The hottest Product Design Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

From Papercuts to Autopilot: The Future of Feedback

Kathy PM • 7 implied HN points • 24 Mar 25
🕹 Technology Product Design
  1. AI can help manage and interpret user feedback, making it easier to spot problems before users even notice. It could automatically suggest improvements while freeing up time for developers.
  2. There are several AI tools available now that can help teams organize customer feedback, summarize reports, and brainstorm ideas. These tools can make feedback easier to handle day-to-day.
  3. While AI will enhance the feedback process, human insight is still vital. People must interpret feedback in context and find creative solutions that AI alone cannot provide.

The Future of Programming: Copilots vs. Agents (Part I)

East Wind • 11 implied HN points • 12 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Product Design
  1. The competition to create better AI coding tools is intense. Companies are racing to attract developers and dominate a huge market.
  2. AI coding tools can be divided into three types: copilots, agents, and custom models. Each type has its own approach to helping programmers finish their work.
  3. User experience is very important for these tools. Small differences in how they function can greatly affect how easy they are to use.

Beware programmer traps!

Sunday Letters • 39 implied HN points • 21 Nov 21
🕹 Technology Product Design
  1. It's hard for people in tech to explain ideas to non-technical folks. What seems clear to a programmer can be confusing to others.
  2. Designing products based on complex models can lead to failure if they don’t connect with everyday users. Sometimes, simpler products that reflect real user needs work better.
  3. Being aware of different perspectives is key. User testing helps ensure ideas make sense to everyone, not just those with technical backgrounds.

A quick product simplicity test: remove all the explainers

amivora • 3 implied HN points • 23 Jul 25
💼 Business Product Design
  1. A good way to test if a product is simple is to see if users can figure it out without any guides. If they can, it’s likely designed well.
  2. Sometimes, new user experiences with lots of explanations can become a crutch instead of making the product easier to use. It's important to focus on making the product itself clear.
  3. Thinking about how a product would work without any explanations can help improve its usability. This can lead to a better overall user experience.
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#38: Agathonicity

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 79 implied HN points • 22 Jul 20
🪑 Design Product Design
  1. Agathonicity means some things get better with use. For example, your favorite pair of worn-in shoes or a well-loved book can provide a richer experience over time.
  2. Many modern products are designed to be thrown away instead of repaired. This throwaway culture makes us less likely to seek out items that improve with age and care.
  3. Designers can create products that require more from users, leading to a stronger, more loyal connection. By asking users to engage more, items can become more valuable and enjoyable over time.

Portfolio secrets for product designer

A Generalist newsletter • 8 implied HN points • 04 Jan 25
🪑 Design Product Design
  1. Have your own website instead of just using platforms like Behance. It makes you stand out and shows you're serious about your brand.
  2. Show only a few of your best projects in your portfolio. Focus on what you did in each project so employers can see your skills clearly.
  3. Let your personality shine in your portfolio. Share interesting things about yourself that make you unique and memorable.

👨‍💻👩‍💻 Product Management vs. Product Marketing vs. Project Management: A Guide to Choosing Your Career Path

The Product Channel By Sid Saladi • 6 implied HN points • 03 Nov 24
💼 Business Product Design
  1. Product management is about creating a product that meets customer needs and involves strategy and teamwork. If you like big-picture thinking and technology, this role might be for you.
  2. Product marketing focuses on promoting and selling a product through messaging and campaigns. If you enjoy creativity and connecting with customers, product marketing could be a good fit.
  3. Project management is all about making sure projects run smoothly on time and within budget. If you have strong organizational skills and like leading teams, project management may be your best path.

#22 Letterboxes, survival straws and invisible design

Design Lobster • 39 implied HN points • 29 Jun 20
🪑 Design Product Design
  1. Consider if your design needs to be able to travel through different mediums like a letterbox and how that affects its form.
  2. Think about how your design might require users to be in uncomfortable or dangerous positions, and if there are more user-friendly alternatives.
  3. Good design should be seamless and serve its purpose without drawing unnecessary attention, making the experience smoother for users.

#19 Vanishing packaging, heavy blankets and spontaneous gestures

Design Lobster • 39 implied HN points • 05 Jun 20
🪑 Design Product Design
  1. Design can reduce environmental impact by creating squishier, biodegradable packaging that decomposes quickly.
  2. Weighted blankets, like Gravity Blankets, offer comfort and security by using physical weight to mimic human touch, showing how design can evoke emotion.
  3. Designers can consider incorporating elements of comforting weight into designs to create a psychological sense of comfort.

How to get your first 1000 users

A Generalist newsletter • 11 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
💼 Business Product Design
  1. Getting your first 1000 users is crucial for a startup's success. It can set the foundation for growth and sustainability.
  2. Telling a story in your design portfolio can help you engage with interviewers and make your work memorable.
  3. Rest is important for creativity and sustainability. Consuming less noisy information can lead to a more productive and fulfilling life.

#6 The Iowa Caucus, bottles & politics

Design Lobster • 39 implied HN points • 06 Mar 20
🪑 Design Product Design
  1. Consider the context of use in design decisions, especially in high-stress environments like a nationally significant poll.
  2. Explore the possibility of having design elements serve multiple functions to increase efficiency and sustainability.
  3. Design integrates political ideas into physical artifacts, showcasing how design encapsulates and shapes our world.

10 Million Users And Rising Fast: Sri Mandir's Quest To Put A Temple In Every Phone

Tigerfeathers! • 15 implied HN points • 09 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Product Design
  1. Sri Mandir is a startup creating an app aimed at transforming devotion for smartphone users in India.
  2. The app combines traditional practices with modern technology, making it nostalgic yet innovative.
  3. Sri Mandir's success highlights the significant market for religious products and the potential for growth and impact in faith-tech industry.

Some important changes to Technically

Technically • 2 implied HN points • 04 Mar 25
🕹 Technology Product Design
  1. Technically is launching a new app called Technically 2.0, which will change how users learn and understand technology.
  2. There will be important changes to how the service works, aimed at improving user experience.
  3. Subscribers can get a 7-day free trial to explore the new features and access the full post archives.

#34 When design makes us afraid

Design Lobster • 19 implied HN points • 21 Sep 20
🪑 Design Product Design
  1. Design can intentionally evoke fear or other emotions to engage users or visitors, like the Hongyagu bridge engineered to wobble and create unease.
  2. Design is evolving to provide entertainment value beyond just functionality, with emotional journeys becoming a key aspect in various fields.
  3. Design should prioritize human behavior over technological convenience, as highlighted by Stewart Brand's quote advocating for human-centered design.

#28 Dreamlike houses, Netsuke and Norman's Law

Design Lobster • 19 implied HN points • 10 Aug 20
🪑 Design Product Design
  1. Designing a house to feel dreamlike involves matching a client's psychological history with unique architectural patterns.
  2. Netsuke, small toggles used with traditional Japanese clothing, evolved into elaborate decorative objects, showcasing the joy of adding artistic touches to everyday items.
  3. Design processes often involve discovering the real problem once designing begins, which can impact timelines and budgets.

#23 Whispering bridges, Detector Locks and umbrellas

Design Lobster • 19 implied HN points • 06 Jul 20
🪑 Design Product Design
  1. Designs can evolve to solve new problems in different contexts, celebrating the unpredictable life they take on once released into the world.
  2. Incorporating personality and charm into functionality, like the Detector Lock's whimsical design, can make creations more delightful and memorable.
  3. Stay open-minded like an umbrella to new ideas and information to enhance the quality of your designs and creative output.

Should User Interviews be Influenced by the Founder's Point of View on the Problem?

Build Startup In Public • 4 HN points • 16 Jul 24
💼 Business Product Design
  1. When talking to users, keep an open mind and avoid pushing your own ideas. It's important to listen and discover unexpected insights from their experiences.
  2. Don't just talk to the end users; include stakeholders and decision makers too. Their perspectives can reveal hidden challenges and needs that could affect your product's success.
  3. Understand the context where your users operate. Observing them in their natural environment can help you learn about their behaviors and needs, leading to better product design.

#11 Cleaning the oceans, facemasks and shadows

Design Lobster • 19 implied HN points • 10 Apr 20
🪑 Design Product Design
  1. Cleaning the oceans involves innovative designs like The Ocean Cleanup's plastic collector that harnesses the natural tendency of plastic to accumulate on beaches.
  2. The N95 respirator, now a symbol of the COVID-19 pandemic, originated from designer Sara Little Turnbull's connections between an industrial material and protective gear, showing unexpected design adaptability.
  3. Appreciating shadows and the beauty in darkness, as discussed by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, can inspire a broader perspective in design and creativity.

#9 Indestructible clothes, telephone boxes & unhappy customers

Design Lobster • 19 implied HN points • 27 Mar 20
🪑 Design Product Design
  1. Designing clothes to be indestructible requires thinking of them as more than just garments, but as microhabitats that could potentially meet various needs like shelter and sustenance.
  2. Taking inspiration from unexpected sources can give ordinary objects a sense of monumentality and dignity, like how a tomb inspired the design of the iconic red telephone box.
  3. Unhappy customers are valuable sources of learning and improvement, as their feedback can provide insights and ideas that may not come from those who already appreciate your work.

What makes Notion so special

subtract • 5 implied HN points • 07 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Product Design
  1. Notion's design is centered around two key primitives: 'block' and 'page' that make it familiar and easy to use.
  2. Notion's commitment to a single primitive 'block' allows for future growth and adding new features without complexity.
  3. The 'page' primitive in Notion enhances user experience by enabling flexibility and accommodating various types of content.

Does Adding Friction in the Product Usage Makes Your Product More Sticky ?

Build Startup In Public • 1 HN point • 22 Apr 24
💼 Business Product Design
  1. The IKEA effect shows that people value things more if they put effort into creating or assembling them. This means users may like a product more if they feel involved in the process.
  2. Founders might struggle to judge their products because they are too close to them. It's important for them to think like customers and ask if they would use their own product.
  3. To make a product more 'sticky', it's smart to let users invest time or effort later in their journey. When users see their input leads to personalization, they are more likely to stay engaged.

Chaining Large Language Model (LLM) Prompts Via Visual Programming

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 0 implied HN points • 27 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Product Design
  1. Chaining LLM prompts can make complex tasks easier to handle. It allows many prompts to work together for better results.
  2. Using templates for prompts helps to save time and keep things organized. They allow you to reuse parts of your prompts easily.
  3. There's a growing opportunity to combine traditional logic with LLMs. This mix can enhance chatbot and AI systems in powerful ways.

Prédire le futur ? La technique étrangement efficace de Debbie Millman

Mind Fooled • 0 implied HN points • 03 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Product Design
  1. You can predict and shape your own future by following a specific technique.
  2. The technique involves writing a detailed description of a day in your life 5 to 15 years in the future, focusing on details and success.
  3. Clarity and intention setting are powerful tools in creating a future you desire, whether personally or in product development.

designing the obvious

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 0 implied HN points • 17 Jul 07
🪑 Design Product Design
  1. Designing the Obvious emphasizes creating websites that are intuitive and easy to use, guiding designers to build clear and straightforward interfaces.
  2. The core message is about simplifying products effectively, whether it is a website, a bicycle, or a TV, following Einstein's notion of simplicity.
  3. Avoid making users think unnecessarily by providing clear instructions and uniformity in design elements to enhance usability.

I’m a Mac, You’re a PC. There really is a difference.

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 15 Feb 13
🕹 Technology Product Design
  1. The type of person you are, Mac or PC, really matters in relation to personal computing devices like tablets and laptops.
  2. Mac users tend to appreciate smooth animations, gestures, and a natural feel in their devices, while PC users value practical features like integrated keyboards and familiar software optimizations.
  3. Understanding and accepting that there are fundamental differences in consumer types helps in evaluating products better and catering to different market segments effectively.

What I learned about products from making tacos

Sunday Letters • 0 implied HN points • 25 Aug 24
💼 Business Product Design
  1. People appreciate good design, even in simple products like tacos. Small changes can make a big difference in user experience.
  2. Users want products that help them complete tasks easily, without unnecessary complications. If it's difficult to use, they'll likely abandon it.
  3. It's important to test your product with real users who aren't familiar with it. Their feedback can reveal issues you might miss when you only think about what you've built.

Why big redesigns fail

Product Lessons • 0 implied HN points • 20 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Product Design
  1. Redesigns can make things harder for customers even if technically better
  2. Old familiar systems have an edge over new ones in customer loyalty
  3. The future of software might involve more 'done for you' actions rather than 'do it yourself' tasks

How link detection engages users more

CommandBlogue • 0 implied HN points • 28 May 24
🕹 Technology Product Design
  1. Links are common in today's digital world, often replacing traditional file sharing. Using links helps keep information accessible but can pull users away from your app.
  2. Enhancing user experience is important, so product builders should aim to integrate link previews or embed features. This allows users to interact with linked content without leaving the main app.
  3. Users prefer to stay in one app for convenience. The less they have to jump between different applications, the smoother their experience will be.

Make users feel safe with a 2-word widget

CommandBlogue • 0 implied HN points • 28 May 24
🕹 Technology Product Design
  1. Users need to feel their work is safe, especially after bad experiences with crashes or lost documents. It's important to provide reassurance in software applications.
  2. Showing the last time work was saved can help users feel more secure about their progress. They can easily check that their recent changes are saved.
  3. Auto-saving features are really helpful, but they can confuse users. Clear notifications about saving can make a big difference in user trust and satisfaction.