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As creative side projects go, this new Saul Bass-inspired minimalist animation for Stranger Things is one of our favourites. Unless you've been living in an internet black spot for the past few months, it can't have escaped your attention that the phenomenally popular Netflix show Stranger Things is back. Chances are you've even binged on series two already. We haven't had time yet – there's a lot of quality content out there to ingest, okay? – so please don't bombard us with spoilers. As well as impressing genre fans, the look and feel of the science fiction horror series has been a huge source of inspiration and nostalgia for designers. We've already seen the show's characters turned into a brilliant Peanuts-style animation mashup and the show given an 8-bit videogame makeover, but the latest passion project to emerge from Stranger Things comes courtesy of design studio Creative Mammals. Created by a team of three people, this short minimalist video rattles through key scenes from the first series such as the boys cycling through the woods, letters being spelled out with Christmas lights, and everyone's favourite outsider, Barb, dipping her toes into the swimming pool. The animation style has a beautiful handmade look to it, and we really love how it makes clever use of negative space to create some truly interesting transitions and compositions. Check it out for yourself below. What makes the animation even more impressive is that the team at Creative Mammals made it purely because it loves the show so much. The passion project was whipped up over the course of three weeks in between work from clients. Over on Reddit the team at Creative Mammals has been talking about the creative process to give users an insight into how it turned it around so fast. "We did it in the same pipeline we'd so anything for any major network. Ideation (which was me and a co worker talking at lunch.) I went ahead and did some research into the top moments of Stranger Things, listed them down, and made boards with them. "After that I handed the boards off to my creative director who would tackle it when he had free time. He is pretty fast, so his spurts would do a far chunk, plus we did this style because it's "hard but quick." "After he did all of the keys, I had a intern who just finished a project and we really wanted him to have some cool stuff on his demo reel so we asked if he could do the smoothing out, which he did." Most of the animation was done in After Effects and Cinema 4D, with everything given a black and white treatment and an eerie grainy effect. Related articles: Stranger Things titles could have looked very different 5 best agency side projects of the year 40 amazing After Effects tutorials View the full article

When you're pushed for time or lacking in inspiration, templates can help kick-start your design project. BestTemplates has an impressive collection of over 10,000 templates to fit any project or occasion – and they don't cost the earth either. What's more, there are templates available in all file formats, from Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign to CorelDRAW. Browse the collections online, download your favourite and open it up in your favourite programme where you can add, edit or replace any element and make the design yours. Or if you're really short on time, these templates are all beautifully designed, so you can just edit the text, drop in a logo, and you'll be good to go. Read on to find out more about the collections on offer. Smart brochure templates Got a brochure to design? BestTemplates has a wide selection of brochure templates for a range of industries, from business to education. Pick from bi-fold or tri-fold options to suit your content, then adjust the design to fit with your client's brand colours, and easily drop in the logo or identity elements. Click the image to find out more about this design The smart bi-fold design above is ideal for business clients. It's available in Illustrator, InDesign, Microsoft Word, Photoshop and Publisher formats, and costs just $25. Eye-catching flyer templates Flyers need to catch people's eye and set out key information clearly. You can kick-start your design process with one of BestTemplates' handy flyer layouts. Click the image to find out more about this design All the templates are fully customisable so you can pick whichever one takes your fancy, but if you're lacking in inspiration, explore the dedicated categories. There are 19 in total, including party, marketing, and event designs, so you're sure to find something that suits your needs. Explore thousands of templates All the templates are designed to save you time and get you started with your projects quickly and easily. Scroll through the slideshow below using the arrow icons to explore some of the BestTemplates collection. What we've looked at here is just the tip of the iceberg – BestTemplates also offers professional business documents in range of formats including Google Drive, iWorks and MS Office, for efficient business management. Visit the website to find out more. View the full article

I wield two powerful weapons in our business: a magnifying glass and a telescope. As a project manager I squint through the magnifying glass looking at the details. And as an owner, I gaze through my telescope so I can get my bearings and see what’s coming. These angles are magic. When I fell into project management, like many do, I didn’t have the telescope. I didn’t understand profitability. I didn’t understand revenue models. I didn’t know that two months of project drag could ruin a business. I understood that projects needed managing and I did that. Your PMs have the ability to guide your project and be a solid rudder for your company What I learned as an owner – after feeling the sting of revenue pour in and then dry up while watching payroll and expenses roll out – is that profitability and project management are fundamentally intertwined. It’s a lesson that changed how we do business, as well as the business we do. Companies who get project management know this: your company is only as good as the projects you run. The people running your projects are the sharp edge of a Ginsu in a world of identical software shops labouring over products and visions. They skilfully spin straw into gold. Call them project managers, producers, quasi-product managers, part-time scrum masters or process refiners, your project leads are in disguise. Secretly they wear other hats – that of a wry salesperson, the charming hat of a customer service agent, the cheering hat of a coach. Your PMs have the ability to guide your project and be a solid rudder for your company. It’s time to reveal their awesomeness. First, let’s talk money. Rachel Gertz loves teaching PM apprentices the role of projects in revenue and profitabilityHow agencies spend and make their money Let’s look at how your agency spends money. For most, the expenses look something like this: Payroll Taxes Rent Office equipment/computers Software Contractors Most of your expenses nestle into a predictable monthly pattern. No matter how much or how little you work each month, around the same amount of dough flows out of the company bank account. Some call this your outgoing expenses or burn rate. Your expenses scale based on the number of employees you add. However, revenue is a completely different story for most creative agencies. It varies based on a number of factors: How many clients are in the agency The price of those clients' projects The agency's billing rate Its billing frequency How quickly projects are moving through the agency Whether payments are tied to milestones or billed at intervals How many clients are repeats vs brand new The season Economic trends and new technologies replacing old For many agencies, revenue instability is feast or famine. It’s critical that your company understands how work expands and contracts over the year so you can maintain a healthy cashflow and keep revenue in line with your outgoing cash. Brett Harned understands that PMs are the link between clients and teamsConfining the PM role to managing timelines, budgets, and a to-do list is a mistake. Project management is not about box checking – it’s about people: building relationships, facilitating valuable communications and collaboration, and most of all, understanding the motivations of clients and teams, to craft a project path that works for everyone. When agencies de-prioritise a PM’s involvement with a team and clients, and don’t allow them to be active members of their teams, it shows. Details get missed, people are confused, and clients lose faith in the agency because they see the disconnect between the budget and timeline and the actual work happening. When agencies don’t allow PMs to be active members of their teams, it shows When a PM is deeply involved, things happen more smoothly. Not only are the budget, timeline and tasks in check, people communicate openly and in a timely way, details are documented, there is a better sense of teamwork, and the product tends to be stronger. PMs can keep projects ‘on the rails’ by managing the details with great care, building relationships, and supporting transparent communication around project details. Any conversations about strategy, scope, timeline, or even project possibilities need a PM at the table. They bring rational judgment and clarity around a project’s scope and if it sounds like a lot, it is. But when the PM job is done well, it’s magical. Feed the famine To run a profitable and sustainable shop, you need to keep the money flowing. One way is to fill up your sales pipeline with new client projects as quickly as possible. This is a costly process, though. You bleed time and effort landing the right clients and must often add resources quickly to get the work scheduled during dry spells. Even worse, if smaller, more demanding clients go away after a small or short project, you still spend the same amount setting up and running the project, plus you need to lay off your new team or contractors soon after. This burdens your business development team, your existing staff, and costs your team a ton in onboarding. The truth is, quick sales only address the surface level symptoms of revenue inconsistency. The second way to feed the famine is to smooth out revenue flow. Consider your most under-appreciated and under-utilised business asset: the loyal, hard-working project manager. Sure, project managers juggle calendars, put out fires, and shuffle tasks. All good project managers can ring the iron triangle of time, scope, and budget, but there are some magical things a good project manager does that can transform your business (and if your PM isn’t doing them, we should talk). Your customer service agent If you’re in the business of ‘creating great experiences’ and wowing your clients with apps that steal their breath, ask yourself: is the experience of working with you just as great? Do your clients fall in love with you and respect your processes or do they push back furiously because they don’t trust your project teams to lead? I can’t tell you how many companies I’ve worked with who did amazing work yet suffered the fallout of scope creep, mismanaged expectations, and the spotty revenue that resulted. Great project managers wear the smile of expert customer service agents. They guide teams at the elbow; project concerns get tied with a bow. PMs make sure the experience your client has during the project is as good as the lie your salesperson sold when it started. Avoid extending less profitable projects to prevent revenue gaps (left); Save money by balancing revenue and expenses (right)Project managers are the primary point of contact and set the expectations, tone, and cadence of their projects. They translate the whims of the team and push back against requests that hurt the project. When you have an artful PM dampening conflict and keeping expectations in check, your clients stay longer, pay on time, and even refer you additional work. Your secret business developer Good companies love scope creep – when they can anticipate it. Otherwise, it’ll drag your projects over budget and weeks over schedule. To deal with the slip, your team has two choices. Work overtime to accommodate the extra scope or blow project deadlines. The first leads to resentful, overworked teams and sloppy deliverables. The second leads to delayed payments, fuming clients, and old projects bumping new ones out or overlapping them. More simultaneous projects create a resourcing nightmare for you and your hiring department. And worse? You still have to pay out your contractors with money you won’t get from your client. Good project managers eat scope creep for breakfast. They anticipate it, recognise it, and know how to turn potential overages into future phases or features which means ongoing revenue and more predictable resourcing. Your project manager is a natural business developer. Look at these amazing feats: Transforming scope creep into a future backlog Prioritising high value or higher revenue requests from current clients Notifying and billing clients right away for agreed-upon scope changes Building transparent, trustful relationships with clients who refer more business your way Remember that pesky sales pipeline? The easiest sale will always be to your existing clients, and the more you can turn those current projects into long-term work, the more valuable they become. This means fewer new clients to pull in. You can be profitable while maintaining the size of your client list and avoiding the cost of hiring or contracting new faces to do the work. Oh, and project management works hand-in-hand with sales. Revenue flows in sporadically while expenses are often more cyclicalResources Having the right tools as a PM can mean the difference between clear data and guesses in the dark. Cushion is one example of a handy tool that teams can use to track their incoming revenue on projects. Additional integrations are on the way. Cushion helps you predict your target monthly and annual revenue by stacking project income visually. Your expert fortune teller Agencies are often tempted to take on rotten projects to feed a cash flow shortage. They might seem lovely on the surface, but are tar pits waiting to pull you under. Sometimes the reverse is true: agencies turn down projects that reek of mediocrity but have amazing potential underneath. How can you predict a project’s future? Well, good news: you’ve got an Oracle among you. No one is more attuned to sniffing out the darling projects from the duds than your sharp-nosed PMs. They smell red flags before that project even slides through the door. They can also alert sales to push back on requirements to align clients closer to your company’s goals while creating a mitigation strategy to guide the process. Great project managers know the difference between a red flag that costs you a small amount and one that can throw your project and your team financially overboard. Trust good fortune and let your project managers sniff out the risks on your project track before they even start. Louder Than Ten’s studio in Gastown, Vancouver CanadaLean processes, lean PMs It’s not what you do that sets you apart, it’s how you do it. Collectively, creative companies and their people are facing a tumultuous future as technology and automation blindside their best laid plans. There’s no more time for long project documents and rigid rules. Lean methodologies rein. Clients want transparency and participation. They want a real-time view of how much money they’re spending and how progress is helping them meet goals. They want authentic relationships that aren’t mired in red tape. And so do you. Lean project management is a solid way to save your agency time and money Lean project management is a solid way to save your agency time and money. Smooth, low barrier processes let you refine systems that prioritise productive flow, which means lower effort in production and in project transitions. In other words, you can charge the same for a project that takes less effort and less resources where other shops need to charge more because they stick to the same approach. Even better: great project managers are wired to seek out efficiencies, improve and simplify processes, and refine systems. They have laser vision when it comes to making operations more effective. Apprentices learn how to anticipate red flags before they derail their projectsMake the most of your PMs One thing that destroys me is when shops say they don’t bill for their project managers’ time. Without great PMs, projects fail. So if you want to start running successful projects, bill their effort to the client. Don’t make it a line item, either. They are fundamental to the process, so bake PM into your budget and give them the right ingredients to work with. Effective project managers have the ability to shape your company processes, improve your revenue, and smooth out your cash flow – if you let them. Here’s how to set them up for success: 01. Your business goals When project managers understand the grand mission of your company, they have the power to help vet and align your ongoing projects to your company goals. They can rein in requests or client behaviour that takes you further away from your goals. The more projects align, the higher the chance you’ll get similar work that propels your company further. Involving your team in the goal-setting process and getting their buy-in is paramount. If they own the process, they can drive it. 02. How to make money How much does a meeting cost? How does your company set its rates? Good project managers know. When they understand your break-even rates and how you structure your billing, they can rapidly support estimates and accurate ballparks that take red flags into account, then expand those into detailed probability-based project estimates by reviewing research and discovery findings. Great PMs can show you the double hit you’ll take on revenue when a project is a month delayed. They’ll save you a lot of money by supporting decisions on projects that keep you on track and profitable. 03. Your client’s goals Your PMs are the nucleus of your company; they’re tied to every decision maker and outcome of their projects. As key points of contact, they must understand where your clients want to go. Understanding clients’ business goals means your project managers can translate effective changes that drive more value back to clients, which can translate to more value for you. Great PMs vet these changes to make sure that they don’t take your company further away from its goals. Amazing PMs can inspire and align stakeholders so those goals are reachable. 04. The financial rhythm When your PMs understand your expense cycle, they can help design a more predictable revenue and cash flow, and can schedule projects more predictably. When you avoid the growth and shrinkage of an unstable team, you build trust with your employees. People are happier, they stay longer, and do work that brings you more great projects. On-boarding and hiring costs decrease, and there’s more room in the budget for professional development, which further accelerates your team. Your ideal client matrix is one where you take on projects that get you closer to your business goals without taking excessive riskThe ones who keep the lights on Project managers are the underdogs of the web industry. They don’t get any credit, they’re overworked and under-appreciated, and they’re constantly diverting pressure from their teams and clients so the work gets done. Shockingly, most project managers also don’t have access or input into the core variables that enable them to save your company time and money: your business goals, your revenue and expense cycle, and how you set your rates. But maybe that should change. It might take a little training to get your PMs comfortable connecting the revenue dots, but think of how much it’ll impact your company. In the end, the success of your business rests on the health of your projects and the adept hands of your project managers. Average project managers can hustle projects in and out of your company. Good ones can manage project scope and can predict their impact. Fantastic ones? Well, they’re worth more than their weight in gold. They’re the ones who truly keep the lights on. Illustrator: Marcus Faint This article was originally published in net issue 296. Subscribe here. Like this? Read these! Best project management software Manage your projects better The tools of the trade for project management View the full article

Futura: The Typeface, by Petra Eisele, Annette Ludwig and Isabel Naegele, is a vast and rather beautiful celebration of Futura, launched to celebrate the typeface’s 90th birthday (published by Laurence King Publishing with an RRP $65/£45). And, as a testament to its superb design, Futura really does look as fresh today as it did back in the 1927. It's easy to assume that it would be tricky to create an entire book about Futura. But it turns out there’s a lot of mileage in this perennially trendy typeface. Who knew, for instance, that it was the first typeface on the moon? Or that it was Stanley Kubrick's favourite font? Or, in less positive associations, that it was assailed by the Nazis in World War II, used across the party’s propaganda? Futura has a surprisingly rich historyFutura, as readers of the book will learn, was created by Paul Renner, a typographer and designer "rooted in the design traditions of the liberal humanist bourgeoisie", as well as a leading member of the Deutscher-Werkbund association of architects, artists, designers and industrialists. Rather than basing his design – dubbed "the typeface of our time" – on existing sans serifs that were, in that era, deemed inferior to their serifed peers, he looked to antique inspirations for inspiration while simultaneously creating a modern geometric typeface. The book's layout mimics the geometric stylings of the typeface itselfAs a reference to this sense of geometry, the sections in the book (and sometimes, the text itself) is divided using simple black shapes – circles, triangles and squares are dotted throughout, adding a playful feel to a book that offers a lot in terms of the technical detailing and history of Futura. The historical photographs bring a superb sense of place and context to the typeface: we see 1920s Frankfurt, Futura’s birthplace, and get a wider understanding of the letterforms’ cohesion with wider ideas around architecture and the meaning of 'modernity' at the time. Futura, as these pages prove, manages to always feel modern – hence its use on Robert McCall’s poster design for Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey from 1968 (Futura Extra Bold, to be precise). And as the recommended typeface in the 1976 NASA graphics standards manual for its 'technical character'. An embossed cover and silver page edging make the book stand outAside from its contents, the book itself is truly a thing of beauty: the pale turquoise hardback cover is set off by luxuriously embossed silvery type that shimmers like mother of pearl, and reflective silver edging. It’s a modern and reverent look for a thoroughly modern and revered typeface. Related articles: 20 perfect font pairings 5 creative uses for fonts you may not have thought of 26 books every graphic designer should read View the full article

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It’s natural to expect a student portfolio to fall somewhat below the standard of a professional designer with years of experience under their belt. But every now and again, you see something that makes you stop and pause. These 2017 students all have top-quality portfolio websites that truly mark them out as ones to watch. Check them out, and see just what the next generation is capable of... 01. Raoul Gaillard Raoul Gaillard’s portfolio website showcases both his visual and interactive design skillsRaoul Gaillard is a web developer and UI student at Hetic in Paris. His portfolio site shows off his coding smarts from the word go, with colourful, undulating geometric shapes making the transition between each page a delight for the user. Visually, it’s beautifully crafted, too, with a keen understanding of the power of whitespace and nice typographical choices. With each case study, you’re not bombarded by information but you are provided with the basics, and more details are available at the click of a button. Overall, this site is a great showcase for both Gaillard’s visual and interactive design skills. 02. Chrissen Rajathurai Chrissen Rajathurai’s portfolio uses a simple visual device to create something fresh and originalAnother student at Hectic in Paris, Chrissen Rajathurai is a 24-year-old junior digital designer and freelancer who says he likes to design “simple and friendly interfaces”. And yes, his portfolio site is indeed simple in function, but its visual design still comes across as fresh and original. The use of a darkened, blurry version of each image as page background is implemented perfectly, and really adds an inventive feel to the site. Also, Rajathurai has taken the time to be thoughtful with his microcopy, which means you’re never at a loss in terms of where to go or what to do. If only all portfolio sites could master this trick... 03. Sean Valies Sean Valies’ asymetrical portfolio presentation succeeds brilliantly at drawing you inSean Valies is a 25-year-old in his final year of his Masters in Graphic Design at the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague. We’re not huge fans of the idea of personal logos, to be honest, but his own wordmark – which stays in a fixed position as you navigate the site – is simple and clever enough to work effectively. Presenting your work in an asymmetrical grid is another device that doesn’t always work, but here it succeeds brilliantly in drawing you into Valies’ varied and intriguing projects. All in all, this portfolio site demonstrates that it doesn’t necessarily matter what design choices you make, it’s about how well you implement them. 04. Gemma Mahoney Gemma Mahoney’s portfolio is solid, professional, and full of great design workGemma Mahoney is currently studying a bachelor’s degree in Communication Design in Melbourne, although you wouldn’t necessarily know that from her portfolio site, which focuses on her work as a freelancer and an intern designer at Confetti Studio. Although her image-based layout isn’t particularly original, it’s been constructed in a solid and professional way that does a great job in presenting Mahoney’s high-quality work. 05. Benjamin Hunt Benjamin Hunt’s portfolio mixes an appreciation for process in with images of finished workStudio Ben is the online home of Benjamin Hunt, an industrial design student currently training at Rhode Island School of Design. If students are sometimes perceived as lazy, Hunt’s website disabuses you of that notion straight away, with footage of him actually making stuff as full-screen video. It’s an interesting approach, and definitely grabs the attention. Click through to the portfolio proper and you’ll find a visually enticing, nicely balanced presentation that makes effective use of colour, light and space to sell the skills of this talented student. 06. Ben Chan and Malone Chen This design duo’s portfolio site evokes the feeling of an old-school zineBen Chan and Malone Chen have been studying graphic design at Central Saint Martins in London for three years, and collaborating as a duo for the last two. So it makes sense to have a joint website, and a very cool and contemporary one it is too. Lovingly art-directed, with a monochrome, minimalist feel, their homepage introduces the duo and provides contact details, while clicking on each name takes you through to their respective individual portfolios. Deceptively simple and evoking the feeling of an old-school zine, this is one of the most original and imaginative portfolio presentations we’ve seen in a very long time. 07. Hieu Tran Hieu Tran’s portfolio site strikes a friendly and approachable toneHieu Tran is a graduate of the Graphic Design MFA program at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and specialises in editorial design, branding, and information visualisation. As you can see from the homepage screengrab above, he addresses the visitor in a personal tone through his portfolio site, which instantly endears him to you. Design-wise, the stripped-back aesthetic adds an extra of touch of personality and focuses your attention on his work nicely. And we love that Tran has included a ‘graveyard of failures’ under the heading Not Trash. It's an unusual and somewhat brave touch that just makes us like him more. Related articles: The student guide to working at a top agency 10 brilliant image-led portfolio sites for 2017 6 rock-solid ways to improve your graphic design portfolio View the full article

You're reading 15 Best Free Icon Design Video Tutorials on YouTube, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! The best design software can be used for creating both websites and icons. If you search around you’ll find plenty of icon tuts for Illustrator, Photoshop and for Sketch too. But written guides aren’t always enough when it comes to visual design. I often prefer video tutorials because they’re more straightforward offering a step-by-step approach. And in this post […] View the full article

You're reading Designmodo Halloween Discount 30% Off!, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! BOO!!! The Halloween Sale is Here! Website builders, UI Kits, icons, mockups, fonts and more products are discounted for 5 days only! No tricks, just treats this Halloween with a 30% discount on all Designmodo products! Add products to your cart and use coupon code HALLOWEEN during checkout to save 30%! The coupon code is […] View the full article

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We may be busy gearing up to bring you the best discounts for creatives on Black Friday 2017 at Creative Bloq, but that doesn't mean we've neglected our current deals. For today's daily deal, we've got you a great discount on a course to teach you all about programming with ReactJS. When you interact with a website, it's not often that you see all the gears behind the scenes that are turning with each click. Many of them are powered by JavaScript libraries such as ReactJS. You can learn how to make use of this powerful programming language and use it in your own designs with the ReactJS Programming Bootcamp, on sale now for just $39 (approx £30). The ReactJS Programming Bootcamp contains eight in-depth courses that will teach you how to work with JavaScript and ReactJS to build user interfaces that are responsive and intuitive. Regardless of your programming level, these courses will familiarise you with the concepts you need to know to build for the web and mobile. You’ll get to go hands-on with ReactJS and learn how to build apps and services that people are sure to love interacting with. The ReactJS Programming Bootcamp usually retails for $458, but you can get it on sale now for on sale now for just $39 (approx £30). That’s massive amount of savings for this boot camp that will help you launch your new career or add valuable skills to your resume. About Creative Bloq deals This great deal comes courtesy of the Creative Bloq Deals store – a creative marketplace that's dedicated to ensuring you save money on the items that improve your design life. We all like a special offer or two, particularly with creative tools and design assets often being eye-wateringly expensive. That's why the Creative Bloq Deals store is committed to bringing you useful deals, freebies and giveaways on design assets (logos, templates, icons, fonts, vectors and more), tutorials, e-learning, inspirational items, hardware and more. Every day of the working week we feature a new offer, freebie or contest – if you miss one, you can easily find past deals posts on the Deals Staff author page or Offer tag page. Plus, you can get in touch with any feedback at:deals@creativebloq.com. Related articles: The 10 most iconic user interfaces in movie history The pro's guide to UI design How to build a chatbot interface View the full article

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

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

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

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

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