TLDR DESIGN 2025-06-25

SAM ALTMAN OPEN TO ADS ON CHATGPT, CALLS INSTAGRAM ADS ‘KINDA COOL'

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed openness to advertising on ChatGPT, calling Instagram ads "kinda cool" and stating he's "not totally against" the concept. His stance has evolved from describing ads as a "last resort" in 2024 to being more direct about considering how advertisements could integrate into ChatGPT's future. Despite OpenAI's substantial funding, which included $40 billion in March, the company's operational costs of $3-4 billion annually may drive the shift toward advertising revenue models.

‘NOT A WEARABLE', COURT DOCUMENTS DETAIL OPENAI'S PLANS FOR ITS AI HARDWARE PROJECT WITH JONY IVE

New court filings from a trademark lawsuit reveal that OpenAI and Jony Ive's hardware team, io Products, have been deeply exploring audio tech and in-ear ergonomics, despite denying that their first product is an in-ear or wearable device. While internal emails show interest in iyO's 3D ear-scanning technology and audio hardware, official court statements maintain that their upcoming AI product is still in early design stages and at least a year from release.

ELEVENLABS RELEASES A STANDALONE VOICE GENERATION APP

ElevenLabs has launched a standalone mobile app for iOS and Android, allowing users to generate AI-powered voice clips directly from text without needing the web platform. The app provides access to ElevenLabs' latest v3 alpha text-to-speech models, offering expressive voice control and shared credit limits across web and mobile platforms. This marks the company's second consumer-facing app. ElevenLabs plans to expand its offerings to include speech-to-text and conversational AI tools, positioning itself against competitors like Speechify and Captions.

SEVEN MOMENTS THAT SHAPED FIGMA, AS TOLD BY DYLAN FIELD

Figma CEO Dylan Field shares seven pivotal moments from his journey, including how childhood acting led to a Windows XP commercial and how a middle school janitor sparked his mathematical interests. His unconventional Thiel Fellowship essay about disliking chocolate helped him secure funding, though the company briefly considered becoming a meme generator before focusing on design tools. The pandemic inspired FigJam when users began socializing in Figma. Field credits timing, mentorship, and his partnership with co-founder Evan Wallace as key factors in the company's success.

WHY I WENT VIDEO-FIRST WITH MY DESIGN PORTFOLIO — AND HOW YOU CAN, TOO

A designer adopted a video-first approach for their portfolio, recording presentations of their work to help potential employers understand their communication style and design process before scheduling interviews. The strategy involved creating slide presentations in Figma first and then recording walkthroughs with Screen Studio, which were embedded into their existing portfolio website alongside text summaries and slide decks. This approach leverages improved recording tools, addresses the dynamic nature of modern design work, and aligns with remote work communication patterns while providing an early competitive advantage in job applications.

SOMETIMES HARD UI CAN BE A BLESSING

Harder-to-use interfaces can improve user outcomes when designed intentionally, as research on disfluent fonts shows that cognitive strain helps people think more carefully and perform better on complex tasks. The key factor is user motivation - B2C users who personally need to solve problems are often more willing to engage with added complexity than B2B users who may be using software out of obligation. Examples include legal advice apps that improved query quality by replacing simple text fields with guided prompts and B2B tools where power users prefer complex interfaces like command lines for greater control and efficiency.

CREATE PROFESSIONAL VIDEOS INSTANTLY

Create stunning videos with Seedance Pro AI video generator. Transform text and images into professional videos effortlessly.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR FREELANCERS

luss.studio is a project management app that helps users spend less time juggling tools and more time doing what they love. Bring together client communication, task tracking, invoicing, and knowledge spaces.

CELEBRATING PUBLIC RESTROOMS

The Restroom Archive is an ongoing case study that aims to document and celebrate the public restroom. What started as a joke in 2023 has become a years-long practice of 3D scanning the restrooms in restaurants, gas stations, convenience stores, coffee shops, and other spaces across the U.S. and Europe.

CREATING A SEMANTIC COLOR PALETTE

This tutorial explains how to create semantic color variables that describe function rather than appearance, building on accessible color palettes. It demonstrates how to create neutral, primary, and state-based color groups with fill, border, and text variants for design flexibility. The system uses reusable modifier classes like .primary and .outline that can be combined across components, allowing the entire design system to change color by updating just the root variables.

HUMAN TYPES — ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND TYPOGRAPHY

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH APPLE'S AD DEPARTMENT?

Apple, once known for its iconic advertising, has recently faced backlash after releasing—and quickly pulling—four controversial ads in just over a year, including the cringeworthy “Parent Presentation” and the widely criticized “Crush” iPad Pro spot. These missteps, along with underwhelming product rollouts and marketing misfires, have led many to question whether Apple's once-brilliant ad machine is losing its touch.

KINETIC TYPOGRAPHY: DESIGNING TYPE SYSTEMS THAT CATCH ATTENTION AND EVOLVE

Kinetic typography combines movement and text to create impactful designs that grab attention and enhance storytelling beyond static text capabilities.

ARE VIBE CODED APPS AN ASSET OR LIABILITY?

OpenAI's former head of research questioned whether "vibe coded" apps built by AI are assets or liabilities, arguing they may be problematic since developers don't understand the generated codebase.

MACOS TAHOE 26 BETA 2 CHANGES FINDER ICON

Apple has reversed a controversial design change in macOS Tahoe 26 beta 2 by restoring the traditional light-left, dark-right color balance of the Finder icon, bringing it closer to its familiar look while retaining a subtler outline effect.