OpenAI has launched Sora Turbo, a video generation tool that can create clips from 5 to 20 seconds long and offers various editing features. Sora is unavailable in the EU or the UK at launch, with OpenAI's CEO indicating the company is working on future availability but lacking a specific timeline. This decision follows prior instances where OpenAI's products, such as the Advanced Voice Mode for ChatGPT, also excluded EU users due to compliance with local regulations.
In 2024, Spotify Wrapped marks its 10th anniversary with a campaign focusing on reinvention and evolution, emphasizing genre-blending, cultural milestones, and groundbreaking global music trends.
Figma is updating its billing and pricing system starting March 11, 2025, including a price increase for the Design plan, integration of FigJam and Figma Slides into all paid accounts, and a return to administrative seat approvals to better manage costs. Additionally, the upcoming "Connected Projects" feature will simplify collaboration for agencies and freelancers by enabling client work within existing Figma workspaces without requiring extra licenses.
Genmoji, a feature in iOS 18.2, lets users create custom emojis using Apple Intelligence by describing their desired emoji through the emoji keyboard. Compatible with AI-enabled iPhones, Genmoji can include personalized elements but excludes copyrighted characters. Older iPhones can only view and save them.
X's Aurora image generator is now rolling out to all users. Initially launched for Grok, Aurora briefly went offline after generating controversial and copyrighted content. Aurora enhances photorealistic capabilities while maintaining some restrictions, like rejecting explicit prompts. Users have shared diverse creations, including images of the Cybertruck and cartoon characters, sparking discussions on content moderation.
Designing user-friendly experiences requires firsthand knowledge to identify usability issues and novice struggles. Experts often overestimate users' understanding, leading to blind spots. Techniques like heuristic evaluation and competitive research help uncover critical design insights. Leveraging a novice's perspective early on ensures a better user experience and fosters critical questioning throughout the design process.
Design ideas often stall without traction, but strategic advocacy can change that. Starting small, gathering input, and securing buy-in progressively can be effective approaches. Pitches should be tailored to audience priorities, balancing emotional storytelling with data-driven arguments. If timing or priorities misalign, adapting and persisting is crucial. Success hinges on framing designs effectively to align with organizational goals.
Mastering project presentations involves clear communication, structured content, and engaging visuals. The presentation's structure should be defined, including relevant data points, and it is essential to deliver it confidently. Visuals like mind maps and flowcharts can be used to captivate the audience. Tools like Mural offer templates for kickoffs, workflows, and more, streamlining presentation creation and improving stakeholder alignment and engagement.
Streamline your design decision-making process with this lightning-fast voting plugin. In just a few minutes, collect more than 100 votes to compare two designs and make data-driven choices.
Career paths often resemble complex relationship graphs rather than linear journeys. Carly Ayres reflects on the connections, cold emails, and collaborative spaces that shaped her design career, emphasizing the lasting importance of authentic relationships. From initiating projects to fostering community, these moments collectively build the foundation for meaningful opportunities and growth.
Dennis, a hospitality branding studio, rebranded Hotel Regina in Barcelona, blending its historic charm with modern appeal through the phrase "Reinvent yourself, Stay timeless." Highlights include custom room numbers inspired by the 1917 façade, timeless typography, and a youthful sub-brand for the lobby bar, Gina's, influenced by vintage designs.
Aalto University's Nokia Design Archive explores Nokia's design legacy from the 1990s to 2017. Featuring 20,000 items, it showcases iconic products, prototypes, and creative processes. This archive highlights Nokia's role in shaping modern technology and cultural design, offering insights into innovation, human-centric design, and the impact of organizational creativity in transforming connectivity.
Mocha Mousse (17-1230), Pantone's 2025 color of the year, is a versatile, seasonless brown blending neutrality and luxury. It complements vibrant pastels, rich hues, and white, symbolizing thoughtful indulgence and cultural wholeness. This adaptable shade reflects post-pandemic mindsets, promising lasting relevance across industries, including fashion, design, and digital platforms like Wix.
Pentagram's recent use of AI in designing the website for Performance.gov surprised many in the industry. Despite criticism over the company's collaboration with Midjourney, partner Paula Scher has defended the decision. This highlights an evolving landscape where AI's role in design challenges and transforms traditional practices.
A new Kickstarter project by Eniac introduces the Flexbar, a standalone 10-inch 2K OLED touchscreen inspired by Apple's discontinued Touch Bar. The customizable device allows users to create macros, offers haptic feedback, and includes a magnetic stand but lacks Bluetooth connectivity.
Wireframes, once crucial in UX design, are now less essential due to modern design tools and systems advancements. Originally a workaround for tooling limitations, they are increasingly redundant as visual design has become just as efficient and accessible.
Australia's ban on social media for children under 16 aims to safeguard mental health and reduce harm like online bullying. This shift challenges designers to prioritize ethical, user-focused experiences over addictive practices. The policy encourages privacy, simplicity, and education innovation, allowing young users to create healthier digital ecosystems.
Microtypography refines design by focusing on kerning, spacing, and alignment to enhance readability, accessibility, and aesthetics. It supports branding, improves device usability, and elevates a website's value through seamless user experiences. Avoiding errors like overtightened kerning or improper line heights ensures that designs remain functional and visually appealing.
Spark UI is a collection of animated components built with Vue3, TailwindCss, and @vueuse/motion. It combines the best of various animated components and offers a diverse and powerful toolkit for quickly creating sleek, animated, and modern interfaces.
Ingenious, a UK collagen brand redesigned by Unfound Studio, emphasizes science, wellness, and vitality over superficial beauty. The rebrand features confident messaging, a unique capsule delivery system, and a modern identity for active city dwellers and lifestyle-focused consumers.
Search interfaces have evolved from simple "10 blue links" to intelligent, context-aware formats that adapt to user intent. This shift, marked by milestones like Google's Knowledge Graph and the current contextual UI era, raises user expectations and transforms digital tools across industries.
The end of the year often overwhelms creative professionals with deadlines and client demands. Strategies like prioritizing tasks, setting clear client expectations, automating workflows, and organizing digital files can ease the workload. Incorporating self-care, mindfulness, and intentional relaxation ensures a smoother transition into the holidays while fostering a refreshed start to the new year.
Indie devs are sharing main menu designs on X, showcasing the unique artistry of indie games through a range of styles, from minimalist menus to intricate animations.
John Patrick Gañas merges vibrant creativity with cultural inspiration by reimagining Filipino desserts as video game characters in his "Kakanin Squad," showcasing rich heritage through modern artistry.
Merel Karhof uses wind-powered knitting machines to create scarves, upholstery, and more, blending traditional craftsmanship with sustainable energy to showcase wind power's artistic and eco-friendly potential.
Webflow's AI Assistant allows designers to generate and modify text directly on the canvas. Users can populate CMS fields, enhance the static text, and choose from AI-generated variations tailored to the site context. For paid plans, these tools streamline first-pass content creation for blogs and CMS pages.
A technical artist created a real-time weather visualization system in Unreal Engine 5 using OpenWeather, World Time API, and Cesium. Users input a city, and the system displays dynamic 3D visuals reflecting real weather and time conditions. This post shares tools and techniques for recreating this innovative application of Unreal Engine technology.
OpenAI released its video-generating tool, Sora, with a cautious approach. It limited access to a feature that uses real images or footage to create videos pending safety-focused evaluations. The company is balancing innovation with the risk of misuse due to concerns surrounding deepfakes and the potential for misinformation. OpenAI's safety measures include moderation filters, metadata compliance with the C2PA standard, and prompt rewriting to prevent infringement on living artists' styles.
Agile software development emphasizes collaboration, adaptability, and customer feedback, making it a powerful tool for fostering teamwork between design, product, and engineering. However, poor practices like overemphasizing processes or rigid plans can undermine its benefits, highlighting the need for thoughtful implementation.
Pentagram's integration of generative AI into web design demonstrates how AI can complement human creativity to interpret and refine ideas rather than replace designers. While concerns about ethics and job security persist, embracing AI with curiosity can expand the boundaries of design and innovation.
2024.12.10·
designingwithai.substack.com·5 min read·TLDR Design
This article highlights inconsistencies between design and code, particularly in how Figma handles component states like hover, active, and disabled. Aligning Figma assets with code APIs and properly modeling prop interactions can improve efficiency and collaboration between designers and developers.
Design is more than creating outputs - it's a mindset of curiosity, resourcefulness, and inventiveness that adapts across mediums. As AI reshapes creation, designers must craft intuitive tools and cultivate expertise through experimentation, conviction, and a deep understanding of connections and principles.
Design systems streamline prototype creation, saving time, ensuring consistency, and enhancing collaboration. Examples include BaseKit's UI library, Simpleweb's component breakdown, and Nord's repository. These systems reduce decision-making, simplify iterations, and provide educational value through reusable components, documentation, and examples.
Kevin Parker's Orchid is a portable, tactile, and MIDI-compatible retro-futuristic chord machine that blends design and functionality, enabling musicians to experiment with real-time chord manipulation and effects creatively.
Exploring multiple approaches, such as iterative refinement, parallel prototyping, and competitive testing, enhances usability by fostering diverse solutions and continuous improvement for robust user interfaces.
Pinterest's 2025 trend forecast highlights the bold, nostalgic, and sustainable aesthetics that will shape digital design and branding. From Rococo-inspired elegance to mood-driven color schemes, these trends provide fresh opportunities for creating impactful, audience-focused experiences.
Jaguar revealed its new electric four-door GT concept, Type 00, as part of its bold rebrand into the EV era. Featuring unconventional design and luxury materials, the design of the 1,000-horsepower car emphasizes innovation over tradition. Despite polarized reactions to its campaign, Jaguar aims to rejuvenate its image and attract modern car buyers.