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Looking for the best new monitor for your creative work? Here, we review the BenQ PD2710QC… High-quality IPS LCD panel? Check. Generous 27-inch proportions? All present and accounted for. Expansive 2560 x 1440 native resolution? Affirmative. One hundred per cent sRGB colour space support? You've got it. From the get-go, then, BenQ’s PD2710QC is an appealing LCD panel packed with features to please graphics professionals. But then there are plenty of other similarly equipped monitors to choose from. Happily, however, the PD2710QC has one or two additional tricks up its sleek, minimalist sleeves. Top-class connectivity For starters, it packs a USB Type-C dock with full support for DisplayPort alternate mode plus charging. The upshot, importantly, is that you can connect this monitor to a laptop computer via a single USB Type-C cable and both drive the screen at full native resolution and charge the laptop at the same time. You can also connect and use peripherals via the monitor’s multi-port USB hub. The display base of the BenQ PD2710QC includes a USB hub, video out and even an option for ethernet network connectivity USB Type-C is popping up on all manner of portable computers. But the PD2710QC’s capabilities will be of particular appeal to owners of Apple’s 12-inch MacBook. That laptop has a single USB Type-C port for everything: video out, charging, attaching peripherals, the works. So the PD2710QC’s solves all your MacBook connectivity problems in one fell swoop. As for anyone who isn’t planning to make use of the fancy new USB Type-C interface, the PD2710QC also sports a pair of conventional DisplayPort sockets, a Mini DisplayPort input and an HDMI port. It’s also a very simple screen to set up thanks to the full range of tilt, height, rotate and swivel adjustments, and a particularly user-friendly on-screen menu. BenQ PD2710QC: image quality It’s no slouch in the looks department, thanks to a slim-bezel minimalist design and high-quality construction. BenQ’s latest LCD monitor boasts a slick, slim-bezel design with a base unit that incorporates a range of inputs All of which just leaves the not-so-minor matter of image quality. Out of the box and without any calibration, the BenQ PD2710QC is distinctly usable, with nearly perfect contrast, little to no evidence of colour compression together with all the usual benefits of an IPS panel, which include superb viewing angles, decent response and vibrant colours. It’s even better after calibration and achieves low deltas to target values in terms of gamma, colour space and colour temperature. All of which means the PD2710QC makes for an extremely appealing overall LCD panel package. Not a truly high-end professional display The downsides are two-fold. First, this isn’t a truly high-end professional display. Its colours are eight-bit per channel, not 10-bit per channel, and it doesn’t fully support the latest super-sized colour spaces. And yet it’s a serious financial investment, even if that’s broadly in line with similar semi professional-grade monitors. Alternative monitors to the BenQ PD2710QC Should you buy the BenQ PD2710QC monitor? The 27-inch screen comes with an anti-glare, matte finish that helps to reduce distracting reflections Also read: The best 4K monitors for designers For sure, you can get more screen inches and pixels to work with for the same money if you’re willing to give up further colour accuracy. But if you’re after a production-quality display with top-notch connectivity, the new BenQ PD2710QC is well worth a look. This article was originally published in issue 157 of ImagineFX, the world's best-selling magazine for digital artists. Buy issue 157 or subscribe to ImagineFX. View the full article

Coding is an incredibly valuable skill in the modern workplace. Whether you're looking to launch a career as a programmer or just want to bolster your resume, you can pick up the skills you need with the help of the Complete 2018 Learn to Code Bundle. It's on sale now for just $34.99 (approx. £25). The Complete 2018 Learn to Code Bundle has everything you need to get started with the art of coding. No matter your starting skill level, this bundle is designed to give you the knowhow you need to become a talented developer with the skills to succeed. You'll find more than 210 hours of actionable content in these nine professionally-taught courses on the most important programming languages, from Java to Ruby on Rails and Python. The Learn to Code 2018 Bundle usually retails for $1,357, but you can get it on sale now for just $34.99 (approx. £25). That's an unbeatable saving for a must-have learning bundle, so grab this deal today. Related articles: 11 of the best creative resumés 5 essential JavaScript tools for 2018 25 top-class website templates View the full article

Whether you are new to the world of programming or an old hand, you need a great code editor to help you perform your magic. The best code editors will make you more efficient at coding and writing, assist you in examining and editing your code, and be customisable to meet your needs. They will also create a more comfortable user experience, which should not be underestimated, as you’ll be looking at your code editor for potentially hours every day. There are dozens of text editors, code editors, IDEs, and more out there for you to choose from. So how do you pick? You really only want to have to make the switch to a new editor once in a while, as you'll lose some efficiency while you’re adjusting to the different software. Read on to discover five of the best code editors for developers and designers, and find the best-in-class tool for you to use every day. At the bottom of the post, you'll also find information on what is a code editor, and how to pick the right code editor. Sublime Text is the editor that really changed the way code editors worked. It is lightweight, open and ready to edit your file almost as soon as you have managed to click the button. This responsiveness is something that sets Sublime Text apart from other editors in its class. If you want to open a file and make a quick edit, waiting for a few seconds for loading may not sound like much, but the delay can grow tedious. Another of Sublime Text’s best points is that it is also crazily extensible, with a huge and ever-growing list of plugins available to install. The package manager makes a variety of things available, including themes with which to customise the editor’s appearance, code linters (which can assist with more quickly locating any errors in your code), Git plugins, colour pickers, and all kinds of other useful things. Sublime Text is free to download and use, but will remind you fairly regularly about payment until you do so. If you decide to pay, the same license key can be used by you for any computer that you use, so you can enter the same code on all your machines to make the payment reminder popup go away. The paid license, however, is perhaps Sublime Text’s greatest negative feature, with so many competitive products that are available to developers for no cost. Visual Studio Code is a code editor developed by Microsoft, and surprisingly, as an open-source software. VS Code is perhaps the closest code editor in this list to being an IDE. It is very robust, and is also one of the slower programs when starting up. However, while using it, VS Code is quick and able to handle quite a few interesting tasks, such as quick Git commits or opening and sorting through multiple folders’ worth of content. VS Code is perhaps the most meteoric editor, popularity-wise, on this list, as it is continually growing its user base and attracting more developers away from other editors. VS Code has a built-in terminal, as well as built-in Git support, both of which are big winners for fans of this program. It also has a feature that it has dubbed ‘IntelliSense’, which helps with autocompletion of code as well as information on the parameters of functions and known variable names. Atom is open source and developed by GitHub. Its initial development made it apparent that it was heavily influenced by the new style of editor that Sublime Text made prominent, but its key differences are the free, open-source nature of this editor, as well as the easy out-of-box integration with Git and GitHub. Atom has historically had performance and stability problems, but those have diminished significantly as it has become a more mature software. It’s true that it still launches slower than some editors, but it’s just as reliable and quick to use as any of the rest after that. Brackets is Adobe’s open-source editor offering. To get started, Brackets was faster to start up than Atom, but not as fast as Sublime Text. Brackets was only introduced a few years ago, and is still maturing, but seems to be a very well rounded software. It doesn’t come with as many languages natively supported for syntax highlighting as some of the others, but it still has quite a few. Because of its focus on front-end technologies, it also supports CSS preprocessors like LESS and Sass. Brackets doesn’t come out the winner on many of the usual speed and reliability metrics, but it does have several unique features worth investigating. Brackets is easier to use to some degree because it is mostly configurable via its menus, whereas most of the other editors in this list require configuration files to be edited to do much configuration (but you can also edit the configuration file in Brackets if this makes you more comfortable). The program also has a very interesting feature for quick CSS editing. You can use a hotkey to pop out a small section on an HTML page that will let you edit any CSS rules that are currently affecting the element that you have selected, enabling you to quickly locate a styling problem and then fix it without having to embark on a lot of searching around. An interesting design decision is that Brackets doesn’t use tabs at all for showing open files. Rather, there is an open files menu in the top left, above the file tree. If you’re using the split-window view, this open tabs list also splits ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ for easier location of the file you’re looking for. VS Code uses a similar open files menu, for example, but also uses tabs. In Brackets, this enables maximum screen real estate, but could be a jarring experience if you’re used to tab navigation. Vim is perhaps the most contentious code editor in this list. Vim is a command line software, included natively with Linux operating systems and macOS, and available for download for Windows. Vim is a favourite option for many old school programmers, and keyboard enthusiasts. The program is navigated entirely with the keyboard, making it much faster and more efficient – but only if sufficient time is spent learning how to operate it. It is also extremely customisable (to the extent that a command line program can be customised). Vim gives you the ability to use many keyboard shortcuts to speed the editing of your code, and even better, enables you to create customised commands to fit your own editing processes. Vim earns the award for the steepest learning experience and perhaps one of the worst user experiences overall, due to its utter lack of UI. Learning how to navigate Vim isn’t all that challenging, given just a small amount of time, but building the muscle memory of shortcuts and figuring out how best to customise the editor takes a much more substantial amount of time, in order to truly realise the benefits of this powerful program. Vim is incredibly stable, fast, and a real joy to use for veteran command line aficionados and new, interested users alike. If you have the time to learn it, Vim can really increase your coding productivity, and it’s a nearly seamless cross-platform experience, with so little UI to consider. What is a code editor? Code editors are the bread and butter software of many developers, designers, and even writers. Complex integrated development environments (IDEs) are often too bloated and heavy for smaller tasks, such as working on a single project or file. On the other hand, basic text editors such as Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on macOS are underpowered for the tasks of editing code – too many necessary features are missing, making code editing cumbersome. The interim type of software is the code editor. They shine at just this task, editing single files or single projects, managing a folder’s worth of content. Crucially, the slowest of the editors in this list are still much faster and more responsive than dealing with a fully-fledged IDE. Code editors shine whether editing single files or managing a folder’s worth of content Code editors often used to be very different on each operating system, but the editors in this list are cross-platform and many work to ensure that the experience on different operating systems is very similar. This enables programmers to shift between work and personal computers, or even shared devices, and still get things done without having to adjust to a different environment. In addition, many of the code editors here can have their behaviour modified via configuration option files (things like setting tab lengths, line lengths and wrapping, autocompletion, syntax highlighting, and more). This ability to dictate the program’s appearance and behaviour lets the programmer maximise the usefulness of the software, while the defaults enable a casual user to have a pleasant and useful ‘out of box’ experience. How do you pick a code editor? Picking a code editor can be a challenging task. Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that you know what you need. What features are most important to you? Keyboard shortcuts? Appearance? Speed? Stability? Cross-platform experience? Open source? Syntax highlighting options? Consider what you would like your editor to do for you. Do you enjoy autocompletion of function names, or automatic closing brackets or tags? Or do you find those things frustrating? Do you put a lot of stock in the ability to change the colour scheme of your UI often and easily, or are you a big fan of a simple light or dark mode? Do you wish to perform Git operations directly from your editor? The list of potential features is endless, so figure out which are most important to you The list of potential features is absolutely endless, and only you can say which are the ones that are the most important to you. Which make you more comfortable, efficient, and productive? Decide on your priorities, and then take a look around and find the editor software that ticks off all the boxes. Another important note about choosing a code editor is to allow time to invest yourself in the software. Take a moment to look through the available settings, plugins, or other extensions. Find out which things you can change or set up to ensure that the experience is the best that it can possibly be for you. Getting your editor customised to your needs and spending some time with it will give you a real taste for whether it is to your liking or not. This article was originally published in issue 303 of net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Subscribe now. Read more: Get more from the Atom text editor The best user testing software 10 reasons you should be using Atomic Design View the full article

The U.S. Department of Defense is the latest government entity to double down on vulnerabilities, on Monday announcing a new bug bounty program. View the full article

Hackers have stolen the credit card information of millions of shoppers who have frequented Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor stores. View the full article

I've been a big fan of Houdini for the past few years. It has very much changed my life and how I approach my 3D art, all the way down to final production and dealing with changes. It’s quickly becoming known as one of the best 3D modelling softwares in the VFX industry, increasingly popular in both games and motion graphics. I've been working almost exclusively with Houdini for the past three years or so. What made me transition over to Houdini was how much more flexible my workflow became. Houdini is a node-based program, meaning that each action you do is represented with a node. These nodes are functions or tools that can be stringed together to form node trees that will perform various actions. Examples can be extruding surfaces, bevelling corners or deforming geometry – but really it can be anything. Of course, Houdini still isn’t for everyone and the learning curve is quite steep. Thankfully SideFX has a free Apprentice version available for learning purposes, so you don’t have to pay rental of $199 per year or buy Houdini FX for $4,495 and then decide that it’s not for you. This tunnel was modelled exclusively using Houdini 16’s new boolean operator. This was a frame from the Logitech Powerplay film and was one of the shots I worked on Houdini works in similar ways to other 3D programs. In the end the same principles apply regardless of what tool you use, but what makes Houdini stand out from the crowd is how non-destructive (aka procedural) it is. If you are a Nuke or Fusion user you already know what I’m talking about. I like to compare the Houdini workflow to time travel; every action you do is represented in the node tree and you can at any time go back in ‘time’ and change the parameters of anything done previously, or you can branch the tree and create an alternative version of any given design you’re working on. You can then access data from other branches and create highly complex and sophisticated systems. In Cinema 4D for example you would take an object, extrude a couple of polygons, add bevels, add UVs and so on. But if you wanted to change the object, it would in many cases require that you go back to step one and redo the process in a linear fashion. In Houdini on the other hand you build pipelines for a set of actions and each operation is represented by nodes. You can go back at any point in time and change the parameters of anything in the history of the event, including the source object. This is the core principle of Houdini and why it has had such success in the VFX industry. This also makes Houdini great for dealing with feedback from clients, as you very rarely have to start over from scratch when changes get thrown your way. Also, it’s great because once you have built a function or tool that you like, you can package it up into an asset so that you can use it again in other projects or be distributed to other people on your team. These can also be used together with the Houdini Engine inside of other 3D programs as well, basically letting you run your Houdini asset as a plugin inside of your current 3D program, such as Cinema 4D, Maya, Unreal, Unity and so on. Very powerful stuff. Flyknit superstructure. This was an early concept for the Nike Flyknit X; this structure was entirely made in Houdini using VEX to create a recursive subdivision surface and then treated as lines to create this fractal This being said, this flexibility comes at a price. There are so many ways of achieving what you want in Houdini that it can be very easy to get lost in the system and lose track of what’s truly important to the design of what you’re building. Also, it generally takes a lot more time to build stuff, because many of the tools are much more granular – so in some cases it’s just easier to use a more traditional 3D package. So, would I recommend Houdini? Yes and no, it depends. It’s a big time commitment making the switch over to Houdini. For me, the way I used Cinema 4D in the past was not really the way the tool was intended to be used. Cinema has a lot of high-level tools that gives you a result quickly, but it’s lacking the flexibility I required. I found myself working against the program very often, building small Python scripts and stuff to work around some of the limitations there. So for me, coming to Houdini was like a dream. Information can be stored anywhere onto polygons’ points or vertices and used to drive anything that you like. It’s like playing God, and it’s really inspiring to think of new ways of manipulating data to make interesting creations. Creating controlled scenes, even with huge amounts of seemingly chaotic elements, is Houdini’s strength I know a lot of incredible designers that use Cinema 4D (or other programs for that matter) and their current tools do exactly what they need. If this is you, then stick with your current tool. It depends on how you approach problems. When faced with a task, ask yourself where you mind goes. Do you start by thinking of the end visual, and you can’t wait to get it done quickly by whatever means necessary? Or, do you have a more technical approach to design where you want to automate parts of the process, even if that means it might take a longer time upfront, but leaves you with reusable assets and a workflow that can adapt to changes? Or maybe you’re an FX artist, in which case this is not even worth discussing: you have to use Houdini. Consider this a love letter from me to the team at SideFX for offering one of the most capable and versatile tools on the market. This article was originally published in issue 231 of 3D World, the world's best-selling magazine for CG artists – packed with expert tutorials, inspiration and reviews. Buy issue 231 here or subscribe to 3D World here. View the full article

This workshop will introduce you to the basics of Corel Painter, and I'll be using Painter 2017. I'll also guide you through my painting techniques and process. The workshop is intended for all skill levels. The brushes I use are default brushes that I've tweaked slightly, and I also makes use of custom brushes from other artists such as Dan Milligan, Craig Mullins and Jaime Jones. These are Photoshop brushes that I've brought into Painter using its import feature. Let's get going! 01. Adjust the settings Get things in order before you start One of the most important things you should do before painting is to adjust some of Painter's settings: click 'Edit > Preferences > General'. On the General tab I check Create Backup on Save. This will create an additional backup file in case you experience a crash or decide to revert to an older version of your work. On the Interface tab you can configure the Cursor Type; I set it to Enhanced brush ghost. I establish a darker interface via the Color Theme option, and adjust Default View Mode to Single Document View, which removes the additional scroll bar at the bottom. On the Performance tab, I set the number of processor cores used by Painter. I'd advise leaving the Undo levels at their default setting, though. 02. Set a colour profile Using a colour profile will make your images more portable The default Color Profile I use for my work is RGB IEC61966-2.1. I have my screens calibrated using third-party hardware, but I always save my work in this default profile. This means my files can be opened in different programs without noticeable changes in the original colour values. This is important, especially if you send your files to your clients or export them for the web across various devices. 03. Customise your workspace Get your workspace set up how you like it Painter enables you to save your interface layout, settings, brushes and paper textures library as a Workspace. It can be accessed from 'Window > Workspace', where you can Create New, Delete, Import or Export your Workspace and share it between devices or with other artists. You can also save your layouts and switch when necessary. Windows and toolbars can be moved and repositioned; I prefer to remove the bars and menus I don't use often, but which you can open using shortcuts. My core tools are the Color wheel, Color Set Libraries, Layers and Channels and Reference Image window, with my brushes and settings on top, leaving a large area to work on. 04. Set up the canvas A simple white canvas provides a good base For this workshop I've decided to do a portrait, so I'm going to use A3 size and 300ppi resolution. If you prefer to work on a smaller-sized canvas, you can always go A4 or A5, and lower the resolution to 72ppi. The smaller file size will suit posting online. In the File menu you can also select the colour of the canvas and the paper texture. I'll start in greyscale, which I'll turn into colour later using a glazing-like technique. For this, it's best to start with a simple white canvas, without any gradients or shade of colours. I find it's easier to build light and shadows using greys. 05. Produce rough sketches The Real 6B Soft Pencil Grainy gives the lines a natural look I've found that the easiest way to throw my raw ideas down on to paper is by creating quick sketches or thumbnails. Whether you do concept work, illustrations or storyboarding, the approach is the same. I always start with simple sketches, and prefer working with line – just creating hints of what I have in mind. I don't go into details because they belong in the painting process, which follows. Imagine these sketches as small copies of what you'll have in your final painting. The Painter brush I use is called Real 6B Soft Pencil Grainy – it interacts with the paper texture to give the lines a more natural look. I also activate the Tilt function so it's easier for me to switch between thin and wide lines, just like a traditional pencil would do. 06. Go big Place the thumbnail in the reference window Once I settle on a character that I want to push further I take the thumbnail and place it in the Reference window. This is a great tool, which can be used either for references or picking colours. The purpose of this step is to paint the portrait as close as possible to the original idea and composition, although changes are possible further down the road, of course. Working fast and rough at this point enables me to maintain the freshness and dynamism of the painting. I'm using a big brush and a grainy paper texture for blocking the first shapes of what is going to be a portrait of a pirate with a very fine beard. 07. Start in greyscale A good greyscale painting gives you the flexibility to make changes I'm not all that confident when combining colours in a specific palette. On the other hand I love greyscale, black and white: it's enough to create a good range of contrast and express my ideas. I believe that a good greyscale painting gives you the flexibility to make changes – and if you work in the game or film industry then changes are inevitable! This approach enables me to experiment with colours as much an I want once the final design is fixed. 08. Apply paper texture and brushes Use brushes based on the Pastel brushes category In Corel Painter, the texture of brush strokes comes from the brush interacting with the texture of the canvas. I can easily switch between the default and any custom-made textures using the Paper libraries or Paper Menu (ctrl+9). The brushes I use in this workshop are based on the Pastel brushes category. They're customised to suit my painting style, but also have two important features: they reveal the texture based on the pen pressure; and they blend colours perfectly. Next page: Learn how to add colour and refine your portrait 09. Build up the figure Create a new layer every time you are happy with something I block the basic shapes of the face and outfit with very wide strokes, adding spots here and there, and defining the pirate's facial features. I also set the mood and lighting, letting the texture and brush strokes help with those little happy accidents. At this point I'm trying to stay in the middle of the grey spectrum; I never use 100 per cent white or black. It does look a bit flat, but this is just the first step: it's the foundation on which I'm building on. I create new layers whenever I'm happy with the result – this enables me to make changes if subsequent work doesn't quite go to plan. 10. Keep on rendering… but don't overdo it I use the Undo function a lot, looking for that perfect stroke This is still the sketching phase, so I continue working loose and experimenting. I use the Undo function a lot, looking for that perfect stroke. I add a bit more detail to parts of the portrait that are focal points – the face and beard – and leave the rest up to the imagination of the viewer (his hat and coat). I always imagine a vertical line going through the focal point and place all the detailing there, while I leave the edges rough and unfinished. Remember, the painting is finished when you decide it's finished. 11. Explore digital glazing The whole work is done in greyscale with attention to values Let me explain a bit about the digital glazing technique. The whole work is done in greyscale with attention to values. Afterwards I use layers and different blending modes – Multiply, Overlay, Color, Soft Light and so on – to add colour on top. In other words, I'm colouring the image. First, I flatten all the layers. Then, using the Correct colors tool (select 'Effects > Tonal Control > Correct colors') I choose the red channel and adjust the curve until I achieve some reddish/brown values. 12. Experiment with colours Your pastel brush will pick up and blend some of the colours from the underpainting I create a Multiply layer and lay down some colours. And here's why I get rid of the greys: when starting to add colours, your pastel brush will pick up and blend some of the colours from the underpainting. And you don't want to mix grey and get muddy colours. I use a very desaturated subtle green colour as the base, which mixes with the red, creating some interesting effects. Some parts of the face – like the nose, cheeks and ears – need additional colour to make the face pop out of the canvas. 13. Refine the image Try to keep some of the original strokes while refining the image Once I have the basic colours down and I'm happy with the result, I create a default layer on top and start painting. I use the same Oil Pastel brush for some hard edges and My Chunky Pastel brush for smoothing and blending. I'm trying to keep some of the original strokes that I like while refining the image, adding contrast and details. I try not to pick the colours from the painting, but rather from the colour wheel, otherwise things gets muddy. I also experiment with different paper textures at this point and different brushes: a smoother texture for some parts of the face, bristle brushes for the hair, and so on. 14. Make some final touches Turn layers on and off to make sure you're not overworking the image I keep on rendering until I'm happy, turning layers on and off to check that I'm on the right path and not overworking the image. I reserve the final top layer for blending some parts of the painting and detailing others. Once I think I'm done, I usually resize the image – in this case it's 18 per cent of its original size – then sharpen it so that the details and textures will pop out, and do some colour and contrast corrections. The tools can be found by selecting 'Effects > Tonal Control > Brightness/Contrast' (ctrl+shift+B) or 'Effects > Focus > Sharpen'. One final tip: always keep the original file in case you decide to print it. This article was originally featured in ImagineFX magazine issue 143; buy it here! Related articles: Corel Painter 2017 review 10 tools for traditional artists this March Digital painting with Photoshop CC for beginners View the full article

It's surprising how much difference a good keyboard can make. Having a rewarding feeling with each keystroke can keep you hard at work for longer. Ditch the flimsy keyboards that barely give you any feedback and start typing with the Lofree Four Seasons Wireless Keyboard. It's on sale now for 28% off the retail price. The Lofree Four Seasons Wireless Keyboard is quickly becoming a favourite accessory of the tech world - and for good reason! It's a perfect meshing of old school feel with it's classic typewriter design and modern convenience with its wireless connectivity that can connect to any device. The mechanical build will give you the feeling you crave when you type, providing you with perfect responsiveness for every keystroke. You can get the Lofree Four Seasons Wireless Keyboard on sale right now for 28% off the retail price. That means you pay just $99.99 (approx. £71) for this incredible mashup of old and new. It's the perfect keyboard for any occasion, so grab this deal today! Related articles: The best MacBook and MacBook Pro deals for Easter The expert guide to working from home The 5 best desks in 2018 for your home office or studio View the full article

Mythical Beasts: An Artist’s Field Guide to Designing Fantasy Creatures offers an unusual case of teaching by example. But it works brilliantly – so if you're wanting to learn how to draw these animals, look no further. Thirty professional artists, including Sean Andrew Murray, Bobby Rebholz and Kiri Østergaard Leonard, have each been given a different mythical beast to investigate, dissect and design. These range from the well-known, such as the yeti, phoenix, unicorn and kraken, to the more obscure, including the leshy, a Slavic woodland spirit; the Jörmungandr, a Norse serpent monster; and the nue, a Japanese creature with the face of a monkey, the body of a racoon dog and the tail of a snake. Mythical Beasts investigates and dissects a wide variety of mythical creatures But this isn’t just a collection of finished work. Crucially, each artist gets eight pages to show and explain their research, concepts and initial sketches, with the final two pages devoted to the completed design, which is coloured. So the effect of perusing this large, hardback, matte-printed book is less like visiting a gallery and more like looking over a number of artists’ shoulders from start to finish. The best pencils for designers and artists The reason this works so well is that the entries are structured in a rigorous way, making them easy to follow, and compare and contrast with what others have done. So each artist begins with Field Notes, which describe the real-world animals, plants, patterns, textures and anatomy that have informed their mythical designs. Next comes Design Process, where they explain the evolution of their concept, from thumbnails to working on different poses. That’s followed by a Subspecies section, which demonstrates how their basic design can be adjusted and expanded up to develop something related but new. Finally, we see the completed design, accompanied by a black-and-white line drawing that shows how it was constructed. Artists dive deep into their design process There’s absolutely no ego on show here: everything that’s been included is geared towards helping fellow artists develop their skills. So as you leaf through these well-crafted pages, you shouldn’t fail to find useful tips and inspiration to create mythical creature designs of your own. This article was originally published in issue 157 of ImagineFX, the world's best-selling magazine for digital artists. Buy issue 157 here or subscribe to ImagineFX here. View the full article

Starting, and growing, a design studio is no mean feat. It requires a huge investment of time, effort and creative energy, as well as the inevitable financial outlay of getting a business off the ground. You need to choose the right design tools for the job, including hardware, software and other equipment. If you spend a lot of time out of the office, there are tools to help you work remotely as a designer too. There are plenty of digital project management and collaboration tools, as well as productivity tools to help you stay focused. But running a happy, creative design agency is about more than just putting your head down and staring at a computer screen to get the job done. It's also important to create the right environment to keep your team happy and motivated, and sometimes, that involves getting off the computer and being a bit more hands-on. Read on to discover seven inspiring ways to do exactly that... Provide shared refreshments The Gaggia Naviglio is T3.com's number-one coffee machine for 2018 For many design agencies, having a shared kitchen - maybe even a bar - can be invaluable. Cooking, eating and drinking together is a great way for teams to bond outside of the demands of the latest project. Smaller studios may well not have the space or money to install a full-blown kitchen, of course. But investing in a decent-quality shared coffee machine for the team, for instance, can go a long way - and it makes a change from a water-cooler in terms of encouraging casual encounters and conversations. Google has a rule whereby no employee can be more than 150 feet from a source of food - whether it's a restaurant, a cafeteria, or a micro-kitchen. But whatever shared refreshment area you can afford, keep it as informal and relaxing as possible. Introduce flexible seating Encouraging designers to move around the studio can help stop things becoming stagnant Creativity doesn't tend to flourish in fixed cubicles, and there are lots of ways to encourage your team to mix more freely, and collaborate in new ways to get fresh perspectives on a project. That could be as simple as encouraging employees to move around the studio rather than allocating them a workspace, and some people respond to this really well - it stop things becoming stagnant, and builds more links within the team. Putting desks and other furniture on wheels can make the whole studio space even more dynamic and flexible, so you can adjust the setup quickly and easily depending on who's working on what. Create an inspiration wall Fill your studio's shelves with creative inspiration of all shapes and sizes to keep the team motivated Any designer worth their salt knows that inspiration can come from anywhere, and part of creating an inspiring working environment in your design studio is to provide as many potential sources of it as you can. Crisp, clean white walls and minimalist desks can be soothing for some, but you could also consider a beautiful bespoke mural, framed prints, or just a collection of cool objects and artefacts to help inject some personality into the studio. Make this collaborative, too: get everyone involved in shaping the space. Try creating a shared inspiration wall, or install some floor-to-ceiling shelving, and encourage your team to contribute their own suggestions to the studio's pool of inspiration. Show everyone's work in progress Fix work-in-progress to the walls using corkboards with pins, or metal boards with magnets Many design agencies advocate throwing ideas up on the wall. Not just for presentations and creative review meetings, but to invite ongoing constructive feedback from everyone in the studio - not just those working on the project. There are multiple ways to do this: at its most basic, fixing printouts to the wall with tape or sticky tack can work, although it'll take its toll on the studio's paint job, and you may need to increase your redecorating budget. Alternatively, invest in some dedicated work-in-progress spaces. Depending on the look and feel of your studio, options could include a giant cork board with push pins, a metal board with magnets, or something more unusual like a fabric and Velcro combo, or even strings with miniature pegs. Whatever suits you. Strive for the most natural light possible Not every studio is lucky enough to be bathed in natural light from all sides Not everyone can afford a bright, airy, spacious studio with inspiring views, flooded with natural light through giant windows and skylights. If your office is short of these things, fluorescent strip-lights can get depressing and sap creativity. If artificial lighting is the only option, invest a bit more to get conditions as natural as possible. If you can afford them, full-spectrum lights are the closest you can get, ideal for design-based tasks where perfect colour rendition is needed. There are two variables to check: first, the colour temperature, which is measured in Kelvin. A classic yellow-orange tungsten bulb would be around 2700K, rising to 6500K for a cold, blue full-spectrum light. Secondly, the Colour Rendering Index (CRI) measures a light source’s ability to render colours faithfully, shown as a percentage. The best possible CRI, which a full-spectrum light will deliver, is around 96 per cent. Install a giant communal table Mother London's giant concrete desk is 250 feet long, and seats 200 employees Another great way to encourage a collaborative, open vibe in your design agency is to introduce large communal desks, rather than separate workstations. If you have a large-enough studio space, a giant table in the centre can help facilitate discussion and sharing of ideas. If you can afford it, a custom-made table could be a real centrepiece, as well as guaranteeing a perfect fit in your studio space. If the room isn't square, for instance, consider taking the work surface around corners, and into different spaces. A particularly extreme example is Mother London's famous giant concrete desk, which swoops all around the agency in a 250-foot loop, and accommodates approximately 200 employees, each of whom swap around every few weeks to keep things fresh. Create pop-up breakout spaces Breakout pods like this can be a good way to encourage regular informal meetings in the studio Flexibility can aid creativity, and the ability to customise your studio space with different breakout and collaboration areas can be hugely rewarding. Movable walls and pods, filled with comfortable, easily arranged seating such as bean bags or stools keeps things relaxed and chilled, so groups of different sizes can talk through ideas in somewhere less formal than a meeting room, as well as luring them away from the computer screen. Read more: 5 unusually effective ways design studios show work 8 tools to help you work remotely as a freelancer 8 iconic American logos that changed branding forever View the full article

There's a myth about working from home and freelance life that it largely comprises lounging around in your pants watching endless box sets. But working for yourself demands the stamina and discipline of a marathon runner. What's more, while your PAYE counterparts can sit back knowing that a payslip will magically appear in their bank account every month, you've not only got to hustle for the work and then do the work, but you even have to fight to get paid for it too. 9 things nobody tells you about going freelance It's exhausting just thinking about it – and yet (unsurprisingly) taking a holiday as a freelancer remains a daunting prospect. But ignoring your design portfolio for a few days isn't going hurt. Without a rest you risk burnout, and that's the quickest way to lose your clients. Taking time out as a freelancer is essential. Here are five ways to take holiday as a freelancer without feeling guilty... 01. Turn off out of office If you're able to check your work email once a day, consider leaving your out-of-office off. Sometimes clients are put off by a ping-back, and will immediately commission someone else rather than risk you turning it down. With no out-of-office, it gives you the opportunity to agree with the caveat of a later start date. 02. Redirect to agent If you have an agent and they agree, redirect your emails via them, and ask them to text you if there is a major commission. That way you know you won't miss anything big but won't have to constantly check your mail. 03. Take some work away Unpaid time-off is hard to do financially, especially if you're just starting your career. Unless it's going to cause massive issues with your nearest and dearest, take a small amount of work on holiday with you, and limit yourself to two hours in the morning and two at night. Check any work before you send it if sangria has been involved. 04. Get creative on holiday Going somewhere unusual – or just breaking your daily cycle – can provide plenty of ideas for self-initiated projects and an excellent opportunity to gather reference material. If you see your holiday as part of the creative process, it's easier to be guilt-free. Let your clients or art directors know, so that they can alter their schedules so you have time to work on amends before you leave. 05. Manage your online time The camps are split between turning everything off (emails and social media) and staying online full-time; in the end, of course, it's totally up to you what will better help you relax. One thing's for sure: you should only ever deal with things that are absolutely necessary, and leave all other minor things for when you return back from holiday. The full version of this article first appeared inside Computer Arts issue 246, subscribe here. Illustration: Jamie Coe Related articles: 12 killer tips for freelance success 8 simple productivity tools for designers The art of going freelance View the full article

Microsoft released an out-of-band security update that corrected a faulty patch that left Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 open to attack. View the full article

As well as being a delicious chocolate treat, an Easter egg is also a term used to describe a secret feature, reference or in-joke in a piece of media. Originally used to describe the hunt for a hidden feature in the Atari video game Adventure, the term easter egg has now become a broad way to label covert meanings found in everything from DVD menus to logo designs. For logo designers, Easter eggs are used to add an extra element of meaning to their work. These Easter eggs usually tie into the message of the associated brand, and are there to be discovered and passed around by fans and followers. This is a satisfying way for viewers to interact with logos and helps to spread a brand by word of mouth. Because they're not immediately obvious, there's a chance that you've missed some Easter eggs in familiar logos. To help you on your hunt, we've found five logo Easter eggs that show you how to cleverly smuggle a message into a piece of graphic design. 01. Museum of London The Big Smoke's never looked so colourful Taken at face value, the logo for the Museum of London might look like nothing more than a psychedelic fried egg, but there's more going on here than meets the eye. The bright logo, designed by Coley Porter Bell, is certainly an attention grabber. However, it would be a disservice to put the success of this design down to vibrant colours alone. That's because this logo, with its overlapping series of bold blobs, represents how the geographical area of London has evolved over time. What could be more perfect for a logo that represents the UK capital? Not only does the design dodge using cliche landmarks, it also attracts viewers who are unaware of the secret meaning. No mean feat. This identity replaced a more straight laced logo design that wasn't engaging with the public. But after the introduction of this dynamic logo, the Museum of London saw visitor numbers shoot up by 79 per cent. 02. Ready Player One Easter eggs are at the heart of the plot in Ready Player One The recently released blockbuster Ready Player One was the perfect film to get the Easter egg treatment in its logo. Based on a book by Ernest Cline, the story follows Wade Watts as he hunts for hidden digital clues in a virtual reality game that lead to a promised fortune. As well as bumping into an array of pop-culture icons along the way, Watts' quest for Easter eggs means that the film's creative team had the perfect excuse to sneak secret images into the promotional branding. Take the logo, designed by Pentagram's own Emily Oberman, which turns the typography into a miniature maze. Unveiled at San Diego Comic Con, this clever piece of typography interspersed with subtle gaps captured the attention of fans eager for the film's release. And what's that at the end of the maze, inside the letter 'o'? That's right, an actual Easter egg... egg. 03. Wizarding World How many wands do you recognise? It's been a busy couple of decades for J.K. Rowling. As well as writing some of the best-selling books in history, she's also responsible for getting a whole generation of children into reading. And somehow she also found the time to oversee spin-offs such as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. All of this means that Harry Potter is more than just a series of books, it's a bonafide brand. Bringing all of these assets together is the British-American fantasy media branding umbrella The Wizarding World (originally known as J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World). To sum up this sprawling property, the Wizarding World logo (another Emily Oberman creation) cleverly references different facets of the series with a symbol that looks like an open book with its pages fanned out. However the pages are in the shape of unique wands, each referencing a different character from the Harry Potter books and beyond. Given that the series has dedicated fans, this set of subtle references is the perfect way to engage their attention. The lightning bolt design in the letter 'w' references the lead character from the books and sets the whole logo off nicely. 04. Toblerone Can you see the mountain creature? When it isn't making the headlines due to its diminished size, Toblerone is better known for being a tasty triangular chocolate hailing from Bern, Switzerland. This alone gave the company plenty of options to work with when it comes to designing a logo, yet it still found the time to incorporate a hidden motif. Given that Bern is the home of the Matterhorn mountain, it makes sense that the famously near-symmetrical pyramidal peak takes centre stage in the logo - especially seeing as it inspired the shape of the delicious nougat-y chocolate. However Bern is also known as the 'City of Bears'. And, not ones to leave any cultural signifiers behind, Toblerone included a bear in the negative space left by the snow on the craggy mountain face. Toblerone's logo contains one of the more better known design Easter eggs, but that's partly because it's so well done. Have you found the bear yet? 05. Tour de France On yer bike! We've already looked at how the story of the Tour de France logo and how it has evolved over the years, but can you spot the batch of hidden meanings in this clever design? The brainchild of French designer Joel Guenoun, this playful brush script logo made its debut back in 2002. A pair of dots, one inside the 'o' and one next to the bowl of the 'r' are the giveaway here, as they build up an image of a cyclist pedalling away furiously on their bike. Meanwhile the circle which forms the front wheel of the abstract bicycle is yellow for a few reasons. Thanks to its colour it doesn't get lost among the typography, and the yellow reflects the jersey's awarded to the winner of each stage. Its radiant hue also represents the stages of the race which only take place in the daytime. Related articles: 11 steps to better logos 10 of the best logos ever 5 big-brand logos that pass the silhouette test View the full article

Product user interfaces have changed dramatically over the years, to the point where interaction with our various devices is completely unrecognisable from that of even 20 years ago. We have moved from the first iterations of the classic WIMP interface, on to increasingly advanced GUI solutions, right through to the paradigm-shifting touchscreen interface popularised a decade ago by the first ever iPhone. As our technology continues to become more advanced, new user interfaces seem to be appearing absolutely everywhere. From our vehicles, to our thermostats, to even our fridges, we're reaching the point where everything in our lives can be controlled at the touch of a button or the swipe of a finger. The ultimate guide to user experience However, no matter how advanced these interfaces get, they still represent a barrier between us and our technology – a barrier which is swiftly beginning to look ever more obsolete in our inter-connected world. Celebrated design guru Donald Norman put it best in 1990 when he said: "The real problem with the interface is that it is an interface. Interfaces get in the way. I don't want to focus my energies on an interface. I want to focus on the job… I don't want to think of myself as using a computer, I want to think of myself as doing my job." That's the key. We are moving towards a future without any traditional interface, where we move away from the touchscreen – or any screen at all, in fact. As our world fills with more and more interconnected devices, so too will our day-to-day lives. Because of this, the interfaces we use will naturally need to develop along with this – interfaces which are not fragmented and distracting, but rather those that are designed to be effective, seamless and most importantly of all… invisible. Designing beyond the screen The question is how do we make interfaces invisible and also begin to move beyond the screen? There is no doubt that the smartphone is a wondrous invention, which has revolutionised the way we socialise, work, and live. However, we can also agree that this 24/7 tether to the outside world can also occasionally be a distraction at best, and downright intrusive at worst. The perennial beeps, buzzes, red dots and blue ticks serve as – ironically – a constant barrier between the world around us, taking us away from the tasks we're trying to accomplish. This is why the natural next phase in user experience design will be about moving beyond the screen and interfacing with the devices around us in more natural ways, such as computer vision, artificial intelligence (AI), and also voice control. The concept behind these invisible interfaces – also known as Zero UI – is essentially designing for where all of these disparate elements converge, in order to provide a more intuitive experience for the end user. The screen's days may be numbered as we see invisible interfaces take off Zero UI introduces us to a new world where our natural gestures, voice, glances and even our thoughts can be used to communicate with our devices in a seamless, non-intrusive way – leading us towards a user experience that makes us feel like we're communicating not with a machine, but rather with another person. The aim of invisible interfaces is to help facilitate a world wherein our devices find the balance between presence and discretion; always being peripherally present and ready to accept user input, while never distracting or demanding our attention. The key change to designing for this will be in anticipatory design, the process in which a designer - with the help of artificial intelligence – anticipates the needs and tasks of the user by making pre-emptive decisions on their behalf, in order to simplify the user journey and reduce cognitive load. Here, we'll take a look at the main areas that invisible interfaces are poised to revolutionise the way we interact with our devices, as well as where the transition to invisible interfaces could take the field of UX design in future. Designing for voice The most popular invisible interface by far is that of voice, with recent investment in this area from tech titans Apple, Amazon and Google having thrust this technology firmly into the mainstream. This burgeoning market for voice interfaces creates an intriguing new challenge for UX designers everywhere. In fact, some are already hailing the sector as the natural next step forward in UX design. The reason so many have adopted voice as the de facto standard for invisible design is simple. As we've moved through the different ways of interacting with our devices, the common goal has been to increase speed and usability while reducing user friction. We started with complicated strings of keystroke commands, then moved on to incorporate the mouse, and more recently the rise of the smartphone has led to touchscreens taking over. As natural as the touchscreen is, though, it's still a screen, so the obvious next step is something that continues to evolve the user journey, being quicker and easier to use while further reducing friction. And what could be quicker or easier than voice? In terms of how we implement voice in a mainstream capacity, we should first cast our minds back. In the 90s, what drove people to embrace online? The availability of internet access on our home computers; unified devices we could all get behind. An example of how we might have used voice assistants up until now A decade ago, what drove us to embrace touchscreen UI? The iPhone; another unified device we could all get behind. So, what invention is going to be the driving force for the mainstream adoption of talking to your devices? If you were caught talking to your computer even a few years ago, you'd likely attract more than a few funny looks. Now, the explosion in popularity of voice-controlled devices such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home, suggests a future wherein this becomes the normal process, and menus, screens, pointers and commands are replaced by simple spoken language. Controlling our devices with nothing but the spoken word might seem far-fetched – a pipe dream reserved for fanciful sci-fi films. However, this may be a reality far sooner than you think. The reason this has been a pipe dream up until now is because the computing power required to process, break down and interpret human speech is huge, requiring more resources than were previously available in a mainstream capacity. However, numerous breakthroughs were made in this field in 2016, and we are now at the point where there's enough computational power available to us to make speech recognition and interaction a viable alternative to visual interfaces. On top of this, we're lucky enough to be living in a time when around one in three people carries a smartphone – essentially a mini computer with a microphone attached – around in their pockets; a figure that will continue to rise in the years to come. Designing from a technical standpoint In terms of how we go about designing for this, the most fundamental element to consider is that because voice-controlled interfaces are invisible, users will not have the benefit of images, buttons or clickable links to guide them. Because of this, developers and designers must ensure the voice assistant is providing users with constant feedback and support so they are not left in the dark. Simplified, brief interactions need to be weighed up against people feeling lost or not in control. In a traditional screen interaction, visual cues such as buttons, tick boxes, links, or error messages provide a virtual breadcrumb trail for users, letting them know exactly where they are in a given process. Voice-controlled personal assistants could become a staple moving forward Similar to screen-based design patterns, it's important to consider that users will need voice patterns they are familiar with every time they operate a new app or program, in order to acclimatise them to the new software. Above all, this process must be simple and intuitive, using universal conversation patterns as a method for executing commands. It is also important to bear in mind that users have to use their short-term memory to remember key phrases to interact with the device. Therefore conversational exchanges need to be kept short and sweet to lessen the cognitive load and avoid confusing users. Overall, while voice UIs may be simpler on the surface, they require reassurance and pacing to be built into the interaction if they are to provide the best possible user experience, particularly for those with cognitive impairments or lower levels of confidence. Designing for language Considering the range of functions that voice devices will need to be able to accomplish in order to effectively take over from the tech we currently use, as well as the fact that the end user will be working entirely without visual cues, language is crucially important. Natural language, tone of voice, accent and tone are all vital. Currently, home assistants feel a little pre-programmed and artificial (it's still obvious you're speaking to a robot), so to alleviate that we need to look at the language people feel comfortable with. Overly assertive, imperative language can be off-putting, particularly to less tech-savvy users. Colloquial terms can be more reassuring, however, overly quirky communication can be seen as condescending. Therefore, there is still considerable user research and usability testing required in this area. Another critical design point to consider is avoiding bias. In traditional UI, and when you come to think of it, any software design, there can often be a disconnect where the designers are not necessarily representative of who will use the software. This is especially important in voice UIs because people tend to be sensitive to language. For example, the language of a white male, graduate software developer could be quite different to the conversational tone between young girls or older adults. Of course, that's not intended as a generalisation about developers, but a reminder that as with any software, we aren't always the users of our products. Bringing a whole new meaning to 'tone of voice'. This technology can also be leveraged in a positive way, and there is actually a fantastic opportunity here for forward-thinking designers to build specifically for greater personalisation and also customer engagement. We hear the phrase 'tone of voice' - in relation to both a brand's personality and how they communicate with their audience and clients – a lot when we're talking about a brand's communications strategy, and this is another area that is set to be completely turned on its head with the mainstream adoption of invisible interfaces. Whereas previously a brand's tone of voice may have largely been restricted to written communications, conversational interfaces provide an entirely new way to communicate and shape the overall experience a customer has with a brand. This, of course, presents a brand new set of considerations for UX designers – namely the literal tone of voice brands choose to employ in these devices, including gender, dialect, and expression - but also a wealth of new opportunities. Imagine a world where each of the companies with which you communicate daily (perhaps the businesses you shop with, or those that deliver your news), had their own distinct personality and voice – perhaps even one which you, the user, could control? Such a thing would be truly a tone of voice for the digital age we live in. Which areas of business will be most affected? The early success that Amazon, Apple and Google have enjoyed in this area has helped to raise consumer awareness of just how useful these devices could be in everyday life. It looks as though this technology could be set to explode in popularity in 2018, with a host of innovative new software and hardware products coming to the market. This technology can also be incredibly useful from an accessibility standpoint. By negating our current reliance on screens and creating the ability to control devices with nothing but your voice, users with visual or physical impairments will be able to access and use devices completely independently, with no need for external assistance – some for the first time ever. In terms of where we'll see the tech take-off, a sector that could benefit hugely is digital health products, particularly fitness trackers and related health monitoring devices. Our health sector is currently feeling the pressure from rising numbers of patients, in addition to an ageing population presenting more complex cases. Because of this, a greater focus has naturally been put on convincing people to take a more proactive stance in managing their own health. Invisible interfaces could also revolutionise the way we track our health Invisible interface devices such as personal fitness wristbands could be key to this, providing people with an unobtrusive way to measure their vitals, as well as other health related statistics such as steps, calorie intake and their heart rate. Another sector that could be transformed by invisible interface devices such as the Amazon Echo is retail. Voice search in particular could be a game-changer; indeed, we're already beginning to see significant pickup in this area. A recent study from Google revealed that more than half of teens (55%) now use voice search on a daily basis – a strong statistic that goes some way to showcase the current penetration of invisible interfaces in everyday life. This tech looks set to really take off in retail as more brands make the leap and begin proactively making use of it to engage customers in new and exciting ways. A great example here is Ocado, who recently made the headlines by becoming one of the first retailers to offer a dedicated app enabling customers to shop using voice commands. While this is a tremendously exciting time for UX design, we as designers must adapt accordingly. Voice interaction represents an exhilarating new challenge to UX designers, one that we must acknowledge and learn quickly from if – as a community – we are to take full advantage of the opportunities this new, seamless technology presents. This article was originally published in issue 301 of net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Buy issue 301 here or subscribe here. Related articles: The future of adaptive user interfaces is inclusive How to build a chatbot interface Choose the right words for your interfaces View the full article

Some of the best web apps are powered by Ruby on Rails. It's a powerful framework that can be used to create all kinds of incredible apps. You can learn to build your own apps and services using Ruby on Rails with a one-year, all-access pass to Codeplace, on sale now for just $29 (approx. £21)! You can become a Ruby on Rails rock star with the help of Codeplace. Get a full year of complete access to over 140 professionally-taught courses that will show you how to make use of the powerful framework. If you still have questions, you can tap Codeplace's community of over 30,000 developers to learn even more. You’ll go hands-on and learn by building four real apps, then you can let your imagination run while and create your very own from scratch. A one-year subscription to Codeplace usually retails for $348, but you can save 91 per cent off that price right now. That means you pay just $29 (approx. £21), a fantastic deal for full year of training! Related articles: How to build a Progressive Web App How to make responsive web apps with container queries 14 top web app resources View the full article

Mac professionals and graphics power users are so tired of waiting for the new Mac Pro 2018, they’ve started making and buying ‘Hackintosh’ Mac Pro models - using six-year-old hardware. That’s according to our sister site TechRadar, which reports that third-party Mac hardware resellers have been capitalising on hunger for Apple’s long-promised new Mac Pro by offering upgrades and new capabilities to Apple’s 2012 Mac Pro 5.1. Apple’s redesigned 2013 ’trash can’ Mac Pro – with its single CPU socket and poor internal storage – of course failed to address the needs of many of its users back in 2013. So the appeal of an improved classic Mac Pro tower quickly becomes clear. Sure, the 2012 Mac Pro is limited by which logic board and processor it can accept: but its multiple drive bays and the ability to use modern graphics cards in SLI (Nvidia) or CrossFire (AMD) configurations trump the 2012 Mac Pro. Hackintosh Mac Pro limitations Danish reseller Big Little Frank is selling Mac machines built around the 2012 Mac Pro. However, before you reach for your wallet, there are some drawbacks to this solution: namely, that the 2012 Mac Pro platform is, indeed, still limited. TechRadar explains: “…The absolute fastest processor setup that’s compatible with a 2012 Mac Pro’s logic board is a pair of Intel Xeon X5690 CPUs, a six-core chip with a 3.46GHz base and 3.73GHz turbo clock speed. Considering that modern workstations include chips with 12-cores on a single die that can then be configured in tandem from there, you’re missing out on a lot of speed.” “Not to mention that this logic board doesn’t support modern features that the work world now thrives on, like Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1. Resellers can add these features through third-party parts, which you’d surely pay extra for.” So what are your options? Well, you could consider another fantastic computer for graphic design or video editing instead; you could switch from macOS; or you could wait for Apple to deliver on its promise for a new Mac Pro this year. It’s been almost 12 months since Apple teased a refresh to its desktop computer, saying it was working on an ‘upgradeable’ and ‘modular’ Mac Pro 2018 model with an in-house built display. And in December 2017, a press release reminded us that an overhaul to the Mac Pro was still in development. The earliest estimates for a release date have the new Mac Pro set to drop in June 2018 – so the choice is yours... Related articles: Mac Pro 2018 release date, specs and rumours Apple launches iPad with Pencil support The best laptops for graphic design 2018 View the full article

You're reading Best Free Fonts You Should Try in 2018, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! A picture is worth a thousand words. We all know that an image can be very descriptive, but, like it or not, we can’t design without text. Only with words, can we be sure that readers get the exact message. It does not mean that we are stuck with plain text; modern typefaces let you […] View the full article

App icons play a crucial role in helping a new app stand out: not just in the App Store, but on someone's screen amongst a sea of other similar app icons. Once installed, it still needs to be found easily, and stay front-of-mind for the user. Just as with logo design, app icon design involves conveying meaning in the most simple, eye-catching way possible. But while logos have a multiple of brand touch-points to come alive and build awareness and recognition, app icons need to stand out in a grid of equal-sized icons, while making it immediately obvious what they do. Two types of icon There are two main approaches when it comes to icon design: symbolic and iconic. The latter are much more literal and representative; the former are more abstract and must acquire meaning by association. Once such semiotic 'rules' are established, it can save a lot of time for all involved to follow them, giving you a visual shorthand for your app icon. Sometimes it does pay to do something strikingly different - but you need to know what you're railing against. So read on to explore five major app design trends that have become visual shorthand for a whole generation of app users... 01. Envelopes for email This small selection of email-based apps in the App Store demonstrates the near ubiquity of the envelope icon. Click here to see image in full This is one of the longest-established visual shorthands in the app icon game, since email was one of the very first applications to be developed after the birth of the internet. Although electronic mail bears no practical similarities to its postal counterpart, besides the fact that information is transferred from a sender to a recipient, the familiar association between a paper envelope and an email seems to be here to stay. Whether your provider of choice is Gmail, Outlook, Hotmail or Yahoo Mail, you'll find an envelope figuring prominently as part of the app icon. This makes it all the more interesting when this trend is bucked. Spark , for instance, chose a paper aeroplane, giving it standout while making the visual shorthand of transmitting paper from one place to another a bit more playful and fun. 02. Triangular arrows for media Triangle-shaped arrows have a longstanding association with media apps of all shapes and sizes. Click here to for larger image Theoretically, there's nothing to link a triangular arrow shape with the concept of 'playing' a piece of media content, besides decades of positive reinforcement of the association, through buttons on hardware as well as software. As such, this is a symbolic icon design, compared to the iconic approach of the envelope. It's a symbol that has been all-but universally embraced by the entertainment industry as a visual shorthand for music and film-based media-playing apps. While more iconic designs such as clapperboards and musical notes are a regular feature too, triangular arrows are everywhere - whether from large organisations such as YouTube or the BBC's iPlayer, or a broad selection of smaller dedicated media-playing apps. Again, apps that swim against the current may stand out - but the universal significance of that simple triangular symbol means it features in the vast majority of music and video player icons in some capacity. 03. Ticks for productivity It's a sea of ticks in the Productivity category, but some apps do choose to do things differently. Click here for larger image. It's perhaps unsurprising that almost every app that bears some resemblance to a to-do list features a tick in its icon: it's all about accomplishment, and the satisfaction of checking the box that signifies a task is completed. The tick has become synonymous with the Productivity category on the App Store, and it's used by many leading tools, including Clear, Things, Todo and OmniFocus. Such a strong association is hard to shake off, and besides some crucial variations in shape, colour and pattern, many of the apps above do look strikingly similar when viewed alongside each other. That's not to say that some productivity apps haven't found a new direction, however: Wunderlist, for instance, plays on the association of a starred bookmark to signify its approach to to-do lists, whereas Doo is more characterful, with a flag planted at the top of a mountain. 04. Locks and keys for security Padlocks, keys and safes are the order of the day for security app icons, ranging from simple flat graphics to full-rendered skeuomorphic designs. Click here for larger image. What images spring to mind when you think of security apps? Chances are, whether it's a virus scanner, a password manager or an encryption tool, there'll be a padlock, a key, or a safe of some description. Just as with the above examples, there's a sound reason for this association. It's about making people feel reassured - a visual shorthand that implies that cybercriminals, hackers, viruses and other unmentionables can't get to you, because you're locked up tight. As with the email envelope, of course, this association is relatively arbitrary: all the security in question is digital, with no physical locks or keys in sight, but the association remains strong - if a little cliched. 05. Pencils or paintbrushes for creativity Pens, pencils, paintbrushes and rulers are just some of the tools used to represent creativity on the App Store. But does it have to be so literal? Click here for larger image. It doesn't take a genius to draw a line between the tools of a particular trade, craft or discipline and the icon to represent it. A stethoscope to represent a medical app, a hammer for a building app, a camera to symbolise photography - it all makes practical sense. When it comes to sketching, painting and other creative apps, therefore, it's no surprise that pencils, paintbrushes and palettes tend to feature heavily amongst the app icons. These are all familiar visual references for the creative process, after all. But just as security apps don't actually padlock your laptop, productivity tools don't need to physically tick a checkbox, digital media players aren't slaves to their 'play' button, and emails aren't actually stuffed in an envelope, there are ways to think outside the box. Remember when Photoshop was represented by a feathered quill? Adobe has since moved on to represent its suite of software as an interconnected 'periodical table' of creative tools, with not a pencil or paintbrush in sight. Perhaps it's time for more app icon designers to stop taking things quite so literally. Read more: 8 simple productivity tools for designers 5 unusually effective ways design studios show work 8 tools to help you work remotely as a freelancer View the full article

Drupal developers are urged to patch a bug that allows attackers to take over a site simply by visiting it. View the full article

Everyone's after a slice of the blockchain pie at the moment: it's like magic fairy dust that you can sprinkle onto any business to make it suddenly look a lot more appealing to investors. Just look at Kodak. No sooner had it announced a plan to do a bit of blockchain, involving image rights management and a digital currency called KodakCoin, the struggling company's share price shot through the roof. Granted, it then trickled back down again, but that's the nature of anything blockchain-related. The fact is that hardly anyone really understands what it is or how it works, only that it's new and exciting and could change everything, somehow. It's a classic bubble that's a magnet for over-excited investors, and the state of the price of BitCoin shows just how volatile it all is. Everyone sniggered at KodakCoin, but the full idea has legs But regardless of the hype surrounding blockchain, its underlying tech has some useful applications. While the idea of KodakCoin naturally attracted rolled eyes and raised eyebrows, the idea of using blockchain as a way of managing image rights is a sound one. Keeping track of copyright Keeping track of who owns the copyright for a particular image can be a nightmare, and enforcing that copyright can be just as hard. Blockchain, however, is an ideal platform on which creators can register their ownership of an image, and it makes it just as easy to check who owns a particular work. Similarly it makes it very hard for someone to argue that they couldn't trace the image's owner if they've used it without permission. Image rights portal Copytrack is using blockchain to create a Global Copyright Register, and it's just hooked up with another startup, Photochain, to cooperate on a new blockchain-based platform for buying and selling stock photography. Photochain aims to decentralise the stock photography business Photochain believes that its platform is going to revolutionise the stock imagery business by offering secure transactions through a peer-to-peer marketplace where most of the money goes straight to the seller within a few seconds, and by maintaining a digital copyright chain where every uploaded photo is permanently linked to its owner. There's a prototype of the system online now; Photochain plans to launch a full version later in the year. Another company with similar plans is Wemark. It describes itself as a growing community of leading independent photographers licensing their photos directly to customers, with no agency involved, and again it's using blockchain technology to make this happen. Wemark is another platform hoping to spoil things for the big stock libraries Like Photochain it promises a higher revenue share and the ability to set your own prices, as well as an immutable record of everyone who's licensed your work. And while it doesn't yet have a prototype to show, it claims to have thousands of photographs already uploaded to its system, and again hopes to launch later this year. Will it float? Both companies promise to benefit buyers and sellers by cutting out the middleman, but will they disrupt the existing stock imagery market? Maybe, and maybe not. The appeal, both to photographers selling their work and to designers and art editors shopping for imagery, is self-evident. And unlike a lot of blockchain enterprises, both companies appear to be making really good use of the technology. However, blockchain's still an immature technology with plenty of wrinkles that need smoothing out, particularly scalability. Photochain's prototype works nicely but with a pretty small database; how well it would work with a serious library featuring tens of millions of images is another matter. Photostream's prototype is a neat proof of concept, but will it scale? It's early days, but it's hard to deny that this use of blockchain has potential. While both Photochain and Wemark have the potential to revolutionise the image market, the success of an image library is going to hinge on the quality and quantity of your content. That's where they're lacking, and where existing libraries are streets ahead. Furthermore, we wouldn't be at all surprised to see the existing players in the stock business either developing their own version of the technology or simply buying up either company further down the line. Whatever happens, it's going to be interesting. Watch this space. Related articles: 5 tips for using stock imagery in your designs Which blockchain should you use? 4 tasks that stock imagery makes easier View the full article

Small games studios vary as wildly as their art styles. Yet for all their differences, the ultimate aim is the same: to produce a great game with far fewer staff than the behemoths of triple-A development. However, while many wannabe game designers tailor their design portfolios to these giant companies, opting for a smaller studio may well present a better career choice. For artists, there are significant benefits to reap in these smaller design offices, some of which we've outlined here. 01. More artistic freedom Claire Hummel works at Campo Santo, the studio behind forest lookout game Firewatch. Before joining that team she was with Microsoft and then HBO. Back then, Hummel’s work was wide-ranging. She explains that she probably worked on around 60 titles in her six years, plus a freelance gig designing key characters for Bioshock Infinite. “At Microsoft I was in a small group, best described as a SWAT team, that was brought on to help projects at various stages: anything from contributing to early pitches, to providing additional concept work, to overhauling a project’s art direction”, she explains. “I’d jump between a number of different projects on any given day, which could be exhilarating and challenging, but it also meant that I rarely – if ever – got to see a project from start to finish.” At Campo Santo she’s the only 2D artist on staff and the work is formed around her own artistic sensibilities. With that the sense of responsibility shifts. “I have to be way more proactive about doing everything for the game from storyboards, to visual targets, to orthographic prop diagrams and paintovers of models.” Claire Hummel’s work on Fable Legends’ Evienne, the Lady of the Lake who tired of waiting for a king and went adventuring on her own Wei Wang, who spent 11 years at Blizzard and worked on titles like Warcraft 3, Diablo and StarCraft, describes a similar shift when he moved to Bonfire – a smaller studio working on its unannounced first project. “At a big company there are a lot of processes in place. It’s not a bad thing – a big company needs to make the trains run on time,” Wang says. “But at Bonfire, I’m given a huge space to be creative, and draw whatever I want. I also get to be involved in the pitch process, and every part of what goes into making our game. This is a dream come true for any game artist.” Wang points out that small studios offer great spaces for experienced artists looking for more creative control, whereas large studios can contain valuable opportunities for those earlier in their career. “You can learn so much about the game creation process,” he says of big studios. “There are a lot of mentors for them to learn from, and you’re not locked into one career direction. Fortunately, new artists love to work at big studios.” 02. You get to represent your work Kate Craig works at Fullbright, the studio behind Gone Home and Tacoma. Previously, she was part of a social gaming studio that grew from a single-digit team to nearly 100 people. Discussing Kate’s experiences at Fullbright helped highlight how budgetary constraints of a small team can be a positive as well as a negative. “At a larger game studio someone else goes to promote the game, or attend GDC or accept an award,” says Craig. “Certainly not the (non-lead) environment artist. Working with four full-time people during Gone Home, everyone had a chance to travel and represent the game outside of the... well, basement in that case!” There’s a palpable sense of inclusivity in that, which Craig found personally and professionally important. Kate Craig’s concept sketch for Amy’s little ship in Tacoma. 03. Better communication Operating on a smaller scale also means that direct communication with the rest of the team is not only possible, but desirable. “Everyone at Campo has a good eye for the game we’re trying to make,” says Hummel. “I trust when my non-art coworkers have input on the art, and it’s great to be able to openly discuss anything from AI to music choices, despite them not being my particular specialities.” Campo Santo is working on its second game. While the look of Firewatch reflected the vision of art director Olly Moss, game number two will be inextricably Hummel’s. “It’s definitely been an interesting challenge, learning how to look inward at my own stylistic preferences and find ways to break them down for the purposes of style guides and art direction,” says Claire. “So much of this game is what I love to draw both in terms of the stylistic tone and the content itself – and it’s oddly a lot of work to make sure that things don’t get lost in translation on their way to becoming finalised, in-engine 3D assets.” 04. Big creative space Artist Lisa Evans is working on her first full game Growbot Wei points out a key difference: “Small studios are great for experienced artists who want to make new art and create new worlds. The studio may be small, but it offers space for creativity.” That’s not to say going from big to small is the only solution. Taking the opposite approach, Lisa Evans, an artist and illustrator, is working on her first full game – Growbot – largely as a one-person studio. As such, her art no longer sits on a page, but provides an interactive space players can move in. “When I’m designing a spread for a children’s book, my focus is on how the reader’s eye will move across the page, how the image will tell part of the story, and how it will work with the text.” In Growbot, Lisa says it’s more about “how I can draw attention to interactive elements and puzzle solutions, and how I can work around the UI and different screen resolutions.” Wherever smaller studio work fits into your career, that kernel of creative control and an attendant need to wear multiple creative hats – even if only in the art department – persists. “You’re responsible for concept art, visual targets, storyboards, paintovers, logo design... everything,” says Hummel. “Having that flexibility is essential, and it’s definitely something you should be aware of going in.” This article was originally published in ImagineFX magazine issue 157. Buy it here. Related articles: 18 best iPad art apps for painting and sketching 5 tips to kickstart your 3D career 5 ways for designers to find their next studio View the full article

For most developers, the question of whether blockchain will have a transformative effect on their jobs is settled. For those still to be convinced, the very fact that different blockchains are fundamentally networks with protocols for sharing and storing information should indicate how they will reconfigure the internet stack. However, it is still an emerging technology with underlying issues that need to be resolved. 12 huge web design trends for 2018 This phase isn't unfamiliar if you are used to seeing different languages, frameworks or approaches fade out of the limelight. That's why, for now, the best approach is to remain blockchain agnostic. But this is very different to ignoring the technology. Instead, you should understand the fundamentals, understand the issues and take your first steps into developing for this future state. Why blockchain matters Probably the most important things to understand about blockchain technology are that it's distributed, immutable and transparent. The reason so many people are excited about it is because they believe it could become the foundation of a new internet. Bitcoin, as well as other cryptocurrencies, have seen their prices spike as a result. Yes, there are speculators involved, but you only have to look at the list of investors to understand how significantly some of the biggest names in tech are taking this. They believe that one or a number of blockchain protocols will take their place at the base of a new decentralised internet, with layers of other protocols and apps sitting on top. In some ways, this will mirror what exists today. This is why it's so important for developers to immerse themselves now, so they understand the technology that will underpin their future work. At the same time, they need to have an understanding of why this technology isn't established yet. The big issues Multiple potential paths lay ahead for blockchain, as it grapples with a number of problems. One of the most significant right now is scalability. The cryptographic consensus approach of validating the shared ledger makes it trustworthy and extremely secure. However, as more and more transactions have needed to take place, the computer power required has increased to the point where real scale seems impossible. This is a problem across blockchains, but multiple solutions have been proposed. One is bigger blocks that can store more transactions, an approach that resulted in the Bitcoin Cash 'fork'. Another is proof of stake, where a stake is put up as collateral against false transactions, rather than proof of work through cryptography. Another possible solution is the idea of off-chain protocols, such as the Lightning network or Raiden network, facilitating fast transactions and only interacting with the blockchain at specific points. Right now, none of these have emerged as an all-conquering winner, so developers would be naive if they were to focus all their efforts on one solution. Instead, they should focus on building apps that can be deployed on any blockchain. Let's push things forward While you might think it's better to wait until these major issues have been resolved before you jump into blockchain technology, that would be the wrong move. You can start to develop decentralised applications without committing them to a single blockchain. While tools and processes are still emerging, open-source software is oiling the wheels of progress as highly capable developers try to push the technology forward. Finally, it's important that developers understand the big picture behind the value they provide hasn't changed in the slightest. They should focus on building applications that solve real problems for people because that's the most important thing, both now and in the future. A decision on which blockchain they choose to deploy it on can wait. This article was originally published in issue 303 of net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Buy issue 303 here or subscribe here. Related articles: 4 tips to develop your developer skills 50 amazing tools for developers 2018 9 security tips to protect your website from hackers View the full article

The Mac Pro 2018 has been a long time coming. A year ago, Apple teased the first refresh to its desktop computer since 2013. More recently, in December 2017, the company reminded us that an overhaul to the Mac Pro was still in the works. So when will the new Mac Pro 2018 be released? What will it cost? What will it look like? And what specs can we expect? Here’s what we know… When will the Mac Pro 2018 be released? There are no solid dates, yet, as to when the new Mac Pro 2018 will be on sale. Apple hasn’t confirmed a launch date, but a summer 2018 launch is widely anticipated, with industry commentators betting on a preview – at least – being shown at Apple’s WWDC 2018 event in June. However, Apple has previous when it comes to previewing products at WWDC and not actually launching them until December of that year. And according to OSNews, it might not ship until early 2019. What Mac Pro 2018 specs can we expect? What will be under the hood of Apple’s first dedicated desktop since 2013 is, so far, largely unknown. What we do know is that it will feature a modular and upgradeable design. “In addition to the new iMac Pro,” Apple wrote in its December 2017 press release, which announced the new iMac Pro, “Apple is working on a completely redesigned, next-generation Mac Pro architected for pro customers who need the highest performance, high-throughput system in a modular, upgradeable design, as well as a new high-end pro display.” If it’s going to be possible to upgrade the new Mac Pro, the computer will have to work with a large variety of off-the-shelf parts – at least ‘off-the-shelf’ for business pros or IT managers, as our sister site TechRadar speculated. Reports have also claimed that an 8K (7680 x 4320) resolution display has been in the works at Apple, and that the machine might launch with one of Apple’s new T series of co-processors inside. The current Mac Pro – soon to be superseded MacWorld, meanwhile, has looked to the iMac Pro for insight into what might be in store for the new Mac Pro’s processors. “The iMac Pro is shipping with 8-, 10-, 14-or 18-core Xeon W processors. So we can certainly expect to see an 18-core option for the new Mac Pro, or maybe even more, perhaps 20- and 22-core options could be available. Maybe even 28 cores or 32-cores could be on offer,” it says. “The processors Apple is using with the iMac Pro will max out at 4.5GHz with Turbo Boost - that's on the 3.0GHz 10-core model. The 8-core 3.2GHz model will offer 4.2GHz Turbo Boost, and the 14-core 2.5GHz model and 18-core 2.3Ghz models will both offer 4.3GHz Turbo Boost. We expect to see similarly impressive numbers for the Mac Pro.” Alternatively, the new Mac Pro could be set for a new processor generation. Cascade Lake is pegged to follow Purley – or, depending on the launch date of the Mac Pro, another option could be the 2019-expected Cannonlake Xeon. Graphics-wise, while it’s possible that the Mac Pro might - like the iMac Pro - ship with AMD’s Radeon Vega range, there’s speculation that Apple might look to another graphics card manufacturer. How much will the Mac Pro 2018 cost? There’s currently no pricing available for the new Mac Pro, but we can look to the current Mac Pro for clues. The existing model - which hasn’t been notably updated since 2013 - will set you back a huge $2,999, £2,999 or AU$4,899 to start. (Component upgrades push that up by $1,000, £900 and AU$1,600, respectively.) TechRadar speculates that given how long it’s been since the previous update, “it would be unwise for Apple to drive the asking price any higher”. But, as the site also points out, if the upgradeable aspect of the new Mac Pro is true, users will no longer be forced to reply on Apple for upgrades – which will likely be reflected in the new pricing. Related articles: Why designers shouldn't hack their Mac Pro The best computer for graphic design The best laptops for graphic design 2018 View the full article

It's crunchtime. You're coming in early. Staying late. But it's just until this last deadline. Until we deliver this last thing. But looking back, it's been crunchtime for as long as you can remember. There's always one more big project between you and finally being able to relax again. What is this high stress, always-on way of working doing to you? Burnout can happen when stress and overwork outpace your ability to heal and recuperate. Sufferers report difficulty sleeping, emotional and physical exhaustion, emotional changes and decreased ability to function in both their professional and personal lives. Physical symptoms may also include stomach issues, eyestrain and persistent headaches. Those impacted often report taking months or even years to fully recover. While the focus on burnout and its impact on our lives may seem new, the concept of occupational burnout dates back to the 1970s. 3 ways to stay creative when your energy slumps Unfortunately, the always-on and high demand nature of many workplaces in technology places us at a higher risk of burning out. So how can we best avoid burning out, recover when we are impacted and create healthier ways of working overall? How to prevent burnout The best way to cope with burnout is to avoid burning out in the first place. As the pressures of sustained stress and overwork bring burnout, our first line of defence is creating a clear separation between work and personal lives. Although creating this division can be challenging in an industry where email, social media and comms tools aim to keep us continually connected to our work. For freelancers, this is a matter of pure willpower. Begin setting limits on where you work, limiting your working activities to your workspace or home office. Creating a clear physical space where you work enables you to physically leave when you're done. This should help you leave work stresses behind you when you leave your workspace. Clearly define what counts as work to you. Activities like answering emails or chasing invoices are work, but often creep into personal time for freelancers. As work activities spill into your personal time they bring work stress and an increased risk of burnout with them. Once you've managed to limit all (or more realistically, most) of your work activities into a single space, you can work to set limits on the amount of time spent on work. Remember that longer days don't result in more or better output, with research suggesting that somewhere between six and eight hours a day is best for productivity and lets you minimise burnout risks. If you're not freelance, your ability to create healthy working patterns depends on your employer supporting and encouraging a non-toxic culture. Your employer's offices can provide a workspace more clearly separate from your personal life than a home office, but your ability to unplug from work can very much depend on employer expectations. Setting boundaries like ignoring your emails or snoozing Slack can be dangerous in a setting where you're expected to remain connected to your work. Employers expecting mandatory overtime or enforcing crunch conditions can place you further at risk of burnout. If you can't push back against these expectations to set ways of working that keep you healthy and productive, looking for employers who can help you take care of yourself can be a valuable long-term priority. Developing and defending healthy working patterns are the key to preventing burnout; if your employer isn't an ally in this effort, you may need a better job. How to recover from burnout If you can't prevent burnout, catching it early can help you reduce your recovery time. Katie McLaughlin, SRE, talks about the ability to "self-identify that I'm feeling slightly burnt out, more of a 'medium rare'" and working to adapt her work and life into healthier patterns in response. The early stages of burnout can feel like jetlag or gentle exhaustion. Many in the 'medium-rare' stage report being quicker to anger, less patient and having trouble getting to sleep at night. In the same way that prolonged pressure brings on burnout, recovering from early stage burnout requires a reduction of pressure and time. Aim to spend less time at work, on high pressure tasks and attempt to avoid professional conflict while you recover. Look critically at your side projects to see which of them may be draining you further. As a rule of thumb, try not to jump back into the pressures of your life too quickly after taking some time out to recover. Taking too little time could leave you vulnerable to cooking back up to medium-rare quickly, while taking extra time to recover is unlikely to cause damage. Catching burnout early is quite difficult, especially for those who haven't been impacted by burnout before. Symptoms of more extreme burnout will be more intense. Memory issues, insomnia and attention challenges can all join and exacerbate the more subtle symptoms of early stage burnout. People unaware of burnout or too busy to heed the warning signs may try to work through burnout, stopping only when the symptoms overcome their ability to continue. Those suffering from early stage burnout can recover by doing less for relatively short restorative periods. Recovering from more advanced burnout requires stripping your life down to as few stressors as possible for stretches that can seem impossibly long. Docker's Jérôme Petazzoni took almost two years to recognise the increasing impact that burnout was having on his work and life. He noticed after a particularly stressful period that he was unable to engage in any work that required creativity. He talks about finding himself "only capable of performing what I'd call 'reactive duties': I would show up in meetings, reply to questions and emails, and I could even deliver conference talks when I was familiar enough with the content. But my creative process was completely stopped." He's been carefully working to reduce the pressures and may take a long break from work in an effort to fully recover. Make sure you take a break To heal from the more advanced stages of burnout you'll need the same time away from the daily pressures that less severe burnout requires, just more of it. Taking time off work is a critical recovery step for many in the critical stages of burnout who are able to afford it. Many technologists take months or years off work, some returning gradually or in a part-time capacity. For those of us unable to take long breaks from work, cutting down on hours worked, eliminating side projects and reducing the intensity of work duties can be a route to relieving some pressure to begin to heal. Dramatically cutting down on the hours you work and the pressures connected to your workday are vital. Trying to work through burnout requires an understanding and accommodating working environment where your health is being actively supported. The idea of switching roles while fried may seem daunting, but removing yourself from a toxic workplace or workload is an investment in your recovery. Redirecting energy away from work and stressors and into calming hobbies or activities may help you refocus. Burnout has been widely studied across the fields of psychology, occupational studies and medicine but doesn't exist as a dedicated medical diagnosis. Many burnout symptoms overlap with symptoms of depression, anxiety disorders or other serious mental or physical health concerns. If you have recently been impacted by symptoms that sound like those described in this article or have had other significant changes to your health or mood, please seek advice from a medical professional. This article was originally published in issue 301 of net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Buy issue 301 here or subscribe here. Related articles: 6 top mindfulness tools for creatives Following this creativity cycle could save you from burnout How your desk job is affecting your health – and how to improve it View the full article

Knowing how to code is an invaluable skill that can be put to use in all sorts of ways. Whether you're looking to launch a career as a web developer or just want to add a new ability to your resume, you can pick up the skills you need with the help of the Learn to Code 2018 Bundle, on sale now for a price you choose! The Learn to Code 2018 Bundle is packed with courses for people of all skill levels. No matter where you're starting from, this bundle is designed to give you the know-how you need to become a talented developer with the skills to succeed. You'll find hundreds of hours of actionable content in these 10 professionally-caught courses on the most important programming languages, from Python and Swift to Java and R Programming. Add new skills to your resume so you can create great works online for fun or get a promotion to a new, higher paying job. The Learn to Code 2018 Bundle usually retails for $1,479. Right now, you can pick the price you pay for it. Beat the average to unlock it all or get on the leaderboard. The price is up to you but you can't go wrong no matter what you pay, so grab it today! Related articles: 6 ways to get into creative coding 16 top online coding courses Web animation: No code required View the full article