TLDR Index
TLDR Design

TLDR DESIGN 2026-06-12

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02OPINIONS & TUTORIALS

THE BENEFITS OF COGNITIVE INCLUSION IN UX RESEARCH

A UX research study by a Fable VP found that participants with cognitive disabilities identified 1.8 times more usability issues and made 1.8 times more suggestions than general population participants across three AI-generated test websites. Cognitive testers were especially more likely to surface problems with content, buttons, icons, visual elements, and media, while also providing richer qualitative feedback about mental load and cognitive effort. The findings argue that including people with cognitive disabilities in mainstream UX research — not just accessibility testing — leads to more efficient research and better products for all users.

smashingmagazine.com16 min read

DIETER RAMS AVOIDS COMPUTERS. HIS TEN RULES STILL FIT DESIGNING FOR AI

The principles of good design established by Dieter Rams remain highly relevant to AI products. Good AI should focus on solving real user problems, reducing complexity, being transparent about its limitations, and staying unobtrusive rather than constantly demanding attention. Key design priorities include making AI useful, understandable, honest, reliable, and efficient. Rather than adding features for their own sake, AI should simplify workflows, communicate uncertainty clearly, handle failures gracefully, and use only as much technology as necessary. The core idea is that great AI design is ultimately about restraint: prioritizing human needs over technological possibilities and removing unnecessary complexity instead of adding more.

links.tldrnewsletter.com17 min read

HOW TO MAKE YOUR DESIGN SYSTEM AI-READY

AI-generated prototypes often produce inconsistent results when design systems contain undocumented decisions, hard-coded values, or unclear guidelines. Better outcomes require clear, structured documentation that tells AI how components, tokens, and design principles should be used. A strong AI-ready design system combines specification files, a maintained token library, and auditing tools such as FigmaLint to identify inconsistencies and enforce standards. The key idea is that AI works best when design decisions are clearly documented and continuously maintained.

smashingmagazine.com4 min read

03LAUNCHES & TOOLS

ANIMATION VOCABULARY

A glossary of common animation patterns. Use these names to describe what you want when prompting an AI.

animations.devTool

VHS VIDEO EFFECT

ntsc-rs is a free, open-source video effect that accurately emulates analog TV and VHS artifacts using algorithms that model actual NTSC transmission and VHS encoding.

ntsc.rsTool

04MISCELLANEOUS

WHY WE SHOULD BE DESIGNING FOR CONNECTION, NOT PERFECTION

Designers should focus on creating human connections rather than pursuing perfection, as the best work comes from collaboration, genuine passion, and understanding real communities. Examples like Rakeem Russell's Nike x Liverpool FC campaign and Ocado's "Life Delivered" campaign demonstrate how emotion-led design can communicate with depth and authenticity by speaking directly to specific audiences. In an era of AI tools, handcrafted work with trial, error, and happy accidents feels more valuable than ever.

creativebloq.com5 min read

DESIGN INFLUENCE ISN'T ABOUT ALWAYS BEING RIGHT. IT'S ABOUT BEING A STRATEGIC ADVISOR

Design influence isn't about winning every argument, but about becoming a trusted strategic advisor who presents clear thinking and lets others make final decisions. The most effective designers build credibility by offering honest perspectives on the full picture, including trade-offs and scale, then trusting their teams to decide. This approach makes it safe for others to think alongside you, creating real influence through rigorous analysis rather than ego-driven advocacy.

thedesignersfieldguide.substack.com4 min read

CLAY GLOBAL REBRANDS THE ‘GOOGLE FOR THE SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY'

Clay partnered with Partstack to modernise its brand and redesign its website, focusing on helping users navigate thousands of similar electronic components more easily. The refresh includes a simplified version of the existing logo, a new lowercase wordmark, updated typography, and a flexible illustration system combining technical drawings with product renders. The redesign centres on improving the search experience, using a restrained visual style, clear hierarchy, and highly readable interfaces to make key product differences easier to understand and compare.

the-brandidentity.com4 min read