Stability AI's Legal Win Over Getty Leaves Copyright Law in Limbo (2 minute read)
Stability AI largely defeated Getty Images in a UK High Court case over AI training data. However, the judge avoided ruling on whether AI models require permission to use copyrighted material for training—the central question dividing tech companies and the creative industries. Getty won only on a narrow trademark claim regarding watermarks but dropped its main copyright argument mid-trial due to weak evidence, while the judge rejected secondary infringement claims since Stable Diffusion doesn't store copyrighted works. Getty continues to pursue similar claims against Stability in California as part of a broader legal battle.
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Apple TV's New Sonic Logo is a Certified Banger (2 minute read)
Apple TV has introduced a new sonic logo created by Finneas that features warbling electronic sounds followed by three gentle piano notes, offering a more calming alternative to the anxiety-inducing idents common among streaming services. The mnemonic exists in three versions, ranging from one to ten seconds, with the longest intended for theatrical releases of Apple Studios films. Accompanying the audio rebrand is a colorful animated opening bumper, signaling a playful new direction for Apple's typically minimalist design approach.
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JDO refines Jameson's brand and packaging (5 minute read)
Jameson, the world's best-selling Irish whiskey, has unveiled a refreshed identity by JDO that modernizes its look while honoring its heritage. The redesign refines key brand elements—like the crest, wordmark, and bottle design—to create visual harmony across the portfolio, clarify each whiskey's story, and attract both new and loyal drinkers through subtle, character-driven updates.
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The Frame, the Illusion, and the Brief (3 minute read)
As AI takes over solution generation, designers must focus on problem framing, a skill that is undermined by cognitive biases, such as the need for closure, ambiguity aversion, and action bias, which push teams toward premature answers. These tendencies cause designers to freeze problem definitions early rather than embracing ambiguity. However, experienced practitioners who resist this urge and refine the frame create a shared understanding and uncover deeper insights. Effective framing isn't a delay, but essential design work that transforms AI outputs from noise into useful material and compounds value throughout delivery.
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How Design Teams are Reacting to 10x Developer Productivity from AI (3 minute read)
At this point, the massive productivity gains from AI coding agents are prompting three main reactions from design teams. Some designers are shifting their role to focus on UX alignment after features are built, essentially flipping the traditional design-then-develop workflow. Others are adopting AI coding tools themselves to prototype and ship features directly, while skeptics dismiss the speed as "faster slop" despite developers' productivity unlikely to return to previous levels.
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Why logo backlashes aren't really about design (6 minute read)
Rebrands have become cultural flashpoints, reflecting deeper societal fatigue and polarization rather than just design critique. In an era of constant change, even small logo updates can feel like a loss of stability or identity, making emotionally intelligent, culturally aware design more crucial than ever to maintain trust and relevance.
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How to Adapt Your Design Practice for the Age of Generative Technology (6 minute read)
Generative AI has transformed product design from a two-way human-computer interaction into a three-way Human-Model-Interface (HMI) experience, requiring designers to have a deep understanding of AI model capabilities, input requirements, and output quality. Designers must now prototype early and iterate alongside model development, considering complete end-to-end workflows while asking whether the AI can reliably deliver on user expectations and build trust. A four-phase framework—prompt, plan, show, and next—helps users feel supported through AI interactions by gathering context intelligently, clarifying next steps, providing visibility into the model's reasoning, and offering actionable follow-up recommendations.
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Creative Agency in the AI Landscape (26 minute read)
In this post, a designer explores working with generative AI through the lens of four artists, arguing that treating AI as an instrument requiring skilled practice offers more creative potential than passive "vibe coding" dependency. Brian Eno's collaborative approach, working alongside the machine as a gardener, and Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst's integration into AI systems while building ethical frameworks, demonstrate healthier relationships with technology than Rick Rubin's skill-free positioning under the machine. Using Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away as an allegory, the post warns that AI's insatiable consumption mirrors No Face's hunger—dangerous without boundaries—and suggests finding creative satisfaction requires knowing when to stop rather than feeding endless appetite.
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Brand strategy's not in trouble – bad strategy is (4 minute read)
Brand strategy isn't dead—it's simply evolving. Despite claims that AI, shifting consumer behavior, and new branding models have made it obsolete, effective brand strategy remains rooted in timeless storytelling and human insight. The difference now lies in crafting bolder, more imaginative, and culturally attuned narratives that stand out in a changing world.
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A Linear Spin on Liquid Glass (7 minute read)
Linear redesigned its mobile app by creating its own version of Apple's Liquid Glass design system, rather than using Apple's APIs, which gave it complete control over customization for its expanding user base.
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Jae Lee, Matej Latin & Ralph Brinker
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