The hottest Design Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Culture Topics

📷 Ring: boring can be good

First 1000 • 1631 implied HN points • 22 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Boring designs can be effective in getting people to take action.
  2. Sometimes immersive or flashy designs can actually be distracting.
  3. In certain situations, simplicity or 'boring' designs can work better than elaborate ones.

We Are the Robots

Breaking Smart • 79 implied HN points • 14 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Robotics AI Design Cultural impact
  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.

An Introduction to UPA

Animation Obsessive • 4664 implied HN points • 07 Aug 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Animation Design History TV Comics
  1. UPA studio revolutionized animation in the 1940s and 1950s with modern art influences and unique storytelling.
  2. The UPA animation style focused on emotion over anatomy, leading to groundbreaking visuals and storytelling.
  3. UPA's work extended beyond well-known films like Mr. Magoo, encompassing TV commercials, series, and experimental shows.
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A Few Things | January 29

Design Mom • 766 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Design Reading Shopping Events
  1. The author reflects on the growth and challenges of managing a creative conference over the years.
  2. Alt Summit faced setbacks due to the pandemic, prompting the author to rethink and rebuild the event.
  3. Opportunities for tickets and sponsorships at Alt Summit are highlighted, with an invitation to join the event.

Issue 08 – Bar Soap

Unbox Inbox • 852 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🍲 Food & Drink Ingredients Design Gifts History
  1. Bar soap can be a fun and thoughtful gift for people who appreciate design and aesthetics.
  2. Bar soap packaging can offer creative ways to engage customers with typography and design.
  3. Bar soap comes in a wide range of shapes, colors, and scents, making it a versatile and creative product to explore.

ESP32-S3 ZX Spectrum - Update 22-06-2024

Single Board ESP32 ZX Spectrum • 159 implied HN points • 22 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Hardware Software Manufacturing Design Crowdfunding
  1. The creator is grateful for the support shown for the ESP32-S3 ZX Spectrum project, with 432 people signing up for updates.
  2. Progress has been made in applying to platforms like Crowd Supply, developing prototypes with new features, and creating new artwork for the project.
  3. Key questions are addressed about the project, including display options, pricing, support for games, and potential selling platforms.

A reduction in complexity is a reduction in humanity

Alberto Cairo's The Art of Insight • 279 implied HN points • 10 May 24
🎭️ Culture History Art Design Data Humanity
  1. Reducing complexity in data visualization can lead to oversimplifying important human stories. It's essential to remember that simplification can erase important details that affect people's lives.
  2. The history of data visualization is linked to darker aspects of society, like slavery and eugenics. Recognizing this helps us understand the impact of our tools and the stories we choose to tell.
  3. Visualization can be a powerful tool to reveal new insights when used correctly. By learning from the past, we can aim to avoid repeating mistakes and address inequalities.

TT Chapter: Fat-Tailed Distributions

Software Design: Tidy First? • 154 implied HN points • 04 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Software Design Development Data Engineering
  1. Fat-tailed distributions show that extreme events can happen more often than we expect. This is important for planning in various fields.
  2. When designing software, it's good to focus on creating simple models first. This can help make complex concepts easier to understand.
  3. Being an empirical designer means you rely on real-world data and observations to guide your design decisions. This approach can lead to better results.

UX Roundup: Outpacing Human Aging | Animating Paintings | Domain-Specific UX | Bad AI Video | Top Avatars Vary by Platform | Search Research | o3-mini

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 15 implied HN points • 03 Feb 25
🕹 Technology AI User Experience Design Digital Tools Innovation
  1. Technology, especially in healthcare, is advancing faster than many people age. This means tools like hearing aids are improving rapidly, helping users hear better than before.
  2. AI is starting to transform the design industry. It's becoming crucial for UX professionals to specialize in specific fields, like healthcare, because AI will handle many basic design tasks in the future.
  3. Students are increasingly using AI for schoolwork, and this trend is doubling yearly. Instead of seeing this as cheating, education should embrace AI as a valuable tool for learning.

Productive procrastination

Austin Kleon • 2957 implied HN points • 27 Jan 23
🎭️ Culture Art Literature Design Music Writing
  1. Productive procrastination can help you get things done while also allowing you to avoid tasks you might not want to do right away. It's about using your distractions to make progress on other things.
  2. Book design is important and can greatly impact how people perceive a book. Great designs, like those of Carin Goldberg, can become iconic in the literary world.
  3. Enjoying the little moments, like sitting around a fire, can help you focus better and recharge creatively. It's okay to take time for yourself in a busy world.

The Persistence Of A 14th-C. UX

Technohumanism • 79 implied HN points • 23 Jul 24
🎭️ Culture History Literature Art Design Philosophy
  1. A 14th-century book called a girdle book was designed to be carried and read easily, even though it was heavy and unusual for its time. This shows how humans have always needed practical ways to enjoy reading.
  2. The book was made for spiritual reading, likely by a monk, showing how closely books were tied to religious practices back then. Even without fancy pictures, it was meant for deep study.
  3. Despite its age, this old book’s design is still effective and user-friendly today. It illustrates how good ideas in design can last for centuries.

Introducing Vittles Prints

Vittles • 84 implied HN points • 02 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Art Illustration Design Photography Food
  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.

20250202

Curious futures (KGhosh) • 8 implied HN points • 02 Feb 25
🕹 Technology AI Design Environment Politics Media
  1. AI technology is becoming so advanced that it's hard to tell machines from real people. This change makes us think about how we interact with non-human agents like AI.
  2. Communities are blending tech and nature, like having tiny forests in cities and 3D-printed shoes, showing a new lifestyle that values both innovation and the environment.
  3. There are ongoing debates about freedom of speech and how much control companies should have over what we can say online. These discussions reflect our concerns about the future.

What Is a Brand?

VERY GOOD PRODUCTIZED GUIDES • 119 implied HN points • 26 Jun 24
💼 Business Branding Marketing Design Consumer behavior Entrepreneurship
  1. A brand is more than just a logo or a website; it's how a company is perceived by customers. It includes everything about the company, inside and out.
  2. Building a brand involves creating trust and relationships with people. It's about how customers feel when they interact with your business.
  3. Your brand is shaped by how others see you over time. It's important to stand out and leave a memorable impression, as that perception affects your success.

Sir Elton, Props from The Crown and the Emperor's Crab

Dearest • 530 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Photography Sculpture Design
  1. A 1855 gold, enamel, and hardstone vase depicting a Greek mythological story is up for auction at Sotheby's for $1.8-2.5 million
  2. An antique 16th-century Paduan crab desk ornament with intriguing imperial Habsburg provenance is being sold at Sotheby's for $25,000-35,000
  3. The collection of Sir Elton John, including unique items like rocket cufflinks and a wish-granting sand-fairy lighter, will be auctioned off at Christie's with diverse pieces from jewelry to photography

The shirt of the year

Blackbird Spyplane • 1598 implied HN points • 13 Jul 23
🪞 Fashion & Beauty Design Style Interview Clothing Creativity
  1. The shirt of the year is a roomy, vertical-stripe button-up that is currently on trend and in high demand.
  2. Keith Henry, a self-taught designer, creates clothes entirely by himself under the name Henry's, known for high-craft jumbo jeans and small-run pieces.
  3. Keith Henry sells his clothes through limited drops, values creative control, and finds inspiration in old army clothing to create unique, well-crafted designs.

Souvenirs that outlive us

Austin Kleon • 1978 implied HN points • 07 Mar 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Art Creativity Poetry History Design
  1. Creating art is often messy and unpredictable. It's not always as straightforward as the end result might suggest.
  2. Inspiration can come from the most mundane things, like everyday objects. Even clothespins can spark creativity and lead to new artistic ideas.
  3. Blackout poetry doesn't have to come from traditional sources like books. Using unusual materials can make the process fun and unique.

New year, new templates

The faintest idea • 599 implied HN points • 03 Jan 24
💼 Business Management Strategy Design Templates Leadership
  1. Using visual tools like FigJam can help connect ideas better in meetings and projects. It's a fun way to share updates and collaborate.
  2. Templates for strategy, decision-making, and team management can make work processes smoother and more organized. They help you tackle big problems effectively.
  3. Regular 1:1 meetings are important for team development. They allow for thoughtful discussions and reflections on projects and career growth.

Framing things: a personal essay

Design Lobster • 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.

Spooky season! 👻

Austin Kleon • 2677 implied HN points • 30 Sep 22
🎭️ Culture Arts Literature Music Film Design
  1. Spooky season is a time for fun and cozy activities like watching scary movies. It's a great way to enjoy the change in the air and get into the spirit of fall.
  2. Reading is highlighted as a wonderful pastime, with recommendations for both fiction and non-fiction books. This can inspire others to dive into new stories or learn something new.
  3. Sharing experiences like interesting events or personal reflections can connect people and spark conversations. It’s a reminder of the joy of community through shared interests.

22 questions with Aaron Aalto

Design Lobster • 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

Design Lobster • 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.