The hottest Design Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Culture Topics

Primordial USB on Atari 8-bits

Goto 10: The Newsletter for Atari Enthusiasts • 117 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Atari 8-bit computers were more advanced than other personal computers of the late 1970s, with superior graphics and design.
  2. Atari used a well-designed Serial Input/Output (SIO) connector for peripherals, allowing easy connection and daisy-chaining of devices.
  3. The Atari SIO connector, developed by Joe Decuir, served as a predecessor to the USB standard due to its single-port, plug-and-play design.

A true mini store

Tabletops • 137 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. A new mini store was created in a 1:64 scale model of Apple Garosugil in Seoul, meticulously detailed and crafted by Juyeong.
  2. Apple Hongdae, a new outdoor store in Seoul, is set to open on January 20 with a unique curved glass corner entrance near Hongik University.
  3. Apple Nanjing East in China underwent renovations, including a new upper level design with Avenues and a rare 5-foot MagSafe bay.

The 1968 Edition

Why is this interesting? • 361 implied HN points • 21 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Design
  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.

Unintended Consequences

Fish Food for Thought • 20 implied HN points • 17 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Unintended consequences are inevitable; well-meaning fixes can create worse problems or surprising new opportunities, so assume surprises will happen.
  2. Chasing metrics without context makes products drift from their purpose, because optimizing numbers can reward harmful or shallow behaviors; always measure real human outcomes and watch for distortions.
  3. Treat every launch as the start of learning: test for misuse, listen to real users, and build a culture that adapts quickly instead of blaming mistakes.

Do People Prefer Curved Lines?

UX Psychology • 218 implied HN points • 30 Mar 23
🔬 Science Design
  1. Research indicates that people generally prefer curved lines over straight or angular ones due to associations with grace and gentleness.
  2. Preference for curves is not just psychological, but has roots in our perception of safety and nurture, related to our evolutionary past.
  3. In design, understanding people's preference for curved lines can help create more visually appealing and effective products, but individual factors like personality and culture also play a role.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Beauty in Simplicity

Mindful Matrix • 119 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Simplicity in software engineering is crucial for elegant solutions. Simple code is easier to maintain, read, and collaborate on.
  2. Prioritizing simplicity leads to streamlined debugging, improved scalability, and lower technical debt. It makes adapting and deploying software faster and more user-centric.
  3. Applying simplicity principles involves starting simple, avoiding premature optimization, focusing on core features, implementing incrementally, and leveraging existing tools. Embracing simplicity in coding doesn't mean avoiding complexity entirely, but finding beauty and efficiency in straightforward solutions.

The strategy behind Dia's design

Keeping Tabs by The Browser Company • 134 implied HN points • 17 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Dia is designed to be familiar and easy for users to switch to, so they can start using it without a steep learning curve. This familiarity helps people feel comfortable as they explore its new features.
  2. The design focuses on simplicity by avoiding clutter and ensuring there's only one clear way to do a task. This keeps the experience user-friendly and avoids overwhelming users with options.
  3. Dia's unique chat features rely on innovation, allowing users to interact with their internet life in new ways. These features enhance the browsing experience while still being intuitive and accessible.

Inventions I Like To See

David Friedman’s Substack • 125 implied HN points • 23 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Ziplock bags with built-in reseals help keep flatbreads fresh after opening. It's a smart design that solves a common problem.
  2. Shower designs that allow users to adjust water temperature safely make for a more comfortable experience. Simple solutions like combined tub and shower setups are very effective.
  3. New kitchen gadgets, like edgeless can openers and color-changing plastic eggs, show how inventiveness can improve everyday tasks. They add convenience and safety while cooking.

Options, Financial & Software

Software Design: Tidy First? • 243 implied HN points • 05 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Refactoring chapters can be tough to get started on, and finding the right motivation is important. Keeping momentum while writing helps you overcome these challenges.
  2. The metaphor of 'software as options' is valuable and can lead to deeper understanding in software design. Exploring these ideas can enhance how we think about software development.
  3. It's beneficial to connect economic concepts with software design to understand their value better. This connection helps in making informed decisions in both fields.

The Retail Piggybacking Edition

Why is this interesting? • 723 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Design
  1. Sir Paul Smith discovered Aesop deodorant during his travels and appreciates the brand's growth near his stores, showing a positive outlook on retail piggybacking.
  2. Collaboration between stores serving the same customer base can create a positive synergy benefiting all, contrary to a strategy of spiteful competition.
  3. Over-association with another brand can potentially impact the image and story of an independent brand negatively, as seen in Aesop's evolution and potential risks for Sir Paul Smith's brand.

⬜ The meaning of a moka pot

One Thing • 158 implied HN points • 23 Nov 23
🍲 Food & Drink Design
  1. Moka pot is a classic kitchen item with a design for good coffee but may not always produce amazing coffee.
  2. The moka pot's appeal lies in its ability to transcend trends and societal distinctions, making it a versatile and enduring coffee maker for many.
  3. Upgrading to fancier versions of the moka pot may not always guarantee better coffee quality, as the simplicity and functionality of the original design can hold its own against modern iterations.

a website is a sanctuary

escape the algorithm • 519 implied HN points • 30 Aug 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. A home can be more than just a physical place; it can also exist as a digital sanctuary where visitors can dwell and explore.
  2. Naming spaces, like the Firefly Sanctuary, can give them meaning and influence how others interact with and perceive them.
  3. Websites and physical spaces can inspire each other - HTML and CSS as structures in web design can be compared to the structural aspect of living in and arranging a physical space.

The Lone Toad Newsletter - August 2023

The Lone Toad - Croaker RPGs Newsletter • 179 implied HN points • 05 Aug 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Hex crawling solo in RPGs can be engaging by incorporating random encounters, multiple characters, and creating stories from clues and rumors.
  2. Running a small group of characters in a solo hexcrawl adventure can advance the story and keep things interesting.
  3. Duets games, like Badger + Coyote by Pandion Games, offer a full RPG experience with less than a full group, showcasing the cozy experience of unlikely friends working together.

15 years moving

Objet • 98 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. The author reflects on 15 years of moving and how it changed their relationship with objects, leading to intentional decision-making.
  2. They embrace the practice of regularly parting ways with objects that no longer serve them, avoiding impulse buying and trends.
  3. Learning to be intentional with objects involves improving judgment, saying no to unnecessary burdens, and being prepared for change.

An Introduction to Donkeyspace

Donkeyspace • 9 implied HN points • 05 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Design
  1. Games are a broad category — from video games to board games, sports, party games, and theoretical models — and studying them helps reveal how rules, play, emergence, and systems work.
  2. Games are an artform that mixes creative, aesthetic experience with technical, STEM-like qualities, so conversations about them naturally involve taste, craft, identity, history, ideas, and ethics.
  3. Games act as metaphors, models, and laboratories for big philosophical and practical questions, and because our world is increasingly driven by software and new technologies, games can offer valuable insight for understanding and shaping the future.

🖐 5 more ideas about design

Design Lobster • 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.

Chapter Bundles of Options

Software Design: Tidy First? • 198 implied HN points • 06 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Creating options in software development is essential, especially when there's uncertainty. Keeping options open increases the value of the project.
  2. Investing time in software design is important for better cohesion and less coupling. This helps the system work more efficiently together.
  3. The more you avoid tight connections between parts of the software, the more flexibility you will have. This flexibility is crucial for future changes or improvements.

Tidy Together Chapter: Long-Running Design Changes

Software Design: Tidy First? • 287 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Design
  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.

#128 Feeling blue 💙

Design Lobster • 259 implied HN points • 20 Feb 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  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.

Rewild your Writing with a Tree Font

Green Graphic Design • 157 implied HN points • 26 Sep 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. The book 'The Language of Trees' uses a unique tree font to connect writing with nature.
  2. The tree font was designed by Katie Holten and each letter represents a different species of tree.
  3. The book features essays, poetry, and research about the human relationship with trees and the natural world.

Archival-Palooza: The TIME Capsule

Chartography • 157 implied HN points • 06 Sep 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Charts in Time Magazine's first decade were primarily found in advertisements
  2. Advertisements in the 1920s and 1930s often used charts to convey optimism and opportunity
  3. The advertisements featured handcrafted, elaborate charts that were visually engaging

#126 Design on the surface

Design Lobster • 279 implied HN points • 23 Jan 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Designers should focus on creating intentional and smooth transitions on screens to enhance user experience.
  2. Incorporating ancient craft traditions into modern design can elevate the aesthetic and value of a product.
  3. Surfaces are more than what they seem; they can reveal deeper layers of meaning and should be designed thoughtfully.

A new and improved Film and TV Newsletter Directory

Textual Variations • 265 implied HN points • 12 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture 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.

Good Luck / Block

Nice Try • 59 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Design
  1. Sometimes noise and chaos can block our creativity. It's important to find quiet moments to think clearly.
  2. Writers can struggle with finding things to say, especially during tough times. It's okay to feel stuck, but we can always work through it.
  3. Our environment affects how we write. A good or bad environment can change our mood and productivity.

Mother of Frankenstein: Volume One

Have You Played? • 78 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Mother of Frankenstein: Volume One is a tabletop puzzle game that feels weightier due to its subject and length.
  2. The game features puzzles that are well-designed and include elements of wordplay and narrative storytelling.
  3. There is a lack of urgency in the story's pacing and the game's marketing does not effectively explain why players should care about the secret being unearthed.

#125 Design calling 📞

Design Lobster • 279 implied HN points • 09 Jan 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Predictive text like T9 technology for mobile phones drastically speeds up text entry by predicting what you meant to type based on a single tap.
  2. The Lobster Telephone by Salvador Dali collides everyday objects with unique elements to create a surreal and thought-provoking design that challenges how we see the world.
  3. Steve Jobs' quote emphasizes the importance of taking action and making the first call to turn dreams into reality, highlighting the significance of initiative and courage.

⬜ Luxury in the Pokémon era

One Thing • 118 implied HN points • 22 Nov 23
🪞 Fashion & Beauty Design
  1. Rimowa is expanding their luxury brand image with new products like backpacks and handbags, maintaining a cosmopolitan aesthetic.
  2. Tiffany's collaboration with The Pokémon Company is criticized for a lack of childlike fun and adding unnecessary luxury to the brand's cultural existence.
  3. Different luxury brands require unique strategies for success in the market, as seen with Rimowa and Tiffany's distinct approaches.

Forté #19

SJF • 78 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. The beauty and significance of orange blossoms in Tunisia
  2. Alternative ways to share work and life outside of social media
  3. Exploration of ethereal ambient music like the self-titled record from Christina Vantzou, Michael Harrison, and John Also Bennett

Heat Pumps, Thermostats, and Bad Design

David Friedman’s Substack • 242 implied HN points • 25 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Design
  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.

A fun thought on optimization

Sunday Letters • 79 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Avoid optimizing too early in the design process. This can lead to wasted efforts and complicated designs.
  2. In the world of AI, focusing too much on costs can lead to weak solutions. It's better to have a solid, simple design from the start.
  3. Instead of worrying about future needs, consider how hard it will be to make changes later. It's important to find a balance between planning and flexibility.

Dipco's Easy Reader

Computer Ads from the Past • 256 implied HN points • 01 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Design
  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.

The Power of Vulnerability

Eliot Peper • 137 implied HN points • 26 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture Design
  1. The Power of Vulnerability by Brené Brown is a recommended audiobook that combines storytelling and research.
  2. Make art that inspires others.
  3. Collaborate with talented designers and experts in different fields for impactful projects.

What is Taste and how to have it?

Product Composition • 137 implied HN points • 12 Feb 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. Having good taste is a skill that can be developed by paying attention to craft, analyzing surroundings, seeking feedback, and surrounding yourself with tasteful things and people.
  2. Buying expensive items doesn't necessarily mean you have good taste; true taste is about appreciating quality and value, not just high price tags.
  3. Having good taste can be beneficial for business success, as it involves analyzing goods, spotting opportunities, and making valuable decisions efficiently.

Here Be Dragons: Exploring London's Edges

Surfing the Future • 59 implied HN points • 24 Feb 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Design
  1. The phrase 'Here Be Dragons' references complex and powerful coding, sparking magical possibilities.
  2. Exploring the edges of systems and fostering shared values can lead to impactful leadership in sustainability.
  3. Transformations for the future, such as economic shifts and city developments, require visible efforts and are met with resistance.

A typology of the social media feed

12challenges • 514 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Social media feeds have evolved towards a TikTok model, focusing on varied content over personal connections.
  2. The design aspects like full-screen, infinite scroll, and autoplay play a significant role in the success of the social media feed model.
  3. Analyzing the evolution of social media through a typology can help understand past shifts and predict future trends, like the influence of AI.

🗓️ cycle 2 begins?! learnings & changes!!

vrk loves paper • 139 implied HN points • 16 Aug 23
🎭️ Culture Design
  1. Working on personal projects feels really good. Having control over what you're creating can bring happiness and motivation.
  2. Focusing on one project at a time can lead to better results. Trying to juggle too many tasks can often lead to getting nothing done.
  3. It's okay to take time to learn new skills instead of doing what you're already good at. Learning something new can be a great way to grow.