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You've got the talent to land a top job in 3D, but so do a lot of people. Sometimes the deciding factor in who gets the most exciting jobs isn't how great your 3D art is, but how good you are at telling people about it. To help you land a dream job in 3D, we grilled the very people who look at your showreel and read your CV/resume to find out what you need to do to make a killer application and get the job of your dreams. Christmas offer: Save up to 47% on a subscription to 3D World 01. Look out for opportunities on LinkedIn When it comes to finding job opportunities, one thing is clear: you need to put a lot of effort into LinkedIn. Framestore, Jellyfish Pictures and Double Negative all mentioned it when asked how to find out about available roles, and Jellyfish said that most of its applications come from LinkedIn. Double Negative told us that despite receiving a large volume of direct applications, it still often needs to approach people via LinkedIn if it is hiring in high numbers, so you need to make sure that your profile is up to date so that recruiters can find you in searches. It's good to state when you're available, too. Studios post vacancies and details of events they are attending on LinkedIn and other social media, so make sure you're following them. It's also worth keeping an eye on sites such as CreativeHeads, AnimatedJobs and CG Meetup. Elf Archer, a project by Milen Piskuliyski, lead texture artist at Framestore Framestore gets just under half of its hires from its online application process, around 20 per cent from referrals, and the rest through either in-person or online networking, so it's vital that you work to expand your network and keep in touch with the people you already know. Studios regularly ask their employees for referrals, so just knowing someone who works at a company you're interested in could get you in the door. Go to the careers fairs and industry events so you can make contact in person, and connect with talent acquisition teams on LinkedIn. 02. Tailor your application There are two key pieces of advice for putting your application together: it should be closely tailored to both the studio and the particular role in question, and you should try to find a way to make yourself stand out. Natalie Tidey, head of talent acquisition at Double Negative, recommends finding out interesting facts about the company you're applying to, including these in your cover letter and explaining why you want to work for that company in particular. This will make you stand out from the rest: "It shows us that you've done your research, and that your application is thoughtful," she says. Staff at work in the AXIS studios For your CV/resume, "clear, concise, focused" is the mantra to keep in mind. Unless you're just starting out, don't put everything you've ever done on there – just include the things that are relevant for this particular job. The recruiter is scanning a lot of CVs for key criteria and they're busy, so help them do their job; let your CV be the one that gives them just what they're looking for. It's time-consuming, but you should even be tailoring your showreel to the company and role. Framestore, for example, specialises mostly in photo-real work, "So a reel full of CG animation and a cover letter that doesn't talk about why you are looking to make the move into more photo-realistic work is unlikely to be successful," says Amy Smith, head of talent, film, at Framestore. 03. Make a great showreel "Generally, when I watch reels, I am very pushed for time – the first 10 seconds counts for a lot!" says Dave Cook, CG supervisor and joint head of 3D at Jellyfish. Get the action underway quickly, put your best and most distinctive work first, and cut ruthlessly to keep the whole thing short; no longer than two minutes. If you still have a lot of work to show, make separate videos that focus on different skills. The structure should also be tailored to the company; if the studio has a specialism, prioritise that work. "If you don't have it, make it," says Mario Aquaro, head of rigging at AXIS. "If you want to work on a specific project style but you don't have any work experience, spend time trying to build a personal project where you can show what you can do. Sometimes, an incomplete work tells more than a final production; it gives the person watching it an idea of your potential and real aspirations." A still from Halo: The Fall of Reach, an animated short produced by The Sequence Group that's part of Halo 5: Guardians The final consideration when selecting work for your reel is to think about how you're going to stand out from all the other applicants whose work is high quality and fitting for the role. "It's worth thinking about the concept of 'flair'." says Smith of Framestore. "We see a lot of reels from certain schools/training programmes that look very, very similar because everyone has worked on the same training pieces. If that is you then it's really worth thinking about how you could personalise these pieces and add your own twist to briefs you are given. "You can also look at working on a personal piece or two outside of school if you feel your reel could do with standing out more." 04. Include a breakdown "Always include a breakdown," says Tidey. "[Do it] either in the reel itself by providing turntables for models and showing the mesh, or layering in the lighting passes; or if this isn't possible, provide an accompanying document describing what you did on the asset or in the shot, and how you achieved it." A still from a short produced by The Sequence Group for Concord Pacific The breakdown is vital for showing your working process, but Cook notes that it is also important to identify which elements of a shot you actually did: "This is especially true if you have shots from big shows that will be on quite a few folks' reels." For models, Cook likes to see a wireframe and even a UV layout; for lighting, a breakdown of passes; for rigging, a good range of motion and demonstration of any animation interface. Aquaro recommends adding space for a text description in which you should explain your role and what you have done, keeping the text short and clear. You can provide a separate breakdown that goes into more detail. 05. Don't stress over music on your reel Music is a debate that comes up a lot, but of the recruiters we spoke to, most said it wasn't a priority. "Don't worry about any clever edits to music," says Smith. "Personally I don't mind whether you have music or not, but I do care if you have made a music video rather than a showcase for your work. If the cuts are too short and snappy because you're trying to work with the music then we can't see what you've done, and that's just frustrating!" Aquaro agreed that it is a secondary concern: "Watching a showreel that is well synchronised with the soundtrack sure is cool, but don't lose sight of your real goal: clearly presenting your work". Jellyfish Picture's art director Ross Burt creating a character for Dennis and Gnasher For The Sequence Group, however, the ability to synchronise your reel with compelling music is a skill it values in itself: "If you can create a pulse to your work and keep us watching beyond the first 20 seconds, that shows us you have talent beyond the content you've created," says Ian Kirby, founder and creative director. When you've made all these tricky judgement calls and put your reel together, get someone else to look at it with fresh eyes for you, and make sure the video itself is easily accessible by putting it on a streaming site such as Vimeo or YouTube. Multiple people from each studio are going to look at it, so it should be easy to share and work on any platform. You should also put a simple title card in the reel with your contact details so it's easy for people to get in touch if they like what they see. 06. Nail the interview If your application and reel have done their job and got you an interview, you'll need to prepare for three key things: talking in detail about your work process, demonstrating that you're a good fit for the company, and asking thoughtful questions. "Really prepare carefully for how you want to present your work to us and what you would like to say about each piece," says Smith. "Interviews in this industry can be very informal, which often catches people out. Informal doesn't mean that you or we shouldn't or don't care! "All it means is that we want you to feel comfortable and not nervous and able to really talk us through the work on your reel; why you approached things the way you did, how you would do something differently next time, how you approached a challenge that came your way, and so on." The Sequence Group discussing work in the video room Tidey recommends finding out what you can about the company's culture and what values are important to them. "At Dneg, we value collaboration, teamwork and initiative, so ensure that you have examples of how you have demonstrated these values in the past." Your company-fit is being assessed as well as your technical and creative skill, so you need to give this some careful consideration. Finally, you should have some questions ready to ask your interviewers: all the recruiters mentioned this, so don't leave it out. "Thoughtful questions demonstrate genuine interest in the company and the person who is interviewing you; perhaps ask them about their own experience at Dneg, and what they like about working at the company," says Tidey. Getting your dream job is about timing, persistence and careful preparation, so spruce up your LinkedIn, follow every company you're interested in on social media, keep in touch with your network, and get out there to attend industry events. Once you have an opportunity in your sights, if you follow the advice we've laid out here and take care to avoid the common blunders, you'll give yourself the best possible chance of achieving your goals. Good luck. This article originally appeared in issue 228 of 3D World, the world's best-selling magazine for CG artists – packed with expert tutorials, inspiration and reviews. Buy issue 228 here or subscribe to 3D World here. Special Christmas offer: Save up to 47% on a subscription to 3D World for you or a friend for Christmas. It's a limited offer, so move quickly... Liked this? Read these: 30 free 3D models How to land your dream job in animation 30 brilliantly creative resumés View the full article

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An instantly recognisable piece of packaging design is one of the most valuable tools at a brand manager's disposal. Whether it's through prominently displaying distinctive logos such as the Nike Swoosh or McDonald's Golden Arches, or by harnessing a brand's colours, packaging helps products to get noticed in a sea of competition. But when a brand is big enough, it can afford to get creative and change its design on occasion, as these five examples reveal. 01. Skittles Give the Rainbow Famed for its spectrum of colours, with a slogan that even reads 'taste the rainbow', Skittles decided to use a monochrome design when it came to celebrating Pride 2016. And it was so successful, the brand repeated this campaign for a whole month for Pride 2017. The thinking behind this colourless design was that there should only be one rainbow when it comes to celebrating gay Pride, so the sweet brand stepped aside and let the parades take centre stage. Clever, eye-catching, and progressive, this is a perfect example of a brand tweaking its existing image to accommodate an event. Other brands take note: this is how you do it. 02. Mars Believe Mars supports football fans with the Belive campaignThe change from Mars to Believe has been an on-and-off campaign since 2006. Designed to support the England football team in the Euro 2016 tournament in France, the latest Believe packaging was supported by a massive media campaign across digital platforms. "Our Mars #Believe campaign recognises the importance of genuine consumer engagement around the tournament matches and this is echoed in each element of our approach – from our limited edition packaging, to our TV creative and digital engagement," says Greg Kent, Mars brand manager. This campaign couldn't stop England crashing out of the competition in a game against Iceland, though. 03. Coca-Cola Share a Coke Share a Coke with this genius campaignThe huge Share a Coke campaign is perhaps one of the most successful product redesigns in branding history. With the Coca-Cola stylings and colourways already immediately recognisable, the soft drinks company decided to focus on a social theme to get its name out there even more. By replacing the title Coca-Cola on one side of the bottle with one of the top 250 names in that particular country (including generic nicknames and titles to ensure that everyone felt included), consumers felt an unparalleled connection with the iconic brand. 04. KitKat YouTube Break Take a YouTube breakIf we were to say "have a break", chances are most of you would immediately respond with a reflex reply of "have a KitKat". However, all that temporarily changed in 2015 as the chocolate finger snack rebranded itself as YouTube Break. Released as part of a limited run across 600,000 bars in the UK, YouTube Break was run as part of a tie-in between Nestle and Google. With Google tending to name its operating systems after sweet snacks, including the Android 4.4 KitKat, the rebrand suddenly makes sense. 05. Beck's Beer Art Pioneering artists get the support they need with Beck'sPopular beverage brand Beck's beer supported artists back in 2012 by showcasing four of the world's top talents on the labels of its 275ml Beck's Pilsner bottles. "We are always looking to support artists who are doing really interesting and ground-breaking work. The work that may go unnoticed at first, but can’t be ignored," said Fabienne Rollot, European marketing director at Beck's. This temporary redesign is one of many initiatives in the beer's long history of supporting creative talent. Through its Arts Label initiative the brand promoted the likes of Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons. A Facebook app accompanied the campaign, which allowed users to create their own artwork. Related articles: 40 awesome packaging designs 15 online packaging design resources The designer’s guide to using colour in branding View the full article

There are plenty of amazing design books around, but some of the best lessons can be learned from books that are about a different topic altogether. Recently, GV partner Daniel Burka put out a Tweet asking the hivemind which non-design books had taught them the most about their profession, and the thread proved hugely popular. Designers across the industry, from disciplines ranging from graphic designers to web pros and specialists in UX or UI design, got in on the discussion. We gathered some top designers' picks, and asked them what their choice taught them. 01. Understanding Comics Comic book art has a lot in common with sequential interfaces On the surface, you might not naturally link comic books and websites. But Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art has a lot to teach web designers, argues digital product designer Cennydd Bowles "Scott McCloud wasn't writing for designers, of course, but it turns out that understanding sequential art is spookily similar to understanding sequential interfaces," he says. "It's rich with Gestalt theory and the sort of taxonomic thinking that information architects love." 02. Film Music and Everything Else This book helped Brendan Dawes see the world in a new way Experimental designer Brendan Dawes tends to avoid buying the obvious design books. "I think it’s more important to look outside your own field of expertise," he explains. "That’s much more interesting to me." Dawes picked Charles H Bernstein's Film Music and Everything Else, which he first came across in a tiny bookshop in Ojai, California. It piqued his interest as a fan of film music, but it ended up being relevant to his work as a designer. "This book is almost like a mini philosophy manual, talking about creativity in its widest possible sense, helping you look at the world in a different way, which you can then apply in a myriad of ways in your work no matter what that might be," he says. "For me, interaction design is about rhythm and composition as much as film music is." 03. How Buildings Learn How Building's Learn was the book that kicked off the whole discussion Stewart Brand's book on what happens after buildings are built was the book that kicked off the whole thread. It proved popular with respondents, including digital consultant and UX designer Andy Parker. "Reading How Buildings learn is a critical reminder of all the design practices we desperately want to move away from: exhaustive planning, big design up-front, not working with customers, and allowing rockstar egotism to influence direction," he says. "It's a powerful reminder of how costly these methods of design can be." The book is also an important reminder of the effects of designing based purely on aesthetics. "The greatest insight is in how people change the space you design to suit the way they live – not the way you envisaged it. They knock down partitions, repurpose rooms, and relocate entire structures for the house to flow how they want it to," he continues. "There is so much we can learn from architecture and remind ourselves how fortunate we are that what we write today is dead tomorrow and replaceable for free." The book was also turned into a TV show on the BBC, which you can now watch on YouTube. 04. Castle David Macaulay's picture books are popular for professionals in all fields David Macaulay gained fame for explaining how things work via charming illustrations, including architectural picture books examining cathedrals, castles, pyramids and more. Product designer Hannah Donovan picked these as her favourite books about design that's aren't design books. "They not only show the process of making something (in this case constructing a building), but they also present this process in a beautiful way where the reader cannot help but love the processes as much as the product," she comments. 05. Flow Flow has plenty of insights for interaction designers Designer and information architect Doug Somerville picked national best-seller Flow by Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi, which studies the psychology of happiness. "Flow was a great introduction to some the psychology behind cognition, concentration, feedback and motivation," he says. "The ‘state of flow’ (and understanding it or being able to create the conditions for it) presented in the book has so many parallels to interaction design, service design, information architecture, game design and lots of other fields." 06. Different This book explores how to truly break the mould Published in 2010, Different: Escaping the Competitive Herd by Youngme Moon explores how going against the grain – rather than tirelessly competing to be the best at the same things – is the ticket to success. The book had a big impact on product manager and UX designer Clint Gardiner. As well as teaching him to ignore the competition, it also reinforced that innovation can happen through the removal of benefits and functionality. "Not everything that is important can be measured," he explains. "Data and research are only one piece of the puzzle, and never tell us the full story. We need to be careful what conclusions we draw." To see Gardiner's notes on the book, look here. 07. The Power of Habit Insights into human behaviour can be a powerful tool for designers Most designers spend their days crafting things for people to use, so it makes sense that understanding human behaviour would improve your design skills. UX designer Shane Guymon picked The Power of Habit as his top design book that's not about design. "This book does a really good job of providing an understanding for why we do what we do as humans. It helps understand how habits are formed and how to influence habits," he says. "The dangerous aspect of this book is that this understanding can also be used to manipulate people into forming habits that you want them to have, but that they don't inherently want." 08. Creativity Inc. Andy Budd argues that Pixar is the original Silicon Valley tech startup A few years ago, Andy Budd invited Pixar's Michael B Johnson to UX London to share some insights into the process of making movies. "At the time I remember people thinking it was a strange choice. After all, what could UX designers learn from a film company?" he recalls. "Once the talk was over, the answer became clear. Irrespective of the medium, Pixar has built a culture designed around creativity, along with a process that is more akin to a tech startup than a traditional movie studio." Creativity Inc by Ed Catmull – the current president of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios – takes a deep-dive into the company's creative process and culture. "While the medium is vastly different, the leadership lessons Catmull shares are as relevant to our industry as any book on lean product management of digital leadership," continues Budd. "In fact, you could argue that Pixar is the original Silicon Valley tech startup." 09. Thinking in Systems This primer breaks down the challenges of designing systems Digital product designer Cennydd Bowles also opted for Donella H Meadows' Thinking in Systems, a primer on the methodology of systems-based thinking. "Advanced design is largely systems design. "For me, this book was a one-way valve to a new way of seeing," he enthuses. "You learn where interventions can actually make a difference, and where they will be wasted. You start to see the whole world as a network of systems, and roll your eyes at the doomed mistakes you see repeated all around you." 10. The Laws of Simplicity This guide helps you get more from less John Maeda is a professor in MIT's media lab, and this is his second appearance on this list. Maeda's 2006 book The Laws of Simplicity examines how to make things simple without stopping them being useful, and is super-useful for designers of all kinds. It's Doug Somerville's "go-to non-design book for unblocking tricky design problems". "Simplicity is a goal (or principle) for most designers, and Maeda’s book is a concise and precise study on how to achieve it," he says. "Even the structure of it is beautifully simple. It’s an enjoyable quick read and a valuable reference book to keep coming back to for ideas and quotes." Read more: 56 best free fonts for designers 5 must-read books for design students 11 huge web design trends for 2018 View the full article

When you're browsing the web, you can never be too sure about who might be watching, be it your ISP, advertisers, or even the government. One of the best ways to ensure your privacy online is to use the protection of a VPN. And this daily deal means you get two years of protection from Private Internet Access (PIA) on sale now for 63% off the retail price. Whether you're trying to avoid hackers who want to steal your information or your own ISP attempting to gather your browsing data, a VPN is an essential tool for hiding yourself from the prying eyes that are after your data. Public Wi-Fi can be dangerous, but Private Internet Access can make it safe again by providing a encrypted connection that you can connect to at any time, anywhere, on up to five devices at once. It’s an essential tool for remote workers and anyone who wants to keep their information safe while working in public. Two years of protection from Private Internet Access Usually costs $166, but you can get it on sale now for 63% off the retail price. That means you pay just $59.95 (approx. £45). It's a great deal for a necessary piece of protection to stay safe online, so grab it today. About Creative Bloq deals This great deal comes courtesy of the Creative Bloq Deals store – a creative marketplace that's dedicated to ensuring you save money on the items that improve your design life. We all like a special offer or two, particularly with creative tools and design assets often being eye-wateringly expensive. That's why the Creative Bloq Deals store is committed to bringing you useful deals, freebies and giveaways on design assets (logos, templates, icons, fonts, vectors and more), tutorials, e-learning, inspirational items, hardware and more. Every day of the working week we feature a new offer, freebie or contest – if you miss one, you can easily find past deals posts on the Deals Staff author page or Offer tag page. Plus, you can get in touch with any feedback at: deals@creativebloq.com. Check out these other amazing deals: The best laptop deals for Christmas 2017 The best iPad deals for Christmas 2017 The best Wacom tablet deals for Christmas 2017 View the full article

In the context of the web, you might already have thought about APIs in the form of services made available by third parties. Google, for example, exposes a Google Maps API that you can consume as a developer to integrate Google’s mapping, street view, navigation and more into your app. This involves importing scripts hosted on Google servers, then using objects and functions from those scripts in line with the API documentation, which it provides. APIs like this are generally what we’d refer to as “server-side APIs”. However, what you might never have considered is that the basic JS functionality built into the browser is also composed of a set of APIs, which are constantly being updated. These “client-side APIs” provide many of the basic features taken for granted within JS, such as manipulating the DOM, embedding graphics/sound, or interfacing with the device you’re running on. More likely than not you’ll have read documentation for many of them online when building a site/app. These APIs are typically based on a single specification which ensures that all browser makers implement the functionality consistently, thus ensuring that your code works across any browser. APIs in common use today XMLHTTPRequest XMLHTTPRequest has for some time been the JavaScript API used to send asynchronous requests to a server. This can allow you to, for example, retrieve data from the server and update a page without having to reload the full page. Its name is an anachronism since it works with JSON as well as XML. It’s likely to be superseded by the more recent Fetch API over time. Web Sockets Web sockets enable a two-way communication session to be opened between a browser and server. This enables the server to provide updates to the user without the browser needing to poll the server at an interval. Web sockets are in use on a number of sites today; on Stack Overflow they’re used to feed live notifications of responses to questions. DOM functions This may seem like a cop-out, but it’s important to think about. Even core JavaScript functions do things like manipulate the DOM. Think of the document object as an entry point. This means while they may be defined in separate specifications, there’s little fundamental difference between the new APIs we’ll look at below and core JavaScript functions that have been around for years. Henri HELLvetica – developer and performance master, will deliver a talk at Generate New York called Planet Of The APIs Want to know more about APIs? Henri HELLvetica is a man in the know. He is a freelance developer who has turned his interests to a potpourri of performance engineering with pinches of user experience. His talk at Generate New York from 25-27 April 2018 - Planet Of The APIs: A Tale Of Performance & User Experience – peruses present-day and even experimental practices employed in measuring web apps, and providing performant user experiences. You can find him tweeting at @HenriHelvetica Want to see Henri in the flesh extolling the virtues of APIs? Get your ticket now Read local files with the File API 15 Web APIs you've never heard of Boost your WordPress workflow with REST API View the full article

Vertex is the event connecting all areas of the UK visual effects community, for a day of presentations, workshops, recruitment and discussion. Come to watch talks by some of the world's biggest names in VFX, including Scott Ross, Chris Nichols, Brett Ineson, Sébastien Deguy and more. Book tickets for workshops run by some top artists, from Glen Southern to Mike Griggs among others. If you want to get your hands on the very latest tech, then the expo access tickets are for you and are even free but you do need to register to get the tickets, so book now over at the Vertex site. Knowledge is 3D power Our speakers will be sharing their wealth of knowledge on a variety of topics set to inspire and educate. In his talk, Christopher Nichols, founding member of the Wikihuman project, will share insights his team have learned while trying to create the most realistic digital human possible. Founder of Digital Domain Scott Ross will use the benefit of his industry experience to discuss what he thinks the pitfalls and opportunities are for the VFX industry. Brett Ineson will talk through translating actors into entirely different species for Justice League and Warcraft – which boasts the largest recorded mocap volume to date. Brett will also reveal behind-the-scenes secrets from Gears of War 4 that powered the game's biggest stunts. For more details about other speakers and workshop leaders, head to www.vertexconf.com. Build your career Vertex is the place to head if you are looking to take the next step in your career. Are you an enthusiastic hobbyist looking to take your first role in VFX, a student about to graduate, or an experienced pro? Then head to the recruitment fair, talk to studios about openings they have and even have a portfolio review, to learn how to best promote your skills. You even have the opportunity to ask questions directly to leading professionals in our Ask An Artist segment. How to get tickets to Vertex There are a variety of tickets available for Vertex, to suit your needs and budget. You can get a free expo pass, student tickets and Access All Areas passes. No matter which ticket suits you best you need to head to the Vertex site and register or buy direct. Be sure to register for the newsletter while you are there to stay up to date with the latest news, discover what's added to the schedule and learn about new speakers we've crammed into the packed day. We look forward to seeing you there! Related articles: The ethics of digital humans Scott Ross to talk at Vertex Behind the scenes on Transformers VFX View the full article

Researchers are warning of a default-configuration vulnerability in the enterprise-class keyless entry products made by AMAG Technology. View the full article

HP released an update that fixes debugger code that could allow an attacker to use a Synaptics Touchpad driver as a keylogger. View the full article

Getting the itch to learn some new skills, either for fun or to advance your career? With access to Stone River eLearning, you'll be able to work through a massive library of online courses and learn any new tech-related skill that you can imagine. Get a lifetime subscription for just $85 (approx. £64). Stone River eLearning's library is packed with the skills you've been dying to learn. With over 140 courses and 2,000 hours of educational videos, you can get a lifetime’s worth of knowledge from this great base for tech learning – and new courses are added all the time so you'll never run out of topics. Pick any course and you'll be given professional instruction that you can apply to your job or use to pursue in your own time, from coding and design to 3D animation and more. Plus, you'll get to test your skills with certification exams. You can get lifetime access to Stone River eLearning's online courses for just $85 (approx. £64). That’s a massive saving of 99% off the retail price. Learn anything you’d like and do it at your own pace by grabbing this deal today. About Creative Bloq deals This great deal comes courtesy of the Creative Bloq Deals store – a creative marketplace that's dedicated to ensuring you save money on the items that improve your design life. We all like a special offer or two, particularly with creative tools and design assets often being eye-wateringly expensive. That's why the Creative Bloq Deals store is committed to bringing you useful deals, freebies and giveaways on design assets (logos, templates, icons, fonts, vectors and more), tutorials, e-learning, inspirational items, hardware and more. Every day of the working week we feature a new offer, freebie or contest – if you miss one, you can easily find past deals posts on the Deals Staff author page or Offer tag page. Plus, you can get in touch with any feedback at: deals@creativebloq.com. Related articles: 95 top Photoshop tutorials 11 huge web design trends for 2018 How to draw and paint - 100 pro tips and tutorials View the full article

Colour is a wonderfully evocative design tool, with the right palette packing an emotional punch as well as boosting aesthetic appeal. Issue 274 of Computer Arts magazine has three striking covers – one for each trend. As these covers attest, these trends are fluid, expressive and adaptable, covering everything from products to fashion, graphic design to make-up. Buy Computer Arts issue 274 now Here are some of the great articles you can expect to see in issue 274, on sale now. Christmas offer: Save up to 47% on a subscription to Computer Arts Franklin Till describes upcoming trend 'playful' In Computer Arts' annual colour trend report in issue 274, forecasting agency and long-standing CA contributor FranklinTill identifies three distinct movements for the coming year with accompanying palettes. Succeed as a designer-maker with advice from those who have made the leap Elsewhere, you’ll find an in-depth guide to making it as a designer-maker – whether you’re tapping the lucrative Christmas gift market, or keen to kick off the new year with an exciting new income stream. Thanks to the inexorable rise of Etsy, Not On The High Street and other global platforms for crafty creatives, it’s never been easier to put your talents to good use by creating and selling products. And this feature also doubles as a handy gift list for anyone keen to avoid chain stores and support independent artists. Behind the scenes at London studio Koto Computer Arts also pays a visit to Koto, a young studio that combines infectious passion with a strong work ethic, and has made a splash on the design scene in just three short years, largely thanks to its global rebrand of Fanta. Find out how it built a global reputation overnight in this issue's Video Insight. Ricardo Cavolo reveals why he loves vibrant colours Gain insight into Ricardo Cavolo – the Spanish artist known for his large-scale murals – with this issue's Q&A. Find out why he enjoys depicting 'life on the B side,' as well as how he faces creative challenges while taking care of his mental health. Also in Computer Arts 274 Get tips for improving your typesetting Look ahead to the Tokyo Olympics with creative challenge Coke x Adobe x You Nadieh Bremer on how she visualised The Netherlands' top 200 songs chart The hottest new design, illustration and motion work Subscribe to CA today from just £11.25/$15 Computer Arts is the global design magazine – helping you solve daily design challenges with insights, advice and inspiration. Buy Computer Arts issue 274 here. And to make sure you never miss an issue of Computer Arts – including the special collectable cover of upcoming issue 275 – subscribe here today. Digital subscriptions start at £11.25/$15 per quarter. Special Christmas offer: Save up to 47% on a subscription to Computer Arts for you or a friend for Christmas. It's a limited offer, so move quickly... View the full article

Stock isn’t just about stunning still photography, illustrations and vectors – Shutterstock offers a huge library of gorgeous stock video footage, too. This footage opens up a whole new level of creative possibilities beyond what a static design alone can offer. In fact, Shutterstock boasts a catalogue of over 8.5 million royalty-free stock videos ready to be used in resolutions from web-ready all the way up to to Full HD and even 4K. Priced from just £19, and with Shutterstock’s footage plugin now compatible with Adobe Premier Pro, it’s the perfect time to access this store of high quality video clips. Here are 5 great uses for video that you might not have thought of. 01. For Facebook Sharing your work or services on social media is a key part of self promotion. As we shared in our article How to make social media work for you, Facebook’s algorithms give video top priority in people’s newsfeeds over all other types of content, so you can be sure that video footage will get you seen. So if you want to drive more potential clients to your portfolio site or let everyone know about a cool project you’ve been busy working on, think of what you want to say and choose an appropriate video. As external players such as YouTube and Vimeo no longer play in users’ Facebook feed, for the best results, you need a video you can upload directly to Facebook. The video clip like the sped up footage of a New York cab above can grab attention and complement a message about how you’ve been going the extra mile to finish your latest design on time, and are looking forward to sharing the results soon, for example. 2. For website landing pages Why use a still image on a homepage when you can embed a beautiful piece of footage that makes people get excited about who you are and what you do? Agencies such as WONDR, based in Dublin, use mesmerising footage paired with music on their website homepages to convey what they’re about. This dive footage carries you along the tropical reef with you, taking you on an exciting journey just like you do with your clients. Shutterstock also has a library of royalty-free music, by the way, so you could pair this clip with the almost ethereal-sounding Breathe at the Top of the City by Oliver Liu, or the more upbeat A Key to Happiness by Big Score Audio. 3. For conveying ideas When mocking up app designs, web designs and even printed projects, sometimes a video demonstration is the easiest way to communicate your vision for the final project to clients and potential customers. So when A/B testing your designs, running user research workshops or pitching your concept, some stock footage of people interacting with ‘your design’ can help no end in showing what it can do. Shutterstock has heaps of videos like the one above with elements filmed against a green screen, which you can adapt with your own designs and even backgrounds. Check out our guide, courtesy of Vimeo, How to green screen: create great video effects for some tips, as well as Rocketstock’s guides How to Realistically Replace Digital Screens in Mocha and After Effects and Advanced Spill Suppression Techniques in After Effects. 4. For inspiration and reference 3D artists, animators, illustrators and other artists and designers seeking to capture the likeness of a creature that moves may find it difficult to find willing models to replicate a specific movement over and over again. Instead, affordable footage of magnificent animals moving at different speeds, on a variety of terrain, gives you reliable references that you can watch and rewatch while you plan your own composition. Investing in these video clips means you can build your own library of references that you can call on as often as you need to while you perfect your creations. 5. For your own videos When editing your own video projects, you might find that you need a little extra footage to lend context to the main action. Add cutaways, establishing shots, timelapses and crowd scenes such as this clip to lend perspective to the rest of your film, without the hassle of having to source a location, secure filming permissions, organise transport for the crew and kit. You might also like these articles: 6 tips for finding the perfect photo for your project 11 spectacular winter images to make your projects shine View the full article

Few things are more fundamental to artists and designers than the deceptively humble notebook. They might just look like blank pages bound together in a sturdy cover, but over the years they've been used to write masterpieces, record stunning pencil drawings, and document world-changing ideas. Time moves on, though, and just like everything else sketchbooks have had to change to keep up with the world. But how do you redesign something so simple and effective as a sketchbook? Read on to find out how various companies have given them a 21st century boost with the help of apps, smart pens, synthetic papers and more. 01. reMarkable $599/£579 from the reMarkable store Are you a paper person? The team at reMarkable are. That's why they've created the reMarkable tablet, a device that digitally emulates the feeling of working on paper. Thanks to reMarkable, creatives can say goodbye to desks and shelves cluttered with assorted notebooks and journals, as the tablet collects them all together in one easy-to-transport tool. With an anti-glare display, reMarkable feels just like paper when you read from it. You can even lean on the page as you're writing and drawing and you won't confuse the screen (or get a dirty side-palm.) 02. Moleskine Smart Writing Set Create in two places at once with the Moleskine Smart Writing Set It wouldn't be a list of quality sketchbook alternatives without mentioning Moleskine. The popular and superlative stationery supplier has waded into the world of digital sketchbooks with Moleskine's Smart Writing Set, a collection of devices that allows users to edit and share what they create on paper in real-time, all without taking a photo, scanning pages or uploading files. The set is made up of three elements, namely the Paper Tablet, the Pen+, and the Moleskine Notes app. The tablet itself looks and feels just like a traditional Moleskine journal, rounded edges and all. Meanwhile the Pen+ is a stylishly slender aluminium pen with a camera that traces and digitises everything you create and sends it to the app. 03. Wacom Bamboo Folio The petite Bamboo Folio is tailor-made for travelling creatives In a similar vein to the clutter-curing reMarkable, the Wacom Bamboo Folio is a smartpad geared towards creatives who have the unfortunate habit of losing track of their work. Designed for on-the-go note-taking, the A5 device can turn handwritten notes and sketches into a digital backup file at the push of a button. Released as part of the Bamboo family of Wacom tablets, the Folio smartpad is integrated with cloud services and the Wacom Inkspace app – a clever device that allows designers and artists to easily edit and access their files wherever they are. 04. Rocketbook Everlast Create lots of different projects in one book with EverlastOne company that continues to innovate when it comes to sketchbooks is Rocketbook. The Rocketbook Everlast is a smart journal filled with synthetic polyester pages. Confused by the science? Well, the practical upshot is that users can write and draw on a page then wipe it clean with a damp cloth. Don't worry, the pages won't get soggy. In fact you can send your notes and pictures wherever you want thanks to a code of symbols at the foot of each page. Simply assign a symbol to a destination using the Rocketbook app, cross off the corresponding icon, and hey-presto, your notes are neatly organised digitally just the way you want. Related articles: Best Wacom tablet deals The best drawing tablet: our pick of the best graphics tablets in 2017 How to use Instagram as a digital sketchbook View the full article

Clip Studio Paint is a digital painting app specifically aimed at people creating comics or manga art – although it's great for any kind of digital art. We wonder if more people aren't using it because they don't know about it, or because they're not sure how to use it. Either way, that's about to change. In this round-up, we'll share some of the best Clip Studio Paint tutorials, and where you can find them. We'll kick off the list with some general, all-around Clip Studio Paint tutorials to help get you up to speed (numbers 01-05), then once you have a solid foundation, we'll move on to some more specific tutorials that will help you out (06-11). Hopefully we'll see a lot more tutorials as people realise how powerful this software really is, and what can be done with it. 01. Reuben Lara Reuben Lara is a freelance artist and illustrator, offering mainly Clip Studio Paint tutorials. He offers both paid and free tutorials for beginner-to-advanced artists and Clip Studio Paint users. Lara speaks clearly, his tutorials are easy to follow, and they're jam-packed with lots of useful information. You can find out more about Lara on his website, and you can watch more of his free videos on his YouTube channel. 02. Flyland Designs We've chosen Brian Allen at Flyland Designs for this list because he offers some of the most fantastic tutorials – and not just because he loves zombies. Allen's tutorials take you through the process of sketching, inking, and colouring in Clip Studio Paint. He also shares his tips and techniques along the way, as well as his Clip Studio Resources, like brushes, tools, and templates. Want to learn more about Allen? Check out his interview on Roundabout: Creative Chaos. 03. Kendrys Draws Kendrys Diaz, the voice behind Kendrys Draws, offers laser-focused Clip Studio tutorials covering a broad range of topics. Many of his videos show you how to use the 3D tools available in Clip Studio; he also has a heavy focus on manga art. Diaz's presentation style is a bit gruffer and more abrupt than other tutorials on this list, but don't let that put you off – the content is spot on. Note: Diaz has recently published a Character design sketchbook that might be worth a look. 04. David Arroyo David Arroyo is the creator of the webcomic IMMERSION. He's created a series of Clip Studio Paint tutorials, hosted by Astropad, in which he takes you through how to use the tool start to finish. That's right! The whole process. Arroyo's calm speaking voice and clear instructions make his tutorials bookmark-worthy. 05. LearnCSP.com LearnCSP.com is an independent site, owned and operated by Augie De Blieck Jr, who launched the site back in 2016. Ever since, De Blieck has been steadily adding Clip Studio Paint tutorials to this site, with the aim of creating content he wishes had existed when he first started. The website is focused on new Clip Studio Paint users, but it's useful for intermediate and advanced users too. 06. How to ink in Clip Studio Paint Pro In this inking tutorial, Chris Martinez covers the inking tools available to you in Clip Studio Paint, and how he uses them when he's inking his drawings. Although Martinez talks about pens he hasn't used, he's honest about it and encourages people to try new things. Inspirational? Absolutely! The only thing we're not wild about is the background music. If you can get past that, this tutorial is one to watch. 07. How to ink in Clip Studio using the GPEN Another great inking tutorial comes from Tim Michael at Draw2Much. In this Clip Studio Paint tutorial, Michael shows you the ins and outs of using the G-pen. Although Michael's walkthrough style isn't the typical one you might expect, this video gives you an insight into how he inks his drawings, and is worthy of a watch. 08. Digital Painting Tutorial OK World of Warcraft fans, this one's for you! In this tutorial, Robert Marzullo teaches you how to digitally paint Orgrim Doomhammer using Clip Studio Paint. If you like this tutorial, Marzullo has a new tutorial, available on Udemy, where he teaches how to work in perspective in Clip Studio Paint. 09. Reference Layers For Coloring More of a quick tip than a long-form tutorial, Matt Chee takes you through the process of using reference layers for colouring. But don't stop with that one. Chee has a large collection of tips and tricks to help you work smarter in Clip Studio Paint. Check 'em out. 10. Creating and Using Custom Brushes Custom brushes are a handy feature in Clip Studio Full disclaimer: I'm an official Smith Micro Influencer, and this is one of my own Clip Studio Paint tutorials. In this written tutorial, I show you how to create and use your own custom brushes in Clip Studio Paint. If video is more your style, this tutorial is also available at DayOfTheIndie.com in video format. 11. Smith Micro Graphics Of course, no Clip Studio Tutorial List would be complete without a mention of the Smith Micro Graphics tutorials. It has a lot of great resources, but if you're looking for something specific, check out the ones from Doug Hills, like the video above. You won't be disappointed. Read more: The ultimate Christmas gift guide for freelancers 8 inspiring digital art portfolios and why they work 19 best iPad art apps for painting and sketching View the full article

Clip Studio Paint is a digital painting app specifically aimed at people creating comics or manga art – although it's great for any kind of digital art. We wonder if more people aren't using it because they don't know about it, or because they're not sure how to use it. Either way, that's about to change. In this round-up, we'll share some of the best Clip Studio Paint tutorials, and where you can find them. We'll kick off the list with some general, all-around Clip Studio Paint tutorials to help get you up to speed (numbers 01-05), then once you have a solid foundation, we'll move on to some more specific tutorials that will help you out (06-11). Hopefully we'll see a lot more tutorials as people realise how powerful this software really is, and what can be done with it. 01. Reuben Lara Reuben Lara is a freelance artist and illustrator, offering mainly Clip Studio Paint tutorials. He offers both paid and free tutorials for beginner-to-advanced artists and Clip Studio Paint users. Lara speaks clearly, his tutorials are easy to follow, and they're jam-packed with lots of useful information. You can find out more about Lara on his website, and you can watch more of his free videos on his YouTube channel. 02. Flyland Designs We've chosen Brian Allen at Flyland Designs for this list because he offers some of the most fantastic tutorials – and not just because he loves zombies. Allen's tutorials take you through the process of sketching, inking, and colouring in Clip Studio Paint. He also shares his tips and techniques along the way, as well as his Clip Studio Resources, like brushes, tools, and templates. Want to learn more about Allen? Check out his interview on Roundabout: Creative Chaos. 03. Kendrys Draws Kendrys Diaz, the voice behind Kendrys Draws, offers laser-focused Clip Studio tutorials covering a broad range of topics. Many of his videos show you how to use the 3D tools available in Clip Studio; he also has a heavy focus on manga art. Diaz's presentation style is a bit gruffer and more abrupt than other tutorials on this list, but don't let that put you off – the content is spot on. Note: Diaz has recently published a Character design sketchbook that might be worth a look. 04. David Arroyo David Arroyo is the creator of the webcomic IMMERSION. He's created a series of Clip Studio Paint tutorials, hosted by Astropad, in which he takes you through how to use the tool start to finish. That's right! The whole process. Arroyo's calm speaking voice and clear instructions make his tutorials bookmark-worthy. 05. LearnCSP.com LearnCSP.com is an independent site, owned and operated by Augie De Blieck Jr, who launched the site back in 2016. Ever since, De Blieck has been steadily adding Clip Studio Paint tutorials to this site, with the aim of creating content he wishes had existed when he first started. The website is focused on new Clip Studio Paint users, but it's useful for intermediate and advanced users too. 06. How to ink in Clip Studio Paint Pro In this inking tutorial, Chris Martinez covers the inking tools available to you in Clip Studio Paint, and how he uses them when he's inking his drawings. Although Martinez talks about pens he hasn't used, he's honest about it and encourages people to try new things. Inspirational? Absolutely! The only thing we're not wild about is the background music. If you can get past that, this tutorial is one to watch. 07. How to ink in Clip Studio using the GPEN Another great inking tutorial comes from Tim Michael at Draw2Much. In this Clip Studio Paint tutorial, Michael shows you the ins and outs of using the G-pen. Although Michael's walkthrough style isn't the typical one you might expect, this video gives you an insight into how he inks his drawings, and is worthy of a watch. 08. Digital Painting Tutorial OK World of Warcraft fans, this one's for you! In this tutorial, Robert Marzullo teaches you how to digitally paint Orgrim Doomhammer using Clip Studio Paint. If you like this tutorial, Marzullo has a new tutorial, available on Udemy, where he teaches how to work in perspective in Clip Studio Paint. 09. Reference Layers For Coloring More of a quick tip than a long-form tutorial, Matt Chee takes you through the process of using reference layers for colouring. But don't stop with that one. Chee has a large collection of tips and tricks to help you work smarter in Clip Studio Paint. Check 'em out. 10. Creating and Using Custom Brushes Custom brushes are a handy feature in Clip Studio Full disclaimer: I'm an official Smith Micro Influencer, and this is one of my own Clip Studio Paint tutorials. In this written tutorial, I show you how to create and use your own custom brushes in Clip Studio Paint. If video is more your style, this tutorial is also available at DayOfTheIndie.com in video format. 11. Smith Micro Graphics Of course, no Clip Studio Tutorial List would be complete without a mention of the Smith Micro Graphics tutorials. It has a lot of great resources, but if you're looking for something specific, check out the ones from Doug Hills, like the video above. You won't be disappointed. Read more: The ultimate Christmas gift guide for freelancers 8 inspiring digital art portfolios and why they work 19 best iPad art apps for painting and sketching View the full article

If you've ever got into a conversation about the biggest problems plaguing web and digital product development today, you probably heard someone refer to the 'design-development gap'. At the mention of this, several heads probably nodded sagely, and then you all moved on, content to observe the problem without necessarily resolving it. After all, there's probably an app for that, right? Maybe we just haven't found it yet? In reality, there are several apps for that. And, as with most problems, numerous other possible solutions exist. I'll talk about several of those here, but before we solve the problem, let's make sure we understand it, shall we? What is the design-development gap? Put simply, the 'design-development gap' refers to what's missing in communication between designers and developers during the product development process. The problem proves most daunting in companies where waterfall processes dominate, when a designer simply 'throws the design over the wall', dusts off their hands, and says, 'Well, I'm done with that!' As any vegetarian who's tried to order a burrito sin carne can attest, a lack of a shared language can lead to big problems In such a scenario, the gap leaves developers interpreting the designer's intent on their own. Which leaves plenty of room for off-brand animations, links that go where they shouldn't, and rounded corners that are just a pixel or 50 off the mark. No biggie, right? Sure – as long as you're not the person looking after the bottom line, squinting at the project hours in the quickly fading hope that, if you look at them funny, those numbers will fit the project budget. Of course, the design-development gap doesn't just plague waterfall teams. After all – in the absence of experience and sustained, mutual effort – designers and developers speak different languages. And as any vegetarian who's tried to order a burrito sin carne can attest, a lack of a shared language can lead to some big problems. The problems Of course, the problems that emerge from the lack of an available translator aren't the only things that make the design-development gap problematic. To get more specific, some of the more common issues teams run into include the following. 01. Designers creating 'impossible' designs Anyone who's wrangled a little CSS knows it can't do everything. But designers who don't know the ins and outs of CSS and are looking to push their creative boundaries can easily create designs in Sketch or Photoshop that can't be brought to the web (easily, or at all). For this issue, bridging the design-development gap means ensuring that designers understand the capabilities of CSS enough to avoid designing impossible solutions. 02. Time-consuming documentation Documentation can help – but it is a time-suck One of the most common tools used to bridge the design-development gap is documentation: redlines, spec docs, component diagrams, and so on. Whatever your team calls them, they all amount to documentation, and they mean a significant amount of time is spent working on something no end user will ever directly experience. Of course, that's not to say they don't have values – most digital products can benefit from design, language, and development documentation. But questions of their value aside, redlines and other forms of documentation take a long time to create, and aren't especially fun for anyone. For this issue, bridging the design-development gap means finding faster and easier ways to communicate specifications. 03. Prolonged feedback cycles Feedback is inevitable, even when your designers create with CSS in mind and put together detailed documentation. And it's always valuable. But it can become a drain on resources and significantly impact employee morale when the loops go on too long. Contradictory feedback from one cycle to the next crops up, stakeholders muddy the waters with interpersonal disagreements, and everyone loses sight of the overarching strategy. For this issue, bridging the design-development gap means finding ways to cut out unnecessary feedback loops. How to bridge the gap Now we understand the nature of the design-development gap, and the issues it can introduce to the process, let's talk about solving the problem. There's software designed to help – and for that take a look at my list of 5 tools for bridging the design-development gap. But there are also some so-called 'soft' skills that can help. Because, hey, we can't expect apps to solve all our problems, right? Software can't solve everything While the modern workplace relies on digital tools to tackle most problems, there's often no replacement for good ol' interpersonal skills – especially when the core problem is essentially one of communication. With that in mind, let's take a look at three absolutely free methods for bridging the gap between your design and development teams. 01. Communicate early, often, always Designers and developers working on a project should always be working together. And that means a lot more than commenting on the same GitHub tickets or working from shared Sketch files. Ask how the development team would like you to communicate designs It also, and much more importantly, means talking. So, designers: talk to your devs about how you're tackling your current challenges. Verify that your solution is feasible from a technical standpoint. Have them look at your designs and call out areas where visual elements can't be reproduced. Ask if flowing in real data will break the formatting. Find out what the best way to name your design layers might be – from the people who have to work with them. But most importantly: Ask how the development team would like you to communicate designs, interactions, and so on. Once you understand their preferred formats for communicating specs and changes, you'll instantly be communicating more effectively. 02. Be agile Now, I'm not a process policeman, so I won't tell you that you have to be working in agile manner, or that you need to adopt GV's sprint format. But to my mind, there's one part of the agile methodology every team can borrow. Namely, its emphasis on cross-functional teams – including people with a variety of specialities in the process. That ensures regular and consistent collaboration between design and development, nipping potential problems in the bud. I'd also personally recommend involving your friendly local content strategist or copywriter in your cross-functional team from day one, but that's another story, for another post. 03. Speak each other's language When proponents of the 'designers should code' philosophy speak up, one of their core arguments tends to be that it'll help them better understand what their dev colleagues do, as well as what's feasible for the web. Which I wholeheartedly agree with! However, I'd point out that you don't have to be able to write code to understand what's possible with code. Same goes for design. Simply speaking to your colleagues can solve a lot of problems For example, I'm not much of a visual designer myself – but I voraciously consume anything I can learn about it. And that's got me to a point where I can talk about design principles and best practices with my design colleagues and feel, if not fluent, then at least conversant. I've also worked in the digital design world long enough that I can usually gauge what a dev could do with an interface, and make recommendations on what would be best from a user experience standpoint. Also, not being a practicing coder doesn't stop you from my one stupid-simple trick for gauging feasibility: asking someone. It's crazy how far a simple question will get you. Related articles: Advent calendar delivers daily web design treats 10 Sketch plugins you need to know about The best Christmas gifts for web designers View the full article

It's time to design your festive products, and a greeting card template can help you initiate the creative process nicely. Christmas and greeting cards are passed around during the holiday season in their hundreds and thousands. While many will opt for the standard and often boring array of offerings in the shops, we've compiled a list of inspirational greeting card templates to make yours a little more individual. We love to spoil you with free resources – check out our encyclopedia of free fonts for designers, these 15 free resume templates and our run down of the 32 best free WordPress themes for a start – so add a spark of creativity to your cards this season, with these free festive greeting card templates. 01. Christmas snowflakes A cosy colour scheme and modern style that will suit all tastes Free This vector template looks a bit like a Christmas jumper and can be used as a background or to decorate an email, webpage or printed material. It comes as an Illustrator file and also as an SVG, so will come in useful for many of your wintry designs. 02. Christmas reindeer Ding-a-ling! There's nothing like a mysterious reindeer vibe to add a little gravitas to your Christmas cards Free Handsome Mr Reindeer with his festive bell is well-drawn and will add a cute yet noble presence to your Christmas designs. He comes in AI, EPS, PDF and JPG formats so he'll fit in anywhere. 03. Silver baubles This template's easy to edit in Illustrator if it doesn't have enough balls for youFree This festive design from Vecteezy is described as a Christmas background with balls, and who are we to disagree? It would make a perfect Christmas card design and it's supplied as an .AI file, so you can open it up in Illustrator and tweak it to your own taste. 04. Santa's sleigh These cold, bold vectors would look great as a cardFree Another vector design suitable for fiddling with in Illustrator, this Christmas card design by VectorLady has a lovely festive layout complete with Santa and his reindeer, plus plenty of snowflakes and Christmas trees, all framed by an intricate swirling surround. 05. Abstract Christmas tree Catch the eye of your loved ones with this greeting card templateFree This free greeting card template is perfect for any creative who needs that little extra help when it comes to designing the perfect offering. Coming with bold colours and cute icons, this greeting card template will certainly catch the eye of your loved ones. Plus, it comes ready to use with Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Microsoft Word, Publisher, Apple Pages, QuarkXPress or CorelDraw. Phew. 06. Retro tree Put your own personal touch on this retro style templateFree This retro styled greeting card template is perfect for those of you that love experimenting in Adobe Illustrator. To alter the image, just download the vector and get playing in the software to put your own personal touch on your greeting card. 07. Blue Christmas It's going to be a blue Christmas with this greeting card templateFree This greeting card template allows for a little more creativity with a simple blue background and a few adorable snowflakes thrown in for good measure. Pop it into Adobe Illustrator and put your own creative flair on the design for a very blue Christmas indeed. 08. Red burst Give yourself a burst of creative inspiration with this red rays templateFree Burst onto your loved ones' mantel pieces with this red ray vector greeting card template. It allows you to customise it just enough to put your own spin on it, while still keeping it super festive. We love the use of negative space with the snowflakes. Related articles: Free Christmas vectors for your festive designs 16 wonderful window display designs 56 best free fonts for designers View the full article

ZBrushCore ($149.95 for a single user licence) is a simplified version of ZBrush that serves as an introduction to digital sculpting. It has some of the key features of ZBrush and it's easy to learn. Here we'll share various workflows for 3D sculpting using ZBrushCore, with an emphasis on particular processes and features that will help you produce professional-looking objects and 3D art. Christmas offer: Save up to 47% on a subscription to ImagineFX DynaMesh is a clever process that removes the technical barriers when sculpting in 3D. There are a few concepts that you might have heard of, such as polygons, geometry or topology, and they generally refer to the structure of a 3D object. Often, when you edit a mesh or an object in 3D, you need to be aware of how the changes you're making affect the structure. DynaMesh takes care of all of these technical aspects, enabling you to focus on sculpting and designing your object. Think of this as working digital clay. You can push, pull, flatten or stretch areas of your model without worrying about the distribution of polygons. If you start sculpting and the mesh becomes distorted, you can run the DynaMesh process to redistribute and create more polygons that will help you describe the shape you're trying to make. 01. Enable DynaMesh A switch filled with orange means that the feature is active [click the arrows icon to enlarge this image] When you first open ZBrushCore, you'll see a sphere that's loaded by default and you can select any of the brushes at the bottom of the UI to start adjusting the mesh in different ways. Click the DynaMesh sub-palette on the right-hand side of the screen to expand it. You'll see the DynaMesh switch is orange, which means that it's turned on. 02. Get the hang of re-DynaMeshing Simply click and drag to deform a sphere in interesting ways [click the arrows icon to enlarge this image] Let's turn Polyframe on so we can see the underlying structure by pressing Shift+F. Go ahead and select the Move brush: you can use the shortcuts from the bottom of the screen or the brush's thumbnail to access the library. Click the sphere and drag to create an interesting shape. The polygons are now getting stretched, but we can hold down Ctrl and click and drag on an empty space to re-DynaMesh. 03. Adjust the DynaMesh resolution Keeping the polygon count low makes it easier to move larger portions of the mesh around [click the arrows icon to enlarge this image] During the blocking stages it's good to keep the amount of polygons very low so that we can perform large proportional changes. You'll notice a few other options under the DynaMesh sub-palette. Select the Resolution slider and reduce the number from 128 to about 32, so the next time you perform a re-DynaMesh action (Ctrl+click drag), ZBrushCore will maintain the shape but with fewer polygons. 04. Polishing the model There's a clear difference between leaving the Polish feature off (left) or on (right) [click the arrows icon to enlarge this image] I increase the resolution slightly (64) and work on some details. However, there are areas that feel a bit 'bumpy'. You can use the Smooth brush (holding the Shift key) to even out these areas or simply enable the Polish switch from the DynaMesh sub-palette. Once Polish is turned on, the re-DynaMesh process will also perform a polishing operation on the model. 05. Apply blur Before and after applying the DynaMesh process with both Smooth and Polish enabled [click the arrows icon to enlarge this image] I add a few more details and definition using the ClayBuildup brush. At this point we probably need more resolution to work on more details, so I increase the Resolution. The Polish switch defines the planes of the face after DynaMeshing, but you can also use the Blur slider to smooth all major details on the model: high values produce a smoother surface, while a value of 0 will respect the smaller details. This article was originally published in issue 152 of ImagineFX, the world's best-selling magazine for digital artists – packed with workshops and interviews with fantasy and sci-fi artists, plus must-have kit reviews. Buy issue 152 here or subscribe to ImagineFX here. Special Christmas offer: Save up to 47% on a subscription to ImagineFX for you or a friend for Christmas. It's a limited offer, so move quickly... Related articles: Sculpt realistic anatomy in ZBrush ZBrush tutorials: 30 ways to sculpt and paint in 3D The best digital art tools of 2017 View the full article

You're reading What is Conversational UI, and Why It’s Important, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! Conversational UI is simply a chatbot experience that processes language in a natural way as if you were texting or speaking with another human being. A typical experience with technology, this included computers, websites and mobile apps, is conducted in a way that requires people to click on different icons or links in order to […] View the full article

2017 has been a busy year for illustration tools, and it seems that companies are trying harder than ever to make the lives of illustrators easier. But with so many new goodies coming onto the market all the time, it can be difficult to keep up. In this post, then, we bring you our favourite new and newly updated tools for illustration released in 2017 so far. Read on to discover how they could help you become more productive and creative in 2018 and beyond. 01. Kyle’s Brushes More than 1,000 brushes from Kyle Brush are now available free to Creative Cloud subscribers There was one set of Photoshop brushes that everyone’s been talking about this year: those from Kyle T. Webster. That’s because he’s partnered with Adobe to make over 1,000 brushes available free to Creative Cloud subscribers. You can access them in Photoshop in the Libraries panel (select the 'Kyle Brushes' library). Harry Sussams, a freelance illustrator living in Bristol, is a big fan. “Kyle’s Brushes has changed my digital work,” he says. “There is a wide range of different brushes for Photoshop out there, but I think that his sets are some of the best. “As I really enjoy the combination of traditionally made lines and textures with digital colouring, they’re a fantastic tool for mixing the two. The quality and variety of them are great for expert digital artists, as well as illustrators who like hand-made textures, but want to start creating digital work.” 02. Wacom tablets Wacom continues to be the number one tablet choice for digital illustrators In 2017, we’ve seen more and more graphics tablets aimed at digital illustrators, and the tech is improving all the time. But while there’s a lot of great brands out there, what we’re hearing from illustrators time and time again is their love for Wacoms. “The Cintiq 13HD is my latest acquisition and it’s brilliant,” enthuses Jane Faraar, a freelance illustrator and designer based in Cheltenham. “I was recommended it by an illustrator on a creative Facebook group I’m in, when I asked about the best hardware to draw straight on to. “It’s like a Wacom with a pen, only it has a screen so rather than drawing onto the pad and looking up at the screen I can draw onto the screen,” she explains. “It’s A4 size, light and on a long lead so it can be moved about like a real page to optimise curves, etc, or even brought onto my lap and taken away from the desk. “With Photoshop CC’s lovely range of brushes and its options to adjust the speed of the stroke, it works a dream,” she concludes. “I can’t say it’s as good as pen and paper but it’s the closest I've come and I will often use it as an alternative to drawing and scanning.” This year’s new releases by Wacom include the Cintiq Pro 13 and 16-inch tablets and the Wacom Mobile Studio, both of which pushed functionality and features forward significantly. Check out the best Wacom tablet deals for Christmas 2017 here. 03. Adobe Illustrator CC 22.0 Access your colour themes directly within Illustrator CC via the new Color Themes panel Still the industry standard for creating illustration digitally, Adobe’s vector editor got a big update this April in celebration of its 30th anniversary. And the big news is that you no longer need to switch to Photoshop to crop your images; a new Image Crop tool lets you do it directly in Illustrator. Now, when an image is placed into a document, you’ll see a crop option that will enable you to adjust simple crop handles. Cropped images discard the excess parts of the image, thus reducing the file size and improving performance of files. The 2017 version of Illustrator CC also came with a new Colour Themes Panel, which lets you create, save and retrieve colour themes across the different Adobe apps. And that’s not all. At Adobe Max in October, the company brought out another new version of Illustrator, 22.0, with the headline feature being a new Puppet Warp tool. Replicating the same tool in Photoshop but for vectors, this lets you place pins on objects and pull them around to warp them. You can find a summary of all the new features in Illustrator 22.0 here. 04. Affinity Photo for iPad Affinity Photo is not just a photo editing tool, but good for illustration too; and now there’s a full version on the iPad If you’re used to illustrating in Photoshop, but are tiring of Adobe’s subscription model, there was a new reason to switch to high-end alternative Affinity Photo this year: the release of a full featured iPad version. Yes, you read that right: this is not a basic version of the tool, but an all-singing, all-dancing equivalent for Apple’s tablet: something Photoshop is unable to offer at the moment. To learn what it’s like using it in practice, check out our tutorial: Get drawing with Affinity Photo. 05. Corel Painter 2018 Corel Painter now lets you slap on digital paint in thick layers, just like in real life Digital art tool Corel Painter came up with a big new update this year. And the big news with the 2018 release was Thick Paint, which aims to replicate the feel of traditional, physical paint on a digital canvas. Special new digital brushes and palette knives enable you to apply digital paint in layers, which means you can pull, push, scrape and build it up with your stylus just like with real paint (except without all the mess). The 2018 version also boasts the Texture Synthesis tool, which enables you to select a particular area of an image and automatically generate a larger image based on its texture. Discover the new features in Corel Painter 2018 here. 06. CorelDRAW 2017 The new version of CorelDRAW uses AI to make tablet drawing more natural CorelDRAW is a popular vector illustration and graphics tool for the Windows platform. Released in April, the 2017 version offered a number of updates, but the one that grabbed all the headlines was the LiveSketch vector tool, which offers nothing less than artificial intelligence-guided sketching. The idea behind the new feature is to make drawing directly on a tablet screen with a stylus feel more natural. LiveSketch uses AI and machine-learning technology to intelligently interpret your hand-drawn strokes, adjust them and combine them with existing vector curves for results that better match your intentions. The idea, then, is you will end up with illustration that looks more like what you would have produced using a physical pen and paper. You can read our full review of the latest version of CorelDRAW here. 07. ArtRage 5 ArtRage has been beefed up in the latest updateArtRage is a popular digital painting and drawing tool from Ambient Design Ltd for both desktop and mobile devices. Originally launched as a hobbyist tool, it’s become increasingly professional over the years. And that trend has continued with the release of ArtRage 5 for Windows and macOS this February. Along with an entirely new (optional) interface, ArtRage 5 comes with several major new editing and painting tools, including a custom brush designer, perspective, guides and a more realistic Pencil tool. It also includes additional image-editing effects that enable you to add highlights, drop shadows, emboss, and liquify effects to a layer. 08. Moleskine Smart Writing Set The Moleskine Smart Writing Set makes it easier to digitise your sketches across multiple devices All artists and illustrators love their Moleskines. So in recent years, the Italian notebook guru has been trying to find new ways for paper and pixels to work together. And its latest release ties the two together like never before. The Moleskine Smart Writing Set features a Paper Tablet, a special Moleskine sketchbook that works in tandem with the Pen+, a digitally enabled pen that recognises the notebook and tracks the user's movement. The Pen+ works together with an app, so that any notes, sketches or drawings you make on paper can be instantly digitised, for editing or sharing with others. If that all sounds overly complicated, it really isn’t. You can see how it all works in practice in this video. 09. Inkscape 0.92 The new version of Inkscape comes with mesh gradients and new path effectsInkscape is a free and open-source tool for creating vector graphics on Windows, Mac and Linux. While this community-driven software lacks many of the features of paid-for vector editors, it’s still pretty powerful, and the latest version, which arrived in January, came with a flurry of new features. These include mesh gradients, improved SVG2 and CSS3 support, new path effects, interactive smoothing for the Pencil tool and a new Object dialog for directly managing all drawing elements. 10. Autodesk SketchBook 8.4 The latest version of SketchBook Pro is optimised for Surface DialSketchBook Pro is a drawing application aimed at professional artists and technical illustrators for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. In March, Autodesk launched a new version of the software for Windows 10, updated to take advantage of Microsoft’s Surface Studio and Surface Dial (shown above). For example, you can now zoom in and out of your canvas using the Surface Dial, as well as undo and redo with a quick twist of the Dial. You can learn about the update in this blog post. Related articles: 5 free apps that can boost your creativity 7 biggest illustration trends of 2017 14 free resources to improve your illustration skills View the full article

Those in the 3D design and VFX industry will be used to rendering eating big chunks of their days. But did you know that specialised rendering equipment can significantly reduce render times, leaving you free to get on with improving your 3D designs? Workstation Specialists' Intel Dual Xeon rendering nodes – which are available in a rackmount model or a space-saving deskside version – are designed to do just that. What's more, readers who register their interest before the end of December 2017 can save up to £2,000 on their system. Read on to find out more. Technical specs Intel's specially engineered dual Xeon processor is key to how these nodes work – its multiple cores are designed to dramatically speed up rendering. If you need further convincing, you can see just how much time you could save with this render ROI calculator. Workstation Specialists started life as a software house, and prides itself on knowing what professional creatives need. It recognises that finding the right rendering system for you is a tricky process, which is why it has a pre-sales consultancy team to help find the right setup for your needs. These nodes don't just come off a production line either – experienced engineers will custom build and test your system, as well as guiding you though render node setup and helping resolve any issues that might arise. Rackmount node The RS-R4220-U1 Rackmount twin-node model comes with Intel's specialist Dual Xeon processors, which means it's basically two systems in one – you get two lots of two CPU nodes in a 1u chassis. As each node is completely independent, if one fails you don't need to worry as the other will be unaffected. It's compatible with all the common render management utilities, including Backburner, Qube, AFANASY and RenderPal. You can manage the node remotely, and over time this option is far cheaper than using online cloud rendering services. Deskside node For freelance 3D designers or those who are short on studio space, there's also a deskside variety. This bit of kit offers the same speedier rendering times, but fits into a small unit that can sit on top of your workstation, next to your desk or anywhere on your network – no need for a server room, and no messing around with air con units or dedicated racks. The RS-D2220 Deskside Render Node comes as a personal Intel Dual Xeon Render Node and boasts quiet operation, so there's no need to worry about being disturbed by noisy processing. Save £2,000 To express your interest in these magical machines (or if you have any questions), visit Workstation Specialists' dedicated enquiry page. If you register your interest before the end of the year (31 Dec 2017) you could also save up to a whopping £2,000 on their render nodes – all you have to do is fill out the short form. View the full article

An Android vulnerability called Janus allows attackers to inject malicious code into signed Android apps. View the full article

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2017/12/08/phishing-embraces-https-hoping-youll-check-for-the-padlock/ … View the full article

You may be surprised how much a walk around your local high street or shopping mall could inspire you for your next project or design portfolio entry. With a good design eye, clothes, shoes, CDs, games and even food can be combined to create a stunning window display. Originally set up to entice shoppers through the door, the art of window display has come a long way in the past few years. We've searched the world's shopping streets to bring you the very best examples of window display design from the very best creative directors, graphic designers and artists across the world. Enjoy! 01. Tiffany & Co. Tiffany & Co's 2017 Christmas window displays feature metallic artists' mannequins like this, and our main image Every year, flagship shop in New York gets a magical Christmas makeover. Past window displays have featured frosted cityscapes and opulent interiors, and this year's designs are equally delightful. The 2017 window displays are a vision in Tiffany Blue and silver, and feature blinged-up artists' models whittling down diamonds, fishing for gems, or pushing stacks of jewellery boxes through the snow. 02. Harvey Nichols Harvey Nichols has opted for all-out glam in its Christmas 2017 windows Forget subtlety – for its 2017 Christmas window display, Harvey Nichols has gone for all out disco glam. The scheme is based around stars, neon lights and plenty of glitter (each of the mannequins has a face-full of the stuff). To create this traffic-stopping extravaganza, the store in Knightsbridge, London, used 5,370m (17,618 ft) of LED strip lights, 5101 baubles, neon balls and stars, over 2,000m (6562 ft) of sparkly vinyl, 3555 vinyl stars, and 382 rotating mirror balls. Phew. 02. Davit Muradyan for LaGalleria LaGalleria is an Armenian luxury boutique LaGalleria is a boutique in the heart of Yerevan, Armenia, and to publicise its Spring-Summer 2017 collection, retail marketing specialist Davit Muradyan created a set of stunning jungle-themed window displays. This isn't your average jungle gear Showcasing hot new arrivals from luxury brands including Fendi, Valentino and Saint Laurent Paris, Muradyan artfully arranged the display so that the season's hot gear would stand out against a dense background of foliage. 03. Elemental for Ermenegildo Zegna Elemental got to take over all 23 of Harrods' window displaysDesigning, producing and installing the full set of 23 windows at Harrods might seem like a tall order, but that's what Elemental pulled off for the launch of Ermenegildo Zegna's Couture Collection by Stefano Pilati. The displays for Ermenegildo Zegna used every visual trick in the bookUsing an epic film created by Pilati for its Milan catwalk show as reference, Elemental's designs incorporated optical illusions, soundscapes, animated lighting effects and some incredible technology, including an enlarged view of a Zegna shoe that passers-by could manipulate through their own body movements, via infrared sensors. 04. Kate Spade and eBay Residents of NYC weren't going to miss this striking yellow window display from Kate Spade Designer brand Kate Spade teamed up with online auction site eBay to offer a unique shopping experience – bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase 'window shopping'. The striking yellow window display, located in Manhattan, not only showcased the items on offer beautifully, the interactive display also allowed consumers to shop the store window from their smartphones. 05. Artem for Selfridges Artem created a stunning mechanical model of the solar system for Selfridges' displayThis isn't the first time the quintessentially British department store will appear on this list, and for good reason. For Christmas 2015, Selfridges got the edge on the competition by bringing in SFX company Artem to create a stunning mechanical model of the solar system, which formed the centrepiece of a cosmos-themed window display. The 2.8m gold and chrome model rotated all day, every day until the New Year, with each of the planets orbiting independently. Read more in our news post from the time here. 06. Okamoto Studio for Barney's Shintaro Okamoto, founder of Okamoto Studio, demonstrates his mastery of the art during a live performance in “The Ice Carvers”Ice sculptures transformed this window display of New York department store Barney's – Okamoto's own 'studio away from studio'. The world-renowned ice carving collective got to work carving intricate ice sculptures as shoppers watched on in awe, right next to the Ice Castles installation – a large-scale, immersive ice formation set inside the Madison Avenue window, which was transformed into a freezer just for the festive season. 07. Kristjana S Williams for Fortnum and Mason Williams' illustrations are brought to 3D life in the Fortnum and Mason displaysIllustrator Kristjana S Williams began working with luxury London department store Fortnum and Mason on its Christmas packaging, before being commissioned to apply her richly imaginative style to the shop's windows, too. The 3D designs featured no fewer than 300 owls, roosters and macaws adorned with gems, headdresses and crowns. 08. Tiffany & Co: The Great Gatsby These opulent windows show off jewellery from The Great Gatsby Another entry from Tiffany & Co is this opulent display in celebration of the release of Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby in 2013. The displays were designed in collaboration with the film's costume and production designer Catherine Martin, who has scooped Academy Awards for her work. Champagne glasses, hazy lighting, glass bubbles and plenty of jewels create a sumptuous 1920s vision – as well as showcasing jewellery pieces designed exclusively for the movie. See more of these gorgeous displays on Tiffany & Co's Facebook page, or take a look at the original sketches here. 09. Tequila Patrón for Selfridges The window display design was inspired by Bruce Nauman "It takes 60 hands to make one bottle of the world's finest ultra premium tequila," reads the tagline on this inspiring window display design. Designed by Harlequin, the Patrón Selfridges window focused on the 60 individual hands that make one bottle of Tequila Patrón. The concept for the window was inspired by Artist Bruce Nauman’s show in 1996 entitled 15 pairs of Hands. 10. Zim & Zou for Hermes Duo Zim & Zou created a charming fox den out of paperZim & Zou are one of the forerunners in the medium of paper art, producing incredible masterpieces based on animals, foods, clothing and more. Everything in the window display was crafted by handThe duo showed off their skills with an incredible window display design for French boutique Hermes. Only using paper and leather, they created a stunningly intricate fox den filled with trinkets, crockery and clothes. Read more in our news post about the project. 11. Kyle Bean for Diesel Leading designer Kyle Bean applied his skills to window display, with stunning resultsAfter working with the likes of Wallpaper*, Gucci, Casio, and Wired, designer Kyle Bean has turned his hand to window displays. This scene was created for Diesel's flagship store in London and features miniature models, vines and an impressive temple. Bean specialises in tactile artworks12. StoreyStudio for Hermes StoreyStudio's displays were inspired by the rock stacking practice 'gravity glue' StoreyStudio is a London-based set designer and art direction studio that has built up a reputation for exquisite window display designs, and worked with the likes of Topshop, Harvey Nichols, and Victoria Beckham. In Summer 2016, the studio created a series of whimsical landscapes to sit in Hermes' shop windows. The designs feature precariously balanced rocks, plants and figures, and were intended to 'explore the fragility and fine balance found in nature'. 13. Emily Forgot for Vertu Forgot's window display promotes Vertu's concierge serviceEmily Forgot is the alias of London-based graphic artist Emily Alston. Since graduating from Liverpool school of Art & Design in 2004 she has amassed a diverse range of international clients. This stunning window display appeared in Harrods' window, and was designed to highlight the concierge service offered by Vertu Boutique – a luxury mobile phone manufacturer. Art direction was taken care of by Kristina Eriksen. 14. StudioXAG for Christian Louboutin A 'lost in space' theme appeared in Louboutin stores in summer 2016 To launch its Spring 2017 collection, Christian Louboutin wanted a space age theme, and StudioXAG obliged. Christian Louboutin boutiques across the world were adorned with glittering moon rock, jewel-toned cabochon lights, star-filled backdrops and glamorous astronauts. In the window of the Paris flagship store, a UFO pod was blown up to fill the entire window, with the new collection hovering between chrome panels. 15. Becky Sloan for Selfridges Bright Young Things is a pioneering project by Selfridges that seeks out and champions the most exciting young creators in the UK. Whether it's fashion, graphic design, illustration or food, Selfridges gives young adults the chance to show off their skills on a yearly basis. This year, artist and popmaker Becky Sloan created this cute, character-based window display for one of Selfridges' stores in London. With one million people walking past the famous windows every week, the displays provide an incredible launchpad for these fledgling designers to showcase their creations to the public. 16. Breakfast for TNT To promote TNT's crime-solving show Perception, design firm Breakfast revived a sign-making technique of yesteryear to create an anagram-solving experience on the streets of New York. Made up of over 40,000 physical dots spinning from black to white at 15 times faster than originally designed to, the screen reflects back the image of anyone walking by. This is a window display unlike any other. Read more: The best boozy Christmas ad campaigns 10 ingenious bus wraps that will make you look twice 40 must-see examples of billboard advertising View the full article

Apple said it has fixed an undisclosed vulnerability in its HomeKit framework that could have allowed unauthorized remote control of HomeKit devices such as smart locks and connected garage door openers. View the full article