Archive for month: January, 2018

Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CreativeBloq/~3/qy4vMDoZHqk/review-adobe-creative-cloud-all-in-one-for-dummies

Hey, it’s OK to be a dummy sometimes; especially when it comes to the complexities and nuances of the increasingly vast Adobe Creative Cloud suite. So as a creative (or indeed anyone whose career or hobbyist interests rely on making things with image and text that look clear and pretty) what better gift than the power of mastering these essential tools?

What’s great about this particular well-known brand of reference guides is that it’s written by experts, rather than writers speaking to experts (so in this case, designers). As such, the tips and guidance are spelled out in a way that’s not only comprehensible to those in the design industry, but in a way that is tailored to those looking to work in it. 

The authors Jennifer and Christopher Smith certainly have pedigree: Jennifer is a UX consultant, designer, educator, and author of 12 or so books on digital imaging and web publishing; while Christopher is president of the American Graphics Institute and author of numerous books on web, interactive, and print publishing technology, including many official Adobe training guides.

Seven mini-books

Adobe Creative Cloud All-in-One For Dummies (Second Edition) is divided into seven mini-books across a hefty 800 pages, and covers InDesign CC, Illustrator CC, Photoshop CC, Acrobat Pro, Adobe Bridge, and Adobe XD. While there’s no doubt this book is aimed more at those at the beginning of their creative software journey, it’s undoubtedly helpful for those already proficient in their tools. 

There's advice on using advanced features, and of course, helping a Photoshop whizz incorporate other tools and work across different programmes to make their lives easier and their work sparkle. 

What’s potentially off-putting for a book about how to design well is that it certainly isn’t the most beautiful, or indeed well-designed book we’ve ever seen: the icons are ugly; and the typographic decisions leave a lot to be desired. 

It’s also slightly misleading to bill the title as as 'all-in-one', when it doesn’t actually cover programmes like Lightroom, Premiere Pro and After Effects. But in fairness, it’s probably wise to master the less complex programmes before tackling moving image and animation software. 

Adobe Creative Cloud All-in-One For Dummies is certainly aimed more at the beginner end of the spectrum, although there’s definitely a few gems in here for the more advanced. However, it might take a bit of slightly frustrating rifling through this hefty tome to get there.

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Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/1stwebdesigner/~3/lMYSZ-eA6wE/

Chances are you’ve heard of Wix – one of the top website builders out there. As a web professional, you may think that it’s solely a DIY tool aimed at beginners. While the Wix interface is intuitive to use it’s also incredibly powerful.

Wix offers an extensive feature list including professional web tools and design features and advanced code capabilities. You can use it to build a site for yourself or for your clients that is both powerful and mobile optimized.

Create Without Limits

Wix now offers advanced code capabilities, so you can create your own content-rich websites and web applications. If you’re comfortable with CSS, JavaScript and databases, you’ll have a blast creating anything you want with Wix Code. Now here’s the best part, Wix Code works directly with the Wix editor so you can code using the stunning visual components of the Wix Editor. Plus, it’s all SEO compatible, so you can make sure the website you build can get found online.

Professional Features from Wix

Wix has a huge app market that offers tons of professional tools to help you manage and grow your business online. Want an online store? Check. Start accept bookings online? Done. Sell your artwork or videos online? You got it. By this point, Wix has become so good at offering every business niche, you’d be hard-pressed to find something they don’t have.

Professional features include:

Real-time feedback and design sharing

eCommerce

Online booking system

Retina-ready image galleries

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tools

Designer-made templates for any business need

Invoices

Design With Peak Efficiency

Wix takes care of the hard stuff, so you can focus on what really matter – designing your stunning website. Wix offers hundreds of design features that you can use to create something beautiful without stressing yourself out. Their intuitive drag and drop UI means that you can position elements where you want without having to tweak code. It’ll save you time and unnecessary headaches.

They’ve even simplified complicated features like parallax scrolling, video backgrounds and animation. Each one can be easily added to your design. Plus, you’ll find hundreds of installed fonts and the ability to upload your own.

Everything works with minimal effort on your part. Layouts are also a piece of cake – including multi-column. You don’t need to resort to hacks to get the exact look you’re after. The Wix UI means that you can focus your attention right where it needs to be: On building an amazing website. There’s no need to pull up multiple applications or browser windows. You’ll have access to everything you need in one place.

Tools Designed With You in Mind

Putting powerful features in the hands of designers is what Wix does best. They want you to stay ahead of the pack and on top of the latest trends. Always in Style With their collection of gorgeous templates, you’ll always be right on the cutting edge when it comes to design. And with new templates constantly being added, you’ll stay that way well into the future. Taking advantage of the latest design is a matter of a few clicks.

Feedback in Real-Time When you’re working on a project, you’ll often need to bring clients and colleagues into the loop. Wix lets you share your work with a single click and collect feedback in real-time. You’ll speed up the revision process and avoid unproductive email chains. Design With AI That Understands You Using Wix Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) brings a new level of efficiency to site creation.

The first AI that will design a website for you, the system learns your needs and builds a site to your specifications. Resources and Services You Need There’s no need to search the web for top resources – Wix has you covered. Their image collection contains thousands of visuals from both Wix and Shutterstock that you can use on your site. Plus, there are built-in tools to help you with critical tasks like invoicing, email marketing and SEO.

Build It Your Way With Wix

If you’re a designer looking for a fast, stable and secure platform – look no further than Wix. They can provide you with the tools you need to build a great site with full control over the entire process. Start building with Wix for free and put the most technologically advanced website builder to work for you.

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