Reader's Corner No. 102: An Introduction to Neural Networks, Taking a Stand Against Free Project Pitching, New Adobe Copyright Regulations

Topics of the day cover two of our specialties: programming and design! In these awesome staff submissions, we'll introduce you to machine learning, have you questioning the industry tendency towards demanding free project pitching from designers, and we'll even catch you up with concerns over Adobe's new copyright regulations.

Machine Learning for Beginners: An Introduction to Neural Networks

Source: Victor Zhou

Takeaway: Machine learning is a hot topic in many industries right now. It can seem arcane but the basic principles are relatively straightforward and can be demonstrated with a bit of math and a small amount of Python. This introduction outlines how the most basic neural nets function and can serve as an excellent basis for better understanding the role machine learning can play in various domains. For a slightly deeper dive, check out the book Make Your Own Neural Network by Tariq Rashid

Tags: #Programming, #Python, #MachineLearning #AI

The Design Industry Needs to Take a Stand Against Free Pitching

Source: AIGA Eye on Design

Takeaway: It’s 2019 and we are still dealing with clients asking for free work as part of their selection process. Our position at DesignHammer is a free plan (or design concept, etc.) is worth what you paid for it, and do you really want to use as the foundation for your five or six-figure budget project work you got for free? In AIGA’s Eye on Design blog Sarah Boris provides a good overview of how organizations hiring creative services can interview and select vendors without asking for unpaid work, as well as how creatives can better educate their clients and prospects on how we can all work together to improve the selection and hiring process to everyone’s benefit.

Tags: #Business, #Design

Why Adobe's Copyright Issues Might Get You In Trouble

Source: Gizmodo

Takeaway: As much as we may love having the Creative Cloud apps only a click away on our computers, it may be time to break out our old CDs programs such as Photoshop and Illustrator. As of last week, Adobe released some shocking news that if you are using outdated versions of their apps, you could be at “risk of potential claims of infringement by third parties”. Even though this is an unfortunate moment for many Adobe users, this has sparked a new wave of memes firing at Adobe programs. Even during the most stressful times, nobody can resist a good laugh!

Tags: #Adobe, #Design, #CreativeCloud

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