Design Observer
@designobserver.com
The best conversations in design — expert-led, multidisciplinary, and for the curious mind. Essays, podcasts, and events that inspire and connect. https://designobserver.com/
For Jessica Helfand, artist and co-founder of Design Observer, AI is a research ally in the studio..
In a brand-new Q&A, she discusses a new chapter of her painting practice and shares four diary entries from her most recent series, Icarus Revisited — offering a glimpse into her thinking.
In a brand-new Q&A, she discusses a new chapter of her painting practice and shares four diary entries from her most recent series, Icarus Revisited — offering a glimpse into her thinking.
The face, reconsidered - DesignObserver
From literary portraiture to immigrant histories and ancient myth, Jessica Helfand’s evolving painting practice uses AI as a tool of memory.
designobserver.com
February 11, 2026 at 9:18 PM
For Jessica Helfand, artist and co-founder of Design Observer, AI is a research ally in the studio..
In a brand-new Q&A, she discusses a new chapter of her painting practice and shares four diary entries from her most recent series, Icarus Revisited — offering a glimpse into her thinking.
In a brand-new Q&A, she discusses a new chapter of her painting practice and shares four diary entries from her most recent series, Icarus Revisited — offering a glimpse into her thinking.
As generative AI spreads, the risk isn’t just bad images or lazy design, it’s the quiet flattening of human thought. When machines do more of the thinking, what happens to human creativity?
Gen-AI is a threat to human thinking - DesignObserver
Generative AI promises creativity, but growing evidence suggests it may erode human thinking, originality, and lived experience. A clarion call for staying human.
designobserver.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:58 PM
As generative AI spreads, the risk isn’t just bad images or lazy design, it’s the quiet flattening of human thought. When machines do more of the thinking, what happens to human creativity?
A new kind of power is emerging in culture: the identity industrialist. As synthetic humans become lifelike, identity itself can be manufactured, optimized, and scaled. Dave Snyder explores what this means for media, influence, and trust.
The identity industrialists - DesignObserver
As synthetic actors become more lifelike, the people who create them will become the new power players
designobserver.com
January 21, 2026 at 8:28 PM
A new kind of power is emerging in culture: the identity industrialist. As synthetic humans become lifelike, identity itself can be manufactured, optimized, and scaled. Dave Snyder explores what this means for media, influence, and trust.
Scott Adams, creator of the ‘Dilbert’ comic, has died of prostate cancer. His satirical look at office life struck a gleeful nerve with cubicle-dwellers worldwide; his unfiltered thoughts on race, medicine, government, and conservative theory, less so. He was 68. #Observed
Scott Adams, Creator of the Satirical ‘Dilbert’ Comic Strip, Dies at 68
www.nytimes.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:36 PM
Scott Adams, creator of the ‘Dilbert’ comic, has died of prostate cancer. His satirical look at office life struck a gleeful nerve with cubicle-dwellers worldwide; his unfiltered thoughts on race, medicine, government, and conservative theory, less so. He was 68. #Observed
Despite falling short on its nationwide robotaxi rollout and revenue, Tesla’s shareholders continue to hang on for the ride. “I think in the next six months there’s a reckoning coming for Tesla,” says investor Ross Gerber. #Observed
Tesla’s profit engine is sputtering. Elon Musk has bet its future on a promise he’s far from delivering | CNN Business
Tesla’s robotaxi service has been mostly hypothetical so far, but it’s certainly taking the company’s shareholders for a real ride.
www.cnn.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:34 PM
Despite falling short on its nationwide robotaxi rollout and revenue, Tesla’s shareholders continue to hang on for the ride. “I think in the next six months there’s a reckoning coming for Tesla,” says investor Ross Gerber. #Observed
If you have ever flown into the tiny Aspen Airport, you have a clear point of view on what might make the experience… less, how should we put this? Fraught. A survey asking to choose between two possible designs showed a clear winner. #Observed
Survey shows ‘overwhelming’ preference for Aspen/Pitkin County Airport design 2+
The Aspen/Pitkin County Airport community, including individuals who reside in Aspen, the greater Roaring Fork Valley, and frequent flyers and guests to the area, contributed more than 550 responses t...
www.aspentimes.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:30 PM
If you have ever flown into the tiny Aspen Airport, you have a clear point of view on what might make the experience… less, how should we put this? Fraught. A survey asking to choose between two possible designs showed a clear winner. #Observed
In a new Design Observer essay, Stephen Mackintosh examines how generative AI is reshaping livestreaming through moderation tools, synthetic Vtubers, and the growing tension between scale, labor, and human presence.
Synthetic ‘Vtubers’ rock Twitch: three gaming creators on what it means to livestream in the age of genAI - DesignObserver
3 gaming creators discuss the ways that the battle for viewers in the lucrative livestreaming world is changing in the age of genAI
designobserver.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:14 PM
In a new Design Observer essay, Stephen Mackintosh examines how generative AI is reshaping livestreaming through moderation tools, synthetic Vtubers, and the growing tension between scale, labor, and human presence.
Generative AI promises limitless creativity, but research shows it may be simplifying images, flattening attention, and even reshaping how people understand their own stories. David Z. Morris explores the hidden costs in his new essay.
“Suddenly everyone’s life got a lot more similar”: AI isn’t just imitating creativity, it’s homogenizing thinking - DesignObserver
Research suggests generative AI isn’t just imitating creativity, it’s reshaping attention, identity, and how people understand their own stories.
designobserver.com
January 12, 2026 at 5:23 PM
Generative AI promises limitless creativity, but research shows it may be simplifying images, flattening attention, and even reshaping how people understand their own stories. David Z. Morris explores the hidden costs in his new essay.
Studio Ghibli’s Porco Rosso isn’t just a classic, it’s a fierce anti-fascist, antiwar film. In a new Design Observer essay, Dylan Fugel argues why Miyazaki’s message matters now, amid authoritarian politics and the rise of generative AI. Read more on our site.
“I’d rather be a pig”: Amid fascism and a reckless AI arms race, Ghibli anti-war opus ‘Porco Rosso’ matters now more than ever - DesignObserver
Amid fascism and a reckless AI arms race, Ghibli anti-war opus ‘Porco Rosso’ matters now more than ever
designobserver.com
January 8, 2026 at 12:18 AM
Studio Ghibli’s Porco Rosso isn’t just a classic, it’s a fierce anti-fascist, antiwar film. In a new Design Observer essay, Dylan Fugel argues why Miyazaki’s message matters now, amid authoritarian politics and the rise of generative AI. Read more on our site.
Reposted by Design Observer
Do you ever just stop and think about how great Charles Yu's writing is?
Anyway the first chapter of THE EDGE OF SPACE-TIME is called "How to Live Safely in a Science Factual Universe" -- iykyk
Preorder here:
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/746817...
Anyway the first chapter of THE EDGE OF SPACE-TIME is called "How to Live Safely in a Science Factual Universe" -- iykyk
Preorder here:
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/746817...
The Edge of Space-Time by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein: 9780593701683 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
A fresh, charming, socially conscious tour of the mysteries of space-time, from the award-winning author of The Disordered Cosmos In her highly acclaimed debut, distinguished cosmologist and particle...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
January 6, 2026 at 3:33 PM
Do you ever just stop and think about how great Charles Yu's writing is?
Anyway the first chapter of THE EDGE OF SPACE-TIME is called "How to Live Safely in a Science Factual Universe" -- iykyk
Preorder here:
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/746817...
Anyway the first chapter of THE EDGE OF SPACE-TIME is called "How to Live Safely in a Science Factual Universe" -- iykyk
Preorder here:
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/746817...
When machines can imitate style, what still makes art human?
As AI enters creative fields, the real question isn’t automation, it’s value. Story, experience, context, and intention still matter.
As AI enters creative fields, the real question isn’t automation, it’s value. Story, experience, context, and intention still matter.
AI actress Tilly Norwood ignites Hollywood debate on automation vs. authenticity - DesignObserver
The world's first AI actress, Tilly Norwood, is bringing up a familiar debate: Is it good AI or bad AI? The answer is nuanced.
designobserver.com
January 6, 2026 at 3:49 PM
When machines can imitate style, what still makes art human?
As AI enters creative fields, the real question isn’t automation, it’s value. Story, experience, context, and intention still matter.
As AI enters creative fields, the real question isn’t automation, it’s value. Story, experience, context, and intention still matter.
New year. New job? Brooklyn Public Library is looking for a Junior Designer to help bring a beloved public institution to life. See this opening and more at DesignObserver.com/jobs
January 5, 2026 at 10:51 PM
New year. New job? Brooklyn Public Library is looking for a Junior Designer to help bring a beloved public institution to life. See this opening and more at DesignObserver.com/jobs
Design Observer reflects on a year of growth, creativity, and design’s expanding relevance. We also share a holiday gift guide of inspiring books.
Visions of sugar-plums - DesignObserver
A year-end reflection on design’s evolving role—plus a thoughtful holiday gift guide featuring books to inspire curiosity, craft, and creative leadership.
designobserver.com
December 18, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Design Observer reflects on a year of growth, creativity, and design’s expanding relevance. We also share a holiday gift guide of inspiring books.
New on Design Observer: a look at the long, strange history of coloring our food for beauty, even when the dyes were toxic. From arsenic-green desserts to coal-tar butter, it’s a story about appetite, design, and risk.
‘Adulterations Detected:’ on the human impulse to prettify our food with poison - DesignObserver
A history of prettifying food with poisonous dyes, and the science behind how powerfully the eye governs the tongue.
designobserver.com
December 12, 2025 at 4:24 PM
New on Design Observer: a look at the long, strange history of coloring our food for beauty, even when the dyes were toxic. From arsenic-green desserts to coal-tar butter, it’s a story about appetite, design, and risk.
Designers shaped the modern web. Now they have the chance to shape the foundation of AI. Openness is becoming the new creative advantage. New essay on Design Observer.
Open systems, open futures - DesignObserver
What designers can learn from WordPress's open-source approach, and their role in shaping the next generation of AI
designobserver.com
December 11, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Designers shaped the modern web. Now they have the chance to shape the foundation of AI. Openness is becoming the new creative advantage. New essay on Design Observer.
What happens when a nation responds to school shootings not with policy, but with products? In an exclusive interview, the filmmakers behind HBO’s Thoughts & Prayers discuss the strange, chilling world of America’s active-shooter preparedness industry.
‘Thoughts & Prayers’ & bulletproof desks: Jessica Dimmock and Zackary Canepari on filming the active shooter preparedness industry - DesignObserver
HBO’s new documentary, helmed by two lauded photographers-turned-parents, excavates the $3B market born from America’s school shooting problem.
designobserver.com
December 2, 2025 at 5:06 PM
What happens when a nation responds to school shootings not with policy, but with products? In an exclusive interview, the filmmakers behind HBO’s Thoughts & Prayers discuss the strange, chilling world of America’s active-shooter preparedness industry.
Hello, Sans Flex, Google’s new open-source font. It was released under the SIL Open Font License, and designed by type designer and Font Bureau co-founder David Berlow. #Observed
SIL Open Font License Official Text
The website of the SIL Open Font License
openfontlicense.org
December 1, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Hello, Sans Flex, Google’s new open-source font. It was released under the SIL Open Font License, and designed by type designer and Font Bureau co-founder David Berlow. #Observed
A mostly optimistic indie game end-of-year wrap-up: “In the spirit of the season, one thing I’m thankful for is indie studios being able to make the games they want despite external pressures,” says Engadget’s Kris Holt. #Observed
AI horror, a dinosaur platformer and other new indie games worth checking out
Plus, an early version of a co-op life sim set on Jupiter.
www.engadget.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:23 PM
A mostly optimistic indie game end-of-year wrap-up: “In the spirit of the season, one thing I’m thankful for is indie studios being able to make the games they want despite external pressures,” says Engadget’s Kris Holt. #Observed
Chatbots reveal AI’s most exciting application to date: “AI helps drive record $11.8 billion in Black Friday online spending.” #Observed
AI helps drive record $11.8 billion in Black Friday online spending
Although U.S. consumers spent more this Black Friday compared to last year, price increases hampered online demand, according to Salesforce.
www.reuters.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Chatbots reveal AI’s most exciting application to date: “AI helps drive record $11.8 billion in Black Friday online spending.” #Observed
Looking for inspiration? Give the gift of insight. Discover the best books for designing a better life. Explore our bookshop today!
Editor Picks: The best books for designing a better life
From vision to voice.
bookshop.org
November 25, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Looking for inspiration? Give the gift of insight. Discover the best books for designing a better life. Explore our bookshop today!
Meet OpenAI’s other CEO. Fidji Simo, the former CEO of Instacart, manages everything else that Sam Altman doesn’t…which turns out to be quite a bit. #Observed
OpenAI's Fidji Simo Plans to Make ChatGPT Way More Useful—and Have You Pay For It
As OpenAI expands in every direction, the new CEO of Applications is on a mission to make ChatGPT indispensable and lucrative.
www.wired.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Meet OpenAI’s other CEO. Fidji Simo, the former CEO of Instacart, manages everything else that Sam Altman doesn’t…which turns out to be quite a bit. #Observed
I left my font in San Francisco. A new font inspired by an old San Francisco municipal streetcar was discovered and resurrected by visiting Australian designer Emily Sneddon who saw “poetic beauty” on the recently retired Breda trains. Meet: Frans Sans. #Observed
San Francisco has a new font. It was inspired by an old Muni streetcar
A San Francisco designer fell in love with the typeface on an old Muni streetcar. She tracked down the man who created it to build the city’s newest font.
www.sfchronicle.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:24 PM
I left my font in San Francisco. A new font inspired by an old San Francisco municipal streetcar was discovered and resurrected by visiting Australian designer Emily Sneddon who saw “poetic beauty” on the recently retired Breda trains. Meet: Frans Sans. #Observed
A wicked good start. Wicked: For Good opened to $150M domestic, and $226M around the world, besting Wicked‘s $112.5M domestic, and $164M global start. #Observed
‘Wicked: For Good’ – All The Box Office Records Broken
A list of all the box office records that 'Wicked: For Good' broke.
deadline.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:22 PM
A wicked good start. Wicked: For Good opened to $150M domestic, and $226M around the world, besting Wicked‘s $112.5M domestic, and $164M global start. #Observed
Aesthetically specific film director Wes Anderson is opening an exhibition at the Design Museum in London spanning his 30-year career. His films require an extraordinary amount of objects, paintings, puppets, and singular artifacts found nowhere else. #Observed
Wes Anderson: This exhibition is like rediscovering pieces of my past
From pink hotels to handmade puppets, the director’s films have an aesthetic like no other. Shelley Rubenstein speaks to Anderson ahead of a blockbuster show in London
www.thetimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Aesthetically specific film director Wes Anderson is opening an exhibition at the Design Museum in London spanning his 30-year career. His films require an extraordinary amount of objects, paintings, puppets, and singular artifacts found nowhere else. #Observed
Goodbye “Glass House.” Ford has opened its new global HQ in Dearborn, designed by Snøhetta. The 2.1M sq ft building brings engineering, design, and fabrication together under one roof, built for collaboration. Come for the natural light, stay for the rotisserie chickens. #Observed
Ford gets a huge new headquarters for an ambitious new era
Take a look inside the design of Ford's new global headquarters building, and how it could change the way the company works.
www.fastcompany.com
November 19, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Goodbye “Glass House.” Ford has opened its new global HQ in Dearborn, designed by Snøhetta. The 2.1M sq ft building brings engineering, design, and fabrication together under one roof, built for collaboration. Come for the natural light, stay for the rotisserie chickens. #Observed