The hottest Design Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Culture Topics

Refactoring: Narrow ↔ Widen Parameter

Software Design: Tidy First? • 530 implied HN points • 25 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Software Design Refactoring Development Programming
  1. Narrowing and widening parameters are important techniques in refactoring code. They help make the code more flexible and easier to understand.
  2. Refactoring can initially seem tricky, but it can also be enjoyable and rewarding. It's a good practice to keep improving your code.
  3. Getting feedback on your refactoring efforts is valuable. It helps you see what works and what can be improved.

Handmind is heartwork

Austin Kleon • 2457 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Collage Creativity Craft Design
  1. Creating by hand connects our thoughts with our hearts. It helps us slow down and be more mindful about our work.
  2. Working with crafts can be a powerful way to express ourselves. It combines our ideas with physical creation.
  3. Collaboration and conversation can inspire new ideas. Sharing thoughts with friends can lead to meaningful projects.

The Chronicles of GND, Part 2

filterwizard • 19 implied HN points • 25 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Engineering Electronics Design Innovation Systems
  1. In modern circuits, many designs operate on a single supply instead of a split supply. This means they only use a positive voltage and treat ground as the reference point, which changes how we think about electrical connections.
  2. It's important to create separate nets for ground and a '0V' reference in circuit layouts. Mixing currents from both can lead to problems, even if they seem similar in potential.
  3. Using a low-impedance ground plane isn’t always the best solution. In sensitive systems, small voltage drops and current flow can significantly affect performance, so careful design is essential.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

The Great (im)Balance

Endless Explorations • 79 implied HN points • 27 Sep 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Design Creativity Illustration Self-Expression Art Theory
  1. Everyone has a logical side and an intuitive side. The logical side helps us stay on track, while the intuitive side can inspire creativity and lead to new ideas.
  2. Balancing logic and intuition is important for personal growth. We often suppress our creative side, but letting it express itself can lead to amazing results.
  3. Everyone has an inner voice that deserves to be heard. Listening to this voice and nurturing our creativity can unlock opportunities for more fulfilling experiences.

Designers who PM

Anant’s Newsletter • 4 implied HN points • 18 Feb 25
💼 Business Product Management Design Engineering Team Dynamics Startup Strategy
  1. Hiring a designer who can also manage products can save engineering teams time and resources. They help avoid building the wrong features right from the start.
  2. A designer with product management skills can make design decisions quickly. This keeps projects moving forward and prevents delays in the engineering process.
  3. Having a designer who understands both design and product management helps create a more cohesive product. They can connect different parts of the product and ensure everything aligns properly.

Deep Research: First Impressions

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 40 implied HN points • 08 Feb 25
🕹 Technology AI User Experience Research Design Productivity
  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.

Flying Solo

Software Design: Tidy First? • 463 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Software Design Development Innovation Research
  1. Time is precious, and we should focus on spending it in meaningful ways. It's important to prioritize what truly matters in our lives.
  2. Stepping down from a role can be a way to reclaim your time and energy. Sometimes, less responsibility can lead to a more fulfilling life.
  3. Believing in a mission or team is important, but personal time and happiness should come first. Balancing passion with personal needs is key.

The 1968 Edition

Why is this interesting? • 361 implied HN points • 21 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Innovation Computing Design Space History
  1. In 1968, two important events changed how we see the world: the first photo of Earth from space and the first GUI demo. These moments helped people appreciate our planet's beauty and encouraged new ways of interacting with technology.
  2. Earthrise promoted environmental awareness, leading to events like the first Earth Day, while the GUI made computers more accessible for everyday use. Both advancements reshaped human perspective and knowledge.
  3. Technology has evolved, but many interfaces still use linear designs, which limit our ability to manage complex information. To improve, we might need to look toward using curves like nature does for better efficiency.

The Anti-Airbnb-Space

Culture Study • 5104 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Design Aesthetics Hospitality Trends Personalization
  1. The concept of 'airspace' refers to a trendy design style popular in the past but now considered outdated and replaced by more unique and diverse aesthetics.
  2. The rise of Airbnb has led to a shift in the hospitality industry towards standardized, 'cool' interiors, sometimes at the expense of personal touch and uniqueness in spaces.
  3. Creating a truly comfortable and inviting space goes beyond trendy decor and requires a personal touch that reflects individuality and a sense of being lived in.

Eight More 8-Bit Era Microprocessors

The Chip Letter • 4368 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Hardware Design History Innovation
  1. Designs that were not commercially successful can still be interesting and hold value for learning.
  2. Intel's 8085 microprocessor, while not a bad design, was overshadowed by Zilog's Z80 due to lack of major improvements.
  3. Signetics 2650 microprocessor faced limitations such as delayed time to market and segmented memory, showing the importance of timely releases and memory efficiency.

Perspective Engines

the shimmering void • 139 implied HN points • 29 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Gaming Human-computer interaction Design Creativity
  1. Video games can be more than just entertainment; they offer new ways to think and perceive the world. Playing them can lead to deeper understanding and focus.
  2. Creativity can be developed through experiences that push us to see things differently. It’s about learning and translating new perspectives into our lives.
  3. Software and design can help us understand our thoughts better. By creating spaces that encourage exploration, we can gain new insights and expand our thinking.

Where to draw the line?

Subconscious • 1225 implied HN points • 01 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Systems Design Engineering Innovation
  1. Breaking problems into smaller pieces helps us manage them better. It's like solving a big puzzle by working on one piece at a time.
  2. Modules or parts of a system allow us to focus on what’s important without worrying about the whole. This makes it easier to change and adapt parts as needed.
  3. Deciding where to draw boundaries in a system can greatly affect its future. It's important to understand what will change and what won’t before setting those boundaries.

Do you know how controlled you are?

Disaffected Newsletter • 1338 implied HN points • 11 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Design Human-Computer User Experience Automation Environment
  1. Machines are now designed to control how we use them, rather than serve our needs. This means we often have to jump through hoops to get them to work the way we want.
  2. Many modern designs prioritize environmental concerns over user convenience. For example, appliances automatically default to settings that may not be the most efficient for what we actually want.
  3. This shift in design reflects a broader issue where consumer products must comply with government mandates and societal goals rather than being created based on what people truly want.

🗣 Announcing the Relaunch of From the Desk...

From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy • 3144 implied HN points • 30 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Food & Drink Literature Design Fashion & Beauty News
  1. The newsletter 'From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy' is relaunching with new features like contributors, a book club, and monthly essay publications.
  2. There will be changes to the subscription rates, with an annual cost increase to $50, but existing $30 subscribers are locked in and new subscribers have until the end of 2023 to join at the lower rate.
  3. The newsletter will expand into a magazine-like format with additional content for paid subscribers like link recommendations, a cooking supplement, and a book club.

There are two mes

Austin Kleon • 3636 implied HN points • 28 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Art Music Literature Design Film
  1. There are two sides to everyone: the public persona and the real self. Recognizing this helps us understand people better.
  2. Life is a learning journey where experiences shape how we live. This idea emphasizes the importance of staying curious and open to growth.
  3. Children's creativity is pure and inspiring. To create great work, we can learn from their open-mindedness and natural expression.

The Headphone Revolution: Sony’s MDR Series Through the Years

Obsolete Sony’s Newsletter • 99 implied HN points • 15 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Audio Innovation Design Consumer Electronics History
  1. Sony has a long history of headphone innovation, starting from the 1960s with their first closed stereo headphones, the DR-4A. This set new standards in comfort and sound quality.
  2. In 1979, Sony changed the game with the MDR-3, which was lightweight and came with the original Walkman. This allowed people to listen to music anywhere, making portable audio popular.
  3. The introduction of noise-canceling headphones began in 1995 with the MDR-NC10, marking a huge advancement in listening technology. It helped users enjoy their music without distractions from their surroundings.

10 Beautifully Designed 1980's Sony Computers That Never Quite Delivered

Obsolete Sony’s Newsletter • 119 implied HN points • 08 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Computers Design History Innovation Consumer Electronics
  1. Sony was a key player in creating the MSX standard for home computers in the 1980s. This platform aimed to unify computer use and consumer electronics.
  2. Sony's MSX computers had creative designs and various models, but they faced tough competition and technical limits.
  3. Although they didn't change the home computing landscape as hoped, these Sony computers are still cool examples of 1980s tech innovation.

A Nigerian Tale on the World Stage

Animation Obsessive • 4574 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Animation Visual art Film Design
  1. The animated film 'Moremi' tells a sci-fi version of the Nigerian Moremi Ajasoro tales, using a unique mix of 2D and 3D animation.
  2. Director Shofela Coker and art director Wian van Bergen collaborated to maintain a visually rich aesthetic, blending Nigerian motifs and traditional painting techniques into the film.
  3. The film's unique visual style was achieved through a custom compositing workflow, blending 3D characters with 2D backgrounds seamlessly, along with incorporating striking neon 2D special effects.

kitten corner: sartorial science

bad cattitude • 141 implied HN points • 08 Dec 24
🪞 Fashion & Beauty Fashion Style Trends Accessories Design
  1. Dressing nicely can help you feel good and fit in at events. It’s like dressing for the party you want to attend.
  2. Sometimes, it’s fun to dress up pets, like cats, in cute outfits. It can make their personalities shine even more.
  3. Fashion can be playful and creative, especially around holidays. A festive outfit can bring joy to both the wearer and those around them.

A new and improved Film and TV Newsletter Directory

Textual Variations • 265 implied HN points • 12 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Film TV Media Writing Design
  1. The Film and TV Newsletter Directory has been updated and is back up and running. It showcases various film and TV Substack newsletters.
  2. The updates to the directory faced challenges due to technical issues and design limitations within the Substack platform. A new format was developed to make it visually appealing and user-friendly.
  3. The directory allows authors to be mentioned and notified when their newsletters are highlighted. However, there are concerns about some authors disabling mentions, which posed a problem when trying to update the directory.

Heat Pumps, Thermostats, and Bad Design

David Friedman’s Substack • 242 implied HN points • 25 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Energy Design Regulation Efficiency
  1. Heat pumps can be more cost-effective than gas furnaces, but it depends on current energy prices. It's important to understand the right settings on your thermostat to save money.
  2. Many thermostats are designed to prioritize heat pumps over gas furnaces, which can lead to unnecessary costs if gas heating is cheaper. Users should consider switching to 'emergency heat' if they have both systems.
  3. Regulations often push for efficiency in heating systems, but not all thermostats work well for every dual-fuel setup. It's essential for customers to be informed about the best options for their specific heating needs.

Studio as a verb

Austin Kleon • 3217 implied HN points • 30 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Art Film Music Literature Design
  1. The word 'studio' comes from a verb, which reminds us that being creative is an active process. It means that we should always engage in making, experimenting, and creating.
  2. To generate great ideas, start by getting rid of your lesser ones first. Sometimes copying others can lead you to unique insights and inspiration.
  3. You can connect with people in special ways, like through shared interests. For example, cartooning helped a son bond with his elderly father, showing how creativity can strengthen relationships.

The 50 Lost Waterways of Southwark

Londonist: Time Machine • 399 implied HN points • 24 May 24
🎨 Art & Illustration History Events Mapping Design Photos
  1. Coloring historic maps can provide interesting insights into the past, revealing hidden details such as lost waterways.
  2. Peeling off the rivers and streams from an old map and pasting them onto a modern map can show the significant presence of water bodies in an area.
  3. Exploring old maps and overlaying them onto current maps can unveil historical features like rivers that have been lost over time.

Tidy Together Chapter: Long-Running Design Changes

Software Design: Tidy First? • 287 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Software Design Development Innovation Programming
  1. Mixing design with features is important. It's good to experiment with designs while keeping an eye on the overall features.
  2. Timing matters when tidying up your work. It's helpful to tidy design just before implementation to keep things organized.
  3. When working on design changes, you have to decide when to start, continue, or stop. It's about finding the right balance in your workflow.

Hatchlings into fledglings

Austin Kleon • 3996 implied HN points • 14 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Arts Literature Music Travel Design Media
  1. A writer creates the story, and the reader brings it to life in their imagination. They both play important roles in enjoying a book.
  2. Celebrating the life of cartoonist Al Jaffee, who entertained many with his creativity, shows the impact of humor and art across generations.
  3. Listening to audiobooks and travel stories can inspire new experiences and adventures, like dreaming of visiting far-off places with family.

Links in Progress: We can still build beautifully

The Works in Progress Newsletter • 23 implied HN points • 31 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Architecture Urbanism Design Community Environment
  1. Many new buildings over the last two decades show that creativity and beauty in design are still very much possible. These structures challenge the common idea of what homes or offices should look like.
  2. It's important to consider how new developments can fit into existing communities while respecting their character. Good design can enhance neighborhoods without losing their unique charm.
  3. Recent architecture demonstrates that we can create functional spaces that are also beautiful and inviting. This could inspire more people to support new projects in their areas.

Issue 10 – Pasta

Unbox Inbox • 1129 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
🍲 Food & Drink Packaging Cooking Design Vintage
  1. Pasta packaging can be a work of art, with brands focusing on sustainability and design aesthetics.
  2. Quality pasta brands pay attention to packaging details like graphics and windows, attracting consumers with visually appealing designs.
  3. The trend in pasta packaging leans towards simplicity, utilizing clean lines, white space, and sans serif fonts.

Should this be a map or 500 maps?

escape the algorithm • 279 implied HN points • 11 Jun 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Design Maps Creative work Expression Internet Art
  1. A story about 500 priests tasked with map-making highlights the contrast between shared protocols and individual expressiveness.
  2. The experiment's failure underlines the idea that modularity can limit expressiveness in creative work and systems.
  3. Expressiveness in design often involves a trade-off between specificity and adaptability, seen in various aspects of our designed world.

Dipco's Easy Reader

Computer Ads from the Past • 256 implied HN points • 01 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Computers Advertising History Design Consumer Electronics
  1. Dipco's Easy Reader was a product that seems to have little information available about it. It was likely a simple device meant to help users with their old computers.
  2. The price of $34 (in 2024 money) feels expensive for what appears to be just a lens and a bracket. It's unclear if it was worth the cost.
  3. No significant history or reviews are known about Dipco, suggesting it may have been a small operation that didn’t gain much traction.

Yours Robotically

Letters of Note • 1906 implied HN points • 28 Mar 23
🎨 Art & Illustration AI Letters Design Chatbot Creativity
  1. The AI-generated sign-offs provide unique and creative ways to end letters or emails.
  2. There are categories of sign-offs for different types of correspondence, like positive, angry, apologetic, congratulatory, romantic, hot, reconciliatory, job-seeking, and holidaying.
  3. The sign-offs range from traditional and professional to humorous and personal, offering a diverse range of options to choose from.

AI Scaling Laws 4 & 5: More Engineers and Designers

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 17 implied HN points • 07 Feb 25
🕹 Technology AI Engineering Design Usability Productivity
  1. AI will get smarter and better with more talented engineers and designers working on it. The more skilled people we have, the more breakthroughs we'll see in AI technology.
  2. Improving how people interact with AI is crucial. Making AI easier to use will greatly increase its value, so more effort should go into user experience and design.
  3. As AI technology advances, we will likely see more AI systems improving themselves, leading to rapid growth in AI capabilities and applications over the coming decades.

Do you know how controlled you are?

Disaffected Newsletter • 2597 implied HN points • 06 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Design User Experience Consumer Technology Sustainability Government Policy
  1. Machines today are often designed to make tasks more complicated for users instead of being user-friendly. This can lead to frustration and inefficiency.
  2. Some appliances have features that seem eco-friendly but actually complicate how they work, making users jump through hoops to get what they want.
  3. Government regulations and societal trends can shape product designs, leading to less functionality and more constraints on how we use everyday tools.

⬜ Time-less Japanese notebooks

One Thing • 929 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Stationery Design Culture Literature
  1. Japanese-made Stalogy notebooks are highly regarded for their quality, design, and cultural relevance.
  2. Stalogy notebooks offer a soothing planner experience with undated pages and functional details for easy use.
  3. The Stalogy approach to journaling encourages a sense of mindfulness and ease, allowing users to engage with their thoughts and tasks without pressure.