<p class="intro">Back in July I posted some of my <a href="http://justcreative.com/2012/07/27/recent-web-design-work/" title="Recent Web Work">recent work</a> for <a href="http://justcreative.com/2012/07/29/comedians-in-cars-getting-coffee/" title="Jerry Seinfeld">Jerry Seinfeld</a>, <a href="http://justcreative.com/2012/07/11/sweetn-low-website/" title="Sweet N Low">Sweet&#8217;N Low</a>, <a href="http://justcreative.com/2012/06/01/energy-kitchen/" title="Energy Kitchen">Energy Kitchen</a> and now six months later, I have a few more web &amp; branding projects to share with you. Thanks for looking!</p> <h2>Ruff Club</h2> <p><a href="http://ruffclub.com" title="Ruff Club NYC">Ruff Club</a> is a dog-friendly social club and contemporary pet care hub based in East Village, New York City. I had the pleasure of branding this new business from the ground up, creating their logo, overall look &amp; feel and web site design.</p> <p>The positioning of the brand shies away from the &#8220;boutique hotel experience&#8221; and instead, true to the East Village, offers a laid-back environment where dogs and humans are treated with dignity and respect but never pampered or infantilized.</p> <p>Ruff Club is built on the idea that people can channel the love and humility their dogs provide, into new relationships and collective community engagement.</p> <p>Ruff Club will be opening their doors very soon. I&#8217;ll share more photos once they become available.</p> <div class="wp-caption alignnone"><img alt="Ruff Club Logo" class=" " height="457" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/RUFF-Club-Logo-640x457.jpg" title="Ruff Club Logo" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Ruff Club Logo</p></div> <div> <div class="mceTemp"></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone"><img alt="Ruff Club Logo Reversed" class=" " height="457" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/RUFF-Club-Logo-Dark-640x457.jpg" title="Ruff Club Logo Reversed" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Ruff Club Logo Reversed</p></div> </div> <div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11470"><a href="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Ruff-Club-Website-Home-Page.jpg"><img alt="Ruff Club Website Home Page" class="size-large wp-image-11470" height="421" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Ruff-Club-Website-Home-Page-640x421.jpg" title="Ruff Club Website Home Page" width="640" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Ruff Club Website Home Page</p></div> </div> <div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11471"><a href="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Ruff-Club-Website-SubPage.jpg"><img alt="Ruff Club Website FAQ Page" class="size-large wp-image-11471" height="655" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Ruff-Club-Website-SubPage-640x655.jpg" title="Ruff Club Website FAQ Page" width="640" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Ruff Club Website FAQ Page</p></div> </div> <div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11465"><img alt="Ruff Club Letterhead (Logo Stamped On) &amp; Business Card" class="size-large wp-image-11465" height="477" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Ruff-Club-Stationery-640x477.jpg" title="Ruff-Club-Stationery" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Ruff Club Letterhead (The logo &amp; text are stamped on) &amp; Business Card</p></div> </div> <div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11438"><img alt="Ruff Club Pre Launch at the NYC Halloween Dog Parade " class="size-large wp-image-11438" height="480" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Ruff-Club-Launch-640x480.jpg" title="Ruff Club Pre Launch at the NYC Halloween Dog Parade " width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Ruff Club pre launch at the NYC Halloween Dog Parade.</p></div> </div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11439"><img alt="Ruff Club Store" class="size-large wp-image-11439" height="480" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Ruff-Club-Store-640x480.jpg" title="Ruff-Club-Store" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Outside of the Ruff Club store front, providing support for pets effected by Hurricane Sandy.</p></div> <h2>Coffee Shop Restaurant, NYC</h2> <p>When Ammirati (the agency I work at) was asked to rebrand &amp; refresh the iconic <a href="http://thecoffeeshopnyc.com" title="The Coffee Shop NYC">Coffee Shop</a> restaurant in Union Square, our stomachs growled at the opportunity. We designed a sexy new website that visually reflected their 23 opening hours, both for the desktop and mobile.</p> <p>Each of the 23 squares on their home page represents 1 hour of the day and a photo taken within that hour is randomly displayed each time the page is loaded. The website is scalable ensuring that screen sizes are used to their maximum potential. Viewing the menu and ordering online is just one click away too.</p> <p>My role in this project was coming up with the 23 hour grid concept and the overall UX / UI design for the desktop and mobile versions of the site.</p> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11391"><img alt="Coffee Shop Website" class="size-large wp-image-11391" height="468" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Coffee-Shop-Website-640x468.jpg" title="Coffee-Shop-Website" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The Coffee Shop Website</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11295"><a href="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Coffee-Shop-Final.jpg"><img alt="Coffee Shop Union Square, NYC" class="size-large wp-image-11295 " height="445" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Coffee-Shop-Final-640x445.jpg" title="Coffee Shop" width="640" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The home page for the 'Coffee Shop' Union Square, NYC</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11296"><a href="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Coffee-Shop-Menu.jpg"><img alt="Website Menu Page for 'Coffee Shop' Union Square, NYC" class="size-large wp-image-11296" height="445" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Coffee-Shop-Menu-640x445.jpg" title="Coffee-Shop-Menu" width="640" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The menu page for 'Coffee Shop' Union Square, NYC </p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11321"><a href="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/CoffeeShop-Mobile.jpg"><img alt="Coffee Shop NYC Mobile Website" class="size-large wp-image-11321" height="354" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/CoffeeShop-Mobile-640x354.jpg" title="CoffeeShop-Mobile" width="640" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Coffee Shop NYC Mobile Website</p></div> <h2>Au Natural <em>In The Raw</em> Facebook App</h2> <p>The Au Natural <em>In The Raw </em>app allows users to upload their own food photo, censor it, and then share their successful creation. Friends can then click on the shared photo and &#8220;reveal&#8221; the sweet creation via an interactive slider. Users can then share their own photo, view the Au Natural gallery and gain access to secret <em>In The Raw</em> recipes.</p> <p>My role in this project was the interaction design for both the mobile &amp; desktop versions of the Facebook application; including the overall architecture of the app, the user experience &amp; user interface design. Designed &amp; developed at Ammirati.</p> <p>The mobile version can be seen here (must be viewed on a Mobile device):<br /> <a href="https://www.hotintherawaction.com/mobile/" target="_blank">https://www.hotintherawaction.com/mobile/</a></p> <p>The desktop version can be seen here:<br /> <a href="https://www.hotintherawaction.com/" target="_blank">https://www.hotintherawaction.com/</a></p> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11312"><a href="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ITR-Mobile.jpg"><img alt="In The Raw Mobile" class="size-large wp-image-11312" height="457" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ITR-Mobile-640x457.jpg" title="ITR Mobile" width="640" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">In The Raw Mobile Facebook App</p></div> <p><a href="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/02-Au-Natural-Facebook.jpg"><img alt="Au Natural Food Porn Gallery Facebook Cover Photo" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-11204" height="560" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/02-Au-Natural-Facebook-640x560.jpg" title="02-Au-Natural-Facebook" width="640" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/03-Au-Natural-Home.jpg"><img alt="Au Natural App Home Page" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-11205" height="962" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/03-Au-Natural-Home-640x962.jpg" title="03-Au-Natural-Home" width="640" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/04-Au-Natural-Censor.jpg"><img alt="Au Natural: Censor Your Food Photo" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-11206" height="856" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/04-Au-Natural-Censor-640x856.jpg" title="04-Au-Natural-Censor" width="640" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/05-Au-Natural-Success.jpg"><img alt="Au Natural Sweet Success - Food Photo Censored" class="size-large wp-image-11207" height="1059" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/05-Au-Natural-Success-640x1059.jpg" title="05-Au-Natural-Success" width="640" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/06-Au-Natural-Slide.jpg"><img alt="Au Natural Food Photo Slider Reveal" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-11208" height="1447" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/06-Au-Natural-Slide-640x1447.jpg" title="06-Au-Natural-Slide" width="640" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/09-Au-Natural-Recipe.jpg"><img alt="Au Natural Food Recipe Page" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-11210" height="1253" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/09-Au-Natural-Recipe-640x1253.jpg" title="09-Au-Natural-Recipe" width="640" /></a></p> <div> <a href="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Au-Natural-Mobile.jpg"><img alt="Au Natural In The Raw Mobile App" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-11211" height="410" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Au-Natural-Mobile-640x410.jpg" title="Au-Natural-Mobile" width="640" /></a></div> <h2>Vero Water</h2> <p><a href="http://verowater.com" title="Vero Water">Vero Water</a> is the industry leader for the finest still and sparkling water and is based in Miami, USA. I created this logo / brand identity / bottle design back in 2009 however they&#8217;ve just had a photo shoot and thought I would share some of the new shots.</p> <div><img alt="Vero Logo" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-11091" height="457" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Vero-Logo-640x457.jpg" title="Vero-Logo" width="640" /></div> <div></div> <div></div> <div><img alt="VERO Water Bottles" height="372" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/vero-water-bottles.jpeg" title="VERO Water Bottles" width="600" /></div> <div></div> <div><img alt="VERO Water Bottling System" height="400" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/vero-water-bottling-system.jpeg" title="VERO Water Bottling System" width="600" /></div> <div></div> <div><img alt="VERO Miami" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11093" height="408" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/vero-miami.jpeg" title="vero-miami" width="612" /></div> <div></div> <div><img alt="VERO Restaurant" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-11094" height="342" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/vero-restaurant-640x342.jpg" title="vero-restaurant" width="640" /></div> <div></div> <h2>Appex</h2> <p>Another client, <a href="http://appex.no" title="Appex">Appex</a>, that I designed the brand identity for in 2009 has been expanding very fast. Here are some snaps showing their identity in use, from yo-yos, to soccer jerseys, to 8-foot high signage. Great to see it all come alive!</p> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11329"><img alt="Appex Front Desk with Yo-Yos and Balloons" class="size-full wp-image-11329" height="427" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Appex-Front-Desk.jpg" title="Appex-Front-Desk" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Appex Front Desk with Yo-Yos and Balloons</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11330"><img alt="Appex Lobby" class="size-large wp-image-11330" height="427" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Appex-Lobby-640x427.jpg" title="Appex Lobby" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Appex Lobby</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11328"><img alt="Appex Welcome Chair" class="size-full wp-image-11328" height="800" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Appex-Chair.jpg" title="Appex-Chair" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Appex Welcome Chair</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11332"><img alt="Installing The Appex Signage" class="size-large wp-image-11332" height="427" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Appex-Signage-Installation-640x427.jpg" title="Appex-Signage-Installation" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Installing The Appex Signage</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11333"><img alt="Appex Signage" class="size-large wp-image-11333" height="427" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Appex-Signage-640x427.jpg" title="Appex-Signage" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">8 Foot Appex Signage</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11331"><img alt="Appex Newspaper Ad" class="size-large wp-image-11331" height="480" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Appex-Newspaper-Ad-640x480.jpg" title="Appex-Newspaper-Ad" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Appex Newspaper Ad</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11334"><img alt="Appex Football Team" class="size-large wp-image-11334" height="338" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Appex-Soccer-Team-640x338.jpg" title="Appex-Soccer-Team" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Appex Football Team</p></div> <p>Thoughts and comments are always welcome. Thanks again for looking!</p> <p>As a heads up, the Just Creative blog may be a bit quiet over the December holiday break as I will be traveling. Happy Holidays all!</p> <hr /><br /> &copy; This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=VDJFQ0wBdDQ:pG9baofuqzo:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=VDJFQ0wBdDQ:pG9baofuqzo:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=VDJFQ0wBdDQ:pG9baofuqzo:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=VDJFQ0wBdDQ:pG9baofuqzo:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=VDJFQ0wBdDQ:pG9baofuqzo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=VDJFQ0wBdDQ:pG9baofuqzo:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=VDJFQ0wBdDQ:pG9baofuqzo:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=VDJFQ0wBdDQ:pG9baofuqzo:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=VDJFQ0wBdDQ:pG9baofuqzo:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=VDJFQ0wBdDQ:pG9baofuqzo:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

<p><em>*This is a guest article contributed by Aniya Wells.</em></p> <p class="intro"><strong>Charles and Ray Eames</strong> were the design power couple of the 20th century. Their Eames Lounge chair for Herman Miller, shown below, is one of the most lusted-after furniture designs in the world, and is only the best known example of their vast output.</p> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11415"><img alt="Eames Lounge Chair" class="size-large wp-image-11415" height="357" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/eames-lounge-chair-640x357.jpg" title="eames-lounge-chair" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Eames Lounge Chair</p></div> <p>For over 35 years, Charles and Ray lived as husband and wife, but also as partners in a design practice that put forth such remarkably varied fruits as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eames_House" title="Eames House">Eames Case Study House</a>, the film <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powers_of_Ten" title="Powers of Ten">Powers of Ten</a>, and the exhibition Mathematica, still on view today at the Boston Museum of Science.</p> <p>Though slogan writing was not one of their advertised areas of expertise, Charles had a particular knack for the pithy, memorable quotation. I have drawn on some of them, published in the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/100-Quotes-By-Charles-Eames/dp/B003CMTHQQ" title="100 Quotes from Charles &amp; Ray Eames">100 Quotes by Charles Eames</a>, in order to suggest a handful of lessons we can learn from the Eames Office:</p> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11413"><img alt="Charles Ray Eames" class="size-full wp-image-11413" height="443" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/charles-ray-eames.jpg" title="charles-ray-eames" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Ray &amp; Charles Eames</p></div> <h3>1. “The role of the designer is that of a very good, thoughtful host anticipating the needs of his guests.”</h3> <p>This quote from Charles Eames succinctly sums up the couple’s philosophical approach to design, and it explains the charm, detail, and accessibility that characterize so much of their work. The word “guest” is tossed around so much these days as a euphemism for “customer” that it’s easy to lose track of the original meaning of the word.</p> <p>The Eameses, as global travelers and enthusiastic amateur anthropologists (indeed, they saw this as part of their role as designers) learned firsthand the value of hospitality, and the role of a designer in smoothing the way for people to live and work. This means not only making things more functional, though that’s of primary importance. It also means making them more pleasing. As Charles often admonished designers:</p> <div class="superquote"> &#8220;Take your pleasures seriously.&#8221; </div> <h3>2. The more you do, the more you can do.</h3> <p>Perhaps the greatest secret to the success of the Eameses was that they refused to specialize. By taking commissions and launching new projects of their own for architecture, film, furniture, toys, games, museum exhibits, textiles, magazines, and more, they developed a comprehensive, even universal approach to their work. “We work because it’s a chain reaction, each subject leads to the next,” Charles said. A varied career has a way of cross-fertilizing from one domain to another.</p> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11414"><img alt="The Eames House" class="size-full wp-image-11414" height="480" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/eames-house.jpg" title="eames-house" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The Eames House. Photo by Thomahalk1.</p></div> <h3>3. “Innovate as a last resort. More horrors are done in the name of innovation than any other.”</h3> <p>Great designers are voracious scavengers. In this age of sampling, mashups, and copyleft activism, we can look back and see that Charles and Ray were far ahead of their time in their collage-like approach to creativity. They disapproved of the cult of originality in their time, and saw that often the best solutions come from the ground up.</p> <div class="superquote"> &#8220;Eventually, everything connects &#8211; people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se.&#8221; </div> <p>This should extend to your interactions with fellow designers. Being competitive is natural, but try to create a space for idea incubation, exchange, and riffing. After all, “Ideas are cheap. Always be passionate about ideas and communicating those ideas and discoveries to others in the things you make.”</p> <h3>4. A partnership is more than the sum of its parts.</h3> <p>While most of us are not married to our professional colleagues (and if we are, we know it certainly presents complications absent from our romantic daydreams), nevertheless this is true of even purely creative relationships. Think about how you can create this type of nonzero economy in your own interactions. When working with a client, don’t impose your own vision from outside, but consider what unique qualities you can draw out from them.</p> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11425"><img alt="La Chaise" class="size-full wp-image-11425" height="480" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/la-chaise.jpg" title="La Chaise" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">La Chaise Lounge Chair</p></div> <p>With all their diverse accomplishments, the greatest example the Eameses left us is their dynamic, symbiotic life together. As Charles put it, “Any time one or more things are consciously put together in a way that they can accomplish something better than they could have accomplished individually, this is an act of design.”</p> <p>For more Eames, this <a href="http://fuckyeahrayandcharleseames.tumblr.com/archive" title="Ray Charles Eames">Tumblr has a nice visual overview</a>. <strong>Do you have a favorite Eames piece?</strong></p> <p>&#8211;</p> <p><em>*Aniya Wells is a freelance blogger who primarily writes for  <a href="http://www.onlinedegreeprograms.com/" title="Online Degree Programs">www.onlinedegreeprograms.com</a>. She also enjoys investigating trends in other niches, notably technology, traditional higher education, health, and small business. Aniya welcomes reader questions and comments.</em></p> <hr /><br /> &copy; This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=fMLskbSeW1Y:q3UwEFRP93c:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=fMLskbSeW1Y:q3UwEFRP93c:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=fMLskbSeW1Y:q3UwEFRP93c:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=fMLskbSeW1Y:q3UwEFRP93c:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=fMLskbSeW1Y:q3UwEFRP93c:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=fMLskbSeW1Y:q3UwEFRP93c:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=fMLskbSeW1Y:q3UwEFRP93c:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=fMLskbSeW1Y:q3UwEFRP93c:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=fMLskbSeW1Y:q3UwEFRP93c:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=fMLskbSeW1Y:q3UwEFRP93c:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

<p class="intro">Here are a few interesting links that I tweeted this week. <a href="http://twitter.com/justcreative" title="Just Creative on Twitter">Feel free to follow @justcreative for more</a>.</p> <p><img alt="Twitter Bird" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11182" height="400" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/twitter-bird.gif" title="twitter-bird" width="640" /></p> <ul> <li>Pretty solid advice and tips from <a dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/teehanlax">@teehanlax</a>: 10 Years of Teehan + Lax <a dir="ltr" href="http://t.co/9BvpYvZl" target="_blank" title="http://bit.ly/Py3RRP">http://bit.ly/Py3RRP</a></li> <li>Did you know you can save paths within JPGS? Here&#8217;s how. <a dir="ltr" href="http://t.co/B1Vv7jwl" target="_blank" title="http://bit.ly/PGKs19">http://bit.ly/PGKs19</a></li> <li>Instagram gets profiles, here&#8217;s mine &#8211; <a dir="ltr" href="http://t.co/fISJZ03O" target="_blank" title="http://bit.ly/RJOy6L">http://bit.ly/RJOy6L</a></li> <li>A neat little stunt releasing the new Sony Xperia phone &#8211; <a dir="ltr" href="http://t.co/bKSThrni" target="_blank" title="http://bit.ly/WBR2Kq">http://bit.ly/WBR2Kq</a></li> <li>Appex, a client I designed the brand identity for has recently installed a rather massive sign on their building. <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/appex/7985402043/in/photostream" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/RFh8q4 </a></li> <li>Hurricane Sandy is &#8220;likely the most digitally captured event in history&#8221;. 1.3 million photos were tagged with <a dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Sandy&amp;src=hash"><s>#</s>Sandy</a>. <a dir="ltr" href="http://t.co/4yUr5UAi" target="_blank" title="http://on.mash.to/Wr8Wzj">http://on.mash.to/Wr8Wzj</a></li> <li>Although Hurricane Sandy was bad, I certainly wouldn&#8217;t wanna come across a fire tornado! Damn! <a dir="ltr" href="http://t.co/2E98BpWk" target="_blank" title="http://bit.ly/YyRmaQ">http://bit.ly/YyRmaQ</a></li> <li>ikonic 150 vector icon set by <a dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/rakeshdesign">@rakeshdesign</a> looks pretty neat <a dir="ltr" href="http://t.co/ovJlzJ2m" target="_blank" title="http://bit.ly/VXHq6N">http://bit.ly/VXHq6N </a> Free 25 too!</li> <li>A sneak preview of the new <a dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/RuffClubNYC">@ruffclubnyc</a> website that I created the brand identity / website for. <a dir="ltr" href="http://t.co/JF8WYrQX" target="_blank" title="http://bit.ly/XP6q3L">http://bit.ly/XP6q3L</a></li> <li><a dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/NRL">@NRL</a> Rugby League launches new brand logo <a dir="ltr" href="http://t.co/4t5k2RZk" target="_blank" title="http://bit.ly/Rfz74f">http://bit.ly/Rfz74f </a></li> <li>A Year In Full Colour stop motion video &#8211; <a href="http://youtu.be/7Q9XvlMITrQ" title="YouTube">http://youtu.be/7Q9XvlMITrQ</a></li> </ul> <p>Stay tuned for more.</p> <hr /><br /> &copy; This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=0Oqch38j_uE:L8rCxgMpnyw:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=0Oqch38j_uE:L8rCxgMpnyw:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=0Oqch38j_uE:L8rCxgMpnyw:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=0Oqch38j_uE:L8rCxgMpnyw:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=0Oqch38j_uE:L8rCxgMpnyw:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=0Oqch38j_uE:L8rCxgMpnyw:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=0Oqch38j_uE:L8rCxgMpnyw:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=0Oqch38j_uE:L8rCxgMpnyw:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=0Oqch38j_uE:L8rCxgMpnyw:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=0Oqch38j_uE:L8rCxgMpnyw:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

<p><em>This is a collaborative guest article between Jamie Wayne* and I.</em></p> <p class="intro">Whether you&#8217;re a graphic <a href="http://justcreative.com/category/design-for-students/" title="Design For Students">design student</a> or a young professional, getting your foot in the door is not as simple as it sounds. Taking the first step requires initiative, patience and some wisdom too.</p> <p>Thankfully, there&#8217;s always a way to make it in and this article will provide seven different ways for you to get your foot in the door.</p> <div><img alt="Foot In The Door" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-11123" height="426" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/foot-door-640x426.jpg" title="Foot In The Door" width="640" /></div> <h2>1. Network at Conferences &amp; Events</h2> <p><a href="http://jamiewayne.com/2012/02/04/xcviii-why-you-should-start-networking-now-instead-of-later/" target="_blank" title="Why you should start networking now instead of later">Networking</a> at <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2012/10/25/upcoming-web-design-development-conferences-2012-2013/" target="_blank" title="Design Conferences 2013">design conferences </a>and professional events can be a good way to get meet new people and build a professional stronghold. From conversing with other graphic designers to developers, copywriters, and business owners, exposure from these events can lead to great opportunities. With this said, walking into an event blindfolded may set you up for trouble as first impressions are everything. It&#8217;s imperative to keep a few things in mind when making your first impression – be admirable and memorable.</p> <p><strong>Be Admirable</strong></p> <ul> <li>Plan ahead for networking opportunities by <a href="http://www.howdesign.com/design-career/job-search-tips/present-your-portfolio/" title="Portfolio Polish">polishing up your portfolio</a> &amp; <a href="http://www.yourbusinesscardsucks.com/" target="_blank" title="Your Card Sucks">business cards</a>.</li> <li>Be presentable for the occasion. Is it casual or formal?</li> <li>Ask questions and be interested (or act it) in every discussion.</li> <li>Don&#8217;t try to oversell your skills or services. Tell don&#8217;t sell.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Be Memorable</strong></p> <p>Small talk &amp; <a href="http://justcreative.com/2008/10/02/design-elevator-speeches/" title="Elevator Speeches">elevator pitches</a> are common within these arenas, so listen well, show courtesy and thank those you talk to for their time. Don&#8217;t be afraid to smile and lighten up the mood a bit. Offer your business card as you close the conversation and you&#8217;ll most likely get the other person&#8217;s card in return. Keep the card in case you want to follow up with this person in the near future.</p> <h2>2. Follow Up, Use LinkedIn &amp; Other Social Sites</h2> <p><a href="http://mashable.com/2012/05/23/linkedin-beginners/" target="_blank" title="LinkedIn Beginners">LinkedIn</a> is a great tool for building networks <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8MDihYKZTU" title="How to get clients on LinkedIn">and getting clients</a>, however it&#8217;s also a very handy tool to follow up with those you have briefly conversed with. A quick search of their name should yield a number of results. Before you contact them, think of the best way to contact them? Would they prefer an email rather than a LinkedIn connection?</p> <h2>3. Seek a Mentor</h2> <p>Having a mentor is a great way to learn the ropes. You will learn things such as <a href="http://justcreative.com/2009/02/26/how-much-to-charge-for-design-work/" target="_blank">how much to charge for design</a>, <a href="http://justcreative.com/2010/06/24/design-agency-vs-freelance-life/" target="_blank" title="Design agency vs freelancing">the pros and cons of freelancing</a>, <a href="http://justcreative.com/2007/12/27/how-to-boost-your-creativity/" target="_blank" title="Creativity">how to improve your creative process</a>, <a href="http://justcreative.com/2011/11/29/designer-office-set-up/" target="_blank" title="Designer Tools">recommended tools</a>, how to present your work, and much more.</p> <p>It&#8217;s important to understand the relationship between a mentor and mentee. Like a relationship between a couple, the mentor/mentee is also a two-way commitment that requires trust and honesty. Help them and they will help you. Ask for advice, seek out new opportunities &amp; if you have to get the coffee, do it with a smile.</p> <div><img alt="Mentor" height="424" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/mentor-640x424.jpg" title="Mentor" width="640" /></div> <h5><strong>How do you find a mentor?</strong></h5> <p><strong></strong> It all depends on the scenario however there are a <a href="http://www.howdesign.com/design-career/mentoring/" title="Find a design mentor">few methods of finding a mentor</a>;</p> <p><strong>In Person</strong></p> <p>Once you&#8217;ve connected with someone and got to know them and have established some trust, it wouldn&#8217;t hurt to ask if they have the time to show you more of the ropes. Let that person know you&#8217;re interested in learning from them and see what they have to say. Be flexible with them, as it&#8217;s them doing you a favor.</p> <p><strong>Online</strong></p> <p><strong></strong>If you&#8217;re breaking the ice online, take extra care in crafting your approach, as it can be very difficult to convey personality through written communication. Always let them know you appreciate their time. If the person doesn&#8217;t have the time available, then it wouldn&#8217;t hurt to ask a few questions. At the very least, seldom communication may lead to a slowly growing relationship. Get them on your radar, and keep them there without being a pest.</p> <h2>4. Take Up Pro-Bono Work</h2> <p>Taking up <a href="http://www.davidairey.com/pro-bono-design/" target="_blank" title="Pro Bono Design">pro-bono work</a> will not only help a special cause, but it will build up your portfolio which will help you land more projects &amp; strengthen your credibility in the long term.</p> <div><img alt="Pro Bono Work" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-11122" height="496" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/charity-640x496.jpg" title="Charity" width="640" /></div> <p>Before taking on pro bono work consider the following; Is there enough time to make the commitment? Are you financially capable of accepting a pro-bono project? What kinds of organisations would you do pro-bono work for? Make sure you are suited to take on pro-bono work before endorsing a false commitment.</p> <h2>5. Get Your Work or Portfolio Reviewed</h2> <p>Sharing your portfolio with seasoned professionals and asking for a review can help you gain new insights on the execution of your creative ideas. <a href="http://blog.teamtreehouse.com/the-art-of-the-design-critique" target="_blank" title="Constructive Criticism">Constructive criticism</a> is encouraged and you should always aim to take away new ideas and possibilities. Follow the motto; <a href="http://www.nwicreative.org/learn/get-your-portfolio-up-to-snuff/" target="_blank" title="Get your portfolio up to snuff">seek criticism, not praise</a>.</p> <p>Sharing your work will also allow other designers to observe your style, thought process, and results. This will allow others to lend you advice, which may lead into a steady stream of communication.</p> <h2>6. Start a Blog &amp; Guest Author</h2> <p>Don&#8217;t overlook the benefits of <a href="http://justcreative.com/2011/04/27/building-a-personal-brand/" target="_blank" title="Starting A Blog">starting a blog</a>. In conjunction with social media sites, a blog can help establish your online presence, as well as be the frontier of your voice and portfolio.</p> <p>While some authors write on their own blog, others will contribute their articles elsewhere as a guest author. Guest authoring is a great way to share your voice with audiences elsewhere and connect with others on an international scale.</p> <div><img alt="Im Possible" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-11124" height="423" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/im-possible-640x423.jpg" title="Possible" width="640" /></div> <p>While each one of these ways can help you gain more exposure, utilizing several, if not all, will maximize your chances significantly.</p> <h2>7. Take Action</h2> <p>As a last piece of advice, I want to recite a few words, courtesy of my mentor, <a href="http://www.chasetalon.com/" target="_blank" title="Chase Talon Design">Chase Talon</a>, that inspired me to push myself through the doors.</p> <blockquote><p><em>&#8220;There is one thing and one thing alone that leads to success. That is action. Make a decision on what you want and begin moving forward with an unwavering, unrelenting, incessant vigor to see your goal to it&#8217;s end. Never letting fear guide you. It&#8217;s an illusion. All fear, and negativity are, is a test to prove how bad you want something.&#8221;</em></p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.whosay.com/BillMaher/videos/5963" title="Wish It. Want It. Do It.">Wish it, want it, do it</a>.</p> <p><strong>Have you got any other tips on how designers can get their foot in the door?</strong></p> <p>&#8211;</p> <p><em>*<a href="http://www.jamiewayne.com/about/" target="_blank" title="Jamie Wayne | Valparaiso Northwest Indiana Graphic Designer">Jamie Wayne</a> is a graphic designer for <a href="http://www.adforcecreative.com/" target="_blank" title="Ad Force Creative">Ad Force Creative</a> in Northwest Indiana, a webmaster &amp; graphic designer for the Center for Innovation through Visualization &amp; Simulation at Purdue University Calumet, and a member &amp; writer of the Northwest Indiana Creative Professionals. Photos from <a href="http://bigstock.com" title="Big Stock">BigStock</a>.</em></p> <hr /><br /> &copy; This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=D2AsBRt0gGs:ZL4lCnAFyN4:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=D2AsBRt0gGs:ZL4lCnAFyN4:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=D2AsBRt0gGs:ZL4lCnAFyN4:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=D2AsBRt0gGs:ZL4lCnAFyN4:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=D2AsBRt0gGs:ZL4lCnAFyN4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=D2AsBRt0gGs:ZL4lCnAFyN4:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=D2AsBRt0gGs:ZL4lCnAFyN4:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=D2AsBRt0gGs:ZL4lCnAFyN4:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=D2AsBRt0gGs:ZL4lCnAFyN4:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=D2AsBRt0gGs:ZL4lCnAFyN4:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

<p class="intro">I recently came back from 1.5 weeks traveling around Iceland, an extremely beautiful country. You can <a href="http://on.fb.me/W95OVX" title="Iceland Photos">view a few snaps on Facebook</a> and read more about the trip below.</p> <p>I went with a company called <a href="https://www.striking.ly/founderexcursionsiceland#0" title="Founders Excursions">Founders Excursions</a> who organized a trip of 14 like-minded entrepreneurs from Iceland and USA, to travel through Iceland doing <a href="http://siadv.is/?page_id=933" title="Adventure Tours">adventurous activities</a> while networking at the same time.</p> <div><a href="http://on.fb.me/W95OVX" title="Iceland Photos"><img alt="Iceland" class="alignnone wp-image-11035" height="424" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Iceland-Photos-39-of-51-640x424.jpg" title="Iceland" width="640" /></a></div> <h3>Highlights of the Trip</h3> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=jiRegEs83A0" title="Canyoining Iceland">Canyoning</a> (climbing and swimming up waterfalls, then floating back down)</li> <li>Super jeeping (4&#215;4 driving through the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landmannalaugar"><em>Landmannalaugar</em></a> mountains)</li> <li>Enjoying bonfires, beers and Icelandic BBQ</li> <li>Having tea &amp; coffee at the US Embassy</li> <li>Driving through the back country &amp; around the glaciers / volcanoes</li> <li>Viewing the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_%28astronomy%29"><em>Northern Lights</em></a></li> <li>Speed boating &amp; exploring <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vestmannaeyjar"><em>Vestmannaeyjar Islands</em></a></li> <li>Swimming at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Lagoon_%28geothermal_spa%29"><em>Blue Lagoon</em></a> (Geothermal spa), one of National Geographic&#8217;s Seven Wonders of the World</li> <li>Taking in the glorious<em> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B6kuls%C3%A1rl%C3%B3n">Jökulsárlón</a> </em>(Glacier Lagoon &#8211; where the lake&#8217;s glaciers go out to sea)</li> <li>Bathing in the natural geo thermal springs while the mountains surrounded us</li> <li>Participating in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifting_stone"><em>steintökin</em></a> (strong man competition). Needless to say, I am no Viking!</li> <li>Having my shoes stolen on the first day at a public pool (Yup!)</li> <li>Enjoying the &#8220;Bæjarins beztu pylsur&#8221; (best-in-town Icelandic hotdogs). Can&#8217;t say much about the <em>Harðfiskur</em> (wind dried fish). Also loved the <em>Skyr</em> (drinkable yogurt).</li> <li>Overall, just enjoying the beautiful, peaceful Icelandic scenery.</li> </ul> <p>If interested in a similar experience get in contact with our awesome guide, Siggi from <a href="http://siadv.is/">South Iceland Adventure</a> or <a href="http://www.mattwilson.tv/" title="Matt Wilson">Matt Wilson</a> from Founders Excursions. I&#8217;d highly recommend it!</p> <hr /><br /> &copy; This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=rQlhH0ax2BY:4LLyquN_hs8:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=rQlhH0ax2BY:4LLyquN_hs8:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=rQlhH0ax2BY:4LLyquN_hs8:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=rQlhH0ax2BY:4LLyquN_hs8:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=rQlhH0ax2BY:4LLyquN_hs8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=rQlhH0ax2BY:4LLyquN_hs8:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=rQlhH0ax2BY:4LLyquN_hs8:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=rQlhH0ax2BY:4LLyquN_hs8:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=rQlhH0ax2BY:4LLyquN_hs8:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=rQlhH0ax2BY:4LLyquN_hs8:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

<p class="intro">I was recently approached by Samsung to take part in their <a href="http://www.facebook.com/SamsungSSD" title="SSD Drivers">SSD Drivers program</a> which would allow me (and a few others) to test out their latest <a href="http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/solid-state-drives" title="SSD">SSD</a> (Solid State Drive) and review it here for you guys. After reading up on SSD drives and their <a href="http://www.samsung.com/us/article/top-ten-benefits-of-ssd" title="Benefits of SSD">benefits</a>, I decided to join the program and the results so far have been awesome.</p> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_11011"><img alt="Samsung SSD Drivers" class="size-large wp-image-11011" height="236" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/samsung-ssd-drivers-640x236.jpg" title="samsung-ssd-drivers" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Samsung SSD Drivers (Yours truly on the far right)</p></div> <h3>What is a SSD?</h3> <p>A solid-state drive is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store data. SSDs have the same purpose as traditional mechanical hard drives, but there is one major difference – they&#8217;re electronic devices and don’t have any mechanical parts. Unlike HDDs, SSDs don’t store data on spinning platters, but use flash memory instead.</p> <div class="superquote"> In short, this means that a SSD will make your computer considerably faster in a more reliable, silent and energy efficient manner. </div> <h3>Easy Installation</h3> <p>Samsung originally sent me a complimentary <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005T3GQ0G/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B005T3GQ0G&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=justcrea-20" title="Samsung SSD 256GB">256GB SSD</a> however I decided that I <del>wanted</del> needed a 512GB so I sent the 256GB back to them and instead bought my own <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005T3GPXO/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B005T3GPXO&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=justcrea-20" title="Samsung SSD 512GB">512GB SSD</a> to review.</p> <p><img alt="Samsung SSD 512GB" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11015" height="380" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/samsung-ssd-512gb1.jpg" title="Samsung SSD 512GB" width="640" /></p> <p>After receiving the SSD, I watched a video from Samsung on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mihb8YQzDxw" title="How to install SSD for Mac">how to install it on a Mac</a> and after a quick stop at the hardware store for a new screwdriver, I was good to go. I copied 480GB of data from my previous HDD to the new SSD, which took about 7 hours overnight. After that was done, the physical installation / swapping of the drives took just 10 minutes.</p> <h3>Benefits of SSD vs HDD</h3> <p>There are a number of benefits of using a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJMGAdpCLVg" title="SSD vs HDD">SSD vs a HDD</a>, and I personally noticed a huge difference in the speed of my daily routines. Before I get into the differences, let me outline my current <a href="http://justcreative.com/2011/11/29/designer-office-set-up/" title="Hardware">hardware</a> &amp; <a href="http://justcreative.com/2011/12/22/recommended-software-for-designers/" title="Software I use as Designer">software</a> I use as a designer.</p> <p>I use a Macbook Pro 17&#8243; (3.06 GHZ Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB DDR Ram) attached to a 27&#8243; display and at nearly all times I have these programs open; Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat Pro, InDesign, Mail, Tweetdeck, Chrome, Firefox, as well as Font Explorer, Spotify, TextMate, Bonjour, TextExplorer and Dropbox.</p> <h3>Increased Speed &amp; Productivity</h3> <p>Within the first hour of using the new SSD I could visibly notice the speed difference in nearly every task performed. The most notable differences are listed below.</p> <ul> <li>Faster boot time (Even faster when I cleaned my computer with <a href="http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/11582/onyx" title="Onyx">Onyx</a>)</li> <li>All programs open much faster, especially the Creative Suite. The most notable speed difference is on startup as I have my programs set to auto start.</li> <li>Search is much faster, especially when combined with my productivity bud, <a href="http://www.alfredapp.com/" title="Alfred App">Alfred</a>.</li> <li>Moving between programs is much more responsive, eg. when changing from Photoshop, to Illustrator, to InDesign.</li> <li>Opening files and using Finder is way faster, as well as using program menus.</li> <li>The battery life seemed to last a bit longer too, only about 15-30 minutes but still noticeable.</li> <li>The only downfall I could think of would be the price (the 500GB was $608 after tax). The 256GB or 128GB gets you more bang for your buck, but you do get less space.</li> </ul> <p>Anyway, I&#8217;d definitely consider getting an SSD for a much faster &amp; more reliable computer experience.</p> <p><strong>What has your experience been like with SSDs?</strong></p> <hr /><br /> &copy; This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=8yuPa8WLv6w:O9ytCVh77vI:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=8yuPa8WLv6w:O9ytCVh77vI:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=8yuPa8WLv6w:O9ytCVh77vI:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=8yuPa8WLv6w:O9ytCVh77vI:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=8yuPa8WLv6w:O9ytCVh77vI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=8yuPa8WLv6w:O9ytCVh77vI:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=8yuPa8WLv6w:O9ytCVh77vI:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=8yuPa8WLv6w:O9ytCVh77vI:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=8yuPa8WLv6w:O9ytCVh77vI:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=8yuPa8WLv6w:O9ytCVh77vI:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

<p><em>I originally wrote this article for the book, <a href="http://logonest.com" title="LogoNest Vol 2">Logo Nest Volume 2</a>. It has been republished here with permission. Photos are the end of the article.</em><hr class="thin" /></p> <p class="intro"><strong>Personal branding</strong> is by no means a new or light topic, but with the rise of social technologies, personal branding is as accessible as ever, meaning you have so much more opportunity, but also so much more competition.</p> <p>For you to stand out amongst the noise, you must become a valued brand. That brand is ‘You’. Take a closer look at the (st)art of personal branding and see how you can use it to start building your own personal brand. Brand You™.</p> <h2><strong>1. Set Goals, Plan &amp; Define Your Brand</strong></h2> <div><img alt="Step One. Set Goals, Plan &amp; Define Your Brand" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10949" height="400" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/step1.gif" title="Step One. Set Goals, Plan &amp; Define Your Brand" width="640" /></div> <p>Before creating your brand, you must <strong>set specific goals and plan accordingly</strong>. You should take a look at where you are at now and where you want to be in the future.</p> <p>Are you trying to become an authority in your niche? Why? Are you planning to get a new job position or become a stay-at-home freelancer? Are you trying to find more clients and / or increase your prices?</p> <p>Figuring out <em>why and where</em> you want to be in the future will help you decide <em>how</em> to do it.</p> <div class="superquote"> Ultimately, your goal should be to make your planned self-impression equal to how other people perceive you. </div> <p>Re-read that. If you can do this, then you will become a master of your domain.</p> <p>As an example of a ‘successful’ personal brand, <a href="http://www.problogger.net/" title="Darren Rowse">Darren Rowse</a> is the leader in the ‘how to make money blogging’ niche (among others) and although his site is not self-named, his personal brand has grown based how he communicates through his own brand, websites &amp; social channels.</p> <p>After you have figured out your goals, chosen your niche and set out a plan, you need to start creating your brand.</p> <h2><strong>2. Know, Understand &amp; Believe In Your Brand</strong></h2> <div><img alt="Step Two Understand &amp; Believe In Your Brand" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10950" height="400" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/step2.gif" title="Step Two Understand &amp; Believe In Your Brand" width="640" /></div> <p>Your personal brand needs to have a look and feel, as well as a way to communicate, but this goes much further than having a logo &amp; social media accounts. You need to maintain a consistent ‘corporate image’ in all mediums and at all times. See the <a href="http://justcreative.com/2010/04/06/branding-identity-logo-design-explained/" title="Branding Explained">differences between branding &amp; visual identity</a> here.</p> <p>The fundamental idea and core concept behind having this ‘corporate image’ is that everything you do, everything you own and everything you produce, should reflect the values and aims of your personal brand as a whole.</p> <div class="superquote"> It is the consistency of this core idea that makes your brand. It shows others what <em>you</em> stand for, what <em>you</em> believe in and why <em>you</em> exist. </div> <p>As an example, let’s look at the well-known IT company, Apple. Although they are not a personal brand, the branding concept remains the same; they have a consistent ‘corporate image’.</p> <p>Apple projects a humanistic corporate culture and a strong corporate ethic, one, which is characterised by volunteerism, support of good causes &amp; involvement in the community. These values of the business are evident throughout everything they do, from their innovative products and advertising, right through to their customer service. Apple is an emotionally humanist brand that really connects with people – when people buy or use their products or services; they feel part of the brand, like a tribe even. It is this emotional connection that creates their brand – not purely their products and a bite sized logo.</p> <p>If you can apply these same core principles to your own brand then it will be easier for others to see &amp; know what you’re all about.</p> <address>“Remember, it’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be.”<br /> <em>-PAUL ARDEN</em></address> <h2><strong>3. Create &amp; Maintain Your Brand</strong></h2> <div><img alt="Step Three - Create and Maintain Your Brand" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10951" height="400" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/step3.gif" title="step3" width="640" /></div> <p>After you have set your goals, outlined your target market &amp; defined how you wish to be perceived, then you can start to form the foundation of your brand. Below are the essential building blocks that will help you do this.</p> <h4><strong>A Unique Visual Identity</strong></h4> <p>One of the easiest ways to differentiate your self from the competition is by having a unique <a href="http://justcreative.com/2012/09/11/branding-tips/" title="10 Must Know Tips for Creating Winning Visual Brand Identities">visual identity</a>. This visual identity should be consistent and reflective of your initial goals, yet flexible enough to work across all areas of your communication. Ensure, at minimum, that you have a business card, letterhead, an up-to-date CV, website and a variety of online social profiles.</p> <h4><strong>Your Own Website, Domain Name &amp; Email Address</strong></h4> <p>Do you know what comes up when people type your name into Google? Hopefully your name and website, but if not, a quick way to climb to the top of search engines is by having your own domain such as JohnSmith.com.</p> <p>On your website, you should have information about you, links to your other websites, your social profiles, as well as a blog and if applicable, a portfolio.</p> <p>You should also set up a personally branded email address such as john@johnsmith.com as this looks much more professional than a free email service such as <a href="mailto:johnsmith@gmail.com">johnsmith@ymail.com</a>.</p> <h4><strong>Social Networks. (Engage &amp; Communicate!)</strong></h4> <p>It’s one thing to have Facebook or Twitter, but actually using it right for your personal brand is another thing. You should remember that everything you do, say and share is reflective of ‘Brand You’, both personally and professionally.</p> <p>Ask yourself, what value are you providing to your friends and followers? Are you engaging and communicating with people, not just sharing what you had for breakfast? Have you filled out your online profiles to their fullest extent? Are you linking to your websites within each profile? What about your <a href="http://justcreative.com/2008/08/10/how-to-get-more-email/" title="How to get more email">email signature</a>?</p> <p>There are many ways to help promote you and your brand, but the simplest way is by making it easy for people to find and communicate with you. When they do, be sure to engage &amp; provide value.</p> <h4><strong>Brand Maintenance, Security &amp; Monitoring</strong></h4> <p>Your brand is your business and your reputation. Why wouldn’t you monitor what people are saying about you?</p> <p>Use <a href="http://www.google.com/alerts">Google Alerts</a>, Twitter Search and the many other tools available to you so you know when you are mentioned somewhere on the web. This allows you to put out fires early, as well as network and thank people who are helping or linking to you.</p> <h3><strong>The Secret To Personal Branding…</strong></h3> <div><img alt="Secret to Personal Branding" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10972" height="400" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/secret-personal-branding.gif" title="Secret to Personal Branding" width="640" /></div> <p>Remember, planning is the foundation of your personal brand and the execution builds the structure of that brand, but ultimately, it comes down to what people say about you, not what you say about yourself, thus the ultimate goal is to make your planned self-impression equal to how other people perceive you.</p> <p>That is the secret to personal branding.</p> <h3><strong>More branding &amp; logo articles:</strong></h3> <ul> <li><a href="http://justcreative.com/2010/04/06/branding-identity-logo-design-explained/" rel="bookmark" title="Branding Explained">Branding, Identity &amp; Logo Design Explained</a></li> <li><a href="http://justcreative.com/2008/04/18/a-comparative-study-of-logo-design-between-the-70s-and-90s/" rel="bookmark" title="Logos 70s 90s">A Comparative Study of Logo Design between the 70s and 90s.</a></li> <li><a href="http://justcreative.com/2012/09/11/branding-tips/" rel="bookmark" title="Branding Tips">10 Must Know Tips for Creating Winning Visual Brand Identities</a></li> <li><a href="http://justcreative.com/2011/08/02/12-ways-your-logo-impacts-social-media-marketing/" rel="bookmark" title="Social Media Logos">12 Ways Your Logo Impacts Social Media Marketing</a></li> <li><a href="http://justcreative.com/2010/11/09/a-look-at-consumer-emotional-attachment-to-brands-and-logos/" rel="bookmark" title="Logos and Emotions">Consumer Emotional Attachment to Brands and Logos</a></li> </ul> <div><img alt="Cover of Logo Nest Vol 2" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10108" height="425" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/00-cover.jpg" title="Cover of Logo Nest Vol 2" width="640" /></div> <div><img alt="Contents" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10106" height="425" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/02-contents.jpg" title="02-contents" width="640" /></div> <div><img alt="Art of Personal Branding" class="alignnone size-full" height="425" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/01-art-personal-branding.jpg" title="01-art-personal-branding" width="640" /></div> <div><img alt="Art of Personal Branding by Jacob Cass" class="alignnone size-full" height="689" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/art-of-personal-branding-jacob-cass.jpg" title="art-of-personal-branding-jacob-cass" width="640" /></div> <hr /><br /> &copy; This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=5GOKdtLthXg:ls_PddWu8B0:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=5GOKdtLthXg:ls_PddWu8B0:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=5GOKdtLthXg:ls_PddWu8B0:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=5GOKdtLthXg:ls_PddWu8B0:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=5GOKdtLthXg:ls_PddWu8B0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=5GOKdtLthXg:ls_PddWu8B0:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=5GOKdtLthXg:ls_PddWu8B0:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=5GOKdtLthXg:ls_PddWu8B0:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=5GOKdtLthXg:ls_PddWu8B0:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=5GOKdtLthXg:ls_PddWu8B0:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

<p class="intro">On Friday I attended the <a href="http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnewconference" title="Brand New Conference">2012 Brand New Conference</a>, a one day event focusing on the practice of corporate and brand identity. The event went smoothly <a href="http://justcreative.com/2010/11/06/2010-brand-new-conference-summary-quotes/" title="Brand New Conference 2010">again</a> (hat tip to Armin Vit for organizing) and the speakers shared some great tips and stories on a large variety of topics.</p> <p>The most notable talk of the day for me, was by <a href="http://twitter.com/manchipp" title="Simon Manchipp">Simon Manchipp</a>, the CD &amp; co-founder of <a href="http://www.someoneinlondon.com/">Someone</a>. Simon&#8217;s talk was built around ten things to consider when creating a new visual brand identity.</p> <p>Below are some of the notes I took from his talk. There are some loose ends, but there are still a number of key takeaways so enjoy.</p> <p><img alt="Tips to consider when branding" height="612" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/branding.jpg" title="Tips to consider when branding" width="612" /></p> <h1>10 things to consider when creating a new visual brand identity</h1> <h3>1. Make it coherent, not consistent.</h3> <p><strong>A new logo is born useless.</strong> The media demands an approach that is instantly useful. Make your new logo useful. <strong>Create landscapes that can change and adapt.</strong> Information can and should fuel the design and pattern.A brand should be adaptive &amp; coherent, not just consistent.</p> <h3>2. Do more than a logo.</h3> <p>The logo is dying so ask yourself <strong>how can you brand without badging?</strong></p> <h3>3. Brand without badging</h3> <p>A rubber stamped logo is not a brand. Remember&#8230;</p> <div class="superquote"> &#8220;A new logo should be a symbol of change, not a change of symbol.&#8221; </div> <h3>4. The big idea is not the big idea.</h3> <p>The big idea is not the big idea, but rather hundreds of ideas that form the brand. These  ideas should be multi-channelled &amp; multi-faceted.</p> <h3>5. Own moments</h3> <p>Find ownable moments that can be a spring point for the brand. eg. a color, season, taste, feature, etc.</p> <h3>6. Remove the fear</h3> <p>Branding is all fear &amp; risk is attached to everything, but smart clients are those without the fear.</p> <div class="superquote"> We are hired for our principles, so stick to them. </div> <h3>7. Weird works</h3> <p>Weird shit creates monopolies. Trust the risky weirdo called creativity.</p> <h3>8. Make it people-centric</h3> <p><strong>We are not in design business but in the people business.</strong> Educated clients believe in coherent brand worlds. Winning companies are placing design at the heart of their business.</p> <h3>9. Create assets not costs</h3> <p>Design is often seen as a cost in the boardroom but it needs to be seen as an asset. The reason behind it being seen as a cost is that everyone considers themselves as a designer.</p> <p>&#8220;No one trusts creativity because of the dolphin duvet.&#8221; (aka everyone is a designer, I chose this dolphin duvet cover for my home). The goal is to show that design is an asset.</p> <h3>10. Chase the opportunity.</h3> <p>Chase the opportunity, not the money. If you are doing interesting work and having fun, enough money will come.</p> <p><strong>Have you got any other branding tips to share?</strong></p> <hr /><br /> &copy; This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=iDBstlGPQaM:bSX6oaXQznU:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=iDBstlGPQaM:bSX6oaXQznU:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=iDBstlGPQaM:bSX6oaXQznU:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=iDBstlGPQaM:bSX6oaXQznU:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=iDBstlGPQaM:bSX6oaXQznU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=iDBstlGPQaM:bSX6oaXQznU:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=iDBstlGPQaM:bSX6oaXQznU:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=iDBstlGPQaM:bSX6oaXQznU:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=iDBstlGPQaM:bSX6oaXQznU:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=iDBstlGPQaM:bSX6oaXQznU:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

<p class="intro">I&#8217;ve been a media partner for <a href="http://www.futureinsights.com/">Future Insights</a> conferences for a <a href="http://justcreative.com/2011/11/07/future-of-web-design-conference-day-1-review/" title="FOWD 2011">few</a> <a href="http://justcreative.com/2011/11/15/future-of-web-design-conference-day-2-review/" title="FOWD 2012 Day 2">years</a> now and have been to a fair few of their events which are always <em>insightful</em>. This post is just letting you know that there is a web conference in <a href="http://futureofwebdesign.com/new-york-2012/" title="FOWD New York 2012">NYC</a> coming up in October and you can get 10% off. Details are below along with a few other conferences to be aware of.</p> <div><a href="http://futureofwebdesign.com/new-york-2012/" title="Future of Web Design 2012 NYC"><img alt="Future of Web Design NYC 2012" class="border" height="520" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/fowd-nyc.jpg" title="Future of Web Design NYC 2012" width="640" /></a></div> <p><strong>What:</strong> <a href="http://futureofwebdesign.com/new-york-2012/" target="_blank">Future of Web Design</a><strong><br /> When:</strong> Conference days: October 22 &amp; 23. Workshop day: October 24<strong><br /> Where:</strong> <a href="http://www.newworldstages.com/">New World Stages</a> &amp; Lighthouse International Conference Centre<strong><br /> Info:</strong></p> <div> <ul> <li>3 days, 30+ sessions, 4 full-day workshops</li> <li>Top-notch <a href="http://futureofwebdesign.com/new-york-2012/speakers" target="_blank">speakers</a>, including: Chris Coyier, Zoe Gillenwater, Darcy Clarke, Meagan Fisher, Dan Rose, Karen McGrane, Edward Boatman, Lis Hubert, and many more.</li> <li>Talks on CSS3, JQuery Performance, Typography, Icon and symbol design, frontend development, HTML5, responsive web design, UX, wireframing, and more</li> <li>Check out the <a href="http://futureofwebdesign.com/new-york-2012/schedule" target="_blank">full schedule</a> for more details.</li> </ul> <p><strong>10% off for Just Creative readers</strong><em><br /> Just Creative</em> readers are able to grab 10% off 2-Day Conference Passes or Workshop + 2-Day Conference Passes. Simply enter <em>JustCreative</em> on the registration page. Do remember to check out the handy <em><a href="http://futureofwebdesign.com/new-york-2012/downloads/FOWD-NYC-ConvinceYourBoss.pdf" target="_blank">Convince your Boss PDF</a></em> for help getting your approval.</p> <h3>More Conferences</h3> <p><strong><a href="http://uxweek.com/2012/">UX Week</a><br /> When:</strong> August 21-24, 2012<br /> <strong>Where:</strong> San Francisco, CA, USA</p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.aneventapart.com/2012/chicago/">An Event Apart Chicago</a></strong><br /> <strong>When:</strong> August 27-29, 2012<br /> <strong>Where:</strong> Chicago, IL, USA</p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.uxaustralia.com.au/">UX Australia</a><br /> When:</strong> August 28-31, 2012<br /> <strong>Where:</strong> Brisbane, Austalia at Sofitel Brisbane Central<br /> UX Australia also presents <a href="http://www.uxaustralia.com.au/agileux-2012/">Agile UX</a> and <a href="http://www.uxaustralia.com.au/servicedesign-2012/">Service Design 2012</a>.</p> <p><strong><a href="http://2012.dconstruct.org/">dConstruct</a><br /> When:</strong> September 7, 2012<br /> <strong>Where:</strong> Brighton, UK at the Brighton Dome</p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2012/05/25/first-smashing-conference-coming-community-event-web-designers/">Smashing Magazine Conference</a></strong><br /> <strong>When:</strong> September 17-19, 2012<br /> <strong>Where:</strong> Freiburg, Germany</p> <p>Please feel free to share more web conferences if you know of them.</p> </div> <hr /><br /> &copy; This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=QNGiDVr0duo:mIJJbvcPbM0:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=QNGiDVr0duo:mIJJbvcPbM0:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=QNGiDVr0duo:mIJJbvcPbM0:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=QNGiDVr0duo:mIJJbvcPbM0:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=QNGiDVr0duo:mIJJbvcPbM0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=QNGiDVr0duo:mIJJbvcPbM0:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=QNGiDVr0duo:mIJJbvcPbM0:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=QNGiDVr0duo:mIJJbvcPbM0:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=QNGiDVr0duo:mIJJbvcPbM0:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=QNGiDVr0duo:mIJJbvcPbM0:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

<p class="intro">Last September, I wrote about how <a href="http://justcreative.com/2011/09/08/6-logos-selected-for-logo-lounge-vol-7/" title="Logo Lounge 7">six of my logos and a case study</a> were to be featured in the next edition of the <a href="http://logolounge.com" title="Logo Lounge">Logo Lounge</a> series, that being Logo Lounge 7. Well, I&#8217;ve just recently received the hard cover book in the mail and thought I&#8217;d share a few snaps.</p> <p>You can read the <a href="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DSC008921.jpg" target="_blank" title="Menu Cover Depot">case study of the logo</a> I created for Menu Cover Depot here in image format (not in text format unfortunately).</p> <p>You can <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1592537278//ref=cm_sw_su_dp?tag=logolounge-20" target="_blank" title="Logo Lounge 7">purchase this book on Amazon</a> for $29.50.</p> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_10733"><img alt="Logo Lounge Book 7 Side View" class="size-full wp-image-10733" height="425" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DSC00884.jpg" title="Logo Lounge Book 7 " width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Logo Lounge Book 7 Side View</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_10734"><img alt="Logo Lounge Book 7 Front Cover" class="size-full wp-image-10734" height="425" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DSC00885.jpg" title="Logo Lounge Book 7 Front Cover" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Logo Lounge Book 7 Front Cover</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_10735"><img alt="Levi's Case Study" class="size-full wp-image-10735" height="425" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DSC00886.jpg" title="DSC00886" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Levi's Case Study</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_10737"><a href="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DSC008921.jpg"><img alt="Menu Cover Depot Case Study" class="size-full wp-image-10737 " height="425" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DSC00892.jpg" title="Menu Cover Depot Case Study" width="640" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Case study of my Menu Cover Depot logo.</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_10738"><img alt="Eton Financial" class="size-full wp-image-10738" height="425" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DSC00894.jpg" title="DSC00894" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">My featured work: Eton Financial Logo</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_10739"><img alt="My featured work: Radar Logo" class="size-full wp-image-10739" height="425" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DSC00895.jpg" title="My featured work: Radar Logo" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">My featured work: Radar Logo</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_10740"><img alt="My featured work: Onyx Logo" class="size-full wp-image-10740" height="425" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DSC00899.jpg" title="My featured work: Onyx Logo" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">My featured work: Onyx Logo</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_10741"><img alt="My featured work: Yoga Tripper Logo" class="size-full wp-image-10741" height="425" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DSC00900.jpg" title="My featured work: Yoga Tripper Logo" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">My featured work: Yoga Tripper Logo</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_10742"><img alt="My featured work: Japan Tribute Logo" class="size-full wp-image-10742" height="425" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DSC00902.jpg" title="My featured work: Japan Tribute Logo" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">My featured work: Japan Tribute Logo</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_10744"><img alt="Logo Lounge 7 Back Cover" class="size-full wp-image-10744" height="425" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DSC00906.jpg" title="Logo Lounge 7 Back Cover" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Logo Lounge 7 Back Cover</p></div> <p>This makes a total of 29 logos of mine that have been published in Logo Lounge’s books, as outlined below. Quite humbling!</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://justcreative.com/2011/05/10/logo-lounge-vol-6-book-review/" title="Logo Lounge 6">Logo Lounge Vol. 6</a> (6 logos)</li> <li><a href="http://justcreative.com/2009/08/17/logo-lounge-volume-5-book-review/">LogoLounge Vol. 5</a> (2 logos)</li> <li><a href="http://justcreative.com/2010/09/26/logo-lounges-master-library-book-3/">LogoLounge Master Library – Shapes &amp; Symbols</a> (9 logos)</li> <li>LogoLounge Master Library – Typography and Enclosures (6 logos)</li> </ul> <p>If you&#8217;re interested in having your work considered for their next book, you can <a href="https://www.logolounge.com/join.asp">become a member</a> of Logo Lounge ($99) &amp; start uploading your work. I am not affiliated with Logo Lounge&#8230; JUST sharing the love. Good luck &amp; thanks for looking.</p> <hr /><br /> &copy; This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ZlZuXtDmp18:LiPcB0gvlZU:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=ZlZuXtDmp18:LiPcB0gvlZU:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ZlZuXtDmp18:LiPcB0gvlZU:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=ZlZuXtDmp18:LiPcB0gvlZU:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ZlZuXtDmp18:LiPcB0gvlZU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ZlZuXtDmp18:LiPcB0gvlZU:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ZlZuXtDmp18:LiPcB0gvlZU:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ZlZuXtDmp18:LiPcB0gvlZU:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=ZlZuXtDmp18:LiPcB0gvlZU:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ZlZuXtDmp18:LiPcB0gvlZU:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

<p><img alt="radioactive" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-49887" height="154" src="http://motionographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/radioactive.jpg" width="250" /></p> <p><a href="http://www.syndromestudio.com/">Syndrome Studio</a> gets radioactive with this new production of <a href="http://www.syndromestudio.com/p-69/imagine-dragons-radioactive/">Imagine Dragons</a>. As Monica Blackburn puts it: &#8220;who doesn&#8217;t like puppets and Lou Diamond Philips??&#8221;</p> <p><a href="http://motionographer.com" target="_blank">Posted on Motionographer</a></p>

<p></p> <p>Amazing student work continues to pour out of French animation schools &#8211; this time from <a href="http://www.angouleme-emca.fr/fr/index.asp">EMCA</a>.</p> <p>(Above) Juliette Oberndorfer creates an entrancing, enigmatic story in her grad film, <a href="https://vimeo.com/52179662">LUX</a> (check out her <a href="http://julietteoberndorfer.blogspot.fr/">blog</a> and <a href="http://book-julietteoberndorfer.blogspot.fr/">portfolio</a> for more imagery) &#8211; but this otherwordly, cyclical transit is really heightened by the clever sound design of N&#8217;gouda Prince Ba, who previously composed the ethereal setting for <a href="https://vimeo.com/45203970">OBEN</a> earlier this year (below).<br /> &nbsp;</p> <p></p> <p>Aside from the fact that these stand alone as impressive visual and conceptual works, my real interest here was the emotional gravity created in both by this sole sound designer.   N&#8217;gouda Prince was kind enough to elaborate on his contributions to these works, his background, and expanding portfolio:</p> <blockquote><p><em>&#8220;I began my education in mathematics, but then transferred to a film school near EMCA, so I know a lot of students there &#8211; especially Thierno Ba, who asked me to work on OBEN.</em></p> <p><em>For OBEN, I tried to create a tension to reflect the storm. It wasn&#8217;t easy. I wanted to compose a simple soundtrack, but the emphasis was the transitions between scenes.  It&#8217;s a bit difficult to keep a musical coherence between the great outdoors and the hospital. For LUX&#8230; Juliette wanted ambiance without music, with a climactic ending. In general, it&#8217;s simple for me: I just try to tell a story with the sound paralleling the film visuals.</em></p> <p><em>At the moment, I&#8217;m working as an interaction and scenic designer for a museum (dance, exhibitions, theater). I&#8217;m also writing a new documentary film, and am developing the sound for animated film called &#8220;Sillage&#8221;. I hope I will succeed in telling the right story with the sound!&#8221;</em></p></blockquote> <p>No doubt it will be a success!  We look forward to future work from N&#8217;Gouda Prince Ba and the students/grads of EMCA.</p> <p><span id="more-49561"></span><br /> <strong>Credits</strong></p> <p>LUX</p> <p>Created by <a href="http://book-julietteoberndorfer.blogspot.fr/">Juliette Oberndorfer</a> | <a href="http://www.angouleme-emca.fr/fr/index.asp">EMCA</a><br /> Sound Design by N&#8217;gouda Prince Ba</p> <p>OBEN</p> <p>Created by <a href="http://motionographer.com/feed/bahthierno.blogspot.fr/">Thierno Bah</a>, <a href="http://motionographer.com/feed/coprolitre.blogspot.fr/">Noé Giuliani</a>, <a href="http://motionographer.com/feed/lamaingauche.blogspot.fr/">Pierre Ledain</a> &amp; <a href="http://motionographer.com/feed/martinsdasilvadavid.blogspot.fr/">David Martins da Silva</a> | <a href="http://www.angouleme-emca.fr/fr/index.asp">EMCA</a><br /> Sound Design by N&#8217;gouda Prince Ba</p> <p><a href="http://motionographer.com" target="_blank">Posted on Motionographer</a></p>

<p><a href="http://vimeo.com/54572143" rel="attachment wp-att-49856"><img alt="ugh" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-49856" height="140" src="http://motionographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/ugh.jpg" width="250" /></a></p> <p>Ugh!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://motionographer.com" target="_blank">Posted on Motionographer</a></p>

<p><a href="http://vimeo.com/55325086"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-49835" height="146" src="http://motionographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/ausflag2.jpg" title="ausflag" width="250" /></a></p> <p>Is it time to change the <strong><a href="http://vimeo.com/55325086">Australian flag</a></strong>? This piece by Mike Tosetto is cute, quick, and well researched. (Funny enough, this past Sunday, an Australian preacher visited my church and presented the Australian flag to our pastor. God has good timing.)</p> <p><a href="http://motionographer.com" target="_blank">Posted on Motionographer</a></p>

<p><a href="http://www.psyop.tv/jbl-ear-of-the-tornado/" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-49826" height="195" src="http://motionographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/JBL4.jpg" title="JBL4" width="468" /></a></p> <p>&#8220;Ear of the Tornado&#8221; has the fantastic quality we look forward to from Psyop &#8211; but it&#8217;s also an object lesson in how to nail the one shot approach. In lesser hands, this could easily have turned into a 45 second slog, but here, the pacing is incredible.</p> <p>Bonus points &#8211; the airborne string of lights that we start to really see around the 26 second mark.</p> <p>Extra bonus points &#8211; a behind the scenes:</p> <p></p> <p><span id="more-49825"></span><br /> Agency: Doner<br /> Agency Location: Southfield, MI<br /> Agency Creative Director: Murray White<br /> Agency EP: Laurie Irwin</p> <p>Production Company: Psyop<br /> Creative Director: Eben Mears / Anh Vu<br /> Lead Technical Director: Dan Gregoras<br /> Psyop EP: Lydia Holness<br /> Psyop Producer: Ave Carrillo / Erik Gullstrand</p> <p>Designers: Anh Vu, Lauren Indovina, Naomi Chen, Eunice Kim<br /> Storyboard Artist: Robin Nishio<br /> Previz: Michael Shin</p> <p>Animators: Anthony Travieso, Ryan Moran, Dan Vislocky, Chris Meek<br /> Modeling: Dan Fine, Thomas Smith, Todd Daniele<br /> Rigging: Zed Bennett<br /> Tracking: Joerg Liebold<br /> Effects TD: Miguel Salek, Dave Barosin<br /> Lead Lighter: Jonah Friedman<br /> Lead Compositor: Nick Tanner<br /> Compositing: Thomas Smith, Adam Flynn, Matt Hanson</p> <p>Sound Design Company: Skywalker Sound<br /> Sound Designer: Steve Boeddeker</p> <p><a href="http://motionographer.com" target="_blank">Posted on Motionographer</a></p>

<p><a href="http://www.bassawards.org/index.php/map/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-49156" height="138" src="http://motionographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/bassawards-250x138.jpg" title="bassawards" width="250" /></a><br /> The <a href="http://www.bassawards.org/index.php/map/">deadline for BassAwards is December 31st</a>. Get those entries in!</p> <p><a href="http://motionographer.com" target="_blank">Posted on Motionographer</a></p>

<p></p> <p>By the time this post goes live, <a href="http://www.onedayonearth.org/">One Day on Earth&#8217;s third installment</a> will have begun somewhere on this crazy planet of ours.</p> <blockquote><p>On December 12th, 12.12.12, across the planet, documentary filmmakers, students, and other inspired citizens will record the human experience over a 24-hour period and contribute their voice to the third annual global day of media creation called One Day on Earth. Together, we will create a shared archive and a film.</p></blockquote> <p>Brandon Litman, EP of motion design studio <a href="http://www.alienkungfu.com/">Alien Kung Fu</a>, has been leading the program for a while, forging partnerships with organizations around the world, including Oxfam, UNESCO, World Wildlife Fund, Humans Rights Watch and the United Nations. In our interview with Brandon, he talks about how One Day on Earth began, where it&#8217;s headed and how he manages to keep it afloat.</p> <h3>Interview with Brandon Litman</h3> <p><strong>Can you sum up One Day on Earth in three sentences or less?</strong></p> <p>A long overdue fusion between the creative world and the cause based world on a truly global level. The ultimate shared archive and opportunity to explore every corner of our planet.</p> <p><strong>Where did the idea behind ODOE come from? </strong></p> <p>It was inspired by watching a group of musicians who never collaborated before come together on stage and, after a few minutes, naturally harmonized. My good friend and partner Kyle Ruddick started ODOE back in 2008 asking hundreds of filmmakers through Vimeo if they would be interested in collaborating.</p> <p><span id="more-49810"></span></p> <p>We turbo charged it by launching a social network and forging a one-of-a-kind partnership with the United Nations. As the first film took shape, we realized that the project evolved into much more than a single collaboration. It is now an ongoing effort with incredible production opportunities worldwide.</p> <p><strong>Are you running this by yourself? If not, who helps you out? If so, how the hell do you manage it?</strong> </p> <p>We have a small team who love the project as much as Kyle and I and are critical in keeping it on the rails. We work with several producers, editors, coordinators, programmers, consultants and local representatives. </p> <p>We are also lucky to be able to engage with the amazing One Day on Earth community members who totally get the bigger vision. On top of the individuals help, we have 100-plus non-profit partners and hundreds of United Nations field offices helping navigate local logistics. </p> <p>Keeping this organized is pretty daunting at times, but we are pretty diligent on contact management and dividing and conquering. We are always asking ourselves if we can improve workflow.</p> <p><strong>Just doing some back-of-the-napkin math, you must get a ton of submissions totaling hundreds, possibly thousands of hours of footage. Can you share some of the numbers with us?</strong></p> <p>Our 2010 and 2011 collaboration yielded 7,000 hours of combined footage, representing every country in the world. There were 192 sovereign nations recognized by the UN in 2010 and we had collaborators in all of them. </p> <p></p> <p>We also worked with media creators in deputed nations as well, such as Palestine and Taiwan. NASA participated, so we have outer space, and we have great underwater footage as well.</p> <p>We translated 240 hours of straight dialogue from what turned out to be 90 languages in over 40 different video formats.</p> <p>We saw a lot of growth in 2011 and we hope the shared archive size will pass 11,000 hours by the end of our third collaboration.</p> <p><strong>How do you sort through all that?</strong></p> <p>We collaborate closely with Vimeo, and we built some custom aggregation technology on our end. The initially uploaded footage is navigable via a map interface with a backend that allows us to organize the videos. </p> <p>After someone uploads video, we usually follow-up by asking to see the raw files. We establish contact with everyone individually. So five minutes of footage sometimes turns into hours. Someone on our team watches every clip, so it takes a very long time. We also work with our partners on the ground to try and understanding the facts related to the issues shared with us.</p> <p>We have a unique relationship with the UN to retrieve footage from around the world, so we also sort through lots of packages that come in from places that seldom have the opportunity to share their perspective.</p> <p><strong>What&#8217;s the editing process like? </strong></p> <p>It is certainly a discovery process. Kyle leads the charge with a small team. There is so much experimentation. I know the team stays open to being inspired, and sometimes we see something and we know that it will make it into an edit, but it is a very untraditional process. </p> <p><strong>It seems 10/10/10 and 11/11/11 were hugely successful, at least in terms of involvement. How do you measure success of each program?</strong></p> <p>It can be measured a lot of ways, just getting it done is a huge reward, but we always challenge ourselves to go bigger and deeper in coverage. The success is also apparent when we have screening events and actually bring people together to watch and discuss the topics covered. We have shown the film to audiences in 160 counties.</p> <p>Each project enables relationships to develop. And the best measuring stick is to gauge the depth of those relationships and how they maintain through the year. We started the One Day on Earth Foundation to help filmmakers connect to one another and to issues around the world. Having these opportunities to apply the One Day on Earth community model through the year is the true success.</p> <p><strong>What have been some of your favorite experiences while producing the last two projects?</strong></p> <p>Screening the film inside the General Assembly of the United Nations to an audience of 1,700 was an incredible experience. After years of planning and work, it was a real moment to pause and celebrate.</p> <p>But, the best experience is knowing that someone on the other side of the global is having an experience exploring their local city in order to document it and share it. Being part of that shared experience keeps the whole team going.</p> <p><a href="http://motionographer.com" target="_blank">Posted on Motionographer</a></p>

<p><img alt="" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-49790" height="279" src="http://motionographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/goldrunner-still-468x279.jpg" title="goldrunner-still" width="468" /></p> <p>I cut my teeth on motion design at turn of the 21st century, when the desktop computer revolution was in full swing. A handful of studios were redefining what we now vaguely refer to as &#8220;motion graphics&#8221; and revolutionizing the means of production in the process. One such studio was co-founded by someone who would carve a rather unique path through the industry. </p> <p>With a Masters in Architecture from Columbia University under her belt, Vivian Rosenthal co-founded Tronic Studios with Jesse Seppi in 2001. Together, they worked at the intersection of art, design and architecture, creating works that were featured many times on this site and across the web. </p> <p>Vivian then founded <a href="http://goldrungo.com/">GoldRun</a>, an augmented reality platform that allows people to pursue virtual objects in the real world. Her latest endeavor, GoldRunner, is built on the synthesis of everything she&#8217;s done up to this point. </p> <p>In the following interview, we dig into GoldRunner, transmedia storytelling and the entrepreneurial path that Vivian followed out of of service work and into product development. </p> <p>Before we get going, check out the GoldRunner trailer.</p> <p></p> <h3>Interview with Vivian Rosenthal, Executive Producer of GoldRunner</h3> <p><strong>The Goldrunner trailer is pretty intriguing. And mysterious. Give us the elevator pitch: what is this project all about?</strong></p> <p><em>GoldRunner is a reality TV show that integrates mobile gaming and augmented reality into a quest where players race against each other in a futuristic scavenger hunt to discover who is the ultimate hero, and who will win the ultimate prize. <em>The Bourne Identity</em> meets <em>Mission Impossible</em>, but in real time, in the real world, with real people. </em></p> <p><strong>Where did the idea for Goldrunner come from? </strong></p> <p>I was thinking about how incredibly siloed the multi-billion dollar entertainment industry is. There are films, reality and scripted TV shows, console games, social games, mobile games and for the most part, there is not a lot of crossover between them. </p> <p>Yes, sometimes a film is then made into a game, but often it’s an afterthought, and only happens if the film does well or if it’s a successful franchise that the studios can easily bet on. </p> <p>I voiced my frustration to my agent when I was in LA, and he reminded me, gently, that I had at one point been a live action and CG commercial director and that I should stop being frustrated with the current entertainment landscape and just do something about it.</p> <p><span id="more-49778"></span> </p> <p>And that’s what I did. On the plane heading home, I wrote up the GoldRunner treatment and then in the dead of winter directed the trailer. I called a few friends who are all extremely talented, and we managed to shoot the whole thing in two days, wearing many layers of clothes. </p> <p><strong>The name of the series is Goldrunner; you are also the creator of Goldrun Augmented Reality app. Can you explain the connection between the two?</strong></p> <p>In some ways, they’re one and the same, although they’re being utilized in very different ways. </p> <p>I believe that the language of the future is a visually based language. This is why I created GoldRun and also GoldRunner. GoldRunner allows viewers and players to participate in a real time narrative where their actions determine how the game and TV show unfolds. The two manifestations of the property overlap and intersect, influencing the viewer or player by creating a heightened experience that transcends watching the weekly show and influences their daily lives through the mobile game.</p> <p>GoldRun is a photo based mobile engagement platform I founded that uses GPS-based Augmented Reality to allow brands to virtually place products inside user generated photos. It’s been called the Instagram for brands. </p> <p>Since I had developed and owned the IP, I realized I could use it outside of advertising if I rethought how it was to be used and what the experience was. Suddenly, it all became very clear that there was an opportunity to create a transmedia project&#8230; and GoldRunner was born. </p> <p><strong>Sounds ambitious!</strong></p> <p>Humans tend to create things they like, and I loved the idea of not just playing a game, but the game being the reality. My reality was a game I realized, just the way everyone’s life is really a game, and they can choose to play it however they see fit. Life is one fast moving and dramatic game, the ultimate unfolding and unknowable narrative. I didn’t want to just watch a TV show or a film, I wanted to live it. And I knew that others shared this interest in being part of something bigger than themselves that they had agency in. </p> <p><strong>Transmedia projects seem incredibly difficult to manage. What have been some of the biggest challenges with Goldrunner? How have you addressed them?</strong></p> <p>Transmedia is a genre that is unfolding and evolving every day, which is both exciting and challenging because technology is charging ahead so quickly that sometimes the need for storytelling or narrative becomes secondary. </p> <p>My goal with GoldRunner is both to incorporate the latest technology but not have it overpower the story or the gameplay. GoldRunner could be labeled as an ARG (Alternate Reality Game). This genre of gaming has been on the fringes but ARGs are beginning to enter into the popular landscape. </p> <p>One thing that was quite a surprise to our team was the recent launch of <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nianticproject.ingress">Google’s Ingress</a> project, which has a number of similarities to GoldRunner, in that it’s an ARG and an augmented reality mobile game. </p> <p>There are of course many aspects that are also quite different about the two transmedia properties, but we put the GoldRunner trailer up on Vimeo six months ago, so we all started wondering if Google had seen it and been influenced by it. If they did, we’ll take that as a compliment and if they claim they didn’t see it, then I guess I’d have to say that both GoldRunner and Ingress capture the zeitgeist. </p> <p><strong>Will Goldrunner &#8220;work&#8221; as a passive experience, too? Or do viewer/users need to participate in its transmedia aspects to understand the narrative?</strong></p> <p>GoldRunner works both as a passive and participatory experience. You choose. You do not need to play to follow the narrative and watch the TV show. But to play is to win, to watch is to be entertained. People want to be entertained in many different ways. Some want to be the voyeur and some want to have agency, to shape the narrative, to be the narrative. GoldRunner offers both of these opportunities. </p> <p><strong>So is this a &#8220;second screen&#8221; experience, one that allows viewers to use their devices to extend the narrative?</strong></p> <p>For the most part, second screen viewing is still very much a passive experience. Checking into TV shows, texting, and watching content is becoming ubiquitous, but it’s still about sitting on the couch. </p> <p>GoldRunner ushers in a new experience that expands the definition of a second screen to your city, not your living room, and to running, not watching. GoldRunner offers fans the choice to discover and create and play rather than simply consuming and viewing. </p> <h3>The road behind</h3> <p><strong>A lot of us know you from your time at Tronic. How did your experience there help you with this project?</strong> </p> <p>Life is a series of experiences that build upon each other. Studying architecture and then working in design, film and animation very much shaped how I saw the world. To me, it was always an ephemeral shape-shifting entity, not a static landscape. </p> <p>I have always wanted to live in the future, to be a cyborg, to defy gravity. It’s hard to know when this desire first surfaced or why, but I was young, about twelve years old. Every science fiction trope captured my imagination, from the digital doppelgangers of <em>Blade Runner</em> to the virtual interfaces of <em>Minority Report</em>. </p> <p>When I co-founded Tronic, it was 2001 and most of these virtual experiences had to be faked&#8230; in other words, they needed to be created in post-production. On one hand, it was extremely exciting to dream up these ideas and create them digitally, but on the other hand, it felt a bit static, because they were perfectly crafted and then suddenly dated, they didn’t react to the world around us. </p> <p><strong>With Tronic, GoldRun and now GoldRunner, you&#8217;ve created an interesting entrepreneurial arc for yourself. Do you think of yourself as an entrepreneur? If so, what does that mean to you? If not, why?</strong></p> <p>Yes, I do think of myself as an entrepreneur. Essentially to me it feels that through obsession, creation is born. That’s my definition of what it means to be an entrepreneur. You need to be so overwhelmingly obsessed with something to the point where you actually can extract that thing from your mind and bring it into the world and make an idea a reality. </p> <p><strong>An important aspect of your career (in my opinion) is the shift from service work (i.e. running a production company/studio like Tronic) to developing intellectual property and marketing products. Was that a conscious shift? If so, can you talk a little about that decision process?</strong></p> <p>Yes, it was very much a conscious shift. I had spent eight years developing IP and marketing products for others and I realized I was giving away my ideas. Yes, I was being paid for them and I learned a huge amount for working for incredible brands, but I didn’t actually create anything that I owned. The idea of creating and owning IP and allowing it to grow became increasingly intoxicating. </p> <p><strong>A lot of folks out there have been doing motion graphics and post-production for some time. They&#8217;re getting tired of pushing pixels and dealing with difficult clients. Do you feel that you&#8217;ve found a way &#8220;out&#8221; of the system? Do you recommend your path to others?</strong></p> <p>I certainly recommend this path to those who don’t need a client to feel inspired. Some people love to have a client and deadline and restraints and there’s nothing wrong with that, in fact it’s often a good challenge. </p> <p>But for those of you reading this that feel that you have an idea burning in your mind, then I would say to create it. If it fails then it fails, but you’ll continue to have new ideas that you can test if the first one doesn’t work. </p> <h3>The path ahead</h3> <p><strong>Do you think Goldrunner (and other transmedia series) could work in the traditional broadcast model? More generally, is there a way to shoehorn new media experiences into old media somehow?</strong></p> <p>Yes, absolutely. The GoldRunner property could live in many places, from a TV network to a YouTube channel to Netflix to Hulu to XBOX Live. That’s the beauty of the digital age we’re living in &mdash; there are multiple distribution channels. Certainly, the chosen distribution platform will shape the series and the experience, but certainly having GoldRunner live on TV is viable. The mobile game would be an extension of the TV content. </p> <p><strong>To orchestrate the transmedia touch points for Goldrunner, did you need to develop new technology? If so, are you planning on making that technology a licensable framework?</strong></p> <p>Most of the core technology has been developed for GoldRun, but some new features certainly are being developed for GoldRunner. Currently, I don’t plan on licensing the technology, but maybe I’ll feel differently down the line. </p> <p><strong>When and where does Goldrunner launch? Will it start with a pilot or has the whole series been put into production already?</strong></p> <p>It will launch towards the end of 2013. It will begin as a pilot. We are talking to a few big production companies and film studios to find the right partner. If you’re reading this and work at one and this resonates with you&#8230; come find me.</p> <p><strong>How do we get involved? Can we &#8220;play&#8221; the show?</strong></p> <p>I would ask that everyone who reads this interview download the app and take a photo of the OMNI to enter into the journey. You can download the free app <a href="http://bit.ly/IEdKJ8">on iOS</a> and <a href="http://bit.ly/JDyikI">Android</a>. Five women and five men will be selected to be on the show. Simply enter your email address through the <a href="http://www.goldrunner2013.com">www.goldrunner2013.com</a> website to enter to be a contestant. </p> <p>The OMNI is the iconic symbol that connects all the GoldRunners. OMNI stands for OMNIscience, the capacity to know everything. The more you play, the more you know and the more levels of the OMNI you unlock and access and the closer you are to completing the Quest.</p> <p><a href="http://motionographer.com" target="_blank">Posted on Motionographer</a></p>

<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/54763818#"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-49776" height="137" src="http://motionographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/understand-music.jpg" title="understand-music" width="250" /></a></p> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/54763818#">Understand Music</a> from <a href="http://finally-studio.com/portfolio/understand-music/">finally</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://motionographer.com" target="_blank">Posted on Motionographer</a></p>

<p><a href="http://dlew.me/">David Lewandowski</a>, an oft-featured director/animator/compositor here on Motionographer, recently posted two breakdown videos that are worth a gander. </p> <h3>Flying Lotus &#8220;Tiny Tortures&#8221;</h3> <p></p> <p>The first project, a music video for Flying Lotus, stars everyone&#8217;s favorite hobbit, Elijah Wood. (At least until Martin Freeman gives him a run for his money.)</p> <p>The process montage is full of interesting insights, including reference videos, concept art and extensive vfx breakdowns. </p> <h4>Process</h4> <p></p> <p><span id="more-49759"></span></p> <h3>Friendly Fires &#8220;Hurting&#8221;</h3> <p><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align: center; display: block;"></span></p> <p>We shared &#8220;Hurting&#8221; <a href="http://motionographer.com/2011/11/10/david-lewandowski-friendly-fires-hurting/">a while back</a>, but David just recently posted his breakdown for it. Check out both. </p> <h4>Process</h4> <p>http://vimeo.com/54556592</p> <p><a href="http://motionographer.com" target="_blank">Posted on Motionographer</a></p>

<p>Every emerging technology undergoes the test of fire which is a given fact and HTML5 is no exception in the strict sense. Touted to replace flash, HTML5’s proponents blew its capabilities out of proportion even while HTML5 was still in its nascent stages. This, over the past months, has been fueling a glaring gap between what’s expected of HTML5 and the actuals. Although developers are tearing ahead making considerable headway, it’s the browsers that need to catch up.</p> <p><center></p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37118" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-37118 " height="448" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/hole-600x448.png" style="border: 0px;" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/vimeo.com">Source</a></p></div> <p></center></p> <h2></h2> <h2> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Browser Bottleneck</span></h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The developer community has always been head over heels about latest technologies and shows no inhibitions to embrace it with both hands. Developers have a clear idea about what HTML5 is capable of given the stance of certain platform vendors. Despite the official validation not expected before 2020, developers are in no mood to slow down. While this can be a problem of sorts when viewed from the standardization point of view, but for the developer community it’s a free world with no rules/guidelines.</p> <p><center></p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37119" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-37119 " height="257" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/browser-600x257.png" style="border: 0px;" title="browser" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/infocustesting.net">Source</a></p></div> <p></center><br /> Keeping apace with the progress being made by the developer community, browsers are toiling day in and day out to support the capabilities acquired by HTML5. In the days to come, HTML5 support would be the key defining factor as far as browser capabilities are concerned. This is because the advancement in HTML5 is of little meaning if browser capabilities are not enhanced parallelly.</p> <p>The rampant use of HTML5 to build apps and sites have put tremendous pressure on browser developers to prepare browsers that are fast, light on resources and efficient. As of now Internet Explorer 9 &amp; 10, Firefox 7 and higher, Chrome 14 and higher, Safari 5 and higher, Opera 11 and higher, Mobile Safari 3.2 and higher, Opera Mobile 5 and Android 2.1 support HTML5 elements. However, in order for browsers to support all HTML5 elements, there’s still a long way to cover as revealed in the Ringmark test.</p> <p>Various studies, particularly by IDC, predict HTML5 to form a major portion (if not 100%) of mobile apps’ code in the near future. And the ratio of HTML5 in mobile apps can only be expected to go north. Having said that, the question looms large for adopters – has HTML5 matured enough? Well, this would need a collective answer from all the quarters.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2><span style="text-decoration: underline;">HTML5 Woes</span></h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>HTML5 is surely on its way to glory unless it gets over the woes that are a constant irritant for developers and users.</p> <ul> <li> Out of sync</li> </ul> <p style="padding-left: 60px;">The offline and online nature of apps is an area of concern especially when it comes to syncing of data. While being connected, syncing is automatic but when not, syncing doesn&#8217;t happen. And when substantial amount of data is accumulated in the server, synchronization can be a major headache. It’s the same case when the app is accessed from a different device or location.</p> <ul> <li>Namesake database</li> </ul> <p style="padding-left: 60px;">A salient feature of HTML5 is offline data storage, wherein the data is stored in the browser. This is one reason why HTML5 is adored because it gives a desktop type feeling to the user. But the flip side to this feature is that the user has no means to access the data like they do on a desktop. The user can’t see where the data is stored; they can&#8217;t know the contents, create copies or backup the data. Since the format in which the data is stored is unknown, the user cannot surf through the data if they need any information.</p> <ul> <li>Data insecurity</li> </ul> <p style="padding-left: 60px;">HTML5 has limitations in storing data and that’s why we’ve the servers, be it cloud or not. Now the user pay for the app, the device, the service and even for the hosting, but what’s the right the user has on their data? The terms and conditions speak nothing about ownership of data. They&#8217;re more or less a virtual ownership of one’s data and occurrences of loss of data ain’t uncommon wherein the server people just wash their hands off the issue. Neither HTML5 nor the hosting company can guarantee that your data will stay.</p> <ul> <li>Compulsory upgradation</li> </ul> <p style="padding-left: 60px;">Ever thought upgrades would be a problem? Upgrades for HTML5 powered apps are imposed on its users even if they don’t want it. This poses serious risks to the users in the form of corrupt allied programs or apps that worked well pre-upgradation.</p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"> <h2><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Bridging The Gap</span></h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The tremendous pace at which changes are being introduced is a reason why developers and users aren’t on the same page. At times it is confusing as to what’s developed and for whom the development is being done.</p> <p><center></p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37121" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-37121 " height="390" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/bridging_gap11-600x390.jpg" style="border: 0px;" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text"><a href="http://chasingtheperfectmoment.com/bridges/">Source</a></p></div> <p></center><br /> For users it is essential that they clearly put across what they expect from the HTML5 website or app to avoid any future discontentment. Users should know that the mind blowing capabilities of HTML5 is not something that is independent but a combination of various technologies tied to the browsers&#8217; capabilities. Needless to say that this technology is evolving and a clear cut timeframe about when all the proposed capabilities are realized is obscure</p> <p>Developers should have constant interaction with the users in order to have a clear idea about the expectations. Provide the users with snapshots of how their app or site would look like, since seeing is believing. Make them understand as to how much of their expectations can actually be met because no matter what potential HTML5 holds, the end product should reflect the users&#8217; needs and expectations.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <table style="padding: 15px; border: 5px solid #5d5d5d; background-color: #30302f;"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img alt="Rohit Singhal" class="alignright" src="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/0baada9baeb3c9cec4099a744f8dccc8?s=75&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=G" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px;" width="100? height=" /></p> <h3>About the Author</h3> <p>Rohit Singhal is an emarketer working with PixelCrayons, a web development company. The company specializes in ecommerce solutions, CMS solutions, <a href="http://html.pixelcrayons.com/responsive-design-coding.html">responsive web design</a> implementation, <a href="http://html.pixelcrayons.com/">HTML5 Web Development</a> and more.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p> Read more posts by <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/author/guest-blogger/" rel="author">Guest Blogger</a></p><img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/YouTheDesigner/~4/UI9svPxSUZ4" width="1" />

<p style="text-align: justify;">A lot of graphic designers and artists all over the world employ a number of elements in their designs and artwork making them extremely complicated and intricate. But as most people would say, the devil is in the details. And the mark of a true artist may usually be seen when his work is scrutinized to the smallest part of his masterpiece.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">That is the reason why it is very important for graphic artists, both novice and professional alike to pay attention to the details of their work as meticulously as possible. Every element, every layer and every stroke should be given an appropriate amount of attention. Background images and design accents for example play a pivotal role in tying up the overall look and feel of a design, which in turn makes for a well-polished and balanced work.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">We at You The Designer recognize this need, so today, we are giving you this amazing set of 7 starburst vector graphics that will definitely add some fine details into any design.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-37112 aligncenter" height="1000" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/post-cover.jpg" style="border: 0px;" width="600" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Download this stunning set of vector graphics by tweeting or sharing over Facebook. Click the button below and unlock the awesomeness! (Email subscribers, please visit the actual post page to download.)</p> <p><center></center></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So there you have it guys. What other freebie do you want me to make for you in the future? Do tell us by leaving a comment below. You can also find us on <a href="http://facebook.com/youthedesigner" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/youthedesigner" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/cadencewu" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116824150281780256954/" target="_blank">Google Plus</a> or subscribe to our blog through our <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/YouTheDesigner" target="_blank">RSS Feeds</a>. And please, do check out our <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/blank-print-templates" target="_blank">print templates</a> page and download any of our blank print templates for all your print designing needs.</p> <p> Read more posts by <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/author/geno/" rel="author">Geno Arguelles</a></p><img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/YouTheDesigner/~4/X_5uWWbZZ7A" width="1" />

<p>Most live action movies today are based if not in best-selling books, are from classic comics and graphic novels. Major characters in comics especially most of our favorite superheroes have been transformed into major motion pictures today which appeal not only to kids and fans but across all ages.</p> <p>A successful superhero live action movie is mostly dependent on how the filmmakers have captured the exact character found on its two-dimensional, spandex-clad superhero origin. The classic look and style in comics combined with some modern aspects like slight changes in costumes and storyline is a common technique found in making movies today. To remember how much the comic stylings of the 60’s and 70’s have inspired modern films, Brazilian artist <a href="http://www.behance.net/butcherbilly"><strong>Butcher Billy</strong></a> created an awesome project which answers his thought about just how thin is the line that separate movies from comics.</p> <p>Butcher Billy, who focuses on graphic design and illustration created the series called &#8220;<a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/The-Superhero-Media-Crossover-Project/6192521"><strong>The Superhero Media Crossover Project</strong></a>&#8221; which features a mash-up of images combining art from classic comic books overlapped on screenshots from the latest superhero films. The project makes us realize how often movie makers rely on the format of classic comic books and graphic novels, making them easy to translate them on the screen by interlacing cinematography with storyboard.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" class="size-full wp-image-37070 aligncenter" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/112.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" width="600" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" class="size-full wp-image-37072 aligncenter" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/210.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" width="600" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" class="size-full wp-image-37075 aligncenter" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/34.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" width="600" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" class="size-full wp-image-37076 aligncenter" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/42.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" width="600" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37077" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/52.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" width="600" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" class="size-full wp-image-37079 aligncenter" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/62.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" width="600" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37080" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/72.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" width="600" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37081" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/82.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" width="600" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37082" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/93.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" width="600" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" class="size-full wp-image-37084 aligncenter" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/102.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" width="600" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37085" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/113.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" width="600" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37086" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/122.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" width="600" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37087" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/132.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" width="600" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37088" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/142.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" width="600" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37089" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/152.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="The Superhero Media Crossover Project by Butcher Billy" width="600" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The series is a homage to various comic artists from the 60&#8242;s and 70&#8242;s such as  Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and John Romita Sr. and nice way of showing how their timeless works continue to inspire modern media and all of us. Check out more of the amazing works of Butcher Billy on his <a href="http://www.behance.net/butcherbilly">Behance</a> page.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr noshade="noshade" /> &nbsp;<br /> Which among the crossover designs is your most favorite? Share to us your thoughts and as well as your suggestions by commenting below. Find us on  <a href="http://www.facebook.com/youthedesigner"><strong>Facebook</strong></a>, <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/youthedesigner"><strong>Twitter</strong></a>,</strong> <a href="https://plus.google.com/116824150281780256954/posts"><strong>Google Plus</strong></a> and <a href="http://pinterest.com/cadencewu/"><strong>Pinterest</strong></a> for more design awesomeness! Also, don’t forget to <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/YouTheDesigner">subscribe</a> to our blog for the latest design inspirations, stories and freebies. Speaking of freebies, check out our <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/blank-print-templates">free print templates</a> page where you can download templates for calendars, brochures, business cards and more!  Stay awesome everyone!</p> <p> Read more posts by <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/author/kerby/" rel="author">Kerby Rosanes</a></p><img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/YouTheDesigner/~4/lxahROMCX04" width="1" />

<p>Hello everyone! We&#8217;re now here to announce the 5 winners of our giveaway last week . But before that, we would just like to thank everyone who joined our giveaway which was sponsored by our friends from Themespectrum.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="328" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/superslide.jpg" style="border: 0px;" width="735" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Here are the 5 winners of the 5 premium themes from Themespectrum that includes premium support and free future updates:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li> <h2>Susan Geiger</h2> </li> <li> <h2>Ricardo Gonzalez</h2> </li> <li> <h2>Michael Paul</h2> </li> <li> <h2>Naomi Estreicher</h2> </li> <li> <h2>Rony Mattar</h2> </li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>For our lucky winners, please accept our warmest congratulations and please wait for an email from a representative of Themespectrum as they will contact you shortly to instruct you on how to claim your prize. As for those who joined, again, please accept our sincere appreciation. For those who didn&#8217;t win, we have a new <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/2012/12/10/im-creator-and-ytd-nexus-7-giveaway/" target="_blank">giveaway</a> on our site, so by all means, feel free to join.</p> <p>For any questions, suggestions, or sponsorship offers, please feel free to contact us using the contact form in our Contact Us page or just leave a comment below and we&#8217;ll certainly give you feedback. Lastly, please don&#8217;t forget to <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/YouTheDesigner" target="_blank">subscribe</a> to our blog or add us up on <a href="http://facebook.com/youthedesigner" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/youthedesigner" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/cadencewu" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116824150281780256954/" target="_blank">Google Plus</a> for more design related news, features, <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/blank-print-templates" target="_blank">freebies</a> and of course giveaways. Stay Awesome everyone!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p> Read more posts by <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/author/cadence/" rel="author">Cadence Wu</a></p><img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/YouTheDesigner/~4/K9ZrCrmD_1c" width="1" />

<p style="text-align: justify;">For most part of the world, Christmas is often associated with cold weather. This is probably because there have been many types of media in the past that mentions of a white Christmas, with houses covered in a layer of snow and people huddle near a fire place to drink coffee or hot chocolate. So in today’s You! Be Inspired! post, we decided to showcase 25 of the most creative mug designs that will certainly get you in the mood this holiday season.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Mugs have been around for more than 5000 years and were used by early civilizations for the sole purpose of drinking water or any form of fluid from it. Earlier forms of mug were produced by shaping clay or carved wood. However, these types of mugs were very hard to use especially with their thick walls that were unfit for the mouth. This changed upon the invention and discovery of different alternative materials like metal, porcelain and eventually plastic.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Today, mugs are produced in a variety of ways using different materials, sometimes even combining two or more materials in order to come up with the best result for a product. So without further ado, here are the 25 creatively designed mugs we’ve collected from the far reaches of the online world.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr noshade="noshade" /> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><center></p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37020" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-37020" height="600" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/r2d2-600x600.jpeg" title="r2d2" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">For the Star Wars fan <a href="http://www.bitrebels.com/geek/star-wars-r2-d2-coffee-tea-mug/">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37021" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-37021" height="522" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/biscuit-pocket.jpg" title="biscuit pocket" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">For the Biscuit Lover <a href="http://justamazingthings.blogspot.com/2012/07/top-10-creative-coffee-cup-designs.html#.UMfakuTYdSQ">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37022" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-37022" height="508" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/chemist-600x508.jpg" title="chemist" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">For the Chemist <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/111658600/coffee-caffeine-molecule-etched-coffee">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37023" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-37023 " height="420" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/tennis-player.jpg" title="tennis player" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">For the Tennis Player <a href="http://decorating-ideas-for.com/decorating-ideas-for-coffee-mugs/">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37024" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-37024" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/angel-and-devil.jpg" title="angel and devil" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Good vs Bad <a href="http://decorating-ideas-for.com/decorating-ideas-for-coffee-mugs/">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37026" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class=" wp-image-37026 " height="600" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/golfer.jpg" title="golfer" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The Golfer&#8217;s Mug <a href="http://egotvonline.com/2011/10/06/25-awesome-mugs/">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37029" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-37029 " height="600" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/dog-lover-600x600.jpg" title="dog lover" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Dog Lover&#8217;s Mug <a href="http://dogmugs.blogspot.com/2011_12_01_archive.html">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37031" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-37031" height="637" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/musician1.jpg" title="musician" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Musician&#8217;s Mug <a href="http://dogmugs.blogspot.com/2011_12_01_archive.html&amp;quot">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37032" style="width: 600px;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-37032" height="483" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/poop.jpg" title="poop" width="590" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Poop Mug <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/cool-coffee-mugs">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37033" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class=" wp-image-37033 " height="574" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/spill-proof-mug.jpg" title="spill proof mug" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Spill Proof Mug <a href="http://ilovecoffee.co.za/2011/02/17/cool-coffee-cups/">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37039" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class=" wp-image-37039 " height="339" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/knuckle.jpg" title="knuckle" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The Knuckle Mug <a href="http://bifty.com/cool-stuff/thabto-coffee-mugs/2204/">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37040" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-37040" height="600" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/ninja-600x600.jpeg" title="ninja" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Ninja Mug <a href="http://thecooleststuffever.com/ninja-coffee-mug">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37041" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-37041" height="600" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/cookie.jpg" title="cookie" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Cookie Mug <a href="http://www.barnorama.com/cool-coffee-and-tea-mugs/">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37042" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class=" wp-image-37042 " height="447" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Gun-Handle-Mug.jpg" title="Gun-Handle-Mug" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Gun Handle Mug <a href="http://www.likecool.com/Gun_Handle_Mug--Office--Gear.html&amp;quot">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37043" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-37043" height="519" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/twitter-600x519.jpg" title="twitter" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Twitter with Hashtag Mug <a href="http://www.forkparty.com/28384/ten-cool-tech-company-coffee-mugs-gallery/coffeemugs001">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37044" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-37044" height="600" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/keyboard-600x600.jpg" title="keyboard" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Programmer&#8217;s Mug <a href="http://www.shop4juan.com.ph/Cool-Unique-Keyboard-Design-Coffee-Mug-Set_p_19.html">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37045" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-37045" height="591" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/cow-600x591.jpg" title="cow" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Cow Mug <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005QB9TEQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl? ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B005QB9TEQ&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=squid0d8-20">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37046" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class=" wp-image-37046 " height="641" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/camera.jpg" title="camera" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Photographer&#8217;s Mug <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/96838/design-porn-coffee-mugs?all=1">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37047" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-37047" height="600" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/behind-600x600.png" title="behind" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The Behind Mug <a href="http://www.tripwiremagazine.com/2011/12/unique-and-creative-mugs.html">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37048" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-37048" height="564" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/creature-cups-600x564.jpeg" title="creature cups" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Creature Cups <a href="http://creaturecups.com/store">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37049" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class=" wp-image-37049 " height="600" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/animal-nose.jpg" title="animal nose" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Animal Nose Cup <a href="http://www.designrulz.com/product-design/2011/07/creative-clever-coffee-mug-designs/">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37050" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-37050" height="552" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/gameboy-600x552.png" title="gameboy" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Gameboy Mug <a href="http://churchm.ag/2012/02/page/3/">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37051" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-37051" height="558" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/rubix-cube.jpg" title="rubix cube" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Rubix Cube Mug <a href="http://1oet.com/funny-coffee-mugs-pictures/">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37064" style="width: 610px;"><a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/self-stirring.jpg"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-37064" height="449" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/self-stirring-600x449.jpg" title="self stirring" width="600" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Self Stirring Mug <a href="http://find-gift-ideas.net/tag/creative-coffee-mug">Source</a></p></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_37052" style="width: 610px;"><img alt="" class=" wp-image-37052 " height="600" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/toilet.png" title="toilet" width="600" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Toilet Mug <a href="http://www.tripwiremagazine.com/2011/12/unique-and-creative-mugs.html">Source</a></p></div> <p></center></p> <hr noshade="noshade" /> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">And that concludes today’s edition of You! Be Inspired! So which mug design did you find most interesting? Tell us by leaving a comment below. For other design related news, features and freebies, do <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/YouTheDesigner" target="_blank">subscribe</a> to our blog or drop by our <a href="http://facebook.com/youthedesigner" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/youthedesigner" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/cadencewu" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116824150281780256954/" target="_blank">Google Plus</a> social profiles.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Lastly, if you’re currently working on a project that involves a print product, don’t forget to check out our <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/blank-print-templates" target="_blank">print templates page</a> and download any of our 1,100 templates completely FREE!</p> <p> Read more posts by <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/author/zyril/" rel="author">Zy Gonzales</a></p><img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/YouTheDesigner/~4/NgrBxr9kNvE" width="1" />

<p>Typography techniques are improved by constant practicing and when given the challenge of competition. This idea inspired the new website called &#8220;<a href="http://www.letteringvscalligraphy.com/"><strong>Lettering vs. Calligraphy</strong></a>&#8221; which features two amazing Berlin based designers in a unique challenge celebrating the creative process of hand drawn lettering and  penned calligraphy.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Lettering vs. Calligraphy" class=" wp-image-36963 aligncenter" height="1038" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/lvsc1.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="Lettering vs. Calligraphy" width="524" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The type designers involved are <a href="http://www.martinaflor.com/">Martina Flor</a> and <a href="http://www.resistenza.es/">Giuseppe Salerno</a> who are both exceptionally talented and have been in the industry for more than a decade. The duo create a design each day based on a keyword provided by a moderator. Then they post their work online and let the viewers vote for their favorite. The two go head to head each day &#8211; the unique hand drawn lettering of Martina Flor versus the exquisitely penned calligraphy of Giuseppe Salermo. The adventure aims to explore and showcase the capabilities of the two technical approaches in type design. Below are some of the latest designs featured on their website (left &#8211; lettering, right &#8211; calligraphy):</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.letteringvscalligraphy.com/distinguished-u/"><img alt="DISTINGUISHED “U”" class="size-medium wp-image-36966 aligncenter" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/U-600x300.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="DISTINGUISHED “U”" width="600" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Distinguished &#8220;U&#8221;</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.letteringvscalligraphy.com/v-for-vendetta/" target="_blank"><img alt="&quot;V&quot; for Vendetta" class="size-medium wp-image-36967 aligncenter" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/v-600x300.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="&quot;V&quot; for Vendetta" width="600" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>&#8220;V&#8221; for Vendetta</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.letteringvscalligraphy.com/j-bizarre/" target="_blank"><img alt="Bizarre &quot;J&quot;" class="size-medium wp-image-36969 aligncenter" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/j-600x300.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="Bizarre &quot;J&quot;" width="600" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Bizarre &#8220;J&#8221;</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.letteringvscalligraphy.com/swashy-t/" target="_blank"><img alt="Swashy &quot;T&quot;" class="size-medium wp-image-36970 aligncenter" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/t-600x300.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="Swashy &quot;T&quot;" width="600" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Swashy &#8220;T&#8221;</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.letteringvscalligraphy.com/dynamic-n-2/" target="_blank"><img alt="Dynamic &quot;N&quot;" class="size-medium wp-image-36971 aligncenter" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/n-600x300.png" style="border: 0px;" title="Dynamic &quot;N&quot;" width="600" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Dynamic &#8220;N&#8221;</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.letteringvscalligraphy.com/b-happy/" target="_blank"><img alt="Happy &quot; B&quot;" class="size-medium wp-image-36972 aligncenter" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/B-600x300.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="Happy &quot; B&quot;" width="600" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Happy &#8220;B&#8221;</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.letteringvscalligraphy.com/simple-z/" target="_blank"><img alt="Simple &quot;Z&quot;" class="size-medium wp-image-36973 aligncenter" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Z-600x300.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="Simple &quot;Z&quot;" width="600" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Simple &#8220;Z&#8221;</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.letteringvscalligraphy.com/art-nouveau-9" target="_blank"><img alt="Art Nouveau &quot;9&quot;" class="size-medium wp-image-36974 aligncenter" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/92-600x300.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="Art Nouveau &quot;9&quot;" width="600" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Art Nouveau &#8220;9&#8243;</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.letteringvscalligraphy.com/sophisticated-3/" target="_blank"><img alt="Sophisticated &quot;3&quot;" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-36975" height="300" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/33-600x300.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="Sophisticated &quot;3&quot;" width="600" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Sophisticated &#8220;3&#8243;</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.letteringvscalligraphy.com/shop/time-to-fight-postcards/" target="_blank"><img alt="Time To Fight postcards" class="aligncenter wp-image-36978" height="318" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/time-600x318.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="Time To Fight postcards" width="600" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>&#8220;Time To Fight&#8221; postcards</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Which of the type designs is your most favorite? Vote for them on their official <a href="http://www.letteringvscalligraphy.com/">website</a>. This amazing project is not just a design challenge but an opportunity to discover the various styles and possibilities in type design in both lettering and calligraphy. Moreover, the series will be a huge source of inspiration for typography addicts out there as the battle continues.</p> <p>Tell us your thoughts as well as your suggestions by commenting below. Find us on  <a href="http://www.facebook.com/youthedesigner"><strong>Facebook</strong></a>, <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/youthedesigner"><strong>Twitter</strong></a>,</strong> <a href="https://plus.google.com/116824150281780256954/posts"><strong>Google Plus</strong></a> and <a href="http://pinterest.com/cadencewu/"><strong>Pinterest</strong></a> for more design awesomeness! Also, don’t forget to <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/YouTheDesigner">subscribe</a> to our blog for the latest design inspirations, stories and freebies. Speaking of freebies, check out our <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/blank-print-templates">free print templates</a> page where you can download templates for calendars, brochures, business cards and more!  Stay awesome everyone!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p> Read more posts by <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/author/kerby/" rel="author">Kerby Rosanes</a></p><img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/YouTheDesigner/~4/oU1Onf6UAXY" width="1" />

<p>This week, <a href="http://depositphotos.com/">Depositphotos</a> and <a href="http://www.uprinting.com/?utm_source=youthedesigner.com&#038;utm_medium=referral&#038;utm_campaign=gdm_ytdcon_0612">UPrinting</a> are collaborating to give you an international giveaway! Here you can win a 20-day free stock photo subscription where you can download 10 images a day (the normal setup is 7 days and 5 images a day), and $50 worth of print credits to spend however you like too!<br /> &nbsp;<br /> Here are the various means of entry:<br /> &nbsp;<br /> - Follow <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Depositphotos">@Depositphotos</a> on Twitter<br /> - Like the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/DepositPhotosEN">Depositphotos (English)</a> Facebook page<br /> - Tweet about this giveaway &#8211; you can find the premade tweet in the PunchTab app<br /> - Like the You The Designer blog (we know you do, it&#8217;s just that sometimes we need reminding!)<br /> - Leave a comment on this post saying what you&#8217;ll use the subscription and the print credits for<br /> - Visit (and join, if you like!) the <a href="http://www.ucreative.com/?utm_source=youthedesigner.com&#038;utm_medium=referral&#038;utm_campaign=gdm_ytdcon_0612">UCreative Network</a>, the social network for creative professionals!<br /> - Give the <a href="https://plus.google.com/116824150281780256954/">You The Designer Google+ page</a> a +1</p> <p>&nbsp;<br /> <strong>Make sure you do all that via the PunchTab app</strong> so all your entries are counted! As usual, the more times you enter, the better your chances of winning.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> Giveaway ends on <strong>Saturday, June 16, 2012, midnight PST. International except where prohibited.</strong><br /> &nbsp;<br /> Print credits do not include shipping costs. If the print job costs less than $50, the remaining print credits may be subtracted from the shipping costs.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> Once the giveaway ends, the PunchTab widget will reflect this, and we’ll publish another post to announce the winners as well as notify the winners privately.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> Now that you&#8217;ve read all that, start submitting your entries and good luck, everyone!<br /> &nbsp;<br /> <em>In case you need some printing done right now and can&#8217;t wait for this giveaway to end, UPrinting has a <a href="http://www.uprinting.com/coupons.html?utm_source=youthedesigner.com&#038;utm_medium=referral&#038;utm_campaign=gdm_ytdcon_0612">summer marketing sale</a> going on &#8211; that&#8217;s up to 20% off selected products until the 28th. <a href="http://www.uprinting.com/coupons.html?utm_source=youthedesigner.com&#038;utm_medium=referral&#038;utm_campaign=gdm_ytdcon_0612">Check it out!</a></em><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <em>If you are looking for quality images, and the subscription you can win isn&#8217;t enough for you, feel free to join Depositphotos. You will have an ability to use <a href="http://depositphotos.com/free-photos.html">free images</a> with their Free Trial Program!</em></p> <p>&nbsp; Read more posts by <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/author/cadence/" rel="author">Cadence Wu</a></p><img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/YouTheDesigner/~4/6V4eEMK19_M" width="1" />

<p>This week, as I was browsing <em>The New Yorker</em> magazine&#8217;s site for covers</a> (thanks to the curiosity sparked by <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/2012/06/06/the-art-of-the-new-yorker-magazine-covers/" target="_blank">one of our articles</a>), I saw this <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2012/06/loving-ray-bradbury.html" target="_blank">tribute</a> to Ray Bradbury written my Junot Diaz. It was an intimate look at how he is well-loved by his fans and friends. Of all the tributes I read about him this week, one that discussed his answer to a question on passing a legacy to future generations is my favorite &#8212; </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>&#8220;If you don’t read or write, you can’t be educated, you can’t care about anything — you’ve gotta put something in people’s heads so the metaphors bounce around and collide with each other and make new metaphors. That’s the success I’ve had of daring to put different metaphors together, mashing their heads together, saying, ‘Oh my god, I didn’t think of that — how wonderful!’&#8221;</em></p> <p>&nbsp; </p> <p>Continue learning and discovering new things by signing up for our <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/signup/" target="_blank">monthly newsletter</a> and subscribing to our <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/YouTheDesigner" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a>. Enjoy this week&#8217;s edition of You! Be Informed! </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Bonnaroo 2012</strong></p> <p>Four days of camping out in Manchester, Tennessee with more than 10 stages for music performance is what the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is all about! Mingle with fellow revelers and explore the different options for food and entertainment! Know more about what you can bring, how to behave yourself during the festival, and more useful things <a href="http://www.bonnaroo.com/festival-info/" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a>.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><center><a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Bonnaroo2012-via-YouTheDesigner.com_.jpg"><img alt="Bonnaroo2012 via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26585" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Bonnaroo2012-via-YouTheDesigner.com_.jpg" title="Bonnaroo2012 via YouTheDesigner.com" /></a></center></p> <p>&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Gallery 1988 &#8211; &#8220;Excuuuuuse Meeeeeeeee&#8221;</strong></p> <p>One of our favorite galleries is holding an exhibit that&#8217;s beyond awesome for words. Gallery1988 Venice will be holding <strong>&#8220;Excuuuuuse Meeeeeeeee,&#8221;</strong> a tribute to one of my favorite funnymen, Steve Martin. Artists participating in the exhibit created pieces inspired by Steve&#8217;s work in movies, books, TV, and music. The opening gala will be held on June 8, Friday, and the gallery will be up until the end of June 2012. If you&#8217;re a Steve Martin fan, or you just want to unwind by looking at contemporary art pieces, take time to drop by Gallery1988 Venice!</p> <p><em>Images from <a href="http://g1988.tumblr.com/post/24405864636/this-friday-at-g1988-venice-we-open-excuuuuuuse" target="_blank">G1988</a></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><center><a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Gallery-1988-Steve-Martin.jpg"><img alt="Gallery 1988 Steve Martin Exhibit via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26524" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Gallery-1988-Steve-Martin.jpg" title="Gallery 1988 Steve Martin Exhibit via YouTheDesigner.com" /></a></center></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><center><a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Gallery-1988-Michael-DePippo.jpg"><img alt="Gallery 1988 Michael DePippo via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26526" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Gallery-1988-Michael-DePippo.jpg" title="Gallery 1988 Michael DePippo via YouTheDesigner.com" /></a></center></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><center><a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Gallery-1988-Jason-Edmiston.jpg"><img alt="Gallery 1988 Jason Edmiston via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26525" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Gallery-1988-Jason-Edmiston.jpg" title="Gallery 1988 Jason Edmiston via YouTheDesigner.com" /></a></center></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><center><a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Gallery-1988-Nicole-Gustafsson.jpg"><img alt="Gallery 1988 Nicole Gustafsson via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26527" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Gallery-1988-Nicole-Gustafsson.jpg" title="Gallery 1988 Nicole Gustafsson via YouTheDesigner.com" /></a></center></p> <p>&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>WordCamp New York City 2012</strong></p> <p>WordPress users in New York, rejoice! WordCamp New York City 2012 is upon you, and it will be held on June 9-10, 2012 at Baruch College in Manhattan. Gear up for two whole days to learn the latest about everything and anything about WordPress. If you&#8217;re planning to attend the event, learn more about it <a href="http://2012.nyc.wordcamp.org/" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a>.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><center><a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/WordCampNYC.jpeg"><img alt="WordCampNYC via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26531" height="500" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/WordCampNYC.jpeg" title="WordCampNYC via YouTheDesigner.com" width="500" /></a></center></p> <p>&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Asketic Riga &#8211; getCirulis</strong></p> <p>We&#8217;re all about discovering and learning new things here at You the Designer, that&#8217;s why finding something graphic designers will find useful excites us. Asketic Riga is a design office from Riga, Latvia that&#8217;s taking a bold step to turn one of the region&#8217;s most unique typefaces, Cirulis, into a usable font family. <a href="http://getcirulis.com/" target="_blank">Sign up</a> and be among the first designers to receive Cirulis Pro Bold! </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><center><a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/getCirulis.jpg"><img alt="getCirulis via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26538" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/getCirulis.jpg" title="getCirulis via YouTheDesigner.com" /></a></center></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><center><a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Cirulis-poster.jpg"><img alt="Cirulis-poster via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26541" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Cirulis-poster.jpg" title="Cirulis-poster via YouTheDesigner.com" /></a></center></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><center><a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Cirulis-book.jpg"><img alt="Cirulis-book via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26540" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Cirulis-book.jpg" title="Cirulis-book via YouTheDesigner.com" /></a></center></p> <p>&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>AFA &#8211; Maurice Sendak Retrospective Exhibit</strong></p> <p>On the day before what would have been Maurice Sendak&#8217;s 84th birthday, AFA (Animazing Fine Art) will be opening a retrospective exhibit featuring his art. The exhibition will open on Saturday, June 9, and will be up until Labor Day. Original artwork and published pieces that celebrate the life of Maurice Sendak will be on display. Learn more about the exhibit by visiting the <a href="http://afanyc.com/" target="_blank">AFA website</a>. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><center><a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Maurice-Sendak-Retrospective-Exhibit-via-YouTheDesigner.jpg"><img alt="Maurice Sendak Retrospective Exhibit via YouTheDesigner" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26561" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Maurice-Sendak-Retrospective-Exhibit-via-YouTheDesigner.jpg" title="Maurice Sendak Retrospective Exhibit via YouTheDesigner" /></a></center></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><center><a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Maurice-Sendak-Retrospective-Exhibit-02-via-YouTheDesigner.jpg"><img alt="Maurice Sendak Retrospective Exhibit 02 via YouTheDesigner" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26559" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Maurice-Sendak-Retrospective-Exhibit-02-via-YouTheDesigner.jpg" title="Maurice Sendak Retrospective Exhibit 02 via YouTheDesigner" /></a></center></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><center><a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Maurice-Sendak-Retrospective-Exhibit-03-via-YouTheDesigner.jpg"><img alt="Maurice Sendak Retrospective Exhibit 03 via YouTheDesigner" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26560" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Maurice-Sendak-Retrospective-Exhibit-03-via-YouTheDesigner.jpg" title="Maurice Sendak Retrospective Exhibit 03 via YouTheDesigner" /></a></center></p> <p>&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>The Innovation Whiteboard</strong></p> <p>A month ago, The New York Times invited readers to share innovations that would make daily life easier. They called this <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/magazine/innovation-whiteboard.html" target="_blank">The Innovation Whiteboard</a>, a repository of ideas that features lifehacks. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><center><a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Innovation-Whiteboard-via-YouTheDesigner.com_.jpg"><img alt="Innovation Whiteboard via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26570" height="55" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Innovation-Whiteboard-via-YouTheDesigner.com_.jpg" title="Innovation Whiteboard via YouTheDesigner.com" width="600" /></a></center></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><center><a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Innovation-Whiteboard-02-via-YouTheDesigner.jpg"><img alt="Innovation Whiteboard 02 via YouTheDesigner" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26569" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Innovation-Whiteboard-02-via-YouTheDesigner.jpg" title="Innovation Whiteboard 02 via YouTheDesigner" /></a></center></p> <p>&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;</p> <p>Also share and discuss graphic design news with other You The Designer readers through our <a href="http://facebook.com/youthedesigner" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/youthedesigner" target="_blank">Twitter</a> accounts! </p> <p>&nbsp; Read more posts by <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/author/chin/" rel="author">Chin de Vera</a></p><img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/YouTheDesigner/~4/a6hvP3cXl_w" width="1" />

<p>Logo design is made up of different defining aspects – from the designer’s influences and personal whims, to the design’s colour and its shape. We’ve discussed how logos are defined by colour and shape in our <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/2012/06/05/logo-design-the-color-and-the-shape/">previous post</a>. This time we’d like to talk about the file types and the things that you ought to know when you’re designing a logo for different media.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As technical as these two graphic design terms may sound, they’re actually very simple. Raster graphics are basically made up of pixels, the things you see on your screen, the rough edges that you see on an image when you zoom in too much. On the other hand, vector graphics are made up of lines and anchor points that are auto-adjusted by Adobe Illustrator (or any other vector software editor you’re using) when you’re resizing your work. That’s the basic gist of raster and vector graphics, but let’s delve deeper into the abyss and know where and when to use them, and on what project, aside from logo design, you can use them.<br /> &nbsp;</p> <p><center><img alt="Sample Raster Logo via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26546" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/full_ps.jpg" title="Sample Raster Logo via YouTheDesigner.com" /></center><br /> <em>Upon first inspection, raster and vector graphics will basically look the same way. The difference becomes apparent once reproducing the design becomes an issue.</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><br /> <h3>Raster Graphics</h3> <p></strong></p> <p>If you’re going to zoom in on an image, you’ll notice that the edges become more pixelated. This is because most images (JPEG, JPG, PNG, etc.) are rasterized to allow an artist or photographer to manipulate the image using a graphics editing software, like Adobe Photoshop.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>A raster graphic image is made up of pixels, with each pixel having only one colour. This means that if you have fewer pixels in your image, you’ll have lesser colour and a low quality image. Otherwise, you’ll have a perfectly crisp and sharp image.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Why it’s not for any logo project</strong></p> <p>The primary concern in using raster graphics to create your logo design is the resolution. As I’ve mentioned before, rasterized images tend to be more pixelated or jagged on the edges. Resizing will be the main problem when it comes to reproducing a rasterized logo. You may be able to produce high resolution image on Photoshop, but you’ll never know how big the logo needs to be in actual production.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><center><img alt="Sample Raster Logo via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26546" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/zoom_ps.jpg" title="Sample Raster Logo via YouTheDesigner.com" /></center><br /> <em>A logo design that&#8217;s created using Photoshop will show pixels once you zoom in within the image. This becomes an issue when you need to create a larger design from your original.</em> </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Another issue is professional quality. If you’re designing logos as a professional, you’d aim for the best quality and using a raster file for your project doesn’t help your cause. As mentioned earlier, upon closer inspection rasterized images would eventually produce pixelated images. This’ll reflect your knowledge about industry standards and practice, which is better that you know it now, than later.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>What’s it for?</strong></p> <p>Photos and graphic rendering are done in raster graphics. Because of the extensive colour manipulation capabilities of raster graphic editors, they’re apt tools in adding and editing colours, tones, and textures on images, and photos. Usual projects done in Adobe Photoshop are web design, promotional graphics, and your usual illustration colour rendering.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><br /> <h3>Vector Graphics</h3> <p></strong><br /> In simple terms, vector graphic images are collections of lines and anchor points that make up a whole image. The lines serve as your drawing’s outline and the anchor points control where your lines should go. It’s similar to how the Photoshop pen tool works. If you’re familiar with it you’ll be fine, if not it’s time you work on it.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> The anchor points and lines that make up a vector graphic image are manipulated through mathematical calculations (done by the software you’re using, no worries), which make the image done in vector to be scalable to any size.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> <strong>Why it’s used in creating logos</strong><br /> Because of the ease in resizing a vector graphic image, logo designers find it easier to reproduce a logo in any size, any time, without losing quality. Aside from resolving sizing issues on a logo design, editing it will be a lot easier. Logos made in vector graphics are more adaptable and streamlined when applied to different media – from promotional prints and corporate stationery, like <a href="http://www.uprinting.com/business-cards.html?utm_source=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youthedesigner.com%2F&#038;utm_medium=referral&#038;utm_campaign=gdm_ytd_0612" target="_blank">business cards</a> and letterheads, to web design applications and other media.<br /> &nbsp;</p> <p><center><img alt="Zoomed in Vector Logo via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26549" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/zoom_vector.jpg" title="Zoomed in Vector Logo via YouTheDesigner.com" /></center><br /> <em>Vector Graphics&#8217; primary strength lies on its scalability. Since you&#8217;ll be applying the logo on different media, you&#8217;ll have to create different sizes of the same design. But if you&#8217;ve created the logo design as a vector graphic, size and scaling issues are easily resolved.</em><br /> &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Other applications</strong></p> <p>Most conceptual artists directly sketch their work on vector graphic editors and just render them on Adobe Photoshop, or other raster graphic editors. Because of the power combination of Adobe Illustrator’s intuitive drawing tools that work best with a tablet – this makes it easier for artists and illustrators to create sketches, concept designs, or adding details to a drawing easier.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Look out for our other logo design posts for the month of June. Make sure that you’re subscribed to our <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/YouTheDesigner" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> to receive awesome design news and inspiration. If you’ve got any questions, topic suggestions, or some love to share, just hit us up on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/youthedesigner" target="_blank">Facebook </a>or <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/youthedesigner" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. </p> <p>&nbsp; Read more posts by <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/author/cadence/" rel="author">Cadence Wu</a></p><img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/YouTheDesigner/~4/NbyxvDmYX_E" width="1" />

<p>As you’ve seen in our recent posts, we’re cooking up a series of articles focusing on logo design and the issues and elements concerning the design process as well as the technicalities that come with it. Watch out for this week’s upcoming posts – we’ll be featuring illustrated covers of The New Yorker magazine, we’ll also publish another logo design post discussing the difference between raster and vector graphics.</p> <p>&nbsp;<br /> Going into the things I dug up the past weekend, here are some amazing graphic design samples, illustrators, and their artwork:</p> <p>&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;<br /> <strong>Emma Block – Illustrator</strong></p> <p>We’ve seen some amazing illustration from <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/2012/05/30/you-be-inspired-0007/" target="_blank">last week’s Be Inspired</a> post, this week we’ve got another female illustrator in <a href="http://emmablock.co.uk" target="_blank">Emma Block</a>. Her work has a touch of 1930s jazz and 1950s lifestyle, some of her works somehow reminisce the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s and a little hint of Dorothy Parker’s era.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Emma Snow via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26481" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/emma01.jpg" title="" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Emma Snow via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26482" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/emma02.jpg" title="" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Emma Snow via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26483" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/emma03.jpg" title="" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Emma Snow via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26484" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/emma04.jpg" title="" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Emma Snow via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26485" height="580" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/emma05.jpg" title="" width="600" /></center></p> <p>&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;<br /> <strong>Chibi Tarot – A Cute Take on an Ancient Tradition</strong></p> <p>A project by artist Adam Bodgett, the <a href="http://chibitarot.com/" target="_blank">Chibi Tarot</a> project aims to recreate the major and minor arcana of the Tarot deck, through the lens of chibi. If you’re not familiar with the term chibi meaning “Short Person”, it’s used to describe a thing or person as cute or small.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Chibi Tarot by Adam Bodgett via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26469" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/chibitarot01.png" title="" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Chibi Tarot by Adam Bodgett via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26470" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/chibitarot02.png" title="" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Chibi Tarot by Adam Bodgett via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26472" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/chibitarot03.png" title="" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Chibi Tarot by Adam Bodgett via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26473" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/chibitarot04.png" title="" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Chibi Tarot by Adam Bodgett via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26474" height="1111" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/chibitarot05.png" title="" width="600" /></center></p> <p>&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;<br /> <strong>Conrad Roset – Illustrator</strong></p> <p>A common muse among graphic artists and illustrators is the image of a woman. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/conradroset" target="_blank">Conrad Roset’s gallery</a> of works exemplifies this appreciation of the female form – from his muse collections to his commercial works. Though Conrad’s work primarily focuses on the sensual form of a woman, his portfolio boasts an assortment of different projects, from photography to <a href="http://www.uprinting.com/postcard-printing.html?utm_source=youthedesigner.com&#038;utm_medium=referral&#038;utm_campaign=gdm_ytd_0612" target="_blank">postcard prints</a>, and children’s books.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Conrad Roset via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26476" height="925" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/conrad01.jpg" title="" width="600" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Conrad Roset via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26477" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/conrad02.jpg" title="" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Conrad Roset via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26478" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/conrad03.jpg" title="" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Conrad Roset via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26479" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/conrad04.jpg" title="" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Conrad Roset via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26480" height="830" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/conrad05.jpg" title="" width="600" /></center></p> <p>&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;<br /> <strong>Movie Posters by Neil Kellerhouse</strong></p> <p>If you’re into films and <a href="http://www.uprinting.com/poster-printing.html?utm_source=youthedesigner.com&#038;utm_medium=referral&#038;utm_campaign=gdm_ytd_0612" target="_blank">movie posters</a>, you’ll love <a href="http://kellerhouse.com/" target="_blank">Neil Kellerhouse’s work</a>. He has worked on the posters for <em>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</em>, <em>The Social Network</em>, and <em>I’m Still Here </em>among others. His unique, sleek, and compact style in photography, and the typography he uses together in the movie posters provide a unique character to each film’s promotional media.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Neil Kellerhouse via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26486" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/neil01.jpg" title="" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Neil Kellerhouse via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26487" height="888" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/neil02.jpg" title="" width="600" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Neil Kellerhouse via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26488" height="944" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/neil03.jpg" title="" width="600" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Neil Kellerhouse via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26489" height="888" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/neil04.jpg" title="" width="600" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Neil Kellerhouse via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26490" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/neil05.jpg" title="" /></center></p> <p>&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;<br /> <strong>The Great Showdowns – Scott Campbell</strong></p> <p>Everyone has a favorite scene from a film – from the first Matrix’s bullet time fight scenes to Gandalf’s epic confrontation with the Balrog. These have been memorable scenes from our most beloved movies. Now, Scott Campbell recreates all the battle scenes, the close encounters, and the conversations into cute and cuddly illustrations. Check out his project, <a href="http://greatshowdowns.com/" target="_blank">The Great Showdowns</a> on tumblr for more action!<br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="The Great Showdowns via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26496" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/scott01.jpg" title="" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="The Great Showdowns via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26497" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/scott02.jpg" title="" /></center></p> <p>&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;<br /> <strong>Project: Rooftop</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.tencentticker.com/projectrooftop/about/" target="_blank">Project: Rooftop</a> aims to promote and expand the founders’ idea of superhero costume and character redesign as a skill. It’s being spearheaded by comic book artist Dean Trippe and journalist Christ Arrant. The project was inspired by reality shows and other related superhero literature, and by the trend of costume redesign on different superheroes.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Project: Rooftop via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26491" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rooftop01.jpg" title="" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Project: Rooftop via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26492" height="330" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rooftop02.jpeg" title="" width="600" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Project: Rooftop via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26493" height="423" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rooftop03.jpg" title="" width="600" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Project: Rooftop via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26494" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rooftop04.jpg" title="" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Project: Rooftop via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26495" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rooftop05.png" title="" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;<br /> <strong>Vintage Book Collection by Mallory McInnis</strong></p> <p>“In the Thrift Shop we trust” – that pretty much sums up my affection for thrift shops that sell pre-owned and cheap curiosities. One of the nice things that you’ll never regret buying off thrift shops are books. Now, Mallory McInnis, a curious online case of a curator, has compiled more than a hundred vintage books and posted their prints online. The prints from her collection have a unique and eerie feel (well, most vintage books have eerie illustrations), and somehow transport you back in time. Check out her collection at <a href="http://myvintagebookcollectioninblogform.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">My Vintage Book Collection</a>.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Vintage Book Collection by Mallory McInnis via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26498" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/vintage01.png" title="" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Vintage Book Collection by Mallory McInnis via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26499" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/vintage02.png" title="" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Vintage Book Collection by Mallory McInnis via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26500" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/vintage03.png" title="" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Vintage Book Collection by Mallory McInnis via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26501" height="948" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/vintage04.png" title="" width="600" /></center><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <center><img alt="Vintage Book Collection by Mallory McInnis via YouTheDesigner.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26502" src="http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/vintage05.png" title="" /></center></p> <p>Got something awesome to share, or a topic you want us to discuss? Hit us up on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/youthedesigner" target="_blank">Facebook</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/youthedesigner" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. Also be more amazing and subscribe to our <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/YouTheDesigner" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a>. </p> <p>&nbsp; Read more posts by <a href="http://www.youthedesigner.com/author/victor/" rel="author">Victor Pontejos</a></p><img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/YouTheDesigner/~4/MVnVWKIh9To" width="1" />

<p><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5004" height="455" src="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/c4d-ps.jpg" title="c4d-ps" width="612" /></p> <p>Our Pro Shaders for Cinema 4D is now available to New and Current owners of the Pro Shaders pack.  We rebuilt each shader to work natively in Cinema 4D as a free upgrade to those who would like to use them.  Just sign in to your customer account to download, we even created an easy installer!  Enjoy.</p> <p>Previous customers will see the Cinema 4D installer under the Pro Shaders product.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/ae_fr.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4989" height="180" src="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/ae_fr.jpg" title="ae_fr" width="612" /></a></p> <p><strong>UPDATE:</strong> Make your features come true, <a href="https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform" target="_blank">File a Feature Request with ADOBE!</a><br /> <a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/ae_fr.jpg"><br /> </a>Our buddy Todd Kopriva at Adobe just posted an <a href="http://blogs.adobe.com/aftereffects/2012/12/top-feature-requests-for-after-effects-in-2012.html" target="_blank">article</a> outlining top feature requests from the After Effects community in 2012 and while you browse the<a href="http://blogs.adobe.com/aftereffects/2012/12/top-feature-requests-for-after-effects-in-2012.html" target="_blank"> comprehensive list,</a> do you see your top features there?</p> <p><strong>Here are a few of my top features that should be on that list!</strong></p> <p><strong>Improve Expressions Speed:<br /> </strong>As I outlined in <a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/2010/08/should-adobe-improve-expressions/" target="_blank">2010</a>, expression run-time should be much faster! This feature is still high on my list because expressions are very powerful but can weigh down a project if they get too complex. I notice major speed hits when using complex expression like those generated from using Sure Target 2! <a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/sure_target_2/" target="_blank">http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/sure_target_2/</a></p> <p>POSSIBLE SOLUTION: Red Bull!</p> <p><strong>Duplicate Layer Instances:<br /> </strong>The option to make a copy of a layer with effects like Particular or Element 3D and have the effects sync throughout the project when edited. So if you change one instance, they will all change, but at anytime you can disconnect it from the group and customize individually. Basically when you repeat certain effects it can be cumbersome to go through the entire project and update the effects for each copy. This would save time and avoid forgetting about a rogue copy.</p> <p>POSSIBLE SOLUTION: Copy option called &#8220;Copy as Instance&#8221; then when you paste it, the parameters have a highlight color so that you know it is connected to other parameters. Then maybe an icon next to the effect name that can be clicked to disconnect an instance and make it independent.</p> <p><strong>Must we pre-compose everything!?<br /> </strong>It would be great if pre-composing wasn&#8217;t required every time you want to reference a layer from a plug-in.  We all have been there, you want a plug-in to use a layer but it won&#8217;t work until you pre-compose or flatten that layers effects. So you pre-compose it even though you really don&#8217;t want to! This problem is even worse when you have 3D layers, because then you need to copy the camera into the pre-comp as well and keep updating it every time you want to change the camera.</p> <p>POSSIBLE SOLUTION: Have a layer switch like the 3d or motion blur switch on the layer that is called &#8220;Render First&#8221; or &#8220;mimic precomposing&#8221;. This way you can mimic pre-composing when you need to.</p> <p><strong>Render Output in folder:<br /> </strong>Having just completed graphics for a trailer that needed to be translated into 8 languages, it would be nice if I didn&#8217;t have to create a folder for every single output sequence.  It would be nice if there was an output setting to &#8220;Place in Folder&#8221; that could be saved into a template. Then whatever you name the files will be the name of the folder. Saving precious minutes!!!</p> <p>POSSIBLE SOLUTION: Output option check-box &#8221;Place in folder&#8221;. I know there are scripts for this but C&#8217;mon!</p> <p><strong>Improved Light options:<br /> </strong>AE lights could use some upgrading now that 3D is becoming more common. Here are a few suggestions:</p> <p>- Controllable Light range. Not just falloff but cutoff.<br /> - Ambient Light with distance range. Instead of ambient light everywhere, it would be cool to have a radial range for things to illuminate objects evenly without the specularity from a point light.<br /> - Better Light icons and representation in the viewer<br /> - Exclude specific layers from Lights. Maybe.</p> <p><strong>Bonus Feature:</strong> Kill shape layers! Well at least disconnect them from the mask tool.</p> <p>What are your top feature requests for After Effects?</p>

<p><a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/presets_top_secret.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-4981" height="300" src="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/of_133.jpg" title="of_133" width="612" /></a></p> <p>Optical Flares 1.3.3 has been released along with a free bonus pack of presets.  As some of you may know we are in development on Optical Flare 2.0 and we were able to fix some bugs and we wanted to make these fixes available now!</p> <p>The bug fixes include OpenGL fixes, Quadro Crashses on OSX and speed improvements.</p> <p><a href="https://www.videocopilot.net/products/opticalflares/update/" target="_blank">Download Optical Flares Update</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Conspiracy_Presets.zip" target="_blank">Download Free Conspiracy Presets</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/presets_top_secret.jpg" target="_blank">View Screen Shots of new Presets</a></p> <p><strong>LIMITED TIME CYBER SALE:</strong><br /> Remember we are currently having a sale for 25% off all Video Copilot Products, don&#8217;t miss it!<br /> <a href="https://www.videocopilot.net/sales/cybersale2012/" target="_blank">See Coupon information</a></p>

<p><a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/pov_scopes_web1.mov" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4969" height="1018" src="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/scopes.jpg" title="scopes" width="612" /></a></p> <p><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4970" height="502" src="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/lens_textures.jpg" title="lens_textures" width="612" /></p> <p>Wow, this post is long! In this new tutorial we&#8217;ll take a look at creating various simulated scenes such as a Camera POV, sniper scope and even night vision. The tutorial also includes a project with 13 templates ready to mix and match plus 9 REAL lens textures to build your own.</p> <p>And yes some of the templates include chromatic aberration using the channel blur.</p> <p><a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/scopes/" target="_blank">Watch Tutorial</a><br /> <a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/pov_scopes_web1.mov" target="_blank">See Sample FX</a></p> <p><a href="http://video9.videocopilot.net/efc5e19e65fe9ca2cbd9818d45ac92a1/videotutorials/projects/135.zip" target="_blank">Download Project Files</a></p>

<p></p> <p>After a little bit of work, I discovered an experimental technique for generating Image Based Lighting with Element 3D!</p> <p>So what is image Based Lighting? Basically is when you use an environment map (or HDRI) to simulate the lighting in a 3D scene without adding any individual lights. The specular highlights and overall illumination is generated from the environment automatically. This is a common technique for dedicated 3D programs for high-end Visual Effects work so they can match the practical lighting as accurately as possible.</p> <p>This technique uses 2 additional copies of the Element 3D plug-in stacked on top of each other to generate the lighting but you can also add additional lights to your scene as well.</p> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/53402935" target="_blank">Watch Tutorial on Vimeo</a><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7CawxPjDbI&amp;feature=channel&amp;list=UL" target="_blank">Watch Tutorial on Youtube</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/help/element/tutorial/basic/image_based_lighting/">Watch on Video Copilot</a></p> <p>Apologies for the raspy voice, getting over a lingering cold&#8230;</p> <p>TIP: You can import the environment maps from Element too!<br /> Documents\VideoCopilot\Materials\Environment</p>

<p></p> <p></p> <p>Who doesn&#8217;t love a good VFX reel? I sure do. Being able to see what went into some of these amazing shots makes me appreciate the long hours of every vfx artist and gives some insight as to how the shots were conceived.</p> <p>And for those who aspire to do amazing shots like these just remember these shots were not created overnight.  One layer at a time&#8230;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/skull_fire_web.mov" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4914" height="679" src="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/hw.jpg" title="hw" width="612" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/coming_soon_lg.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" height="326" src="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/halloween_sm.jpg" title="halloween_sm" width="612" /></a></p> <p>We may not be changing our name to Video Kill-Pilot but today we are releasing a free Halloween Model pack with 13 spook-tastic models! &#8220;Spook-tastic&#8221;? &#8230;  What am I talking about?</p> <p>These models are ready to use with <a href="https://www.videocopilot.net/products/element/" target="_blank">Element 3D</a> inside of After Effects or import the OBJ files into your favorite 3D program, the texture files are universal too.</p> <p><strong>UPDATED:</strong> Fixed Skull model bug and UV&#8217;s in C4D.</p> <p><a href="http://videocopilot.s3.amazonaws.com/Halloween_Pack1.1.zip" target="_blank">Download Halloween Pack and Experiment now!</a></p> <p>Now&#8230; why are we doing a lot of 3D stuff? Is Video Copilot Changing? Should I investigate that strange sound outside near that trail of blood?</p> <p>I would say that Video Copilot is evolving along with the industry to keep pace with the ambitious demands of modern advertising and film.  More and more we see movies and commercials that use elaborate 3D animation that require a dedicated 3D application.</p> <p>So we came up with a plug-in called <a href="https://www.videocopilot.net/products/element/" target="_blank">Element 3D</a> that bridges that gap between After Effects and a full 3D program. It offers many great capabilities of a traditional 3D program and majorly expands the capability of your favorite software After Effects.  This way the skills that you have learned over the past few years can continue to grow with the plug-in&#8217;s new capabilities.</p> <p>YES we earn money by selling our Plug-ins and that is the main source for keeping the website running and our 10+ employees. But Element 3D truly offers capabilities that were simply not available before. Like realtime 3D models in After Effects with all of the advanced features like Depth of Field and Ambient Occlusion to name a few. I can&#8217;t even count how many tutorials I&#8217;ve created in the past dedicated to making things LOOK 3D-ish&#8230;</p> <p>We also get people telling us that we could have charged much more for the plug-in but we wanted to make it as affordable as possible.  Of course, we will continue to do traditional compositing tutorials like before but we also want to add more 3D stuff to the candy bowl.</p> <p>Stuff like the Airplane from the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc_yO28NHtk&amp;feature=plcp" target="_blank">Mid-Air Emergency video</a> is actually easy to do with Element 3D but might otherwise be difficult with a dedicated 3D program. I even used Element 3D to create the recent <a href="https://vimeo.com/40926575" target="_blank">Fringe Intro</a> for FOX and the animated vegetation in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJiabcpLvJM" target="_blank">REVOLUTION</a> intro on NBC. So when you think about all the small things that are possible with Element 3D, it&#8217;s actually kinda SCARY.</p> <p>Happy Halloween and enjoy that Candy Corn!</p>

<p><a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/coming_soon_lg.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4907" height="326" src="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/halloween_sm.jpg" title="halloween_sm" width="612" /></a></p> <p>Something we&#8217;ve been working on&#8230; A Free Halloween 3D model Pack that works with most popular 3D programs and <a href="https://www.videocopilot.net/products/element/">Element 3D</a>!  Stay Tuned or Die!</p> <p><a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/coming_soon_lg.jpg" target="_blank">Larger Sample Image rendered with 3D max!</a></p>

<p><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3922" height="575" src="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/matte.jpg" title="matte" width="612" /></p> <p>The <a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/2012/05/matte-painting-challenge-alien-landscape/">matte painting challenge</a> is going well. Today I&#8217;m going to start looking through all of the matte paintings and find a few to use for the different shots in the sequence. Once we have a few that work, I&#8217;ll start comping in the background and finishing the rest of the shots. Keep up the great work, I think we&#8217;ll definitely do more of these in the future! Maybe the next one will be a matte painting in the future&#8230; Yes!!</p> <p>Keep going, the challenge ends June 15th!</p>

<p><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3914" height="515" src="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/vs.jpg" title="vs" width="612" /></p> <p>Today we updated our website with a slightly new look and layout. Our goal was to focus the content of the site and make it easy to see the stuff you want. We are also releasing a few products this year and we spent some time rebuilding our customer download system to make downloading products faster and easier. The new account system keeps track of your products so you can download anytime, anywhere. News about those products will be forthcoming soon but we need to get all the systems in place first. Stand by as we tweak the site and get the bugs out.</p> <p>My favorite change is probably the wider blog space so the images and video can really stand out!</p>

<p>CSS3 and HTML5 are the two updated versions of long-standing web development markup languages HTML and CSS. While the fundamental principles remain the same, there are a lot of fresh new techniques and new possibilities available.</p> <p><p>Learning HTML5 and CSS3 is essential for web developers (and designers as well). However, learning them can be tricky, as they are still relatively new and there is less content available on them.</p> <p>In this post, I&#8217;ve gathered up 30 HTML5 and CSS3 tutorials.</p> <p>Create an Audio Player in jQuery, HTML5 &#038; CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/audio-player/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-1.png" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Coding a CSS3 &#038; HTML5 One-Page Website Template</p> <p><a href="http://tutorialzine.com/2010/02/html5-css3-website-template/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Implementing HTML5 Drag &#038; Drop</p> <p><a href="http://net.tutsplus.com/tutorials/html-css-techniques/implementing-html5-drag-and-drop-new-premium-tutorial/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-3.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>HTML5 File Uploads with jQuery</p> <p><a href="http://tutorialzine.com/2011/09/html5-file-upload-jquery-php/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-4.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Making an HTML5 iPhone App</p> <p><a href="http://sixrevisions.com/web-development/html5-iphone-app/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-5.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Have a Field Day with HTML5 Forms</p> <p><a href="http://24ways.org/2009/have-a-field-day-with-html5-forms"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-6.png" width="500" /></a></p> <p>How To Create a Cute Popup Bar With HTML5, CSS3 and jQuery</p> <p><a href="http://spyrestudios.com/how-to-create-a-cute-popup-bar-with-html5-css3-and-jquery/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-7.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Designing Search Boxes with HTML5 and CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://azadcreative.com/2010/11/designing-search-boxes-html5-css3/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-8.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Code a Vibrant Professional Web Design with HTML5/CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://designinstruct.com/web-design/code-a-vibrant-professional-web-design-with-html5css3/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-9.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Designing Modern Web Forms with HTML5 CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://legendthemes.com/2010/04/10/designing-modern-web-forms-with-html-5-and-css3/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-10.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Designing a Contact Form in CSS3 and HTML5</p> <p><a href="http://www.sendesignz.com/index.php/css/104-designing-contact-form-in-css3-and-html5"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-11.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Code a Backwards Compatible, One Page Portfolio with HTML5 and CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://inspectelement.com/tutorials/code-a-backwards-compatible-one-page-portfolio-with-html5-and-css3/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-12.png" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Sticky Notes With HTML5 and CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://ajaxian.com/archives/view-source-tutorial-sticky-notes-with-html5-and-css3"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-13.png" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Blowing Up HTML5</p> <p><a href="http://www.craftymind.com/2010/04/20/blowing-up-html5-video-and-mapping-it-into-3d-space/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-14.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Web Applications On Mobile Devices With HTML5</p> <p><a href="http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/web/library/wa-offlineweb/index.html"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-15.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>CREATING A MOBILE-FRIENDLY HTML5ROCKS.COM</p> <p><a href="http://www.html5rocks.com/en/mobile/mobifying/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-16.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Rubik&#8217;s cube with HTML5 (CSS3 + JavaScript)</p> <p><a href="http://html5rubik.com/tutorial/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-17.png" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create an Video Player in jQuery, HTML5 &#038; CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/video-player/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-18.png" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create a Drop-Down Navigation Menu with HTML5 and CSS3 </p> <p><a href="http://www.ourtuts.com/create-a-drop-down-navigation-menu-with-html5-and-css3/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-19.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Simple and effective dropdown login box with HTML5, CSS3 and jQuery</p> <p><a href="http://dhirajkumarsingh.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/simple-and-effective-dropdown-login-box-with-html5-css3-and-jquery/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-20.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Making a Beautiful HTML5 Portfolio</p> <p><a href="http://tutorialzine.com/2011/06/beautiful-portfolio-html5-jquery/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-21.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Detect Geolocation On Web Browser Using HTML5</p> <p><a href="http://www.bloggermint.com/2011/01/geolocation-web-browser-html5/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-22.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Creating an E-Store HTML5 CSS3 Single Page Layout</p> <p><a href="http://www.script-tutorials.com/creating-new-html5css3-single-page-layout-e-store/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-23.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create a Minimal Coming Soon Page using HTML5 and CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/css/create-coming-soon-page-using-html5-and-css3/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-24.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>HTML5 Image Effects – HDR simulation</p> <p><a href="http://www.script-tutorials.com/html5-image-effects-hdr-simulation/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-25.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Coding the Digg v4 Layout with HTML5 and CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://speckyboy.com/2012/05/15/coding-the-digg-v4-layout-with-html5-and-css3/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-26.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create Offline Web Applications on Mobile Devices with HTML5</p> <p><a href="http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/web/library/wa-offlineweb/index.html"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-27.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p> Create an HTML5 Tutorial Progress Bar</p> <p><a href="http://www.developphp.com/view.php?tid=1228"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-28.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>How to Create a Slick Features Table in HTML &#038; CSS</p> <p><a href="http://line25.com/tutorials/how-to-create-a-slick-features-table-in-html-css"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-29.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create an Upload Form using jQuery, CSS3, HTML5 and PHP </p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/create-upload-form/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/css3-html5-tutorial-30.png" width="500" /></a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=sgqvkyetk0k:_VuUzXEq34A:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=sgqvkyetk0k:_VuUzXEq34A:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=sgqvkyetk0k:_VuUzXEq34A:F7zBnMyn0Lo" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=sgqvkyetk0k:_VuUzXEq34A:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=sgqvkyetk0k:_VuUzXEq34A:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=sgqvkyetk0k:_VuUzXEq34A:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=sgqvkyetk0k:_VuUzXEq34A:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=sgqvkyetk0k:_VuUzXEq34A:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> </div><img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PresidiaCreative/~4/sgqvkyetk0k" width="1" />

<p>UI kits, free PSD files, UI elements and plugins are all over the place these days. While these resources can often be useful for professional designers and developers, as well as those who are looking to learn, there&#8217;s a lot of them out there to choose from.</p> <p>Not all UI elements were created equal. Some UI kits are lacking in quality, or that aren&#8217;t presented in a usable state.</p> <p>In this post, I&#8217;ve gathered up the best of the best when it comes to web elements and UI kits for web designers.</p> <p>Cream UI pack free PSD</p> <p><a href="http://freebiesbug.com/psd-freebies/cream-ui-pack-free-psd/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19895" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-1.jpg" title="kit-1" width="500" /></a></p> <p>The Bricks – Bundle Pack Addons</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/the-bricks-addons/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19896" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-2.jpg" title="kit-2" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Impressionist UI – User Interface Pack</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/impressionist/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19897" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-3.jpg" title="kit-3" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Pandora UI for iOS – User Interface Pack</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/pandora/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19898" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-4.jpg" title="kit-4" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Call to Action</p> <p><a href="http://www.bestpsdfreebies.com/freebie/call-to-action-buttons/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19899" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-5.jpg" title="kit-5" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Responsive Website Navigation</p> <p><a href="http://www.freebiesgallery.com/responsive-website-navigation/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19900" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-6.jpg" title="kit-6" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Google Plus Buttons</p> <p><a href="http://www.idream-design.co.uk/blog/freebie-download-your-free-google-follow-buttons"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19901" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-7.jpg" title="kit-7" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Futurico Pro</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/futuricopro/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19902" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-8.jpg" title="kit-8" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Dark Amber</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/dark-amber/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19903" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-9.jpg" title="kit-9" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Black UI Kit</p> <p><a href="http://www.designkindle.com/2011/05/09/black-ui-kit/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19904" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-10.png" title="kit-10" width="500" /></a></p> <p>UI Elements</p> <p><a href="http://www.denniscovent.be/?p=1036"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19905" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-11.jpg" title="kit-11" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Transparent Ui kit</p> <p><a href="http://kbsportfolio.com/2012/05/04/resource-for-designer-transparent-ui-kit/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19906" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-12.png" title="kit-12" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Black ui kit</p> <p><a href="http://kbsportfolio.com/2011/10/13/resource-for-designer-black-ui-kit/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19907" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-13.jpg" title="kit-13" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Dark Orange UI Kit</p> <p><a href="http://elementaldesign.com.ar/en/downloads/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19908" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-14.jpg" title="kit-14" width="500" /></a></p> <p>70 User Interface Elements</p> <p><a href="http://duckfiles.com/70-user-interface-elements-free-psd/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19909" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-15.png" title="kit-15" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Sleek UI Elements</p> <p><a href="http://www.designkindle.com/2011/07/25/sleek-ui-elements/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19910" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-16.jpg" title="kit-16" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Lion UI Kit</p> <p><a href="http://www.designkindle.com/2011/08/09/lion-ui-kit/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19911" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-17.jpg" title="kit-17" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Cloudy UI Kit</p> <p><a href="http://www.sebastiengabriel.com/blog/resource-for-designer-psd-18/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19912" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-18.png" title="kit-18" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Silver Form UI Kit</p> <p><a href="http://www.bestpsdfreebies.com/freebie/pay-with-a-tweet-friday-silver-form-ui-kit/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19913" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-19.jpg" title="kit-19" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Dark Form UI Kit</p> <p><a href="http://www.bestpsdfreebies.com/freebie/pay-with-a-tweet-friday-dark-form-ui-kit/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19914" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kit-20.jpg" title="kit-20" width="500" /></a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=oiKx59DsTOk:WGihupYnx-0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=oiKx59DsTOk:WGihupYnx-0:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=oiKx59DsTOk:WGihupYnx-0:F7zBnMyn0Lo" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=oiKx59DsTOk:WGihupYnx-0:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=oiKx59DsTOk:WGihupYnx-0:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=oiKx59DsTOk:WGihupYnx-0:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=oiKx59DsTOk:WGihupYnx-0:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=oiKx59DsTOk:WGihupYnx-0:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> </div><img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PresidiaCreative/~4/oiKx59DsTOk" width="1" />

<p>CSS3 is one of the most useful developments in web technologies over the past few years. When combined with HTML5 and CSS3, the possibilities for design and functionality are almost limitless and it&#8217;s possible to visualize a variety of applications.</p> <p>CSS3 isn&#8217;t altogether different from CSS, but there are some new rules and other selectors that have been added, and unfortunately there&#8217;s still a bit of browser specificity that can be confusing.</p> <p>But, to make it easy for you, I&#8217;ve selected 30 instructional CSS3 tutorials to share with you in this post.</p> <p>Button Switches with Checkboxes and CSS3 Fanciness</p> <p><a href="http://tympanus.net/codrops/2012/09/13/button-switches-with-checkboxes-and-css3-fanciness/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-1.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Creating an Animated 3D Bouncing Ball with CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://tympanus.net/codrops/2012/05/22/creating-an-animated-3d-bouncing-ball-with-css3/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Pseudo elements with custom attributes to create a css3 menu that will bounce</p> <p><a href="http://pehaa.com/2012/08/pseudo-elements-with-custom-attributes-to-create-a-css3-menu-that-will-bounce/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-3.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>The Creation of a CSS3 Clickable, Rotating Menu</p> <p><a href="http://www.inserthtml.com/2012/09/rotating-menu/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-4.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create a stunning menu in CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2012/08/create-a-stunning-menu-in-css3/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-5.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Fancy FAQ page using CSS3 only</p> <p><a href="http://www.red-team-design.com/fancy-faq-page-using-css3-only"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-6.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Pricing Tables</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/create-css3-pricing-tables/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-7.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Stylish Image Content Slider</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/slider-css3/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-8.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Accordion Menu</p> <p><a href="http://pelfusion.com/30-effective-css3-tutorials/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-9.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Grid Based Web Design</p> <p><a href="http://line25.com/tutorials/create-a-grid-based-web-design-in-html5-css3"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-10.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>CSS3 Wheel Menu</p> <p><a href="http://webdesign.tutsplus.com/tutorials/site-elements/how-to-create-a-css3-wheel-menu/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-11.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Animated CSS3 helix using 3d transforms</p> <p><a href="http://www.marcofolio.net/css/animated_css3_helix_using_3d_transforms.html"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-12.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Image Gallery with a 3D Lightbox Animation</p> <p><a href="http://inspectelement.com/articles/create-a-css3-image-gallery-with-a-3d-lightbox-animation/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-13.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Make A Stopwatch Using CSS3 Without Images &#038; Javascript</p> <p><a href="http://thecodeplayer.com/walkthrough/make-a-stopwatch-using-css3-without-images-or-javascript/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-14.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>A Pure CSS3 Cycling Slideshow</p> <p><a href="http://coding.smashingmagazine.com/2012/04/25/pure-css3-cycling-slideshow/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-15.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Circle Hover effects with css Transitions</p> <p><a href="http://tympanus.net/codrops/2012/08/08/circle-hover-effects-with-css-transitions/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-16.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Dynamic Stack of Index Cards</p> <p><a href="http://designlovr.com/use-css3-to-create-a-dynamic-stack-of-index-cards/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-17.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Halftone Navigation</p> <p><a href="http://tutorialzine.com/2010/01/halftone-navigation-menu-jquery-css/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-18.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Mega Drop-Down Menu</p> <p><a href="http://net.tutsplus.com/tutorials/html-css-techniques/how-to-build-a-kick-butt-css3-mega-drop-down-menu/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-19.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p> Dashboard Menu</p> <p><a href="http://www.webstuffshare.com/2010/06/create-your-own-dashboard-menu/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-20.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create a CSS3 Dropdown Menu</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/css3-dropdown-menu/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-21.png" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Circle Navigation Effect with CSS3to build an awesome</p> <p><a href="http://tympanus.net/codrops/2011/10/10/circle-navigation-effect-with-css3/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-22.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Slideshow with a parallax effect using CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://tympanus.net/codrops/2012/04/30/fluid-css3-slideshow-with-parallax-effect/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-23.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create CSS3 Buttons </p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/create-css3-buttons/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-24.png" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create Accordion Menu in Pure CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/css3-accordion-menu/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-25.png" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Quickly Build a Swish Teaser Page With CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://webdesign.tutsplus.com/tutorials/htmlcss-tutorials/quickly-build-a-swish-teaser-page-with-css3/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-26.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Build an Animated Photo Wall with CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://designshack.net/articles/css/build-an-animated-photo-wall-with-css/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-27.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Stylish CSS3 progress bars</p> <p><a href="http://www.red-team-design.com/stylish-css3-progress-bars"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-28.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create some cool CSS3 buttons</p> <p><a href="http://www.red-team-design.com/just-another-awesome-css3-buttons"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-29.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create an animated 3d bar chart using CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://tympanus.net/codrops/2012/05/21/animated-3d-bar-chart-with-css3/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-tutorial-30.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=SC4gQJdIH1s:WKrLo5IH7HM:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=SC4gQJdIH1s:WKrLo5IH7HM:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=SC4gQJdIH1s:WKrLo5IH7HM:F7zBnMyn0Lo" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=SC4gQJdIH1s:WKrLo5IH7HM:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=SC4gQJdIH1s:WKrLo5IH7HM:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=SC4gQJdIH1s:WKrLo5IH7HM:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=SC4gQJdIH1s:WKrLo5IH7HM:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=SC4gQJdIH1s:WKrLo5IH7HM:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> </div><img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PresidiaCreative/~4/SC4gQJdIH1s" width="1" />

<p>It&#8217;s one thing to be able to design beautiful websites, but it&#8217;s an entirely different matter to implement them in code. These days, it&#8217;s possible to visualize designs without the need for things like Flash, thanks instead to CSS3 and jQuery.</p> <p>Learning CSS3 isn&#8217;t too hard, but getting it to work with other code like jQuery can be trickier.</p> <p>In this post, I&#8217;ve gathered up 30 CSS3 and jQuery tutorials to get you up and coding in a flash.</p> <p>Create an Interactive Graph using CSS3 &#038; jQuery</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/create-interactive-graph-css3-jquery/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-1.png" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Magnifying glass for image zoom using Jquery and CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://thecodeplayer.com/walkthrough/magnifying-glass-for-images-using-jquery-and-css3"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Portfolio Flipping Slider Using jQuery &#038; CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://www.webstuffshare.com/2012/07/portfolio-flipping-slider-using-jquery-css3/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-3.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Swatch Book with CSS3 and jQuery</p> <p><a href="http://tympanus.net/codrops/2012/07/02/swatch-book-with-css3-and-jquery/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-4.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>CSS3 And JQuery Progress Bar</p> <p><a href="http://www.htmldrive.net/items/show/791/Very-Beautiful-CSS3-And-JQuery-progress-bar"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-5.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>FULLSCREEN SLIT SLIDER WITH JQUERY AND CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://tympanus.net/codrops/2012/06/05/fullscreen-slit-slider-with-jquery-and-css3/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-6.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>PARALLAX CONTENT SLIDER WITH CSS3 AND JQUERY</p> <p><a href="http://tympanus.net/codrops/2012/03/15/parallax-content-slider-with-css3-and-jquery/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-7.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>3D GALLERY WITH CSS3 AND JQUERY</p> <p><a href="http://tympanus.net/codrops/2012/02/06/3d-gallery-with-css3-and-jquery/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-8.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Pretty Simple Content Slider with jQuery and CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://www.awwwards.com/gallery/4089/12-jquery-css3-resources-and-tutorials"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-9.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>GOOGLE PLAY’S MINIMAL TABS WITH CSS3 &#038; JQUERY</p> <p><a href="http://www.red-team-design.com/google-play-minimal-tabs-with-css3-jquery"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-10.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>jQuery CSS3 Image Hover Effects</p> <p><a href="http://codecanyon.net/item/jquery-css3-image-hover-effects/234327?ref=aliqayyum786"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-11.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Sticklr – Sticky Side Panel CSS3 + jQuery Plugin</p> <p><a href="http://codecanyon.net/item/sticklr-sticky-side-panel-css3-jquery-plugin/302039?ref=aliqayyum786"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-12.png" width="500" /></a></p> <p>jQuery CSS3 Sticky Mega Menu Bar</p> <p><a href="http://codecanyon.net/item/jquery-css3-sticky-mega-menu-bar/239093?ref=aliqayyum786"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-13.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Accordion Menu (CSS3+jQuery) </p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/jquery-accordion-menu/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-14.png" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Easy CSS3 &#038; jQuery tooltips</p> <p><a href="http://www.red-team-design.com/easy-css3-jquery-tooltips"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-15.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Image map with CSS3 &#038; jQuery tooltips</p> <p><a href="http://www.red-team-design.com/image-map-with-css3-jquery-tooltips"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-16.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Typography Effects with CSS3 and jQuery</p> <p><a href="http://tympanus.net/codrops/2011/11/28/typography-effects-with-css3-and-jquery/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-17.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Classic Digg-Style Radio Buttons with CSS and jQuery</p> <p><a href="http://speckyboy.com/2012/09/11/classic-digg-style-radio-buttons-with-css-and-jquery/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-18.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Interactive menu with CSS3 and jQuery</p> <p><a href="http://www.red-team-design.com/interactive-menu-with-css3-jquery"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-19.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create an Image Slider using jQuery and CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/image-slider-jquery-css3/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-20.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create Login Form with CSS3 and jQuery</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/css3-jQuery-dropdown-menu/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-21.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Portfolio Flipping Slider Using jQuery and CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://www.webstuffshare.com/2012/07/portfolio-flipping-slider-using-jquery-css3/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-22.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Shiny Knob Control with jQuery and CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://tutorialzine.com/2011/11/pretty-switches-css3-jquery/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-23.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>How to Create Calendar using jQuery and CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/calendar-jquery-css3/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-24.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Preserving vertical rhythm with CSS and jQuery</p> <p><a href="http://www.netmagazine.com/tutorials/preserving-vertical-rhythm-css-and-jquery"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-25.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create Smooth Rotatable Images with CSS3 and jQuery</p> <p><a href="http://www.awwwards.com/gallery/4092/12-jquery-css3-resources-and-tutorials"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-26.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Beautiful Photo Stack Gallery with jQuery and CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://www.awwwards.com/gallery/4093/12-jquery-css3-resources-and-tutorials"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-27.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create an Image Slider using jQuery and CSS3</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/image-slider-jquery-css3/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-28.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create a Ribbon DropDown Menu with CSS3 and jQuery</p> <p><a href="http://www.flashuser.net/tutorials/create-a-ribbon-dropdown-menu-with-css3-and-jquery.html"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-29.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>An Awesome CSS3 Lightbox Gallery With jQuery</p> <p><a href="http://www.awwwards.com/gallery/4086/12-jquery-css3-resources-and-tutorials"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/css3-jQuery-tutorial-30.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=yZ43i8GlZFA:NZtQpfNuTxs:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=yZ43i8GlZFA:NZtQpfNuTxs:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=yZ43i8GlZFA:NZtQpfNuTxs:F7zBnMyn0Lo" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=yZ43i8GlZFA:NZtQpfNuTxs:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=yZ43i8GlZFA:NZtQpfNuTxs:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=yZ43i8GlZFA:NZtQpfNuTxs:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=yZ43i8GlZFA:NZtQpfNuTxs:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=yZ43i8GlZFA:NZtQpfNuTxs:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> </div><img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PresidiaCreative/~4/yZ43i8GlZFA" width="1" />

<p>Adobe Illustrator is an incredibly useful software package for designers, but it&#8217;s also one of the more complicated programs to use. Illustrator is designed to make working with vectors easy, as opposed to raster graphics in Photoshop that doesn&#8217;t have true vector support.</p> <p>Getting used to designing with vectors can be tricky and Illustrator does things a bit different from Photoshop.</p> <p>In this post, I&#8217;ve gathered up 30 Adobe Illustrator tutorials to get you up and designing.</p> <p>Create a Vector Film Slate Icon</p> <p><a href="http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/illustration/create-a-vector-film-slate-icon/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-1.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create a Vector RSS Icon with Illustrator</p> <p><a href="http://blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/tutorials/create-a-vector-rss-icon-with-illustrator"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Translucent IM Style Illustrator Icon Tutoria</p> <p><a href="http://blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/tutorials/translucent-im-style-illustrator-icon-tutorial"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-3.gif" width="500" /></a></p> <p>How to Create a Vintage Photo Camera icon for App Store in Adobe Illustrator</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/create-vintage-photo-camera/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-4.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Creating convincing characters</p> <p><a href="http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/tutorials/illustration/creating-convincing-characters/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-5.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Creating a Vintage Ski Poster Design with Illustrator CS4</p> <p><a href="http://designrfix.com/resources/illustrator-tutorials"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-6.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Design with Swirls and Flourishes</p> <p><a href="http://www.myinkblog.com/design-with-swirls-and-flourishes/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-7.png" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Logo Design Process and Walkthrough for Vivid Ways</p> <p><a href="http://blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/tutorials/logo-design-process-and-walkthrough-for-vivid-ways"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-8.png" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create Courage, The Cowardly Dog in Illustrator</p> <p><a href="http://abduzeedo.com/create-courage-cowardly-dog-illustrator"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-9.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>How to Create a Vector Safari Compass in Illustrator</p> <p><a href="http://blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/tutorials/how-to-create-a-vector-safari-compass-in-illustrator"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-10.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Simple organic shapes the Illustrator way</p> <p><a href="http://veerle-v2.duoh.com/blog/comments/simple_organic_shapes_the_illustrator_way/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-11.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create a Tasty Burger Icon in Illustrator</p> <p><a href="http://www.cutelittlefactory.com/tutorials/create-a-tasty-burger-icon-in-illustrator/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-12.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>How to Create a Glossy Bio hazard Icon</p> <p><a href="http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/tools-tips/quick-tip-how-to-create-a-glossy-biohazard-icon/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-13.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Illustrate a Vector Tomato Using Gradient Mesh Tool</p> <p><a href="http://vectorboom.com/load/tutorials/illustration/how_to_illustrate_a_tomato_using_adobe_illustrator/5-1-0-72"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-14.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p> Create a Stylish Switch Button in Illustrator</p> <p><a href="http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/interface-design/stylish-switch-button/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-15.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>How to Create Seamless Subtle Patterns in Adobe Illustrator</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/create-patterns-illustrator/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-16.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Draw realistic liquids in vector art</p> <p><a href="http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/tutorials/adobe-illustrator/draw-realistic-liquids-in-vector-art/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-17.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create a Detailed Scanner Illustration</p> <p><a href="http://www.noupe.com/tutorial/adobe-illustrator-tutorial-create-detailed-scanner-illustration.html"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-18.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>How to Create a Cute Cartoon Dinosaur</p> <p><a href="http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/illustration/quick-tip-how-to-create-a-cute-cartoon-dinosaur/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-19.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p> How to Illustrate Crocus Flowers in the Snow</p> <p><a href="http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/illustration/illustrate-crocus-flowers/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-20.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create a Fairy Castle Using Adobe Illustrator and DrawScribe Plugin </p> <p><a href="http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/illustration/fairy-castle-inkscribe-tool/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-21.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create a Happy Sun Character</p> <p><a href="http://vectips.com/tutorials/create-a-happy-sun-character/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-22.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>How to Create a Photorealistic iMac and Magic Mouse</p> <p><a href="http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/icon-design/how-to-create-a-photorealistic-imac-and-magic-mouse/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-23.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>How to create a Rubik’s Cube in Illustrator</p> <p><a href="http://wegraphics.net/blog/tutorials/illustrator/how-to-create-a-rubiks-cube-in-illustrator/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-24.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>DESIGN RETRO ISOMETRIC ILLUSTRATIONS</p> <p><a href="http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/tutorials/?FeatureID=3302671#1"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-25.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>How to Create Infographics in Adobe Illustrator</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/create-infographics-illustrator/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-26.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create an Inspirational Vector Political Poster</p> <p><a href="http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/illustration/create-an-inspirational-vector-political-poster/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-27.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Create a Twitter Style Bird Mascot</p> <p><a href="http://vectortuts.com/illustration/create-a-twitter-style-bird-mascot/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-28.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>How to Illustrate a Cute Emo Kid</p> <p><a href="http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/illustration/how-to-illustrate-a-cute-emo-kid/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-29.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <p>How to Create a Mail App Icon Using Adobe Illustrator</p> <p><a href="http://designmodo.com/create-app-icon-adobe-illustrator/"><img src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/illustrator-tutorial-30.jpg" width="500" /></a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=4x2pX2_99UE:jdCYnkXs3wI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=4x2pX2_99UE:jdCYnkXs3wI:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=4x2pX2_99UE:jdCYnkXs3wI:F7zBnMyn0Lo" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=4x2pX2_99UE:jdCYnkXs3wI:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=4x2pX2_99UE:jdCYnkXs3wI:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=4x2pX2_99UE:jdCYnkXs3wI:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=4x2pX2_99UE:jdCYnkXs3wI:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=4x2pX2_99UE:jdCYnkXs3wI:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> </div><img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PresidiaCreative/~4/4x2pX2_99UE" width="1" />

<p>Essential Resources For Designing A WordPress Site</p> <p>Building a new WordPress website can be a challenge—especially if you’re responsible for all the design decisions, and you’re just starting out. Even if you’re an experienced web designer, you’re going to need to learn new skills in order to make WordPress work for you. And it’s highly recommended, as the rewards for good WordPress skills pay off in easier maintenance, management, and all around user-friendliness for you and everyone else that deals with the site backend.</p> <p>We’ve put together a starter pack, if you will—the five things everyone must have in order to take a site from conception to launch with minimal previous exposure to WordPress theme design. Note that most of the items on this list are categories rather than specific tools—the WordPress development world is very diverse, and you’ll want to have plenty of options as you get started.</p> <p><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19770" height="445" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/wordpress.jpg" title="wordpress" width="590" /></p> <p>Bonus: This <a href="http://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/microsites/wordpress-for-small-businesses/" target="_blank">WordPress guide</a> will show you what to do for every step of WordPress site development. If you’re having a problem, or just want to refer to a very quick best practices guide, start here.</p> <h2>1. Tutorials</h2> <p><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19771" height="322" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/webdesignfan.jpg" title="webdesignfan" width="590" /></p> <p>While we think WordPress is definitely the easiest way to get a good-looking website up and running, that doesn’t mean that it’s just something you can pick up without working for it. <a href="http://webdesignfan.com/20-best-wordpress-tutorial-blogs/" target="_blank">Web Design Fan</a> has a great list of the 20 best WordPress tutorial blogs currently available.</p> <p>A word to the wise about the tutorials list: Not all tutorials are designed the same way. For absolute beginners, something like WPTutorials or TutsPlus is more appropriate. If you’re a bit more advanced, but would like good tips on making elements come together, hit the magazines—Smashing, Speckyboy, and the like. And, of course, there are great tutorials between those two extremes as well.</p> <p><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19772" height="335" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/tuts.jpg" title="tuts" width="590" /></p> <p><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19773" height="359" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/speckyboy.jpg" title="speckyboy" width="590" /></p> <h2>2. A Template</h2> <p>We’re going to go ahead and recommend two themes right away: <a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/thematic" target="_blank">Thematic</a> and <a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/responsive" target="_blank">Responsive</a>. Thematic is designed for theme development—that is, it’s a theme built for people who want to build their own themes. Responsive is also very extensible, but it’s designed specifically for sites that are targeting multiple platforms, such as phones and tablets.</p> <p><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19774" height="346" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/thematic.jpg" title="thematic" width="590" /></p> <p><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19775" height="392" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/responsive.jpg" title="responsive" width="590" /></p> <p>This is not to say there aren’t other great theme templates out there—if neither of these seems to meet your needs, spend some time on the <a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/" target="_blank">WordPress Themes page</a> and find one that’s just right for you.</p> <h2>3. Dummy text</h2> <p>This may sound silly, but writing lengthy bits of nonsense is hard, and it’s essentially impossible to tell what your site will look like without some text. Here’s a list of the <a href="http://wpmu.org/lorem-ipsum-top-5-wordpress-dummy-content-filler-text-plugins/" target="_blank">top five dummy content plugins</a>, from WPMU, that’ll fill all your lorem ipsum needs.</p> <h2>4. Images</h2> <p> No website would be complete without pictures, but it can be difficult to find high-quality images in a palette your discerning designer eye approves of. Happily, Shutterstock has a brilliant solution: the <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/blog/2012/11/shutterstocks-pantone-project-swatch-7-olympian-blue/" target="_blank">Shutterstock Pantone Project</a>, a series of posts that present a group of images in pre-chosen swatches.</p> <p><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19776" height="600" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/pantone.jpg" title="pantone" width="590" /></p> <p>There are plenty of other swatches available, if Olympian Blue doesn’t strike your fancy. Keep your eyes on this page, though—there are still a few more installments in the works, and all of the swatch posts thus far have been great.</p> <h2>5. A Reference Guide</h2> <p> After you’ve gone through all the work of learning how to do WordPress right, you wouldn’t want to forget it all. Besides, who can remember every little thing about the development process? Even experienced designers are known to occasionally steal a glance at a cheat sheet. Here’s TutsPlus’s <a href="http://wp.tutsplus.com/category/articles/cheat-sheets/" target="_blank">repository of reference guides</a>.</p> <p><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19777" height="569" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/cheatsheet.jpg" title="cheatsheet" width="590" /></p> <p>The thing to remember about reference guides is that they’re just as varied as the tutorials. If you’re looking for a basic reference, <a href="http://wp.tutsplus.com/articles/cheat-sheets/wordpress-cheat-sheat/" target="_blank">this sheet</a> is about the right speed. There are other sheets for SEO, theme development, widgets, and plugins, and not just on TutsPlus. Figure out where you’re going to be spending most of your time, and grab those cheat sheets.</p> <p>It’s important to remember that the tools are just that—tools, the things you use to make your creative vision real. Now that you know how to find the right ones, focus on the end goal, and your website will be a surefire hit.</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=-dNo4-eLlFk:u4ep55LYrl4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=-dNo4-eLlFk:u4ep55LYrl4:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=-dNo4-eLlFk:u4ep55LYrl4:F7zBnMyn0Lo" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=-dNo4-eLlFk:u4ep55LYrl4:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=-dNo4-eLlFk:u4ep55LYrl4:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=-dNo4-eLlFk:u4ep55LYrl4:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=-dNo4-eLlFk:u4ep55LYrl4:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=-dNo4-eLlFk:u4ep55LYrl4:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> </div><img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PresidiaCreative/~4/-dNo4-eLlFk" width="1" />

<p>If you are a web designer or if you want to <a href="http://www.shopify.com/blog/tagged/how-to-start-a-business">start a business</a>, understanding how to design websites for business is incredibly important.</p> <p>Businesses all have different purposes, some are customer service based, others are product selling based, but the principles of brand awareness and calls to action hold regardless of industry or purpose.</p> <p>In this post, I&#8217;ve gathered up some interesting examples of business web designs.</p> <p><span id="more-19749"></span></p> <p>Billionaire</p> <p><a href="http://www.billionaire.com/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19750" height="325" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/business-1.png" title="business-1" width="570" /></a></p> <p>Winforever</p> <p><a href="http://www.winforever.com/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19751" height="325" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/business-2.png" title="business-2" width="570" /></a></p> <p>Google Ventures</p> <p><a href="http://www.googleventures.com/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19752" height="325" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/business-3.png" title="business-3" width="570" /></a></p> <p>Kern and Burn</p> <p><a href="http://www.kernandburn.com/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19753" height="325" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/business-4.png" title="business-4" width="570" /></a></p> <p>ecomagination</p> <p><a href="http://www.ecomagination.com/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19754" height="325" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/business-5.png" title="business-5" width="570" /></a></p> <p>Goldman Sachs</p> <p><a href="http://www.goldmansachs.com/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19755" height="325" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/business-6.png" title="business-6" width="570" /></a></p> <p>Monocle</p> <p><a href="http://monocle.com/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19756" height="325" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/business-7.png" title="business-7" width="570" /></a></p> <p>Crimson Investment Management</p> <p><a href="http://crimson.pt/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19757" height="325" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/business-8.png" title="business-8" width="570" /></a></p> <p>Malcolm Reading Consultants</p> <p><a href="http://www.malcolmreading.co.uk/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19758" height="325" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/business-9.png" title="business-9" width="570" /></a></p> <p>Greenhill SAVP</p> <p><a href="http://greenhillsavp.com/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19759" height="325" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/business-10.png" title="business-10" width="570" /></a></p> <p>Abbell Associates</p> <p><a href="http://www.abbell.com/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19760" height="325" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/business-11.jpg" title="business-11" width="570" /></a></p> <p>Australia Business Arts Foundation</p> <p><a href="http://www.abaf.org.au/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19761" height="325" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/business-12.png" title="business-12" width="570" /></a></p> <p>Mahi FX</p> <p><a href="https://mahifx.com/john-paulson/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19762" height="325" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/business-13.png" title="business-13" width="570" /></a></p> <p>Grind</p> <p><a href="http://grindspaces.com/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19763" height="325" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/business-15.png" title="business-15" width="570" /></a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=EhznoKL7hkg:oeRd_5Maqvg:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=EhznoKL7hkg:oeRd_5Maqvg:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=EhznoKL7hkg:oeRd_5Maqvg:F7zBnMyn0Lo" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=EhznoKL7hkg:oeRd_5Maqvg:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?i=EhznoKL7hkg:oeRd_5Maqvg:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/PresidiaCreative?a=EhznoKL7hkg:oeRd_5Maqvg:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" 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<p>Music and design go together so well, not only because they are both creative fields, but because they combine two of the most dominant senses (visuals and sound). Many top designers have a specific style of music that inspire them the most while working on design, and there is no shortage of design work for the music industry as well.</p> <p>One of the great things about combining music with design is the ability to use common concepts from music in original ways for design.</p> <p>Here&#8217;s 30 awesome music-themed poster designs that illustrate how music and design can come together for poster printing.</p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music1.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music2.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music3.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music4.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music5.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music6.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music8.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music9.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music10.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music11.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music12.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music13.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music14.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music15.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music16.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music17.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music18.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music19.png" width="500" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music26.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music27.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music28.png" width="500" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/music29.png" width="500" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>When most people think of design, they think of web design, business card design, and other major types of <a href="http://www.printrunner.com/" target="blank">online printing</a>. But actually, one of the bigger areas of design is that of book cover design. As more and more people look to publish books, especially thanks to digital publishing, book cover design becomes an even bigger part of the design world.</p> <p>Every book needs a good design cover, and aside from the content of the book and the author&#8217;s name recognition, it can be one of the most important factor in sales of books.</p> <p>Here&#8217;s 20 eye-catching book cover designs that struck me as particularly interesting.</p> <p><span id="more-18851"></span></p> <p><a href="http://creattica.com/bookcovers/final-destination-book-trilogy/81687"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18852" height="900" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-1-497x900.jpg" title="book-1" width="497" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/Bone-Anatomy-Illustrated/3173826"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18853" height="583" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-2-500x583.jpg" title="book-2" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://creattica.com/bookcovers/madeleine-s-war/36119"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18854" height="361" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-3-500x361.jpg" title="book-3" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/Narnia/2437615"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18855" height="391" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-4-500x391.jpg" title="book-4" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://creattica.com/bookcovers/love-like-rain/35659"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18856" height="553" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-5-500x553.jpg" title="book-5" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.faceoutbooks.com/#29521/when-we-were-romans"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-18857" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-6.jpg" title="book-6" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/Book-Covers/290073"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18858" height="337" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-7-500x337.jpg" title="book-7" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://creattica.com/bookcovers/the-helix-literary-magazine/74720"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18859" height="333" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-8-500x333.jpg" title="book-8" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/Recent-Illustrations/1692430"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18860" height="333" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-9-500x333.jpg" title="book-9" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/Nachts-im-Ich/3696057"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18861" height="333" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-10-500x333.jpg" title="book-10" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.faceoutbooks.com/#357888/the-marrowbone-marble-company"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18862" height="333" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-11-500x333.jpg" title="book-11" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.faceoutbooks.com/#35067/was-superman-a-spy"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18863" height="418" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-12-500x418.jpg" title="book-12" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://creattica.com/bookcovers/year-of-the-marq-1981/40685"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18864" height="733" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-13-500x733.png" title="book-13" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://creattica.com/bookcovers/die-pflichten-der-eltern/44456"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18865" height="312" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-14-500x312.png" title="book-14" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://creattica.com/bookcovers/space-opera/42760"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18866" height="304" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-15-500x304.jpg" title="book-15" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/Harrys-Tale/393384"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-18867" height="328" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-16.jpg" title="book-16" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/Where-there-is-smoke-there-is-fire-publication/251077"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18868" height="333" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-17-500x333.jpg" title="book-17" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/Client-Work/1707005"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18869" height="333" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-18-500x333.jpg" title="book-18" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/Penguin-Classics-Book-Covers/2661883"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18870" height="331" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-19-500x331.jpg" title="book-19" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://creattica.com/bookcovers/piracy/42748"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-18871" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/book-20.jpg" title="book-20" width="500" /></a></p>

<p>Posters are everywhere, thanks largely in part to <a href="http://www.printrunner.com/" target="_blank">online printing companies</a> becoming quite adept at offering inexpensive, high quality printing. With the ease of printing posters, and their effectiveness in marketing, you can now find posters everywhere from your local gym to the airport.</p> <p>But, for a poster to be effective, you still have to have a great design for it.</p> <p>In this post, we&#8217;ll look at 20 creatively designed posters:</p> <p><span id="more-18827"></span></p> <p><a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/No-Country-for-Old-Men/4079781"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18828" height="375" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-1-500x375.jpg" title="poster-1" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://beaucoupzero.deviantart.com/art/poster-33497970"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18829" height="706" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-2-500x706.jpg" title="poster-2" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://creattica.com/posters/horizon-fire-poster/18149"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-18830" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-3.jpg" title="poster-3" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://society6.com/SofAndrade/Lost-V1X_Print"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-18831" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-4.jpg" title="Print" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.typographydeconstructed.com/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18832" height="373" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-5-500x373.jpg" title="poster-5" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.doaly.co.uk/2011/05/30/worth-a-1000-words/"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18833" height="900" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-6-495x900.jpg" title="poster-6" width="495" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://namakox.deviantart.com/art/TF2-poster-242915646"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18834" height="707" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-7-500x707.jpg" title="poster-7" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://deviantwear.deviantart.com/art/Samurai-Spirit-5-Poster-119402440"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-18835" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-8.jpg" title="poster-8" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://creattica.com/posters/how-to-grow-a-great-beard-poster/76833"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18836" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-9-443x900.jpg" title="poster-9" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/Nerdy-Dirty-Illustrations-for-Nerds-in-Love/2188167"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18837" height="636" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-10-500x636.png" title="poster-10" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/Nordik-Impakt-13-Collector/3603823"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18838" height="308" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-11-500x308.jpg" title="poster-11" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/99-Conference-2012-Identity-Branded-Materials/3856261"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18839" height="625" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-12-500x625.jpg" title="poster-12" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://djsoundwav.deviantart.com/art/Poster-Full-Attention-185877213"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18840" height="750" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-13-500x750.jpg" title="poster-13" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/Typography-Works/3535087"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18841" height="593" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-14-500x593.jpg" title="poster-14" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://machu.deviantart.com/art/Mat-the-Demented-Rabbit-poster-66337458"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18842" height="666" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-15-500x666.jpg" title="poster-15" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://demen1.deviantart.com/art/BLACKOUT-POSTER-80310858"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18843" height="766" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-16-500x766.jpg" title="poster-16" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://chin2off.deviantart.com/art/BBC-Dancing-stars-Poster-115859786"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18844" height="700" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-17-500x700.jpg" title="poster-17" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/Fonecian-Typeface/3182190"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18845" height="500" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-18-500x500.jpg" title="poster-18" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/Adidas-MVP-2011/3968275"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18846" height="710" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-19-500x710.jpg" title="poster-19" width="500" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/What-if-Movies-reimagined-for-another-time-place/2783319"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-18847" height="329" src="http://www.presidiacreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/poster-20-500x329.png" title="poster-20" width="500" /></a></p>

Markzware, the developer of FlightCheck, has updated PageZephyr for viewing text and extracting it from page layout applications....

The cross-platform plugin and application has new functionality for correcting social, urban, interior and architectural photography....

The improvements are immediately available to Creative Cloud subscribers, with general availability expected for the CS7 release....

The latest version of the Mac utility provides a completely new interface, speed improvements and a new way to erase objects. ...

The latest version of VeptIT's batch image processing utility adds custom presets, making it possible in a single run to resize many images, each one to several different sizes, and save them in various formats....

The updated versions are now available to both Creative Suite subscribers and perpetual license customers as a free update....

The plugin and standalone application provides a range of color addition and replacement functionality, with an improved Eyedropper tool, new features and compatibility with Windows 8 and Mac OS X 10.8. ...

The filter plugin, released earlier for Windows, seeks to reproduce the workflow of color film photography, all the way from shooting a photo, to processing it in the lab and then framing the end result. ...

The bundle of Photoshop filters provides 32 special effect categories, with more than 1,000 one-click settings and 100 controls....

The new Windows application provides a template-driven approach to creating a wide variety of documents....

We interview Joe Macleod from ustwo, a driving force behind the campaign to get design included in the government's EBacc plans.<img border="0" height="1" src="http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/662/f/8410/s/2692f0db/mf.gif" width="1" /><div class="mf-viral"><table border="0"><tr><td valign="middle"><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&amp;title=Interview%3A+Founder+of+%23includedesign+campaign+to+save+Britain+from+a+creative+education+crisis&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalartsonline.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fcreative-business%2Fincludedesign-attempts-save-britain-from-creative-education-crisis%2F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" /></a></td><td valign="middle"><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Interview%3A+Founder+of+%23includedesign+campaign+to+save+Britain+from+a+creative+education+crisis&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalartsonline.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fcreative-business%2Fincludedesign-attempts-save-britain-from-creative-education-crisis%2F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" /></a></td></tr></table></div><br /><br /><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151883367499/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/2692f0db/a2.htm"><img border="0" src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151883367499/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/2692f0db/a2.img" /></a><img border="0" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/151883367499/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/2692f0db/a2t.img" width="1" />

The art, design, photography and "sexy" book publisher's store appears in the episode, The Day The Earth Stood Cool.<img border="0" height="1" src="http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/662/f/8410/s/26925c2a/mf.gif" width="1" /><div class="mf-viral"><table border="0"><tr><td valign="middle"><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&amp;title=Taschen+opens+shop+in+The+Simpsons+to+make+Springfield+hip&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalartsonline.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fgraphic-design%2Ftaschen-opens-shop-in-simpsons-make-springfield-hip%2F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" /></a></td><td valign="middle"><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Taschen+opens+shop+in+The+Simpsons+to+make+Springfield+hip&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalartsonline.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fgraphic-design%2Ftaschen-opens-shop-in-simpsons-make-springfield-hip%2F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" /></a></td></tr></table></div><br /><br /><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151883344885/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/26925c2a/a2.htm"><img border="0" src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151883344885/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/26925c2a/a2.img" /></a><img border="0" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/151883344885/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/26925c2a/a2t.img" width="1" />

Flickr's parent company Yahoo has launched a heavily overhauled iPhone app in a bid to keep the service relevant.<img border="0" height="1" src="http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/662/f/8410/s/268f5fe5/mf.gif" width="1" /><div class="mf-viral"><table border="0"><tr><td valign="middle"><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&amp;title=Flickr+iOS+app+redesigned&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalartsonline.co.uk%2Fnews%2Finteractive-design%2Fflickr-ios-app-redesigned%2F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" /></a></td><td valign="middle"><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Flickr+iOS+app+redesigned&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalartsonline.co.uk%2Fnews%2Finteractive-design%2Fflickr-ios-app-redesigned%2F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" /></a></td></tr></table></div><br /><br /><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151883445241/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/268f5fe5/a2.htm"><img border="0" src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151883445241/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/268f5fe5/a2.img" /></a><img border="0" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/151883445241/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/268f5fe5/a2t.img" width="1" />

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Wuppertaler Kurrende sang Mad World to promote the International Children&#x2019;s Fund charity on the UN's Universal Children's Day.<img border="0" height="1" src="http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/662/f/8410/s/2686416f/mf.gif" width="1" /><div class="mf-viral"><table border="0"><tr><td valign="middle"><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&amp;title=Parasol+Island%27s+boys%27+choir+singing+Mad+World+get+a+million+hits+in+two+weeks&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalartsonline.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fvideo-post-production%2Fparasol-islands-boys-choir-singing-mad-world-get-million-hits-in-two-weeks%2F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" /></a></td><td valign="middle"><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Parasol+Island%27s+boys%27+choir+singing+Mad+World+get+a+million+hits+in+two+weeks&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalartsonline.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fvideo-post-production%2Fparasol-islands-boys-choir-singing-mad-world-get-million-hits-in-two-weeks%2F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" /></a></td></tr></table></div><br /><br /><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151883313551/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/2686416f/a2.htm"><img border="0" src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151883313551/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/2686416f/a2.img" /></a><img border="0" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/151883313551/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/2686416f/a2t.img" width="1" />

New tools for Photoshop CS6, plus the ability to share files more easily.<img border="0" height="1" src="http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/662/f/8410/s/267d2f95/mf.gif" width="1" /><div class="mf-viral"><table border="0"><tr><td valign="middle"><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&amp;title=Adobe+releases+Photoshop+%26+Illustrator+updates%2C+tools+for+teams+to+Creative+Cloud+subscribers+%26+a+Dropbox-style+app&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalartsonline.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fcreative-software%2Fadobe-releases-photoshop-illustrator-updates-tools-for-teams-creative-cloud-subscribers-dropbox-style-app%2F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" /></a></td><td valign="middle"><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Adobe+releases+Photoshop+%26+Illustrator+updates%2C+tools+for+teams+to+Creative+Cloud+subscribers+%26+a+Dropbox-style+app&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalartsonline.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fcreative-software%2Fadobe-releases-photoshop-illustrator-updates-tools-for-teams-creative-cloud-subscribers-dropbox-style-app%2F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" /></a></td></tr></table></div><br /><br /><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151883273824/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/267d2f95/kg/340/a2.htm"><img border="0" src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151883273824/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/267d2f95/kg/340/a2.img" /></a><img border="0" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/151883273824/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/267d2f95/kg/340/a2t.img" width="1" />

The Pictoplasma festival in Berlin is a yearly conference and exhibition featuring the best character design work from around the globe.<img border="0" height="1" src="http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/662/f/8410/s/2662d91b/mf.gif" width="1" /><div class="mf-viral"><table border="0"><tr><td valign="middle"><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&amp;title=Pictoplasma+Berlin+2013+artists+revealed&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalartsonline.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fillustration%2Fpictoplasma-berlin-2013-artists-revealed%2F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" /></a></td><td valign="middle"><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Pictoplasma+Berlin+2013+artists+revealed&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalartsonline.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fillustration%2Fpictoplasma-berlin-2013-artists-revealed%2F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" /></a></td></tr></table></div><br /><br /><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151883255134/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/2662d91b/a2.htm"><img border="0" src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151883255134/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/2662d91b/a2.img" /></a><img border="0" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/151883255134/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/2662d91b/a2t.img" width="1" />

The likes of Jony Ive, Stella McCartney, D&amp;AD, Design Council, a long list of leading ad and creative agencies and Digital Arts stress the importance of creative talent to the UK economy.<img border="0" height="1" src="http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/662/f/8410/s/2662d91d/mf.gif" width="1" /><div class="mf-viral"><table border="0"><tr><td valign="middle"><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&amp;title=UK+design+industry+tells+Michael+Gove+to+put+design+into+the+EBacc&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalartsonline.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fcreative-business%2Fuk-design-industry-tells-michael-gove-put-design-into-ebacc%2F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" /></a></td><td valign="middle"><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=UK+design+industry+tells+Michael+Gove+to+put+design+into+the+EBacc&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalartsonline.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fcreative-business%2Fuk-design-industry-tells-michael-gove-put-design-into-ebacc%2F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" /></a></td></tr></table></div><br /><br /><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151883255133/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/2662d91d/a2.htm"><img border="0" src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151883255133/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/2662d91d/a2.img" /></a><img border="0" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/151883255133/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/2662d91d/a2t.img" width="1" />

BBEdit 10.5 is a substantial upgrade to its powerful text editor for Mac OS X, which is popular with web developers.<img border="0" height="1" src="http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/662/f/8410/s/264a63d2/mf.gif" width="1" /><div class="mf-viral"><table border="0"><tr><td valign="middle"><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&amp;title=BBEdit+10.5+adds+Retina+display+support+%26+better+navigation&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalartsonline.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fcreative-software%2Fbbedit-105-adds-retina-display-support-navigation-improvements-more%2F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" /></a></td><td valign="middle"><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=BBEdit+10.5+adds+Retina+display+support+%26+better+navigation&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalartsonline.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fcreative-software%2Fbbedit-105-adds-retina-display-support-navigation-improvements-more%2F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" /></a></td></tr></table></div><br /><br /><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151883024463/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/264a63d2/a2.htm"><img border="0" src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151883024463/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/264a63d2/a2.img" /></a><img border="0" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/151883024463/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/264a63d2/a2t.img" width="1" />

BBEdit 10.5 is a substantial upgrade to its powerful text editor for Mac OS X, which is popular with web developers.<img border="0" height="1" src="http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/662/f/8410/s/26493bda/mf.gif" width="1" /><div class="mf-viral"><table border="0"><tr><td valign="middle"><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&amp;title=BBEdit+10.5+adds+Retina+display+support%2C+navigation+improvements%2C+and+more&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalartsonline.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fcreative-software%2Fbbedit-105-adds-retina-display-support-navigation-improvements-more%2F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" /></a></td><td valign="middle"><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=BBEdit+10.5+adds+Retina+display+support%2C+navigation+improvements%2C+and+more&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalartsonline.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fcreative-software%2Fbbedit-105-adds-retina-display-support-navigation-improvements-more%2F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" /></a></td></tr></table></div><br /><br /><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151883018587/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/26493bda/a2.htm"><img border="0" src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151883018587/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/26493bda/a2.img" /></a><img border="0" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/151883018587/u/0/f/8410/c/662/s/26493bda/a2t.img" width="1" />

<div> <a href="http://www.creativeapplications.net/iphone/rework-philip-glass-remixed-by-snibbe-studio/" title="glass-iPad-Nosaj-Thing-comp-2048x1536"><img alt="REWORK (Philip Glass Remixed) by Snibbe Studio" height="443" src="http://www.creativeapplications.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/glass-iPad-Nosaj-Thing-comp-copy.png" title="glass-iPad-Nosaj-Thing-comp-2048x1536" width="640" /></a> </div> <br /> Snibbe Studio&#8217;s biggest project since the Björk Biophilia, REWORK is a full-length app album treatment for the Beck/Philip Glass collaborative remix album featuring artists like Amon Tobin and Cornelius now available for the iPhone and iPad. The studio has built a REWORK app that includes interactive visualizations corresponding to 11 of the remix songs with [...]<img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/creativeapplicationsnet/~4/bSqz4ANmph0" width="1" />

<div> <a href="http://www.creativeapplications.net/jobs-2/digital-manager-at-warp-records/" title="warp"><img alt="Digital Manager at Warp Records" height="180" src="http://www.creativeapplications.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/warp.png" title="warp" width="640" /></a> </div> <br /> Company: Warp Records Ltd Location:  London, UK Type: Full-Time Category: Other Description Key digital marketing and communications role working for one of the World’s leading Independent record labels – responsible for releasing music from artists including Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin, Flying Lotus, Grizzly Bear, Jamie Lidell, Autechre, Darkstar, Squarepusher, Nightmares On Wax, Battles, Brian Eno, Mount Kimbie and [...]<img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/creativeapplicationsnet/~4/QaQq_nm2ke4" width="1" />

<div> <a href="http://www.creativeapplications.net/holo/holo-final-days-on-kickstarter-digital-gifts-and-more/" title="Cerveau Morille, CAN, Neuchâtel, 2012"><img alt="HOLO - Final days on Kickstarter - Digital Gifts and More!" height="487" src="http://www.creativeapplications.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/zimoun_spread_CAN.jpg" title="Cerveau Morille, CAN, Neuchâtel, 2012" width="640" /></a> </div> <br /> Over the last 4 weeks you&#8217;ve served us a potent cocktail of enthusiasm, affirmation and disbelief. Each morning we woke up to surpassed expectations. When the 456th pledge pushed us over the 100% mark only five days into our campaign – the news broke in the middle of Monday night&#8217;s editorial meeting – we still [...]<img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/creativeapplicationsnet/~4/sCQXcjTX2qM" width="1" />

<div> <a href="http://www.creativeapplications.net/environment/woods-structured-landscape-of-responsive-light-by-nocte/" title="woods_01"><img alt="Woods - Structured landscape of responsive light by Nocte" height="425" src="http://www.creativeapplications.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/woods_02-640x425.jpg" title="woods_01" width="640" /></a> </div> <br /> Created by Nocte, a collaborative between Andrea Cuius-Boscarello and Hannelore Leisek, Woods is a responsive light installation commissioned by artistic director Heather Eddington of State of Flux DanceFilm Company for their Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Awards 2013 finalist performance A Study of Who. By using different lighting setups and dispositions for each consecutively revealed element, every  scene of the choreography [...]<img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/creativeapplicationsnet/~4/-hhxMueeoJ4" width="1" />

<div> <a href="http://www.creativeapplications.net/jobs-2/computational-designer-at-artcom/" title="_0000_Ebenenkomp. 4"><img alt="Computational Designer at ART+COM" height="180" src="http://www.creativeapplications.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/0000_Ebenenkomp.-4.jpg" title="_0000_Ebenenkomp. 4" width="640" /></a> </div> <br /> Company: ART+COM Location:  Berlin, Germany Type: Full-Time Category: Creative Code Description ART+COM designs and develops media installations and spaces motivated by the desire to shift boundaries through innovation and to develop new possibilities. We are looking to add a full-time computational designer to our interdisciplinary team. WHAT WE&#8217;RE LOOKING FOR # a perfect hybrid between a designer and a [...]<img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/creativeapplicationsnet/~4/lsUx5ttmkYc" width="1" />

<div> <a href="http://www.creativeapplications.net/android/energy-flow/" title="environment"><img alt="Energy Flow - Non-linear film experience by FIELD for the iOS and Android" height="360" src="http://www.creativeapplications.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/life01-640x360.jpg" title="environment" width="640" /></a> </div> <br /> Created by London&#8217;s digital art and design collective Field, Energy Flow is a non-linear film experience created for the iOS and Android platforms that explores the physical, social and spiritual tensions in our world. The film is composed of multiple story lines into an immersive, audio-visual experience that is unique every time it is played. [...]<img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/creativeapplicationsnet/~4/3AFLpB1JD9Q" width="1" />

<div> <a href="http://www.creativeapplications.net/javascript-2/every-day-of-my-life-by-marcin-ignac/" title="Every Day Of My Life 01"><img alt="&quot;Every Day Of My Life&quot; by Marcin Ignac" height="426" src="http://www.creativeapplications.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Every-Day-Of-My-Life-08-640x426.jpg" title="Every Day Of My Life 01" width="640" /></a> </div> <br /> Every Day Of My Life is a visualization of Marcin Ignac&#8217;s computer usage statistics from the last 2.5 years and presented at the Click festival in Helsingør. Each line represents one day and each colorful block is the most foreground app running at the given moment. Black areas are periods when his computer is not [...]<img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/creativeapplicationsnet/~4/7U_Ce8a-D8Y" width="1" />

<div> <a href="http://www.creativeapplications.net/jobs-2/front-end-interactive-developer-at-less-rain-ltd/" title="lessrain"><img alt="Front-end Interactive Developer at Less Rain Ltd" height="180" src="http://www.creativeapplications.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/lessrain.png" title="lessrain" width="640" /></a> </div> <br /> Company: Less Rain Ltd Location:  London, UK Type: Full-Time Category: Creative Code Description (HTML 5, CSS3, JavaScript, Flash, AIR) No agencies You will be developing playful interactive environments, focusing on cross platform interactive content, including games &#38; apps. Every project we do has a great concept / idea behind it and pushes the boundaries of what is possible, so [...]<img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/creativeapplicationsnet/~4/kUSjs6rs25o" width="1" />

<div> <a href="http://www.creativeapplications.net/news/artists-in-laboratories-a-i-l-regine-debatty/" title="artworks-000025402928-5o22nh-t500x500"><img alt="Artists in Laboratories (#A.I.L) - Regine Debatty" height="306" src="http://www.creativeapplications.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/0amechelsebresse-640.jpg" title="artworks-000025402928-5o22nh-t500x500" width="640" /></a> </div> <br /> We have already seen what CAN would be like if it was a magazine but what about Radio? Well, we are quite confident that if we ever did that, Artists in Laboratories on ResonanceFM by our dear friend Regine Debatty from WeMakeMoneyNotArt would make a perfect precedent. (image above Koen Vanmechelen &#8211; via) Regine Debatty reports [...]<img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/creativeapplicationsnet/~4/LsPJZ-RDz1I" width="1" />

<div> <a href="http://www.creativeapplications.net/processing/10-print-single-line-of-code-as-a-lens-through-creative-computing/" title="10PRINT_01"><img alt="10 PRINT - Single line of code as a lens through creative computing" height="480" src="http://www.creativeapplications.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/10PRINT_01-640x480.jpg" title="10PRINT_01" width="640" /></a> </div> <br /> A collaboration between Nick Montfort, Patsy Baudoin, John Bell, Ian Bogost, Jeremy Douglass, Mark C. Marino, Michael Mateas, Mark Sample, Noah Vawter and Casey Reas, 10 PRINT is a book about a one-line Commodore 64 BASIC program.<img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/creativeapplicationsnet/~4/jPT-zAg5McU" width="1" />

<img border="0" height="1" src="http://adweek.feedsportal.com/c/34792/f/641563/s/26946616/mf.gif" width="1" /><div class="mf-viral"><table border="0"><tr><td valign="middle"><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&amp;title=Top+10+Commercials+of+the+Week%3A+Dec.+7-Dec.+17&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fnode%2F145935" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" /></a></td><td valign="middle"><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Top+10+Commercials+of+the+Week%3A+Dec.+7-Dec.+17&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fnode%2F145935" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" /></a></td></tr></table></div>

<img src="http://www.adweek.com/files/imagecache/node-detail/news_article/state_farm.jpg" /> <p> Last night, a long list of legendary musicians got together at Madison Square Garden to raise funds for Hurricane Sandy relief. The median age of the artists&mdash;a group that included such icons as Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, The Who and The Rolling Stones&mdash;was approximately 75. So, it was a welcome departure from the evening's geriatrics when State Farm reminded us about another important demographic affected by the superstorm: children.</p> <p> In a spot from DDB Chicago and director Joe Pytka titled &quot;State of Hope,&quot; State Farm interviews a classroom full of kids whose lives have been shaken by Sandy's devastation. But it's not the weeks without power and heat, the flooding or the damage to their homes that they're concerned with. It's the seaside amusement parks.</p> <p> &quot;I liked eating the cotton candy and licking my fingers,&quot; recalls one of the children, who could be out of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYB0HonV6TA" target="_blank">the classroom scene in <em>Annie Hall</em>.</a> &quot;The roller coaster was as big as the Empire State Building,&quot; adds a student with questionable depth perception. &quot;My brother threw up,&quot; reports another. But thanks to Sandy, those days are over, the beaches eroded, the boardwalks broken, the roller coaster in Seaside Heights swept into the ocean.</p> <p> But these resilient kids are already looking ahead, imagining a future with a new, bigger, better roller coaster. One with lots of loops. And maybe even a stronger foundation that can survive the apocalyptic weather we're stuck with for the remainder of our time on Earth. Because, in the wise words of State Farm, &quot;Hope can never be washed away.&quot;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <strong>CREDITS</strong><br /> Client: State Farm<br /> Agency: DDB Chicago<br /> Director: Joe Pytka</p><img border="0" height="1" src="http://adweek.feedsportal.com/c/34792/f/641563/s/26943816/mf.gif" width="1" /><div class="mf-viral"><table border="0"><tr><td valign="middle"><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&amp;title=Ad+of+the+Day%3A+State+Farm&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fnews%2Fadvertising-branding%2Fad-day-state-farm-145928" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" /></a></td><td valign="middle"><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Ad+of+the+Day%3A+State+Farm&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fnews%2Fadvertising-branding%2Fad-day-state-farm-145928" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" /></a></td></tr></table></div>

<img src="http://www.adweek.com/files/imagecache/node-detail/news_article/charles-schwab-boom-box-hed-2012_0.jpg" /> <p> Charles Schwab has narrowed the field in its creative review.</p> <p> The incumbent, Havas Worldwide, has been cut from the company's creative review along with Venables Bell &amp; Partners, leaving two remaining finalists: Fallon and Crispin Porter + Bogusky, according to sources.</p> <p> The cut comes a week after the four shops made creative presentations to Schwab executives at their office in San Francisco, sources said. More meetings are expected before the company selects a new agency, most likely by February.</p> <p> Revenue on the account is estimated at more than $7 million.</p> <p> Havas, the agency formerly known as Euro RSCG, has handled the business <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising/100-mil-schwab-business-goes-euro-rscg-76421" target="_blank">since 2004</a>. While the cut is bad news for Havas, the shop's New York office will continue to work on another aspect of Charles Schwab's business that was not in play, according to a source.</p> <p> The review <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/charles-schwab-search-follows-cmo-switch-143852" target="_blank">began in September,</a> after Charles Schwab installed a new chief marketing officer. Company veteran Jonathan Craig replaced Laurine Garrity, who held the job for 19 months.</p> <p> Media planning and buying responsibilities are not part of the review and remain at Interpublic Group's UM.</p> <p> Charles Schwab's media spending approached $70 million last year, down from $75 million in 2010, according to Nielsen. Those figures don't include online spending.</p> <p> External View Consulting Group in Culver City, Calif. is managing the search. The consultancy did not return calls and Charles Schwab could not immediately be reached.</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> <p> &nbsp;</p><img border="0" height="1" src="http://adweek.feedsportal.com/c/34792/f/641563/s/2693f3bc/mf.gif" width="1" /><div class="mf-viral"><table border="0"><tr><td valign="middle"><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&amp;title=Charles+Schwab+Narrows+Creative+Search&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fnews%2Fadvertising-branding%2Fcharles-schwab-narrows-creative-search-145927" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" /></a></td><td valign="middle"><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Charles+Schwab+Narrows+Creative+Search&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fnews%2Fadvertising-branding%2Fcharles-schwab-narrows-creative-search-145927" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" /></a></td></tr></table></div>

<img src="http://www.adweek.com/files/imagecache/node-detail/bud_santa_ep.jpg" /> <p> Jolly old fat dude Santa Claus is a pop-culture icon, but he's technically not a licensed entertainment character. He's in the public domain, which means he's always been up for grabs as a brand spokesman. And marketers have taken full advantage for decades, using his likeness to hawk everything from cars and refrigerators to fast food and soda (famously and memorably, Coca-Cola). But did you know Santa likes a cold Budweiser with his feast, prefers GE light bulbs, and thinks you should &quot;Give her a Hoover&quot; vacuum cleaner for Christmas? Check out more of St. Nick's memorable shills in <a href="http://www.reminisce.com/2012/11/santa-suits-up-as-salesman-in-vintage-ads/" target="_blank">this collection of vintage Santa ads</a> in <em>Reminisce</em> magazine.</p><img border="0" height="1" src="http://adweek.feedsportal.com/c/34792/f/641563/s/2693fd0c/mf.gif" width="1" /><div class="mf-viral"><table border="0"><tr><td valign="middle"><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&amp;title=Santa+Claus+Never+Met+a+Product+He+Didn%27t+Want+to+Endorse&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fadfreak%2Fsanta-claus-never-met-product-he-didnt-want-endorse-145925" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" /></a></td><td valign="middle"><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Santa+Claus+Never+Met+a+Product+He+Didn%27t+Want+to+Endorse&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fadfreak%2Fsanta-claus-never-met-product-he-didnt-want-endorse-145925" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" /></a></td></tr></table></div>

<img src="http://www.adweek.com/files/imagecache/node-detail/blogs/duck_1_0.jpg" /> <p> Not so long ago, England had an empire on which the sun never set. These days, it's got a <a href="http://laughingsquid.com/giant-yellow-duck-floats-down-the-river-thames-for-an-ad-campaign/" target="_blank">50-foot-tall rubber duck sailing down the Thames.</a> Nice going, Brits! Games site Jackpotjoy orchestrated the stunt to tout its Facebook FUNdation, which awards money to folks who come up with goofy ideas to make others laugh. The big-ass duck weighed half a ton, and the sight of it floating down the river, past modern office buildings and through the raised Tower Bridge, was suitably surreal&mdash;like something from a vintage episode of <em>Dr. Who</em> (&quot;I don't like the looks of that massive duck, Doctor!&quot;) or a '60s psychedelic comedy set in swingin' London. Speaking of which, actress Barbara Windsor&mdash;she starred in Beatles-era <em>Carry On</em> films, if anyone remembers those&mdash;appears in a promo clip (dressed like a crazed fairy godmother, I think), and invites people to pitch the &quot;wacky things you'd like to do for a real belly laugh. I'll pick the best and turn them into reality.&quot; Personally, I'd like to ambush that duck on its next voyage and <a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/node/145917">shoot it up with my JT SplatMaster.</a> Heck, I'd do that for free. That awwroight, duckie?</p> <p> </p> <!--break--> <p> <img alt="" src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/files/adfreak/images/1/Duck 2.jpg" style="width: 484px; height: 179px; padding: 10px 0 0 0;" /></p><img border="0" height="1" src="http://adweek.feedsportal.com/c/34792/f/641563/s/26939220/mf.gif" width="1" /><div class="mf-viral"><table border="0"><tr><td valign="middle"><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&amp;title=Massive+Yellow+Rubber+Duck+Drifts+Down+River+Thames+in+Ad+Stunt&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fadfreak%2Fmassive-yellow-rubber-duck-drifts-down-river-thames-ad-stunt-145924" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" /></a></td><td valign="middle"><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Massive+Yellow+Rubber+Duck+Drifts+Down+River+Thames+in+Ad+Stunt&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fadfreak%2Fmassive-yellow-rubber-duck-drifts-down-river-thames-ad-stunt-145924" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" /></a></td></tr></table></div>

<img src="http://www.adweek.com/files/imagecache/node-detail/blogs/stanley_steemer_variations.jpg" /> <p> New York artist Mia Gentile put together this three-minute video of herself singing the Stanley Steemer jingle in a variety of styles (and outfits). She also made it clear that she <a href="http://miavideo.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">isn't contributing to a viral marketing campaign</a> and has no official involvement with the cleaning service, making this video an isolated and bewildering act of brand loyalty. What makes people do this sort of thing, anyway? My theory is that the song's been stuck in her head for years and this was the only way to purge it, but even that's a weird reason to put this much effort into honoring a brand that might not even acknowledge it <a href="https://twitter.com/stanleysteemer/status/269152999232925696" target="_blank">(beyond a quick tweet).</a> OK, the Avril Lavigne homage toward the end is pretty great.</p> <p> </p><img border="0" height="1" src="http://adweek.feedsportal.com/c/34792/f/641563/s/26938851/mf.gif" width="1" /><div class="mf-viral"><table border="0"><tr><td valign="middle"><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&amp;title=Woman+Sings+the+Stanley+Steemer+Jingle+in+Bunch+of+Different+Styles&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fadfreak%2Fwoman-sings-stanley-steemer-jingle-bunch-different-styles-145922" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" /></a></td><td valign="middle"><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Woman+Sings+the+Stanley+Steemer+Jingle+in+Bunch+of+Different+Styles&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fadfreak%2Fwoman-sings-stanley-steemer-jingle-bunch-different-styles-145922" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" /></a></td></tr></table></div>

<p> Matchmaking website eHarmony.com has rekindled its relationship with Ocean Media. After <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/eharmony-picks-omd-media-chores-125433" target="_blank">nearly two years</a> of working with Omnicom&rsquo;s OMD, the online dating site has gone back to its previous media agency partner of nine years.&nbsp; The company has also parted ways with its creative agency, Omnicom&rsquo;s GSD&amp;M in Austin, Texas&mdash;which was hired in March&mdash;in favor of Handmade Productions, L.A.</p> <p> eHarmony&rsquo;s media business moved to OMD in January 2011 after a review that included Interpublic Group&rsquo;s Initiative, Publicis Groupe&rsquo;s MediaVest and WPP Group&rsquo;s MEC. The Huntington Beach, Calif.-based incumbent chose not to defend at that time. The independent media company had handled eHarmony since its beginning when the site spent just $150,000 on advertising. Last year, eHarmony spent $66.5 million in measured media, according to Nielsen and the company has said it has invested $600-$700 million on advertising since it was founded in 2000.</p> <p> The shift back to Ocean Media comes after eHarmony&rsquo;s founder Neil Clark Warren <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-03/eharmony-founder-breaks-up-with-investors-to-reboot.html" target="_blank">took back control </a>of the company last July and became chief executive. eHarmony&rsquo;s marketing management was changed and Warren now oversees creative strategy while Armen Avedissian, who rejoined the company as chief operating officer three months ago, oversees media planning and buying.</p><img border="0" height="1" src="http://adweek.feedsportal.com/c/34792/f/641563/s/269312fd/mf.gif" width="1" /><div class="mf-viral"><table border="0"><tr><td valign="middle"><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&amp;title=eHarmony+Changes+Media%2C+Creative+Agencies&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fnews%2Fadvertising-branding%2Feharmony-changes-media-creative-agencies-145920" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" /></a></td><td valign="middle"><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=eHarmony+Changes+Media%2C+Creative+Agencies&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fnews%2Fadvertising-branding%2Feharmony-changes-media-creative-agencies-145920" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" /></a></td></tr></table></div>

<img src="http://www.adweek.com/files/imagecache/node-detail/news_article/matt-howell-arnold-worldwide-hed-2012.jpg" /> <p> Like his boss at Havas&rsquo; Arnold, Matt Howell is becoming a &ldquo;two-hatter.&rdquo;&nbsp;Howell, who joined the agency as global chief digital officer <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/arnold-nabs-digital-talent-modernista-126086" target="_blank">in 2011</a>, will now also serve as CDO for Havas Creative, the collection of creative agencies under the holding company.</p> <p> Similarly, Arnold global CEO Andrew Benett also has a Havas Creative role: chief strategy officer.</p> <p> While it&rsquo;s unusual in the industry, leaders having both agency and holding company roles are common within Havas. It all flows from the top. David Jones, the global CEO of Havas, also runs Havas Creative and Havas Worldwide, the agency formerly known as Euro RSCG.</p> <p> For Howell, the new job represents an opportunity to share his knowledge of what works digitally with sister agencies and forge partnerships with technology and media companies. He&rsquo;ll also steer the parent company&rsquo;s newly created digital leadership group, which comprises 30 executives from creative and media shops.</p> <p> Howell&rsquo;s expanded role also suggests that his bosses are impressed with what he has accomplished at Arnold.</p> <p> &ldquo;We have had a year of very strong digital growth and momentum driving our unique model, where we have integrated digital inside all of our companies around the world rather than in a silo,&rdquo; Jones said in a statement. &ldquo;We are looking forward to having Matt continue the growth and innovation.&rdquo;</p> <p> Howell is proudest of Arnold&rsquo;s ability to recruit talent from outside the ad industry, such as from technology companies, startups and game developers. A more diverse mix of talents, he believes, is key to building a modern agency. One example of such a hire is Bob Goodman, a former product designer at Microsoft who&rsquo;s also director of user experience at Arnold.</p> <p> Before Arnold, Howell was <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/modernista-names-howell-president-103400" target="_blank">president of Modernista!</a> in Boston, where he spent nearly three years. Earlier in his career, he worked at R/GA, Digitas and Beam Interactive.</p><img border="0" height="1" src="http://adweek.feedsportal.com/c/34792/f/641563/s/2692f464/mf.gif" width="1" /><div class="mf-viral"><table border="0"><tr><td valign="middle"><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&amp;title=Arnold+Digital+Chief+Adds+Havas+Role&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fnews%2Fadvertising-branding%2Farnold-digital-chief-adds-havas-role-145921" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" /></a></td><td valign="middle"><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Arnold+Digital+Chief+Adds+Havas+Role&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fnews%2Fadvertising-branding%2Farnold-digital-chief-adds-havas-role-145921" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" /></a></td></tr></table></div>

<p> While television should once again account for the lion&rsquo;s share of global marketing spend in 2013, a disproportionate number of executives report that search is a far more effective medium through which to generate consumer demand.</p> <p> According to a new study from the Chief Marketing Officer Council, 27 percent of those surveyed said that TV was the most impactful medium through which to advertise one&rsquo;s brand, whereas 44 percent said that search was the superior vehicle.</p> <p> Among the findings in the 55-page <a href="http://www.cmocouncil.org/r/state-of-marketing-2012-comp" target="_blank">&ldquo;State of Marketing 2012&rdquo; report</a>, executives are particularly enthused by search and social media but said that they are not satisfied with their current digital-marketing performance. Nearly half of the CMOs surveyed said that making over their digital strategy would be one of the most important challenges facing them in the New Year.</p> <p> Despite this apparent mandate for change, 64 percent of marketers are still budgeting fewer than $500,000 for digital spend, and 46 percent report that this figure represents less than 10 percent of their overall marketing spend.</p> <p> That said, marketers expect to increase their digital investments in the coming year. Per the CMO Council study, 47 percent said they planned to boost allocation to digital to 10-24 percent of their total marketing budgets, while 22 percent said digital would account for anywhere between 25 percent and 49 percent of their overall media mix.</p> <p> In the U.S., TV accounts for roughly one third of all media spending. Analysts estimate that overall TV spend&mdash;a catch-all that includes national and local broadcast, network cable, syndication and Spanish-language channels&mdash;will add up to some $65 billion in 2013, out of a projected total media haul of $186 billion.</p> <p> The CMO Council&rsquo;s report was culled from responses to an online survey of 550 senior marketing executives representing major media markets such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Africa.</p> <p> According to Liz Miller, the CMO Council&rsquo;s vp of global programs and operations, Asia is lagging on the digital front, as some 37 percent of marketers in the region allocate less than 10 percent of their spend to digital platforms. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s clear that marketers across the region are ready to run into a digital future, but as the hyper-connected digital consumer continues to evolve, marketers must invest in the people, processes and platforms that will better predict and prepare them for these engagement opportunities,&rdquo; Miller said.</p> <p> All told, 54 percent of CMOs surveyed said they had increased their overall budgets in 2012, while 22 percent reported that they had made reductions in their marketing spend.</p> <p> While social and search are expected to grow by leaps and bounds in the year ahead, most categories are expected to see more modest growth. The CMO Council report flagged only one significant backslider, as 31 percent of those surveyed said they would be slashing their newspaper budgets. Analysts expect stateside newspaper spending (national and local) will drop off by as much as 7 percent.</p> <p> While still the king of the hill, TV spend could be hampered by imprecise performance metrics and rapid declines on the broadcast side of the ledger. Analysts believe national cable will be responsible for much of TV&rsquo;s modest gains, with revenues expected to increase by as much as 8 percent to some $30.5 billion. Broadcast gains are likely to be more modest, with sales on track to grow around 3 percent to a little under $14.5 billion.</p> <p> Another finding culled from the survey should give media agencies pause. According to the report, 60 percent of respondents said they expect to make an agency change in 2013, with a need to improve their social-media expertise cited as a major reason for the shift.</p> <p> Only 12 percent of respondents felt their agency partners were &ldquo;extremely valuable.&rdquo;</p> <p> A number of CMOs also said they planned to move previously outsourced services back in-house, particularly in areas like data analysis and research. This would be a reversal of the trend of a few years ago that saw many agencies radically reduce headcount in their research departments.</p><img border="0" height="1" src="http://adweek.feedsportal.com/c/34792/f/641563/s/2692de52/mf.gif" width="1" /><div class="mf-viral"><table border="0"><tr><td valign="middle"><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&amp;title=CMO+Council+Report%3A+Marketing+Budgets+on+the+Upswing&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fnews%2Fadvertising-branding%2Fcmo-council-report-marketing-budgets-upswing-145918" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" /></a></td><td valign="middle"><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=CMO+Council+Report%3A+Marketing+Budgets+on+the+Upswing&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fnews%2Fadvertising-branding%2Fcmo-council-report-marketing-budgets-upswing-145918" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" /></a></td></tr></table></div>

<img src="http://www.adweek.com/files/imagecache/node-detail/blogs/jt_splatmaster.jpg" /> <p> Behold this new kid's product&mdash;with national TV ads breaking this holiday&mdash;and try hard not to conjure the familiar refrain, &quot;You'll shoot your eye out, kid!&quot; It's called the <a href="https://jtsplatmaster.com/" target="_blank">JT SplatMaster,</a> if that gives you any inkling of its intent. It's an at-home paintball gun made for boys 9 and up. What could possibly go wrong? It &quot;accurately shoots up to 100-plus feet&quot; and pelts its target with brightly colored gunk, &quot;a first in its category,&quot; according to manufacturer Kee Action Sports. Hey, competing with Nerf ain't child's play, all right? The paintball-lite gun, for the record, shoots at a fraction of the force of a real one. Easily bruised? Play at your own risk. (There's actually <a href="https://jtsplatmaster.com/safety" target="_blank">a whole section on safety</a> at the website.) The marketer, a first-time national TV advertiser, is spending about $2 million to hawk the blaster on channels like Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Disney XD, Cartoon Network and MTV (the latter for the man-children). The campaign is from ad agency Tierney in Philadelphia and emphasizes outdoor play and adventure rather than, say, a ride to the emergency room. (Goggles are sold separately, after all.) The only question remaining: Where can I get me one?</p> <p> </p><img border="0" height="1" src="http://adweek.feedsportal.com/c/34792/f/641563/s/2692a309/mf.gif" width="1" /><div class="mf-viral"><table border="0"><tr><td valign="middle"><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/viral/sendEmail.cfm?lang=en&amp;title=Paintball+Gets+Kid+Friendly+With+the+JT+SplatMaster&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fadfreak%2Fpaintball-gets-kid-friendly-jt-splatmaster-145917" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" /></a></td><td valign="middle"><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Paintball+Gets+Kid+Friendly+With+the+JT+SplatMaster&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fadfreak%2Fpaintball-gets-kid-friendly-jt-splatmaster-145917" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" /></a></td></tr></table></div>