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Microsoft's September Patch Tuesday release tackles three vulnerabilities actively being exploited in the wild. View the full article

Exposed data included names, emails addresses and IP addresses. View the full article

SEO: it's a dirty job but someone has to do it, and if you want anyone to see your design portfolio other than by word of mouth then you're going to have to bake a bit of SEO into your workflow. Sign up to the Computer Arts newsletter Getting to grips with SEO from a standing start can feel utterly daunting, especially as the rules seem to change on a regular basis. However, if you follow these tips from SEO experts, you'll soon find yourself starting to climb the Google rankings. 01. Learn by doing "All designers need to understand how SEO works and second-guess how Google and other search engines, are moving the goalposts," says James Huckle, head of technology at digital agency Mirum UK. "In the short term, the best way to do this is to get your own website that you can control, add some content, social links and analytics, then do some tests and see what happens." 02. Keep experimenting "Don't be afraid to get out of the sandbox!" says Evan Fraser of GraphicSprings.com. "Try on-site optimisation techniques on your live site, to see how search engines respond. There are tons of resources online, but you won't know what works for you until you try." 03. Use free resources "Rand Fishkin and his Whiteboard Fridays are an absolute must for anybody learning SEO," says Fraser. "SearchEngineJournal and the GSQi Blog are also very informative. And in general, the MOZ community has been my go-to for many years." 04. Build backlinks Backlinks from other sites to yours will boost a site's SEO considerably. "So my tip would be: Find out where relevant online conversations are happening, and join them," recommends John Atkin, head of PR at Affinity. "But make sure you stick to the spirit of the community: don't go wading in with blatant commercial plugging. Nudge conversations, don't ram them. In time, you'll build relationships which will result in links and mentions," he continues. 05. Focus on security "Search engines will continue to prioritise security and mobile compliance and will reward websites that conform to these standards with improved rankings," says Anthony Miroballi, front-end developer at Chicago-based 50,000feet. "Google is already giving large bumps to sites that utilise its AMP platform, and a stripped-down mobile version of your site with enhanced mobile UX will pay dividends." This article was originally published in issue 280 of Computer Arts, the world's best-selling design magazine. Buy issue 280 here or subscribe to Computer Arts here. Related articles: 27 top-class website templates 10 must-know SEO tools for search success 5 top tools to master SEO View the full article

Adobe issued fixes for versions of its ColdFusion web development platform - including six critical flaws. View the full article

If you've mastered how to draw a dog, you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd easily be able to draw a wolf too. While depicting man's best friend will stand you in good stead when approaching how to draw a wolf, there are more differences between these canine breeds than you might think, all of which will make a huge difference to the accuracy of your drawing. The best pencils for sketching This how to draw a wolf tutorial is a step-by-step guide to drawing a side view of a standing wolf. The lesson begins with sketching out the overall shape of the wolf as an under drawing to help figure out where all the parts of the body will go. Next comes carving out the mass and structure of the wolf in perspective to solidify the drawing before the real fun - fur, facial features etc - begins. Once have nailed the basic drawing of the wolf, stay tuned to discover how to draw its winter coat. Note: having a photo reference of a real wolf right by your side during this tutorial is highly recommended. How to draw a wolf: a step-by-step guide 01. Sketch the basic shape of the head The head starts with a simple oval, with a muzzle and ear attached Start off by drawing the head as an oval tilted to the left about 45 degrees. Connect the muzzle pointing down in the same direction, almost as long as the oval. The bottom of the muzzle goes flat across, half way to the oval just below it. Block in the shape of the ear by drawing a line as the base of the ear on the head, forming a triangle above that's slanted forward and curved in the back. 02. Find the length of the neck and body Measure using existing shapes to help you find the length and width Locate the base of the neck by measuring the length of the oval head two times sideways. Relative to the body, wolves' head stand lower than a dog's head, so make sure to draw the neck angled lower. The length of the back is three times the length of the oval and neck. From the neck, connect a straight line across to indicate the back. 03. Complete the shape of the neck and body Shaped like big tubes, the neck and body is attached The neck will be thick and full of fur, so draw the shape of the neck getting thicker as it goes down to the base of the body. From where the neck is left off, complete the body with a straight line for the stomach, all the way to the back and closing it off. 04. Divide the body into three parts Sectioning off the body helps indicate where the limbs go The body is sectioned off into three parts; the shoulders, stomach and hind legs. The line that divides the shoulder section comes straight down, sectioning off a narrow shape. The line for the hind legs is like a forward slash, separating the section from the long stomach. 05. Sketch the basic shape of the legs and tail Adding the limbs completes basic shapes of the wolf The height of the wolf is about two times the height of the body, plus an extra one sixth. Draw the front leg with a curved front and straight back. For the hind legs, draw a long S shape in the front, and tapered at the back stopping half way down. From there drop a straight line down to indicate the heel. The triangular shaped toes should look long and big. Draw the rest of the legs that are hiding behind the other front legs, slightly staggered to look more interesting and three dimensional. The tail shape is thick and long, dropping down to the heel. 06. Carve out the mass structure of the head Draw over the first sketch to block out the head and features Draw the top of the head and muzzle flat, and block in the shape of the nose and chin following the base drawing. The chin has a subtle curve as it reaches the neck and mane. The ear is almost like a cone shape with a line in the middle to indicate the front plane. Indicate the cheeks connecting from the ear, down the head and across to the chin. Add the eye as a thin slanted diamond shape, right above the muzzle closer to the front of the oval. 07. Structure the front section of the body Describe the forms of the front leg into more sections Follow the under drawing to structure the neck, and add a small hump on top of the shoulder section. Draw a line that comes down to the elbow with a curl at the bottom. Mirroring the curl, draw the shoulder and section it off from where the legs starts. The leg tapers down to the wrist, connecting to the tube shaped hand jutting forward. Then attach the paw formed like the shape of a puck. Draw out the chest located behind the arm, right under the shoulders. Repeat the same thing for the leg behind. 08. Form the middle section of the body Connect the body to the hind legs Where the middle and hind leg section of the body meets is where the hip is located. Draw a line that runs along the shoulder to the back, dipping down to the tail as it passes the hip. From the chest, draw the stomach with tucking up as it reaches the hind legs. 09. Shape the back section of the body Finish the second drawing by adding the back limbs From the hip, draw a line down to the knee located where the stomach meets. The upper section of the hind legs is curve to the back of the knee, and tapers down to the heels. The heel should be located higher than the wrists. The back paws are just like the front, only smaller in size. Draw in the tail. 10. Draw the details of the head Getting the sharp features in the face can really make the drawing more realistic The top of the muzzle has a small bump right before it reaches the nose. The nose is big but make sure it's not too pointy. As the mouth runs across the muzzle, it tucks up a bit and straight across back to the eyes. Wolves' lips don't hang over that much, so draw the chin thin. The eyeball is shaped like one quarter of a pie, filled with a black diamond right behind. Add some lines to the face to add structure and make it more wolf-like. 11. Draw the ear and mane Add the details of the ear and a lot of fur around the neck Draw the ears big and rounded at the top. The ear is very furry in the inside, and short in the back. Make the mane and neck look full by adding plenty of fur along the under drawing, adding some variety to the fur going in different directions. Be careful not to go too overboard on the fur, or it will get too confusing and break the structure. The best areas to place the fur is along the edges where the plane of the neck is turning away. 12. Draw the fur and details around the shoulder section The long leg and big paws are important in a wolf drawing At the top of the shoulder section, the fur covers the bump at the top, shoulder and elbow. The front side of the leg has a subtle curve coming down, while the back has a bunch of smaller fur in the back. At the wrist joint, there is a small pad in the back that sticking out. The fingers of the paws are shaped almost like big long triangles. The front paw has a fifth toe on the inside and two long toes in middle. 13. Draw the fur and detail around the mid section Adding subtle curves and structure lines makes the wolf look more structured The back dips down to the hip and comes right back up, and back down again to the tail. The fur in the stomach area goes in the opposite direction as it gets to the middle area. Draw some thin lines to define the visible muscle in the back. 14. Draw the fur and detail around the back section The top of the leg is much furrier than the bottom There is more fur in the top section of the leg than the bottom, so draw the furry detail on the top and smooth lines in the bottom. Just like the front paw, draw the hind similar but smaller and with only four toes. And finish off the body by drawing the furry tail! The final drawing of the wolf 15. Bonus: add a winter coat The areas where the fur grows much thicker in the winter time When drawing the winter coat, you can go over top of the final drawing of the wolf with more fur around the majority of the body. When you add the thick fur coat, draw a variety of lines and shapes to make the wolf look fuller. Draw the fur in different sizes of chunks, lengths, and a variety of lines and shapes. The wolf with its full winter coat Read more: How to draw a cat How to draw a rose How to draw a horse View the full article

Steve Jobs only had one word to describe styluses in relation to his pioneering products: "Yuck". His idea was that no one would ever need them so long as they had fingers to use, and it was a mantra that persevered at the company he founded for a little while after he died. The best cheap iPad deals in 2018 When Apple finally did release an accompanying Pencil to use with its iPad, the world referred back to Jobs' now infamous put-down of the pen. But perhaps not even Jobs could have foreseen how touch screens would evolve into the new decade. The new iPad 9.7 for 2018 promises to deliver the power of Apple's most ambitious products, with the price of some of its most popular. It's good news for digital artists. For a start, the Apple Pencil is fully compatible, so you needn't fork out for the top iPad model. New features The new chip makes it quicker and split-screening makes it easier for multi-tasking, but the first impressions of the new iPad aren't exactly breathtaking: same resolution, same old design, same rigid iOS that you can't completely customise to your tastes. The Pencil certainly makes it a bit more interesting, but then you have to pay separately for that ($99/£89). Despite these irks, which admittedly come from most customers on new Apple releases, this is the most solid effort from the company yet when it comes to its tablet. It's got a decent 10-hour battery life and the camera, although barely improved from previous models, still boasts eight megapixels. That's more than enough for an artist or designer to take reference photographs with. iPad 9.7 and Apple Pencil: a powerful combination Apple Pencil: no longer reserved for iPad Pro users The power is phenomenal in comparison to previous models, especially when combined with the best drawing apps for iPad. It handles sketching, for example, with absolutely no trouble whatsoever, and switching between apps is faultless. The Apple Pencil is simply light years ahead of most styluses in the market too, with details easy to create with the tip, and shading possible by drawing at an angle. The pressure sensitivity is superb, too; this is good enough to rival many graphics tablets. This is the elite combination for digital drawing on the go, and at a fairly reasonable price, it's a serious option for the beginner or a professional. This is still the best tablet on the market. With the rate that touch screens are evolving, it's becoming ever more essential for digital artists to own an iPad to use on the go, and all things considered, this latest iPad is the best fit for the job. It's quicker and stronger and will last far longer than any iPad before; the Pencil too is superb in quality and well worth the money. If Steve Jobs were here today, even he would be impressed. This article was originally published in issue 162 of ImagineFX, the world's best-selling magazine for digital artists. Buy issue 162 here or subscribe to ImagineFX here. View the full article

You're reading Google Chrome Turns 10 – New Design and New Features, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! The most popular browser, Google Chrome is turning 10! As a gift to its users, Google announced new improvements. The browser that we were used to will develop a new look and function differently. Visual changes include brighter colors, a … View the full article

Having your own website is pretty much a necessity if you're an entrepreneur or freelancer. But it can be a complicated and frustrating process building your own, especially if you don't have a lot of coding knowledge. Enter The Premium Bootstrap Theme Bundle. The offerings in this bundle make it really easy to create the ideal website for your brand or business. The bundle includes 26 Bootstrap templates and UI kits, 311 customised plugins that are ready to use, and 524 example pages that will take the guesswork out of website design. The included licence can be used on unlimited projects where users aren't charged, which means you can use these goodies over and over. Get The Premium Bootstrap Theme Bundle for just $49.99 today! Read more: How to build on old IT systems 7 tips for driving traffic to your portfolio website 23 great examples of WordPress websites View the full article

Content-Aware Fill. Not the most exciting sounding tool, is it? But you should never judge a tool by its name, especially one powered by AI technology. Photoshop users went crackers for the Content-Aware Fill tool – which allows you to intelligently clone parts of an image to replace a selection – when it was first released. So much so, the internet groaned under the weight of new Photoshop tutorials on how to use it effectively. However, it soon became clear that the AI-powered tool wasn't always as intelligent as it should or could be, as it failed in ways unique to AI. Photoshop's Content-Aware Fill tool often failed in ways unique to AI But that all looks set to change, with Adobe just releasing a new video (below) teasing us with details of a supercharged Content-Aware Fill with a bunch of new settings. How to remove a background in Photoshop The most notable difference is the ability to choose which parts of the image the filling agent samples when it’s looking for pixels to put inside your selected area, with the use of the Sampling Brush Tool. The improved algorithm also allows users to direct Photoshop better, for example to tell it how generous to be with the rotation and scaling of the elements it uses, or that the mirror-image option might be a better fit. The new juiced-up version of Content-Aware Fill also means artists can now work with this tool in a non-destructive way, as it presents the option to output the fill to a new layer. The update, which will come as part of a wider update to Photoshop CC, will go a long way to making the art of photo editing a damn sight easier (especially for those with one too many cows in their shot). It looks set to be released later this year, so keep an eye out for updates right here on Creative Bloq. Read more: The 60 best free Photoshop brushes The 5 best laptops for photo editing in 2018 How to select with Photoshop's Lasso tools View the full article

You're reading Globes and Spheres – 3D Circles in Web Design, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! Last year we saw a passion for using plain geometric shapes in interfaces: rectangles, triangles, lines and circles. They were everywhere: in hero areas, footers, main sections. More recently, circles have captured our attention; though not in its habitual flat … View the full article

The flaws disclosed this month are related to a critical bug previously discovered by VerSprite in April 2018. View the full article

Starting a business is no easy feat, which is why it's a good idea to break the process down into manageable steps. With Bizplan Premium: Lifetime Subscription, you can break big projects down into small steps, helping you accomplish your goals in a more organised, efficient manner. The program offers drag-and-drop templates that are a breeze to use, and you can even work with others on the same platform for more effective collaboration. You'd be surprised how much progress tracking can keep you on the right path toward accomplishing your mission. Get Bizplan Premium: Lifetime Subscription for only $49 today! Related articles: How to manage a huge client 6 techniques to help better manage your time 9 tips for improving your time management View the full article

Step into any creative studio, and there's a high chance that you'll see a sea of small, brightly coloured plastic faces beaming back at you. In a world where digital is the focus for so many, the physical appeal of designer toys have led to them adorning desks far and wide. Designer toys, or 'art toys', have been growing steadily in popularity since their emergence in the 1990s. Pieces range from mainstream, mass-appeal productions through to more bespoke, items often limited in number. Designer Tim Easley has a love of desk toys Artists frequently release original designs, but DIY figures are also available, giving consumers the ability to customise their own one-off pieces. The practice of artists collaborating is commonplace, with many producing joint output, or individuals starting with another artist's existing pieces and taking them to a whole new level. Quiz: guess the logo. Can you identify these brands? Whilst 'urban vinyl' is a term often used synonymously with designer toys, their production may involve materials including vinyl, resin, plush, or even wood or metal. Maybe one of them will be joining your desk soon! 01. Vortecon Price: from $24.99 Now this is the very model of a modern desk toy; utterly mesmerising and completely useless, the Vortecon is a piece of precision-engineered kinetic art that you spin to create the illusion of a continuously flowing helix. Just set it off and watch it go; for extra fun, add a couple more in different colours and you'll be entertained for hours. 02. GoCube Take your cubing to the next level Price: from $69 Why make do with a plain old Rubik's Cube on your desk when you could have a GoCube? Beefed up by movement tracking, Bluetooth connectivity and an app that'll help you learn to solve the cube and even set up live duels against other players, it's a hi-tech take on a classic puzzle. 03. Gunter S. Thompson "We can't stop here, this is penguin country!" Price: £14.95 Brilliantly combining two of the biggest cultural giants in living memory – Hunter S. Thompson and Gunter the penguin from Adventure Time – these adorable 9cm resin art toys by Dave Walker are available in both gold and silver flavours, and are guaranteed bring more than a touch of class to any desk. Get your skates on though; each version comes in a ludicrously limited edition of just 25 worldwide. 04. Hobby Hobby is an ongoing project for the Swedish toy company Price: $40.03 Swedish toy company Acne Jr make the kind of desk toys that will stand out. Founded by graphic designer Sofia Ekvall and illustrator Mats Johansson, Hobby is their latest ongoing project for handmade toys, with this first one made out of bamboo with burned details. Every doll is made to order so expect a unique flair with each one. When ordering, you can note any specific wishes for a truly original desk toy. 05. Whispering Spirit Whispering Spirit believes that our childhood and precious memory live in the forgotten soul Price: from $93.39 "In 2013, I lined up Crazylabel and KUSSO to start producing Whispering Spirit and I also designed 3 colorways and created 2 new characters: Forgotten Soul and Smiley Slow Soul," explains designer Bubi Au Yeung. "It has been an unforgettable experience to make WS in vinyl, the final products took lot of time and effort. I am glad that two years of effort paid off – I really like how WS turn out." 06. Shirley Creamhorn & Shithawk Design Toys: Shirley Creamhorn & Shithawk by Gavin Strange Price: £25 Designed by Gavin Strange, Shirley Creamhorn & Shithawk were created in collaboration with Columbian sculptor Alex Avelino. Strange explains: "When I was a junior designer in Leicester, I got given a silly name of 'Shirley Creamhorn' by my designer friend Andy Rudkin, who would order me rubbish stationary samples with 'Shirley Creamhorn' engraved on the side. Over the years I picked this up and used it as an alter-ego name for a bit of fun." 10 stress relief gadgets for designers After Strange designed the characters, Avelino then sculpted the toy by hand before it was handed to a toy company in China that produced the mould and 500 plastic injection copies. 07. Kidrobot for Swatch Design Toys: Kidrobot for Swatch Price: From £49 Kidrobot's collaboration with Swatch ensures that those who can't be without their urban vinyl can now carry it with them. Consisting of a watch and a matching Dunny figure, artists including Joe Ledbetter, Frank Kozik, Tara McPherson and MAD have all contributed their unique spin to a fashion classic. 08. POP! - Funko Put a little sadness into your life with this Pop! figure Price: From £5 One of the most accessible and wide-reaching ranges available at present is that of POP! Crossing into territory already mentioned in this article with their Uglydoll range, or tapping into interest areas such as NBA, The Beatles, Star Wars and superheroes, POP! is likely to have something to catch everyone's eye. With a great uniform style that makes displaying them together easy, the range is very addictive. Don't say we didn't warn you. 09. Ninja Girls with Udon Noodles Definitely one for the gamers out there Price: $20 Chamba did the art for this Udon/TMNT mashup, which debuted at SDCC 2015. It's part of Squid Kids Ink's ongoing analogue series, which celebrates everything from floppy disks to old school game design. This particular desk toy has a very limited run, so if you've got your eye on this one, you had better be quick! 10. Kuro - Camilla d'Errico Design Toys: Kuro by Camilla d'Errico Price: From $60 Originating as a character created by Camilla d'Errico in her Tanpopo book series, Kuro evolved first into a plush toy of varying sizes, and later into vinyl figures produced by Inner Sanctum. Kuro is available in DIY white, standard, and blue glow in the dark versions, and stands at six inches tall. Related articles: Review: The Art of Kubo and the Two Strings 13 tips for designing modern characters How to sculpt and pose a cartoon head in ZBrush View the full article

By implementing the "Equifax bug," it's the first known time a Mirai IoT botnet variant has targeted a Apache Struts vulnerability. View the full article

A great way to improve the user experience on your site is to add a slide-out menu; it creates an eye-catching way for users to find what they want – wherever they may be on the page – and means they don't have to scroll back up to the top nav. We particularly love the slide-out menu on the site for Ice Cream Parlour Cosmetics, designed by Hiroka Hasegawa; read on to find out how to replicate this effect on your own website. 01. Document initiation The first step is to define the page document. This consists of a HTML container representing the webpage, which contains the head and body section. While the head section is used to load the external CSS and JavaScript resources, the body section is used to store the visible page content created in step #2. 02. Page content The page content consists of a heading title, along with a navigation container. This navigation stores a series of links and has been assigned a 'data-action' attribute. It is this attribute that will be used by the JavaScript and CSS to apply styling and functionality to the container and its elements. 03. CSS initiation The HTML is now complete, so create a new file called 'styles.css' to initiate the presentation formatting. This step sets the HTML document and its body to have no visible border spacing, along with a black background. Colour is set to white as the default colour for content text to inherit. 04. Navigation setup The navigation is to display with fixed positioning and with a z-index above everything so that it can appear to cover the full screen regardless of where the user has scrolled to. It is initially positioned out of view on the left side of the screen's visible viewport. A transition rule is applied to animate any changes over a duration of one second. 05. Nav open and icon The navigation's left position is set to zero when an 'open' class has been applied, triggering the animated transition defined in the previous step. The navigation's first child is the expand icon, which uses fixed positioning to always remain visible in the centre of the left side of the screen. 06. Navigation links Each anchor link inside of the navigation container is set to be four times the size of the default text. Their colour is set to black, with a margin applied at their top to guarantee vertical spacing is visible. Setting their display as 'block' makes each link automatically appear to be stacked vertically. 07. JavaScript listener Create a new file called 'code.js'. This step waits until the page has loaded, upon which it searches for the first child of all navigations with the 'data-action' attribute set to 'expand'. This first child, being the open icon, has a 'click' event listener applied, upon which toggles the element to have or not have an 'open' class applied. This article was originally published in issue 274 of creative web design magazine Web Designer. Buy issue 274 here or subscribe to Web Designer here. Related articles: Top web navigation trends 10 rules of great user experience Add visual cues to your site View the full article

Having a home office gives you the opportunity to get creative with your workspace, building somewhere that's not only a place to work, but a place to get inspired. Getting the right office stationery is a vital part of creating a setup that works for you, as well as a cool way to add some personality and colour to your creative space. While you're at it, you'll want to make sure you have your key items sorted, such as the best office chair and the best desks for your home office. Whether you’ve got a dedicated space or are looking to add a new function to your guest bedroom, we’ve rounded up all the best office stationery, from functional to funky, in one helpful article. Here you'll find essentials like the best pens and pencils, as well as items you might not have thought of, such as planners and calendars to help you stay organised. Read on for our pick of the best office stationery for creative professionals. How to choose the best office stationery The best and worst thing about buying office stationery is that there are so many different options to choose from. The most important thing is to think about functionality: what is it that you do in your home office? Are you a writer, an artist, a graphic designer? Your office stationery needs will obviously vary depending on the work that you do, but with this list we aim to cover all the basics of office stationery. Next, think about how much space you have, and what your priorities are when it comes to filling that space. After that, it's all about choosing products that make your life easier and more fun. No home office is complete without a notebook for jotting down inspired ideas or scribbling notes as you speak to your team-mates, editor or client. For quality and versatility, try this set of three from Field Notes. Each Field Notes Memo Book notebook has a different type of paper: there's one plain book for doodles and sketches, one lined book for notes, and one book of graph paper for wireframes and user flows. These notebooks are passport-sized, which is ideal for slotting in a bag or pocket to take out and about with you. Each has 48 pages, and a simple card cover. If you're after something larger or with a more robust cover, you can't really do better than a classic Moleskine notebook. There’s no denying the Faber-Castell Ondoro Twist Ballpoint Pen is expensive, but in an age when most of our work is done on a desktop, laptop or tablet, occasional handwritten notes are more important than ever. The hexagonal barrel made from smoked oak certainly makes this pen stand out. It can take a bit of getting used to, but it also makes it comfortable to hold, and encourages you to grip the pen in a way that helps you write smoothly. We recommend this pen for anyone who wants to add a little class and character to their office stationery collection. With reasonably priced refills available, it can last forever, too. The perfect partner for your Faber-Castell Ondoro pen is this set of 12 Faber-Castell pencils. Renowned for their quality, these pencils are breakage-resistant despite being easy to sharpen to a really fine tip. Having a full set of pencils to hand means you can easily experiment with different degrees of sharpness and detail, versus softer, blendable lines. Ranging from 2H to 8B, this pencil set will cover you for almost any kind drawing, sketching or writing you might want to do. Pencil drawing techniques: 7 tips for improve your skills 20 phenomenally realistic pencil drawings If you’re tight on space in your home office, why not utilise some of your office stationery to add some foliage to your room as well? A desk plant can help make a home office feel welcoming, which is important given how much time you spend there every day. This innovative Kikkerland Concrete Desktop Plant and Pen Pot is designed to hold your pens and pencils in one compartment and a small house plant in the other. The concrete material means it’ll work with any home office design scheme. Keep your pens and pencils tidy with these Geometric Wooden Pen Pots from Happy Little Folks. The eco-friendly pots are hand painted with a geometric design, and you can pick your colour combo to suit your decor. There are 16 colours available to choose from and you can mix them up any way you want, so chances are there'll be an option to suit you. This is a smart way to keep your stationery neat and ensure a pen will always be to hand when you need one. For when the best notebook isn’t enough, look to Leda for the best artist sketchbook. With high-quality, smooth 120 gram paper, this Leda Sketchbook will take ink, graphite, pastel and charcoal without bleeding or soaking through. It’s also water-resistant (but not waterproof) so will withstand a small amount of watercolour paint. The book itself is made from PU leather, making it suitable for vegetarians and vegans without compromising on a professional look and feel. Moreover, it bends and lies flat, so you’ll have both hands free for sketching or painting. As a designer, you need to take extra care of your hands. Hours spent gripping a mouse aren't ideal, but it's often an unavoidable part of the job, so keep your hands healthy with a mouse mat that features built-in wrist support. The Kensington Duo Gel mouse mat includes an ergonomic gel support to reduce the strain on your wrist that can lead to RSI and Carpal Tunnel syndrome. The gel prevents the blood vessels in your wrist from constricting, which can happen when your wrists are stretched and in a tense position, as they are when you spend a lot of time typing at a desk. It's compatible with laser and optical mice, is wipe-clean, and features a ventilation channel to stop your wrist getting sweaty. It may not be the most exciting design, but your hands will thank you for it. 16-month calendars are handy for creative professionals who need to plan and book work in well in advance to avoid over- or under-booking through lack of visibility, and know they've got work lined up for the future. This Boxclever Press week-to-view calendar is the stationery-lover's dream, as it's filled with space for to-do lists, notes and appointments. For those with more stability in their diary, it comes with a handy plastic overlay that you can write recurring events on, and move them from week to week rather than having to rewrite them. We love the Boxclever Press calendar, but sometimes you need a calendar and diary you can take on the go with you. For these occasions, we recommend this ultimate luxury organiser from Filofax. It has everything you you might need access to while you're out and about, plus some extra we wouldn't have thought of. There's a calendar and undated diary pages, as well as address and to-do lists. The inside cover houses a zipped pocket, two slots for credit cards or business cards, and three multi-purpose compartments. It’s real leather, so looks beautiful, and is supple and flexible for writing on the move. If minimalism isn't your style, you can add a splash of colour to your home office with a bright and colourful bin. These Karenza & Co fluro bins are environmentally friendly too: they're made from 100% recycled cotton and the designs are screen printed by hand. The bins arrive flat-packed, but pop up to full size (30cm x 21cm x 21cm) quickly and easily. Our favourite is the strawberry red, but orange, yellow and lime green options are available too. If you’re going to be printing business documents, mockups, flyers or leaflets for your work, you don’t want to print onto just any old paper. While for leaflets or brochures we’d recommend coated paper , for most uses we recommend Xerox Colotech Plus premium quality uncoated paper. It’s rougher than coated paper, but high quality at 160 gsm GSM (80 gsm is standard quality), which is what you need for most home office uses. Remember to keep your printer ink topped up too. What printer ink is best for you will of course depend on what printer you have, but a good approach is to buy two packs of whichever printer ink you need and then replace the spare each time you need to pop one into your machine. That way, you’ll never run out. Read more: The best laptops for graphic design The best wireless headphones 30 books every graphic designer should read View the full article

A Mandelbulb is a three-dimensional fractal that is becoming increasingly popular in 3D art and VFX. In this article, I’ll walk through how to quickly make a Mandelbulb in Houdini, using an SDF (signed distance field volume). In each voxel, an SDF stores the distance to the nearest point on the surface. Houdini can interpret these distances, and visualise the derived surface as 3D geometry. This is very convenient since most fractal formulas take the form of a ‘distance estimation function’ – given a point in space, the function returns the distance to the nearest point on the fractal implicit surface. This means that you can put the results of the fractal function directly in each voxel and it will just work! 01. Create an empty volume Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image First, create an empty volume (Volume SOP) to fill with distance values – give it the name 'surface'. A good fractal to test with is the Mandelbulb, and by default it's around 2.5 units wide, so set the volume's size to 2.5, 2.5, 2.5. You can change the resolution of the volume to trade off speed against quality; a good starting point could be setting the Uniform Sampling to By Size, with a Division Size of 0.01. The default mode of visualising a volume in Houdini is a fog volume, but you can change that to display as a hard limit surface, by changing the Display Mode to Isosurface (in the Properties tab). 02. Add some code Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image Then it’s a matter of filling the voxels with distance values. Use this VEX code in a Volume Wrangle SOP to run the Mandelbulb formula per-voxel: 03. Introduce parameter references Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image Houdini lets you add your own custom spare parameters to an individual node’s user interface. Our VEX code contains parameter references (the chf() functions), to let us control aspects of the formula with parameters in the UI. Those parameters won't exist by default, but you can create them by pressing the Create Spare Parameters button in the right of the code window. In this case, the Iterations parameter will control the level of detail for the Mandelbulb – start off with 5 or 6. The Power will control the shape of the Mandelbulb – the typical shape emerges at around Power 8.0. 04. Convert to polygons Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image To convert the surface to polygons, follow the Volume Wrangle with a Convert Volume SOP. Use Invert mode, because it's interpreted as a signed distance field, and you'll get the detailed fractal shape meshed in polygon form. Effectively, the Invert mode reverses the normals of the surface and the winding direction of the polygons. 05. Render your Mandelbulb Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image You can then render it the same as you would any other mesh, but because it's so detailed you won't be able to UV unwrap it easily – consider using procedural techniques to surface it, for example, shading based on its curvature. This article was originally published in 3D World, the world's best-selling magazine for CG artists. Buy issue 237 or subscribe. Read more: Grow plants in Houdini 8 eye-popping examples of fractal art 15 top Houdini tips View the full article

Fasthosts offers everything from domain registration and business email to dedicated servers. Now this leading web hosting provider is offering users a single platform for a complete range of cloud-based services: CloudNX. CloudNX provides high-performance Virtual Private Servers on demand. These virtual machines are provisioned in as little as 55 seconds, and users can choose from the latest Linux or Windows operating systems, as well as flexible configurations of CPU vCores, RAM and fast SSD storage. With scalable resources and advanced features including load balancers and monitoring, Virtual Private Servers are ideal for running websites with variable performance demands. There are no upfront costs or contracts, and usage is tracked by the minute – so you only need to pay for the server resources you actually use. Apps and stacks For users that need to launching their ideal development environment quickly, CloudNX also offers Apps & Stacks. These custom software stacks can be deployed with a wide range of components, including a choice of web server, database and scripting language. Developers have instant access to their tools of choice, from a standard Apache/MySQL/PHP setup to more specialised configurations. Pre-installed applications for popular software such as WordPress, Joomla and Drupal mean users can easily get started with their preferred content management system. With Apps & Stacks, the operating system and software updates are managed by Fasthosts, so developers can focus on their code, rather than messing around with server admin. Every stack includes its own dedicated processor vCores, memory and SSD storage, which can be allocated automatically according to the performance needs of each project, or scaled on a custom basis. Bare Metal Servers Also now available on CloudNX, Bare Metal Servers are single-tenant, physical machines, fully integrated on a cloud platform. With powerful dedicated hardware including Intel Xeon processors, Bare Metal Servers are a perfect solution for demanding applications like intensive ecommerce, but offering the added benefit of cloud-like flexibility. Billing is based on usage per hour, so you can spin up a Bare Metal Server for temporary, heavy workloads, with no long-term commitment. They’re quick to set up, too: a new Bare Metal Server is ready to use in just eight minutes. This solution can be fully integrated with other CloudNX services, interacting with Virtual Private Servers and load balancers on a single high-performance network. Everything on one platform To keep things nice and simple, all of these services can be controlled from one convenient interface. The CloudNX control panel offers a full range of options for launching and managing Virtual Private Servers, Apps & Stacks, and Bare Metal Servers, along with easy ways to keep track of usage and costs. Fasthosts has data centres in the UK, mainland Europe and the US, and the performance of servers and projects can be optimised for the needs of different audiences worldwide. There’s also UK-based technical support on hand 24/7 to ensure any issues, queries and tasks can be resolved as quickly and efficiently as possible. View the full article

A few days ago, we reported on everything we know about the Apple iPhone 11 so far, and revealed what we'd like to see. Now, with less than 48 hours to go until Apple's next-gen iPhone big reveal, rumours and leaks surrounding the new device/s name and what it/they will look like have started to intensify. 6 best smartphones for designers In this video below, tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee reveals what he claims are three detailed dummy models of the new iPhone range. Brownlee provides a close-up look at them, detailing the possible features in the second-generation 5.8-inch iPhone X, a new 6.5-inch device and the rumoured 'budget' 6.1-inch iPhone, the latter of which it's reported will have an LCD screen, with the other two models boasting an OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display. What's in a name? A lot, actually, with Apple fans speculating just as much about the new iPhone name as its potential new look and features. While nothing has been confirmed, reports in this morning from our sister site Techradar suggest Apple's iPhone X successor is expected to be called the iPhone XS, with another model – currently being referred to as the iPhone XS Max – set to take the presumed iPhone 9 Plus slot thanks to its larger 6.5-inch display. There's no doubt we'll see more leaks and rumours in the build up to launch over the next 48 hours. One thing we're pretty certain of seeing, however, is die-hard Apple fans lining the streets once again, eager to be the first to get their hands on this latest device. Read more: The 28 best iPhone apps for designers iMac Pro review The best cheap Apple laptop deals of 2018 View the full article

Branding a major airline is one of the most prestigious, large-scale jobs a design agency can land – and one of the most expensive to implement. Your work will be emblazoned across a fleet of aircraft, as well as every other touchpoint that customers experience, from terminal kiosks to tickets. It's a big responsibility. Redesigning an airline logo is a decision not to be taken lightly, partly because of the huge cost, but also because people often get rather attached to the logos of their country's 'flag-carrying' airlines, and major rebrands often attract their fair share of controversy – American Airlines and United, both covered below, being prime examples as they ditched the work of luminary designers in the process, going from some of the best-loved to the most-hated logos overnight. Get it right, however, and the best logos for airlines can truly stand the test of time. Read on to discover six of the most recognisable airline brands from around the world, and what makes them so effective... 01. Lufthansa (1963 version) Until 2018, Lufthansa 'owned' ochre yellow in the airline sector As the world's oldest airline, the German flag-carrier's stylised 'flying crane' motif dates back to 1918, when Otto Firle first created it for Lufthansa's predecessor Deutsche Luft-Reederei (DLR). In 1963, Otl Aicher added its distinctive rich ochre yellow as a brand colour – a masterstroke in terms of market standout. Ownership of a colour in a sector largely dominated by red and blue can be crucial for standout – easyJet's grip on orange is another case in point – and that yellow became a key part of Lufthansa's identity, alongside the iconic crane. The rebrand removed it from aircraft liveries, but kept it as a secondary colour elsewhere As a result, one of the most controversial aspects of Lufthansa's in-house rebrand earlier in 2018 was the downgrading of yellow to an accent colour, playing second fiddle to navy blue. It remains across many of the airline's touchpoints – such as tickets – but the backlash was strong. Lufthansa's 350-odd planes are now liveried exclusively in navy blue, with a slimmed-down crane. 02. American Airlines (1967 version) Massimo Vignelli's bold, angular American Airlines logo is indisputably iconic Designed in 1967, the late, great Massimo Vignelli's American Airlines logo combines a bold, confident 'AA' acronym with a heavily stylised, angular eagle that sits neatly inside the triangular negative space between the two letters. It's indisputably one of the most iconic airline logos of all time, which is why it remained a badge of honour for the US carrier for almost half a century. In arguably the most controversial airline rebrand of recent years, FutureBrand ripped up Vignelli's much-loved logo in 2013, and also moved away from Helvetica – still a relatively new, cutting-edge typeface in 1967 – as a brand font. FutureBrand's 2013 rebrand was widely criticised for 'fixing' what wasn't broken Dubbed the 'flight symbol', the new American Airlines logo incorporates an eagle, a star and the letter 'A' into one modern graphic shape, rendered in a distinctively American red, white and blue palette – albeit a paler, more sky blue shade than its predecessor. It's fit for purpose, but lacks the gravitas and confident simplicity of Vignelli's, and the designer publicly voiced his disapproval at the time. 03. KLM F.H.K. Henrion needed just four circles, a line and a plus to define KLM's iconic crown emblem Like American Airlines, Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij (better known as KLM) was treated to an iconic logo by a world-renowned designer in the 1960s – in this instance, F.H.K. Henrion in 1961. Where the two differ, of course, is that KLM's is still very much in use, bar some minor tweaks in 1991, and widely cherished. While Lufthansa is technically the world's oldest airline, KLM – founded in 1919 – is the oldest that still maintains its original name. That name translates to 'Royal Dutch Airlines', and the airline needs just four circles, a horizontal line and a plus symbol to form the beautifully timeless graphic crown that represents it to this day. 04. Qantas Qantas has reworked its brand five times since 1944, but kept the essence of its red-and-white kangaroo Established in 1920, hot on the heels of KLM, Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services (better known as Qantas) is Australia's flag carrier, with around 120 airplanes. In 2016, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner was added to the fleet – which gave the airline an excuse to overhaul its well-known logo and livery. Australian design agency Houston Group worked on this latest Qantas rebrand, the fifth time the distinctive red-and-white kangaroo has been updated since 1944. The last rebrand was in 2007, to mark the introduction of an Airbus A380. Houston Group's ambition was to give the emblem a more streamlined, contemporary look and feel, so it serves more as an abstract, ownable symbol than a literal representation of a kangaroo. The wordmark was also updated, losing the italicised text and giving everything more room to breathe. Ultimately, it retains the essence of the brand, and just gives it a modern, stylised twist – a rather different tack from American Airlines. 05. LEVEL Superunion's identity for low-cost, long-haul airline LEVEL subverts all the trends of the sector International Airline Group (IAG) needed a name and visual identity for its brand new low-cost, long-haul airline that could stand out in a crowded sector, and appeal to a new generation of global travellers. Up stepped Superunion. Inspired by the idea of ‘levelling the playing field’ of long-haul travel, the agency decided on a name: LEVEL was born. Subverting the traditional flag motifs of the big ‘flag-carrying’ airlines, the airline sports a simple two-colour square for its logo, split into blue and green strips to represent the sky and Earth respectively. This expands into a series of vibrant, animated patterns that carry seamlessly across every brand touchpoint. LEVEL was the most successful airline ever launched, with 52,000 tickets sold in its first 11 hours of business. It may be the newest airline brand on the list by quite some distance, but it's already proved its worth – and was highly commended at the 2018 Brand Impact Awards. 06. United (pre 2010) Pentagram's 1997 rebrand of United respected the considerable brand equity in Saul Bass' tulip When a luminary designer like Saul Bass is behind a logo, it pays to hold on to that heritage. A pleasingly balanced emblem formed from four beautifully simple graphic shapes that curl around each other at the base, his 1974 'tulip' for United Airlines is instantly recognisable – and replaced a whole string of different 'crest'-based logo designs from the previous three decades. While the design of the accompanying wordmark fluctuated – including a stylish rebrand by Pentagram in 1997, above – Bass' iconic tulip remained constant for over 35 years. That was until United merged with Continental Airlines in 2010, and in a spectacularly ill-advised tradeoff between name and logo, acquired Continental's nondescript blue globe and became, briefly, known as United Airlines. Following its merger with Continental Airlines, United decided to sacrifice the tulip in favour of a nondescript blue globe That's right: three years before Vignelli's work was ditched by American Airlines, its US rival had already binned Bass. And then, as if that wasn't enough, it rebranded again just three months later, dropping the 'Airlines' to become 'United' once again, and changing sentence-case serif for all-caps sans. Unfortunately, the type was the least of their problems. The globe stayed – and the tulip sadly was no more. Related articles: The best logos of all time 7 logos we all love to hate (and lessons we can learn) 6 great logo ideas that break the mould View the full article

Whether you’re are a freelancer, consultant, or running a small business, receiving payment for your work on time is crucial. Nothing is more frustrating than having to chase your clients multiple times for the same invoice, when you should be spending that time building up your design portfolio. And late payments can have a massive impact on your cash flow. Thankfully, there's a subset of tools for graphic designers dedicated to meeting freelancer needs, including collecting and managing payments. If your work demands recurring payments on a regular basis, such as a project fee split across a period of months, a retainer service, or even web hosting, these tool can help simplify the process. In this article, we'll run through some different options for automating payments for regular clients or long-running projects. We'll start with the major bank-based options, then move on to some specialist tools. These solutions will enable you to collect payments from your clients without fuss, so you can sleep easy while you get paid on time. 01. Direct debit Direct debit has been around for a long time. You’re probably using this payment method to pay for your household bills, mobile phone, and more. It is the preferred method for large companies, such as electric and gas suppliers, to collect payments. Direct debit is most convenient way to collect regular payments from your clients. You can set a direct debit up to automatically collect varying amounts from your client’s account at regular intervals. To do this, your client needs to register with your direct debit system and you need to provide them with prior notice of the amount being collected and the date on which it will come out of the account. For small businesses and freelancers the downside is that you may find it hard to get the direct debit system granted. Your bank or building society will need guarantees, which can take a long time to be processed. 02. Standing order A standing order is another excellent way of collecting payments automatically. This is the traditional method for paying suppliers. The account holder instructs the bank to pay a regular, fixed amount to a particular organisation or person. Unlike a direct debit, the amounts can’t vary, and you personally cannot initiate payments. Everything is fully controlled by the client, and they can cancel payments whenever they want. There isn’t any charge on your end for collecting payments through a standing order. 03. PayPal PayPal offers a dedicated business account PayPal is a well-known online payment provider. Besides paying for goods on eBay and sending money to friends and family, you can use this popular tool for your business. Set up a business account or upgrade your existing PayPal account to a business account and start receiving recurring payments. So long as your client has a PayPal account, you can set up subscriptions to automatically bill them for fixed amounts. You can conveniently manage all your subscriptions within your account, including pausing subscriptions or changing the amount or date of payments. PayPal will also send a helpful email notification alerting you when a payment has been collected. The only downside using PayPal is that it is a relatively pricey option – the approach will cost you 2.9% plus 30¢ if you're in the US, or 3.4% and 20p per paid request in the UK. However, depending on your business you may be entitled to a discount. 04. Stripe Coders can integrate Stripe into their site or app Stripe is an online payment system aimed at internet businesses, and offers an easy way for online shops to accept card payments through their website. It’s built to be flexible and code-driven, which means users with some technical skills can integrate it with any website, or build a custom app. For your own business, you can send customers to a URL, have them enter in their credit card details and set up a subscription service that will bill them at regular intervals. Stripe will then collect these payments. Stripe makes collecting card payments simple and straightforward, no complicated application process or PCI compliance requirements. Stripe has some great documentation, but it does require some technical knowledge to get set up and, like PayPal, there is a significant transaction fee. The starting cost in the US is 2.9% plus 30¢, or 1.4% plus 20p per transaction for EU cards, with no monthly fees involved. 05. GoCardless GoCardless makes direct debits simpler Setting up a direct debit system with the bank can be very time-consuming and expensive. More importantly, the bank may not approve of you using a direct debit system. That is where GoCardless comes in. GoCardless is a direct debit system that is quick and easy to set up. At the time of writing it is only available in some countries in Europe, and Australia, but more versions, including a US version are in the works. Sign up for GoCardless and you can start receiving recurring payments using direct debit. Simply send an automated form to your clients to fill out. You can set it up to collect money from from your client on a regular basis. GoCardless has the same features as a traditional direct debit system, which means the amount you collect can vary from payment to payment. GoCardless is simple and easy to use. You can manage all your recurring payments within the dashboard, accept one-off payments as well as regular ones, and when you are paid you are instantly notified. Once payment is received by GoCardless, the funds will be transferred to you within three working days, making it one the quickest and most effective ways to collect payments. GoCardless is also cheap to use: costs start at just 1% (minimum of 20p) and are capped at £2 for each transaction. 06. PeoplePerHour This freelancer platform provides a risk-free environment in which to work PeoplePerHour is a freelancer platform where you can post jobs and services, or accept new projects. PeoplePerHour provides a safe haven for freelancers to work with clients in a comfortable, risk-free environment. Clients pay a project deposit directly to PeoplePerHour’s escrow system, where this money is kept safe until you complete and submit your work and it’s approved by the client. At this point your money is automatically released, and you can transfer it into your own bank account or other preferred payment option such as PayPal. Larger projects can be split into milestones, so as soon as you complete each stage you can raise an invoice, directly within PeoplePerHour’s website and get paid more quickly. PeoplePerHour is a great place to look for new jobs and projects. You may even want to bring existing clients onto the platform, as it provides a place where you can work securely without either of you having to worry about missing or chasing payments. Be aware PeoplePerHour changes an initial one-time fee of $265 for new users. After that, they charge includes 5% of the transaction fee (excluding taxes) and an extra 15% service fee for more expensive projects. Read more: The freelance survival guide 6 ways to save money as a freelancer 8 tools to help you work remotely as a freelancer View the full article

The winners of the Brand Impact Awards 2018 – Computer Arts' annual celebration of the very best branding from around the world – were revealed last night at the Ham Yard Hotel, Soho. As ever, the bar was set high by the discerning judging panel. From a record 194 entries, just 47 projects were shortlisted – 12 of which were highly commended, with just seven picking up a winning trophy. Scroll down to discover who won what this year... Best of Show: Elliptic, by Superunion Elliptic by Superunion Agency: Superunion Winner: Best of Show Winner: Technology & Telecoms Shortlisted: Social Impact Award Best of Show is the highest accolade at the Brand Impact Awards, picked by the judging panel from a shortlist of three category winners. People's Choice Award: Ebury Publishing, by Form Agency: Form Winner: People's Choice Award A totally new award for 2018. This shortlist wasn't decided by the judges, but by the projects that generated the most interest over the past 12 months on Creative Bloq. The winner was decided by public vote. Brand Impact Awards 2018: Winners The following six projects all received at least one winning trophy at the Brand Impact Awards 2018... 01. Twinings London Edition Twinings London Edition by BrandOpus Agency: BrandOpus Winner: FMCG Shortlisted: Best of Show 02. Centre Point London Centre Point London by hat-trick Agency: hat-trick design Winner: Property Winner: Collaboration 03. Joe Coleman website Joe Coleman website by Music Agency: Music Winner: Self-Branding Shortlisted: Best of Show 04. BBC Sport BBC Sport by Studio Output Agency: Studio Output Winner: Sports 05. Shakespeare's Globe Shakespeare's Globe by Superunion Agency: Superunion Winner: Entertainment 06. Inside the mind of Mark Denton Inside the Mind of Mark Denton by Superunion Agency: Superunion Winner: Self-Branding Brand Impact Awards 2018: Highly commended The following 12 projects received highly commended trophies on the night... 01. SMK SMK by &andstudio Agency: &andstudio Highly commended: Education 02. Byron Close Estate Byron Close by Alphabetical Agency: Alphabetical Highly commended: Not-for-Profit Highly commended: Social Impact Shortlisted: Collaboration 03. Piccolo Piccolo by Here Design Agency: Here Design Highly commended: Artisan 04. Wide Horizons Wide Horizons by Jack Renwick Studio Agency: Jack Renwick Studio Highly commended: Education 05. The Glenlivet Code The Glenlivet Code by NB Studio Agency: NB Studio Highly commended: Luxury Shortlisted: Wine, Beer & Spirits 06. RizeUp UK RizeUp UK by Studio Output Agency: Studio Output Highly commended: Not-for-Profit Shortlisted: Social Impact 07. Agatha Christie Ltd Agatha Christie Limited by Studio Sutherl& Agency: Studio Sutherl& Highly commended: Publishing 08. Level Level by Superunion Agency: Superunion Highly commended: Transport & Travel 09. Eden Mill Eden Mill by Tangent Agency: Tangent Graphic Highly commended: Wine, Beer & Spirits 10. Lafayette Anticipations Lafayette Anticipations by Wolff Olins Agency: Wolff Olins Highly commended: Culture 11. Moorhouse's Brewery Moorhouse's Brewery by WPA Pinfold Agency: WPA Pinfold Highly commended: Wine, Beer & Spirits 12. UEFA Nations League UEFA Nations League by Y&R Branding Agency: Y&R Branding Highly commended: Sports Next page: shortlisted projects... Brand Impact Awards 2018: Shortlisted Being shortlisted at the BIAs is an accolade in itself – if no projects in a category meet the strict judging criteria, that category is cut altogether. The following 28 projects made the grade this year... 01. Ella Canta Ella Canta by &SMITH Agency: & SMITH Shortlisted: Bars & Restaurants 02. Fashion Business School 2018 Meta typeface for Fashion Business School by Alphabetical Agency: Alphabetical Shortlisted: Education 03. SCRUBD SCRUBD by BrandOpus Agency: BrandOpus Shortlisted: Pharmaceuticals & Toiletries 04. Tanqueray Flor De Sevilla Tanqueray Flor De Sevilla by Design Bridge Agency: Design Bridge Shortlisted: Wine, Beer & Spirits 05. Springster Springster by DesignStudio Agency: DesignStudio Shortlisted: Not-for-Profit 06. adidas Predator product film adidas Predator product film Agency: FITCH Shortlisted: Sports 07. MOB Hotel of the People MOB Hotel of the People by GBH Agency: GBH London Shortlisted: Transport & Travel 08. Life Kitchen Life Kitchen by hat-trick Agency: hat-trick design Shortlisted: Not-for-Profit Shortlisted: Social Impact 09. LA Brewery LA Brewery by Here Design Agency: Here Design Shortlisted: Wine, Beer & Spirits 10. GREK Tea GREK Tea by interabang Agency: interabang Shortlisted: Artisan 11. Historic Houses Historic Houses by Johnson Banks Agency: Johnson Banks Shortlisted: Culture 12. Johnson Banks Johnson Banks by Johnson Banks Agency: Johnson Banks Shortlisted: Self-Branding 13. Bandido Coffee Co. Bandido Coffee Co. by Magpie Agency: Magpie Shortlisted: Artisan 14. Lovat Park Homes Lovat Park Homes by Magpie Agency: Magpie Shortlisted: Property 15. Manchester Literature Festival 2017 Manchester Literature Festival 2017 by Mark Studio Agency: MARK Studio Shortlisted: Culture 16. Kitbag Kitbag by Music Agency: Music Shortlisted: Sports 17. Jambo! Jambo! by NB Studio Agency: NB Studio Shortlisted: Retail 18. Someone Who Someone Who by Onwards Agency: Onwards Shortlisted: Professional Services 19. Humankind Humankind by Peter & Paul Agency: Peter & Paul Shortlisted: Not-for-Profit 20. Gatsu Gatsu Gatsu Gatsu by Pinkeye Design Studio Agency: Pinkeye Design Studio Shortlisted: Bars & Restaurants 21. Chez Claire Chez Claire by Pinkeye Design Studio Agency: Pinkeye Design Studio Shortlisted: Luxury 22. Spyscape Spyscape by SomeOne Agency: SomeOne Shortlisted: Culture 23. Start-rite Start-rite by Studio Sutherl& Agency: Studio Sutherl& Shortlisted: Retail 24. London Symphony Orchestra 2018/19 London Symphony Orchestra 2018/19 by Superunion Agency: Superunion Shortlisted: Entertainment 25. Thinking and Drinking Thinking and Drinking by Superunion Agency: Superunion Shortlisted: Self-Branding 26. Plava Laguna Plava Laguna by Superunion Agency: Superunion Transport & Travel 27. Peace Tea Peace Tea by Taxi Studio Agency: Taxi Studio Shortlisted: FMCG 28. 01T 01T by The Beautiful Meme Agency: The Beautiful Meme Shortlisted: Technology & Telecoms Related articles: 10 logos we never want to see change 5 times brands shook up their logo for a powerful message 10 most-hated logos (and what they teach us) View the full article

The Threatpost team breaks down the biggest news from the week ended Sept. 7. View the full article

The Necurs Botnet, DarkHydrus and other threat actors are turning to the inconspicuous files. View the full article

The core principle of user experience (UX) design is to make each user feel like the website they’re visiting has been built specifically for them. To achieve this, you need to know who your audience is before building the site. From there, you should tailor your website content to your most valuable users. Designers have an advantage here, in that most users have similar online behaviours. Once you’ve worked out what those behaviours are, you can tailor your website design to their specific needs. In this post we’ll take a look at the six key pillars on which great UX stands. 01. The five-second rule Visitors should be able to tell what your site has to offer within the first five seconds of landing on your homepage. This is the average time users need to form a first impression and decide whether it’s worth engaging with content. To retain visitors, a landing page must clearly convey its purpose, what content is on offer and a strong call to action. 02. First steps Most website traffic will come from external links such as search engines or site links, rather than from users who know your URL. As a result, users are likely to land on your website with a specific goal. Your site should satisfy this goal by providing engaging, relevant and valuable information through an easy to use interface. It’s also likely that users who are directed to your site from another source will land on a deeper page of your website. Therefore, all website pages need to be designed to clearly communicate what information can be found there to avoid high bounce rates. 03. Minimal design The information users are looking for on your site needs to be presented in a clean and simple way. If any element of the page doesn’t need to be there, get rid of it. In terms of copy, communicating key information in fewer words is more effective than offering long bodies of text that users will skim read. Avoid clutter and keep decorative elements minimal; fewer distractions allow users to find what they’re looking for, faster. 04. Consistency Keep design consistent across pages so users can easily find information. For example, the main menu should always have the same elements, no matter which page it features on. Similarly, clicks should always perform the same action – for instance, clicking on a link should always open it on a new window. Consistent design enables your users to learn how to navigate your site quickly and effectively. 05. Standard design patterns Designing the layout and navigation for a website requires you to follow tired-and-tested trends. This means using standard design patterns and taking inspiration from successful websites, which will also encourage cross-browser compatibility across devices. 06. Structured content The information you put on your website needs to be arranged and grouped into pages and the resulting structure will form the navigation and logic for your menu. Within each page, you’ll also need to organise information; if content isn’t visible on the screen before scrolling down, then there’s a high chance that users will miss it. Calls to action should also prompt users to scroll through to uncover more information. When it comes to a website’s homepage, it should contain a brief summary on the brand and what it does, so that users know what to expect from the site. This article was originally published in net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Buy issue 309 or subscribe. Read more: 69 fantastic free web tools How sound design is transforming UX 9 ways to smash UX on a small budget View the full article