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designobserver.com
Design Observer
@designobserver.com
380 followers 72 following 260 posts
The best conversations in design — expert-led, multidisciplinary, and for the curious mind. Essays, podcasts, and events that inspire and connect. https://designobserver.com/
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Design Observer @designobserver.com · 29d
When bad design isn’t a mistake, it’s the strategy. The “America by Design” initiative isn’t just a messy website. It redefines design itself, away from accessibility and toward exclusion, erasure, and control. Latest essay by @emcg.bsky.social
Authoritarian by design - DesignObserver
The "America by Design" initiative, issued by the Trump administration, pushes a harmful narrative with questionable visuals
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Design Observer @designobserver.com · 2d
AI can serve as the canvas or the brush, but it cannot be the painter. Creative Director TK Tennakoon reminds us that creativity’s value still lies in human ingenuity, the hand that guides the work.
A new chapter of human ingenuity in the age of AI - DesignObserver
In this thought-provoking essay, TK Tennakoon explores how AI changes the tools of creativity but not its heart: the human ingenuity that gives meaning to the work.
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Design Observer @designobserver.com · 3d
Midtown Manhattan is getting its tallest-ever skyscraper. The City Council approved the project in a unanimous vote for the new 350 Park Avenue. Behind the plans are mega-billionaire Ken Griffin and the developers Rudin and Vornado Realty Trust. #Observed
Ken Griffin project to build Midtown’s tallest skyscraper on Park Avenue gets green light
The plan for a new 350 Park Ave., a 1,600-foot-tall tower will dwarf Midtown’s current cloudbuster king, the JPMorgan Chase headquarters at 270 Park Ave., by 200 feet.
nypost.com
designobserver.com
Design Observer @designobserver.com · 3d
India is using the Trump administration’s decision to hike the H1B Visa fee to encourage skilled Indian workers to return home. “I’ve always wanted to start something of my own,” said one former Meta employee who returned home for start-up life. #Observed
H-1B visa fee: India wants to lure back its best minds from the US, but it won't be easy
Driving reverse migration from the US at scale will require a concerted effort that's currently missing, experts say.
www.bbc.com
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Design Observer @designobserver.com · 3d
When fonts attack. Apple has issued a fix, but a recent vulnerability in its Font Parser component could have allowed malicious fonts to crash applications in a wide array of products. #Observed
Apple Font Parser Vulnerability Enables Malicious Fonts to Corrupt Process Memory
Apple has rolled out security updates across its operating systems to address a vulnerability in the Font Parser component that could allow malicious fonts to crash applications or corrupt process mem...
cybersecuritynews.com
designobserver.com
Design Observer @designobserver.com · 3d
AI is capable of designing new viruses. AI-created bioweapons! (I think the familiar “what can go wrong?” quip just isn’t going to cut it for this one.) #Observed
AI can now be used to design brand-new viruses. Can we stop it from making the next devastating bioweapon?
Scientists have used AI to design bacteriophages, or viruses that infect only bacteria. Does the prospect of designing viruses with AI pose threats to biosecurity?
www.livescience.com
designobserver.com
Design Observer @designobserver.com · 3d
Good design isn’t about adding more. It’s about knowing what not to build. @davesnyder.bsky.social argues for restraint: solve the one core problem, put in the craft, and let time and user behavior do the work. Read the full story:
The compound interest of design: what not to build - DesignObserver
Veteran designer Dave Snyder says the secret to lasting products isn’t hype or clever features. It’s restraint, craft, and solving one core problem so well that the benefits compound over time.
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Reposted by Design Observer
davesnyder.bsky.social
Dave Snyder (NYC) @davesnyder.bsky.social · 4d
Wrote an article for @designobserver.com on this idea I call “the compound interest of design” which is all about knowing what NOT to build. And that is hard. designobserver.com/the-compound...
The compound interest of design: what not to build - DesignObserver
Veteran designer Dave Snyder says the secret to lasting products isn’t hype or clever features. It’s restraint, craft, and solving one core problem so well that the benefits compound over time.
designobserver.com
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designobserver.com
Design Observer @designobserver.com · 4d
We often design for what’s right in front of us. But what about decades ahead? The latest Design As explores how to think in both timeframes. Listen now:
Design As Short | Design As Long - DesignObserver
How do designers think across time horizons? On Design As, Lee Moreau explores short- and long-term design with leading voices in the field.
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designobserver.com
Design Observer @designobserver.com · 5d
A new wave of women-led “beauty horror” films is putting beauty standards, and the backlash against feminism, under the knife. From The Substance to The Ugly Stepsister, these stories reveal the dark politics of the body. New essay by @delaneyrebernik.com on Design Observer.
Mirror, mirror: The rise of ‘beauty horror’ amid today’s antifeminist backlash - DesignObserver
"Beauty horror," the subgenre of "The Substance" and "The Ugly Stepsister," meets feminist backlash and critiques societal expectations.
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Design Observer @designobserver.com · 9d
As the climate crisis escalates, traditional insurance is failing the most vulnerable. What if we saw insurance not as a product to buy, but as a collective commitment to one another?
Insurance - DesignObserver
In the calculus for risk, we can control for vulnerability by practicing collective care.
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Design Observer @designobserver.com · 10d
Who wants a camera right on their face? Jay Peters reviews the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 glasses. (Subscription required.) #Observed
Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 review: all-day smart glasses with the same tricky questions
I’m still not sure about the social etiquette of smart glasses.
www.theverge.com
designobserver.com
Design Observer @designobserver.com · 10d
What will it take to end the U.S. government shutdown? It’s the fifteenth since 1981. But this time, it’s different. #Observed
Explainer: What would it take to avoid a US government shutdown?
The U.S. Congress and President Donald Trump have little time and few options remaining to reach a funding deal to avoid triggering disruptions in a range of U.S. government services and the furlough of hundreds of thousands of civil servants beginning on Wednesday.
www.reuters.com
Reposted by Design Observer
mitpress.bsky.social
MIT Press @mitpress.bsky.social · 12d
The editors of @designobserver.com have curated a wonderful collection of books to help readers become happier, more authentic and connected versions of themselves, including "Nonlinear" by @kevinbethune.com! Check out their list: #design
Editor Picks: The best books for designing a better life
From vision to voice.
bookshop.org
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designobserver.com
Design Observer @designobserver.com · 11d
In this new episode of Design As, host Lee Moreau talks with Liz Danzico, Kevin Bethune, Jai Shekhawat, and Liz Gerber about what it means for designers to balance control and collaboration in the age of AI. Listen now
Design As Control | Design As Collaboration - DesignObserver
On this episode of Design As, host Lee Moreau speaks with VP of Design at Microsoft AI and the Founding Chair of the MFA Interaction Design Program at the School of Visual Arts Liz Danzico, advisor an...
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Design Observer @designobserver.com · 16d
A new wave of artists is treating AI as a partner, not a replacement. Today on Design Observer, @bjthehetheygay.ca explores how game designers like Jonah King and Kelsey Falter are building worlds rooted in consent, transparency, and imagination.
Dancing with AI: how next-gen game designers are taking the lead - DesignObserver
A new generation of visual artists and creators is using artificial intelligence to create art with machines.
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Design Observer @designobserver.com · 17d
New bonus episode of Design As: Recorded at the Shapeshift Summit, design leaders from Microsoft, SAP, and SVA discuss how AI can move beyond Silicon Valley, centered on ethics, trust, and human experience. Listen now 🎙️
BONUS Design Beyond Silicon Valley - DesignObserver
In this bonus episode of Design As, hear exclusive audio taken at the Shapeshift Summit from Ruth Kikin-Gil, Responsible AI Strategist at Microsoft; Liz Danzico, VP of Design for Microsoft AI and Foun...
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designobserver.com
Design Observer @designobserver.com · 22d
Reminder: The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft, claiming copyright infringement of news content related to A.I. systems. The companies have denied those claims. So, some of that spend is going to lawyers, evidently.
The Times Sues OpenAI and Microsoft Over A.I. Use of Copyrighted Work (Published 2023)
www.nytimes.com
designobserver.com
Design Observer @designobserver.com · 22d
Wait. What are AI companies actually building? Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Meta and OpenAI plan to spend at least $325 billion by the end of 2025. The New York Times has a guide to what they’re trying to do. #Observed
What Exactly Are A.I. Companies Trying to Build? Here’s a Guide.
www.nytimes.com
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designobserver.com
Design Observer @designobserver.com · 22d
Opening Sept 27 at the National Building Museum: Coming Together: Reimagining America’s Downtowns, the first exhibit in its Future Cities initiative. Designed by Design Observer’s own Sarah Gephardt, it explores how cities are reshaping post-COVID. #Observed
Coming Together | National Building Museum
nbm.org
designobserver.com
Design Observer @designobserver.com · 22d
Ain’t no failure like a live demo failure. Hey, maybe the WiFi was messed up? #Observed
Meta CTO explains the cause of its embarrassing smart glasses demo failures
When Mark Zuckerberg announced Meta's latest smart glasses at the company's Connect 2025 keynote, he encountered two glitches that prevented him from properly demonstrating some of the devices' featur...
www.engadget.com
designobserver.com
Design Observer @designobserver.com · 22d
In memoriam: Agnes Gund, trailblazing philanthropist, longtime MoMA president, and champion of contemporary art, has died at 87. She also founded the Art for Justice Fund, which directed $127M to artists and advocates working to end mass incarceration. #Observed
Agnes Gund, Who Oversaw a Major Expansion of MoMA, Dies at 87
www.nytimes.com
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instituteofdesign.bsky.social
instituteofdesign.bsky.social @instituteofdesign.bsky.social · 22d
We are kicking off our Bluesky posts with an exciting partnership with the @designobserver.com Design As #podcast. They will feature speakers from our #soldout #ShapeshiftSummit on Responsible #AI, where we gathered top minds in a range of industries to discuss the future of artificial intelligence.
designobserver.com
Design Observer @designobserver.com · Sep 10
AI moves fast. But should design always keep pace? In the latest Design As episode, Lee Moreau talks with leaders from DeepMind, Microsoft, and the Institute of Design about when to accelerate and when to slow down. Listen now:
Design As Fast | Design As Slow - DesignObserver
Smoothness and sludge.  End users and stakeholders. Deliberations and gut judgements. Summaries and details. AI is fast. On this episode of Design As, host Lee Moreau speaks with behavioral designer a...
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Design Observer @designobserver.com · 23d
AI meets couture at NYFW. Neuono’s app turns selfies into custom garments, promising perfect fit and on-demand production, but questions about labor, artistry, and equity loom as fashion faces a human-less future.
Your tailormade revenge dress? There’s an app for that - DesignObserver
Making its runway debut at NYFW, Neuono promises perfectly fitted, custom garments from a selfie. As AI enters the atelier, questions loom large about labor and artistry.
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designobserver.com
Design Observer @designobserver.com · 25d
New on Design As: Trust | Doubt. How do we design for trust? Where does doubt belong? And what happens when AI reshapes both? Hear from leaders at Adobe, Waymo, and SAP on equity, empathy, and trust in the age of AI. Listen wherever you get podcasts.
Design as Trust | Design as Doubt - DesignObserver
On our screens, in our roads, through our conversations, and at our offices AI asks us to trust in new ways. On this episode of Design As, host Lee Moreau speaks with manager and director of product e...
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Design Observer @designobserver.com · 26d
Big congrats to makeup artist Mike Marino on his Emmy win last night for The Penguin! Back in February, we spoke with him about his transformative craft, turning “pretty boys” into complex characters and revealing the dualities beneath the surface. Interview by @ahaut.bsky.social
About face: ‘A Different Man’ makeup artist Mike Marino on transforming pretty boys and surfacing dualities - DesignObserver
Discover how award-winning makeup artist Mike Marino transforms actors with hyper-realistic prosthetics in A Different Man and The Penguin. Read his insights on storytelling through makeup on Design O...
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