The hottest Design Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Design Topics

#62 A design by Florence Nightingale

Design Lobster • 159 implied HN points • 05 Apr 21
🪑 Design History Furniture Visual communication
  1. Florence Nightingale made an important contribution to data visualization through the Rose Diagram during the Crimean War. Communicating data effectively is key in design.
  2. Arne Jacobsen's Egg Chair is an iconic piece of furniture design from the mid 1950s. Reinterpreting traditional shapes can create modern classics.
  3. Consistency in design, both visually and behaviorally, is crucial for usability. Users should know what to expect when interacting with a design.

#60 What is idea sex?

Design Lobster • 159 implied HN points • 22 Mar 21
🪑 Design Creativity Quotes Tools Inspiration
  1. Human prosperity thrives on the exchange of ideas between groups and individuals, leading to innovative creations like the mouse emerging from a combination of various specialized knowledge.
  2. Idea Sex, as popularized by James Altucher, involves combining existing ideas in unexpected ways to generate new and valuable concepts. It's about the magic of recombining familiar thoughts.
  3. Design problems are best tackled by creating prototypes quickly, testing them, and refining based on feedback. Remember, less time in your head, more time on iterations when it comes to design.

Coming soon

Only Wonder Knows • 19 implied HN points • 18 Apr 23
🪑 Design Newsletter
  1. A design tips newsletter called 'The wonder of electronic design' is coming soon
  2. The newsletter is by Luis Miguel Brugarolas
  3. Subscribe to 'Only Wonder Knows' on onlywonderknows.substack.com
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Finalizing design and eye gazing

Splattern • 19 implied HN points • 27 Sep 23
🪑 Design Graphic design User Experience Product Design Team Collaboration
  1. Clear communication and a concise agenda improve meeting efficiency. It helps keep discussions on track and reduces confusion among team members.
  2. Maintaining calm and focus is important when facing tight deadlines. Asking the right questions and taking a moment to breathe can lead to more productive conversations.
  3. Building personal connections, like participating in eye gazing, can foster a sense of unity and support, enhancing emotional well-being.

#3 - The benefits of white space

A Good Interface • 19 implied HN points • 23 Aug 23
🪑 Design UX Graphic design User Experience
  1. White space is crucial in design, existing between elements to enhance clarity and organization.
  2. White space is not wasted space; it guides users, showcases important information, and brings a sense of calmness to interfaces.
  3. Effective use of white space improves user experience, leads users through logical grouping, focuses attention on key elements, and reflects a game's branding and tone of voice.

#57 The smallest car in the world

Design Lobster • 159 implied HN points • 01 Mar 21
🪑 Design Design
  1. Design is not always a straightforward problem-solving process. The definition of a problem can change and evolve as designers work on it, leading to different outcomes.
  2. Consider the possibility of making designs smaller. The world's smallest car, the Peel P50, was a response to fuel shortages and offers a unique perspective on transportation needs.
  3. Love for users can be reflected in designs. Building a connection with users can lead to creating designs that they will love.

#68 Making your presence felt

Design Lobster • 139 implied HN points • 17 May 21
🪑 Design Product Ceramics Emotion Memory Craftsmanship
  1. Software can represent human presence in abstract ways, like live cursors that show where others are focusing.
  2. Design can communicate human presence through physical elements, like thumbprints on a teapot showing the maker's touch.
  3. Design has the potential to touch emotions and souls, creating a deeper connection beyond just functionality.

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.

How to design better destructive action modals

UX Psychology • 79 implied HN points • 01 Nov 21
🪑 Design UI/UX User Interface
  1. Error prevention is crucial in user interface design to enhance usability and prevent user mistakes.
  2. Using confirmation dialogs before destructive actions can help users understand consequences and avoid errors.
  3. Improving destructive action modals involves clear microcopy, visual cues for destructive buttons, and allowing users to undo actions or confirm through text input.

#72 Design in the bathroom

Design Lobster • 119 implied HN points • 14 Jun 21
🪑 Design Psychology Functionality Innovation Inspiration
  1. Toothpaste stripes are created through thixotropic rheology which helps maintain consistent viscosity for perfect stripes every time.
  2. Striped toothpaste was an innovative marketing strategy to suggest multiple functions, even if the active ingredients are evenly mixed throughout.
  3. Rejection can lead to new opportunities - Jony Ive's rejected bathroom basin design paved the way for his success at Apple.

#80 Design in motion

Design Lobster • 99 implied HN points • 09 Aug 21
🪑 Design Psychology Innovation Technology Sports
  1. The Doherty threshold is the idea that faster computer response times improve productivity, with a 400ms threshold mentioned.
  2. The Nike Air Zoom Victory shoe stirred controversy in professional sports due to its innovative design technology, emphasizing the importance of focusing on design details.
  3. Motion communicates stories and is a crucial aspect for designers to consider in their work.

#47 Why does red mean stop? 🚦

Design Lobster • 119 implied HN points • 21 Dec 20
🪑 Design History Innovation Creativity
  1. Traffic lights use the color red for stop because it was easiest to see from a long distance in the early 19th century due to its long wavelength.
  2. The development of the bagless vacuum cleaner by James Dyson involved overcoming challenges in the lucrative vacuum bag market and partnering with a Japanese company.
  3. Designing something well is akin to being a good host - anticipating the needs of users like guests at a party, as mentioned in a quote by Charles Eames.

What have I been up to lately?

Basta’s Notes • 40 implied HN points • 09 Apr 23
🪑 Design Electrification Painting Progress
  1. The author is updating followers about recent activities and plans on their newsletter.
  2. The author is renovating their garage and upgrading for electrification to accommodate new electric vehicles.
  3. The author has purchased a new electric motorcycle and is excited to share more about it and post motorcycle content.

#50 Can we make social media kinder?

Design Lobster • 99 implied HN points • 11 Jan 21
🪑 Design Social media Product Design User Experience Technology
  1. Designing social media for kindness involves features like allowing users to easily admit mistakes, offer apologies, and forgive one another.
  2. Emphasize on usability and functionality in design processes to avoid overlooking critical issues, like the interference problems faced by the 1930's Radio Nurse baby monitor.
  3. Focus on how people use a designed product rather than just its appearance, as prioritizing usability can prevent unintended consequences and improve overall user experience.

#49 Why is your design going nowhere?

Design Lobster • 99 implied HN points • 04 Jan 21
🪑 Design Product Design Design Philosophy
  1. Design work can be held back by the organizational structure of a company - consider what parts of your organization might be hindering your design progress.
  2. Drawing inspiration from personal memories and experiences can bring character and charm to design work.
  3. Design is not just about creating objects, but also about embodying values like doing the right thing - it symbolizes civilization and progress.

Toxicity in Digital Design: A Status Report

Far From the Valley • 59 implied HN points • 30 Nov 21
🪑 Design Education Inclusion Ethics
  1. The article sparked important conversations in the digital design community, revealing concerns about toxicity in design education, inclusion, and ethics.
  2. Despite expecting backlash, the author received mostly positive reactions to their article, showcasing a potential lack of true engagement with industry issues.
  3. The author's network expanded significantly, allowing for valuable collaborations with experts in the field, highlighting the importance of connections in addressing complex industry challenges.

#45 Birth, redesigned

Design Lobster • 99 implied HN points • 07 Dec 20
🪑 Design Product Design
  1. Living in the moment can be encouraged through design, like the Dispo app's unique approach to photo-taking.
  2. Design can challenge cultural assumptions and prioritize user needs, like the reBIRTH Birthing tool designed to make birthing more comfortable globally.
  3. For companies today, product design is crucial for success and differentiation from competitors, as stated by Peter Levine from Andreessen Horowitz.

Let's stop keeping Pantone relevant. Adobe can disappear along with it.

The 21st Century Proletarian • 19 implied HN points • 04 Nov 22
🪑 Design Digital Design Color Theory Software Tools Intellectual Property
  1. Question the necessity of traditional industry standards like Pantone and Adobe in the digital age. Consider alternatives and challenge the status quo.
  2. Empower individuals to create their own color systems and liberate design from corporate influence. Encourage innovation and free access to color.
  3. Advocate for a design revolution by rejecting outdated, overpriced software, and working towards a more inclusive and progressive design community.

An Ode to Great Gear

From the Desk • 18 implied HN points • 26 Sep 23
🪑 Design Philosophy Acquisition Quality Usability
  1. Gear is an integral part of our lives and can be nostalgic, tied to experiences and memories.
  2. Gear enthusiasts have philosophies in acquiring gear, like brand loyalty or minimalism.
  3. Having a 'Point of Unrecognized Satisfaction' helps assess optimal spending on gear based on usability.

Are Single-Stair Buildings the New ADUs?

The New Urban Order • 2 HN points • 10 May 24
🪑 Design Architecture Urban planning Climate Resilience Affordable Housing
  1. Building codes influence the architecture of cities, leading to big, boxy buildings with uniform designs.
  2. Advocates are pushing for building code reforms to allow single-stair buildings, which are common in European countries with fewer fire deaths per capita than the US.
  3. Recent changes in cities like Seattle, Tennessee, and Austin show a shift towards enabling single-stair buildings as a way to promote gentle density and climate resilience.

WTF- A short comic strip analysis

Turnaround • 98 implied HN points • 09 May 20
🪑 Design UI/UX Web Design Product Design Tech stack
  1. Browsers are getting more powerful, so make sure your product/app embraces this shift towards client-driven applications with fast startup times.
  2. Simplify design by making buttons more prominent, reducing text, and ensuring users intuitively know how to interact without needing explanations.
  3. Prepare for the future of faster speeds with 5G connectivity - speed will be a critical factor in user experience going forward.

#38: Agathonicity

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 79 implied HN points • 22 Jul 20
🪑 Design Product Design User Experience Sustainability Innovation
  1. Agathonicity means some things get better with use. For example, your favorite pair of worn-in shoes or a well-loved book can provide a richer experience over time.
  2. Many modern products are designed to be thrown away instead of repaired. This throwaway culture makes us less likely to seek out items that improve with age and care.
  3. Designers can create products that require more from users, leading to a stronger, more loyal connection. By asking users to engage more, items can become more valuable and enjoyable over time.

Real and spectacular

My Home Office Hacks • 5 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
🪑 Design Organization
  1. Professional organizer tip: Spend a few minutes daily organizing your desk and workspace for better efficiency.
  2. Consider top-of-the-line headphones like Sony WH-1000XM5 for quality and features, or more budget-friendly options like Soundcore Space One Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones.
  3. Inspirational quote: 'The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.' - Plutarch

One question, one object, one quote.

Design Lobster • 79 implied HN points • 17 Sep 19
🪑 Design Objects Quotes Questions
  1. Design Lobster newsletter provides one question, one object, and one quote from the world of design and beyond every Monday.
  2. The content of Design Lobster focuses on exploring and discussing design-related topics in a concise and insightful way.
  3. Subscribing to Design Lobster ensures you don't miss out on receiving the weekly newsletter with interesting design content.

#12 Rounded buttons, lighters & design intent

Design Lobster • 59 implied HN points • 17 Apr 20
🪑 Design Psychology Industrial Quotes
  1. Designers use rounded edges on buttons to influence how users perceive them, based on psychological associations with shapes.
  2. Adjusting the scale of a design can impact how it is interacted with and perceived, like in the case of the Braun T2 Table Lighter designed by Dieter Rams.
  3. Maintaining clear intent in design decisions is crucial, as intentional choices are key to successful and impactful design outcomes.

Unreasonable Support: Design for the Unhappy Path

The Kahneman Bot • 2 HN points • 19 Feb 24
🪑 Design UX Product Customer Support User Experience
  1. Designing for the unhappy path in user experiences is crucial for creating user loyalty and retention.
  2. Unhappy path design can trigger a sense of reciprocity in users, leading to positive responses to issues or faults.
  3. Providing what users perceive as unreasonable levels of support can result in long-term loyalty and cost-effective retention strategies.

#7 Non-human design, chindogu & veneers

Design Lobster • 59 implied HN points • 13 Mar 20
🪑 Design Product Process Philosophy
  1. Consider the needs and impacts on non-human entities in the design process to avoid creating unsustainable systems that prioritize human wants at the cost of the environment.
  2. Be cautious of overengineering solutions and missing the bigger picture in design by reflecting on the concept of chindogu, which are eccentric inventions that may not be practical despite addressing minor issues.
  3. Focus on deep exploration and understanding in design rather than just applying a superficial finish, as good design emerges from a thorough understanding of the problem.

#37 How to deal with clients that don't pay (Medieval style)

Design Lobster • 39 implied HN points • 12 Oct 20
🪑 Design Art Materials Inspiration
  1. Difficult clients are common for designers, dealing with unhelpful feedback and late payments. Consider using design to creatively address disputes.
  2. Materials can communicate exclusivity and prestige, like with silver medallions for Vauxhall Gardens season tickets. Think about how materials or graphics can convey messages in design.
  3. Details are crucial in design. The small elements make up the entire design, showcasing how big ideas translate into intricate details.