Archive for month: November, 2019

Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CreativeBloq/~3/XvDqBHOrqF0/best-macbook-deals-black-friday-cyber-monday

Black Friday MacBook deals have arrived. If you’ve been holding out, waiting for the best MacBook Pro Black Friday deals, a big MacBook Air price cut or even a huge discount on the older 2018 Macbook – today is your day. We’re working around the clock to bring you the very best MacBook Black Friday deals on all models, as soon as they drop (and you’ll find the best MacBook Cyber Monday deals here on this page next week, too).

We’re seeing some fantastic discounts on the 2019 MacBook models at the moment. There are also some great 2018 MacBook Pro deals, as retailers look to shift their stock after the launch of the new 16-inch MacBook Pro. Read on for our pick of the best Black Friday MacBook deals right now – and once you’ve found the lowest price, have a browse of our best Apple Black Friday deals too. 

The best Black Friday and Cyber Monday MacBook Pro deals: US
Jump to: UK Macbook Pro Black Friday deals
The best Black Friday and Cyber Monday MacBook Pro deals: UK
The best Black Friday and Cyber Monday MacBook Air deals: US
Jump to: UK Macbook Air Black Friday deals
The best Black Friday and Cyber Monday MacBook Air deals

Can't see exactly what you want in the deals above? The widget below will pull in the best prices across a range of MacBook models, in your region. We'll also be updating the section above with any good new offers as soon as they appear, so bookmark this page and check back. 

Alternatively, browse our ultimate guide to the Apple Black Friday sale, or our general Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals page, or check out our product-specific guides for the best Black Friday iPad deals, AirPod deals, Apple Pencil deals and Apple Watch deals. 

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Black Friday and Cyber Monday MacBook deals 2019: Our predictions

Don’t expect to see many serious price cuts on the standard MacBook

The standard MacBook is a popular choice, and it's easy to see why. If portability is your thing, it's worth noting that the most up-to-date 12-inch MacBook is both thinner and lighter than the old 13-inch MacBook Air, with better specs and a Retina display.

What this popularity means, though, is that you're unlikely to see much in the way of massive Black Friday or Cyber Monday MacBook deals on the standard models. However the introduction of new 2019 models means there may well be great bargains to be had on last year's still highly capable models. Keep your eyes peeled, and be prepared to act fast, as these deals are likely to get snapped up quickly.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday: MacBook Pro predictions

The MacBook Pro is available with a Touch Bar, for a price

It usually a safe bet that the biggest bargains will be on slightly older models. The good news is that Apple has just launched a brand new 16" MacBook Pro, which means we're likely to see some price drops on the previous 15" MacBook Pro (2019) as retailers seek to shift stock.

The MacBook Pro's high price – especially on, say, the Touch Bar models – means it's easier for retailers to deliver a huge temporary price cut and still turn a profit, so if you're looking for a powerful creative laptop it's worth bearing in mind. You'll still be paying out quite a bit for it, but it'll be worth the expense.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday: MacBook Air predictions

It’s getting on a bit, but the older MacBook Air could be a good bargain option

The MacBook Air was refreshed in July 2019, which means we'll likely be seeing some offers on older models. We expect there to be some fantastic Black Friday MacBook Air deals on offer this year as retailers clear out their old stock. 

The downside to choosing an older Air is that it's the least powerful MacBook you can get… it's not even the thinnest and lightest any more. However if you simply have to have a MacBook but you're on a budget, it's a strong choice. These are the best savings we saw last year…

How to get the best MacBook deals on Black Friday

The best advice we have for you is this: be sure to decide just how much you want to spend on a Black Friday MacBook deal (or a MacBook on Cyber Monday, of course), and if you see one within that budget, go for it. The best deals can be gone in minutes, so don't waste time if you know you're looking at a solid gold bargain. Bookmark this page and check back to make sure you know what to expect and you can jump on the best Black Friday MacBook deals before they sell out.

Preparation is key when it comes to getting good Black Friday MacBook deals, or picking up a MacBook Cyber Monday bargain, especially when you bear in mind that a lot of retailers can't wait for Black Friday, and so start shipping their bargains well in advance of the big day. In the run-up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday we'll be keeping tabs on new deals as they appear, so keep checking back for offers that you won't want to miss.

You'll need to decide whether it's a standard MacBook you want, an Air or a full-fat MacBook Pro. If you're planning to use your new MacBook as an all-round work machine then it's worth holding out for a good deal on a Pro as it'll be able to cope with just about everything you throw at it. If you're less of a power user then the ordinary MacBook should suit your needs, and while the older Air's more limited it should be the one to go for if you want a MacBook at rock-bottom prices. The latest Air may also be for you if you prioritise a portable and thin machine over screen size.

Beware of older models – they're likely to see the biggest discounts but they'll be packing less power than more up-to-date machines. Although you could consider getting an SSD to speed things up. And of course, use a bit of common sense while shopping; look out for cashback offers, always check the guarantee and make sure you keep your receipt in case of faults or buyer's remorse.

MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air features and specs that creatives should look out for

Many MacBooks are severely lacking in ports; bear that in mind when make your choice

There might only be three main models of MacBook to choose from, but there are plenty of variations in the line that are well worth noting when you're looking for Black Friday MacBook deals. 

Firstly, the CPU: the MacBook Air's is the least powerful of the lot, although the most recent 2019 version improves things with an 8th-generation Core i5 processor, with Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz. Older models feature an old Intel Broadwell chipset running at 1.6GHz, or 1.8GHz for more recent models. 

Both the MacBook and MacBook Pro boast beefier 8th and 9th generation chipsets; with the latest Pro really turning up the heat: up to 2.7GHz quad-core Core i7 in the 13-inch Touch Bar model,  while the 15-inch Touch Bar version goes up to a 2.9GHz six-core Core i9.

Lower end MacBooks – the older Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro – only give you 128GB SSD, which is likely to mean that you'll need to invest in some external storage; the new MacBook Air starts with 128GB but can be specced up to a whopping 1.5TB SSD if you have the budget. All other MacBook models feature 256GB SSD; bear in mind that if you work with large files then you'll probably burn through that pretty quickly.

If you're going to need to plug peripherals into your new MacBook, check the number of available ports; the standard MacBook only has one USB-C port, while most MacBook Pros have four. The latest MacBook Air features a pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports, while the older model has three ports: they're USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt 2, and while they shouldn't give you any problems, bear in mind you might need an adapter for more recent peripherals.

Display-wise, all the MacBooks apart from the original Air feature crisp Retina displays. And they'll all serve you well in terms of battery, but watch out for MacBook Pros with a Touch Bar; Apple claims that this makes no difference but our friends at TechRadar have found that the Touch Bar can take a fair toll on battery life.

Related articles:

The best Black Friday iPad deals in 2019MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018) and Blackmagic eGPU reviewThe best laptops for graphic design in 2019
The best Black Friday and Cyber Monday MacBook Pro deals: US

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Inspirational Website of the Week: Limnia

A true masterpiece that brings together modern elegance and sophisticated interactions.

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Collective #569 was written by Pedro Botelho and published on Codrops.

Original Source: https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2019/11/transform-your-design-with-unified-ux/

Unless you’ve been hiding under a tinfoil hat for the last few years, you probably know that UX and UI are not the same thing because “UX is more ergonomic”, or some such nonsense. But what about the unified part? Normally speaking, I’ve got very little patience for hipster acronyms and nit-picking, but actually it turns out there’s more to this than fake specs and chai latte.

Imagine you’re standing outside two different coffee shops. They both sell pretty much the same coffee at pretty much the same price. How do you choose? Well I’ll bet you a unicorn frappe it’s not one specific thing that sways you, more a general “feeling” that “it’s better”. And you know what? That’s UX.

It’s probably time to rethink everything

It’s probably time to rethink everything. Experience has become much more important to users than product, and from a design perspective, this puts software in pretty much the same space as coffee shops.

For the service industry, each user-brand interaction is a touchpoint. It’s not important where or how that interaction happens: seeing the shop, opening the door, speaking to someone at the counter, whatever. The aim is to create a feeling of familiarity, ease and comfort for the target user.

Now imagine scaling that experience. Say you wanted to take your coffee shop into a mobile vending unit. How can you make sure that your users get the same feeling of comfort and familiarity that they had in the high street? That’s Unified UX.

The Broader Context

Unified UX is much more than a DLS or style guide. In fact, you’d be better off thinking about tools like Atlassian and Sketch as…well, tools, to help you achieve the broader aim of unity.

It’s more than responsive design and digital ecosystem too. If you’re still thinking in terms of “mobile”, “tablet” and “desktop” configurations, you’d do well to heed the words of design guru Cameron Moll who urges us to recognise that, for today’s users:

The best interface is the one within reach

Take the Galaxy Fold, for example: Phone, tablet, phablet or plain old monstrous? What about Echo, Dot and Alexa with no screen at all? Or Apple Watch? As Cameron points out in the same talk, the concept of “TV” has also become pretty loose. Do we mean the content, or the device it’s viewed on? Is “mobile” a noun, a verb or an adjective? How is a native app different from a mobile browser experience?

The point is, from a unified UX perspective, it doesn’t matter. The job of the UX team is to create that “brand feeling” across all platforms and in all facets of the design.

Take a look at Southwest Airlines’ “Virtual Booking Desk” from — wait for it — 1998; laugh all you want, but remember that back then, most people were completely new to the internet. Seeing a familiar scene gave users a sense of confidence, which is (still) integral to the Southwest brand.

What Goes in to Unified UX?

Everything!

It starts with deep awareness of the needs, expectations and current experience of the user. Watch people using your stuff. Talk to them afterwards about what it felt like. You’ll definitely learn something. If it’s a new project, do focus groups, then do some more. Co-create if you can.

From there, develop a design principles framework. The key concerns of your user group should shine through in every single aspect of their brand experience.

Broadly, there are two key concepts to unify:

Form and Function – Yes, you need both!
Data Symmetry – Data should follow users.

Here are some questions to consider:

Available Media

How do your users want to interact with the brand?

Android/iOS app;
Voice Interface;
Live Chat;
Bot;
SMS integration (very popular in the US);
Telephone/VOIP;
Video;
Print Media;
Face to Face.

A website doesn’t work for everyone!

Look and Feel

Does your framework include:

color;
shape;
imagery;
story;
art direction;
icons?

Do your choices work everywhere? How do you balance unity of UX and compatibility? How do you merge native OS elements with brand-specific ones?

Layout

Guide users to the content they’re looking for. Will their needs change across:

platform;
device;
time;
user journey?

How do you balance usability and unity of UX on small screens?

Interaction

Are some features device specific?

Camera;
Location Services;
Accelerometer;
Compass.

If so, is this what users want? How will interactive behavior transfer?

Responsive Behaviour

Remember the device continuum – it’s usually best to think in terms of

small;
smallish;
biggish;
big.

(Not specific devices.)

Tone

Important for:

Written copy;
Voice Interface;
Phone Help;
Face to Face;
Video;
Text or Automated Chat.

Does the tone need to change in certain situations:

errors;
call to action;
feedback/complaints;
specific user groups?

Are you using dated words like “click” when “tap” would be a better choice?

Continuation

If the user starts an interaction on one device and transfers to another, does their data follow them? If shopping cart items, elapsed time, favourites etc are consistent across interfaces, you’re doing it right!

Single Sign-On is one of those features that’s bound to make your users smile. With this in mind, are your protocols up to scratch? If you’ve got a native app, you need LDAP or similar, for example. Don’t try and use cookies! Is the backend architecture able to handle the load?

Development Environment

As you probably see by now, unified UX isn’t something you can do by yourself. The better organised your resource repository, the easier it will be to onboard new team members and maintain consistency. Consider:

Toolsets;
Documentation;
Coding and File Naming Conventions;
Standard Elements Repo.

Upgrades and Integration

How will you update legacy material and add new elements as the design evolves?

Who’s Doing it Well?

Yes, unified UX can be a pretty large and expensive undertaking, and even the giants still get it wrong. That said, here are some nice little highlights from a few unexpected places:

Spotify

No surprises here in terms of the company’s size, and sure, their UX is (arguably) pretty slick no matter where you find it. But what really caught my eye today is their commitment to their backend and support for third party developers.

This gives Spotify users enormous scope to enjoy a highly integrated, reliable and ever-expanding ecosystem that always feels the same.

Mailchimp

Not only do they have great cross device, cross platform consistency, their famously chirpy tone and loveable mascot are instantly relatable. What’s even cooler is that, when something goes wrong, the tone subtly changes.

This isn’t surprising because they have a really extensive style guide for new writers.

Linguee

Primarily a web-based translation application, their iOS app is a real favourite of mine. It not only offers dictionary-style definitions, but use-in-context translations as well, which really helps to avoid the classic google translate failures. It’s understandable at a glance on both small and large screens… and it’s free!

Good evidence that simplicity and functionality often win out.

Conclusion – Why Bother?!

Well, in a nutshell, because it’s what your users want. Yes, to really nail a unified experience is a big undertaking, particularly if you’re coming into an old project and dealing with legacy code, but the fact is, it’s the future.

The range of available devices is growing rapidly, and users want whichever one is closest. At the same time, we’re becoming more and more sensitive to experience, and less tolerant of inconsistency or nuisance. Smaller companies must find ways to provide the kind of unified experience that customers expect, or face being swallowed by giants.

As independent developers, it’s in our interests, and within our ability, to find ways to make UX unified.

 

Featured image via DepositPhotos.

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For those who have a passion for photography, your social media feed can serve as your portfolio. This is the perfect landscape for getting exposure. With today’s smartphone, you can take stunning photos. If you want to level up your mobile photography and improve your Instagram feed, then the Insta-Famous Photography Bundle is for you. […]

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Collective #567 was written by Pedro Botelho and published on Codrops.