Design Lobster

Design Lobster explores the multifaceted world of design through essays, personal insights, and analyses. It examines design principles, trends, the impact of design choices on behavior and society, and the inspiration behind innovative designs, aiming to illuminate the ubiquitous influence of design in everyday life.

Design Principles Design Trends Innovative Design Inspirations Impact of Design on Society Design and Technology Design Psychology Visual Communication Historical Context of Design Symbols User Experience Design Creative Process and Thinking

The hottest Substack posts of Design Lobster

And their main takeaways

4 questions I ask myself when designing

679 implied HN points • 15 Apr 24
🪑 Design Process Simplicity Magic Engagement Creativity
  1. Ensure you are asking the right question in the best possible way to avoid wasting time on irrelevant problems.
  2. Simplify your designs by challenging yourself to imagine the simplest version of a solution, emphasizing substance over ornamentation.
  3. Strive to create magical designs that feel extraordinary and deliver experiences that users couldn't have imagined, aiming for delight and emotional impact.

#150 Just enough design (and no more)

259 implied HN points • 10 Jun 24
🪑 Design Philosophy Art Creativity Style Craftsmanship
  1. Hodo-hodo is a Japanese concept of moderation and balance applied to design, meaning 'just enough design.' It emphasizes the idea of deliberately holding back in design to achieve an ideal level of completion.
  2. Just enough design can create space for imagination and personal interpretation, as seen in the example of Kinoishi wooden stones that were designed as toys without instructions.
  3. Designing with 'hodo-hodo' philosophy can lead to subtle yet impactful details that might not be consciously noticed but can evoke emotional connections and enhance user experience.

Chat box? No thanks 🙅

339 implied HN points • 29 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Image Generation Content creation Personalization
  1. AI design patterns are evolving beyond simple chat boxes to include features like 'Circle for more' and 'Invisible butlers'.
  2. Tools like 'Live canvases' and 'Magic brushes' are revolutionizing how we interact with and create digital content.
  3. Innovations like 'Language editors' and 'Infinite content' offer exciting possibilities for personalized and endlessly generated text and visuals.

#149 "Fidgetability"

219 implied HN points • 13 May 24
🪑 Design Interaction Objects Quotes Illustration
  1. Designing interactions that compel people to play with them can enhance user experience and create emotional connections.
  2. Considering touch-inviting elements in design, like objects with fidgetable properties, can improve engagement.
  3. Incorporating pleasurable and playful elements into design can have a significant impact on user perception and enjoyment.

#147 Makers vs. machines

339 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🪑 Design Tech History Furniture Creativity Inspiration
  1. Designers are exploring the blend of machine-made and hand-crafted designs, questioning if designers should also code to bridge the gap between design and engineering.
  2. The concept of 'Design Engineers' is gaining popularity, where individuals contribute to design with wireframes, mockups, and front-end code, streamlining the development process.
  3. The 'Cesca' chair, inspired by a designer's bicycle ride home, embodies the merging of machine aspects with handcrafted elements, prompting a reflection on designs that combine both.
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#145 Hidden colours

499 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🪑 Design Color Theory Creativity Illustration Art
  1. The HSB color model provides an intuitive way to choose colors, focusing on hue, saturation, and brightness, which can help create cohesive color palettes.
  2. Disney uses colors like 'Go-Away Green' to de-emphasize necessary yet unsightly elements in their parks, demonstrating how color can direct attention and create specific atmospheres.
  3. Color in design is a powerful tool for communication, allowing designers to convey messages and emotions without using words.

Framing things: a personal essay

439 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Design Creativity Inspiration Process Conceptual Art
  1. Approaching work with care and reverence, handling it as if it's a precious artifact, can enhance the creative process.
  2. Taking time to appreciate the beauty and significance of ordinary design elements can lead to unexpected moments of inspiration.
  3. Reflecting on and framing our own work, treating each step with importance, can help in navigating through the ups and downs of the design process.

The importance of Nice Things

1278 implied HN points • 20 Mar 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Collecting Inspiration Creativity Design process Curiosity
  1. Collecting things can be a source of inspiration and help in the design process by providing a sense of unity and completeness.
  2. Finding inspiration laterally from various sources outside your direct field can lead to innovative designs.
  3. Nice things that inspire creativity and design don't necessarily have to be extravagant or expensive, they just need to evoke a feeling in you.

22 questions with Aaron Aalto

319 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Aaron Aalto designs products that empower people and is known for his illustration work.
  2. He dreams of designing a self-actualization product dedicated to helping people reach their goals, like a Fitbit but for mental health and spiritual needs.
  3. A key lesson he learned is to stay curious, be well-read, and experience the world, as it amplifies his hunger for learning and openness to new things.

#144 Design Déja Vu

479 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Design Typography Creativity Aesthetics Visual Arts
  1. Corporate Memphis or Globohomo is an overused illustration style characterized by flat colors, geometric elements, and simplistic human figures, popular in Big Tech software.
  2. The Lobster typeface, designed by Pablo Impallari, became widely popular in the 2010s for its retro-contemporary appeal, but font choices should always align with the intended message.
  3. Designers should aim to bring a human touch to designs without relying on typical illustrations, considering alternatives to communicate warmth and humanity.

#141 Very superstitious

619 implied HN points • 13 Nov 23
🪑 Design Visual Design Product Design User Experience Industrial Design Graphic design
  1. Designers are superstitious about alignment because it signals care and attention to detail in the design process.
  2. Small design choices, like the shape of an iron fish, can have a big impact on user behavior and address practical issues, like iron deficiency.
  3. Designing for human beings is not a formula - the most effective designs often emerge from understanding human behavior, even if it seems irrational.

Captain Obvious: a personal essay

579 implied HN points • 21 Aug 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Writing Design Creativity Advertising Psychology
  1. Obviousness in writing can be seen negatively for lacking depth but celebrated in design for clarity and ease of use.
  2. Good writing avoids clichés and offers fresh perspectives, while good design balances between obviousness and experience for effective outcomes.
  3. Finding the right level of obviousness in design is crucial based on the project's focus on creating an experience or an outcome.

#148 Music to my eyes

179 implied HN points • 01 Apr 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Music Design Graphic design
  1. Music visualisation dates back to as early as the 18th century with instruments like the Ocular Harpsichord by Lousi Bertrand Castel in 1725.
  2. The iconic album cover for Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon teaches the power of condensing design into a single, impactful image.
  3. Designers can blend different senses creatively in their designs, like how music visualisation fuses sound and visuals in surprising ways.

#143 Chop and Awe

379 implied HN points • 18 Dec 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Graphic design Typography
  1. Bold graphic design can involve cutting up logos for a fresh look.
  2. Designers can have fun with typography to transform familiar symbols into something unique.
  3. Good typography choice can bring life and emotion to text, going beyond mere functionality.

🤯 10 surprising ideas about design

519 implied HN points • 16 Oct 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Design Creativity Inspiration Storytelling Aesthetics
  1. In design, being obvious can be a compliment. It requires a creative mindset to see things as they truly are and eliminate the unnecessary.
  2. Design that makes people look good resonates more. A little flattery in design can go a long way in enhancing user experience.
  3. Embracing bad ideas in the design process can lead to wider exploration and better solutions. It's about challenging assumptions and sparking fresh ideas.

22 questions with a designer: Hugo Cornejo

379 implied HN points • 04 Dec 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Hugo Cornejo designs digital products and follows universal design principles from small items to large projects.
  2. He reflects on the tradeoffs in design decisions, emphasizing the importance of understanding and communicating tradeoffs in the design process.
  3. Cornejo expresses optimism in design, sees it as an exercise in believing in the future, and enjoys relaxing with activities like playing tennis and watching his wife work.

#134 Designed (not) to last

479 implied HN points • 12 Jun 23
🪑 Design Interfaces Art Sculpture Creativity
  1. Ephemeral user interfaces could enhance experiences by creating interactive elements within message threads.
  2. Designers can learn from Andy Goldsworthy's approach of transforming natural materials into symbolic compositions.
  3. Life is ephemeral, so make the most of your designs and creations to have a lasting impact.

The worlds inside us: a personal essay

419 implied HN points • 30 Oct 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Imagination Design Creativity Inspiration
  1. Nurturing imagination and inner sight is important for personal growth and creative processes.
  2. Society often undervalues the role of imagination in design, but it is a fundamental aspect of creating something meaningful.
  3. Disappointment can be a result of high imagination, but it should not deter one's commitment to nurturing the wonders of the mind's eye.

#135 Think like a designer 🧠

459 implied HN points • 26 Jun 23
🪑 Design Creativity Innovation Art Technology
  1. Slow hunches are vague ideas that over time can lead to important insights or innovations
  2. Infospaces, like messy studios or book-strewn studies, can facilitate creativity by physically activating more of our brain
  3. Thinking about new tools and interfaces can lead to discovering easier ways to tackle difficult concepts

Doing less: a personal essay

818 implied HN points • 16 Jan 23
🪑 Design Architecture Product Design Digital Design Constraints Simplicity
  1. Designers should strive to 'do less' to avoid overwhelm and prioritize what truly matters in their work.
  2. Constraints in design are essential, as they lead to simplicity and help designers convey their message effectively.
  3. In a world of technological advancements, the concept of 'less' in design becomes more relevant, urging designers to deliver more with minimal elements.

💭 10 more ideas about design

459 implied HN points • 29 May 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Collect things you love for inspiration in design, things that move you in some way can guide your work.
  2. Understand user intent in design, like the predictive text technology T9 that quickly works out what users intend to say.
  3. Balance familiarity with surprise in design to create products that are both comprehensible and innovative.

#138 The power of patterns

419 implied HN points • 04 Sep 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Design Patterns Creativity Decor Art
  1. Toilet paper embossed with patterns is not just for aesthetics; it increases surface area for better grip and functionality.
  2. Patterns in design can convey stories and emotions without using words, adding depth and visual appeal.
  3. The right pattern can add value and uniqueness to a product, like the legal case involving a mathematician's copyrighted pattern on toilet paper.

#139 In the know 😉

379 implied HN points • 18 Sep 23
🪑 Design Visual Navigation Creativity Inspiration
  1. Designers can fall into the 'curse of knowledge' where they become so familiar with their designs that they can't see them objectively. Getting fresh perspectives and taking breaks can help overcome this.
  2. The Marshall Islands Stick Charts showcase how innovative visualizations were used for navigation. Finding creative ways to bring abstract information to life in design is crucial.
  3. Preconceived ideas can hinder learning and problem-solving. Staying self-aware and open-minded is key for designers to create original solutions.

#136 Design on fire 🔥

339 implied HN points • 10 Jul 23
🪑 Design Innovation Fashion Art History Quotes
  1. In the past, unique devices were created for fire escapes, like a helmet-worn parachute, but ultimately changing building designs was more effective for safety.
  2. During the 17th and 18th centuries, pole screens were used to prevent makeup melting near fires, showing that design can solve practical problems.
  3. Design should not only function but also consider how it makes users presentable to others, as seen in the evolution of pole screens for makeup protection.

#140 Design everywhere you look

339 implied HN points • 02 Oct 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Japanese manhole covers are beautifully designed with regional variations to tell local stories, sparking the phenomenon of "drainspotting."
  2. The Monobloc chair, mass-produced from plastic since the 70s, is both recognizable yet nondescript, symbolizing consumerism and plastic pollution.
  3. Design can become ubiquitous through accessibility and impact on low-income families, challenging perceptions of ecological impact.

#142 Design Quality

239 implied HN points • 27 Nov 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Design Quality Writing Stationery Architecture
  1. Design quality can encompass an intangible 'quality without a name' that includes aspects like wholeness, humaneness, and timelessness.
  2. Ordinary elements in design can be elevated to almost art-like status through thoughtful design decisions.
  3. Focusing on delivering high-quality products can drive user engagement, positive experiences, and growth for a business.

🦞 10 of the best ideas from 2022 🦞

579 implied HN points • 26 Dec 22
🪑 Design Perception Connection Scale Innovation
  1. Understand how visual elements influence perception to guide user attention on a page or screen
  2. Connect design to natural elements to add symbolic significance and meaning to everyday objects
  3. Design reflects and sometimes challenges social norms and class distinctions, so be mindful of the societal impact

#132 Designing to surprise

299 implied HN points • 01 May 23
🪑 Design Creativity Art Furniture Balance Innovation
  1. Balance familiarity and surprise in design to create a pleasant and exciting user experience.
  2. Introduce whimsical elements to add surprise and creativity to your design.
  3. Strive to strike a balance between novelty and familiarity in your designs, following the MAYA principle.

#124 Design Symbols

499 implied HN points • 12 Dec 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Design Symbols Origins Meaning
  1. The origin of common design symbols can often be traced back to specific historical contexts, like the play button symbolizing movement of tape in early tape players.
  2. Symbols can efficiently represent values and concepts; for example, the Nike swoosh symbolizing motion and victory communicates brand values effectively.
  3. Symbols acquire meaning through habitual use, highlighting the power of symbols in communication and representation in design.

#131 Get some perspective!

299 implied HN points • 17 Apr 23
🪑 Design Fashion Perspective
  1. Canonical perspective is the specific angle from which we imagine objects, making them easiest to identify; designers can use this angle to make icons and illustrations more recognizable.
  2. Optical illusions in design, like the bowknot sweater, can add playful and intriguing elements; considering optical illusions can enhance the visual appeal of a design.
  3. Changing perspectives can lead to fresh insights and better approaches in design problem-solving; seeing things from a new angle can transform the design process.

#127 Sick of design 🤢

339 implied HN points • 06 Feb 23
🪑 Design Architecture Product Design Quotes
  1. Good design can promote health: Architectural design, like in sanatoriums, can aid in patient recovery by providing optimal conditions like sunlight and fresh air.
  2. Design for comfort: SEETROËN glasses use innovative design to combat travel sickness, but the attention-grabbing appearance can deter people from using them.
  3. Design as a solution: Better design can be the answer to various problems, bringing functionality and aesthetics together.

#129 Luxury design

279 implied HN points • 06 Mar 23
🪑 Design Luxury Typography Fashion Creativity
  1. Didone typefaces like Didot bring a sense of luxury and sophistication to design with their high contrast and vertical emphasis.
  2. Consider pushing your design to the extreme and exploring the most extravagant version, like the Jacob & Co Astronomia Solar watch, to challenge yourself and think creatively.
  3. Luxury in design can come from simplicity and refinement, as Coco Chanel pointed out, emphasizing the absence of vulgarity over excessive opulence.

#130 Put your feet up

239 implied HN points • 03 Apr 23
🪑 Design Product Design
  1. Early experiments explored foot-controlled computer interfaces in the 1980s, but they weren't widely adopted due to a steep learning curve compared to hand-controlled interfaces.
  2. Engaging more of the user's body in design could enhance interaction, especially in augmented and virtual reality applications.
  3. Small design changes, like adding whimsical elements such as unique feet to furniture, can bring lightness and freshness to the overall aesthetic.

🖐 5 more ideas about design

479 implied HN points • 29 Aug 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Embrace the concept of ugliness in design to stand out in a world of uniformity.
  2. Design with consideration for multiple senses, not just visual, to create a deeper impact on users.
  3. Avoid relying solely on averages in design as individual fit can lead to more effective user experiences.

#122 Finding Patterns 🧩

379 implied HN points • 14 Nov 22
🪑 Design Architecture Software Privacy Facial Recognition
  1. Understanding the concept of design patterns and their importance in architecture and software design.
  2. Exploring the use of CV Dazzle makeup to elude facial recognition algorithms by disrupting key facial features.
  3. Seeking to understand deeper patterns in situations and contexts before designing solutions, as highlighted by Fritjof Capra's quote.

#128 Feeling blue 💙

259 implied HN points • 20 Feb 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Design Color Theory Ceramics Creativity
  1. The cyanometer is a historical scientific device used to measure the blueness of the sky, providing insights about the atmosphere and light behavior.
  2. Spode "Blue Italian" porcelain is a classic design that mixes Chinese Imari elements with a pastoral scene, showcasing a blend of themes to create something unique and commercially successful.
  3. Creativity in design involves seeing things through one's own perspective, as artist Paul Gauguin emphasized in the quote about making a tree blue if one sees it that way, highlighting the importance of authenticity and personal interpretation in design.