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In the workplace, conflict often emerges from differing work styles, misconceptions, or authority struggles. For example, a diligent employee may clash with a more relaxed colleague over project timelines, leading to frustration on both sides. To address these conflicts, it’s essential to implement clear communication practices and define roles. Comprehending these common situations can help you navigate them effectively, but knowing how to cultivate a collaborative environment is just as important. Key Takeaways Address work style conflicts by promoting structured meetings and regular check-ins to align team expectations and approaches. Improve communication by establishing clear channels and encouraging open dialogue to minimize misunderstandings and duplicated efforts. Implement anti-bullying policies and ongoing training to prevent harassment and discrimination, fostering a healthier work environment. Clarify roles and responsibilities to mitigate power struggles and encourage collaboration among team members. Facilitate open discussions about change to address resistance, providing support and training to help employees adapt effectively. Work Style Conflicts Work style conflicts can greatly affect team dynamics and overall productivity, especially in diverse work environments. These conflict situations often arise when team members have differing approaches to task completion. For instance, a go-getter may prioritize efficiency, whereas a laid-back individual might struggle with deadlines. Organized team members may clash with impulsive coworkers, leading to tension that impacts morale. Furthermore, a preference for solo work can create friction in collaborative teams, leaving some feeling undervalued. Resolving conflict in the workplace examples include structured meetings to address these differences and regular check-ins to guarantee everyone’s preferences are understood. Misunderstanding or Poor Communication Issues Misunderstandings can considerably disrupt workplace harmony, particularly when team members communicate in differing styles shaped by their unique backgrounds and experiences. These conflict situations often arise from generational differences and life experiences, leading to misinterpretations. Poor communication can result in duplicated efforts or missed deadlines, highlighting the significance of clear instructions and regular updates. To mitigate these issues, establish clear communication channels, ensuring everyone is aligned on objectives and expectations. Open dialogue is crucial, as it allows you and your colleagues to clarify intentions and resolve misconceptions. Regular check-ins not just improve communication flow but additionally promote a collaborative environment, reducing the likelihood of misunderstandings escalating into conflict situations. Prioritizing effective communication is key to maintaining workplace harmony. Bullying, Discrimination, or Harassment Bullying, discrimination, and harassment in the workplace can create a toxic environment that undermines employee morale and productivity. These conflicts often stem from issues related to gender, age, or religion. When you voice your concerns, it’s essential to approach the situation with empathy and respect. Effective resolution requires thorough investigations, including reviewing communication and discussing matters with all parties involved to guarantee fairness. Ongoing training and clear anti-bullying policies are fundamental for prevention, nurturing a safer workplace. Organizations that ignore these issues risk legal repercussions and reputational damage. Action Steps Description Report the Incident Document and communicate your experience. Investigate Conduct a thorough review of the situation. Provide Training Educate employees on bullying and discrimination. Establish Policies Implement clear anti-discrimination policies. Monitor Environment Regularly assess workplace culture. Power Struggles In many organizations, conflicts can emerge not merely from bullying or harassment but also from influence struggles, which often stem from unclear roles and responsibilities within teams. Control struggles can escalate quickly, leading to significant issues within the group dynamic. To navigate these situations effectively, consider the following strategies: Clarify roles and responsibilities to eliminate ambiguity. Recognize and address any existing tensions, especially during promotions or recognition events. Hold individual meetings to understand different perspectives and redefine roles. Promote open communication to encourage collaboration and reduce competition. Change Resistance Change resistance can greatly hinder organizational progress, especially when employees face new policies or structural adjustments. This resistance often stems from a fear of the unknown, leading to conflicts and lowered morale. To combat this, initiate open discussions about upcoming changes, allowing team members to voice their concerns and feel included in the decision-making process. Long-term employees may resist changes that disrupt their work-life balance, so it’s essential to approach these changes sensitively. Offering training and support can help employees adapt more comfortably, reducing conflict. Furthermore, regular check-ins and feedback sessions enable management to gauge employee sentiments and proactively address any resistance. Personality Clashes When team members have differing values, beliefs, and communication styles, personality clashes can arise, leading to misunderstandings and friction in the workplace. These conflicts often occur when introverts feel overshadowed by extroverts, resulting in frustration and undervalued contributions. Misunderstandings can cultivate resentment, negatively impacting overall team morale and productivity. To address these clashes, consider the following strategies: Implement mediation sessions for structured communication. Encourage open discussions to express feelings and perspectives. Organize team-building activities to strengthen relationships. Nurture an environment that values diverse personality types. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Most Common Conflict Situation? The most common conflict situation in the workplace often stems from personality clashes. When you and a colleague have differing temperaments or work styles, misunderstandings can easily arise. These clashes may lead to disputes that affect productivity and team dynamics. Furthermore, poor communication frequently compounds these issues, as unclear instructions can result in frustration and duplicated efforts. Consequently, recognizing and addressing these conflicts early is vital for maintaining a harmonious work environment. What Is an Example of a Conflict You Had to Resolve? You might encounter a conflict when team members clash because of differing work styles. For instance, one person may prefer a structured approach, whereas another thrives on flexibility. To resolve this, you can facilitate a mediation session where both express their concerns and share goals. Establishing a clear communication plan with regular check-ins can improve collaboration. Implementing team-building activities promotes comprehension, which in the end boosts productivity and minimizes future misunderstandings. What Are the Five Examples of Conflict in Everyday Life? You’ll encounter various conflicts in everyday life. For instance, you might face disagreements with friends over plans, differing opinions with family members on important issues, or misconceptions with coworkers regarding tasks. Conflicts can likewise arise when your personal values clash with societal expectations, or when you experience stress owing to financial pressures. Each situation highlights the importance of effective communication and comprehension to navigate these challenges smoothly. What Are the 5 Ways Conflict Can Be Resolved? You can resolve conflict using five main strategies. First, Avoiding is useful for low-stakes issues where confrontation isn’t necessary. Second, Competing works for urgent situations requiring quick decisions. Third, Accommodating allows you to prioritize others’ needs, but use it sparingly. Fourth, Compromising involves both parties giving up something to reach an agreement. Finally, Collaborating seeks a win-win solution, making it ideal for complex issues that need input from multiple stakeholders. Conclusion In conclusion, workplace conflicts can stem from various sources, including differing work styles and communication issues. To resolve these challenges effectively, focus on establishing clear communication channels, defining roles, and encouraging regular check-ins. Addressing bullying, influence struggles, and change resistance requires nurturing an open environment for dialogue. By taking proactive steps, you can create a more collaborative atmosphere, reduce misunderstandings, and promote a harmonious workplace, in the end enhancing productivity and employee satisfaction. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Common Conflict Situations and How to Resolve Them" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

In the workplace, conflict often emerges from differing work styles, misconceptions, or authority struggles. For example, a diligent employee may clash with a more relaxed colleague over project timelines, leading to frustration on both sides. To address these conflicts, it’s essential to implement clear communication practices and define roles. Comprehending these common situations can help you navigate them effectively, but knowing how to cultivate a collaborative environment is just as important. Key Takeaways Address work style conflicts by promoting structured meetings and regular check-ins to align team expectations and approaches. Improve communication by establishing clear channels and encouraging open dialogue to minimize misunderstandings and duplicated efforts. Implement anti-bullying policies and ongoing training to prevent harassment and discrimination, fostering a healthier work environment. Clarify roles and responsibilities to mitigate power struggles and encourage collaboration among team members. Facilitate open discussions about change to address resistance, providing support and training to help employees adapt effectively. Work Style Conflicts Work style conflicts can greatly affect team dynamics and overall productivity, especially in diverse work environments. These conflict situations often arise when team members have differing approaches to task completion. For instance, a go-getter may prioritize efficiency, whereas a laid-back individual might struggle with deadlines. Organized team members may clash with impulsive coworkers, leading to tension that impacts morale. Furthermore, a preference for solo work can create friction in collaborative teams, leaving some feeling undervalued. Resolving conflict in the workplace examples include structured meetings to address these differences and regular check-ins to guarantee everyone’s preferences are understood. Misunderstanding or Poor Communication Issues Misunderstandings can considerably disrupt workplace harmony, particularly when team members communicate in differing styles shaped by their unique backgrounds and experiences. These conflict situations often arise from generational differences and life experiences, leading to misinterpretations. Poor communication can result in duplicated efforts or missed deadlines, highlighting the significance of clear instructions and regular updates. To mitigate these issues, establish clear communication channels, ensuring everyone is aligned on objectives and expectations. Open dialogue is crucial, as it allows you and your colleagues to clarify intentions and resolve misconceptions. Regular check-ins not just improve communication flow but additionally promote a collaborative environment, reducing the likelihood of misunderstandings escalating into conflict situations. Prioritizing effective communication is key to maintaining workplace harmony. Bullying, Discrimination, or Harassment Bullying, discrimination, and harassment in the workplace can create a toxic environment that undermines employee morale and productivity. These conflicts often stem from issues related to gender, age, or religion. When you voice your concerns, it’s essential to approach the situation with empathy and respect. Effective resolution requires thorough investigations, including reviewing communication and discussing matters with all parties involved to guarantee fairness. Ongoing training and clear anti-bullying policies are fundamental for prevention, nurturing a safer workplace. Organizations that ignore these issues risk legal repercussions and reputational damage. Action Steps Description Report the Incident Document and communicate your experience. Investigate Conduct a thorough review of the situation. Provide Training Educate employees on bullying and discrimination. Establish Policies Implement clear anti-discrimination policies. Monitor Environment Regularly assess workplace culture. Power Struggles In many organizations, conflicts can emerge not merely from bullying or harassment but also from influence struggles, which often stem from unclear roles and responsibilities within teams. Control struggles can escalate quickly, leading to significant issues within the group dynamic. To navigate these situations effectively, consider the following strategies: Clarify roles and responsibilities to eliminate ambiguity. Recognize and address any existing tensions, especially during promotions or recognition events. Hold individual meetings to understand different perspectives and redefine roles. Promote open communication to encourage collaboration and reduce competition. Change Resistance Change resistance can greatly hinder organizational progress, especially when employees face new policies or structural adjustments. This resistance often stems from a fear of the unknown, leading to conflicts and lowered morale. To combat this, initiate open discussions about upcoming changes, allowing team members to voice their concerns and feel included in the decision-making process. Long-term employees may resist changes that disrupt their work-life balance, so it’s essential to approach these changes sensitively. Offering training and support can help employees adapt more comfortably, reducing conflict. Furthermore, regular check-ins and feedback sessions enable management to gauge employee sentiments and proactively address any resistance. Personality Clashes When team members have differing values, beliefs, and communication styles, personality clashes can arise, leading to misunderstandings and friction in the workplace. These conflicts often occur when introverts feel overshadowed by extroverts, resulting in frustration and undervalued contributions. Misunderstandings can cultivate resentment, negatively impacting overall team morale and productivity. To address these clashes, consider the following strategies: Implement mediation sessions for structured communication. Encourage open discussions to express feelings and perspectives. Organize team-building activities to strengthen relationships. Nurture an environment that values diverse personality types. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Most Common Conflict Situation? The most common conflict situation in the workplace often stems from personality clashes. When you and a colleague have differing temperaments or work styles, misunderstandings can easily arise. These clashes may lead to disputes that affect productivity and team dynamics. Furthermore, poor communication frequently compounds these issues, as unclear instructions can result in frustration and duplicated efforts. Consequently, recognizing and addressing these conflicts early is vital for maintaining a harmonious work environment. What Is an Example of a Conflict You Had to Resolve? You might encounter a conflict when team members clash because of differing work styles. For instance, one person may prefer a structured approach, whereas another thrives on flexibility. To resolve this, you can facilitate a mediation session where both express their concerns and share goals. Establishing a clear communication plan with regular check-ins can improve collaboration. Implementing team-building activities promotes comprehension, which in the end boosts productivity and minimizes future misunderstandings. What Are the Five Examples of Conflict in Everyday Life? You’ll encounter various conflicts in everyday life. For instance, you might face disagreements with friends over plans, differing opinions with family members on important issues, or misconceptions with coworkers regarding tasks. Conflicts can likewise arise when your personal values clash with societal expectations, or when you experience stress owing to financial pressures. Each situation highlights the importance of effective communication and comprehension to navigate these challenges smoothly. What Are the 5 Ways Conflict Can Be Resolved? You can resolve conflict using five main strategies. First, Avoiding is useful for low-stakes issues where confrontation isn’t necessary. Second, Competing works for urgent situations requiring quick decisions. Third, Accommodating allows you to prioritize others’ needs, but use it sparingly. Fourth, Compromising involves both parties giving up something to reach an agreement. Finally, Collaborating seeks a win-win solution, making it ideal for complex issues that need input from multiple stakeholders. Conclusion In conclusion, workplace conflicts can stem from various sources, including differing work styles and communication issues. To resolve these challenges effectively, focus on establishing clear communication channels, defining roles, and encouraging regular check-ins. Addressing bullying, influence struggles, and change resistance requires nurturing an open environment for dialogue. By taking proactive steps, you can create a more collaborative atmosphere, reduce misunderstandings, and promote a harmonious workplace, in the end enhancing productivity and employee satisfaction. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Common Conflict Situations and How to Resolve Them" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

UK healthy fast-food chain bought back by John Vincent last month has struggled to recover from CovidView the full article

November rate locks fell seasonally but hit their strongest level since 2021, led by refis, while lenders shifted more loans to the GSE cash window. View the full article

If there’s one thing you can be certain of when managing a project, it’s change. If only you knew ahead of time what those issues would be, you could better address them. Although it’s impossible to predict the future, with these free risk management templates, you can better prepare for the unexpected and be more apt to keep your project on track. There are many project management templates that are designed to help you identify, respond to and track those risks. This helps you avoid an issue that becomes a problem that negatively impacts the project’s time, cost and scope. Download these free risk management templates and gain more control over your project. 1. Risk Management Plan A risk management plan is a document that describes how a project management team will manage risk over a project. Risk management plans consist of several sections that describe the potential risks of a project and the various risk mitigation strategies that will be executed to manage said risks. To provide a clear view of project risks, a risk management plan typically contains a risk register, risk breakdown structure, risk matrix and a risk mitigation plan. Our risk management plan template helps you organize these different risk management documents. /wp-content/uploads/2023/09/risk-management-plan-template-for-word-screenshot.jpg 2. Risk Register Template Planning for risk is how you manage risk. While it’s impossible to know what’ll happen, an experienced project manager will have the resources to predict what might happen. In order to define the potential of the risk from showing up in your project and what the impact could be, you’ll want to use our free risk register template for Excel. /wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Risk-Tracking-Screenshot.webp The free risk register gives you space to describe the risk, its impact and what your response will be if it appears in the project. There’s also a column to note if the risk is high, medium or low. Plus, you can assign a team member to that risk so they know to keep an eye out for it. If that risk becomes an issue, then the team member will be responsible for tracking it until the issue has been resolved. Or you can build your risk register in ProjectManager, a robust project management software complete with risk management and reporting tools. Build project plans with Gantt charts, execute with tasks lists and address risks alongside your project. It’s easy to identify impact, likelihood and potential resolutions. Plus, you’ll be able to centralize communications and documentation with your team as the project unfolds. Try ProjectManager today for free. /wp-content/uploads/2024/03/CTA-light-mode-risk-view.pngLearn more 3. Project Dashboard Template Preparing for risk is essential to risk management, but that’s just the start. Once the project begins, you have to be diligent in monitoring the work to catch issues when they arise. The faster you capture issues, the less impact they’ll have and the quicker you’ll be able to resolve them. Using our free project dashboard template for Excel creates graphs that track your tasks, workload, costs and more. /wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Project-Dashboard-template-UPDATE.png 4. Risk Matrix Template There’s more than one way to manage risk, but regardless of how you choose to do so, you’ll always want to identify, prioritize and assign an owner to be on the lookout for it. Risk isn’t always negative, of course, but if you’re not prepared for risk then you can’t mitigate or take advantage of it. Our free risk matrix template for Excel provides a visual tool to manage risk easily. /wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Risk-Matrix-Screenshot.jpg A risk matrix is a type of chart that’s used by project managers to map risks. It helps categorize the risk in terms of its likelihood of occurring and how it’ll impact the project. It does this on a colorful grid, which provides you with a visual tool that helps communicate risk to the project team. 5. Issue Tracking Template Risk is potential, but project issues are real. They could be the manifestation of a risk that you’ve identified and have been monitoring or they could be unique. Whatever they are, you need to address them and our free issue-tracking template for Excel is just the tool you need to make sure issues don’t sidetrack your project. /wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Issue-Tracking-Screenshot.jpg The issue tracking collects all the data you need to keep an eye on the issue as it moves through its life cycle. You have a column to describe it and its potential impact. Then you can give each issue a priority to know which to deal with first as well as the date it was first identified and who’s responsible for resolving the issue. There’s space to note the department responsible and whether the status is open or closed. 6. Risk Assessment Template Projects move forward with many uncertainties, and a risk assessment helps teams prepare for what could go wrong. It identifies threats to schedule, cost, quality and safety, evaluates their likelihood and impact, and determines what actions can reduce or respond to each one. By addressing risks proactively instead of reacting to surprises, project managers protect timelines, budgets and stakeholder confidence throughout the entire execution process. /wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Risk-assessment-template-screenshot-1600x565.png Our free risk assessment template organizes every key detail needed to evaluate project threats. Users can log each risk’s category, source, stakeholders affected, severity level and likelihood, along with prevention steps and mitigation responses. Resource needs and ownership fields ensure accountability is clear, and assumptions provide context behind decisions. With this structure in place, teams can monitor risks consistently, prioritize attention and adjust plans quickly when conditions change. 7. RAID Log Template Complex projects involve moving parts and shifting realities, and a RAID log keeps those elements visible in one place. It tracks Risks, Assumptions, Issues and Decisions so teams can understand what might go wrong, what is believed to be true, what problems already exist and what choices have shaped the project. This organized view supports faster responses, stronger accountability and better-informed planning across the entire lifecycle. /wp-content/uploads/2023/08/raid-log-template-1.jpg This free RAID log template provides a simple structure to categorize each item by type, impact, response strategy and priority level. Ownership fields make responsibilities clear, while notes give room for status updates and context. By recording risks before they escalate and tracking decisions as they are made, the template helps teams stay aligned and focused on what requires attention, ultimately improving control over project performance. 8. Issue Report Template Unexpected problems can derail a project plan if they aren’t addressed in a timely and organized way. An issue report gives teams a structured method to capture the details of what went wrong and how serious the consequences might be. Rather than letting obstacles linger, this process assigns ownership, encourages prompt action and supports better communication so that the project can recover without losing sight of its goals. /wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Issue-Report-Template.png Our free issue report template captures essential details such as description, origin, impact severity, cost estimates and affected areas. It includes fields for assigning an issue owner, defining mitigation actions and updating status as progress is made. By organizing issues in a clear, actionable format, the template helps teams focus on the highest-priority problems and maintain momentum while keeping stakeholders informed about any disruptions. 9. Cost-Benefit Analysis Template Not all risks are created equal. Project managers can get sidetracked trying to resolve a risk that’s trivial when put in the context of the larger project. But how can you tell whether the risk in the project is worth the effort? Simply download our free cost-benefit analysis template for Excel to help you decide if the effort is worth the cost. /wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Cost-Benefit-Analysis-Screenshot.jpg The free template helps you collect the quantitative costs (indirect, intangible and opportunity) and compare them to the quantitative benefits (direct, indirect, intangible and competitive). With this data, you can make a cost-benefit analysis to see if the investment is worth the return. 10. Project Status Report Template We’ve talked about project dashboards as a means to monitor for risk. Reports are another tool that provides a more detailed look at the project’s progress and performance. Use our free project status report template for Excel to view a slice of time in the project to chart its health and progress. /wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Status-Report-Screenshot.jpg Some of the data a status report captures include a summary of the project, such as key accomplishments, work that has been done, what work is still to come, milestones, deliverables and action items. There’s also information on the budget, schedule, quality and scope of the project. Plus, you can see risks, issues and roadblocks. 11. IT Risk Assessment Template IT projects have their own unique risks and, therefore, need their own unique risk assessment. There are risks to software and hardware from malware, viruses, scams and more. There are also human errors, security breaches and natural disasters that can take you offline, too. Our free IT risk assessment template for Excel is a great tool to avoid potential loss from downtime. /wp-content/uploads/2020/10/IT-Risk-Assessment-Screenshot.jpg Everything you need to manage IT risk is included in the free template. You can list the risk by number to track it, note the area where the risk is likely to happen and define the risk. Then there’s a place to set up processes to control the risk, assess it and determine what activities will be required to reduce the risk. You can even monitor the risk if it shows up to make sure it’s properly resolved. 12. Change Log Template Change is a risk; you don’t know when it’s coming, but you have to be able to deal with it. Whether it’s a request from stakeholders or an issue with equipment or weather, change can impact your project. If you planned correctly, then you’re ready for changes even if you’re not sure what they’ll be. When they come, though, you need our free change lot template for Excel to manage them. /wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Change-Log-Screenshot.jpg The free template lets you date when the change first came, who owns it and who’s responsible for taking care of the change. There’s a place to note its priority to know what should be done and when. You can also note its status. This way, as changes come into your project (and they always do), you have a way to track them and make sure nothing crucial is overlooked. More Project Management Templates Everyone likes free templates. ProjectManager has dozens of free project management templates for Excel and Word that are ready to be downloaded on our site. You can find more than free templates that deal with risk. There are ones that cover every phase of your project and below is only a small sampling. Gantt Chart Template The Gantt chart is one of the most popular scheduling tools in project management. Use our free Gantt chart template for Excel to list all your tasks and see them on a visual timeline. It’s a great way to organize your costs and resources. Project Plan Template Project plans allow project managers to scope their work and break it down into manageable parts. It’s an essential document in project management. Using our free project plan template for Word will help you organize your tasks, phases, budget and much more. Project Budget Template All projects require money to deliver success, and budgets capture those financial details. The more accurate the budget estimates, the more likely you’ll be able to complete the project. Using our free project budget template for Excel will help you accurately forecast costs. ProjectManager Is a Risk Management Software There’s no doubt that free project management templates are great. But they’re also status documents that must be manually updated. That’s a lot of time and effort to extend on a limited tool. ProjectManager is online project management software that delivers real-time data to help you better manage project risk. Track Risk in Real Time None of the free templates can track risk in real time. Someone on your team has to manually update those templates and there’s always a danger that copies are floating around so no one is aware of their actual status. Our risk management features make it easy to stay informed. You can create a risk just as you would a task and assign an owner, add dates, priorities, tags, attachments and more. Always know the status of your risk in real time. /wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Risk_management_close_up.jpg Manage Risk on Robust Gantt Charts Having a risk management plan is essential and templates can help but they might not be flexible enough. In some cases, you need something more dynamic. Our online Gantt charts help you schedule and assign as well as monitor the project on a timeline. You can also easily share the Gantt chart with the project team and stakeholders. /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Construction-Gantt-Task-Info.jpg Of course, teams and stakeholders aren’t going to need the details of a Gantt chart. That’s why we have multiple project views. Teams can manage and prioritize risk on kanban boards, which visualize the workflow. Stakeholders can be updated by viewing the calendar view or using customized reports to share just the data in which they’re interested. Related Content If you’re still hungry to learn more about risk and how to manage it, you’re in luck. ProjectManager isn’t only great software but our site is the premier online destination for all things project management. There are more than templates. We publish weekly blogs and have guides, videos and much more. Here’s some more risk-related reading. The Risk Management Process in Project Management How to Make a Risk Management Plan What Is a Risk Register & How to Create One Risk Analysis: Definition, Examples and Methods Risk Breakdown Structure for Projects: A Complete Guide to RBS ProjectManager is award-winning software that helps you plan, manage and track risk in real time. We also empower teams on a collaborative platform with task and resource management features to keep everyone working together more productively. Get onboard with teams from companies as varied as Avis, Nestle and Siemens who use our software to deliver success. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. The post 12 Free Risk Management Templates for Excel & Word appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

Instagram launched Your Algorithm in the U.S. today, a tool that lets people see – and directly edit – the topics shaping their Reels recommendations. Why we care. This could reshape how users discover content. When people signal interest in specific niches, hobbies, or brands – from running shoes to vintage clothing to home organizers – Instagram may surface more of that content, boosting reach for brands that publish relevant Reels. How it works. A new Reels icon opens a personalized list of topics (e.g., sports, thrifting, horror movies, pop music, chess, day in the life, college football, skateboarding) Instagram believes “you’ve been into” lately, generated by Meta’s AI. You can: Tap to see more or less of any topic, or add your own. Share your algorithm snapshot to Stories. What’s next. The tool will expand to Explore, the search tab, and other surfaces, with a global English rollout planned, Instagram said. These controls will extend beyond Reels in the future. What Instagram is saying. Tessa Lyons, Instagram’s vice president of product, told Fast Company: “We’re always trying to show people the best possible reels for them. I think we do a pretty good job today, but we don’t always get it right, and we know that people’s interests change. What we really want to do is give people control over the experience that they have on Instagram.” Similar to TikTok’s feature. TikTok introduced a Manage Topics tool last year, but its controls are broader and less personalized. Users choose from generic categories like travel or current affairs, while Instagram’s list is individualized and driven by each person’s recent activity. The announcement. Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, shared the news via Instagram. View the full article

Small business owners are constantly seeking tools and technologies that enhance productivity and accessibility, and recent updates from Android may provide just that. With advancements in accessibility features, Android aims to empower users—particularly those with disabilities—by introducing innovative solutions that streamline interactions with devices. One of the standout updates is the expansion of Expressive Captions for YouTube. Beginning with videos uploaded this October, English content creators can now utilize AI-driven features for captions that enhance viewer engagement. These captions will not only indicate speech intensity—highlighting moments of excitement or tension—but will also capture subtle sounds such as sighs or gasps, as well as background noises. For small business owners utilizing video content for marketing or communication, the ability to create immersive video experiences could significantly improve audience retention and comprehension. “Expressive Captions will use AI to automatically display the intensity of speech,” Android representatives stated. This innovation can be particularly beneficial for businesses that rely on video content to convey their brand message or demonstrate products. Enhanced captions may increase accessibility and engagement for customers who are hard of hearing or non-native speakers. Another notable feature is the introduction of AutoClick for users who rely on external mice. This improvement addresses a critical pain point—physical discomfort associated with traditional clicking methods. Users can now customize the dwell time for the cursor, allowing it to automatically click after hovering over an item for a specified period. This reduces the need for repetitive physical actions, which can be a significant concern for small business owners who frequently perform tasks that demand extended use of pointing devices. “AutoClick now offers an improved dwell cursor experience,” Android emphasized, noting that users can choose from various click types, including left-click, right-click, double-click, and more. This level of customization can make a notable difference in efficiency for those who experience physical strain, ultimately allowing small business owners to focus on productivity rather than discomfort. While these updates present compelling benefits, small business owners should also consider potential challenges. Implementing new technologies often requires adjustments and learning curves—something to keep in mind when integrating these features into daily operations. Training employees to effectively utilize these updates can be essential to maximizing their value. Additionally, businesses relying heavily on video marketing must assess their content strategies. While enhanced captions improve accessibility, they may also shift viewer expectations. Companies may need to invest time into ensuring that their videos are not only engaging but also optimized for these new captioning standards. As small business owners further embrace digital platforms, the emphasis on accessibility will likely grow. Ensuring that content is inclusive can also open up new customer bases and foster loyalty among clients who appreciate efforts to improve access. By leveraging features like Expressive Captions and AutoClick, businesses can create a more user-friendly experience across their digital offerings. It’s worth exploring these recent Android enhancements in alignment with your business objectives. As you adapt to these innovations, consider not only the immediate impact on your operations but also the potential for broader market appeal as accessibility becomes a priority in customer engagement. For further details about these updates, you can visit the original press release here. By staying informed and proactive about these changes, small business owners can better position themselves to thrive in an increasingly digital landscape. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Android Enhances YouTube with AI-Powered Expressive Captions and New Mouse Features" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Small business owners are constantly seeking tools and technologies that enhance productivity and accessibility, and recent updates from Android may provide just that. With advancements in accessibility features, Android aims to empower users—particularly those with disabilities—by introducing innovative solutions that streamline interactions with devices. One of the standout updates is the expansion of Expressive Captions for YouTube. Beginning with videos uploaded this October, English content creators can now utilize AI-driven features for captions that enhance viewer engagement. These captions will not only indicate speech intensity—highlighting moments of excitement or tension—but will also capture subtle sounds such as sighs or gasps, as well as background noises. For small business owners utilizing video content for marketing or communication, the ability to create immersive video experiences could significantly improve audience retention and comprehension. “Expressive Captions will use AI to automatically display the intensity of speech,” Android representatives stated. This innovation can be particularly beneficial for businesses that rely on video content to convey their brand message or demonstrate products. Enhanced captions may increase accessibility and engagement for customers who are hard of hearing or non-native speakers. Another notable feature is the introduction of AutoClick for users who rely on external mice. This improvement addresses a critical pain point—physical discomfort associated with traditional clicking methods. Users can now customize the dwell time for the cursor, allowing it to automatically click after hovering over an item for a specified period. This reduces the need for repetitive physical actions, which can be a significant concern for small business owners who frequently perform tasks that demand extended use of pointing devices. “AutoClick now offers an improved dwell cursor experience,” Android emphasized, noting that users can choose from various click types, including left-click, right-click, double-click, and more. This level of customization can make a notable difference in efficiency for those who experience physical strain, ultimately allowing small business owners to focus on productivity rather than discomfort. While these updates present compelling benefits, small business owners should also consider potential challenges. Implementing new technologies often requires adjustments and learning curves—something to keep in mind when integrating these features into daily operations. Training employees to effectively utilize these updates can be essential to maximizing their value. Additionally, businesses relying heavily on video marketing must assess their content strategies. While enhanced captions improve accessibility, they may also shift viewer expectations. Companies may need to invest time into ensuring that their videos are not only engaging but also optimized for these new captioning standards. As small business owners further embrace digital platforms, the emphasis on accessibility will likely grow. Ensuring that content is inclusive can also open up new customer bases and foster loyalty among clients who appreciate efforts to improve access. By leveraging features like Expressive Captions and AutoClick, businesses can create a more user-friendly experience across their digital offerings. It’s worth exploring these recent Android enhancements in alignment with your business objectives. As you adapt to these innovations, consider not only the immediate impact on your operations but also the potential for broader market appeal as accessibility becomes a priority in customer engagement. For further details about these updates, you can visit the original press release here. By staying informed and proactive about these changes, small business owners can better position themselves to thrive in an increasingly digital landscape. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Android Enhances YouTube with AI-Powered Expressive Captions and New Mouse Features" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Even in an age when it is rather common to invite people, including leaders, to “bring their whole self to work”, what is actually rewarded at work is being our best self, in the sense of trying to be at the best of our behaviors, and fulfill as much of our potential as we can, as often as possible. Importantly, many if not most people still compartmentalize their personal self as something separate from their work persona or professional self, even if both can co-exist as salient, albeit different, dimensions of their self-concept. Indeed, this aligns with the science of self-complexity, which basically shows that we “inhabit multiple selves”, in the sense that our identity is composed of different roles, habits, and adaptations which are activated as the situation demands, in response of each pertinent or particular environmental requirements. So for instance, even if you adore your boss, it would be unwise to mistake them for your spouse: just because they give you feedback doesn’t mean they want to hear about your weekend argument over who forgot to buy toilet paper, nor should you expect them to give you a gold star for behaving like a functioning adult for eight consecutive hours. Likewise, no matter how warm, empathetic, or inclusive your team may be, your colleagues are unlikely to respond well if you treat a project review like bedtime routine: for example, nobody wants to be tucked in after a PowerPoint or be asked whether they brushed their teeth before updating the CRM. The science of transilience And yet, there are actually some pretty clear benefits in applying certain skills or dispositions from one of your identity dimensions to others, and that includes the surprising potential for transferring parent skills to both management and leadership skills. In fact, there is a powerful but largely unknown science of transilience, the process of extrapolating aspects of one of your roles or self-concept dimensions to others. Recent empirical research validates this intuition with hard data. A study found that leaders who are supportive parents produce measurably better outcomes in their teams: higher employee performance, more voice behavior (employees voluntarily sharing ideas), and greater willingness to cooperate. The mechanism? Experiences of care and emotional support inherently developed in parenting roles transfer directly to leadership effectiveness. Parenting skills, translated Here are five ways in which parenting skills may come in handy to boost your leadership effectiveness: 1. Patience as a performance multiplier: Parenting teaches you very quickly that progress rarely unfolds on your preferred timeline. Toddlers don’t walk when you want them to, teenagers don’t reply to messages when you need them to, and nobody in between ever hurries because you said “please.” Good leaders internalize the same logic. Teams learn at different speeds, projects require repetition, and people need space to make mistakes before they improve. In both domains, impatience is the illusion that reality will adjust to your mood; patience is the skill of adjusting your expectations to reality. Developmental psychology introduces the concept of “scaffolding”: building temporary support structures that help someone achieve just beyond their current level[1]. Good parents instinctively identify their child’s “zone of proximal development” and provide calibrated support. Transformational leaders do the same: they identify where each person is ready to grow, provide coaching without doing the work for them, and gradually step back as competence develops. This requires the same calibrated attunement that parenting demands. 2. Clear boundaries create psychological safety: Parents know that children thrive with consistent expectations and predictable guardrails; ambiguity breeds anxiety and chaos. The same is true at work. Teams feel safer when the rules of engagement are clear, when “no” really means no, and when leaders enforce boundaries reliably rather than arbitrarily. A boundary at home might be a bedtime; a boundary at work might be a deadline. In both settings, structure reduces stress, and consistency builds trust. Our own research in attachment theory predicts that both parents and transformational leaders fulfill two critical functions: they provide a “secure base” from which people can explore confidently, and a “safe haven” to return to when difficulties arise. This isn’t about creating dependency. Studies show that when people feel psychologically secure – knowing support is available if needed – they actually become more autonomous, creative, and willing to take risks. The leader’s availability enables independence, not dependence. 3. Listening beats lecturing: Every parent has learned the hard way that lecturing a child rarely produces enlightenment; it mostly produces eye rolls, resistance, or creative reinterpretations of your instructions. Leadership isn’t much different. People follow more readily when they feel heard, understood, and included in the problem-solving process. Just as a good parent listens to what a child is trying to say, a good leader listens to the concerns behind employees’ objections – because you can’t influence what you haven’t first understood. 4. Modeling behavior is more powerful than mandating it: Children copy what you do, not what you say; telling them to “share nicely” while you shout at traffic sends a very different message. Adults are not immune to this principle. Teams take behavioral cues from leaders: if you stay curious under pressure, they will too; if you treat others with dignity, so will they; if you panic, micromanage, or blame, the contagion spreads instantly. Parenting teaches you that you are always on stage; leadership simply gives you a bigger audience. 5. Encouragement fuels growth more than criticism: Parents quickly discover that reinforcing effort — not just outcomes — keeps children motivated and resilient. The same dynamic applies to adults: people double down on behaviors that are noticed and valued. A leader who acknowledges small wins, progress, and perseverance cultivates a culture where people want to stretch themselves. Think of encouragement as the organizational equivalent of the proud “look what you built!” moment with a child – a small gesture that accelerates confidence, capability, and engagement. The bad parenting connection Perhaps more obviously, there are some clear parallels between bad leadership and bad parenting. Here are some rather striking similarities: 1. The “Because I said so” manager: Just as authoritarian parents shut down questions with rigid commands, authoritarian leaders mistake obedience for alignment. They confuse compliance with commitment and then wonder why nobody shows initiative. 2. The inconsistent rule-setter: Parents who punish a behavior one day and ignore it the next produce anxious, confused children. Leaders who do the same create cultures where people waste more energy interpreting the boss’s mood than doing their actual job. 3. The distracted, phone-addicted caregiver: A parent who nods absentmindedly while scrolling sends a clear message: “I’m here, but not really.” Leaders who multitask through meetings, check emails while someone speaks, or “listen” with one AirPod in convey the same emotional absenteeism. 4. The praise-inflation expert: Some parents shower children with empty praise to avoid conflict; the workplace equivalent is the leader who never gives honest feedback, inflating performance reviews until they become meaningless. In both scenarios, reality eventually delivers the correction the adult avoided giving. 5. The helicopter micromanager: Just as hovering parents undermine a child’s autonomy and problem-solving skills, micromanaging leaders suffocate initiative. Both end up producing dependency, resentment, and a deep fear of making mistakes, which ironically reinforces the very behavior they complain about. A rich laboratory In the end, parenting offers an unusually rich laboratory for understanding human behavior, motivation, and development, precisely the same ingredients that make leadership effective. What parents learn through necessity, leaders can apply with intention: patience, boundaries, attentive listening, behavioral modeling, and encouragement are not “soft skills” but core mechanisms for eliciting growth in others. And the darker sides of parenting (inconsistency, distraction, micromanagement, avoidance) map almost perfectly onto the classic derailers of bad leadership. The parallels aren’t coincidental; they reflect universal principles of how humans respond to authority, structure, and care. Multiple streams of research now converge on this point. Studies demonstrate that parenting and transformational leadership share core psychological processes: both develop through creating secure bases for exploration, both transfer caregiving orientations across domains, and both produce similar developmental outcomes in their “followers”, whether children or employees. The science is clear: this isn’t metaphor, it’s measured mechanism. This is why transilience matters: the ability to draw on one dimension of the self to enrich another is a feature, not a flaw, of our complex identities. Rather than pretending our roles exist in sealed compartments, we are better off asking what each role teaches us about being more effective, more humane, and more self-aware in the others. Parenting doesn’t make you a leader, but it can make you a better one — if you’re willing to notice the patterns, learn from the mistakes, and apply the lessons where they matter most: not just at home, and not just at work, but across the full constellation of selves that make you who you are. That doesn’t mean, of course, that the next time you interview for a leadership role you should brag about being a parent, or showcase the number of children you have as evidence of managerial brilliance. Most people are still unaware of transilience and the value of transferring skills from one identity domain to another, so the connection will likely be lost on them. Still, the real advantage lies not in announcing your parental status but in internalizing the lessons it quietly teaches: managing emotions under pressure, nurturing growth, setting boundaries, and modeling the behavior you hope to inspire. These are not résumé lines; they are capabilities that, when consciously activated, enhance your effectiveness as a leader far more than any abstract leadership competency model ever could. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The rugged 49mm Apple Watch Ultra 2 with GPS and Cellular is down to a record-low $549 (originally $760), making it a notably lower entry point for Apple’s most durable smartwatch—and the perfect time to invest in this adventure-ready tech wearable. 49mm Apple Watch Ultra 2 with GPS and Cellular $549.00 at Amazon $760.47 Save $211.47 Get Deal Get Deal $549.00 at Amazon $760.47 Save $211.47 Powered by Apple’s S9 chip, it’s faster, larger, and more responsive than the original. A new “double tap” gesture lets wearers control the watch with their thumb and index finger to answer calls, control music, and more, which is helpful when one hand is occupied. It has a 3,000-nit display (50% brighter than its predecessor), making it easier to read in sunlight and improving visibility for small text, the compass, and the built-in flashlight. Everything is housed within a durable titanium case. This model comes with an Alpine Loop band, a lightweight nylon weave ideal for outdoor adventures. The Ultra 2 has three microphones, dual speakers, an 86-decibel emergency siren, and an underwater depth gauge of up to 40 meters compared to the Series 10’s six meters. It also supports altitudes up to 9,000 meters, compared to the predecessor’s 3,000-meter limit. According to PCMag, real-world battery testing yielded around 55 hours on a full charge, despite brightness updates—almost an entire day longer than the Apple Watch Series 10. Along with the usual stats and fitness tracking, this OS offers many preinstalled health, fitness, safety, and lifestyle tools, including sleep apnea notifications, blood oxygen readings, and training insights. If you want a bright, long-lasting, and durable smartwatch built for outdoor use with comprehensive fitness tracking and access to a wide range of Apple and third-party apps, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 with GPS and Cellular is a capable choice, especially at the current discount. However, if you don’t plan to use it much for outdoor activities and its many features, the cheaper Apple Watch Series 10 at under $400 may be sufficient. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $219.99 (List Price $249.00) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $279.00 (List Price $349.00) Sony WH-1000XM5 — $278.00 (List Price $399.99) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Graphite) — $149.99 (List Price $219.99) Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant — $329.00 (List Price $429.00) Blink Outdoor 4 1080p 3-Camera Kit With Sync Module Core — $74.99 (List Price $189.99) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — $29.99 (List Price $49.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

Including the five stages of an inbound marketing funnel. By August Aquila MAX: Maximize Productivity, Profitability and Client Retention Go PRO for members-only access to more August J. Aquila. View the full article

Including the five stages of an inbound marketing funnel. By August Aquila MAX: Maximize Productivity, Profitability and Client Retention Go PRO for members-only access to more August J. Aquila. View the full article

Google is rolling out Preferred Sources globally after launching the feature in the US and India last August. Plus, Google announced a new feature Spotlighting subscriptions that highlights links from your news subscriptions within Gemini and will later come to Google Search via AI Overviewa and AI Mode. Preferred Sources. Preferred sources let searchers star sources within the Top Stories section of Google Search, and then Google will use that information to show more stories from that starred source. It was in beta in June and then rolled old in the US and India in August. It is now rolling out globally. Robby Stein, VP of Product, Google Search, wrote, “We’re now launching this feature globally: in the coming days, it will be available for English-language users worldwide, and we’ll roll it out to all supported languages early next year.” “People have selected a wide range of preferred sources — nearly 90,000 unique sources, from local blogs to global news outlets,” he added. Google told me that when someone picks a preferred source, they click to that site twice as much on average. How it works. You click the starred icon to the right of the Top Stories header in the search results. After you click the star icon, you will have the option to select your preferred sources, that is if a site is publishing fresh content. Google will then start to show you more of the latest updates from your selected sites in Top Stories “when they have new articles or posts that are relevant to your search,” Google added Spotlighting subscriptions. Google also announced Spotlighing subscriptions, it is a new feature that highlights links from your news subscriptions, “making it easier to spot content from sources you trust and helping you get more value from your subscriptions.” Google said it will also prioritize links from your subscribed publications, and show these links in a dedicated carousel. This is first coming to the Gemini app in the coming weeks, with AI Overviews and AI Mode to follow. Why we care. Top Stories can send nice traffic to publishers, so showing up as the preferred source can be a great way to see that traffic. You may want to find an acceptable way to encourage your loyal visitors to select your site as a preferred source, such as add icons to your site and newsletter informing readers they can star your site. Hopefully, this helps the publishing community find more traffic and revenue opportunities. View the full article

Google is updating the links within AI Mode to encourage searchers to click on those links. Google also expanded its Web Guides labs test to the all tab, you still need to opt-in to the experiment. Links in AI Mode. Robby Stein, VP of Product, Google Search, wrote, “We’re increasing the number of inline links in AI Mode, and updating the design of those links to make them more useful.” We’ve seen Google testing variations of inline links and contextual links in AI Mode and Google is now releasing some of those user experiences. Robby Stein told us in August Google would be releasing some of these features and here they are. Google is also adding contextual introductions to embedded links in AI Mode responses. These contextual introductions are short statements that explain why a link might be helpful to visit. Here is what it looks like: Expanding Web Guide to all tab. Google initially rolled out the Web Guide feature in Google Search under the “web” tab for those who opt into the search experiment. Now, this is rolling out to the “all” tab within Google Search. You still need to be in the search experiment but it is now available in the “all” tab. We actually saw Google testing Web Guide in the all tab earlier and now it is officially happening. Google wrote, “We’ve heard positive feedback from users and websites about Web Guide, which helps people find links they may not have previously discovered and uses AI to organize links into helpful topic groups.” Google also updated Web Guide to make it twice as fast, the search company said. What is Web Guide. Google explained that Web Guide groups web links in helpful ways. It can take pages related to specific aspects of your query and group them in sections. “Web Guide uses a custom version of Gemini to better understand both a search query and content on the web, creating more powerful search capabilities that better surface web pages you may not have previously discovered,” Google told me. Web Guide also uses a query fan-out technique, like Google does with AI Mode, concurrently issuing multiple related searches to identify the most relevant results. Why we care. Encouraging clicks from Google’s AI experiences, like AI Mode and AI Overviews is very much welcomed. We hope these lead to more traffic to publishers and websites. Web Guide is also an experience that many in the search marketing community appreciate. We hope Google finds a way to roll out this experience without having to opt-in via the Search Labs. View the full article

Your team has to talk to them every day. By Jody Padar Radical Pricing – By The Radical CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Jody Padar. View the full article

Your team has to talk to them every day. By Jody Padar Radical Pricing – By The Radical CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Jody Padar. View the full article

Five ways to reassure both regulators and donors. By Ed Mendlowitz 77 Ways to Wow! Go PRO for members-only access to more Edward Mendlowitz. View the full article

Five ways to reassure both regulators and donors. By Ed Mendlowitz 77 Ways to Wow! Go PRO for members-only access to more Edward Mendlowitz. View the full article

YouTube is rolling out new ad features for Shorts aimed at helping brands stretch their holiday marketing budgets — and capitalize on short-form video momentum. What’s new: Comments on Shorts ads: Advertisers can now enable comments on eligible Shorts ads, bringing the ad experience closer to organic content and creating new avenues for real-time audience engagement. Creator links to brand sites: Shorts creators posting branded content can now link directly to a brand’s website — giving viewers a seamless path from discovery to action. Shorts ads on mobile web: YouTube is expanding Shorts ad placement to the mobile web, adding another surface to reach viewers as they bounce between devices — from TV to desktop to mobile apps. Why we care. These updates make Shorts ads feel more interactive, more native and more actionable — three things that directly improve performance in a crowded holiday season. Comment-enabled ads boost engagement signals and help brands understand audience reactions in real time. Creator link-outs shorten the path from discovery to purchase, turning creator influence into measurable traffic. And expanded placement on mobile web means more reach during the busiest shopping months of the year. The big picture. With more consumers watching short-form video across screens, YouTube is positioning Shorts as the platform that pairs creator authenticity with measurable performance — a pitch aimed squarely at holiday-focused advertisers. What’s next. Advertisers could benefit from YouTube’s more interactive, creator-friendly Shorts ads by helping to cut through the noise — and convert attention into holiday sales. View the full article

Netflix's January lineup is on the lighter side, but includes the return of period romance series Bridgerton (Jan. 29). Season four centers on Benedict, the second-eldest sibling, and Sophie, who he meets at Lady Bridgerton’s masquerade ball. The first four episodes drop in January, with the remaining four coming at the end of February. Another original series worth watching is Agatha Christie's Seven Dials (Jan. 15), an adaptation of crime author's novel The Seven Dials Mystery. Mia McKenna-Bruce plays sleuth Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent, who is attempting to solve a murder mystery at a country house party in 1920s England. Martin Freeman and Helena Bonham Carter also star. On the film side, rom-com People We Meet on Vacation (Jan. 9) is an adaptation of Emily Henry's novel of the same name and stars Tom Blyth and Emily Bader. The Rip (Jan. 16) is an action thriller starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon as Miami cops who discover millions of dollars in cash at a stash house. Netflix is also releasing true crime documentary Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart (Jan. 21) about the 2002 abduction of the 14-year-old from her home in Salt Lake City, and her return several years later. In addition to hosting WWE's Monday Night Raw every week, Netflix is also streaming Skyscraper Live (Jan. 23), in which free solo climber Alex Honnold will attempt one of the world's tallest skyscrapers in Taipei, Taiwan. Here's everything else coming to Netflix in January, and everything that's leaving. What's coming to Netflix in January 2026Coming soonFree Bert—Netflix Series Take That—Netflix Documentary Undercover Miss Hong—Netflix Series Available January 1Dr. Seuss’s Red Fish, Blue Fish: Season 2—Netflix Family Love from 9 to 5—Netflix Series My Korean Boyfriend—Netflix Series Run Away—Netflix Series Time Flies—Netflix Series 12 Years a Slave 30 Minutes or Less Becky Brüno Colombiana Conan the Destroyer Dawn of the Dead Despicable Me Despicable Me 2 District 9 Dune Erin Brockovich Falling Skies: Seasons 1-5 Forever My Girl Free Solo Ghostbusters: Answer the Call Green Room Harry and the Hendersons Hellboy Johnny Mnemonic Just Go With It Lone Survivor Man on Fire Monty Python's The Meaning of Life My Girl Only the Brave Pitch Perfect Priscilla Twins Wild Things Available January 2Found: Seasons 1-2 Land of Sin—Netflix Series Available January 3The Following: Seasons 1-3 Available January 5Monday Night Raw: 2026—Netflix Live Event Available January 6Pokémon Horizons: Season 3 - Rising Hope Part 1—Netflix Family Available January 711.22.63: Season 1 Marcello Hernández: American Boy—Netflix Comedy Special Unlocked: A Jail Experiment: Season 2—Netflix Series Available January 8HIS & HERS—Netflix Series Love Is Blind: Germany: Season 2—Netflix Series Available January 9Alpha Males: Season 4—Netflix Series People We Meet on Vacation—Netflix Film Prodigal Son: Seasons 1-2 Stone Cold Fox The Threesome Available January 12Monday Night Raw: 2026—Netflix Live Event Available January 13The Boyfriend: Season 2—Netflix Series Available January 14The Queen of Flow: Season 3 Veronica Mars: Seasons 1-3 Available January 15Agatha Christie's Seven Dials—Netflix Series Bone Lake Love Through a Prism—Netflix Series The Upshaws: Part 7—Netflix Series To Love, To Lose—Netflix Series Available January 16Can This Love Be Translated?—Netflix Series No Tail to Tell—Netflix Series Southland: Seasons 1-5 The Rip—Netflix Film Available January 19Monday Night Raw: 2026—Netflix Live Event Sandokan: Season 1 Available January 20Just a Dash: Seasons 1-3 Rizzoli & Isles: Seasons 1-7 Star Search—Netflix Live Event WWE: Unreal: Season 2—Netflix Sports Series Available January 21Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart—Netflix Documentary Available January 22Cosmic Princess Kaguya!—Netflix Film Finding Her Edge—Netflix Series Available January 23Skyscraper Live—Netflix Live Event The Big Fake—Netflix Film Available January 26Monday Night Raw: 2026—Netflix Live Event My Sesame Street Friends: My Sesame Music Available January 27Mike Epps: Delusional—Netflix Comedy Special Available January 29Bridgerton: Season 4 Part 1—Netflix Series What's leaving Netflix in January 2026Leaving January 1Agatha Christie's Crooked House Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Baby Driver Blue Beetle Blue Crush Blue Streak Captain Phillips Clear and Present Danger Coach Carter Crazy Rich Asians Death Becomes Her Dirty Dancing Doctor Sleep Don't Worry Darling Dreamgirls Fifty Shades Darker Fifty Shades Freed Fifty Shades of Grey G.I. Joe: Retaliation G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Ghost The Goonies The Hangover The Hangover: Part II The Hangover: Part III How to Be Single I Love You, Man Isn't It Romantic Kung Fu Panda Kung Fu Panda 2 Kung Fu Panda 3 Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life Lara Croft: Tomb Raider Life of the Party Lost: Seasons 1-6 Mad Max: Fury Road The Martian The Mask Meet Joe Black Ocean's 8 Runaway Bride Scarface Star Trek Star Trek Beyond Star Trek Into Darkness The Sweetest Thing Taxi Driver Training Day Zero Dark Thirty Leaving January 2Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story Leaving January 3Mr. Robot: Seasons 1-4 Leaving January 9Maze Runner: Death Cure Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials The Maze Runner Leaving January 16Confessions of a Shopaholic Leaving January 18Donnie Darko Leaving January 23House of Lies: Seasons 1-5 Leaving January 29Prison Break: Seasons 1-5 View the full article

Rejoice, New Year’s dieters: Oreos are getting a sugar-free option. Mondelez said Tuesday that Oreo Zero Sugar and Oreo Double Stuf Zero Sugar will go on sale in the U.S. in January. They’re a permanent addition to the company’s Oreo lineup. It’s the first time Mondelez has sold sugar-free Oreos in the U.S. They’re already sold in Europe and China, the company said. Mondelez said consumers are increasingly seeking what it calls “mindful indulgence,” and the new Oreos will fill an existing gap in the market for sugar-free sandwich cookies. Others have also noted the trend toward healthier snacks. In a report earlier this year, the market research company Circana found that a majority of Americans are seeking out snacks they consider “good for them.” Conagra Brands, which makes popcorn and Slim Jim meat snacks, said in a recent snacking report that Millennials and Generation Z consumers, in particular, are seeking portion-controlled and wellness-focused snacks. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, which was introduced in 2017, saw sales jump 9% last year, while original Coke sales grew just 2%. Mondelez is also facing competition from Hershey, which sells zero sugar versions of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and other candies, and Voortman, a sugar-free wafer cookie brand. Mondelez said it spent four years developing no-sugar Oreos so it could ensure the cookies still tasted like the originals. For sweetening, the Oreos contain maltitol, a type of sugar alcohol that’s also found in some fruits and vegetables; polydextrose, a soluble fiber; sucralose, a sweetener derived from sugar; and acesulfame potassium, a synthetic sweetener. Comparing the nutrition data on Zero Sugar and regular Oreos is tricky, since the serving sizes differ. A serving of Oreo Zero Sugar cookies, which is defined as 22.6 grams, has 90 calories, 4.5 grams of fat and 16 grams of carbohydrates. A serving of regular Oreos, which is defined as three cookies or 34 grams, has 160 calories, 7 grams of fat and 25 grams of carbohydrates. The biggest difference: a serving of regular Oreos contains 13 grams of added sugars, or 26% of the recommended daily amount. Zero Sugar Oreos contain none. —Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Business Writer View the full article

In product design and prototyping, using the right tools can greatly improve your workflow and outcomes. Tools like Sketch allow for detailed vector-based designs, whereas Adobe XD facilitates the creation of high-fidelity prototypes. Figma stands out for its real-time collaboration features, enabling teams to work seamlessly together. Each tool serves a specific purpose, from wireframing to handoff, ensuring a thorough design process. Grasping these tools will help you streamline your projects and improve overall efficiency. Key Takeaways Utilize Sketch for vector-based design and reusable elements to enhance consistency and efficiency in product design. Leverage Adobe XD for advanced prototyping and seamless integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud tools. Explore Figma’s real-time collaboration features to streamline design workflows and improve team communication. Implement InVision for interactive prototypes and user testing to gather feedback and refine designs effectively. Consider using Zeplin to facilitate smooth handoff between designers and developers with organized documentation and accurate specifications. Sketch Sketch stands out as a crucial tool for product designers, thanks to its vector-based design capabilities and user-friendly interface. You’ll find that Sketch simplifies industrial design prototyping through its reusable design elements, which improve consistency across various projects. This feature greatly boosts efficiency, allowing you to focus on creating high-quality user interfaces. Collaboration is seamless, too, as Sketch supports numerous plugins and integrations that facilitate teamwork. Moreover, its version control features enable you to track changes and revert to previous iterations when needed, ensuring you maintain the integrity of your designs. With a pricing model starting at $10 per month, Sketch is accessible for both individual designers and larger teams, making it a valuable asset for product design and prototyping. Adobe XD Adobe XD stands out as a robust UI/UX design tool, particularly as a result of its seamless integration with the Adobe Creative Cloud, which allows you to improve your workflow using familiar software. With advanced prototyping features, you can create high-fidelity prototypes that truly reflect your design vision, making it easier to present ideas to clients or stakeholders. This combination of integration and capabilities not just streamlines your design process but additionally encourages collaboration within your team. Seamless Creative Cloud Integration When you’re looking to improve your design workflow, integrating seamlessly with Creative Cloud can make all the difference. Adobe XD allows you to easily pull in assets from Photoshop and Illustrator, ensuring you have high-quality graphics at your fingertips. With access to your Creative Cloud libraries, you can quickly incorporate images and design elements into your projects. You can likewise export elements from Adobe XD to other Adobe tools for additional editing, promoting efficiency. Real-time collaboration features enable your team to share and review designs instantly, speeding up feedback and iteration processes. Plus, Adobe XD supports integration with third-party applications like Slack and Jira, enhancing communication and project management within the Creative Cloud environment. Advanced Prototyping Features As design projects evolve, the ability to create advanced prototypes becomes crucial for effective user experience testing. Adobe XD offers features like responsive resizing, which helps you adapt designs for different screen sizes effortlessly. The auto-animate function allows you to create interactive prototypes by smoothly shifting between artboards, enhancing user engagement. Moreover, integrated voice prototyping lets you include voice commands for more natural interactions. Collaboration tools enable real-time feedback from team members, allowing simultaneous comments and edits on prototypes. These features streamline your workflow and improve design outcomes. Feature Description Responsive Resizing Adapts designs to various screen sizes easily Auto-Animate Animates shifts between artboards seamlessly Voice Prototyping Incorporates voice commands for natural interactions Real-Time Collaboration Enables simultaneous feedback from team members Figma Figma is a strong cloud-based design tool that transforms the way teams collaborate on product design. With real-time collaboration, you and your teammates can work on the same design file simultaneously, regardless of your locations. Figma offers a free plan, making it accessible for teams of various sizes, whereas paid plans start at $12 per editor per month when billed annually. Its features, like whiteboarding, note-taking, and user flow creation, improve your planning process and streamline workflows. The auto-layout feature automatically adjusts design elements as changes are made, saving you time during iterations. Furthermore, Figma integrates seamlessly with various third-party tools, allowing you to connect your work with project management, prototyping, and analytics platforms for enhanced efficiency. InVision InVision stands out as a thorough digital product design platform that enhances the design process from ideation to realization. With its interactive prototyping capabilities, you can create engaging designs that resonate with users. The platform’s real-time collaboration features allow team members to comment and provide feedback directly on designs, streamlining communication effectively. You can additionally conduct user testing, gathering valuable feedback to refine your prototypes based on actual interactions. InVision integrates seamlessly with tools like Sketch and Photoshop, enhancing your workflow. Its mighty version control system guarantees everyone works on the latest design iterations, minimizing confusion. Feature Benefit Tool Integration Interactive Prototyping Engaging user experience Sketch, Photoshop Real-time Collaboration Streamlined feedback Slack, Jira User Testing Informed adjustments UserTesting.com Version Control Improved project management N/A Proto.io Proto.io is a versatile web-based prototyping tool that empowers designers to create high-fidelity prototypes without any coding knowledge, making it an ideal choice for users of all skill levels. With a 15-day free trial and paid plans starting at $24 per month, you gain access to a vast library of templates, digital assets, and UI components, allowing for rapid design. Here are three key features that improve your prototyping experience: Micro Animations: Create interactive prototypes that simulate real app usage, enhancing user engagement. User Testing: Collect feedback directly within the prototype, facilitating an iterative design process. Collaboration Tools: Seamlessly integrate with various design tools, streamlining teamwork and design workflows. Axure RP When you need a potent tool for creating interactive prototypes, Axure RP stands out with its advanced features that cater to designers seeking to build dynamic content and incorporate conditional logic. This tool allows you to create detailed wireframes, user flows, and thorough specifications, making it ideal for teams that value meticulous documentation. Collaboration becomes seamless as team members can comment on prototypes in real-time, enhancing feedback and iteration processes. Furthermore, Axure RP integrates well with popular project management and design tools, streamlining workflows and ensuring effective communication between design and development teams. With pricing starting at $29 per user per month and a 30-day free trial available, you can easily explore its extensive functionalities before committing. Marvel Marvel serves as a strong cloud-based prototyping tool that simplifies the shift from design to interactive prototype without requiring any coding skills. It’s particularly beneficial for both beginners and experienced designers, offering a user-friendly interface and powerful features. Here are three key benefits of using Marvel: User Testing: You can gather feedback directly within the prototype, making it easier to iterate based on user insights. Marvel: Marvel provides an extensive library of templates and digital assets, which speeds up the design process and improves creativity. Collaboration: Multiple team members can work simultaneously, facilitating real-time feedback and revisions, ensuring everyone stays aligned. With these features, Marvel streamlines your prototyping efforts effectively. Balsamiq Shifting from interactive prototypes to wireframing, Balsamiq stands out as a potent tool designed for creating low-fidelity mockups that prioritize usability. Its drag-and-drop interface simplifies the design process, making it accessible for beginners. You can quickly iterate on designs, thanks to a library of pre-built UI components that streamline assembly. Collaborating with teams becomes seamless as Balsamiq allows for easy sharing of wireframes, enhancing communication and feedback. Feature Description Low-Fidelity Mockups Focus on usability over aesthetics Drag-and-Drop Simple interface for rapid design iterations Collaboration Share wireframes for team feedback With a free trial and plans starting at just $9/month, Balsamiq is an affordable option for individuals and teams. Zeplin Zeplin simplifies the handoff process between designers and developers, making it easier for your team to work together effectively. By integrating with tools like Sketch and Figma, it provides organized documentation and automatically generates style guides that guarantee consistency in your projects. This improved collaboration reduces misunderstandings and keeps your development process on track. Streamlined Handoff Process When teams collaborate on product design, a streamlined handoff process is vital for ensuring that both designers and developers are on the same page. Zeplin simplifies this process by providing accurate specifications and style guides, making implementation straightforward. Here are three key benefits of using Zeplin: Seamless Integration: It works well with popular design tools like Sketch, Adobe XD, and Figma, ensuring smooth shifts. Version Control: You can manage changes effectively, which helps maintain project consistency throughout its lifecycle. Automatic Asset Generation: Zeplin reduces time spent on manual exports, improving overall workflow efficiency. Enhanced Team Collaboration How can teams improve collaboration throughout the product design process? Zeplin offers a solution by streamlining the handoff between designers and developers. It generates detailed specs, style guides, and assets, ensuring accurate implementation of design elements. By integrating seamlessly with tools like Sketch, Adobe XD, and Figma, Zeplin boosts collaboration across various teams. Its version control feature allows you to manage changes efficiently, maintaining alignment throughout the design and development lifecycle. Moreover, the real-time collaboration tools reduce misunderstandings, promoting better communication between designers and developers. By simplifying the sharing of design specifications, Zeplin saves time on handoffs and improves overall workflow efficiency, in the end improving project outcomes and team productivity. Framer Framer is an essential no-code design tool that empowers you to create interactive prototypes quickly and efficiently. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, you can manipulate elements and design complex layouts without needing extensive coding knowledge. Here are three key features of Framer: Real-Time Collaboration: Work alongside your team members in real-time, enhancing teamwork and speeding up design iterations. Responsive Design: Guarantee your prototypes seamlessly adapt to various devices and screen sizes, making them accessible to all users. Pre-Built Components: Access a library of templates and components to streamline your design process, guaranteeing visual consistency across projects. Frequently Asked Questions Which Tool Is Best for Prototyping? When choosing the best tool for prototyping, consider your specific needs. Figma thrives in real-time collaboration, making it perfect for remote teams. Adobe XD offers responsive resizing for various screen sizes, whereas Proto.io provides a rich asset library for high-fidelity prototypes without coding. For complex projects, Axure RP’s dynamic content features are beneficial. If you need quick feedback, Marvel simplifies the process through integrated user testing, allowing for faster design validation. What Tool Is Used for Product Design? For product design, you’ll often turn to tools like Figma, Adobe XD, and Sketch. Figma’s cloud-based features allow real-time collaboration, whereas Adobe XD stands out in creating high-fidelity prototypes with interactive elements. If you’re a Mac user, Sketch offers a user-friendly interface with extensive plugin support. Each tool has unique strengths, so consider your specific needs and team dynamics when choosing the right one for your product design process. What Are Two Key Elements of Successful Prototyping? Two key elements of successful prototyping are swift iteration and user testing. Swift iteration allows you to refine designs quickly, minimizing costly changes later. User testing provides valuable feedback, helping you validate assumptions about functionality and user experience. What Is the Best Tool for Both UI and UX? The best tool for both UI and UX design is Figma. Its cloud-based platform supports real-time collaboration, allowing your team to work on design files simultaneously. Figma’s features include auto-layout for responsive designs and easy-to-share prototypes for stakeholder feedback. With a free plan and affordable paid options, it suits teams of all sizes. Its extensive plugin library and integration with popular applications improve your workflow, making it a versatile choice for design projects. Conclusion In summary, leveraging the right tools can markedly improve your product design and prototyping efforts. Whether you choose Sketch for vector design, Adobe XD for high-fidelity prototypes, or Figma for collaborative work, each tool offers unique advantages. Incorporating platforms like InVision or Proto.io for interactive prototypes, and using Zeplin for efficient handoff to developers, guarantees a streamlined process. By utilizing these crucial tools, you can nurture innovation, improve workflow efficiency, and in the end create successful products. Image via Google Gemini This article, "10 Essential Tools for Product Design and Prototyping Success" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

In product design and prototyping, using the right tools can greatly improve your workflow and outcomes. Tools like Sketch allow for detailed vector-based designs, whereas Adobe XD facilitates the creation of high-fidelity prototypes. Figma stands out for its real-time collaboration features, enabling teams to work seamlessly together. Each tool serves a specific purpose, from wireframing to handoff, ensuring a thorough design process. Grasping these tools will help you streamline your projects and improve overall efficiency. Key Takeaways Utilize Sketch for vector-based design and reusable elements to enhance consistency and efficiency in product design. Leverage Adobe XD for advanced prototyping and seamless integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud tools. Explore Figma’s real-time collaboration features to streamline design workflows and improve team communication. Implement InVision for interactive prototypes and user testing to gather feedback and refine designs effectively. Consider using Zeplin to facilitate smooth handoff between designers and developers with organized documentation and accurate specifications. Sketch Sketch stands out as a crucial tool for product designers, thanks to its vector-based design capabilities and user-friendly interface. You’ll find that Sketch simplifies industrial design prototyping through its reusable design elements, which improve consistency across various projects. This feature greatly boosts efficiency, allowing you to focus on creating high-quality user interfaces. Collaboration is seamless, too, as Sketch supports numerous plugins and integrations that facilitate teamwork. Moreover, its version control features enable you to track changes and revert to previous iterations when needed, ensuring you maintain the integrity of your designs. With a pricing model starting at $10 per month, Sketch is accessible for both individual designers and larger teams, making it a valuable asset for product design and prototyping. Adobe XD Adobe XD stands out as a robust UI/UX design tool, particularly as a result of its seamless integration with the Adobe Creative Cloud, which allows you to improve your workflow using familiar software. With advanced prototyping features, you can create high-fidelity prototypes that truly reflect your design vision, making it easier to present ideas to clients or stakeholders. This combination of integration and capabilities not just streamlines your design process but additionally encourages collaboration within your team. Seamless Creative Cloud Integration When you’re looking to improve your design workflow, integrating seamlessly with Creative Cloud can make all the difference. Adobe XD allows you to easily pull in assets from Photoshop and Illustrator, ensuring you have high-quality graphics at your fingertips. With access to your Creative Cloud libraries, you can quickly incorporate images and design elements into your projects. You can likewise export elements from Adobe XD to other Adobe tools for additional editing, promoting efficiency. Real-time collaboration features enable your team to share and review designs instantly, speeding up feedback and iteration processes. Plus, Adobe XD supports integration with third-party applications like Slack and Jira, enhancing communication and project management within the Creative Cloud environment. Advanced Prototyping Features As design projects evolve, the ability to create advanced prototypes becomes crucial for effective user experience testing. Adobe XD offers features like responsive resizing, which helps you adapt designs for different screen sizes effortlessly. The auto-animate function allows you to create interactive prototypes by smoothly shifting between artboards, enhancing user engagement. Moreover, integrated voice prototyping lets you include voice commands for more natural interactions. Collaboration tools enable real-time feedback from team members, allowing simultaneous comments and edits on prototypes. These features streamline your workflow and improve design outcomes. Feature Description Responsive Resizing Adapts designs to various screen sizes easily Auto-Animate Animates shifts between artboards seamlessly Voice Prototyping Incorporates voice commands for natural interactions Real-Time Collaboration Enables simultaneous feedback from team members Figma Figma is a strong cloud-based design tool that transforms the way teams collaborate on product design. With real-time collaboration, you and your teammates can work on the same design file simultaneously, regardless of your locations. Figma offers a free plan, making it accessible for teams of various sizes, whereas paid plans start at $12 per editor per month when billed annually. Its features, like whiteboarding, note-taking, and user flow creation, improve your planning process and streamline workflows. The auto-layout feature automatically adjusts design elements as changes are made, saving you time during iterations. Furthermore, Figma integrates seamlessly with various third-party tools, allowing you to connect your work with project management, prototyping, and analytics platforms for enhanced efficiency. InVision InVision stands out as a thorough digital product design platform that enhances the design process from ideation to realization. With its interactive prototyping capabilities, you can create engaging designs that resonate with users. The platform’s real-time collaboration features allow team members to comment and provide feedback directly on designs, streamlining communication effectively. You can additionally conduct user testing, gathering valuable feedback to refine your prototypes based on actual interactions. InVision integrates seamlessly with tools like Sketch and Photoshop, enhancing your workflow. Its mighty version control system guarantees everyone works on the latest design iterations, minimizing confusion. Feature Benefit Tool Integration Interactive Prototyping Engaging user experience Sketch, Photoshop Real-time Collaboration Streamlined feedback Slack, Jira User Testing Informed adjustments UserTesting.com Version Control Improved project management N/A Proto.io Proto.io is a versatile web-based prototyping tool that empowers designers to create high-fidelity prototypes without any coding knowledge, making it an ideal choice for users of all skill levels. With a 15-day free trial and paid plans starting at $24 per month, you gain access to a vast library of templates, digital assets, and UI components, allowing for rapid design. Here are three key features that improve your prototyping experience: Micro Animations: Create interactive prototypes that simulate real app usage, enhancing user engagement. User Testing: Collect feedback directly within the prototype, facilitating an iterative design process. Collaboration Tools: Seamlessly integrate with various design tools, streamlining teamwork and design workflows. Axure RP When you need a potent tool for creating interactive prototypes, Axure RP stands out with its advanced features that cater to designers seeking to build dynamic content and incorporate conditional logic. This tool allows you to create detailed wireframes, user flows, and thorough specifications, making it ideal for teams that value meticulous documentation. Collaboration becomes seamless as team members can comment on prototypes in real-time, enhancing feedback and iteration processes. Furthermore, Axure RP integrates well with popular project management and design tools, streamlining workflows and ensuring effective communication between design and development teams. With pricing starting at $29 per user per month and a 30-day free trial available, you can easily explore its extensive functionalities before committing. Marvel Marvel serves as a strong cloud-based prototyping tool that simplifies the shift from design to interactive prototype without requiring any coding skills. It’s particularly beneficial for both beginners and experienced designers, offering a user-friendly interface and powerful features. Here are three key benefits of using Marvel: User Testing: You can gather feedback directly within the prototype, making it easier to iterate based on user insights. Marvel: Marvel provides an extensive library of templates and digital assets, which speeds up the design process and improves creativity. Collaboration: Multiple team members can work simultaneously, facilitating real-time feedback and revisions, ensuring everyone stays aligned. With these features, Marvel streamlines your prototyping efforts effectively. Balsamiq Shifting from interactive prototypes to wireframing, Balsamiq stands out as a potent tool designed for creating low-fidelity mockups that prioritize usability. Its drag-and-drop interface simplifies the design process, making it accessible for beginners. You can quickly iterate on designs, thanks to a library of pre-built UI components that streamline assembly. Collaborating with teams becomes seamless as Balsamiq allows for easy sharing of wireframes, enhancing communication and feedback. Feature Description Low-Fidelity Mockups Focus on usability over aesthetics Drag-and-Drop Simple interface for rapid design iterations Collaboration Share wireframes for team feedback With a free trial and plans starting at just $9/month, Balsamiq is an affordable option for individuals and teams. Zeplin Zeplin simplifies the handoff process between designers and developers, making it easier for your team to work together effectively. By integrating with tools like Sketch and Figma, it provides organized documentation and automatically generates style guides that guarantee consistency in your projects. This improved collaboration reduces misunderstandings and keeps your development process on track. Streamlined Handoff Process When teams collaborate on product design, a streamlined handoff process is vital for ensuring that both designers and developers are on the same page. Zeplin simplifies this process by providing accurate specifications and style guides, making implementation straightforward. Here are three key benefits of using Zeplin: Seamless Integration: It works well with popular design tools like Sketch, Adobe XD, and Figma, ensuring smooth shifts. Version Control: You can manage changes effectively, which helps maintain project consistency throughout its lifecycle. Automatic Asset Generation: Zeplin reduces time spent on manual exports, improving overall workflow efficiency. Enhanced Team Collaboration How can teams improve collaboration throughout the product design process? Zeplin offers a solution by streamlining the handoff between designers and developers. It generates detailed specs, style guides, and assets, ensuring accurate implementation of design elements. By integrating seamlessly with tools like Sketch, Adobe XD, and Figma, Zeplin boosts collaboration across various teams. Its version control feature allows you to manage changes efficiently, maintaining alignment throughout the design and development lifecycle. Moreover, the real-time collaboration tools reduce misunderstandings, promoting better communication between designers and developers. By simplifying the sharing of design specifications, Zeplin saves time on handoffs and improves overall workflow efficiency, in the end improving project outcomes and team productivity. Framer Framer is an essential no-code design tool that empowers you to create interactive prototypes quickly and efficiently. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, you can manipulate elements and design complex layouts without needing extensive coding knowledge. Here are three key features of Framer: Real-Time Collaboration: Work alongside your team members in real-time, enhancing teamwork and speeding up design iterations. Responsive Design: Guarantee your prototypes seamlessly adapt to various devices and screen sizes, making them accessible to all users. Pre-Built Components: Access a library of templates and components to streamline your design process, guaranteeing visual consistency across projects. Frequently Asked Questions Which Tool Is Best for Prototyping? When choosing the best tool for prototyping, consider your specific needs. Figma thrives in real-time collaboration, making it perfect for remote teams. Adobe XD offers responsive resizing for various screen sizes, whereas Proto.io provides a rich asset library for high-fidelity prototypes without coding. For complex projects, Axure RP’s dynamic content features are beneficial. If you need quick feedback, Marvel simplifies the process through integrated user testing, allowing for faster design validation. What Tool Is Used for Product Design? For product design, you’ll often turn to tools like Figma, Adobe XD, and Sketch. Figma’s cloud-based features allow real-time collaboration, whereas Adobe XD stands out in creating high-fidelity prototypes with interactive elements. If you’re a Mac user, Sketch offers a user-friendly interface with extensive plugin support. Each tool has unique strengths, so consider your specific needs and team dynamics when choosing the right one for your product design process. What Are Two Key Elements of Successful Prototyping? Two key elements of successful prototyping are swift iteration and user testing. Swift iteration allows you to refine designs quickly, minimizing costly changes later. User testing provides valuable feedback, helping you validate assumptions about functionality and user experience. What Is the Best Tool for Both UI and UX? The best tool for both UI and UX design is Figma. Its cloud-based platform supports real-time collaboration, allowing your team to work on design files simultaneously. Figma’s features include auto-layout for responsive designs and easy-to-share prototypes for stakeholder feedback. With a free plan and affordable paid options, it suits teams of all sizes. Its extensive plugin library and integration with popular applications improve your workflow, making it a versatile choice for design projects. Conclusion In summary, leveraging the right tools can markedly improve your product design and prototyping efforts. Whether you choose Sketch for vector design, Adobe XD for high-fidelity prototypes, or Figma for collaborative work, each tool offers unique advantages. Incorporating platforms like InVision or Proto.io for interactive prototypes, and using Zeplin for efficient handoff to developers, guarantees a streamlined process. By utilizing these crucial tools, you can nurture innovation, improve workflow efficiency, and in the end create successful products. Image via Google Gemini This article, "10 Essential Tools for Product Design and Prototyping Success" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Having a successful marketing campaign involves the coordination of many different departments. Marketing plans manage research, design and copywriting, digital and print production, plus so much more. These separate departments all have to work together, sticking to a shared schedule and budget. Managing all those marketing assets is challenging. Get a headstart on your next marketing project by using these 20 free marketing templates for Excel and Word. They’ll help you from the planning stage and budgeting to tracking your campaign to ensure you stay on schedule and within your budget. We have dozens of free project management templates to choose from. Here’s a selection of marketing-related templates. 1. Marketing Plan Template Organize the phases of your marketing plan by downloading our free marketing plan template for Word. Our free marketing plan template gives you a place to define your strategy and how you intend to implement it over the month, quarter or year. /wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Marketing-Plan-Screenshot.jpg You can use the marketing plan template to highlight your goals and current position in the market. Use it to schedule tasks over a timeline with start and end dates, track KPIs and much more. A marketing plan offers a high-level view of the marketing campaign and helps you market your brand, product or service more effectively. Use our free template to build a framework for your marketing plan within the context of the potential customers you want to target. It helps you reduce risk and increase the chances that your marketing will be successful. 2. Marketing Campaign Template Using our free marketing campaign template will help you plan how you introduce your product or service across multiple platforms. The template helps you use market research to better map out a product or service launch and communicate the plan to everyone on your marketing team. /wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Kanban_Marketing_Wide_Zoom-150_Moving-task-to-different-status.jpgTry it free You can use the template to organize everything you need for a successful marketing campaign including the goals of the marketing campaign, who you’re going to target, the media plan and how you’ll execute it. Not only that, but you have the tools to keep track of the marketing campaign, including collecting key performance indicators (KPIs). Use our free marketing campaign template when the product or service you created is done but hasn’t launched. Our free marketing campaign template will help you successfully promote the product or service, connecting with your target audience. See your plan on our kanban board, which visualizes the workflow and gives marketing managers visibility into their team’s process. If they see issues, they can quickly reallocate resources to keep work moving forward uninterrupted. Teams can manage their backlog and collaboratively plan sprints. /wp-content/uploads/2023/06/marketing-campaign-template.jpg Get your free Marketing Campaign Template Use this free Marketing Campaign Template to manage your projects better. Get the Template 3. Marketing Budget Template Marketing costs money, but you don’t have unlimited funds. That’s why you need our free marketing budget template for Excel. It ensures you get a good return on your investment and don’t overspend on your marketing campaign. /wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Marketing-Budget-Screenshot.jpg The free marketing budget template outlines the financial investments related to your marketing project broken up by year or quarter. It helps you collect your costs, from paid advertising and sponsored web content to marketing personnel, software and more. Using a marketing budget template goes hand-in-glove with the marketing plan, as it’s an integral part of the larger marketing plan. It helps you forecast what you need to spend to deliver a successful marketing campaign. 4. Marketing Calendar Template Capture important dates in an easy-to-read format to make sure you don’t miss deadlines, meetings and more with our free marketing calendar template for Excel. Use the free template to view your marketing campaigns by the month, quarterly or over the course of a year./wp-content/uploads/2022/09/marketing-calendar-template.jpg Marketing calendars are essential pieces to a larger marketing plan. Marketing plans can be complicated, whereas a marketing calendar is easy to read at a glance to make sure you’re meeting the necessary milestones. A marketing calendar template is also a great tool for communication with stakeholders. They don’t need to get into the weeds of your marketing campaign. They’re interested in your progress and your schedule, both of which can be tracked on a marketing calendar template. 5. Creative Brief Template Marketing, advertising and design projects require project briefs just as construction, manufacturing or engineering projects do. Only they’re not called project briefs, they’re called creative briefs. If you’re managing one of these projects, then you need our free creative brief template for Word. /wp-content/uploads/2022/10/creative-brief-template-screenshot-600x731.jpg The creative brief is used to plan the project, define its objectives and keep everyone involved clear on what the project is about. It’s created at the beginning of the project but referred to throughout the project life cycle as a roadmap to keep everyone working together. Our free creative brief template details the target audience, your competitors in the marketplace, what the key message is and how it should be delivered plus more. It’s the rule by which you measure the project requirements to ensure that you’re keeping to them. 6. Marketing Proposal Template Clients want confidence that a marketing initiative is worth the investment, and a proposal helps provide that clarity. It explains the current situation, the approach being recommended and the results the strategy is designed to achieve. Rather than diving straight into tactics, the proposal builds a narrative that connects marketing work to business goals. This alignment makes decision-making easier and strengthens the relationship before a project even starts. /wp-content/uploads/2025/04/marketing-proposal-template.png This marketing proposal template provides a structured format for pitching a complete marketing plan. It includes an executive summary, SWOT analysis and detailed buyer personas to ground decisions in research. Strategy sections specify channels, messaging and performance metrics, while the scope of work, timeline and budget make deliverables transparent. Terms and conditions complete the package, giving clients everything they need to confidently approve and move forward. 7. Marketing Media Plan Template Marketing campaigns work best when every message knows where it’s going and why. A media plan maps out the channels, timing and budget needed to reach the right audience with the right content. It considers goals, demographics and performance metrics to ensure money isn’t wasted on low-impact placements. With a clear implementation plan in place, teams coordinate seamlessly and make smarter decisions about which tactics will drive the greatest ROI. /wp-content/uploads/2025/02/media-plan-template.png This media plan template brings every element of campaign planning into one structured document. Traditional media like TV, radio and print are organized alongside digital channels such as SEO, paid search, email and social. Fields for audience targeting, dates, spend, and key metrics support accurate forecasting and ongoing optimization. By aligning investments with performance data, this template helps marketers stay focused on results and maintain full visibility into campaign effectiveness. 8. Go to Market Strategy Template Bringing a product to market takes more than a launch date; it requires a clear plan for how the product will win customers. A go to market strategy links target buyers, messaging, pricing and distribution into one coordinated approach. It helps teams focus on the channels that drive adoption, remove barriers to purchase and align marketing and sales activities. With a solid GTM strategy, launches become more predictable and growth more achievable. /wp-content/uploads/2025/02/go-to-market-plan-template.png This go to market strategy template organizes everything needed for a successful product introduction. It begins with the product’s value proposition and a detailed profile of the target audience, then defines promotional, sales and delivery channels with associated costs. A structured timeline helps teams coordinate development, marketing and launch activities. By centralizing planning and budget details, the template ensures alignment across teams and supports smarter decision-making at every stage of market entry. 9. Customer Journey Map Template Customers experience a brand long before and long after a purchase is made. A customer journey map captures every step of that relationship—from initial awareness to retention—to reveal what people think, feel and need along the way. Marketers use it to find friction points, strengthen engagement and align messaging with real customer motivations. With a clear map, teams improve satisfaction and guide more prospects toward becoming loyal advocates. /wp-content/uploads/2025/04/customer-journey-map-template-1600x790.png This customer journey map template breaks down the full buying experience into stages such as awareness, consideration, purchase, onboarding and retention. It links customer actions to emotions, pain points and touchpoints to show where support or improvements are needed. Persona details add context for decision-making, while backstage processes highlight operational responsibilities. With these insights in one place, teams can design more seamless interactions and elevate the overall customer experience. 10. Competitive Analysis Template Companies rarely operate without rivals, and understanding their strengths and weaknesses is key to winning market share. A competitive analysis examines how competitors position their products, price offerings, promote themselves and serve customers. Marketing teams use these insights to spot differentiation opportunities, evaluate projects and identify threats and refine messaging that resonates more strongly. With clearer visibility into the landscape, brands can make more confident decisions about where to compete and how to outperform others. /wp-content/uploads/2025/03/competitive-analysis-template-1600x537.png This competitive analysis template organizes detailed research into a structured view of the market. It includes competitor descriptions, marketing mix elements and a full SWOT breakdown to compare value propositions side by side. Teams can evaluate pricing approaches, distribution strategies, branding tactics and customer experience quality in one place. By highlighting strategic gaps and emerging opportunities, the template supports smarter positioning and helps guide tactical moves that strengthen your market advantage. 11. Marketing Change Log Template Change can have a big impact. Whether you change the messaging of an ad, adjust a budget or redesign your homepage, you need to log such events. Use this free change log template for Excel to control and manage change. /wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Change-Log-Screenshot.jpg This marketing template is a document that captures whatever change is impacting work and tracks it throughout. It captures the date the change was identified, its priority, who’s assigned to dealing with it and its status to ensure that it’s on track and doesn’t fall through the cracks. 12. Marketing Flowchart Template Marketers use flowcharts to visually represent the steps involved in the marketing process, from developing plans and content marketing to advertising. Using this free flowchart template will help marketers communicate these processes more clearly, identify weaknesses and improve the client or customer experience. /wp-content/uploads/2023/11/flowchart-template-screenshot-600x618.png This marketing template can save time and increase efficiency by eliminating unnecessary steps as well as making sure the important steps are done on schedule. It can analyze the performance of the firm or its campaigns in terms of data reach, digital presence, website visits, lead generation and customer conversion. The flowchart template is fully customizable, which allows it to be easily edited and reused over and over again. Through ovals that represent the start or finish of a process, arrows that indicate the direction of the process steps, diamonds that mark a decision or activity and rectangles that represent a process, marketers get valuable insights. 13. Marketing Event Plan Template Whether it’s a tradeshow, corporate retreat or networking party, events are projects and they need to be planned to be successful. Our free event plan template for Excel lays out everything you need to do and helps you avoid any glitches that will negatively impact your event. /wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Event-Plan-Template.jpg You’ll find places to list the tasks you need to complete to have the event, including the resources you need to execute that work. Every task will have an owner, an estimated time it’ll take to complete and a checklist to mark if it’s been started and to note when completed. This is your first step to scheduling your event and figuring out a feasible timetable to get everything ready. The more accurately you can forecast the amount of time it’ll take to prepare for the event, the less likely you’ll miss deadlines and threaten the success of the event. 14. Vision Statement for Marketing Template Marketing is targeted and must deliver a product or service to an intended audience. But if that target is not clear, the marketing message will be equally vague and not effective. That’s why this free vision statement template for Word is so important. /wp-content/uploads/2024/01/vision-statement-template-screenshot-600x537.png A vision statement is a document that defines the purpose of a business, or it can be used to define the reason behind a marketing campaign. This marketing template is a way to ensure that all work is being done to achieve that vision in the future. The vision statement template will guide the strategic plans for a marketing firm, or its client’s plans, in a way that’s easy to understand by all. The vision statement template works by following a few simple steps, such as defining the mission, core values and value proposition of the brand. For each of these steps, there is a corresponding question that the marketing leadership team will answer. Through this process, the vision for the firm or the project becomes clear and the work that follows more impactful. 15. Strategic Roadmap for Marketing Template Marketing firms and teams must keep strategy in mind. All campaigns and tactics should feed into a higher goal. That’s where the free strategic roadmap template for Excel comes in. It allows for the long view, which is often how businesses stay in business. /wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Strategic-Roadmap-Template-for-Excel-ProjectManager-2.webp A strategic roadmap template visually communicates the strategy of a marketing firm as well as those steps that will be taken to achieve its long-term goals and objectives. This marketing template is a powerful tool for ensuring that everyone from leaders to marketing team members are on the same page when it comes to why the firm is doing what it’s doing. The strategic roadmap template has a timeline that gives a bird’s-eye view of where the firm currently is and where it wants to be in the next five to 10 years. This is an essential tool to prepare and disseminate strategy throughout the organization. 16. Marketing Action Items Template We’ve talked a lot about planning for campaigns or events, but we haven’t covered how you’ll go about accomplishing your goals. Our free action items template for Excel will help you outline the steps you have to take to successfully complete that marketing plan. /wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Action-Items-Screenshot.jpg Action items are the steps you have to take to implement your marketing plan. In other words, they’re the activities or tasks that’ll carry the project over the finish line in time. This helps you figure out how you’re going to get the marketing project work done. Once you have the action items laid out, you can then begin to assign them to the marketing team. Without first knowing what the action items for the marketing project are, it would be impossible to fully plan for either a small or larger project. 17. Marketing Project Timeline Template All marketing initiatives have a deadline that you have to align with a product launch or campaign. Whatever the marketing project is, without a schedule you’ll never get it done in time. You can quickly schedule your marketing push with our free project timeline template for Excel. /wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Project-Timeline-Screenshot.jpg A timeline is a visual tool to see your entire marketing campaign in one place. It helps you see when tasks need to be completed, which in turn can make you allocate resources more wisely. It’s also the backbone of any thorough marketing schedule. When you’re done filling out our free project timeline template, you’ll see where your major deliverables and milestones are and have a better idea of how much the project will cost and the resources you’ll need to complete it. 18. Marketing Project & Task Tracker Template Of course, all of this planning and scheduling is for nothing if you’re unable to track the work as your marketing team is executing it. That’s why you need the free project task tracker template for Excel to know if your actual progress is keeping up with your planned progress. /wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Task-Tracking-Screenshot.jpg Having a project task tracker template means you have the tools to see if you’re keeping to your schedule. If you’re not, then you have the opportunity to get back on track before it’s too late. Best of all, you can follow the task throughout the marketing project life cycle, from planning through execution. Our free project task tracker lets you list all your tasks and describe them. You can add any dependent tasks that need to be done before, after or during. Plus, you can add the marketing team members assigned to that task. Then add priority, start and end dates, the actual end date and whether the status is opened or closed to keep track of your tasks. 19. Event Proposal Template Marketing comes in all shapes and sizes. There’s direct mail, billboards, digital ads, websites and much more. But one of the most effective ways to connect with the target audience is in an event. Whether that’s a tradeshow, webinar or launch party, this free event proposal template for Word is the perfect document to get things moving. /wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Event_Proposal_Template_Screenshot-1.png This marketing template is a detailed document that takes the coming event and defines its goals and objectives to better serve the client. It is a thorough tool that is designed to win the bid, which is the first step of any event planning process. All the pertinent information is collected on this customizable marketing template, from its purpose, target audience and event stakeholders to the even schedule. That comprehensiveness will show the client that the firm understands the event and mapped out all the steps to ensure its success. 20. Cost-Benefit Analysis Template Not all marketing ideas are good ones. To know which to follow through on and which to skip you need to figure out if the benefit is greater than the cost of implementing the campaign. To do that, use our free cost-benefit analysis template for Excel. /wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Cost-Benefit-Analysis-Screenshot.jpg Cost-benefit analysis works by comparing what you expect to pay against the benefits or opportunities you’ll get from the marketing project. It’s a way to determine if the investment is worth the return in terms of costs. Using our free cost-benefit analysis template allows marketing executives to look at data when figuring out if the marketing push is worth the price they’ll be paying. Having this knowledge is a powerful tool for keeping your company financially viable. Go Beyond Templates With ProjectManager Download the above free marketing templates and you’ll be able to better manage your campaigns. However, templates can only take you so far. They are, after all, static documents. If you need to change anything, it’s time-consuming, and time shouldn’t be wasted in business. ProjectManager is online software that does what the free templates do and more, plus it does it in real time so you have more insight. Use the Tools You Want to Collaborate One thing templates can do is help you collaborate. You can’t have multiple marketing teams working on the same document or allow different versions to float around. Our software has multiple project views, all of which are updated in real time so you’re always working on the most current version. Managers can play on robust Gantt charts with timelines that can link dependencies, add milestones and set a baseline to track planned vs. actual effort in real time. Design teams can use kanban boards for a visual workflow and other teams can use task lists or calendars. /wp-content/uploads/2022/10/marketing-plan-gantt.jpg See How You’re Doing in Real Time The task track template requires that you add to the document. Our real-time dashboard tracks the marketing project automatically. There’s no setup required as in competitors’ lightweight products. Our live dashboard collects data and displays it in colorful graphs giving you a high-level view of your costs, workload and more. We even have customizable reports for more detail, and they’re easy to share to update stakeholders. /wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Dashboard-Marketing.jpg Marketing teams, be they in copy, design or another department, need to collaborate across tools. Our collaborative platform allows them to comment at the task level, share files and tag anyone on the project team. Real-time communication is facilitated by email notifications and alerts in the tool so you don’t have to leave your work to stay in touch with team members in different departments or locations. ProjectManager is award-winning software that empowers teams to work better together and gives managers the tools they need to plan, manage and track work in real time. Use task, resource and risk management features to further drive successful projects. Join teams at businesses as varied as Avis, Nestle and Siemens who use our software. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. The post 20 Marketing Templates for Planning, Strategy & More (Free Excel Downloads) appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

SoundSource, my preferred volume control app on the Mac, just got a major upgrade. The developer, Rogue Amoeba, recently released SoundSource 6 for Mac, which adds support for AirPlay devices, per-app equalizers, output device groups, and much more. It's an incredibly polished app packed with features, but my favorite feature is its ability to turn any random group of earbuds and speakers into a multi-room audio setup. Multi-room audio with SoundSource 6 Credit: Pranay Parab You can use SoundSource 6 to create a group of audio output devices, including Bluetooth speakers, wired headphones, AirPods, AirPlay speakers, and literally any other audio device your Mac can connect to. Then, you can send audio from any app to all of these devices at the same time, making for the ideal multi-room audio setup. I've used this to play Apple Music songs simultaneously on my AirPods, Bluetooth speakers, my Mac's speaker, and my HomePod. It's a great way to get music playing throughout your whole house. To get started, click SoundSource's menu bar icon to open the app, and click the drop-down menu next to any app's volume slider. You'll see a button called Create Output Group or Edit Output Groups. Click this button and select New Group. You can now add as many audio devices as you want to the group. In theory, you could also use this to chain a bunch of Bluetooth speakers from different brands to enjoy a more immersive audio experience while watching a movie, but in practice, latency makes the experience less than ideal. Even a slight lag in one of the speakers can ruin an immersive audio experience, but that's not SoundSource's fault. It's a difficult job to get multiple speakers from different brands, which use different audio output standards, to work as a perfect surround sound setup. Given the barriers in place, SoundSource does an admirable job with its task. I found that the multi-room audio feature works best when you're listening to music with one speaker in each room. That way, the slight latency won't bother you at all, and you can have music to keep you company as you run through household chores. AirPlay support is great to have Credit: Pranay Parab As someone who's used SoundSource since 2017, I've always missed the ability to send audio to AirPlay devices. Until recently, Rogue Amoeba had left that feature to another of its apps—Airfoil. However, SoundSource's latest release adds support for AirPlay devices, which means that you can finally use it to send audio from any app on your Mac to a HomePod, Apple TV, or other AirPlay-enabled device. I use SoundSource to redirect audio from certain apps to specific speakers, and with AirPlay support, I can send music straight to my HomePod, while restricting notification sounds from messaging apps to the Mac's built-in speakers. Per-app EQ is a big deal Credit: Pranay Parab I first started using SoundSource for its ability to let you set a custom volume level for each app on your Mac. I used this to reduce the volume of notifications from Messages and Slack, while keeping sounds from other apps at a higher level. SoundSource 6 has added another layer to this feature by shipping a per-app equalizer, which lets you set a different sound profile for every single app you use. It ships with nearly two dozen EQ presets for you to choose from. You can choose one EQ preset for music streaming apps and a different one for the apps you use to watch movies. You can locate this feature by clicking the right-arrow button under the FX section in SoundSource. Set a custom audio level for each device Credit: Pranay Parab SoundSource also lets you set a custom volume level for each audio device your Mac is connected to. This lets me reduce the volume on a particularly loud Bluetooth speaker I own, while keeping my Mac's speaker volume a little higher. The app also allows you to set a maximum volume limit for each audio device, which you should use for two reasons: To prevent hearing loss if you're using headphones, and to avoid damaging your speakers. I've accidentally damaged a speaker by keeping it at 100% volume for a few hours in an outdoor venue, which isn't what the speaker was designed for. Since then, I've shied away from running speakers at full volume, and you can use the maximum volume limit feature here to help with that. To use this feature, open SoundSource and click the speaker icon in the top-right corner. This will show you all your input and output devices. Select any device and locate the Output tab in the right pane. Here, move the Max Volume slider to an acceptable limit. More features Credit: Pranay Parab SoundSource 6 has many other new features that make it worth the upgrade. You can set a preferred device order to ensure that your Mac doesn't accidentally connect to the wrong audio devices. I use this to set my AirPods as my preferred speaker, followed by my HomePod, my Mac's own speakers, and my Bluetooth speaker comes in last. The app also allows you to add volume controls for individual apps to the menu bar, which means that you can control the audio level of Chrome, Music, Spotify, or any other app without opening the main SoundSource window. This is great for the times when you only want to adjust a single app's volume. There's also a neat feature where SoundSource can set your AirPods to 'output-only' mode, which means that every app will use the Mac's built-in mic for input and send the audio to the AirPods. Rogue Amoeba says this improves audio quality on the AirPods significantly. There are many such quality-of-life improvements in this app, which made it an easy decision for me to buy its sixth version. If you've never used SoundSource before, you'll have to pay $49 to use the app. There is a trial mode that lets you try the app for up to 20 minutes for free, after which it degrades the audio. Those upgrading from previous versions of SoundSource can get the updated app for $25. View the full article