Thursday, 10 December 2015
GCHQ gives you homework in its 2015 Christmas card
Keen codebreakers can have a crack at a brainteaser this festive season in the form of a Christmas card challenge set by GCHQ’s director Robert Hannigan. The traditional grid-shading puzzle invites those who dare (or care) to fill in the squares black or leave them white depending on the pattern indicated by the numbers on each column and row. Each number indicates there should be a black square, with at least one white one left in between. Some have already been filled in to give you a head start. Once you’ve filled in all the squares, the image you’re left with leads…
This story continues at The Next Web
from The Next Web » UK http://thenextweb.com/uk/2015/12/10/gchq-gives-you-homework-in-its-2015-christmas-card/
Wednesday, 9 December 2015
Free e-Book: Web UI Design for the Human Eye
Long before the Internet, scientists have been unraveling the mysteries and peculiarities of human sight. As a visual medium, web design has only to gain from their discoveries.
Aside from simply knowing their craft, designers can mine a variety of practical applications from the study of human sight. In the realm of visual hierarchy alone, knowing how to implement size, spacing, and contrast can influence the order elements are seen and the how important they appear.
Colors, too, are a powerful tool in the hands of those that use them. With each color evoking different feelings (orange for playfulness, blue for trust, etc.), designers can quantitatively construct the right emotional atmosphere for their project. Even the way in which different colors are combined changes their effects.
Source: Fanta
UXPin collects the most helpful resources on human sight for web design, and compiled them into their e-book series Web UI Design for the Human Eye. The guide describes practical techniques with visual case studies from 33 companies like Google, Bose, Intercom, Medium, Tumblr, and others.
Volume 1, downloaded by almost 40,000 people this year, covers advanced topics such as the use of spacing, the emotional affects of colors, and the principles of Gestalt (an early 1900s movement analyzing visual phenomena).
It’s not enough that people see your site — what matter is how they see your site.
Check out the free guide and let us know what you think in the comments.
Read More at Free e-Book: Web UI Design for the Human Eye
from Web Design Ledger http://webdesignledger.com/free-e-book-web-ui-design-for-the-human-eye
The “Better Than Christmas Morning” Winter Design Bundle
Ho, ho, HO-LY MOLY! That's a lot of design goodies.
There's enough stress during the holidays over what presents to buy for others, or whether or not your Christmas bonus is going to cover all your gift expenses. Not to mention, as a designer, everyone and their mother comes to you for that last minute, custom Christmas card for their dear aunt Sally.
You've worked hard to make everyone elses holidays special. Now it's time to treat yourself.
This collection contains thousands of creative goodies, like vectors, layer styles, textures, patterns, PSD templates, and much more. They are perfect for seasonal designs, not just this year, but each and every year to come. Many of the items in this bundle can even be used year round.
The best part is that this deal includes extended licensing, so you can use these items in designs you create for resale!
If you bought all of these items individually, you'd have to pay $1,342. For a very limited time, you can grab everything from MyDesignDeals for just $29. That's 98% off the regular price.
The MyDesignDeals team scoured the internet all year to put together a bundle better than Christmas morning itself, so make sure you grab it now before it's gone forever.
Grab This Mega Christmas and Winter Bundle Now
Read More at The “Better Than Christmas Morning” Winter Design Bundle
from Web Design Ledger http://webdesignledger.com/the-better-than-christmas-morning-winter-design-bundle
Jetpack’s Photon Now Supports WebP Images
Introduced by Google, WebP is an image format that provides lossless and lossy compression for images on the web. WebP images are considered to be nearly 26% smaller in size as compared to PNGs, and as much as 25%-34% smaller as compared to JPEGs.
Recently, Photon, the image service module provided by the popular Jetpack plugin for self-hosted WordPress websites, decided to offer support for the WebP image format.
Since Photon is primarily used by website owners to serve images using WordPress.com cloud infrastructure, thereby saving the host website’s bandwidth and improving the overall loading times, WebP format is especially beneficial since offers smaller file sizes than both PNG and JPG, and can result in faster website performance.
By default, Photon will be compressing WebP images at the high quality settings. However, it must be noted that since many web browsers still do not support WebP image format, Photon will auto-detect the visitor’s web browser, and then pick the ideal image format, size and compression for better performance.
Jetpack is actively used by several WordPress websites, and the Photon module is a very useful feature as it provides CDN-like service for free. Since images form the bulk of content on most websites, serving them via Photon can improve overall website performance. As of now, WebP image format is not the most popular one out there, but for web browsers that do support WebP images, Photon will be able to serve images even faster.
To learn more about the WebP image format, check this out; and you can also go through the comparative study between WebP and JPEG image formats. Alternatively, if you are a Photon user, simply head to the Jetpack Settings section to learn more about how Photon will work with WebP images.
Read More at Jetpack’s Photon Now Supports WebP Images
from Web Design Ledger http://webdesignledger.com/jetpack-photon-supports-webp-images
WordPress 4.4 “Clifford” Has Been Released
WordPress 4.4, nicknamed "Clifford" after the famous Jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown, is now available for download. This latest version of WordPress comes with several new features, such as support for responsive images, better embeds, a new default theme, and various other improvements.
WordPress 4.4 now supports srcset, which allows it to detect and display the ideal image size on the basis of the user's screen resolution. As such, responsive images are now implemented in WordPress 4.4 with no further tweaking or configuration required.
Plus, you can also embed content from other WordPress sites directly on-page, much like you'd embed a tweet or a YouTube video. Learn more about this feature here.
As always, this major release of WordPress comes with a new default theme of its own -- Twenty Sixteen. It is a minimal and clean theme, primarily meant for bloggers, with a right sidebar by default.
However, the biggest and most noteworthy change that WordPress 4.4 brings to the table is the fact that it comes bundled with the first half of the REST API. If you are a plugin or theme author, you can start implementing REST API immediately, and read more about the implementation here.
WordPress 4.4 comes with several other new features as well, such as:
- WordPress Multisite has a new class called WP_Network, that makes it easier to use it across multiple networks.
- The WP_Comments component has been rebuilt. Now, the comment field will display first, followed by name, email and website. Earlier, users were shown the name, email and website fields before the comment field.
- The headings hierarchy has been restored for admin screens.
- Unattached media attachments can now have pretty permalinks.
- While it was previously assumed that WordPress 4.4 will deprecate WP_Title, it is no longer the case and WP_Title is still the recommended method of inserting title tags in WordPress themes.
To learn more about WordPress 4.4, check out this video:
WordPress 4.4 is the last major release of this year, and it brings several new features to the table. Have you updated your websites yet? Be sure to share your feedback in the comments below.
Read More at WordPress 4.4 “Clifford” Has Been Released
from Web Design Ledger http://webdesignledger.com/wordpress-4-4-released
Tuesday, 8 December 2015
Web Design Inspiration: Merry Quizmas
The idea of Daniel Blaser and coded by Tad Thorley, Merry Quizmas is a delightful design made to be much more than fun design, it is also the ultimate challenge! The website is designed as a quiz game that test you on multiple holidays, pop-culture references.
When landing on the page the quiz begin, you are shown 60 different character illustration in a pleasant flat design. They are are very well done! We commend illustrator James Kenison on his illustration skills. Each of the characters is taken from different holiday entertainment references. You then have to identify the character either by name, source material. You will then be provided a score according to how well you did. The scores range from 0-10: Holiday Chump, lowest or 60: Grand Tinsel-Covered Viceroy of the Holidays, the highest possible score. Get inspired and get in the holiday spirit by testing your holiday knowledge on Merry Quizmas.
Read More at Web Design Inspiration: Merry Quizmas
from Web Design Ledger http://webdesignledger.com/web-design-inspiration-merry-quizmas
Christmas & Winter Design Bundle Savings
Just in time for the Holidays and the Winter season, get these amazing design elements for a fraction of the price.
Snow generator text is 71% off. Lets you easily create 3D style typography with a snow and Ice texture. The pack comes with a PSD file, snow background, brushes, overlays and much more!Accompany your designs with a little Christmas cheer using these Christmas & New Year vector collection. A bundle of 120 high-quality vector illustrations created in modern design styles. Great holiday themes elements for Christmas retail sale design, holiday cards, and other personal projects.Don’t wait, these deals are available for a very limited time! Get them today!
Read More at Christmas & Winter Design Bundle Savings
from Web Design Ledger http://webdesignledger.com/christmas-winter-design-bundle-savings
Predictions For Online Privacy and Security in 2016
In the past two years, we’ve seen massive cyber attacks and privacy issues surface in the US. The government has struggled to define a fine line between keeping its citizens safe without violating their privacy rights. Econsultancy’s Todd Ruback says that 2016 will be just as impactful. He shares his perdition and current initiatives in EU and US. He mentions Europe’s massive data protection framework legislation, which calls for better access and control of personal data as well as additional obligations for companies collecting and transferring data. He predicts that an improved US Safe Harbor Program will be proposed to propose data transfers between Europe and the US with limited government access to personal data.
He also predicts 2016 will continue to be in favor of the user with added regulation to cookie law enforcement and continued popularity of ad blocking for a faster mobile experience. Finally, the most exciting prediction is the growth of Video and VR, as current tech giants like Google and Facebook are investing in 360 video capability and life-like 3D Video.
Read More at Predictions For Online Privacy and Security in 2016
from Web Design Ledger http://webdesignledger.com/predictions-for-online-privacy-and-security-in-2016
Focus by Firefox, A Content Blocker For iOS
Recently, Mozilla launched a new tool that works with Safari, not Firefox. Yes, you read that right.
Meet Focus, a free content blocker for Safari users on iOS 9 that gives you better control over your mobile browsing experience. You can use Focus to block trackers, such as those used for advertisements, analytics and social media.
By default, Firefox, running on Windows, Linux or Android devices, offers a Private Browsing feature that is similar to the Incognito Mode of Google Chrome. However, Firefox also adds Tracking Protection to Private Browsing, thereby blocking certain trackers, as based on Disconnect’s Open Source Tracking List.
Focus will do just the same, and block the same set of trackers. You can, however, configure it to do much more than that, and even block web fonts using Focus.
So why did Mozilla feel the need to come up with a new content blocker? Well, here is the answer:
We made Focus by Firefox because we believe content blockers need to be transparent with publishers and other content providers about how lists are created and maintained, rather than placing certain content in a permanent penalty box. We want this product to encourage a discussion about users and content providers, instead of monetizing users’ mistrust and pulling value out of the Web ecosystem. Focus by Firefox is free to users and we don’t monetize it in other ways.
Considering the fact that Apple does not yet allow content blocking features for third party web browsers running on iOS, Focus is available only for Safari, and not for Firefox running on iOS.
You can download and install Focus from the App Store, and since this is a relatively newer product, Mozilla is actively seeking user feedback for Focus.
What do you think of this new content blocker by Mozilla? Share your views in the comments below!
Read More at Focus by Firefox, A Content Blocker For iOS
from Web Design Ledger http://webdesignledger.com/focus-firefox-content-blocker-ios
Listable: the Best Modern Listing Directory WordPress Theme
Listable is a listing directory and user-friendly WordPress theme which will help you to create, manage and monetize a global or local directory website. With Listable you can get your favourite spots online.
The theme is perfect for city shops, restaurant listings, and events, hotel & lodging, outdoor activities, nightlife, and much more.
Its design is a perfect balance between elegance and minimalism.
Listable is flexiblу to fit your needs. It uses responsive design which looks awesome on any screen: from the largest desktops to small tablets, and is compatible with mobile devices.
Listable has powerful listing cards system with huge possibilities: each listing card can be a spot, an event, or an activity of any kind.
It also includes a blog, login area and ‘Add Listing’ form to implement your plans in life.
Monetize Your Site with Listable
To make it easier to get money with your website, Listable was integrated with WooCommerce. You can charge for listing packages, sell subscriptions or charge a fee from reservations made with your website.
Also, you may work with vendors and let them sell s through your site and earns commission from them. Thanks to WooCommerce it has many ways for monetization.
More Features
Listable’s homepage includes explore page allowing your users to search for the listings including food, lodging, entertainment, stores, outdoors, and more.
The footer of Listable has all social buttons to stay in touch with your audience and build new clients with social media.
The code is apparently very neat and clean.
One of the best features is the theme customization. It is easy to use, clear and has a live preview so everything you change shows live on your page immediately.
Recommended FREE Plugins
Listable is designed to not overwhelm you with features you don’t need. Thus, to add more functionality to your site you can use totally free plugins that can be installed in a minute.
Here is the essential list of the free plugins:
- WP Job Manager by Automattic and Mike Jolley (Official Documentation)
- Customify by PixelGrade
- Comments Ratings by PixelGrade
- Category Icon by PixelGrade
- PixTypes by Pixelgrade
Please, note that these plugins need to be installed (or activated) separately. All of them are available on WordPress.org for free.
Tech Support
The team behind Listable lives to make their clients happy. So, if you have any issues with Listable theme, feel free to contact them at once. They are here to make your experience with theme as easy and pleasant as it’s possible.
Over to You
I hope this Listable review turned in handy for you. Please, let us know in the comments your feedback regarding Listable.
Read More at Listable: the Best Modern Listing Directory WordPress Theme
from Web Design Ledger http://webdesignledger.com/listable-the-best-modern-listing-directory-wordpress-theme
Pixate Partners With Google and Launches Pixate Studio 2.0
Pixate, the native prototyping platform for creating high-fidelity iOS and Android Apps without code has joined the Google design team and launched Pixate Studio 2.0. The original Pixate was launched three years ago to help designer turn their app designs into reality with native mobile functionality. They are now joining Google’s big team of big ideas to reach millions of designers and product-oriented companies.
As of today, the Pixate Studio 2.0 release is its greatest update yet. The latest version features better, faster performance, the ability to zoom in and out of large projects and audio/visual capabilities. They have also improved on a lot of existing functionalities and with Google’s design team on their side, the sky's the limit! Pixate Studio 2.0 is completely free and their Pixate cloud service has been reduced in price in hopes to compete with the ever changing market of design tools. If you already have Studio you can update it to the 2.0 version or visit their site to download it.
Read More at Pixate Partners With Google and Launches Pixate Studio 2.0
from Web Design Ledger http://webdesignledger.com/pixate-partners-with-google-and-launches-pixate-studio-2-0
Figma: A New Design Collaboration Tool
For many years, Adobe Creative Cloud has been the de facto leader of design tools. While the name does have “cloud” in it, Adobe’s products initially began as desktop applications, and even today, many users feel that collaborative workflow is not up to the par.
To answer this problem, 23-year old Dylan Field has come up with a new solution: Figma, a new set of collaborative design applications.
In simple words, Figma is a design collaboration tool that, instead of relying heavily on desktop apps, runs within your web browser, and allows your team members to work together and collaborate freely on design projects. Any changes made to the design are saved and synced in the cloud, allowing users to track changes and work seamlessly with other members of the team.
Obviously, this sounds like a novel approach to design collaboration and, if rightly implemented, can prove to the Google Docs of web and graphic design.
The mainstay of Figma is a browser-based version of Photoshop, that focuses deeply on interaction design. Any change you make to the current project is saved to the cloud, and if you ever wish to revert back to a previous state, version control helps you do that. As such, when working with Figma, you do not need to constantly toggle back and forth between email, Dropbox and other such services -- instead, collaboration is built inside the design tool itself.
As of now, Figma allows you to share color assets with the members of your team. However, eventually, the plan is to offer shared asset libraries, with real-time simultaneous design editing.
Figma seems to have a promising road ahead, and it has already generated $14M in funding. Currently, it is in its testing phase, and you can signup for the free preview program by visiting Figma’s homepage. Later on, Figma intends to rely on a paid monthly subscription SAAS model.
Wish to learn more? Read the official blog post here.
What do you think of Figma? Share your views in the comments below!
Read More at Figma: A New Design Collaboration Tool
from Web Design Ledger http://webdesignledger.com/figma-a-new-design-collaboration-tool
Speedtest.net Moving Towards HTML5
Speedtest.net is one of the most popular services for checking the speed of your internet connection. Thus far, the interface has relied on Adobe Flash to perform the test.
However, all of that is going to change soon, as the service is planning to abandon Flash in favor of HTML5.
For many years, Adobe Flash has served as a mainstay of the internet, powering several websites and apps. But in recent years, especially with the advent of HTML5, Flash has fallen out of favor. In fact, Adobe is not shying away from the fact that Flash in itself is a thing of the past -- Adobe has already rebranded Flash as Animate CC, and starting January 2016, the new Animate software, for all practical purposes, will focus more on HTML5 and offer Flash support only for the sake of backward compatibility.
So what happens when Speedtest.net moves away from Flash and switches to HTML5? To begin with, you will not require any plugins, and you can run Speedtest using any web browser with no additional requirements. Of course, this move in itself might probably not mean much, but it is another step towards the fact that Flash is dying, and the trend has now shifted towards more modern and less resource-hungry technology.
What do you think of this move from Speedtest.net? Much awaited, or came a bit early? Share your views in the comments below! Plus, you can also grab an early preview of what Speedtest.net on HTML5 will look like -- find the beta version here.
Read More at Speedtest.net Moving Towards HTML5
from Web Design Ledger http://webdesignledger.com/speedtest-net-moving-towards-html5
Facebook Discontinues Creative Labs Division
Facebook is no longer looking to support its internal startup Creative Labs. This division of Facebook was used as an experimental and creative approach to mobile software. A couple of the apps created made it to app stores, each with their own unique social sharing capabilities. Slingshot, featuring brief messaging and Riff, for sharing video stories both lost the competitive battle to Snapchat. There was also Rooms, a group IM app that also missed the mark. As of Monday all three apps have been removed from app stores.
Facebook is now applying their "Move fast and break things." mantra towards other emerging areas of technology like AI, drones, and virtual-reality goggles. The Social network giant hopes to continues experimenting with apps and continue to adding features to Facebook.com and the mobile apps like 320-degree video capability.
Read More at Facebook Discontinues Creative Labs Division
from Web Design Ledger http://webdesignledger.com/facebook-discontinues-creative-labs-division
The 43 Best Websites To Learn Something New About Marketing
Whether you want to learn more about A/B testing, conversion rate optimization, content marketing or paid ads, there’s a wealth of marketing knowledge being shared online every day.
Today I’m excited to share 43 of the best websites to learn something new about marketing.
These websites will teach you practically anything you’d like to learn. Ready to dive in and pick up something new?
Let’s go!
Company Blogs
Unbounce
The Unbounce blog offers expert advice on landing page and conversion optimization to help you crush your next online marketing campaign.
Recommended reading:
- 22 Brutally Honest Landing Page Critiques
- 26 Beautiful Landing Page Designs Critiqued with A/B Testing Tips
Vero
Vero have a wealth of resources on their blog covering email marketing, automation and much more.
Recommended reading:
Moz
Moz’s blog features advice, research, how-tos, and insights — all in the name of helping you level-up your SEO and online marketing skills.
Recommended reading:
- The Greatest Misconception in Content Marketing
- How to Use Hosted Blog Platforms for SEO & Content Distribution
Coschedule
Coscheudle’s blog features in-depth blog posts and resources on content marketing.
Wistia
Wistia is a fantastic place to learn about video marketing and startup life.
Econsultancy
Econsultancy shares the latest digital marketing and ecommerce insight from a team of analysts and experts.
Check out Econsultancy’s blog >
Hubspot
Hubspot has a fantastic blog covering a range of sales and marketing topics, including A/B testing, content marketing and email marketing.
Contently
Contently’s Content Strategist blog takes readers on a dive into the World of content marketing, strategy and social media in a wide ranges of industries.
KISSmetrics
The KISSmetrics blog aims to help you track, analyze and optimize your digital marketing.
Optimizely
Optimizely’s blog focuses heavily on landing page optimization and A/B testing.
Groove
On their blog, Groove share everything about their journey to $500k in monthly revenue.
Recommended reading:
- How We Got 1,000+ Subscribers from a Single Blog Post in 24 Hours
- How We Got Over Our Fear of SEO and Improved Conversions 20% in the Process
AdExpresso
AdExpresso’s blog focuses on social media marketing and paid advertising channels. It’s an especially brilliant resource if you’re looking to learn a thing or two about Facebook Ads.
Close.io
Close.io’s blog is a great resource for sales tips and tricks.
Ghost
Ghost is an awesome blogging platform and their blog focuses on how to create a blog people will love.
Convince & Convert
Convince & Convert is led by Jay Baer. Their blog covers an interesting range of social media, marketing and content.
Check out Convince & Convert’s blog >
Individual Marketers
Seth Godin
Seth Godin is a best-selling author, entrepreneur, and marketer. His blog features short, daily posts on marketing, business and leadership.
Recommended reading:
Justin Jackson
Justin Jackson is a product builder and his blog focuses on helping you reach more people with the things you create.
Recommended reading:
Gary Vaynerchuck
Gary Vaynerchuk builds businesses. He co-founded VayerMedia and grew his family wine business from a $3M to a $60M business in just five years. He creates brilliant content on a daily basis.
- Starting a Blog, Where to Start a Blog, and Why Blogging Is Not Dead
- Number One Waste of Time? Trying to Convert Your Customer
Viperchill
On Viperchill, Glen Allsopp covers viral marketing, search engine optimisation, and blogging advice.
Neil Patel
Nei Patel’s blog, Quicksprout, is a fantastic resource for marketers and covers many aspects of content marketing and social media marketing.
Jon Loomer
On his blog, Jon Loomer shares advice and tips on how to become a better Facebook marketer.
Heidi Cohen
Heidi Cohen’s blog provides you with marketing insights on social media, content marketing and mobile.
Check out Heidi Cohen’s blog >
Brian Dean
Brian Dean’s Backlinko blog is an awesome resource for actionable SEO and content marketing advice.
Chris Brogan
Chris Brogan is an author and marketer. His blog is one of the leading resources for marketing, lead generation and customer acquisition strategies for businesses.
Check out Chris Brogan’s blog >
Nathan Barry
Nath Barry is the founder of Convertkit. On his blog he posts regularly about both design and marketing.
Check out Nathan Barry’s blog >
Noah Kagan
On his blog, Appsumo and Sumome founder, Noak Kagan, shares tips and tricks on how he started 2 multi-million dollar businesses.
YouTube
Video Creators
Video Creators discuss how to leverage YouTube as a social media platform and use it to build an audience that cares about your message.
Savvy Sexy Social
Savvy Sexy Social is a marketing lifestyle blog – led from Amy “Schmittastic” Schmittauer – for brands who want to learn how to show off their amazing personality online.
Sunny Lenarduzzi
Sue B. Zimmerman
This channel teaches entrepreneurs, business execs, and marketing professionals how powerful Instagram for business can be.
Reelseo
ReelSEO’s YouTube channel offers YouTube tips and tricks for video marketing.
Vidiseo
Vidiseo helps YouTube channels and brands drive targeted viewers and measure the success of their YouTube channel.
Communities
Inbound.org
Inbound.org is where the world’s smartest marketers convene to discuss & share what’s trending in the marketing world.
GrowthHackers
Premiere destination to collaborate and get inspired to help grow your business.
Podcasts
Mixergy
Mixergy is a great podcast where can learn from a huge range of experienced mentors and entrepreneurs through interviews with host Andrew Warner.
The Fizzle Show
The Fizzle Show is a podcast for creative entrepreneurs and honest business builders who want to earn a living doing something they care about.
StartUp
StartUp is a podcast series about what it’s really like to get a business off the ground.
Entrepreneur On Fire
A brilliant podcast for entreprenuers and marketers. Host and founder, John Lee Dumas, interview today’s most inspiring Entrepreneurs 7-days a week
Check out Entreprenuer On Fire >
The Lede
Each week, The Lede answers your questions about copywriting, content marketing, email marketing, conversion optimization, mindset, and much more.
Six Pixels of Separation
Mitch Joel’s Six Pixels of Seperation podcast covers digital marketing and media hacking.
Check out Six Pixels of Seperation >
Online Courses
CreativeLive
CreativeLive is an online learning platform that broadcasts live classes. You can also join old classes and re-watch the lessons. The site has a wealth of awesome marketing classes.
One Month
One Month is a school for entreprenuers and delivers high-quality educational content on a range of topics, including marketing.
Ryan Holiday: Growth Hacker Marketing
Growth Hacker marketing is a short course on the future of PR, marketing and advertising by marketer, auother and former Director of Marketing for American Apparel and an editor-at-large for the New York Observer, Ryan Holiday.
*Some of the courses in this section are paid for courses.
Over to you
I’d love to hear your favourite sites to learn something new about marketing.
Where do you go when you want to check out the latest tips, trends and strategies? Let me know in the comments and I’ll be excited to check out your recomenedations.
The post The 43 Best Websites To Learn Something New About Marketing appeared first on Social.
from Social https://blog.bufferapp.com/marketing-resources