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Poor old Flash was a lot of fun in its youth, but then it became old, slow and susceptible to infections. It was doomed from the moment that Apple decided not to support it on the iPhone, and yet we all kind of miss it a bit, right? Well now there's a new open-source editor called Wick that looks like the Flash alternative we've all been waiting for. Created by Zach Rispoli and Luca Damasco, Wick is a free web tool for creating games, animation and everything in between for the internet, and it's entirely browser-based. Wick is a free and easy-to-use alternative to FlashYour creations will work on any device with a web browser, without the need to download any extra software. Inspired by tools such as Flash, HyperCard and Scratch, Wick is a hybrid of an animation tool and IDE, and first came about when Rispoli's eight-year-old sister started to outgrow Scratch and needed a more sophisticated tool. What started as a simple prototype has since been refined into a more polished tool, and it's ready for you to play with now. Building animation and interactive elements such as buttons is nice and simpleIt's easy to get started with Wick: follow these simple tutorials and you can quickly make an animation by simply drawing a few frames (or importing your own images) and exporting them as a .GIF. Beyond that you can add motion tweening and start scripting events, and you can even import JavaScript libraries for more complex projects. Wick is free software that you can run, distribute, change, and redistribute as you wish, and it's open-source so you can view the codebase and even help improve it over on GitHub. As Rispoli explains, "We hope that the web as a community can come together and help build Wick and bring the spirit of Flash to the next generation of online creatives." You can find out more about Wick here, or simply hit the Wick editor and start playing! Some creatives have already started, and are sharing how they got on. Related articles: Create and animate SVG polygons 21 top examples of JavaScript 50 free web tools View the full article

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The impending demise of Adobe Flash will create legacy challenges similar to Windows XP as companies begin to wean themselves off the vulnerable code base. View the full article

Since 2010 Pinterest has been helping other people to discover the things they love, but it appears the catalogue of ideas has decided to focus on itself for a change as it settles on a new wordmark. That's right, the platform preferred by craft-lovers has retired its distinctive script font in favour of an altogether more hard-edged wordmark (above). This change is the first update to the Pinterest logo since 2011. Back then, Pinterest settled on the ligature-heavy font as a deliberate contrast to its boxy pinboards. The result is a bizarre combination of two fonts. In the Pinterest badge you can still see the script lettering, but this sits awkwardly next to the new typography - which the clever folks at Brand New have figured out is a slightly modified version of Neue Haas Grotesk in its Black weight. The old Pinterest script was used from 2011 onwardsThe situation gets even more confusing when you head over to Pinterest's brand guidelines. Under the logo/Pinterest badge header it clearly tells you to 'only use the Pinterest badge (please don’t use our wordmark!)'. It's possible that Pinterest only wants to be identified by its badge and nothing else – kind of like what Tinder did with their flame logo earlier this week. However, even other companies that employ a less wordy version of their logo to be used as an icon (Facebook is a great example of this) have consistency between the two designs. Meanwhile the new Pinterest logo is a disjointed combination that does away with what we thought was a perfect look for the site. Related articles: 15 fantastic logo fonts 10 commandments of logo design Behind the scenes on seven superhero logos View the full article

Lettering artists have been using a nib and ink to transform letters into beautiful calligraphy for centuries. A writing style that has flourished over thousands of years, creatives use calligraphy fonts in much the same way as retro fonts, to add charm, elegance and a sense of nostalgia to their work. Here are 14 of the most beautiful calligraphy fonts around today. 01. Olivia Script Olivia Script is sophisticated, graceful and freeFeaturing 351 elegant glyphs, Olivia Script is a sophisticated and graceful modern calligraphic typeface suited to use on everything from wedding invitations to greeting cards, posters and more. It's available as a free font from the Font Bundles Store, and comes with a premium licence that allows for both personal and commercial use. 02. Work in Progress Work in Progress isn't actually a work in progressCreated by Clement Nicolle, also known as StereoType, Work in Progress is a script font with a very specific style of connecting curves. It comes in a simple free version that's good for personal use, but if you pay for the commercial version you get an additional clean version, as well as a set of alternate glyphs and ligatures, including a bunch of little words in multiple languages. 03. Envelove Envelove has a delightful Quentin Blake feel to itDesigned by Yani Arabena, Guille Vizzari and Ale Paul for Sudtipos, Envelove is a free-and-easy typeface consisting of three fonts: Envelove Script and Envelove Caps, which enables you to build variations into your lettering with alternates, ligatures and a small caps set. There are also Envelove Icons, which are perfect for adding a bit of decoration to your lettering. Lively and expressive, it reminds us of Quentin Blake's wonderfully energetic illustrations. 04. Noelan Script Noelan Script's swashes and alternates keep things looking freshFree both for personal and commercial use, Noelan Script is a modern calligraphic typeface from ndro. It features automatically connecting swashes as well as plenty of alternates to give your text a more human feel, plus international characters. 05. Quickpen Quickpen looks like it has been quickly jotted with a felt tip penType designer Laura Condouris is behind beautiful calligraphy font Quickpen. Casual and carefree, Quickpen was designed to recreate the look of confident script, quickly jotted with a felt tip pen or brush. Available over on MyFonts, it is described as 'the perfect script for any design that doesn’t take itself too seriously'. 06. Dragonflight Each of Dragonflight's glyphs were created using a brass folded pen dipped in inkBeautiful calligraphy font Dragonflight was created by type designer Hanneke Classen, who hand-drew each glyph with a brass folded pen dipped in ink. The font got its name from the tip of this folded pen, which resembles the shape of a dragonfly’s wing. 07. Allura Calligraphy font Allura is suited to a variety of print and digital projectsStylised yet legible, Rob Leuschke's calligraphy font Allura is great for all manner of print and digital projects, including branding, posters and much more. And best of all, it's free! 08. Freeland Add a modern, bold and lively vibe to your designs with Freeland fontWith a rich, inky texture, Freeland calligraphy font was created by type designer Laura Condouris. Featuring plenty of ligatures and stylistic alternates for a realistic, hand-lettered look, Freeland will give your designs an edgy vibe. 09. Poem Script Poem Script received a Certificate of Excellence at the Type Directors Club NY 2011Available over on MyFonts, Ale Paul's Poem Script design is described as 'a mixed collection of interpretations conjuring a late 19th century American pen script style'. Poem Script received a Certificate of Excellence at the Type Directors Club NY 2011 and was selected at the Bienal Tipos Latinos 2012. 10. Aphrodite Slim Aphrodite Slim is suited to all manner of digital and print projectsCreated by designers Maximiliano Sproviero and Sabrina Mariela Lopez, Aphrodite Slim is part of calligraphy font family Aphrodite Pro. With over 1,000 glyphs and super-stylish curves and flourishes, Aphrodite Slim is suited to all manner of digital and print projects. 11. Lucida Calligraphy Lucida Calligraphy is a favourite among designersCalligraphy font Lucida Calligraphy is a favourite among designers. Available from type foundry Monotype, Lucida Calligraphy is suitable for books, reports, posters, advertistements and much, much more. 12. Hiatus This beautiful calligraphy font was penned by designer Stephen W. Rapp. A lettering artist for over two decades, Rapp pulled out all the stops when creating warm and elegant typeface Hiatus. 13. Lamar Pen Lamar Pen reflects the personality of the man whose handwriting inspired it, Mirabeau B. LamarAn elegant, antique calligraphy font, Lamar Pen reflects the personality of the man whose handwriting inspired it, Mirabeau B. Lamar – a celebrated Texan of the 1830s and 40s. 14. Dom Loves Mary Designer Debi Sementelli created Dom Loves Mary as a way to honour her in-lawsDom Loves Mary is named in memory of Dominic and Mary Sementelli, a couple who were totally opposite but 'made for each other'. The font was created by Debi Sementelli as a way of honouring the pair. A beautiful calligraphy font, Dom Loves Mary is great for stationery, posters and much more. Contributions: Jim McCauley Related articles: Calvin Klein reveals new logo design 8 great uses of typography in business cards 50 great free handwriting fonts View the full article

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Portfolios are for life, not just for internships. Throughout your career, your design portfolio is a vital tool in winning better jobs and new freelance contracts. But talented creatives often fail to capitalise on these opportunities by neglecting to raise their portfolio to the right level. Whether you’re a student looking for your first gig, a middleweight wishing to advance, or a senior hunting for your dream position, your portfolio could probably do with some attention. At its most fundamental, design is about empathy. So the essence of getting your portfolio right lies in understanding your audience – in this case, the designers, agency heads and recruitment specialists who’ll be looking at it. And there’s one thing you need to appreciate about all of these people: they have very little time. We’re going to assume you’re already familiar with the basics of creating a good portfolio. In this article, you’ll find extra tips and updated advice from hirers at top agencies, for every stage of your career. Grab attention with a visual portfolio Olly St John, a designer at boutique agency NB Studio says: “Because we’re quite a small team, I tend to deal with looking at interns’ and freelancers’ portfolios,” he explains. “But we get tons of them. With such an intense amount to look at, that dictates how much time I can spend looking at them. Imagine that the person looking at it is going to spend seconds on it. It’s got to be visual Olly St John, NB Studio "I tend to skim, if I’m completely honest. I’m an occasional guest lecturer, so I always tell my students: ‘Imagine that the person looking at it is going to spend seconds on it. It’s got to be visual.’” St John tells a tale that echoes throughout the industry. However great your portfolio is, don’t expect it to be read cover to cover; expect little more than a glance or a quick scan. So how do you make the most of that brief opportunity? If you’re trying to get your first job or internship, here’s some good news: your portfolio doesn’t have to be perfect, and agencies are more than aware that you probably won’t have a lot of experience. “With junior designers, we’re looking at potential,” says Tim Smith, principal of design at digital agency ustwo. “A real raw spark of something exciting. The rest you can refine. There are a lot of skills you can learn, but there are some that are really difficult to teach.” That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t make your portfolio as good as you can, of course. But it does mean you shouldn’t pretend to be something you’re not. Explain your projects and contributions clearly Tony Brook says group work is fine, as long as contributions are properly ascribed“For me, it’s very frustrating when I don’t know if certain projects are ‘real’ or not,” says Sean Murphy, creative director at Moving Brands. “So flagging up whether something is actual freelance work that’s out in the world, or a personal or student project, is very important.” There’s nothing wrong with showing personal work per se, says Tony Brook, creative director at Spin. “People often do show personal work, and that can be quite useful to see. Especially if it indicates what their interests are, or what they’re passionate about.” Flagging up whether something is actual freelance work that’s out in the world, or a personal or student project, is very important Sean Murphy, Moving Brands Nor is there anything wrong with including group projects. “Again, that doesn’t particularly worry me; quite often things are a group effort,” Brook reasons. However, do make sure you don’t pass off the work of others as your own, either consciously or subconsciously. “Remember, you often get people applying from the same university, who’ve worked on things together,” says St John. “So if I don’t know it’s group work, and then I see the same project in someone else’s portfolio…” Rely on good work – not gimmicks Sean Murphy urges designers to steer clear of focusing on personal brandingOne recent trend is for students to feature ‘personal branding’ for themselves, such as their own logo, in their portfolio. But be warned: hirers aren’t keen on this trend, and in all honesty, would rather just see your name nicely typeset. “Personal branding gets in the way of what you’re trying to look at, which is the work,” says Murphy. “It opens candidates up to criticism too: if they create a personal brand, they have to expect that brand to be critiqued in some way.” Personal branding gets in the way of what you’re trying to look at, which is the work Sean Murphy, Moving Brands Tim Beard, partner at Bibliothèque concurs. “The portfolio itself is the ‘branding’,” he argues. “It doesn’t really need a logo. Good control of ideas, type and articulation of content is a much better use of your time.” In short, trying too hard to stand out from the competition can often be counterproductive. “Interns tend to be take more ‘creative’ approaches when they send us their folio,” reflects Madeleine Fortescue, resource and recruitment manager at Moving Brands. “But I think this often just takes away from the work.” For example, one candidate sent a recording of him singing his CV; another sent instructions on how to create an origami bird; a third sent the team a box of crisps. “At some places, maybe gimmicks like that go down well,” muses Fortescue. "But for us, it’s all about the work, so I think that focusing on producing a curated, solid and confident portfolio is a much better approach.” But what if that solid portfolio isn’t getting you anywhere? How do you find out what’s wrong? Simple, says St John: just ask. NB Studio, he says, sends a simple ‘capsule reply’ to every portfolio submission, acknowledging receipt – but if you don’t hear anything for a while, there’s no harm in directly asking for feedback. “I’m never harsh, but I’m usually quite honest,” he smiles. Keep polishing your portfolio (in case of emergencies) Olly St John's trained eyes can instantly tell student and professional portfolios apartSo you’ve got your feet under the table in your first job. It’s all going well, meaning that you can forget about your portfolio for a while, right? Wrong. Even if you’ve got no immediate plans to look for another job, you never know when you might need to. Redundancies often come like a bolt from the blue. And the principle of ‘last in, first out’ normally applies, so as a fresh hire you’re unfortunately particularly vulnerable. On a more positive note, perhaps the powers that be have noticed your great work and are thinking about promoting you. But be honest: if a superior suddenly asked you into their office and asked to see your latest portfolio, would it be ready for viewing? Would you be ready to show it? As a hirer, the thing you really notice with a more experienced designer’s portfolio is how stuff’s photographed Olly St John, NB Studio In short, if you want to continue advancing, you’re going to need to keep updating, refining and improving your design portfolio throughout your career. The good news is that you don’t necessarily have to do a radical redesign. Simply adding new work will often be enough to get you a long way. “As a hirer, the thing you really notice with a more experienced designer’s portfolio is how stuff’s photographed,” says St John. “That’s often because most of it’s been done at an agency level, where they’ve spent a few thousand on great photography. So it is usually quite easy to see the quality over the student-level work.” Curate your portfolio for a specific role Covering all bases is a pet hate of Madeleine FortescueBesides the chore of updating a portfolio, there is another, greater challenge for mid-career designers. Now you have more work to choose from, you need to put more effort into curating it. While at student level, curation just means choosing your best work, it’s now time to think more seriously about what direction you want to go in future, and start gearing your selection towards that choice. A portfolio should demonstrate why you’re a match for the role you’re looking to fill Madeleine Fortescue, Moving Brands Doing so will help hirers have a much better understanding of where your interests lie, and as a result, where you might best fit in an organisation. Not doing so, in turn, may convey a lack of purpose or direction. “One of my biggest bugbears is when people include everything; try to cover all angles, all bases,” says Fortescue. “A portfolio should demonstrate why you’re a match for the role you’re looking to fill. It needs to say: ‘This is why I’m really the best person for this, look at the work I’ve done.’ Rather than, ‘Hey look, I do a bit of everything.’” At this stage, recruiters aren’t just looking for high-quality work from candidates, they’re usually looking for something specific. “What really gets me excited is fit and relevance,” says Smith. “Not just in the kind of work that you’ve been doing but also in the way you carry yourself, the way you talk about yourself, the personality you portray. It’s nice to see a portfolio from someone that seems to have very similar personality to us as a company. "I can imagine other agencies that are a bit more serious might be put off by the portfolios we get, and vice versa. Because it’s important to fit into the company culture as well as the sort of work we do,” he explains. Don't give up when you reach the top You’ve finally become a senior designer. With widespread respect for your work and good relationships in the industry, putting together a winning portfolio will be a doddle, surely? Sadly, it’s not always that simple. For a start, the more responsibility you take on within your studio, the more confidentiality agreements you have to sign, and the more difficult it can be to actually show what you’ve been working on. In this case, at least, peers will empathise. “It’s often the case that more experienced designers will be reluctant to email over confidential work, or have it on their website,” says Smith. “So we’re very aware of that.” And depending on the client, there are various strategies you can take to circumvent restrictions, such as showing the work in the more confidential circumstances of an interview setting, or maybe restricting it to a password protected area of your website. Senior portfolios need careful explanations Tim Smith was presented with some very familiar workPerhaps a trickier problem is that the more senior you become, the less hands-on and the more strategic and managerial your involvement in projects gets. And this can be difficult to convey in a portfolio. “With senior candidates, it can sometimes difficult to tangibly distil what they were responsible for, what value they brought to the project,” says Smith. “And so you find that more senior people’s portfolios tend to be less visual as a result.” Rather than relying on large-scale images, then, you may now need to present your projects more like a blog or a case study, with concise but careful text explaining the brief, how it was met, and the specific part you played. Again, it’s important to avoid overstating your role in projects, whether intentionally or accidentally. “I once had someone come in for a senior design position here, and they presented my own work back to me as their own,” Smith reveals. “They’d worked on the project, but they were actually just doing asset creation for the developer, and the graphic design was all my work from a year previously. So it was incredibly embarrassing. I had to say: ‘I know you didn’t do what you say you did, because I did that.’ Needless to say, he didn’t get any further.” One senior sent me a video of each of his projects. The whole thing was just one minute long... It was the perfect time-saver Tim Smith, ustwo On the positive side, once you’re a senior designer you’ll probably have enough experience and wisdom under your belt to consider experimenting with how your portfolio is presented. Smith recalls one particularly memorable example: “One senior sent me a video of each of his projects. The whole thing was just one minute long, and he spoke over them in a quite personal way; explaining what the final product was, the process they used to get there, and what his own involvement had been. It was the perfect time-saver because it was like five short clips of five different projects, very easy to digest.” He got the job. Keep it clean It’s clear that, whether you’re just starting out, are a seasoned pro or somewhere in between, there are plenty of portfolio traps to avoid and mistakes to steer clear of. But all our experts stressed that as long as your portfolio meets certain criteria – is clear and uncluttered, easy to navigate, thoughtfully curated and concisely annotated – you won’t go far wrong. Any portfolio that ticks all of the standard boxes is going the right way... [but] if it’s awesome work, then I’m sure I’d get over any personal bugbears Tim Beard, Bibliothèque Remember, your portfolio is only one of many ways you’ll be assessed, along with your CV, cover email and interview. And the notion of an ‘amazing’ portfolio that instantly puts one candidate ahead of the running seems to be little more than a myth. As Fortescue puts it: “I can’t think of a portfolio where we’ve gone: ‘Oh my God, that’s the person.’ That doesn’t really happen in real life. A curated, clear, concise, bold portfolio is the only thing we’re looking for.” Beard takes a similar view. “Any portfolio that ticks all of the standard boxes is going the right way,” he states. “But, you can’t really define what works precisely; there is no formula, just like creativity. If it’s fucking awesome work, then I’m sure I’d get over any personal bugbears.” Related articles: How to shoot print work for your portfolio Create a killer online portfolio in 10 steps 10 great uses of typography in portfolios View the full article

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Self-publishing accounts for 22 per cent of the UK ebook market and is continuing to grow, meaning authors are increasingly liaising directly with designers to achieve the finished look for their manuscripts. 22 free ebooks for designersWith so many books hitting the market, a striking cover can make the difference between a hit and a flop, making experienced designers in this field highly sought-after. A memorable book can be a valuable addition to your design portfolio. Which poses the question: what exactly makes a successful book cover? 01. The brief: Understand the author and readers Getting the right tone for the book's subject is essential When creating a book cover, you’re tasked and trusted with encapsulating someone else’s story in one powerful design. Before you even begin, it’s vital that you familiarise yourself, not just with the story between the pages, but also with what the writer is setting out to achieve and who their audience is. So ensure you’re given a clear brief, including aspects such as genre, target readership and whether it will be printed, an ebook or both. A gritty crime thriller will need a very different look and feel from a business-focused or self-help book. A healthy relationship and fluid line of communication between designer and author throughout will ease the entire process and lay solid foundations for a successful book cover. 02. Cover images: Teasers not spoilers Peter Mendelsund’s designs for Franz Kafka covers allude to some of the writer’s central themesA well thought-out cover design should say a great deal to a person about a book without them even needing to turn to the first page, but without knowing every detail. As a designer, you want your cover to give away just enough to entice the reader, and capture the story inside, without revealing too much. The imagery you choose can be a great way to connect the reader with the book on a deeper level. 03. Typography: Creating a brand The fonts on Zadie Smith's books have helped develop a brandHowever, book cover design is not just about the images, it’s about the entire aesthetic of the book – which brings us onto typography and formatting. As the designer, your typography needs to support both what the title expresses, as well as the tone of the story itself. For example, sans-serif fonts often dominate the nonfiction genre, as they express modernity and professionalism, while romance novels often feature whimsical and fanciful fonts such as Lavenda (take a look at our article on the different traits that can define a typeface's personality). Alongside the title and imagery sits the author’s name. Readers often buy a book because they are familiar with, and trust, the name on the cover. The typography you choose for a title and the author’s name can grow to become a brand in the eyes of their readers. For example Zadie Smith’s book covers are recognisable from the bold and consistent font and use of colour, often accompanied by very little in the way of imagery. 04. The spine: Bringing everything together This excellent design incorporates both the cover and spineEven though it literally holds the entire printed book in place the spine is often an afterthought for many designers. When placed on a bookshelf, the spine is all you can see, so continuation of a good cover design is important here. Whilst the cover is all style, the design of the spine is typically about substance. It will include the title and author’s name, remaining consistent with the style on the front and back cover. There can still be room to be playful however — Rachel Willey’s clever cover for The Mothers, presents a woman whose face isn’t fully revealed until you get to the spine. It’s a great example of how you can incorporate the spine into the whole cover of the book, and make it interesting. 05. The finished cover: Finding balance There's plenty of inspiration available, from the elaborate to these simple designsIt’s important to note that typography and illustration are two quite different crafts, so you may require training and focus in whichever area isn’t your specialism. However, should you be tasked with creating a cover that’s slightly out of your comfort zone, resources such as Pinterest are a great place to gain inspiration. Great cover designs don’t have to be complex either. Take Noma Bar’s concepts for the fiction of Murakami, which are an exercise in simplicity and restraint. Ultimately, a successful book cover design implements and balances all of the above. A cover that achieves the right harmony of art, type, and concept will ultimately be the one that makes it off the shelf, or online store, and into a reader’s hands. Related articles: How to design a book in InDesign How to design a book cover in InDesign 5 tips for improving your book design View the full article

It's never been more important to protect yourself while browsing the web. One of the best ways to deter threats is to use the protection of a VPN. Get two years of protection from Private Internet Access on sale now for 63% off the retail price. Whether you're trying to avoid hackers who want to steal your information or your own ISP attempting to gather your browsing data, a VPN is an essential tool for hiding yourself from prying eyes. Public Wi-Fi can be risky, but Private Internet Access can make it safe again by providing a secure, encrypted connection no matter where you are. It’s an essential tool for remote workers and anyone who wants to keep their information safe while working in public. Two years of protection from Private Internet Access Usually costs $166, but you can get it on sale now for 63% off the retail price. That means you pay just $59.95 (approx £46). It's a great deal for a necessary piece of protection, so grab it today! View the full article

Wireframes are a necessary part of the web design process. Acting like blueprints for web and app projects, they help you discover early on what works and what doesn't, and allow you to set the content and focus without the distraction of a flashy design. Are microframes the future of wireframing?When done well, wireframes can clarify your thinking. But they can also derail a project if not done correctly. With that in mind, below you'll discover 10 straightforward ways to improve your wireframing skills, as well as how to use some of the best wireframe tools. Following these tips will help keep you focused on what's important: ensuring the functionality and usability of your product. 01. Start your wireframing with a sketch While it may seem like a good idea to jump right into your favourite design tool, sketching out your wireframes – with a pencil and paper – can yield better results. The process shouldn't take too long, and it'll help give you a better idea of your overall plan. 02. Skip the colour The purpose of a wireframe is to lay out content, page and view elements, and to describe the app's functionality. Adding in any elements of design, such as colour, detracts from its primary purpose. So leave the colour for the mockup, and keep it out of the wireframes. 03. Keep wireframes simple Don't overcomplicate your wireframes. Keeping it simple will allow you to focus on the bigger picture and avoid distractions. Wireframes should clearly describe the usability and functionality of your app. You don't need to get into the nitty-gritty details or the final look of the design. 04. Use better sample data Poorly selected sample data can kill a wireframe. While you don't need to spend a lot of time populating your wireframes with data, you should at least make sure the data you add is relevant. 05. Annotate when needed At their core, wireframes are blueprints; they are the designer's and developer's guide to building the app or website. If you want them to be easier to read and understand, add annotations when needed and where appropriate. 06. Use a grid system and lay out boxes An interesting technique for making wireframes is to use a grid system and layout boxes. Using this approach, you can quickly group and lay out the different components in a simple and structured way. 07. Create reusable styles and symbols Most software used for wireframing has the capability to create and reuse styles and symbols. Not only will this help to speed up the process, but it'll help keep your wireframes consistent. 08. Use the right tool for the job Speaking of software, there are many tools available for making wireframes. Some of them are specifically designed for wireframing and some aren’t. Here are a few favourites: Sketch is one of the best tools out there. Used in conjunction with other solutions, like InVision, Sketch offers designers the necessary tools you'll need in order to get the job done Affinity Designer is a lightweight vector design tool that comes fully packed with everything you need to create great wireframes Pencil Project is a free, open-source tool with built-in shapes and stencils for Android, iOS, Dojo, and more. You can also use it to wireframe websites and desktop apps For a few more ideas, take a look at our pick for The 20 best wireframe tools. 09. Know your wireframe types If you're unfamiliar with the term 'fidelity', it means the level of detail. In the world of wireframes, your options are low fidelity and high fidelity. Both are needed, but each has its own function and purpose. A low fidelity wireframe is where it all starts. It's the basic no frills, quick to create, wireframe. Its primary purpose is to get you started. Whereas high fidelity wireframes provide a lot more detail, though aren’t full-colour mockups. Often these are grayscale or single colour wireframes, which provide a closer representation of the actual design. 10. Get feedback early and often One of the benefits of using wireframes is that they take very little time to create. As such, they can be shared with the team earlier in the design process. This makes it easier to catch things early on and address them accordingly. That said, get feedback on your wires early and often. Wireframes shouldn't slow you down. They are just one step in the process to creating better UX/UI designs for your users. View the full article

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Building a product is a lot like putting together a puzzle with a group: lots of pieces that all need to come together, and the more hands involved, the trickier it is to make everything fit just right. Communication and teamwork take effort and planning. Ideally, a productive team consists of productive individuals, but that's not always the case. In our time making InVision, we've learned a lot about how a team works. To help, we've rounded up our favourite ways to design some productivity and good vibes for your team. 01. Design sprints (work with structure) Applying sprints to your design process has real benefitsTo some, sprint is a dirty word. But the point remains: working with structure and measurable goals is an awesome thing. Sprints and boards and standups are usually more at home in a development world, but applying them to our design process has real benefits. Working on things in small, measured segments keeps focus tight and progress digestible. Since design is such a creative and subjective process, it's susceptible to slippery timelines, and worse, the critical eye of a crunched project manager ('Why isn't this done yet?!'). Setting realistic goals about when things will be done and when developers and engineers can start working provides your team with a rhythm it desperately needs. If you can swing it, work in the same task/agile/PM tool as the development team to provide transparent insight for your team into your process. If that doesn't work, try a tightly organised Trello board. 02. Hackathons Blow off your creative steam with a hackathonOne key to designing in sprints: schedule downtime between your larger efforts so everyone can blow off some design steam. Enter hackathons. Traditionally viewed as development exercises (yeah, it has 'hack' in the title), hackathons give an otherwise focused designer a wild creative outlet. Take a break from conversion, style guides, and business goals and create something goofy for the office with your team. This is an opportunity to foster teamwork by pairing developers and designers together on a common, enjoyable task. Removing the stress and pressure from a working relationship helps build a foundation for when/if those things return. 03. Communication (that doesn't feel like work) Real-time chat can give your working day a shot in the armEmail isn't fun. I get why we use it, but you'd be hard-pressed to find someone on your team who's dying to tackle a full inbox. It's a slow, often hard-to-follow way to tell someone something (re: re: re: etc.). Chat apps like Slack and HipChat not only provide your team with lightning-fast communication, they add a big dash of fun. Virtually every (modern) work chat I've been a part of has been filled with jokes, GIFs, and general good vibes. That's not to say that work doesn't get done. Both Slack and HipChat have some serious integrations under the hood for GitHub, Trello, and all the other major players you're already using. Pulling quick conversations out of the inbox and into real-time chat is a huge shot in the arm for teamwork and productivity. Gathering feedback is quicker, action items multiply, and everyone gets on the same page. Next page: 4 more top teamwork tips To find out more about improving teamwork, come to Generate London, where Alison Coward will share her tips on creating good team habits that stick 04. Lunch-and-learns Lunch-and-learns don't have to be liquid lunches, but it helps…As software and design continue to solve new problems, we've got an interesting new hurdle: working in areas where we have no idea how things traditionally work. For instance, I spent years building a consumer auto insurance app at a startup, but before that I'd never thought about how my insurance actually worked (let alone the industry behind it). Until I got my feet under me, I spent a lot of time conversing with our insurance agents and others on my team who knew the space. I'm sure they thought, 'Who is this clueless dude roaming the halls?' One of my favourite tools is the lunch-and-learn, a quick meetup where team members share knowledge and insight – sort of like a high-level show-and-tell for professionals. At that startup, lunch-and-learns happened sporadically, or when a new team member joined. The more you learn about the tough decisions your teammates face, the more you can help out when they arise – and the less you'll bother them over small things. Gaining confidence in an industry that used to be foreign to you will definitely show in your design and the decisions you start to make. 05. Pair program (and design) Pair programming is a good way of fostering the mentor-protégé relationshipFor a young developer, pair programming is a huge boost and great chance to learn from a more senior member of the team. I'm not sure if pair designing is even a phrase, but dang it's useful. Exploring your process with a team member (especially a non-designer) makes you really evaluate the choices you might otherwise take for granted. It's also a great way to give a dev or engineer a head start on things in the pipeline. Simply being familiar with a design before it hits their plate can make building things so much easier for a developer. 06. Team social accounts Getting to know people by the brand rather than the person is just as valuableOne of my favourite recent developments on Dribbble is the rise of the team account, a way for folks working on the same thing to share as a group. Beyond that, there's been a general rise of the 'team member' on all social networks, and it's been awesome. There's a bunch of folks I came to know through the brand first, before eventually beginning to recognise the person. 'Oh, hey – it's Andy from Visage' or 'It looks like Phi from Funsize made this'. The faces and stories behind a product are a big part of the product itself – and sharing them provides insight into your goals and company culture clearer than any marketing copy ever could. There are some agencies here in Austin that take time to generate design prototypes specifically for social channels, in the form of micro-design explorations created for Dribbble (and to learn, I'm sure). One manager's 'wasted time' is another's 'team-building exercise'. 07. Design critiques Share your design and get feedback from your teamA good designer is not an island. Gathering feedback from your team should be the hallmark of your design process. Painful as it is, having your design picked apart eventually leads to good things. Do it however you want: call everyone into the conference room, start a new group chat, or email the team. The important part is to share the design and start collecting feedback. One of my favourite ways to do that involves creating a prototype and inviting the team to leave comments all over the place. Processing feedback in context is a lot easier for me, and threaded comments provide better tracking than endless email back-and-forth. A side effect of a solid design critique is that non-designers start to nab a stake in the design process. Seeing their contributed ideas take shape gets the whole team excited about a (previously) mysterious process. Conclusion Open your process and others will follow. Disappearing into a hole and emerging with a solution isn't teamwork. Opening your design process to anyone interested not only builds a better product, it builds a better team. As your team grows and you add pieces to the puzzle, who better than a designer to make sure all the pieces fit just right? For more on how teams can take a proactive approach to better collaboration, don't miss Alison Coward's talk at Generate London on 22 September. The conference will also feature a workshop on design and content sprints, run by Steve Fisher, talks about prototyping at Netflix, how to successfully have a good work/life balance while producing creative work for both, and loads more. Get your ticket today! Like this? Read these! How to design teamwork 5 tips for managing your team's time View the full article

You're reading Gradients in Web Design: Trends, Examples & Resources, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! The gradient trend started with web 2.0 and has advanced quite a ways since then. Modern gradients can be designed purely in CSS3 so it’s easier to build them into buttons, backgrounds, and even typography. Let’s delve into this trend of gradients in modern web design to see how they’re advancing and where they might go in […] View the full article

Every modern web designer should know the principles of responsive web design – how to get your sites to render perfectly on whatever device or screen size it appears on. (If you need a refresher, check out our pro’s guide to responsive web design). But theory is one thing, and practice is another. To ensure your site is fully responsive, you actually need to test it on different devices. Most of us, though, don’t have the budget to get hold of the hundreds of physical devices you’d need to carry out a real-world test. But fear not! These tools provide a halfway house by letting you test your responsive designs within a virtual environment. 01. Responsinator See what your site looks like in different viewports with ResponsinatorThe beauty of Responsinator lies in its simplicity. Just type in your web page's URL and this free, browser-based tool shows you how your web page renders in the most popular screen shapes and sizes. Brilliantly, you can then interact with your page, clicking on links, typing into search fields and so on. Note that these are generic devices, though, not specific ones. 02. Screenfly Check how your website appears on different devices, including TVs, with ScreenflyScreenfly is a free tool for testing a website on different screen sizes and different devices. It’s been around for a few years now, but it’s still popular and does its job extremely well. Just enter your URL, pick your device and screen size from the menus and you’ll see how well your website is working on it. Featured devices include desktop computers, tablets, televisions, and smartphones. 03. Google DevTools Device Mode DevTools Device Mode emulates different devices within ChromeDevTools' Device Mode offers an easy way for developers to simulate mobile devices within the Chrome browser. Use it to learn how your site appears across different screen sizes and resolutions, including Retina screens. You can even simulate device inputs for touch, geolocation and device orientation within the emulator. 04. Google Resizer Resizer helps you to establish Material Design breakpoints for your responsive siteGoogle’s Material Design guidelines include advice about using breakpoints, responsive grids, surface behaviours and user interface patterns. And last year, it launched a free tool so you can see what following that guidance looks like on real-world devices. Google Resizer allows you to enter a custom URL and view a site across Material Design breakpoints for desktop and mobile. If you want to see a demo first, click on the address bar and select ‘Pesto’ or ‘Shrine’ from the drop-down menu. 05. Ghostlab Ghostlab’s focus is on simultaneous testing across a bunch of devices and browsersA paid-for website testing app, Ghostlab allows you to test your website on a multiplicity of browsers and mobile devices simultaneously. Start testing in one browser or device and all the others will mirror your actions, whether you’re clicking links, selecting buttons, filling out forms or reloading the page. Handily, you also can take a screengrab from any device, annotate it, and drag and drop it to your bug tracker. See it in action in this video. 06. Browser Stack Browser Stack is a paid-for testing tool aimed at enterpriseBrowser Stack is one of the most advanced, full-featured testing tools around. The paid-for app offers access to more than 1,000 mobile and desktop browsers for testing purposes, a list which is continually being updated, based on market trends and usage statistics based on Browser Stack’s 36,000 customers. With users including Twitter, Microsoft, AirBnB and Mastercard, it's obviously doing something right. 07. CrossBrowserTesting CrossBrowserTesting offers a huge array of real-world devices and testing featuresBrowser Stack’s biggest rival in the testing space is CrossBrowserTesting, which offers more than 1,500 browsers and devices to test your responsive website on. Its all-in-one platform allows you to run parallel automated tests, compare screenshots visually, swipe and interact with your website on real-world devices, and remotely debug your code as you go. View the full article

The Reel Talk guide is available now from Escape Studios If you’ve mastered Maya and learnt your Edge from your elbow, it’s time to show off your skills and experience in a showreel. Maybe you’ve made a reel before, but it lacks the pizzazz to accelerate your career. Or maybe it’s your first one. Either way, you’re in luck. A new guide from Escape Studios brings together expert advice from across the 2D and 3D VFX, games and animation sectors to create the ultimate reference for creating showreels that shine. Escape Studios – which has 15 years’ experience of helping budding artists to turn their passions into careers – has worked with its leading industry partners at Framestore, Rushes, Blue Zoo and Bithell Games to create the Reel Talk resource, packed full of ‘reely’ good advice. Avatars represent the different roles of the disciplines of 3D, 2D VFX, animation and games in the guideBlue Zoo Animation Director Will Cook, like the other working pros who contributed to Reel Talk, draws on his experiences of watching applicants’ showreels to offer some dos and don’ts. He says in one video: “The main thing I look for in an animation reel is how the characters move. It’s all about the body mechanics – if you nail the mechanics in a showreel you are a pretty good animator and all the rest can be taught at a studio like Blue Zoo.” Such inspiring and actionable tips run throughout each strand of the guide, helping you see where you can stand out for the right reasons. Reel Talk not only offers tried and tested advice for showreels across the whole VFX industry, it also describes specific, technical must haves and must nots for each separate discipline, to help you tailor your showreel to the area you’re most passionate about. Consisting of text guides, illustrations and videos, Reel Talk is packed with pearls of wisdom. So for budding 3D VFX pros, Framestore Lead Modeller Chris Cook says: “You need to show you have a good understanding of the VFX pipeline as a whole. If you’re making models, we’re looking for you to show that you also understand how a model will be textured and shaded further down the pipeline. It’s very important that you can show us you can work with other departments in mind.” These icons are used throughout the guide to represent each disciplineShowing that you can consider the bigger picture crops up again when Mike Bithell, Founder of Bithell Games, advises game artists: “Put showreel content into Unity or Unreal Engine and render off for your showreel. Make sure you tell us this is being rendered in real time – it demonstrates you understand the pipeline and you can take what you’ve made into a games context.” Another step that Mike Bithell suggests is showing a breakdown of how you’ve put your work together, to show potential employers how you’ve done it. “It shows you can work in a team and that you understand process and production,” he explains. Escape Studios has drawn on its huge industry network to bring you pertinent advice from working professionals that will help you get noticed and take your showreel from low poly to legendary. Discover Reel Talk today. Escape Studios also offers a range of invaluable courses delivered by inspirational tutors with professional industry experience, all of whom have worked or currently work in the VFX industry. It offers all students career development support from day one, including help and advice on showreels and job applications – and the help continues for up to a year after finishing a programme, if you need it. As a provider of vocational education for 15 years, and with over 4,000 alumni, students leave studio-ready. Find out more about Escape Studios’ courses and open days to see what you could learn. View the full article

For all the books on design and creativity, there’s no substitute for having a stream of mentors in your life – either as a creative student, intern or new designer. I learned this lesson while studying at London’s School of Communication Arts. Despite being called a school, it doesn’t have any teachers. Instead, it has a network of over 1,000 mentors, who all donate a couple of days a year to share their knowledge with the students. I spoke to the school’s dean, Marc Lewis, about what you should look for in a mentor, and how you can best build a powerful working relationship. Here I share tips from both of us on how to get the most from your mentor. 01. Be there in person Never underestimate the value of face-to-face meetingsThink about closing your laptop and getting out into the world and meeting people. You’re not going to meet like-minded creatives and potential new contacts while sat at home all the time. When I wanted to meet my current boss, Andy Sandoz, I called the office where he worked, saying that it was the half-term break, and rather than work at home in my pants, did they have a free desk I could use? I ended up with a desk for a week, where I met a bunch of brilliant creatives before finally, at the end of the week, one of them introduced me to Andy. 02. Kiss a lot of frogs “Every frog might be someone’s prince(ss),” says Lewis. “My advice is that creatives need to get themselves into situations where they can meet lots of interesting people.” When you start searching, do so with an open mind. People don’t always need decades of experience to teach you something. Creatives who are newer to the industry can often empathise more with the stage you’re at and could also offer you more relevant advice. 03. Check your motives (and theirs) Make sure you and your mentor have the same goals in mindIt’s always worth checking what you actually want from a mentor before you go looking. Although mentors can open new doors, you shouldn’t be angling for a job offer or a big name that you can drop into conversation. Lewis also recommends asking the same question of potential mentors, “The role of a mentor is not to ask, ‘What’s in it for me?’ or, ‘What’s in it for us?’ but ‘What’s in it for you?’” he says. 04. Act on advice You'll get the most from your mentor if you act on the advice they give youThe people you want to talk to are often short on time, which forces you to prioritise what you want to ask them. ‘What would you do if you were me?’ is often a great question that forces your mentor to empathise with your current position. And if you trust that they have your interests at heart, act on their advice, however difficult or uncomfortable to hear, Lewis says. Then give them feedback, tell them how it went and ask them what they suggest you do next. 05. Expand your network Lewis says, “Mentoring is fluid and you should be constantly on the lookout for new mentors who can help you on your journey.” Once you have a solid rapport with a mentor, it’s always worth asking if they know anyone they think you should meet that could help you. Not only does this help to grow your network, but receiving a personal introduction will carry a lot more weight than emails and cold calls. 06. Challenge your mentor Your mentor could often do with some advice themselves You should always feel able to challenge your mentor’s advice. “There is no ego in the room when I engage with one of my mentors, and debate is encouraged,” says Lewis. “I find that when I am challenging advice, I am really asking myself the important questions in pursuit of the right answers. Mentoring is not about one person telling another what to do, it is about working things out together. It should be active, not passive.” 07. Keep them in the loop Your mentor wants to feel like the time they spend with you is helpful, so let them know what happened next. Some form of contact every month is enough to let them know how you’re getting on. And it doesn’t have to be all about you; if you see an article or news story you think is relevant to their interests, share it! 08. Give thanks The School Of Communication has postcards you can send as thank you lettersIt’s important not to abuse the generosity of a mentor. Lewis says that School of Communication Arts is built on a model of reciprocity: “I believe that giving thanks is incredibly important. All social transactions should be fair, and ideally should be win-win.” Handwritten notes feel much more personal than an email, and showing thanks is essential to maintaining a healthy relationship. This article was originally published in Computer Arts issue 264. Subscribe here. Related articles: How to transform a design internship into a job 50 brilliant design portfolios to inspire you Top designers reveal their first paid commissions View the full article

For new designers and graduates, once you've made a beautiful online portfolio and perfected your creative resumé, it's all about landing your first paid commission or design job. How to transform a design internship into a jobThere are a multitude of ways to get that first design commission. And – as we'll see – a multitude of ways those commissions might turn out. Here, top designers look back on their early days in the creative industry. They reveal how they got their first commissions – and what they learnt from them. Whether these early paid jobs are fond memories or recurring nightmares, they all show that even the most successful designers had to start somewhere, and that every experience is a chance to learn. 01. Simon Manchipp Simon Manchipp, executive creative director and co-founder of SomeOne, had an early start in the world of paid design – aged just 14. "Like many of my generation, I was entranced by all things computer. They were new. Odd. Expensive and quirky. I loved computers," Manchipp tells us. "I’d noticed that the local Currys electronics shop in Reigate, Surrey, had a pretty terrible window display – a sorry affair of four TVs lined up in the window, stuck on the BBC. All night." "As I cycled past I thought this was a desperately wasted promotional opportunity, and so went about my first ever creative pitch." Manchipp approached his first client in an interesting way"I wrote a program, in BASIC, on my rubber-keyed ZX Spectrum, which sent robotic men walking across the screen carrying promotional messages, like ‘Computer Games £1.99’, ‘VHS Tapes on sale' and the winning: ‘ALL TV’S 20% OFF’." "The following Saturday I walked in armed with a cassette tape holding the data. I secretly loaded it up on the shop's demo computer, while my brother distracted them by trying to loudly play a new shipment of stylophones." "Once up and running on screen, I politely asked to speak to the manager. When I explained that this could be a way to advertise his wares, all night, on the high street, for free, he loved it." "He asked me to create a series of ads that would run over the next three months. I would turn up as they opened, get briefed, dash home, code it up, dash back and have it installed ready for the evening." "Sales went up. Everyone was delighted. My parents were mystified." SomeOne London, which Manchipp co-founded, has won awards for its branding work for huge names"I was 14, so I couldn’t be legally paid. I negotiated a hard line and instead got paid in computer games and tech. By the end I had all the latest games and duplicates for friends who had helped." "I knew I wanted to do more of this kind of thing – something I loved, and got paid for. From then on, everything started to click. Commercial creativity was forever in my blood." Manchipp's bold approach certainly paid off, and perhaps helped sow the seeds of confidence that led him to set up SomeOne in London. 02. Oisín Hurst Oisín Hurst, creative director at wondr.io, found that an early paid commission provided a steep learning curve. “A long time ago I designed a buttermilk carton for Tesco," he says. "It was one of my first packaging design pieces, created in an FMCG agency sweatshop in Dublin, where I was employed as a designer. I designed it on the flat keyline and didn’t think to mock it up." "So I never spotted the offending shapes. To be honest, I didn’t give it a second glance. Why would I – it was buttermilk – what could go wrong?" Neither Hurst nor his senior colleagues spotted any issues with the shapes in this design"Not only did it get past everyone, it sat on the shelves for about seven or eight years before anyone – including myself – noticed. Now every few months it pops up on my Facebook and Twitter feeds to remind me how fallible I am. But I’m glad it does." Here are three lessons Hurst learnt from his buttermilk commission: Own the end result – good or bad Everything matters – the little details and the smaller jobs Design in context – specifically the consumer, audience or customer’s context. This is especially true when designing digital experiences. Hurst is now creative director at wondr.io in Dublin, which has won awards for its beautiful websiteHurst learnt a lot from this formative experience, proving that the odd mistake is indeed more valuable for learning than success after success. He is now producing stunning designs at digital agency Wondr.io. 03. Jamie Kelly Kelly's first design commission – for a friend – was paid for in drinksJamie Kelly, creative partner at Brand Up North, won his first commission through a stroke of luck... “My route into design wasn't the most orthodox," he says. "After graduating from Liverpool School of Art I found myself in the world of print sales – an experience that's still one of my most valuable. I did this for two years, and although I enjoyed it, I had that burning desire to go back to my passion." "Luckily, at the same time I decided this, a friend of mine set up his own print sales business and asked if I would look at his identity." Kelly's design is still being used 10 years later"The fee was predominantly libation-based. I of course agreed, and took what was a good brief with some clear direction. The result was an identity that hit the brief, was on trend – at the time – and pleased all four directors." "At this point, I was essentially a graduate designer, not understanding the power of a proposition or positioning to help shape a business and its identity. I also wan't remotely a master of my craft. But this didn't matter: they loved it, therefore I loved it." "The business is now in its 10th year, doing very well and they still use the same identity. It's emblazoned across their livery, offices and machines." "This inspires me, because although I would change many things looking back – my approach, my rationale and the construction – it's still being used with pride. This is all I can ask for from any of the work we do here at Brand Up North: has it helped the business and are they proud of it?" Now creative partner at Brand Up North, Kelly has led big branding projects for the Co-op, Brother UK and more"10 years later I'm working with the same business on a new offering they have, where I can apply the past 10 years' learnings and hope that I have the same response, with the same longevity and result." Kelly's successful early commission shows that seizing opportunities – even jobs for friends – is key to gaining valuable opportunities. Although we advocate getting paid in money for your first commissions, not beer. 04. Kyle Wilkinson Kyle Wilkinson, founder and creative director of Wilkinson&Co, got his first commission by using his initiative and reaching out locally. "Like a lot of early projects, they didn't come to me for this one – I contacted them touting for work," recalls Wilkinson. "I called a local charity to see if I could help out with anything." "Luckily, its old agency had sold up, so the charity was on the hunt for a designer to create a campaign for its upcoming charity event, the Midnight walk." Wilkinson approached a local charity for work when he landed his first commission"The event invited women of all ages to dress as cowgirls and walk 10 miles at midnight to raise money. I jumped at the chance to design for it and went down an illustrative route, as it was to be used on a lot of different mediums, of all shapes and sizes. It was even printed onto pocket mirrors." "I remember learning a lot about managing a client, which was something I had very little experience of. I learnt what to say, how to get across ideas and so on." "It was a steep learning curve, as with most things, but invaluable and acted as a foundation to build upon over the years. Looking back, I actually don't mind the design too much." Wilkinson now specialises in creating bespoke display typefaces, typography, imagery and visual identities for brands and publications at Wilkinson&CoContacting local charities and businesses is a great way for new designers to gain some early experience. Though Wilkinson's style on his Instagram feed and website has developed, that early chance to work closely with a client to create something they love is invaluable. Share your first commission by commenting on our Facebook page or Facebook group, or Tweet us with the hashtag #FirstCommission. Related articles: 50 brilliant design portfolios to inspire you 20 tips for design interview success 15 free resume templates View the full article

It's over a year since Prince left us, but his legacy lives on and now he's received perhaps the ultimate accolade in the form of his very own Pantone colour. Naturally, it's a shade of his trademark purple. Created by the Pantone Color Institute, along with The Prince Estate, the colour is represented by Love Symbol #2, the symbol (pictured below) that he created and used instead of his name for a large chunk of his career. It was inspired by his custom-made Yamaha purple piano, which was originally scheduled to go on tour with the performer before his death at the age of 57. The distinctive Love Symbol #2 shade will be used across all manner of Prince-related productsLove Symbol #2 will now become the official colour across all of Prince's branding, although Pantone notes that the entire spectrum of the colour purple will still be used in respect to Prince. "The colour purple was synonymous with who Prince was and will always be," says Troy Carter, entertainment advisor to Prince’s Estate. "This is an incredible way for his legacy to live on forever." "Love Symbol #2 is emblematic of Prince's distinctive style," adds Laurie Pressman of the Pantone Color Institute. "Long associated with the purple family, Love Symbol #2 enables Prince's unique purple shade to be consistently replicated and to maintain the same iconic status as the man himself." Expect to see Love Symbol #2 on various Prince-related products in the near future. Related articles: How to master colour theory Why colour gradients are a hot new visual trend Pantone app puts every colour in your pocket View the full article

The App Store logo has been given its first major redesign, alongside new icons for Maps and AirPod animations. These redesigns have been released as part of Apple's sixth developer beta for iOS 11, which also included bug-fixes and performance upgrades. Perhaps the most significant feature of the new App Store logo (above) is that it ditches the pencil and paintbrush graphics that have been a key part of the app's previous icon designs. Instead, these artistic tools, which effectively teased at the sort of content users could expect to explore when they tap the symbol, have been replaced by a sleek letterform. The old logo incorporated art tools into its designApple has made big moves to ditch skeuomorphic designs on its mobile apps before. And while it's debatable whether or not the App Store logo is strictly skeuomorphic, it's another decision by Apple to move away from using real world objects in its icons. One bonus of the redesign, though, is that the updated icons look better at higher resolutions. Check out some more updated app squircles in the Tweet from iCulture below. Related articles: 10 commandments of logo design 35 beautiful band logo designs to be inspired by 11 brilliant resources for logo designers View the full article

It takes time, patience and countless hours of practise and Illustrator tutorials to master the art of character drawing. During my early days at Disney, while working on films such as The Lion King, Mulan and Brother Bear, we would go through hundreds of variations of character designs. Because these films were hand drawn it wasn't too difficult to imagine how these rough designs would look in the finished film. However, after the advent of films such as Toy Story and other computer animated works, it became more difficult for many artists working traditionally to present characters as they might appear in the final film. One of my greatest discoveries when I first started working digitally was that I now had the ability to create an image that looked like a frame of finished film. I was able to convey texture, mood and lightning – all in one image. This has great value when trying to present ideas to film executives, art directors and the rest of the crew. Being able to quickly show my concepts that appeared closer to the finished look of the film cut down the number of development iterations. This means there was less back and forth during the process, and therefore we saved money on the film's budget and increased our approval rate. In this workshop I'll take you through my process and show you how I apply my background with traditional art mediums to creating digital characters that look like they're ready to step from the screen. Watch the full tutorial 01. Tone document and rough sketch I fill a document with a mid-tone grey, which enables me to judge my values (light and dark) more accurately. I create a new layer above the grey background and label it Rough Drawing. At this stage I draw loosely. Keeping it rough speeds things up and means I can try out new ideas without any restrictions. I explore proportions and spacing of features. 02. Refine the sketch I reduce the Opacity of the rough to about 30 per cent and create a new layer labelled Refined Drawing. Now I find the details of the design – wrinkles or nose details, for example – that need defining. This stage is key, because the drawing will serve as the blueprint for the rest of the rendering process. Good draftsmanship is the first step to great paintings! 03. Bring in local colour Local colour is the colour of an object without light or shadow. I create a layer under the drawing layers and call it Local Colour. For this stage I use a large, natural-looking brush. I start with green as my dominant colour and roughly lay it in. Next, I add other varying colours to create interest. This stage can still be loose and quick. It's good to experiment! This is the foundation of the colour work that will follow. 04. Create the first shadow layer I create a new layer on top of everything, call it Shadows and set its Blend mode to Multiply. This enables the local colour to show through the shadow layer. With a cool mid-tone colour selected, I begin to lay in the shadows. To do this out of your head accurately you should be drawing from life as often as possible. I also stay loose and quick at this stage… but accurate. 05. Paint direct light into the scene Next, I create a new layer on top and name it Direct Light. It's important to remember colour temperature at this stage. I use a cool neutral colour for the shadows, but will be going warmer and more pure with the highlights. I begin to paint in the light areas where the multiple light sources fall on the character, using warm greens and yellows. The creature is starting to take shape. 06. Consider reflected light Within the shadow areas, light will bounce from lit areas and produce reflected light. I create a layer under the direct light layer and name it Reflected Light, then select a colour that's a little warmer and brighter than the surrounding shadow colour. Subtlety is key: I want to only slightly adjust the values. I imagine the light source that's being reflected and model the form. Next page: 8 more steps to improving your creature design 07. Make use of highlights I create a new top layer and call it Highlights. It's time to shift back to the lit areas. (I jump from shadow to light and back again to keep everything balanced.) I select the Color Picker, grab some direct light colour and brighten the colour up significantly. Then I paint areas that require a bright highlight. I also start adding rim lighting and some deeper shadows. 08. An autumnal background Next, I create a layer underneath all layers and name it Background. Using a natural brush I very quickly start laying in some autumnal colours to complement the greens of the creature. I treat it loose and abstract, and use darker values to ensure that the creature pops from the background. I then click Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur, and set the blur at 25 pixels. 09. Introduce photo textures Elephant textures make great creature skin. I select a section with the Lasso tool, drag it over to the illustration and reduce the Opacity to 30 per cent. Then I click Image> Adjustments>Exposure, increase the Gamma setting and adjust the Exposure to increase the contrast. I tweak these adjustments and the Opacity until the texture looks right. 10. Fit the texture to the creature Next, I click Edit>Free Transform, resize the texture to fit and then select Edit> Transform>Warp. Now I can start to shape the texture to fit the creature's form. I then repeat steps eight and nine to create a mosaic of textures on the creature. I experiment with a variety of textures – here I've used both elephant and leaf textures. 11. Add highlights to textures By the end of this stage the textures should feel like a part of the creature. I start by creating a layer on top and calling it Texture Highlights. Then I select a fine brush and start to highlight over the textures where the light falls. This should be done tastefully. A little goes a long way here. 12. Apply markings Now I create a layer under the Texture Highlights layer and call it Markings. I set the layer's Blend mode to Multiply. Now using mid-tone greens and reds I go in and delicately add markings to the creature's skin. This stage adds interest and believability, and helps to describe the form of the creature. 13. Depict foreground elements I create a new layer on top and begin to loosely lay in foreground leaves and branches. Because this will be blurred there's no need to get detailed. However, I do build it up, using several layers. Once everything is laid in, I combine the layers and go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Then I set the blur to about 35 pixels. This will give the piece a nice feeling of depth. 14. Depth of field and finishing up I copy all of the creature layers and combine them into one layer. Then I turn off all of the original individual layers. I select the Blur tool and pick the Airbrush setting. I set this to about 300 pixels and a strength of 50 per cent. Now I go in and begin to blur out areas of the creature layer that I want out of focus. I do this to divert the viewer's attention to areas of interest, such as the face. This also gives the image a bit of a photographic look. Finally, I flatten the image and adjust the exposure and saturation to get the composition nice and bright. This article originally appeared in ImagineFX issue 116. Subscribe today. Related articles: How to draw a manga character The 60 best free Photoshop brushes How to draw and paint - 100 pro tips and tutorials View the full article

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Aaron Gustafson, web standards advocate at Microsoft and author of Adaptive Web Design, will deliver the closing keynote at Generate London on 22 September. We caught up with him ahead of the conference to talk about adapting interfaces to suit users' ever changing needs. How are our interfaces changing and adapting? Aaron Gustafson: The interfaces and means we use to access content and services provided on the web have expanded greatly as we have imbued more and more devices with connectivity. When I started out on the web, screens were small – 800x600 was considered large – connections were slow, and folks were either accessing the web via a terminal interface like Gopher or Lynx or they were using a very early graphical browser on their desktop. Most screens only supported about 256 colours and interaction was only possible via keyboard and mouse and generally required round-trips to the server (or refreshes of a frame within the web page). We’ve only begun to scratch the surface when it comes to how we adapt our interfaces beyond visual design Aaron Gustafson Things have obviously changed a lot since then in terms of how we interact with the web. We’ve still got mice and keyboards, but computers can also respond to our touch, gestures, our voices, and other physical implements like dials and pens. Some computers have tiny screens, some have giant ones, others have no screens at all. Over the years, the practice of designing for the web has generally followed a consistent path of taking advantage of more and more screen real estate, but with the advent of mobile, many of us shifted our focus to enabling users to accomplish core tasks like reading an article or purchasing a product. Media queries and design approaches like responsive web design have allowed us to adjust our layout and designs to provide experiences that were more tailored to the amount of screen real estate (and its orientation), but we’ve only begun to scratch the surface when it comes to how we adapt our interfaces beyond visual design. How to create a great adaptive interface What’s the first step to creating a great adaptive interface? AG: Planning is absolutely the best first step. Think about each component part of your interface and brainstorm the different ways it may need to be experienced. Iterate on that. Ask tough questions. Being mindful of things like source order and how each component is explained via assistive technologies – screen readers, yes, but also digital assistants like Alexa, Bixby, Cortana, Google Assistant, and Siri – should be part of this discussion. Of course you’ll want to think about how the purpose of the component can be achieved in various screen sizes, with and without JavaScript, and via other interaction methods as well. Consider the performance implications of your choices. Can you provide a default state that is streamlined and lightweight? When might it make sense to incorporate richer imagery and the like? Are there alternative ways you can approach that enrichment? Taking the time to ask questions and plan out the experience ahead of time – even in broad strokes – will pay dividends when it come to copywriting, design, development, and testing. Aaron Gustafson will deliver the closing keynote at Generate London on 22 September The interface elements you choose matter What are some recurring mistakes you see in regards to interfaces and how can we avoid them? AG: One of the issues I see time and time again in web projects is improper use of semantics. Whether this comes from a lack of understanding of the purpose each element in HTML serves or a lack of concern for the implications of poor element choices, it’s a problem. Real people are folks who can only afford older or lower-end hardware, folks without constant network connectivity Aaron Gustafson As a simple example, consider a form. Users need to submit that form. I’ve seen developers use button, input, a, and even div elements to provide a clickable button. But these choices are not equal. An input or button element, when given a type of submit, can provide this functionality easily. Anchors and divs need help. Neither will look like a button without CSS and neither can submit the form without JavaScript. And then there’s keyboard focus and interactions. Choosing either of these latter two elements necessitates a whole lot of extra work and code to fulfil an otherwise simple requirement. And on top of that, if any of their dependencies are not met, the interface is rendered unusable. The elements we choose matter. What can people expect to learn from your talk at Generate London? AG: My hope is that folks who see my talk will have their perspective broadened, even if only a little bit. I want them to become more aware of the ways in which real people use the products we create. Real people are folks who can only afford older or lower-end hardware, folks without constant network connectivity, folks who rely on keyboard commands or their voice or their eyes to browse and interact with the web. When you become aware of the myriad ways people can and will access the web, your work naturally becomes more inclusive. And that’s my goal: increasing the inclusiveness of the web. Over the course of three days, Generate London will feature four workshops and 16 talks, presented by some of the most talented and influential speakers of the web design and development industry, including Steve Fisher, Léonie Watson, Chris Gannon, Anton & Irene and Zell Liew. You'll also learn how to design interfaces for novice tech users in emerging economies, opportunities and pitfalls posed by conversational interfaces, how Netflix builds prototypes, and loads more. Get your Generate ticket today! Related articles: Steve Fisher on how to run design and content sprints Anton & Irene on becoming hands-on Léonie Watson on accessibility as an integral part of the web design process 10 best web animations by Chris Gannon Top web dev Zell Liew shares what he's learnt from being self-taught View the full article