Design Observer
@designobserver.com
The best conversations in design — expert-led, multidisciplinary, and for the curious mind. Essays, podcasts, and events that inspire and connect. https://designobserver.com/
Ira Blossom, senior UX research manager at Google and founder of Sunday Club, spent years listening to people talk about their relationship with technology — and heard the same thing over and over. So he built a games-only, print-only newspaper. Needless to say, we're loving it. More below:
Ira Blossom created a games-only, print-only newspaper — and it’s sold at a newsstand in New York City - DesignObserver
Being a UX research manager at Google showed how much users are seeking balance between the digital and analog, and he's meeting the moment
designobserver.com
September 14, 2026 at 9:26 PM
Ira Blossom, senior UX research manager at Google and founder of Sunday Club, spent years listening to people talk about their relationship with technology — and heard the same thing over and over. So he built a games-only, print-only newspaper. Needless to say, we're loving it. More below:
Gary, Indiana, remains dark nearly two weeks after powerful storms ripped through Northwest Indiana. Currently, some 20,000 residents are without power and increasingly, without hope.
‘Pinching on food’: Gary remains in dark for 11th day as pressure on NIPSCO mounts
GARY, Ind. — Gary remains in the dark for the 11th day after powerful storms went through Northwest Indiana, leaving thousands of residents without power. Nearly 21,000 Gary NIPSCO customers remain…
wgntv.com
September 2, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Gary, Indiana, remains dark nearly two weeks after powerful storms ripped through Northwest Indiana. Currently, some 20,000 residents are without power and increasingly, without hope.
The U.S. State Department has (again) paused the processing of immigrant visas to retrain immigration officers on new guidance dictating who will be admitted. Anyone who had a pending appointment has been notified (again). www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
U.S. State Department Pauses Immigrant Visa Applications
The latest push to tighten immigration rules comes after the Trump administration said it was reviewing all B-1 business and B-2 tourist visas.
www.wsj.com
August 31, 2026 at 7:24 PM
The U.S. State Department has (again) paused the processing of immigrant visas to retrain immigration officers on new guidance dictating who will be admitted. Anyone who had a pending appointment has been notified (again). www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
The Trump administration ordered warning signs hung outside Smithsonian museums flagging "inaccurate information." For one designer, it hit close to home.
The Smithsonian was ordered to flag "inaccurate information." I designed a poster series that required complicated truths. - DesignObserver
In July, the Trump administration ordered signs to be hung outside Smithsonian museums warning visitors that exhibitions may contain “inaccurate information.” It has reignited a familiar question for ...
designobserver.com
August 25, 2026 at 6:05 PM
The Trump administration ordered warning signs hung outside Smithsonian museums flagging "inaccurate information." For one designer, it hit close to home.
Last year, a client told Siberia's co-founder something about a completed project that that his entire leadership team didn't expect. He wrote about it. 10 do's and don'ts on getting radical collaboration right: designobserver.com/radical-coll...
Radical collaboration requires friction - DesignObserver
10 do's and don'ts on getting collaboration right, from Siberia co-founder and managing partner
designobserver.com
August 17, 2026 at 5:25 PM
Last year, a client told Siberia's co-founder something about a completed project that that his entire leadership team didn't expect. He wrote about it. 10 do's and don'ts on getting radical collaboration right: designobserver.com/radical-coll...
A phrase from Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant has become a bit of a meme of late; the problem is, he likely never said: “The intelligence of a person is measured by the amount of uncertainty they can bear.” He did introduce other cool ideas, like duty-based ethics and more:
www.earlymoderntexts.com
August 14, 2026 at 6:24 PM
A phrase from Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant has become a bit of a meme of late; the problem is, he likely never said: “The intelligence of a person is measured by the amount of uncertainty they can bear.” He did introduce other cool ideas, like duty-based ethics and more:
Did Coke really need that redesign? Three experts weigh in. (Spoiler: it can work; but it’s hard; uh, yes.) www.creativebloq.com/design/brand...
Did Coca-Cola need a redesign? Design experts weigh in on the new look
Small tweaks can have a big impact on a brand identity.
www.creativebloq.com
August 12, 2026 at 7:07 PM
Did Coke really need that redesign? Three experts weigh in. (Spoiler: it can work; but it’s hard; uh, yes.) www.creativebloq.com/design/brand...
Wildfires in France have driven some 250,000 people from their homes so far this summer. The fire is inching toward the Bordeaux region. “The situation remains very unfavorable,” says the French Interior Minister. apnews.com/article/euro...
Wildfires in France drive 250,000 people from their homes and creep toward wine city of Bordeaux
A raging wildfire in southwest France has forced the evacuation of 55,000 more people overnight. This brings the total to 220,000 in one region alone, as flames have crept closer to the wine region ci...
apnews.com
July 31, 2026 at 4:06 PM
Wildfires in France have driven some 250,000 people from their homes so far this summer. The fire is inching toward the Bordeaux region. “The situation remains very unfavorable,” says the French Interior Minister. apnews.com/article/euro...
We went from avoiding people who disagree to no longer needing people at all. That's the quiet impact of AI.
Helder Santo, CEO for AKQA’s Americas region, on doubt, collaboration, and what happens when the second brain never gets pulled in. designobserver.com/ai-will-offe...
Helder Santo, CEO for AKQA’s Americas region, on doubt, collaboration, and what happens when the second brain never gets pulled in. designobserver.com/ai-will-offe...
AI will offer you confidence and conviction. Don't fall for it. - DesignObserver
Doubt is the single most reliable trigger for collaboration we have
designobserver.com
July 29, 2026 at 4:22 PM
We went from avoiding people who disagree to no longer needing people at all. That's the quiet impact of AI.
Helder Santo, CEO for AKQA’s Americas region, on doubt, collaboration, and what happens when the second brain never gets pulled in. designobserver.com/ai-will-offe...
Helder Santo, CEO for AKQA’s Americas region, on doubt, collaboration, and what happens when the second brain never gets pulled in. designobserver.com/ai-will-offe...
Customer experience quality in the U.S. fell to a new low in 2025. Fourth consecutive year of decline.
The companies bucking that trend started at the top. Kate Watts on what it actually looks like to treat the customer experience as something worth designing.
designobserver.com/the-design-l...
The companies bucking that trend started at the top. Kate Watts on what it actually looks like to treat the customer experience as something worth designing.
designobserver.com/the-design-l...
The design-led business advantage: prioritizing the customer experience - DesignObserver
As customer experience quality declines, the companies sustaining design-led performance stand out
designobserver.com
July 20, 2026 at 3:36 PM
Customer experience quality in the U.S. fell to a new low in 2025. Fourth consecutive year of decline.
The companies bucking that trend started at the top. Kate Watts on what it actually looks like to treat the customer experience as something worth designing.
designobserver.com/the-design-l...
The companies bucking that trend started at the top. Kate Watts on what it actually looks like to treat the customer experience as something worth designing.
designobserver.com/the-design-l...
A beloved pop star married a champion football player. The big winner? Jonathan Anderson, creative director of the Parisian fashion house Christian Dior. More here: ww.fashionnetwork.com/news/Dior-be...
Dior beats Chanel to dress Taylor Swift for New York wedding
In a coup for Parisian fashion house Christian Dior, both Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wore Haute Couture designs by creative director Jonathan Anderson for their wedding in New York.
ww.fashionnetwork.com
July 10, 2026 at 4:08 PM
A beloved pop star married a champion football player. The big winner? Jonathan Anderson, creative director of the Parisian fashion house Christian Dior. More here: ww.fashionnetwork.com/news/Dior-be...
We asked the Design Observer community one question: what book made you a better designer? Check out our full summer reading list...
designobserver.com/what-book-ma...
designobserver.com/what-book-ma...
"What book made you a better designer?" - DesignObserver
Your summer reading list
designobserver.com
July 8, 2026 at 3:58 PM
We asked the Design Observer community one question: what book made you a better designer? Check out our full summer reading list...
designobserver.com/what-book-ma...
designobserver.com/what-book-ma...
As America turns 250, Jessie McGuire asks: what does it mean to design belonging? From butterfly ballots to "I Voted" stickers, the tools of civic life were never neutral. Read our latest op-ed: designobserver.com/america-250-...
America 250: design's role in shaping national identity - DesignObserver
From passports to "I Voted" stickers, design has long helped define the national "we" — and who stands outside it.
designobserver.com
June 29, 2026 at 5:28 PM
As America turns 250, Jessie McGuire asks: what does it mean to design belonging? From butterfly ballots to "I Voted" stickers, the tools of civic life were never neutral. Read our latest op-ed: designobserver.com/america-250-...
The reflecting pool from hell. There has been so much breaking news with the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool that the Guardian is now covering it in its U.S. politics live blog. Five people have reportedly been arrested for vandalizing it. www.theguardian.com/us-news/live...
Federal judge blocks Trump administration efforts to subpoena Minnesota governor Tim Walz and others – live
Judge criticized attempts to ‘harass and retaliate against’ Minnesota officials for refusal to aid federal immigration crackdown
www.theguardian.com
June 22, 2026 at 8:15 PM
The reflecting pool from hell. There has been so much breaking news with the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool that the Guardian is now covering it in its U.S. politics live blog. Five people have reportedly been arrested for vandalizing it. www.theguardian.com/us-news/live...
Juneteenth was supposed to mark the end of slavery. But the right to vote was a separate fight — and it took another hundred years. Today, that right is at risk, and the fight is back.
Alanah Odoms, executive director of the ACLU Louisiana, explains why on our upcoming podcast, Draw the Line.
Alanah Odoms, executive director of the ACLU Louisiana, explains why on our upcoming podcast, Draw the Line.
June 19, 2026 at 4:33 PM
Juneteenth was supposed to mark the end of slavery. But the right to vote was a separate fight — and it took another hundred years. Today, that right is at risk, and the fight is back.
Alanah Odoms, executive director of the ACLU Louisiana, explains why on our upcoming podcast, Draw the Line.
Alanah Odoms, executive director of the ACLU Louisiana, explains why on our upcoming podcast, Draw the Line.
One Supreme Court case. Ten episodes. The inside story of Louisiana's fight over maps, power, and representation — and why it matters everywhere else too.
Draw the Line, asks a simple question: who is fighting for your vote?
First episode drops soon, stay tuned. open.spotify.com/show/033ztWe...
Draw the Line, asks a simple question: who is fighting for your vote?
First episode drops soon, stay tuned. open.spotify.com/show/033ztWe...
June 18, 2026 at 4:54 PM
One Supreme Court case. Ten episodes. The inside story of Louisiana's fight over maps, power, and representation — and why it matters everywhere else too.
Draw the Line, asks a simple question: who is fighting for your vote?
First episode drops soon, stay tuned. open.spotify.com/show/033ztWe...
Draw the Line, asks a simple question: who is fighting for your vote?
First episode drops soon, stay tuned. open.spotify.com/show/033ztWe...
Your boss showed up with an AI-generated prototype. Your first instinct might be panic.
@davesnyder.bsky.social makes the case that when everyone can make something look real, designers are the only ones who can say "no, that sucks." designobserver.com/your-boss-ma...
@davesnyder.bsky.social makes the case that when everyone can make something look real, designers are the only ones who can say "no, that sucks." designobserver.com/your-boss-ma...
Your boss made a prototype - DesignObserver
Good. The process was never the point.
designobserver.com
June 15, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Your boss showed up with an AI-generated prototype. Your first instinct might be panic.
@davesnyder.bsky.social makes the case that when everyone can make something look real, designers are the only ones who can say "no, that sucks." designobserver.com/your-boss-ma...
@davesnyder.bsky.social makes the case that when everyone can make something look real, designers are the only ones who can say "no, that sucks." designobserver.com/your-boss-ma...
Google has announced new tools to let website owners opt out of AI summaries and search. At the same time, they tout the AI product that’s impossible for people to miss: “AI Overviews now has over 2.5 billion monthly active users...and people are asking Search entirely new kinds of questions..."
How AI Mode is changing the way people search in the U.S.
One year after launch, see how AI Mode’s users are shifting from keywords to natural language queries.
blog.google
June 12, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Google has announced new tools to let website owners opt out of AI summaries and search. At the same time, they tout the AI product that’s impossible for people to miss: “AI Overviews now has over 2.5 billion monthly active users...and people are asking Search entirely new kinds of questions..."
How technology has changed stage design over the years. “I started by drawing TV studios by hand. I brought my sketch, explained how the stage should work, and then the team built the solution in real life,” recalls Ihor Chupryna on Creativebloq: www.creativebloq.com/professional...
How my career in stage design has evolved with technology
From paper sketches to virtual models: the evolution of stage design.
www.creativebloq.com
June 9, 2026 at 4:05 PM
How technology has changed stage design over the years. “I started by drawing TV studios by hand. I brought my sketch, explained how the stage should work, and then the team built the solution in real life,” recalls Ihor Chupryna on Creativebloq: www.creativebloq.com/professional...
Your company is doing AI wrong, example 57,989. Two recent London Business School case studies suggest that finding the right product isn’t the issue, it’s a leadership design problem. www.london.edu/think/why-ai...
Why AI strategy is really a leadership design problem | London Business School
Most organisations start their AI journey with the wrong questions. Evidence shows AI success depends less on technology and more on leadership design.
www.london.edu
June 8, 2026 at 5:11 PM
Your company is doing AI wrong, example 57,989. Two recent London Business School case studies suggest that finding the right product isn’t the issue, it’s a leadership design problem. www.london.edu/think/why-ai...
Mexican heritage looms large in jersey designs for the World Cup. Hugo Rosas’ new futbol jerseys draw from some of Mexico’s most iconic cultural touchstones, including papel picado, the delicate cut-paper ornaments commonly used during local celebrations. apnews.com/article/mexi...
Mexican designer blends soccer and pre-Hispanic culture ahead of the World Cup
It’s no coincidence that Hugo Rosas’ jersey designs ahead of the World Cup resemble some of Mexico’s most iconic decorations.
apnews.com
June 5, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Mexican heritage looms large in jersey designs for the World Cup. Hugo Rosas’ new futbol jerseys draw from some of Mexico’s most iconic cultural touchstones, including papel picado, the delicate cut-paper ornaments commonly used during local celebrations. apnews.com/article/mexi...
The 2026 Sustainability Awards’ Community & Social Impact category honors architecture that prioritizes human wellbeing and equity. This award recognizes designs that foster social connection, public health, & universal accessibility. Submit your noms by June 24: www.sustainablebuildingawards.com.au
Sustainability Awards - Building A Better Future Through Knowledge
Australia’s longest running and most prestigious award program dedicated to acknowledging and celebrating excellence in sustainable design and architecture.
www.sustainablebuildingawards.com.au
June 3, 2026 at 3:52 PM
The 2026 Sustainability Awards’ Community & Social Impact category honors architecture that prioritizes human wellbeing and equity. This award recognizes designs that foster social connection, public health, & universal accessibility. Submit your noms by June 24: www.sustainablebuildingawards.com.au
The boy who flew too close to the sun. You know the story. Jessica Helfand is painting the one you don't. The Icarus Diaries has been unfolding since February. Start from the beginning: designobserver.com/category/the...
June 2, 2026 at 4:15 PM
The boy who flew too close to the sun. You know the story. Jessica Helfand is painting the one you don't. The Icarus Diaries has been unfolding since February. Start from the beginning: designobserver.com/category/the...
Wait, who? A controversial statue of Caesar Rodney, signer of the Declaration of Independence who was never mentioned in Hamilton (but was in 1776) and was a busy enslaver, has been reinstalled in D.C. for America’s 250th birthday shindig. History is complicated. (Also, nobody is going to the party)
Trump’s 250th Celebration Is a Fiasco
The president has turned a solemn occasion into a Day of Trump.
www.theatlantic.com
June 1, 2026 at 5:50 PM
Wait, who? A controversial statue of Caesar Rodney, signer of the Declaration of Independence who was never mentioned in Hamilton (but was in 1776) and was a busy enslaver, has been reinstalled in D.C. for America’s 250th birthday shindig. History is complicated. (Also, nobody is going to the party)
How the cookout became Black. A smart piece on the deep history of the Black cookout, from Juneteenth origins through the Great Migration. Spoiler: it’s not just about the food. (But it is also about inadequate housing.) From culinary historian Adrian Miller. www.reckon.news/black-joy/20...
How the cookout became Black
Cookouts and barbecues are spaces of resistance through leisure in Black culture.
www.reckon.news
May 28, 2026 at 3:49 PM
How the cookout became Black. A smart piece on the deep history of the Black cookout, from Juneteenth origins through the Great Migration. Spoiler: it’s not just about the food. (But it is also about inadequate housing.) From culinary historian Adrian Miller. www.reckon.news/black-joy/20...