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Running a small creative business can be a joy and a privilege, but it's certainly not a walk in the park. Right from the start you're beset by challenges and big decisions, and as your business grows they'll level up alongside you. How to launch a creative businessForewarned is forearmed, though, so we spoke to a collection of studio heads to get their insider knowledge on the various obstacles you'll come up against when running your own business, and their tips on how to overcome them. Here's what they had to say. Recruit the best Find out how to tempt talent away from large agencies01. Focus on juniors As a small creative business, it's often easier to recruit juniors with potential and then develop them than to find fully formed talent. The Plant London is one agency that likes to nurture from below, according to founder Matt Utber. "One student who came straight to us from university ended up becoming our design director," he recalls. "And we've had a few others over the years who've done similar things. It's really lovely to nurture designers and see them grow like this." 02. Draw on existing friendship groups Friendship groups and existing contacts are another great way to find new talent. At SteadyGo, the Leeds agency he co-founded, Tom Wade tried running a recommendation policy for recruitment: "If an existing employee introduced a friend we'd pay them £250, or donate it to a charity. Quite a lot of people did the latter, which was nice." And the benefits of using friendship networks aren't just about getting in good people, he adds. "Recruiting this way has led to a very friendly atmosphere. Everyone has these connections that transcend day-to-day agency life." 03. Avoid using recruitment agencies The sentiment of our panel was that recruitment agencies are best left as a last resort. Not only are they expensive, but they're not always reliable. "Once we hired someone the agent had vetted and who interviewed okay, but had a CV that turned out to be complete fiction," remembers Alec East, founder of Bedford agency Narrative Industries. "Recruitment fees are pretty big when you're on the salaries we pay, and yet the work this guy did was so bad that in the end it wasn't actually billable." 04. Get out there and meet people Updating LinkedIn is not enough to find the right talent. You have to physically venture out into the community, believes Joe Cecere of Minneapolis agency Little & Company. "Our philosophy is that we're always connecting and getting out there, talking to people," he explains. "We're speaking at events, we're going to student portfolio shows. This keeps our name known. We use our network of employees and their past experience to keep in contact with people all around the country. So when opportunities come up, we're able to bring people in." 05. Join organisations Joining professional organisations can seriously widen your recruiting net, says Utber. "Being part of YCN, a small collection of agencies and clients, has been very good in helping us find talent." Check out local associations too, adds East. "Here in Bedfordshire, recruitment is more difficult than in London, so I got involved in Bedford Creative Arts. Part of their remit is to provide creative networking events, and they've proved very useful with freelancers or special commissions." 06. Create the right studio culture Create the right studio culture, and recruiting and retaining your staff becomes far easier. That's certainly been the case at Chicago design agency 50,000feet, says Jim Misener. "Being a small business means we've been able to develop an incredibly collaborative – almost collectivist – culture," he explains. "We keep the hierarchy as flat as possible, and this has contributed to our ability to attract and retain talent, with many citing the environment, culture and an ability to make a difference within their teams, practices, and the agency overall as reasons for joining and staying." Next page: How to keep winning new work Keep your business afloat by constantly winning new work01. Specialise If you're a large agency, clients expect you to do everything, from marketing to branding through to web design and app development. Small agencies can't compete with that – and nor should they, says East. "When we first started, we'd take almost any job that came our way. But once we recognised what we did best and what we enjoyed the most, it became easier to specialise. This, in turn, made it easier to identify new business opportunities and win them." 02. Be proactive Small agencies often get work via word of mouth, but you can't rely on that, argues Utber. "You need to be proactive. Personally I always do one thing a day. Make a phone call or reconnect to someone." It's also about getting your name out there. "We believe that raising our profile is a great way to attract clients, so we're writing a lot more thought pieces, and doing a lot more talks and panels." 03. Choose your work For new Manchester agency BGN, chasing new business is all about going after the right type of work, says founder Antonio Giansante. "We've got a clear vision of the type of client we want, so that's what we're chasing. We've been building up a campaign to target that sector including a mixture of stuff: sponsoring some awards and events, print advertising, digital advertising, some social stuff, attending events, and some old-school DM." 04. Avoid search firms Traditional ad agencies often use a search or pitch firm to generate leads. But our panel generally sees that as an outdated model that's too expensive for a small agency. "We went through a phase of working with a lead generation agency, where people would cold call for us," recalls Wade. "But it cost quite a lot per month – pretty much one person's wage. And I wouldn't say the results were exactly amazing…" 05. Harness social media Social media can be a useful tool to find new clients, says Wade. "At SteadyGo, I used the Twitter app Tweetdeck to serve me up tweets containing words from a list of 20 that were relevant to our business. I found quite a lot of work that way, and it made it easier to pick the kind of clients we wanted." 06. Sort your legal status One of the biggest questions freelancers have is whether to trade as a company or as an individual. The main factor that persuaded Dan Hett, a creative technologist and digital artist from Manchester, to register himself as a company was that it opened more doors. "I've got a couple of very large clients that I know won't deal with people who aren't set up as companies," he says. "So for me, it was important I be registered as a company." Next page: How to keep hold of clients Discover how to hang on to your clients and stop them defecting to rival companies.01. Create a sense of trust Beyond quality work, delivered in a timely manner, the main thing that will keep clients on side is trust and understanding. When you only have a small number of employees, that can be easier to achieve than in a huge, impersonal organisation, so make the most of it, says Wade. "Predominantly, it's about a shared sense of what the brand needs, its trajectory, its future and becoming a genuine partner. Pursue that, as we did at SteadyGo, and you'll end up with a lot of long-term clients as a result." 02. Provide consistency Clients like consistency, and that's another thing you should be better positioned to provide as a small business. "In a big company, a client may get shifted through four designers through the progress of the work," points out Cecere. "Or they may have an account director for six months, and then get a new one all of a sudden. In contrast, at Little & Company, you get a dedicated team that stay with you. We have decades-long relationships because of those strong bonds." 03. Recognise you both want the same things Just as you want a long-term relationship with a client, remember that they also want a long-term relationship with you. This came into sharp focus for Giansante this year when BGN was launched. He made it clear to each client that cashflow was crucial in these early days. "And everyone's responded well and paid on the dot," he says. "They were all saying: 'We want to help you through it.' So it's always important to remember that these relationships work both ways." 04. Be a good listener Often, a client will come to a small agency because they feel that bigger companies don't listen to them, or have time for them. So don't disappoint. "At 50,000feet, great communication begins by listening," says Misener. "Then, we focus on executing on clients' specific challenges – quickly and beautifully. We approach every client interaction from a service-minded standpoint: what insight can we share, what inspiration can we offer, what confidence can we instill and what trust can we build." 05. Be personable One thing people like about small creative businesses is that they're generally more easy-going and personable than big companies, so use that to your advantage, says John Spencer, founder of Middlesex agency Offthetopofmyhead. "I think you dramatically improve your chances by being approachable and friendly," he explains. "Nobody wants to deal with an agency if they're full of their own importance – and there are plenty of these agencies around. Clients want to enjoy the experience, and it's up to us to make sure they do." 06. Manage expectations Even if you do everything possible right, don't expect every client to stay with you forever, says Utber. "There's natural attrition as well. When you work on a project basis, once the brand is developed, the client will often find someone in-house or a less expensive agency to handle things. That's very much a fact of life." So build in that expectation to your projection and if it happens, don't dwell too much on it. If you're always finding new clients, then losing old ones shouldn't hurt as much. Next page: How to stay on top of things Get a firm hold on studio management, project management and cashflow.01. Make cashflow king "Cashflow is the main downfall for small creative businesses," says Giansante. Yet making sure that there's always cash in the bank to pay for everything is a big task, and easily forgotten amongst the more 'fun' aspects of agency work."So as well as using tools like Xero, I've got a budget spreadsheet on my screen 24/7," he says. "Everything we spend on a daily basis goes in there and I keep constant track." 02. Be ruthless In a small business, the person responsible for keeping clients happy may also be the person who needs to chase client payments, yet that can be problematic. "We don't like talking about money, it's a very British thing," says East. "But you need to get over that, or you may end up in trouble. Of course, you need to have proper payment systems, but beyond that it's largely a communication issue: you need to keep talking to clients about money, as well as everything else." 03. Create an 'all hands on deck' culture In a small business, everyone must be willing to pitch in with administrative tasks, believes Cecere. "We do have people that manage core areas of our business, but we're also a 25-person firm, so we talk about wearing a lot of hats," he says. "Even if you're a leader in a certain area, no one is too big to do any kind of task. People help each other out; we all roll up our sleeves when we need to." 04. Learn when to delegate When you're a small business, you can keep costs down by handling administrative tasks yourself. "But sometimes that's a false economy, and it's important to recognise where your energies are best spent," says East. "We got a great bookkeeper after about two years and it was worth the cost, because she gave us so much more information about cashflow and we could do projections. So as with design, these things are often best left to someone who knows what they're doing." 05. Manage workflow It's the kind of problem everyone wants to have, but being over rather than under capacity can still be a serious problem for a small studio. "It's a really fine line between having too little work and too much," points out Giansante. "But that's one of the biggest challenges you can have on the project management side, to strike that balance. It's hard to say no to work from a cash point of view, but there are other options, like outsourcing to a pool of trusted freelancers." 06. Review everything you do regularly With the constant hustle and bustle of agency work, it's easy to forget to take a step back and examine how things are going. But it's vital for the health of the company to do so, argues Misener. "We begin the week with a careful review of finance, operations, staffing and marketing across the entire business, developing a list of of goals for the week, along with any issues that we need to address," he says. "By minding the store, we create a sustainable and creative environment." Next page: How to establish a good work-life balance Retain your staff by offering them the right balance of work and play. 01. Facilitate good communications The biggest cause of workplace stress is poor communication and bad planning, says East. As a small business, those problems should in theory be easier to overcome than in a huge bureaucracy, but this won't happen automatically. You need to make the effort to be clear with your employees. "You need to ask difficult questions, be realistic about what's achievable, be willing to say you don't know (but can find out), and have good processes and workflows in place," says East. "Sort this out and most of the problems melt away." 02. Keep working hours realistic People working for small companies are often asked to work long hours, and often end up doing so, but that can be counterproductive, lowering productivity and encouraging staff churn. So how can you avoid too many late nights or weekends stuck in the office? "Once you're experienced enough to know how long things take, you set realistic timelines," Utber says. Then it's a case of communicating these timelines. "We find clients are very happy to let you take the lead on that, as long as you clearly tell them how long things will take. As a result, we very rarely work long hours." 03. Be flexible With a small business, you generally have more freedom to be flexible with staff than large organisations with a rigid HR department. And this can go a long way to making employees happier and more productive. "So while we have regular office hours," says Cecere, "if you want to be home one day, you can do that. If you want to go to a coffee shop and work, you can do that. If your kid has a baseball game, go do that." 04. Offer remote working Offering your staff the possibility of remote working is another way to keep them on side. Giansante offers two examples. "One lad at BGN is working a day or two a week, following the recent birth of his new baby. And our creative director has got small children, so he leaves at 5pm every day, but then he'll probably work 9 to 11pm at home. If you can fit work around people's lives, it can really make the difference to work-life balance." 05. Think about location One of the worst things about being an employee is having a long or unpleasant commute, so minimising the negative effects of that can be a great way to improve employees' work-life balance. "We're always on the lookout for ways to improve the lives and livelihoods of our staff," says Cecere. "Regarding commuting, we chose to locate our offices where there is easy public transportation from all directions, free parking, the ability to cycle, and for an increasing number of our staff, the ability to walk to work." 06. Keep the hierarchy flat One of the best ways to keep employees happy is to make them feel that as a business, you're all striving together, towards a common goal. There's no scientific method or step-by-step plan for making this happen, says Wade, but having a flat hierarchy can help. "At SteadyGo, we all had the same perks, staff and directors; we always kept things very flat as far as people were treated. And that led to a feeling of 'we're all in it to win it'." Next page: How to make sure you invest wisely Make better decisions when it comes to office space and equipment.01. Location isn't everything When it comes to office space, new agencies often start small and cheap. "We started in a craphole," recalls Wade. "It looked like a taxi office. Really cheap rates and a shared kitchen between 300 people. But it was nice, it felt like grass roots." Later the team upgraded, but he still doesn't feel that boutique agencies necessarily need expensive city-centre offices. "What you need is to create kickass work and some great clients; that's more important than the postcode," he insists. 02. Do you need an office? Does your studio actually need a traditional office? Hett runs a one-man business as a creative technologist and digital artist, and works out of an art studio. "Although it's more bare bones in terms of space, it's a lot cheaper than even renting a single desk in a shared office," he says. "It's literally just a white cube, but so far it's working for me." 03. Avoid false economies When you start a business, you need to be frugal, but don't want to take things too far, says East. "Any sizeable expense requires a cost-benefit analysis. If someone can work better, faster or easier with a certain piece of kit, then they can be more productive and generate more revenue." 04. Lease, don't buy To make sure your staff have the latest kit, consider leasing instead of buying, recommends Giansante. "If we had to buy six brand new Macs for everyone, we'd be looking at around twenty grand's worth of stuff, so we lease everything. Being able to budget and spread that across the next 24 months is perfect: I know exactly how much I'm paying. Everyone gets a brand new computer and if it breaks, it gets fixed at no extra cost." 05. Listen to your staff As a small business, you have the opportunity to talk to your staff, so take it, advises Misener. "Our approach has always been to listen to staff regarding what hardware and software they need and then develop a customised plan across the team. It's always about being attentive and being willing to adapt to new innovations, work habits, or client and staff needs." 06. Bring the fun Sometimes it's a good idea to spend a little money on things that aren't strictly necessary. "It's important to work in a space you enjoy," says Spencer. "So a bloody good sound system and a cappuccino machine are essential. It's also worth spending a little more on art, photography and design books and magazines. They're invaluable for keeping up with what's going on." This article originally appeared in Computer Arts issue 270; buy it here! Related articles: Studio vs freelance: The pros and cons 10 business card fails How to turn your design studio dream into reality View the full article

http://www.zdnet.com/article/bad-rabbit-ransomware-spread-using-leaked-nsa-eternalromance-exploit-researchers-confirm/ … View the full article

Apache OpenOffice patches four vulnerabilities tied its suite of free office applications impacting it word processing and graphics applications. View the full article

Google began pushing out updates to its desktop browser Friday with a patch that repairs a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability. View the full article

Rockwell Automation has patched its Stratix wireless access point against the KRACK vulnerability, joining a growing list of vendors in the commercial and industrial controls spaces moving quickly to reduce their exposure. View the full article

The Society for All Artists (SAA) is the largest art group in the world, with over 45,000 members worldwide ranging from beginners to professional artists. With this huge membership comes buying power, giving its members great discounts on top art materials and enabling the SAA to produce its own-branded materials like these pastels, all designed by the members with the artists’ needs at the forefront of the creation process. There's every colour you need for a tonal sketching setThis SAA Artists' pastel drawing set comes in a single-piece box with 127.5cm long by 1.2cm diameter pastels. This Sketching Colours set includes black, Blue Grey, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Cool Grey, ivory, orange, Raw Sienna, Raw Umber, Sanguine, Smoke Grey and of course, white. These colours are specifically chosen with tonal sketching in mind (a key discipline to practise), be it for a finished piece in itself or for the underpainting before adding colour on top. Other colour sets are available, though, including sets for portrait and skin tones, landscapes, floral studies and more. Pastel performance Lay rich strong colour down without messWe found the pastels to have a quality feel, and provide a fresh pigment-rich stroke of colour. This makes them perfect for mixing and for applying a stable layer of colour over the top. Priced at $27.95/£21.50 for the set, or an amazing $22.09/£16.99 for SAA members buying from its store, this is a great sketching set or a complement to your existing collection. They might not have quite the same pigment strength of Unison pastels, but you get a lot of pastel power for your pound. For the passionate pasteleer, an SAA membership would pay for itself in no time at all. This article originally appeared in Paint & Draw issue 10. Buy it here. Related articles: How to draw a landscape with pastels How to start pastel drawing How to fix your finished pastel artwork View the full article

Despite the old saying, people do judge a book by its cover. And so in a crowded market, giving your horror novel the right look is crucial in making it stand out on the shelves. In fact, even with proven bestsellers, publishers are continually innovating and trying out new cover designs; repackaging the classics to see what sells best. And as a result, we’ve seen some truly stunning artwork gracing the covers of the horror fiction releases over the last few decades. Here we bring together nine of our favourite horror novel covers to inspire your own designs. 01. Dracula by Bram Stoker This 1980s cover captures the deadly spirit of the original Dracula This classic 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker introduced us to the iconic character of Count Dracula, spawning a century of movie and theatre adaptations that eventually led to cute and cuddly parodies like Count Duckula and Sesame Street’s The Count. But the original novel remains a bloodcurdling classic, and this classic 1980s Penguin cover conveys that sense of brooding malevolence beautifully. Depicting Dracula’s thin, pale hand emerging from a cobwebbed coffin, this cover masterfully proves the horror axiom that hinting at a monster’s presence is more sinister than revealing it completely. You can see other classic covers for Bram Stoker’s novel here. 02. Salem’s Lot by Stephen King An uncharacteristically artful cover for a Stephen King classicIn the second half of the 20th century, Stephen King became the undisputed king of horror fiction. Sadly, though, the covers for many of his best books have been a little low-rent. But here’s one that, in our opinion, bucks the trend. King’s second novel, 1975’s Salem’s Lot, tells the story of a writer who returns to his childhood town only to discover that the residents are becoming vampires. And this 21st-century cover design gets right to the heart of the horror. It sets a chilling atmosphere with its sinister, impressionistic style, haunting central character and scrawled lettering, instantly summoning the feel of a desperate struggle to survive. You can see a larger selection of Stephen King novel covers here. How to design a promo for an imaginary brand03. The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson A simple concept, brilliantly executedFirst published in 1977, The Amityville Horror is claimed to be based on the real-life paranormal experiences of a family in Long Island, who moved into a house said to be possessed by a murderer, although it has since attracted lawsuits over its truthfulness. That controversy asides, the novel is a true horror classic, and this contemporary cover design from Pocket Books shows how sometimes the simplest ideas can be the spookiest. Although the novel’s subtitle ‘A True Story’ has now been dropped (presumably for legal reasons), casting a black-and-white photo of the actual house against a subtle filter of hellfire flames conveys the same idea with quiet efficiency. 04. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris Even moths can be scary, as this classic cover provedFirst published in 1988, The Silence of the Lambs is the second novel by Thomas Harris featuring cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter, who was later immortalised by Anthony Hopkins in the blockbuster film. The iconic novel has had many covers, mainly themed around what looks like a butterfly, but is actually a death's-head hawkmoth (so-called because the patterns on its thorax resemble a skull). This eerie design is our favourite: with its starkly visceral, stencilled moth against a distorted anguished background, it echoes the morbid nature of the tale brilliantly. 05. Lightning by Dean Koontz An imaginative treatment for a pulp horror classicOften the most effective horror covers hold back from being too literal in favour of the sinisterly suggestive, and here’s a great example. The 1989 novel by the best-selling horror writer Dean Koontz, Lightning tells the story of a girl born during a freak lightning storm. This 2003 reprint features an arresting design that eschews the visual cliches of lightning (stormy skies, windswept landscapes) and goes for something a little more abstract. But it’s no less spooky for that, and by seamlessly combining the evocative artwork with the main typography, the effect is instantly eye-catching and intriguing. 06. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis This expressionistic painting captures Ellis’s unique novel perfectlyBret Easton Ellis’s 1991 story of Patrick Bateman, a serial killer and Manhattan businessman, is a thrillingly dark satire of consumerism, greed and the 1980s yuppie lifestyle. And in some countries it was deemed so disturbing that it could only be sold shrink-wrapped. Luckily, other nations weren’t so squeamish, and were rewarded with this stunningly evocative cover painting from New York artist Marshall Arisman. Its expressionistic depiction of a faceless businessman, formed from smeared brush strokes, is chillingly sinister and masterfully conveys the unnerving atmosphere of this groundbreaking novel. 07. Coraline Paul A. Hotaling’s creepy cover for Neil Gaiman’s novel hits all the right buttonsThe story of Coraline, a girl who steps through a door to find another house strangely similar to her own, is now best known for the child-friendly 2009 movie adaptation. But Neil Gaiman’s original horror novella of 2002 is pretty dark stuff, and this front cover by Paul A. Hotaling harnesses the essence of child-like drawings to portray that sense of the sinister perfectly. Who can’t fail to be creeped out by those ghostly grabbing hands? The beautiful black-and-white sketches by Dave McKean inside the book are very much worth checking out too. 08. Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist This Swedish story’s original cover is beautifully otherworldlyLet the Right One In was a 2004 tale of the relationship between a 12-year-old boy and a vampire child in a working-class suburb of Stockholm in the 1980s. This game-changing novel has sported a variety of covers over the years, but this eerie design for the original Swedish edition remains our favourite. Illustrating one of the story’s pivotal scenes in an ethereal, otherworldly style, it nonetheless feels grounded in real-life; just like the novel. 09. Pride & Prejudice & Zombies by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith An eye-catching reworking of a famous painting matches this parody mashup perfectlyFrom the sublime to the (intentionally) ridiculous. A tongue-in-cheek mashup of a Jane Austen's classic 1813 Pride and Prejudice with modern zombie fiction, Seth Grahame-Smith’s 2009 parody novel took a similar approach to its cover art. Created by comedian and illustrator Doogie Horner, it’s a "zombification" of an early 19th-century painting of Marcia Fox by William Beechey. A simple idea, but one that’s been executed perfectly and can’t help but raise a smile from bookshop browsers. Read more: The 11 best horror movie logos of all time 17 artists changing the face of horror How to design a contemporary book cover View the full article

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If you're starting a blog or website, don't forget the all-important 404 page – a standard response code in HTTP telling the user, in effect, that they've clicked on a broken link. It's traditionally been an immense source of frustration. But in recent years, creatives have taken up the challenge of designing bespoke 404 pages that use humour, great UX or beautiful design to at least sweeten the pill of finding out that you're in the wrong place. Done really well, a 404 page can become a mini-ambassador for the website itself. It might even be shared on Twitter or relevant blogs as an example of the site's keenness for customer service or unique approach to design. The 404 error pages we present here have achieved all this and more, so take a look and be inspired to create your own. 01. Cloud Sigma Cloud Sigma is a cloud server and cloud hosting service operating in the US, Europe and Asia-Pacific region. While flexible cloud servers sound useful, they're not exactly fun, which we guess is why the company has had so much fun with its tongue-in-cheek 404 error page. We wonder how long it'll be before this helpful-looking junior developer gets poached by the competition. 02. Bluepath Another website to use humour on its 404 error page is Atlanta-based data strategy consulting firm BluePath. We appreciate the way it keeps its jokes topical, using a data-driven map of reported crimes in Atlanta to illustrate the fact that you're way off the map. "Why? Because it’s a crime you haven’t hired us yet!" is its cheesy punchline. Ah, these whacky data analysts. 03. The Australian Australian national newspaper The Australian, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp Australia, has just redesigned its 404 error page. And what a corker it is. Poking fun at politicians' language, personas and public mess ups, it invites you to select a politician to explain away the error like only a politician can. On point and lots of fun. 04. Kualo Prefer a bit of Pac-Man? SorryHosting company Kualo has been in business for over 15 years – an eternity in internet time – and its 404 page reflects its venerable status, treating you to a game of Kualo-themed Space Invaders. It's not perfect. The key strategy of picking off the fleet's outer edges to slow the invaders' descent doesn't work, for starters. But it is fun, and it can earn you a discount on your hosting deal if you manage to score over 1,000 points. Its inclusion in this article has also inspired US pest control company Pointe Pest Control to include its own Pest Invaders game on its 404 error page, complete with different flying and crawling bugs to spray. As Chloe Zollinger from Pointe says, "Beware, if you choose to play you may be distracted all day!" 05. The Useless Web Index This meerkat-based 404 page is incomparableEven the world's largest index of useless websites can have an off day. And when the Useless Web Index can't find what you're looking for, it's ready with the next best thing: video of meerkats, doing meerkat peering and stuff for your amusement. 06. Waaark Very NSFW; put your headphones on firstFrench studio Waaark's 404 page is nice enough to look at, but it's better to listen to – although maybe not at work. Inspired by Stephen Hawking, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Portal, it uses a JavaScript text-to-speech tool called meSpeak to subject you to a sweary robotic tirade. 07. Steve Lambert Yep, this is definitely awkwardNew York-based artist Steve Lambert describes this as "the most awkward 404 not found page on the internet", and you know, he may well be right. It features an excruciating piece to camera that just goes on and on. We defy you to get to the end of his video without any part of your body clenching. 08. Dan Woodger Guys, it's a cheeseburger on skates. What's not to love?Some 404 pages are technical masterpieces, and some – specifically Dan Woodger's, which features a drawing of a cheeseburger on roller skates – are not. But while it might not push any technical boundaries, it does give you a clear idea of Dan's style, and encourages you to click through to the rest of his work. 09. Figma Messing with vectors is so much fun when it's not actual workEven though we have a copy of Adobe Illustrator right here, and could play with anchor points and Bézier curves literally any time we want, we're still entranced by Figma's 404 page, in which the big 404 is rendered in vectors that you can reshape to your heart's content. 10. Bloomberg This one is absolutely bonkersBloomberg's 404 page initially looks pretty ordinary, until it suddenly pans out from the 404 error into a bizarre animation involving an off-the-shelf 3D model of a businessman smashing his broken PC into bits. 11. Hot Dot Production Hot Dot's 404 page is seriously addictiveHot Dot Productions has applied its 'where design meets technology' tagline to its impressive 404 page, which features the three numbers made up of hundreds of tiny dots that change direction in response to mouse movements. Seriously cool. 12. Airbnb If you drop ice cream on the floor, clean it up, right?This 404 page from couch-surfing behemoth Airbnb features a delightful animation that holds lessons for us all about the inadvisability of dropping ice cream. It also brings to mind stories about people who have rented out their homes on Airbnb, only to come back to a disaster area. Look, if you drop ice cream on the floor, clean it up, right? 13. Lego Lego can do no wrong in our eyes – we love this cute little tableau for its website's 404 pageLego can do no wrong in our eyes (Have you read our piece on How Lego reinvented itself as a super-brand yet?). We love this cute 404 page, which proves that you don't need a lot of technical-sounding text to get your error message across. 14. Falvey Memorial Library Villanova University's Falvey Memorial Library in Pennsylvania may not have international stardom, but it does have dragons. Created by Laura Bang and Chris Hallberg, this 404 page just makes you smile with its amusing "Careful!" title and clear instructions and options to get you back on track and away from these dangerous beasties (don't worry, they're just beautiful illustrations from a library book). 15. GitHub What better way to appeal to geeks than through a simple Star Wars parody with parallax effect? Coding website GitHub is the home of geeks, and what better way to appeal to geeks than through a simple Star Wars parody with parallax effect when you move your mouse? GitHub also has a nice 500 page for when the server breaks. 16. CSS Ninjas CSS Ninjas is another example of the web design world's love of ninjas The web design world loves ninjas. Falling in with the trend (and, we guess, its name), the 404 page for CSS Ninjas features a clean, simple illustration that reflects the site's general approach to design. 17. Daniel Karcher Film This 404 page employs a beautifully rendered subway station complete with empty train that rolls in As you'd expect for a movie design professional, this website makes excellent use of animation and sound. Its 404 page employs a beautifully rendered video of a subway station, complete with 'missing' and 'lost'-themed movie posters and an empty train that rolls in, which you can click to board. As with many of the examples here, the page diverges from the overall site aesthetic to great effect. 18. MailChimp Don't make the monkey angry...The designers at ultra-hip email newsletter service MailChimp have morphed the company's well-known monkey into a Hulk-type character – complete with animated smoke – to signify a broken link. The style of the 404 page fits the rest of the site design nicely, reflecting the same lighthearted approach that turns an otherwise boring task into something fun and endearing. 19. Emirates When you're an international airline known for chic styling and expectations of high quality, you don't want a sub-par 404 page. Luckily for Emirates, its page ties in beautifully with the rest of its website, nailing its brand voice to a tee and providing ample opportunities to get back on track with ease. Great UX; great customer service. 20. Repair Pal Proving that 404 error pages don't have to be funny to be well done, US auto repair company Repair Pal uses beautiful imagery to brilliant effect. Like the Emirates error page, it also provides large buttons and a search box to help users to find the content they needed nice and quickly – much more user-friendly than the bog standard home page button offered by most. "Stumbling on a 404 page can be a frustrating experience, so we wanted to take a lighter tone from the start," the design team tells us. "The team landed on the nighttime van photograph as a no-brainer to relating back to the automotive nature of the site. We went through a few variations on the text, but our team ultimately went with 'Off The Grid,' as it's easily understood and relates to being out in the wilderness of our website. It also still serves a functional purpose as it provides a few, quick links back to our most popular pages." Next page: More brilliant 404 pages... 21. Everipedia Everipedia is a wiki site that has a vision to become "a pillar of the Internet, by connecting people to information about anything and everything," its executive editor Romi tells us. With its information-sharing purpose in mind, "We thought we could give people a much more relevant user experience by helping people learn about 404 errors if they ever came across one on our site," says Romi, who sent us this GIF to illustrate the 404 error page in action. Telling you everything you need to know about 404 pages, it's pretty meta, and totally in keeping with the site's aims. 22. Tin Sanity This dancing cup and straw screams its way across the page around the text Tin Sanity features an incredible animation of a dancing cup and straw that screams its way across the page around the text: "You just got 404'd". The screaming is accentuated with a drumroll and funky bass soundtrack, all of which leaves an excellent impression. 23. Audiko This 404 page is worth a visit just for the artwork The free ringtone-making service's 404 page features a beautifully rendered illustration of London, including the obligatory red bus and telephone box, as well as Big Ben's Tower, Sherlock Holmes and a hint of Tower Bridge. The site's worth a visit just for the brilliant artwork. 24. Bret Victor This is not a page. It's a picture of something that's not a page. Or is it?Bret Victor's 404 page, inspired of course by René Magritte's iconic painting, The Treachery of Images, confronts the viewer with some challenging philosophical questions. If this is not a page, then what is it? What constitutes a 'page'? Is it a thing that can be truly said to exist? What is the 'this' that this apparent non-page is referring to? Is anything truly real? Makes you think, no? 25. Home Star Runner This 404 page features amusing characters and shouts "404'd" at you Audio can be very effective when used in a 404 capacity. This error page for Home Star Runner, which features amusing characters, downloads and games, shouts "404'd" at you when you first arrive on the page. The hand-drawn illustration fits the rest of the site well in terms of style and theme. 26. Duoh! Duoh uses bright colours and negative space in its 404 Duoh is the collaborative partnership between illustrator Veerle Pieters and partner Geert Leyseele. Their business is based on strong design principles, so you'd expect a well-realised 404 page – and they don't disappoint. In characteristic bright colours and negative space, this page looks and feels in keeping with the rest of the site. 27. Bit.ly Bit.ly's cute creature responds to your mouse movements Link shortening service Bit.ly needs a special URL for its 404 page as bit.ly.com/404 has already been used as a shortened link. The page itself features a cute little creature bobbing up and down in an interactive sea, and responds to your mouse movements. 28. ApartmentHomeLiving Why is a sheep sitting on the lavatory in this 404 error page? This letting agent website's 404 page features a strange interior shot with a sheep sitting on the lavatory. Creative and wacky at the same time, it's a great (if abstract) example of how to do it well. 29. DropBox DropBox has a very simple but effective 404 page featuring an Escher-esque impossible box Replacing the Escher-esque impossible box that adorned its 404 page for years, DropBox has gone for a similarly quirky illustration to represent things all going wrong – the wheels coming off, if you like. It's a nice, simple hand-drawn illustration that gets the message across well, with plenty of helpful navigation links for usibility. 30. Wufoo Wufoo's 404 page is a simple, static affair that uses the branding effectively to convey the messageForm-building tool Wufoo's 404 page is a simple, static affair that uses the branding effectively to convey the message. It's a good example of a clean approach to handling errors. 31. eHarmony Is eHarmony's 404 suggesting you should just get plastered?The last thing you want to find when you're looking for love is that it can't be found, but eHarmony's 404 page softens the blow with this adorable image and a suggestion that you sign up for its dating service. Or maybe it's suggesting that you should just get plastered? That works for us, too. 32. Walk with You Bold typography makes this 404 page come aliveThis simple illustrative design for a site promoting life coaching uses existing assets from the overall site design, including a waterfall, to convey the 404 message. Bold typography makes this page work well. 33. LimpFish No time-wasters, please One of the best examples of a newspaper metaphor, Dave Barton's personal site manages to inject a little humour into its error message. 34. Starbucks Careful, that might stain Starbucks, like Heinz, makes good use of its primary product to illustrate the 404 message. In this instance, the tell-tales signs of a missing coffee cup are used to tell the story. 35. Blizzard Entertainment Blizzard's 404 page is just smashing Video game developer Blizzard takes an original approach to its 404 page that fits in with its general style, using broken glass as a metaphor for the broken link. What makes this example stand out is the clean design aesthetic beneath the glass. 36. NPR Actually, we think you'll find he's called WallyThe US's National Public Radio website's 404 page presents an amusing wiki-style list of missing people or things, from Amelia Earhart to your luggage. 37. CSS-Tricks Don't worry. You can't really rip a hole in the fabric of the internetThe superb tips, tutorials and advice blog CSS-Tricks is loved by all in the web design community because despite its dry subject matter, it manages to exude enthusiasm, humour and personality. And this cheeky 404 page is an excellent example of that. 38. Magnt Magnt's clever 404 page demonstrates a keen sense of wit and a clear call to actionMagnt enables you to create a business card-themed web page in minutes. Its clever 404 page demonstrates the company's keen sense of wit with its Venn diagram showing the two main reasons why you've landed on the site’s error page: “we broke something” and “you can’t type.”. At the same time it also provides a clear call to action to take you where you need to go. Related articles: 11 web design tools you can't live without 20 web designers to follow on Behance The pro's guide to UI design View the full article

As web developers and content creators, we generally spend a lot of time writing text that's wrapped inside HTML code. What if we told you that there's a better way to do it with Markdown? A way in which you were able to focus on the writing and not the code? Markdown is a plain-text, lightweight markup language developed in 2004 by John Gruber and Aaron Swartz. Originally created to make writing XHTML/HTML easier by converting plain-text files into structurally valid HTML or XHTML, Markdown can be used for almost any type of writing: manuscripts, tutorials, notes, web content and more. Although relatively straightforward, Markdown can be a bit intimidating when you first start out. But once you get the hang of it, you'll quickly realise how much time was spent formatting your code instead of typing your content. 01. Choose a Markdown editor When you're working with Markdown for the web, it's important to understand the basic syntax and limitations you may face. Before you begin, you need some type of editor and an interpreter for your site. Alternately, you can convert the Markdown before publishing. You'll need some kind of editor to get startedThere are several editors from which you may choose. Byword is awesome because it offers a wide range of export options, including HTML and PDF. Another great alternative is StackEdit – a free, online Markdown editor. Of course, any plain text editor will work. Jetpack is handy for use with WordPressIf you don't plan to convert your Markdown to HTML, you can get a plugin (or interrupter) for your site. For WordPress, Jetpack has excellent support for Markdown, which allows you to use Markdown directly inside posts and comments – as long as you enable that option. Like any markup language, Markdown has its own syntax. Note: There are a number of different flavours or varieties of Markdown. In this article, we'll only cover the commonly shared syntax. 02. Set up headings In HTML, there are six heading styles: h1, h2, h3, h4, h5 and h6. To recreate these in Markdown, use a series of hashtag symbols (#) – corresponding to the heading number – followed by the heading text. For example, to create an <h1> tag, use one hashtag #; for an <h2> tag, use two hashtags ##; and so on and so forth. Markdown input: HTML output: 03. Mark up paragraphs Paragraphs are represented by the <p> tag in HTML. In Markdown, they're separated by one or more blank lines. Like HTML, whitespace is ignored. So if you add 20 blank lines, you're still only going to have one paragraph. Markdown input: HTML output: 04. Style the line breaks Line breaks, which are represented in HTML with the <br> tag, are added using a single line break, with two spaces at the end of the previous line. Markdown input: HTML output: 05. Mark emphasis There are two ways to added emphasis to your text: Italic (<em> in HTML) or Bold (<strong> in HTML). In Markdown, you accomplish this using one or two asterisks (*). You can also use underscores (_), but I stick with asterisks, because there are other flavours of Markdown that use underscores for other things. Markdown input: HTML output: Note: You can also create bold-italic text using three asterisks: ***Bold and Italic Text***. 06. Create horizontal rules To create a Horizontal Rule (or <hr> in HTML), use a series of three or more dashes ( – ) or equal signs (===). It's your choice which one you prefer, but just make sure you include an empty line above and below. Markdown input: HTML output: 07. Add images and links In HTML, an image is added using the <img> tag and links are added using the <a> tag. In Markdown, images start with an exclamation point (!), followed by square brackets ([]) for the 'alt text', and parentheses (()) for the path to the image. You can also include an optional title inside double quotes (""). With links, it's almost the same, except there is no exclamation point. Markdown input: Note: You can also use reference links and images, but that's not covered here. HTML output: 08. Make lists There are two types of lists in HTML: ordered (<ol>) and unordered (<ul>). With Markdown, use numbers for ordered lists, and asterisks or hyphens (-) for unordered lists. Markdown input: HTML output: 09. Add inline code and code blocks When you're working with code in HTML, you can either include it as an inline element using the <code> tags; or as a pre-formatted text block using the <pre><code> combination. In Markdown, these elements are delimited using either a single backtick on each side (`); or by using a fenced-style, which includes three backticks above and below the code block (```). Markdown input: HTML output: 10. Style up blockquotes Blockquotes are added in HTML using the <blockquote> tag. In Markdown, use the greater than symbol (>) before the line. Markdown input: HTML output: 11. Embed inline HTML There are times when you need to create an HTML element that is not supported; for example, you may need a <table> or <div> tag. If that's the case, you may mix Markdown and HTML, but there are some restrictions. For instance, you cannot include Markdown within block-level HTML tags. Read more: 20 Node.js modules you need to know 12 common JavaScript questions answered 9 of the best resources for learning HTML and CSS View the full article

http://www.zdnet.com/article/wannacry-ransomware-hospitals-were-warned-to-patch-system-to-protect-against-cyber-attack-but-didnt … View the full article

We may be busy gearing up to bring you the best discounts for creatives on Black Friday 2017 at Creative Bloq, but that doesn't mean we've neglected our current deals. For today's daily deal, we've got you a great discount on a course to teach you all about programming with ReactJS. When you interact with a website, it's not often that you see all the gears behind the scenes that are turning with each click. Many of them are powered by JavaScript libraries such as ReactJS. You can learn how to make use of this powerful programming language and use it in your own designs with the ReactJS Programming Bootcamp, on sale now for just $39 (approx £30). The ReactJS Programming Bootcamp contains eight in-depth courses that will teach you how to work with JavaScript and ReactJS to build user interfaces that are responsive and intuitive. Regardless of your programming level, these courses will familiarise you with the concepts you need to know to build for the web and mobile. You’ll get to go hands-on with ReactJS and learn how to build apps and services that people are sure to love interacting with. The ReactJS Programming Bootcamp usually retails for $458, but you can get it on sale now for on sale now for just $39 (approx £30). That’s massive amount of savings for this boot camp that will help you launch your new career or add valuable skills to your resume. 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. Related articles: The 10 most iconic user interfaces in movie history The pro's guide to UI design How to build a chatbot interface View the full article

Cloud-based communications platform Slack finished patching a severe security hole Thursday affecting portions of its platform that used Security Assertion Markup Language for user authentication. View the full article

Stranger Things fans will probably know that season two of the 80s-styled smash hit is landing on Netflix today. Those of you who are counting down the minutes until you see that retro red lettering lighting up your screen again will be interested to hear that the opening sequence was originally going to look very, very different. The show name is set in ITC Benguiat, created by the legendary typographer of the same name. This retro typeface sits perfectly with the vibe of the show, harking back to the Stephen King novel covers of that era. So it will come as some surprise that originally, the plan was to go for something much more modern. Here are some of the options that didn't make the cut (via Time). This discarded title references Alien This option clearly references the distinctive logo for Alien, created by R/GA co-founder Richard Greenberg. The approach makes sense given the movie's solid links to 80s pop culture – the first film was released in 1979. A heavier weight, but the eerie glow remains A second option uses a typeface with a similar style, but in a heavier weight. The glowing lettering and backwards 'E' help point to the uncanny, eerie mood of the show. This version hints as the interlocked lettering of the final design Another discarded version looks more like something from a Marvel film than a retro horror series, but we can see the beginnings of the interlocked character concept that was carried through to the final design. The actual sequence starts with an extreme close-up on the lettering, so it's initially impossible for viewers to make out what they're looking at. The floating letters eventually slot into place and lock together to reveal the title. The concept was intended to mirror the series' plot. While initial experiments favoured ghostly greys and whites, the final lettering is in bloody red – a perpetual favourite of horror branding, but undeniably effective. The retro vibe is emphasised through the inclusion of glitches and imperfections that make it look like the sequence was made in a pre-digital era (and, of course, echo the moments in the show when the monsters of the Upside-Down approach our world, fairly lights aflicker). To put together the Stranger Things opening credits, show creators Matt and Ross Duffer collaborated with Imaginary Forces. The visual storytelling agency has impeccable pedigree – it's the studio behind the iconic title sequence for Mad Men, and has worked with brands such as Game of Thrones, Transformers and Marvel – so it's no surprise that the title sequence is a winner. [Via Time] Read more: 19 amazing movie title sequences New Stranger Things posters are a nostalgic treat Creating the official retro-style Stranger Things poster View the full article

With shock victories for Brexit in the UK and Trump in the US marking the start of the most volatile period for business many of us will have experienced, it's natural to feel anxious. In our recent article How the web industry is coping in uncertain times, we spoke to agency heads and web experts to get their take on the situation. So, what tips can our experts suggest to help you safeguard your business against whatever fresh hell the world decides to throw at us next? 01. Diversify your clients Putting all your eggs in one basket is a bad idea"Diversify your client list so that if one or some of them go out of business, you don’t," says Harry O’Connor, managing director at VoodooChilli Design. "Also, consider investing into developing an in-house product." Adam Cowley, a small business director with seven years’ experience as a freelance web developer and technical lead, agrees. "Working with smaller businesses or businesses that have customer bases in the UK and don’t rely on trade with the EU (Government, Transport & Infrastructure, ecommerce, SMEs) would certainly help to safeguard future revenue."
 02. Talk it out Stay in touch with clients so you know about problems sooner"Talk and talk often. Talk to your clients, talk to your team, talk to your networks. The more you communicate and build those relationships, the more honesty you will receive," advises Alex Ellis, managing director of Delete. "Then, if and when there are issues on the horizon, you will find out about them quicker and earlier, giving you more time to react." 03. Broaden your horizons The internet has no borders"Start doing business internationally," says Suraj Kika, CEO at Jadu. "The internet has no borders and if it means you get to travel and work with diverse cultures, we recommend it 100 per cent." 04. Stay ahead of the curve Stay ahead of the curve by keeping up with the latest technologies"Keeping up to speed with the latest technologies and the way they are changing customer expectations is paramount," explains Jon Davie, CEO at Zone. "The disconnect between what customers expect and what brands deliver is growing – any digital professional who can help bridge that gap will be well placed to thrive." 05. Let go of the past Moving with the times is your only option"Stop trying to hold on to things – the notion of ‘security’ is both meaningless and outdated," suggests Brown&co co-founder Troy Wade. "Be flexible, try new things, open yourself up to saying yes to the projects you wouldn’t have considered saying yes to before." This article originally appeared in issue 296 of net magazine. Buy it here or subscribe here. Read more: The designer’s guide to Brexit 6 rock-solid ways to improve your graphic design portfolio The secrets of great client relationships View the full article

Want to learn new skills, or refresh the fundamentals of your graphic design knowledge? We’ve previously brought you some great graphic design tutorials, not to mention some amazing free ebooks. But perhaps you’re looking for something a little meatier and more in-depth? We don’t all have the time and money to spend three years doing a university design degree, or even to take an evening class at the local college. But in today’s internet age, it’s possible to do some pretty advanced study of design online, led by academics and other experts. And some courses are actually free! In this post, we round up the best free graphic design courses online, from leading design course providers Coursera, Kadenze and Udemy. However, if there’s a great free course you feel we’ve missed, do let us know on Facebook or Twitter. Coursera courses Coursera is a venture-backed, education-focused technology company founded by professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, which offers online courses from top schools such as Stanford and Yale. And best of all, for some of them you can get the course materials without spending a penny. Be warned, though: you won’t be able to get your work marked, or get a certificate at the end, without paying. But if you just want access to the lectures and associated quizzes, you can get all these for free. To do so, ignore the ‘Free trial’ offer, as that just means you start paying after seven days. Instead, choose ‘Audit this course’, which lets you access the materials for free, with no time limit. (If you’re still confused about how to get the lessons for free, then check out this blog post from Class Central.) 01. Ideas from the History of Graphic Design Louise Sandhaus and Lorraine Wild trace the history of design as a practiceThis California Institute of the Arts course is aimed at beginners entering the field, or students interested in learning more about visual culture and analysis. Taught by Louise Sandhaus and Lorraine Wild, it traces the emergence of design as a recognised practice, explains why things look the way they do, and how designers approach specific design problems in their work. No previous design experience is required to take this course. 02. Graphic Design David Underwood explains the fundamentals of good graphic designTaught by design and media teaching consultant David Underwood, this course from the University of Colorado, Boulder, teaches the essentials of good graphic design. You’ll learn to use contrast, repetition, proximity, and tension in the design of presentation slides, professional reports, business websites and more. You’ll need some presentation software, such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Apple's Keynote, to take the course. 03. Fundamentals of Graphic Design Michael Worthington explains the basics of graphic design, and gets you making thingsIn this California Institute of the Arts course, taught by Counterspace LA founding partner Michael Worthington, you’ll learn the foundational skills of graphic design, including image making, typography, composition and working with colour and shape. This course is not just about listening but doing and making, so it also offers exercises and practical projects. 04. Introduction to Typography Anther Kiley explains how to select and combine typefacesThis course from the California Institute of the Arts explores the characteristics of letterforms, how to select and combine typefaces, and conventions and best practices in setting type. Taught by LA-based graphic designer Anther Kiley, this is not a software course, so a basic working knowledge of and access to Adobe InDesign or similar page layout software will be necessary. Get Adobe Creative CloudKadenze courses Kadenze is a commercial, massive open online course (MOOC) provider that offers courses geared towards art, music and creative technology. It follows a similar model to Coursera, so choose the ‘Audit Course’ option and you’ll get access to the following course materials for free. 05. Graphic Design History: An Introduction Brockett Horne and Ellen Lupton introduce the history of graphic designThis course from Maryland Institute College of Art asks: where did graphic design come from, and where will it go next? This introduction to graphic design history addresses everything from fonts and letterforms to posters and brands. Taught by Brockett Horne and Ellen Lupton, this self-paced course is aimed at beginner level. 06. Introduction to Graphic Illustration Junichi Tsuneoka explains how to turn your drawing skills into a marketable commodityThis course from Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle, helps you to explore the translation, production and distribution of your visual ideas through a series of projects. Taught by Junichi Tsuneoka, its aim is to help you discover new possibilities for your illustration abilities in the market. To take this course you’ll need basic drawing skills, basic digital tool skills such as Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop, as well as an understanding of fundamental design theory. Udemy courses Udemy is an online learning platform aimed at professional adults. Unlike the other two providers on this list, Udemy is not centred around traditional academic institutions but provides a platform for experts of any kind to create courses which can be offered to the public, both free and paid-for. On top of the 10 of the best free Udemy courses for designers that we found before, we've got these four more great free courses that are aimed more at graphic design beginners. 07. Introduction to Graphic Design Sean Berg answers questions about what design is and what designers doThis beginner-level course by Sean Berg is aimed at helping you understand the fundamentals of good graphic design. He doesn’t appear on screen, so it’s essentially a series of audio lectures accompanied by text-based slides. From the history of communication to the five basic principles of design, this course answers questions such as ‘What is design?’ and ‘What does a designer do?’, and includes exercises to help you observe how design elements are used in the real world. 08. Learn Adobe Photoshop from Scratch Learn how to use Photoshop from scratch in this course from Eduonix Learning SolutionsFrom Eduonix Learning Solutions comes a complete beginners' guide to learning Adobe Photoshop. This practically-focused course, taught by Matthew Brown, starts with basic introduction to the software and then examines features such as selection tools, manipulation tools, creation tools and workspace tools. Along the way you’ll learn some of the fundamental principles of good design and handy tips and tricks to help you get the best out of Photoshop. 09. Logo Design From Concept to Finish Lindsay Marsh shows you how to design a logo in Adobe IllustratorIn this course, Lindsay Marsh takes you through the process of designing a logo in Adobe Illustrator from initial idea to finished files. Rather than talk to the camera, she instructs you over the top of a screen capture of what she’s doing in the software. Along the way, she explains important concepts including font types, weights, styles and how to execute good font hierarchy in design. 10. Professional Logo Design in Adobe Illustrator Learn the fundamentals of logo design and how to create one in IllustratorThis course from Rawson Uddin explains how to identify the components and design techniques behind the most successful logos and how to create your own. Talking over the design process he’s pursuing on-screen, the tutor deconstructs logos in order to explain why and how they work, and offers a methodical approach to creating your own designs in Adobe Illustrator. Related articles: 5 uses for stock images you might not have thought of Best Mac apps to make you more creative 6 rock-solid ways to improve your graphic design portfolio View the full article

With the fidelity of video game CG and film effects growing by the day, the ability to create spectacular environment and landscape art has never been in higher demand. Such images can set the tone of an entire piece. Here we introduce the most creative artists in the field today so you can discover their techniques and learn how to paint landscapes as amazing as theirs. 01. Finnian MacManus MacManus has an ongoing redesign of Dune Finnian MacManus is a concept artist working in the film and game industries. "When designing landscapes I always start with the background history and culture of the area I'm creating," he tells us. "Landscapes and architecture have their own character, expressed by their patterns and shape relationships. I try to accentuate these and push them further than reality. "To create palettes, I rely heavily on reference images that are shot without filters, to get the true colour of a scene from the earth. It's then, by pushing these grounded palettes past reality, that I believe you can create a wonderful and mysterious mood. "I owe a ton of the knowledge I have now to the concept artist John Park. One of the great things he taught me and other students at Brainstorm School was to reinforce our foundational background before starting with 3D and photo texturing. I feel it's very important to have a good knowledge of perspective, design and composition before jumping into the greater challenges that this industry offers." 02. Oscar Gregeborn Gregeborn hopes viewers want to explore his worlds "My work is always approached with the goal of making a spectacle," says freelance artist Oscar Gregeborn. "For me, a successful painting is not one where I receive compliments on my rendering or some other aspect. It's one where the viewer is so drawn to the painting that they feel an urge to explore every part of the world I've created. "Although I equip myself with many different tools and techniques when creating a painting, exploratory colour choices and otherworldly designs are the facets I utilise the most. "When I first started painting, my initial focus was to copy reality. But my good friend Jesper Friis taught me that by bending the rules of reality, you can achieve a far higher visual impact. Remember that the possibilities of art are limitless, so use the tools given to you to create a feast for the eyes!" 03. Maxwell Boas Boas makes sure he has his concept straight before he starts painting As an art director and production designer at DreamWorks Animation, Maxwell Boas has to work fast. "A lot of the time I only have a few hours at my desk to execute an idea," he reveals. "So I've created a habit of being very clear with the concept before I begin to paint. I usually do quick, loose thumbnails and explore rough colour ideas before I start on a piece. There's nothing worse for me than to have invested the time and energy in a painting and not be happy with the concept, composition or lighting idea later on down the road. "I have been fortunate to have worked with the talented production designer Raymond Zibach. He has taught me to ask, 'What is the artistic statement I am trying to make?' Whether it's a bold composition, a unique colour palette or a lighting idea to help stage a character, staying true to that initial idea creates a stronger, more emotional piece of art." 04. Andrey Surnov Surnov feels that landscapes are impactful yet often overlooked Freelance artist Andrey Surnov is particularly interested in developing and imagining environments for online games. "I see them as the most defining aspects of the worlds we're developing," he explains. "Landscapes are powerful storytelling tools, impacting the player with more immediacy than narration or lore, yet their potential is often overlooked or underrated. Character design is too crowded a space, because most young artists seem to gravitate towards it. "The best advice was given to me by my curator: don't compare your pieces with artworks created by more skilled artists who are working in the same style. Instead, be so unique that such comparisons are irrelevant." 05. Jessica Rossier Rossier starts with an existing photograph then transforms it "The imagination of an artist is boundless, I'm sure we all agree," says Jessica Rossier, co-founder of visual development studio Wardenlight. "The immensity of that is something that has excited me for many years, and creating environmental design enabled me to exploit this passion beyond character design. "Each new image I invent seeks to exploit the space in the best way possible, to create ever larger and more impressive environments. "I like playing with scales of magnitude. The photobashing technique is the one I prefer. It involves working with an existing photograph and transforming its shape completely to produce an entirely different creation." 06. Christian Dimitrov Dimitrov hopes his finished work matches the spirit of the original sketch For freelance matte painter and concept artist Christian Dimitrov, finding the balance between the big, epic landscape and the little stories incorporated in it is a big part of his job. "I'm still learning about how to find this balance," he tells us. "I hope I'm achieving the feeling of a different world in my works and that I can engage people with the stories the painting is telling. One of the techniques I use most often is the Quick Selection Tool with Refine Edge option in Photoshop CC. It's a wonderful tool for extracting all kinds of elements, such as clouds, buildings, trees and so on. "One of the best and most profound bits of advice I've had was from Dylan Cole: 'The hardest thing about painting is maintaining the spirit of a sketch in a final illustration.' This kind of analysis opened up my eyes and made me think about design in a new, completely different way. This is something that I continue to learn about and try to be better at." This article originally appeared in ImagineFX magazine. Subscribe here. Related articles: 14 fantasy artists to follow on Instagram Review: Painter 2018 7 must-know painting techniques for artists View the full article

There's something odd going on in graphic design at the moment. In April, Kendrick Lamar released his Damn album, and with it a cover that was... well, pretty damn rubbish. Kasabian followed suit in May by adorning its latest musical offering with a semi-naked old man and some drawn-on tears. The internet exploded with memes and left the aesthetically conscious among us seriously asking: have we entered the era of bad graphic design? 2017 has welcomed the era of bad designThe argument goes that we're so saturated with visuals, what might traditionally be considered 'good' graphic design just gets lost. To stand out (and gain kudos with the millennial market), brands are opting for designs so bad that they're impossible to ignore. Well, Kasabian and Kendrick's efforts look like masterpieces when compared to the latest single cover from Selena Gomez. Wolves, the former Disney child star's collaboration with Marshmello, looks like it has been made by a teenager just taking their first lesson in Photoshop. The 'O' of the title has been turned into a moon, for crying out loud. It's so bad it must be intentional – right? Gomez's Tweet announcing the single offered no clues: In the 'it's just rubbish' camp, we have several convincing arguments. We've already seen movie posters descend into their own design crisis this year. The weirdly proportioned, very obviously cut-out, unrelated floating elements on this latest cover seem to be from the same school of thought. Perhaps this is the horrible result of design by committee at a record company? Then there's the picture of Gomez herself – why is it so grainy and blurry? Surely the star's not lacking in hi-res portrait snaps. And if it's an aesthetic decision, why is the wolf beside her so clear? Marshmello has embraced cheesy design beforeHowever, Marshmello seems like the kind of chap to embrace cheesy design in an ironic way. For those who don't know, that smiley white thing on the cover is the headgear he wears to hide his identity. Surely someone with such a tightly controlled public persona wouldn't let a high-profile single design pass by unchecked. A look through the 'mello's discography reveals he does indeed have a bit of a thing for tacky design. Although it's still not quite on the level of the Wolves cover. And Gomez's back catalogue favours glossy over gaudy every time. The new single is a departure from Gomez's usual styleSo is the Wolves cover the latest example of the trend for wilfully subverting what we consider 'good' design – or is it just rubbish? The jury's still out. Let us know what you think on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Related articles: Five design student stereotypes to avoid 5 outrageous product placements in movies Famous artworks ruined with design by committee View the full article

Graphic designer Vinicius Araújo has brought together his two loves of technology and typography in his latest project 36days Electronics, transforming the biggest gadget brands into Helvetica-styled letters. The project, which Araújo started posting on his Behance page on 13 October, has given the Brazil-based designer a chance to really push his industrial design and motion graphics skills to the limit, all while having a bit of fun. And thanks to using the alphabet as the basis, there's been a structure in place to help him along. Updates are still being published, but enough time has passed for us to now enjoy the whole alphabet with a technological Helvetica twist. The 26 letters in the series capture the essence of famous technology brands by incorporating textures, logos and even buttons associated names including Motorola, Intel and Kodak. Kicking off the series is a letter A decked out with the look and feel of an old Apple Mac. There's even a mouse plugged into the side of the letter to finish off the effect. Explore a selection of our favourite Helvetica-inspired, technology powered letters from the 36days Electronics project by scrolling through the gallery below – just click the left or right arrows to see them all. And remember, you can see all 26 on Araújo's Behance project page. The mathematically minded among you are probably wondering why the project is called 36days Electronics when the alphabet is a whole 10 letters short of the title. Well, that's because Araújo isn't content with just turning the alphabet into hardware. He's also turning numbers into gadgets and gizmos, too. Currently the project is up to number 5 and has seen 3D digits become vending machines and coffee machines. Be sure to keep an eye on the project and catch how all the numbers turn out. Related articles: 55 best free fonts for designers 10 inspired alternatives to Helvetica 12 inspirational industrial designers to follow on Behance View the full article

Creative collaborations can push projects in new directions and bring a uniqueness to your work that it wouldn't have had from you alone. Whether you're an agency working with illustrators for branding projects, a digital artist working with others on packaging design, a VFX specialist joining forces with 3D artists or another creative looking to partner up, the benefits are huge. But there’s a fine art to a successful collaboration. Here are our top tips for ensuring your collaborative projects run smoothly and produce the results you (and your client) had hoped for. 01. Settle on an idea first Kristjana S Williams' style was an ideal match for Design Bridge's concept for this festive packaging For starters, it’s important to know when to approach another creative. Rather than beginning a project with a particular partner in mind, come up with the creative idea for the project first. Then, as your idea takes shape, certain creatives are bound to come to mind. This means you can avoid the awkwardness of approaching someone too soon, only to find that your idea or approach has changed and you no longer need them. For example, when working on the Fortnum & Mason Christmas range, our idea at Design Bridge was to conjure the magic and excitement of everyone coming together around the Christmas table for a sumptuous Fortnum’s feast. I’d seen Kristjana S Williams’ work previously on something I’d received through the post and thought, ‘Yes! She’d be great for this.’ Her eclectic style puts a modern twist on traditional woodblock techniques – perfect for expressing both a traditional and contemporary Fortnum’s Christmas. 02. Welcome collaborators into your team Design Bridge brought Rob Bailey on board to work on these limited edition bottles Bringing distinctive individual styles to your work while ensuring the design is absolutely right for the brand is both fun and challenging. It’s a balancing act, calling for constant communication, so you need to treat the creative partner as part of the team and truly work together. We recently collaborated with Rob Bailey on a limited edition Smirnoff project to celebrate British Pride 2017. I’ve loved his work for years and was inspired by his piece Hey Man, which depicts two figures in a warm, loving embrace. Bailey’s style expressed the ‘Choose Love’ message of the project so well. It was a tight turnaround, so we had to work very closely to make sure that we remained true to both his style and the Smirnoff brand, producing work that would look great on the bottles, too. 03. Make the most of each individual's skills Design Bridge worked with Coralie Bickford-Smith to bring this honey packaging to lifeUnderstanding the complementary skills that a designer and an illustrator bring to a project is also crucial to get the best out of a collaboration. We worked with Coralie Bickford-Smith for our Fortnum & Mason honey range. Her intricate book cover designs were perfect for our creative idea of labels inspired by postage stamps from far-flung corners of the world. I did some initial sketches based on her existing work and the practicalities of designing a label, which she then developed. It was a real labour of love, but working with Bickford-Smith was a dream for me as I collect her book covers. I feel lucky to work on such amazing projects where we can bring an idea to life with the help of talented illustrators that I’ve often admired for years. Each project involves a lot of work, but an open, honest and truly collaborative approach ensures the best results every time. This article originally appeared in Computer Arts issue 270. Buy it here or Subscribe here. [Main photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash] Related articles: How do you judge your success as a designer? Is it better to be a competitive or collaborative designer? The 18 best tools for online collaboration View the full article

We may be busy gearing up to bring you the best discounts for creatives on Black Friday 2017 at Creative Bloq, but that doesn't mean we've neglected our current deals. For today's daily deal, we've got you a great discount on a course to teach you all about how to promote your services on Facebook. There are more than one billion people on Facebook already, and the network is still growing. That’s a lot of people who you can reach easily if you know how to do it. The 2017 Facebook Ads Certification Course will teach you how to do just that, and you can get it on sale now for 88% off the retail price. Thanks to the growing network and powerful targeting tools, Facebook has become an essential part of any marketing campaign. The social network gives you the capability to reach just about anyone, especially those who may be interested in your product or services. The 2017 Facebook Ads Certification Course will teach you how to make the most of Facebook's marketing tools. Work your way through this course and score a certification to prove your skills. You can get the 2017 Facebook Ads Certification Course on sale for 88% off the retail price. That makes your total just $15 (approx £11). It’s a deal that will pay for itself in time as you reach more people and sell more products, so grab it today. The course promises to teach you: The fundamentals of Facebook marketing and advertising To create core, custom, and lookalike audiences How to deploy Facebook’s objective-driven ad campaigns Advanced applications of Facebook ads 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 the Offer tag page. Plus, you can get in touch with any feedback at:deals@creativebloq.com Related articles: Best Mac apps to make you more creative How to make social media work for you The best Black Friday deals 2017 View the full article

Global satellite telecommunications company Inmarsat is warning customers of two critical vulnerabilities that could allow attackers to infiltrate a ship's on-board computer system. View the full article

Save the date! From the makers of 3D Artist, 3D World and ImagineFX comes an exciting, brand-new event – Vertex – for one day only on Tuesday 13 March at Olympia, London. Just like how a vertex connects everything, our event will bring these sister magazines and the CG community together for practical inspiration and a fantastic networking opportunity. This special event assembles experts from every industry and discipline in CG, from games and VFX through to VR, covering character concepting, real-time creation and more. You’ll be able to boost your skills with leading industry artists and learn from the world’s best creative studios no matter which area you specialise in. You’ll get hands-on advice and tips and hear about the newest developments at our top talks, engaging masterclasses and workshops, portfolio review sessions, fascinating evening panel, and unmissable networking event. There’s even a recruitment fair for aspiring and professional artists and an expo area to showcase the latest in technology and software. What’s more, there will be an ‘Ask an Artist’ area to help you troubleshoot your technique woes one-on-one with pro artists. We can’t wait to reveal the amazing speakers we have lined up, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter and keep an eye on our website and social media channels for announcements soon! View the full article

For newcomers to ZBrush, the interface seems very different to other 3D modelling programs, so can be intimidating. If you often find yourself scratching your head and searching the web for training or tutorials on how to accomplish tasks in ZBrush, we're here to help. This image, Metamorphosis of Nyssa, is about the never-ending desire to change who we are, when all the beauty we need is already inside us. This image is inspired by Lois van Baarle, and is deeply influenced by the work of Carlos Ortega Elizalde. Although the final composition was laid out in DAZ Studio to take advantage of the GPU accelerated real-time rendering with photo-realistic results, it also used Cinema 4D for much of the initial modelling, Marvelous Designer for the dress, and ZBrush extensively to refine the details. Just as moving between DAZ Studio and Cinema 4D helps you strike the right balance between detailed modelling and an accurately posed character, moving between DAZ Studio and ZBrush in this case enabled us to adjust the character's hair bit by bit. For greater independent control over the different hair parts, we broke up the hair into several sections, which are all imported into DAZ Studio as separate objects. This way, we could select any hair part we weren't happy with and move it back and forth between DAZ Studio and ZBrush, creating a new morph and making subtle changes until happy. 01. Send objects from DAZ Studio to ZBrush Use the Send to ZBrush option to export from DAZ Studio [Click on the arrows icon to enlarge this image] GoZ (short for GoZBrush) is a dynamic bridge between ZBrush and other 3D packages. With a single click, you can send your object from DAZ Studio to ZBrush for editing. Once you are all done, you can then send it back to DAZ Studio, again with just one click. Select the object you want to adjust on the Scene tab in DAZ Studio. Click File, and then Send to ZBrush. When the GoZ Export Options dialog appears, select Export with Deformations and click Accept. ZBrush will open with a blank canvas. If the LightBox menu appears, you can just click the LightBox button to hide it and get it out of the way. 02. Set up objects in ZBrush Orient your object and bring it fully into view [Click on the arrows icon to enlarge this image] Click and drag on the canvas to add your object. Hold down the Shift key at the same time to snap the object to the correct orientation. Click the Edit button on the tool bar. Note that this is different to Edit on the File menu. Now the object is successfully loaded in ZBrush, click Frame to bring the object to the centre of the canvas and fully into view. 03. Edit the object in ZBrush Use the Move and Move Topological brushes to make adjustments [Click on the arrows icon to enlarge this image] From the Brush menu, use the Move and Move Topological brushes to make any adjustments to my object. Other brushes will work, but keep in mind that drastic changes, especially to the core geometry, may have unintended results back in DAZ Studio. Once done, click on the GoZ button in ZBrush and you'll automatically be taken back to DAZ Studio. 04. Move back into DAZ Studio Back in DAZ Studio, morph your adjustments to taste [Click on the arrows icon to enlarge this image] In DAZ Studio, the GoZ Update Options dialog appears. Choose Update Geometry, select Create Morph, and click Accept. The new morph is now available by clicking the word ZBrush on the Parameters tab. Adjust the Morph slider to your taste. Creating morphs with ZBrush is handy as your adjustments can be as dramatic or a subtle as you want. This article originally appeared in 3D World issue 225. Buy it here. Related articles: The 10 best ZBrush plugins 10 essential ZBrush shortcuts to improve your workflow 30 inspiring examples of 3D art View the full article

Adobe Illustrator CC can sometimes seem like a daunting tool to use if you’re dipping your toe in the graphic design water for the first time. It’s certainly not as forgiving as Photoshop CC – often there is a specific way to achieve a certain task in Illustrator rather than being able to fudge or force your way through it, which is often possible in Photoshop. Get Adobe Creative CloudThe pathfinder panel forms the backbone of all shape building within Illustrator, and once you get your head around this you’ll find it far less daunting. Through the next several steps we’ll run through some essential pathfinder techniques for creating basic graphics and icons, including teardrop shapes, an expand button, a chevron-like pattern, an eye icon and a camera shutter icon. These tips should be useful to both fledgling Ai users and more experienced designers alike. And don't forget, we have 100 amazing Adobe Illustrator tutorials for you on this site, to spark further inspiration and show you how to achieve great designs. 01. Create a simple teardrop shape You can create a teardrop using a circle and a square We'll begin with the basics of the pathfinder tool and how it can be used to create simple shapes from separate drawn vectors. Start by drawing a perfect circle using the ellipse tool by holding shift with 'snap to grid' selected from the view menu. Create the circle to fill four of the larger grid squares and draw a perfect square that fills one of the larger grid squares, as shown above. Select both shapes and use the unite function from the pathfinder to combine both shapes into one vector. Now hit R and rotate the shape to look like a teardrop. 02. Create an expand button Minus a diamond shape from a square to create an expand icon Start by drawing a square, then copy and use the cmd+F shortcut to paste it in place on top of the existing square. Hit R to bring up the rotate tool and rotate the top square by 45 degrees by holding shift. Now with both squares selected, use the 'minus front' pathfinder function to subtract the top square from the bottom one, creating four corner triangles and a simple expand button in the process. 03. Create shapes from strokes Once the stroke is outlined it will function as a shape Use the pen tool with 'Snap to grid' turned on to begin creating some simple vector strokes, in this case a basic arrow shape. Increase the stroke weight to 25 and choose 'Round cap' from the stroke panel. Now holding alt and shift, drag the shape to duplicate it, then hit cmd+D to continue duplicating it a number of times. Select all the shapes and navigate to Object > Path > Outline Stroke. Now the stroke is outlined it will function as a shape, so you can use the pathfinder with other shapes. In the example above we've knocked all the arrows out from a rectangle using the minus function. 04. Create a simple eye icon The area where the two circles overlap will form the eye shape Begin by drawing a perfect circle and then hold alt and shift to drag and duplicate it. The area where the two circles overlap will form the eye shape, so use your judgment here. Next, with both shapes selected use the intersect function to create a shape from the overlapping areas of the circles. Rotate the shape so that it looks like an eye and then use the technique from step 03 to knock out an outlined stroke circle. 05. Create a camera shutter icon Begin by drawing a perfect circle, then add a polygon Now we're going to combine a couple of techniques to create a graphic camera lens icon. Begin by drawing a perfect circle, then draw a polygon using the polygon tool and place it over the top of the circle. With both shapes selected, use the align panel to align the horizontal and vertical centres. Now simply use the minus front pathfinder command to subtract the polygon shape from the circle. Now turn off Snap to grid and horizontal line along the top edge of the pentagon extending beyond the circle bounds. Hit R to bring up the rotate tool and hover over the central grid point of the polygon, hold alt and click. Rotate and duplicate the lines Enter the fraction 360/6, hit the copy button and press OK. Now simply hit cmd+D to duplicate the lines. Repeat the technique shown in step 03 to outline the strokes and then subtract them from the circle to create your camera icon. Read more: The 17 best Adobe Illustrator plugins Create a perfectly geometric logo design in Illustrator 11 places to find logo design inspiration View the full article