Let’s say we want some stepped gradients like the ones below, with a certain number of steps.

Before you dive deep into this week’s episode, here’s an important announcement on the future of Fundament we’d like you to read.

Summary:  UX in complex, specialized domains requires adapting familiar methods across the design lifecycle to address domain constraints and expert-user needs.

From AI assistants to digital platforms, how can we design for rapid mode switching in real life? Reflections about utilitarian and experiential content and why understanding both matters.

Ever wondered where that bold, slab-serif “college look” comes from? It goes way back to mid‑19th century Ivy League sportswear. Harvard’s baseball team embroidered an “H” on their flannel jackets in 1865, making them the first varsity-style letter sweaters.

Creating product icons at Figma involves dozens—sometimes hundreds—of iterations. Product Designer Tim Van Damme shares his thoughtful approach to icon design and the creative exploration that shapes each final result.

Reform Collective’s new site strips away the noise in favor of clarity, performance, and structure—with the tech lead detailing how AI, GSAP, and CSS hacks brought it to life.

As social platforms reward visibility, creatives are increasingly expected to make their practice public. Designers are no longer just making work; they are the work. But what started as promotion now risks swallowing design itself.

Picture this: You’re in a meeting room at your tech company, and two people are having what looks like the same conversation about the same design problem. One is talking about whether the team has the right skills to tackle it. The other is diving deep into whether the solution actually solves the user’s problem. Same room, same problem, completely different lenses.

A few weekends ago, I launched a Shopify app on my own — not to prove I could code, but to solve a real merchant pain point. I had no dev team, no startup budget — just a clear understanding of the problem, a few AI tools, and the instincts of a designer.