Category: News & Archives
Coding by the digital campfire
At Envato, we're excited about the future of the local tech sector and incredibly passionate about the next generation of developers who will help shape it.
So it is probably no surprise that we leapt at the chance to host our own Code Camp during the most recent July school holidays!
Established in 2013, the school holiday program gives kids the opportunity to design, problem-solve and code their own apps and games in just three days. More than 80,000 participants have taken part in the camps since their inception.
"We were motivated to support Code Camp because it looked like such a fun and educational initiative for our kids, equipping children with the foundation skills to succeed in an increasingly digital future," said Office Manager Claire March.
"We will definitely look to host future Code Camps here at HQ as the last one was such a success. "
A group of happy code campers hard at work
Chief Experience Officer Justin French said that while his daughter wasn't sure what to expect, she was a very happy 'camper' by the end of the first day. "We've tried to get her engaged with code a few times, but it hasn't really stuck. This time, she was filled with excitement and enthusiasm by the end of day one, so I think they've designed the course in a way that helps them feel like they're making progress quickly with visual editing tools, then tackle some bigger challenges towards the end with custom code."
"Over dinner at the end of day two she was telling me all about variables, collisions, if/else statements, boss levels and fixing bugs!"
Office Coordinator Ruth Crespo arranged to have her nephew attend and agreed that the course design was well received by the participating children. "He learnt how to create a six-stage game and give instructions like applying gravity to the game so the characters aren't floating, assign music, design his character, add obstacles and create a point system."
"The shiny gold medal he got to take home and will be taking back to school to show all his friends was a definite highlight of the week…and he tells me now when he grows up he wants to work at Envato!"
Code Camp attendees dived into the Envato HQ basement to test their app-building skills
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Posted on July 17, 2019 Author Digital Marketing SolutionsCategories News & Archives
Shake Up Your Social With Milkshake, Our Instagram Website Maker
"Link in bio" is a commonly used phrase on Instagram, but the challenge for many entrepreneurs and influencers is that "you can only link once". That's why Envato's co-founder Cyan Ta'eed and her team are looking to shake things up with a new app to help you up your Insta game.
While other Instagram linking tools do exist, the Milkshake app enables you to build an Instagram website on your mobile device for free. This site, made up of 'cards', is not only stylish and sophisticated—with multiple 'looks' to choose from—it's the source of truth for the modern, multi-faceted entrepreneur. You can include links to your latest work, as well as a bio and much, much more.
Say More. Share More. Sell More
Milkshake's mission is to help people, predominantly women, to build their personal brands online. Targeted at "movers, shakers, creators, and game changers", the platform acts as an extension of your Instagram brand, where you can say more, share more, and sell more.
Madeleine Rochecouste, Product Marketing Specialist for Milkshake, said, "We want to empower Instagrammers to promote everything they have going on, and we believe Milkshake is an easy and personal way to do that. Women have so many dreams and aspirations that Instagram is helping them to achieve by providing an audience. We want to help them further establish their brand on Instagram or turn their ideas, hobbies and ambitions into a business by commercializing their social presence."
Milkshake can be a launchpad to your existing website, podcast, blog, or ecommerce store. It's a simple solution to promote all you have to offer on Instagram. You can use your Insta website to introduce yourself, share links to your content, products, and work, share your top picks, must do's and must-haves and, importantly, launch your latest business venture to your followers.
Made for Mobile
The Milkshake team worked with local Australian influencers to develop the app. They invited potential users in early to test prototypes and establish a need within the Instagram community. The result? A mobile app that offers a seamless experience from your Instagram bio.
Milkshake Insta websites are designed to look super slick inside Instagram's mobile web browser. Madeleine explains, "We wanted Milkshake to complement Instagram. To keep your followers on the platform and engaged with your content. We also wanted to make the experience of making an Insta website as easy as posting content on Instagram." With the functionality to swipe between cards that's similar to Instagram Stories, followers won't feel as if they've left Instagram when they're consuming content on your site. The experience is beautiful and consistent, and it feels native to Instagram as the app is made for mobile and is very visual.
You can make and update your Insta website on the go, wherever you are, with the Milkshake app. It's ideal for time-poor entrepreneurs or those with limited design and technical capabilities.
Speaking of design, each 'look' is what Madeleine describes as "Insta-worthy". She said, "We found that typical website builders were quite dry. The landing pages, colors, fonts, etc. are mostly aligned to a tech aesthetic. We saw a gap for a product that makes building and interacting with a website fun. Fun, easy, beautiful is what we live by. And the fact that everything can be done on your phone is a big bonus as it enables anyone to get involved at any time." As one of Milkshake's user testers told the team, "'If I can't do it on my phone it won't get done."
Making a Milkshake shouldn't be daunting. If you want to update the look you've chosen, you can quickly shake it up whenever you want. Content is structured in the same way across looks, so you don't have to update your copy, images or links when you change your Insta website design. For each card, from the About card to the Links card, there are multiple looks to choose from, with more added all the time, so you won't get bored of your Milkshake in a hurry!
The Milkshake Brand
The brand itself is also a feast for the eyes, thanks to Brand Designer, Sophie Dunn. Sophie was thrilled to join Cyan, Madeleine and the Milkshake team as she saw an opportunity to "create a fun, youthful brand." She describes Milkshake as "a brand that is built on the characteristics of our audience: fun, bold, confident, and gutsy".
Anyone who has been following Milkshake on Instagram and subscribed to the brand's School of Instagram program would have to agree that it's packed full of personality. So we're thrilled that it's now live and launched in the app store. Follow our lead and be one of the first to use Milkshake, now.
Find out more at milkshake.app and download Milkshake for free!
Posted on June 17, 2019 Author Digital Marketing SolutionsCategories News & Archives
Back to Base – Envato
"I think I'm most looking forward to hugging a minimum of 20 people."
What sort of event could Envato run that would prompt this hopeful reaction from Developer Team Lead Ray Grasso?
Our inaugural Back to Base week!
Envato has a long-standing tradition of encouraging and supporting flexible work, not just for our HQ-based staff in Melbourne, but also for the almost 40 remote workers who live around Australia, from Western Australia to the Blue Mountains.
While these staff travel back to our Melbourne office up to four times a year to connect with their teams and catch up with friends old and new, these trips don't always cross over with their fellow remotes. To rectify all those missed opportunities, Back to Base week would see many of Envato's remote workers coincide their trips at the same time!
For Perth-based Ray, Back to Base week was a chance to meet face to face with everyone on the Envato Market team, though he confessed he would miss "…scrolling through Slack while listening to music from my speakers while wearing Ugg boots and eating breakfast cereal." Fellow West Australian Glenn Tweedie echoed Ray's ambitions for the week: "Lots of face to face time, lots of coffees and beers, some whiteboarding and random in-depth discussions on the beanbags"
"And if I don't get sick in the process, it will be a total success!"
Senior Developer Lauren Glina said the personal connections created in visits to Envato's HQ were invaluable. "This is my first job working remotely full-time, and while I like the flexibility of working from anywhere, I've realised I also need the in-person experience at HQ every now and then to keep me motivated and connected."
"Whilst I'm pretty chatty on Slack, and I love to get involved in remote-friendly events it's even better to be able to get out to lunch or a coffee with someone IRL."
Many of Envato's remote workers came from around Australia for Back to Base week.
This opportunity for informal interaction was also high on the list of Angie Gove, one of Envato's Site Reliability Engineers. "It is nice that there are so many events and opportunities to connect with people I wouldn't get a chance to otherwise…and most importantly, sampling the delicious coffee and lunch choices around the office."
While working from the Melbourne HQ – and surrounds – was an exciting proposition for many remotes, it can never beat being at home with the family. "I think I'll miss the peace and quiet the most when I'm in Melbourne," said Ben Askins, a Site Development Team Lead, adding "but I'll also miss the familiar 3:15pm sound of feet stomping up the stairs that signal's my youngest kids have arrived home from school."
For Lauren Glina, she had a different plan for coping with the time away from the family. "My son is just starting to get his words together, and when I told him I was going to Melbourne for a few days, he said, "don't go Mummy!". But he loves Hey Tiger chocolate though, so hopefully, if I bring some of that back with me, all will be forgiven!"
You can read more about Envato's flexible work practices here.
Posted on June 1, 2019 Author Digital Marketing SolutionsCategories News & Archives
Celebrating Pride Month 2019: Explore the Work of LGBTQI+ Creatives
Happy Pride Month 2019!
My name is Daisy, and creativity is the cornerstone of my life—I'm also a bisexual woman of color, and it feels great to embrace a sense of pride, self-kindness, and love not only towards my artwork, but also myself and my identity. The two, my creative work and my identity, often cross paths, as artwork can be such an amazing vessel for sharing or nurturing one's voice.
In celebrating Pride Month, I had the privilege of speaking with a number of talented, inspiring creatives about their work, inspirations, and words of wisdom. I'm so happy to share these amazing creators and their thoughts with you.
So let's celebrate Pride 2019 with a celebration of some wonderful creative people and the content they've brought into the world. I hope you find them and their work as inspiring as I do!
Geneva Heyward
My name's Geneva and I'm a student at NYU's Game Center trying to put more inclusive games into the world. I'm currently working on a roller derby rhythm game called Skate & Date, but I've made a couple of other games before for game jams, classes, and competitions. I would have to say Skate & Date is my favorite project though because I love rhythm games and I want LGBTQ+ folk to be in them! I've been developing this by myself for almost 2 years and it's been pretty difficult to balance with everything else, but I think it's worth it. I'm hoping to finally release the game before Summer starts.
What are your inspirations, motivations, and/or goals, on a personal level and in regards to communicating with your audience?
There are so many people who've inspired me to get into game development, but a specific game developer that really inspired me was Nomnomnami. When I finally found out about itch.io in high school, Nami's games were one of the first lesbian games I got to play and they were all so cute! She also makes games for herself and that really motivated me to do the same. The validation and joy I felt while playing those games I hope other people can feel while playing mine.
What wisdom would you offer other creatives, particularly those who are LGBTQI+? How did you find your creative voice, and what do you wish you'd known, when you got started?
What I wish I knew when getting started is that it's ok to take the time you need to finish projects and that it's ok to ask for help. While working on Skate & Date, I didn't anticipate how much I'd struggle to balance work and school along with this game. I felt really frustrated for not meeting the deadlines I had set for myself, but several other creatives, many of whom I look up to, cheered me on and encouraged me to take breaks. It can be hard to do the work you love if you're burnt out, so never feel ashamed of taking a self care day!
What message of kindness, encouragement, or empowerment would you like to share with the world?
Don't be afraid to create art for yourself. While there's a lot of pressure to create things that will sell, there should be space for yourself just like how there should be space for taking care of yourself. Your story and voice deserves to be heard and you deserve to be seen! So don't feel bad doing lots of self-promotion. You are valid and loved and deserve to be happy.
Check out more of Geneva's work at:
I'm a queer (asexual and panromantic) illustrator and comic creator, but I also work in marketing and graphic design. I don't consider myself an expert in any of those fields, but I enjoy learning, especially by doing. When I draw, I like to draw queer people and their relationships – tender gazes, laughs over a group text, romantic gestures, and more.
I really enjoy connecting people to opportunities and resources perfectly suited for them, which is what got me started with Paper Cat Press! I knew a lot of artists who were upset about missing out on neat opportunities, and I knew where a lot of those opportunities could be found. So, I started listing them out. I screen each opportunity, listing associated costs if they exist, and making sure that they are inclusive of people often marginalized in media work and society (such as LGBTQIAP+ people and people of color). Now I list resources, news, and crowdfunding campaigns, too!
I'm definitely inspired by every person I know who works to demystify publishing, broaden publishing's borders, pay artists fairly, share resources, and respectfully support their peers. I'm motivated by seeing others continue to do the work, help others, and grow – Beth Phelan, Joamette Gil, and Steven Andrews are just a few of the names that come to mind.
Whenever I'm communicating with someone, I think, "How would I like to be spoken to about these issues?" That helps me craft positive, comprehensive, and informative messages. But I'm always trying to learn how to be kinder and more clear while still respecting my own boundaries.
Always advocate for yourself. You know who you are and what you need. Pay attention to how you feel in certain situations – notice what makes you feel happy, and what makes you uncomfortable. You will always deserve to be in good, healthy situations and relationships, and deserve to be treated with respect, and can do the same for others, too.
There are some people who will do whatever they can to make you feel small, or who have a habit of avoiding responsibility and shifting blame – but don't let them gaslight you. Your voice is just as important as anyone else's. And there are people who need to take in what you have to share.
Also, missing an opportunity isn't the end of your career – there are opportunities everywhere. Take care of yourself!
It can be a rough world out there. Take care of yourself. Be kind to yourself. Revel in everything you are and everything you want to be. And support your queer family, either with kindness, with financial help, with affirmation, or with affection. We can help each other resist and persist. We can make this world better just by being good to one another. As one of my favorite enamel pins reads: We fight as one!
Check out more of Leanna's work at:
Ziyed Yusuf AYOUB
My name is Ziyed Yusuf AYOUB, you can call me Ziyed or Yusuf (Yusuf is my middle name). I'm 26 years old. I was born in Toulouse, France, and spent my childhood and formative years in Tunisia before moving back to France in my teens and adult life. I'm a muslim man of Amazigh (native North African) origin. I'm on the autistic spectrum. I'm transgender and gay. I have a wonderful boyfriend of 3 years whom I'm planning to move in with next year. I currently live in Paris, we may move to Eugene OR.
All those aspects of my identity took a long time to come to terms with and discuss outside of myself. I was never not going to be all of these things. I learned from a very young age from my own family that most aspects of myself were unwanted by society. Thankfully, I had art to express myself through. Since I was young, my transgender identity and my homosexual attraction to men was expressed in my art before I could even fully understand it or word it.
I'm a self taught comic and illustration artist. I decided to leave the financial comfort of my family when I came out as gay and transgender to avoid the emotional abuse my family had already put me through.
In the years following cutting those ties and finding my footing, I have included many personal parts of myself in my work: Being gay while transgender, being autistic while muslim, being all these things while living in France, and so on…
My favorite project I've worked on is actually pretty far from the stories I usually write. It's called You Can't Make That Shit Up, and is a comic about one of my close friends. They work in theater and hustled for a while between about a billion service jobs. Because of that, they've found themselves in some extreme situations which I compiled in that comic. To protect their privacy, I drew them as Keanu Reeves. Because who doesn't like Keanu Reeves?
It's my favorite because I think it's the one I storyboarded best. It was very easy to ink, it came naturally. It was also fun for a while to distance myself from my darker stories for something light.
I'm usually most inspired by independent comic and illustration artists more than published and universally recognized artists and animators. Lee Lai (author of First Year) My friends Luc (@deluxepeach) Swans (@cortnan) to name a few. I'm also really into movies. I watch a lot more movies than I read comics. Which is probably bad for a comic artist.
I think it's very important to know your history, the history of your personal culture, of the country you live in, etc… What gave me strength in my creativity was to really dive deep into my identity. Not every creative explores their identity to create (and I have no opinion on the matter) but it was a turning point for me, personally and creatively.
In the renewed LGBT movement, I notice a lot of people tend to reinvent the wheel. I'm still young, so I don't know what wisdom I can really provide for LGBT artists as a whole. As for what I know, I'd encourage transgender men (and anyone, really!) to read Becoming A Visible Man, a book on the history of the movement for transgender men in the United States in the 90s. The bibliography of that book is also very resourceful.
I wish I'd known not to feel guilty for my lack of financial resources when self-publishing and try to put myself out there. It only slowed down my creative process. We all produce at our own rhythm and to the extent of our own capabilities. We have time to grow at our own pace, and that pace may very well be slow if you're poor. It doesn't define your ability to grow and progress.
It can be a challenge to celebrate your differences. Surround yourself with friends and people who share those differences; let them help you celebrate them together. You don't have to be alone. Don't hesitate to reach out to your local LGBT charity, to call a hotline, to join an online community. Sometimes, just researching the history of your identity in the LGBT movement can give you a sense of visibility and pride. When I found what was lacking, I could create it for others in my community who need it. But you can't let yourself be on your own for too long, accept those limitations, and you'll only grow stronger.
Check out more of Ziyed's work at:
Low Kiwi
My name is Jace, though I often go by Kiwi online! I'm a bi artist from Atlantic Canada. I've worked in various areas of commercial art (BG painter for animation, freelance concept artist/storyboard artist for advertising/mobile games), but in my own time I focus on illustration and comics. I love having the chance to paint with bright, vibrant colours and I'm drawn to stories that explore love, identity and magic!
My favourite project I've done is the webcomic I'm working on right now called Summertime Girlfriends! It's about a young woman who has to uncover the mysterious and magical past of a faraway island and in the process falls for a mermaid. It's an absolute joy crafting a story about magic and women falling in love.
I want to draw the stories that I wanted to read when I was younger. I grew up in a small town with no access to LGBTQ+ content and I spent so much time scouring the internet looking for basically any content where girls were dating. I remember having only one website to go to in the beginning, that was all (at the time) rare anime and manga scans that were all lesbian-focused. It took hours, sometimes days to download anything in the days of dial-up internet but that was the only option! Having access to those stories meant the world to me back then. I want to give my audience stories that make them feel seen and accepted.
I think that similar to your art style, your creative voice will develop as you make work you enjoy, so don't stress about figuring it out right away. Don't worry about what others are doing or what's "in" at the moment, and just focus on doing the things you love. Figure out what already makes you happy and pursue it. Not only is it way easier to make things that you're already invested in, but it really shows when someone makes something they have a passion for. Your audience will find you.
Also, remember that there is only one YOU, and you are the only person who can tell your stories. This is especially important when you are a part of the LGBTQ+ community because there is a limited amount of representation that has reached a larger audience and there are SO many stories left to tell (ESPECIALLY stories told by the people who actually have those experiences).
You've got this! Dream big and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Reward yourself when you have to do something difficult, and remember to make time to celebrate your victories. Take care of yourself and look out for your peers. Lift others up and support them whenever you can. We're all in this together!
Check out more of Kiwi's work at:
D.J. Kirkland
I'm a comic book artist based out of the Bay Area but I'm originally from Charlotte, NC. Growing up as an only child, I had a lot of time to myself so I occupied myself by playing a lot of video games and watching a lot of anime. I feel like my art reflects a mash-up of the expressiveness of both 90's anime and American cartoons. My favorite project is one I just finished up. It's my first graphic novel from Oni Press titled 'The Black Mage'. I drew it and it was written by one of my good friends Daniel Barnes. It combines the love we both have for anime, manga and video games while also centering around our lived experiences as black people which is something we haven't seen very much of.
Anime, manga and video games have always appealed to me since I was very young and that still hasn't changed to this day. Sailor Moon is probably one of my biggest influences. It was the series that made me want to become an artist in the first place. Other than Sailor Moon, Capcom fighting games have also had a huge influence on my work. My goals as a creator are to make things that I wish I had when I was growing up. I think my goals are pretty straight forward. I want to make something that has the same impact that my favorite shows, games, and comics had on me for a new generation.
To my fellow LGBTQI+ folks out there, share your stories. WE NEED THEM. There aren't nearly enough stories from our perspective in the world. Get out there and tell the stories you want to tell! Finding your creative voice is an ongoing process. I'm still finding mine! You can get there by experimenting, making mistakes, starting over and trying again. There's something to learn from everything you make that you can take into the next project. The biggest thing I wish I had learned way earlier on in my career is this: Stop spending so much time trying to make things that are perfect. Having something that's done will ultimately get you a lot further.
I have a few things!
You're loved, your experiences are valid and we need you here!
Everyone's path is different.
Don't let the perceived success of others define your self-worth while you're on your journey to get to a similar place!
The only thing you need to be is yourself.
Check out more of D.J.'s work at:
Melissa Capriglione
I'm a comic artist and illustrator residing in Indiana and I have a BFA in Drawing and Illustration from Herron School of Art and Design. I mainly create colorful comics with fantasy and LGBTQI+ elements, including my webcomic, Falconhyrste. It's certainly my favorite project to work on because it's very personal! I write it with my co-creator, Clara W., and I feel like we have complete freedom when working on Falconhyrste.
My inspiration is certainly my need to get my stories out there. I want to communicate that being LGBTQI+ isn't how it seems in popular media by just having one character for representation. I want to show my audience that having a completely queer cast is achievable.
When I first started creating stories, I was afraid to have queer characters. I was afraid of the backlash and judgement, but I realized I was way more comfortable writing completely queer casts. My advice would be to think about the kind of stories you wish you had when you were younger, and create those.
Find your people! I wouldn't be where I am without my friends. We support each other's projects and give each other encouragement. Surround yourself with LGBTQI+ friends and you'll be in good company.
Check out more of Melissa's work at:
Thank you to the above artists for sharing their work and their voice with the world—I hope you've been as inspired by these insights and creative works as I have. There is no better time than the present to appreciate and celebrate your voice, your creativity, and your identity.
Daisy Ein is an illustrator, musician, and game developer from the United States. She is the Lead Artist at Super Retro Duck, an independent game developer that she co-owns. Their debut title, Tiny Bird Garden, is available on iOS and Android. When Daisy isn't making games, you might catch her jamming on her keytar or fighting virtual monsters.
View all posts by daisyein
Posted on May 31, 2019 Author Digital Marketing SolutionsCategories News & Archives
Twenty20 Joins the Envato Family
We're excited today to announce that stock photo subscription service Twenty20 is joining the Envato ecosystem!
For seven years, the team at Twenty20 have been helping leading brands and agencies get a fresh, authentic alternative to traditional stock photos. The library of millions of images is by turns, beautiful, bold, candid, raw, and natural. That's why creatives from companies like Google, Hulu, Vice, and more have been regular clients of Twenty20 for many years.
Later in 2019, we'll be making the Twenty20 subscription a part of our market-leading Envato Elements creative subscription – an offering that has just passed 1,000,000 templates, project files, and stock media. Supplementing our signature Envato Elements photo collection with the Twenty20 authentic media library will give Elements subscribers even more ways to get their creative projects done.
Ready to see some photos? Head over to Twenty20's Discover to explore hundreds of collections of amazing images.
Curated collections are at the heart of Twenty20's offering.
A sampling of the authentic stock photos available as part of the current Spring collection
Introducing Twenty20 to Envato's ecosystem also means we'll be welcoming a whole new cohort of creative photographers to our community. Many of Twenty20's photographers have joined through their Instagram presence, are users of the Twenty20 iOS app, and shoot both royalty free and editorial photography.
We have an immediate earnings boost for Twenty20 photographers and the prospect of much more to come as they join the cohort of creatives earning from Elements' subscriber-share revenue model.
"At SmarterTravel we have loved our experience with Twenty20 as one of our main stock photo sites. The selection of diverse, relatable, and inspiring photos is the perfect visual complement to our expert travel content." ~ SmarterTravel, A Tripadvisor Company
"What I like best about Twenty20 are the photos – since they are user-generated, they feel extremely authentic, they are not primarily staged and they feature real people. This enhances our brand identity making the execution of our marketing channels more relatable. I would highly recommend Twenty20 because their wide range of images appeal to our audience, they continue to increase the supply of photos, and the cost associated with their stock photography is affordable, as compared to other stock photography companies I have worked with." ~ 24 Hour Home Care
"Great quality photos combined with accurate search. I almost always find the photo I need. I love the inclusion of diverse groups of people without looking hyper staged. They have a great collection of abstract photos – the "Insta" aesthetic translates well to slides and sales enablement." ~ Coursera
That's the announcement, now here are the details!
For customers, you'll be able to log in to Twenty20 as before. We have an updated set of Envato terms and privacy policy to accept, but otherwise, you should see no interruption to the service. As soon as we've developed our Envato Elements <> Twenty20 integration, we'll be back in touch to give you the low-down on how to access not only your regular image library but all the Envato Elements creative assets (at no extra cost – yay!)
For photographers, this month, we're paying out an additional bonus equivalent to your earnings for March as a "Welcome to the Envato community". Additionally, next month onward we're doubling the portion of revenue going to photographers on Twenty20 to create a nice sharp bump in earnings for all of Twenty20's community!
Next time you log in to Twenty20, and before your first payment, you'll need to review and accept the updated set of Envato terms and privacy policy, and update your details so that we can process payments. You should see no other interruption to your service.
Aside from doubling the commissions for photographers, we're aiming to bring a lot more customer dollars into Twenty20. Envato Elements has well over a hundred thousand subscribers and we expect they will bring a dramatic increase in downloads (and a corresponding surge in earnings!) This will happen once we merge the subscription access later in 2019.
Finally, the Twenty20 team in Los Angeles is continuing on with Envato, and we're excited to welcome some fresh faces to our growing company.
We hope you're as excited as us to see Twenty20 joining Envato!
Curious to hear more about Envato's vision and performance? Read our 2018 Public Impact Report
Posted on April 11, 2019 Author Digital Marketing SolutionsCategories News & Archives
Photoshop Action Tips From Envato Author Gianluca Giacoppo, aka Giallo
If you've ever sat and wondered how to make your design workflow much easier, then let me be the first to introduce you to the wonder of Photoshop actions. Designed to give creatives access to phenomenally intricate effects, these step-by-step functions play out high-quality results with the click of a button.
So how do you get this design sorcery to work? And where can you find some cool actions? Today, we'll be exploring this topic with one of our very own authors from Envato Market.
Meet designer and Photoshop action creator Gianluca Giacoppo, aka Giallo.
Gianluca Giacoppo
Gianluca Giacoppo's skills for post-processing photos and illustrations have definitely paid off, making him an Elite author with many highly rated products. This visual effects specialist from Italy knows how to add eye-popping photo effects to any portrait or composition with the help of custom-made Photoshop actions. We spoke about how he originally got into these tools as well as what it takes to sell high-quality premium products.
Let's take a look at what he had to say.
How did you get into Photoshop actions initially, and where did you learn to create them?
Working for various advertising agencies, I realized that every now and then we were required to modify multiple images at a time and that's where I started to explore Photoshop's automatic processing capabilities.
Animated Pencil Sketch FX Photoshop Add-on
His first action, a tool used to increase the size of smaller images, is still available on Envato Market with over 1,000 sales. Gianluca notes that by looking at other designers he was able to come up with his own useful products.
Where do you obtain inspiration for your creations?
I just recently got into photo effects so I look for artistic inspiration of any kind, from digital to traditional art. The most common websites to find fresh and trending art are Dribbble, Behance, DesignInspiration, and Abduzeedo.
Ever wondered about creating your own action? Gianluca lets us in on the process.
How long does an action take to create? Could you take us through a bit of the process?
Creating a good Photoshop action requires a considerable amount of time and experience. The developer has to consider multiple factors, from size to resolution and depth.
The amount of tuning and experimenting I'm able to achieve will determine the quality of the action created.
Asset creation and transformation into Photoshop add-ons. Recording the action. Transforming it into JavaScript code and adding manual adjustments. Then setting up the final presentation and previews.
Some of the best tips come from fellow creators. Here are his tips for newbies to digital products like Photoshop actions.
Do you have any tips for creators that are looking to get into action creation?
Yes, several. Here's what I consider the most necessary. I often see that Photoshop Actions work only if:
1) Photoshop is in English.
2) You meet certain preferences in your settings and control panel.
3) The image is in RGB, and also set to 8 channels.
4) The starting layer needs to be selected and named properly.
5) Consider the layer ordering and final document setup.
He continues his advice with a few more notes about coding actions.
Recording an action is a fairly simple task. Photoshop has a built-in recording tool that allows you to record a certain process. But an action developer has to consider the image being processed on different operating systems and with different Photoshop versions, taking the precautions previously explained.
There are also many limits and things that can't be done in the actions panel. That's why it is optimal to implement JavaScript code, and to "retouch" our Photoshop actions. The possibilities with Photoshop scripting are endless. Since it uses JavaScript, we can set up conditions and react to them using variables and much more.
Geometrical Dispersion FX – Photoshop Add-On
So what's his final verdict on creating high-quality actions? Well, there are many important factors to consider.
In your opinion, what makes a good action?
The final result, originality and compatibility. If there are too many conditions for the action to work, or the user has to take too many manual steps, that devalues the overall product. I always consider the user's point of view, and a good add-on for me is the one that provides the best user experience.
A good action means also great customer support from the author. Some customers might not be Photoshop experts and therefore require support, which is one of the factors that others look for.
Among the many creative projects in his Envato Market profile, Gianluca also creates amazing mockups, various templates and animated effects. So what does he have in store for the next product?
Do you have any notable projects in the works?
I'm currently working on another photo effect—I'd like to create a realistic charcoal visual effect. I don't think our community reached the realism and material feel that real charcoal and pastel create on canvas, so I'm looking forward to improving this type of artistic effect.
Sounds like we'll be enjoying more fantastic artist effects to come. He also lets us in on his favorites.
Which are your favorite creations and why?
My favorite plugin at the moment is Real Paint Fx, which creates a realistic painting effect from any image. One of the main reasons is that the script was challenging to develop and the customers' reactions were great. I also want to thank the photographer M.Rezania who allowed me to use his fantastic photos.
Design is destined to see an incredible shift towards more thrilling visual effects. So what does this action developer have in store?
What do you think is the future of Photoshop actions?
The future of automatic processing with Adobe Photoshop is in the hands of Adobe. Hopefully they will provide more tools and options for developers of automatic effects. Adding more filters and tools to Adobe Photoshop would unleash the creation of a new array of tools and plugins for the community.
Any more hopes for this area? He continues.
Another hope for the future is related to the market that we generated with these automatic effects. As we increase the value of our plugins, we should also implement their price increases as well. The average price of $7 doesn't reflect the amount of effort needed to create such a complex tool, so my hope for the future of Photoshop actions is that authors will feel less scared of offering their products at the prices which reflect the amount of time spent.
Animated Real Paint FX – Photoshop Add-On
Are you inspired to create your own action? Use these incredible tips from Gianluca to ensure success with your next project, and take advantage of all that Photoshop actions have to offer to expand your online business.
If you want to learn more about how to customize a photoshop action, follow this tutorial and checkout more Photoshop actions tips and tutorials over on Tuts+.
We'd like to extend a thank you to Gianluca for participating in this feature. Feel free to find more of his work at the links below:
I'm a digital artist with a love of all things Photoshop. Check out my tutorials for great tips on digital painting, photo manipulation, and photo effects on Envato Tuts+!
View all posts by Melody Nieves
Posted on April 8, 2019 Author Digital Marketing SolutionsCategories News & Archives
Themefusion's Avada Sells Its 500,000th Licence
Themefusion, the genius' behind the storied WordPress theme 'Avada', have just passed their most significant milestone to date.
On April 3rd, at approximately 1.05am AEST the 500,000th copy of Avada was sold.
This means that at any given moment, the template that was dubbed "The Swiss Army Knife of WordPress Themes" by Envato CEO Collis Ta'eed could be powering up to half a million websites worldwide. Amongst it's star-studded user-base are websites for properties such as Microsoft Visual Studio, The San Diego County Fair and comedians Russell Brand, Frankie Boyle and Jack Whitehall
Since its introduction in 2012, Themefusion's Avada launched like a rocket to become the single most popular WordPress theme of all time. In less than twelve months following its release, Avada had brought in a million dollars in sales for Themefusion. Barely two years later, that figure had multiplied to over ten million dollars. Today, Avada remains the highest selling WordPress theme on the planet with over twenty-five million dollars in total sales revenue.
With now over half a million customers worldwide, the ThemeFusion team cites both customer support and taking full responsibility for the end-to-end experience of their product as some of the key reasons for their success.
"Avada is exclusively built and maintained in-house, guaranteeing a reliable experience for the end user. We do not rely on or are influenced by 3rd party tools to provide functionality, and that frees us up from external hindrances. Add to that a passionate approach to customer support and detail, and you have an amazingly flexible design tool that is continuously evolving."
The Avada theme was first conceived by Luke Beck, a Florida-based Designer and Muhammad Haris, a freelance WordPress developer based in Pakistan. Today, ThemeFusion is comprised of a global team of upwards of 20 people, working across a mix of customer support and ongoing theme development to ensure the template remains on the cutting edge.
"Our team (has a) relentless dedication to what they do and whom they do it for… We pride ourselves in the fact that we have very low staff turnover, many of our 20+ team have been with us for 4/5 years +, and our policy internally has always been to treat each other as family and to carry that mindset into our daily work."
On behalf of the entire Envato staff and broader community, we'd like to extend a very hearty congratulations to the entire ThemeFusion team.
To mark the occasion, the team at ThemeFusion have let us know that they will be running a celebratory sale over the course of the next week. At the time of writing, the ThemeFusion team team are promoting a massive 35% off their standard price. So whether you're a seasoned Avada user or just looking to get your hands on your first licence, now is a great time to snap up a copy of a WordPress theme that's become the stuff of legend within the Envato community.
For a quick overview of Avada's incredible history, check out the infographic below.
A history of Themefusion and Avada's achievements
Why Good Designers Are Like Crocodiles
Crocodiles adapt. They learn the movements of their meal and strike at just the right moment. It's this mix of immersion in scenarios, research of their environment, and instinct, that make them the perfect analogy for a good designer.
However, while crocodiles aren't known for being particularly empathic, for a designer, empathy is crucial.
Finding empathy through experience
Books or running on-screen interviews aren't the only way to establish empathy. As a designer, I've found the best way to do so is through experience, which means working with a broad range of people, including people outside the design community. Most of all, you need to experience uncomfortable scenarios and put yourself in situations that may be way outside of your comfort zone.
The true value of design is found through experience
I'm a UI designer with a background in visual, branding, and graphic design. When I started at Envato, I was so far out of my depth I was bordering on drowning. I had no tech or product references to draw on – but it was the experience from my design career and the somewhat daunting role at Envato that ultimately shaped the way I now work on product interfaces and guidelines.
I had previously worked in local government, which moves at a fraction of the pace of a tech company. However, in government I learnt how to design for brand, wayfinding, digital, print and even experience design, for audiences who, no matter their background or situation, should be able to experience our services equally.
Working with community, indigenous and disability groups allowed me to design with respect and sensitively for the region and users of the services, meet accessibility requirements, and still strive to maintain high quality and creativity.
All design experiences impact how we make our critical decisions, how we structure our feedback and think about design as solving legitimate problems for everyone, as well as being beautiful to look at.
Design is allowed to be beautiful
Design should be delightful. People respond to good design. It communicates passion, inclusion, coherence and clarity of brand. Beautiful design shows that we care about our brand, our products and how our customers perceive us.
Aesthetics play a huge part in a designers process, just as much as interviews, budgets and business needs. It's the aesthetics that attract people in the first place, and by balancing beauty with informed research we are able to create something attractive without detracting from our purpose.
It's not all about you
Designing is not just about you or your customer. Design is finding the balance between what the users wants, what our authors want (in Envato's case), what the business wants, what our design standards require, as well as the limitations of technology and timelines.
As a designer you need to learn to accept that most decisions are out of your control and that designing is a negotiation process, one that you can own and influence or one that you can shrug your shoulders at and just roll with – its important to instinctively pick your battles.
There are plenty of projects where days or even weeks of work have been wasted once the creative disappears up the corporate chain of no return. It's these jobs that make you feel like a hack, constantly questioning design decisions no matter how much insight, feedback or research you have. But these are the projects that create resilience and build the designer instinct where with or without the insights you learn to trust your own decisions. In the end, design is about standing by your work and owning the results, whether award-worthy or dumpster fire.
Projects that create resilience and build the designer instinct where with or without the insights you learn to trust your own decisions
Muddled methods of a hack
Double diamonds, design sprints, lean startups and all the rest of the formulated design processes may never fit your mould. (I for one only learnt about these frameworks at Envato – furiously reading a stack of books after miraculously getting through the recruitment process).
Design doesn't have to mean a prescribed process. Understand them sure, but establishing your own way of working is where you find your true happy place. Working next door to a pub like I do is also a designer's place but anyway… Defining your own style and path will allow a greater understanding all aspects of design, not just tech or product or UX.
Design can be fluid, design can be messy and design can rub people up the wrong way. Hack, sticky tape and bleed your way through various jobs, experiences, styles, mixed teams and clients. Make a lot of mistakes, break things, drink more than you should and a lot of the time wonder why you're doing it in the first place.
Somehow I've scraped through 20 years adapting and applying a mix of loose processes to what my current project requires. Its made for a hell of an interesting journey and I've been able to learn equally from terrible bosses who crush your creative spirit and from inspiring industry-leading mentors who make you love what you do. It comes down to learning what not to do as much as what to do. And I'm still learning.
Instinct won't get you all the way
At Envato, we use a design framework that relies heavily on research, and with a massive community of customers and authors, why wouldn't you? Our UX team create stories and research documentation that within the UI team, we use to inform style guides and libraries with the intention of reuse of core patterns between products.
Without the research and ability to test ideas and concepts with our community, we would base a lot of decisions on gut instinct which relies on biases, both emotional and cultural. I'll admit, trusting your gut isn't always the right decision, but I believe a balance of instinct and research will get you further than either alone.
Future designers
How will designers adapt to future design challenges? How do we think about designing outside of pages and screens? How do we take the experience we have in interface, UX and visual design and apply them to voice, VR or ever changing social platforms and still create beautiful and inclusive design experiences?
We swim, crocodile.
Artistic expression at Envato Mexico HQ
It's been almost a year since we welcomed the team from Placeit into the Envato family and it's been a wonderful journey so far. It's a family that's growing rapidly too, so much so that the Envato Mexico team have recently had to move into a new office to accommodate all the new hires!
Placeit's former headquarters was revered for its character and charm, as only a former nightclub-turned-tech hub can be! As a result, it was a challenge to recreate and expand on that character in a new location, but what better way to do it than with a generous splash of colour?
Enter the in-house design brains of Envato Mexico. From photographers to graphic designers, digital artists to painters, the team in Guadalajara are a talented bunch of creatives! A crew of 15 colleagues assembled to plan and design a series of six murals around the new office.
"We let the imagination of the creative people run free," says Manuel Lopez, who coordinated the project. "The only guidelines were that the pieces had to reflect the creative nature of Envato and Placeit, and be related to Mexican culture."
We think the results speak for themselves.
Not a bad transformation for a former 1970s design shop for architects, designers and painters!
"The actual collaboration between the original artist and the helping hands of others across the business was a real highlight," said Lopez. "Afternoons and weekends of beers and chips, and the good time's everyone shared was fantastic."
"The outcome is so awesome. Everyone loves the murals, they make all feel that it's their space, personalised and close. A more intimate place to work and have fun!"
"It reminds us all that we have a creative family and we should have fun in the office."
Posted on March 28, 2019 Author Digital Marketing SolutionsCategories News & Archives
2019 Color Trends – Envato
When Pantone announced its 2019 color of the year as the bright and vivacious "living coral," designers and artists all over took notice. And since color and culture go hand in hand, we've also seen a few new colors with even more vibrancy now emerging on the scene.
The Impact of Color
Color has always played a huge role in our lives. We all know our favorites, and it's not uncommon for us to share a few. Each hue transmits a particular feeling, energy and mood, and by learning more about these trends we'll be able to explore exciting inspirations we might otherwise ignore.
So let's take a look at a few more emerging color trends for 2019.
Minimal Black and Gold Flyer Template
In the creative, makeup and beauty worlds, the color gold is the champion of luxury brands. Models adjust their selfies with that perfect golden-hour glow, artists attach gold leaf to their canvases, and jewelry designers go in on fantastic gold designs.
And with an ever-growing global economy, it's not a total shock that our tastes are becoming more expensive. The color gold is, in fact, driving this trend as we find ways to exude a sense of confidence in all areas of our lives. Psychology tells us that gold can make you feel glamorous while also inviting courageous feelings of passion and wisdom. Pretty cool!
Gold Inspiration
Are you feeling a little fancy today? Try out one of these gold design tutorials. I myself have already used this color a few times this year! Not only is it applicable across a variety of projects, but it also ranks as the top searched color on both Envato Market and Envato Elements! How's that for gold standard?
How to Create a 3D Gold Text Effect With Photoshop Layer Styles
Recreate the metallic sheen and luster of stunning gold letters with this text effect tutorial! Join Enrique Elicabe as he explains how to use Photoshop layer styles to achieve realistic gold textures and colors.
More Gold Tutorials
Want more gold tutorials? Jump to a few of our favorites.
Natural Greens
Natural Magazine
Artists have always been connected to nature—and therefore, the color green. Green is the color of life. It's associated with feelings of growth, harmony, renewal, and balance. It's the circle of life all in one color, really. We notice it throughout the seasons, and now that we're becoming more conscious of our environmental impact, natural green colors are dominating our work spaces, creative activities, and lifestyle designs.
Natural Green Inspiration
Hunter green is one of the most common greens designers are excited by, although you'll also find many variations. Naturally, it inspires many creative projects with nature-infused themes, but it's also associated with wealth and finance. So you'll find it most prevalent in design topics like stationery, websites, and more.
Create Earthy 3D Typography in Photoshop
You can also use these colors for a brilliant text effect! Recreate this look with stellar stock images in Adobe Photoshop. Ed Lopez shows us how in this awesome tutorial above.
More Green Tutorials
Unwind and relax with a nature-inspired tutorial. Jump to a few of our favorites.
Green House Logo
Remember the 90s TV show, Double Dare? Now you can relive all your favorite slime fantasies with one of the boldest fashion statements to hit the catwalk: UFO green. Daring and slightly unusual, this bold color choice has already been favored by fashion giants like Gucci and Versace.
So how do you stand out when everything is already so saturated? Many looking to this bright neon trend might be trying to do just that: stand out.
Neon Green Inspiration
From the catwalks of the spring 2019 runways to the fictional paradises seen in digital art, neon green is definitely a stunner. At the forefront of what you'll see from this trend are vibrant vacation clothes, graphics, and colorful photography. But you can also check out our tutorials to find out how to use this cool color.
How to Create a Punk-Rock Portrait in Procreate
Procreate is the go-to digital painting app for many new artists. And now you can create epic, neon-colored hair with this tutorial from Maria Dimova. Learn how to use different brush settings and layer styles for a vibrant hairstyle.
More Neon Green Tutorials
Try out this wild color out yourself! Check out these helpful tutorials.
More Neon Colors: Pink, Orange, & Purple
Neon Sign Photoshop Effect
Neon green isn't the only psychedelic color to emerge for 2019.
And last year we called it! Many fan favorites come in the form of electric neon pinks, oranges, and even some unique purple flavors. Neon colors, after all, are an ode to the eclectic retro ambience of the 1980s. Everything certainly pops with them, and if used effectively, they can bring creative, spunky energy to any piece.
Neon Color Inspiration
Fashion designers like Jeremy Scott are also going full-on construction worker with bright, neon yellow accents for jumpsuits and other quirky designs.
Need some neon inspiration? Try your hand at a bold photo effect like the one below.
How to Create a Neon Rainbow Photoshop Portrait Effect
In this tutorial, Abbey Esparza shows you how to add a punk-rock pop art vibe to your portraits in Adobe Photoshop. Learn how to create the perfect neon glow and how to bring more vibrancy and brightness to any portrait.
More Neon Color Tutorials
Excited to try your hand at these colors? Check out these amazing tutorials.
Blue Polygon Backgrounds
Will we ever grow tired of blue? Blue is a color you can feel and also design with. And the cobalt version refers to the extraordinary pure blue pigment discovered by chemists at the turn of the 19th century.
Cobalt Blue Inspiration
Cobalt blue was a favorite among legends like Vincent van Gogh. It also inspires a magical energy you might find in many neon-themed designs. Try out the one below for a cool text effect.
How to Create a Neon Glow in the Dark Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop
This insightful Photoshop lesson comes from designer Laura Keung. Follow along as she shows you how to use layer blend modes and multiple brushes for a unique neon look.
More Cobalt Blue Tutorials
Looking for something to make with cobalt blue? Check out these tutorials.
Try These Trends
How will color guide you in 2019? Explore these trends and test out new color palettes to improve your skills. For more help, find exciting new tutorials to try over on Tuts+.
The Secrets of a Successful Rebrand (And Why Some Brands Miss the Mark)
No talk of successful rebranding is complete without mentioning the now legendary transformation of Federal Express in 1994.
Fred Smith, its founder, chairman, and CEO, wanted to reinvigorate the company's image. He challenged the creative team to make the Federal Express truck recognizable from five blocks away.
The result: a shortened name—FedEx—and a bold, zippy new logo:
The new name and visual identity perfectly encapsulated the company's value proposition: speed. Notice the hidden arrow in what looks like a simple wordmark?
The new branding catapulted FedEx into the next century and remains relevant and powerful even today.
But rebranding doesn't always turn out the way it did for FedEx.
Take the case of Tropicana's rebranded packaging in 2009.
What was supposed to make their brand more current and fresh soon became stale. Sales dove 20%—equivalent to $137 million—in the first six weeks after Tropicana unveiled its new look, from this:
Cutting its losses, the company reverted to its old packaging, which is still in use as of this writing.
What makes the difference between a rebranding triumph and a fiasco?
We'll explore some possible answers in this post.
The Hidden Costs of Rebranding
Rebranding entails huge costs and risks. Companies hire branding experts to conceptualize the rebrand. And then other consultants and vendors are needed to roll out the new identity.
After studying over 1,200 rebranding projects spanning 25 years, the VIM Group estimates that the cost of implementing a rebrand is 20 times the cost of developing the new brand identity.
In other words, for every dollar a company pays branding and design consultants to come up with the brand redesign, it will spend $20 to roll it out.
Not to mention the time the entire exercise takes and the potential loss of goodwill, reputation, and sales, should the new branding flop.
Yet for all its costs and risks, rebranding is surprisingly common. In the hospitality industry, for example, researchers have found that one-third of all hotel properties have changed brands since opening. And companies that have been around for decades have iterated their identities several times throughout the years.
Why do businesses make this terrifying leap? There are plenty of good reasons to do so.
Why Rebrand? Let Me Count the Ways
Whether internal to the business or coming from the environment, a number of factors may demand a rebrand.
1. Reflect the company's new positioning
Like humans, companies change over time and, when it does, a brand redesign becomes necessary.
It's like when children grow up into adults. They drop the silly nicknames and need a whole new wardrobe.
A variety of situations may account for this:
The company has evolved. It has shifted to a different market, product offering, or value proposition altogether.
Case in Point: Infusionsoft rebrands when its parent company becomes Keap to signal its expansion to a new market.
A comparison of the old and new logos on the Infusionsoft blog
The market has evolved. A business may need a new identity to respond to consumer demands and expectations.
Case in Point: Mailchimp makes room for customer-driven growth while refusing to grow up.
Technological advances. The emergence of new technologies can make a company's positioning—sometimes even the company itself—obsolete.
Case in Point: Squarespace embraces a new brand that "makes sense in motion."
Differentiation. As the market evolves and new players arrive, the company may need to reinvent itself to differentiate from the competition.
Internationalization. Entering a new country may compel a business to rebrand in order to better align culturally with the new market.
Negative image. A PR crisis, negative reaction from stakeholders, and other manifestations of a poor reputation could compel a massive identity makeover.
2. Make the branding more relevant
One of the most common reasons to rebrand is to keep current and cutting-edge. It's like throwing out your grandma's bell-bottoms and replacing them with bootcut pants.
Several situations may warrant a brand refresh:
An outdated brand. As with fashion, branding trends come and go. When a company's brand looks old-fashioned and tired, then it needs sprucing up.
Case in Point: Bhutan gets a modern look for today's marketplace.
Misaligned brand expressions. Through the years, an organization's brand expressions may have gotten scattered and inconsistent. Their website has one look and their product packaging another. A branding makeover may be called for to make everything look, not just fresh, but cohesive.
Case in Point: Slack gets its visual act together with a logo redesign.
Branding reset. The original branding wasn't well-thought out in the first place, because the founder needed a brand name and logo quickly, not realizing how fast the business would grow. Now that they have the resources, they want to do branding correctly and drop the one that just happened to be the most convenient at the time.
3. Change in business ownership
Structural changes in a company arising from mergers, demergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and spin-offs often require rebranding.
Rebranding may be part and parcel of the deal. Or, it may be the logical thing to do after the ownership change takes place. Mergers may mean a literal merging of business names, for example. And acquisitions may wipe out one company's identity altogether.
Case in Point: Hewlett Packard Enterprise brands itself as "The Machine" to launch its demerger from Hewlett Packard.
4. Meet legal requirements
The courts may require a company to change its name and/or visual branding if these are deemed to infringe on the copyright of another company. This happens when the branding is too similar to one that's protected by law.
5. Change in leadership
The arrival of a new CEO does not always require rebranding. But if the CEO is prominent and likely to stay on for many years, then rebranding may be a good way to reflect the company's change in direction and vision.
An example that comes to mind is the rebranding of Apple when Steve Jobs returned as CEO in 1997. However, Jobs' return to Apple also meant restructuring the company. And so, the rebranding was more a reflection of substantial changes than simply the return of its original founder.
Types of Rebranding
Rebranding takes different shapes and forms, depending on its scale and scope, which are dictated by the reason for rebranding.
Visual only. Rebranding may be a simple matter of a logo redesign, a font style change, or new colors. Freshening up an established brand or adapting the logo to digital media may require little more than a visual identity change.
Renaming + visual. More significant rebranding involves changing the name as well as the visual identity of a business. Ownership changes, restructuring, market evolution, and legal requirements are some of the drivers of a rebranding with this scope.
The Works. When the very essence of a business changes, then the brand redesign goes beyond skin-deep as well. Rebranding begins from the core of the business—its vision, mission, and values—and radiates to its outward expressions.
3 Rebranding Trends in 2019
Just as there are trends in fashion, there are trends in rebranding as well. Here are the top rebranding trends we've noticed:
1. Simplification
Companies seeking to refresh their identities are opting to make their visuals clean and uncluttered. This may be because minimalist designs look best on digital media, particularly on mobile devices.
Minimalist designs are characterized by the use of white or negative space, sans serif fonts, and flat—not 3-dimensional—forms (although depth may be going back in style again soon).
In terms of names, simplification means short and punchy monikers, as in the case of FedEx. Mastercard seems to be aiming for simplicity with its logo redesign:
Mastercard's new, nameless logo
2. Un-branding, reverse-branding, or debranding
Millennials become loyal to brands, not because of their image, but because of what they stand for. And so, they reject visual gimmickry (traditional logos, fonts, colors, and imagery) and instead look at a brand's authenticity, values, and integrity.
In response, companies are adopting styles that may appear like the absence of branding: nondescript, generic, bland, even. Skincare brand, The Ordinary, exemplifies un-branding from its name to its visual design:
3. Throwback/Vintage
Rather than putting on modern appearances, some brands are donning vintage looks. Trend curator Rohit Bhargava calls it "RetroTrust."
"Often unsure of whom to trust, consumers look back to organizations and experiences with brands that have a legacy, or those with which they have a personal history," Bhargava writes in Non-Obvious 2019: How to Predict Trends and Win the Future.
This may seem to contradict the need to modernize and keep with the times. In fact, it's the pendulum swinging in the opposite direction.
Many have become disillusioned with over-digitization, with its lack of personalization, unrelenting pace, and abstraction. They're harking back to the "good ol' days." Hence, the return of vinyl records, retro gaming, and even the Ektachrome film.
Whistler Classic Soda's retro logo embodies its 1950s origins:
5 Key Ingredients of Successful Rebranding
What can we learn from the experience of companies that have rebranded?
Success is never guaranteed, that's for sure, but rebranding best practices help increase the chances of a positive outcome, such as:
1. Do it for the right reasons.
With the costs and risks inherent in rebranding, you better be doing it for the right reasons. Needing a fresher look, for example, is not always a good reason to rebrand.
Change for the sake of change can backfire. That seems to be the case with Zara's logo redesign, which so far has brought out the worst in critics.
This tweet is only one of the many harsh criticisms against Zara's new logo.
Companies may also be tempted to rebrand as a response to issues that require a different solution altogether. Low sales cycles, poor brand awareness, and dismal marketing results will only get worse with rebranding, according to Jon Simpson, member of the Forbes Agency Council and owner of Criterion.B.
2. Research, research, research.
Doing your due diligence by conducting research is the best insurance against a rebranding debacle. It begins with evaluating your current brand assets. How is your brand resonating (or not) with your customers, prospects, employees, and other stakeholders? Where are your competitors at?
Question your assumptions and examine them against your research findings.
3. Get buy-in.
Don't rebrand in a vacuum. Involve stakeholders from the get-go and throughout the entire rebranding process, through to post-launch. Collaboration, participation, and communication are all part of rebranding best practices.
"To get [rebranding] right from the start, a mix of 'hands' must be on deck, from top to bottom, inside and out," says Anaezi Modu, founder and organizer of the Rebrand 100 Global Awards. It's not something management can simply hand over to the marketing department and its consultants.
4. Invest in implementation.
As mentioned earlier, implementing the rebrand requires 20 times the budget of the conceptualization side of it. Take this into account when allocating your resources. Sometimes, the rebrand is sound but it falls flat because not enough thought and energy was put into executing it.
5. Go deeper than skin deep.
Even a superficial rebranding is a good occasion to re-examine your essence and culture, so you can more accurately express it.
"There is often a tendency to miss opportunities for real innovation and advancement," Modu observes, "If you must, ask others to help reveal your blind spots. This prepares you to evolve and maintain relevance even as things change—which they inevitably do sooner or later."
Rebranding: The Bottom Line
Rebranding can be the best thing that's ever happened to a company… or it can be the worst.
What makes the difference?
Being true to your company's identity and making it all about the customers you want to serve.
They can tell if you're rebranding just for the sake of change or because you want to tell the story of who you have become.
Rebranding isn't just about changing graphic designs; it's about making inner transformation outwardly tangible.
If you're looking to conceptualize, refresh, or update your business brand, read about what makes a small business brand successful.
In the meantime, what recent rebranding examples strengthened your connection with the brand? Which ones alienated you from the brand? Tell us in the comments below.
International Women's Day: Celebrating Women In Design
Art has never belonged to a single type of person.
At least, I'd like to think that we can all express it—through a variety of mediums and styles. And although history hasn't always given recognition to everyone, art can still be found in the caves, halls, laptops and devices of nearly any person wanting a voice or searching for an answer.
Over the last 100 years, the influence of women in design has especially been felt through the decades of social work and advocacy from the Women's Suffrage Movement. Now, with the internet, we gain access to a new generation of women hoping to make their mark in design.
So to celebrate International Women's Day in 2019, let's take a moment to highlight the remarkable work of seven women in this exciting digital field. Learn more about these Envato authors and their work and stories.
Astrologer Kerry Kershaw is an avid artist who transports her viewers to exciting, natural worlds. Inspired by her love of travel, FortySixandTwo has become her haven for stunning flyer templates and stationery essentials. Let's discover who has inspired her through the years.
Q: Which women have inspired your career path?
I mostly get my inspiration from so many different places and from listening to my heart. Anais Nin, Debra Silverman, Elizabeth Hiach are a few of the women I follow.
The owner of a publishing company, Kerry shares her favorite work with us.
Q: What work are you most proud of?
Creating my own brand, the Magic of I, and launching a publishing company in 2018. I self-published a completely custom, small batch 2019 Astrological Planner that I designed, illustrated and wrote myself. I also crowdfunded just over 90k last year to get it sustainably produced, and have shared the moon and stars with over 5,000 customers all over the world.
Here is her advice on working in this creative field.
Q: What tip would you offer other women looking to work in your field?
Create space to listen. Create for you first—if it doesn't light you up, excite you and make you feel alive then find something else. Life's too short; the world needs your magic.
Freelance graphic designer Irene Demetri loves creating patterns and digital resources for her design community. A mother of twins, wife and digital designer, she makes simplistic designs that aim to facilitate the work styles of creatives everywhere. Here are her favorite designers.
I have gotten inspiration from so many women during my career as a designer, usually by those who were strong and driven in what they did. As a child, I remember watching the film 'Gorillas in the Mist' and being so touched and inspired by Dian Fossey's strong will, determination and love for what she did. She inspires me to this day.
The owner of Youandigraphics on Envato Elements, Irene shares with us an appreciation for all the creative work throughout her journey.
I don't think I can single out pieces of my work that I am most proud of, I am proud of any work I put out there at the time of its release. I make sure each piece reaches the top of my capabilities and knowledge while I am working on it so I can be proud once I release it. At the same time I am always looking at how I can improve my products making sure I learn from any mistakes or feedback I get.
Do you trust your gut? Irene recommends following your intuition.
To trust their instincts and decisions! Being a freelancer means you need to make all your professional decisions by yourself and even though it is most helpful to ask for advice, at the end of the day you know what is best for you.
Next is Carolina, a talented graphic designer from Sao Paulo, Brazil. After dedicating herself to becoming an accomplished Envato author, Carolina has created amazing digital resources of colorful abstract backgrounds and graphic templates. Let's hear more about her influences.
I'd like to mention three remarkable Brazilian artists: Ruth Kedar, the woman behind the Google logo. Bea Feitler, the woman who created some of the most iconic magazine covers of all time. And Luisa Dörr, the woman who photographed Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, Ellen DeGeneres and the other nine influential women for TIME's magazine project "Firsts."
Every designer remembers the feeling of their first successful product. Carolina shares her memory with us.
Are you inspired by her incredible work? Here's her advice to other women.
You must understand your client's needs and do your best to match your authenticity with their expectations. I believe a good designer is essentially a very curious person and an extraordinary observer. Also, don't forget that there is absolutely no one else in this world like you, so acknowledge your strength, work on your weak spots, trust your inner wisdom and use your uniqueness in your favor.
Illustrator, musician and game developer Daisy Ein is the lead artist of Super Retro Duck, an indie game developer that she co-owns. She's also the artist behind our amazing How to Draw Natural, Textured Afro Hair series on Envato Tuts+. Here's her advice on getting into the field.
I think the biggest tip I'd give—as simple as it might sound is: just go for it. Whatever your creative or professional goals are, life is too short not to try. When an obstacle hits, refocus and keep trying. Don't know something? It's time to learn!
One of my inspirations is a lovely illustrator named Rose—she goes by the pen name "barachan." Her illustration skills and design knowledge are really out of this world. She's self made and has been her own boss for at least the last ten years. I hope I can lift up and inspire someone, someday, the way she inspired me.
So what's it like being an indie game developer? Daisy lets us know.
I'd have to say my indie game, Tiny Bird Garden! I co-own Super Retro Duck (the game's developer), and we developed and published the game ourselves. We're a team of two, so it meant wearing a lot of different hats at once. I did the branding, motion graphics, illustrations, merchandise, music… it's been a big part of my life for several years.
You can check out our game at TinyBirdGarden.com! It's available for Android, iOS, PC, and Mac!
Next up is Laura Keung, a graphic designer and publication design enthusiast based in Munich, Germany. She enjoys passing her knowledge through Envato as a way of giving back to young designers who want to achieve their goals. Here are her inspirations.
Throughout my studies I was lucky to attend CreativeMornings Toronto, created by Tina Roth-Eisenberg who also runs SWISSMISS.
Jessica Hische's lettering artwork is also very inspiring. You can see her work on many magazine covers, books, and cards. She's an inspiring woman who's shown me that it is possible to have more than one passion project.
And giving back to the community is important for many designers, including Laura.
I am most proud of work that has helped raise funds for charity. As a designer, I believe we can help develop brands and create visuals that will make charities more relevant and reach their goals.
Any last advice for her design sisters? Laura lends her wisdom.
Take the leap. Whatever it is you are passionate about and scared of, take that first difficult step, run and rock it! Sometimes there's pain and hardships involved, but it is all part of the learning process and a way to grow.
Our next feature comes from the extraordinary city of Barcelona, Spain. Designer Irina Markevich showcases tasty restaurant menus and invitations in her shop, BarcelonaDesignShop. She makes creative food illustrations by hand and shares with us her favorite designers below.
One of my favorite designers is Lauren How. She is so inspiring and such a positive woman. She teaches you how to start your personal projects and how important it is to push your boundaries. Her famous article "10 Things Beyonce taught me about being a boss lady freelancer" was great; she took her lyrics and disguised it as a design talk.
Like many designers, Irina is a foodie at heart. Here's her favorite work.
During the last seven years, I've created a lot of menu templates thanks to my passion for food and design. Every new item that was created was a new step up for me. I use all my creativity to create each of my works so I can say that I am proud of all of them.
Procrastination is a problem for many creatives. Irina recommends taking the plunge in her final advice.
Start today. Don't wait for tomorrow, for the perfect moment, or for somebody that's gonna tell you what to do. Every small step is better than nothing.
Genie Austin
Our final feature belongs to Genie Austin, a writer and photographer whose work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Guardian and Envato Tuts+. Here she shares with us a few of the characteristics she admires in strong women leaders.
I'm inspired by all women who buck tradition and carve their own path. Women like Serena Williams, who is uncompromisingly black and unapologetically female, and who shuts out all the noise and hate around her and just plays the game of life exactly the way she wants to play it.
Support and encouragement is a huge struggle for many new to tech and design. Genie explains her views on the subject.
I'm very invested in a project when I'm working on it, but when it's done, it's in essence dead for me, and I don't look back. What I can say, however, is that I'm happy that I've followed my own voice and embraced an eclectic approach to creativity and life which was very discouraged when I was growing up. My media of choice are writing, mixed-media textiles and photography. Sometimes I work with them separately and express myself quite differently in each, and sometimes I combine them, but either way, I'm glad I didn't give in to the pressure to choose.
Like many creatives, Genie emphasizes the importance of getting involved. Here are her final words.
There's a lot of advice out there for women in the creative arts already, but the one thing that is rarely emphasized is the need to be informed about and engaged with the great issues of our time. As image makers, we have an enormous amount of power and sometimes a small amount of awareness of how what we do shapes the world around us.
Great advice, ladies! Today is a wonderful time to lend your voice to the new generation of design. I hope you've been inspired to tackle your creative projects just like the amazing women above. Thank you to all the artists who have lent their advice to this article.
Feel free to explore their portfolios by visiting the links below:
Posted on March 8, 2019 Author Digital Marketing SolutionsCategories News & Archives
We Need to Talk About Copy
What is content-first design?
Content-first design is exactly what it sounds like, thinking about what content will be required and how it will be structured before launching into visual design. Content, in this case, means copy, images, videos, etc. basically, all of the textual, aural and video components that will be on the page of whatever you're designing.
Despite the general agreement that Lorum Ipsum is now obsolete, copy is often the part of 'content' that usually doesn't get the love and attention it needs early on, causing major problems further down the track.
When is the right time to talk about the design problem child, copy?
Dangers of not putting copy first
Your message will get lost
People only read around 20% of the text on a webpage. If you haven't thought about copy before you start wireframing, you won't be clear about what the key messages are or their order of importance. By considering this early on, the key messages will dictate the hierarchy and are more likely to get seen and absorbed by the user.
Voice and tone won't be consistent
Even though the brand voice should always be the same, the tone must adapt to the context. By leaving copy until later in the design process, you stand a good chance of misjudging the tone of the design. At best this leaves the user with a vaguely weird, disjointed experience, at worst it can lead to offense and misunderstandings.
Just because changes can be made, doesn't mean they should
How many times have you heard or said, "don't worry about the text, the developers can change that later."? This is usually said when referring to CTA's, button text and other microcopy. It is just a good excuse to not think about something at that moment and often ends up either being forgotten or left to a developer to figure out.
Translation will be difficult
Visual design can cross language barriers, words often cannot. Leaving copy until late in the day can lead to issues with formatting and context. This will cause low-level issues for users who have the same first language but will be a nightmare for people who need to translate the copy themselves or use translation software/apps.
Content will hold up delivery
Leaving copy until later in the design process will slow things down. Agreeing on the key messages and the order of importance at the outset of a project gets everyone aligned and leaves less room for disagreement later down the track. This means that the focus can be on UI, branding, functionality, usability, visual design and all the other good stuff when it should be.
User testing will be less accurate
Copy provides context, direction and tone. You can't expect accurate results when user testing with placeholder copy as a huge part of the experience is missing.
How to put copy first
Major caveat: this is still very much a work in progress at Envato and we do not claim to have all the answers (yet). However, here are some things we have found to be useful in the quest for content-first design perfection.
How we put content first at Envato
Have a content brief that is quick and easy to fill in collaboratively with your key stakeholders.
Get wider stakeholder agreement on the brief before proceeding.
Instead of launching straight into wireframes and prototypes, we start with a very basic spreadsheet which lists the page functionality, user flows and first pass at the copy. This lo-fi approach keeps the focus on the copy and the functionality in the early stages.
Move on to early-stage visual design, e.g. wireframing/prototyping.
The copy is user tested and updated based on feedback (hopefully, just small changes).
Looking for more advice from the Envato design team? Check out part 1 and part 2 of the introduction to our Design Framework.
How Designers Are Amplifying Their Portfolios in 2019
Need advice on your portfolio?
Starting your creative business is a multi-level dance of technical skill sets, as you balance exposure, professionalism and ingenuity in this tech-driven world.
And for so many of us, business is just not familiar territory. But 2019 is showing a strong change as many turn to tech and design industries for new and empowering opportunities.
Today, I've gathered four wonderful designers, illustrators and artists who are sharing their methods for taking your online portfolios to new heights.
Check out their valuable advice and lessons from their life and work.
Tati Astua
Graphic Designer Tati Astua
Costa Rica-based graphic designer Tati Astua uses bold colors to stand out. She makes incredible, photo-realistic 3D scenes of clever typographical pieces and shares some of her favorite portfolio advice below.
"For me, the most compelling thing in a portfolio is consistency. I find it more valuable to create a small book with high level pieces, than one with lots of work that's not that good."
Is your portfolio looking a little cluttered? It's pretty understandable. And many designers have trouble letting go of past work. Tati recommends making room for the future.
"Sometimes we get attached to old work and it creates an emotional bond. And that's okay, but we should let go a little more and include fresh pieces in our portfolio."
And learning from past mistakes is invaluable for the growth of your business. As an avid fan of online platforms like Instagram and Behance, Tati reflects on her start online as a junior designer.
"In the beginning, we try to put all of our work in our portfolio because clearly there's not that much, but we should try to reflect on what we have and complement it with our personal work. In most cases, this tends to show our style better."
Collection Numbers
Gabriel Alexandre Meza
Designer and Illustrator Gabriel Alexandre Meza
Our next bit of portfolio advice comes from graphic designer and illustrator, Gabriel Alexandre Meza. With a focus on sports illustrations for TV and digital media, his work features colorful sports portraits with exceptionally crisp details. Here are his best tips.
"Always stay busy. Post your work often because you never know who might stumble across it."
Creative platforms like Behance are becoming the go-to portfolio choice for many designers. Since launching his Behance portfolio, Gabriel has also seen success.
"Behance has been the best platform for me to post my work. It has given me career opportunities I otherwise wouldn't have had. Through my portfolio on Behance I have been approached by huge companies like the NBA and Aardman Nathan Love, to name a few."
Zion Williamson Duke Illustration
Becoming familiar with multiple design trends and software is also essential to building a professional reputation and portfolio. Gabriel, himself, mentions a love for several great design tools.
"I primarily use Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects, along with my Wacom tablet. But I have recently joined the iPad Pro world and am loving my Apple Pencil and working in Procreate!"
NBA MVP Illustration
Lyndi Priest
Graphic Designer Lyndi Priest
Graphic designer Lyndi Priest is a multifaceted creative who has lived and worked in San Francisco for the past ten years. With a background in multiple areas, she shares the key to balancing a versatile portfolio.
"My favorite aspect of being a designer is the versatility of work. Embracing different backgrounds while harmoniously applying my own style to everything is what drives my designs forward."
Olli & Co. Agency – Branding
Does diversifying your projects affect the overall impact of your portfolio? She says:
"Quality over quantity. It's common to hyper-focus on the sheer amount of content in one's own portfolio. But as long as there is enough variety, the talent and skill will shine through effectively."
Stinner Frameworks
Using social media to gain more exposure and business opportunities is also a must. Lyndi recommends online portfolios or professional websites for opening new doors:
"I'm very fond of the Behance network, and Squarespace makes it easy to deliver a portfolio quickly. But I've always been fond of pushing myself and going custom. My website—a custom designed WordPress site—sets itself apart and truly reflects myself as a designer."
Rec Club Brand Agency
Designer and Creative Director Ali Taylor
Creative director and designer Ali Taylor is the CEO of BelMarketing Design Studio. When he isn't pursuing his love of design, he actively participates in local business-building activities in New Jersey. Here's some insight into his advice on creative portfolios:
"Every good portfolio should allow the person viewing it to get an idea of who you are, your style, what you're really good at, and a sense of your approach to problem-solving. "
Choir Nation Logo
Which platforms have worked the best for him? He says:
"For sales, prospecting and showcasing my work, my own website is my greatest platform and asset by far. But for discovery and broadcasting to as wide an audience as possible—Instagram is definitely the champion."
Choir Nation Branding
Building a strong network of creative colleagues can also help you when making important decisions about your portfolio. Ali's final recommendation is to be open to sincere constructive criticism.
"Get feedback from your trusted colleagues—the ones who aren't afraid to give you honest feedback with love."
The Ross Maghan Agency Website
Let's Recap
So let's go over a quick recap of four essential portfolio tips from these talented designers.
Diversify your talents.
Use Instagram and Behance for promotion.
Let go of past work.
Embrace honest feedback.
Now is the time to make the most out of your resources. Though it's natural to feel stressed over your portfolio, I hope these designers have inspired you to tackle the challenge.
Thank you to all the artists who have lent their advice to this article. Feel free to explore their portfolios by visiting the links below.
Posted on February 26, 2019 Author Digital Marketing SolutionsCategories News & Archives
Hunting for unicorns in the local tech sector
It might not be the most obvious career transition, but for former circus performer Sunni Cooper it was a seamless step from the trapeze to the tech sector. "I've always been super fascinated with narrative – I read up to three books a week, that kind of love – and I've worked in a publishing company before, as well as the circus and various public and private sector organisations. I realised there are so many people making cool shit on the internet, and I wanted to be part of that, and Envato appealed as a leading example of this."
A former marketing and communications specialist for organisations like the University of Melbourne and the State Library of Victoria, Sunni initially had reservations about how her work experience would apply in a such a different setup in her role as a Digital Producer. "I'm a language person, and I originally wasn't sure how much of a good fit I would be. I even explicitly asked that question at my interview – I said I have a background quite different to a lot of your employees and how will that pan out?"
"The chats I had with people around the business made me feel a lot better and very comfortable with the decision to shift into tech. There were people from a lot of different backgrounds, but like me, they all wanted to work for a place where people do exciting and positive work."
"(Envato) genuinely employ's individuals rather than just someone who does the job. They care about you as a person, not just your job history," says Sunni Cooper.
A fairytale come true
Sunni is just one of a handful of new starters at Envato in the last six months, part of a new generation of 'unicorns' in the tech sector who are choosing to take their skills and apply them at one of Victoria's fast-growing startups. It's part of a wider sector-push lead by LaunchVic to attract talented professionals from a diverse range of career backgrounds into a career in the local tech sector.
Concerns about not having the right skills for a job in tech were also front of mind for Envato's new Author Communications Coordinator Steve Lamattina. "I guess my journey was never aimed squarely at working in tech, it was just an environment and topic I was interested in more generally. I'd never really considered tech at all before, as I didn't believe I had the skills required for a tech company."
"My fear was that I wasn't qualified to work within tech, as my skill set was focussed on communications and media more generally. I thought that you either had to be a product manager, a developer, or a CEO. And although I technically had a taste of CEO-life in a small arts organisation, I definitely did not consider that path!"
It took working for a small Barcelona-based startup who focussed on mobile apps and email tools to open up the door. "After working with people who have a passion for technology, I realised that this was also where one of my interests lay. These interests roam pretty far and wide, as my work history can attest, but I decided to follow this thread and see where it led."
For Steve, the change has been a positive one "I love the people I work with and have found most people to be good collaborators who are easy to talk to. There's a level of trust and agency that can be hard to find within other workplaces. I also find it very accepting, and being part of the queer community, I've felt super welcome and have joined the LGBTIQ+ committee which has a bunch of passionate, friendly members."
"I think it helped to speak to people who had worked at Envato previously, and listening to them discuss the benefits of working here," observes Steve Lamattina.
Envato's name in the local tech sector also appealed to Product Manager Richard Burke. "(It) has a good name in the Melbourne tech community. After my role in the State government, I was looking to move to a more tech-focused and nimble organisation that has a history of delivering good products."
"Envato is actually a bigger organisation than what I was thinking of joining, but after talking with the team I felt I had a lot to offer in terms of my Government experience and being at Internode during their growth phase."
And Richard says he has joined at a perfect time. "Envato is investing in growing its product practice, so it's an exciting time to join and be a part of that. I can see that my career is following a similar path as I want to focus more on the people and ensuring good product practice, and as the company grows there will be other opportunities."
"As the company grows there will be other opportunities so it's good to be open to change," notes Richard Burke.
On the path of growth
Professional growth was also high on the priority list for Product Marketing Specialist Madeleine Rochecouste. While no stranger to the startup scene, having co-founded the company behind portable coffee machine NowPresso, Madeleine was keen to boost her experience and skills by working within a larger tech company.
"The first thing that attracted me to Envato was the 'Working for Envato' video. I was really inspired by the team members and CEO, the culture, values and work environment, and what they are looking for in someone who wants to work there. I just knew Envato was going to be an awesome place to work and grow.
"It's turned out exactly like the video, but even better as I am now, fortunately, a part of it! From the moment I joined I have felt so welcome, respected, included and encouraged. I love the agile work culture, clear communication and our productivity working together as a team. I am so grateful for the guidance and growth I have already experienced working at Envato."
"I personally really love the role I currently have and am so excited to be working on a brand new product," says Madeleine Rochecouste.
For more information about the unicorns of the local tech sector, check out LaunchVic's ScaleUp campaign.