Coding and Design Tips & Tutorials

Each year Adobe comes out with new features, so what changed in InDesign CC 2019? We’ll cover the most important changes we think you should know about.

New Properties Panel

Properties panels have been added to Photoshop and Illustrator, and now InDesign has one. The Properties panel is meant to put many useful features into a single panel.

By default, the Control panel (at the top of the screen) has been hidden, in favor of the new Properties panel. While I like the idea of the Properties panel, I find that the Control panel does a better job of showing you more options in a smaller space. You can show the Control panel again by choosing Window > Control.

Each year Adobe comes out with new features, so what changed in Illustrator CC 2019? We’ll cover the most important changes we think you should know about.

Freeform Gradients

In addition to Linear and Radial gradients, Adobe added a new kind of gradient called Freeform gradients. Freeform gradients are similar to a gradient mesh, but are easier to work with and the color blending acts differently.

You can add color stops (places where you choose a color) anywhere in an object and move them around. These color stops can be points or lines. You can switch between the two modes in the Gradient panel, Properties panel, or Control panel.

WordPress is the largest growing website creation tool for modern, responsive, dynamic websites. It’s likely the easiest, most powerful website builder and manager available today. And with the big changes that came with WordPress 5.0 – it’s easier and more powerful than ever!

While Python is designed to be beginner-friendly, there are some common pitfalls that hold newcomers back. Experienced Python developers know how to avoid traps like these, but for beginners they can mean hours of frustration. If you’ve tried to learn Python in the past and felt like you hit a brick wall, do not give up! Once you get past these initial hurdles, you’ll be on a path of steady improvement.

IMPORTANT: The information in this post has since become outdated. Read our more current article on this topic.

When designing digital products such as websites, apps, etc. there are many apps to choose from. Which one is right for you? While some people use Figma, InVision Studio, and others, in this article we’ll focus on what we consider the three industry front-runners: Sketch, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe XD.

Sketch

While some designers are just now making the switch to Sketch, it’s been around since 2010. Sketch is a Mac only app, which is fine with most designers, but PC users will need to look at Adobe XD or Photoshop.

Sketch is great for UX/UI design. You can design wireframes or finished visual designs, and turn those into clickable prototypes using Sketch’s recently added prototyping tools or InVision’s Craft plugin.

Sketch has very powerful symbols and styles, which enable you to easily create complex design systems that are flexible and manageable across large projects. It also has decent exporting options.

Sketch costs $99 (USD) and you get a year of updates as well as Sketch Cloud. After the first year, you can continue using your last update for as long as you want with no other payments. However, if you want another year of updates and Sketch Cloud, you must renew your license for $69 (USD).

Sketch is a great option for Mac users that want an affordable and powerful design app.

Learn more in our Sketch class.

Any way you measure it, Python is booming in popularity. According to the most recent survey by Stack Overflow, Python is the “most wanted” programming language for the second year running. More people wish they could work with Python, in other words, than any other language. Usage numbers show the same kind of growth. Python has recently climbed into the top three on the TIOBE index, which tracks the number of engineers, courses, and vendors associated with each programming language. As for the future, this trend is likely to only strengthen, since Python has recently become the most common introductory programming language at top universities as well.

AutoCAD is the most widely used computer-aided design (CAD) software by architects, engineers, construction drafters, and many other workers. Statistics released by Autodesk (the manufacturer of AutoCAD) reveal just how many people have realized how valuable the proper use of the program can be:

• In the last two years, the free AutoCAD WS software has been downloaded more than 7 million times
• Each week, 300,000 drawings are uploaded to the AutoCAD WS cloud which equates to 1,800 files an hour or 30 files a minute

For the last few years, Python has been the most popular coding language learned at educational institutes. Statistics reveal that Python has become popular in a number of other settings as well as reflected by the following:

• In 2018, the IEEE Spectrum ranked Python its top programming language of the year ahead of C++ and Java.
• A study conducted by StackOverflow in 2017 found that Javascript is the fastest growing programming language among those already in everyday use.

After reading these facts, you might wonder why so many programmers have decided to learn and favor Python. The answer is that mastery of Python offers several advantages that cannot be found with other programming languages.

Interested in a career in design? Confused about what career you should choose?

UX Designer, Graphic Designer, UI or Visual Designer, and Motion Designer are just a few job titles you’ll see on most design job boards. The challenge is that these job titles often overlap in job duties. There can be confusion about what different designers do. This guide will help you understand the different types of design and narrow down your choices.

Digital Marketing is advertising via the internet, social media, email, and other virtual mediums. Although digital marketing includes offline marketing efforts like TV ads and electronic billboards, most people think of search engines, websites, email, and social media apps when they hear digital marketing. And for a good reason! An overwhelming number of hours are spent each day on electronic devices. Hubspot’s 2018 digital marketing analysis offers some insight that supports a strict focus on virtual marketing efforts:

• Almost 50% of Americans check their smartphone before getting out of bed
• Companies that create at least 16 posts per month triple their website traffic compared to companies that blog monthly
• More than 75% of adults use Facebook every day