TASTE IS NOT A FEATURE

Summary from the TLDR Design newsletter

In an era where AI makes creating fast and effortless, the key differentiator is no longer production but taste—the learned ability to judge what is meaningful, appropriate, and worth making. Drawing on thinkers like David Hume and Pierre Bourdieu, taste is framed as a discipline developed through exposure, time, and critical reflection—especially during the often-skipped “incubation” phase of creativity—without which output becomes shallow and repetitive. As a result, value now lies in discernment, context, and judgment, which cannot be automated or rushed.