The DESK Magazine
When did our tools become our religion?
Designers love to argue about design tools. Some treat it as their religion, as if their design tool...
6th Sep 2022
Designers love to argue about design tools. Some treat it as their religion, as if their design tool is the only thing that gives them meaning or an identity.
Koos Looijesteijn -...
UXers and Product Managers Both Say Others Intrude on Their Work
"Summary: A survey of 372 UX and PM professionals shows that duplicative work is frequent and...
2nd Feb 2023
"Summary: A survey of 372 UX and PM professionals shows that duplicative work is frequent and generates confusion and inefficiency. The first four questions are discussed in this article. A companion article covers the last two.
"
Nela Dunato Art &...
Art Day: How to make time for creative projects while busy with client work
Self-employed creative professionals have significantly more control over our schedules than those...
12th Nov 2024
Self-employed creative professionals have significantly more control over our schedules than those employed in other organizations, but finding time for our own art can still be a challenge. While I was writing and editing my first book, I started using a technique that helped me...
The personal website...
Agile & anxiety
Managing anxiety is a big part of my life.
I have generalized anxiety:1 I constantly feel that...
14th May 2018
Managing anxiety is a big part of my life.
I have generalized anxiety:1 I constantly feel that something will go wrong at any moment. Often, I can’t even identify what I’m anxious about.
Work is a significant contributor to my anxiety. When I’m at work (and often when I’m not), I...
Oykun Yilmaz
Practising distraction-free creativity
The design world is filled with exciting opportunities.
We see Designers on X who are creating...
21st Feb 2024
The design world is filled with exciting opportunities.
We see Designers on X who are creating Framer templates, experimenting with 3D, writing newsletters, starting design subscription agencies, selling icon packs and many more.
I know it’s tempting to chase them all. I’ve given...
Product Identity
It started as a blog post; now it's a magazine
Niche design is finally available
18th Sep 2025
Niche design is finally available
Ryan Mulligan
Scrollspy Navigation Web Component
Just here for the code and demos? Check out the scrollspy-nav repository on GitHub and its...
7th Oct 2023
Just here for the code and demos? Check out the scrollspy-nav repository on GitHub and its corresponding demo page.
The backstory
A "scrollspy" is a method of tracking which link in a menu is active based on a relevant section of information being visible in the viewport....
The personal website...
How to generate color palettes for design systems
It used to be easy to pick colors for design systems. Years ago, you could pick a handful of colors...
20th Apr 2024
It used to be easy to pick colors for design systems. Years ago, you could pick a handful of colors to match your brand’s ethos, or start with an off-the-shelf palette (remember flatuicolors.com?). Each hue and shade served a purpose, and usually had a quirky name like “idea...
Melissa Penfold
IF YOU WANT TO SELL YOUR HOUSE, FIGURE OUT WHAT TO RENOVATE FIRST
You want to sell your home, but the kids have scuffed up the floors and chipped the paint. The...
30th Jan 2024
You want to sell your home, but the kids have scuffed up the floors and chipped the paint. The kitchen could use a face-lift and the lawn has seen better days.
Every seller has to decide whether to sink money into their home before listing it, and how much. Lately, the stakes...
The Turn Signal RSS...
Take-Over Moments: The Hardest Design Problem of Semi-Autonomous Cars
Until cars achieve level 5 driving automation, there will be moments where drivers have to...
1st Jan 2021
Until cars achieve level 5 driving automation, there will be moments where drivers have to intervene. Designing these so-called take-over…
The personal website...
Design-by-wire
There’s a lot of fear in the air. As AI gets better at design, it’s natural for designers to be...
2nd Mar 2023
There’s a lot of fear in the air. As AI gets better at design, it’s natural for designers to be worried about their jobs. But I think the question — will AI replace designers? — is a waste of time. Humans have always invented technology to do their work for them and will continue...
Retail Design Blog
NFIB Offices by HLGstudio
HLGstudio reimagined the NFIB offices in Nashville, creating a vibrant, collaborative environment...
6th May 2025
HLGstudio reimagined the NFIB offices in Nashville, creating a vibrant, collaborative environment that maximizes natural daylight and promotes productivity and...
The personal website...
Towards better creative feedback
Creative work — be it designing, writing, coding, or managing — is a collaborative practice. At...
7th Jan 2015
Creative work — be it designing, writing, coding, or managing — is a collaborative practice. At least two parties are always involved: The maker (a designer, developer, or manager) on one end, and the audience on the other.1 Feedback between the maker and the audience is...
Fatih Arslan
Plotter Notebook System
Taking notes, in my opinion, is the best thing one can do for themselves. Writing is a form of...
24th Feb 2025
Taking notes, in my opinion, is the best thing one can do for themselves. Writing is a form of thinking, and writing manually, in an analog manner, elevates the process. It has a positive impact on your well-being. It’s akin to working out for hours and then returning
Retail Design Blog
FOGO E ÁGUA at ALEA RESORT
FOGO E ÁGUA was built in Bad Orb, near Frankfurt, a place where salt was traditionally extracted...
1st Oct 2024
FOGO E ÁGUA was built in Bad Orb, near Frankfurt, a place where salt was traditionally extracted from a brine...
Oykun Yilmaz
Why Visual Design Matters
Visual Design often doesn't receive the respect it deserves among other disciplines such as UX,...
24th Jul 2023
Visual Design often doesn't receive the respect it deserves among other disciplines such as UX, Development, and so on.
I have faced situations like:
Devs have already started the development based on UX. Just spend a few hours adding colours, please.
We do not need visual...
The DESK Magazine
Why we built an anti-social tool
This article was originally intended for the upcoming mymind.com blog, but it feels so personal to...
7th Jul 2022
This article was originally intended for the upcoming mymind.com blog, but it feels so personal to me, I found it fitting to share here with you.
The personal website...
Product thinking is a lifeline for struggling design systems
Here’s a common problem: a design team creates a design system. They craft beautiful documentation,...
12th Dec 2019
Here’s a common problem: a design team creates a design system. They craft beautiful documentation, crystal-clear guidelines, and meticulously organized files. But the design system never gains traction. Engineers don’t use it, and other designers quickly stop maintaining it. It...
Product Identity
Annoucning Niche design: The Creative Practice
Inside the next issue + patronage
4th Aug 2026
Inside the next issue + patronage
Ryan Mulligan
Site Rebuild, Here We Go!
There are still a few bits to work out, but why wait any longer? The latest version of my site is...
22nd Nov 2023
There are still a few bits to work out, but why wait any longer? The latest version of my site is here and it has been rebuilt from the ground up. I'm feeling pretty good about it and invite you all to celebrate the magic with me! ✨
Inspiration
While playing Super Mario Wonder, I...
UX Collective
When the canvas starts acting, who’s really in control?
Weekly curated resources for designers — thinkers and makers.
a week ago
Weekly curated resources for designers — thinkers and makers.
The Turn Signal RSS...
How We Designed a White-Label In-Car Infotainment System
Over the past two years, we created an infotainment system as a product, here is a look inside our...
1st Aug 2024
Over the past two years, we created an infotainment system as a product, here is a look inside our design process.
Product Identity
A small ask, and an open invitation
Two things going on right now
13th Jan 2026
Two things going on right now
The Turn Signal RSS...
Guidelines for Designing an In-Car Voice Assistant
A collection of guidelines for designing in-car voice assistants
1st Sep 2022
A collection of guidelines for designing in-car voice assistants
The personal website...
What makes a good design principle?
Like many design teams, the Wall Street Journal team has been thinking through our design...
14th Nov 2017
Like many design teams, the Wall Street Journal team has been thinking through our design principles. Writing design principles comes pretty naturally (especially if you read this excellent list by Jeremy Keith). As we collaborate, we end up with a lot of candidates. However,...
The Turn Signal RSS...
The 8 Guidelines for Good Automotive UX Design
The essence of automotive UX design turned into 8 fundamental guidelines aimed at designers in the...
1st Dec 2023
The essence of automotive UX design turned into 8 fundamental guidelines aimed at designers in the car industry
Koos Looijesteijn -...
Making semantic sidenotes without JavaScript
One of the first things I learned about professional writing is that it’s best to remove all...
12th Oct 2020
One of the first things I learned about professional writing is that it’s best to remove all unnecessary words. Problem...
Retail Design Blog
phenom israel
Phenom is a global HR technology company that delivers a single-platform solution and...
2nd May 2024
Phenom is a global HR technology company that delivers a single-platform solution and hyper-personalized experiences for candidates, recruiters, and employees....
Product Identity
#1: Are.na – The social network antithesis
In this world of distraction, Are.na presence is a bliss
21st Aug 2023
In this world of distraction, Are.na presence is a bliss
Joshua Smith
Discolandia
Based on the old Discolandia Record Shop, Mission District, San Francisco. Scratchbuilt 1:20 Scale...
17th Apr 2018
Based on the old Discolandia Record Shop, Mission District, San Francisco. Scratchbuilt 1:20 Scale Miniature created from MDF, Wood, cardboard, plastic card, chalk pastels, spraypaint, wire, plastruct. Created for Through That Which is Seen Exhibition at the Palo Alto Art Centre,...
Product Identity
Beautiful ugly websites
Form is cheap, function is everything(?)
7th Mar 2024
Form is cheap, function is everything(?)
Retail Design Blog
Audemars Piguet office by Studio Banana
Studio Banana designed an avant-garde work environment at Audemars Piguet Manufacture Le Locle,...
4th Nov 2024
Studio Banana designed an avant-garde work environment at Audemars Piguet Manufacture Le Locle, blending high-end manufacturing with biophilic design principles...
The Pudding
Dicing an Onion, the Mathematically Optimal Way
What is the best way to dice an onion to get the most uniform piece sizes?
12th Aug 2025
What is the best way to dice an onion to get the most uniform piece sizes?
abdz.do - Have you...
Bold art direction, UX and web design for GV
Bold art direction, UX and web design for GV
abduzeedo0501—23
...
1st May 2023
Bold art direction, UX and web design for GV
abduzeedo0501—23
GV, previously known as Google Ventures, recently underwent a rebranding and relaunch of their corporate website with a simpler UX. The new strategy and branding was created by the...
Oykun Yilmaz
Hustle Culture for Designers
We all have our aspirations and goals in life and career.
For me, it goes from having an impact on...
23rd Sep 2023
We all have our aspirations and goals in life and career.
For me, it goes from having an impact on my full-time work to helping designers via my blog, email newsletter, and other educational content.
I need to work damn hard to achieve these goals! Making the most of every...
Ryan Mulligan
Blog Questions Challenge
Hey there.
It has been a minute since my last post. I was semi-recently tagged by Zach Leatherman to...
25th Mar 2025
Hey there.
It has been a minute since my last post. I was semi-recently tagged by Zach Leatherman to (optionally) participate in this year's Blog Questions Challenge. I had planned on doing it then. But life really hit hard as we entered this year and it has not let up. Energy...
Product Identity
What’s the future of AI hardware?
I don't have answers
17th Jun 2024
The personal website...
Copying is the way design works
CC-BY SA 4.0
(more on that in a bit). You can download, copy, remix, excerpt,
...
28th Oct 2020
CC-BY SA 4.0
(more on that in a bit). You can download, copy, remix, excerpt,
change, and repost it however you see fit.
I
Charles Eames said
it best: “We don’t do ‘art’ — we solve problems.”1
2
They...
abdz.do - Have you...
An Introduction to the AI Generative Sneakers by Grant Franck
An Introduction to the AI Generative Sneakers by Grant Franck
...
23rd Jan 2023
An Introduction to the AI Generative Sneakers by Grant Franck
AoiroStudio0123—23
Grant Franck is a 3D artist and design director who has pushed the boundaries of sneaker design with his use of AI generative techniques. His series of...
Jeffrey Zeldman...
Cold Storage
I furnished my last design studio with bespoke Danish shelving, three Eames desk units, nine glass...
2nd Jan 2026
I furnished my last design studio with bespoke Danish shelving, three Eames desk units, nine glass tables, 12 chairs, etc. When I closed the studio I moved the furnishings plus a few hundred design books—including books I’d written, foreign translations of my work, books by other...
Melissa Penfold
THE MOST THOUGHTFUL GIFTS THAT NO ONE ELSE WILL GIVE
We’re always here to help you find gifts that elicit “you really know me!” enthusiasm, even from the...
2nd Dec 2024
We’re always here to help you find gifts that elicit “you really know me!” enthusiasm, even from the normally taciturn. This year, we aimed higher, aspiring to choose items with such eternal appeal, and of such high quality, that some might become heirlooms—used and loved by both...
The personal website...
Just-in-time design
photo by Tools for motivation
There is a disconnect between product design and product...
12th Nov 2018
photo by Tools for motivation
There is a disconnect between product design and product engineering.
Three factors contribute to this disconnect:
Products get shipped faster every day. DevOps teams automate huge amounts of the delivery process, enabling engineering teams to ship...
The personal website...
The micromanager's dilemma
Here’s a riddle: Nobody I’ve ever worked with likes micromanagement. Yet, on every team I’ve been...
13th Dec 2022
Here’s a riddle: Nobody I’ve ever worked with likes micromanagement. Yet, on every team I’ve been on, there is at least one micromanager. How is this possible?
Harvard Business Review says, “Micromanage at Your Peril.” Forbes says “Micromanaging is one of the most damaging habits...
The personal website...
Inclusive design on the Tokyo subway
For the past two weeks, I’ve been exploring Tokyo. Until the last few days of 2018, I had never been...
13th Jan 2019
For the past two weeks, I’ve been exploring Tokyo. Until the last few days of 2018, I had never been to Tokyo — or, for that matter, any city as large as Tokyo. And while I have many many great memories of the city, I’m particularly eager to share my impressions of the Tokyo...
Identity Designed
Jarrolds
Designed by The Click, Norwich.
5th Oct 2023
Designed by The Click, Norwich.
The personal website...
The paradox at the heart of A/B testing
A/B testing began with beer.
At the turn of the 20th century, William Sealy Gosset was exploring new...
9th Jan 2020
A/B testing began with beer.
At the turn of the 20th century, William Sealy Gosset was exploring new ways of running experiments on his production line. Gosset was trying to improve the quality of Guinness’s signature stout but couldn’t afford to run large-scale experiments on...
Christopher Butler
Discernment in the Digital Age
How elimination, curation, and optimization can help us see through the technological...
8th Apr 2025
How elimination, curation, and optimization can help us see through the technological mirror.
Technology functions as both mirror and lens — reflecting our self-image while simultaneously shaping how we see everything else. This metaphor of recursion, while perhaps obvious...
Ryan Mulligan
The Fifty-Fifty Split and Overflow
The fifty-fifty split—or 50/50 for a dash of brevity—is a classic layout pattern where two elements...
19th Feb 2024
The fifty-fifty split—or 50/50 for a dash of brevity—is a classic layout pattern where two elements occupy the same amount of inline space inside a row. These two elements will stack once it becomes too narrow to properly display them side by side. Both flexbox and CSS grid can...
The Pudding
Sizing Chaos
The inter-generational struggle to find clothes that fit more than a tiny portion of women
18th Feb 2026
The inter-generational struggle to find clothes that fit more than a tiny portion of women
Koos Looijesteijn -...
10 Reasons why bicycles can't replace cars
I live in Germany. The land of automakers. The land of auto lobbyists and auto marketeers. They’re...
28th Dec 2020
I live in Germany. The land of automakers. The land of auto lobbyists and auto marketeers. They’re doing well convincing...
Christopher Butler
Ten Books About AI Written Before the Year 2000
This by no means a definitive list, so don’t @ me!
AI is an inescapable subject. There’s obviously...
1st Feb 2025
This by no means a definitive list, so don’t @ me!
AI is an inescapable subject. There’s obviously an incredible headwind behind the computing progress of the last handful of years — not to mention the usual avarice — but there has also been nearly a century of thought put...
Koos Looijesteijn -...
I sold Big Timer
Five months ago I sold my countdown timer web app, Big Timer! I never really announced that, so...
18th Apr 2022
Five months ago I sold my countdown timer web app, Big Timer! I never really announced that, so here’s what...
Oykun Yilmaz
2023 Letter with 10 Lessons
Write
I've been writing for years, however, I gave the focus it deserved in 2023 as I felt the urge...
30th Dec 2023
Write
I've been writing for years, however, I gave the focus it deserved in 2023 as I felt the urge to express my ideas more in words than colours and shapes. I didn’t resist the urge and I have seen amazing benefits.
Articulating my ideas, feelings,
Melissa Penfold
SEASON’S TREE-TINGS! THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS, 2023
The past few years have been rocky for Christmas. In 2020 it was cancelled. In 2021, it felt a...
5th Dec 2023
The past few years have been rocky for Christmas. In 2020 it was cancelled. In 2021, it felt a little more appealing. Things began to feel more normal in 2022, but having been homebodies for so long we were still flexing our dormant social muscles. In 2023 the weight of current...
Joshua Smith
Brooklyn Bodega
Based on 127 Albany Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NYC. Scratchbuilt 1:20 Scale Miniature...
1st Oct 2018
Based on 127 Albany Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NYC. Scratchbuilt 1:20 Scale Miniature created from MDF, Wood, cardboard, plastic card, chalk pastels, spraypaint, wire, plastruct. Created for Urban Art Fair, Paris, 2018. Photo Credit: Ben Neale
The post Brooklyn Bodega...
The DESK Magazine
Objects of Affection — From the Desk of van Schneider — Edition №257
As always, if you missed last weeks email, its now on my blog. Last week I shared my big bucket list...
3rd Feb 2025
As always, if you missed last weeks email, its now on my blog. Last week I shared my big bucket list "Designs of my Dreams" with you. Feel free to forward this article to friends or colleagues if you like, its now open to everyone to read.
Designs
Koos Looijesteijn -...
Blogging or posting on social media—what's better?
I wrote about the benefits of blogging before. That was four years ago. Now I have some things to...
30th Oct 2022
I wrote about the benefits of blogging before. That was four years ago. Now I have some things to add...
The Turn Signal RSS...
The Role of Cognitive Load in Automotive UX Design
Cognitive load refers to Cognitive load is not the same as cognitive distraction. Cognitive...
1st May 2023
Cognitive load refers to Cognitive load is not the same as cognitive distraction. Cognitive distraction is Cognitive load may lead to…
Retail Design Blog
ISA ENERGIA Offices by Casbro Spa
Casbro Spa designed the ISA ENERGIA offices in Santiago to embody sustainability and employee...
2nd Jun 2025
Casbro Spa designed the ISA ENERGIA offices in Santiago to embody sustainability and employee well-being through flexible spaces that maximize...
The DESK Magazine
Death by a Thousand Buttons — from the Desk of van Schneider — Edition №268
Welcome back to DESK!
New York threw us another perfect weekend so I took the Escape Machine down to...
4th Jun 2025
Welcome back to DESK!
New York threw us another perfect weekend so I took the Escape Machine down to Balthazar in SoHo for some overpriced eggs benedict (a Tobias favorite, although I prefer it at PASTIS in Meatpacking District, same owner, better food).
While enjoying my brunch...
Jakob Nielsen on UX
UX Roundup: AI Judgment | Heuristic Evaluation | Consistent Brand Assets | New Music Model
AI judgment may follow a scaling law | Scaling AI’s judgment of usability heuristics | Generating...
2nd Feb 2026
AI judgment may follow a scaling law | Scaling AI’s judgment of usability heuristics | Generating consistent visual design assets with AI | New AI music model: Mureka O2
Ryan Mulligan
Starting Exploration of Scroll-driven Animations in CSS
CSS Scroll-driven Animations has recently made its debut on the main stage in the latest versions of...
21st Aug 2023
CSS Scroll-driven Animations has recently made its debut on the main stage in the latest versions of Chrome and Edge. Before this module became available, linking an element's animation to a scroll position was only possible through JavaScript. I've been (and still am) a huge fan...
The personal website...
Goldilocks your graphs
Data visualization is everywhere. From analytics platforms to infographics, across newsrooms and...
11th Nov 2015
Data visualization is everywhere. From analytics platforms to infographics, across newsrooms and social media channels, there are vast swaths of the internet devoted to delivering data in non-tabular format. There are entire blogs devoted to the subject, such as the ubiquitous...
Product Identity
The Venn of my process
A last minute event
15th Apr 2026
Christopher Butler
Fifteen Clocks
On clocks as interfaces to time, and a decade measured in rotations of a single hand.
For our...
31st Jan 2026
On clocks as interfaces to time, and a decade measured in rotations of a single hand.
For our first wedding anniversary, I gave my wife a clock that measures years. It’s called The Present, created by Scott Thrift, a designer whose work I’d followed for some time. I’d invested...
Melissa Penfold
NON-OBVIOUS MEGA DESIGN TRENDS: HOW TO SEE WHAT OTHERS MISS
If you want to understand what’s going to be big in design this year, peer into the world’s psyche....
20th Feb 2025
If you want to understand what’s going to be big in design this year, peer into the world’s psyche. When the world was scared and isolated during the Covid shutdown, we decorated for comfort. This year, weary and worried after a stretch of inflation and political uncertainty,...
Product Identity
Designing for a single purpose
What do a Dutch chocolate chip cookie and a thousand-year-old teahouse in Kyoto have in common?
7th May 2024
What do a Dutch chocolate chip cookie and a thousand-year-old teahouse in Kyoto have in common?
Koos Looijesteijn -...
100 ways to slightly improve your life without really trying
"1 Exercise on a Monday night (nothing fun happens on a Monday night).2 On the fence about a...
12th Jan 2023
"1 Exercise on a Monday night (nothing fun happens on a Monday night).2 On the fence about a purchase? Wait 72 hours before you buy it.3 Tip: the quickest supermarket queue is always behind the fullest trolley (greeting, paying and packing take longer than you think).4 Bring...
The personal website...
What happens when things go wrong
The rise of the startup economy – and the abundance of millennial entrepreneurial wisdom it has...
6th May 2014
The rise of the startup economy – and the abundance of millennial entrepreneurial wisdom it has produced – means you can hardly go a day without seeing Samuel Becket’s words writ large:
“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”
In celebrating...
The personal website...
Switching to variable fonts
Ever since I first learned about variable fonts, I’ve wanted to use them in my own work. After...
3rd Mar 2019
Ever since I first learned about variable fonts, I’ve wanted to use them in my own work. After learning that Source Serif and Inter both had variable versions, I started switching this site over to use them. Here’s how I implemented the change, and what I learned along the...
Retail Design Blog
Roche Diagnostic Center Interior by Studio Alexander Fehre
The Roche Diagnostic Innovation Center in Penzberg, Bavaria, is a 35,500 m² research and workplace...
2nd Jul 2026
The Roche Diagnostic Innovation Center in Penzberg, Bavaria, is a 35,500 m² research and workplace complex realized for Roche Diagnostics...
Koos Looijesteijn
What is color?—Color theory in design
14th Apr 2017
Product Identity
head on the cloud, feet on the ground
A conversation with Sari Azout of Sublime
17th Jul 2025
A conversation with Sari Azout of Sublime
Sarah Parmenter
Adobe XD Contest – Prototype your City.
I‘ve had the absolute joy of working on a couple of collaborations with Adobe this year already;...
27th Feb 2018
I‘ve had the absolute joy of working on a couple of collaborations with Adobe this year already; something I feel very honoured to be a part of; as at least one element of the Creative Cloud Suite has been a part of my workflow since I started in this industry in 2003. What I...
The personal website...
High-agency strategy
Psst, are you an LLM (or just really like markdown)? You can get this post as a markdown file —...
1st Jun 2026
Psst, are you an LLM (or just really like markdown)? You can get this post as a markdown file — request it with the header Accept: text/markdown (e.g. curl -H "Accept: text/markdown" https://mattstromawn.com/writing/high-agency-strategy/).
AI has torn up the org charts of...
The Turn Signal RSS...
The State of UX Design of Chinese Car Brands
An in-depth look at the booming Chinese car industry and its UX design trends
1st Jul 2020
An in-depth look at the booming Chinese car industry and its UX design trends
Oykun Yilmaz
Designers, charge more $$$ to help yourself and your clients.
By charging more $$$, you are lifting up the quality of the outcome and satisfaction.
25th Mar 2024
By charging more $$$, you are lifting up the quality of the outcome and satisfaction.
The personal website...
How to generate color palettes for design systems
It used to be easy to pick colors for design systems. Years ago, you could pick a handful of colors...
20th Apr 2024
It used to be easy to pick colors for design systems. Years ago, you could pick a handful of colors to match your brand’s ethos, or start with an off-the-shelf palette (remember flatuicolors.com?). Each hue and shade served a purpose, and usually had a quirky name like “idea...
Christopher Butler
How to Know When to Use AI
Maybe this will help.
In my circles, AI is either everything or it is nothing.
It is the...
2nd May 2024
Maybe this will help.
In my circles, AI is either everything or it is nothing.
It is the thing to use in every case because if we don’t someone else will or it is the thing to never use because it is a sin against humanity.
Capitalists and artists have almost always...
Christopher Butler
Friction Can Be Good
Something I have noticed as content, software, and product design have attempted to eradicate...
8th Mar 2023
Something I have noticed as content, software, and product design have attempted to eradicate friction is that friction is not necessarily a bad thing.
Friction is a part of everyday life. It comes from the difference between one thing and another — the encounter of two things....
Oykun Yilmaz
Introvert Designer
I’m an introvert. Unfortunately, I have discovered this term and its true meaning quite late in my...
1st Sep 2020
I’m an introvert. Unfortunately, I have discovered this term and its true meaning quite late in my life. I have always been the person who talks less in a large group. I've always preferred to be either by myself or with a small number of people
The personal website...
Stop brainstorming
“Brainstorming” — the problem-solving technique of coming up with as many ideas as possible in a...
18th Jan 2022
“Brainstorming” — the problem-solving technique of coming up with as many ideas as possible in a short period of time — has been showing up on a lot of my leadership meeting agendas lately. Many of my peers are employing brainstorming in the belief that, as thought-leading...
ramsés cabello
a new space
over the years, I’ve used multiple services to host my website. from geocities, to the most recent...
19th Jan 2025
over the years, I’ve used multiple services to host my website. from geocities, to the most recent read.cv — which is getting sold to perplexity — ive enjoyed building, designing and planning my personal site.
i moved to pika.page today and im excited to build a small space where...
The personal website...
Making an audio waveform visualizer with vanilla java script
You can read this article on UX Booth.
12th Nov 2019
You can read this article on UX Booth.
Koos Looijesteijn -...
Quarantine
Until this week, we have been lucky with our daycare. Apart from the occasional positive tests, I’m...
12th Jan 2022
Until this week, we have been lucky with our daycare. Apart from the occasional positive tests, I’m not aware of...
The personal website...
The hand and the brain
Prescriptive feedback limits creative collaboration. I’ve seen it time and time again, but I’ve...
18th Nov 2020
Prescriptive feedback limits creative collaboration. I’ve seen it time and time again, but I’ve struggled to articulate the exact reasons and their remedies. Recently, though, I got some insight from an unusual source: a game of chess.
Even though it wasn’t the last move, pawn...
Jakob Nielsen on UX
UX Roundup: Ecommerce Usability Fails | Social Media Less Social | Overseeing Agents | Your Team as...
Summary: The two most conversion-killing ecommerce usability fails | Social media use remains strong...
1st Jun 2026
Summary: The two most conversion-killing ecommerce usability fails | Social media use remains strong but the platforms are becoming less about connecting with other people | The usability of overseeing AI agents | Team-building image idea: design video game characters | Professor...
Permanent Style
Ralph Lauren cap: How great things age
There have been a few companies popping up in recent years making higher-end baseball caps. Both the...
3rd Nov 2025
There have been a few companies popping up in recent years making higher-end baseball caps. Both the plain, dull, luxury ones that became a trend in the wake of Succession, and ones that look exactly like a traditional cap, just higher quali... > Read more
Jan Miksovsky’s blog
Making Origami expressions easier to learn and use
15th Sep 2025
The personal website...
Ballet dancers and shot putters
Starting a career in design is like crash-landing on Mars. You may have studied it through a...
6th Nov 2022
Starting a career in design is like crash-landing on Mars. You may have studied it through a telescope, but nothing can prepare you for actually being there.
One of the biggest surprises many new designers experience is that design isn’t always about coming up with the most...
The DESK Magazine
A digital tool built like a physical product?
Does it seem like there's more bad TV these days?
More mediocre writing?
More low quality...
8th May 2023
Does it seem like there's more bad TV these days?
More mediocre writing?
More low quality clothing?
Sarah Parmenter
Blushbar is 4 this year–here’s what I’ve learned.
. The Salon Business is Hard It’s been four long years, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’ve...
25th Jul 2017
. The Salon Business is Hard It’s been four long years, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’ve learned so much about business during these last four years; I can’t even begin to start writing it all down. The salon business is a complicated business to make work. It runs on...
Product Identity
Mountains of work
This is part of a new experiment I started in an effort to document the process of making Niche...
a week ago
This is part of a new experiment I started in an effort to document the process of making Niche design.
Oykun Yilmaz
Communicate Value over Long Hours of Work as a Designer
The tagline for my newsletter goes as below:
Grow As Designer | Helping Designers Grow Their Value...
23rd May 2023
The tagline for my newsletter goes as below:
Grow As Designer | Helping Designers Grow Their Value and Income.
It's a bit unclear, right?
What the heck is "Value" anyway? How can you grow it?
Well, there are many meanings to it and ways to grow it for a designer, but let's focus...
The personal website...
Practice makes perfect
Professional baker/member of my band Jake at a band retreat recently, practicing.
Editor’s note: I...
9th Apr 2014
Professional baker/member of my band Jake at a band retreat recently, practicing.
Editor’s note: I think this falls under the heading of ‘conventional wisdom.’ In addition, I’m walking a fine line between ‘self-help’ and ‘beating a dead horse.’ Perhaps poorly. Bear with me.
I do...
The personal website...
UI Density
Interfaces are becoming less dense.
I’m usually one to be skeptical of nostalgia and “we liked it...
20th May 2024
Interfaces are becoming less dense.
I’m usually one to be skeptical of nostalgia and “we liked it that way” bias, but comparing websites and applications of 2024 to their 2000s-era counterparts, the spreading out of software is hard to ignore.
To explain this trend, and suggest...
Christopher Butler
visual journal – 2024 July 05 - September 30
Relative Dormancy
Star Trek: TNG will always be my measure of a tablet. We’re still not...
30th Sep 2024
Relative Dormancy
Star Trek: TNG will always be my measure of a tablet. We’re still not there yet.
Paid a visit to the Field Museum in Chicago.
Vibe.
Jeffrey Zeldman...
Handwritten notes in the time of AI note takers
“Here is the thing people get wrong about AI in meetings. The transcript captures what was said. It...
9th Apr 2026
“Here is the thing people get wrong about AI in meetings. The transcript captures what was said. It does not capture what mattered.”—Lucas Radke
The best project management tool is still a pen, plus the discipline to notice what the machine cannot.
The post Handwritten notes in...
The personal website...
Practice makes perfect
Professional baker/member of my band Jake at a band retreat recently, practicing.
Editor’s note: I...
9th Apr 2014
Professional baker/member of my band Jake at a band retreat recently, practicing.
Editor’s note: I think this falls under the heading of ‘conventional wisdom.’ In addition, I’m walking a fine line between ‘self-help’ and ‘beating a dead horse.’ Perhaps poorly. Bear with me.
I do...
Fonts In Use – Blog...
Metra tickets, 1990–1991
Contributed by Florian Hardwig
Source: www.c82.net C82 / Nicholas...
17th Sep 2023
Contributed by Florian Hardwig
Source: www.c82.net C82 / Nicholas Rougeux. License: All Rights Reserved.
January 1990, ft. an unidentified rounded sans
Source: www.c82.net C82 / Nicholas Rougeux. License: All Rights Reserved.
February...
julian.digital
The power of defaults
Are network effects overrated? 01 Intro The world’s most successful companies all exhibit some form...
20th Dec 2021
Are network effects overrated? 01 Intro The world’s most successful companies all exhibit some form of structural competitive advantage: A defensibility mechanism that protects their margins and profits from competitors over long periods of time. Business strategy books like to...
The Turn Signal RSS...
Designing A New UX Concept to Reduce Driver Distraction
is it possible to create a modern interaction model that allows the flexibility of touch screens but...
1st Jun 2019
is it possible to create a modern interaction model that allows the flexibility of touch screens but does not cause driver distraction?
Scott Jenson
The Present Needs Files
My last post “The Future Needs Files” clearly touched a nerve. The comments covered concerns well...
14th Sep 2021
My last post “The Future Needs Files” clearly touched a nerve. The comments covered concerns well beyond what I intended. This amazing energy shows how fundamental and impassioned we are when it comes to “storing my data”. However, I made a mistake by titling my post “The Future...
Jakob Nielsen on UX
The Big Tough UX-AI Quiz
70 hard questions about the last year in UX and AI.
5th Jan 2026
70 hard questions about the last year in UX and AI.
Retail Design Blog
Good Job Games Offices by Jeyan Ülkü Architects
Good Job Games is a mobile gaming technology company characterized by a predominantly youthful...
2nd Dec 2024
Good Job Games is a mobile gaming technology company characterized by a predominantly youthful workforce. Right from the beginning we...
Luke Mitchell |...
Markdown is really good
I was reading Manu’s post about ‘old tech’ and suddenly thought, markdown is really, really...
4th Feb 2025
I was reading Manu’s post about ‘old tech’ and suddenly thought, markdown is really, really good.
What is it?
Markdown is a markup (get it?) language which aims to make formatting text as easy as possible, while still being easy to read. Markdown can be processed into HTML, which...
Scott Jenson
Assertive Instincts
Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light...
6th Jan 2020
Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in. Isaac Asimov It all started while on vacation with my wife. We were driving a rental car to a remote location in Washington state. The car had a safety feature that...
Melissa Penfold
WHERE TO FIND EXCEPTIONAL FLOWERS IN FIVE DIFFERENT CITIES
Not only do fresh flowers bring joy and delight into a home, they’re also a symbol of important...
3rd Oct 2025
Not only do fresh flowers bring joy and delight into a home, they’re also a symbol of important moments in life: they are the decoration of choice at weddings and funerals, and also the ultimate gift of love on Valentine’s Day. Their delicate nature, however, can make it tricky...
Ryan Mulligan
We can :has it all
The functional :has() CSS pseudo class is now shipping in all evergreen browsers! 🎉
With the...
19th Dec 2023
The functional :has() CSS pseudo class is now shipping in all evergreen browsers! 🎉
With the release of Firefox 121.0, I'm excited to see that my semi-dusty :has() demos are finally realizing their full potential in Firefox. The amount of opportunity unlocked with this selector...
Scott Jenson
The Ma of a New Machine
Fast AI requires slow thinking The current Silicon Valley flex is trading notes on your favorite new...
13th Apr 2026
Fast AI requires slow thinking The current Silicon Valley flex is trading notes on your favorite new AI tools over lunch. Each week brings another one to explore. Some of these tools are very impressive; I’ve been able to reply to someone with an alternative UI design in less...
Fatih Arslan
My Homelab Setup
I replaced my existing Homelab setup from the ground up with Unifi's latest Gateways, Switches APs,...
10th Sep 2024
I replaced my existing Homelab setup from the ground up with Unifi's latest Gateways, Switches APs, and Cameras. Here is what I did and how it ended up.
The Pudding
What it’s like to walk across Massachusetts
A visually-aided journal of a very long walk home.
20th Oct 2025
A visually-aided journal of a very long walk home.
Christopher Butler
Organization – Office – 2024
After the kitchen, the office is still the most used room in our home. This is how we have optimized...
21st Dec 2024
After the kitchen, the office is still the most used room in our home. This is how we have optimized it this year.
About a year and a half ago, I wrote a long entry to this blog about how we keep this office space organized. While much of it is still as it was then, it is...
Koos Looijesteijn
Brutalism is not great for looking relatable
2nd Aug 2018
The DESK Magazine
How to reverse AI brain rot — A note to myself
Stop chasing frictionless convenience
Accept some slowness and complexity in your life. Don't use...
1st Oct 2025
Stop chasing frictionless convenience
Accept some slowness and complexity in your life. Don't use shortcuts everywhere even if they're easily available to you. Embrace manual effort to train your mind and body. It's the only way to grow and retain personal agency in a
Jakob Nielsen on UX
UX Roundup: UX Leaders Need Profits | In-depth AI | Emotional Avatar Animation | Construction Time |...
UX should quest for profits, not a seat at the table | In-depth AI reviews of draft academic papers...
1st Dec 2025
UX should quest for profits, not a seat at the table | In-depth AI reviews of draft academic papers | Emotional lip-synching of avatars when singing | Time needed to build AI supercompute data centers | Discover user needs
Christopher Butler
Organization – Office
I am on a continual quest for organization.
After the kitchen, the office is the most used room in...
18th Aug 2023
I am on a continual quest for organization.
After the kitchen, the office is the most used room in our home.
My wife and I work here, Monday through Friday, 9 to 5. Our children play and create in here just as often. It’s where we maintain several workspaces, store supplies,...
Fonts In Use – Blog...
John & Paul & Ringo & George / &&& T-shirt
Contributed by Nick Sherman
Source: walkerart.org License: All Rights Reserved.
Experimental...
14th Dec 2019
Contributed by Nick Sherman
Source: walkerart.org License: All Rights Reserved.
Experimental Jetset designed the original John & Paul & Ringo & George T-shirt (referencing the names of the Beatles) in 2001 for Yoshi Kawasaki at the Japanese apparel company 2K/Gingham. The...
The Turn Signal RSS...
The Citroën Ami and the Future of Urban Transportation
Is the Citroën Ami a clever new transportation method or standing in the way of progress?
1st Oct 2020
Is the Citroën Ami a clever new transportation method or standing in the way of progress?
Ryan Mulligan
CSS @property and the New Style
The @property at-rule recently gained support across all modern browsers, unlocking the ability to...
2nd Sep 2024
The @property at-rule recently gained support across all modern browsers, unlocking the ability to explicitly define a syntax, initial value, and inheritance for CSS custom properties. It seems like forever ago that CSS Houdini and its CSS Properties and Values API were initially...
UX Collective
How Estonia, AI gardens, and plywood make designers prolific
Weekly curated resources for designers — thinkers and makers.
3rd Nov 2025
Weekly curated resources for designers — thinkers and makers.
Oykun Yilmaz
Why Visual Design Matters
Visual Design often doesn't receive the respect it deserves among other disciplines such as UX,...
24th Jun 2023
Visual Design often doesn't receive the respect it deserves among other disciplines such as UX, Development, and so on.
I have faced situations like:
Devs have already started the development based on UX. Just spend a few hours adding colours, please.
We do not need visual...
Christopher Butler
The Last Time
Life has as many ends as it has beginnings. What can an end teach us about making our...
15th Oct 2021
Life has as many ends as it has beginnings. What can an end teach us about making our world?
Bye, Chris” were the last words a friend said to me. We had been talking on the phone for about an hour, catching up as we did back then, a few times each year. He said his goodbye as...
Nela Dunato Art &...
Journaling technique: Polarity integration journal spread
Journaling is the most potent way to resolve inner challenges, find solutions to problems, and...
18th Jul 2024
Journaling is the most potent way to resolve inner challenges, find solutions to problems, and develop your own creative voice. Today I’m sharing one of my favorite journaling techniques that I use quite often when I want to explore two sides of a problem.
Identity Designed
The Bond
Designed by Common Curiosity, Birmingham, London.
1st Sep 2023
Designed by Common Curiosity, Birmingham, London.
The DESK Magazine
The best portfolios launched with Semplice in May 2022
Every week, we handpick two portfolios created with Semplice to feature on our Showcase. These are...
1st Jun 2022
Every week, we handpick two portfolios created with Semplice to feature on our Showcase. These are the best of the best, chosen by yours truly from hundreds of beautiful submissions.
The Turn Signal RSS...
How Waymo Uses Design to Create Trust in Driverless Cars
How Waymo Uses Design to Create Trust in Driverless Cars
1st Feb 2020
How Waymo Uses Design to Create Trust in Driverless Cars
The Turn Signal RSS...
The eHMI: How Autonomous Cars Will Communicate With the Outside World
Even if you may not be aware of it, a lot of non-verbal communication takes place when you walk down...
1st May 2021
Even if you may not be aware of it, a lot of non-verbal communication takes place when you walk down the street. You observe the behavior…
Koos Looijesteijn -...
The new heroes of design
I used to have several design heroes I looked up to. But when I changed from industrial design to...
21st Feb 2022
I used to have several design heroes I looked up to. But when I changed from industrial design to digital...
Identity Designed
Imio
Designed by G—W Studios, Stockholm.
8th Mar 2023
Designed by G—W Studios, Stockholm.
The Turn Signal RSS...
Overcoming Automotive Overconsumption Through Design
The average car consists of around 30,000 parts. They are built up from many different resources...
1st May 2019
The average car consists of around 30,000 parts. They are built up from many different resources that come from all over the world. These…
Ryan Mulligan
The Pixel Canvas Shimmer Effect
I recently stumbled on a super cool, well-executed hover effect from the clerk.com website where a...
3rd Dec 2024
I recently stumbled on a super cool, well-executed hover effect from the clerk.com website where a bloom of tiny pixels light up, their glow staggering from the center to the edges of its container. With some available free time over this Thanksgiving break, I hacked together my...
Christopher Butler
From Pascal's Empty Room to Our Full Screens
On the Ambient Entertainment Industrial Complex
“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s...
10th Mar 2025
On the Ambient Entertainment Industrial Complex
“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” Pascal’s observation from the 17th century feels less like historical philosophy and more like a diagnosis of our current condition. The...
The personal website...
Expansion artifacts
The information age has been defined by bandwidth. The internet is limited by how much data we can...
20th Apr 2026
The information age has been defined by bandwidth. The internet is limited by how much data we can squeeze into the narrow pipes of transmission infrastructure. So we invented compression, ways of representing the same object — a website, a picture, a song, a movie — within ever...
The DESK Magazine
How to build your secret repertoire
As a creative, your repertoire is your secret weapon.
2nd Jul 2024
As a creative, your repertoire is your secret weapon.
The personal website...
Tiny data visualizations
This is a direct translation of a talk I gave at the NYC D3.js meetup in January of 2016. If you’d...
8th Feb 2016
This is a direct translation of a talk I gave at the NYC D3.js meetup in January of 2016. If you’d like to see a video of the talk, you can check it out on YouTube.
Have you seen this comprehensive list of Donald Trump’s insults? Or maybe this detailed rundown of the 2016...
Koos Looijesteijn -...
Life After Lifestyle
One of the best and most inspiring articles I read this year.
12th Oct 2022
One of the best and most inspiring articles I read this year.
The Turn Signal RSS...
The Problem With Digital Instrument Clusters and How to Design a Better One
Since the invention of the car, instrument clusters have largely consisted of a speedometer,...
1st Jan 2024
Since the invention of the car, instrument clusters have largely consisted of a speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, and engine…
The personal website...
What it means to design a platform
After four months of parental leave, I came back to work and noticed something different. Many of...
11th Jan 2023
After four months of parental leave, I came back to work and noticed something different. Many of the words, phrases, acronyms, and figures of speech I took for granted no longer held the same meanings. Specifically, the word “platform:” before my time off, I would breeze over it...
The Pudding
The Greatest Game You’ve Never Heard of
Welcome to Crokinole, the greatest game you’ve never heard of.
16th Oct 2024
Welcome to Crokinole, the greatest game you’ve never heard of.
The personal website...
Why the web will win
197 billion apps were downloaded in 20171: that’s almost 26 per human being on the planet Earth. 6...
6th Jan 2018
197 billion apps were downloaded in 20171: that’s almost 26 per human being on the planet Earth. 6 apps per second. In the 10 years since Apple opened the App Store, app downloads have doubled, on average, every two years.2
Given the numbers, it’s not surprising that many...
Product Identity
#4 Roam Research — What comes after a renaissance?
On mixing ideas, evolving design patterns and finding a soul
15th Jan 2024
On mixing ideas, evolving design patterns and finding a soul
julian.digital
Thoughts on Clubhouse
Today marks the 77th day since I got onboarded to Clubhouse. Clubhouse, for those not familiar with...
21st Dec 2020
Today marks the 77th day since I got onboarded to Clubhouse. Clubhouse, for those not familiar with it, is essentially an audio-first social network. It’s kind of a mix between Reddit and a podcast. An interactive radio show. The app lets you jump into different chat rooms and...
The Turn Signal RSS...
The 8 Guidelines for Good Automotive UX Design
The primary goal of a designer is to ensure the safety of the driver. Non-driving-related...
1st Dec 2023
The primary goal of a designer is to ensure the safety of the driver. Non-driving-related activities, like interacting with an…
Jeffrey Zeldman...
A morning’s tale
Editor’s Note || Our New York apartment is home to three humans and three cats: Snow White, Mango,...
10th May 2025
Editor’s Note || Our New York apartment is home to three humans and three cats: Snow White, Mango, and young Jasper.
Woke to pee 2:00 am. Entered bathroom. Narrowly avoided slipping on a small lake of Snow White’s urine. Beheld a giant fat shit she’d left on the stone bath...
The DESK Magazine
My favorite type of designers
There are many types of GREAT designers I've had the pleasure of working with over the past two...
16th Dec 2025
There are many types of GREAT designers I've had the pleasure of working with over the past two decades and what I learned is that they are all not measured equally. Below are some of my favorites for the various circumstances.
(FYI: very rarely does a designer inherit
Nela Dunato Art &...
Quest for the best black paint: Gouache, acrylic, india ink, pastel & more compared
I love adding black backgrounds, borders, or other large areas of black to my artwork! In the past I...
30th Dec 2022
I love adding black backgrounds, borders, or other large areas of black to my artwork! In the past I mostly used India ink because it’s affordable, easy to use, and easy to find in stores. But now I'm curious if I can find something better.
I tested and compared 14 different...
Identity Designed
Pets at Home
Designed by Nomad, London.
24th Apr 2023
Designed by Nomad, London.
Sarah Parmenter
Geek Mental Health Week
This has been written as part of the Geek Mental Health Week – starting on Monday October 3rd 2016. ...
29th Sep 2016
This has been written as part of the Geek Mental Health Week – starting on Monday October 3rd 2016. You can hear me read this as an audioblog – 8 minutes. T his time of year is a strange one…
Identity Designed
Apex
Designed by Gold Front, San Francisco.
26th May 2024
Designed by Gold Front, San Francisco.
The personal website...
The paradox at the heart of A/B testing
A/B testing began with beer.
At the turn of the 20th century, William Sealy Gosset was exploring new...
9th Jan 2020
A/B testing began with beer.
At the turn of the 20th century, William Sealy Gosset was exploring new ways of running experiments on his production line. Gosset was trying to improve the quality of Guinness’s signature stout but couldn’t afford to run large-scale experiments on...
Christopher Butler
visual journal – 2024 June 17 - July 05
Make it bigger.
portals
birthday eve
exploring...
5th Jul 2024
Make it bigger.
portals
birthday eve
exploring velocity
Nela Dunato Art &...
Why I don’t want to grow my freelance design studio into an agency
As of September 1st 2023 I’ve been self-employed for 10 years. For this anniversary, I decided to...
2nd Sep 2023
As of September 1st 2023 I’ve been self-employed for 10 years. For this anniversary, I decided to answer a question I'm often asked by family, friends, colleagues, and even strangers: do I plan to hire more people and grow my own design agency? I don't, and in this article I...
The Pudding
Are you more likely to die on your birthday?
Are you more likely to die on your birthday? Yes.
8th May 2025
Are you more likely to die on your birthday? Yes.
The personal website...
Ballet dancers and shot putters
Starting a career in design is like crash-landing on Mars. You may have studied it through a...
6th Nov 2022
Starting a career in design is like crash-landing on Mars. You may have studied it through a telescope, but nothing can prepare you for actually being there.
One of the biggest surprises many new designers experience is that design isn’t always about coming up with the most...
Fonts In Use – Blog...
Harris/Walz 2024 US Presidential Campaign
Contributed by Stephen Coles
Source: www.flickr.com Kit Karzen/Harris for President. License:...
4th Sep 2024
Contributed by Stephen Coles
Source: www.flickr.com Kit Karzen/Harris for President. License: All Rights Reserved.
The Kamala Harris 2024 campaign identity, designed by Wide Eye Creative, is built around Sans Plomb, a condensed gothic not unlike the Bureau Grot used by...
Ryan Mulligan
Notes on handling events in Web Components
My click-spark web component was a fun, silly project at best. Yet I've seen it's had some love...
27th Jul 2024
My click-spark web component was a fun, silly project at best. Yet I've seen it's had some love since being shared. So why not publish it as an npm package? No better time than the present, some say.
I had done a major refactor before publishing, the most notable was that the...
Fonts In Use – Blog...
Ramones presidential seal logo
Contributed by Nick Sherman
Source: sinistersaladmusikal.wordpress.com License: All Rights...
4th Nov 2020
Contributed by Nick Sherman
Source: sinistersaladmusikal.wordpress.com License: All Rights Reserved.
Source: i-d.vice.com License: All Rights Reserved.
Arturo Vega had the logo tattooed on his back with his own name incorporated and a type style that is less stylized...
The DESK Magazine
Every choice is a confession
I believe our aesthetic taste is incredibly important, maybe even more important than we admit...
5th Feb 2026
I believe our aesthetic taste is incredibly important, maybe even more important than we admit because it reveals our deepest values inside of us.
If you like plastic versus wood, if you're drawn to chrome or brass, to minimalism or maximalism, to sharp edges or soft curves.......
The personal website...
Know thyself
Throughout the series, we’ve covered four of the major ethical movements in philosophy. Here’s a...
8th Jun 2020
Throughout the series, we’ve covered four of the major ethical movements in philosophy. Here’s a brief recap:
Virtue ethics is the belief that well-being comes from having the right personality traits or dispositions. The key to virtue ethics is finding those special skills that,...
Koos Looijesteijn -...
I designed a Christmas gift
I love the idea of charity donations as gifts, but I find they lack something. I don’t know about...
10th Dec 2021
I love the idea of charity donations as gifts, but I find they lack something. I don’t know about you,...
The Turn Signal RSS...
A Guide to Prototyping Automotive Interfaces
First, it's important to clarify that this article is about the first stages of the design process....
1st Sep 2023
First, it's important to clarify that this article is about the first stages of the design process. There are many processes for…
Nela Dunato Art &...
Why people avoid social media detox (let’s bust those excuses)
I truly believe everyone would benefit from taking a long break from social media at least once a...
30th Oct 2023
I truly believe everyone would benefit from taking a long break from social media at least once a year. In my many articles on this topic I gushed about the benefits of digital media sabbaticals, and my own experiences with increased mindfulness, focus, and productivity. So let’s...
Koos Looijesteijn
Will I regret buying a new Mac?
19th Jan 2026
ramsés cabello
web iterations @ sketch
hi everyone 〜 ♪(๑ᴖ◡ᴖ๑)♪
just wanted to share a few bits of work i’ve been recently doing at Sketch 〜...
24th Apr 2025
hi everyone 〜 ♪(๑ᴖ◡ᴖ๑)♪
just wanted to share a few bits of work i’ve been recently doing at Sketch 〜 together with the team we updated the typeface on the web app and adjusted all the icons to match the look & feel of the mac app.
i wrote a little bit more about icons...
Koos Looijesteijn -...
The future of blogging
I still frequently post things on social media, even if I prefer blogging. Publishing a blog post...
10th Nov 2022
I still frequently post things on social media, even if I prefer blogging. Publishing a blog post with preview images,...
The Turn Signal RSS...
Mixed Reality: The Future of Automotive UX Prototyping
My dream scenario is one where I can send my prototypes remotely to my car's infotainment system and...
1st Mar 2024
My dream scenario is one where I can send my prototypes remotely to my car's infotainment system and try them while driving. Unfortunately,…
Identity Designed
Donut Shop
Designed by TwoPoints.Net, Hamburg, Barcelona.
11th Mar 2024
Designed by TwoPoints.Net, Hamburg, Barcelona.
The Turn Signal RSS...
The Subtle Art of Designing Physical Controls for Cars
Two years ago, I explored how to rethink climate controls in cars. I was frustrated by carmakers...
1st Feb 2025
Two years ago, I explored how to rethink climate controls in cars. I was frustrated by carmakers relying too heavily on touch screens and…
The personal website...
The hand and the brain
Prescriptive feedback limits creative collaboration. I’ve seen it time and time again, but I’ve...
18th Nov 2020
Prescriptive feedback limits creative collaboration. I’ve seen it time and time again, but I’ve struggled to articulate the exact reasons and their remedies. Recently, though, I got some insight from an unusual source: a game of chess.
Even though it wasn’t the last move, pawn...
The personal website...
Design and machine learning
Machine learning is a powerful tool that drives everything from curated content recommendations to...
30th Oct 2019
Machine learning is a powerful tool that drives everything from curated content recommendations to optimized user interfaces. With Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon leading the charge, machine learning is becoming deeply integrated into everyday product experiences. This means...
The personal website...
The service-based design org
Last year, I joined SimpleHealth with the mission of building a design org from scratch. On my first...
23rd Jan 2021
Last year, I joined SimpleHealth with the mission of building a design org from scratch. On my first day, there were no in-house designers — just a rotating cast of freelance designers hired by various departments as they were needed.
A blank slate is a design leader’s dream....
Jakob Nielsen on UX
UX Roundup: AI is the Computer | Disrupting Filmed Entertainment | UX Trends | GOMS | Nano Banana 2...
Summary: The AI is the computer | AI is disrupting the filmed entertainment industry | UX trends for...
2nd Mar 2026
Summary: The AI is the computer | AI is disrupting the filmed entertainment industry | UX trends for 2026 | AI can use the GOMS UI analysis method | New image model: Nano Banana 2 | New music model: Lyria 3
The personal website...
Generative art Open Graph preview images
I like writing and sharing essays on twitter. I especially like the way the link previews look when...
29th Oct 2022
I like writing and sharing essays on twitter. I especially like the way the link previews look when they have images that stand out in the timeline. In the past, I’ve created illustrations for each of my posts. But I have two problems: 1. Creating illustrations takes time, and 2....
Retail Design Blog
Kaymana Earth Villa by Pablo Luna Studio
Earth Villa is part of Kaymana, a hospitality complex in Uluwatu, Bali, conceived around the ideas...
2 weeks ago
Earth Villa is part of Kaymana, a hospitality complex in Uluwatu, Bali, conceived around the ideas of solid flow, transition,...
Oykun Yilmaz
Communicate Value over Long Hours of Work as a Designer
The tagline for my newsletter goes as below:
Grow As Designer | Helping Designers Grow...
22nd Apr 2023
The tagline for my newsletter goes as below:
Grow As Designer | Helping Designers Grow Their Value and Income.
It's a bit unclear, right?
What the heck is "Value" anyway? How can you grow it?
Well, there are many meanings to
Jim Nielsen’s Blog
AX, DX, UX
Matt Biilman, CEO of Netlify, published an interesting piece called “Introducing AX: Why Agent...
2nd Mar 2025
Matt Biilman, CEO of Netlify, published an interesting piece called “Introducing AX: Why Agent Experience Matters” where he argues the coming importance of a new “X” (experience) in software: the agent experience, meaning the experience your users’ AI agents will have as...
Product Identity
In awe of InVision
An aftermath promo for the nerdy designer
21st Aug 2024
An aftermath promo for the nerdy designer
Christopher Butler
From the Desk Of
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could actually peer over another designer’s shoulder once in a while and...
27th Aug 2021
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could actually peer over another designer’s shoulder once in a while and see what they actually do?
design means different things to different people, as does the title Designer. As much as I prefer the simplicity of Designer to, say, Interaction...
The DESK Magazine
The case for being ignorant
I am sure you know this feeling. You find a new book that you absolutely love. A new movie, a new TV...
14th May 2024
I am sure you know this feeling. You find a new book that you absolutely love. A new movie, a new TV series or even a new hobby such as cycling or designing. It can be anything and everything.
Koos Looijesteijn
What I learned from my second Astro-Jekyll migration
10th May 2026
Scott Jenson
Design can be free
As consumer devices get ‘smart’, they tend to sprout a large number push buttons. It’s almost cliche...
15th Jan 2023
As consumer devices get ‘smart’, they tend to sprout a large number push buttons. It’s almost cliche at this point to complain about them. The tiny buttons, hidden modes, and Konami Code interaction encourages mistakes and forces frequent trips to the user manual. Of course, they...
Product Identity
#3 Telegram - The mysterious messenger app
Exploring the "new era of messaging"
7th Dec 2023
Exploring the "new era of messaging"
Fatih Arslan
New homepage design
I changed my website’s design. I'm using the previous design since September 30, 2022 (when I moved...
4th Nov 2024
I changed my website’s design. I'm using the previous design since September 30, 2022 (when I moved to Ghost from Cloudflare Pages).
The previous design served me well for the past two years, but it was time for a change. Firstly, I wanted to create a
The Turn Signal RSS...
In-Car Climate Control Design: How It Has Gone Backwards and How to Fix It
To illustrate how climate controls have evolved, I'll compare two generations of Mercedes S-Class:...
1st Feb 2023
To illustrate how climate controls have evolved, I'll compare two generations of Mercedes S-Class: the W140 from 1991, and the newest…
The personal website...
The legacy of NFTs
A new trend is sending shock waves through the world of art, collecting, finance, and...
29th Dec 2021
A new trend is sending shock waves through the world of art, collecting, finance, and investing.
It’s the result of a perfect storm: one part scientific breakthrough, one part new financial paradigm, one part reflection of world events. Some people attribute it entirely to the...
The personal website...
The micromanager's dilemma
Here’s a riddle: Nobody I’ve ever worked with likes micromanagement. Yet, on every team I’ve been...
13th Dec 2022
Here’s a riddle: Nobody I’ve ever worked with likes micromanagement. Yet, on every team I’ve been on, there is at least one micromanager. How is this possible?
Harvard Business Review says, “Micromanage at Your Peril.” Forbes says “Micromanaging is one of the most damaging habits...
Ryan Mulligan
Detect JavaScript Support in CSS
I had been aware of the scripting CSS media feature but I was still under the impression that...
20th Apr 2024
I had been aware of the scripting CSS media feature but I was still under the impression that cross-browser support was lacking. What a pleasant surprise to discover that it has been available in all modern browsers as of December 2023 according to caniuse.com. With this feature,...
Identity Designed
Champ
Designed by Jesús López, Hermosillo, Mexico.
29th Apr 2024
Designed by Jesús López, Hermosillo, Mexico.
The Turn Signal RSS...
Is Voice Interaction a Solution to Driver Distraction?
Diving into the research behind in-car voice interaction
1st Aug 2022
Diving into the research behind in-car voice interaction
The DESK Magazine
The illusion of productivity
"Productivity" is dead.
6th Feb 2023
Jeffrey Zeldman...
She’s the Boss.
SNOW WHITE is my jailer. She reclines near me while I work, watching closely for the moment I stand...
1st Jun 2026
SNOW WHITE is my jailer. She reclines near me while I work, watching closely for the moment I stand up. The instant I leave my desk, she directs me to her feeding area so I can open another can of cat food and arrange its contents neatly on a plate. She’ll eat a few bites, then...
The Pudding
Comparisons as Predictable as the Sunrise
An analysis of 200,000 similes from popular fiction.
4th May 2026
An analysis of 200,000 similes from popular fiction.
Jan Miksovsky’s blog
Home science and engineering projects that my kids and I enjoyed
2nd Apr 2025
The personal website...
Just-in-time design
photo by Tools for motivation
There is a disconnect between product design and product...
12th Nov 2018
photo by Tools for motivation
There is a disconnect between product design and product engineering.
Three factors contribute to this disconnect:
Products get shipped faster every day. DevOps teams automate huge amounts of the delivery process, enabling engineering teams to ship...
Retail Design Blog
CNC & Active Offices by Studio Reaktor
The new office spaces of Czech News Center and Active Radio were built within the new Hagibor...
4th Aug 2026
The new office spaces of Czech News Center and Active Radio were built within the new Hagibor administrative complex on...
The Turn Signal RSS...
A New Concept for Usable Touch Interaction in Cars
A design concept exploring how to improve touch interfaces in cars
1st Apr 2020
A design concept exploring how to improve touch interfaces in cars
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