If we want to expand the design space, we need better tools. — Whenever we create something, the tools we use have a direct influence on the resulting artefact. Tools shape our products — it’s as simple as that. This observation is neither new nor original. Tools extend our capabilities. They allow us to do things that would be difficult or impossible with…

Creating a professional culture for design feedback is an essential factor for the success of a project — All creative disciplines — be it music, art, dance, architecture, or design — share an elemental form of evaluation and assessment: the critique. These feedback sessions are deeply ingrained in each disciplinary culture, and they form the backbone of creative education. Critiques are fundamental to the development of a creative…

Why is Mark Zuckerberg and the Metaverse so obsessed with literal simulation? — A few days ago, Mark Zuckerberg presented his vision of a virtual world called ‘Metaverse’. Personally, I found it difficult to watch the presentation. It was an endless string of warmed up ideas, bland concepts, and visual disappointments. It was infantile and tacky. But one thing intrigued me: if the…

Individual creativity is a remarkable source for innovation. — ‘Always remember — you don’t design for yourself!’ is a mantra you hear a lot in the UX and interface design world. I must admit that I disagree with it. It is not fundamentally wrong. But I strongly dislike the implication that if you let designers design for themselves, they…

Reflections on communicating and visualising climate change scenarios — The core aim of the SENSES project was the visualisation and communication of climate change scenarios. We started the project in late 2017 — and submitted the last modules in late 2020. It was a long and intense project — and…

Working with Figma feels like being detached from my Mac — User interface designers work either with Sketch, Adobe XD or with Figma. These applications provide an excellent set of tools for creating screen designs, prototypes and quick mock-ups. I have been in the business for more than 20 years and I still remember doing screen design in Adobe Illustrator and…

ML Creates New Challenges for User Interface Designers — Like so many other designers, I am currently following the development of new Machine Learning (ML) features in computer systems. For obvious reasons, I am really curious about the implications of ML for user interface design. There is a lot going on — but a substantial part or the debate…

New book: ‘Algorithmen & Zeichen — Beiträge von Frieder Nake zur Gegenwart des Computers’ — If you are reading my essays, you probably know Frieder Nake. For over 50 years, he has worked at the intersection of computer science, semiotics, art, interaction design and cultural theory. His essays and his art are remarkably relevant for the current debate on the significance of the computer in…

‘Form follows function’ is a meaningless platitude that professional designers should avoid — One of the most irritating and misleading things that were ever said about design is ‘form follows function’. It is an inaccurate and deceptive aphorism. And yet it has shaped the public debate on design for decades. This is surprising, considering the fact that it is now 125 years old…