Instagram has revamped its app's motion design to add a more human and imperfect touch to its brand. Inspired by natural human interactions like tapping and scrolling, this comprehensive motion system, created by Studio Dumbar/Dept, was guided by design rules that embrace imperfection, incorporate techniques that mimic accurate camera movements, and integrate the creators' experience.

This article examines the differences between Apple and Android designs over the years. It reveals the UX philosophies that underpin their design choices and offers vital lessons for crafting products that resonate. Android values flexibility, adapting to user preferences while maintaining a cohesive user experience through collaboration with device manufacturers, unlike Apple, who emphasizes rigorous market research, extensive user feedback, and highly emotional and practical products.

For decades, designers have asked for a seat at the table in the boardrooms where decisions are made. Yet, this seems next to impossible, given that the people sitting next to them often struggle to understand their role. Instead of trying to prove their value and explain design, designers should invite those who don’t understand their role to experience design.

When used effectively, color has the power to capture a viewer's attention. Today's software is mostly a canvas for displaying people's (colorful) content, so you cannot rely on color alone to guide their behavior. You should remove colors from interface design whenever possible, treating them as part of a budget only used where it returns the best results.

Figma CEO Dylan Field has observed a shift from the futuristic, neon-lit cyberpunk aesthetic to a more optimistic and natural solarpunk theme, characterized by sustainable energy and architecture integrated with the environment. The trend suggests a movement from dystopian imagery to more human-centric designs and harmonious with nature.

You can elevate your design to a new level and completely change its mood with the right typeface. Fortunately, you don't have to rely on expensive fonts to achieve that. This carefully curated collection of free fonts will give you plenty of options to look premium without spending a fortune.

Odd Bleat and VML Singapore revamped Scoot Airlines' identity with 100 illustrations in a powerful collaboration. These vibrant narratives embody Scoot's "Escape the Ordinary" ethos.

Adobe has introduced two new integrations for its Substance 3D design software suite that allow 3D artists to create assets quickly for their projects using text descriptions. Using the Text to Texture feature in Substance 3D Sampler, designers can create photorealistic or stylized textures for 3D models. Another feature is Generative Backgrounds for Substance 3D Stager, which lets designers use text prompts to create background images for objects they compose into 3D scenes. Text to Texture and Generative Background are free during beta and available in Substance 3D Sampler 4.4 and Stager 3.0 beta versions.

A new app from Marissa Mayer, former Yahoo CEO, aims to make it easy for users to create and share photos of trips, parties, or hangouts with friends. However, its (lack of) design, looking like something from the early 2010s, is very clunky-looking and not at all like the apps we’re used to today.

Browse a collection of breathtaking AI-generated backgrounds, download them in 6K, and view their corresponding Midjourney prompts.

Figma celebrated digital design history by introducing retro cursors themed from iconic eras such as 8-bit, Y2K, Skeuomorphic, and Aero for its April Fun Day. Users can experience nostalgia and personal expression through these cursors in Figma and FigJam, which reflect the evolution and playfulness of interface design over the decades.

A leaked iPhone frame template, received from an anonymous source who claims to have obtained it from an iOS engineer, appears to be influenced by Apple's visionOS, supporting previous rumors that iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 will integrate visionOS elements.

The latest UI redesign of YouTube's video player, which shifts video details to a narrow right-aligned column, has been criticized by users who find it congested and detracting from community engagement. Despite YouTube's claim that the change aims to facilitate reading comments while watching, the adverse reaction may prompt a reconsideration of the design.

Choosing suitable typefaces and icons can improve brand recognition, enhance the overall user experience, and maintain visual consistency in a project. Pair icons with a typeface after considering the project's audience, message, and overall tone, as well as its visual style and context. Typeface and icon are so interdependent that sometimes it's worth creating an icon set from scratch based on the typeface.

Code Connect is a new Figma tool introduced to enhance the use of design systems by making code snippets more accessible to developers, facilitating better collaboration and consistent use across organizations. The beta release for Figma Organization and Enterprise plans promises a more unified workflow. Figma aims for general availability later in the year, further reducing silos and improving design-code integration.

Early in their careers, many designers follow a linear process like the double diamond model. However, experience teaches that such structures don't bind creativity - ideas can originate from any stage. Embracing flexibility and prioritizing critical criteria regardless of process stage fosters creativity and prevents the stifling effects of rigid methodologies.

Musho is an AI creative assistant in Figma that turns prompts into gorgeous and developer-friendly designs that can be edited.

These small and big Figma design tips will help to make your Figma design workflow smart, fast, and super productive.

Since Google acquired Fitbit in 2021, the app has been updated to comply with Material You design guidelines. Fitbit's UX team talks about how it adapted its app for Google platforms and the thought process behind the two-year transition, which is still ongoing.

WK Kellogg Co Script is a new typeface based on the signature of founder William Keith Kellogg. The proprietary typeface will be used for the company's corporate messaging, communications, website, and social media assets. It was created as a joint effort between WK Kellogg Co, advisory firm Brunswick, and XYZ and Plau-type foundries. The process of creating the typeface involved its designers looking at old Kellogg's ads and painted signs from the early 20th century.

The April update to Framer introduces a new masking feature that enables designers to apply and customize masks with gradients or images and stack multiple masks for complex layouts. It also includes workflow enhancements and precise gradient editing. Working with different Framer versions has become seamless thanks to improved collaboration capabilities.

Curated tools 🖌️ , trends 🎨, and inspiration 💡 for design professionals

This post discusses how to build a design system. It covers the benefits of design systems, the potential problems with using them, the best way to go about building a design system, ways to improve existing design systems, and more. It is important to design systems that users understand and want to use. Making a system too strict or complicated can cause adoption issues.

A Lego fan designed a detailed Lego Apple Store featuring a glass front, tables with Macs and iPhones, and neatly arranged shelves.

Dinamo, the Berlin-based type foundry, has designed a new custom typeface named Spotify Mix in collaboration with Spotify's in-house creative team. The font aims to enhance Spotify's brand identity and user experience. This versatile, variable font blends geometric, grotesque, and humanist elements, symbolizing the diversity of Spotify's content. It is set to appear across all its platforms and marketing materials.

The Boston Athletic Association's redesign of the Boston Marathon logo, which features a forward-facing, more muscular unicorn mascot and corporate branding from Bank of America, has sparked controversy among runners. The mixed response, with 55% of poll respondents disliking the new logo, underscores the challenge of balancing tradition and progress.

Bananabin offers a quirky design solution for managing your computer's Trash directory. It displays animated flies once trash data surpasses a specific threshold, with customization options for different storage limits. People can try the app by providing their email for a download link via the Bananabin website.

Figma CEO Dylan Field announced the temporary disabling of the company's “Make Design” AI feature after it was found to replicate designs from Apple's Weather app, sparking controversy in the design community. The AI tool, intended to generate UI layouts and components from text prompts quickly, faces accusations of being trained on existing apps, which Field denies, attributing the issue to inadequate quality assurance. Figma will suspend the feature until a robust QA process is implemented to ensure the originality and reliability of its outputs.

Canva's CEO Melanie Perkins discussed in an interview how the design software company continually innovates to make design accessible and user-friendly, including leveraging AI tools without the tension faced by Adobe. Canva's expansion into enterprise solutions presents a significant redesign to better cater to big businesses while maintaining its mission to democratize creativity. The conversation also touched on Canva's cultural values and the ethical considerations around AI, illustrating the company's dedication to balancing innovation and responsibility.

Serif has introduced a six-month free trial for its Affinity creative suite, an alternative to Adobe's Mac, Windows, and iPad design apps. Despite concerns about pricing changes post-Canva acquisition, Affinity retains a one-time purchase pricing model starting at $69.99 per app. Affinity is committed to creating flexible, professional design solutions.