With such busy schedules to keep, you might not have had the chance to catch up on this week's biggest design news stories. Lucky for you, we've rounded them up in this handy little list that will make sure you get to the good stuff, quickly.
01. The BFG trailer released (opens in new tab)
On the face of the trailer, The BFG promises to be one of the most exciting to hit our screens this summer. That's not surprising considering it combines the talents of three of the world's greatest storytellers – Roald Dahl, Walt Disney and StevenSpielberg – in bringing the former's classic tale to movie life.
02. Advert causes controversy among designers (opens in new tab)
South West Trains (opens in new tab) has just released a new campaign, with the banner ad heading up their Twitter page. Reading, '1,400 extra car parking spaces (more helpful than changing the shade of all our trains),' designer Andy Hau (opens in new tab) found the advert to be belittling of designers. What do you think?
03. Stock library launches free image editing tool (opens in new tab)
Released in open beta, Shutterstock Editor is a simple but effective way to crop and re-size an image in one step for the most popular social media sites, before even downloading it. You can select from 10 recommended preset sizes, and there's also the option to custom-crop an image and a set of filters that you can apply.
04. Top 10 Graphic Design books of 2015 revealed (opens in new tab)
With so many new graphic design books this year, it can be tough to know which ones you need in your studio – and which ones simply aren't worth your precious cash. So we've done the hard work for you.
Whether you're after a Christmas present for yourself or a graphic designer friend, or simply want to bulk up the office bookshelf, we've put together the 10 best graphic design books of 2015.
05. Affinity Photo gets first major update (opens in new tab)
We're big fans of Affinity Photo (opens in new tab), one of the best Mac alternatives to Photoshop around. And makers Serif have just announced the first major update to the Creative Cloud (opens in new tab)-busting app since its release in July. To mark the release, Serif are offering a one-week 20 per cent discount for new customers.
06. Shutterstock releases free image inspiration tool (opens in new tab)
Shutterstock have just launched Shutterstock Tab, a free Chrome extension which displays a beautiful image as a background – mainly taken from the natural world – every time you open a new Chrome tab.
07. Every colour Lego has ever used revealed (opens in new tab)
From flamingo pink to chrome red, plenty of different Lego colours have emerged over the years. While we've already seen how the Lego pallete has changed and some brilliant examples of Lego art, this comprehensive chart by Lego fan Jeremy Moody finally showcases every shade in one place.
08. Top 2016 calendars for designers showcased (opens in new tab)
Choosing a calendar is a thrill for many, whether it's the touch of a beautifully hand-made desk calendar that delights or the thrill of finding the perfect combination of space to scribble and at-a-glance organisation. We chose 20 of our favourites.
09. Adobe announces free Lightroom for Android (opens in new tab)
In October this year, Adobe released its photo processor and image organiser Lightroom 2.0 for iOS, which made it possible to use the program on iPhones and iPads without a paid subscription. This week, the company has announced Lightroom for Android version 1.4, which adds the same free offering for Android users.
10. Free ebook on responsive web design released (opens in new tab)
Responsive design is the new standard for the web. To help usher designers into the new age, the design team from the prototyping app UXPin has released another addition to their free design library.
Like this? Read these!
- 100 amazing Adobe Illustrator tutorials (opens in new tab)
- Lego Art: 43 designs that will blow your mind (opens in new tab)
- The 10 best Android tablet apps for designers (opens in new tab)
