Jess Eddy

A big week for design and research tools. NotebookLM introduced deep research, Mobbin added animations, and several other platforms recently shipped thoughtful updates across design systems, motion, prototyping, and AI collaboration.

Quartr’s new visuals sparked both admiration and criticism. Some see a bold, beautifully executed campaign; others see borrowed aesthetics and brand disconnect. At its core, the debate reflects how good AI-assisted design has become and how it challenges our sense of authenticity.

Paper is a vision for the future of digital design, one that prioritizes creative freedom over rigid systems. In this interview, founder Stephen Haney shares how Paper’s code-native foundation and early features are shaping a new kind of design tool.

Blending design fidelity is more than a design technique, it’s a communication tool. Moving between high and low fidelity helps designers clarify intent, focus attention, guide conversations, and invite the right kind of feedback. Here’s why it matters, and a few Figma plugins that make it easier.

This piece explores how to find the winning idea within any set of constraints, using the mindset of bricolage to stay creative, resourceful, and open to new possibilities when the path ahead feels fixed. Includes 20 prompts for members.

Creativity isn’t just for designers or artists. Anyone can nurture it by exploring ideas, seeking feedback, and iterating. These three principles create space for imagination, collaboration, and refinement, helping you produce stronger, more thoughtful work in any field.

A design inspiration library is a lifelong practice; one that helps you anchor new projects, spark original ideas, and refine the taste and discernment that define great designers.

Amazon will pay $2.5 billion after the FTC said it tricked people into signing up for Prime and made cancellation difficult. The case highlights dark patterns: design choices that benefit the business but work against users on a massive scale.

Kenneth O. Stanley’s Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned challenges the obsession with goals and metrics. By focusing on curiosity, exploration, and unexpected stepping stones, he demonstrates how true breakthroughs emerge from wandering, rather than rigid planning.

Figma’s 2025 AI report shows how AI is reshaping design work, raising expectations, and making design skills more valuable. From prototyping to agentic AI, it’s clear that designers who experiment now will shape the future.

A strong point of view goes beyond branding. It’s a perspective that shapes how a product communicates, the feelings it evokes, the language it uses, and the patterns it employs. We explore Discord, Oura, Todoist, and Figma to see how POV makes products unforgettable.

As you grow in your craft, the rules that once gave you confidence can start to feel limiting. That’s when your instincts step in, helping you question old habits, trust your judgment, and create work that feels original and alive.