Prototypes, Systems, and Taste

A practical issue about prototypes, taste, and the structure behind good craft.

Why are we in this mess? — Dragan BabićAI didn't devalue technological service work.Dragan Babićdragan

Why Creative Services Are Being Devalued in Today's Market

It's a critical realization that AI isn't the villain but rather a tool to meet escalating business demands for efficiency, forcing a necessary and painful evolution in how design agencies operate and deliver value.

LukeW | Designing PerplexityIn his AI Speaker Series presentation at Sutter Hill Ventures, Henry Modisett, Head of Design at Perplexity, shared insights on designing AI products and the ev...LukeWLuke Wroblewski

Insights on Designing AI Products from Perplexity's Head of Design

Perplexity's Head of Design, Henry Modisett, shares key insights on designing AI products and the new challenges faced by designers in this evolving landscape.

AI Prototyping in Real Design ContextsAI prototyping tools follow general directions but lack the judgment and nuance of an experienced designer.Nielsen Norman GroupHuei-Hsin Wang

AI Prototyping in Real Design Contexts: Good from Afar, But Far from Good

Despite the hype, current AI prototyping tools serve best as creative aids for early ideation, as they fall short of producing the nuanced, high-quality work that human designers can deliver through thoughtful tradeoffs and deep contextual understanding.

Vibe prototyping & CursorPractical lessons I learned spending 60 hours vibe coding in a month.Hardik PandyaHardik Pandya

Vibe Prototyping & Cursor

This article details practical lessons learned from spending over 60 hours using AI to code interactive prototypes. Learn how to go from idea to a fully functional prototype without ever opening Figma. The resurgence of designing directly in code, augmented by AI tools like Cursor, represents a significant pendulum swing back to building tangible interfaces rather than just static representations.

On Dynamic Island - Shu DingDynamic Island is a clever compromise, but not good design.Shu Ding

On Dynamic Island - Shu Ding

The author argues that while Dynamic Island is a clever compromise, it fails as good design by violating principles of being unobtrusive and long-lasting. Is Apple's flashy new design feature actually a step backward for user interface principles?

Reflecting on Dieter Rams' principles, it becomes clear that Dynamic Island's excessive visual effects prioritize fleeting coolness over timeless, content-focused design, representing a concerning trend toward distracting, physically-grounded UIs.