Tag: graphic design
How metro maps evolved
And what makes them look iconic.
Voice memos: I hate Helvetica
I don’t know, do you find it interesting how design evolves most in the places where it’s not so institutionalized? If it sounds obvious, good for you, but from what I've seen and the way I feel strongly about this more than usual, I'd argue maybe nowhere near enough so for everybody else.
Design Deconstruction
Design is perhaps the software paradigm most wedded to the mouse and the GUI. But there’s no reason it can’t be text-driven.
Rotate 180°
Canva makes a bold bet with Affinity: The real money is in the rank-and-file office worker, not the professionals. It just turned the pro tool into the loss leader.
Better ways to be better
Originally written back in Oct 2025. I left it unfinished and forgot about it, but six months later, I'd unknowingly lived by the things I wrote here and owe a few parts of my life to it.
Circles And Slashes
One of the best-known icons of modern society is a classic example of a symbol—it’s easy to spot, but hard to explain. Who came up with it?
Figma Cheatsheet
A guide to all the keyboard shortcuts in Figma.
Published Via Desktop
A list of programs from the all-too-brief golden era of desktop publishing that “didn’t make it.” The GUI’s killer app didn’t slay forever.
Painting With Light
How a little box and stylus revolutionized television graphics. You may not know but the Quantel Paintbox is, but you’ve seen its impact.
Over the Vinyl Moon
Vinyl records are in the middle of a renaissance—and a popular vinyl subscription service highlights many of the reasons why that is.
No Room for Design
Of the many things that social platforms have taken away from us, perhaps the most disappointing is the freedom to customize our spaces. We need it back.
Painting Outside The Lines
Adobe was already a big company when it first sold Photoshop, but its biggest competitor, Paint Shop Pro, was built by an airline pilot in his free time.
Let’s Break Up Adobe
Why the creative software giant Adobe deserves a place in the broader discussion of breaking up tech giants like Facebook and Google. It's not just Photoshop.
Clippy Couture
Clip art gets a bad rap as an artform, in part because it’s everywhere. Let’s give it some grudging respect by filling in some historic gaps.
An Early Touchpoint
How the graphics tablet, most notably produced by Japanese firm Wacom, helped shape our multitouch-friendly world—even if that shaping took a little while.
CMYK All The Way
How mass-production printing technology, starting with the lithograph, was pushed forward thanks to a growing interest in color.
Outside-the-Bottle Thinking
Dr. Bronner's recently redesigned their famously dense label. Here's how it came to be, and where modern bottle design stands.
I Believe In Symmetry
Why are we attracted to things that have perfect symmetry, that match up on either side? It might have something to do with the way our brains are wired.
Forget Rand Paul, Let's Talk Paul Rand
Paul Rand, the graphic designer, has a Rand Paul problem: The headline-chewing politician is hiding the famed designer's legacy on Google. Here's why.
Brand bastardizations
Sometimes, companies do things that go against our expectations of their brand. Often, the result can be awful. Check out these examples of brand weirdness.