Deepfakes create convincing visuals of people doing and saying things that never took place in real life. Facial filters are the most popular and they are dramatically better than they were 5 years ago. The future of this technology will continue improving and integrating with other technology. As generative Ai improves, it’s reasonable to assume that we will have conversations with a digital face in real time.

A product teardown shows us what’s inside. Seeing what’s put together and what works and what doesn’t helps us unravel the product’s backstory. You learn how all the parts and pieces come together, it’s like reading a book. There’s a story and if the story is good then we learn something. And if you read a book to become a better writer, you ruminate over the decisions made by the book’s author.

When I was in a Drawing I course, I looked at my paper too long. My professor taught me to look back and forth between the page and the subject every few seconds. They had me sketch different areas of the page and not focus on one spot. I would have to set down my graphite and step away from my work every few minutes. Then I would draw large areas standing up and sit back down for details. This forced me to see my drawing from a fresh perspective and to make adjustments as needed. The lesson: a good way to create something interesting is to pack a bunch of perspectives into one piece.

You can tell that a door’s purpose is to move through it, so a door is an affordance. The signifiers that make a door a door are the doorknob and the clearance around the door because they suggest that the door can be opened or closed. Most signifiers for a door are also affordances. The door handle is an affordance for how to get through the door. The handle is also a signifier because of its long shape, size to fit a hand, and material to stand out from the background. Signifiers are the physical attributes of a component. An affordance suggests how it’s used but doesn’t suggest what it does, like a signifier.

Computer keyboards use QWERTY because typewriters used QWERTY. I won’t get into the backstory, but debate to change the layout blew up in the 80s. People argued for more efficient layouts but consumers were too familiar with typewriters.

Bamboo

It grows fast and strong and used in place of wood and some packaging. It’s trending most in furniture design, flooring and construction. It’s expensive to process but high quality.

Recognizing a phone as a Google Pixel or a Samsung Ultra depends on the design details. Phone designs are subtly different, all phones are filleted rectangles. To know if a phone is a Pixel, you look at the rear camera for a Camera Bar and the oblong, pill-shaped cameras. A Samsung Ultra is instantly recognizable by their vertical line of at least three rear cameras. Phones with a square rear camera cluster seem generic because so many phones take on that look. Shapes and the placement of shapes are powerful tools for designers to generate memorable and unique products.

Universal Design, compared to Inclusive Design, is a more specific approach to design for the needs of people with disabilities. The aim of Universal Design is to create products that can be used by everyone regardless of their abilities. Inclusive design strives to create products that are accessible to a wide range of people, including people with disabilities. Inclusive Design goes beyond Universal Design by considering the needs of people with different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. Inclusive design takes a holistic approach than the specific focus of people with disabilities in Universal Design.

Biomimicry is a design approach where nature’s solutions to problems are mimicked for the purpose of solving complex human problems. Velcro was one solution, inspired by the burrs that attach themselves to animals’ fur. Another is the concept of grouping, such as birds flying in flocks for better chances of survival. There are ancient drivers behind this approach and most are environmentally friendly. As designs inch towards sustainability, price tends to increase. By studying nature, designers can find inspiration for new and innovative solutions to their own problems.

Ai

What-about-isms follow Ai more than any other news topic and it’s hard to know exactly what the future will hold. Newer tools and models will become available and it will be important to stay on top of it. We know Ai can help us research and generate sometimes useful images and our dependence on this will increase over time. Ai generated 3D printed prototypes may be the most useful ability among product designers when that bridge is crossed. In the further future it’s reasonable to say that products will be more personalized to each user since Ai is able to iterate designs instantly.

Vanilla was a luxury spice from Mexico and Guatemala and took off in Europe in the 17th century. Vanilla ice cream was recently invented in France when Thomas Jefferson discovered it and brought his recipe to the United States. Vanilla later skyrocketed in demand when soft drinks were invented in the 19th Century, an integral ingredient in Pepsi and Coca-Cola.

A leader and a team member have the capacity to be synonymous. People learn leadership traits without ever learning how to be a good member. They learn to give people orders but struggle to listen to feedback or to be wrong. Too many people only offer brutal honesty, but they enjoy being brutal more when being honest does the job.

Having a purpose means having a driving factor in the pursuit for accomplishing a goal. There is a reason behind what you do and once you finish doing something, the goal is complete and lost.

Text prompts to images by Generative Ai are not useful for ideating entire concepts yet. The useful part is finding inspiration through shapes, materials, finishes, and other design details. Using good design concept attributes is the most effective way to generate useful ideas from Ai. Use words like comfortable, ergonomic and stylish. Keep the prompts conversational and use the 5 Whys Method, by asking Ai “Why?” 5 times, about a topic you want to dig into.

Premium products have the highest quality material and craftsmanship. They are worth the price because they are more reliable, sturdy and beautiful. Since Ai will integrate with the design and manufacturing process of goods, the idea of premium will change.

It’s a good habit to use it everyday. When you ask Ai to give you an in-depth rundown of Ai news today, the bulleted list is easier to digest than scrolling through articles. Create an archive of copy/paste prompts to stay up to date.

Tik Tok videos were limited to 15 seconds to achieve high content turnaround to keep your attention. When you scroll through a video and forget to save or like it, it’s impossible to find later. There are billions and billions of Tik Tok videos.

Ghost kitchens are popping up more and more due to high overhead at restaurants. Ghost kitchens can be a shared kitchen that’s rented out, but some kitchens operate through two menus. It could be a Mexican restaurant which also sells breakfast burritos, but the breakfast burritos can only be bought online, never in-store.