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Christmas adverts have garnered more and more attention in recent years, with big-name brands bringing in some of the design industry's most talented individuals to sprinkle their creative fairy dust on their efforts (this year's John Lewis Christmas ad was directed by an Academy award winner, no less). However, Christmas has long been a chance for companies to up their advertising game, and in no sector has that been more true than alcohol. In years gone by, booze brands have produced some truly stellar Christmas spots and print ads. Here's a run-down of our favourites. 01. Baileys: Christmas Nutcracker (2013) A brilliant homage to the classic festive ballet The Nutcracker, this ad sees a group of female friends out having fun in a bar, when one of them starts flirting with the Nutcracker Prince. Cue the entrance of the Mouse King, who tries to take her off the Prince. As the two men start dancing/fighting, the lady in question puts the Mouse King out of the running with a beautiful ballet version of a roundhouse kick, then instead of going off with the Prince, she returns to her girlfriends to carry on enjoying their Baileys cocktails. The narrative challenged the concept of the typical Baileys drinker – the company was no longer angling for an older, more sedate audience but a younger, savvier crowd, and it managed to convey this shift without alienating anyone along the way. This cheeky, forward-thinking ad (perhaps inspired by Disney's Frozen, also 2013) also put two fingers up to traditional Christmas fairytales by showing a ‘princess’ who is both capable of looking after herself and not held in the sway of the Prince’s charms. Coupled with a great message, the ad itself is stunning – gorgeous set design from Sarah Greenwood (of Atonement and 2005 Pride & Prejudice fame), punky, ethereal costumes and amazing choreography and performances courtesy of The Royal Ballet and Benjamin Millepied, who worked on Black Swan. Directed by the hugely talented commercial director Ringan Ledwidge through BBH, the spot premiered on Channel 4 before the first TV screening of Black Swan. 02. Absolut (1980-c.2000) Absolut's established campaign means everyone knew what product these ads were for TBWA\ was behind a hugely successful campaign for Absolut Vodka. The long-running campaign launched in 1980 and featured bottle-led creative in a huge variety of iterations, prompting sales of the spirit to rocket over the following 20 years. Playful, challenging, artistic; the seemingly rigid format actually allowed and encouraged freedom of message and intent. Absolut has produced a number of riffs on a theme over the years Some of our favourite examples of the Absolut X print adverts have been festive ones – including a magnetic word puzzle and a tree-shaped mouse hole. They manage to be fun and nostalgic without being twee or smug. 03. Famous Grouse Whisky (1990s-present) Gilbert the Grouse has been gracing our yuletide screens for over 20 years. The popularity and longevity that Famous Grouse has enjoyed with this campaign is a lesson to all of us working in modern advertising: namely that an ad can be clever and impart multiple messages while also being very simple. These also have a delightful naivety and whimsy that's perfect for Christmastime – the above spot shows Gilbert letting his feathers down at the Christmas party, and you can also see him showing off how good he is on ice here. The music used in these ads deserves a special shout out. It’s light and breezy, but with a powerful mnemonic that sounds like drops of whisky. 04. Lagavulin: Nick Offerman’s Yule Log (2015) If you’ve ever seen the Fireplace Channel, or a fireplace DVD, you’ll be aware of the concept of a video of nothing other than a fire slowly burning down, accompanied by no sound other than that of the logs crackling, hissing and spitting. These Yule Log videos are hypnotic, festive and comforting, while also being a bit weird. Whoever thought of adding Nick Offerman to this setting, sitting silently for 45 mins, sipping a dram of his favourite whisky, is a complete genius. His Parks and Recreation character constantly longs for silence and is a fan of Lagavulin, and it turned out that this is also true of the actor, so this partnership feels very genuine. Added to that is the tone of the advert: at first it feels silly and ironic, but as you watch it, it turns into more of an art piece. It’s hard not to be mesmerised by Offerman's friendly yet strong gaze, and it more than holds it own as a standalone performance piece. Slow marketing at its very best. 05. Heineken: Nutcracker (2010) and Don’t Drink & Drive (2005) This ad uses negative space to reference both a Christmas tree and a beer bottle Heineken's Nutcracker is one of our favourite sorts of advert – using negative space to create the connection to the brand. We also like this advert because it shows the importance of big brands doing advertising aimed at specific cultures and locations. This ad speaks to those countries that will immediately connect nuts with Christmas; it’s not a global tradition so will strike a specific chord with specific audiences. The implicit link to children lends weight to this campaign Heineken also produced a great Christmas advert in 2005, this time warning customers of the dangers of drinking and driving. Don’t Drink & Drive reminds people in a non-preachy or unpleasant way of a really important message. Sometimes it’s not necessary to make something horrific or brutal to make people think – and there’s a mental connection to children in this advert that reinforces the message in a gentle but powerful way. 06. JB Whisky: Ingle Ells (2007) This classic ad is the work of Diane Rothschild This is one of our all-time favourite print adverts. For unashamed font and copy nerds, this is the perfect marriage between typography, a clever bit of wordsmithery, Christmas and brand reinforcement. And it's not surprising that this is so effective; it was designed by advertising tour de force Diane Rothschild. It's instantly obvious what the main copy should say, and the reader cannot help but be curious as to why there are certain letters missing, leading them on to read the smaller text beneath. 07. Guinness: White Christmas (2004) Last but by no means least, we couldn’t write this list without putting in Guinness’s White Christmas spot. Dublin in the snow will probably not be as picturesque or sentimental as this ad – but the last shot of the snow settling on the St James’s Gate Brewery damn sure makes you wish for a comfy chair in a pub by a fire with a pint of the black stuff. Related articles: Paddington Bear stars in M&S Christmas ad 10 advertisers that use creativity to boost their brand 40 traffic-stopping examples of billboard advertising View the full article

When it comes to building for the web, there is no tool more powerful than WordPress. The incredibly malleable platform is the go-to option for web developers of all skill levels. You can learn how to make the most of the platform with the 2018 Ultimate Website Design Bundle. It's on sale now for 98% off the retail price. The 2018 Ultimate Website Design Bundle provides you with two of the most valuable things a web designer could have: the assets to build an incredible site on WordPress and lessons on how to use them. This ultimate web dev collection is the perfect resource for anyone looking to get their start in a growing industry. Work your way through courses on how to improve, optimise, and perfect your site, then put those skills to use with the massive collection of plugins, stock images and themes. The 2018 Ultimate Website Design Bundle is valued at over $2,655, but you can get it on sale now for 98% off the retail price. That's a massive amount of savings for an essential collection of courses and assets, so grab 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: 32 best free WordPress themes 25 brilliant WordPress tutorials The best Christmas gifts for web designers View the full article

You may remember a while ago, we showcased some inspirational examples of brochure design, proving that marketing booklets don't have to be boring. A well designed brochure can, in fact, be a great way to get you and your work noticed. So if you fancy showcasing your work in print form, perhaps for your design portfolio or to show off a project you're particularly proud of, why not get started with one of these brochure templates, aimed specifically at creatives? We've updated this list with fresh brochure templates, as well as information about how much they cost (some are free, but most involve a small fee) and which software you'll need to edit them. Whether you want an InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator or even Microsoft Word brochure template, these are the best designs around. 01. Graphic design portfolio template Showcase your best work with this luxurious brochure template Price: $32 | Template for InDesign CS4-CC These days, having an online portfolio is a must. That said, there's nothing quite like having your best work in luxurious print form to flick through. This brochure template has been specifically designed for portfolios, interior design catalogues, product catalogues and agency-based projects. Simply open it in InDesign, drop in your own images and copy into its 48 available pages and you're ready to go. 02. Wanderers photography brochure Catch your audience's eyes with this beautiful brochure template Price: $29 | Template for InDesign CS6-CC, Photoshop Make a statement with this beautiful, multipurpose brochure template for creatives, which you can use in InDesign or Photoshop. Ideal for professional portfolios and showcasing stunning imagery, this design is clean, modern and fully customisable. What more could you possibly want? 03. The minimalist Showcase of your typography projects with this elegant brochure design Price: $29 | Template for InDesign CS4-CC A Swiss-inspired design, this brochure template would showcase the breakdown of a creative project in serious style. Minimal and elegant, it focuses on simple clean lines and a strong grid, with a fully customisable colour palette and seven sections including typography, colour, imagery, logo, print and digital. 04. Annual report brochure Make your annual report stand out with this engaging brochure design Price: $12 | Template for InDesign CS4-CC If you want to create an annual report that's accessible to everyone, then this brochure template is definitely worth a look. Fully editable in InDesign CS4+, there are 16 pages for you to drop in your yearly data in an interesting and engaging way. 05. Brand manual Create a beautiful corporate identity manual with this templatePrice: $15 | Template for InDesign CS4-CC Give your brand guidelines some Swiss minimal cool with this comprehensive A4 brochure template that covers all the bases and uses free fonts. It comes with 40 pages to work with, all carefully organised and fully layered, and it's easy to add extra pages or duplicate existing layouts in InDesign. 06. Juniper Juniper is a tri-fold template with plenty of applicationsPrice: $15 | Template for InDesign CS4-CC Designed with advertising, events, photography, fashion or product information brochures in mind, Juniper is a multipurpose tri-fold A4 brochure template featuring professionally typeset text using paragraph and character styles. Compatible with CS4 onwards, this InDesign template has six unique and customisable panels, and keeps printing easy and cost-effective by not using any bleeds. 07. Multipurpose creative template This professional brochure template is ideal for ideal for photography, design, art or fashion projectsPrice: $17 | Template for InDesign CS4-CC This A4, professional brochure template is perfect for any creative wanting to make a good impression. With 32 pages to fill, the style is minimal, delicate and modern – ideal for photography, design, art or fashion projects. The design uses a selection of free fonts, all of which are listed on the download page. 08. Branding identity guideline template Showcase your branding projects in this 38-page, square brochure templatePrice: $13 | Template for InDesign CS4-CC If you've created a brilliant branding identity and want to show off each part of your design process, this square brochure template could be just what you need, with 38 pages of customisable pages at your disposal. 09. Social media print template Highlight your social media skills with these brochure templatesPrice: $12 | Template for Illustrator CS3-CC If you want to showcase your social media skills, here's one of the best brochure templates we've found for that purpose. Working in a trifold style, this template is well organised and layered in all the right places. There's also a business card set measuring 9 x 5.5cm to seamlessly work with the design. 10. A5 brochure template Brochure templates with a large space dedicated to imagery will showcase your best work Price: $15 | Template for InDesign CS4-CC, Photoshop, Illustrator, MS Word For the more compact-seeking creative, this A5 brochure template will easily slip into the bags of those all-important new clients, while still showcasing all your brilliant, creative work. The large space allocated to imagery is a nice break from many of the other text-stuffed brochure templates we've seen. 11. Fashion brochure template There's plenty of room for large imagery with these brochure templatesPrice: $10 | Template for InDesign CS3-CC, Photoshop, Illustrator, MS Word We just had to include this brilliant design on our list of brochure templates. With print dimensions of 8.25×11.6 and CMYK colours, this creative A4 template will allow your work to speak for itself. The large space for a logo design at the front will instantly catch the eye of prospective clients and customers, while the minimal style will prove effective in showcasing information in a clean and concise manner. 12. Trend setters brochure With 16 pages and using only free fonts, these brochure templates is easily customisablePrice: $10 | Template for InDesign CS3-CC, Photoshop, Illustrator, MS Word This typography-heavy template will work well for any designer. At only $11, it's InDesign CS3 (or later)-compatible, comes with 16 pages and was crafted using only free fonts. Ensuring that it's super easy to customise, this is one of the best brochure templates we've seen to date. Next page: More stylish brochure templates 13. Business portfolio brochure A help file is included with this brochure template download Price: $12 | Template for InDesign CS5-CC A beautiful abstract, printable brochure template, you can use this to create a business brochure or one for your personal portfolio. Text and images/colours are easy to change, with a help file included in the download. Just drop in your own text, change the images and you're ready to go. 14. Portfolio booklet Showcase your work with bright, bold portfolio brochure templatesPrice: $9 | Template for InDesign CS3-CC If you want to showcase your work in print rather than online, then check out this 22-page minimal portfolio brochure template from Graphic River. Perfect for designers, photographers and creative agencies alike, this brochure template is easy to modify and make your own. And at just $9 for a regular license, it's a total bargain. 15. Photography template Showcase your best photography with sophisticated brochure templates from InkdPrice: $70 | Template for Illustrator, Pages, MS Word These contemporary brochure templates are perfect for any professional photographer or studio. The design has ample space to display multiple photos, including a full-bleed photo on the cover to showcase your most treasured image. The template is offered by online traders of graphic design templates Inkd for $70. 16. Product brochure Adapt cool brochure templates to showcase your product designsPrice: Free | Template for Illustrator CS4-CC Are you a product or fashion designer? If so, this brochure template will help you show off your collection in style. And the best part? It's completely free of charge and can be adapted to feature any product of your choice. This design, and many others, can be found at providers of quality premium and free web resources and graphic design templates Pixenden. 17. Hexagon brochure template These professional brochure templates were created by graphic designer Tony HuynhPrice: $13 | Template for InDesign CS3-CC These hexagon brochure templates were created by graphic designer Tony Huynh. The 16-page, A4 InDesign booklet has a clean, professional and modern design, features of which, including the colour scheme, can be easily edited. You can download it now for just $13 (regular license). 18. A5 booklet These 16-page brochure templates are perfect for big, beautiful imageryPrice: $9 | Template for InDesign CS2-CC If you prefer to use big, eye-catching images and less text in your designs, then this A5 InDesign template is for you. With 16 pages for you to fill, the clean, layered brochure is easy to use and modify. Another offering by huge online marketplace of files Graphic River, this design will set you back a mere $9 (regular license). 19. Graphika booklet Customise contemporary, creative brochure templates to suit your stylePrice: $12 | Template for Photoshop CS-CC We really like this stylish booklet template by a freelance graphic designer who goes by the name of kh2838 Studio. The download includes a complete, fully layered .PSD layout for a printable brochure with 20 pages. Featuring a creative and contemporary style, this template is a great starting point for any designer. 20. A5 portfolio brochure This stylish booklet can be customised to suit your needsPrice: $10 | Template for InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop CS4-CC Another portfolio template, this brochure is by product designer Andrea Balzano. Made with free fonts, this design is very easy to customise with the text, number of pages, the order of them and background colours all able to be modified. Balzano has many other templates available to purchase online. 21. Exclusive brochure Add a touch of glamour to your brochure design with this stylish template Price: $14 | Template for InDesign CS5-CC If you want to add a bit of glamour to your brochure, check out this design by The Mikinger. With a professional, clean layout, this template can be edited to create a 16, 28, or 56-page booklet. Images and text are fully editable as well. This particular template also gives you a choice of four cover designs. 22. Creatives portfolio Show off your work using elegant, professional brochure templatesPrice: $14 | Template for Photoshop CS2-CC This horizontal A4 brochure template is perfect for showcasing your photography, graphic design and artistic skills. With a 16-custom-page layout and various photo placeholders included, you can easily fill each with your best images. The template, by Przemyslaw Szczepanski, is easy to customise, including changing the colour scheme – its minimal and clean style providing a professional, elegant look. 23. Infographic brochure Visualise data with these fully customisable infographic brochure templates Price: $14 | Template for Photoshop CS-CC If you think a picture says a thousand words, then you're probably going to like this infographic brochure template. Another design from kh2838 Studio, these 24-page brochure templates had 100 per cent fully customisable graphics. With 13 layered PSD source files and highly organised vector layers, this $14 design is perfect for any type of data visualisation. 24. Creative company brochure This is another design that's fully customisable Price: $8 | Template for InDesign CS3-CC This 16-page, 210mm x 210mm square brochure template includes a set of graphic, vector illustrations for you to fully customise its design. You can also add your own text and edit colours should you wish to this already vibrant design. The fonts seen in the example package are free, but not included. Details of where you can download them from can be found on GraphicRiver. Related articles: 50 inspiring examples of letterpress business cards 5 steps to upselling your freelance services 12 things no graphic designer should be without View the full article

Instagram is rolling out profile changes in what it has described as the biggest update to the platform since 2013, adding two new features aimed squarely at brands – Stories Highlights and Stories Archive. Both are part of a redesign that aims to make Instagram Stories more useful to brands and other users. Before now, Stories would vanish after a 24 hour deadline, never to be seen again. If this sounds familiar to Snapchat's stories feature, that's because Instagram borrowed it after it saw how popular the feature had become. With these new features, however, users will be able to hold on to their Stories once they're posted, meaning that they'll still be accessed and shared after the previous 24 hour cut-off point. Save your content for a later date with Stories Archive Specifically, Stories Archive gives people the opportunity to store images and videos they post for use at a later date. In the past these posts would disappear unless you'd gone to the trouble of saving the assets to your phone separately. By saving Stories to the pre-existing archive, users can add them back to their main feeds or resurface them via their profile's highlights section. And if it isn't for you, you can switch off the archive feature completely. With Stories Highlights, brands and creatives can pull out the main Stories that sum up what they're about, helping users to relive stories that might have passed them by. In the features announcement, Instagram said that the upgrades will give users the chance to "more fully express your identity by grouping Stories you’ve shared into highlights and featuring them on your profile." Check out the video below, which shows how they work. While this is welcome news to quirky individuals looking for a chance to present themselves to the world, Stories Archive and Stories Highlights will give brands a new way to show off their products, too. Up to 100 photos or videos can be added to a Story Highlight, and what's more there isn't a limit on how many Highlights a user can create. With these updates, and by removing the 24 hour expiry date, Instagram hopes users will post a more diverse range of Stories and content, safe in the knowledge that they aren't going anywhere any time soon. Related articles: 32 graphic designers to follow on Instagram How to make money on Instagram as a creative 18 illustrators to follow on Instagram View the full article

You're reading How to Improve Customer Loyalty through User Experience, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! When you establish a bond of trust between a company and its customers, you forge and secure their relationship. When both sides talk to each other, face to face, you will get some of the strongest of these relationships. However, in this technological era, people use mobile apps, websites, and in-store kiosks to interact with […] View the full article

As part of its December Android and Pixel/Nexus security updates, Google has issued patches addressing a bevy of flaws, 11 of which are rated critical. View the full article

Painting in oils means I can capture bright colours by gradually building the painting up in multiple layers. This technique is perfect for painting sunny roses. I was inspired to create this image after seeing a gorgeous wren sitting in my garden, its song lighting up the early morning. My roses weren't in bloom yet, but this magic moment inspired me to design a painting depicting them. Improve your brushstrokes in oilsI always start the painting process by sketching ideas. I place various elements together to create my personal unique designs. I doodle compositions and choice of colour. When I've found a basic composition that I like, it is only then that I start looking for reference materials. Not the other way around. This way the designs stem from the heart, from a memory or inspired idea. I chose this wren from my own photo database I've created over the years. I always compare multiple birds, to learn their physical differences. Then I went to buy the perfect roses! 01. Start drawing Click to download the full-size sketch This is when I get excited, because my preliminary sketch is reshaped into a detailed drawing, using an H pencil. I like to keep my pencil drawing visible as long as possible when painting in thin layers. I like the 'feel' of sketchlines, so I don't wipe them away. I fix this underdrawing with pastel spray, then let it dry for a day. 02. Apply the midtone Block in the midtones before starting on lights and darks Painting bright colours works best on a white surface. Then they become almost iridescent, which can make it difficult to keep the correct values in the whole painting. I always use three values: light, middle and dark. I paint the background first, blocking in with a 'middle' value greyish purple, later adding more subtle values. 03. Start introducing the bright colours Wipe away lighter parts with a cloth To work more efficiently, it helps me to limit my palette, having the 'right' colours ready to go. I mix three values of orange colours, three browns and greens. I paint the first layer of orange, with a mixture of Quinacridone Red and Lemon Yellow. I use a cloth to wipe away the lighter parts. I don't use white – it makes bright colours opaque. 04. Add shadows Soften outer edges to stop your painting looking flat With dark orange, I paint the deepest shadows. To mix a darker orange I use some brown and more Quinacridone Red. With a clean brush I lift out some highlight lines and I blend sharp edges of the shadows with a clean Fan brush. Hard lines or contours make a subject look flat. To prevent that, think in bigger shapes of colour and then soften the outer edges. 05. Basic layer of the wren Use the same process for the wren that you used for the rose Now using a middle value brown for the wren (a mixture of Burnt Umber and a touch of Ultramarine Blue) I repeat the process used on the rose. A little bit of white makes the colour more opaque. With a cloth, I wipe out the highlights, making sure I follow the round shape. 06. Anatomy and shadows Have your reference images ready so you can get the wren's anatomy right In this stage I start painting the shadows under the wing, (darkest value) and feathers over its body. The plumage has tiny stripes on its wings, tail and belly. The darker lines next to its eyes are shadows between the feathers that are standing out. Always make the effort to consult lots of reference images to confirm that you have the anatomy correct. This has to dry for a few days. 07. Fun with highlights Leave your painting to dry for a few days before starting on highlights Another great stage is adding the highlights! I apply a layer of medium all over the dry painting, before wiping it off again with a dust free cloth. In the remaining thin medium layer, I paint the light colours, like white, without thinning. My brush slides over the surface, making beautiful gracious lines. The colours that darken during drying get an extra touch up at the end. 08. Juicy greens Paint the middle value of the leaves, following the direction of the veins With a Flat brush, I paint the middle value green of the leaves. Paying attention to the more yellow and blue parts, I follow the direction of the veins. The leaf bends here and there, catching more light on the round shapes and looking more blue. I keep thinking forwards, to prevent overworking a specific layer. This way the colours stay bright and not dull because of a wrong mixture. 09. Review your progress Take a step back and work out what to do next This stage feels halfway. Most values are present, now I will evaluate where to go next. It feels great to paint from a 'small success' to the next. Sometimes I leave out a fun part for the next time, so I know right where to jump in later. I decide to start adding reds, in the rosebuds, shadows and the branches. 10. On to the second rose Add darker tones to the second rose The second rose also started with a middle value orange. I now add the darker tones. I could have done this simultaneously with the other rose, but I decided to let that one dry, to see if the colours would darken. Now I do think my middle orange needs some more yellow to look warmer. 11. Tender petals Highlights and shadows will add delicacy to the rose petals The petals of roses are so delicate, I need to take care that they don't look heavy or massive. With a mixture of almost rose-white, I paint the outer edges. Perfect, now the petals seem to curl! Still I want to get more depth between the petals, so I add more shadows between them in the coming stages. Once more, I need to be patient, because it all needs to dry first. 12. Make some edits Let the painting dry again before making edits Now my piece is dry again, I start balancing shadows overall to create the depth I am looking for. Using a dark brown, I glaze the complete area below the leaves to make it darker, because that will make the leaves and the roses 'bend out' of the painting. I wipe the glazing medium off the leaves, so I can start adding their dark veins and blue highlights. 13. Time for details! Use your finest brush to bring the wren to life Now, using my finest brush, I add even more feathers, highlights and darker tones to the wren. The shadow below the wing on its belly really makes the wren come to life. Here I also glaze some parts darker, and directly add the details after. The background gets a new thicker layer. By softening the edges between bird and background, it 'clicks'. The light blue line on its back and a dark touch in the eye makes the wren pop out! 14. Define the petal shape with shadows Taking a black-and-white photo can help you judge your painting's values In the next clean medium layer, I add dark red shadows to the roses. The rose petals really are curling open now. I add a glaze of yellow in the middle of the rose and paint the final highlights on the petal edges. I check my overall values again by making a black-and-white photo. I discover that some green leaves need to be a touch lighter, so that they recede in the image. 15. Apply the final tonal touches A few final touches and you're done It feels like magic! Now I paint in all areas simultaneously, adding the final highlights and darkening the stems to push them backwards. I constantly step back to assess my progress. Orange and green are almost complementary on the colour wheel, which creates a kind of fight for attention. The balance here is in the size of the roses. They are big enough to stand out and invite you to come over and smell them. The wren finishes everything off with its beautiful song. This article was originally published in issue 11 of Paint & Draw, the magazine offering tips and inspiration for artists everywhere. Buy issue 11 here. Related articles: 5 things you need for oil painting How to capture the light with oils 10 essential oil painting tips and techniques View the full article

Save an extra 20 per cent on a subscription to your favourite VFX magazine, 3D World, with our flash sale. The sale includes many titles from My Favourite Magazines, from ImagineFX to T3. Of course, as a 3D artist, you might want to know what we have for you in our magazine, so have a look below to discover the wide range of content we deliver every month, then head over to the sale page to grab yours. Save an extra 20% on 3D World with code FESTIVE20 You will need to enter the code FESTIVE20 at the checkout to claim your 3D World subscription at sale price, and this is on top of our already amazing festive subscription prices! This offer is time limited so make sure you visit between 16.30 GMT Wednesday 6 December 2017 and 16:30 GMT Thursday 7 December 2017. Expert training A typical tutorial can cover anything from movie VFX in Houdini, to creating game art in Unity. If you are after the very best of practical inspiration for your 3D art then look no further. 3D World offers detailed tutorials, regular Q&As and tips pieces, all purposefully written to help you improve your work, no matter what level you are at, from enthusiastic hobbyist to Hollywood pro. Insight and practical tips Every issue we bring insightful interviews, movie features and more, with behind-the-scenes looks at some of the biggest projects in the industry. Regular render breakdowns and problem solving solutions accompany the many exclusive making-of features, which cover everyone from small indie producers to the mega studios like Framestore, the Mill and Double Negative. We also take a good look at other areas of the industry and community, so if you have an interest in a particular field or emerging technology then we have you covered. We talk about using VR as a narrative tool, how to land your dream job and create a killer portfolio, plus so much more. Reviews you can trust Every issue we investigate the latest gear, to help you make the most informed decisions when it's time to invest in new equipment, be it a new workstation, graphics tablet, or the year's software upgrades. If you are looking for buying advice then this is the section you need and we have some of the best experts out there, helping you choose the best tools for your work. Subscribe to 3D World now using code FESTIVE20 at checkout to secure this amazing offer, or give a year’s worth of VFX insight and inspiration as the perfect gift for artistic friends and family. Related articles: 12 mighty Maya tutorials to try today How to model a complex 3D city scene in Blender 4 free games engines to download today View the full article

Christmas really has come early. Web Designer is running a 24-hour flash sale giving you an extra 20 per cent off a subscription to every magazine you can find on My Favourite Magazines. That's on top of the already incredibly festive subscription offers you'll find on MFM – bargain. Save an extra 20% on Web Designer now! With this special deal you can save an extra 20 per cent on your favourite magazine, any of your favourite specials – even binders, mugs and more. So how and when can you get this amazing offer? Remember it's only on for twenty-four hours, so stick the dates in your diary and make sure you get the product you always wanted, but with an extra 20 per cent off. The flash sale kicks off at 16.30 GMT Wednesday 6 December 2017 and ends at 16:30 GMT Thursday 7 December 2017. Most importantly don't forget to enter the voucher code FESTIVE20 at checkout. GET THE LATEST ISSUE OF WEB DESIGNER TODAY Related articles: 30 web design tools to speed up your workflow in 2018 The 5 biggest web design trends of 2017 so far 11 great landing page designs View the full article

For just 24 hours you can get an extra 20 per cent off absolutely everything on My Favourite Magazines, Future Publishing's official magazine subscription store. That includes your favourite web design and development magazine net – as well as household names like T3, How It Works, Real Homes and Total Film. This discount is on top of our already amazing festive subscription prices! But hurry, because the offer runs out at 16:30 GMT on December 7, 2017. Save an extra 20% on net with code FESTIVE20 now! Just add your issues or subscriptions to the basket, and use the 'FESTIVE20' code to have 20 per cent taken off the total. Now is the perfect time to stock up on some Christmas presents... net magazine has recently celebrated its 300th issue net magazine, which has recently passed the historic 300th issue milestone, is the number one choice for the professional web designer and developer. It’s here that you’ll find out about the latest new web trends, technologies and techniques – all in one handy package. Each issue boasts a wealth of inspiration, expert tips and advice, including in-depth features and practical tutorials on a diverse range of subjects. The magazine has unrivalled access to the best designers and developers around the world who share their tips, tricks and favourite techniques every issue. Issue 300 featured exclusive interviews with the man behind responsive design Ethan Marcotte and the founding father of web standards Jeffrey Zeldman. You can now get 20% off that special issue, and any other you like, during our special Flash Sale right now! Happy shopping! Get 20% off amazing net magazine content, including exclusive interviews with web royalty like Jeffrey Zeldman Subscribe to net magazine now using code FESTIVE20 at checkout to secure this amazing offer, or give a year’s worth of insight and inspiration as the perfect gift for web designer friends and family. Related articles: 30 web design tools to speed up your workflow in 2018 The 5 biggest web design trends of 2017 so far 11 great landing page designs View the full article

Yesterday saw Zanzibar-born artist Lubaina Himid win the 2017 Turner Prize, becoming the oldest person and first woman of colour to be given the award. The 63-year-old Preston-based artist is known amongst curators, artists and cultural historians for her work that tackles challenging subjects including colonial history and racism. The £25,000 prize comes as long overdue recognition for Himid, who has often been overlooked by mainstream critics in the past. A Fashionable Marriage - photo by David Levene Himid was named the winner of the 2017 Turner Prize at a ceremony in Hull, the current UK City of Culture, last night. Her entry featured work that dates back to the 1980s, including wooden figures, pottery, and editions of the Guardian which Himid had painted on. The centrepiece of her entry though is a diorama called A Fashionable Marriage. Created in 1987, the artwork is based on William Hogarth's Marriage a la Mode and features cut-out characters of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan. Accompanying them is a porcelain dinner set sourced from a junk shop which Himid has doctored by painting images of black slaves and aristocrats. Painted porcelain from Himid's diorama - photo by David Levene Other objects were painted over by Himid in her entry exhibition, including covers torn from her favourite newspaper, the Guardian. These mixed media pieces examine unconscious racial stereotyping and explore whether accompanying headlines are in fact perpetuating caricatures. During her acceptance speech, Himid thanked art historians who had written about her work for decades, and for helping her through a creative 'wilderness years'. Himid targets her beloved Guardian - photo by David Levene Himid's recognition is timely, as this was the first time since 1991 that artists over the age of 50 were eligible to be considered for the Turner Prize. The award has been the subject of controversy in the past thanks to outlandish submissions by notorious Young British Artists, but by bestowing the award on Himid it's a sign that the prize is becoming more serious and sophisticated. Other artists on the Turner Prize shortlist include 52-year-old Birmingham painter Hurvin Anderson, filmmaker Rosalind Nashashibi, and Andrea Büttner, who works in printmaking, sculpture and archival projects. [Headline photo by Edmund Blok/Hull UK City of Culture/PA] Related articles: 4 first-class ways to make your design education count The designer’s guide to Brexit Artists celebrate International Women's Day View the full article

For 24 hours only, you can save an extra 20 per cent on an already festive subscription price to ImagineFX magazine, for both the print and digital editions. It’s a great offer and you can also use this discount on everything else in our online magazine store, too! Save an extra 20% on IFX using code FESTIVE20! Subscribe to IFX now and enter code FESTIVE20 at checkout to claim your discount. But you’ll need to be quick: the offer ends at 16:30 GMT Thursday 7 December. Here's the cover of our 150th issue, featuring artwork by Loish. The best art magazine around We’ve had quite a year here at ImagineFX. Not only did we celebrate our 150th issue with an amazing cover from Loish, but we also featured the cover art from a variety of talented artists, including Tran Nguyen, Richard Anderson, Andrew Mar and Jana Schirmer. We’ve featured interviews with legends like Syd Mead and Greg Manchess, and had workshops from the world’s leading artists who are at the top of their field in book illustration, comic art, animation, game art and more. Here's Richard Anderson's bright concept art cover! We’ve put together a little clip of all the covers from this year so you can see the breadth of talent and art skills. We’d love you to join us for 2018, and what better way to do that than with an extra money-off deal? Don’t miss out! Subscribe to IFX now using code FESTIVE20 at checkout to secure this amazing offer, or give a year’s worth of industry insight and inspiration as the perfect gift for artistic friends and family. Related articles: 10 incredible online art schools 6 manga artists to watch out for 10 steps to improve your figure drawing View the full article

Every artist spends time sketching, usually at the start of a project, as a technique for formulating and refining their vision. But sketching shouldn't just be a means to an end. It's also vital part of developing yourself as an artist. As Terryl Whitlatch puts it: "Sketching is the equivalent of the daily ballet barre. It gets your imagination going and gives your skills a workout: it's foundational for any artist. Sketching regularly helps you become better as an artist, and gives you a platform to experiment, mess up, try again (and again), and grow." It's also a good way to come up with new ideas, as long as you're prepared to open your mind, let loose, and see where the sketch takes you, says Miles Johnston. "One of my anatomy teachers once told me that every time you sit down to draw, you want it to look good," he says. "But that can get in the way of many other kinds of thinking." Sketching with no formal plan, in contrast, can free you from these restrictions, and lead to unexpected ideas and concepts spilling out onto your canvas. "Here's what one of my typical thumbnails looks like," says Miles Johnston. "My sketching process is very chaotic and messy." That's something Olly Lawson regularly experiences. "Some days I'll sit down with nothing in mind, just to let myself doodle, and an almost fully formed idea will come out of nowhere," he says. Everyone agrees, then, that regular sketching is essential. But how do you go about it in practice? That seems to be more of a personal thing. How often should you sketch? Take frequency. James Gurney, for example, favours Edwin Austin Abbey's advice to a young art student: "You should be sketching always, always." So he tries to fit sketching into every spare moments he has, especially when waiting. "In recent months I've sketched in the grocery store while my wife shopped, I've drawn the interior of the car repair shop while getting an oil change, and I've sketched fellow people around me in the diner," he says. Terryl Whitlatch took inspiration from Dr. Seuss when she sketched out The Gack Terryl, however, says her best work is done in the morning, after she walks her greyhound, Josette, and she avoids sketching in the evening. "I like to sketch just about anywhere, but sketching at museums is particularly relaxing," she adds. "At the zoo, I'll sketch sleeping animals; when they're moving around, it's like a workout. I also like sketching on airplanes, on cocktail napkins. That's often where I've sketched some of what I consider my best ideas." Miles, however, limits his sketching to work hours only. "There are those artists who are never not drawing, but it works better for me to let myself rest a lot," he explains. "So I try to limit my sketching to studio time; otherwise there's no time to let your brain just process everything." Sketching tools Something else that varies from artist to artist are the tools they use for sketching, although each of our creatives offers a clear reason for their particular choices. Terryl, for example, favours Canson tracing paper. "It's a great surface with a subtle velvety took, and fairly sturdy," she says. "The fact that it's 'only tracing paper' and not an expensive Moleskine that I'm afraid to mess up gives me a psychological permission to be free, experiment and explore." Following a similar logic, Miles uses pencils with a thick lead, or ballpoint pens, "for any sketching where I want to be loosey-goosey. That's because when you're sketching in pen, you expect to muck it up a bit, so that makes it easier to think in the right way. You're taking visual notes instead of trying to make something pretty." "If I feel that my heads are weak, I'll draw heads every day for a month before work," reveals Olly Lawson. Olly, however, has always found it "very daunting" using pencil and paper for sketching, and so since January he's been using the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil instead. "With paper, you're making a permanent record, and you feel like you're under pressure to create something perfect," he says. "I like to have a warm-up for maybe the first half-hour to an hour, in which I expect the drawings to come out terrible, so I don't want to do that on paper. It's a lot easier if I just wipe the canvas like the iPad lets me do, and it's just as portable as a sketchbook." James, meanwhile, uses watercolour, gouache and casein, and sketches in a watercolour journal, typically a Moleskine or Pentalic 5x8 inch. "They're the fastest and most versatile media, and they combine well with each other," he says. "I use a homemade sketch easel whenever I can, to get the work up out of my lap and near the line of sight." For Robh Ruppel, however, the tools aren't important at all. "I have several Moleskines, but I also sketch on my phone," he explains. "The ideas are more important than the medium, I've found." Storing your sketches Finally, what to do with your sketches once they're done? While Olly likes to delete his digital sketches as he goes, he's very much in the minority. Sketch by Robh Ruppel. "I don't put a time limit on it," he says. "I sketch until I have an idea that's worth pursuing." "I keep all my sketch books," reveals Robh. "They are diaries, archeology, time machines, maps, journals and testing grounds." James, meanwhile, shares his sketches online, videos them for putting on YouTube, publishes them in magazines and books, and has even released his own iOS and Android app based on them, called Living Sketchbook. Terryl doesn't go that far, but does store all the sketches she likes in labelled folders in a dedicated flat file drawer. "That organisation lightens my heart and mind, and fuels my creativity," she says. "There are enough things in life beyond our control, and being able to lay one's hands on sketches is one less thing to worry about." This article originally appeared in ImagineFX issue 153. Buy it here. Liked this? Read these! 10 sketching tips for beginners Sharpen your sketching skills Drawing techniques: 7 fundamentals of pencil drawing View the full article

For just 24 hours, there’s an extra 20 per cent saving to be had on Computer Arts magazine’s already great-value festive subscription prices. That means you can get the world's leading creative design title for at least half price – if you move quickly. Subscribe now and enter code FESTIVE20 at checkout before 4:30pm (GMT) on Thursday 7th December to get insight and inspiration that lasts all year. Save an extra 20% using voucher code FESTIVE20! The voucher code also works for any of CA's sister titles, for 24 hours only. Read on for just a small taster of what you can expect from an annual subscription to Computer Arts... Boost your creative career Computer Arts is packed full of practical advice to help you be a better designer, including behind-the-scenes access to the world’s top studios as they solve familiar daily challenges. Over the past year, CA has also run several multi-part series, which make an invaluable reference guide for subscribers. CA has run practical series with D&AD New Blood, the AOI, Reed Words and more These have ranged from career advice for young designers in association with D&AD New Blood, to a six-part series covering practical studio skills for junior designers. And a new series on essential digital skills kicks off in 2018 – don’t miss out, subscribe now! Stay across the latest trends Every December, Computer Arts publishes an exclusive guide to the hottest colour palettes for the following year, produced in partnership with trend forecasting agency FranklinTill. The 2018 colour trend issue is on sale on Friday 8th December – subscribe now to ensure your collection includes 2019’s trend report next year. CA's annual colour trends report, produced by FranklinTill FranklinTill also provides a monthly trend analysis every issue, covering everything from emerging aesthetics to cutting-edge technologies. Discover the best new talent As well as showcasing the very best new design, illustration and motion projects each issue, in July, Computer Arts’ New Talent issue is packed with hand-picked Ones To Watch from the year’s final-year design college shows. These graduates are the cream of the crop – perfect for finding your next fresh hire or collaborator. CA's last four New Talent covers by (left to right) emerging talents Paddy O'Hara, Julia Frances, Krystina Chapman and Camelia Pham For the last four years, this special issue has also featured a collectable cover that demonstrates an exciting new print technique, thanks to our special finishing partner Celloglas. These have ranged from lemon-scented varnish to transparent glitter foil – and most recently, Mirriboard. The result of an annual cover design contest in association with D&AD New Blood, the covers are designed by a student or recent graduate, and they sell like hot cakes. Get to know the movers and shakers Every month, Computer Arts gives you insider access to world-class agencies. There are also two unmissable special issues every year dedicated to the upper echelons of the design industry. In September, the worthy winners of CA’s Brand Impact Awards are showcased in an extended main feature that reveals the secrets behind the year’s very best branding projects, giving the perfect blend of insight and inspiration. CA's 2017 Brand Impact Awards special, with gold and copper foils and two different colourways Winner of Best of Show at 2017's BIAs: London Symphony Orchestra, by The Partners The following month, the results of CA’s annual peer reputation survey, the UK Studio Rankings, are revealed – an essential guide to the mover and shakers of the industry, where boutique studios rub shoulders with global behemoths. In previous years, the results of CA's UK Studio Rankings have been revealed with light, heat, scratching, and in darkness... Four years' worth of UK Studio Rankings number ones: Graphic Thought Facility, Made Thought, North and Studio Sutherl& The Studio Rankings cover is another regular collaboration with Celloglas, and in recent years the names of the top 30 studios have been revealed using photochromic (light-sensitive) and thermochromic (heat-sensitive) inks, scratch-off silver latex, and most recently glow-in-the-dark. Both of these issues fly off the shelves: subscribe now to guarantee your collection is complete. 24-hour flash sale on now! For 24 hours only (from 4:30pm GMT on Wednesday 6th December until 4:30pm GMT on Thursday 7th December) you can save an extra 20 per cent on Christmas sale prices for CA, and all its sister titles. Subscribe to Computer Arts now using code FESTIVE20 at checkout to secure this amazing offer, or give a year’s worth of insight and inspiration as the perfect gift for design-savvy friends and family. View the full article

If you're a gamer, you've definitely thought about what you'd do differently if you made a game. Put those ideas to work as you learn to build your own games with the help of School of Game Design. You can get one year of unlimited access to this great resource for aspiring game designers on sale now for 91% off the retail price – and save an additional 15% off when you use the coupon code GIFTSHOP15 at checkout! Whether you've already dabbled in game design before or you're a complete noob to the field you'll find something to learn with the School of Game Design. This collection of courses is built for people of all skill levels. It's packed with more than 100 hours of actionable content that will teach you the skills you need to learn how to build your very own games. These step-by-step courses will teach you the the fundamentals – from coding languages and frameworks – to advanced techniques for animation and modelling, and much more for 2D and 3D games. This one-year subscription is valued at $599, but you can get it for just $49 (approx. £36). That’s 91% off the retail price for access to lessons that could set you on a path to your dream job, so grab it today! Don't forget to use the coupon code GIFTSHOP15 at checkout to save 15% off! Creative Bloq deals This great deal comes courtesy of the Creative Bloq Deals store – a creative marketplace that's dedicated to ensuring you save money on the items that improve your design life. We all like a special offer or two, particularly with creative tools and design assets often being eye-wateringly expensive. That's why the Creative Bloq Deals store is committed to bringing you useful deals, freebies and giveaways on design assets (logos, templates, icons, fonts, vectors and more), tutorials, e-learning, inspirational items, hardware and more. Every day of the working week we feature a new offer, freebie or contest – if you miss one, you can easily find past deals posts on the Deals Staff author page or Offer tag page. Plus, you can get in touch with any feedback at: deals@creativebloq.com. View the full article

The right web design tools can streamline your workflow, helping you work smarter – rather than harder – and more efficiently. After all, you want to invest your energy in solving problems, delighting users and creating beautiful designs. You don’t want to waste it on dull, repetitive and soul-sapping tasks. Thankfully, new web design tools are being released all the time to help you simplify processes, and reduce time and effort – most notably in UI design. Here, we look at 18 brilliant web design tools for 2018 that will help you become more productive in the coming year. Some are brand spanking new; others have been around for a while. But all have the potential to save you time, energy and budget in your web design projects. 01. Sketch Sketch is rapidly replacing Photoshop as the UI design tool of choice We’ll start with the most obvious. Yes, we know everyone’s heard of Sketch – Bohemian Coding’s vector UI design tool – but anecdotally it seems there are still a lot of web designers relying on Photoshop for UI design (and that's despite the release of Adobe XD, Adobe's shiny new prototyping and wireframing tool, which comes in second on this list). Rory Berry, creative director at Superrb, rightly feels that using Photoshop for web deign is a mistake. He made the switch to Sketch in 2017, and highly recommends it. “Having been a user of Photoshop for over 10 years, it was hard to change and learn something new,” he says. “But literally after the first day of using Sketch, there was no looking back. I’m a total convert.” He offers a number of reasons why. “Compared to Photoshop, sorting all your documents that you have and making revisions on Sketch is much easier,” he begins. “Sketch has small documents whereas Photoshop has large ones. Due to it being a vector-based app, the file sizes are dramatically smaller compared to Photoshop.” And that’s not all. “The built-in grid system in Sketch is great and makes interface design much easier. I think the overall UI and minimal feel makes it much cleaner to design in and user friendly. Photoshop seems very complicated in comparison.” The Sketch community offers hundreds of plugins to make a designers work flow easier and smoother, he adds. “There’s basically a plugin for everything if you can find it. Photoshop/ Lightroom is still our go-to for photo editing, but Sketch is all round winner for web design.” 02. Adobe XD Sketch rival Adobe XD has a light interface that allows you to concept and prototype with ease Adobe now has its own vector design and wireframing tool, Adobe XD. We reviewed the Beta version this May, and it was formally released this October. Andrei Robu, design director at Robu Studio in Barcelona, is among its fans. “XD doesn't replace Sketch yet, but for quick mock ups it's great,” he says. “It’s a very light interface, with lots of photos loaded in, and great for moodboards. The prototyping is very useful to show clients how stuff works, especially because you can push the content online right away I also love that I can copy and paste stuff from other Adobe apps.” Crucially, Adobe XD integrates with the rest of Creative Cloud. Ellis Rogers, graphic designer at Receptional Ltd https://www.receptional.com, also recommends it. “Sketch is brilliant for designing for a web developer, because you are working in values in a software built exactly for designing websites and apps,” he says. “But the biggest limitation for me was it only being available on Mac, making it difficult to share Sketch files for web developers/designers not using OS X. Sharing Sketch files for development meant additional software/conversions, or working from flat JPGs – something that caused too many boundaries. Being a user of Photoshop and Illustrator, the UI for Adobe XD felt familiar, he adds so there wasn’t a real learning curve for using it. “So now after a few weeks of trialling, it’s the only tool I now use for all web design, app design, prototyping or wireframes.” Rogers also praises the ability XD offers to use Adobe libraries to quickly import any asset from Photoshop or Illustrator, as this makes collaboration projects run more quickly. “Working with UI/UX designers and illustrators makes this process simple,” he says. “When the design/prototype or wireframe is complete, Adobe XD allows you to very quickly select elements and create page transitions for a working prototype, which can be shared via a link. The link also allows you to gather feedback per page, keeping it all organised. The link can be updated within Adobe XD so the client can always see the latest version without having to worry about incorrect versions; an absolute joy to work with.” Learn how to prototype a mobile app with Adobe XD. 03. Figma Figma allows you to design, prototype and gather feedback with other designers in real time Figma is an interface design tool that enables multiple designers to collaborate in real-time. It’s available in the browser, or on Windows, Mac or Linux, and there are both free and paid versions depending on what you use it for. “Figma has a similar USP as Sketch with the exception of being cross platform,” explains frontend designer Benjamin Read. “I recently used it to create a couple of icons for an article we’re publishing on our website and found the workflow incredibly smooth. It took me no time to learn and had the added benefit of being collaborative: you can share graphics with others within the app.“ “I’ve been trying to switch to Linux for my work and sometimes we use Windows, so Figma makes sense to me from a practical standpoint,” he adds. “In comparison I’ve found many tools for other platforms fall short.” Content writer and artworker David Eastwood, who works for Co-o Electrical, also has good things to say about Figma. “We were recommended Figma by our web development agency and use it for landing page wireframes,” he explains. “This has included proposed changes to the homepage and specific sales landing page, especially around Black Friday. It's also been a really useful tool when we've needed to quickly mock MVTs; sometimes small additions to an existing layout. We love that you can quickly create designs for desktop, tablet and mobile.” Learn how to create a responsive dashboard with Figma. 04. Zeplin Zeplin translates Photoshop or Sketch files into a free Mac, Windows or web-based app Do you find handing over design assets to developers can be a bit of a hassle? James Stiff certainly does. “They don't always share the same software,” he points out, “so those painstakingly layered and annotated Photoshop mockups end up as flattened files and things inevitably get lost in translation.” Zeplin mitigates this painful experience by translating Photoshop or Sketch files into a free Mac, Windows or web-based app. “The best part is that Zeplin provides quick reference for the colours, dimensions and fonts from your designs,” says Sitff. “It even generates CSS and style guides. I've found Zeplin to be a massive time saver and my developer friends seem to really like it too.” 05. Canva Canva is a popular tool for quickly creating social media images and infographics Want to mock up something like an infographic quickly and easy? Then Lawrence Harmer, founder of Solve Web Media, recommends Canva. It’s a free, browser-based tools that’s used by both designers and non-designers, to make graphics for both print and the web. “Canva is pretty good for making nice images,” says Harmer. “Images are the window into the soul of your website and social media, so a tool like this can be key to success.” 06. Web design proposal tool Generate web design proposals easily with this free tool Beewits has a nice line in tools to make the business side of web design easier, namely its the Web Design Quotation Generator and Hourly Rate Calculator. Now for 2018, they’ve brought out another superb free app: the self-explanatory Web Design Proposal Tool. “It's essentially a simple ‘Proposify’ tool, which allows you to quickly and easily churn out proposals,” explains Beewits’ David Attard. “It’s essentially a glorified form that allows you to enter and change pre-set text, and then creates a Word document ready for sending directly to the client.” If you sign in to the free service, you can Save your current version, such that next time round, you've got a bunch of fields already filled in with your details. It's simple, but it gets the job done, and what more do you really want? It’s not officially been launched yet, as Beewits are currently canvassing feedback, but it’s otherwise ready to use. 07. Site Stacks Check out any website’s tech stack quickly and easily Here’s another browser-based tool that’s both simple and brilliant. Type in the URL of any website to this Chrome extension and it lets you look at its tech stack. It’s fast, smooth and reliable, provides coverage for over 40,000 products and prides itself on both the accuracy and exhaustiveness of its data. “We built this extension to be a simpler way to access this data,” says its makers, “while also protecting your privacy and running all operations on our own servers so that your browsing isn't slowed down.” 08. CodePen Projects A new tool lets you build websites directly inside CodePen Founded in 2012 by Alex Vazquez, Tim Sabat and Chris Coyier, CodePen has grown to become of the web’s largest and liveliest communities for testing and showcasing HTML, CSS and JavaScript code snippets. For the last five years, it’s functioned as both an online code editor and an open-source learning environment, where developers can create code snippets ("pens"), test them and get feedback. Recently CodePen took another big leap forward by launching its own IDE (Integrated Development Environment), CodePen Projects, which lets you build websites within your browser. You can drag and drop your website files, organise them into tabs, and preview your site as you build it. There are templates to help you create sites more quickly if you choose, as well as built-in debugging tools. Note that, although it works in a similar way to the Pen Editor, CodePen Projects doesn’t replace the lattter but sits alongside it. You can learn more about CodePen Projects in this blog post. 09. ARKit Create augmented reality experiences for iOS 11 devices with Apple’s ARKit Augmented reality – blending digital objects and information with the environment around you - is a space that’s generating a lot of excitement in the web and app development community right now. Not least because in June at WWDC17, Apple released ARKit, a new framework that allows you to easily create AR experiences for iPhone and iPad running iOS 11. To get started, simply download iOS 11 and the latest version of Xcode 9, which includes the iOS 11 SDK. Check out what ARKit is capable of. 10. Hologram This Mac app built on A-Frame lets you create WebVR experiences without needing to code Hologram is a new all-in-one tool for WebVR creation. This free desktop app requires no previous coding knowledge, and its native Google Blocks integration enables you to play with lots of free 3D objects right off the bat. Under the hood, Hologram takes full advantage of the power and simplicity of A-Frame, Mozila’s WebVR framework. This means that developers can download projects created with Hologram and use them in their A-Frame workflows. It’s currently available on Mac and a Windows version is promised soon. 11. Parallax SVG Animation Tools This set of tools makes it easier to create complex sequences of SVG animation Created by Gareth Battensby of Parallax, SVG Animation Tools is a range of SVG animation tools in the form of a Python script. “I built the tools as a response to the frustrations you get when creating complex or long sequence SVG animations,” he says in this explanatory blog post. “The biggest of these being overwritten edits whenever you re-export from Illustrator. These tools completely eliminate that issue – they’re perfect for front-end developers who animate SVG graphics with GSAP or similar animation libraries.” 12. GitHub Notifier Get GithHub notifications in your browser with this Chrome add-on Hate wading through emails? Prefer the idea of getting GitHub notifications in your browser? This Chrome extension does exactly that. This straightforward but effective tool was created by Stacy Goh and released this September. It enables to get real-time push notifications whenever someone creates an issue, comments on an issue, pushes code, creates a pull request, forks your repository or stars your repository. You can learn more about how and why Goh created it in this blog post. 13. URL to PDF Convert HTML into PDFs automatically with this API Brought to you by Alvar Carto, this self-hosted API enables you to convert the HTML into PDFs, so it’s handy for rendering receipts, invoices, or any other HTML content. The API ignores a page's @media print CSS rules by default, and sets Chrome to emulate @media screen, to make the default PDF look more like the actual site. You can set it to operate automatically at regular intervals and best of all, it’s free. 14. iotaCSS iotaCSS is a CSS framework with a difference iotaCSS is a CSS framework that’s been purposely crafted to be design-agnostic. It was created by consultant frontend architect Dimitris Psaropoulos, who found that other CSS frameworks were imposing a lot of limitations on the designers he worked with. This was forcing him to either write a lot of code on top, or ask the designer to compromise. So instead, he created his own framework, which works a little differently. While most CSS Frameworks behave as a unit, iotaCSS is a set of individual, small and flexible modules that don’t depend on each other. You can use one independently or you can combine them to build more complicated user interfaces. 40 web design freebies to make your life easieriotaCSS been quietly in development for a couple of years, with a number of early adopters using it to build high-scale products. But now it’s out of beta and confidently announcing itself to the world. You can learn more about how it works in this blog post. 15. Launchpad Launchpad turns Sketch into a fully fledged website builder Launchpad is a tool from Anima that lets you publish websites directly from Sketch, with no coding required. The entire interface is integrated into Sketch, and can be used to create landing pages and static websites, although at the moment it doesn't support dynamic web pages using JavaScript. But it does let you include links, add responsive breakpoints, set up forms, embed videos and integrate analytics tools. So it could be an ideal tool for setting up a quick and easy promotional website, for example. You can learn more about Launchpad in this blog post. 16. React Sketch.app Airbnb is sharing its bespoke tool with the open source community React Sketch.app provides a super-easy way to manage Sketch assets in a large design system. Built by the team at Airbnb to help bridge the gap between designers and engineers, it’s basically an open-source library that allows you to write React components that render to Sketch documents. Because React Sketch.app uses Flexbox, its components can have the same rich layout as your real components. That means no more dragging rectangles by hand; everything works like your target layout engine. React Sketch.app, then, makes it simple to fetch and incorporate data into your Sketch files. It also provides an easy way to build your own custom design tools on top of Sketch. You can learn more about how it works in this post. 17. SVGito This free app saves you having to manually edit SVG files SVGito is a free web app that cleans up your SVG files, to save you the bother of manually editing them. Created by Peter Nowell, this neat little app automatically optimises your SVGs at the touch of a button, and will typically reduce their size and complexity without changing what they actually look like on screen. You can learn more about SVGito in this blog post. 18. Sizzy Sizzy allows you to preview multiple screens during app testing Sizzy is a tool that allows you to preview multiple screens at once while you’re testing out your responsive web apps. Creator Kristijan Ristovski had previously been using react-storybook to switch between the different variations of each component. But he got annoyed having to go back and forth between so many devices. So he built Sizzy, which allows you to see all the changes simultaneously, making it much quicker and easier to spot and fix layout bugs. You can learn more about Sizzy in this blog post. Related articles: The 5 biggest web design trends of 2017 9 of the best resources for learning HTML and CSS 11 great landing page designs View the full article

Street art is rife across the globe. Although the term is often associated with urban spray paint art, it comes in all shapes and forms, from sculptures to 'yarn bombing', and it has inspired everything from graffiti font families to window displays and beyond. In this article, we've gathered together the work of our favourite inspirational street artists, featuring some well-known faces, as well as some you may not have heard of – but will want to hear more about. Some just want to brighten up their neighbourhoods, while others have political points to make. But whatever their motivation, we think what they've produced is simply incredible! 01. Dface Dface's latest work covers the side of a Las Vegas hotelLondon-based Dface's work draws on things he was inspired by in childhood - skate graphics, album art and cartoons - and some of his work is clearly indebted to pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. Dface's most recent work is a stunning Lichtenstein-inspired piece on an epic scale; 'Behind Closed Doors' is painted on the side of the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas, and cleverly uses the shape of the building to give it an added sense of depth. 02. Reskate Studio It's just a rabbit...The Harreman Project, by Barcelona-based Reskate Studio, uses reminiscence, the etymology of language and a touch of irony, plus plenty of photosluminescent paint, to create artwork that changes depending on the light and allows for multiple readings of the same work. This piece, Asombrar, was created for Fisart Romania in 2015. ...until you turn on a UV light03. Dulk Dulk's street art is populated by surreal creaturesAntonio Segura Donat, or Dulk, grew up copying illustrations of exotic animals from his parents' old encyclopaedias, and used to take his sketchbook everywhere with him. Having studied illustration then graphic design, today he works as an all-purpose artist tackling drawing, painting, sculpture and advertising, but it's his large-scale street art, featuring surreal creatures in imaginary landscapes, that really grabs the attention. 04. Mobstr 'Red', in which Mobstr ultimately succeeds in getting this entire building painted redMobstr is a multi-talented street artist with a strong line in fake billboards, but it's his Progressions that we really love. Documented across a series of photos, he plays fantastic mind games with the poor souls whose job it is to clean graffiti off the streets, using little more than stencilled letters. Problem lads?05. Smug One of Smug's Glaswegian pieces, gracing the city's Castle StreetGlasgow based street artist Smug specialises in photo-realistic graffiti, with the Scottish city his infinite canvas thanks to a council funded mural initiative. After picking up a spray painting can over a decade ago, the artist has developed a unique and mesmorising style – rendered entirely freehand. His meticulously detailed work can be seen transforming walls all over the UK and Europe, and even as far away as Australia. 06. Mario Celedon Artist Mario Celedon's intricate paintings can be seen all over the city of ValparaisoCulture capital of Chile, Valparaiso is the home of many a talented artist, including Mario Celedon. Best known for his incredible street art, Celedon's colourful and detailed paintings can be seen in various places around the city, but our favourite artwork has got to be the intricate illustrations on these steps. 07. Ernest Zacharevic One of Zacharevic's Georgetown pieces, his first constructive public art project in a town with no public art or graffiti whatsoeverLithuanian-born artist, Ernest Zacharevic, brings fine art technique to the great outdoors. Using a multitude of disciplines from installations and sculptures to oil painting, stencils and spray paint, Zacharevic's experimentations remove the restriction of artistic boundaries. Based out of Penang, Malaysia, the artist first grabbed global attention in 2012 after creating a series of murals for Georgetown Festival, resulting in the BBC dubbing him Malaysia’s answer to Banksy. Since then, his Georgetown murals have become cultural landmarks and his work can be seen from Singapore to LA. 8. Peeta One of Peeta's 3D graffitti 'sculptures'Italian street artist, Peeta, is known for his 3D graffiti. Using gradients of colour, his 2D street art gives off the impression of multiple dimensions, creating the illusion it is sculpture, rather than paint. On top of this, the artist creates actual graffiti-inspired street art sculptures. Beginning back in 1993, the artist has travelled the globe, spending a lot of time in both Canada and the US. After gaining plenty of experience as a graffiti artist in Europe and America, Peeta started painting canvases and now runs his own business selling canvases and sculptures. 09. Phlegm Phlegm paints and places his illustrations all over the worldHis name, taken from Green medicine, was believed to be responsible for an apathetic and unemotional temperament but his art evokes anything but. Sheffield-based UK artist, Phlegm, started out in self-published comics, bringing this detailed illustration style to the streets. Creating surreal, storybook imagery, the artist works soley in monochrome and each piece forms part of a grand narrative that extends worldwide, from Canada to Australia. 10. Mr Dheo Aportugalypse: Mr Dheo dedicates himself to photorealism, blended with graphic componentsRejecting any formal training, Mr Dheo believes this helped him to develop his own techniques, which enabled him to evolve without direct influences. The Portuguese artist's bold, graphic style lends itself to graffiti art, the bigger the better and his art has featured in over 30 international cities, collaborating with major brands, and companies, he views the street as the best place to create. 11. Matt W Moore Matt has been painting geometric murals for half his lifeBoston based artist Matt W Moore has been painting on walls for over half his life and this is just some of his incredible work. "It's a magical experience to actualise an idea extra-large in the public space," he beams. "Lots to see in this section. Everything from my early years of graffiti and street-level art, to my more recent abstract murals. Indoor & outdoor, I've got you covered." 12. Mademoiselle Maurice 30,000 pieces of paper were used to create the street artAs part of the 2013 ARTAQ Festival in Angers, France, French artist Mademoiselle Maurice, with the help of hundreds of volunteers, folded 30,000 pieces of origami to create these two awe-inspiring street art installations. One of Madamoiselle Maurice's playful origami street artsMademoiselle Maurice's work is renowned for its creative, colourful approach and that's certainly the case with this installation. The playfulness of this project is what makes it unique. 13. Herbert Baglione An eerie creation for an abandoned psychiatric hospital in Parma, ItalyFor his latest project, Brazilian street artist Herbert Baglione has been painting on the walls, floors, and ceilings of empty rooms and outside deserted homes in São Paulo and Paris, and now '1000 Shadows' sees him tackle an abandoned psychiatric hospital in Parma, Italy. Herbert Baglione's work is reminiscent of urban legend, Slender manCreating eerie shadows across the floors, walls and doors, this is a project that would certainly make your hair stand on end. Adding old, dusty wheelchairs and teamed with the crumbling walls, '1000 Shadows' certainly makes an impact. 14. Fallen soldiers This inspiring tribute to fallen soldiers only managed to last a few hoursTo mark International Peace Day, British artists Jamie Wardley and Andy Moss accompanied by 60 volunteers and 500 local residents, took to the beaches of Normandy and etched 9,000 fallen soldier silhouettes into the sand using rakes and stencils. The piece lasted only a few hours before being washed away by the tide but that doesn't make it any less inspiring. 15. DALeast DALeast's signature 3D style features on public spaces all around the globeBorn in China, artist DALeast has spread his distinctive 3D technique of street art across public spaces all over the world. One of the most exciting talents to come out of the emerging Chinese urban art scene, DALeast's artwork depicts twisted metal animals interacting in a human world. Filled with shading and movement, his vibrant, detailed pieces burst with energy. And his latest piece, depicting two deer bound together is no exception. The mural, called "One" in Chinese, represents the bond between two animals. Other DALeast artwork feature whales, lions, dragons and horses. 16. Pez Spanish artist Pez began painting back in 1999 on the outskirts of BarcelonaStreet artist Pez (Spanish for fish) started painting in 1999 on the outskirts of Barcelona. Wanting to find a way to communicate and spread good vibes to the people of the city, Pez decided that his signature mark would be a fish character with a huge smile. Since then, the artist has gone on to gain international recognition, exhibiting his work all around the globe. The last few years has also seen him create several new characters, including demons, angels and Martians. All have one thing in common - a huge and infectious smile. 17. David de la Mano Spanish artist David de la Mano creates amazing street art with monochromatic imagerySpanish artist David de la Mano creates murals and street art with silhouettes, trees and other monochromatic imagery, much like this beautiful blue whale piece. Much of his artwork is the result of a collaboration with fellow artist Pablo S. Herrero. The duo's striking pieces can be found spread across Norway, Peru, Uruguay and Spain. 18. NeSpoon Polish artist NeSpoon decorates Warsaw with beautifully intricate patters in multiple formsAnd now for something a little different. The artwork of Polish artist NeSpoon is not the kind you'd immediately associate with street art. But that's one of the reasons we love it. Decorating Warsaw with so called 'jewellery of the public space', she creates beautifully intricate designs in multiple forms; paint, yarn and cement. NeSpoon's most recurring and favourite patterns is Polish traditional lace. Breaking it's old fashioned stereotype, she cleverly uses it to beautify gritty urban spaces. 19. C215 Street art: C215's stencilled street art features the marginalised and vulnerableAnother street artist hailing from Paris, C215, aka Christian Guémy, uses stencils to produce beautiful street art depicting vulnerable and marginalized groups of society including refugees, street children and the elderly. Since creating his first work over 20 years ago he's developed a huge following. His street art can be spotted in galleries, auctions and on streets all over the world, in cities including Barcelona and London. 20. Interesni Kazki Street art: Interesni Kazki bring a uniquely Ukranian perspective to their workUkrainian duo AEC and Waone, aka Interesni Kazki, create bright and vibrant street art that references a variety of cultures and art forms including sci-fi, Mexican folk tales, religion and classical art. For the most part their surreal ideas are created with acrylic paint using rollers, although on some very small pieces of work they use spray cans. You can see more of their work on their blog. 21. Jaz Street art: scenes of conflict are common themes to Argentian artist Jaz's workArgentinian street artist Jaz has been creating incredible street art in Buenos Aires since 1998. Having trained in fine art, he's intrigued by the idea of bringing old and new approach to painting together. Discontent with his family, acts of strength and scenes of conflict are common themes, making his art compelling viewing for the art world and passers-by alike. 22. Gaia Street art: Gaia's work showcases his impressive skills and darkly pessimistic outlookNew York-born street artist Gaia's incredible skills, combined with his strange and dark portrayals of humans with animal limbs, make for a creator of street art who's revered around the world. Gaia is also keen to help others explore the medium, setting up festivals and group sessions, which fill places like his town of Baltimore with new and exciting murals. 23. ROA Street art: ROA spruces up drab walls with fabulous animal muralsBelgian street artist ROA's huge black and white animal murals have appeared throughout the world. The artist started showcasing his creations on abandoned buildings and warehouses in the isolated areas of his hometown. His artwork can now be seen across buildings and shop shutters in New York, London, Warsaw, and Paris. What we find most impressive about his monochrome creations are the intricate details, as well as the sheer scale. 24. Julian Beever Street art: Julian Beever creates whole 3D worlds with just a pavement and some chalkThere's nothing quite like walking along your local high street and coming across a whole new, 3D world - completely made of chalk. Many other chalk artists could have featured in this list, but above all it's Julian Beever's playful approach to the medium that has us in awe. The British born artist started out as a busker, before attracting commerical commissions in the mid 2000s. He even made a 10-part TV series and released a book, 'Pavement Chalk Artist', in 2011. 25. See No Evil For two consecutive summers, Bristol – home of Banksy and centre of a vigorous street art scene – has played host to one of the biggest celebrations of street art Europe has ever seen. Organised by legendary street artist Inkie and Team Love, it was See No Evil's mission to transform one of city's most deprived stretch of road into a work of art. Nelson Street, located in Bristol's city centre was a dreary, grey walkway; artists from around the world including New York's Tats Cru and LA finest's El Mac descended upon the city to bring it to life. To see more, check out our report on last year's event. Next page: 20 more awesome examples of street art 26. Slinkachu Street art: Slinkachu's Little People Project combines street art and photographyUsing characters from model train sets, Slinkachu's 'Little People Project' is a mixture of street art and photography. If you've had the pleasure of stumbling upon one of his odd little creations, you'll appreciate his humour and child-like imagination. Whilst some scenes are created to play with the notion of surprise, Slinkachu says that the titles he gives to each scene, 'aims to reflect the loneliness and melancholy of living in a big city, almost being lost and overwhelmed'. However, he is quick to add that 'underneath this, there is always some humour'. 27. Joshua Allen Harris As you'll already have gathered, not all street art involves the use of spray paint. This video from Joshua Allen Harris shows just what can be created with a few household items. In world of waste and worry, Harris took a few disregarded bin bags and plastic shopping bags and turned them into creatures for all the enjoy. Placing the bags carefully on subway grates in New York, each animal or monster stays deflated before springing to life as each train gives the bags the gust of life they need. Some of Harris's work has a more environmental approach, such as his plastic polar bear. Watching the animal deflate to its death offers a strong message about global warming and the effects it continues to have on the world we live in. Using other people's garbage as a means for art is what street art is all about. 28. Banksy Street art: Banksy's Jubilee Piece reflects the controversy over child labourThe best known street artist across the world, Banksy's challenging, contrary and thought-provoking, stencil-based art has made a huge impact on both high and low culture. Hailing from Bristol, UK, the artist keeps his identity a secret, which has led to numerous rumours about who he is and how he works. Some claim he has a team of people working on each creation while others believe he still works alone. Whatever the case, his art remains as impactful as ever. The piece above was sprayed upon the side of a 'Poundland' shop, which was selling cheap Jubilee and Olympics merchandise. Banksy saw this as his opportunity to showcase the issue of child labour in the Third World. Banksy's prints and paintings are reaching increasingly eyewatering prices at auctions. 29. Pavel Puhov Street art: Pavel Puhov's creations often have a political stanceKnown as the 'Russian Banksy', street artist Pavel Puhov a.k.a. Pavel 183 or P-183, has been cooking up a political storm in his native country for around a decade. Like Banksy, the artist's identity is unknown, adding to the mystique surrounding him. The Moscow-based graffiti artist's creations often have a strong political stance. Some have included paintings of riot police, civilian protesters and even a reimagined painting of National Geographic's infamous Afghan girl photo. Placing his art in specific places, such as subway doors, makes certain that it's not ignored. 30. Jan Vormann Street art: Jan Vormann 'repairs' old buildings with brightly coloured Polyfilla-style blocksA German native, Jan Vormann spent three years travelling the world, 'repairing' crumbling and disregarded buildings with his brightly coloured version of Polyfilla. The venture had humble beginnings, starting out in a small art fair in Rome before moving onto bigger ventures. He has even filled the holes of buildings in Berlin that had been damaged by guns during the second World War. This inventive street artist has been putting a smile on people's faces from Italy to Israel. 31. EVOL Street art: EVOL transforms street furniture into mini-buildingsStreet artist EVOL's project 'Buildings' made people do a double-take at their street furniture as he transformed them into high-rise blocks complete with graffiti and er, monsters. The German artist has been exihibiting his work in warehouses as well as local streets for all to enjoy. The intricate detail of each painting is incredibly realistic, and it's great to see something boring and functional turned into something that will put a smile on people's faces. 32. Guerrilla Crochet Street art: Guerrilla Crochet has made crochet cool once moreIt's official – crochet is not just for grannies! 'Guerilla crochet' has been causing a storm in recent years, with renegade street artists enveloping everyday street furniture in brightly coloured crochet loveliness. One of the most prolific crochet street artists is Olek, who has covered everything from the Wall Street bull to London taxis. Trees, bikes, telephone boxes and lamposts have all had the crochet treatment. Also known as 'yarn bombing', we're loving this new craze. To see more, check out 25 amazing yarn bombs on Buzzfeed. 33. Issac Cordal Street art: Issac Cordal's work excudes a strong sense of personal injusticeLike Slinkachu, Spanish artist Issac Cordal likes to work with little people. Unlike the former however, Issac tends to approach his art with a more melancholoy approach. Most of his 'little people' represent the everyday businessman and the struggles to deal with the mundanity of every day life. Looking through his portfolio, it's clear that Issac is sending a message. What that message is, we're not quite sure. Whether it's a reminder to live life to the full or to not let the little things get you down, these creations are certainly evocative. 34. DRABxBUZZ Melbourne artist Drab, who has recently moved to London, adds his quirky character faces to the likes of bear bodies, bikini-clad females or even babies. This video was filmed by Kiah Roache-Turner and showcases Drab attempting his biggest 'paste-up' yet, using litres and litres of glue. Some have claimed it's the biggest paste-up in the world. 35. Ronzo Street art: Ronzo's bird sculptures liven up mundane surroundingsIndependent artist Ronzo describes himself as 'Vandal Extraordinaire'. On his site he claims that he exists because "this fragile Earth deserves a voice". We're not quite sure what he means by that, but we like it. Ronzo's bird sculptures have been sprouting up in London's Brick Lane as well as council estates. He's also created a graffiti murial of the 'Olympic Bird' as well as a 'Credit Crunch Monster' placed on a building overlooking The Old Truman Brewery. These spritely looking sculptures add a real creative element to mundane surroundings. 36. Vj Suave Vj Suave is a collaboration between artists Ygor Marotta, hailing from Brazil, and Cecilia Soloaga, from Argentinia. The duo strive to create live visual performances using a mixture of character illustration, animation and projection. The video shows a series of intricate designs and colourful characters coming to life and walking the streets. A truly unique street art event. Making of: 37. Guerrilla Gardeners Street art: Guerrilla Gardeners are on a mission to make our streets a greener placeWe've already featured Guerrilla Crochet, so it would be shame not to include these sneaky gardeners who make their mission to make our streets a greener place. It's always sad to see dying plants or empty tree plots and that's where these guys come in. Okay, so you might argue plants don't neccessarily constitute 'art' – but we think that anyone pouring their creativity and colour onto the streets can and should be included on this list. The team behind Guerrilla Gardening have become a global hub with planting taking place in cities such as London and Beirut. The collective carry out their work during the night, with the morning resulting in a fresh bed of tulips or a collection of new shrubbery. To see more of their work or to get involved, visit their website. 38. Kelly Goeller Street art: Kelly Goeller has brought pixel art to the streets of New YorkIn the past, Kelly Goeller was part of New York-based animation studio KNeeon, which produces original content for advertising, television, music videos and film. Pixel art has come a long way in the past few years and Kelly took this as her opportunity to create this awesome piece entitled 'Pixel Pour 2.0'. The piece is located on Mercer Street in New York with many members of the public faced with the awesome piece of art work as they walk to work. Kelly's last 'pour' was seen in 2008 and can be seen on the Gothamist website. 39. Invader Street art: French artist Invader completes his 8-bit art behind a maskFrenchman Invader has been invading cities across the world with his perfect pixelated artwork for years now. He always completes his artwork behind a mask, so as to not give away his identity. This project, entitled 'Space Invaders', aims to invade cities all over the world with characters inspired by first-generation arcade games. The characters are made out of tiles, which means Invader can cement them to walls (although some pieces continue to be stolen). He has even set up a scoring system for himself, with each character rating between 10 and 50, depending on its size. 40. Roadsworth Street art: Roadsworth is motivated by an opposition to 'car culture'Peter Gibson, a.k.a. Roadsworth, began painting the streets of Montreal almost 12 years ago. He was initially motivated by a desire for more cycle paths in the city and a questioning of the world's 'car culture' in general. Peter then developed his stencil artwork to more urban landscapes and continued to create bigger projects. In 2004, Roadsworth was arrested and charged with 53 counts of mischief. Despite the heavy fines, Roadsworth continued his street art quest and has since received a number of commissions. He continues to be active in both the art and music world. 41. Miina Akkijyrkka Street art: Miina Äkkijyrkkä turns used vehicles into animal sculpturesFinnish sculptor Miina Akkijyrkka has a thing for cows. She scours her native country for used vehicles and turns them into these huge animal sculptures. The artist has been working her magic for an impressive 50 years. 42. Vhils Street art: Vhils creates his murals using stencils, chisels and drillsAlexandre Farto, a.k.a. Vhils, is a street artist hailing from Portugal. He has become renowned for his murals, which he traditionally creates using stencils, chisels and drills - cutting either directly into walls or removing layers of advertising posters. To make the murals, Vhils marks the drawing on the wall and then carves the surface layer, which is usually plaster. He tried to have a fixed element (the stencil which is applied to the poster, metal, the wall which is chiselled away), but also includes variable elements such as the nature of the materials which change and dictate the final form of the piece. 43. The Glue Society Someone go and grab a giant spoon, quick!It's so hot on Tamarara beach in Australia, that this ice cream truck melted! Ok, you got us, it's actually a brilliant street art sculpture, created by artists at The Glue Society. The installlation, titled Hot With The Chance of Late Storm, was displayed on the beach during the opening of the 10th annual Sculpture By The Sea exhibition back in 2006. 44. JR Street art: Photographer and artist JR has been dubbed the 'French Banksy'French photographer and artist JR's political street art began during the Paris riots of 2005. Angered by the way the areas involved were being presented in the media, he took photos of the residents pulling funny faces and flyposted them around the city. His passion-filled, often didactic artwork has since appeared in deprived areas aross the world, from the suburbs of Paris to the shantytowns of Rio. He's also been arrested in China, and in 2011 was awarded the TED prize, worth $100,000. 45. HangFire Hang Fire is a creative team of graffiti artists, working in the UK to produce quality art commissions at any size, any style, any where. This latest project, entitled 'Icarus_13', sees two of their leading members putting their stamp on a Boeing 737. Sat One and Roids battled sleep deprivation, weather and the enormous size and scale of the plane to face the fundamental task of working out the best way to paint a curved aluminium surface. Both artists worked day and night to complete the piece that truly showcases the pair's talents. This film was shot and edited by Aardman designer Gavin Strange who manages to capture the colossal task at hand in beautiful fashion. Related articles: 10 ways to improve your human anatomy modelling Capture natural light in your paintings REVIEW: Staedtler watercolour pencils View the full article

Could you become a creative genius in just five days?The start of a new year is a popular time to try something new and to set yourself challenges for the months ahead. So to get creatives up and running for 2018, Zippi has produced this amazing infographic that shows you how to start making your masterpiece in less than a week. Stuffed with tips on how to get inspiration, tackle creative block and promote yourself, this colourful infographic walks you through each day of the process. In just five days you could be well on your way to finishing that project you put off in 2017. Scroll through the image below to read the whole infographic – or hit the icon in the top right of the image to see the full-sized version. Click the icon in the top right to view the large version Liked this? Read these! The 90 best infographics Infographic reveals the importance of logo design The infographic that explains how to make a killer infographic View the full article

You're reading Soft Motion: The Art of Animating Websites in 2018, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! Even if you love flat design, there’s a better way to create beautiful and engaging websites. The better way to create instant user engagement is with soft motion. A few years ago, before flat became the No. 1 trend in web design, we’ve all got excited. The web never looked better. That was until all […] View the full article

TeamViewer says it has issued a hotfix to address a bug that allows users sharing a desktop session to gain control of the other’s computer without permission. View the full article

When you're tasked with creating a character from scratch, think about that figure’s personality. Put yourself in their mindset and identify their motivations, their talents and their ambitions. It’s not just about how to draw an interesting shape or a beautiful face. You need to inform the viewer of the stories behind that face. Ensure that a character’s expression – even just their eyes – speaks volumes about them. Christmas offer: Save up to 47% on a subscription to ImagineFX The creative process is personal, so every artist has their own approach to the workflow. I'm sharing mine here, but you can always find a way to adapt these ideas to your own creative process rather than using it wholesale, if you prefer. A disciplined approach towards self-improvement also goes a long way if you want to improve your character art. Yes, talent and classes help, but you can also achieve a lot just by staying focused on your goals. 01. Get into the habit of drawing Time spent drawing studies will pay you back in the quality of your work Drawing is a skill that will improve the more time you spend doing it. Pick a subject and then spend at least three hours depicting it. It’s a great way to grasp the fundamentals of art: anatomy, composition, colour and values. Drawing statues helped me to learn about lighting and shading. Study references for an hour, then try to draw them from memory. This will help to enrich the visual library on your brain. But don’t waste time memorising small details. Instead, focus on the larger, geometric shapes, because these will be easier to remember. Don’t make things hard for yourself. 02. Study characters from pop culture Research character types from different sources for inspiration Books or films provide easy access to worlds that are full of inspiration and references. In particular, they’ll be characters – all with different back stories – that will help you bring your own characters to life. I take a lot inspiration from films and animation. For example, when I want to create an evil character I watch films that feature my favourite villains. Then I try to understand why they look creepy, scary or simply how they exude ‘badness’! Maybe it’s the eyes, smile or shape of the head? I take notes and then examine another villain. This approach helps me to build up my own bad guy. Draw up a list of characters from popular culture that you can dip into whenever you need to develop your own ideas. 03. Build your own visual library Create your own reference library While it’s useful to study characters from pop culture, it's also useful to spend time creating your own file of visual references. I usually use Pinterest to save my images of real-life photos, screenshots from video games, actors in costume, game production art, and even examples of imagery from artists that I follow online. I’m always adding to my Pinterest pages so that they don’t become stale. Being organised is an important part of your reference routine. 04. Choose your tools Keep it simple and use what you've got Don’t let your tools define you. Yes, it helps to have a fast computer, but beginners should stick to the basics. As your skills improve and you start making money, gradually invest in newer, better kit. When I started I had a normal PC and a small Genius tablet. A sketchbook enabled me to practise anywhere. My other key tool is Photoshop, but the only aspects that I’ve personalised are the brushes and some shortcuts. Digital tools won’t help you improve on their own, but can be a benefit if you feel comfortable using them. From experience, I’ve noticed that a more relaxed artist will be more productive. 05. Start by drawing curves Shape your characters through lines and curves Once you have an idea of how your character should look, it’s doodle time! Begin by producing some thumbnails. Ignore details for now and instead put down the larger shapes. I always start with curves rather than straight lines so that I can warm up my hand and keep things loose and organic, which is a key factor in my art. If you’re painting female anatomy then curves are a priority. In contrast, a figure made up of mostly straight lines means that they’re a strong, stable character. To be honest, I don’t feel comfortable starting with a rough concept, but this stage is crucial. You need to be happy with your idea, because you’ll be working within this space and inside these lines as the concept develops. 06. Draw the face and eyes Eyes are an important focal point as they can reflect a range of emotions A key aspect of my characters is their facial expression, and the most important feature is the eyes. They’re the first thing that your viewer will notice, so you want them to make the correct impact. Small pupils will indicate feelings such as anger, surprise, fear and excitement, while large pupils will help you to convey emotions of sadness or happiness. Downcast eyelids can mean they’re trusting, arrogant or tired, depending on how you paint the eyebrows. A good expression will always start with the eyes. I tend to draw the face before defining the shape of the head. 07. Create poses and body language It’s important that a character’s body pose complements their facial expression. For example, you can achieve so much with interesting hands. I realise it’s tricky to draw hands, but they’re a great way to convey emotion, and will always catch the viewer’s eye. Hands can help exaggerate an arm gesture, interact with the character’s body or even relay a stronger emotion than a facial expression. Then I think about the shape of the body. I always try to create a tangible feeling of weight. All aspects of a character’s body – the nose, hair, hands, shoulders, costume, arms, legs and so on – must be affected by gravity. This helps to enhance the realism of the design. 08. Retain the best aspects of a sketch I sketched this character some time ago. My aim was to improve my knowledge of the female anatomy while maintaining a loose sketchbook look. I kept it simple, and concentrated on the values and depicting key anatomy landmarks. Her face was my main focus, with the looser lines suggesting a dress from the Renaissance period. The ImagineFX team ask me to work up the sketch for the magazine cover. Before painting, I redo the line work to remove the distraction of the existing values. I try to recreate the volumes and the mood with simple brush strokes, paying more attention to the eyes and face, and play around with textures. I want my character to have a stern outlook. I smooth down the shapes within the silhouette, such as the face, hair and dress, which helps to create volume. Adding textures accentuates the forms in selective areas of the face and body. Once I’m comfortable with the bigger shapes, I move on to detailing. I fix the values, increase the saturation and then call it finished. 09. Use costume design as a complementary device Think of a character’s body as a book. The viewer will start to read from the face and then move on to the body. Take care to be accurate with the visual information that you’re supplying about their outfit. It must add to your character, not detract from it. A costume must complement a character. Once I’ve roughly illustrated my figure in full I start to add large and small geometric forms, but avoid detailing for now. I’ll often dip into my visual library and look for interesting shapes and references that match the subject matter. 10. Add personality with colour My approach to colours is simple. I start with grey tones because I don’t want to be distracted by the effects of saturation. Then I try to maintain the character’s 'message' by choosing colours that help to convey their nature. A darker personality would feature cold, destaturated colours such as blue, green and violet. I’d use warm, saturated tones like red, orange and yellow for more lively characters. Sometimes I create a little contrast by mixing cold and warm tones, although not in the same amounts: perhaps 80 per cent of desaturated blue and 20 per cent of its complement, such as a saturated orange. These proportions will be dictated by your character’s design. 11. Build up mood Not every evil character needs to feature dark, cold and desaturated colours. Yet it’s common to associate this palette with feelings of sadness, fear and loneliness, much like red is linked with danger and yellow with a warning. There are similar colour associations in the animal kingdom. Many of the decisions made by a character designer will be based on making the viewer react in a certain way. If you’re going to do something different, such as apply bright colours to an evil character, there must be elements that reinforce their dark nature, such as outlandish anatomy or a torn costume. This will ensure that the warmer colours won’t act as a distraction. 12. Simplify through light After I’ve finished my drawing I paint the local colour – or in the case of the images above, the halftone. This will act as my base. I define shapes with this halftone as well as the silhouette of my shape (the character’s head and body). I decide on the direction of my primary light source by adding a darker tone to my base, which helps me bring in the shadows. How I paint the shape of my shadow will help me to generate the volumes in the face. Finally, I bring in white tones in the darkest areas of my character’s face, which helps me create contrast and make it looks more interesting. I limit the use of white tones, because too much can be a distraction. 13. Control the values Early on in my learning process I produced lots of painting studies. Each day I’d find an interesting reference image that was full of shapes and contrast, and then try to reproduce it using my art tools. I learned how to create volume with values, but also how easy it is to drift away from the original sketch. If you don’t control your values then you can distort your character’s anatomy. The face in particular is very delicate. One simple line can change the expression completely, let alone several brushstrokes. So keep it simple and work with just three values. If you feel comfortable you can always add more. 14. Play with textures I can use soft brushes and make a clean render on my characters, but I like to play with brush strokes and add a little more interesting information to the render. I study the work of artists who produce amazing digital paintings: they emulate the traditional look of the Old Masters but with digital brushes. To me that’s an incredible skill. I’m still a fan of oil on rough canvas, so that’s why I try to capture that look using just a handful of brushes. I only use them for the detailing stage, because my main goal is always to produce a decent drawing. 15. Be disciplined There’s only one way to grow better as an artist and it’s with discipline. If you set yourself goals, organise your tools, produce clean studies and practise regularly, then you’re sure to improve. And finally, enjoy painting! You’ll run into difficulties from time to time, but if you like what you do then you’ll always find a reason to continue. This article was originally published in issue 153 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 153 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: How to choose the right drawing tools 10 steps to improve your figure drawing Improve your concept art skills in Photoshop View the full article

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The end of the year is the perfect time to take stock and look back on what's happened over the last 12 months, and web design isn't being left out. We've already seen how Spotify has wrapped up 2017 with witty ads, but now it's time for CSS sites to shine with the CSS Design Awards 2017. Founded in 2009, the CSS Design Awards celebrate inspirational web designs created by individual designers, studios and agencies. The awards see one site being crowned the Website of the Year in recognition of its creativity and innovation. This year the award went to Active Theory for the site Welcome to Hogwarts, which is part of the hugely popular Harry Potter-inspired Pottermore universe. The CSS Design Awards team praised the interactive site, which sees users scrolling their way around the Hogwarts castle and clicking on focal points for content. Judges called it a "truly magnificent effort and game changer featuring premium level WebGL, silky smooth effects and wow factor aesthetics." We headed over to the Welcome to Hogwarts page to check out everything the site has to offer, but were a bit put out when we were hit with a landing page that first warned us it might not work on our browser (Chrome) or device (iMac), and then demanded our login details. Sure, it's a landing page with glorious visuals, an appropriately atmospheric soundtrack, and buttons that sing out with an icy jangling sound. But it's an enjoyment-blocking landing page nonetheless. Perhaps we're griping because it's been a few years since anyone on the team logged into Pottermore. It took us a while to remember our account details (we're the sort of people who did the Sorting Hat quiz then never returned). That said, once we were in we had a fun time zipping around turrets and picking up titbits of Potter trivia. A panel of over 300 international judges settled on Welcome to Hogwarts as the winner, which narrowly pipped Mausoleum of Augustus by Havas Milan & Uprising to the top spot. So close yet so far for the Mausoleum of Augustus – the second best website of 2017 As well as crowning an overall winner, the CSS Design Awards also recognised websites that were the best in their field. These included the likes of 86 and a half years by Clubhouse Studios, which scooped the best interactive photography nod, and Aristide Benoist's portfolio site designed by Ben Mingo with 3D work by Michael Novia, which landed the best in class portfolio site award. Speaking on the CSS Design Awards blog, a spokesperson for the event said that 2017 was the year of motion animation. "Transitions, animated menus, micro-interactions, flow-on content, and of course webGL, all joined forces to stomp hard on static sites, making them seem like a distant memory. Coupled with this, an increased use of JS tech helped creators control sequential elements making storyboards come to life with fantastic results." To explore the full list of sites gaining praise from the CSS Design Awards judges, explore the Website of the Year site, which, appropriately, is beautifully designed and a joy to scroll through. Related articles: A guide to writing better CSS CSS tricks to revolutionise your web layouts 28 outstanding examples of CSS View the full article

While most people use Microsoft Excel to organise their data into neat rows and columns, Japanese artist Tatsuo Horiuchi has discovered there's more to the spreadsheet software, and has turned it into a stunning digital art medium. The 77-year-old artist decided to start stretching his creative muscles as he came close to retirement. However, his thrifty nature ruled out the possibility of using traditional mediums or the likes of Adobe Creative Cloud. So instead of paint brushes and pencils, or Photoshop, Horiuchi turned to Microsoft Excel because it ticked all the boxes his creative streak needed: it came free with his computer, and he already had it. Other artists (such as Hal Lasko, then aged 97) have already used the equally cheap and convenient computer tool MS Paint to express themselves, but Horiuchi found that the data management software offered more creative flexibility. Horiuchi has been impressing people with his Excel masterpieces for years now. In fact, his first taste of widespread attention came in 2006 when he wowed the judges at an Excel Autoshape Art Contest. From here he went on to create work that has been acquired by the Gunma Museum of Art. But a recent video interview on Great Big Story has catapulted him into mainstream attention. Watch it below. We're blown away by the level of detail in these digital pictures. Just take a look at the image at the top of this article, titled The pond of the plateau enclosed in green (the shark pond) and the woman of the parasol. Not only has Horiuchi created the illusion of dense foliage, but he's mirrored this perfectly in the water's reflection. On one of his numerous online domains, Horiuchi gives an indication of how difficult the Excel medium can be when he talks about the creation of this piece. "This painting is a work of pain," he reveals through a Google-translated caption. "I cannot open it even if I save the drawing due to insufficient capacity. When examined it is about 288 MB." If you like the look of Horiuchi's work, you can contact him about buying his paintings by emailing him at: cbl97790@pop06.odn.ne.jp. And if you'd like to have a go, check out his Excel drawing instructions (and please share your results – however they tun out – with us on Facebook or Twitter.) Related articles: The best Wacom tablet deals Pixel art: 37 great examples 97-year-old pixel painter creates masterpieces in MS Paint View the full article

As a designer, there are many essential creative tools that will help you do your job, whether you're working from home or in a design office. For me, the most obvious things are my Mac, broadband, a space to work in, eyes, a very large coffee, and a brain that's not too sluggish from being in the pub the night before. So there are lots of things that I need, but what couldn't I live without? What would be the absolute worst thing to not have during a whole day of work in the studio? To answer this question, I've put together this list of 12 things I see as essential to my working day as a designer. 01. An office chair A chair like this isn't cheap, but you'll be thankful for its support Never underestimate the importance of a decent office chair. It might be tempting to just grab a spare from the kitchen or dining room, but you'll end up paying the price after a few days perched on it. Because you'll be using it for hours at a time, most days, you'll want a decent quality chair that's going to last you. What this basically means is don't go grabbing the first chair you see for £50 – if you do, sooner or later you'll find yourself cursing your miserly ways. Instead, be prepared to spend more on something ergonomic with decent lumbar support. And if you get the chance, head out to the shops to try some chairs out for size and comfort; the last thing you want is to order something online, only to find (once you've gone to the trouble of assembling it) that it doesn't feel quite right for you. 02. A backpack Keep all your stuff secure while you're out and about No matter where you're working, sometimes you'll have to go out – maybe to meet a client, or to do an in-house job – and you'll need to take your stuff with you. Don't get caught out at the last minute, trying to cram all your gear into a promotional tote bag; think ahead and buy yourself a good quality backpack. As with buying an office chair, this is something you won't want to be too cheap about. You need something that can comfortably hold all everything you'll need on your travels, and keep it protected as well; at the very least you want to make sure that it has a padded compartment for your laptop or tablet. And if you're carrying a load of stuff, go for something with plenty of pockets or compartments; if you just shove everything into one place you'll invariably end up having to dig through a whole load of stuff in search of a stray charger. This one has its zip positioned next to your back, to help keep your pricey kit safe. Also read: 8 must-have bags for designers 03. A Wacom tablet Wacom, king of drawing tablets This nifty bit of drawing kit has been with me since I started out, and it's been as loyal and reliable as my own husband (maybe even more so). I think of my Wacom now as an extension of my hand. It's so wonderful, I haven't used a mouse in six years. It's made the transition between sketching everything on paper and then wrestling with the pen tool in Illustrator a lot more fun and definitely a lot faster. The control I have is amazing and it makes digital drawing much more fluid and natural. Not only that but it is definitely a very beautiful gadget, all smooth and curvaceous. (In case you can't tell, I really like my gadgets.) For those of you who haven't a clue what this is, think of it as a piece of paper and a pen that transfers every stroke you doodle on to your machine so that you can digitise the work. It's pretty darn wonderful and if I had to live without it? Well, I'd just be sat in front of my machine with no idea how to make the cursor thingamebob move. I don't just use it for artwork, I use it instead of a mouse or a track pad for everything. I really am severely attached to it, so please don't take it from me! There are plenty of different ones to choose from - take a look at our roundup of the best Wacom deals around if you're having trouble choosing. Also read: Best drawing tablet for creatives 04. A sketchbook A sketchbook is a must-have for any creative This may be an obvious one but it's definitely an essential item. With my face planted in front of a 27-inch screen all day it's sometimes good to break away and do a little super quick five minute doodle. A good Moleskine sketch book will sort you out. Try this pack of three for extra value. 10 of the best notebooks for designersNot only does it calm me down once I've checked I can still draw but it's great for adding content to my social media networks and it's a nice break for my achy brain. Check out my Instagram and Twitter to see some of those doodles. I take my sketchbook with me wherever I go because you never know when someone is going to be late to a meeting and leave you twiddling your thumbs. Or maybe I'll have a brainwave for a new project and need to jot some ideas down before the idea flies away. I also keep a notebook by the side of my bed. I'm not a great sleeper so I quite often do think about projects and work during the night. And sometimes I get some great ideas so it's perfect for spontaneous project planning. My sketchbook is pretty much my bible. It's got doodles in it that have been turned into infographics and motion graphics, so it's like a diary of sorts. It's great to look back on. The only downside is that I just have stacks of old sketchbooks all over the house and the studio. Oh well, maybe they'll be worth something someday. 05. Post-it Notes Forget sticky notes, get some real Post-its I definitely couldn't work or live without Post-its. I'm talking about the actual real, physical kind, not one of those sticky pad applications you can download to your computer. In fact, I'm probably keeping the Post-it manufacturing industry afloat all on my lonesome. In the way that my sketchbook is my idea jotter and doodle Bible, Post-its help me organise my day and keep on top of tasks. I do use a digital calendar as well of course, inputting all the tasks I need to do for the next day so I have a clear list of to-dos. But my Post-its are an extension of that and a way to keep everything at the forefront of my mind. I can close a calendar but if I've got Post-its in front of me all day, along with lists, there's no way to get away from what I need to do and that keeps me focused. I also use Post-its for personal encouragement and goals. If I see a phrase that really jumps out at me, I'll jot it down on the nearest Post-it and stick it in view. Or, if I need an extra kick of motivation, I keep specific goals I want to achieve in view. These little reminders keep me motivated, energised and focused. 06. Spotify Spotify: can help you not explodeOh Spotify, what would I do without you? Answer: go out of my mind! I don't know about you but the kind of music I listen to completely depend on my mood. Sometimes I need to listen to every single David Bowie song or I just might explode. Sometimes I'm so incredibly sick of everything that I need to listen through the radio setting on the app to see if I can find anything new that hits the spot. Basically, Spotify is there for me, whatever mood I'm and it never gets angry with me. It just finds some awesome tunes for me to fall in love with while I'm busy working hard. The radio function is genuinely genius and I definitely couldn't be without it. Another bonus is that if you're linked up with your friends on Spotify you can share music between you and occasionally you can make fun of them when you catch them listening to Boyzone's Greatest Hits when they thought nobody could see. Satisfying. Now all I need is for the developers to find a way to make Spotify know what mood I'm and what I want to listen to immediately. Hurry up, will you? 07. Snacks Snacks can prevent a deskbound meltdownIf you're anything like me, work tends to overtake a great deal of things including preparing healthy brain food and snacks for the week to keep you from having a meltdown at your desk. In fact, in some cases you can completely forget about lunch and look up from your work to find it's already 5:30pm and your stomach is screaming at you to feed it. Sound familiar? Enter Graze! This genius idea has been around for several years now. You create an account here (or here if you're in the US) and browse through all the options for healthy snacks (and a few naughty ones) and bin the options you're sure not to like. Then, you can set when you'd like your nifty little box with four snack sections to be delivered and how often. Simple as. I get mine delivered once fortnightly as it's not the most cost effective way to snack, but it sure it the most convenient and definitely rather fun. Graze gives you an option to view what's in your box before it arrives or you can wait and have a lovely surprise. One of my favourites is the popping corn with a twist of black pepper, slightly sweet, or lightly salted, which comes in very well designed packaging that you can just pop in the microwave. Yum! 08. A social media tool Connect up your networks with Sprout SocialI work with social media a lot and I use all of the platforms to promote my work, my business, gain new contacts and gain work so it's really important for me to be able to make the process of posting and uploading content super efficient and reliable. Not only that but I need to be able to see how posts are engaging, who's engaging with them if at all and compare them with other posts so I can make sure all my content is as impacting as possible. Sprout Social is a great tool for this. For a small monthly fee I can connect my social networks together in one neat list and compose content, which I can post to all at the same time. Or I can schedule posts to go out at different times. This is an amazing revolution for me. I can come into the studio on a Monday, go through the content I've collected all the last week and organise posts for the entire week showcasing work, things I've seen and done. This saves a great deal of time and distraction in the long term. Although we all know engaging with social media is a complete must for businesses, it can be quite distracting throughout the day. This way I know I've got some interesting content going out throughout the week and I can sit back and relax and review the stats that Sprout very handily display on the dashboard. Voila! 09. A time-tracking app FreshBooks is a handy time-tracking tool There is one thing a designer should never be without and that is a decent time tracking application. I searched high and low for something that not only had a well-designed, easy to use interface but also was available and equally easy to use across mobile and mac platforms. I found it. FreshBooks is a very valuable cloud accounting tool for tracking your time across projects, tasks and clients. It gives you the ability to add team members and invoice your clients directly, as well as giving them the option to pay online in a couple of easy steps. There are plenty of options though - take a look here to find one that suits you. As my business is growing, I've begun to employ a few freelancers of my own and what better way to keep track and manage projects remotely that to invite them to a project on FreshBooks and then enable them to either enter a time spent on a project manually or use a handy time tracking clock and add hours that way? Everyone can manage his or her hourly rates and I can invoice a client once the project is finished, as it exports all the hours spent into one very well designed invoice. Genius! It's simple and intuitive and allows everyone to work from anywhere. 10. An iPhone The iPhone. You may have heard of itThis is quite an obvious one, but I've no idea where I would be without it. Running a business alone is hard. Fact. There are so many things to think about and do on a daily basis that it can easily become a juggling act. For instance, if I'm not plonked in front of my Mac, I spend a lot of time each month going out and meeting clients, attending networking events and generally being on the move. While I'm doing all this, clients are emailing, freelancers are sending work through and I'm scheduling more meetings and more events and more work. Phew! How is this possible? My wonderful iPhone. It goes with me wherever I go and there are apps that are in full time use most days if I'm out of the studio. My calendar is always open, being added to, changed, inviting contacts. My FreshBooks app is running if I'm keeping an eye on freelancers or invoicing for a project. My Skype app is always in use for my overseas clients. My Sprout Social app is there if I want to add content to my networks on the move. And of course, my email client is normally buzzing away. Who knows what I'll need to do while I'm out – it's best to be prepared! Although iPhones have long been favourites amongst the design community, there are several other companies giving Apple a run for its money. To see what we thought take a look at our run-down of the best smartphones for designers. 11. Visually Visually can help you promote your workWithin the last year and a half, infographics have become a major component in marketing businesses as well as communicating complex data to audiences. As a designer I've had the pleasure to work with numerous organisations across the UK and beyond on a range of infographics from promoting office furniture for an online retailer to explaining the learning developments of children with disabilities for a charity. We all know that these types of artwork are shared through web pages and through social media but where do designers go to promote their work and also for inspiration? Visually. I've used Visually to collect all my infographic work in one place, which is great for linking with potential clients. If a client is specifically getting in touch with me for infographic work I can either send them my web link where they can look through recent work or I can give them quick and easy access to my entire infographic library. Simples! Of course I could upload every single one to my site but that wouldn't leave room for much of our other work and this is a quick and easy solution. Not only that but it serves as a great inspiration bank when I've got a creative block or if I'm looking to see if there have been any infographics of the same subject I'm working on to inspire me (take a look here if you're after a free infographic builder option). 12. Competition What would the world be without a little competition? There's nothing like some fresh blood to keep you on your toes, and however long you've been doing the job, there's always something new you can learn, whether it's a new approach or a new technique or even a new shortcut in the design software you weren't aware of. The fact is, two heads are always better than one and if you can surround yourself with creatives then all will be well. Instead of working head to head, why not try some collaboration and learn something new? When I was just starting out and working from my little living room desk, I knew I needed to get into some shared office space to keep the creative juices flowing and the competition in my eyeline. Mostly to have some like-minded people to bounce some ideas off but also to learn anything I could. That's exactly what I did and not only did I learn a great deal about what could be achieved but I also learnt about dealing with clients and other everyday necessities. It was the best thing I ever did. Not only that but employing some fresh young freelancers has given me a push to improve my skills and get up to date with the latest tech. Never stop reading about what's going in the world and what people are doing: it could inspire you to create something that you never knew you could. A quick dose in the mornings from websites like this might be all you need to have the most creative day you've ever had. 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