Design_r

Design

![A process for thinking Inputs (Your brain (senses Hearing, smell, taste, sight, touch) + Rene Descartes Theory of Vision + Smart Phone AI + Illustory Truth Graph) and Outputs (Habits)](https://m.stacker.news/118343)

A while back, I captured this provocation on LinkedIn by Darren Hood, which got me thinking. What does it take to “Let Designers think”? Thinking is the value we bring. Let's discuss more ways to carve out “thinking” time.

The comment was then punctuated by Pavel Samsonov, who touched on the difference between corporate decision-making via “design thinking” and “thinking like a designer.” Unfortunately, there remains a gap between “design thinking” as designers practice it and how companies implement “design thinking.” But regardless, there is still an impulse among design practitioners to “think”. Let’s quickly review how we got here.

**Design Thinking refresher**
Design Thinking is the process (popularized by IDEO and the Stanford D-school) for how designers move through a problem-solving process. Empathy > Define > Ideate > Prototype > Test is the shorthand for the types of things “designers think” about as they produce solutions.

![](https://m.stacker.news/118344)

...

Let designers think

deSign_r

![](https://m.stacker.news/118339)

This story looks at every time the word ‘democracy’ was said or written into the Congressional Record since 1880. 
- **Each dot** represents five speeches or remarks. 
- **Bright dots** are ones that argue American democracy is under threat.

![… no man who professed to be a democrat when he was elected and who procured his election by professing to be a democrat, in the name of democracy and republicanism as well, in the name of American nature, I charge that no such man will prove false to his trust. And therefore why wait?](https://m.stacker.news/118340)

Early on, the word “democracy” was typically used to describe the Democratic party. This would shift in the early-1900s to describe the concept of democracy.

While researching this story, I read a paragraph in Heather Cox Richardson’s book that I can’t stop thinking about.

> The concept that humans have the right to determine their own fate remains as true today as it was when the Founders put that statement into the Declaration of Independence, a statement so radical that even they did not understand its full implications. … With today’s increasingly connected global world, that concept is even more important now than it was when our Founders declared that no one had an inherent right to rule over anyone else, that we are all created equal, and that we have a right to consent to our government.

I grew up in an immigrant family, and I was constantly reminded of how powerful these values are. Sure, my family had some allegiance to their home country. Sure, we were constantly reminded of ways in which the country failed to live up to these ideals. However, I was told that we live in a country that is united not by the color of our skin or the origins of our families, but rather a belief in how humans should live together.

Americans have always argued about what it means to strive toward these democratic ideals. This pursuit of democracy is who we are; it’s who we want to be.

If we stop now, who are we as a people?

← →

![](https://m.stacker.news/118341)

![](https://m.stacker.news/118342)

In pursuit of democracy

![](https://m.stacker.news/118337)

Before we all mute the word 'dithering' I thought I'd explain a little bit about why we needed to dither digital images in the first place. 

Although it's an aesthetic now, we used to need dithering to trick our eyes into seeing more colors than were actually there.

So in the early days of computing, memory was scarce and we couldn't store a lot of color detail.

To get around this we used limited palettes with lookup tables or really low bit depth colors, to reduce the number of colors in an image, also called quantization.

Why do we need dithering?

![](https://m.stacker.news/118118)

What makes working on mymind so fulfilling is that everything starts with the WHY, which also happens to be my personal design philosophy.

All of our values & principles come all the way at the beginning. Then they trickle down into product decisions, the HOW and WHAT.

...

There are many more smaller principles, but all of them rest on our core pillars of our philosophy. The WHY drives it all.

Funny enough, that used to just be called product design. Now they call it “opinionated product design,” when having a clear point of view back then was simply the norm.



The WHY always comes first.

The other day I had a conversation with a friend and it made me think about this scene from MadMen (as I was roughly paraphrasing it myself in a conversation).

![](https://m.stacker.news/118059)

It's a cruel reminder for most designers because it is the simple reality we often don't like to hear.

As a designer, you serve the brief, nothing more. You're hired as a tool to solve a business problem, at least in most cases.

But some designers are able to transcend this. They solve problems while also expressing an original worldview with their solution. It's when your work carries utility, necessity and meaning simultaneously.

It's when the product, interface or brand becomes inseparable from the designer's philosophy.

This is the only time design crosses into art and it also happens to be the holy grail for many, including myself.

But how do you get there?

It's not easy and certainly not for everyone. Venturing away from the brief and being "just a tool" can be dangerous for your job stability and reputation.

Also, if you do it too soon in your career, you'll likely fail because you're not ready yet. If you want to leave a mark, you need to be prepared to deal with the consequences which is usually something that you get better at with experience.

A couple things I'd say are necessary for this transition:

1. You have to choose depth over range at some point. Range is great when you're young and starting out, all you care about is adaptability for new tools, styles, trends, offerings etc.

You're essentially building technical competency when you're young (very necessary) but depth is likely not on your radar just yet. If you want to transition into the "holy grail" era (as described above) you'll need to replace some range with depth at some point.

2. You need to understand capitalism/commerce like a cold marketer. Understand why people buy, how markets behave and all the constraints that come with it. You first have to learn the rules in order to break them.

Learn about supply, demand, pricing elasticity, timing, framing, consumer biases... all the marketers' "magic" tricks that are deeply rooted in psychological consumerism and have been around almost unchanged for decades now.

3. Develop a personal philosophy, not just aesthetics. Who are you? What do you stand for? What's your view on the world? How do you think the world should look, feel or behave?

This goes back to choosing depth over range. It doesn't have to happen all in one day, this might take years and that's okay. Once those things feel more defined for you, you'll naturally use the learnings from Nr.2 and apply them to this new philosophy.

4. Detach from approval loops and stop designing for applause only (this is a hard one). Cold metrics are what made you a good designer so far, but real detachment allows you to replace your technical service with your own voice. This is tricky because if you've been trained on designing for someone else's metrics, it will be hard to feel "success" when you start switching to your own voice and philosophy.

But the best part: If you do it well enough, people will love you for it. They will hire you precisely for it. This is when design becomes art. Your art.

5. And the last part: Study the work of artists, not just designers. Artists are usually those who question everything. Designers are those with answers, often based on the already known. If you look at other designers, you'll often find the same answers to different problems.

Most of our work as designers converges, especially nowadays because we're all bound to the same frameworks, platforms and group thinking. You need to break out of this. It's the same with architects. Most are building the same boring buildings, but some of them seem to be able to break out of it and build something entirely different, still functional, but with a soul. We all know those buildings when we see them, no explanation needed.

You want to broaden your palette so to speak.

Think like an artist, design like a designer.

Let's keep trying,
Peggy

A cruel reminder for all designers

Arké and BIP-177 (adding more options)

gbks

> Several people pointed out here and on Twitter that they'd like Arké to see more/other unit formatting options 

I agree on this pot. Different people use bitcoin for different reasons, with different budgets and fiat exchange rates. It's important to let the users decide what's best suits theirs needs, without imposition.

How about BTC or mBTC? I'd probably reframe it like.

- [ ] 1.00 🦄
- [ ] BTC 1.00 000 000
- [ ] mBTC 1,000.00
- [ ] ₿ 10,000,000
- [ ] 10,000,000 sats
- [ ] 10,000,000 🌽


For the default option, I'd probably let the user chose during the first launch of the app.

![](https://m.stacker.news/118074)

Figma is expanding its presence in India by setting up a local office and hiring Indian talent as it seeks to deepen ties with one of its largest user communities and make a broader push to better win over developers alongside the designers who already rely on the platform.

Founded in 2012 by Dylan Field and Evan Wallace, Figma broke through by offering a browser-based interface at a time when most designers were still tied to desktop software. The approach was initially met with skepticism, but the platform eventually became a go-to collaboration tool for UX and product teams. Now, the company is looking to replicate that trajectory with developers — and sees India as a key market to accelerate that evolution.

India has one of the world’s largest developer communities — an advantage already recognized by tech giants such as Microsoft, which counts nearly 22 million Indian developers on GitHub. As much as 33% of Figma’s users globally are developers, and the company has been rolling out features aimed at bridging design and engineering workflows. However, Figma still faces a perception challenge: Many Indian developers continue to see Figma primarily as a design tool rather than a platform for end-to-end product creation.

Figma bets on India to expand beyond design | TechCrunch

![](https://m.stacker.news/117965)

The new Ledger Nano 5 brings a new user experience to the popular digital wallet, but its aluminum pixel art tags steal the show.

I have never had any interest in getting a hardware wallet like the new Ledger Nano Gen 5. But talking with Susan Kare—the designer of the original Apple Macintosh icons and an endless torrent wonderful pixel art—made me realize I need one. “The idea that an individual can really control their own assets without a government or anything political coming between you and your assets. I like that,” she tells me.

![](https://m.stacker.news/117966)![](https://m.stacker.news/117967)

Full article [FastCompany.com](https://www.fastcompany.com/91426049/ledgers-new-hardware-wallet-now-comes-with-enviable-susan-kare-icons), archived here https://archive.is/JKyZ4



Ledger’s new hardware wallet now comes with enviable Susan Kare icons

![](https://m.stacker.news/117964)

#The AI-Powered Concept Design Platform

American technology company Snaptrude is making its flagship building design tool free for architecture students across the world, so that they can "build the kind of portfolios that get them hired".

Snaptrude started with a bold idea: to revolutionize design technology by moving to a cloud-first world. Our goal is to connect an industry built on collaboration, enabling seamless cooperation among people, their tools, and the data they create and use.

Today is the leading cloud-based design platform for architects and interior designers who want to accelerate their concept design workflows and unlock a new era of creative collaboration.

Its vision is to help design teams create more efficient and sustainable buildings faster by enabling a platform that does so seamlessly. We are committed to leading this transformation, making the design process more transparent, collaborative, and responsive to the needs of all stakeholders.

The Snaptrude Student Plan gives aspiring architects access to the same digital platform used by many established practitioners to rapidly turn their ideas into usable, presentable models.

Snaptrude | Architecture that designs itself

AGORA

Pamphlet for square terminal

AliceA

Great to see the template proposal was useful 

Pat Riley, Design Director at BTC Inc., delivers a keynote in “Symbols of the Sovereign: The Visual Language of Bitcoin,” unveiling how Bitcoin’s iconic orange ₿, laser-eyed memes, HODL mantras, and mythic animals—bull, rabbit, frog, and honey badger—emerged from cypherpunk code to forge a global cultural revolution that now commands billions in institutional capital. Tracing the journey from Satoshi’s hooded anonymity and the Genesis Block’s raw hex to the MIT-licensed logo that outlasted fork wars through memetic thermodynamics, Riley reveals design as the unstoppable interface between Bitcoin’s antifragile protocol and mass adoption. As Bitcoin eclipses traditional stores of value and powers network-state visions, these sovereign symbols encode rebellion, resilience, and generational wealth—propelling the world’s hardest money toward total cultural and financial dominance.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro & Design as Bitcoin’s Cultural Interface
00:25 Cypherpunk Roots: Code Over Aesthetics
02:00 Early Symbols – Satoshi, Guy Fawkes, Genesis Block
04:13 The Orange ₿ Logo: Engineering Meets Perception
05:59 Media Chaos & the Need for Coherent Identity
06:46 Decentralized Branding & the Blocksize Wars
07:53 Memetic Thermodynamics of the Orange B
08:27 Cultural Pillars: Animals, Memes, Mythology
09:18 Bull, Rabbit, Frog, Honey Badger
10:36 Language Layer – HODL, Not Your Keys, Verify
12:00 Collective Unconscious & Survival Codes
13:10 Bitcoin as Mirror: Identity, Sovereignty, Rewiring
13:54 Insurrection, Institutionalization, Reinvention
15:08 Network States & Fixing the World
15:55 Call to Builders: Symbols in Architecture & Institutions
16:19 Bitcoin Conference – Foundation 2.0
16:41 Closing: Stewards of the Next Epoch

Symbols of the Sovereign: The Visual Language of Bitcoin w/ Pat Riley

Minimalissimo - Minimalism in art and design

is probably reinforced concrete, with metal or some kind of fiber material

Pamphlet design for ▣ Square merchants and businesses to accept 🟠bitcoin

Latest version with minor update on the back page
![](https://m.stacker.news/117858) ![](https://m.stacker.news/117857)


![Master Hardware Design through AI-guided, Hands-on Projects - Build Real Circuits, Debug actual problems, and Learn from instant AI feedback, not just theory from textbooks.](https://m.stacker.news/117809)

Refringence empowers developers to master Empowering developers to master RTL, ASIC design, FPGA, signal processing, quantum and more through interactive learning, real-world projects, and collaborative challenges.

Since 2023, we’ve helped thousands of learners and teams upskill in hardware, software, and computer engineering. Our platform features hands-on projects, a vibrant community, and personalized analytics to help you grow. It was designed and built by engineers and educators who believe in practical, project-based learning. Our flagship learning programs run year-round, offering seed support, mentorship, and a collaborative environment for all skill levels.

We’re committed to supporting the next generation of technology leaders and innovators. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to deepen your expertise, Refringence is here to help you succeed.

Refringence

BIP444 occult numerology

SHA256man

Numerology and gematria are sciences I don't know much. Only thing I know are the repeating numbers continuously appearing, especially on the clock 06:06, 10:10, 11:11, 19:19 and 21:21 the most common appearances. You can guess, I don't use analog watches anymore.

![](https://m.stacker.news/117808)

Minimalissimo is an independent print and digital magazine founded in 2009 and is dedicated to minimalism. Principally led by Carl Barenbrug for over 10 years and latterly by Manu Moreale, it showcase a curated selection of the finest examples of art, architecture, interiors, furniture, lighting, and product design. Minimalissimo continue to exist as a digital archive with over 15 years of material to browse.

**Manifesto**
We curate to reflect who we are and want to be. We are guided by the principles of minimalism and simplicity. We often admire brutalism and utilitarianism. Our vision is uncompromising and future-focused but with a respect for the past. We find beauty in the soft and the raw. This is our taste. This is our creative platform. A platform that showcases our interpretation and appreciation of minimalism in art and design.

**Principles**
1. aesthetic: design for love, not only understanding
2. collaborative: create beyond your own ability
3. experimental: think three-dimensionally
4. geometric: use pure forms to emphasise precision
5. honest: build with integrity
6. modular: reuse building blocks for flexibility
7. sustainable: design for people and the planet (and write clean code)
8. translucent: build in public, by appointment only
9. understated: be practical rather than pretty
10. unified: design for continual and consistent expression

zero waste kitchen expands domestic prototype into self-sustaining ecosystem

hasherstacker

Self-service restaurant?

![](https://m.stacker.news/117799)

![](https://m.stacker.news/117801) ![](https://m.stacker.news/117807)

![](https://m.stacker.news/117802)

![](https://m.stacker.news/117803)

![](https://m.stacker.news/117804)

![](https://m.stacker.news/117805)

![](https://m.stacker.news/117806)


So, you want to design your own language? Of course you do. Or perhaps you are taking a class and are being forced to create a programming language under penalty of a bad grade. What kinds of things do you need to know?

CONTENTS
 • Designing a Language
 • Prerequisites
 • Getting Ready
 • Getting Started
 • Choosing a Starter Set of Features
 • From Features To Abstract Syntax
 • From Abstract Syntax to Concrete Syntax
 • Defining Your Language 
 • Prototyping
 • Examples
 • More Examples
 • Recall Practice
 • Summary

Designing a Language
Of course you want to design (and implement!) your own programming language! It’s fun. It’s creative. It’s empowering.

How do we do it? In a nutshell, the process is iterative, cycling between four phases:

![](https://m.stacker.news/117800)



Language Design Notes

![](https://m.stacker.news/117661)

Nomad studio partnered with F37 to launch their latest typeface, F37 Holborn. Inspired by advertising and shop signs found in 1970’s Holborn, the specimen is a celebration of one of London’s oldest commercial districts known for its eclectic mix of businesses from diamond dealers to West End theatres and family law firms.

To tell the story behind the typeface, we created a walking tour of modern Holborn told through the vernacular of 100 signs set entirely in F37 Holborn. Readers are invited to explore Holborn’s eight historic districts in-person with a printed typology and walker’s playlist, or to simply enjoy the throw-back from the comfort of their very own arm chair.

![](https://m.stacker.news/117662)

![](https://m.stacker.news/117660)

![](https://m.stacker.news/117663)

![](https://m.stacker.news/117664)

![](https://m.stacker.news/117665)

![](https://m.stacker.news/117666)

![](https://m.stacker.news/117667)

![](https://m.stacker.news/117668)

A Typographic Shop Signs Time-Splice of Holborn

![](https://m.stacker.news/117650)

> Let’s dive into the building blocks of UX strategy and see how it speaks the language of product and business strategy to create user value while achieving company goals. 

For years, “UX strategy” felt like a confusing, ambiguous, and overloaded term to me. To me, it was some sort of a roadmap or a “grand vision”, with a few business decisions attached to it. And looking back now, I realize that I was wrong all along.

UX Strategy isn’t a goal; it’s a journey towards that goal. A journey connecting where UX is today with a desired future state of UX. And as such, it guides our actions and decisions, things we do and don’t do. And its goal is very simple: to maximize our chances of success while considering risks, bottlenecks and anything that might endanger the project.

A good strategy ties UX improvements to measurable business outcomes. It doesn’t speak about design patterns, consistency, or neatly organized components. Instead, it speaks the language of product and business strategy: OKRs, costs, revenue, business metrics, and objectives.

Design can succeed without a strategy. In the wise words of Sun Tzu, strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. And tactics without strategy are the noise before defeat.

Six Key Components of UX Business Strategy

![](https://m.stacker.news/117649)

# Fonts that simulate the experience of reading in olden days, by diverse means.

Quite abruptly, the experience of reading English changed profoundly, around the year 1800: the long‑s character was abandoned, spelling became standardized, and tech innovation produced a new clarity of typography. This essay examines those three transformations and describes how the Auld English font project addresses them, straddling the divide and transporting the reader back before that time.