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

#43 Designing shorter winter nights

119 implied HN points • 23 Nov 20
🪑 Design Architecture Product Design History Quotes
  1. Design solutions focused on user wellbeing can lead to absurd but effective outcomes.
  2. Unexpected weaknesses in design can be transformed into strengths with creativity and patience.
  3. Designers have a significant role as bridges between art and the general public, making design a universal and impactful form of expression.

Lobster long-read #1: A short history of unlocking things

119 implied HN points • 12 Nov 20
🕹 Technology Privacy Security Internet Data Digital
  1. Locks have evolved over time, from simple mechanisms like holes in doors to more complex designs with pins and tumblers, highlighting the importance of privacy and security in history.
  2. The mental model of a lock, where a key unlocks a 'private' space, is now applied to digital privacy, but the reality is that we entrust our digital possessions to third parties online.
  3. An alternative paradigm for online privacy involves incorporating detection mechanisms, like Apple's iOS alerts, to make visible the handling of our digital data by third parties and promote transparency.

Designing in a Post-Taste world

2 HN points • 27 May 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. In the post-taste world of design, there is a shift towards embracing ugliness and authenticity over traditional aesthetics.
  2. The concept of 'ugly design' challenges the boundaries of good taste and encourages a more real and genuine connection with audiences.
  3. It's important for designers to balance experimentation with ugliness while ensuring usability is not sacrificed in pursuit of aesthetics.

#50 Can we make social media kinder?

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.
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#49 Why is your design going nowhere?

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.

#45 Birth, redesigned

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.

#42 Un-designing your biases

99 implied HN points • 16 Nov 20
🪑 Design Product Design Design Philosophy
  1. Be aware of your biases when designing to create better designs for all cultures.
  2. Simplicity in design can have a powerful impact and leave room for imagination.
  3. Consider the impact of design on people's emotions - aim not to ruin someone's day with bad design.

One question, one object, one quote.

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

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.

#7 Non-human design, chindogu & veneers

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.

#1 Alcohol, spoons and 'design doing'

59 implied HN points • 31 Jan 20
🪑 Design Inspiration Objects Quotes
  1. Think about reframing problems to find different solutions and consider the consequences
  2. Consider the specificity of the problem you're solving and ensure your solution reflects that
  3. Balancing 'design thinking' with 'design doing' is crucial to moving forward with ideas

#40 Designers, is it vegan to eat yourself?

39 implied HN points • 02 Nov 20
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Question fundamental assumptions in design - what might be too shocking to challenge?
  2. Incorporate personal experiences into design for universally recognizable elements.
  3. The way a problem is defined influences the solutions that are considered - craft the problem definition as carefully as the solution.

#39 Do designers make a contribution, really?

39 implied HN points • 26 Oct 20
🎨 Art & Illustration Design Innovation Art History
  1. Designers can provoke a sense of wonder and inspiration with their work, potentially influencing others in unexpected ways.
  2. Innovation in design, like the cash register, can lead to the creation of new mechanisms that improve transparency and tackle issues like fraud.
  3. Achieving perfection in design can elevate it to the level of art, where solving problems with precision becomes a form of artistic expression.

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

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.

#30 Emotional blackmail, bizarre toothbrushes & Dieter Rams

39 implied HN points • 24 Aug 20
🪑 Design Product Design
  1. Design responsibly: Avoid emotionally manipulating users in your designs.
  2. Challenge conventions: Question basic assumptions in design to explore new possibilities.
  3. Be mindful of people: Dieter Rams emphasizes the importance of considering people in design to avoid the cardinal sin of indifference.

#27 Ethical pots, transparency & citizen designers

39 implied HN points • 03 Aug 20
🪑 Design Ethics Transparency Craftsmanship Philosophy
  1. Consider the responsibilities as a citizen when designing. Designer have a role in society worth reflection.
  2. Moral significance can be attributed to design decisions, like in a pottery's 'ethical' qualities. Design choices can carry moral weight.
  3. Great design can be transparent, not invisible. Good design should be unobtrusive yet noticeable, aiding without hiding.

#24 Visualising racism, slipper adverts & relationships

39 implied HN points • 13 Jul 20
🎨 Art & Illustration Visual communication Graphic design Relationships Context Design process
  1. Design can challenge narratives and surface unheard voices through visual communication.
  2. Understanding the context in which a design will be seen is crucial for effective and impactful design.
  3. Designing a product is akin to designing a relationship, highlighting the importance of considering the connections a design creates.

#22 Letterboxes, survival straws and invisible design

39 implied HN points • 29 Jun 20
🪑 Design Product Design User Experience Innovation
  1. Consider if your design needs to be able to travel through different mediums like a letterbox and how that affects its form.
  2. Think about how your design might require users to be in uncomfortable or dangerous positions, and if there are more user-friendly alternatives.
  3. Good design should be seamless and serve its purpose without drawing unnecessary attention, making the experience smoother for users.

🦞 Design Lobster: now on Mondays!

39 implied HN points • 26 Jun 20
🪑 Design Announcement
  1. Design Lobster newsletter is shifting from Fridays to Mondays to inspire readers at the beginning of the week.
  2. The change is aimed at having a bigger impact on readers' thinking and work.
  3. Readers can provide feedback on what they would like to see more or less of in future Design Lobster newsletters.

#19 Vanishing packaging, heavy blankets and spontaneous gestures

39 implied HN points • 05 Jun 20
🪑 Design Sustainability Product Design Interior design Quotes Social Impact
  1. Design can reduce environmental impact by creating squishier, biodegradable packaging that decomposes quickly.
  2. Weighted blankets, like Gravity Blankets, offer comfort and security by using physical weight to mimic human touch, showing how design can evoke emotion.
  3. Designers can consider incorporating elements of comforting weight into designs to create a psychological sense of comfort.

#8 Star signs, snuffboxes & designers as doctors

39 implied HN points • 20 Mar 20
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Astrology apps like Co—Star have found success by using a bold and direct approach in delivering horoscopes to users.
  2. Design often uses metaphors to help users understand functionality; objects disguised as something else can carry specific connotations.
  3. Continuously learning and expanding knowledge, akin to doctors, is essential for designers to keep pace with the evolving demands and domains of design work.

#6 The Iowa Caucus, bottles & politics

39 implied HN points • 06 Mar 20
🪑 Design Politics Product Design Packaging Quotes Aesthetics
  1. Consider the context of use in design decisions, especially in high-stress environments like a nationally significant poll.
  2. Explore the possibility of having design elements serve multiple functions to increase efficiency and sustainability.
  3. Design integrates political ideas into physical artifacts, showcasing how design encapsulates and shapes our world.

#41 How would you camouflage a power station?

19 implied HN points • 09 Nov 20
🪑 Design Metaphors Architecture Creativity
  1. Design can be more effective when disguised to confuse or bewilder, as seen in the camouflage of infrastructure during wartime.
  2. The design trend of neumorphism, inspired by skeuomorphism, reflects a shift towards more tactile, sculptural digital interfaces.
  3. Real-world metaphors in design can offer insights into the material anxieties and creative trends in digital design.

#36 What can we learn from an experimental violin?

19 implied HN points • 05 Oct 20
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Native American design often uses four-fold symmetry, with spiritual significance tied to the natural world and cardinal directions.
  2. Experimentation in design, like the Chanot Experimental violin, can lead to creative solutions even if they don't become mainstream.
  3. Design work should be seen as a form of care, as described by Pavel Samsonov, highlighting the ethical responsibility designers have towards people's lives.

#34 When design makes us afraid

19 implied HN points • 21 Sep 20
🪑 Design Product Design Industrial Design Digital Design
  1. Design can intentionally evoke fear or other emotions to engage users or visitors, like the Hongyagu bridge engineered to wobble and create unease.
  2. Design is evolving to provide entertainment value beyond just functionality, with emotional journeys becoming a key aspect in various fields.
  3. Design should prioritize human behavior over technological convenience, as highlighted by Stewart Brand's quote advocating for human-centered design.

#32 Mutations, aglets & our (over)complicated world

19 implied HN points • 07 Sep 20
🪑 Design Complexity Innovation
  1. The world is increasingly complex, leading people to believe in strange theories. Designers must approach their work with humility and a focus on simplifying complexity.
  2. Designers should appreciate unnoticed elements, like aglets on shoelaces, which are essential yet often overlooked in their design.
  3. Good designers combine different perspectives to create unexpected and innovative solutions, akin to mutagens in biology that produce mutations.

#31 Disaster parks, PH-Lamps and Bruno Munari

19 implied HN points • 31 Aug 20
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Parks in Tokyo serve as vital infrastructure for disaster relief, cleverly concealing bunkers, emergency resources, and multifunctional benches.
  2. Poul Henningsen's PH-Lamp showcases the importance of light quality and atmosphere in design, with over 100 variations designed to create soft, warm lighting.
  3. Bruno Munari's quote highlights the impact of design on improving living conditions, encouraging taste development, and leaving a lasting connection between designer and user.

#28 Dreamlike houses, Netsuke and Norman's Law

19 implied HN points • 10 Aug 20
🪑 Design Architecture Sculpture Fashion Product Design
  1. Designing a house to feel dreamlike involves matching a client's psychological history with unique architectural patterns.
  2. Netsuke, small toggles used with traditional Japanese clothing, evolved into elaborate decorative objects, showcasing the joy of adding artistic touches to everyday items.
  3. Design processes often involve discovering the real problem once designing begins, which can impact timelines and budgets.

#26 Irony, PoMo clocks and meaningful order

19 implied HN points • 27 Jul 20
🎨 Art & Illustration Design Irony Perception
  1. Design can change the way people perceive the world by creating unexpected and thought-provoking experiences.
  2. Playfulness in design can add personality and uniqueness to a product, sparking interest and intrigue.
  3. Design can either impose meaningful order or disrupt it, but it's essential to be intentional and consistent with design choices.

#25 Never-ending houses, Kluges and Re-design

19 implied HN points • 20 Jul 20
🪑 Design Interior Functionality Aesthetics Creativity Philosophy
  1. Design can become pathological when the urge for continuous tinkering gets out of control, as seen in the Winchester Mystery House story. Knowing when to stop designing is crucial.
  2. Kludges, like the makeshift wrench door handle, are inelegant but expedient solutions to problems. Embracing resourcefulness and active engagement can lead to better understanding of our designed world.
  3. All design is essentially redesign, reminding designers to approach new situations with humility and an awareness of the history and context they are working within.

#23 Whispering bridges, Detector Locks and umbrellas

19 implied HN points • 06 Jul 20
🪑 Design Architecture Product Design Quotes
  1. Designs can evolve to solve new problems in different contexts, celebrating the unpredictable life they take on once released into the world.
  2. Incorporating personality and charm into functionality, like the Detector Lock's whimsical design, can make creations more delightful and memorable.
  3. Stay open-minded like an umbrella to new ideas and information to enhance the quality of your designs and creative output.

#21 Freud's chair, perversity, and how to solve problems

19 implied HN points • 19 Jun 20
🪑 Design Psychology Furniture Ethics Incentives Observation
  1. Be cautious of perverse incentives when trying to influence behavior as they can have unintended consequences.
  2. Observation can lead to innovative design solutions, like Freud's chair tailored to accommodate his unique habit of sitting.
  3. To solve problems effectively, approach them with fresh perspectives and new ways of thinking, as Einstein emphasized.