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MESH GRADIENT GENERATOR

Quickly experiment with effects like grainy noise and blur, and create and export mesh gradients as SVG or to Figma.

13 LESSONS CREATIVES WISHED THEY'D KNOWN EARLIER IN THEIR CAREER

A successful creative career requires resilience, patience, and building strong relationships. Key lessons from experienced creatives emphasize networking, handling rejection, developing soft skills, embracing collaboration, and understanding that success takes time.

MANYONE SHAPES KOLDING SCHOOL OF DESIGN'S JOURNEY FROM EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION TO CREATIVE POWERHOUSE

Kolding School of Design was rebranded with a new visual identity by Manyone that reflected its shift from a traditional design school to a design university. The identity features a custom ‘K' mark, refined typography, a modular grid, and integrated textures to balance academic rigor with creative expression.

DOES THE DESIGN INDUSTRY NEED TO DO BETTER?

Nearly half of freelancers reported declining mental health in 2024, citing economic struggles, poor client behavior, and payment issues. A shift toward treating freelancers as valued partners, involving them in decision-making, and fostering a supportive work culture can improve industry conditions.

ELECTRIC CAR DRIVERS ARE "GETTING A BETTER EXPERIENCE" SAYS VOLVO CHIEF DESIGNER

Volvo's design head, Jeremy Offer, sees electric cars as an opportunity to enhance driving with more space, quietness, and premium materials.

DOWN IN FRONT! WHAT MOVIE POSTER DESIGN CAN TEACH WEB DESIGNERS

Movie posters masterfully blend art and marketing, using bold typography, impactful imagery, and visual hierarchy.

BRUTALISM IS BACK! WHY THIS CONTROVERSIAL ARCHITECTURE IS COOL AGAIN

With its bold concrete structures gaining appreciation for their authenticity, durability, and striking aesthetics, Brutalism is experiencing a revival.

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ELON MUSK SAYS X IS DOWN DUE TO CYBERATTACKS

X faced an eight-hour outage on Monday. Elon Musk attributed this to a "massive cyberattack" from a country or group protesting his government role with "DOGE."

560,000 PEOPLE IMPACTED ACROSS FOUR HEALTHCARE DATA BREACHES

Four healthcare organizations reported data breaches last week that impacted over 560,000 individuals. Sunflower Medical Group had the largest breach, affecting 220,000, with the Rhysida ransomware group claiming responsibility. Other breaches involved Hillcrest Convalescent Center, Gastroenterology Associates, and Community Care Alliance.

US CITIES WARN OF UNPAID PARKING PHISHING TEXTS

Several US cities have warned of a phishing campaign that uses texts which claim users have an unpaid parking balance, risking a daily $35 fine. The messages exploit a redirect on google.com to hide the phishing site and evade iMessage protections. This article includes a breakdown of a text purportedly from New York City.

THE RISK YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO IGNORE: AWS SES AND EMAIL SPOOFING

AWS SES allows sending emails using an individually verified email or any email in a verified domain. If an attacker has the requisite IAM privileges, they can spoof any email address in a verified domain for phishing attacks and there is no ability to log emails sent. Use verified emails or the "ses:FromAddress" condition in SES IAM policies to prevent this attack.

KUBERNETES AUDIT LOG “GOTCHAS”

Kubernetes provides robust audit logs essential for investigations. This post outlines common issues with cloud providers, including inconsistent logging policies, vendor modifications to Kubernetes logs, and cloud providers controlling audit policies. Use dynamic admission controllers and cloud-specific logs like CloudTrail, or VPC Flow Logs to address these issues.

ABUSING VS CODE'S BOOTSTRAPPING FUNCTIONALITY TO QUIETLY LOAD MALICIOUS EXTENSIONS

VS Code extensions allow attackers to stealthily install malware, despite Microsoft's protective prompts. This post illustrates how the initial installation process can evade these defenses and affect existing installations, along with detection methods for this attack.

MALICIOUS-URLS-DB

A comprehensive security dashboard that tracks malicious activities with advanced analytics capabilities.

SSDEEP

ssdeep is a command line tool and API for computing fuzzy hashes.

TWILIO SECURITY SCANNER

Twilio Security Scanner is a tool for detecting misconfigurations and security risks in Twilio accounts.

STRAP IN, GET READY FOR MORE RUST DRIVERS IN LINUX KERNEL

Despite recent conflicts among maintainers, Rust is still advancing within the Linux kernel. The Prossimo project showcases increasing acceptance of Rust across various subsystems, primarily due to its memory safety advantages, with mainline integration anticipated in the next 18 months.

GOOGLE PAYS OUT NEARLY $12M IN 2024 BUG BOUNTY PROGRAM

Google paid $11.8 million to 660 researchers for bug bounties in 2024. Some highlights include Android/Google mobile vulnerabilities earning $3.3 million and new AI bug bounties receiving 150 reports worth $55,000.

FORENSIC IMPLICATIONS OF APPLE'S “STOLEN DEVICE PROTECTION”

The "Stolen Device Protection" feature was introduced in iOS 17.3 to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive iPhone data. This feature complicates data extraction for forensic experts by requiring biometric authentication to pair with a computer, limiting traditional extraction methods. Manual inspection may be the only viable forensic method for devices protected by this feature, but it has limitations and is not forensically sound.

RESEARCHERS EXPOSE NEW POLYMORPHIC ATTACK THAT CLONES BROWSER EXTENSIONS TO STEAL CREDENTIALS

Researchers have found a new attack where malicious browser extensions can clone legitimate ones that look identical to the real ones, making it hard for users to spot the scam.

SIDEWINDER TARGETS THE MARITIME AND NUCLEAR SECTORS WITH AN UPDATED TOOLSET

SideWinder, a prolific APT group, has updated its tools to target maritime and nuclear sectors.

FEDS SEIZED $23 MILLION IN CRYPTO STOLEN USING KEYS FROM LASTPASS BREACHES

U.S. authorities seized $23 million in stolen cryptocurrency from a $150 million Ripple wallet theft and the 2022 LastPass breach.

📈 GROW YOUR BRAND WITH CONFIDENCE

HOW CULT BRANDS LIKE CROCS, SOUTHWEST SEE INFLUENCER MARKETING EVOLVING

Budgets are now shifting from traditional ads to influencer-driven campaigns. Influencers now shape campaign casting, shoppable ads, and brand messaging. Southwest Airlines and Instacart are using influencers to engage Gen Z, create targeted campaigns, and leverage social commerce. Crocs has turned influencers into brand ambassadors, using celebrity partnerships and community-driven content to grow its cult following. Social-first strategies are now leading as digital media and TV audiences decline.

CHOOSE YOUR METAPHORS WITH CARE – THEY ARE MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU THINK

Metaphors have a powerful, often unnoticed impact on perception and behavior. Studies show that describing crime as a "beast" versus a "virus" can shift people's views on solutions, with the "virus" metaphor increasing support for social reform. Similarly, describing cancer as an "imbalance" motivated more positive health behaviors compared to calling it an "enemy," which led to a more fatalistic outlook. The choice of metaphor can subtly influence decisions, shaping actions and attitudes in ways that may not be immediately apparent.

EVALUATING MESSAGING ANCHORS

Leading with benefits can make messaging vague because many products solve the same problem and promise similar outcomes. Instead, anchoring messaging around a clear product capability often provides the most clarity. Since website visitors scan rather than read deeply, prioritizing the clearest message upfront improves comprehension and chances of converting.

DISCOUNTS KILL GROWTH

Frequent discounts can weaken brand perception, reduce lifetime value, and train users to wait for deals rather than purchasing at full price. Instead of discounting, increase the perceived value of the product or service, refine pricing, and offer alternative deals like extended trials. Prioritizing growth levers like onboarding, paywall messaging, and activation yields better long-term results than quick and short-lived revenue boosts.

YOUR MARKETING NEEDS MORE THAN DATA—IT NEEDS CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORIES

95% of purchasing decisions are driven by emotions, and people are 22X more likely to remember a story than a fact. A strong customer success story follows a three-act structure: defining the challenge, presenting the solution, and showcasing the transformation with measurable results. Using direct quotes, visuals, and multiple marketing channels enhances engagement and impact. Brands that leverage these stories effectively see a 20-30% increase in conversion rates and faster sales cycles.

Read the report.

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A GUIDE FOR MARKETING TEAMS ON HOW TO INTEGRATE NEW PRODUCTS

Marketing teams handling post-M&A integration should focus on 5 key areas. Craft a clear narrative for the acquisition that aligns with the company vision and addresses customer concerns. Decide on brand and product architecture, determining whether to keep products distinct or unify under a single brand. Integrate tech stacks - CRM, analytics, email, and billing - for operational efficiency. Conduct a full audit and redesign of customer touchpoints to ensure a smooth user experience. Redirect digital assets, reforecast revenue, equip sales for new positioning, and relaunch effectively.

BEST TIME TO POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Q1 2025 UPDATE

Hootsuite analyzed over 1M social media posts to identify the best times for maximum engagement. Overall, 8:00 AM on Wednesdays is optimal, but each platform has its peak times. For Facebook, it's 4-6 AM on Saturdays; Instagram, 4-6 AM on Wednesdays; X, 5-6 AM on Mondays; LinkedIn, 12 AM-6 AM on Fridays; TikTok, 11 AM on Saturdays; Threads, 8 AM on Tuesdays; and Pinterest, 12 PM on Fridays.

DOGFLUENCE

Dogfluence connects dog brands with canine influencers on social media. It offers precise targeting based on breed, age, and engagement metrics, streamlining campaign creation and influencer selection. Dog influencers benefit from personalized campaigns and opportunities with smaller brands.

WE SPENT >$1 MILLION SPONSORING CREATORS. HERE'S WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT B2B INFLUENCER MARKETING

Ahrefs invested over $1M in creator sponsorships and found that offering free, low-friction tools helped expand its audience beyond traditional SEO targets. Building a strong brand reputation was key to attracting quality partnerships, requiring proactive vetting and transparent communication. Rather than relying on surface-level metrics, it's important to assess engagement and traffic to avoid inflated numbers. Personalized, concise outreach through email or LinkedIn also proved most effective for making initial connections.

HOW RANDOM ASSIGNMENT SAVED US $1M IN MARKETING SPEND

IntelyCare, a nurse staffing agency, tested varying bonus amounts for clinicians. It offered random bonuses between $0 and $100 instead of a flat $100. For nursing assistants, a $25 bonus improved completion rates, while nurses showed a decrease with higher bonuses. This approach saved $1M in unnecessary spending. The experiment demonstrated the value of random assignment and controlling for multiple comparisons. Smaller, targeted bonuses can be as effective as larger ones.

SOCIAL MEDIA MIGHT BE MAKING YOU SWEAT—LITERALLY

A study found that scrolling Instagram causes physiological responses, such as slowed heart rates, increased sweating, and stress when interrupted.

TRUE CLASSIC'S POST-PURCHASE FLOW

Inspo from True Classic's 7-part post-purchase email flow.

Start the course now →

GREAT PRODUCT MANAGERS GO DEEPER

AI's ability to replace human-driven industries is often overestimated. Technology frequently fails to address the deeper emotional and psychological needs of consumers. Exceptional products are built by understanding human behavior on a deeper level—focusing not just on functional efficiency but also on trust, reliability, and emotional motivators.

APPLE AI'S PLATFORM PIVOT POTENTIAL

Apple had a mixed week in AI. It impressed with the M3 Ultra chip but faced delays with its Apple Intelligence rollout, showing a contrast between its strong hardware strategy and its reactive approach to AI. While Apple Silicon is the result of years of careful development, Apple Intelligence seems rushed. Instead of trying to control the AI experience, Apple should focus on its strength as a platform by making its AI models available to developers.

BE OBJECTIVE, NOT DETACHED

Leaders must do more than just present facts—they need to provide context and solutions. Being too detached can downplay urgency, while a balanced approach that acknowledges both impact and next steps fosters clarity, trust, and effective decision-making.

SCOPE IN GENERATIVE AI FEATURES

Narrow-scope AI features enhance usability by offering clear, guided experiences tailored to specific tasks, reducing user effort and cognitive load. In contrast, broad AI systems, while more flexible, often require users to identify and articulate their needs, making adoption more challenging.

PRODUCT ROADMAP SLIDE TEMPLATE – THE FLYOVER METHOD

Traditional product roadmap slides are static, time-consuming, and quickly become outdated, making them less effective for stakeholder communication. The Flyover Method offers a dynamic, always-updated public roadmap that provides high-level insights without unnecessary complexity, ensuring better alignment and transparency.

INSIDE THE BEST AI MODEL FOR CODING AND WRITING