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PLAY WITH AI, BRING YOUR IDEAS TO LIFE

Tinker is a free mobile app that allows users to create videos, images, 3D models, and other content using AI tools.

PROCEDURAL TREE GENERATOR

EZ-Tree is a procedural tree generator that allows you to create realistic 3D tree models with ease.

ALL-IN-ONE AI VIDEO GENERATOR

This AI video generator creates professional social media content by blending digital app interfaces with real-world footage.

HOW DO YOU DESIGN YOUTH? THE YOUNG VIC'S NEW LOGO USES MOTION BLUR TO FLIP DATED THEATRE BRANDING

The Young Vic's new identity redefines “youth” as energy, movement, and vitality rather than trendiness, replacing its older graffiti-inspired look with a dynamic, motion-blurred logo that feels alive and forward-moving. The visual system balances the theatre's world-class reputation with its rebellious spirit through warm, light-inspired colors, custom typography, and design elements that evoke closeness, momentum, and the immersive connection between performers and audiences.

KOTO REBRANDS THE NORTON MUSEUM OF ART WITH AN IDENTITY WHERE ART TRULY MEETS LIFE

A museum brand refresh was built around the idea of “Where Art Meets Life,” emphasizing the institution's role as both a cultural destination and a community gathering place. The new identity combines archival elements, a warm and accessible voice, vibrant colors inspired by art and the local environment, and welcoming photography to reflect an experience where art feels personal, inclusive, and deeply connected to everyday life.

COULD AI HELP US TO DESIGN AND BUILD MORE INCLUSIVE DIGITAL EXPERIENCES?

AI tools can help identify accessibility issues and inclusivity gaps in digital design, catching problems that might otherwise go unnoticed. However, AI cannot replace human-centered design methods or truly represent all diverse backgrounds and experiences. The best approach combines AI-powered auditing with traditional inclusive design practices that involve real people from relevant communities in the design process.

ADOBE EXPRESS VS. CANVA 2026: WHY DESIGNERS SWITCH BACK

Professional designers who used Canva for quick projects while maintaining Adobe workflows are now consolidating back to Adobe Express, as it has significantly improved and bridges seamlessly with their existing Creative Cloud tools.

THIS DIGITAL ARTIST USES STRONG CONTRASTS AND EXPRESSIVE BRUSHWORK TO CREATE STRIKING ATMOSPHERIC SCENES

Raja Nandepu is an Indian environment concept artist and illustrator who creates atmospheric digital art, focusing on mood, light, and storytelling through expressive brushwork and strong color contrasts.

IOS 27 LEAK REVEALS NEW SIRI DESIGN, CAMERA APP, MORE

Bloomberg's new leaked illustrations of iOS 27 reveal Apple's biggest Siri redesign yet, with the assistant moving into the Dynamic Island and gaining a new “Search or Ask” interface that combines voice commands, typed requests, web search, and chatbot-style conversations. The update will reportedly let users launch apps, send messages, search personal data, and access AI-powered results through rich interactive cards, while also supporting third-party AI services like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.

ROKU CHANGES HOMESCREEN WITH MAJOR OVERHAUL

Roku is overhauling its homescreen for the first time in over a decade to drive more engagement through personalized content recommendations and improved app discovery. The new interface will prominently feature users' most-used apps, include "top picks for you" recommendations, and adapt to different household members' viewing habits. The update aims to maintain Roku's simplicity while making the platform smarter and more useful for its 100 million-plus users.

GOOGLE WALLET AND ITS REDESIGN WERE SUPPOSED TO IMPROVE THE USER EXPERIENCE, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE FURIOUS. WHY?

Google redesigned its Wallet app to improve user experience by adding colors, new buttons, and better organization of ID cards like passports and driver's licenses. Many users are frustrated with the changes, complaining about poor readability due to smaller fonts, a confusing layout with two cards displayed side by side, and a hidden search feature.

I'M MAKING A SPEC FOR DESIGN SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION

WHY I DON'T USE ICON FONTS IN FIGMA

Icon fonts in Figma require a cumbersome 7-step process that involves leaving the application to browse icons on external websites and copying tiny renderings. Users must memorize exact icon names without visual previews, creating a poor experience compared to SVG components with fuzzy search and instance-swapping capabilities. Icon fonts also make comparing different glyphs tedious since icons can't be easily placed side by side for visual comparison.

THE MCDONALD'S CHARITY LOGO FINALLY GOT THE REDESIGN IT DESPERATELY NEEDED

Ronald McDonald House Charities has introduced a long-overdue rebrand that replaces its outdated logo featuring Ronald McDonald's hand with a warmer, more modern and versatile identity better suited to its global mission of supporting families with ill children. The redesign keeps the charity's emotional warmth and connection to McDonald's through color and hand-drawn elements, while improving clarity, donor appeal, and independence as the organization expands toward its goal of doubling the number of families it serves by 2030.

AI MARKETING EMAIL BUILDER

Bluor is an AI-powered email marketing tool that helps users create professional marketing emails. The platform uses artificial intelligence to automate the email-building process. It simplifies email marketing for businesses and marketers.

TINY ENGINE FOR 3D VOXEL SCENES

heerich.js is a minimalist JavaScript engine that constructs 3D voxel compositions and distills them into pristine SVGs.

DESIGNING WHERE THE PIXELS ACTUALLY LIVE

A senior product designer at Slack describes how AI tooling helped her bridge the longstanding gap between static design mockups and real, interactive product experiences. Working primarily in Cursor, she now builds and deploys functional prototypes that teammates can actually test, enabling faster alignment and richer design conversations. The transition came with trade-offs — AI occasionally breaks existing work and demands smaller, more deliberate iteration steps — but the ability to design closer to the real experience feels like a meaningful shift.

WHY UX SHOULD OWN RETENTION

UX teams should own customer retention since acquiring new customers costs five times more than keeping existing ones, yet most organizations focus on acquisition while neglecting retention strategy. Retention currently falls between departments with no clear ownership, creating an opportunity for UX to claim this strategic responsibility and tie their work directly to revenue metrics. By owning retention, UX can shift from being perceived as making screens look nice to being seen as strategically important for business outcomes like lifetime customer value and churn reduction.

THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE OPTIMISED: ON FRICTIONMAXXING AND THE CREATIVE VIRTUES OF INCONVENIENCE

Modern life is increasingly designed to eliminate friction and inconvenience, but in doing so it may also be removing the pauses, boredom, and small inefficiencies that foster creativity, intimacy, reflection, and human connection. The growing “frictionmaxxing” trend argues that some forms of slowness and inconvenience — like walking to a shop, cooking, waiting, or doing things manually — are not obstacles to life but essential parts of experiencing it fully, pushing back against a culture obsessed with constant optimisation and productivity.

PRINCIPLES OF LOGO DESIGN BY GEORGE BOKHUA

George Bokhua's Principles of Logo Design is a 224-page practical guide that teaches designers to create timeless logos using geometric grids and systematic approaches rather than following trends.

THESE TYPEFACES COULD BE RUINING YOUR BRAND'S DESIGNS. HERE'S WHY

A web design studio analyzed common typefaces and revealed its "ten most-hated fonts" that could damage brand designs, including popular choices like Arial, Tahoma, and Times New Roman.

SPOTIFY NOW LETS YOU ‘CLIP' MOMENTS FROM YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST

Spotify is rolling out a new Podcast Clips feature that lets users capture, trim, preview, and share short audio moments from podcasts directly in the app using a new scissors icon in the “Now Playing” view. The update is especially timely as major tech and AI news increasingly breaks through podcast interviews, making it easier for standout moments to spread across social media without requiring listeners to stream full episodes. Spotify says engagement with podcast Chapters has already been strong, with over 2 million saves and playlist additions per month. Clips can be stored in users' libraries for revisiting or adding to playlists later.

REALLUSION PAIRS 3D CONTROL WITH BYTEDANCE'S SEEDANCE 2.0

Reallusion's AI Studio combines the company's iClone 3D animation tools with ByteDance's Seedance 2.0 to give filmmakers precise spatial control that text-only AI video generators lack. The platform allows artists to build 3D scenes with exact camera paths and character positions, which then serves as a control layer for AI models to handle visual rendering and cinematic quality. AI Studio supports multiple AI models, including Veo 3, Kling AI, and others, providing studios the flexibility to switch between models while preserving their 3D assets locally.

IOS 27 TO FEATURE UPGRADED CAMERA INTERFACE AND PHOTOS APP: HERE'S WHAT'S RUMORED

iOS 27 is rumored to bring a more customizable Camera app and new AI-powered Photos features. Users may be able to rearrange camera controls, use Visual Intelligence directly in the app for tasks like scanning nutrition labels or business cards, and access new editing tools such as Extend, Enhance, and Reframe. However, some of these AI features are still unreliable and could be delayed or scaled back before release.

CLOSING THE LOOP: WHAT TO DO AFTER A DESIGN CRITIQUE ENDS

Design critiques often fail because teams skip the crucial follow-up step after the feedback session ends. Effective follow-up involves two types of communication: an immediate recap of what will happen next, and a deeper follow-up that shows how specific feedback led to specific design changes. Without proper follow-up, stakeholders stop engaging meaningfully because they don't see their input making a difference.

HERO IMAGE BEST PRACTICES: HOW TO DESIGN HIGH-IMPACT HERO SECTIONS

Hero images are large visuals that create a first impression and guide visitors to take action through headlines and calls to action. Effective hero images strengthen branding impact, create emotional connections, and communicate value propositions instantly without requiring visitors to read lengthy text. Best practices include setting the right brand mood, designing for clarity with proper contrast and spacing, using motion intentionally, avoiding stock imagery, optimizing file sizes, ensuring mobile responsiveness, and maintaining accessibility.

SHOULD I DESIGN FOR HUMANS OR MACHINES?

UX and design systems are evolving from being built solely for human interpretation to also serving AI and machine “users,” exposing how traditional, flexible, human-centered documentation often fails when machines require explicit structure, logic, and rules. Future design systems will need two parallel layers: descriptive guidance for humans and machine-readable specifications that define decisions, constraints, and behaviors in precise, executable formats.

MODIFY WEBSITE ELEMENTS DIRECTLY IN THE BROWSER

Retune is a visual design tool that lets you select and modify website elements directly in the browser while an AI agent writes the corresponding code. Users can adjust spacing, colors, typography, and layout with instant previews, then apply changes through AI tools like Claude Code or Cursor.

OPEN-SOURCE DESIGN EDITOR

OpenPencil is an open-source design editor that natively opens Figma .fig files. The tool uses a Kiwi binary codec to ensure round-trip fidelity when working with files.

AI IN DESIGN REPORT 2026

AI in Design 2026 aims to capture how AI is transforming tech design across designers' desks and within their teams.

THE INTERFACE IS NO LONGER THE PRODUCT

AI agents don't need traditional interfaces like menus and canvases — they require structured data they can directly read and modify. Current software categories like spreadsheets and slide decks are historical accidents based on human interface needs, not fundamental requirements. The future lies in apps built around structured representations that agents can inspect and validate directly, with traditional interfaces becoming mere output formats rather than the source of truth.

HOW I REBUILT MY PORTFOLIO WITH CLAUDE CODE

A product designer rebuilt his portfolio site in a single weekend using Claude Code, switching from Framer to a custom Astro + Tailwind stack deployed on GitHub Pages. Thorough upfront preparation — curated screenshots, a design brief, a build plan, and a CLAUDE.md file — proved more critical to success than prompting skill itself. The result is a fully owned codebase with a GitHub-native workflow, where each new feature follows a repeatable loop of issues, plans, branches, and pull requests.

DECIMAL BRANDS CCAI, THE COALITION ADVOCATING FOR RESPONSIBLE AI USE

Decimal created a flexible, grassroots-inspired identity for CCAI that avoids a polished corporate AI aesthetic by combining a community-focused logomark, organic watercolor-style gradients, and a collaborative drawing tool that lets members create their own visuals. The branding emphasizes human creativity, openness, and responsible AI development, framing AI as a tool shaped by people rather than a dominant technological force.

VENICE INNOVATION DESIGN 2026: WATER AS A DESIGN FRAMEWORK

Venice Innovation Design 2026 took place May 23–24 on San Servolo Island.

AS VIOLENCE BREAKS OUT OVER DESIGN DROPS, WHO'S TAKING RESPONSIBILITY?

Violence has erupted at product launches for brands like Swatch, Burberry, and Vans.

LOTS OF CREATIVES HAVE A PASSWORD-PROTECTED PART OF THEIR PORTFOLIO

Confidential work is a common portfolio limitation in design, so it's acceptable to discuss it privately while using passion projects and refreshed older work publicly to showcase your creativity and skills.

FIREFOX PROJECT NOVA REDESIGN BRINGS COMPACT MODE AND NEW LOOK

Project Nova is Firefox's biggest redesign in six years. Featuring softer tabs, a fire-inspired color palette, compact mode, and clearer privacy controls, the redesign aims to make the browser feel warmer and faster while maintaining its identity as the only major non-Chromium browser. The full rollout is expected later this year, with testing currently available in Firefox Nightly builds.

IOS 27 COULD MAKE IT FAR EASIER TO MANAGE YOUR AIRPODS

Apple is reportedly planning a major redesign of the AirPods settings experience in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, making advanced features like adaptive audio, gesture controls, and hearing tools easier to find and manage as AirPods evolve into more sophisticated wearable devices — though a standalone AirPods app still may not be coming.

APPLE INTELLIGENCE IMAGE MODELS TO BOAST ‘MAJOR' VISUAL UPGRADES IN IOS 27

Apple is reportedly giving its Genmoji and Image Playground AI image generation models a major quality upgrade in iOS 27 after widespread criticism of the low-quality results introduced in iOS 18.2, especially compared to competing AI tools. The update may also expand Image Playground beyond Apple's own on-device models and ChatGPT integration to support additional third-party image generators, potentially including Google's Nano Banana models, while new features like photo library–based Genmoji suggestions are also expected.

HOW DESIGNERS CAN HANDLE FINANCE STUFF WITHOUT LOSING CREATIVE FLOW

Designers often struggle with finance tasks because they require a completely different mindset than creative work, disrupting their flow. The solution is to batch administrative tasks into dedicated "office hours" and automate repetitive processes like payment tracking and invoicing. As design businesses grow and add team members, having professional financial systems becomes crucial for maintaining trust and allowing everyone to focus on creative work.

WHEN DESIGNERS START BUILDING

Automattic ran a workshop where twenty designers learned to work directly in production codebases instead of just handing off designs to engineering teams. The goal was to close the gap between design and final product by having designers build with real components and APIs rather than just creating mockups in Figma. By the end, several designers had opened their first pull requests and were making design decisions directly in the codebase, representing a shift toward designers working closer to the actual product.

THE DESIGN SYSTEM ADVANTAGE IS MEMORY

The real advantage in AI-powered design systems is not the number of tools or the sophistication of the model, but whether agents can access and reason over a company's accumulated decision-making memory — including design critiques, Slack discussions, ADRs, deprecated patterns, and research history. As AI agents take on longer and more complex tasks, poor context retrieval becomes increasingly expensive in both compute costs and human oversight, leading to repeated corrections and lost trust. The proposed solution is to structure organizational knowledge into searchable indexes or graph-based systems that connect components, decisions, owners, and outcomes, allowing agents to retrieve the right context before acting instead of repeatedly rediscovering it.

TURN YOUR CODE INTO STUNNING VIDEOS

Repoclip is an AI-powered tool that automatically converts GitHub repositories into professional demo videos within 60 seconds by analyzing code structure and generating scripts, visuals, and narration.

FRAUDE DESIGN

Fraude Design is a satirical AI-free website builder that parodies poor design decisions and technical debt creation. It mocks founders who make bad design choices while convincing themselves their work is good, targeting CEOs who want to create subpar websites without effort.

MAGICPATH

MagicPath turns design into a multiplayer AI workspace where teams build and iterate on live, interactive browser-based interfaces together with no design-to-engineering handoff.

SEVEN TIPS FOR USING FIGMA MAKE CREDITS MORE EFFICIENTLY

Figma Make now offers Make kits and Make attachments that provide real components, data, and constraints for more contextual prototyping. These new features give users greater control and context when building prototypes within Figma Make. The updates aim to make the prototyping process more efficient by starting with actual design elements rather than generic placeholders.

AI UX DESIGN: STRATEGIC BLUEPRINT FOR THE AI-AUGMENTED DESIGNER

AI has transformed UX design from manual execution to strategic curation, where designers now direct AI tools rather than create everything manually. The shift moves designers from "pixel-pushing" to problem-solving, focusing on defining the "why" while AI handles the "how" through accelerated workflows. AI-augmented designers use a three-phase framework: setting human context, AI-driven exploration, and human validation to maintain quality control.

BOLD, OPTIMISTIC, EMPATHETIC: HOW A RETIREMENT COMPANY PERFECTED ITS LOOK FOR GEN Z

Standard Life worked with Conran Design Group to modernize its 200-year-old brand and make retirement planning feel more relevant and approachable to younger audiences by introducing a bolder, more optimistic identity, updated digital-first visuals, conversational messaging, and a new “Journey Line” brand asset symbolizing the ups and downs of retirement. The rebrand aimed to shift perceptions of pensions from intimidating and passive to empowering and human, while preserving the trust and heritage expected from a long-established financial institution.

IN THE AGE OF AI, DESIGN INSTINCT AND EXPERIENCE MATTER MORE THAN EVER

Generative AI is lowering the barrier to entry in design, but rather than replacing human creatives, it is exposing how much the craft depends on instinct and taste built over years of experience.