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The Acer Nitro 5 (NH.Q3REK.007) is a gaming laptop by trade, which makes it an unusual option for creative work. So how does it fare against other laptops for graphic design? Well, there's a fair bit of method to this machine's madness. While it may have been designed for blasting through Fortnite or FIFA, the underlying hardware delivers a solid processor and a discrete graphics chip alongside a full HD screen for a reasonable price. That's the sort of hardware that'll handle photo editing, some video work and content creation without the prices associated with high-end workstations. The Acer Nitro 5 might be a sensible bargain – but it could also be a false economy if too many corners have been cut. Acer Nitro 5: Design The Nitro 5 is more eye-catching than most laptops we usually see, which comes as no surprise considering it's a gaming machine. The lid is made from brushed aluminium and the hinge is finished with a dark red shade. That red theme continues to the keyboard and trackpad: the buttons have a red backlight, while the pad is ringed with the same colour. The gaming heritage means this machine stands out, but it's also a little immature compared to some rivals. At this price you'll get Dell and HP machines that look darker and smarter, with no extraneous colours. The Nitro 5 isn't the slimmest or lightest either – it weighs 2.7kg and is 27mm thick at its chunkiest point. Those figures are a bit higher than normal for a sub-£1000 notebook. However, it must also be noted that spending a little more cash will open the door to machines that are slimmer, lighter and better-looking than the Nitro. The Surface Book 2, for instance, costs at least £1099 – and for that money you'll get a mid-range CPU with no graphics core. To get discrete graphics, you'll have to spend nearer to £2,000. As a gaming laptop, the Acer Nitro 5 features some design quirks The Acer's build quality doesn't match the sort of strength that we routinely see on pricier portables, but it's not disastrous – the hinge could be smoother, and there's a tad too much movement in the material on the underside. Still, these are not terminal problems, especially at this price. The Acer isn't so thick or heavy that you can't carry it around in a bag easily – and it's easy enough to use a sleeve to protect the exterior. Two plastic panels on the base remove for easy access to the hard disk and memory slots. That's good for replacing or upgrading key components. However, there's no easy way to access the SSD or the cooling gear. Exterior versatility isn't as good. You get single USB 3.1 Type-A and Type-C connectors, but the other two USB ports use the older 3.0 and 2.0 protocols. There's an HDMI output, but no DisplayPort, and you only get one headphone jack. Unsurprisingly, there's no fingerprint reader. Acer Nitro 5: An affordable powerhouse? The Nitro's processing grunt comes from an AMD Ryzen 5 2500U (a newer chip from AMD's second-generation Zen architecture). The 2500U sits right in the middle of AMD's mobile range. It's got four cores that use multi-threading to address eight threads, which is important for tough, multi-threaded applications as well as nimble switching between different applications. The 2500U is clocked to a middling base speed of 2GHz, but this rises to 3.6GHz using dynamic boosting. The AMD chip's nearest Intel equivalent is the Core i5-8300H. It's available in other variations of the Nitro 5, and it's popping up in mid-range notebooks all over the market. The Intel chip also has four cores that can address eight threads, and its 2.3GHz base speed and 4GHz Turbo both outpace the AMD hardware. The Ryzen 5 2500U returned single- and multi-core results of 3,564 and 9,864 in Geekbench, which evaluates CPU performance using real-world tasks. It followed up with a CPU score of 661cb in the graphically-intensive Cinebench test. Those scores are behind the Core i5-8300H. The Geekbench multi-core result is around 5,000 points slower, while the gap is closer in the other two benchmarks. Still, they're decent mid-range results, and application-specific tools show that Ryzen has plenty of ability. In a GIMP-based image-editing test which relies heavily on single-threaded speed the 2500U scored 31,793 points. That's more than half the speed on offer from Intel's most powerful consumer desktop chips – which means you've got a solid amount of power for getting photo-based work done on the road. Similarly, in a Handbrake-based video benchmark, the 2500U scored 151,585 points. That score offers just under half of the pace of a top-tier desktop chip, but it still indicates that this machine has enough grunt to handle more basic video tasks. In the PC Mark 8 Home benchmark the Acer laptop scored 3,855 points, a result that'll beat many Core i5-8300H machines, especially with weaker graphics. Given that the PC Mark 8 Home test tackles tasks like writing, web browsing and photo-editing, that bodes well for mainstream work software. Ryzen may sometimes fall behind the Core, but both chips beat the parts used in pricier and slimmer machines – even though they're often touted as workhorses. As this is a gaming laptop, battery life was never going to be good – it lasted for almost four hours in an application test, but that was it The Surface Book 2 is available with a Core i5-7300U or a Core i7-8650U. The 'U' suffix on an Intel chip means it's a low-power chip, and the specifications prove it, with only two cores and lower speeds. The i7-8650U has four multi-threaded cores, but a far lower power ceiling. The Core i5-7300U routinely scores around 3,000 and 7,000 points in Geekbench's single- and multi-threaded benchmarks. In Cinebench it only tends to score around 375cb – miles behind the Ryzen 5 2500U's result of 661cb. The Core i7-8650U doesn't tend to get beyond 600cb in Cinebench, but it's closer to the i5-8300H in Geekbench. It's an admittedly confusing landscape. However, we can draw firm conclusions. The Ryzen 5 2500U is fast, but it can't quite beat the Core i5-8300H. However, both chips are noticeably quicker than the low-power parts that are routinely used in slimmer, lighter tablets and convertibles that are touted as work machines. That's exactly what we'd expect from a proper laptop, because there's more room in the design for a beefier processor. But it's nice to have it confirmed. The CPU is paired with an AMD Radeon RX 560X graphics chip. In Cinebench's graphics-focussed work tests the RX 560X scored 76.67fps. That's about 20 points behind the GTX 1050 Ti found in comparable full-sized laptops. Its 3D Mark Fire Strike result of 5,426 points is around 1,000 points behind the GTX 1050 Ti. However, the RX 560X is better than Intel's integrated UHD 620 chipset. It's four frames quicker in Cinebench, and Intel's chip couldn't get beyond 1,000 points in Fire Strike. Elsewhere, you get a solid SATA-based SSD, a hard disk and 8GB of memory – a solid specification. Don't expect longevity, though. As this is a gaming laptop, battery life was never going to be good – it lasted for almost four hours in an application test, but that was it. If you really push the CPU and GPU, expect that time to halve. Acer Nitro 5: Discerning displays The Nitro 5 has a 1080p 15.6in IPS display. The 1080p native resolution provides enough screen real estate for most tasks – and you'd have to double the Acer's price to get a meaningful resolution jump. The brightness level of 272cd per square metre is enough to handle bright office lights, and the black measurement of 0.26cd per square metre is decent; black shades will appear suitably deep and inky. Those figures combine for a measured contrast ratio of 1,046:1. That's high enough to ensure vibrancy throughout and to deliver solid variation between similar shades. Delve into colours, though, and the Acer underwhelms. Its colour temperature of 6,767K is fine – and means that the screen doesn't appear oversaturated or washed out – but the Delta E of 5.08 is poor, and means that colours aren't accurate. That accuracy issue is compounded by poor gamut coverage. The sRGB gamut is the least demanding range used on laptops, but the Acer could only render 59.4 per cent of its shades – a poor result even for a gaming machine. The Acer could only handle 40.9 per cent of the Adobe RGB gamut and 42.1 per cent of the DCI P3 gamut. The screen is one big area of compromise on this machine. It doesn't have the gamut coverage or the colour accuracy to handle any photo, video or design work where accuracy is the most important attribute. That means it's only good enough for more casual photo or video jobs – or work that you can complete on a better screen at a later date. Acer Nitro 5: The ergonomics The Acer Nitro 5 has a conventional laptop keyboard. The buttons are quiet and have a reasonable amount of travel. They're comfortable and consistent, with ample speed when pressed down. Those attributes are good for typing – we were able to hammer through long documents with an impressive level of comfort. The Acer Nitro 5's keyboard is good for typing, but the layout is a little strange The Acer's keyboard isn't all good news, however. The base panel is soft, which could prove irritating if you prefer a firmer and snappier typing action. The layout is a little strange, too: the left and right cursor keys are too narrow, and the Return and left-shift keys have to share space with other buttons. The trackpad is mediocre. The two built-in buttons are soft and push down too far when compared to a normal desktop mouse. That's irritating if you're used to a faster and shallower clicking action. Acer Nitro 5: Model laptop or gaming option? One of the advantages of the Nitro 5 is the variety of specifications – and prices – that are available. If you want more CPU power, a version with an Intel Core i7 processor will set you back about £900. A cheaper model with a Core i5 processor – but no SSD – costs approximately £649. Retaining the CPU and adding an SSD and better graphics ups the price to £799. While it's impressive that Acer releases many different models, it's worth keeping a close eye on retailers if you're interested in buying. Prices often vary significantly, and models come in and out of stock with regularity. Every laptop that costs less than £1,000 involves compromise. On the Nitro 5, Acer has made compromises when it comes to screen quality and design. The screen has a fine resolution and good contrast. Viewing angles are solid. However, the screen doesn't display many colours – and they're not particularly accurate. That means the Nitro's panel is only capable of handling more casual photo and video work. And while the Nitro 5 doesn't look bad, its gaming design is dated and it's certainly possible to buy slimmer and lighter laptops at this price. The processor and graphics offer good power for a wide range of tasks, from multitasking to photo-editing – easily more grunt than slimmer and more stylish machines. The keyboard is fine, and the port selection and internal access isn't bad. The price is right, too: half as much as you'll pay for a prestige portable elsewhere. If you can cope with those compromises, the Acer Nitro 5 is a reasonable and affordable alternative to slim machines and proper workstations. Ignore the gaming branding and be aware of this machine's downsides and it'll deliver a solid amount of computing power for a surprisingly low price. Read more: The best computers for video editing View the full article

With Warhead, you can design any website you can imagine, without having to write any code. This revolutionary web design platform is powered by CSS Grid technology, enabling you to create complex layouts quickly and easily via an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. And you can try it for as long as you like, completely free. Sign up to Warhead for free Warhead has the functionality to take on everything from a simple blog to an advanced ecommerce site. And great news for designers: it integrates smoothly with your Creative Cloud apps, so it will slot straight into your existing workflow. If you're looking for an Adobe Muse replacement, the hunt is over. Read on to find out more about what sets Warhead apart from other web design tools. Creative Cloud integration Warhead is Creative Cloud-connected, which means it's designed to work seamlessly alongside your other design tools. For users of the now-depreciated Adobe Muse, this could be an ideal replacement. Continue working in your favourite image editor, then when you're ready, simply transfer your designs into the Warhead Theme Builder to generate the code. This tool shortcuts the journey between mockup and live site. Make use of Adobe Fonts and Stock images in your designs There are more benefits, too. Because Warhead is linked up to Creative Cloud, you can also make use of Adobe assets – including Adobe Stock images and Adobe Fonts – in your designs. That means you'll have access to an extensive bank of resources, all from directly within your design tool. What a time-saver. Powered by CSS Grid CSS Grid is a powerful layout system that makes it possible to create editorial-style layouts online – something that's never really been possible before. With Warhead, you can harness the power of Grid without having to wrangle with any CSS. The tool's intuitive Layout Manager makes it easy to create elaborate layouts in double-quick time. Create elaborate layouts in double-quick time Warhead's creators believe a design tool shouldn't compromise or limit a designer's imagination. Its simple, drag-and-drop system enables you to create layouts visually, while Warhead does the hard work in the background. The system is so easy to use, there's no need for preset templates: you can create exactly the site you want, rather than fumbling with other people's templates. Warhead offers a massive choice of components, ranging from simple text blocks to galleries, so you can build a website that suits your exact needs. Once you've crafted your custom site, the tool's robust, intuitive dashboard ensures it's easy to manage. There's no limit on the number of pages, so your site can grow and change as you need it to – and any updates are pushed out in real time, across all platforms. Simple. Try it for free (forever) Many design tools offer a free trial period, but Warhead has gone one step further. There's a free-forever plan that lets you explore all the tool's features. Then, when you've had a chance to see how it fits into your workflow, upgrade to the $15/mo hosted plan to attach a custom domain to your slick new website. If you're a student, the deal is even sweeter: you get one free site with a custom domain, for life – ideal for your first portfolio site. Want to know more about Warhead's work with students and educators? Take a look at Warhead on Campus. For more information about this exciting design tool, head to the Warhead FAQ page, or go ahead and sign up to Warhead's Free plan now. View the full article

Designers can be tricky to buy for. They're picky, they have very specific tastes, and let's face it – you'd need to really love someone a lot to shell out for an iPad Pro. Even a graphic design book will typically set you back more than the average paperback. But fear not, we've scoured the internet for the best gifts for designers under $15. These make ideal stocking fillers. Not quite what you want? Got a bit more cash to splash? Take a look at our gift guides for graphic designers, illustrators and freelancers. 01. Optix 55 eye mask Buy Optix 55 eye mask $10.55 at Amazon (20% off coupon available) In the UK? Try this TheraPearl eye mask for £7.99 at Amazon No matter what kind of design work your gift recipient does, chances are they spend a more time than they'd like to staring at a screen. This eye mask is ideal for tired peepers. It can be heated to reduce swelling or cooled to relieve puffy eyes – or there's a soft side if they're just after a soothing screen break. 02. Avantree neon cable organisers Buy Avantree cord organiser (20 pack): $6.99 / £5.99 at Amazon Another (not) fun thing many designers have in common is cables. Despite the fact you can get a lot of things wireless now, the average designer's desk is still a mess of cords. And transporting their kit invariably ends in a mega detangling session when they reach their destination. These cable organisers are the answer. This pack of 20 includes three different sizes and five cool neon shades. 03. Homedics mini massager Buy Homedics mini massager for $11.99 at Jet In the UK? Buy Beurer mini massager for £13.99 at Amazon Help your friend or loved one beat deadline stress with a relaxing massage. Not ready to get that hands on? Give them one of these battery-powered mini massagers instead. Ideal for easing achy shoulders or sore backs, they come in a range of soothing colours – mint green, lilac and pale red. The compact size makes them desk-friendly, too. 04. Ello Jane ceramic travel mug Buy Ello Jane ceramic travel mug: $14.99 at Jet / £15.34 at Amazon Most designers love their coffee. Let them enjoy their caffeine hit on the go with this ceramic travel mug. It features a non-slip silicone base and lid to help avoid spillages, but the mug itself is ceramic – none of that weird drinking from plastic nonsense. It's also microwave and (top rack) dishwasher safe. 05. The Awesome Game of Meme Buy Cardinal's Awesome Game of Meme for $15.24 from Jet In the UK? Try Name the Emoji for £9.95 from Amazon Ideal for web designers in particular, but a great gift for any designer, this card game asks players to create their own memes. A group of three to six players create memes from 255 picture cards, 175 word cards and 20 theme cards, then the group votes for the funniest. It's time to see if your friends are as funny as they think they are. 06. ZURU fidget cube Buy Antsy Labs Fidget Cube for $5.50 from Jet In the UK? Buy Highline fidget cube for £9.99 at Amazon Forget fidget spinners, Antsy Labs' cube is the ultimate in fidgety fun. This high-quality fiddle toy is designed to improve focus and relieve anxiety. Designers with restless hands can play with one of six different sides, and glide, flip, roll and click their way to inspiration. 07. How to Swear Around the World Buy How to Swear Around the World: $11.07 / £8.99 at Amazon Sometimes there's nothing for it but to have a little rage session. Designers working with companies around the world will appreciate this guide to how to get potty mouthed in their tricky client's native tongue. Probably best not to direct the tirade at the clients themselves, but that's up to your designer friend to decide. 08. Emergency tech kit Buy Emergency Tech Kit: $9.99 at Kohl's / £11.99 at Amazon This emergency tech kit is a top way to ensure are gadgets ready to go whenever they're required. This kit includes a microfibre cleaning cloth and spray cleaner for keeping screens smear-free, USB charging cable to ensure gadgets are juiced up, a red cable tie to keep cords neat. It's all packaged up in a neat little tin, ready to pop into a laptop bag. Read more: What NOT to get a graphic designer for Christmas 4 of the best alternative advent calendars 10 free Christmas vectors that aren't cheesy View the full article

Productivity is one of those that we all aim for but which always seems to escape our reach. Luckily, sometimes all you need are the right tools. For just $29, you can get your hands on real and applicable knowledge for boosting your productivity, with The Ultimate Productivity Bundle: Lifetime Access. You'll learn how proper time management can double your work efficiency. You'll find out how to focus more effectively while you're working so you can accomplish more in less time. You'll discover tips and tricks you'll utilise for years and years to come. Get The Ultimate Productivity Bundle: Lifetime Access for just $29. Related articles: 5 top tips for creating a productive workspace 8 simple productivity tools for designers 8 must-have products for a smarter studio View the full article

Predicting the future might seem impossible, but that’s precisely how the design industry’s innovators keep ahead of the curve. The new issue of Computer Arts – on sale now – speaks to these experts to explore the design trends that will dominate in 2019 and beyond. Key areas like illustration, typography and logo design will all undergo significant changes — read more in this month’s issue. Buy Computer Arts issue 287 now We explore the best self-publishing routes to take We also look at the hot topic of self-publishing and what it takes to enter the wide world of indie books, magazines and comics. Many designers will have long-thought about going independent to have their work seen, and here we reveal the best routes to success. The world's top creatives are already predicting where the design industry is heading Save up to 60% on a Computer Arts subscription Elsewhere in issue 287, we sit down with live experience designer Kate Dawkins to learn more about her innovative work with pixels and projection. FINE art director Verity Kent also discusses why up-and-coming designers should take advantage of mentorship schemes. Meanwhile, Spanish studio Hey disclose how it competes on the global stage, despite being a small team. Take a closer look at what's inside Computer Arts issue 287 by scrolling left to right through the gallery below. Computer Arts is the world's best-selling design magazine, bursting at the seams with insight, inspiration, interviews and all the best new design projects. For all this delivered direct to your door each month, subscribe to Computer Arts. Right now you can save up to 60%, and receive a free Computer Arts tote bag when you subscribe. Related articles: 5 huge illustration trends for 2019 How to publish your own books on a shoestring 7 survival tips for design graduates View the full article

If you're kicking yourself for missing out on this year's Black Friday laptop deals, there's still the opportunity to snag yourself a bargain in time for Christmas. Amazon has just unleashed a shedload of last-minute Christmas deals, and nestled among them are a brace of offers on Asus Chromebooks that you'd be a fool to miss. The best laptop deals for 2018 Our pick of the pair is the Asus C223NA-GJ0014 11.6 Inch HD Chromebook; pint-sized but packing a punch, this little notebook features an Intel Celeron N3350 processor, 4GB RAM and 32GB eMMC storage. Running on ChromeOS, it's never going to replace your main work machine, but for a lightweight laptop that you can chuck in a bag and use for admin work or just keeping up with emails and social media when you're on the move, it's hard to beat. It's not the most powerful laptop on the block, but this Asus Chromebook with £80 off is a fantastic deal This Chromebook would normally set you back £229.99, but it's available now from Amazon for just £149.99, saving you £80 off the usual price. Check out the deal below, as well as another cracking offer on an Asus Chromebook. Related articles: The best laptops for graphic design in 2018 5 best laptops for Photoshop The best laptop bags in 2018: top laptop backpacks, sleeves and cases View the full article

Researchers identified a widespread campaign of brute force attacks against WordPress websites. View the full article

To forge a career as a creative professional, you need talent. You also need a certain amount of technical knowledge and skills in the area you're working in. But neither of these things in silo are a ticket to success. To get commissions and attract customers, you need people to know you and your work. In this article we'll explore some top tips for building your profile within your creative field, whether you're a designer, illustrator or artist. 01. Speak at events Events are a perfect place to cement your reputation as an industry expert Speaking at industry events is an awesome way to help raise your profile. Not only does it enable you to show off your skills and cement your position as an authority in your particular specialism, but it's also an incredible way to get your name known within the industry – you've got a captive audience of designers and artists sat right in front of you, after all. Many high-profile designers credit speaking at events with opening new doors in their career path (don't believe us? Take a look at point three here). If you have knowledge and expertise to share, email event organizers and pitch your idea for a talk. Hosts are always looking for exciting new voices, so don't be nervous about getting in touch. Once you've snagged a speaker slot, don't miss the obvious opportunities for self-promotion (it's surprisingly easy to do). Introduce yourself clearly, explain what it is you do at the start, and use your own work for examples within your talk. Also make sure your audience knows exactly how to get in touch with you – that means including your website URL and social media handles on your slides. All of this can feel a bit awkward as a new speaker, but it won't sound odd to your audience. Promise. If you're not quite ready to get on stage yet, attending events as an audience member can still be a savvy career move. They're a great place to mingle and network (more on that later), as well as providing a good indication of what the hot topics are in the industry at the time. 02. Be smarter with social media Save your Instagram feed for work and design-related snaps It's no secret that social media can be an incredible promotional tool for designers and artists. Different platforms have different strengths. Instagram is a no-brainer for creatives – the visually led platform is ideal for those wanting to show off new designs, and the Stories feature provides a relatively risk-free place to share works-in-progress. The downside is that you aren't able to insert clickable links into your comments, so you need to rely on people visiting your profile to get them onto your main portfolio site. Twitter really shines when it comes to communicating with fellow creatives and keeping up to date with industry happenings – essential if you want to build your network. Finally, there's Facebook. While you need to be careful to abide by Facebook's rules about frequency of posts and language used, it can be a great place to raise your profile, with digital artists in particular noting how important it is in their self-promo efforts. For examples of how leading creatives have used different platforms to raise their profile, take a look at this guide to making social media work for you. A word of warning – avoid a scattergun approach, pick two or three platforms that work with your specialism, and focus your efforts there. A good way to see if they're worth the effort is to see if (and how) the big players in your particular field are using these platforms and follow their lead. 03. Get better at networking Making new connections is essential to building your profile The very word may make you groan internally, but knowing how to network is vital to raising your professional profile. The golden rule is not to treat it like a sales pitch, but rather an opportunity to connect with likeminded people and exchange information. Be polite and friendly and you're well on your way. Chances are, if you're at a creative event, you'll have things in common with the others who are attending – so there should be no need to feign interest. Make sure you pay attention to what the other person is saying, and you'll naturally make more of a connection than you would if you went for a hard-sell approach. That said, you do need to make sure you maximize the potential of your networking for new business, which brings us on to our final point... 04. Don't forget your business cards Business cards take the effort out of reconnecting with new contacts Having a stack of business cards on hand to give to new contacts means they have all the information they need right there in their pocket. And if you have a well-designed, interesting business card, your new contact is all the more likely to get in touch. To nail the perfect business card, first of all you must get to grips with the essentials of designing for print (trim, bleed, image resolution, color profile and so on). You also need to ensure all the essential information (name, specialism, website URL, contact details) is both present and clearly legible. Beyond that, you can be as creative as you like. Special finishes can really give your business card the edge; MOO offers gold foil, spot gloss and raised spot gloss to make a card stand out. With MOO's Printfinity package, you can even mix things up properly and print a whole range of different business card designs. You're an artist, after all – so use your talents to make your design shine. Related articles: 10 steps to go freelance this year The pro's guide to creating memorable business cards How to project your work onto the global design stage 6 surefire ways to build your creative network Nail the art of networking 4 brilliant personal logos and why they work 3 tips for crafting stunning promotional material Create better business cards in less than five minutes 5 ways to earn more as a freelancer 5 ways to handle tricky clients as a designer View the full article

Working remotely has become much more common in web development over the last few years. Before version control, working remotely on the same development project would have been an absolute nightmare. Developers would have had to send large files to each other (probably through email), pasting in their own code before sending it back. There was no real way to track what had been added and when. 6 must-have skills for young web developers Thankfully, version control has arrived and made development on all fronts a lot more manageable. Web projects have become much easier to implement and manage, especially when it comes to working in a remote development team. You no longer have to worry about the current version of a website being overwritten – each team member is free to work on any file at anytime – and there is no confusion as to where the latest version of a file is being stored. In this tutorial, we are going be using GitHub to manage our code. There are numerous different types of version control tool out there, such as Bitbucket and TFVC, but even though they are all different, the principles remain the same when it comes to managing code. Firstly, it's very important to have a successful branching model when working in any team to make the development and deployment process run smoothly. You are most likely going to have multiple developers working on the same project. When working with a remote workforce, I believe the best workflow is composed of three main branches as well as a set of temporary ones: Develop branch: Every line of code has been tested and validated by the client. Staging branch: This will correspond to the validation environment. Release branch: This contains the last version of your website in production. There will also be a set of feature branches. However, these will just be temporary to initially build out the new features. Multiple developers on one project The best workflow is composed of three main branches: develop, staging and release Let's assume you run a team with two developers who work remotely. We will call them Sarah and James: they are both working on the same ecommerce website for a client. Sarah needs to develop a feature that registers the customer details. We would break this down into three separate user stories – adding, editing and removing – and then add these three tickets into the sprint backlog. Feature branches Adding a feature branch for the developing of a customer-details feature and adding a user story branch for add-details task So, let's say that Sarah begins on the adding customer details section. She would need to create the feature branch 'customer-details' and a user story one for the first task 'add-details'. Sarah would continue to work on the temporary branch 'add-address' locally and commit her work as she develops. Now, let's say that James wants to help Sarah with the customer details feature, so he starts working on the details deletion. James would pull the last version of the shared branch and create a new branch for the user story 'delete-details'. Then he can start making his own additions without worrying about overwriting Sarah's code. He will also use his temporary branch to code locally and commit any changes. Once Sarah has finished her feature locally, she puts the ticket into code review. She would push her code to the staging branch and open a pull request with the staging environment. We would now have the customer-details feature branch and the two user story feature branches in development 'add-details' and 'delete-details'. Merging Creating a new branch for the user story delete-details, allowing you to making additions without worrying about overwriting another person's code Once her code has been reviewed, she can merge her branch into staging. The ticket is now in the validation column, waiting for the validation from the lead developer. Once Sarah's work has been validated, the ticket can be moved into the done column. She can merge her work into the feature branch and start another user story, like deletion of customer details. When the whole feature has been validated by both the lead developer and client, Sarah can merge the feature branch into develop, as it's ready to go. Deploy to production Once ready to deploy, merge develop into release and launch the deployment Once all is complete and it's ready to deploy into production, James merges develop into release and launches the deployment. At this point he would know that all code is correct and the client is happy. He tags the commit of the release to get the history of each version. Rules to follow for this workflow This remote development workflow can be pretty difficult to understand at first but if you get your team to work by this method, then you have a free working flow without the need to panic about files being overwritten or your developers working on the same area. There are some key things to remember: The first thing you will need to teach your remote developers is your version control workflow and make sure that they are all reading from the same book. If you are developing a feature, try to break this down into smaller user stories. This way it's easier to keep track of every commit. Don't miss out any steps: the same workflow must be followed each time. You will always need to merge your branch into develop to prepare the next release. You should clean the staging repository every week if possible. You should delete the staging branch, locally and remotely, and recreate it from develop branch – see example below: Additional workflows With smaller projects, you may want to use a less complex workflow. You could use master, which contains the most up to date version, a develop branch and then a set of branches for each additional feature – whether that be forum, contact form, checkout system. It all depends upon your personal preference. Managing merge conflicts Dealing with merge conflicts is difficult enough if you are all working in the same room but they can become even more of a nightmare if you are all working in a different office. The most important thing is to remember that you can always undo a merge and revert back to the state before the conflict occurred. Whether you are doing all of the merges as lead developer or your team are the ones doing them independently, the first step is to understand what has happened. Did one of your co-developers edit the same line in the same file? Did they delete a file that you modified? Did you both add a file with the same name? Git will tell you that you have unmerged paths via git status: Now, the most common cause of a conflict is when changes affect the same files on the same line. So, let's have a look at the contents of the conflicted line. You will notice that Git is really good in the fact that it will mark the conflicted area by enclosing it in <<<<<<<HEAD and >>>>>>>[other/branch/name]. In this case, it's checkout-system. The contents after the first marker originate from your current working branch. After the angle brackets, Git tells us which branch the changes came from. A line with ======= separates the two conflicting changes. You can now simply open the file in an editor, search for the conflict markers and make any necessary modifications. When you're done, the file needs to look exactly as you want it to look or, alternatively, you can tell Git that you'll simply go with one of the edited versions, called ours or theirs. There are also many merge tool applications that can help with this. Kaleidoscope is a great one for Mac. Project and issue management Don't confuse issues with problems: you can also use issue labelling for enhancements, questions and bugs It's just as important as a lead developer to have a project management tool to manage things such as tasks and bugs, especially when your developers are not office based. There are numerous solutions out there, such as ZenHub and Asuna, but I believe GitHub's built-in project and issue system is the best. You can do things like set up a new project, create boards or assign issues. And don't just confuse issues with problems: you can also use it for enhancements, questions and bugs, among other things. Here are a few of its best features: Built-in tagging system: Allows you to organise and prioritise your workflow and easily search through projects for relevant information. Milestones: Perfect for associating issues with specific features or project phases, such as bugs that need to be fixed before a beta launch or tasks to be completed in October. Multi assignments: Issues can be assigned to users in bulk, saving time and making you more efficient. Commenting: Engineers and management teams can easily discuss progress and results at every step of the way using the inbuilt commenting system. Task lists: Larger issues can be broken down into stages to discourage the creation of dozens of microscopic issues, keeping all of your work in the same place. Markdown format: The ability to use markdown formatting will prove popular with your developers and it can be used in most places around GitHub. Project boards: These can be used to house issues, pull requests and notes, categorising them as cards in columns of your choosing so you can look at larger projects as a whole. High security: You can trust GitHub to keep your data safe and it's harder to breach than most other project management systems. Setting up a project If you go to GitHub and then head to one of your repositories, you will see a tab that is called Projects. From there you can select New Project, set up your project details and create a new project template. If you now select the Issues tab that is along the top and select New Issue, you will be able to create a new issue. You can then apply various labels – these are things such as bug, enhancement, question and duplicate. You might also use enhancement for a new feature or request. You can then assign various team members to the task, a milestone and also the project you just created. Assigned members will then have a list of all their tasks and you can even use the project board to keep a track of what's currently being built. If you remember our earlier tutorial, we were talking about moving tickets to sprint backlog and validation. So GitHub works really well as an all-in-one tool for overseeing a project. This article was originally published in issue 311 of net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Buy issue 311 here or subscribe here. Related articles: How to succeed as a freelance developer Develop reusable React components 4 tips to develop your developer skills View the full article

Want to become a front end developer with a lucrative career ahead of you? Get your hands on The Ultimate Front End Development Bundle while it's on sale for just $39. You'll learn a bunch of awesome tools, from coding with Javascript to website wireframing with HTML5. You'll also go from beginner-level to advanced courses in jQuery, and you'll find out how to code with CSS. Armed with these skills, you'll be amazed how quickly your job prospects increase. Get The Ultimate Front End Development Bundle for $39. Related articles: The future of web design How to make it in the web design industry 5 articles to improve your web design career View the full article

It's that time of year again, Pantone has just revealed its much-speculated Color of the Year 2019. This year the world authority of colours has chosen PANTONE 16-1546, AKA Living Coral, as the hue that's set to shape the year ahead. In terms of colour theory, this shade is a sharp contrast to last year's Ultra Violet, but what does it mean for designers and creatives? Described by Pantone itself as vibrant, yet mellow, Living Coral is a colour of dynamic contrasts. Although packed with warmth, this colour doesn't dominate. This makes it perfect for bringing out the strength of surrounding colours. We can already see how Living Coral can accentuate other colours, especially smoky blues and teals. 21 outstanding uses of colour in branding Living Coral also represents an interesting thematic fusion. In its press release, Pantone describes the colour as a nurturing hue that taps into our natural surroundings, while at the same time has the strength of presence to stand out on social media. This online awareness was deliberate. Pantone settled on the colour as a reaction to the "onslaught of digital technology and social media increasingly embedding into daily life." It hopes that the engaging nature of Living Colour will encourage lighthearted activity and playful expression, both of which would be warmly welcomed on increasingly fractured and polarised online spaces. Expect to see a lot of Living Coral in 2019 The title of 2019's Color of the Year is no mistake, either. In both name and appearance, Living Coral evokes the vibrant undersea ecosystems that are sadly under threat and becoming more elusive. And considering that Pantone chooses its Color of the Year with a careful selection process that takes into account trend analysis and socio-economic factors, the decision to reflect threatened sea life gives an idea of how the colour experts currently view the world. "Colour is an equalising lens through which we experience our natural and digital realities and this is particularly true for Living Coral," says colour specialist Leatrice Eiseman. "With consumers craving human interaction and social connection, the humanising and heartening qualities displayed by the convivial PANTONE Living Coral hit a responsive chord." Related articles: Are you ready for Pantone: The Game? Pantone creates the world's most unignorable colour Pantone's updated Colour Finder is a designer's dream View the full article

You're reading Optician Sans: A Font That Your Eye Remembers, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! Have you visited the ophthalmologist in a while? Do you remember the letters on the wall you read from a distance? You might not be surprised to learn that this kind of font is available for personal use. Optician Sans … View the full article

If you missed out on the recent Black Friday action, never fear, a lot of retailers are still offering great savings in the run up to Christmas. And today we've found a rare gem that's perfect for busy creatives on the go. In one of the best cheap iPad deals we've seen this year, US tech retailer B&H Photo is knocking $40 off the list price of the 9.7-inch iPad, meaning you can now get your hands on one for just $289! It's a rare sight to see discounts on Apple products, let alone a saving this big, so if an iPad is top of your creative wish list this Christmas, now's the time to buy. This sixth generation, early 2018, 9.7-inch iPad boasts a multi-touch Retina display so you can draw, sketch and take notes with the Apple Pencil (sold separately). This model also features an A10 Fusion chip, which is powerful enough to run augmented reality apps and creative software so you can work whenever, wherever. There is also a front 1.2MP FaceTime HD camera and a rear 8MP camera that can record 1080p video. It might not be the latest, shiny new iPad to hit the shelves, but this early 2018 model still packs a powerful punch, and at this price, won't leave a huge dent in your wallet. Hurry though, we don't expect this offer to hang around for long. View the full article

With Christmas fast approaching, there's no better time to pick up a bargain. We've been keeping our eyes peeled for discounts, and this deal on the Kindle Paperwhite is an ideal way to treat yourself or the creative in your life to some downtime. After all, who doesn't enjoy reading a good graphic design book? For a limited time, UK shoppers can pick up a waterproof Kindle Paperwhite for less than £100. With 17% slashed off its regular list price, this is the perfect time to pick up an e-reader with generous 8GB storage. With adjustable lighting and the ability to run off a single charge for weeks, this is the ideal choice for digital bookworms who like to take their reading with them wherever they go. What's more, with Audible, you're ready to start listening to your favourite stories when you plug in some Bluetooth headphones or speakers. If this looks like the offer for you, you've got until 09:00 GMT on 13 December to get it. Related articles: 10 ways to make your magazine cover stand out The ultimate guide to all Amazon devices 6 ways to get out of your creative rut View the full article

No matter how invested you may be in your high-end digital workflow, you can't beat some actual sketching or ink drawing with proper pens and pencils. And right now there's a great excuse to stock up on art supplies, with Amazon dropping the price of a bunch of Faber-Castell pens, pencils and pastels as part of its last-minute Christmas deals. The best pencils: colouring, drawing and sketching So whether you want to add your own pen collection or get some cheap Christmas gifts for creative chums, there's bound to be something for you here. We'd recommend buying these lovely pens as a gift and then deciding to keep them for yourself instead What's particularly caught our eye is a gift box of 48 Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens. Designed to give you all the advantages of India ink in a modern pen, these artist pens feature high-quality brush points that work both straight and bent, and deliver a reliable, even flow of brilliant pigments with excellent light-fastness. Loved by Manga artists and ideal for graphic artists, designers, illustrators and architects, these Pitt Artist Pens are suitable for drawings, plans, lettering, layout work and more, and with 48 colours to work with you'll always be able to find the right tone. Right now you can get this gift set from Amazon for just £76.85, knocking £57.05 off the usual price of £133.90, and there are plenty more Faber-Castell deals to be had at the moment; read on for more. Related articles: 18 phenomenally realistic pencil drawings How to draw a character in pen and ink Pencil drawing in 6 simple steps View the full article

Adobe issued a patch for the zero-day on Wednesday. View the full article

Hackers can steal data, sabotage cloud deployments and more. View the full article

The vulnerability could lead to arbitrary code execution. View the full article

Now that smartphones have become commonplace, it’s easy to take their capabilities for granted. And while plenty of us use the best iPhone apps to refine our digital art, play around with typography and enhance our photos, Glasgow-based artist Charlotte Prodger has used her iPhone to shoot a personal film that yesterday won the prestigious Turner Prize. 13 top movie-making apps for iPhone and iPad Named after the great and controversial painter J.M.W. Turner, the annual prize has become famous with both art critics and the general public for celebrating visual work that pushes boundaries. Prodger’s two short films are the latest to scoop the £25,000 prize, past winners include Simon Starling’s converted shed and Mark Leckey’s found footage exhibition Industrial Light and Magic. One of Prodger’s films in particular, the intimate 32-minute film, Bridgit, has made headlines this year due to it being filmed entirely on her iPhone. Featuring painterly clips of her home life, views from train windows and the Aberdeenshire countryside, the film explores themes of gender and identity with spoken narration that lifts excerpts from her diaries. But why has this film, and not the accompanying piece, Stoneymollan Trail, caught everyone’s attention? Perhaps it’s because the idea that something so ordinary as an iPhone can create prize-winning art makes creatives reevaluate the world and tools around them. For Prodger, though, using an iPhone taps into traditional filmmaking techniques. Speaking to the Tate, she explains that she wanted to honour filmmakers who could judge the length of a film by weighing a reel of celluloid by hand. "I'm very excited about the intertwining relationship between the body and technology." And given how tactile smartphones are, with their touchscreens and rotating cameras, Prodger argues that an iPhone is a hybrid of technological wizardry and analogue art tools. "It becomes very material, almost sculptural." See for yourself how an iPhone can create art with this clip from Bridgit. Related articles: 11 creative free iPhone apps for designers 45 best photo apps and photo editing software Is iPhone XS the best camera phone for designers? View the full article

Trying to work on public transport can be taxing, particularly when signal is bad, you feel like a sardine crammed into a small space, or are surrounded by loud or obnoxious people. But it is possible, and not every way of working involves being tethered to your laptop or an internet connection. We asked designers and developers how they manage to avoid spending their entire journey staring at 404 pages in frustration, and are able to make the most of their commute or travel time. 01. Plan ahead "I always feel great when I get work done on the train or at the airport because it’s like my time wasn’t wasted," says Michael Vestergaard, a freelance creative developer and interaction designer. "But it can be a challenge. "I normally plan ahead specific animations, prototypes or code snippets I need for new or ongoing projects. These might be micro interactions, text and image transitions or even drone formations, such as our most recent launch for Verity Studios. This kind of work is easier to pick up after a distraction or a longer break and distractions such as noise, slow Wi-Fi, small screen and so on aren’t such a big deal." "It’s about tailoring your work to your situation," agrees digital transformation consultant Sally Lait. "If I know I’m going have a patchy connection, I’ll save up writing tasks, use it as distraction-free time to read or learn something new. It’s important to set yourself up right and download what you need in advance." 02. Make sure you have the right equipment "I sometimes work during my 90-minute commute from Hertfordshire to London Bridge," says web developer at Zopa, Ben Read. "I’m currently working on a project that ties in many different services to one single static site using Gatsby.js. I carry a backup battery pack and typically use data tethering from my phone but it’s tricky when you’re pulling data from an API and suddenly the train goes into a tunnel. As well as having the right equipment, you may also need to make sure it's set up properly for your needs. "I’ve run out of data twice this month because I forgot to disconnect the tether, then later ran ‘npm install’," says Read. "When you’ve got over 300 dependencies to download that can hurt your allowance. I should probably invest in an unlimited data plan." 03. Use the time for something else Working on your commute doesn't always mean doing actual work. "I have RSI so I can’t (or shouldn’t!) do laptop-based work on public transport," says Inayaili de León Persson, lead web designer at Canonical. "Because of that, I use the time I spend travelling listening to podcasts and articles. I follow lots of both work and non-work-related podcasts and I tend to listen to the former while commuting and on work trips. I also use Instapaper’s text-to-speech iPhone app so I don’t hurt my neck reading on my phone. It’s made me appreciate how important it is to have well-written semantic markup when creating content online!" Freelance digital designer John Taylor says, "I often work in Manchester and it’s impossible to work on public transport whilst travelling to and from the city centre during rush hour, although it can lend itself to doing research like reading, listening to podcasts and watching videos. "On quieter journeys, I sometimes do admin work like correspondence, bookkeeping and invoicing but this is rare. I can’t imagine trying to do any serious design or dev work whilst travelling, unless it was something simple like an amendment or minor update. There are too many distractions and the problems caused by overcrowding are not conducive to an effective working environment." This article was originally published in net, the magazine for web designers and developers. Buy issue 312 or subscribe here. Read more: The best noise cancelling headphones for 2018 15 great web design podcasts How to switch off after a long coding session View the full article

If there’s one thing that people who work in the 3D art industry agree on, it’s that there are some base-level qualities needed to succeed as any kind of digital creative. It all boils down to passion and determination, but there are numerous tips and tricks that can help you build on these foundations and become the best of the best. 17 Cinema 4D tutorials to up your 3D skills To assemble these words of wisdom, 3D World spoke to freelance creative director Antony Ward, SouthernGFX director Glen Southern, and self-taught freelancer Rico Cilliers. So what qualities are necessary in order to become a successful professional in this industry? According to Ward, flexibility with your skill set and how you apply it is key. “It’s like being a joiner who only fits doors,” he says. “Eventually work will dry up, whereas if you can build shelves, fit decking or create bespoke things with wood you will always be busy. The same can be said for polygons. Don’t just be a sculptor when there are so many other services that you can offer to a client when there’s no sculpting available.” This image is from a series of stylised studies undertaken by Antony Ward to improve his traditional art skills For Cilliers, the devil is in the details: “I recommend developing an eye for detail and a sense of perfectionism. You don’t want to be too nit-picky about things, but clients generally appreciate attentiveness and an ability to spot problems and then solve them.” Southern maintains that the qualities that really make a difference aren’t creative at all: “The ability to communicate, take feedback, be a team player and finish a project that isn’t the most enjoyable are all skills that will get you hired. Being a kick-ass concept artist is one thing, but if you can’t take direction from your art director, it’ll prevent you from being an effective part of that team. Spend as much time crafting your interpersonal skills as you do working on your art skills.” Knowing how to deal with clients is one of the crucial ingredients needed to make a perfect professional. The trio have some sage advice when it comes to this: “Effective communication on the job is the most important thing I’ve learned,” says Cilliers. “My clients need to know exactly what they’ll get and how fast they’ll get it, as well as the costs involved. In this line of work, it’s often difficult to predict those things, but you need to be as clear as possible.” Rico Cilliers has eight years’ experience in sculpting, character creation, high- and low-poly modelling, and texturing Experience is crucial to approaching your clients, as Southern explains: “The only way to get experience in this area is to do it. Every customer is different and will treat you differently. Whoever the client is, they always want great art at a reasonable price.” He also agrees with Cilliers’ assertion that communication is key: “If time is tight or something has to give, that’s where the ability to communicate and be honest is absolutely essential. Be honest about your skill level and experience, be honest about how long the project is going to take, and be honest to yourself about your ability.” He continues: “Something I hear artists say all the time is: ‘say yes, then worry about how to do it later.’ That’s fine until you are knee-deep in a project and realise that it’s not going to work out. Being honest early on can prevent sleepless nights or anguish over a project.” Ask any digital artist, freelance or otherwise, for the most essential skill they’ve picked up along the way and there’s a strong chance that they’ll say time management. Cilliers has some very simple tips where this is concerned. “I’ve found that using an app like Google Calendar is really helpful when it comes to time management, as it’s so easy to use. I break tasks into small chunks, then I set personal deadlines for each chunk of work. I also try to take breaks regularly to avoid burning out.” Rico Cilliers warns that freelancers should be prepared to do a lot of admin work between artistic endeavours Ward keeps his days varied as a means of staying on track, “I tend to start work at around 7:30am. Rather than jumping straight into work, I use the first hour or two to work on personal projects, learn new skills, and catch up on emails. The rest of the day is then dedicated to client work.” He continues: “If I’m juggling a couple of projects, I make sure I divide the day and dedicate an equal amount of time to each, so I don’t get too focused on one and let the other slide. I also make sure to go to the gym a few times a week. If you’re sat at home all the time, you will soon see your health decline and if you’re not well, you’re not earning.” Southern is willing to admit that honing his time management is an ongoing process, and one he hasn’t fully mastered yet. “I have to be careful to not say ‘yes’ to everything; taking on too much leads to poor-quality work and bad decision making." "Get that wrong at a high level and it can really damage your reputation. I find being really structured with a diary is a great help – I put everything I do in mine, including fitting things around my personal life." Creators are likely to already know how important community is in the world of 3D art. Maintaining a presence in this community can do wonders for any professional’s career, as Ward explains. “Meeting new people in the industry is essential in building a potential client base, so I try to attend networking events like Ga- Ma-Yo (Game Makers of Yorkshire) or Vertex whenever possible. Having a healthy online presence is great too, as it means people all around the world can see what you’re doing and contact you.” This image is from a series of stylised studies undertaken by Antony Ward to improve his traditional art skills According to Southern, you don’t even need to leave the house to maintain a presence in the community. “Social media is a blessing and a curse, but it’s here to stay so if you want to grow a following you have to accept social media as your key delivery method. Find like-minded artists who do what you want to do and join in." "Push yourself to share work and try new ideas within a safe group environment. Do competitions and challenges to see where things lead and get people interested in what you do along the way.” Cilliers builds a community through collaboration with his fellow artists. “For me it’s always been effective to involve other people in my personal creative projects,” he explains. “Typically I like to post ‘work in progress’ screenshots of my art, and I ask people online to give feedback. People love contributing ideas, and this generally leads to a pleasant community interaction. You also get valuable advice. It’s a win-win situation. Also, get on ArtStation, it’s the best place to be for any and all digital artists.” So you have the basic qualities needed to succeed, an idea of how to deal with your clients, and a decent footing in the community, but how do you know what to charge for your services? If you do good work, and your pricing is honest, you will find clients Rico Cilliers “It’s really quite simple,” asserts Cilliers. “Add up all your monthly expenses, account for the possibility of unforeseen costs, as well as profit, then divide that amount by the number of hours you work per month. This will give you a basic hourly rate." "There’s really no right or wrong way to do it, as long as you’re not underpricing your work. Don’t be afraid that your prices might be too high either. If you do good work, and your pricing is honest, you will find clients.” To Ward pricing is something of a minefield. “It’s difficult because if your rates are too high people won’t hire you, but set them too low and you won’t get time to sleep. With that said, if your prices are low a client won’t have confidence in your work." "I would suggest deciding on a day rate that you’re comfortable with, one which means you’re making enough money to pay the bills. With that in mind I always try to work to a client’s budget. If the budget is smaller I see if the schedule is more flexible, so I can take longer to do the work whilst doing something else to top up my earnings for the month.” Antony Ward produces both 2D and 3D work for a wide range of clients including Electronic Arts, Infogrames, Sumo Digital, Ragdoll Productions and Jellyfish Productions Even after everything covered in this article, there are still many factors that people forget to consider when setting out as a digital creative. For freelancers in particular there is the constant pressure of running your business and making sure that the work is coming in. There are however considerations that apply to anyone, as Southern lays out: “You have to get used to the fact that you won’t get to work on what you want for 90 per cent of the time. You could get lucky and work on things you love, but bear in mind that’s harder for freelancers than employees.” He concludes: “You will get harsh criticism, critique and feedback sometimes. You will produce work that you may consider your best and it can be dropped in a heartbeat. Don’t get too emotionally attached to a piece of work, it’ll always sting a little at first but that wears off." "One thing I always say about being a creative is that the lows are low but the highs are higher. There’s no better feeling than getting a piece of art right and your client loving it." This article was originally published in issue 240 of 3D World, the world's best-selling magazine for CG artists. Buy issue 240 or subscribe to 3D World here. Related articles: How to land your dream job in 3D Create a 3D landscape in 6 simple steps 17 Cinema 4D tutorials to up your 3D skills View the full article

If you love playing video games but find you're beating more and more of them, why not learn to design your own? You'd be doing what you love, while also opening up a lucrative new career path for yourself. With School of Game Design: Lifetime Membership, you'll take developer courses led by industry experts. You'll gain access to a huge collection of training videos, you'll learn how to execute advanced techniques using Unity 3D, you'll get your hands on royalty-free game art and textures, and a whole lot more. Best of all, all these skills and features can be yours for only $59 – that's 99 per cent off the regular price. Related articles Design a playable avatar for a video game 11 best video game character designs Push start on your 3D video game career View the full article

Laptops are a staple of a creative person's toolkit, and it's important that you look after your laptop by keeping it in a high-quality laptop bag. If you take your laptop into the office each day, or to meetings with client and stake holders via public transport, you'll want a laptop hard case or padded laptop backpack. If your commute is less prone to getting up and close and personal with other people and your meetings require smart presentation, opt for a swanky and professional laptop briefcase. If you're happy carrying your laptop in a bag you already own but want added protection, take a look at our best laptop sleeves and hard cases. Right now we think the best laptop bag is the OMOTON Anti-theft Laptop Backpack, because it's water-proof, comfortable and practical. That said, whether this is also the best laptop bag for you depends on what you're looking for, which is why we've compiled this ultimate list. The best laptops for graphic design The best laptops for video editing How to buy the best laptop bag for you The best laptop bags will be strong and durable, but also comfortable and stylish. It's also important that they are secure, so you can take your laptop from A to B without the worry of it getting stolen or damaged. Key features to look out for include easy access laptop compartments so there's no need for opening up the main compartment that houses everything else, or zips on the back for extra security. As well as these, you'll want high-quality design that's durable, but stylish too. The style of bag that you choose will influence the material. Laptop bags will more often than not be fabric or canvas, but this doesn't mean they're not watertight. Several of the best laptop bags and backpacks in this list, including the OMOTON, Sosoon, WIWU and Knomo, are waterproof. Leather and neoprene are great options for waterproof protection, and we have briefcase and shell style laptop bags to suit. Of course, the material you choose will also influence the cost of your new laptop bag, so think about how much you're looking to spend. That said, we think it's well worth investing in a laptop bag that's going to stand the test of time. After all, the thing it's protecting will cost you a lot more to replace. The trickiest part of buying a laptop bag is getting the size right. Often laptop bags, especially sleeves, will be named for specific brands or models, most commonly the Macbook Pro, but this doesn't mean they will only fit that model. You'll have to be most careful with hard cases as they'll be made to fit, but other than that laptop bags are pretty flexible. To help though, we have included details of what sizes each of the best laptop bags in this list are available in. We have arrange our best laptops buying guide by bag type – backpack, bag, briefcase and sleeve – and we've included a best overall, budget, high-end and most stylish options for most categories. Here's our pick of the best laptop cases from the many available right now. Looking for a laptop backpack that does it all? This multi-functional rucksack from OMOTON is an excellent all-rounder. The laptop compartment is at the back of the rucksack, opening underneath the shoulder straps and making it impossible for your gadgets to be stolen while on your person. There's also a separate compartment at the lower back of the rucksack for your passport or wallet, meaning you can keep them to hand but still safe from wandering hands. Once you're zipped in, the zips can withstand a sharp knife too. Not that you'll need that kind of protection on an average commute. This laptop backpack tops our list because it's water resistant and designed with the wearer in mind: ergonomically designed straps give ultimate comfort, and the S-shape shoulder straps and padded both provide support. We recommend this if you're a commuter who needs to know they can grab and go and that their laptop will be safe. If you're all about security with little care for aesthetics, save yourself a few pounds and opt for the Sosoon anti-theft laptop backpack instead. Going one step further than the OMOTON, this backpack has fully hidden zips. The zips for the main pocket are hidden underneath the fabric at the top of the backpack meaning this bag is secure even when it's not on your back. Your laptop will be protected in more ways than one thanks to shockproof internal padded sleeves and elastic belts you can use to fasten in your laptop. That said, it's a visually unexciting choice compared to some of the best laptop bags on this list. The HotStyle City Outdoor College Backpack adds a splash of colour to the backpack portion of this best laptop bag guide. There are four colour options: grey, navy, camo green and light sea green – our favourite – which is pictured above. It's a cheap and cheerful laptop backbag that does the job without too many frills. If you're likely to want to work on the train (or watch Netflix, we won't tell), getting your laptop in and out of this backpack is tricky as there's no easy-access compartment. Created for city living, this Kinzie Street expandable backpack from Briggs & Riley is as cool as laptop backpacks come. The slimline look doesn't compromise of padding for your laptop, and there are also RFID blocking panels to protect your wallet or purse from RFID theft. Leather accents add a touch of style and sophistication to the streamlined, minimal design. Yes it's expensive, but it comes with a lifetime guarantee and can even be paid for in instalments. If you're looking for the functionality and security of a backpack with the professional style of a briefcase, we'd recommend this Kinzie Street backpack for you. Built with five layers of material, this WIWU laptop shoulder bag is a great way to protect your device if you don't need the extra space a backpack provides. The bag features a shock-absorbing bubble foam padding layer, as well as water-resistant neoprene layer underneath a fabric outer. Despite the multiple layers, the bag is very streamlined. The main compartment is suitable for your laptop only, but there is a smaller, zipped compartment on the front with three small pockets. Although we've included this Ropch laptop bag as our budget option, we think it looks far more expensive than it is. The main compartment will hold your laptop (11.6" up to 17.3" options are available), and there's an additional zipped, front compartment for your accessories: chargers, headphones, or mouse etc. This lightweight, professional-looking bag is perfect for the dashing to and from meetings, working on the move and everything in between. It's sleek enough that you won't look out of place in a client's glass-walled office, but equally it's quirky enough to be by your side in your local coffee shop. There's no denying that the Porsche name tag adds some extra pennies to this laptop bag, but we think the build and style quality are worth it. Made from nylon but coated with Teflon, this bag is both strong and stain resistant. The double-handle system means it can be carried like a briefcase, or over the shoulder when mobility is your priority. Ideal for on-the-go professionals, this bag features a padded laptop pocket as well as room for your charger and documents. Inject some fun and colour to your day with the Copenhagan briefcase from Knomo. This is without a doubt the most stylish laptop bag you can buy today. The stunning red colour is bold and bright, so you'll always be able to spot your luggage among the crowd, but it still looks smart. The downside is that the Knomo Copenhagan only fits laptops, Macbooks or notebooks up to 14 inches, but for many of us that's the largest device we need when working remotely. If a traditional briefcase is closer to what you're looking for, look no further. PU leather that has the look and feel of real leather helps this laptop briefcase punch far above its weight in the style stakes. The briefcase features two main compartments for carrying your laptop, tablet and organiser, as well as separate area to keep documents need and holders for credit cards, keys and even pens. The bag locks securely with a flap buckle and key-lock, and offers the choice of a traditional top-carry handle, or adjustable shoulder straps. For some though, this bag possibly says more 'suited and booted' than 'creative professional'. Available to fit 12, 14.5 and 15.6 inch notebooks and Macbooks, this faux suede laptop sleeve is a crowd pleaser. It's super soft and padded so your device will be well protected, and there's an external pocket that's big enough to fit key accessories like headphones or charging cable, and an additional interior pocket for valuables. This is a good middle ground when it comes to laptop sleeves as it's more stylish than our budget neoprene option, but more neutral than our high end and patterned picks. A real winner when it comes to high-end laptop cases, this gorgeous leather sleeve by Kate Spade combines functionality with simple, classy design. The perforated flower print adds texture and personality to the simple black case without losing the professional look. If you're carrying a sleeve designed this well, your clients are going to trust your eye for quality design. This case certainly adds style to your tech, but protection is also key. The durable, real-leather outer will protect from knocks, and the soft inner lining with prevent scratches. Unfortunately this case is only available for screen sizes up to 13 inches at the moment. If you're looking for a cheap, unfussy laptop sleeve then this neoprene number from LOGIK is the one for you. Neoprene is a tough yet cushioning material so your device is in good hands when it comes to light knocks and bumps, and it's also waterproof. This sleeve comes with a handle – not always a given with neoprene sleeves like this – meaning it's easy to transport. No frills and no fuss means you can pick up a durable, protective case for just over £10. If you like the simplicity of the LOGIK neoprene case but are looking for something a little more funky, then check out this protective neoprene sleeve from Dr.Sosmonki. Perfect for creatives who don't want anything dull or simple, this slim sleeve is lightweight and waterproof, making it an essential for transporting your laptop. Shown above is our favourite of the four patterns, but it was a tough choice between this and the blue and red pattern. There are four striking designs to choose from in total, as well as three sizes: to fit 13, 14 or 15.6 inch devices. If you like to keep things simple, or are a huge fan of the natural look of your Macbook, then this hard case offers protection without changing the design of your device. Although designed for the 13" Macbook Pro, this laptop hard case can be used on other 13" devices. It's designed to stay on your laptop at all times, rather than just when you're on the go, and so help keeps your laptop ventilated, as well as allowing access to all ports and charging points. If you want a laptop hard case that's unlikely to be owned by anyone else you work with, we think we've found your perfect match. This modern and elegant wooden laptop case is available in light or dark oak, complemented by a brown leather flap. Adding custom measurements is an option so that laptops and notebooks of all sizes can be catered for, as is a custom engraving. If you're a graphic designer or illustrator, then a customised hard case featuring one of your own designs is the perfect way to showcase some of your work in an unusual way. Comprised four different materials, this AMNIE laptop hard case will protect your device from knocks, bumps and dust, as well as scratches and spills. Working from the inside out, your laptop is protected by soft velvet cushioning for the screen, and 6mm high-density, slow-recovery foam that absorbs shock and reduces its impact. The water-resistant polyester surface protects against spills and fits snugly, whether you go for the 11 to 11.6 or 15 to 15.6 inch case. Etsy offers a world of customisable designs, but our favourite right now is this handmade Paints hard case by DesignerEmpireCo. Cleverly designed to mimic oil paint, this laptop hard case will help you make a statement when it comes to your creativity. It's a natural choice for traditional artists, but will give a nod to anyone's creative profession or hobby. Multiple sizes are available, from 11 to 15 inches. Read more: The best office stationery for working from home What NOT to get a graphic designer for Christmas The best camera bags and cases in 2018 View the full article

You're reading Microsoft Redesigns Office App Icons, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! Changes in the digital world are happening rapidly and every industry is affected. That is why great companies keep up with trends, so they don’t become part of the past. Microsoft revealed new, modern Office App Icons. But did they … View the full article

Stepping up to running your own agency is the dream for many designers, however once you find yourself in charge you might find that it's all too easy to make mistakes that can result in chaos, inefficiency, overstretched and stressed staff, and ultimately missed deadlines and unhappy clients. One way to keep things on track is by understanding the importance of good resource management. Float is a visual team planner that makes managing your team incredibly easy. It's designed intentionally for agencies, studios, and firms, and eases the vital business of keeping your projects on track. Float takes the pain out of resource management with a straightforward and beautiful UI With Float, project management becomes a lot less stressful and you'll find it easier to deliver on time and to spec with fewer unpleasant surprises along the way. You can't mitigate for every eventuality, but with solid project planning in place you'll be much better prepared for the inevitable obstacles. Thanks to Float's beautiful UI you can plan projects in seconds, and with features like real-time updates and live notifications you can ensure that your teams have all the information they need to plan their time well. But there's more to running an effective business than simply having the right tools. Read on for eight pitfalls you need to avoid if you want your agency to thrive. 01. Don't say yes to everything Turning down work never feels good, especially in the early days of an agency when you're going all-out to build your profile, but if you want things to run smoothly then you're going to have to recognise when your plate's full. It can be tempting to squeeze in an extra job in a rush of enthusiasm, but if the end result is having to juggle your teams across multiple projects while trying to keep assorted stakeholders happy, sooner or later you're going to hit a brick wall. Your employees will be over-stretched, deadlines will slip by and the end results are likely to be below par. Don't risk your team's moral and your agency's reputation; learn when to say no 02. Don't be inflexible No project ever runs completely to plan, and no business ever runs entirely by the book. If you keep these two facts in mind and ensure that you're ready to adapt when things go wrong, then you'll be in a much better position to cope when you run into the inevitable hiccups that will crop up along the way. Good project management skills aren't about sticking rigidly to the original plans and specifications; if something's not working then you might need to refocus and reorganise. 03. Don't interrupt The modern work environment is packed with all manner of ways to distract people from their work; even if you set aside the ever-present lure of social media, there's also the constant pinging of email and Slack notifications. And while it's tempting to keep people updated with a judicious @here message on Slack, you should ask yourself whether it's really necessary. If you interrupt someone while they're deep in their work, it's going to take them time to settle back into their flow, and constantly shifting between work mode and comms mode can be draining. Giving your team time to ignore emails, set 'Do Not Disturb' on Slack and work uninterrupted can be a real productivity boon, and it's also a positive influence on their mental health. 04. Don't go overboard on meetings Love them or hate them (we know, you probably hate them), meetings are essential, just so long as they're tightly planned and don't end up rambling completely off-topic. Meeting that start late and run overtime don't just waste precious work time, they also cost you money. Keep meetings to the point by using Google Calendar's 'Speedy Meeting' option; it'll end 30-minute meetings five minutes earlier, or 10 minutes for one-hour meetings, helping you to stay focused on the agenda and make everyone happy that they're getting out early. 05. Don't overload As mentioned earlier, it's beneficial to know when to turn work down, but even so you'll almost always be in a situation where you have numerous projects on the go and you're relying on your staff to prioritise work effectively. This, of course, is the sort of situation where a team planner such as Float is invaluable, but you'll need to apply a bit of old-fashioned common sense on top of this. Asking people to switch back and forth between a number of projects might hit those daily goals, but it can be a struggle for your staff. If you can break your team down into groups with responsibility just one project, they'll be able to focus better without having to shift mental gears every few hours and feel overloaded. 06. Don't micro-manage No-one likes a manager who's constantly looking over their shoulder and suggesting ways they could work better; it's bad for team morale and it's not an effective use of your time. However a laissez-faire approach will often lead to bad habits becoming ingrained, so you need to find a good middle ground. Set time aside every day to analyse and optimise the way your team works, and figure out improved working practices to take forward; by approaching management in this way rather than constantly being on everyone's case, you should find plenty of ways to boost productivity (and of course, profitability). 07. Don't avoid decisions Sometimes the biggest hold-up on a project can be the business of waiting for someone to make a decision, especially if it's one with a lot of stakeholders. You can tackle this at your end by ensuring that you don't put decision-making off; if you've done with your research and you're communicating effectively with your team then it really shouldn't be difficult to bite the bullet, and make even the hardest decisions quickly. Waiting on decisions from clients can be a different matter, especially if your point of contact has to refer to a manager, who may in turn prefer to kick the decision upstairs rather than take responsibility themselves. You can ease this process by employing a responsibility assignment matrix, which lays out exactly who across the project is responsible and accountable for all decisions, as well as indicating who should be consulted or informed about decisions. 08. Don't ever think you know it all Finally, no matter how much you've learned over the course of your career, don't fool yourself into thinking that there's nothing left for you to learn; this kind of mindset leads to complacency and suddenly finding yourself completely overtaken and outclassed by a bunch of hungry new kids on the block. There's always something new to discover, whether it's figuring out fresh tricks for finding more work, new methodologies to apply to projects or great ways to motivate your team. The best bosses are the ones who know this and keep pushing themselves to learn, no matter how long they've been in the business. Find out more about how Float can transform your agency's project management, and get a free 30-day trial, here. View the full article