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If you’re new Photoshop, knowing where to start when it comes to removing a background can be daunting. Photoshop has many different ways you can achieve this, some faster than others, some a little more time consuming and complex. There's no right or wrong way, it’s about picking the right approach for the job in hand. In this Photoshop tutorial, we'll cover some techniques you can use to remove a background, each using different tools. We'll start with two of the most basic approaches: the Magic Wand tool (this page) and Quick Selection tool (jump to page 2). Then we'll move on to the more complex method of using channels alongside the Refine Edge tool (page 3). Finally, we'll look at using removing backgrounds using the Pen tool, paths and masks (page 4). Let's get started... Use the icon in the top right of each image to enlarge it The Magic Wand tool The Magic Wand tool is perhaps the quickest and simplest way to remove a background in Photoshop, provided your image has clearly defined edges. It works best when there is a good amount of contrast between your background and foreground and when one of these elements is a solid flat colour. 01. Start with a basic selection The magic wand tool is the quickest way to remove a flat background in Photoshop Open your image and duplicate it, before hiding the background layer. This provides an easy way of referring back to the original image should you need to. With the new layer selected, select the Magic Wand Tool from your Tool panel (Shortcut W and shift+W to toggle between tools), select the flatter area of the image and delete. 02. Adjust Tolerance levels The Magic Wand can be quite limiting as a tool for removing a background, but by making adjustments to the Tolerance of an image you can select and remove a slightly trickier background providing the part you want to cut out still has clearly defined edges. You use the Tolerance settings (found in the Options bar) to adjust the range of colour values you want to select at once: increase the value and it will select a wider range of colours, decrease the value and it will select a narrower range. By decreasing the tolerance the magic wand tool will selects less colours values For images like the one above where the foreground object and background are a similar colour, you need to reduce tolerance levels so the Magic Wand tool recognises the background as a separate colour. Here, the tolerance has been reduced to seven. Then you can use the Magic Wand tool and the shift key to select different areas of background until you have the majority of it. By increasing the tolerance the magic wand tool will selects more colour values Alternatively, in an image where there are lots of different colours in the background, but a clear contrast between the colours in the foreground and background, you need to increase the tolerance levels. For example, in this image of dark mountains against an orange sunset, tolerance has been increased to 120. Again, select a small portion of the background using the Magic Wand tool, and then shift-click any other unselected areas of sky until all of it has been selected. 03. Neaten things up with Layer Masks Creating a Layer Mask gives you more control over editing your image The Magic Wand tool is great for a quick cutout, but the downside is that it doesn’t leave you with the cleanest of edges. Plus if you’re doing a multiple selection, this technique can also leave you with stray pixels in the background. But there are couple tricks you can use to improve on both these things. For this example, we'll got back to the chair image. You've already selected as much of the background as possible using the Magic Wand tool, with tolerance set to seven. Once you're happy with the background selection, instead of deleting it, create a mask. First you need to invert your selection. Select Inverse (under the Select menu, or shortcut cmd+shift+I) and then select the Add Layer Mask button (see image) found at the bottom of the Layer panel. 04. Use Layers to pick up stray pixels Using a mask when editing your image means you have more control as it is non-destructive. This means pixels are not deleted, just hidden, so you can re‑edit the masks by removing or repainting in parts of the original image. To see clearly how neat your edges are, create a new layer using the New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers panel. Fill this layer with a solid, bright colour and place it below your mask layer. If you zoom in, you can see the limitations of the Magic Wand tool; it can leave edges very jagged and litter your image with stray pixels. 05. Tidy things up with the Brush tool Remember, when using masks black hides, white reveals Layer Masks allow you to clean up and finesse your image. In this instance, the first thing to do is get rid of any stray background pixels that were not selected with the Magic Wand tool. Do this by alt-clicking on the Layer Mask thumbnail in your Layer panel. This will convert your artboard to the black and white Layer Mask view. Set the foreground colour to black, select a Paintbrush tool and start filling in those stray pixels and tidying up the edges of your image. Use the [ ] keys to decrease or increase the brush size to cover larger or smaller areas of your artboard. 06. Finesse your Layer Mask Experiment with the tolerance in different areas of your image to get the correct selection Click back on the background image to exit the Layer Mask view, then reselect your Layer Mask thumbnail to make it active. Take some time to use the Brush tool to tidy up your image and get rid of some of the harsh, jagged edges. In areas where you have more contrast in colour, like at the bottom of the chair, you can go back to your Magic Wand tool, up the tolerance value and make a more defined selection, then apply this to your Layer Mask. Next page: Create cutouts using the Quick Selection and Refine Edge tools Another useful tool for really speedy cutouts is the Quick Selection tool. It works in a similar way to the Magic Wand tool, but rather than just selecting similar colours, it also selects similar textures and detects the edges of objects. 01. Create a selection The Quick Selection Tool is a great way of doing a quick cutout To use this approach, open your image, duplicate and hide the background layer. Select the Quick Selection tool from the Tools panel (Shortcut W and shift+W to toggle between tools). Click on your foreground object and drag. It's that simple. This tool tends to work best if you start in the centre of the object you wish to cut out and drag outwards. If you find you've selected parts of the image you don’t want to be included in your cutout, hold down alt to remove these from your selection. Use the [ ] keys to decrease or increase the brush size to control how much is being selected by the Quick Selection tool. 02. Soften the cutout edges Adding a feather can help your image sit better in its new background Let's say we want to add a new background to the image above. You might find that when you add the background, your cutout has a slight halo (fringing) effect around the edges. However, you can easily edit this. Select the cutout by cmd+clicking on the layer mask thumbnail. While the selection is active, go to Select menu > Modify > Contract. Enter a value in the Contact Selection box to trim off the edge of your image (one pixel is a good place to start). Next add a feature via Select > Modify. Invert your selection, then making sure you still have the Layer Mask thumbnail selected, delete. Your cutout now should have a much softer edge that looks more natural on the new background. Next page: How to create cutouts using channels Channels are great for images that contain fine detail such hair, fur and foliage. Like the other techniques we've explored so far, this process works best when you're working with an image that has a solid background and clear contrast between the foreground and background elements. 01. Work with channels Channels can be really effective for cutting out finer details Open your image and navigate to the Channel panel (Windows > Channels). View each of the channels, then select and duplicate the channel with the most contrast. With the duplicate channel selected, open your levels (cmd+L) and adjust to up the contrast. 02. Clean up with the Dodge and Burn tools The Dodge and Burn tool can help refine the contrast of a channel-based cutout Use the Dodge and Burn tools to clean up any areas that aren't solid black or white. Set the exposure to 100 and use the Dodge tool to paint out any areas you want to lighten. Experiment with using the different ranges until you're happy with the results. Use the Burn tool for the opposite purpose: to darken any areas that need it. When you're happy, cmd+click your channel thumbnail to make a selection. Open your Layer panel and create a mask. Hit shift+cmd+I to invert your selection and add a Layer Mask. 03. Try the Refine Edge tool The Refine Edge tool is really effectively for cutting out hair and fur The Refine Edge tool can be really useful when cutting out images with finer details – it works really effectively with hair and fur. To use the tool, open your image and duplicate the background layer. Use any tool to do a rough cutout of the foreground image (we used the Quick Selection tool). At this stage don’t worry too much about the finer detail of the hair. With the selection active, open the Refine Edge tool in your Control panel. Increase the edge detection until some of the finer detail of the hair is visible. 04. Restore detail Use the Erase refinement tool to increase the finer detail of your cutout To get some of the finer hair detail back into your image, check the Smart Radius checkbox and make sure you have the Refine Radius Tool selected. Then start to paint over the edges of your selection where the detail is missing. If you want to remove detail, switch over to the Erase Refinement tool. You can use the additional Adjust Edge option to fine-tune your selection. If you get too much of your original background showing through, use the Shift Edge tool to contrast your selection. When you're happy with the changes you’ve made, choose to output to Layer mask. Now you'll be able to edit your image further. Next page: Creating cutouts using the Pen tool All the tools and techniques mentioned up to this point have their places and can be very effective for removing a background in Photoshop. But if you want to really up your game and have ultimate control over your cutout, you need to master the Pen tool. Although this approach can be a lot more labour-intensive, with a bit of time and practice, using the Pen tool will become second nature. 01. Draw a path Reading up on Bézier curves can really help you understand how the Pen tool works Open your image and repeat the process of duplicating and hiding your background layer. Select the Pen tool (shortcut P) from the Tools panel. Chose a point on the edge of the foreground object, and start drawing your path. If you're new to the Pen tool, you may find you get a very angular path that doesn’t mirror the shape of what you’re trying to cut out. To create curves in your path, as you add an anchor point, hold down the mouse key, click and then drag. This creates adjustment handles either side of the anchor point. By holding and dragging these in different directions you can adjust and control the shape of the curve. If you get to a point where you have a curved edge that need to a straight point, alt+click on the anchor point to remove the handle on one side. 02. Save a Path The path you draw will automatically appear in the Path panel Once you’ve completely drawn around your foreground item, you need to close the path. Do this by clicking on your first anchor point. You will see a small circle appear next to the cursor to show you the point is selected; click and the path is closed. Your path will automatically appear in the Paths Panel found under Window > Paths. Double-click on the Work Path to name and save the path. 03. Edit a path Paths can be easily edited, so don’t need to be too precise to start with The great thing about creating paths is that they don’t need to be perfect right away – you can easily go back and edit the path by selecting the anchor points with the Direct Select tool. Once you have anchor point selected (selected points will turn black), you can make adjustments to the handles to change the shape of the curve. Add points by selecting the Pen tool and clicking on the path, remove points by clicking on the anchor point with the Pen tool, and convert a curved point into a straight point (or vice versa) by alt+clicking. 04. Convert a path to a mask Using a bright contrasting background colour can help highlight any errors in your path Now to convert the path to a Layer Mask. Do this by selecting the path in the Paths panel, and once it’s highlighted, hitting the Load Path as a Selection button at the bottom of the paths panel. Then, as before, open your Layers panel, select the duplicate background layer and hit the Add Layer Mask button. Create a new layer and add a bright, contrasting fill colour below your Layer Mask layer. Now you can check how your cutout looks. 05. Finesse your mask The size of your image will affect the amount of feathering you want to add The great thing about creating a paths is that the information is there to use again. If the edges appear to harsh and don't reflect the original image, you may want to soften your cutout. To do this, duplicate the background layer and move it to the top of your Layers panel, making sure the layer is visible. Select your path in the Paths panel and hit ctrl+right-click. Select Make Selection from the flyout menu. Here you'll see an option to add a feather (I’m added a feather of two here). With the selection still highlighted, switch over to your Layer panel and add a Layer Mask. 06. Merge techniques Merging techniques can really make the most of your cutouts The final thing we're going to do is to create a better cutout of the cat's fur around its right ear. To do this, we'll use the Refine Edge tool we covered earlier. Duplicate the background layer and create a rough cutout of ear and fur in that area. With the selection active, open the Refine Edge tool in your control panel. Increase the Edge Detection until some of the finer detail of the fur is visible. Don't go too far, as this area of the image is really soft. Increase the level of detail using the Refine Radius tool. Once you're happy, you can select your two Layer Masks (ctrl+click) to merge the layers together. Read more: The 60 best free Photoshop brushes The best laptops for graphic design in 2018 14 Photoshop adjustment tools to retouch your images View the full article

Today has seen the John Lewis Partnership relaunch its two retail brands as Waitrose & Partners and John Lewis & Partners. Each arm of the rejigged business model comes with a new brand identity and logo design created by Pentagram, both of which underline the collaboration between the two firms. As well as a new look, the launch also includes a groundbreaking ad campaign that tugs on your heartstrings like the much-anticipated John Lewis Christmas spots. Created by adam&eveDDB, the agency behind both John Lewis and Waitrose's recent seasonal adverts, Bohemian Rhapsody riffs on the classic Queen song and sees a bombastic school play drive home a message of connectivity. Touted by the John Lewis & Partners customer director Craig Inglish, as the "biggest ever marketing campaign outside of Christmas", the video is the first time that the two brands have released an ad campaign together. Check it out below. Beyond the advert, the campaign will continue to roll out across print ads, hero products and in-store films. At the heart of the campaign is the slogan "When you're part of it, you put your heart into it", which can be seen across all areas of the rebrand. “Our new identities bring the brands much closer together and both brands will benefit,” says Martin George, customer director for Waitrose & Partners. “From now on, when one of us advertises there will be a halo effect for the other brand as customers recognise that ‘& Partners’ means we’re the same company and that all 85,000 of us are owners.” As for the new logos, Pentagram looked to the original work for the John Lewis Partnership logotype designed by Hans Schleger and Peter Hatch in the early 60s, which at the time was centred around a pattern motif. Using the exact same weight and thickness of lines found in this diamond symbol pattern ensure the new identity continues the spirit of the brand. Shoppers in central London will already be able to see the new identity on key stores, as well as online and on certain material such as lorries and vans, staff uniforms, carrier bags and trolleys. Over the next few years the full identity will be incorporated across all John Lewis and Waitrose shops and products. Related articles: Bring a brand to life with illustration How to reawaken a brand's heritage How to choose the right typeface for a brand View the full article

Humans are visual creatures, and that means we respond well to images. If you have a blog or website, you should know how important it is to include images that capture your readers' attention. With Visme Standard Plan: 1-Yr Subscription, you have access to a huge library of templates that help you create images, icons, infographics, reports, and a whole lot more. Visme can even make these visuals interactive, whether you want to add links or animations to liven them up. You can also track how well your content is performing with the built-in view-tracking function. The editor is simple to use, allowing you to add video, audio, voiceovers, and more, all within the platform. For just $49, you can try out Visme Standard Plan: 1-Yr Subscription – that's 65% off the regular price. It's a limited-time offer though, so grab it while you can. Related articles: 15 great web design podcasts An essential guide to web design etiquette The best colour tools for web designers View the full article

On Creative Bloq we're always on the lookout for talented writers to join our network of contributors. If you're a great writer with a passion for all things creative (or, if you're a graphic designer, illustrator, web designer or 3D artist who wants to share their expertise), then we want to hear from you. Here's what you need to know if you're interested in joining our Creative Bloq contributor network. What are you looking for? Creative Bloq is all about making design entertaining, inspiring and accessible to as many people as possible. We're the online face of a number of different design magazines: Computer Arts, net, ImagineFX, Web Designer and 3D World. That means we cover a wide range of different types of design, and we need passionate experts to share their knowledge and expertise. We want to provide a platform for writers that share our passion to get published. Here are some types of content that we cover: Features exploring key issues or trends in the industry Tutorials that help designers solve a specific problem Tips articles to help creatives expand their skills Reviews of the hottest new kit and apps News about the freshest projects from agencies, designers and, artists How do I join this Network? If you think you have what it takes, send an email to contact@creativebloq.com. Outline where your interests and knowledge lie, and please include some examples of posts or articles you've written. It's a great idea to approach us with a few ideas (or just one, well-formed idea!) about what you want to write for us. Take a good look around the site for ideas of articles that might fit, and make sure you're not suggesting something we've already published. We look forward to hearing from you! And if you know someone else that fits the bill, please share this amongst your friends. Note that due to the volume of emails we receive we are not able to reply to all pitches. If you haven't heard back from us, then please assume that we're not interested at the moment, though feel free to suggest a different idea in the future. View the full article

The CG Awards is a celebration of recent achievements in the world of computer graphics, from art created by the lone student artist, to the biggest Soho studios and everybody inbetween. This year we are opening the vote up to the public too, so head over to the CG Awards 2019 voting form to have your say! And the nominees are... Up for best VFX in a movie are some of the summer's biggest blockbusters, including Avengers: Infinity War, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Deadpool 2, Ready Player One and Incredibles 2. Moving over to the smaller screen, best VFX in TV sees Altered Carbon, The Expanse, Stranger Things, Westworld and Star Trek: Discovery go head-to-head. Best shortform is a varied group, with some of the best of the advertising world – in the form of Samsung Ostrich - MPC, Everything on your list, Staples - Method and Vonster - The Mill – up against cinematic excellence from the likes of Beyond Good and Evil 2 - Unit Image, Overkill's The Walking Dead: Maya - Goodbye Kansas. Gamers have a tough choice to make this year, with Assassin's Creed: Origins, Far Cry 5, God of War, Star Wars Battlefront II and Call of Duty: WWII making the shortlist in the best game category. And what about the tools? Blackmagic eGPU, iMac Pro, Lenovo ThinkPad P52, Renda G3 SWC Ultra and Wacom Cintiq Pro have all made the cut for best hardware, while the likes of Houdini, Oculus Medium, V-Ray Next for 3ds Max, X-Particles and Substance Designer compete for the title of best software. Cast your vote today! Voting closes 15 November 2018, with two nominations per category given to an expert team of judges who will decide the ultimate winner. Winners will be announced at Vertex, the ultimate conference for 2D and 3D artists, on 8 March 2019 at Olympia, London. Don't delay, help your favourites take home a prestigious CG award by casting your vote. Read more: 7 tips for the perfect gaming portfolio 25 tips for Unreal Engine 4 Model a Stormtrooper in Maya and ZBrush View the full article

A new financial service designed especially for creatives has been unveiled. Say hello to ANNA, a refreshingly human admin assistance app which lives up to its acronym: Absolutely No Nonsense Admin. It comes complete with an appropriately personable, doodle art-based identity from the minds of Michael Wolff, NB Studio and Alice Bowsher, and promises to make it much easier for creatives to stay on top of money matters. ANNA is an entirely digital platform that addresses the unique admin needs of SMEs and professionals who build their business on creativity, including anyone in the design and architecture sectors. Tailored towards creative professionals at all levels, from sole traders to full-blown agencies, ANNA combines a business account, debit card and a human and artificial intelligence assistant into the ANNA current account. It also comes with a card that can be accessed through the app. ANNA brings together AI and human intelligence By bringing together artificial intelligence with human insights, ANNA provides a range of services designed to make the lives of creatives easier. These include sending and paying invoices, analysing how much you're owed and by whom, and the ability to outsource invoice payments and details to the app. According to the team behind the app, this range of tools is something that has been sorely missing from the lives of creatives. "As a creative business strategist, I’ve observed the struggles that small business owners go through dealing with admin," says ANNA's chief design officer, Daljit Singh. "The creative industries are worth over £90 billion to the UK economy, yet there isn’t a single service out there that is specially aimed at making running a creative business easier. ANNA changes all this; it will improve productivity with the main aim of saving people time so they are freed up to do more of the things they love." The playful illustrations by Alice Bowsher reflects ANNA's creative approach When it came to designing a look for ANNA, the new way of banking needed a new approach to aesthetics. "Traditionally, there's no place for emotion in finance; we wanted the visual identity to embody the opposite of that," explains Nick Finney of NB Studio. "As a small business owner, you're there to do something you love. The identity we created features illustrations by Alice Bowsher, whose charming, playful drawings help make Anna an approachable and relatable brand. The warmth of the terracotta orange throughout the website, digital platforms and collateral stands in sharp contrast to the traditional cold blues of banks, corporations and traditional fintech." "Meticulous care has gone into developing the brand," adds designer and creative adviser Michael Wolff. "ANNA is bold yet self-effacing. It's entertaining because what's the point of being dull? It is entertaining in an apt and restrained manner. Above everything, ANNA is practical and no nonsense. Everything about the brand identity reflects the communities ANNA serves." Send invoices, get paid, and seek help, all with ANNA ANNA is currently available to use in beta and is onboarding its first 2,000 customers. Will you be one of them? If so, you'll have free access to ANNA for three years. Related articles: Bring a brand to life with illustration How to reawaken a brand's heritage How to choose the right typeface for a brand View the full article

It can be easy to get stuck in a rut as a designer. You find a style or niche that makes the most of what you're good at, and before you know it your graphic design portfolio is starting to look a little... samey. So how do you add a new dimension to your work and break out of the mould? Here six practical and achievable ways to help you improve your graphic design skills. 01. Study design theory A proper understanding of concepts such as grid theory can transform your work Graphic design is a profession, not a trade. While there is plenty you can learn by doing, a proper understanding of the fundamentals of the discipline, including concepts like grid theory, colour theory, typography and the golden ratio, is vital. For many designers, this is where a formal design education really shows its value. There are plenty of options, from full university degrees to focused short courses to distance learning setups. Alternatively, you can do the legwork yourself – take a look at our article on how to get into design without a degree for more tips. 02. Learn how to get more from feedback As creatives, one of the most emotionally draining things we can do is deal with criticism. And yet, it’s absolutely essential if you’re to improve your skills. Positive feedback is great when it’s deserved, but you don’t really gain anything from it other than an inflated feeling of self-worth. And when it’s knee-jerk and undeserved (see: mutual backslapping on many forums), it can actually be counterproductive to your continued development. So whether you’re posting your designs on Dribbble, Behance or Facebook, or just sharing them with a few select friends or colleagues, it’s important to choose your words carefully in order to elicit the maximum (constructive) criticism. There's a fine art to getting the most from feedback For instance, rather than just saying ‘What do you think?’ (sample answer: ‘It’s great’), it’s better to ask specific questions. For example, 'This is the brief, do you think I’ve fulfilled it?' or 'Which part of the design did your eye focus on first?' That way people will be able to critique your work in a constructive way, without coming off like a boorish troll. It can also be useful for you to give your feedback on other designers’ work, helping you to empathise and improve your critical skills in ways that you can apply to your own work. Check out this article on how to get more from creative criticism. 03. Start a side project Conran Design Group had some fun on May 4th Doing the same thing over and over again in your nine-to-five job can lead to your skills getting stale and your enthusiasm waning. So keep up your motivation to learn new things by starting your own side project. Learning a new design skill is always far easier if you need it to create a specific thing, particularly if that’s something personal to you. So a passion project can lead you to learn new skills you’d never even thought of, without needing the kind of self-discipline associated with formal study. No clue where to begin? Read our 6 tips for better side projects, or explore some awesome agency side projects. 04. Experiment In the world of web startups, there’s a saying: Fail fast. In other words. it’s only by trying out lots of experimental design ideas and putting them into practice that you find out what works best and what you’re good at. It’s an approach graphic designers can learn from when it comes to experimenting with new media, skills and techniques. So, rather than always using the same fonts, colours, layouts or software for every design you tackle, mix things up a bit and try something new. Throw in a crazy new typeface. Try 3D rather than 2D. Pick up some new design software. Sketch with a ballpoint pen or charcoal rather than a pencil. Break a rule and see what happens. Ask yourself: how would this design have been approached in a bygone age? Use illustration not photography. Double the amount of whitespace. In short, throw convention up in the air and see what lands. Most of the time, what lands will be a hot mess. But sometimes, you’ll hit gold. And even if you don’t, the very process of experimenting will help free up your mind, to better see which of your creative skills need improving, and why. 05. Talk to other designers Behance is a great way to discover other designers in your field One of the best ways to develop as a designer is to interact with a lot of other designers. But sometimes that can be difficult. You might be the only designer in a big company, a freelancer who works from home alone, or perhaps you’re employed by a two- or three-person studio. But really, these are all just excuses. There are many easy ways to get out there and chat with other creatives. Go to meetups, events and conferences. Hit people up on social media. Check out forums. Make friends. Talk design. Discuss problems, challenges, questions. Collaborate on a project. Email a designer you admire. Ask them to be your mentor. Appear on their podcast, or start your own so you can interview your heroes. In short, force yourself to just get out there. You’ll meet some fascinating people, and learn more than you could possibly imagine. 06. Read a book Michael Bierut’s How To showcases over 35 of his projects and reveals his philosophy of graphic design Even if you have a degree, as the saying goes: ‘Education is for life’, and you never stop learning. So next time you have a long train journey, put your phone on silent and curl up with a good book on graphic design. It will certainly be a better use of your time than snarling at trolls on Twitter or looking at food pics on Instagram. There are plenty of informative and inspiring reads to explore. But if you really don’t know where to start then check out our list of the best graphic design books. Read more: 18 things they didn't teach you at design school 12 of the best places to live as a designer What time should designers get up in the morning? View the full article

UK department store Debenhams has been given an identity overhaul courtesy of Mother Design, including a new logo design that will replace the design that has been in place since 1999. The rebrand forms part of an ongoing transformation dubbed 'Debenhams Redesigned', with the aim of injecting some of the joy back into the shopping experience. It comes alongside a playful marketing campaign from Mother, which asks customers to 'do a bit of Debenhams'. "There are so few high street icons, and Debenhams is certainly one of them," says Mother's Ana Balarin. "It was a unique opportunity to revisit such a loved and established brand to reflect the modern business it has become." Mother Design worked closely with Swiss Typefaces on a new logo for the retail giant (take a look at the gallery below to compare the old and new logos). The final design uses a custom typeface based on SangBleu, creating a more approachable, modern look that still contains echoes of Debenhams' 200 year heritage. The logo is supported by a vibrant colour palette and fresh illustration style. Mother's accompanying above the line campaign is designed to provide a point of difference and help mark Debenhams out in a crowded and competitive marketplace. It features product photography with an unexpected twist, such as a pair of shoes dipped in tins of paint, or a coat being plucked out of a pile of teddy bears by a fairground claw. Each also features a humorous slogan based on the theme 'Do a bit of Debenhams'. An accompanying campaign aims to reclaim the joy of shopping “When talking about shopping, consumers told us of the real joy that they experience when exploring and trying new things in store," comments MD of Marketing and Beauty Richard Cristofoli. "Many lamented that shopping had lost its role in our culture... We wanted to present a rallying cry to consumers to celebrate the joy of shopping and reclaim it as the rich, experiential and joyous experience that brings family and friends together.” The campaign will appear in still and GIF format across social and digital channels, alongside print brochures in several national magazines. Meanwhile, the rebrand is already live on Debenhams' site, and will be rolled out stores across the country in coming months. Read more: 5 big-brand logos that pass the silhouette test How to reawaken a brand's heritage 11 steps to better logos View the full article

It's not easy editing photos, creating graphic designs, or putting together entire videos. Luckily, The Complete Adobe CC Training Bundle will teach you how to use many useful apps within Adobe Creative Cloud. You'll discover how to edit pictures professionally on Photoshop CC, how to string together videos like a wiz on Premiere, and how to generate creative graphics on Illustrator CC. You'll practise putting together newsletters and banners with InDesign CC, and you'll learn the art of visual effects through After Effects CC. With The Complete Adobe CC Training Bundle, you'll take your design skills to a whole new level. Get it now for just $29. Related articles: Adobe adds 665 fonts to Creative Cloud How to use Adobe Capture CC Adobe and Erik Spiekermann revive lost type sets View the full article

You're reading Modern Take on Patterned Backgrounds in Web Design, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! First, brutal designs then, gradients and now there is another trend from the past that excites creatives. Geometric patterns are becoming a go-to design element. To start, let’s take a look at Trump’s Xmas Meltdown to refresh our memory on … View the full article

Life as a freelancer can be full of freedom and opportunity, but it comes with its fair share of hurdles and frustrations too. A lot of that is down to the fact that you are responsible for every aspect of your business, and the phrase "that's not my department" must be erased from your vocabulary. These frustrations can be relatively minor, such as having to keep hold of your expense receipts, or Wi-Fi dropping out for a few minutes; or game-changing to the point that everything grinds to a halt – such as a string of clients not paying you, or work not coming in at all. Fortunately, there are some simple tools for designers that will help with at least some of these things. Read on to discover five of them... 01. Keeping track of paperwork is a nightmare Bonsai helps you stay on top of contracts, invoices and more This one's a bit of a catch-all. Admin tasks can suck up large amounts of your time as a freelancer – and by that we mean everything from expenses to invoices to contract negotiations. And the worst bit is, it's not billable time either – you need to figure that into your day rate. There are various tools to help you automate common design tasks, and plenty of productivity and project management apps to smooth things over – it's worth taking advantage of some free trials to find out what works best for you. One catch-all tool that's particularly useful for the admin side of things is Bonsai. This web-based app is perhaps best known for its ability to generate hassle-free freelance contracts, but also covers off the whole gamut of admin-related tasks, including proposals, invoices (and payment reminders), expenses and time-tracking. You can even automatically set up late fees for tardy clients. Its interface is beautifully clean, simple and calming too. 02. You're constantly getting distracted Brutally simple app Effortless keeps your head in the game Procrastination is the bane of the freelancer. Whereas when you're on a salary, you can sneakily poke about on Facebook or chat with colleagues in the kitchen safe in the knowledge that you'll get the same pay cheque at the end of the month – so long as you do your job, of course – every hour counts when you're your own boss. If you find yourself drifting onto other things, or struggle to focus and prioritise the task at hand, there are plenty of simple productivity tools that can help keep you on track, as well as tools to save you time on common or mundane tasks. One of the simplest and most single-purpose tools we've seen to keep you focused is Effortless (Mac-only). Type your task in the pop-up window, and how many minutes you estimate it will take, and a countdown timer will appear in your taskbar. If you need longer, you can add more time in five-minute chunks. Toggle between tasks to check how long you have remaining, and mark them as done when they're done. That's literally it, but the fact that there's no complex interface or suite of features to worry about means your only concern is the time you have left to complete the task. 03. Your tax return is an annual headache Discover what you can claim against tax for various different freelance professions with 99 Deductions While tools such as Bonsai will help you keep on top of your expenses and minimise the hassle of the annual freelance tax return, even with the best will in the world, it's still a source of stress for most. Hiring an accountant will help, but if you're a relatively new freelancer unsure about what you can claim for, there are tools to help. 99 Deductions is an invaluable resource that tailors advice for what expenses are allowable, depending on your role. This includes plenty of non-creative freelance roles, but designer, developer, copywriter and photographer are all covered. It's a US site, so some of the advice is tailored accordingly if you're based elsewhere – it's always worth checking what applies in your local territory. In the UK, HMRC's own guidelines for self-employed expenses are worth a look, for instance. 04. WiFi keeps crashing out while working remotely A mobile Wi-Fi tool could save you from Wi-Fi woes One of the best things about being a freelancer is the capacity to work anywhere – within reason. Whether that's a couple of hours in a coffee shop in between meetings, working from a bench in the park on a sunny day, or taking it to the extreme and running projects while travelling the world – it's all possible if you manage your time, and your clients' expectations. There are various tools to help you work remotely as a freelancer, but one of the biggest sources of stress and frustration – especially if you're away from your trusty broadband connection a lot – is unreliable Wi-Fi. You may strike it lucky, and find the perfect spot with super-fast Wi-Fi on tap, in return for a flat white and a muffin to munch while you work. But you can't pin your business on that, particularly in more far-flung locations. Accordingly, one of the most important tools you need is Mobile Wi-Fi (or Mi-Fi if you prefer). There are plenty to choose from: check out our sister site Techradar for a comparison of five of the best mobile WiFi tools on the market today. 05. Work is a constant cycle of feast and famine Timely uses automatic time tracking to increase your profitability, productivity and efficiency This final point takes some getting used to, especially if you're a new freelancer. No longer are you guaranteed a predictable income – as well as completing the projects on your slate, the onus is on you to win the work at the start, and chase for payment at the end. If either of those critical stages of the process fails, you could end up with a cash drought – hence the well-trodden advice to have three months' savings in the bank before taking the plunge. At the other end of the scale, after a period of scarcity, suddenly several big projects could come along at once. This is a potential feast, but you may be forced to turn some of it down if you don't have the capacity. You need to be super-organised and productive to plan your time and deal with this unpredictability, and fortunately there are some tools to help you there too. Pitched at "those who trade in time" – which is any freelancer, really – Timely enables you to squeeze the most out of every hour in the day through automatic time tracking. As it learns more about how you work, Timely makes suggestions about how to increase your profitability, productivity and efficiency – an ideal way to deal with the notoriously feast and famine world of freelancing. Related articles: 4 pros and 4 cons of being a freelance designer 4 design tools you never knew you needed The freelance survival guide View the full article

This week's news includes a Microsoft zero-day flaw and Yahoo's recent email privacy snafu. View the full article

Unlike its browser competitors, Firefox will soon start blocking tracking cookies by default in the name of consumer privacy. View the full article

Okay, so there haven't been any definitive studies that prove designers live longer than people in other jobs. But we reckon it's a pretty sure thing. Here are 10 solid reasons to believe us designers will keep going, and going, and going. 01. We have a sense of purpose Designers live for design. We're passionate about it. We think about it constantly. It's the thing that makes us get up in the morning with a spring in our step. And while it might cause a few issues if we become too obsessive (see 10 reasons not to date a designer), it's this fired-up sense of purpose that's ultimately going to make us live longer. While it's natural to think of our body and mind as separate entities, they're deeply interdependent – so it's a case of healthy mind, healthy body. This article from Lifehacker explains how the women of Okinawa, Japan are known for having a positive outlook on life and pursuing their 'ikigai' ('reason for being'). And it's no coincidence that the Japanese have an average life expectancy of 83, the highest in the world, with Okinawans the longest-living of all. In short, having that new project to do, or design that's going to change the world, doesn't just make life worth living right now. It should help you live longer too. 02. We drink lots of water and tea Moscow agency Catzwolf created this cool kettle as part of a campaign for Curtis We designers are constantly filling up on water, tea and coffee. Admittedly too much of the latter can cause poor health, not to mention a shaky hand on the mouse and the need to remortgage to pay for all those mochas. But the antioxidant flavonoids in tea are recognised as being beneficial to cardiovascular health, along with bowel regulation and weight control. Yes, a cup of tea is likely to make you live longer. And green tea, or water, is even better for you. 03. We don’t have time to socialise (and get drunk) Even though those deadlines might tire us out, the long hours – and reams of personal projects we want to complete – mean we don’t go to the boozer every night, thus significantly cutting down our chances of liver and heart disease. If we do go for a drink, it’s usually at a networking event where we can meet other designers and up our freelance game, thus giving us a greater sense of purpose (see point #1). 04. We're more educated As a community, designers value education We don't like to brag, of course. But in general, we designers are highly educated beings. And highly educated people (according to this report) live longer. That's partly due to the sense of goal-driven purpose, mentioned in point #1, which following a course can give you. So maybe now is a good time to re-energise yourself with an evening class or two. 05. We like a laugh Hands up who wants to go to a bar with a bunch of corporate lawyers and accountants? Anyone? Okay, that might be a little mean, but it's certainly true that designers are more renowned for their ability to laugh than other, more staid professions. Maybe that's because we get a lot of practice dealing with bizarre client requests (you have to laugh or else you'll cry). According to research, the more you laugh, the healthier you'll stay and the longer you may live. So next time a client asks you to "design the site and we'll put the content in later" (see things you should never ask a designer) don't stress, have a good chuckle – and keep prolonging that lifespan. 06. We don’t spend too much time watching TV Although we do need some downtime, we don't spend hours in front of the box According to research done in 2011, every hour of watching TV can shorten your life by 22 minutes. Luckily we don’t have much time to watch rubbish shows – we’re too busy swotting up on the next job or interacting with other designers on Twitter. If there’s one thing us designers don’t like, it’s numbing our brain with useless information. Everyone needs some downtime though. If we do want to spend some time in front of the box, it’s usually with a movie or two – and maybe the odd videogame. 07. We’re always helping other people Okay, sometimes we don’t think of clients as ‘people’ – especially after that 10th revision – but the truth is that in our jobs we’re always helping people achieve their goals. And that feels good. And doing good for others may increase how long we live. Why not take it a step further and donate your services to a local school or university – it’ll make you feel good, teach others your skills and raise your profile. Win win win! 08. We do a lot of cycling Aardman's Gavin Strange loves his bike Cycling is very popular among us designers – and it's one of the best forms of exercise around. As everybody knows, exercise helps you live longer; this Taiwanese study, for example, suggests just 15 minutes of exercise per day can add three years to your life. If you've not ridden a bike since childhood, we'd certainly recommend it. Cycling fits in with the designer lifestyle down to a tee, plus it gives you the chance to wear stuff like these awesome Milltag jerseys designed by one of your peers. 09. We don't live dangerously In 2017/18, 144 workers were killed at work in the UK. The industries that have the highest death toll are agriculture, manufacturing and construction. In comparison, the design community is pretty safe. When was the last time you had to handle dangerous substances or lift heavy objects as part of your day-to-day routine? Yes, design can be hard work, but it's unlikely to injure or kill you – and for that we should be thankful. 10. We have everything to live for Minor gripes aside, we love our jobs. We earn a decent living from them (at least once we're past the design intern stage). The industry as a whole is expanding; there's always new stuff to learn and boundaries to push. We'll certainly never be bored. Even when we retire, we'll probably carry on working in some way or other. Yes, we know we can't live forever – but we're damn well going to stick around as long as we can, because design is our dream. And when it comes to keeping the Reaper at bay, that counts for a heck of a lot. Related articles: What time should designers get up in the morning? 6 ways for designers to stay healthy How to balance life and work View the full article

Sometimes the more common rebranding strategies of incremental change or reawakening brand heritage just aren't working, and you need to switch up your design thinking and considering starting again from scratch. In this case, you can treat the client almost like a startup. But how do you know when you've reached that point? And what should you do about it once you make the decision to scrap an old brand and start again? We spoke to three creative pros to find their tips for starting afresh. 01. Know when to let go Richard Buchanan of The Clearing uses two main measures to decide when to start again: saliency, or the ‘meaning’ associated with a brand, which can be both positive and negative; and awareness. “When the saliency is negative and unhelpful, and your awareness is really low, you go: you have fundamentally pissed people off and they don’t particularly like you,” he reasons. “Then what’s the point in hanging onto it?” Chris Moody of Wolff Olins agrees that it usually takes some kind of fundamental brand crisis, or some kind of major organisational change, like a merger, for a brand to start again. “This is a shame, because you end up starting from a bad place,” he argues. “The branding work done for Google’s parent company, Alphabet, was intriguing, as it was an identity that made sense of something that previously nobody had thought of. I suspect we will see more of this.” Sign up to the Computer Arts newsletter Moody believes that customers are actually more forgiving than we give them credit for, and that it tends to be the clients who refuse to let go of the past. “The world moves incredibly quickly, so brands need to be more agile. That should include identity,” he insists. “Imagine wearing the same clothes for 25 years. You’d look out of touch and stale. “The argument against radical rebranding is perverse, as it’s often claimed that big changes erode hard-won trust. But look at it another way: would you trust someone who seemed decades out of step with the rest of the world?" 02. Tailor your process The Clearing gave Royal Ascot a premium overhaul According to Michael Johnson – creative director and principal of Johnson Banks, rebranding is a very different beast from branding a new company, and your creative process should be tailored accordingly. “For a while I approached both in a similar way,” he admits. “The penny dropped a few years ago that for ‘new’ projects it made more sense to start at the core – why they are here, what do they stand for, then work outwards. Conversely, when realigning existing brands we often start from the edges and talk about ‘how’ they work, and what they believe in, before we tackle the trickier and more essential stuff at the core.” 03. Get the client on-side Johnson emphasises that truly radical change must be a collaborative decision between agency and client. “I think there’s a very naive view out there that designers should ‘persuade’ their clients to be more adventurous,” he says. “I can only do a radical piece of work if, client-side, they are on the same page.” He adds that graphic design alone is rarely enough to persuade: you need solid strategic foundations, based on a clear need for major change. “Walking into a boardroom with a clutch of new logos and a presentation you could précis as, ‘Wouldn’t this be cool?’ is asking for trouble,” he smiles. 04. Consider the cost When Fitness First came to The Clearing, Richard Buchanan says it was "broken". "We kept the name but for everything else we started again," he explains As ever, wider economic factors often come into play with any root-and-stem changes to a brand – especially for a well-established, global one. Johnson gives the example of Virgin Atlantic, when both he and the CEO began on the same page in terms of a radical shake-up of the company’s livery. “When someone pointed out that repainting just one plane cost a quarter of a million pounds, and my jolly little presentation had just ‘spent’ £10 million in implementation fees, that was a killer blow – and illustrates how the hopes of a graphic designer can sometimes run headlong into everyday realities.” The Clearing faced a similar challenge, albeit on a slightly different scale, with its rebrand of Royal Ascot – which needed to be signed off by the Queen. “They had a really old, tired-looking marque, and we wanted to move it into something quite premium,” Buchanan recalls. “We designed a total creative vision, mapped out every single touchpoint: product, service, internal culture, environment, communications. “When it came to sign-off, she didn’t approve the logo, because it was 2011 and we were still in what people thought was a double-dip recession. She was concerned that they were seen to be spending money on what wasn’t broken. You would have had to change every sign on the racecourse, and wayfinding and signage becomes really expensive.” The Clearing successfully revisited and refreshed the marque at a later date, but like Johnson’s Virgin Atlantic example, that initial reticence to change was grounded in practical realities. The cost, and associated risk, of wholesale change of a brand can be prohibitively expensive in any sector – and in most cases, a brand needs to be fundamentally broken to consider it. This article was originally published in Computer Arts, the world's best-selling design magazine. Buy issue 279 or subscribe. Read more: Bring a brand to life with illustration 5 rebranding hurdles designers face today Define a brand with handmade type View the full article

Having only graduated last summer, I’m still pretty new to the world of freelance illustration. My style and process, however, are things that I’ve been developing for quite some time now. I dabbled with paper art during my A-levels and Art Foundation, but university was where I truly fell in love with the material. Initially, I cut everything using a scalpel and produced a lot of layered, two-dimensional illustration. This process was extremely time-consuming and the end result always looked very handmade. As I progressed, I started working with a laser cutter – this gave me the advantages of speed and precision but it burned the edges of my paper. Now, I cut my papers using a plotter. The plotter also facilitates speed and precision but, instead of a laser, it cuts with a blade, which eliminates the unwanted burn. 01. Start planning The first stage of every project is planning; in this stage I make lots of rough sketches and notes. However, paper (like any material) has properties that sometimes pose constraints. These constrains don’t always become apparent until I begin making my creations; so I keep my initial designs loose, and leave space for the paper to make some of the decisions. 02. Gather inspiration It’s all in the planning, and when the idea comes, the visual research follows. Once I have a basic idea of what I want to create, the visual research begins. I usually start by looking on Behance, Instagram and Pinterest. That being said, I don’t like to get all of my inspiration from other illustrators and paper artists. Though I am inspired by and admire their work, ultimately I want to create something different, so I like to look for other sources of inspiration too, for example using architecture, fashion and still-life photography. Sign up to the Computer Arts newsletter I collect all of this research in a file until a style or theme begins to emerge. I then print off the relevant images and put them up on the wall in front of my table, which is where they stay until all of the models for that project are complete. 03. Choose a colour theme In this stage, I also put together a colour palette. I love the colours used in Toilet Paper Magazine and in the work of Jessica Walsh or Aleksandra Kingo. Their use of bold tones and unexpected combinations is very striking and as a result, their work often features heavily on the inspiration walls for many of my projects. Specialist paper can be ordered at a sheet at a time 04. Buy your paper Once I’ve decided upon a colour palette I then buy the papers. For personal projects, 210gsm multipack card usually works fine, but it does limit my colour options. When I need something more specific, I order it from Arjowiggins, which has a great selection, and I can order as little as one sheet at a time. This is useful for small scale projects or one-off models. 05. Make a model With my colour palettes chosen, illustrations planned and paper selected, I take to Illustrator CC. The artwork is made up of paths split between two layers – one layer has the paths I want to cut out, and the second has the paths to score/fold. Since most of my work is three-dimensional, I begin by designing nets. In my mind, I visualise how the net will fit together and then artwork that vision using the paths and layers described. Having chosen the colour palette, the model is fired up in Illustrator with cut out paths planned out Once I have the basic design, I cut out and test it, but the first draft is rarely ever perfect. So then, I use a process of trial and error until the net is exactly how I want it to be. For this part of the process, I use cheap card and work on a very small scale to limit waste. Once I’m happy with the net, I can then scale it up or down. This stage can be relatively quick and easy or very long and challenging. It depends on the project, the scale and the level of complexity. 06. Work out the details Now the detailing. I take the faces of the net and work out which details will go onto them. Then I cut the details out and stick them to the unassembled net using all-purpose glue. Finally, I stick the pieces of the net together to complete the model. Mel Edwards finds the gluing part of the process trickier than the cutting – far too runny and prone to staining! People assume that cutting is the trickiest part of the paper process, but for me gluing requires the real patience. The glue is extremely runny when it first comes out of the tube so I have to remain focused to ensure it doesn’t get on to any exposed sections of the model. Once it’s dry, the glue leaves an unwanted shiny stain on the paper so if it does run, I have to discard and re-cut all of the affected pieces. This is both time-consuming and wasteful, which explains why precision is so crucial at this stage. 07. Turn physical to digital A lot of the time, the digital elements of my process can take just as long as the physical ones, and if I’m working on an animation, then sometimes they take even longer. Once the model is dry and stain-free, it’s photographed and worked on in Photoshop Photographing the models is the first step towards turning my models into digital artwork. Though I am keen to work with more photographers in the future, at the moment, I shoot most of the models myself. To do this, I use soft box lighting, and a camera set up on a tripod. Then, to complete the process, I edit the images in Photoshop. This article originally appeared in issue 280 of Computer Arts, the world's leading design magazine. Buy issue 280 or subscribe here. Read more: 10 beautiful paper portfolios to inspire you Create a folding paper animation 7 steps to creating striking paper art View the full article

Muse are well-known for making a scene, just ask anyone who's ever been to see one of their dynamic live shows. And in similar grandstanding fashion, the rock band caught the attention of the internet yesterday as it announced the launch date and cover art for its upcoming album, Simulation Theory. If you put 'Muse' into the Twitter search bar, you'll get bombarded with memes, wild praise from fans, and snide remarks from people who can't believe what they're looking at. So what's the fuss? Well, it can't have escaped your attention that design seems to be going through something of an 80s revival at the moment, and depending on your point of view, the cover for Simulation Theory is either a groovy continuation of this trend or an aesthetic abomination that would make even Kavinsky cry. Have we entered the era of bad graphic design? With its neon airbrushed visuals, vehicles that look like they've come straight out of Tron (ask your dad), and a retro font that a lot of people would more readily associate with 80s nostalgia trailblazer GTA Vice City, the Simulation Theory artwork is perhaps a bit too on the nose. It doesn't help that the word 'retro' is literally spelt out in the first video from the album, below. Is all the online cynicism going a bit too far though? After all, the designer of the album cover, Kyle Lambert, has previously created posters for hit Netflix show Stranger Things, a series that has been praised for getting the '80s look just right. We can't deny that Lambert has done a good job. If Muse hired him to create the pop cultural culmination of the decade with their faces on it, they definitely got what they asked for. But while the look and feel of the '80s was baked into the story of Stranger Things, here it feels as if Muse is belatedly jumping aboard the throwback bandwagon. Perhaps it's the timing that has irked some fans. This announcement follows in the wake of Ready Player One – a film which relies on similar imagery and has a poster that bears a striking resemblance both in terms of aesthetics and composition – so perhaps we're all just going through design fad fatigue. Or maybe it comes down to personal preference (and when you were born). Muse have always been a bit of a statement band, with previous album covers being as subtle as a sledgehammer (Drones, we're looking at you). Fans of the band are going to continue lapping up what they puts out, while others are going to laugh this cover off with the 'How do you do, fellow kids' meme. Then there are those stuck in the middle, oscillating between adoration and weary resignation. Related articles: How to create a retro logo with Affinity Designer Ready Player One gets suitably retro movie poster Is your design retro… or just dated? View the full article

Colour tools are many and varied, but we've never seen anything like this before. Picular is a new online tool that gets its data from Google Images, and enables you to generate a colour palette for any subject you can imagine. The latest addition in the ever-growing range of tools for graphic designers, Picular essentially harnesses the online hive mind to suggest colour schemes for your design projects. Users can type any topic into the search bar, and it will scrape the top image search results and provide a selection of shades based on the colours that appear there. The search suggestions provided on the site aren't that imaginative (no prizes for guessing what colours pop up for 'water' or 'forest'), but that doesn't mean you can't be. Picular will create palettes based on anything you can search for, from countries to abstract concepts. While you're of course going to need to use your own skills to find the right combinations, this tool provides a helpful jumping-off point for anyone trying to craft branding for a product – whether you want to embrace the colours your market associates with that particular product, or actively go against the grain. The tool was created by Future Memories, a digital studio in Sweden that specialises in strategic design and technology. Try Picular out here, or take a look at our roundup of other great colour tools for more inspiration. Read more: 21 outstanding uses of colour in branding Adobe shares Pantone's summer trending colours Famous internet logos get a retro makeover View the full article

Want to bring your images to life in a fun way? Get a lifetime licence for Next FlipBook Maker Pro for Windows. With this tool, you can use customisable templates that help you create flipbooks in no time at all. Show ideas to clients or share memories with friends by giving them the experience of flipping through a book – except that it's on an electronic device. You can create an even more visually engaging experience by embedding YouTube videos, music, charts, and more, and also incorporate any PDFs or images into your flipbook, bringing those pictures to life. Try Next FlipBook Maker Pro for Windows for only $19. Related articles: The best cameras for creatives in 2018 Photography cheat sheet helps you take better photos 5 reasons to use photography in your designs View the full article

Adobe is renowned for developing world-class software. But what's might not be quite so well known is some of the resources the company has created in order to help its users make the most out of its powerful creative tools. Introducing Creative Coffee Breaks , a series of mini-tutorials each covering a new skill or technique in less than the time it takes to make a cuppa. The Creative Coffee Breaks YouTube playlist features tutorials in many of Adobe's flagship Creative Cloud programmes, including InDesign, Lightroom, Illustrator, Adobe Stock, After Effects, Photoshop, Premiere Pro and, most recently, Adobe XD. Save 40% on Adobe Creative Cloud - offer ends Friday 31 August! The most recent tutorials focus on the latter, XD, Adobe's all-in-one UX/UI solution for designing websites, mobile apps, and much more. Built with a highly intuitive toolset, it's not hard to see why Adobe XD is quickly becoming the go-to tool for designers. Focussing in on two of Adobe XD's highlights is UX designer Sarah Parmenter, who first explores its Fixed Elements feature. A welcome addition to the software as part of its June 2018 update, Fixed Elements offers users a more realistic interaction experience, which Parmenter demonstrates perfectly in under two minutes: The second Adobe XD tool under the microscope is Repeat Grids. Here Sarah Parmenter reveals how Repeat Grids in Adobe XD can help streamline your workflow and how Adobe Stock imagery can be on hand to help bring your app to life. Get started for free Now you've seen how easy it is to master Adobe XD's tools, why not get started on your own mobile designs? XD is included in Creative Cloud, but the software is also available as a standalone app, with a free Starter plan option so you can begin creating immediately. As your designs evolve, you can upgrade to the full app at any time, giving you access to unlimited prototypes and design specs, 100GB cloud storage and access to Adobe's full library of fonts. You may use your Adobe tools everyday, and think you've got to grips with the toolsets, but trust us when we say there's always something to learn. And you never know, you might just find a small-but-hidden gem that transforms your creative process. So, what are you waiting for? Fire up your favourite apps and try out some of these Adobe Creative Coffee Breaks today! View the full article

Armed with the information, adversaries can explore and attack the local WiFi network, or identify and physically track any Android device. View the full article

With less than three weeks to the opening of Generate London 2018, preparations for the season’s premier web design conference are really gathering pace. Not only did the Generate flash sale exceed our expectations earlier in the month, but we’ve also been hard at work behind the scenes finalising our roster of top web design and dev speakers for you. But don’t just take our word for it: here’s just a tiny taste to whet your appetites. Daniel Olson As chief operating officer of DigitalCube, Daniel Olson’s responsibilities include product development and growth: he focuses on creating technical solutions centred around WordPress, design thinking and the point those two things intersect. And this experience undoubtedly inspired his talk at Generate: The Future is SaaS. While the upper limit of what's possible in a digital service-based industry may not exist, the reality of designing a product for scale may have real-world implications for its users and the communities around them. This is why his talk will explore its effect on relationships, quality of life, freedom of choice and what the future of the as-a-service model has in store. Laura Yarrow Laura Yarrow is a UX consultant at Experience UX. She’s spent 12 years in the digital industry, first as a web developer and subsequently as a user experience designer, and her passions are ethnographic and field research, behavioural psychology and understanding people. As a result she is fascinated by what happens when we tell stories. In her talk, The Art and Science of Storytelling, Yarrow will be speaking about how understanding the neuroscience and psychology of storytelling can be used to create engaging, learnable and memorable experiences for your products and services. Trine Falbe Trine Falbe is a consultant, researcher, speaker and lecturer who empowers people using design. She is the author of the book White Hat UX and is deeply committed to putting humans at the centre of work and building honest, transparent experiences. And there is certainly a lot of discussion about ethical design these days. About evil, Silicon Valley surveillance capitalists like Google and Facebook who track, profile and exploit our data. But the discussion can seem distanced to the developer or designer who is simply trying to make a living. How are we supposed to take up the fight against unethical design? By asking the right questions and by working within a White Hat framework, both of which you’ll get to know in Falbe's talk: Practical, Ethical Design. Tony Harmer Chief enchantment officer at Wizardry Ltd, Tony Harmer (aka The Design Ninja) is an illustrator, designer and learning-content author who has helped some of the world’s largest brands identify workflow cost savings running into the tens of millions and frustration savings that are priceless. As an Adobe Certified Expert and Instructor in many applications, Harmer has specialised in interoperability with Creative Cloud and is very enthusiastic about the accelerating of desktop production on the desktop through the integration of integration of mobile tools into design workflows. Harmer’s talk, Generate Web Assets at Lightspeed, will look at the production of graphic assets in today's "more and faster, for less" world and shows a stack of workflow efficiencies that will save time and money. With Generate only a few short weeks away, there isn’t a whole lot of time left to secure your place. See the full list of speakers here and make sure you pick up your ticket today! Related articles: Further web design royalty confirmed for Generate 10 fantastic web design tools for July 20 awesome books for web designers and developers View the full article

Choosing the best wireless speakers can be a tricky undertaking. Not only because the design needs to be in-keeping with your home office or studio, but because we all have slightly different requirements when it comes to listening to our favourite tunes. And with hundreds of products vying for your attention, finding the best wireless speakers, which tick all your boxes, can take hours of research. But don't panic, because here, we've done a lot of the hard work for you and put all the very best wireless speakers together in this handy guide. Which are the best wireless speakers right now? If you’re looking for a set of wireless speakers that give you all the benefits of fully wireless tech, with no need for a mains connection (albeit using an add-on battery pack), then you need look no further than the Ruark Audio MR1 MK2 (pictured above). Where most Bluetooth speakers are housed in a single unit, here you get the option of a true, stereo set-up, via two separate speakers. And if you’re looking for something higher end for your studio, we’ve opted for the Sonos One, which can be extended out to multiple rooms via wi-fi (and can support a staggering 32 connected–fully synced–speakers). How to choose the best wireless speakers? Choosing the best wireless speakers can include a number of factors. If you’re looking for something you can take to the beach, then you’ll want an extended battery life, Bluetooth-support, and a housing that can deal with everything the elements can throw at it. And if you’re looking for the best wireless speakers for your studio, where a required mains connection isn’t a problem, you can invest in a multi-room set-up – but all this comes at a price. The best wireless headphones in 2018 Wireless speakers come in many forms, and in this post we span the full range, from budget Bluetooth speakers, to higher-end systems for your studio. Whatever your needs, we’ve got them covered. The best wireless speakers overall The Ruark Audio MR1 MK2 speakers are as close as you’ll get to hi-fi audio in an affordable Bluetooth package (boasting tech usually reserved for higher-end hi-fi kit, such as tuned crossovers and A/B amplification). All this tech means that these speakers require a mains supply to operate, but Ruark has left no stone unturned, and even provides a portable, power supply – in the shape of the Backpack II – which can be attached to the back of the primary speaker, making it fully wireless, and offering up to 12 hours of playback on a single charge (Backpack II sold separately). Available in walnut or soft grey, there’s a design option to suit those that prefer a more traditional look, or something more Apple-friendly. And since the first version Ruark has also upgraded the grey fabric covering the speakers, which improves both its looks and audio performance. Whereas most Bluetooth speakers come with a limited set of inputs, here you also get the benefit of an optical input that can support hi-res audio up to 24-bit/192kHz. This means that you can run audio from your TV or amp directly into these speakers, providing even more versatility. The best wireless speakers if money is no object If you know anything about audio, then you know that Bowers & Wilkins has more than 50 years of experience in making speakers that not only perform well, but also look the part (with Sir Kenneth Henry Grange, co-founder at Pentagram, setting the standard for the company’s product design). Given the company’s design heritage, it’s no surprise that the latest iteration of its Zeppelin speaker stands out from the crowd; you’ll either love it, or think it looks like a giant suppository. Idiosyncratic design apart, the sound of the Zeppelin is amazing. Basically, B&W has thrown every acronym into the mix. You get up-sampling via a 192kHz/24bit DAC (digital-to-analogue) converter, a DSP (digital signal processor) that ensures low and high volumes perform equally well, and B&W’s proprietary FST (fixed suspension transducer) tech, which improves the performance of its midrange drivers. In short, a lot of work has gone into making the Zeppelin sound incredible. Add to this support for Bluetooth, AirPlay and Spotify Connect, and you have a wireless speaker that’s tough to beat, but it doesn’t come cheap. The best budget wireless speakers The Jam Heavy Metal HX-P920 nails its colours to the mast with its name, and packs a serious punch into 600 grams of pure grunt. For a speaker now priced at under $70/£70, you won’t find a better driver combo, with the Heavy Metal sporting two small active drivers and a pair of passive radiators–the radiators responding to air movement to boost that bass. But make no mistake, this Bluetooth speaker doesn’t simply cater to those about to rock, and does a fantastic job with most genres, with superb high-end frequency performance, too. The Heavy Metal’s simple metallic housing supports two speaker grilles, on the front and rear of the device, and is operated via six metallic buttons on the top of the unit. And pairing couldn’t be easier, despite no support for NFC, with the Heavy Metal establishing a connection to audio sources in seconds (signified by a reassuring series of bongs). We’ve put this speaker through the wringer over the last year, and a few scuffs aside, it’s retained its looks and performance, and still puts speakers available for a similar price to shame. The best wireless speakers for your home/studio The first thing to point out here is that the Sonos One isn’t to be confused with the Sonos Play:1, despite them looking almost identical. Because with the One, you get the long-awaited inclusion of built-in Alexa support. Design-wise, Sonos has always produced speakers that exude under-stated style, and will fit unobtrusively into most homes and studios. And if you should want to control the device physically, touch controls represent pause, play, and volume. But when you’ve got voice control, who needs buttons? To connect services such as Tidal or Spotify you’ll need to use the Sonos controller app, but almost everything else can be controlled by your voice. And thanks to the Sonos using Wi-Fi rather than Bluetooth to connect, you can sync up to 32 speakers, over a much longer range. Thanks to Sonos syncing tech, you can either have a single sound source playing seamlessly over multiple speakers, or create multiple smaller groups. This makes the Sonos One perfect for a studio environment, where you might want the same music playing from all your speakers, or have smaller groups for different floors/spaces/rooms etc. The best wireless speakers for TV Samsung is making some serious leaps in audio development, not least in its soundbar technology. And whilst you may not use its award-winning Samsung HW-MS650 Soundbar in wireless mode with your TV (because we suspect you’ll want it fairly close to your television), you can still use it as a wireless source for other audio inputs. Thee MS650 can stream from both Bluetooth devices and via Samsung’s multi-room app, which supports music services such as Spotify, Tidal and Amazon Music. And if you want to go a step further, you can include Samsung’s 9000S speakers to go for full-on surround sound. The tech that Samsung has packed into its soundbar is astonishing, with left, right, and centre channels comprising six woofers and three tweeters, all powered by 20W amps. For most people, this will handle all your TV and hi-fi needs in one package, and all for a price that won’t break the bank. The best wireless speakers for iPhone Weighing in at 780 gramms, you’re not going to be slipping the JBL Charge 3 into your pocket, but if you can handle the heft, there’s a lot to love about this Bluetooth behemoth. First up, it’s waterproof. And we’re not talking splash-me-with-a-wet-lettuce waterproof either; the Charge 3 has an IPX7 rating, which means you can dunk it in a swimming pool for up to 30 minutes. With the added weight of the Charge 3 comes 20 hours of playback, and the ability to charge other USB devices via its 6,000mAh battery, such as your iPhone, which will be a killer feature for anyone away from a mains connection for any length of time. And if you’re looking for a speaker for the beach or the pool that provides decent audio (for everything but the highest frequencies), and don’t mind the extra weight, then the JBL Charge 3 won’t let you down. Read more: The best wireless headphones for 2018 20 tools that make freelancing easier The best iPad stylus View the full article

It's an exciting day for Affinity fans and designers looking for software to streamline their workflow as the free beta of Affinity Publisher has just been launched. Following in the footsteps of the Affinity Designer launch a couple of months ago, Affinity Publisher is now available for Mac and Windows users to download and test for free – an iPad version will follow later. Boasting full integration with the popular Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo, Affinity Publisher is a professional desktop publishing app that will allow users who own all three tools to edit vector designs and images in one place. The arrival of Affinity Publisher has been a long time coming. Some users have been drumming their fingers in anticipation of the launch of Affinity Publisher since 2016, so it will come as some relief to learn that the first retail version will be released later this year. And with this bundle of three apps from Affinity, some may find themselves turning away from Adobe's Creative Cloud. Create tables to your heart's content "From the earliest days of visualising the Affinity range, we planned an unrivalled trio of sleek, super-modern apps created to work with the latest technology – ultra-fast, with stunning power and completely stripped of bloat," says Serif Managing Director Ashley Hewson. "The final step towards realising that initial ambition will come with the launch of Affinity Publisher. It’s an all-new app which we believe will revolutionise desktop publishing in the same way Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer have shaken up professional photo editing and vector graphic design." The headline capabilities of the creative desktop publishing software include advanced typography options, linked text frames, master pages, and facing page spreads. On top of this, users will also be able to work with dynamic photo frames, tables, baseline grids and linked resources, all backed up with end-to-end CMYK. Has Adobe just got served? Upon the launch, Hewson was keen to point out one thing: "It’s a beta, so there will be bugs and areas of the app which are not yet fully polished, so we don't recommend you use it for any important production work at this time. "We are relying on beta users to let us know what works and what doesn't," he adds. If there are any features that need adding, let us know. Even if we don’t get them in before we release version 1, you can expect plenty of free updates to come, just like with our other apps." The whole software is CMYK enabled Among these updates are buttons that allow users to toggle between Photo and Designer within Affinity Publisher. Although these buttons can be seen, it won't be until later in the beta period that they will be activated. News of the Affinity Publishing beta launch is sure to be welcomed outside of the software's existing users. For creatives frustrated with Adobe, InDesign has been one reason they've stuck with the platform for so long. But with the promise of Publisher on the horizon, this could be the reason they've been waiting for to jump ship and download Affinity. Related articles: Affinity Designer for iPad review Watch Affinity Designer for iPad in action How to draw with Affinity Photo for iPad View the full article

Increasingly, web designers are exploring the power sound as a web design tool (learn more about how sound design is transforming UX here). Between HTML audio and the Web Audio API, it’s easy to start adding sound to your projects. The <audio> element allows you to include plugin-free audio on your site, but it is still limited. For maximum sound control, the Web Audio API allows you to generate sounds, play existing ones, create effects and much more. In this article we’ll take a closer look at how each of these work, and explain how to use them to add sound to your projects. HTML audio The HTML <audio> tag allows you to embed music on websites and apps. Similar to the <video> tag, you can specify a source file, controls and several other options. This allows you to easily add audio to your page with minimal code. You can then target the element via JavaScript to give further control. It supports MP3, WAV, OGG and other formats, with MP3 being universally supported across modern browsers and devices. Let’s take a look at a simple example of using the <audio> tag. Some handy attributes specific to this element include: Autoplay – To allow the audio to play once it is ready Controls – Controls for the audio file will be included on the page Loop – If this one is included, the audio will loop and play again once it has finished Preload – Preload the audio when possible so it’s ready for playing However, it also has some limitations. There’s a low limit to the number of sounds that can be played simultaneously, no precise timing control, it’s not possible to apply real-time effects, and there’s no way to analyse sounds. This is where the Web Audio API can come into play. The Web Audio API The Web Audio API is a powerful system for controlling audio on the web. It can be used to enable audio sources, adds effects, creates audio visualisations and more. This API manages operations inside an Audio Context. Audio operations are performed with audio nodes, which are linked together to form an Audio Routing Graph. Multiple sources are supported within a single Audio Context. This modular design is highly flexible, allowing the creation of complex audio designs. Audio nodes are linked into chains and simple webs by their inputs and outputs. They typically start with one or more sources. Node outputs can be linked to the inputs of others creating chains or webs of audio streams. A common effect is to multiply the audio by a value to make it louder or quieter using the GainNode. Once the sound has been effected and is ready for output, it can be linked to the input of a AudioContext.destination, which sends the sound to the speakers. Note that this last connection is only required if you need the audio to be heard. A typical flow for Web Audio could look something like this: Create audio context Create sources inside the context (e.g. <audio>, oscillator, streams) Create effects nodes (e.g. reverb, flanger, panner, compression) Choose a destination for the audio (e.g. speakers) Connect the sources to the effects, and the effects to the destination How to use the Web Audio API Let's take a look at how you could use the Web Audio API in a project. In this example you'll load and play a sound file using the API. 01. Initialise the Audio Context To start we need to set up our Audio Context, an audio canvas for our sounds. This method ensures maximum cross-browser support and fallback in case the API is not supported. A single audio context supports multiple sound inputs and complex audio graphs, so you only need one for each audio application we create. 02. Connect the Audio Graph Any audio node’s output can be connected to any other audio node’s input by using the connect() function. In this example you will connect a source node’s output into a gain node, and connect the gain node’s output into the context’s destination: This audio graph is now dynamic, meaning you can change it whenever you need. You can disconnect audio nodes from the graph by calling node.disconnect(outputNumber). The power of this modular approach allows you to control gain (volume) for all sounds, or ones you wish. You can route sounds through effects or not at all, or in any combination you might need. 03. Loading sounds To load an audio file into the Web Audio API, we can use an XMLHttpRequest and process the results with context.decodeAudioData. This works asynchronously and doesn’t block the main interface thread. Here is what the code would look like: 04. Playing sounds Audio buffers are only one potential source of audio. You can use direct input from a microphone or line-in device or an <audio> tag among others. Once you’ve loaded your buffer, you need to create an AudioBufferSourceNode for it, connect the source node into your audio graph, and then call start(0) on the source node. To stop a sound, call stop(0) on the source node. The code looks like this: 05. Putting it all together As you can see from the previous code, there’s a bit of setup to get sounds playing in the Web Audio API. But, with this modular approach you gain maximum control over audio. Mixing sounds, reading their data via the Analyzer Node and so much more. Here is what a working example to load and play a sound looks like all together. Consider abstracting these steps for managing multiple sounds in larger projects as well. The Web Audio API AnalyserNode Web Audio API’s AnalyserNode enables you to extract time, frequency, waveform and other data from your audio. By using features like getByteFrequencyData and setting the min and max decimal ranges, you can zero in on specific aspects of audio data. Beyond music beds, effects and great music, we use sound to also drive visuals. Moving beyond complementing or enhancing what the user sees, the audio data can actually drive the animations. Simple effects that use the overall level (volume) of a music track can make your background pulse in time with a beat. Swells in the musical score can be used to change the opacity of an image or shift its colour. By tapping into the audio data through the Web Audio API we delve into frequency and waveform data as well. You can visualise the sound in an infinite number of variations. Find more on Web Audio API Want to find out more? These are the resources you should check out. MDN Web Docs – An in-depth look into the API with rich documentation and examples. Every aspect of the API is well covered. W3C – A repository containing the latest editor’s drafts of the W3C Web Audio API. This is the source where the standards are presented. Introduction to Web Audio API – A good introduction to using the API to create sounds by Greg Hovanesyan. Create a music-specific application using the oscillator audio source. Web Audio Weekly – A collection of news, stories and demos all about the Web Audio API. Covers a wide range of topics and examples to keep you learning. This article was originally published in creative issue 275 of Web Designer magazine. Buy issue 275 or subscribe. Read more: Agile development: why and how to use it in your web and app workflow A coder's guide to APIs 13 names every web designer should know View the full article