Design

Vintage Illustration, luxury driving nostalgia. +73% of Gen Z consumers say they find comfort in content and design that reminds them of the past. Is trending hard, especially among lifestyle and fashion brands trying to win over Gen Z. But this isn’t just a vibe shift, it’s a strategic move backed by cultural data, behavioral insights, and evolving consumer expectations. Fashion and lifestyle brands are leveraging these illustration trends across packaging, social media, and product design. This appetite for nostalgia isn’t about looking backward, it’s about finding emotional grounding in an overwhelming digital world. +120% YoY increase in searches for terms like “vintage cartoon art” and “retro aesthetic outfit.” +58% of Gen Z shoppers prefer brands with a “strong aesthetic identity rooted in storytelling and nostalgia.” >>Nostalgia-Driven design is here to stay<< Reports predicts that “neo-nostalgia” will define aesthetic strategies through 2026, particularly as Gen Alpha begins to enter the consumer space and Gen Z’s influence continues to peak. Meanwhile, AI and generative design tools are making vintage-style illustration easier to scale, enabling brands to customize retro visuals for seasonal campaigns or limited drops, all while keeping production costs low. +Digital Burnout: In a screen-saturated age, tactile, analog-style graphics stand out. +Sustainability: Vintage aesthetics pair naturally with thrifting, upcycling culture. +Anti-Overdesign: After hyper-polished brand visuals, there's a desire for hand-drawn, imperfect, real art. >>Illustration styles to review<< +Rococo Fashion Plates +Toile de Jouy Designs +Chinoiserie +Scientific & Botanical Illustration +Neoclassical Engravings In Conclusion: Vintage illustration isn’t just a throwback, it’s a forward-looking strategy for brands that want to connect with Gen Z’s complex mix of irony, emotion, and aesthetic intelligence. It signals soul in a world of sameness, and smart brands are taking note. Find my curated search of luxury Illustrations, and get inspired for success. featured Brands: Bulgary Chanel Dolce & Gabbana Dior Dyptique Gucci Hermes Kohan Loewe Versace #beautybussines #beautyprofessionals #luxurybussines #luxuryprofessionals

Nature's Hacks for Success. Biomimicry might sound complex, but it's simply about learning from nature to enhance our designs. It's like learning from the best teacher, Mother Nature herself. Defined by the Biomimicry Institute, this approach guides us toward sustainable solutions by mimicking perfected patterns and strategies found in nature. Nature has already solved many of our challenges. So, why not apply its genius to our packaging designs? It offers patterns and relationships that inspire better, eco-friendly packaging designs. Whether in structure or materials, designers can draw from nature's beauty, texture, and flow. We discover materials that are waterproof, breathable, flexible, and more. It's as if nature has already completed the heavy lifting of innovation, evolution, and adaptation for us. Think of the honeycomb structure in beehives, not only sturdy but also space-efficient. A great example of biomimicry in packaging design is the SIS bottle by Backbone Branding. Their designers draw inspiration from a flower's pistil to shape a two-litre juice bottle. The design not only stands out with its natural juice colour but also resolves many stacking, storage, and merchandising challenges through its interlocking form. Rooted in geometry with equilateral triangles, these bottles fit snugly together, saving space. Every aspect of the bottle, from its size and proportions to its lines and curves, has been carefully considered. Even the label has been specially designed to adhere to the bottle's irregular surface, eliminating the need for glue. Consider adding nature's strategy into your design process. It will help you close the loop and build a solution that resonates with the ecosystem we breathe in. Biomimicry enables us to develop sustainable systems rather than short-lived, isolated solutions that may soon become outdated. One thing's for sure, we stand at a crucial juncture in human history. The challenges ahead demand designers and innovators capable of creating resilient, adaptable solutions. Our path forward must consider the well-being of future generations across the planet. We must continually draw inspiration from nature and reciprocate by nurturing and preserving it. In doing so, we'll not only enrich our designs but also contribute to the greater ecosystem. Let nature continue to inspire us, and in return, let's contribute to its well-being A cycle of respect and reciprocity where our designs and actions reflect a deep reverence for the natural world. Ready to take a cue from nature's playbook for your next packaging design? 📷Backbone Branding

Last week, I described four design patterns for AI agentic workflows that I believe will drive significant progress: Reflection, Tool use, Planning and Multi-agent collaboration. Instead of having an LLM generate its final output directly, an agentic workflow prompts the LLM multiple times, giving it opportunities to build step by step to higher-quality output. Here, I'd like to discuss Reflection. It's relatively quick to implement, and I've seen it lead to surprising performance gains. You may have had the experience of prompting ChatGPT/Claude/Gemini, receiving unsatisfactory output, delivering critical feedback to help the LLM improve its response, and then getting a better response. What if you automate the step of delivering critical feedback, so the model automatically criticizes its own output and improves its response? This is the crux of Reflection. Take the task of asking an LLM to write code. We can prompt it to generate the desired code directly to carry out some task X. Then, we can prompt it to reflect on its own output, perhaps as follows: Here’s code intended for task X: [previously generated code] Check the code carefully for correctness, style, and efficiency, and give constructive criticism for how to improve it. Sometimes this causes the LLM to spot problems and come up with constructive suggestions. Next, we can prompt the LLM with context including (i) the previously generated code and (ii) the constructive feedback, and ask it to use the feedback to rewrite the code. This can lead to a better response. Repeating the criticism/rewrite process might yield further improvements. This self-reflection process allows the LLM to spot gaps and improve its output on a variety of tasks including producing code, writing text, and answering questions. And we can go beyond self-reflection by giving the LLM tools that help evaluate its output; for example, running its code through a few unit tests to check whether it generates correct results on test cases or searching the web to double-check text output. Then it can reflect on any errors it found and come up with ideas for improvement. Further, we can implement Reflection using a multi-agent framework. I've found it convenient to create two agents, one prompted to generate good outputs and the other prompted to give constructive criticism of the first agent's output. The resulting discussion between the two agents leads to improved responses. Reflection is a relatively basic type of agentic workflow, but I've been delighted by how much it improved my applications’ results. If you’re interested in learning more about reflection, I recommend: - Self-Refine: Iterative Refinement with Self-Feedback, by Madaan et al. (2023) - Reflexion: Language Agents with Verbal Reinforcement Learning, by Shinn et al. (2023) - CRITIC: Large Language Models Can Self-Correct with Tool-Interactive Critiquing, by Gou et al. (2024) [Original text: https://lnkd.in/g4bTuWtU ]

Rick Rubin went on stage in Helsinki the day after my talk. Someone asked how he resolves creative differences with artists. His answer was simple: change the conversation from "I disagree" to "let's build it." Then he shared a story: An artist played him a song. The transition didn't work. Rubin told him so. The artist said, "We'll just cut that part in half." Rubin thought to himself: What a dumb idea. But he didn't say that. He said, "Let's try it." The artist played it. It worked. Rubin is a legend. He's produced everyone from Johnny Cash to Jay-Z. Instead, he bit his tongue and let the artist prove him wrong. The principle: when you make an idea tangible, it stops being the person's idea. It becomes something you can both look at objectively and improve together. Once you build it, the truth is obvious. Here's what this looks like in practice: Your designer wants to change the entire homepage layout. You think it's too risky. Instead of three meetings debating it, you say: "Let's build a prototype and test it with 50 users this week." Your sales team wants to restructure the pricing page. Instead of blocking it because you're worried about conversions, you say: "Let's run it as an A/B test on 20% of traffic for two weeks." Your engineer wants to rebuild a core feature from scratch. You think it's overengineered. But instead of killing it in the planning phase, you say: "Spike it out in three days and show me if the performance gain is real." You're not saying yes to everything. You're saying, "Let's find out." Rubin also said something that stuck with me: "If there's disagreement, I always side with the artist's vision. Because to them, it's their career. To me, it's just one piece of my portfolio." Most leaders think backing down makes them look weak. Rubin knows that siding with the person who has the most at stake makes better work happen. Your job isn't to be right. It's to create the conditions where the best idea wins. Stop debating. Start building. P.S. This insight is from this week's newsletter where I break down why Yamaha dominates while Steinway got sold to private equity: https://lnkd.in/efSqP_9K P.P.S. Access additional research links, the podcast, and the full archive in the first comment 👇 Thank you to Nordic Business Forum!

For everyone who keeps saying, "DEI = Didn't Earn It," let me educate you. DEI isn’t just a corporate buzzword—it’s about ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to work, thrive, and be respected. It includes: ✅ Your coworker with ADHD who needs a quiet workspace to focus and do their best work. ✅ The deaf cashier at your local grocery store who greets you with a warm smile and quickly signs "thank you" when you check out. ✅ The chronically ill employee who works remotely because commuting drains their energy, but whose contributions are just as valuable as anyone else's. ✅ The Black woman in leadership who deserves to be recognized for her expertise, not dismissed or interrupted in meetings. ✅ The LGBTQIA2S+ employee who wants to share pictures of their partner on their desk without fear of side-eyes or whispers. ✅ The Muslim team member who takes a few minutes for daily prayers without judgment. ✅ The father who leaves early for daycare pickup and isn’t seen as “less committed” to his job. ✅ The older employee bringing decades of knowledge to the team, who isn’t pushed aside for someone younger. ✅ The neurodivergent coder whose innovative thinking makes the whole team stronger. DEI isn’t about “special treatment.” It’s about removing barriers that never should have been there in the first place. It's about recognizing that fair doesn’t always mean equal—sometimes it means adjusting the system so everyone can succeed. It’s not about taking opportunities away from one group to give to another—it’s about making sure opportunity exists for everyone. That’s what DEI is. That’s why it matters. DEI isn’t about giving anyone a head start—it’s about removing the barriers that never should have been there in the first place.

🏎️💨 How To Design For Aging Population. One billion people aged 60+ live today, and it’s growing faster than any other age group. Key points to consider for more age-inclusive UX ↓ 🚫 Don’t assume that older adults struggle to use digital. ✅ Most users are healthy, active and have a solid income. 🤔 With age, it’s more difficult to focus on close objects. 🤔 Visuals with a similar contrast are harder to tell apart. 🤔 60 years → need 3× more light to perceive same brightness. 🤔 With age, shades of blue/purple, yellow/green look similar. 🤔 Reduced dexterity causes errors with precise movements. ✅ Add UI controls to resize columns, move cards, drag-n-drop. ✅ Always confirm destructive actions, allow to Undo/restore. 🚫 Avoid disappearing messages as toasts: let people close them. ✅ Baseline: large body copy (16px+), color contrast (WCAG AA). ✅ Prefer plain language, large checkboxes, radios (36px+). ✅ Avoid small floating labels and use static field labels. ✅ Show error messages above the text input, not below. 🚫 Don’t rely on accessibility overlays; they are trouble. Accessibility doesn’t have to be dull or boring. It doesn’t come at the cost of oversimplification — it can be bold and passionate, while understanding and respecting the needs of the different audiences it caters to. If anything, it makes boldness more accessible to more people. Conversations about older audiences tend to come with plenty of assumptions and stereotypes — and very often they are simply inaccurate. We overgeneralize and simplify. For example, just like when designing for children, we need to study vast differences in the age groups of 60–65, 65–70 etc. Just like any other group, older users need a reliable, clear product that helps them feel independent and competent. Bring older adults in your design process to find out what their specific needs are. It’s not just better for that specific target audience — good accessibility is better for everyone. And huge kudos to wonderful people contributing to a topic that is often forgotten and overlooked. 👏🏼👏🏽👏🏾 Useful resources: Wise Case Study: Accessible But Never Boring, by Stephanie S. https://lnkd.in/d-hjj_BF Designing For Older Audiences, by Matthew Stephens https://lnkd.in/dAXZ9mp3 Better Microcopy For Older Adults, by Michal Halperin Ben Zvi (PhD.), Kinneret Yifrah https://lnkd.in/evWGFB6u What You Can Learn From Older Adults, by Becca Selah https://lnkd.in/eZdbgRyA Designing Age-Inclusive Products, by Michal Halperin Ben Zvi (PhD.) https://lnkd.in/eQZJwEgS [continues in the comments below ↓] #ux #accessibility

In today's digital age, leveraging celebrity brand ambassadors has become a popular strategy for businesses, including startups. As someone who's been a brand ambassador for various companies over the years and dabbled in startups myself, I've seen firsthand the ups & downs of this approach. People often ask if it's always beneficial to have a celebrity endorse your products or services. I’ll break it down to the most important things to consider. Visibility - Celebrities bring a massive following, offering increased visibility & reach to a wider audience that may have been difficult to engage otherwise. This exposure could enhance brand recognition & create positive associations in consumers' minds. Credibility -  The right kind of celebrity could inject a dose of credibility into your brand. Consumers may in turn perceive your product as reliable, particularly important for startups aiming to build a solid reputation & carve out a slice of the market. Engagement - Some celebrities are able to forge personal connections with their community. By aligning your startup with a celebrity, you may be tapping into that emotional connection & that community may be more likely to show interest in your brand. Costs - Engaging a celebrity ambassador comes at a price. Even if you opt for an equity-based deal, you still need to allocate valuable resources to amplify the association, potentially diverting funds from other key areas of requirement. Authenticity - The alignment between the celebrity & your product must seem genuine. If the partnership feels like a misfit or forced, the results can be counter productive. Today's consumers are evolved & can sense inauthenticity from a distance. Sustenance - While celebrities can generate a buzz in the short term, building interest & loyalty requires consistent effort & a solid value offering that goes beyond the celebrity association. Your product still needs to deliver exceptional value beyond the initial buzz.. Relevance - Ensure the celebrity aligns with the startup's target audience, values & offerings. The endorsement should make sense within the startup's brand identity & goals. Budget - Assess whether the startup can afford the associated costs, especially including the ongoing marketing efforts. Do not assume that bringing a celebrity on board itself is going to win you the war. It’s just a head start. Long-Term Strategy - A well-crafted partnership should naturally integrate into your overall marketing & branding strategy & solidify your position & bring sustained growth. Timing - Most importantly, remember, spending so much in early stages, or early dilution in equity can have long-term consequences, so ask yourself if you’re really ready at this stage. Ultimately, the decision to engage a celebrity brand ambassador should be based on your unique circumstances & goals. Hopefully this will help some make an informed decision. #BrandAmbassadors #CelebrityEndorsements #InfluencerMarketing

This isn’t a luxury. This is a $200 wheelchair redefining what’s possible. For millions, standing wheelchairs have always been out of reach. Until now. At R2D2, IIT Madras, a team dared to ask: What if mobility wasn’t a privilege, but a right? Their answer is a simple innovation -no Big Tech: A wheelchair that lets you stand—on your terms Ingenious gas-spring technology for seamless movement: -Supports up to 242 pounds -Priced at $200 (when others cost $2,000 or more) But the true breakthrough isn’t just in the engineering. It’s in the lives transformed. → Physical freedom is restored. Stand tall when you choose. Reach the top shelf. Cook your own meals. Keep your body strong and active. → Health is protected. Standing improves circulation. Strengthens bones. Prevents pressure sores. Aids digestion. Reduces heart risks. → Social inclusion becomes reality. Converse at eye level. Join meetings—no barriers. Participate fully in community life. Experience true belonging. Ask yourself: When was the last time you had to look up just to be heard? For millions, that’s every day. This isn’t only about standing. It’s about dignity. It’s about independence. It’s about living fully. And for the first time, it’s within reach for those who need it most. When innovation meets accessibility, lives change. This is technology for humanity. Follow me, Dr. Martha Boeckenfeld for more stories of tech that matters. ♻️ Share with your network to learn more about how simple innovation can change people's live. #TechForGood #Innovation #Healthcare

Solar is starting to boom across Africa — and nowhere is it more visible than in Nigeria, the continent’s largest petrostate. Nigeria is Africa's largest oil-producing nation. However, this wealth has not been translated into reliable power due to chronically poor infrastructure, corruption and vandalism of oil and gas lines. Outages are frequent and often last for hours. Around 85 million Nigerians – over one third of the population – have no grid connection at all. Most households and businesses have relied on diesel generators for years to fill the gap. Two things have abruptly changed all that: 1️⃣ The availability of ever cheaper Chinese solar panels and batteries. 2️⃣ The removal of a government fuel subsidy that lowered the cost of running a generator. Suddenly, solar is surging across the country. Nigeria is now Africa's second biggest importer of Chinese solar panels (after South Africa). The country imported 1.7 GW in the last year alone, more than triple the imports of just two years ago. For those who can afford panels, payback times are less than six months. For those who can't, plugging into one of the country's interconnected minigrids is the next best option. These local networks of solar panels and batteries deliver constant power — three times cheaper than diesel and far more reliable than the grid. Developers already serve tens of thousands of customers, with 20 GW of systems expected by 2033 — compared with just 4.5 GW the national grid manages today. This is grassroots energy transition in action — driven by necessity, not policy. It’s happening all over Africa: communities powering themselves when the grid can’t. And once the sun comes up on this kind of change, there’s no going back. ☀️ #energy #renewables #energytransition

Friendly reminder: Your naming matters A LOT Salmon? ❌ Pink Chicken ✅ Save this naming framework PMMs Erik Heiberg created the "Minimum Viable Name" framework that maps exactly how much marketing investment each type of name requires. Four quadrants based on whether your name describes Features vs Benefits and whether it's Functional vs Emotional: 1) Features - Functional What it describes: Physical characteristics of what the product does Examples: TurboTax, PowerPoint, LinkedIn   Marketing investment required: High Why: Requires constant explanation of value 2) Benefits - Functional   What it describes: The outcome customers get from using it Examples: Netflix (net delivery of flicks), Salesforce (automating sales) Marketing investment required: Medium Why: Value proposition is clearer but still needs education 3) Features - Emotional What it describes: Makes you feel something about what the product does   Examples: Twitter (birds chirping), Nest (safe home feeling) Marketing investment required: Medium Why: Emotional connection helps but function still needs explanation 4) Benefits - Emotional What it describes: Connects the customer outcome to how they'll feel Examples: Slack (reduces work stress), Zoom (brings people closer) Marketing investment required: Low   Why: Emotional resonance creates viral potential The framework shows you exactly where to allocate launch resources. Upper-right quadrant names market themselves through emotional connection to benefits. Lower-left quadrant names require heavy education spend to explain basic value. This connects to the legal side PMMs often ignore. The USPTO uses a "distinctiveness continuum" for trademark protection: Generic → Descriptive → Suggestive → Arbitrary → Fanciful Most B2B companies default to descriptive names because they feel safer. But descriptive names require proving "secondary meaning" to get trademark protection. That means years of marketing spend and market research to prove customers associate the name with your company specifically. Meanwhile suggestive names get immediate trademark protection because they require imagination to connect the name to the function. Example: "Salesforce" is suggestive. You need imagination to connect "force" to "sales automation." Avalara figured this out when naming their product portfolio. They moved from descriptive names toward generic/descriptive combinations under their master brand strategy. Instead of fighting for trademark protection on weak descriptive names, they invested in building the Avalara brand equity and used simpler product descriptors. -- The “Minimum Viable Name” framework perfectly reflects what great product marketing does — turn language into leverage. More frameworks like this join me here >> https://lnkd.in/ehKt3DRB