Lego employees share 10 secrets for finding boundless creativity
Tips for feeling motivated, embracing bad ideas, getting over creative blocks, and more. Some conference room tables boast bowls of candy or a gaggle of diminutive bottles of water. Others, painfully benign centerpieces, like a vase filled with colo.....»»
Eddie Bauer changed its logo because Gen Z doesn’t read cursive
After nearly 60 years of its distinctive cursive script, the outdoor retailer is ditching the script for blocky text and a goose. After 59 years, outdoor outfitter Eddie Bauer is trading its cursive logo for something a bit more tangible: a goose.Re.....»»
Why investors are pouring money into the WNBA offseason
A pair of rival basketball leagues will be vying for players–and viewers–in the 2024 WNBA offseason. That’s a good thing. For years, WNBA players have been heading overseas in the offseason to continue playing competitive basket.....»»
From tacky to tasteful: how fake plants are growing into a $1 billion industry
Once a marker of bad taste, fake plants now look more real than ever. Is that enough to dethrone their living counterparts? On New Year’s Eve 2022, my husband and I brought a controversial gift to a friend’s house party: a white orch.....»»
Move over, Barbie. The icons of women’s soccer are stepping into the spotlight in a series of Nike ads
Starring Sophia Smith, Megan Rapinoe, Debinha and more, Nike’s new ads for the Women’s World Cup are changing the game. The ninth Women’s World Cup commenced this week before record crowds in Australia and New Zealand. Nike, whi.....»»
This iced tea wants to be the better-for-you, no-plastic, go-to drink for Gen Z
Inside Saint James Tea’s strategy to blend coastal elite branding and product signifiers with mass-market availability. Legend has it that iced tea was the invention of British tea merchant Richard Blechynden, who at the 1904 World’s F.....»»
Barbie’s global domination: Exactly how Mattel pulled it off
The ‘Barbie’ movie is finally here, but Mattel has been building to this moment since 2015. It’s an almost impossible task to objectively pick the single best piece of marketing for the Barbie movie.Read Full Story.....»»
We had a design agency reimagine ‘bleisure’ for the hybrid world. Yes, it involves VR
Alright Studio imagines the future of bleisure. The best kind of business travel? The kind that borders a weekend, making it possible to finish on a fun note before heading home. That marriage of business and leisure, aka bleisure, which has taken e.....»»
Would you wear these new sneakers designed by AI?
The *airegan line of sneakers raises interesting questions about design authorship, intellectual property, and how much AI is changing the creative process. Branded is a weekly column devoted to the intersection of marketing, business, design,.....»»
Pentagram redesigns Re—inc for the Women’s World Cup
As the World Cup kicks off, Eddie Opara and his team launch a starry line for Tobin Heath, Christen Press, Megan Rapinoe, and Meghan Klingenberg. The good news: The World Cup is back!Read Full Story.....»»
The first Cybertruck to roll off the line confirms Tesla’s design problems
Experts were wary of the Tesla Cybertruck’s outlandish design. A photo showing a misaligned passenger door validates their doubts. The first Tesla Cybertruck recently rolled off the production line at the Giga Texas factory, and eagle-eyed au.....»»
Design products that make an impact
Look beyond the bottom line to marry company and consumer values. Profits follow purpose.Read Full Story.....»»
How Ikea’s designers chose their favorite vintage pieces for the new anniversary collection
Ikea’s head of global product design dug through the archives to find the perfect pieces for the Nytillverkad collection. Four months ago, Ikea previewed a new collection to commemorate its 80th anniversary. The Nytillverkad collection, which.....»»
The trick to finding design inspiration in the age of algorithmic sameness
A new project called ‘Design Interrupted’ explores how social media algorithms influence creativity—and what you can do to stay original. In 2015, Maggie Mustaklem, then a knitwear designer, needed inspiration for a new sweater.....»»
‘Fauxstalgic’ branding is having a moment
Nostalgia is an effective marketing tool, but brands don’t need a long legacy to harness the same feeling. The smell of sweet coconut. The simple palm tree graphic. The ’80s sea foam green. Vacation sunscreen’s packaging and pro.....»»
Apple’s powerhouse headphone brand Beats has a new designer. See his first big product
We talk to Samuel Ross about the new Beats Studio Pro. It’s the first update to the Beats Studio line since 2017. I’m holding the box for Beats Studio3 headphones. They were released in 2017—in other words, a lifetime ago. The b.....»»
85% of Gen Z have a Bitmoji. Here’s why Snapchat is redesigning them (exclusive)
A more expressive and animated Bitmoji is coming to Snapchat to deepen connections, sell merch, and work better in AR. Long before Apple’s memoi or Meta’s dead avatars, Bitmoji allowed people to transform themselves into cartoon alter.....»»
An expert in the uncanny explains why Barbie’s IRL DreamHouse is so creepy
Here’s why Airbnb’s topsy-turvy iteration of the Barbie DreamHouse evokes uncanny emotions. A mass of hot pink emerges violently amid the green foliage, palm trees, and shrubbery. Located in Malibu, the oceanfront Barbie DreamHouse cre.....»»
Get ready for the rise of Kencore
Ken has always been a fashion icon, but he hasn’t had Barbie’s cultural influence. Until now. Barbie has always been a source of fashion inspiration to girls. But this year, when she’s about to appear in her own live-action movi.....»»
Enough with the ‘feel good’ architecture
It’s time to get real about the complexities and compromises inherent to city building. For years, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) leaders have looked upon the parking lots and courtyards of the city’s tower-in-the-green style.....»»