The hottest Design Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Culture Topics

Introducing Vittles Prints

Vittles • 84 implied HN points • 02 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Design
  1. Vittles is launching six new art prints in a collaboration with two artists, Sing Yun Lee and Michaël Protin.
  2. The prints feature vibrant illustrations and photos related to food and culture, adding a unique visual element to the Vittles brand.
  3. These prints are available for purchase, and the team plans to expand their selection in the future.

We Are the Robots

Breaking Smart • 79 implied HN points • 14 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Robots today are moving in more fluid and organic ways, unlike the stiff, mechanical movements we used to see. They can express emotions that feel similar to human feelings, showing a blend of technology and life.
  2. The arts and technology are evolving together, with artists often inspired by new machine capabilities. This relationship highlights how our understanding of what is human or machinic is gradually shifting.
  3. As machines become more complex and organic, people may feel anxious or fearful of them. Our interactions with technology can influence how we view ourselves and what it means to be human.

The Tension is the Work

Kathy PM • 31 implied HN points • 21 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Balancing the present and future is tough when working on new tech. You need to satisfy current users while also creating something innovative.
  2. Building with AI speeds up timelines, meaning you must adapt quickly and be on top of changes. It’s not just about creating something fast, but making it effective and user-friendly.
  3. The real challenge is to create tools that enhance creativity and efficiency for developers, helping them work better without unnecessary complications.

From Blown Speakers

Kneeling Bus • 244 implied HN points • 21 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Design
  1. Mass civilian death is intolerable in any conflict.
  2. Design in various domains often masks mediocrity or flimsiness.
  3. The quality of digital images and environments does not always enhance the experience.
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#97 Design: a map

Design Lobster • 259 implied HN points • 06 Dec 21
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. How map projections like the Mercator can heavily distort our perception of the world and influence political narratives.
  2. The concept of maps can extend beyond traditional paper forms to include tactile representations, like the wooden Ammassalik Map, challenging our preconceptions of navigation.
  3. Designers should be conscious of how they interpret reality in their designs and consider different perspectives and ways of representation.

Hierarchy in Virtual Worlds

Philip’s Newsletter • 27 implied HN points • 01 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Emergent hierarchies in nature show that complex structures develop over time, not from pre-set rules. This is like how multicellular life forms from simple atoms without a planned hierarchy.
  2. Second Life aimed to create a virtual world with simple rules that could naturally lead to complexity. It recognized the importance of allowing hierarchy to develop rather than forcing it.
  3. Today's technology allows for computers to simulate complex systems, which might help create virtual worlds that can mimic life and develop hierarchies on their own.

Fuses

Only Wonder Knows • 39 implied HN points • 17 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Fuses are essential components for providing protection in electronic circuits by blowing up when the current exceeds a certain threshold.
  2. Fuses have specific ratings like amperage and voltage, and their behavior can be affected by factors like temperature and pulse energy.
  3. Understanding the details of fuses is crucial for designing reliable circuit boards and ensuring proper functionality.

Can Machines Slip on Banana Peels?

Breaking Smart • 79 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Design
  1. It's funny when a self-important person slips on a banana peel because it shows their dignity being challenged. This humor comes from seeing someone with high self-esteem face an embarrassing moment.
  2. Machines can also have moments of failure, just like people. They slip up when their design looks seamless but actually has hidden flaws, similar to someone who overestimates their own abilities.
  3. Understanding the 'Contraption Factor' helps us analyze why machines fail. It shows a difference between how complex something is and how well it's designed, which can lead to unexpected problems.

VLSI Japan: It’s Better on the Backside

Mule’s Musings • 263 implied HN points • 15 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Design
  1. VLSI Japan discussed the revolutionary Backside Power Delivery (BSPDN) technology and its importance in semiconductor design.
  2. BSPDN addresses the IR droop problem in semiconductor design, offering power and performance benefits like decreased IR droop and increased core performance.
  3. Intel's adoption of PowerVia technology positions them ahead of competitors like TSMC, providing potential competitive advantages in process efficiency and cost.

Apple has a new Industrial Design Leader, Molly Anderson

Apple Wire • 2 HN points • 04 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Molly Anderson is the new leader of Apple’s Industrial Design team. She aims to combine beautiful designs with practical use in Apple products.
  2. Anderson has experience working on the iPad Pro, which was made thinner and lighter than before. She focused on improving its structure and functionality.
  3. Her design approach seems to balance style and practicality, similar to Jony Ive, but with a stronger focus on how the product works.

Week #5: Design Your Own Conformal Predictor

Mindful Modeler • 79 implied HN points • 17 Jan 23
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Designing your own conformal predictor involves picking a suitable non-conformity score and evaluating it
  2. Consider the non-conformity score as the key element in conformal predictors
  3. To evaluate conformal predictors, focus on metrics like marginal coverage, average region size, and conditional coverage

#76 Are you seeing red?

Design Lobster • 279 implied HN points • 12 Jul 21
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Human vision is trichromatic, with photoreceptors for blue, green, and red. Our sensitivity to red and green hues is high but affects how many colors we can see.
  2. The color red may have helped our ancestors identify ripe fruits. Designers use this sensitivity to red for attention-grabbing elements like notification dots.
  3. Bold colors, like the red Olivetti Valentine typewriter, can evoke emotions and create an emotional connection with designed objects.

India’s Chip War

ChinaTalk • 148 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Design
  1. India excels in software and design but faces challenges in manufacturing semiconductors due to historical economic policies that hindered growth in hardware and manufacturing sectors.
  2. India's approach to semiconductor industry development differed from Taiwan and China, starting from the design end rather than electronics assembly, posing challenges due to lack of a broader electronics ecosystem and global integration.
  3. Software industry in India thrived due to less restrictive regulations compared to hardware industries like semiconductors heavily controlled under small-scale industry reservations, hindering growth in manufacturing sectors.

Psychological principles in product design — a closer look at Duolingo

UX Psychology • 198 implied HN points • 05 Oct 21
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Small improvements near the end of an experience can significantly impact how people remember the entire event.
  2. Highlighting a unique option among similar choices can make it more memorable and likely to be chosen.
  3. As people make progress towards a goal, they tend to speed up their actions to reach it faster, indicating motivation by the remaining distance to the target.

How the Sainsbury's Design Studio Packaged a Nation’s Dreams

Vittles • 297 implied HN points • 06 Mar 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Sainsbury's design studio revolutionized supermarket design post-World War II by introducing self-service and unique packaging.
  2. The design studio's focus on modern, functional, and visually appealing packaging reflected the quality of the products inside.
  3. The shift towards agency-led design in supermarkets has led to a loss of distinct identities in packaging, moving away from the creativity and quality seen in earlier designs.

#103 Justice by design

Design Lobster • 179 implied HN points • 21 Feb 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Design can be used as a tool for social justice and equity, as demonstrated by initiatives like Creative Reaction Lab and their 'Equity-Centred Community Design Field Guide.'
  2. Companies like Tony's Chocolonely are using design in their products to convey powerful messages and promote social change, like highlighting issues of slavery in the chocolate industry.
  3. Design justice involves challenging normative models and amplifying diverse voices and knowledge through design practices, as emphasized by Sasha Costanza-Chock in their book 'Design Justice.'

Problem: Break Down A Monolith Application Into Microservices

SkylineCodes • 19 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Decomposing a monolithic application into microservices pattern helps scale and deploy services independently which is crucial for agility and quick feature updates in a competitive market.
  2. Understanding the Scale Cube model and its dimensions (X-axis scaling, Y-axis scaling, Z-axis scaling) is essential for designing scalable and resilient software architectures.
  3. Decomposing by business capability and subdomain are effective strategies for breaking down microservices, ensuring cohesive and loosely coupled services aligned with business needs.

Japan impressions

Something About Cats • 39 implied HN points • 01 Oct 23
🏝 Travel Design
  1. Japan has high standards in cleanliness, efficiency, and food quality.
  2. Japan feels like a well-designed video game with intriguing zoning and attention to detail.
  3. Japan excels in hardware craftsmanship but lags behind in modern tech innovations.

Release Notes — March 2nd 2023

tldraw • 39 implied HN points • 03 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Design
  1. The update brings a new design interface with improved performance.
  2. An open source release of the Signia library is available for developers.
  3. Various tweaks, fixes, and improvements were implemented, including better app performance and enhanced drawing quality.

What's Cheering Me Up Lately

Green Graphic Design • 39 implied HN points • 31 Mar 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Author shares what's bringing joy in their life recently, inspired by a YouTuber.
  2. Appreciation for David Bird's 'Becorn' art and partner's creative fiction project.
  3. Discovery of the game 'Little Mouse's Encyclopedia' and starting a new personal project about nature journaling.

Under pressure

Norman’s Substack • 39 implied HN points • 03 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Different materials like copper, stainless steel, and plastic are commonly used for plumbing espresso machines under pressure.
  2. Copper is popular but challenging to work with, stainless steel and plastic are alternatives with their own advantages.
  3. Factors like ease of assembly, cost, and durability should be considered when selecting plumbing materials for espresso machines.

Occam’s Shaving Cream

Breaking Smart • 18 implied HN points • 20 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Design
  1. Writing should feel fun and engaging; if it doesn't, it may need a fresh touch.
  2. It's important to keep your own standards in mind when creating content, aiming for joy rather than just quality.
  3. Sometimes a simple idea or concept can spark the creativity needed to write something meaningful.

Blowing up airships in FreeCAD and Python

These Are Systems • 267 implied HN points • 08 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Designing tensile structures involves significant iteration for achieving desired 3D shapes from 2D fabric patterns.
  2. FreeCAD, with its Python interface, offers flexibility for working on tensile structure design.
  3. Deciding between top-down and bottom-up design approaches structures the rest of the design process.

AI & Experience Design Conference

AI and Experience Design • 19 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Design
  1. The AI & Experience Design Conference brought together creative minds from AI, art, design, and technology to explore the impact of Generative AI on designing meaningful experiences.
  2. The conference was a space for dynamic discussions, collaboration, and hands-on workshops on various topics like emotional design, AI in UI/UX, and assistive technologies for visually impaired users.
  3. The event highlighted the importance of AI in design, not just as a support tool, but as a collaborator in the creative process, reshaping the future of art and design in the digital era.

In Defense of Generative AI ("AI Art")

The Future of Life • 19 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Design
  1. Generative AI, or AI art, learns from existing art to create new images. It's a complex process that doesn’t just copy but develops new ideas based on patterns.
  2. While some fear AI art takes jobs from human artists, it could actually help enhance creativity. Artists may play new roles by telling stories with the help of AI tools.
  3. Even if AI art is often seen as derivative, it can still add beauty to our everyday lives. It might help bring back the artistry and detail that is often missing in modern design.

#89 Design in miniature

Design Lobster • 199 implied HN points • 11 Oct 21
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Design can create illusions to make large buildings appear small.
  2. Using models, like papier-mâché creatures, can enhance understanding in design.
  3. The act of making things, like models and prototypes, is essential for true understanding in design.

#74 Is design objective?

Design Lobster • 239 implied HN points • 28 Jun 21
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Design often balances between objective and subjective elements.
  2. Design inspiration can come from unexpected sources, such as historical architecture or everyday objects.
  3. Effective design involves empathy towards the object and a reflective design process.

#96 Puzzling design

Design Lobster • 179 implied HN points • 29 Nov 21
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Jigsaw puzzles were invented by John Spilsbury, starting as educational tools for children which later became popular as a therapeutic activity during the Great Depression.
  2. Puzzle jugs from the 18th century were designed with hidden tricks to prevent spills, showcasing how designs can incorporate elements of surprise and challenge for users.
  3. Design should aim to reduce clutter and confusion, but intentional puzzlement in design can sometimes offer satisfaction and intrigue to users.

📩 Your invite to the live streams—Wed: Tailwind Thu: Bryan Finster

🔮 Crafting Tech Teams • 19 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Design
  1. The live streams feature discussions on architecture, design techniques, and XP disciplines in Modern Frontend Engineering Culture and Software Engineering Fundamentals Series.
  2. Bryan Finster will talk about how ownership and maturity can aid in personal development in the Thursday fundamental series.
  3. Readers can access a 7-day free trial of Crafting Tech Teams for full post archives.

Deep Research: First Impressions

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 40 implied HN points • 08 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Design
  1. AI tools like OpenAI's Deep Research can make research tasks much faster and easier. This lets users get valuable insights quickly, which is great for decision making.
  2. Having AI ask follow-up questions before starting research helps users clarify their needs. This means the final output is more likely to match what they were actually looking for.
  3. Investing in AI tools for design teams can save money and improve work efficiency. It's cheaper than hiring extra help and helps teams stay updated with the best technology.

Steve Jobs, Rick Rubin and "taste"

SatPost by Trung Phan • 212 implied HN points • 06 May 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Steve Jobs and Rick Rubin emphasize the importance of cultivating taste in creativity.
  2. Taste is personal - there is no right or wrong taste, but it's about discovering and trusting your own preferences.
  3. Having conviction in one's taste, blocking out external influences, and persevering are key to creating enduring work.