The hottest Design Substack posts right now

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The Changing Role of Design

The Intersection • 732 implied HN points • 19 Nov 23
🪑 Design Industry Thinking Craft Creativity
  1. The design industry is evolving, with a shift from traditional design agencies to transformation consultancies.
  2. Design thinking has democratized design, making it more accessible but may have overemphasized thinking over the act of making.
  3. The role of designers in digital products like Threads may not always be obvious, as factors like timing and innovation can play a key role in success.

Democratization of Design

The Intersection • 138 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
🪑 Design Digital Design AI Tools Accessibility
  1. Design tools like Canva have democratized design, making it accessible to everyone, but the quality of design produced may not always meet professional standards.
  2. AI-powered design tools aim to streamline design processes, but they require a fundamental understanding of design to be used effectively.
  3. While tools like Canva have made design accessible to non-designers, the quality of work ultimately depends on the skills and capabilities of the individuals using the tools.

Three data visualisation tips

A Bit Gamey • 27 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
🪑 Design Data Visualization Graphic design
  1. Maximize the data-ink ratio by minimizing non-informative ink like excessive grid lines and decorations, to enhance clarity and comprehension.
  2. Align graphic components to create stronger organization and cohesion in design, ensuring nothing is placed arbitrarily.
  3. Utilize small multiples technique to present series of similar graphics or charts in a grid format, enabling easy comparison and revealing patterns within the dataset.

Case Study: Sage House

Supernuclear • 353 implied HN points • 16 Oct 23
🪑 Design Governance Community
  1. Sage House offers a unique approach to communal living with custom Slack apps for decision-making and governance.
  2. The house operates with lazy consensus and a do-ocracy, utilizing a hybrid offline/online governance system.
  3. Lessons from Sage House highlight the demand for structured communal living for busy individuals and the benefits of established structures in facilitating community entry.

Critique of Kvarteret Backklövern detailed development plan in Solna

The Third Place • 59 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
🪑 Design Urban planning Architecture Sustainability Aesthetics
  1. Encouraging diversity in building typology within neighborhoods can foster inclusivity and community integration.
  2. Prioritizing pedestrian and cyclist accessibility in urban planning can lead to sustainable and vibrant communities, like Barcelona's superblocks.
  3. Balancing practicality with cultural enrichment, such as including entertainment or cultural facilities in development plans, is essential for creating thriving and lively communities.

Jony Ive: The Complete Objectified Interview

Chance Operations • 511 implied HN points • 15 May 23
🪑 Design Product Design Interview
  1. Jonathan Ive's design work at Apple has been highly influential, shaping products like the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and more.
  2. After leaving Apple in 2019, Ive co-founded LoveFrom, a creative collective that has worked with companies like Ferrari and Apple.
  3. The full transcript of the interview with Jony Ive is split into two parts and provides insight into his creative process and collaborations.

Designing Digital Products for Older Adults

UX Psychology • 218 implied HN points • 21 Sep 23
🪑 Design User Experience Aging
  1. Designing digital products for older adults is crucial as their population grows and technology becomes more integrated into daily life.
  2. Age-related changes in vision, hearing, dexterity, processing speed, working memory, attention, and executive function must be considered when designing inclusive digital experiences for older adults.
  3. To create more inclusive digital experiences for older adults, simplify interfaces, support recognition over recall, offer clear wayfinding cues, minimize required steps, and provide feedback and error recovery options.

9 trucs que j'ai pas mis cette semaine

L'Atelier Galita • 58 implied HN points • 13 Jan 24
🪑 Design Interior Organization
  1. Consider drawing main passage routes when arranging furniture to optimize space and movement.
  2. Sacrificing a beloved piece of furniture can significantly improve the sense of space and freedom in a room.
  3. Establishing a storage protocol can help maintain organization and cleanliness in living spaces.

The Myth of Low Engagement Carousels

UX Movement Newsletter • 491 implied HN points • 10 May 23
🪑 Design UI/UX
  1. There's a myth that carousels have poor user engagement, but it's based on incomplete research.
  2. Studies show low engagement in carousels with small arrow buttons that users often miss.
  3. Users are more likely to interact with elements that grab their interest and provide information.

2023 annual review of "A Good Interface"!

A Good Interface • 39 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🪑 Design User Interface Video Games Newsletter Game design
  1. The writer quit their job, sold belongings, and traveled to create a game and explore, turning this journey into newsletter content.
  2. In 2023, the writer focused on sharing insights on UI/UX design for video games, posting consistently on Substack.
  3. For 2024, the writer plans to continue sharing design insights and personal project updates while aiming for reader interaction and feedback.

Five product design concepts

A Bit Gamey • 20 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🪑 Design Product Simplicity Thinking
  1. Simple design is often harder than complex design but worth it in the end. It's about stripping away unnecessary elements and focusing on core functionality.
  2. First principles thinking, 80/20 rule, MVP, and understanding user journey are important product design concepts. They help in focusing on what truly matters to users and building valuable digital products.
  3. When designing digital products, prioritize simplicity, test underlying assumptions, focus on high-value features, build MVPs for initial user feedback, and ensure a smooth user journey.

Design in the Intelligent Age

The Intersection • 59 implied HN points • 05 Dec 23
🪑 Design Technology Creativity Interdisciplinary Art Professional development
  1. To stay relevant as a designer, it's important to move beyond traditional design roles and embrace technology and new skillsets.
  2. The role of design is debated, with some saying it's less important than technology, but in reality, design is crucial for bringing ideas to life.
  3. Being a bridge between disciplines, understanding different mindsets, and learning varied languages can help designers become the lead character in the evolving creative landscape.

Feeling the Design

UX Psychology • 238 implied HN points • 05 Jun 23
🪑 Design Emotion Attention Product Design User Experience Aesthetics
  1. Emotions significantly impact user attention and decision-making. We can design products that resonate with users by considering their emotional states.
  2. Balancing functionality and aesthetics is crucial in design. Negative emotions may lead users to focus on functionality, while positive emotions may draw them to aesthetics.
  3. Design strategies that consider emotional mapping, create emotional peaks, and provide feedback can enhance user experience and engagement.

Apple Battersea opens

Tabletops • 176 implied HN points • 19 Jun 23
🪑 Design Retail Architecture Interior design
  1. Apple Battersea is the 40th store in the UK and showcases Apple's latest design ideas.
  2. Preserving the historic Battersea Power Station posed design challenges that Apple creatively addressed.
  3. The layout of Apple Battersea features a modular design that allows for flexibility and unique configurations.