The hottest Graphic design Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Technology Topics

The story of Sublime's logo

The Sublime Newsletter • 534 implied HN points • 26 Oct 24
🪑 Design Graphic design Branding User Experience Creative Process
  1. Logos represent more than their appearance. They carry deeper meanings that connect with feelings and ideas, like innovation or nostalgia.
  2. Choosing a designer that breaks the mold can lead to unique and creative outcomes. Sometimes the riskier choice is to step outside the norm.
  3. The journey of creating something, like a logo, is just as important as the final product. It's about collaboration, sharing ideas, and making something beautiful together.

WILD, WILD WOMEN: FLORA AND FAUNA (PART 2)

Secretum Secretorum • 505 implied HN points • 08 Feb 25
🎨 Art & Illustration Visual Arts Photography Creative Writing Graphic design
  1. Women have a strong connection to nature and can embody wildness in their spirit. Embracing this can lead to a deeper appreciation for the environment.
  2. The characteristics of flora and fauna can be seen as reflections of feminine energy. Understanding these connections can enrich our perception of both women and nature.
  3. Celebrating wild women means recognizing their power and resilience. It's essential to honor and uplift these qualities in ourselves and others.

Earlywood: Making Things Hard/Easy

The American Peasant • 1796 implied HN points • 12 Oct 24
🪑 Design Product Design Industrial Design Graphic design UI/UX Design Fashion & Design
  1. The balance between making tasks hard or easy can impact productivity. If a task is too hard, people may give up, but if it's too easy, they might lose interest.
  2. Finding the right level of challenge can help improve skills and keep people engaged. It's important to push yourself just enough without overwhelming yourself.
  3. Understanding how to adjust difficulty levels can lead to better learning experiences. When tasks are balanced, it encourages growth and motivation.

Elegant Solutions

David Friedman’s Substack • 404 implied HN points • 22 Dec 24
🪑 Design Product Design Industrial Design User Experience Graphic design Systems Design
  1. Using both words and numbers when writing a check helps reduce mistakes, making it much harder to misread the amount. It's a clever way to prevent errors and fraud.
  2. The design of everyday items, like rubber spatulas and manhole covers, often has simple solutions to practical problems. These designs make them more useful in various situations.
  3. When faced with a decision or a problem, looking for the simplest and most practical solution is key. Sometimes, the best way to find a solution is to observe how things are naturally done.

☞ Creating a Typeface: Humanist Computer

Cabinet of Wonders • 231 implied HN points • 11 Dec 24
🪑 Design Graphic design Visual Arts User Experience Typography
  1. Designing your own typeface can be a fun and creative hobby. It's a way to express yourself and combine art with practical use.
  2. Creating a monospaced typeface for coding can make programming feel more magical, like working with ancient texts.
  3. Working on a typeface is an ongoing process. Even if it's not perfect, seeing your progress can be really rewarding and inspiring.
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Beautiful ugly websites

Product Identity • 931 implied HN points • 07 Mar 24
🪑 Design Graphic design Web Design User Experience Interface Design Visual communication
  1. Function is often more important than form in design. A good example of this is Craigslist, which proves that a simple and effective website can succeed despite being visually plain.
  2. Some websites that are considered 'ugly' actually have a unique charm and authenticity. They focus on heavy text and straightforward layouts, showing that simplicity can be powerful.
  3. While aesthetics matter, there is a shift towards appreciating simple designs that prioritize usability over flashy elements. This challenges the trend of over-designed websites.

#141 Very superstitious

Design Lobster • 619 implied HN points • 13 Nov 23
🪑 Design Visual Design Product Design User Experience Industrial Design Graphic design
  1. Designers are superstitious about alignment because it signals care and attention to detail in the design process.
  2. Small design choices, like the shape of an iron fish, can have a big impact on user behavior and address practical issues, like iron deficiency.
  3. Designing for human beings is not a formula - the most effective designs often emerge from understanding human behavior, even if it seems irrational.

Nathan Yau's friendly voice

Alberto Cairo's The Art of Insight • 99 implied HN points • 29 May 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Data Visualization Infographics Statistics Graphic design Book Reviews
  1. Nathan Yau is known for making data visualization fun and approachable, both in his blog and his book, 'Visualize This'.
  2. The second edition of 'Visualize This' offers updated examples and tools, making it more cohesive than the first edition.
  3. Reading Yau's work feels like getting hands-on help from an experienced designer, which makes learning enjoyable.

#148 Music to my eyes

Design Lobster • 179 implied HN points • 01 Apr 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Music Design Graphic design
  1. Music visualisation dates back to as early as the 18th century with instruments like the Ocular Harpsichord by Lousi Bertrand Castel in 1725.
  2. The iconic album cover for Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon teaches the power of condensing design into a single, impactful image.
  3. Designers can blend different senses creatively in their designs, like how music visualisation fuses sound and visuals in surprising ways.

How to Create Your Own Stunning Ebook Effortlessly With Canva

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 539 implied HN points • 12 Aug 23
🪑 Design Graphic design Digital Media eBooks Creativity User Experience
  1. You can easily create an eBook without being a graphic design expert. Canva provides user-friendly tools to help you design stunning eBooks.
  2. There are many resources available that guide you through the eBook creation process. This makes it approachable for anyone, even beginners.
  3. Offering free eBooks can be a great way to share your knowledge and connect with others. It’s a good strategy to engage your audience.

Niche product design

Product Identity • 257 implied HN points • 21 Feb 24
🪑 Design Product Design Graphic design UI/UX
  1. Niche product design is becoming more popular as people seek unique and authentic designs that stand out from the mainstream. Designers are finding inspiration in smaller, lesser-known projects rather than big tech companies.
  2. As companies grow and aim for larger audiences, they often lose their originality and creativity. Instead of focusing on growth, some businesses are exploring their identities and making products that connect with specific communities.
  3. The internet still offers a lot of space for new and exciting designs. By looking beyond the usual sources, designers can find innovative ideas and embrace a new wave of creativity.

Canva's New AI-Magic for Writers🪄 — Here's What You Need To Know (With Video)

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 419 implied HN points • 27 Oct 23
🕹 Technology AI Tools Graphic design Content creation Online business Tutorials
  1. Canva has launched new AI tools that help writers create and manage content more easily. They offer features like text-to-image and text-to-video generators, making creative tasks simpler.
  2. The tutorial includes a step-by-step guide to using these new features, which can help improve online writing and design skills. It’s a great resource for anyone looking to elevate their creative projects.
  3. There's an opportunity to win a coaching session by commenting on the YouTube video, adding an interactive element for users to engage with the content. It's a fun way to connect and learn more.

how are those design studies going?

vrk loves paper • 219 implied HN points • 06 Sep 23
🪑 Design Graphic design Fashion Art User Experience Creative Process
  1. Recognizing a fear of judgment is important when learning something new, like fashion or design. It's okay to need time to learn and grow without worrying about how you look to others.
  2. Instead of focusing solely on perfection in design, aim to create joyfully and embrace mistakes. It's about the process, not just the final product.
  3. Learning takes time and comes with feelings of being behind, but having supportive friends and a clear vision of your goals can help you stay motivated.

the first one's the bad one!

vrk loves paper • 199 implied HN points • 05 Oct 23
🪑 Design Graphic design Product Design User Experience Illustration Creative Process
  1. When working on goals, it's better to focus on whether the problems that come with them are interesting and fulfilling for you. Every goal has challenges, so choose the ones you want to tackle.
  2. In design, it's important to sketch many different ideas, even if they seem odd or wrong at first. Your first attempt is usually not your best, so keep exploring different options.
  3. Using references that resonate with you can make the design process easier and more enjoyable. It's fine to start with things you're familiar with before branching out to more complex inspirations.

I HAVE IMPROVED AT DESIGN 😤

vrk loves paper • 159 implied HN points • 08 Nov 23
🪑 Design Graphic design Product Design Fashion & Design Interior design Web Design
  1. Design skills can improve over time with practice. The recent work showed noticeable growth compared to earlier projects.
  2. A recent event, the Receipt Printer Meetup, was a success with many attendees enjoying the chaos and fun of printing stickers together.
  3. New creative projects, like the 'Dogs of Fate,' are exciting and can be made quickly, inspiring continued exploration and development of ideas.

Z & Walker Behl: Storm the Capitol

Do Not Research • 39 implied HN points • 29 Apr 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Installation Painting Graphic design Illustration
  1. The 'Insurrection in a Box - The Big Edition' game by Z & Walker Behl transforms the hit game 'Storm the Capitol' into a life size sculptural installation.
  2. The game involves moving avatars around the Capitol Building to find items like senator hostages and AOC's shoes, with the objective of reaching Trump's helicopter first.
  3. Using art to explore image power and its impact on politics, social media, and global capitalism challenges us to envision a new future, united in questioning established institutions.

#117 It's a blow out

Design Lobster • 399 implied HN points • 05 Sep 22
🪑 Design Product Design Graphic design
  1. Designing with air can lead to innovative products like the Dyson Airwrap that uses the Coanda Effect to create curls without excessive heat, showcasing the importance of understanding and utilizing physics in design.
  2. Consider emotional and symbolic factors in design, as seen in the case of the IKEA inflatable furniture series from the 1990s that faced practical issues and failed to provide a comfortable user experience.
  3. Whitespace, like air, is essential for design to breathe. Remember the significance of negative space in layouts and compositions when things feel cluttered.

Top 10 UX Images of 2024

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 7 implied HN points • 26 Dec 24
🕹 Technology UX Design AI Tools Graphic design Digital Art
  1. Images are becoming more important in UX design now that most people have fast internet. It’s okay to include bigger images to help communicate ideas.
  2. AI can really improve UX design by making processes easier and more efficient. It’s being used to help with everything from diagnosis in healthcare to UI design.
  3. There are too many annoying cookie pop-ups on websites that waste users' time. Instead of punishing sites for minor issues, we should focus on real problems that affect privacy.

Super Sundry, Vol. 1

Chartography • 117 implied HN points • 13 Jun 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Data Visualization Cartography Information Design Visual Arts Graphic design
  1. Mathematician discovered a shape that can be tiled without repeating pattern, shown in a data map.
  2. Retired professor highlighted alarming anomalies in ocean temperature and sea ice extent through powerful graphics.
  3. Exploring robotic arts and geometric designs from the 1950s, showcasing artistic QR codes and industrial perfection.

Apple Saket

Tabletops • 117 implied HN points • 24 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Graphic design Product Launch Retail Marketing
  1. Apple opened its first store in New Delhi, Apple Saket, just 2 days after its first store in Mumbai.
  2. Apple Saket's unique store design makes it look open and almost freestanding in the mall.
  3. Despite the size difference, both Apple BKC and Apple Saket in India have been consistently packed with customers.

Discussing the present and future of visualization with Jon Schwabish

Alberto Cairo's The Art of Insight • 39 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🪑 Design Data Visualization Graphic design Information Design User Experience
  1. Visualization is changing fast, and it's important to keep up with new ideas and methods. This evolution makes it exciting to learn and grow in the field.
  2. There isn't a main online place where designers can share their work and chat about it yet. Having a common space could help everyone connect and improve together.
  3. The approach to design should focus on flexibility rather than strict rules. This mindset can benefit not just design work but also how we teach others about it.

Bayer's World

Chartography • 58 implied HN points • 25 Aug 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Information Design Data storytelling Graphic design Book Publishing
  1. Benjamin Benus's new book about Herbert Bayer's iconic work redefines past and future data graphics.
  2. Herbert Bayer was a Bauhaus designer whose talents were appreciated in advertising, art, and architecture in America.
  3. There is a growing collection of beautiful books about visionary information designers, such as W. E. B. Du Bois, Charles-Joseph Minard, and others.

An interview in 'Significance' magazine

Alberto Cairo's The Art of Insight • 19 implied HN points • 11 Mar 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Data Visualization Graphic design Creative Process Visual Arts Communication
  1. Learning basic rules of data visualization helps you make better choices but it's also important to know that there aren't hard and fast rules. Understanding conventions allows you to decide how to present data effectively.
  2. Using a bar graph is often better than a pie chart for comparing numbers, but beyond that, your choices matter more than following strict rules.
  3. The key is to use the knowledge you've gained about perception and cognition to guide your decisions, creating a unique approach to data visualization.

How I Spent my October

Fireside Chat Logs • 39 implied HN points • 31 Oct 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Animation Digital Art Visual Effects Graphic design Creativity
  1. The creator made a short animated video with heavy metal music for a D&D group that involved using Blender 3D program. Despite challenges, he managed to finish the video in time.
  2. After the initial creation, the creator took the time to improve the video by boosting render settings, animating textures, and enhancing particles, among other upgrades.
  3. The experience of revisiting and improving the video reminded the creator of his art school days, where he didn't always have time to polish his work. This inspired him to redo old school work and focus more on writing and creating content to share with friends and family.

FontDiscovery 🖼️ 143: Perfect Font for Reading

FontDiscovery • 39 implied HN points • 27 Oct 23
🪑 Design Typography Graphic design Color Inspiration Branding
  1. The featured font for the week is Alegreya, perfect for text-heavy projects like blogs and newsletters.
  2. Alegreya has multiple styles including serif and sans serif versions, making it versatile for various design projects.
  3. Alegreya is recommended for logos, branding, marketing graphics, and publishing projects due to its different weights and styles.

How's Gen Z feeling about AI? 🤖

The Digital Native • 39 implied HN points • 01 Aug 23
🕹 Technology AI Chatbots Social media Graphic design Music
  1. AI has a long history in pop culture and is currently experiencing a boom with new technologies like ChatGPT and AI-generated images.
  2. AI is impacting various industries like social media, graphic design, and music, but human creativity and expertise are still valued.
  3. Gen Z has mixed feelings about AI, with many believing it will enhance rather than replace their skills, but also expressing concerns about ethics and regulation.

VFYW: Basquing In Erotica

The Weekly Dish • 31 implied HN points • 16 Mar 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Visual art Drawing Contemporary Art Graphic design Painting
  1. The View From Your Window contest engages sleuths in detective work to identify locations based on subtle clues like hillside letters or unique landmarks.
  2. The contest participants showed dedication by researching historical and geographical details to make informed guesses about the view in the photo.
  3. The diverse reactions from participants, from excitement to frustration, add an element of fun and camaraderie to the competition.

Three data visualisation tips

A Bit Gamey • 27 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
🪑 Design Data Visualization Graphic design
  1. Maximize the data-ink ratio by minimizing non-informative ink like excessive grid lines and decorations, to enhance clarity and comprehension.
  2. Align graphic components to create stronger organization and cohesion in design, ensuring nothing is placed arbitrarily.
  3. Utilize small multiples technique to present series of similar graphics or charts in a grid format, enabling easy comparison and revealing patterns within the dataset.

#63 Imagining a more progressive internet

Design Lobster • 219 implied HN points • 12 Apr 21
🪑 Design Internet Philosophy Graphic design Music
  1. The internet can be more progressive by not being limited to past patterns and by focusing on helping users progress rather than staying the same.
  2. Design can move forward by reimagining past elements, such as logos, to create new and innovative concepts.
  3. Creativity and action are key - the best response to dissatisfaction is to create something new and improved.