This ambitious young designer produced more canvases in a single day than more experienced designers would produce in a week. The leadership adored him. They saw the speed, the volume, the energy of the "beast mode"—and mistook it for value creation. Under pressure to sign a contract that could save lives with a major […]
Each generation is different in very unique ways, with different habits, views, patterns, and expectations. So, when designing for Generation Z, what do we need to keep in mind? Let's take a closer look at Generation Z, how they use technology, and why it might be a good idea to ignore common design advice and do […]
When we think of designers, two main characteristics usually come to mind: craft skills and flair. Craft skills are the technical skills that allow designers to manipulate tools—whether physical ones, like pen and paper in the early days, or digital design software like Photoshop and Figma today—to create the output […]
Behavioral Design Frameworks Some of the most popular and influential behavioral design and habit formation models: The Hook Model, developed by Nir Eyal: Consists of four stages: Trigger, Action, Variable Reward, and Investment. It explains how to build habit loops by leveraging rewards and user investment. The Habit Loop, by Charles Duhigg: Habits are formed through […]
Figma announced a series of new AI features this week at its annual conference, and they were met by designers with both joy and dismay. Tools like those announced are popping up across the industry, but as the most popular tool for modern product design, Figma will make them commonplace, and we will soon consider them […]
You've seen Dawn Baillie's posters for thrillers, comedies, and dramas outside movie theaters. Now her work is being displayed at Poster House in Manhattan. The killer's knife, a woman cowering before it. That was typical of horror movie covers before 1991, when Dawn Baillie was invited to create a poster […]
Layouts with diagonal sections have been quite popular for several years. It's nothing new, and you probably won't find it in articles titled "Design Trends for 2026." But I think it's here to stay. It's a tool that designers can use to bring some dynamism to all those rectangular boxes with 90-degree angles […]
I recently stumbled upon a Reddit thread. A designer was complaining that some company stole their logo idea. Very common. One of the commenters, however, caught my attention. “Being unique takes effort. Recently, I started a gig – a cardio center was rebranding and I asked if I could come up with […]
This is a checkbox: It's square, has a check mark inside, and its distinguishing feature is that you can select any number of them at the same time. Different operating systems have rendered them differently throughout their evolution: macOS Sonoma (2023), OS X Mavericks (2013), OS X Leopard (2007), macOS 9 (1999), macOS […]
With billions of people aged 60 and over worldwide, inclusion is more important than ever. Learn how to create digital experiences that empower the independence and competence of older adults while improving usability for everyone. A next installment in the Smart Interface Design Patterns series. Today, […]
