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INFOGRAPHICS ON FILM, TELEVISION, AND SPORTS

Visu features infographics highlighting key moments in film, television, and sports.

KIT STUDIO'S RETAIL IDENTITY FOR LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM TAPS INTO TFL'S GRAPHIC ICONOGRAPHY

Kit Studio developed a new retail identity and packaging for the London Transport Museum, drawing from TFL's graphic iconography and visual history. The design features a sustainable system of colored 'tiles' that balances the brand's heritage with a fresh, modern approach, reducing plastic use and utilizing a limited color palette and Johnston typeface.

ROBOT FOOD GIVES GERMAN NUTRITION BRAND A VIBRANT NEW LOOK AND FEEL

Leeds-based agency Robot Food redesigned the German health-food brand More, focusing on joy and self-empowerment with a vibrant color palette and expressive 'M' logo. The rebrand aimed to shift consumer perceptions of healthy food through positive messaging and appealing product photography.

HOW TO DEAL WITH AN ENGINEERING TEAM THAT IS OUTPACING YOUR DESIGNS

Adopting "Slow Productivity" can help maintain quality when facing pressure from an engineering team outpacing your designs. Focus on fewer tasks, work naturally, and leverage AI tools for tedious jobs. This approach ensures thoughtful design progress without sacrificing quality, even under tight deadlines and high expectations.

BEHIND THE DESIGN: CRAFTING OVER 800+ ICONS FOR WEBFLOW'S REBRAND

Webflow's rebrand involved designing over 800 icons with a focus on simplicity, consistency, and pixel perfection.

CREATIVE BLOCK? A WORK-FRIENDLY BEER TO GET THINGS FLOWING AGAIN

London-based agency Office of Overview created "Creative Juice," a low-alcohol beer designed to boost creativity during work hours.

GENERATIVE AI IS SLIDING INTO THE ‘TROUGH OF DISILLUSIONMENT'

Generative AI is entering the "trough of disillusionment" as companies focus on tangible ROI and excitement fades.

KIT KAT GOT A BULKY NEW LOGO THAT LOOKS A LOT MORE LIKE AN ACTUAL KIT KAT

Kit Kat's new U.S. logo, designed by Sterling Brands, features bulkier, straighter letters with a dark drop shadow that exude an energetic and clean aesthetic, much like a loud snap. The rebrand aims to enhance the brand's iconic 'break' while maintaining the familiar shape and size of the packaging, offering a cleaner and somewhat retro look. This redesign comes as Hershey seeks to boost candy sales amidst consumer cutbacks on discretionary spending.

MOZILLA'S LATEST LOGO MAY BE A PREHISTORIC THROWBACK

Mozilla's latest logo features a design that seems to resemble a dinosaur, potentially a nod to its old mascot. The update to the "Moz://a" logo was shared in a blog post, and a new symbol with an eye-like dot was found in some Github code commits, hinting at a possible flag representation. Initially designed by Shepard Fairey and retired in 2012, the original red dinosaur logo seems to have inspired this new homage.

CANVA STEPS UP TO CHALLENGE ADOBE WITH AI ACQUISITION AND PARTNERSHIPS

Canva is ramping up its ambitions in the AI design space with strategic moves, including acquiring Leonardo.Ai and partnering with Getty Images. The addition of Leonardo.Ai's generative models boosts Canva's AI capabilities, while Getty Images' vast library provides users access to millions of premium visuals. These strides challenge Adobe's dominance by enhancing Canvas offerings and expanding its user base, particularly among professionals and businesses.

THE ROLE OF SMARTPHONES IN CONTEMPORARY LIFE FEELS INCREASINGLY STUPID

Smartphones have many design flaws, cause environmental damage, and there are humanitarian issues in their production. Despite their growing power, they foster addiction and harm relationships. Initiatives like the Light Phone and Fairphone offer hope for more ethical, user-controlled technology, prompting a call for greater oversight.

WE'RE IN THE "DISCORD BOT" ERA OF DESIGN

The current "Discord bot" era of design with AI faces challenges but offers opportunities. Issues include AI targeting the "blank canvas problem" and the limitations of natural language for visual ideas. Opportunities lie in enhancing iteration and using screenshots as inputs, enabling AI to refine designs and create compelling visual languages.

FROM MINIMAL TO MEANINGFUL

Material Design's evolution over the past decade highlights a shift from minimalism to emotional resonance. The journey involved breaking traditional design rules, prioritizing feelings over function, and embracing collaboration over rigid consistency. This approach has led to more personalized, engaging digital experiences, shaping a compelling future for design systems.

DESIGN SYSTEM ORGANIZER (FIGMA PLUGIN)

Copy styles and variables between files, perform selective swap libraries by selection/page/document, and manage Components, Styles, and Variables in one place.

1500+ FREE HTML TEMPLATES

HTMLRev features over 1,500 free HTML templates for websites, landing pages, blogs, portfolios, e-commerce, and admin dashboards.

TURN TEXT PROMPTS AND IMAGES INTO BEAUTIFUL INTERFACES

WHY THE DNC IS STILL USING A LOGO DESIGNED FOR JOE BIDEN

The DNC logo, which features the three wavy red lines from Biden's campaign, symbolizes party unity and fits into the larger Democratic brand. Unlike the Republican National Convention's uniform design, the DNC uses various fonts for different messages. Kamala Harris' campaign has a newer, less established logo.

SIMPLICITY IN UX DESIGN: ELIMINATE THE UNNECESSARY

Overcomplicating designs with excessive features can overwhelm users and detract from their experience. The key to creating effective simplicity is understanding user needs, focusing on essential features, and avoiding unnecessary complexity. Simplifying UX design by removing unnecessary elements ultimately enhances user satisfaction and improves the overall effectiveness and usability of the product.

UNVEILING INSPIRING UI DESIGN EXAMPLES AND INSIGHTS

User Interface (UI) design is the art of crafting digital experiences that blend aesthetics with functionality, creating seamless and enjoyable interactions. This article explores exemplary UI design websites, showcasing how thoughtful design elevates user satisfaction. These examples illustrate the profound impact of well-crafted UI design, whether through Apple's minimalist elegance or Slack's user-friendly interface.

2024 WINNING PHOTOGRAPHS MADE WITH IPHONE

IPPA's winning photos and runners-up in each category of photos taken with an iPhone.

REMSEN REFRAMES AGEING THROUGH DESIGN. ‘AS YOU AGE, YOU SHOULD WANT THE THINGS YOU NEED'

Remsen, founded by architects Sam Zeif and Spencer Fried, reimagines "geriatric products" as elegant luxury home goods, blending functionality with beauty to enhance the lives of older adults.

NINTENDO MUSEUM TO OPEN IN KYOTO WITH EIGHT INTERACTIVE GAME EXPERIENCES

A museum dedicated to Nintendo's history will open in Kyoto on October 2.

NEW IPHONE 16 PRO COLOR WILL REPORTEDLY BE DESERT TITANIUM

Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 Pro will reportedly come in a new color called Desert Titanium, described as a deep, dark gold similar to a previous purple shade. The color lineup is expected to include white, black, gold, and gray, with Desert Titanium potentially replacing the current blue option.

GOOGLE'S HEAD OF PIXEL 9 DESIGN WON'T APOLOGIZE FOR ITS BIG, BEAUTIFUL CAMERA BUMP

Claude Zellweger, Google's head of Pixel 9 design, has defended the phone's prominent camera bar as a deliberate design choice. Large camera modules are necessary for high-quality photography. Future designs may evolve as computational photography and AI post-production techniques advance, possibly reducing the need for bulky hardware.

ANNOUNCING THE 2024 DESIGN SYSTEM REPORT SURVEY—YOUR VOICE, OUR COMMUNITY

The 2024 Design System Report survey invites all who use or create design systems to share their insights. This year's survey, now shorter and more impactful, focuses on understanding community challenges and successes across various aspects of design systems. Your feedback will shape a comprehensive report with valuable best practices.

‘I REALLY F**KING HATE GENERATIVE AI' – PROCREATE CEO COMES OUT SWINGING AGAINST NEW TECH

Procreate CEO James Cuda has firmly rejected generative AI and expressed concerns about its negative impact on artists. Cuda has committed to keeping AI out of Procreate's products in favor of supporting human creativity. This stance, applauded by some artists, contrasts with other companies like Canva and Adobe that have embraced generative AI, highlighting the growing divide between proponents and critics of the technology, especially amid ongoing legal battles over AI's use of copyrighted content.

THE VIBRANT EVOLUTION: MICROSOFT'S COLORFUL TRANSFORMATION

Microsoft's brand team, in collaboration with Pantone and Franklin Till, revamped its visual identity with a new emotionally resonant color palette, categorized into Human, Vibrant, and Dimensional themes. The new palette reflects global cultural trends, moving from overly saturated tones to softer, more neutral shades to better connect with users.

COGNITIVE LOAD AND UX DESIGN

Cognitive load theory, developed by John Sweller, emphasizes optimizing information presentation to avoid overloading working memory, which can only simultaneously process 4 to 7 elements. In UX design, reducing extraneous load and optimizing intrinsic and germane loads improves user efficiency and experience and reduces errors.

FIND & REPLACE STYLES (FIGMA PLUGIN)

A tool for finding and replacing styles. It works with components, instances, and library styles. The tool is useful for aligning parameters across projects in bulk.

CONTRAST GRID (FIGMA PLUGIN)

This Figma plugin checks accessibility by evaluating color contrast combinations against WCAG 2.1 standards, ensuring designs meet a11y requirements for readability.

ISOCONS

This collection of meticulously crafted isometric icons is ideal for enhancing posters, projects, and presentations.

MADALENA STUDIO GROWS A LOGO WITH LIVE BACTERIA FOR A DRINKS LABORATORY

Madalena Studio designed a unique logo for Crucible, a drinks laboratory, by growing bacteria on cork logos and capturing natural patterns and textures. The resulting visuals reflect Crucible's experimental approach to flavor development and align with its founder's passion for natural forms.

HYPERFOCUS PUTS RECRUITMENT AGENCY'S FOUNDER AT THE CENTER OF ITS REBRAND

Undiscovered, a Berlin-based creative recruitment agency, rebranded with the help of Hyperfocus, a Hamburg-based agency, to support its expansion and new ambitions. The rebrand includes a detective-inspired character reflecting the agency's persistence in finding talent, strategic UX design for a smoother user experience, and a custom, playful visual identity that balances sophistication with a fun, animated aesthetic.

DESIGN JOB SEEKERS OFTEN FAIL TO TALK ABOUT IMPACT. HERE'S WHY THAT MATTERS

Many designers struggle to communicate the impact of their work in portfolios, often focusing on visuals over outcomes. Businesses prioritize hiring designers who demonstrate measurable results, making it crucial to highlight how designs influence vital metrics. Understanding and showcasing the real-world impact of your work makes you a more compelling candidate.

EMBRACING THE RAW AESTHETICS: INTEGRATING BRUTALISM INTO MODERN DESIGN

Brutalist architecture, a mid-20th-century style, emphasizes raw materials like concrete, functionality, and bold geometric forms.

IMITATION BREEDS MEDIOCRITY

Imitation stifles innovation by bypassing deep understanding.

USING THE SERIAL POSITION EFFECT IN UX DESIGN

The Serial Position Effect aids UX designers in optimizing user recall by strategically placing critical information at the beginning or end of a sequence, enhancing user experience and task completion.

PROCREATE'S ANTI-AI PLEDGE ATTRACTS PRAISE FROM DIGITAL CREATIVES

Procreate, an iPad design app, has decided not to incorporate generative AI tools into its products. The move has been welcomed by digital creatives concerned about AI using their content without consent. This decision and Procreate's commitment to a one-time purchase model and expansion into animation and desktop products have bolstered its positive reputation among creatives.

INTRODUCING WEBFLOW'S CERTIFIED PARTNER PROGRAM

Webflow has revamped its Webflow Experts program, now called the Certified Partner Program, to support top freelancers and agencies better. The update includes new tiers, a points-based system, a Partner Hub for managing progress, and expanded benefits. A Global Alliances program for major agencies has been introduced, enhancing collaboration opportunities.

ANOTHER APPLE SMART RING PATENT GRANTED, INCLUDES CONTROLLING SMART GLASSES

Apple's latest smart ring patent expands its potential uses beyond health monitoring to include controlling other Apple devices, such as smart glasses and AR/VR headsets. The ring could wirelessly send data to these devices, enabling precise control through gestures. Although the concept may be outdated due to eye and hand-tracking advances, it might offer enhanced control for future products.

UX IS DEAD. LONG LIVE UX

The end of "free money" has led to a correction in overhiring and a focus on sustainable business models, contributing to a "SaaS Winter" as companies retreat from aggressive pandemic-era hiring. The future of UX lies in embracing AI, which will streamline work, reduce team sizes, and drive innovation despite an oversupply of designers from boot camps and accelerated programs.

FIGMA'S UI3: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ADAPTATION

The shift to Figma's UI3 update was disorienting for many users due to disruptions in their established mental models and cognitive biases, such as the Familiarity principle and anchoring bias. Adapting to such changes takes time as users gradually adjust to the new interface, with initial frustration decreasing as familiarity and efficiency return over a few weeks.

THE ART OF THE DESIGN SHTICK

This article explores the dynamics of "design shticks," focusing on Teenage Engineering's Medieval Sampler and Allan Peters' logo redesigns. While both projects operate within a niche, self-defined bubbles, they elicit strong reactions from the design community. The contrast between creativity and controversy raises questions about originality, the line between practice and self-promotion, and the double standards within design culture.

ANIMATE ON PATH (FIGMA PLUGIN)

Using this plugin, designers can quickly create animations by selecting the object they wish to move, such as a Frame, Instance, or Shape. They can then choose the curve for the object to follow, which can be drawn using the pen tool, with an option to flatten the curve if issues arise.

MICROSOFT INCLUSIVE DESIGN

Microsoft's Inclusive Design methodology embraces human diversity by offering principles, tools, and resources to create products that benefit everyone, focusing on those with permanent disabilities.

SCREEN SHARE WITH CONFIDENCE

CleanSlate is a macOS app that automatically clears your desktop, hides notifications, and tidies up your screen, ensuring a clean and professional workspace during presentations.

HOW TO KEEP IA PROJECTS FROM GOING OFF THE RAILS

An effective framework for managing information architecture projects involves using digital whiteboards like Mural or Miro to create an organized, centralized "infinite canvas" that captures all project details. This approach helps teams stay aligned and maintain clarity by structuring information into categories such as research and design. It facilitates collaboration and provides easy access to project updates throughout its lifecycle.

ILLUSTRATOR ELLY WALTON: CRAFTING PLAYFUL NARRATIVES THROUGH THE ART OF OSMOSIS

Elly Walton is a renowned illustrator known for her whimsical style and narrative-driven work, which has evolved from scratchy characters to more refined illustrations over time. Inspired by diverse sources, she believes the illustration industry is in a golden age, despite challenges posed by AI, and remains hopeful about the value of human creativity.

FORGET THE BUBBLE, AI IS HERE TO STAY IN THE CREATIVE SECTORS

Despite recent stock market volatility and skepticism around AI, generative AI's role in the creative sectors is far from a fleeting trend. As seen with technologies like Nvidia's GPUs and tools like Adobe Firefly, AI will continue to drive innovation in professional software. The market may eventually consolidate, but AI's influence on creative industries is staying.

THE ARTISTS FIGHTING TO SAVE THEIR JOBS AND THEIR WORK FROM AI ARE GAINING GROUND

Artists are making significant strides in their battle against AI - a legal victory is allowing a copyright lawsuit to proceed and animators are rallying to protect their jobs from automation.