David Coveney
@davidcoveney.com
Publisher of Design Week, head dogsbody at Standfirst, forward looking technologist and a person who cares that the world is progressing in a way that's good for everyone.
I spend a chunk of my time interviewing designers, design leaders, that kind of person. They're all quite lovely, really. I think though that I'd really get a certain sadistic pleasure in interviewing nasty people. Maybe we can persuade Farage on to talk about design policy?
February 14, 2026 at 9:19 AM
I spend a chunk of my time interviewing designers, design leaders, that kind of person. They're all quite lovely, really. I think though that I'd really get a certain sadistic pleasure in interviewing nasty people. Maybe we can persuade Farage on to talk about design policy?
Reposted by David Coveney
February 9, 2026 at 9:30 AM
People are finally noticing Substack have some problematic ideas.
If you're looking for better alternatives:
WordPress (self hosted)
Ghost CMS
Various simpler options like Jekyll, but less user friendly.
All open source, all you can get help with from independents like my firm Standfirst.
If you're looking for better alternatives:
WordPress (self hosted)
Ghost CMS
Various simpler options like Jekyll, but less user friendly.
All open source, all you can get help with from independents like my firm Standfirst.
February 8, 2026 at 6:09 AM
People are finally noticing Substack have some problematic ideas.
If you're looking for better alternatives:
WordPress (self hosted)
Ghost CMS
Various simpler options like Jekyll, but less user friendly.
All open source, all you can get help with from independents like my firm Standfirst.
If you're looking for better alternatives:
WordPress (self hosted)
Ghost CMS
Various simpler options like Jekyll, but less user friendly.
All open source, all you can get help with from independents like my firm Standfirst.
The most underrated Windows feature is clipboard history. It's incredibly useful. After 18 months with a MacBook Pro which got broken I've started using Windows again...and I must admit, it's like meeting an old friend. Yes, there's plenty of infuriating stuff in Windows but so productive.
February 7, 2026 at 8:43 PM
The most underrated Windows feature is clipboard history. It's incredibly useful. After 18 months with a MacBook Pro which got broken I've started using Windows again...and I must admit, it's like meeting an old friend. Yes, there's plenty of infuriating stuff in Windows but so productive.
Reposted by David Coveney
Apps that get DNS verification functionality wrong really cause a lot of pain for their users.
Having explained the problem a number of times, I finally decided to write it down so now I can just share a link.
Having explained the problem a number of times, I finally decided to write it down so now I can just share a link.
Stop Telling Users Their DNS Is Wrong
If you’re like me, you’ve had the experience where you add a DNS record for a service. You triple check it. The app still says it’s invalid. You wait. You check again. Still invalid. You start wonderi...
jacob.gold
February 7, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Apps that get DNS verification functionality wrong really cause a lot of pain for their users.
Having explained the problem a number of times, I finally decided to write it down so now I can just share a link.
Having explained the problem a number of times, I finally decided to write it down so now I can just share a link.
I've never felt more creative than right now.
No one talks about this, but the secret to creative excellence is having 8 projects with concurrent deadlines and overlapping meetings and being in a constant state of panic
February 6, 2026 at 7:30 AM
I've never felt more creative than right now.
I know someone who works with Macron. Apparently he's incredibly kind to work for, yet firm when he needs to be.
France’s Foreign Ministry owns Elon Musk in this response:
February 5, 2026 at 2:26 PM
I know someone who works with Macron. Apparently he's incredibly kind to work for, yet firm when he needs to be.
Every now and again my wife asks what song is in my head. A couple of times I've had to go:
"Badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger
Mushroom, mushroom!"
I wonder how many internet nerds of a certain age have the same affliction?
"Badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger
Mushroom, mushroom!"
I wonder how many internet nerds of a certain age have the same affliction?
February 5, 2026 at 7:52 AM
Every now and again my wife asks what song is in my head. A couple of times I've had to go:
"Badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger
Mushroom, mushroom!"
I wonder how many internet nerds of a certain age have the same affliction?
"Badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger
Mushroom, mushroom!"
I wonder how many internet nerds of a certain age have the same affliction?
I have to say that Bluesky is coming along quite nicely. I find myself enjoying it more as time passes, and I login frequently.
Has anyone got lists of WordPress, Laravel and Design people I should be following here?
Has anyone got lists of WordPress, Laravel and Design people I should be following here?
February 4, 2026 at 3:43 PM
I have to say that Bluesky is coming along quite nicely. I find myself enjoying it more as time passes, and I login frequently.
Has anyone got lists of WordPress, Laravel and Design people I should be following here?
Has anyone got lists of WordPress, Laravel and Design people I should be following here?
Being liberal is acknowledging that other people know their lives and needs and best and so long as they're not harming others all is fine. You may disapprove of what they do, or feel it's not for you, and the weapon you have to change things is only respectful argument and data.
February 1, 2026 at 9:29 AM
Being liberal is acknowledging that other people know their lives and needs and best and so long as they're not harming others all is fine. You may disapprove of what they do, or feel it's not for you, and the weapon you have to change things is only respectful argument and data.
Reposted by David Coveney
Do you want to know if you can watch a film on the BBC tonight?
IS THERE'S A FILM ON THE BBC AROUND 9PM TONIGHT?
A simple way to see if there’s a film on the BBC around 9pm tonight.
istheresafilmonthebbcaround9pmtonight.robmanuel.workers.dev
January 30, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Do you want to know if you can watch a film on the BBC tonight?
Jeff's a good guy. If you're doing web products or apps he's got just the right balance of skills and human insight to do a great job. And he's been a communicator in the WordPress for as long as I remember.
Here's the deal, folks. I desperately need to make a mortgage payment, and only two clients would allow me to do that.
You can pay me now, and you'll have me booked for whenever you need me this year. If I can't find any improvements, get your money back hirejeffc.me#auditing-pro...
You can pay me now, and you'll have me booked for whenever you need me this year. If I can't find any improvements, get your money back hirejeffc.me#auditing-pro...
Homepage - JeffC The Digital Plumber
Get Unfiltered Product Insights With my end-to-end product and service pipeline audits, I pinpoint areas of friction, highlight successes, and help you turn feedback into forward momentum. Get Unfilte...
hirejeffc.me
January 29, 2026 at 8:08 AM
Jeff's a good guy. If you're doing web products or apps he's got just the right balance of skills and human insight to do a great job. And he's been a communicator in the WordPress for as long as I remember.
Reposted by David Coveney
The exact moment when tech started to suck was when Byte magazine covers went from this, to this, which was September 1987. Sorry if that's earlier than you thought, but Silicon Valley was ahead on these trends.
January 28, 2026 at 9:14 AM
The exact moment when tech started to suck was when Byte magazine covers went from this, to this, which was September 1987. Sorry if that's earlier than you thought, but Silicon Valley was ahead on these trends.
Word up to people wanting to get into Design Week - do NOT send us a massive picture with text and visual assets for it as a press release. I can read it but it's a nightmare to get the assets out of, the text can't be copied and pasted... a key thing is to make the job of a journalist easy!
January 26, 2026 at 12:04 PM
Word up to people wanting to get into Design Week - do NOT send us a massive picture with text and visual assets for it as a press release. I can read it but it's a nightmare to get the assets out of, the text can't be copied and pasted... a key thing is to make the job of a journalist easy!
I met with Migrante creative director Valerio Le Moli and Davide Lupi of Stellantis to talk about the new visual identity for Abarth. As an old school gamer I'm all for pixel heavy artwork! Now they just need to add it to the dashboard UI... @designweek.co.uk
Abarth has a problem: how to sell a silent electric car to petrolheads.
The solution? A new visual identity that turns the heritage chequered flag into a digital video game.
Read how Migrante 'gamified' the Scorpion here: www.designweek.co.uk/how-abarth-i...
The solution? A new visual identity that turns the heritage chequered flag into a digital video game.
Read how Migrante 'gamified' the Scorpion here: www.designweek.co.uk/how-abarth-i...
January 26, 2026 at 10:57 AM
I met with Migrante creative director Valerio Le Moli and Davide Lupi of Stellantis to talk about the new visual identity for Abarth. As an old school gamer I'm all for pixel heavy artwork! Now they just need to add it to the dashboard UI... @designweek.co.uk
Oh I like this. And I like the source it's based on too. Going to play with this one! I have a poster sized hole in my wall after being annoyed by one that was winding me up.
Here is what I've been doing this past week: git.olaren.dev/Olaren/mapto...
A little python program that generates poster for cities! You might have seen stuff like this around lately, but I modified it to put an emphasis on rail infrastructure :3
A little python program that generates poster for cities! You might have seen stuff like this around lately, but I modified it to put an emphasis on rail infrastructure :3
January 25, 2026 at 8:53 PM
Oh I like this. And I like the source it's based on too. Going to play with this one! I have a poster sized hole in my wall after being annoyed by one that was winding me up.
Reposted by David Coveney
The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault.
January 25, 2026 at 5:39 PM
The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault.
Reposted by David Coveney
That would be since... 2016? I wonder what happened then?
January 23, 2026 at 8:35 AM
That would be since... 2016? I wonder what happened then?
Reposted by David Coveney
Who are the designers on Bluesky we need to be following but aren't? Hit us up!
January 22, 2026 at 8:45 PM
Who are the designers on Bluesky we need to be following but aren't? Hit us up!
Reposted by David Coveney
Here we go designers, the first event of the year has been announced. Derby, we're coming for you!
More info here: www.designweek.co.uk/events/desig...
More info here: www.designweek.co.uk/events/desig...
January 21, 2026 at 11:40 AM
Here we go designers, the first event of the year has been announced. Derby, we're coming for you!
More info here: www.designweek.co.uk/events/desig...
More info here: www.designweek.co.uk/events/desig...
Misread the ranking score. People who code these systems...did I just bring down someone's average? Will my later replies be parsed?
January 20, 2026 at 1:35 PM
Misread the ranking score. People who code these systems...did I just bring down someone's average? Will my later replies be parsed?
Reposted by David Coveney
Leonardo DiCaprio has stopped using Wikipedia.
Wikipedia is 25 today.
January 15, 2026 at 1:36 PM
Leonardo DiCaprio has stopped using Wikipedia.
My Surface Pro was getting very hot and therefore slow doing a big update, so I placed it flush against a metal laptop stand to act as a big heatsink and it worked!
You don't get these problems with proper tower PCs. Or ARM based laptops. But my MacBook is broken and I prefer Windows anyway.
You don't get these problems with proper tower PCs. Or ARM based laptops. But my MacBook is broken and I prefer Windows anyway.
January 12, 2026 at 11:28 AM
My Surface Pro was getting very hot and therefore slow doing a big update, so I placed it flush against a metal laptop stand to act as a big heatsink and it worked!
You don't get these problems with proper tower PCs. Or ARM based laptops. But my MacBook is broken and I prefer Windows anyway.
You don't get these problems with proper tower PCs. Or ARM based laptops. But my MacBook is broken and I prefer Windows anyway.
I've been reading about fascism lately and where it got its support. Almost everywhere it comes up it's because of support from a wealthy class who fear they may lose their privilege and property.
As socialist style talk has grown with wage stagnation the wealthy are scared.
As socialist style talk has grown with wage stagnation the wealthy are scared.
January 11, 2026 at 9:08 AM
I've been reading about fascism lately and where it got its support. Almost everywhere it comes up it's because of support from a wealthy class who fear they may lose their privilege and property.
As socialist style talk has grown with wage stagnation the wealthy are scared.
As socialist style talk has grown with wage stagnation the wealthy are scared.
I honestly find these old excerpts shine quite a light on a different era. One where women were rather more pigeonholed in what society expected.
'VERA' is up to Sep 1928 ... First and Second prizes in the beauty competition are a weeks holiday in Switzerland. ICI don't mess about!
judewilde.substack.com/p/vera-for-i...
judewilde.substack.com/p/vera-for-i...
VERA for I.C.I. Girls - Sep 1928
A fascinating look at the section of the ICI Magazine given over to women from 1928 until 1939. Hints and tips for the modern woman about town ...
judewilde.substack.com
January 11, 2026 at 8:43 AM
I honestly find these old excerpts shine quite a light on a different era. One where women were rather more pigeonholed in what society expected.