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Typography trends – like graphic design trends, or colour trends – rarely appear out of nowhere. Instead, they evolve and grow as they move from the niche towards the mainstream. That's why, to forecast the big typography trends of 2018, we're first taking a look back at the biggest type movements of 2017. Elsewhere on the site, you’ll find articles covering the key typography rules and terms every designer should know, as well as typography tutorials to help you improve your type design skills, and our definitive collection of the best free fonts out there. Here, however, we're looking to the year ahead. We asked some of the top names in type to share their thoughts on the biggest typography trends of 2017 – as well as their predictions for what will be hot in 2018. Here's what they said... 01. 1970s-style serif fonts Chobani's new look brings warmth to fonts "One typographic trend that I predict will be popular in 2018 is the use of warm, 1970s-evoking serif typefaces," says Jeremiah Shoaf, a freelance designer and founder of Typewolf. "I think this is a reaction against the cold, sterile neo-grotesques like Helvetica that seem to be dominating the design landscape." Shoaf comments on the recent Chobani rebrand as a prime example. "Its new bespoke typeface has a retro charm that brings to mind ITC Clearface and Bookman, two typefaces that will forever be associated with the good vibes of the 70s," he adds. 02. Retro reactions to geometric type Could we be seeing more retro fonts like 2017's Formula 1 rebrand? "2016 was all about geometric sans typefaces," says art director Rick Banks. "This carried on to some extent in 2017 – as in the Moonpig, Sky Sports rebrand – but much less so. This year we have seen an increase in serifs, as with the Southbank Centre, Chobani, and Medium rebrands). "I think next year we'll see designers reacting more against geometric type . I think brands will want type with more character and standout value. It wouldn't surprise me if we see more 90s-inspired typography – following on from the new F1 logo." 03. Colour fonts Black is so last year "I think colour fonts (see FontMaker by FontSelf) will be a big hit in 2018. The user-friendly interface and the possibility of adding colour as another dimension to typography represents a huge opportunity for designers and brands to add identity to their designs," says typographer Alex Trochut. "The fact that not only Illustrator but also Photoshop will support colour fonts opens up a door to create photographic typography, which represents a whole new canvas to play with. I'm very excited to see what are the good results coming out of this new technology." 04. Custom fonts designed in-house Text editors like Atom are popular with coders Dalton Maag founder and type designer Bruno Maag agrees with Banks. "Geometric sans typefaces continue to dominate the typographic landscape, but we can see a trend toward more condensed designs with a grid-like structure," he comments. "It seems as if there is a resurgence of 70s inspired type, too." Maag also mentions a rise in the use of open source fonts in digital environments. This is thanks to a dramatic improvement in quality over the past few years, as well as the potentially considerable cost savings – and means designers can avoid navigating the complexities of licensing for digital usage on a number of different devices. "However, it does limit the role type can play as a brand tool," says Maag. He continues: "We can see in-house design teams increasingly championing custom font solutions to close the gap between brand expression and controlling technical and logistic aspects of font usage. A further trend in [custom] type is to involve scientific research on aspects of accessibility, with designers having to concern themselves with science." 05. No trends Anthony Burrill urges designers to forge their own route "I don’t think there are typographic trends any more; if there are, I find it hard to identify them," says designer and print maker Anthony Burrill. "Depending on who you follow on social media – type foundries, designers, lettering artists, graffiti artists – there are numerous trends that simultaneously coexist. Scroll through your Instagram feed and you’ll see historic type examples rubbing shoulders with the latest type animation techniques." He acknowledges that this can be overwhelming, but offers some solutions to help you out. "It's possible to navigate your way through this visual avalanche. Seek out work that you connect with. By gaining more in-depth knowledge, it’s possible to have a meaningful relationship with type design, rather than being dazzled with the latest techniques. "Seek out work that informs your own work and inspires you, and use it as a launch pad for your own creativity," he continues. "It's important to stay informed and have an opinion about work by other designers, but even more important to develop your individual response and approach to work." Related articles: 7 new typography tools The 8 biggest typography mistakes designers make The rules of responsive web typography View the full article

Thanks to Meltdown and Spectre, January has already been an extremely busy month of patching for Microsoft. View the full article

Microsoft is pausing the rollout of Windows Meltdown and Spectre patches until hosted anti-virus software vendors confirms no unsupported Windows kernel calls via the addition of a registry key on PCs. View the full article

There's an old Yorkshire saying: 'If tha ever does owt for nowt, do it for thi sen.' For those who don't speak fluent Tyke, it translates like this: 'If you ever do something for nothing, do it for yourself.' These are words that all creatives should have tattooed on their drawing arm. Nothing you do as a designer is free. When you do free work, the person who pays for the work is you. You pay with your time, your experience, the money you spent on training, the bills you pay to keep your office running, your software subscriptions, your hardware... It goes on and on. But, still, no matter how strong your design portfolio, there are clients out there who will try to get you to work for free. What they don't know is how easy they are to predict. They follow patterns, these cheapskate clients. Because of that, you can find ways to make any offer pay, whatever's on the table. Here, we outline six strategies for turning free work into paid work (because that's the only work worth having). 01. Payment poker Don't gamble on getting paid for your work Some clients – generally those who are unused to working with creatives – genuinely do not value what you do. Others may be simply trying to get the best price they can, without really knowing where the bottom of the market is. Both those clients will try to play 'payment poker' with you. In this case, they'll likely use one of three bluffing tactics – but don't worry, in each of these cases, your potential client has an empty hand. We'll look at each of these in turn now. 'The work will look good in your portfolio' We deal with portfolio work in tip 05, but the gist of it is this; if you're doing work for your portfolio you're always the best judge of what will and will not look good in there. Let that be your guide. 'There will be more work for you down the line' If this is true, why can't they pay you now? If the answer is that they want to see how you work together first, then there are strategies for dealing with that in steps 02, 03 and 04. In most cases, the harsh truth is that free work usually only leads to more free work. If you're able to deliver professional quality work to a client for free, then why would they ever want to pay you for it? Exactly. It's a vicious cycle – don't get caught in it. 'There's no budget' Finally, if they tell you that they simply don't have any money to pay you... well, that's their problem, not yours. 02. Present your ideas In the world of design, free pitching is almost as controversial as doing work for free. A good compromise is for sole traders and small agencies to offer a credentials pitch. If you're asked to take on a project that sets off alarms ('We have no budget' for example), offering a credentials pitch is a way to set out your stall. You can use it to: Establish your professionalism and track record Explore what they need from you Discuss what you would be able to do for them Outline your rates The last element is important, because you can use it as an opportunity to emphasise that you don't work for free and why that is the case. Your potential client has a choice to make. They can either find the budget to pay you for your work or continue trying to find someone who will do the job for nothing. Either way, you've lost nothing. 03. Go small If you're offered very little, offer very little in return. It's a sure-fire way to uncover how much budget there actually is for a job. For example, you can come back to a request for free work with an offer to help with early development – or do a deal to test colour schemes with their branding. Choose a part of the job close to the beginning and break down for them exactly what you'll do as part of that process. Then tell them how much it will cost at your normal rate. This enables you to restate your value and negates all those arguments about their being more work down the line once you've 'proved' yourself. Again, they may magically find the budget to pay you and you'll have gained a client on fair terms. If they pass, you've dodged a bullet. 04. Learn to say no The only way to get paid is to learn to say no to free work When you're starting out as a freelancer it's tempting to see every client who approaches you as potential work – but no one can afford to work for free for very long. It's important for you to have a clear sense of what your bottom line is when it comes to payment. Here's a good way to think about that: Calculate the least you can afford to work for as an hourly rate. This is your 'break even' point. Promise yourself that you won't go below it. Unless working for free offers you other benefits – which is rare – it will always be below your break even point. So, when someone asks you to work for free and you want to say no, say no. As you walk away, remember that you haven't lost anything by turning down the work, you've avoided the overhead costs that would have been involved, and you're now free to take on more paid work. In short, turning down free work actually makes you money. 05. Portfolio work One compelling argument often used to cajole newer designers into doing free work is that you can use it to build your portfolio: You can use it to learn on the job and get a foot in the door. There are problems with this point of view though. Firstly – and most contentiously – if you're learning significant skills on the job, then you're probably not ready to do the job. Some people will say it's good to learn the ropes working for real clients, even if it is for free. Remember though; all your formative work will live on even after you've grown beyond it. Or worse, you'll find yourself forever ploughing the same furrow, unable to break away from your freebie loving patrons. Secondly, you will rarely be offered the kind of free work that helps a designer build an impressive portfolio. It's more likely that you'll be asked to do grunt jobs. Ecommerce websites, logos for local businesses and promotional flyers. If you're an ambitious designer then your portfolio should be aspirational. It should be full of the work you dream of doing. And you should choose to do that work for yourself, in your own time. That way, when the kind of work you want to do comes along, you'll be ready to make it pay. 06. Taster work One way to create portfolio work you're happy with is to specifically target clients that you want to work with and to offer them a sample of what you do. Why is this different to accepting free work on a real project? Crucially, you're in control. You can communicate, loudly and clear, that this is a one off deal. You can allocate some of your own marketing budget to the enterprise and write off the tangible overheads against tax. You can do exactly the kind of work you want to be known for. At the end of the process you'll have a piece of portfolio work that you actually wanted for you portfolio. What if they say no? That hasn't stopped designers who re-skin popular websites or do over famous corporate logos. The kudos of attracting a big client (even a free one) is great, but a great piece of work for your portfolio is still a great piece of work. And, of course you could get lucky, impress them and win a big client. Read more: How to make money on Instagram as a creative 8 ways to make more money in 2018 Why designers need to talk about money View the full article

Put your hand up if you haven't updated your design portfolio website for months. Maybe years? When you're working flat-out on final-year projects, freelance commissions or a consuming day job, sprucing up your portfolio can quickly drop down the to-do list. But it doesn't have to. The best way to approach your portfolio is to treat it like a client commission If you're a student, you can't afford to put your portfolio off; you need to be ready to leverage crucial opportunities. And if you're an established designer, it's just as important to maintain a fresh online presence. We know you're busy, so we've put together a handy step-by-step guide for creating – or revamping – your portfolio site in 12 hours. Follow it over a day, a weekend or a series of evenings and turn a lacklustre digital portfolio into something with real wow factor. Hour 1: Write a plan So where do you start? The best way to approach your portfolio is to treat it like a client commission and spend the first hour writing a brief. What's the purpose of your portfolio – do you want to be hired for a permanent position? Freelance? Do you want to sell products or build your reputation? Is evidence of a strong style important, or versatility? Think about your intended audience: what skills do you need to promote to achieve your goals? To help focus your vision, it's a good idea to analyse your offering at this stage too. List your core skills and wider knowledge areas, and then condense them into one concise, compelling sentence. This will help direct what you do in the next 11 hours, and you can include it on your homepage or in your About section. Hour 2: Pick your platform Now think about your choice of platform. If you've already set up a portfolio site, it can be tempting to stick with the status quo, but consider a few things first. Is the layout visually pleasing or crowded and cluttered? Does the site work on different devices? Is it easy to edit and update? If your current online presence isn't working for you
and your visitors, then it's time to rethink. Fortunately for time-pressed creatives, there are plenty of platforms that enable you to build a portfolio in minutes, with no coding required. If you're a Creative Cloud subscriber, Adobe Portfolio is free, and it synchronises with your Behance profile automatically. Another popular option is Squarespace, which offers a mobile-optimised personal website option for £10/month or an unlimited business option for £15/month, both of which give you a free custom domain with an annual subscription. Carbonmade lets you showcase 10 projects
 for $6/month, 50 projects for $12/month or an unlimited number for $18/month. All three tiers offer a degree of customisation. Fabrik is a relative newcomer that gives you 50 projects for £6.25/month,
 or unlimited for £15/month. Hour 2.5: Customise your site Whether you're choosing an off-the-shelf option or taking a more custom approach, make sure your site's layout makes your work the main focus and navigation is intuitive. "The navigation should be really simple," says Benjamin Simon, art director and 3D artist at Trier-based studio FOREAL. People are busy and pushed for time, he explains, "so you need to get there quickly. Give people an overview straight away and invite them to go deeper if they want to." Someone landing on your site should be able to view examples of your work without too much scrolling or clicking so they can quickly and easily scan what's there and get a good feel for your style. There are stacks of ready-made templates available for the major online platforms, including plenty of freebies. "I've used a few different ways to showcase my work," says Kefalonia-based designer and letterer Corina Nika, aka Cocorrina. "The first was a small section on my blog, but with time that felt less professional. I discovered [invite- only portfolio service] Cargo through a fellow designer and felt it had enough of a professional vibe to it." Note that you're aiming for professionalism, so avoid pointlessly flashy design. The old adage about
taking away anything unnecessary applies here, otherwise you risk irritating potential clients. "I hate it when websites are too 'designed' or won't load instantly," advises Natasha Tomalin, art director of London-based Stylist magazine.
"I just want to see your work nicely and cleanly presented." "Keep your portfolio site clean, minimalist and user-friendly," agrees Michal Sycz, creative director at Warsaw-based studio Noeeko. While it can be tempting to fill your landing page with quirky biographical details, people might leave your site if they can't see visuals 'above the fold'. Sycz says that it's better to let your design and illustration work speak for itself: "Your projects should be the most prominent part of the website." "Consider flexibility as well as simplicity, so you can change the site in the future" Dirk Schuster, FOREAL This means using a layout that's suited to displaying visuals effectively. Don't pick something overly complex with lots of columns, sidebars, bells and whistles. In fact, a simple, single-column layout can be very effective and is more likely to work well on mobile. It's also essential to use a content management system so that you can make future updates easily. "You might not be thinking about that right now," explains Dirk Schuster, art director and illustrator at FOREAL. "But consider flexibility as well as simplicity, so you can change the site in the future." That way, you won't invest time now only to regret it later. Using a flexible system also means you needn't delay setting up your portfolio until you've finished upcoming projects that you're dying to include. Get the framework in place now and you can easily add to it down the line. For example, Corina Nika replaces older images with new ones every three to five months. "That way, I always have fresh work up, showing newer skills and aesthetics," she says. Hour 3-4: Curate your best work Curating your portfolio is one of the most time-consuming parts of the process, so be prepared to put a few hours into choosing which projects to include, and preparing the assets and accompanying text. First, remind yourself of the purpose of your portfolio. Then begin selecting projects that best serve your goals, making sure you're building a clear picture of your skill set, style (if relevant) and creative personality. Also make sure that you're showcasing the work you want to do more of. "Choose projects wisely," warns Nika. "[The projects you include in your portfolio] should be favourite ones that reflect your style and who you are as a creative. I used to include pretty much all of my work in my portfolio, but it started to feel really crowded and difficult to maintain." With a mish-mash of old and new projects,
styles and influences, Nika realised she wasn't clearly communicating what she wanted to say. "Always keep in mind that what your potential clients see in your portfolio is what they will expect," she adds. "So consider aesthetics and style according to the clients that you want to attract." Similarly, the designers at FOREAL – who only upload around 10 per cent of their work online – agree that it's a good idea to focus on the sorts of projects you'd like to do more of in the future. Don't let client names drive your choice if it means overlooking your best projects There's no point showing work for an impressive client if it's the kind of project you hate doing, so don't let client names drive your choice if it means overlooking your best projects because they aren't name-dropping fodder. A simple solution is to separate showcased work from your client list – FOREAL's client list, for example, is on a different page, leaving the studio free to choose the most visually impactful images for its project section. Diversity is important, so assemble a good cross- section of the work you've done without making things too crowded. Between 10 and 20 projects is plenty; fewer if you're a student. If you only show food and drink branding projects, or a certain illustration style without a variety of applications, you're leaving your potential to the viewer's imagination. "I like to see a variety of subject matter – people, faces, landscapes, food, buildings and so on," says Natasha Tomalin. "Show your skills off in every area, so we can see that you are versatile." You don't have to stick to creative that was signed off. If you did extra work, or had a solution you loved that was vetoed by a client, upload it – just make it clear that it's not the approved creative. As Corina Nika points out: "Mockups are the best way to make your work look realistic and polished." Another great way to show additional or new skills is to include side projects as well. Hours 5-6: Prepare your assets When you've finalised your projects, it's time to look at how you're going to present them. "We're really picky about what we put online," says Simon. "It's so important that the visuals are the most graphical ones, with the most power at the very first glance." Process images can add insight into what you did and how, but resist the temptation to include behind-the- scenes material that doesn't document anything significant or add to the story. A good method is to start with the finished images, then some close-ups that showcase your skill, followed by some initial concepts and early sketches. Make sure you resize all images for the web. If you fill your site with large files, it will slow down loading times and eat up mobile bandwidth. As Dirk Schuster points out, "nobody likes waiting ages for visuals to load." In fact, make your users wait too long (and we're talking seconds here) and they'll likely abandon your site altogether. Also, avoid bad housekeeping habits by holding onto the original hi-res versions of your files on your hard drive and giving the resized images sensible names. Descriptive filenames look professional if text appears while an image is loading and help with search engine indexing, so 'project0135.jpg' just won't cut it. Using an appropriate filename also ensures relevant details are imported into Pinterest if people pin your images. Hours 7-9: Share the story It's important to contextualise each project, but the good news about text is that you don't need to write much, says Benjamin Simon. "[On our own website] we've chosen to keep information minimal and focus on visuals," he says. For each project, explain the basics in a short paragraph or two. State the client, overall objective and key deliverables, such as a series of print posters to advertise a music festival, or a brand identity for a new clothing company. Include any constraints and the timeline. Also make your role clear: what did you contribute? Finally, include success metrics if you have them. It's harder to write succinctly than it is to blurt out everything, so this will take time, but the ability to explain your work clearly is a sought-after skill and too much text becomes clutter. A good rule of thumb is to ensure every sentence conveys at least one key fact about the project. Along with the initial images, the description should hook viewers and make them want to scroll down. And whatever you do, proofread the text once you've written it. Hour 10: Order your work to create impact Once you've chosen your projects, think about how you're going to order them on your site. Aim for a big impact. "You want to create a 'wow' effect in the first few seconds and then try to keep up the interest," says Dirk Schuster. People won't spend long looking at your website, he notes. If you want to make an impact, "that happens within the first 10 seconds." If you have a landing page or the option to display some images at larger sizes, pick between one and five projects that you want to prioritise; if not, put these projects first so that they're the most visible. It's fine to arrange things chronologically, but not essential If you're having trouble prioritising your work, take a step back and select the images you'd want to show someone who is only going to look at a few examples of your work; often this is exactly what happens. Consider pacing and rhythm. It's fine to arrange things chronologically, but not essential, and the organisation and order may change on different screen sizes in any case. Also remember that people can only view so much on a screen at once. It's not just about time and convenience – if your folio looks like the digital equivalent of a messy corkboard, art directors may draw negative conclusions about you. "There certainly is such a thing as too much to say," says Tomalin. "I don't have time to sift through thousands of pages of work. It also shows me you can't self-edit, and that's a big bugbear of mine." Hours 11-12: Set your portfolio free into the world Now make sure that your contact information is up-to-date and easy to find, and don't neglect your About page. If you're pressed for time, use the brief you wrote at the start of the process (you can expand on it later), and add a client list and links to social media channels. Consider your own branding, too. You can make subtle use of your logo and headers without overcrowding the layout or distracting from the visuals. Ensure that every clickable link on your site works correctly. Then check how everything looks on different desktops and mobile devices. "A good portfolio website should look nice on all devices," emphasises Michal Sycz. Case studies give visitors a deeper view into your process, so think about adding some when you have more time. For now, though, focus on keeping your site updated with recent work. "One of my irritations is how some agencies present the same work every year," says Stephen Jenkins, art director for special projects at the Guardian, who's also worked for Wallpaper* and British vogue. Of course, no portfolio is ever finished, but now you've spruced yours up, you're back in the game. Illustrations: Michael Driver This article first appeared in Computer Arts magazine issue 251. Subscribe now. Read more: 5 quick and easy ways to fix your portfolio How to make social media work for you 30 graphic designers to follow on Behance View the full article

Ant Ward will be one of our artists answering your specific questions at Vertex. What's the problem? We have all been there. You’ve spent days painstakingly painting the weights on your character, ensuring the limbs bend and twist correctly and the face can emote without any strange bulges or pinches. You finally finish and the client requests a change to the rig. You are now faced with a possible reskin to a modified skeleton. Not a problem, right? You can simply reference the old rig and model into the same scene as the new one and use the Copy Skin Weights tool to transfer the weights across. The problem is that some of the joints are too close together, so copying the weights doesn’t work completely, especially around areas like the mouth and eyes. How do you fix it? So what do you do now? You don’t have time to repaint the weights. This is a problem faced by technical artists every day and it’s something that we have come to expect. While in production, rigs, skeletons and models change all the time, so it pays to be able to react to these changes quickly and efficiently. There’s the option of exporting the weight maps using the Export Skin Weight Map tool found under the Skin menu. This has existed in Maya for as long as we can remember. The problem is this tool generates a new image file per influence which can, over time, clog up your hard drive. Plus, being image-based it can often lead to inaccuracies when importing. What other options do you have besides turning to third-party plugins? Hidden away, right at the bottom of the Deform menu is the Export Deformer Weights tool, labelled Export Weights and Import Weights. What makes this fundamentally different is that it will export the weights as an XML file, keeping your system cleaner and storing the weights as a numerical list. As you can imagine, this offers much more precise results. What you should remember is a skinCluster node, which stores the weight information on a model and is classed as a deformer, so the Export Deformer Weights tool will still work and is a much better way to preserve all your hard work. More from Ant Ward at Vertex Ant Ward will be at Vertex answering your questions, as part of our 'Ask an Artist' section. These sessions are a fantastic opportunity to get one to one with a veteran artist, who can help you overcome a road block in your work, or to talk through a problem area. Ant is an artist with huge experience in many areas of CG. He has been a regular on the pages of 3D World for many years and has written numerous tutorials, as well as being a part of our expert Q and Q team. To book a ticket for Vertex 2018 head over to the Vertex site, where you will find information on all the day's activities, from keynote talks to the panel discussion and recruitment fair. Related articles: The ethics of digital humans Scott Ross at Vertex Why Vertex is a must for 3D artitists View the full article

Before analysing the big colour trends of 2018, first we’ll consider the last year. Green had its year in 2017. Not only did Pantone stamp its seal on Greenery for Colour of the Year, but a variation of the hue also won the people’s vote in GF Smith’s World’s Favourite Colour campaign. How to master colour theory2017 also saw the realisation of the impact of our impending urban future come to the fore; the UN affirmed that more than 50 per cent of us live in cities, and owing to our increased urbanisation, pollution levels became a key global concern. Perhaps then it is no wonder that green – the colour most synonymous with nature and the great outdoors – saw such appeal. Our environments, both work and play, have become awash with greenery, from the cultivation of house plants, window boxes and mini-ecosystems, to allotments, pop-up green oases and even vast vertical gardens. The biophilia hypothesis Designers and architects are increasingly buying into the biophilia hypothesis – which states that as humans, we have an inherent need to connect with greenery and the natural world – and are ‘designing-in’ nature to new spaces more and more. Boutique houseplant stores and city conservatories have gained high design status, while accounts from the likes of plant-loving photographers Haarkon attract hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram. The Haarkon Instagram account is bursting with plant photography While the grassy shade of Pantone’s Greenery may not have filtered into commercial design on a mass-market level, related green tones and shades have become firmly established across specialisms. Khaki has affirmed itself a staple shade akin to navy and black, prolific in fashion, while more exotic tones of jade and forest green are combined with rose and warm metals for a luxury aesthetic. Pantone Colour of the Year with Airbnb GF Smith’s World’s Favourite Colour campaign invited people to engage with an interactive website in order to finely tune and select their personal favourite colour from a seemingly infinite spectrum. The colours submitted were analysed to pinpoint ‘the world’s favourite’ and ultimately saw Annie Marrs’ teal-esque green initiated into the paper manufacturer’s Colourplan range. Luxurious greens Last year, we predicted the onset of an Engineered Nature palette, in which organic shades work in synergy with scientifically manipulated synthetic greens. As we enter 2018, we are seeing shades of green in design expand beyond the expected. What began as the pursuit for a greater connection with nature – with organic greens infused into spaces and products – has evolved into more luxurious uses of green, engineered nature and the emergence of Art Deco and tropical luxe-inspired palettes. The Broadview Hotel by Blok Over the next few pages, we provide you with the key colour trends for 2018, with the insights driving these palettes. At FranklinTill we don’t believe in reporting flash-in-the-pan seasonal trends. Trends don’t simply disappear, but movements gather momentum and colour palettes evolve, manifesting in different ways as they move from the periphery towards the mainstream. Neither do we believe in mimicking great design in an attempt to be ‘on trend’. We aim to draw attention to the people behind emerging design movements and celebrate their creativity. So read on to discover three such movements, and the palettes that reflect them... Next page: 3 huge colour trends to know for 2018 01. Interactive The way we interact with colour is changing. We live in a digital reality in which hyperreal and digital-real aesthetics are so ubiquitous that we often can’t tell the difference between synthetically generated and real imagery. Realer-than-real effects, once the dominion of Hollywood editing suites, have been democratised through the advancements of CAD technologies so that creatives in wider areas can exploit the possibilities of boundless digital creation, often to a highly experimental degree. These designers are creating New Age aesthetics. This look and feel suggests boundless movement and is being increasingly adopted by design in the physical world, as product packaging and communication lean towards this idea of an alternative real aesthetic. One of the new wave of artists and designers exploring the digital aesthetic is Lucy Hardcastle, whose work regularly interrogates the relationship between digital and real-world design. Glow by Lucy Hardcastle Glow, a collection of abstract, rendered images and objects, uses high-gloss and reflective surfaces, with textures of silk and velvet, to ground the work. Hardcastle describes her palette as “emotive, and atmospheric”, using “millennial” pastels contrasted with strong colour. We are so used to colour being dynamic, fluid and interactive in our screen-based experiences that we are now demanding the same qualities from physical tangible colour. Optical effects A host of product and spatial designers are reprieving the aesthetics of the light and space movement of the ’60s and creating optical effects through reflection, refraction and light dispersion in order to transform environments. Artists are experimenting with various materials and colour compositions to subvert perceptions of surface and space through use of clever, sensitive colour and light applications. A new generation of designers is picking up the mantle of established light artists, such as Larry Bell and DeWain Valentine, to reinterpret the experimental art movement in tangible forms. Echoing the principles of the light and space movement, Sabine Marcelis examines how far she can push the relationship between light and materiality. The concept for the interior design of Salle Privee’s House no. 8 in Milan Italy, by Sabine Marcelis, revolves around extruding shapes from the single existing central mirrored wall The Rotterdam-based designer uses light as a tool to transform. Mutating the presumed aesthetic characteristics of materials such as glass, mirror and metal, Marcelis’ pieces disrupt paths of light through opaque matter and form tinted reflections. The Curved Twist screen by Kia Utzon-Frank, in collaboration with Fay McCaul, incorporates 21,500 dichroic rods that have been knitted into the screen in order to create a colour-changing effect. The perceived colour of the screen is unpredictable and totally dependent on the quality of light and the angle of the viewer. The idea that colour should move is influencing graphic design and visual communication, by way of iridescence and special treatments. Designers are making smart use of special finishes and foil to bring ethereal movement to printed work. Holographic and iridescent special foils mimic in print the effects achieved by product designers using glass reflective surfaces as well as the fluid gloss quality of hyperreal digital colour. An otherworldly palette synthesises the ephemeral quality of coloured light and is combined with hyperreal pastels. Next page: More big colour trends for 2018 02. Primitive Last year, we presented a colour story titled Material Reveal. This was a celebration of the organic beauty of unadulterated natural materials and was driven by a backlash against industrial, mass produced design in a homogenised minimalist aesthetic. This shift towards crafted material colour is showing no signs of disappearing, but the muddy earthen brown hues have evolved into saturated terracotta and burnt sienna shades. Designers are reinitiating intimate connections to tactile materials, products and spaces, embracing a creative regression. They are devolving fabrication techniques in order to reconnect with matter and craftsmanship. Petra Lilja for Swedish Ninja The imprints of techniques and processes are embedded in the aesthetic outcomes of new crafted products as designers employ slow, laborious methods and allow material origins to dictate final outcomes. Surfaces are rough-hewn and natural, appealing to a desire for tactile reconnection. Celebrating terracotta The imperfect finishes bear testament to the considered creation of each item and the respect of new craftspeople for traditional techniques. With a focus on materiality, surfaces display respectful manipulations that retain natural aesthetic qualities in honest material colours. Rich earth tones, clay browns and nude have a grounding effect on the user, evoking a reassuring connection to organic matter. Terracotta is becoming a key material of the moment. The functional unpretentious earthenware is being celebrated for its natural orange hue, in marked contrast to more purist ceramic materials. Primitive resources suggest longevity and rough-hewn, hand-worked surfaces are respected for their honest imperfections. In a true act of colour activism, sculptor Carl Emil Jacobsen created the Powder Variations series. Dissatisfied with the mass produced standardised pigments of stoneware glaze, Jacobsen looked to his environment to create various native pigments. Powder Variations, by Carl Emil Jacobsen. Photography by Collecting fieldstones, tiles and bricks from his local landscape in Denmark, he crushed and ground the materials to create bespoke pigments with a truly local narrative. These vibrant earthen shades are even finding a place in the world of luxury fashion. The Bureau Betak design catwalk setting for Ermenegildo Zegna’s spring/summer 2018 show saw a blanket of striking burnt orange sand coat the ground, punctuated by reflective geometric plinths. In graphic design, illustration and packaging fibrous papers allow the material to do the talking. They add texture to colour in printed material. Paper derived from unorthodox origins, waste food, such as coffee grounds or spent hops, for example, suggest and celebrate sustainable alternatives through the use of inherent natural aesthetics. Next page: More big colour trends for 2018 03. Playful As an antidote to everyday mundane stresses and pressures, we are finding release in regression, replacing highbrow pursuits with honest and innocent play and reverting to childlike experimentation and inquiry. Our increasingly urban environments are witnessing a transformation as shared city spaces are reinvented as convivial play spaces both literally and metaphorically. The city is no longer a drab grey industrial landscape of concrete, metal and motors, redolent of utility and business. Instead it is a vibrant, energetic, constantly evolving entity – a sensory landscape that is inspiring a refreshed playful approach across design categories from visual communication to fashion and interiors. Designers are rediscovering the creative and intellectual value of play, remembering that the act of play is itself a learning experience and route to creation. We are seeing a reappreciation for playfulness and happy accidents as designers embrace naive experimentation in their practice. Bold and defiant designs of product, space, visual communication and fashion are injected with a sense of humour. Return of the Memphis Group aesthetic The Memphis Group’s aesthetic is experiencing a renaissance, reinterpreted in alternative scales and applications. Monochrome patterns are juxtaposed with block brights in geometric and irregular configurations. Stereotypical spaces and product designs are adopting saturated colour palettes and abstract forms that challenge us to invent and imagine, to draw up our own narratives and lose ourselves in simple intuitive interaction. Described as a ‘temple of wonder’, Camille Walala’s Now Gallery installation is a labyrinth of colour and pattern, encouraging visitors to “be more aware of their bodies, engage their minds and give themselves over to play”. Walala X Play by Camille Walala for the Now Gallery In honour of Centre Pompidou’s 40th anniversary, surrealist designer studio GGSV has created a fantastical interactive playground. The Paris-based duo took inspiration from the likes of René Magritte, Ettore Sottsass and Gaetano Pesce to design Galerie Party, a garden of distorted forms at exaggerated scales, with prints and colours that bombard the senses. Galerie Party by Studio GGSV The multitude of playscape elements invites assembly and reconfiguration, suggesting multiple composition possibilities and highlighting the role of play in self-expression. The pieces in avant-garde designer Henrik Vibskov’s spring/summer 2018 collection are adorned with cartoonish motifs. Knit jacquards depict ambiguous caricatured creatures and facial features while a neutral peach palette is punctuated by flashes of bright primaries. Henrik Vibskov S/S 2018. Photography by Victor Jones In graphic design, illustration and packaging, clashing brights are applied in stripes, spots and abstract shapes that jigsaw across surfaces. Plasticised finishes and spot gloss varnishes are applied to flat graphics and figurative forms take a surrealist lilt. Related articles: How to master colour theory 21 outstanding uses of colour in branding The designer’s guide to using colour in branding View the full article

The last 12 months have been host to a wealth of new hardware launches and a veritable parade of impressive tech advances. Happily, plenty of it has been designed with creative professionals in mind, which means we're moving into 2018 with the best kit we've ever had – everything from unique takes on traditional desktop and notebook computing, to innovative new input devices fine-tuned for digital artists. Whether you're a budding graphic designer working from home or a veteran visual effects wizard, there's sure to be something that will pique your interest in our standout technology picks from the last year. Keep reading to find out what impressed us the most in 2017. 01. Elgato Thunderbolt 3 dock In their desire to be ever slimmer, several pro-level laptops have shed several ports in recent years, but happily third parties like Elgato exist to fill the void. Its latest Thunderbolt 3 dock allows you to connect everything to your computer through a single cable, and even charge your USB-C devices through its 15W ports. Not only does this dock provide Gigabit Ethernet and USB 3.0 connectivity, it's also capable of driving one 5K monitor or two 4K displays simultaneously, making it the perfect hub for both Windows and Mac-based creative workstations. 02. iMac Pro In response to criticism that it was failing to cater to creative professionals, Apple launched perhaps the fastest Mac ever in December with the slick-looking space grey iMac Pro. The iMac Pro can be configured with a mammoth 18-core Intel Xeon processor. To put that power in perspective, consider that a 10-core iMac Pro is almost twice as fast as a high-end 5K iMac and up to 45 percent faster than a 'trash can' 2013 Mac Pro. Hidden behind that beautiful 5K display is up to 4TB of SSD storage, up to 128GB of ECC RAM, and 16GB AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 graphics. With four Thunderbolt 3 ports, the iMac Pro can power two external 5K displays or four 4K displays at 60Hz simultaneously. There's also a 10 Gigabit Ethernet port, an SD card slot, four USB-A 3.0 ports, and a 3.5mm headphone jack lined up on the rear. 03. Logitech CRAFT Wireless keyboard Taking cues from Microsoft's Surface Studio, Logitech's advanced wireless CRAFT keyboard incorporates a creative input dial into its layout for controlling configurable, app-specific functions. The Crown, as it's called, is touch sensitive, so you can tap or turn it to adjust various settings depending on the application you're using. With custom profiles for Photoshop CC, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, and InDesign, it's ready to go out of the box. Get Adobe Creative CloudThe CRAFT can pair with up to three devices over Bluetooth, and also features backlighting that detects hand movement and automatically adjusts illumination based on lighting conditions. 04. Dell Precision 5520 Typical mobile workstations focus on offering powerful internal components capable of running demanding creative applications, but that all too often leads to an inelegant exterior. Not so with Dell's Precision 5520, which manages to pack the power of a workstation-class machine into a sleek space-age chassis with a luxurious feel. Apart from its solid-looking Full HD 15.6-inch display, the 5520 is powered by an Intel Xeon processor and includes two USB 3.0 ports, a single USB-C port with Thunderbolt 3, an SD card reader, and an HDMI connection around the side. 05. iPad Pro 10.5 inch Say hello to the best iPad yet. While this tablet is slightly larger than the 9.7-inch iPad Pro it replaces, the size and weight difference is negligible. Add into the equation a 20 percent larger display – made possible by shrinking the tablet's bezels – and you begin to appreciate its refined aesthetics. Of course, when it comes to mobile processing-power, Apple isn't one to skimp, and the 10.5-inch iPad Pro is powered by Apple's fast A10X Fusion chip. Finally, with iOS 11 running, its latest professional tablet also has multitasking props to boot. 06. Wacom Intuos Pro Wacom refreshed its Intuos tablet line in 2017 with an updated version of the Intuos Pro, available in two highly portable medium and large sizes. Both tablet sizes feature eight customisable ExpressKeys and offer over 8,000 levels of pressure, 5,080 lines of resolution, 60 levels of pen tilt, 200 points per second reporting, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, and a multi-function touch ring. Wacom has also reworked the pen to make it more comfortable to use. It now sports a slightly less tapered design and side buttons that sit flush with the body. 07. LG UltraFine 5K monitor Apple's Cinema Display didn't get a look in last year and instead Apple surprised users by partnering with LG to come up with this UltraFine 5K monitor. While the first units unfortunately had a glitch, LG has since fixed the issue, allowing this display to sneak into our 2017 recommended list. USB-C Thunderbolt 3 provides performance connectivity, while the display outshines even Apple's Retina MacBook screens, thanks to its native 5,120 x 2,880 resolution (don't worry – it downscales just fine). Fonts and icons look pristine on its exceedingly wide aspect, making this UltraFine display a multitasker's dream. 08. 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar As well as the high price, Apple's 2017 refresh of its flagship notebook retained the same remarkably slim chassis and controversial Touch Bar, but brought in much-anticipated seventh-generation Kaby Lake processors and improved graphics under the hood. The 2880 x 1800 resolution Retina display looks as impressive as we've come to expect from Apple, which also decided to bump the speed of the onboard memory to 2,133MHz, up from 1,866MHz last year (although it still tops out at 16GB RAM). Add to that a new Radeon Pro 560 GPU with 4GB of GDDR5 memory and integrated Intel HD Graphics 630, and creative pros should be good to go. 09. Wacom Bamboo Ink Early in 2017, Wacom and Microsoft put their heads together and came up with the Bamboo Ink, a smart stylus for Windows Ink Workspace that lets idea-makers capture notes, sketch ideas or mark documents across most Windows 10 platforms. Designed to provide a customised, natural writing and sketching experience, the Bamboo Ink comes with three nibs – soft, medium and firm – allowing sketchers and scribblers to switch up the feel. The pen can also be used to navigate windows in Edge browser, write in text boxes, and plenty more besides. 10. Microsoft Surface Pro The fifth iteration of Microsoft's flagship laptop-slash-tablet is evolution rather than revolution, with a more rounded chassis and upgraded internals that run more silently than the previous model. As before, the 12.3-inch 2,736 x 1,824 touchscreen looks stunning, but otherwise, the tablet is largely similar to the Surface Pro 4 – although the snap-on keyboard does have a wider angle of tilt, thanks to the redesigned hinge. An updated stylus with quadruple the pressure sensitivity of the last pen is also available, just be aware it's $100 extra. View the full article

When developing simple web projects that involve user interaction, how best to manage changes of state in CSS becomes food for thought. When the user expands an accordion or toggles a menu, how should the CSS style changes be applied? One popular solution involves stateful classes, a naming convention which uses class names such as is-active or is-expanded as style hooks. 12 common JavaScript questions answeredThese stateful classes would typically be managed in JavaScript. Download the mock Android App and open the website-template directory in your text editor and you can see this for yourself in dev/js/main.js. One thing you may notice here is that there's lots of duplicate code snippets all triggering very similar class toggles. Presumably, if this project were to grow in size, so would the amount of duplicates. A much more efficient approach would be instead to write a single JavaScript function, which performs the same task and can be reused over and over again – but toggling different stateful classes on different elements. In this tutorial, we'll explore how to do just that. To get started, in your console, cd into 'website-template' and run npm install to install the project's node dependencies. We'll be working in the dev directory from here on out. 01. Using HTML5 data attributes The 'heres-one-i-made-earlier' directory contains the finished tutorial In index.html, find the .js-description element on line 103 and attach the below HTML5 data attributes. We'll be using this pattern to store information, so when jsdescription is clicked, our reusable function will know the class we wish to toggle and the elements it should be toggled on. 02. Create data-class.js Comments on the code in /js/data-class.js will take you through the finished function In the js directory, create a new file called data-class.js. This is where we'll build our reusable function. Within, write an IIFE (Immediately-invoked function expression) to encapsulate our code and then import the closestParent helper, which we will be using later on in the tutorial. 03. Grab elements and loop through Below the helper import, we'll need to create a NodeList of all elements with dataclass attributes, as this is the only attribute that won't be optional. Next, we'll then loop through them with a classic FOR loop so we can access each individual element. 04. Add click event listener Within the FOR loop, add an event listener to watch for click events, so we know when the user has clicked the element we wish to trigger the class toggles (aka the trigger element). Within it, call the processChange() function and pass a reference to the clicked element, which within the scope of the function is accessible via the this keyword. 05. Add keyboard event listener Just below the click event listener, add another one to watch for the press of the enter key and then run the same processChange() function. We're adding support for keyboard events to improve accessibility by considering users who can't use pointing devices such as a mouse. 06. Add mousedown event listener Double-clicking an element often highlights all the text within it. If we're adding logic to the trigger element when clicked this functionality is something we'd want to prevent. To do this, add a mousedown event listener to call the events preventDefault() method and cancel default behaviour. 07. Create processChange() function Just after the closestParent import, create a function called processChange() which accepts an element. This is the same function referenced in previous steps, and will hold all our logic for processing class toggles on the target element. Within the function, grab the contents of the elements data-class attribute and split into an array. This is to allow for multiple comma-separated classes within the single data attribute. 08. data-class-scope attribute Next, within the function, check for the presence of a data-class-scope attribute, if found, split into an array as before. data-class-scope is an optional attribute, which allows you to limit where the class toggle will occur. For instance, if dataclass-scope were set to js-my-element, only target elements that are children of this would be affected by a click of the trigger element. 09. data-class-element attribute The data-class-element attribute is another optional attribute. It specifies the element that the class toggle should affect. In the snippet below, we're checking for its presence and, if found, convert its contents to an array as before. Though, if it isn't found, we'll set both the target element and the scope to the trigger element, which means when clicked, it will trigger the class change on itself. 10. Setup class toggle loop Because both data-class and data-class-element accept multiple comma separated values, we need to declare the dataLength variable and assign it the length of the biggest attribute between the two. This is to make sure we're looping enough times to make sure we don't miss a target element. 11. Reduce repetition in attribute values It's possible for data attributes to have duplicate values. For example while <a data-class="is-hidden, is-hidden" data-class-element="js-elem, js-elem2"> is a valid use of the function, it'd be much better to only have to specify is-hidden once. To do this, we'll add logic in the dataLength FOR loop that if a data-class or data-class-element entry is missing, use the last valid one. This means <a dataclass="is-hidden" data-class-element="js-elem, js-elem2"> would work as well. 12. Reduce repetition Still within the FOR loop, the same again, but with the data-class-scope attribute. If we don't have a scope, use the last valid one. This allows one scope to effect many class toggles. 13. Apply scope: Part 1 The last thing in the FOR loop we have to do before we have everything we need to trigger the class toggle is make sure that if a scope is defined, only elements within it are being targeted. We'll start by creating a conditional statement that checks for scope data, and if none is found just use global document scope. 14. Apply scope: Part 2 Within the empty if statement from the previous step, add the below snippet. This finds the element defined in data-class-scope (elemParent) and then creates an array of all child elements matching data-class-element (elemRef). If the scope and target elements are the same, its reference is also added to the list of elements to modify. 15. Toggle the classes At last, at the bottom of the FOR loop, let's use the data we've built up and toggle all the correct classes on all the correct elements. To do this, we need a new FOR loop to go through the elemRef'nodeList/array, access each elements classList API and then use the toggle() method to add or remove the value of elemClass. 16. Include the function Now the function is complete we need to include it in main.js. To do this, copy the snippet below and add it to the top of the file but within the IIFE function. We also don't need most of the code in main.js, so delete everything up until the STOP BOX ART CHECKBOX EVENT BUBBLE snippet. 17. Add to favourite icons Now to use the function. In index.html, find all instances of the favourite icon with a js-star class. Add the attribute below and when clicked it should add is-active to itself, as in the absence of data-class-element, the trigger element uses itself as the target element. 18. Add to game links Next, we need to link up the game box arts on the home slide so when clicked, is-active is added to the correct video game slide, whilst also removed from the current home slide. Below are the attributes which you should add to the js-test-game-1 img. The others follow the same pattern, just replace the test-game-1 with the new game title. 19. Add to box art toggles On each game slide is a switch which toggles the front and back of the box art. To make these work, add the snippet to each instance of js-boxart-toggle. When clicked a number of things happen: is-flipped is toggled on js-boxart scoped to the parent js-slide, whilst is-checked is toggled on the trigger element. 20. Add to back arrows Finally, we need to add the attributes below to all instances of js-canceldescription and js-cancel-game so when clicked you are taken back to the home slide. 21. Build the project On build, Browserify will follow the paths passed to require() and intelligently concatenate everything into a single JS file In terminal, run the command below to build the project. This will create a compiled version of the project in a new dist directory. This command uses npm scripts – a simple, native npm alternative to fully-functional build tools, such as Grunt or Gulp. 22. Serve the project. Finally, in terminal, run the command below to create a local server to serve the dist folder. Take note of the port number returned in the terminal. In the browser, navigate to http://localhost:YOUR-PORT-NUMBER to view the finished project. 23. Test the project Now make sure it all works Now you've finished the project, all class logic is now being handled by our reusable function. If this were a live project, and more page or components were added as time went on, the ease of adding new class logic for these would be greatly reduced as we no longer have to write bespoke functionality for each instance. This article was originally published in issue 267 of Web Designer, the creative web design magazine – offering expert tutorials, cutting-edge trends and free resources. Subscribe to Web Designer here. Related articles: CSS Grid Layout secrets revealed 21 top examples of JavaScript A guide to writing better CSS View the full article

Coca-Cola has unveiled a new bespoke typeface for the first time in its corporate history. The geometric design is built for both physical and digital platforms, and contains a nod to Coca-Cola's design heritage - namely its famous cursive font logo. Revealed on 5 January by Coca-Cola's vice president of global design, James Sommerville, the new font is known as TCCC Unity, which takes its initials from The Coca-Cola Company. Eagle-eyed font fans noticed that Coca-Cola registered TCCC Unity as a trademark in July 2017. The bespoke font is the latest in a wave of big companies tailoring their own typography, with Coca-Cola following the likes of IBM and YouTube. Over on his Instagram account, Sommerville said TCCC Unity has a: "Geometric flair and circularity drawn from the archive form the basis of the Latin script; a large x height ensures it works in physical and digital environments." TCCC Unity echoes elements of the cursive Coca-Cola logo TCCC Unity was designed by the renowned and innovative typographic design agency Brody Associates, the digital type specialists behind the latest Channel 4 rebrand. Speaking at the Museum of Design Atlanta, Sommerville added that TCCC Unity "encapsulates elements from Coca-Cola’s past and its American Modernist heritage." Meanwhile on his Instagram page, Sommerville shared different versions of the new font, including bold weights and italicised alternatives. The new font is tailored towards print and web Accompanying the launch of TCCC Unity is a new app which explains the ethos behind the bespoke typeface. Available on the App Store for iOS devices, the free TCCC Unity app is a place where users can hear from the font's creators about how they designed the typeface. The TCCC Unity app promises to be a treasure trove of typographic design content thanks to its selection of archival material and interviews with the team at Brody Associates, as well as a look at all the styles, weights and specimens included in the new font. Related articles: The 5 biggest typography trends of 2017 A designer's guide to typography and fonts 50 top typography tutorials View the full article

It’s 28 years since Photoshop was released into the world. In that time, Adobe has built the software into the ultimate image manipulation tool, used daily by professionals and hobbyist creatives alike – many of whom could count Photoshop keyboard shortcuts as their second language. The latest update, Photoshop CC 2018 (version 19), dropped in October 2017. It brings with it a host of new features, and although these might not be as initially astounding as those from previous versions, they make a huge difference in efficiency, helping creatives adapt to a ‘must have it now’ work environment. Buy Photoshop CC 2018 or sign up to Adobe Creative Cloud nowSo what’s new in Photoshop CC 2018? Let’s take a look at the most interesting new features… Support for OpenType variable fonts Photoshop now supports variable fonts – an OpenType font format supporting custom attributes such as weight, width, slant, optical size and so on. With this feature, you can quickly and easily customise styles by using inbuilt sliders to move between the different weights and thickness of a type family. This allows for a more seamless workflow and adds an extra dimension to Photoshop. It also means that students, or creatives who can’t afford a subscription plan that includes InDesign, can have more flexible type controls at their fingertips. As a designer who works a lot with type and layout, it’s uplifting to see Adobe trying to make the workspaces of its applications more type efficient. The software isn't best known for being synonymous with a typography workflow, and in recent years Photoshop has dropped far behind Illustrator and InDesign in its typesetting capabilities. For me, the best thing about this latest feature is that the typefaces aren’t warped or transformed when utilising Variable Font. As principal manager of Creative Cloud Evangelism, Rufus Deuchler, stated at the latest Adobe Creative Meet up in London, Adobe has worked with type foundries and designers to make sure that all the typefaces maintain their correct structure when utilising the variable font options, so you don’t need to worry about something looking out of place. It’s worth pointing out, however, that the feature currently isn’t the most intuitive to use. To activate the variable option, you need to select some text and type ‘variable’ into the font drop-down menu in the Options bar. You can then adjust the slider controls in your Properties panel. While this won’t hold the more learned Photoshop user back, a beginner might struggle. I would love to see Adobe update the feature to automatically bring up the controls whenever type is inputted – if only to cut out a couple of workflow steps. New Brush control features Much to the delight of illustrators and art workers alike, Adobe has also overhauled its brush-related features and developed a whole host of goodies for you to get your hands on. The most stand out for me is the new stroke smoothing feature. This performs ‘intelligent smoothing’ on your brush strokes as you draw and work in three modes: 01. Pulled String Mode Paints only when the string is taut. Cursor movements within the smoothing radius leave no mark. 02. Stroke Catch Up Allows the paint to continue catching up with your cursor while you've paused the stroke. Disabling this mode stops paint application as soon as the cursor movement stops. 03. Catch-Up on Stroke End Completes the stroke from the last paint position to the point where you released the mouse/stylus control. These all give you greater control over the marks you make. I’ve found that my use of Undo has greatly depleted since utilising the Pulled String Mode, because I can accurately see the direction my brush is moving in. Better brush organisation Another great enhancement with the latest Photoshop update, although not entirely new, is the further streamlined brush management system Adobe has implemented. You can now organise brush presets into folders and nested folders, while also managing brush tool presets directly from the Brushes panel. If you’re like me, and have a mountain of custom and purchased brush libraries, this will save you a lot of time. You can also save any customised Brush tool presets into an actual brush preset, while keeping all of its attributes – such as opacity, blending mode and so on. This might not be as immediately useful to beginners, but any professional creative who uses a multitude of brushes within their work will instantly notice a difference to their workflow. Ability to edit 360-degree content You’re now able to take panoramic photographs, edit them directly within Photoshop using its bespoke 3D workspace, and export them. Not only does this mean you can manipulate, change, add to or touch up the environments you shoot, it also potentially opens up your workflow to other mediums, such as motion and interactive design. This feature shows that Adobe recognises the systemic shift the world is taking towards immersive technologies – and looks like a clear sign of more features to come. Enhanced tool tips This isn’t the most in-depth feature to discuss. But it deserves an honourable mention simply because, for a beginner to the world of Adobe, it makes navigating and learning Photoshop all the easier. Other key features in Photoshop CC 2018 Curvature Pen tool Access to Lightroom photos Customised path options Copy and paste layers Exclusive brushes from Kyle T. Webster Properties panel improvements Select and Mask improvements Learn panel Technology Preview features Support for Microsoft Surface Dial Preserve Details 2.0 Upscale Paint Symmetry Quick selections with Colour and Luminance Range Masking Read more here System requirements macOS Multicore Intel processor with 64-bit support macOS version 10.13 (High Sierra), macOS version 10.12 (Sierra), or Mac OS X version 10.11 (El Capitan)2 GB or more of RAM (8 GB recommended) 4 GB or more of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation 1024 x 768 display (1280x800 recommended) with 16-bit color and 512 MB or more of dedicated VRAM; 2 GB is recommended* OpenGL 2.0-capable system Windows Intel® Core 2 or AMD Athlon® 64 processor; 2 GHz or faster processor Microsoft Windows 7 with Service Pack 1, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 2 GB or more of RAM (8 GB recommended) 2.6 GB or more of available hard-disk space for 32-bit installation; 3.1 GB or more of available hard-disk space for 64-bit installation; additional free space required during installation (can't install on a volume that uses a case-sensitive file system) 1024 x 768 display (1280x800 recommended) with 16-bit color and 512 MB or more of dedicated VRAM; 2 GB is recommended* OpenGL 2.0-capable system * 3D features are disabled on 32-bit platforms and on computers having less than 512MB of VRAM. Oil Paint filter and video features are not supported on 32-bit Windows systems. So how good is Photoshop CC 2018? Like every update in recent Creative Cloud releases, version 19 is about gradual improvement. Photoshop CC 2018 is a powerful image-manipulation package, and the new features help create a more efficient workspace within the app. Additions like the Type tool updates help expand Photoshop’s user base, allowing existing, single plan customers to experiment further; while the new panoramic feature shows that Adobe isn’t letting its ubiquitous design tool be left behind. That said, the new features as a whole lack a certain wow factor. Adobe risks ignoring consumer needs, too, by removing Lightroom as a standalone application from its price plan. If you don’t operate in a team workflow and only require a standalone photo-editing app, rival software like Affinity Photo could make for a viable and cost-effective option. However, if you’re a creative who regularly works as part of a collaborative workflow – whether in the studio or at home – or if you use a multitude of other Adobe applications and enjoy the streamlined experience of jumping between them, Photoshop remains a worthwhile investment that’s limited only by your imagination and talent. Buy Photoshop CC 2017 or sign up to Adobe Creative Cloud here View the full article

It's just not true that you can't teach a dog new tricks. It's never too late to learn a new skill. Whether you're hoping to further your career or just want to pick up some skills for fun, the eduCBA Test Prep and Certifications Lifetime Subscription Bundle has the courses you need to pick up new talents that you've always wanted. Get it on sale for 95% off the retail price! The eduCBA Test Prep and Certifications Lifetime Subscription Bundle gives you access to more than 100 courses, all packed with actionable and professionally taught lessons that will help you master certification exams. These courses will prepare you with mock tests and quizzes so you can go into your exam feeling totally ready. You’ll have unlimited access to it all, giving you the ability to learn whatever you’d like, whenever you'd like. Work your way through courses on just about any topic, from project management to finance to IT and more! A lifetime subscription to eduCBA Test Prep and Certifications Lifetime Subscription Bundle usually retails for $797, but you’ll pay just $39 (approx. £29). That’s a saving of 95%, a great deal for unlimited access to skills that could change your career, so grab it today! About Creative Bloq deals This great deal comes courtesy of the Creative Bloq Deals store – a creative marketplace that's dedicated to ensuring you save money on the items that improve your design life. We all like a special offer or two, particularly with creative tools and design assets often being eye-wateringly expensive. That's why the Creative Bloq Deals store is committed to bringing you useful deals, freebies and giveaways on design assets (logos, templates, icons, fonts, vectors and more), tutorials, e-learning, inspirational items, hardware and more. Every day of the working week we feature a new offer, freebie or contest – if you miss one, you can easily find past deals posts on the Deals Staff author page or Offer tag page. Plus, you can get in touch with any feedback at: deals@creativebloq.com. View the full article

You know that feeling when you're busy in the office or working from home but that piece of work just isn't coming together? You don't have the time to sort something from scratch so you decide to search for some free vector art online – but it's not always easy to find what you're looking for. A good selection of free resources – including free fonts and free vector art – can be a lifesaver for any designer. But more often than not, the process of finding what you need amidst cluttered, confusing pages just adds to the mounting deadline stress. To help you avoid that experience, we've put together a hand-picked guide to the best free vector art resources, including various useful designs you can download in preparation for future projects. Please note and respect the Creative Commons licence if there is one. 01. Vexels Vexels features thousands of free vector graphics and designs, organised into easy-to-browse categories. It also offers an online editor that enables you to customise vector designs in the browser, adjusting layouts, adding new elements and changing things like colours and text, so they're ready to go as soon as you download them. 02. Freedesignfile Freedesignfile is constantly updated with top quality vectorsThis resource is crammed with thousands of free vectors and much more besides, including free Photoshop brushes and actions, photography and fonts. Freedesignfile is a great place to quickly find vector design elements and entire vector images, ready to be edited in Illustrator. All its images are free for personal use, and most can be used commercially. 03. BrandEPS BrandEPS is crammed with great brand logos and iconsBoasting over 9,000 brand logos and more than 3,000 brand icons, BrandEPS is a great place to go if you need a logo in a hurry. Its free downloads include files in SVG format, as well as JPG and PNG if you're not fussy about scaling. It's easy to search and if you're not really sure what you're after you can also browse the latest arrivals. 04. Vector4Free Need a Mexican Donald Trump? Look no furtherThe collection at Vector4Free isn't huge – at just over 1,500 free vectors it's much smaller than many of the other sites featured here – but the quality is pretty consistent and everything is well tagged so it's easy to find what you're looking for. All the featured vector images are free for personal use, but check before using them commercially. 05. Vector.Me Vector.Me has over 280,000 vector images to search throughThe team behind Vector.Me couldn't find a search engine for free vectors with a complete collection and flexible searching capabilities, so they decided to build their own. It's absolutely packed with over 280,000 vectors, and there are separate logo and icon sections in case that's all you're after. 06. Freepik Freepik produces hundreds of free vectors daily for your useFreepik calls itself the "leading search engine of free vector designs". Created to help you find free vector art, illustrations, icons, PSD and photos for use in your designs, Freepik produces hundreds of free vectors daily. In total, it offers over one million free vectors and photos, which can be downloaded in AI, EPS or SVG format. 07. Flaticon Flaticon is the largest search engine of free vector icons in the worldFlatIcon boasts over 650,000 free vector icons. Its database is packed with free icons available in PNG, SVG, EPS, PSD and BASE 64 formats, so whatever type of vector icon you're looking for, you're likely to find it here. Some of its most popular sets include free social media icons in various styles. 08. Fudgegraphics Use these textures to represent anything from blood to spray paintFudgegraphics is a creative blog run by designer Franz Jeitz so it doesn't have a huge selection of freebies like most vector stock sites. However, everything here is made to a high quality, including one of the best free splatter vector files available online, so it's definitely worth including in your search for free vector art. 09. FreeVectors.net FreeVectors.net is an easily searchable catalogue of free vector graphicsLaunched back in 2007, FreeVectors.net is a fun community of vector-lovers who share free vector graphics. The most recently added vectors are displayed at the top of the page, and all are free for personal use (with most of them free for commercial use too). 10. Free Downloads 1001FreeDownloads is a quick and easy to use platformThe team at Free Downloads scour the web for the best free graphics for designers. With thousands of free vectors alongside photos, brushes, gradients, PSDs, fonts and more – as well as high-quality graphics produced in-house – it won't take you long to find the vector you want. 11. DryIcons DryIcons gives you over 6500 high-quality web and vector icons DryIcons is an icon-developing website that creates unique icons and icon sets, vector graphics and web templates and – initially – gives them away freely, with its Free License. That means you can use DryIcons' icons, vector graphics and web templates in any publicly accessible website, web application or any form of publicly accessible presentation, according to some basic terms and conditions – which you'll find on the site. 12. Snap2objects These photorealistic Apple products are ideal for creating mockups or previewsA nice clean site with lots of great free vector art. The blog-style layout is a bit time consuming to browse but you can find a lot of gems including excellent city vector shapes for New York, Paris, London, Moscow and Tokyo. Next page: 12 more places to find free vector art online... 13. Vectorportal Vector Portal offers a wealth of free vector artVectorportal contains a wealth of free vector art, which designers can use in both personal and commercial projects. Easy to navigate, you can filter your search using the drop down category box or search bar. With an extensive library of artwork, you're sure to find something of use here. 14. DeviantArt You'll find a wealth of free vector goodies at DeviantArtOne of the largest artist communities on the web, DeviantArt is full of free and useful resources, including vectors. However, finding exactly what you're after in the crowd of chaos can be tricky. The search bar and Resources and Stock Images link will narrow things down for you, and no doubt you'll come across lots of free vector goodies. 15. Brands of the World Find hi-res logos of almost every major company in the world hereBrands of the World is an invaluable timesaver if you're designing for corporate clients and don't want to sit around waiting for someone to forward you a hi-res version of a certain logo. You can just find it here. 16. Spoon Graphics Spoon Graphics is a great blog offering plenty of useful free vector art This personal blog belonging to designer Chris Spooner features a large number of well-made, original freebies. Come for the free vector art, stay for the excellent and insightful articles! 17. Vecteezy This is one of the best free world map vectors and a good resource to have for future projectsPopular site Vecteezy is a one-stop shop for any free vector art you can think of. However the quality does vary, so you may have to spend time wading through mediocre vectors before finding something that is good enough to use. It's worth the time though, because there are some quality vector graphics to be found here. 18. DesignContest It's surprisingly difficult to find a good free T-shirt template – these are a good optionDesignContest is more of a commission site and extremely tricky to navigate if you're just looking for free vector art. However, it does offer a well-designed free T-shirt template and various other free icons. 19. Free Vector Archive Use this vector set to save precious time on any project requiring a London skylineA big stock vector site with very efficient browsing options. You can search by colour, theme, popularity or file extension. It's clean to navigate and free from distracting ads. All in all, a superb place to search for free vector art. 20. All-Silhouettes.com The raylight file has an array of sunbeams that can be adapted for all kinds of workDespite being heavy on adverts, All Silhouettes trumps many other free vector art websites in that everything is clearly labelled, fairly quick to navigate and the vast selection is available as bumper vector packs rather than single images. 21. VectorStock There's plenty of great free stuff in the VectorStock collectionVectorStock's main business is a library of reasonably-priced vector imagery, but as a handy aside it also boasts a substantial collection of free vectors. They're all available in EPS format, and it's nice and easy to create an account and start downloading. 22. Free Vector FreeVector boasts over 16,000 vector sets, with lots of company logosWith, by our reckoning, over 16,000 free vector sets available to download, you're in with a pretty good chance of finding what you want at Free Vector. To make life easier there's a good selection of categories to choose from, plus a pretty sweet collection of company logos. Related articles: 50 amazing vector art tutorials The 100 best free fonts How to take your vector logo from 2D to 3D View the full article

You're reading Best Resources to Learn Vanilla JavaScript from Scratch, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! If you’re trying to learn front-end development then JavaScript is one of the primary languages you need to learn. It’s also one of the most complex languages to pick up, especially if you’ve only work with basic HTML & CSS. But fret not! The Internet is here to help with dozens of resources to guide your learning […] View the full article

Apple releases patches addressing the Spectre vulnerability impacting its macOS, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. View the full article

It's easy to tell when you're looking at a well-designed app or website. They simply stand out in a sea of others that just aren't up to snuff. With the Learn to Design Bundle, you won't just be able to spot those great designs – you'll learn how to build them yourself. Grab this deal on sale right now for just $29 (approx. £21)! There is much more happening with web services and apps than meets the eye; while a pretty coat of paint is nice, a true designer also understands what is going on behind the scenes. You can master every aspect of design with the Learn to Design Bundle. It'll provide you with more than 57 hours of lessons across in nine courses that will teach you everything from the fundamentals of UX and UI to the coding languages like HTML5 and CSS3 that make the web and mobile apps look great and function perfectly. The courses of the Learn to Design Bundle usually retail for $1,209. Today only, you can get this deal for just $29 (approx. £21). It’s a great deal that can help you pursue your design career, so grab it today! About Creative Bloq deals This great deal comes courtesy of the Creative Bloq Deals store – a creative marketplace that's dedicated to ensuring you save money on the items that improve your design life. We all like a special offer or two, particularly with creative tools and design assets often being eye-wateringly expensive. That's why the Creative Bloq Deals store is committed to bringing you useful deals, freebies and giveaways on design assets (logos, templates, icons, fonts, vectors and more), tutorials, e-learning, inspirational items, hardware and more. Every day of the working week we feature a new offer, freebie or contest – if you miss one, you can easily find past deals posts on the Deals Staff author page or Offer tag page. Plus, you can get in touch with any feedback at:deals@creativebloq.com. View the full article

Buy Photoshop CC 2018 or sign up to Adobe Creative Cloud nowIt’s 28 years since Photoshop was released into the world. In that time, Adobe has built the software into the ultimate image manipulation tool, used daily by professionals and hobbyist creatives alike – many of whom could count Photoshop keyboard shortcuts as their second language. The latest update, Photoshop CC 2018 (version 19), dropped in October 2017. It brings with it a host of new features, and although these might not be as initially astounding as those from previous versions, they make a huge difference in efficiency, helping creatives adapt to a ‘must have it now’ work environment. So what’s new in Photoshop CC 2018? Let’s take a look at the most interesting new features… Support for OpenType variable fonts Photoshop now supports variable fonts – an OpenType font format supporting custom attributes such as weight, width, slant, optical size and so on. With this feature, you can quickly and easily customise styles by using inbuilt sliders to move between the different weights and thickness of a type family. This allows for a more seamless workflow and adds an extra dimension to Photoshop. It also means that students, or creatives who can’t afford a subscription plan that includes InDesign, can have more flexible type controls at their fingertips As a designer who works a lot with type and layout, it’s uplifting to see Adobe trying to make the workspaces of its applications more type efficient. The software is arguably not known for being synonymous with a typography workflow, and in recent years Photoshop has dropped far behind Illustrator and InDesign in its typesetting capabilities. For me, the best thing about this latest feature is that the typefaces aren’t warped or transformed when utilising Variable Font. As principal manager of Creative Cloud Evangelism, Rufus Deuchler, stated at the latest Adobe Creative Meet up in London, Adobe has worked with type foundries and designers to make sure that all the typefaces maintain their correct structure when utilising the variable font options, so you don’t need to worry about something looking out of place. It’s worth pointing out, however, that the feature currently isn’t the most intuitive to use. To activate the variable option, you need to select some text and type ‘variable’ into the font drop-down menu in the Options bar. You can then adjust the slider controls in your Properties panel. While this won’t hold the more learned Photoshop user back, a beginner might struggle. I would love to see Adobe update the feature to automatically bring up the controls whenever type is inputted – if only to cut out a couple of workflow steps. New Brush control features Much to the delight of illustrators and art workers alike, Adobe has also overhauled its brush-related features and developed a whole host of goodies to get your hands on. The most stand out for me is the new stroke smoothing feature. This performs ‘intelligent smoothing’ on your brush strokes as you draw and work in three modes: 01. Pulled String Mode Paints only when the string is taut. Cursor movements within the smoothing radius leave no mark. 02. Stroke Catch Up Allows the paint to continue catching up with your cursor while you've paused the stroke. Disabling this mode stops paint application as soon as the cursor movement stops. 03. Catch-Up on Stroke End Completes the stroke from the last paint position to the point where you released the mouse/stylus control. These all give you greater control over the marks you make. I’ve found that my use of Undo has greatly depleted since utilising the Pulled String Mode, because I can accurately see the direction my brush is moving in. Better brush organisation Another great enhancement to the latest Photoshop update, although not entirely new, is the further streamlined brush management system they Adobe has implemented. You can now organise brush presets into folders and nested folders, while also managing brush tool presets directly from the Brushes panel. If you’re like me, and have a mountain of custom and purchased brush libraries, then this will save you a lot of time. You can also save any customised Brush tool preset into an actual brush preset, while keeping all of its attributes – such as opacity, blending mode and so on. This might not be as immediately useful to beginners, but any professional creative who uses a multitude of brushes within their work will instantly notice the difference to their workflow. Ability to edit 360-degree content You’re now able to take panoramic photographs, edit them directly within Photoshop using its bespoke 3D workspace, and export them. Not only does this mean you will can manipulate, change, add to or touch up the environments you shoot, it also potentially opens up your workflow to other mediums, such as motion and interactive design. This feature shows that Adobe recognises the systemic shift the world is taking towards immersive technologies – and is definitely a sign of more features to come. Enhanced tool tips This isn’t the most in-depth feature to discuss. But it deserves an honourable mention simply because, for a beginner to the world of Adobe, it makes navigating and learning Photoshop all the easier. Other key features in Photoshop CC 2018 Curvature Pen tool Access to Lightroom photos Customised path options Copy and paste layers Properties panel improvements Select and Mask improvements Learn panel Technology Preview features Support for Microsoft Surface Dial Preserve Details 2.0 Upscale Paint Symmetry Quick selections with Colour and Luminance Range Masking Read more here So how good is Photoshop CC 2018? Like every update in the CC 2017 releases, version 19 is about gradual improvement. Photoshop CC 2018 is a powerful image-manipulation package, and the new features help create a more efficient workspace within the app. Additions like the Type tool updates help expand Photoshop’s user base, allowing existing, single plan customers to experiment further; while the new panoramic feature shows that Adobe isn’t letting its ubiquitous design tool be left behind. That said, the new features as a whole lack a certain wow factor. Adobe risks ignoring consumer needs, too, by removing Lightroom from its price plan. If you don’t operate in a team workflow and only require a standalone photo-editing app, rival software like Affinity Photo could make for a viable and cost-effective option. However, if you’re a creative who regularly works as part of a collaborative workflow – whether in the studio or at home – or if you use a multitude of other Adobe applications and enjoy the streamlined experience of jumping between them, Photoshop remains a worthwhile investment that’s limited only by your imagination and talent. Buy Photoshop CC 2017 or sign up to Adobe Creative Cloud here View the full article

There's a common mathematical ratio found in nature that can be used to create pleasing, natural looking compositions in your design work. We call it the Golden Ratio, although it's also known as the Golden Mean, The Golden Section, or the Greek letter phi. Whether you're an illustrator, art director or graphic designer, it's well worth considering the Golden Ratio on any project. The designer's guide to grid theoryIn this article, we'll explain what it is, how you can use it, and point to some great resources for further inspiration and study... What is the Golden Ratio? Closely related to the Fibonacci Sequence (which you may remember from either your school mathematics lessons or Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code), the Golden Ratio describes the perfectly symmetrical relationship between two proportions. Approximately equal to a 1:1.61 ratio, the Golden Ratio can be illustrated using a Golden Rectangle: a large rectangle consisting of a square (with sides equal in length to the shortest length of the rectangle) and a smaller rectangle. The side lengths of a Golden Rectangle are in the Golden RatioIf you remove this square from the rectangle, you'll be left with another, smaller Golden Rectangle. This could continue infinitely, like Fibonacci numbers – which work in reverse. (Adding a square equal to the length of the longest side of the rectangle gets you increasingly closer to a Golden Rectangle and the Golden Ratio.) In the Fibonacci Sequence (0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ...) each term is the sum of the previous two, and the ratio becomes increasingly closer to the Golden Ratio Plotting the relationships in scale provides us with a spiral that can be seen in natureGolden Ratio in use It's believed that the Golden Ratio has been in use for at least 4,000 years in human art and design. However, it may be even longer than that – some people argue that the Ancient Egyptians used the principle to build the pyramids. 10 iconic examples of brutalist architectureIn more contemporary times, the Golden Ratio can be observed in music, art, and design all around you. By applying a similar working methodology you can bring the same design sensibilities to your own work. Let's take a look at a couple of examples to inspire you. Greek architecture Ancient Greek architecture uses the Golden Ratio to determine pleasing dimensionsAncient Greek architecture used the Golden Ratio to determine pleasing dimensional relationships between the width of a building and its height, the size of the portico and even the position of the columns supporting the structure. The final result is a building that feels entirely in proportion. The neo-classical architecture movement reused these principles too. The Last Supper Leonardo da Vinci made extensive use of the Golden RatioLeonardo da Vinci, like many other artists throughout the ages, made extensive use of the Golden Ratio to create pleasing compositions. In The Last Supper, the figures are arranged in the lower two thirds (the larger of the two parts of the Golden Ratio), and the position of Jesus is perfectly plotted by arranging golden rectangles across the canvas. Nature There are also numerous examples of the Golden Ratio in nature – you can observe it all around you. Flowers, sea shells, pineapples and even honeycombs all exhibit the same principle ratio in their makeup. Next page: how to construct a Golden Ratio rectangle Creating a Golden Rectangle is pretty straightforward, and starts with a basic square. Follow the steps below to create your own Golden Ratio: 01. Draw a square This will form the length of the 'short side' of the rectangle. 02. Divide the square Divide your square in half with a vertical line, leaving you with two rectangles. 03. Draw a diagonal line In one rectangle, draw a line from one corner to the opposite corner. 04. Rotate Rotate this line so that it appears horizontally adjacent to the first rectangle. 05. Create a new rectangle Create a rectangle using the new horizontal line and original rectangle as guides. Next page: How to use the Golden Ratio in your design work Using the Golden Ratio is simpler than you might think. There are a couple of quick tricks you can use to estimate it into your layouts, or you can plan a little more and fully embrace the concept. The quick way If you've ever come across the 'Rule of Thirds' you'll be familiar with the idea that by dividing an area into equal thirds both vertically and horizontally, the intersection of the lines will provide a natural focal point for the shape. Photographers are taught to position their key subject on one of these intersecting lines to achieve a pleasing composition, and the same principle can be used in your page layouts, web mockups, and poster designs. Although the rule of thirds can be applied to any shape, if you apply it to a rectangle with proportions approximately 1:1.6, you get very close to a Golden Rectangle, which makes the composition all the more pleasing to the eye. Full implementation If you want to fully implement the Golden Ratio into your design, you can do so easily by ensuring that the relationship between your content area and sidebar (in a website design, for example) adheres to the 1:1.61 ratio. It's okay to round this up or down by a point or two to make the numbers worth with pixels or points – so if you have a content area of 640px, a sidebar of 400px will match the Golden Ratio well enough to work, even though it's actually a ratio of 1:1.6. Using the Golden Ratio in a webpage layout provides a natural, pleasing resultOf course, you can also sub-divide the content and sidebar areas up using the same ratio, and the relationship between a webpage's header, content area, footer and navigation can also be designed using the same basic Golden Ratio. Next page: Golden Ratio tools and tutorials Here are some tools to help you use the Golden Ratio in your designs to create pieces that work proportionally... 01. goldenRATIO GoldenRATIO's favourites feature stores your settings for repetitive tasksGoldenRATIO is an app that provides an easy way to design websites, interfaces and layouts according to the Golden Ratio. Available in the Mac App Store for $2.99, the app features a built-in calculator with visual feedback. It also has a 'favourites' feature that stores you screen position and settings for repetitive tasks, and a 'Click-thru' mode that means you can use it as an overlay in Photoshop and still work on the canvas. 02. Golden Ratio Typography Calculator This calculator from Pearsonified helps you to create the perfect typography for your website in line with Golden Ratio principles. Just enter a font size, content width, or both into the field on the website, and click the Set my type! button. If you'd like to optimise for characters per line, you can enter an optional CPL value. 03. Phicalculator Phicalculator does one job, and it does it very wellThis simple but useful free app is available for both Mac and PC. Give it any number and it will calculate the corresponding number according to the golden ratio. 04. Atrise Golden Section Atrise's tool lets you design visually according to the Golden RatioThis on-screen ruler and grid software saves you all that messing about with calculations and allows you to design using the golden section proportion visually. You can see and change the harmonious forms and sizes, while being directly in the process of working on your project. A regular license costs $49, but you can download a free trial version that's good for 30 days. Golden Ratio tutorials Finally, here are some handy tutorials to help you use the Golden Ratio in your designs to create pieces that work proportionally... 01. Graphic design, illustration and art In this tutorial for Digital Arts, Roberto Marras shows how to use the golden section in your artwork, to create pieces that work proportionally. 02. Web design This tutorial from Tuts+ explains how to apply the principles of the Golden Ratio to your web design projects. 03. More web design This Smashing Magazine tutorial explains divine proportion and the Rule of Thirds and describes how you can apply both of them effectively to your web layouts. Some good starting points you can build upon or develop further. Read more: Typography: Getting more from the grid Everything you need to know about the golden ratio 23 steps to the perfect website layout View the full article

Few creative tools are as useful to creatives as a trusty notebook. They might appear pretty simple on the surface – just sheets of paper bound together inside a cover – but they've survived through the years for a reason: they just work. Notebooks don't have to be charged (well, most of them don't), they're inexpensive and they're one of the easiest things to use – simply open them and start writing and drawing. Even the most sophisticated digital drawing tablets have to pack a serious technological punch to appear this intuitive. But just because notebooks are straightforward doesn't mean they're all the same. We've rounded up 10 of the best notebooks for designers that show off how the same concept can be pushed in interesting directions. So if you're after a new place to record notes or pencil drawings, maybe one of these notebooks is just what you're looking for. 01. MOO Hardcover Notebook We love the complementary colours found in each MOO Notebook$19.99/£14.99 Famous for its frankly dizzying array of business cards, you might not know that MOO also makes notebooks. Built by the company's in-house designers with the same care and consideration as its business cards, MOO's Notebooks come in hard and soft cover form. The Hardcover Notebooks here are available in a choice of six colour combinations (split into classic or bright) and are filled with crisp, non-glare, ruled paper. There are also 16 pages of shaded paper in the middle that break up the notebook and give you a space to jot down those sporadic, unrelated thoughts that spring up from time to time. Thanks to their binding, the MOO Notebooks can be laid perfectly flat. This is welcome news for left-handed creatives, who need no longer be hindered by spines creating impractical bulges under the pages. Topped off with a quality cloth cover and a slipcase to keep the notebook protected, this is a premium journal with an accessible price. 02. Moleskine Classic Chances are you've heard of this notebook brand beforeWell, it wouldn't be a list of the best notebooks if we didn't mention Moleskine, would it? In the world of stationery, Moleskine is the Apple of notebooks, with its products generating the same kind of enthusiasm and loyalty as the latest iPhone release. It's funny to think that the Italian company has only been running since 1997, but its relatively rapid success is the result of a commitment to creating quality products. With a straightforward and practical design, plus a luxurious finish that makes them a joy to write on, Moleskine notebooks have really earned their place at the top of the notebook food chain. Even the most basic of Moleskine notebooks feel like something special, and with a variety of different styles, including coloured notebooks, memo books, and two-go textile-covered notebooks to name but a few, it doesn't look like they're going to be knocked off the top spot any time soon. 03. Lockbook Remember what I said about notebooks not needing to be charged? Well, here's one exception: meet Lockbook, a nifty little notebook that keeps all your secrets safely locked away, for your eyes only. Sealed with a biometric lock that needs the owner's fingerprint to open, the Lockbook is one of the most practically innovative journals we've come across. However its unique security system doesn't mean you have to use Lockbook to record your darkest thoughts. Once you've opened it up, you'll see that Lockbook's ring binder lets you personalise it in any way you want. With a range of inserts, pockets, sticky notes and more, you can tailor the Lockbook to be as personal as – well – your fingerprints. The Lockbook was funded by Indiegogo, but is now available to purchase from Amazon. 04. Rocketbook Everlast The Rocketbook Everlast can be used again and againAnother notebook that uses technology in creative and useful ways is the Rocketbook Everlast. Bringing the concept of a journal bang up to date, the Everlast lets users take what they've written on the page and upload it to the cloud with the help of the Rocketbook app. Once your writing has been sent to a digital location, you can wipe your words off the page and start all over again. It's Rocketbook's aim to cut down on the amount of ideas get lost between different notebooks, as well as making the world a tidier place for creatives. Just like the Lockbook, the Rocketbook Everlast was originally crowd-funded, this time through Kickstarter. 05. The Bound Book Keep your notes safe from the elements with the Bound BookWriting from the safety of your home or studio is all well and good, but what if you need to work outside, exposed to the wrath of mother nature? Where most notebooks would wilt in the rain, the Bound Book from the rugged Rite in the Rain company is capable of standing up to storms, grime, and even laundry mishaps (they can happen to the best of us). With a glorious yellow cover made out of an imitation leather material called fabrikoid, the tough pocket-sized Bound Book comes with sewn-in pages coated in a unique moisture shield. This allows users to write in pen and pencil, even if the pages have been soaked. 06. Field Notes Is it cheating to count three notebooks as one entry?Field Notes is a collection of smartly-designed, vintage-styled pocket notebooks, created by the Draplin Design Company and Coudal Partners. The small notebooks, which measure 3.5x5.5in, come with 48 pages and a saddle stitch binding, are ideal for sketching or taking notes on the go. Best of all, the Memo Books come in a mixed three-pack, so you're spoilt for choice when it comes to page design. Available with plain, lined or graph paper pages, the Memo Book collection is ready to suit any task. Inspired by the "vanishing subgenre of agricultural memo books, ornate pocket ledgers, and the simple, unassuming beauty of a well-crafted grocery list", this trio of journals is an essential on-the-go option for designers. 07. UI Stencils Everyday Carry Kit Finally, a notebook that makes UX design easierOne for the web designers amongst you now: Let us introduce you to the Everyday Carry Kit from UI Stencils. Just like the Field Notes Memo Book bundle, this set includes three pocket-sized notebooks with 48 pages each. However unlike Field Notes, these are specifically aimed at digital designers. Each book in this set contains gridded pages ideally suited to creating digital prototypes. What sets this collection apart from other notebooks is the unique Pocket Stencil. Complete with cut-outs of frequently used UX shapes, such as touch and swipe icons, phone symbols and social media logos, this stencil makes it quicker and easier for web designers to jot down layouts for the latest groundbreaking app. 08. Leuchtturm Master Classic Leuchtturm is a landmark name in the world of notebooksSmall notebooks are all well and good, but sometimes you want a big beefy notebook that's going to last you a while. That's what you get with the formidably named Master Classic notebook from Leuchtturm. Larger than A4, the hardcover comes stuffed with 233 numbered pages – choose from either ruled, plain, square or dotted paper, depending on your preference. If you're not after something quite so substantial, Leuchtturm offers lots of other alternatives in different sizes and thicknesses. To give you an idea of the quality on the table, the company has been running since 1917 and its main rival is the new(ish) kid on the block, Moleskine. 09. Baron Fig The yellow bookmark ribbons are a beautiful touchWe've seen lots of different notebooks on our list so far, each satisfying a different niche depending on what you're after. With so many different demands being placed upon notebooks, Baron Fig decided to ask the design community what they want out of a notebook and go from there. The result is the Confidant notebook, which from the ground up has questioned what a notebook is and what it can achieve. Pithy sales soundbites aside, the Baron Fig notebooks are truly gorgeous. Available in a soothing light grey or charcoal, the Confidant notebooks can open flat and contain plain, ruled or dot grid pages. Its quality acid-free fine grain paper makes the Confidant a dream to write in, whether that's with inks or pencils, plus this means the books are safe from degradation. They might be modest to look at, but Baron Fig lets its high-standard products speak for themselves. 10. CIAK Pitti These gorgeous notebooks come with a hefty price tagBit of a wild card to finish on. Take a look at the CIAK Pitti from Fiorentina, a European specialist in leather products and accessories. They're beautiful to look at and are extremely soft to the touch, and are sure to be one of the most luxurious places you can put your pen to paper. With contrasting elastic straps to keep the books secure when they're shut, and a dazzling lining that makes them pleasant to look at as well as use, the CIAK Pitti line really is in a league of its own in terms of style. The only catch? These books are only available to order as a wholesaler, with minimum orders set at $300. However, unless you're desperate enough that you want to order these books in bulk (and we really couldn't blame you), the kind folks at Fiorentina are happy to guide you towards the nearest retailer if you get in contact with them. It sounds like a bit of a hassle, but it sort of makes these elusive notebooks feel even more valuable if you happen to get your hands on one. Related articles: The best free graphic design software The best drawing tablet: our pick of the best graphics tablets How to draw and paint - 100 pro tips and tutorials View the full article

Struggling to make your social media posts stand out from the crowd? Did your Tweets and statuses once funnel big numbers towards your site's landing page but now you find that they're just attracting bots? Chances are you need to tweak how your posting on social media platforms. The trouble is that social media algorithms are changing all the time. However there are some best-practice tricks that social media managers can deploy to attract attention without damaging their reputation, as these social media savants reveal. 01. Tap into current affairs “Facebook wants the best possible experience for its users, so it’s constantly re-evaluating the value it puts on a piece of content, depending on how it thinks people will react to it,” says David Glenwright. “Try where you can to talk about popular or current affairs. By using these keywords in your content, Facebook will identify your post as being timely and relevant, and show it to more people.” 02. Share your portfolio with Dropbox Dropbox is a great way to share PDFs “You can share Dropbox files on Twitter,” advises Ben Mottershead, “which is a great way to put out your latest PDFolio if you’re touting for freelance work, or a new job. This is particularly useful for graduates.” 03. Use the golden ratio What’s the right mix of first-party and third-party content? How often should you post purely promotional messages? One best-practice technique comes from content marketing platform Rallyverse, which analysed customer data in a wide swathe of industries to find an optimal ratio: 30 per cent owned (that is, your own original content), 60 per cent curated from relevant external sources, and 10 per cent purely promotional. 04. Track visitors with Facebook Pixel The Facebook Pixel aims to simplify conversion tracking, optimisation and remarketing “The Facebook ads platform utilises third-party information to supplement what it gathers itself,” explains Glenwright. “When creating ad audiences, you can see where Facebook has acquired its information from. You can also import your own additional data into your targeting audiences. By installing Facebook Pixel into your website you can track visitors to your site and remarket to them, and if you have an email mailing list of customers, you can also import this data and reach out to them through Facebook ads.” 05. Post links with UTM encoding "Sometimes the content and areas of posting that seem to be the quietest in engagement are often the greatest sources of inbound traffic and leads," says David Kutcher. "UTM strings, used in conjunction with Google Analytics, will let you track where your traffic is originating and how it’s converting, and develop strategies to continually improve it." See confluentforms for more. 06. Pair your hashtags “As well as monitoring your direct interests, Instagram will make assumptions based on common pairings and similarities,” points out Glenwright. “For example, Instagram suggests to me that I might like a post about cigars – I don’t smoke, but I am a fan of Scotch whisky, and the two things are commonly linked together. Therefore, use hashtags that don’t directly correspond with your content, but are a logical pairing with it, to further your reach.” 07. Don't go overboard on hashtags Hashtags are great, but don't overdo it “Keep hashtags as precise as possible on Instagram,” adds Mottershead. “If you go above 25, or you use the same hashtags in multiple posts, Instagram often flags it as spam and limits the exposure of said post.” 08. Let people pin it for later Pinterest lets people return to your content “Adding ‘Pin it for later’ links to your social posts – on Facebook, for instance – means people can pin inspiring posts to their boards to read later,” says Ben Mottershead. “This is a great way to create further exposure and click-through.” 09. Quality over quantity “LinkedIn limits the number of invitations you can send and it’s often better to have connections that give you significant advantages within your sector,” points out Mottershead. “Creative director of a local agency – yes. High-school friend you haven’t seen in 10 years? No.” 10. Reply to messages in less than an hour Research by Lithium Technologies shows that consumers expect a lot from brands on Twitter. Some 53 per cent of users who tweet at a brand expect a response within the hour – and that percentage increases to 72 per cent for those with a complaint. If you’re handling social for a client, consider investing in software like Spark Central to stay on top of customer support tweets. This post originally appeared in Computer Arts magazine issue 273. Buy it here or subscribe. Related articles: 5 golden rules for social media strategy How to make social media work for you Create perfect social media images with this handy cheat sheet View the full article

In the Instagram and Snapchat era, audiences are increasingly visually oriented. But sometimes an image alone isn’t enough: you need a clever combination of words and graphics to tell a detailed story in a way that can be grasped quickly and easily. Cue the infographic. But while they may look easy to create, in practice they can be darned difficult to get right. There are, however, some basic principles you can follow to make sure your design is as effective as possible. (And here's a bonus content tip: always run a spellcheck before sending your infographics out into the world.) Here, we share six secrets to creating outstanding infographics... 01. Decide whether you actually need an infographic This infographic unpicks the trend for infographics, and explores the stats surrounding the trend. Click on the image to see the infographic in full The first thing to consider when setting out to design an infographic is whether or not you actually need one. Your client may have heard at a marketing seminar that infographics are “big right now” and “a great way to go viral”. But it’s your job to explain that unless there’s a very clear and indisputable reason to present information in this form – rather than through any other sort of design, or an email, press release or blog post – then going viral is unlikely to happen. There’s no one single rule of thumb, but in general an infographic is a good option when you need to present complex data in a simple visual format that’s easy to share across multiple platforms. If that’s not what you need to do, then you’re probably better off investigating another medium. 02. Clearly define your goal We created this infographic for one, clear purpose: help our audience access useful Illustrator shortcuts quickly and easy. Click on the image to see the infographic in full Once you’ve established that your project requires an infographic, you then need to ruthlessly focus in on your topic, and decide what information needs to be included, who the target audience is (ideally, including detail personas), how they will most likely view the infographic, and why they might want to read it. That last part is crucial, because online it’s certainly not the case that “If you build it, they will come” – quite the reverse. So don’t put the cart before the horse. Only once you’ve answered the above questions will you be in a good position to decide what kind of layout, visual style, colour scheme and so on is going to work best. And when we say ‘define your goal’, we purposely chose the singular version of that noun. The idea of pursuing multiple goals with your infographic is self-defeating, because the whole essence of the discipline is to... 03. Keep it simple Our own infographic on desk exercises for designers keeps words to a minimum and lets the visuals take the strain. Click on the image to see the full infographic At Creative Bloq, we often see infographics that are so complex and confusing that few people will read or share them online. We can't stress this enough, then: your infographic needs to be as simple, focused and visually uncluttered as you can possibly make it. This isn't always easy. Streamlining information is tricky at the best of times – and even more so when you have multiple stakeholders involved in a project. But you must stand firm. This means keeping things to a single specific point or story, rather than trying to cover broad or multiple themes. It means applying a simple visual theme that will prove consistency and flow to your design. And above all, it means keeping text to a minimum: it’s an infographic, after all, so the graphics need to work hard to tell the story. In particular, avoid big chunks of text in favour of small bite-size pieces, such as bullet-pointed lists, which are easier for readers to digest at a glance. And make good use of whitespace to ensure that both text and images are attractive, accessible and legible. Finally, don’t make your infographic too long: you want readers to get to the end without becoming bored. And if you are going to make them scroll, you might include some kind of visual device to let them know how far they’ve got to go (similar to a progress bar on an app). In the infographic above, for instance, the reader knows that there are 10 steps to follow. 04. Choose your colours carefully Designmantic has come up with this go-to graphic to help you get your website interface just so. Another important aspect of keeping your infographic simple is to choose an uncomplicated colour scheme. That doesn’t mean, however, that it needs to be dull. In fact, some of the most effective infographics are based on bright, bold and attention-grabbing colours. As with any design, your choice of colour palette will depend on a variety of factors. What mood do you wish to instil in the reader: excitable, chilled, passionate? Are there specific brand colours you need to follow for your client? What cultural factors do you need to take into account for the intended audience? To help you nail your perfect colour palette, check out our posts on How to choose a colour theme, The designer’s guide to using colour in branding, and Tools for choosing a colour scheme. 05. Use infographic tools to save you time Canva offers a great way to quickly create infographics in the browser, and it’s free! Depending on your needs and how fast you need to get your infographic out of the door, there are a number of tools that can help. Of course, these are going to be limiting, and you’re only going to have creative control by using bespoke software like Photoshop, Illustrator or Affinity Designer. But sometimes limits can be an aid to the imagination, especially when you’re asked to produce something simple at the last minute, for instance for a social media campaign. In such cases, these infographic tools are all high quality and free to boot. 06. Be inspired by the best infographics Check out the Information is Beautiful blog for their latest amazing infographics Infographics offer an almost endless variety of ways to express information in visual form. But in practice, it’s easy to become repetitive and keep falling back on the same kinds of designs. So give your imagination a reboot by checking out some of the best and most original examples of infographics online. There are plenty of infographics galleries, including Cool Infographics, Infographics Bee and our own regularly updated selection of the best infographics. Also look for new infographics on Dribbble and Behance, and check out the blog Information is Beautiful, which showcases its own consistently high standard infographics. Related articles: 8 ways to make more money in 2018 The top 20 US design studios of 2018 10 designers' New Year's resolutions View the full article

There was a time in the past when web standards were a mess, with numerous features either supported by some browsers but not others, or differing greatly in their implementation. Today the picture is a lot better, but you still need to do cross-browser testing. For all the focus on web standards, they can't cover every edge case, and so subtle differences in feature implementation will still persist between browsers, especially if you're using cutting-edge features. 11 huge web design trends for 2018To help you ensure that your sites will work for as many users as possible, here are five great cross-browser testing tools to add to your armoury, which you can try out for free right now. 01. BrowserShots BrowserShots is the perfect way to check the basics It sounds simple, but BrowserShots is an awesome way to check the basics. It's an online service that will quickly take screenshots of your site in a range of browsers and versions of your choosing, to check that things look okay. You can also play around enabling and disabling JavaScript and Flash. Best of all, it's free. This gets you off to a good start, and is fine for simple content pages, but for interactive sites you'll need to go a little further and use another tool to test your functionality. 02. EndTest EndTest offers both a free service and paid options EndTest offers something called 'Codeless Automated Testing', which essentially allows you to automate repetitive tests across browsers without having to write code in the way that you might need to with something like Selenium. EndTest offers a free service, but also a number of paid options if you need more than this offers. If you sign up, you'll also find a number of demo test suites to help you understand how the tool works. Similarly to Sauce Labs or BrowserStack, it enables test execution in the cloud to avoid you needing to install all the software you want to test with. 03. Selenium Selenium is one of the most popular automated testing frameworks If you're thinking you may want to delve into automated testing, Selenium is one of the most popular frameworks out there and allows you to automate browser actions. You have a couple of options: Selenium IDE is a Firefox add-on which will let you record and play back actions, or Selenium WebDriver, which enables you to code tests in almost any major language of your choosing. Getting started with the latter isn't simple, but for larger projects it can pay dividends in the long run. There are a variety of cloud services out there, including Sauce Labs and BrowserStack, which will enable you to execute your Selenium tests across a range of platforms without installing VMs and emulators yourself. 04. IE Tab With IE Test you can simply run an Internet Explorer instance in a Chrome or Firefox tab We've touched on how Internet Explorer can be a little troublesome, particularly older versions that have a tendency to render pages very differently both from their competitors and from current browsers today. So why not tackle this directly with this extension, available for Firefox and Chrome, which allows you to open tabs emulating Internet Explorer. Since IE presents the largest challenge in terms of variance from web standards, trying your site out with it as you work on it can save you a massive headache later on. 05. Browserling Browserling's an easy way to test for any browser you care to name What if you want the cloud testing capabilities of EndTest, Sauce Labs or BrowserStack, but without the complexity of setting up automated testing? Then Browserling is for you. It's an online service that lets you select a browser and version, and render a page that you can interact with to not only check appearance, but also test out functionality. You can use it for free, although it'll queue you with other users who have submitted their site at the same time. This one is great if you just want to quickly double-check your work manually. This article was originally published in issue 267 of Web Designer, the creative web design magazine – offering expert tutorials, cutting-edge trends and free resources. Subscribe to Web Designer here. Related articles: 10 ways to avoid cross-browser compatibility issues 11 best pieces of user testing software The top 5 usability testing myths View the full article

Carving out a career as a successful creative isn't just about doing great work and building up an impressive design portfolio, you also have to make sure the right people see it. Getting your name and face known is central to building your career. Some people are terrified by the idea of networking and selling themselves, especially out in the 'real world' and away from the relative comfort of social media. But it's really nothing to be scared of. Simply adopt a positive attitude, design a business card to hand over to people you meet, follow these tips and you'll soon be on your way to self-promotion success... 01. Follow the golden rule We've all met people like this at eventsThe golden rule when networking as a creative is to remember that it's not about schlepping around design events and shoving your folio or business card under everyone's noses. That's just rude. Instead, it's about extending your creative network by meeting similar-minded people, so you're in a better position to hear on the grapevine of potential work opportunities, happenings or moves in the industry. Be polite and friendly, not forceful and self-serving. 02. Show genuine interest Creative networking is very organic. If you have a genuine interest in design you'll naturally gravitate towards those who share that interest, and with whom you might want to collaborate in the future. It's a slow burn process: it definitely isn't the creative equivalent of speed dating where you bounce from person to person asking: What's your going rate? Any jobs at your place? Would you like to see my PSDs? No, no, no. Instead, take an interest in the designers, creative directors or technologists you encounter socially. Through your conversations you'll naturally pick up tips and advice about finding work, managing clients or dealing with annoying creative event speed-daters. And it will only help you extend your network that bit further. 03. Spot the differences Seek out people who produce work in a slightly different field to yours. Don't be afraid of this, because there will almost certainly be things you do that they don't. Which means you could both be a great fit for future projects together. 04. Use social networks Gavin Strange, aka jamfactory, is active and super friendly on social networks If you're not comfortable with face-to-face networking there is of course the less-imposing internet, with any number of social networks that will help you get in touch with like-minded designers. Twitter is the obvious choice; it's a great way to find fellow creatives to share banter, work and industry knowledge with, and it's the perfect place to post your latest work (with fingers crossed that it'll pick up loads of retweets). But beyond Twitter there are plenty of places to make friends and get your work seen. Instagram, Dribbble, Behance, Pinterest and DeviantArt are all ideal places to post your latest creations, and if your work moves then don't forget Vimeo and YouTube. Even Snapchat, with its visual focus, has networking potential. But don't overstretch yourself to the extent that you're spending half the day updating your social shizzle; keep things to a small handful of networks that work for you and are popular within your specialism. Check our 6 tips for social networking and How to make social media work for you articles to help you plan your social networking strategy. 05. Go to meetups... Glug runs design events around the world Creative types are a social bunch and there are plenty of local meetup events for you to go along to and throw your creative two cents in. A big one is Glug, which now runs events all over the world, but there are plenty of options to choose from. Unless you're really out in the sticks, chances are you'll be able to find an event to suit you within travel distance. So whether you're after Ladies, Wine and a Bit of Design, or want to mingle with other Designers+Geeks, there's a meetup for you. 06. ...or arrange your own A lot of meetups have different chapters – so if your city is missing the meetup you really want to attend, you could always bite the bullet and arrange one yourself. Although it's a bit of a commitment, it's a great way to meet others in your area who have similar interests. And it adds kudos to your creative resume. 07. Seek out creative clusters Creative people tend to form clusters in certain areasOutside of virtual meetups, there are areas where fellow creative bods naturally gravitate, and social scenes have sprung up. Go to any given point in London around Shoreditch or in Brooklyn's Gowanus you'll find creative clusters around bars or cafes. Meet friends there and do a bit of networking (chatter, banter, who's doing what and with whom). Every area has these clusters, you just need to find one near you. 08. Hit the pub Even if you don't drink yourself, the fact that others are doing so makes for a relaxed atmosphereAt the end of a conference, event or road show, a load of attendees usually swarm out of the auditorium at a rate of knots to race for trains or to beat the rush hour. Critically, this is when most of the bonding and networking happens as there'll always be a few who want to 'go for one' in the local pub. Usually these are genuinely passionate and interesting creative folk (and you might find some speakers/event organisers will tag along as well). Keep your ears primed for chatter about any after-event happenings and pop along because it's a great way of extending your creative network. Of course we advise you to drink responsibly and remind you that waking up in a hedgerow, public park or in a different county is an indicator that your networking has become a little counterproductive. 09. Conquer conference dread Going to an event or conference on your own can be a bit daunting especially, if it's for a few days. The thing to remember is that you won't be the only one who's feeling a bit of a Billy no-mates. Take the initiative and use Twitter or Lanyrd to find out who in a similar field to you is also attending. Then drop them a friendly Tweet and arrange a meetup in the bar or over a coffee. When people are transplanted away from their normal environments they become much more social and willing to make buddies. If work comes from it then great, but even if it doesn't, you'll extend your network a bit and make some new friends in the process. 10. Pick events that encourage networking Our web design conference series, Generate, offers lots of opportunities to mingle Not all design conferences do all they can to encourage networking between attendees. Sometimes, in the breaks between talks and other formal sessions, you'll see a depressing sea of uncommunicative faces buried in laptops – not an environment where it's easy to strike up conversations with stranger. At other times, it'll be the opposite – you won't be able to move for people introducing themselves in an open manner and with a smile on their face. The difference is often down to the fact that the conference organisers haven't just paid lip service to the idea of networking, but actually put things in place to ensure it happens. For example, at our own web design conference series, Generate, we make a conscious effort to get people mingling, whether that be via a pre-event quiz or chilled after party. The same is true of our new event for CG artists, Vertex. Check out our Events channel for news about upcoming events. 11. Find your design heroes Conferences are ideal for cornering any speakers whose work you admireLook for your design heroes on Twitter and strike up a conversation. Follow those who inspire you and periodically ask for opinions or advice on your own work. Pointers and tips from those in the know are invaluable for pushing you in the direction of those who can help make your work reach a wider audience. And if you spot them about at a conference, go over and say hello (just make sure they're not about to go on stage, first). 12. Learn to listen Listening is a skill. It's an absolute art form. Most of us only half listen when we're engaged in social communication because we're already planning in our heads what to say next. Try to turn this off and truly listen to what's being said. You'll retain more and your attentiveness will be picked up by the speaker, which means they're more likely to listen to you in return. 13. Ask open-ended questions If you're feeling a bit awkward or nervous at an event and want to know how to keep conversations bubbling along, then try to remember to ask open-ended questions. Questions that start with such words as 'who', 'what', 'where' and 'when' open up a conversation, whereas questions that only require a closed response such as 'yes' and 'no' tend to shut things down. It's an old trick but a good one. 14. Start your own industry-related blog If you don't want to commit to a blog, you can post your thoughts on Medium Create your own creative beacon by starting a blog about what inspires you. Give people something to know you by besides your own creative work by giving something to the creative community. A blog is not only an outlet for what floats your creative boat but is also a great conversation starter, either virtually or at meetups. You'll find tons of advice about content in our article How to start a blog: 10 pro tips, and check out the 14 best free blogging platforms here. Alternatively, platforms like Medium offer a space for you to share long blog posts without the commitment of setting up a custom space. 15. Keep up with new work If you keep up with who the innovators, creators and movers-and-shakers in the business are, you'll never be stuck for something to say either on Twitter or at meetups. New work should naturally draw you in, and getting out of a siloed way of working by keeping up to date with the industry around you will reap rewards long term. Networking doesn't happen in a vacuum. 16. Seek referrals Look for potentially useful contacts, but keep it subtleAt any networking do or social gathering you'll always find someone who knows someone who needs something that you do. Sometimes this is just hot air, but at others it could be a genuine opportunity. The key thing is to try to nail down the pertinent information – who, what and when? If you don't want to pester them during the evening, make a note of their contact details and email them for more information the next day. 17. Remember it's a two-way street Networking is about listening and helping others. It's a reciprocal type of 'you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours… later'. Just remember you have to scratch first and don't always expect a scratch back. Adopt a philanthropic approach to networking and you won't ever be disappointed by it. 18. Don't be too sensitive Don't get upset if someone doesn't reply to your messageIf you speculatively contact someone by Twitter or email and they don't reply to you, try to take it on the chin. You're not going to set everyone's world on fire and quite frankly, if these people can't be bothered to return an email or a Tweet, would you want to do any business with them anyway? 19. Play nice There's a misguided notion that to give a 'critique' of something means to 'rip it to shreds to show how clever you are'. In fact, the best critiques are those that are balanced and examine what worked and what didn't. This also means they're harder to do. But position yourself as someone who knows how good creative works and is genuinely enthusiastic about what DID work. Being an overly critical smart arse won't win you any recommendations or indeed entice anybody to want to network with you. Contributions: Creative Bloq staff Related articles: 20 innovative business card designs 15 things they didn't teach you at design school 5 quick and easy ways to fix your portfolio View the full article

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Vertex workshop leader Glen Southern shares his top tips to help you improve your VR sculpting. Virtual reality isn’t new. It’s been tried many times before and failed a fair few of those times. Sculpting in VR on the other hand is a different story. With modern hardware and machine specs it’s now a very viable way of concepting, designing and actually building 3D models, including characters and creatures. While ZBrush clearly holds the crown for digital sculpting, there are a thousand and one other programs that allow you to create your critters in 3D. There aren’t many that allow you to do it in a virtual room and walk around the creature as you create it. You can work with it in your lap sitting down and rotating your creation around in your hands or you can setup your work space to allow gigantic sculptures and even walk inside them as you build. With that in mind, here are some top tips for sculpting character and creature in VR. 01. Use references First and foremost reference is key to doing anything well. Designing living things without reference is never a good idea in any medium, from pencil to VR. In VR it is more important as you are actually stood in the sculpting environment and getting scale and dimensions wrong is so easy. Most VR programs don’t have and orthographic view so there's no lining up again an image in the same way you would in most traditional packages but you can usually bring in photographic references. 02. Block out Always block out your creature in a rough and ready way. The more accurate you get the initial ‘frame’ or ‘armature’ the better your overall design will read. 03. Check out silhouettes To see how it reads, don’t be afraid of working in very dark colours or temporarily spraying your model black. This then gives you an almost 2D silhouette to work with. By moving around the model now you can see where you need to add volume or tweak your proportions. If it reads well in silhouette it will probably work as a full 3D sculpt. 04. Make environments to work in Sometimes it can be hard to create in an empty 3D environment. In MEDIUM you can keep a floor grid on and even a cloudy sky. It sometimes helps to build an environment to sculpt into. For example you can create a room, floor or a stand. Once you have some geometry as a reference point it can help you to sculpt your design more accurately. 05. Break symmetry MEDIUM now has a powerful Move tool to allow you to move and rotate parts of your model. You can use it to break symmetry and this instantly brings a creature to life. You may need to save a symmetrical version before you go exploring more dynamic poses. Hard surfaces are possible in VR too, not only organic shapes More VR from Glen Southern at Vertex At Vertex, Glen Southern will be showing a workflow with an amazing program called Oculus MEDIUM, which is one of a number of recent entrants into the VR modelling marketplace. He wants to show MEDIUM because the models he creates can also be textured inside VR and then what you have created can be exported out of VR and be imported into ZBrush for more work, to a colour printer for output and maybe. Vertex 2018 is the event bringing together all areas of the VFX/3D community, for a day of presentations, workshops, recruitment and more. Some of the biggest names in the industry are coming to talk and share their skills and knowledge, from Chris Nichols and Brett Ineson, to Scott Ross. Tickets are available at the Vertex site, so head over to sign up for the latest news direct to your inbox and to buy tickets. The tickets themselves range from discounted student options, to free expo tickets and the access all areas passes. Related articles: Scott Ross to talk at Vertex Network with industry experts at Vertex The ethics of digital humans View the full article