rider This print aims to promote cycling This beautiful print was created in 2011 by graphic designers Petros Afshar and Sammi Swar. Part of a series of illustrations, the artwork's aim was to promote cycling as an alternative way to travel. The duo said, "The content is a collective exhibition of text, illustrations and photographs on the fondness we have with bicycles in a global and digital era." 09. Petit Belle Johnny Kotze created this gorgeous piece to raise money for the Canadian Children's Hospital Illustrator and designer Johnny Kotze created this piece for the Canadian Children's Hospital and annual charity event The Snowflake Ball. Auctioned off to raise money, the theme was Springtime in Paris. Kotze comments, "I went for more of a winter theme with a snow globe-inspired Paris city scene. It's got landmark sights the Arc de Triomphe on the right, The Notre Dame on the left and of course the famous Eiffel Tower in the centre." 10. Switzerland This Switzerland poster is just one of many iconic designs created by American artist David Klein We couldn't curate a list of travel posters without including one of iconic designs created by American artist David Klein – the man who illustrated dozens of posters for Howard Hughes' Trans World Airlines (TWA) in the 1950s and '60s. Klein designed numerous posters advertising travel in the US and abroad, and in 1957, his New York piece became part of the permanent collection at MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in NYC. View the full collection of Klein's work here. 11. Let's Travel Somewhere Ines Gamler created a series of posters to promote Let's Travel Somewhere Let's Travel Somewhere is a collaborative project that aims to capture the essence of every country through beautiful photography and gripping stories. To promote the project, designer and illustrator Ines Gamler developed these brilliantly minimalist posters, each depicting an area of the world through a simple icon of that area's most recognisable mode of transport. 12. Istanbul This is one of three minimalist poster designs by designer Maxwell Rasche This retro-style, minimalist poster design is one of three by designer and art director Maxwell Rasche. Other designs include posters for Sydney and Amsterdam, all of which use the same colour scheme, feature illustrations of buildings synonymous with the countries, and incorporate fonts from Lost Type Co-Op. 13. San Francisco These vintage inspired posters will have you wishing for a summer holiday Graphic designer Alex Asfour has designed a whole range of vintage-inspired travel posters, including this one for Airbnb to promote Miami. It shows the Downtown view of the Miami river. You can see more of his designs in this post. And now for something a little different... 14. Travel posters for lazy people While on the hunt for travel posters, we came across this awesome series of alternative, tongue-in-cheek designs. Here, illustrator Caldwell Tanner has created some brilliant travel posters for all you lazy people. Genius. See the full series here. The internet; a refreshing way to waste the day You're never too old to eat something older than you Related articles: 10 inspiring examples of typography poster designs The top 25 movie posters of all time The designer's guide to printing a poster View the full article

This list of the best tablets in Walmart has been designed to make your life easier if you're shopping for a new device and you're not sure which option is right for you. Walmart has a great selection of brilliant tablets, from Apple iPads to tablets running Android or Windows 10 – and they regularly have good deals on them, too. The best cell phones at Walmart We've scoured the retailer's website to find the best prices on the top tablets at Walmart, and our smart price comparison tool will make sure that you get the best deal possible. (Or, if you're after a tablet and don't mind which retailer you get it from, take a look at our best tablet with stylus buying guide.) Read on for the best tablets at Walmart – and the best prices – right now... Our pick of the best tablets at Walmart right now New iPad (2018) This year's iPad tablet from Apple is our pick of the best overall tablet you can buy from Walmart. This is a tablet that does everything well, with a good screen quality, excellent camera and great performance for the price. Speaking of price, it's not that expensive compared to other Apple products, and the 2018 version also supports the Apple Pencil stylus (which you'll need to buy separately). You can choose between 32GB and 128GB capacities, and the 9.7-inch display is bright, vibrant and crisp. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is another all-round excellent tablet that can handle almost any task. It comes with a beautiful HDR (high dynamic range) 9.7-inch screen, which makes media and images really stand out. Battery life is good, it has a fantastic camera and you can expand the 32GB storage space to 400GB with a microSD memory card. This is a tablet that can be pricey, but Walmart has some excellent deals that will help you get this tablet for a competitive price. Apple's iPad Pro is the best high-end tablet Walmart offers. It expands on everything we love about the regular iPad, packing in more powerful hardware and an improved screen to make it a brilliant tablet for productivity. The new ProMotion screen is a particular highlight. It features a refresh rate of 120Hz - twice the rate of standard tablet screens – which makes games and media look amazing. It also means the iPad Pro feels fast and responsive, especially if you're drawing with the Apple Pencil stylus. If you don't mind going for a slightly older tablet, then the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 offers brilliant value for money, making it our pick for the best cheap tablet at Walmart. It comes with some excellent features, such as 32GB internal storage and support for microSD cards up to 128GB for even more space to keep apps and files. It also has a fantastic 2,048 x 1,536 Super AMOLED display and enough powerful innards to keep this tablet running quickly and smoothly despite its age and price. iPad mini 4 If you're looking for a smaller tablet from Walmart that's a bit easier to carry around and hold than some of the larger slates, then the iPad mini 4 is well worth your consideration. It comes in a shrunk down-design that, as you'd expect from Apple, looks fantastic, and the latest version comes with a screen upgrade and more powerful components. Walmart offers some great deals on this diminutive tablet, so if you're on the lookout for a 7-inch slate, this is the one to get. Walmart offers a great selection of Android and Apple tablets, and it also stocks some brilliant Windows tablets as well. These tablets run Windows 10 – an operating system that works very well on tablet devices – and allow you to run regular programs such as Photoshop, rather than lumbering you with apps. The Surface Pro is the best Windows tablet Walmart currently sells, and as you'd expect, it comes with some brilliantly powerful components and excellent features, and a price tag to match. Acer makes some brilliant tablets, and the best one you can buy at Walmart is the Acer Switch 5. This is another Windows tablet, and it's a great alternative to the Surface Pro above. It can be used as both a tablet and a laptop-like device, making it a great little productivity device for students and professionals. The display is good (though not quite as good as the Surface Pro's), and it's a dab hand at drawing as well if you use a stylus. This unique tablet comes with a projector built into it. The Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro also features a fantastic 10.1-inch screen, which makes it a large tablet that's great for media and productivity, and its sound quality is great as well. Thanks to the integrated projector, this is a fantastic tablet for presentations, and it's our pick for the best Lenovo tablet that Walmart currently offers. Related articles: The best phones at Walmart The best drawing tablet The best drawing tablets at Walmart in 2018 View the full article

Threatpost talks to Commvault's Matt Tyrer about the recent COSCO ransomware attack. View the full article

Just as fashions come and go, so too do logo designs. Even a design classic and wardrobe staple such as the Burberry logo (above) has to be consigned to the sale rail at some point. That's just what happened today as Burberry launched its new logo and monogram on Instagram. The new logo (below) was designed in collaboration with Burberry and Peter Saville, and replaces the famous Burberry Equestrian Knight Logo which in one form or another has been going strong since 1901. Before being put out to pasture, this chivalric design was last updated in 1999 when the brand dropped the letter 'S' from its name, switching from Burberrys to Burberry. As you can see, the new logo goes for a straightforward text-based approach. The only design element to be carried over appears to be the black colour scheme, which in the original logo represented strength and durability. Meanwhile, Italian designer Riccardo Tisci's new monogram takes the initials of the fashion brand's founder, Thomas Burberry, and weaves them into an interlocking and colourful design decked out in orange, white and beige. Accompanied by the hashtag #newera, Tisci is pinning his colours to the mast as he takes the company in a new creative direction. In a series of Instagram post published simultaneously by Tisci and Burberry, we get a unique glimpse into the creative process behind the new logo and monogram. It appears that the fashion label imposed an incredibly tight turnaround time of just four weeks for a project that usually takes at least four months. We wonder if these email transcripts have been airbrushed, "you must be crazy" sounds like a restrained way to respond to that deadline. So are the new designs trend setters or fashion victims? As we've come to expect from a rebrand, public opinion on social media has been split, with many mourning the loss of the recognisable equestrian logo. (One user commented that they should BurBURY the new look.) It is a shame to see the back of the knight and horse motif, however we're not so upset to wave goodbye to that old font. And if Burberry want to add a dash of contemporary style to their look, we'd say it's mission accomplished. As the 'prorsum' standard on the old logo used to say: 'forwards'. Related articles: 4 awesome examples of handmade type in branding 6 great logo ideas that break the mould 5 logo design trends for 2018 View the full article

The final tweaks that you make to your image can be the most crucial part in your painting process. That’s the part that you often agonise over, too. It’s easy to create art, but to perfect it is a whole other story. The adjustment tools have always been a part of Photoshop for this reason. Long before so many other tools have been deemed important – tweaking your image in the closing stages always has been. They range from tonal corrections to colour-editing sliders, but they all hold their own uses in the program. Get 15% off Creative Cloud with our exclusive offer Everyone has their favourite adjustment tools, but while some people utilise them throughout their workflow, they’re often seen as a unifier of a project at the end. The adjustments are such an integral part of Photoshop CC, that it’s worth learning what each of them do. They work best in tandem with one another, but the key – like any part of Photoshop, including using Photoshop actions – is simply to experiment with what works for you, as many of the fixes overlap. Once you’ve mastered these tools, you’ll never end a project without them again. We've divided these adjustments into four areas: tonal fixes, colour tools, creating a comic-book effect and applying filters. Tonal fixes in Photoshop 01. Add an adjustment layer Add new adjustments layers to make....adjustments There are many ways to add an adjustment layer. Either go to the top bar and click Layer > Adjustment layer, or add an adjustment panel from Windows > Adjustments. Alternatively, click the circle icon at the bottom of the layer panel. The Brightness/Contrast, Levels and Exposure tools give you control over blacks, whites, highlights and shadows in your artwork. Click on the half filled circle next to each layer to bring up the Properties menu for individual adjustment layers. This will enable you to adjust each layer. 02. Adjust brightness and contrast The Levels adjustment histogram is shown on the left box. Click on the top right corner of the image to enlarge The Levels adjustment provides you with a histogram. It can control the brightness, contrast, lights and darks in your image, as well as colour. The Brightness/Contrast tool is another way to tweak images, and relies on sliders. It’s a good second step after using Curves to correct the tone of your image. 03. Alter the whites and blacks in your image Click on the top right corner to enlarge the image In this adjustment window, you can alter the whites and blacks in your image to pick up more or less light and shade. Colour tools in Photoshop Click the top-right corner to enlarge Once you’ve set the tone in your image, it’s time to edit the colour. While Photoshop can’t do anything too drastic with colour without the work looking distorted, it can provide useful edits to your image. While there are plenty of tools in Photoshop to edit the colours in your images, there are just as many to take these effects even further. Black and White, Photo Filter and Selective Color are all tweaks that offer subtlety in your image, but can be vital for finalising the overall look. 04. Use the Hue/Saturation tool The Hue/Saturation tool The Color Balance is similar to the Curves tool, only it provides a far more colour-centric edit, rather than one based on the tone of your picture. The Hue Saturation tool can take individual shades to task with its drop-down menu, and is capable of editing the hue, saturation or lightness of any colour you choose. 05. Adjust the Vibrance in your image Use the slider to adjust the Vibrance in your image Increase the Vibrance of your image without altering the Saturation with the Vibrance adjustment. This is great as a finishing touch to your artwork, because it can make your colours pop even further. 06. Tweak the shades in your image Tweak the tones of the shades in your image using the sliders Black and White simply desaturates your image, but the adjustment comes in the form of sliders that offer you the ability to tweak the tones of each shade in your image. 07. Adjust some colours but not others The Selective Color Adjustment panel If you wish to make one particularly shade stand out from the rest, then the Selective Color adjustment is perhaps the easiest way to do that. It gives you sliders to adjust, and is simple to use. 08. Create a warming or cooling effect The Photo Filter tool is useful for making subjects stand out The Photo Filter tool creates a subtle warming or cooling effect, or a tint of a custom colour. This is useful for applying to subjects in a painting, to make them stand out from their backgrounds. Next page: Create comic book effects and apply filters Create comic-book style effects Comic-style effects are relatively easy to achieve in Photoshop The adjustments aren’t there to improve what you already have in Photoshop. In some cases, they can transform your work in the same way that filters can. Three of these adjustments – the Invert, Threshold and Posterize tools – can be combined to create comic-style effects. 09. Use Threshold adjustment The Threshold adjustment tool is particularly interesting when used at al low Opacity The Threshold adjustment consists of one balance slider. It turns colour or greyscale images into high contrast, black and white images, and produces interesting results when used at a low Opacity. 10. Get a low-fi effect with Posterize Posterize can help create a low-fi effect Posterize is similar to the Threshold tool, but offers you as many levels of colours as you wish. When used as a final flourish in an image, it provides a low-fi, comic book-style effect. 11. Invert your colours The Invert tool does as the name suggests The Invert tool inverts every pixel to the opposite colour and shade. It has no other options. When used on a low Opacity, it can provide you with a foggier, non-contrasted image. Add final touches and use filters Curves, Gradient Map or Color Lookup can change your image dramatically At the end of almost any project, you’ll use one of three adjustments: Curves, Gradient Map or Color Lookup. You may even end up using all three, for they each give you tonal and colour editing abilities to either improve or completely change your painting. 12. Use Curves to alter tone Curves can be used to change the colour channels in an image Curves works by tweaking the strands in the graph, and as well as altering tone, you can use the drop-down menu to change the colour channels, such as red, green and blue in an RGB image. 13. Add filters Everyone loves a good filter, right? The Color Lookup filter gives you a range of preset filters that can change how your photos and artworks can look, ranging from Edgy Amber to Foggy Night, and even some specific camera model effects. 14. Use the Gradient Map to repaint your image Achieve simple sophistication with Soft Light By setting a colour for each shade in your image, the Gradient Map can repaint your image. It’s best used when set to Soft Light for a simple, yet sophisticated filter. This article was originally published in issue 160 of ImagineFX, the world's leading digital art magazine. Buy issue 160 or subscribe here. Related articles: 5 best laptops for Photoshop 60 top-class tutorials to try The 10 commandments of Photoshop etiquette View the full article

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