Dark patterns are online user experiences that are intentionally designed to trick users into taking unintended actions. These actions rarely benefit the user, but rather serve the owner of the site or app — almost always for financial gain. This article by graphic designer, artist and art educator Eileen MacAvery Kane will explore different types of experiences, the role and responsibility of designers, the confusing online landscape created by dark patterns, and what actions can be taken to prioritize users in the online design process.

The term “dark patterns” was coined in 2010 by UX specialist Harry Brignull, describing online…

We have released two new features that allow to fine-tune user mobile experience.

— Select from a list of mobile devices in Preview mode. This feature allows users to view the mobile version of their page as it will appear on a variety of devices.

Use this feature, for example, to make sure that your project’s most relevant details fit the first screen of all devices.

— You can now change the width of mobile layouts in the Editor using the Guides menu in the mobile viewport.

This will help you fine-tune your project for a particular device version…

For decades we’ve been taught that user-centricity is the key to good design. But now the philosophy is showing vulnerabilities. We need approaches that are less narrow, less transactional, and more able to cope with the diverse, systemic challenges the 21st century has in store. Designer and futurist Cennydd Bowles elaborates.

In those toddler days, when the connected age was still taking its first tremulous steps, digital design was slow to find its identity. …

As designers, we are not set apart from systems of inequality, acting from the outside in. We shape and mold; we create cause and effect. Immy Robinson, an Innovation Lead at British charity Shift Design, speaks on what can be done to generate and multiply power through community relationships. From this article, you will learn how to design with communities and not just ‘for’ them.

2020 was a year of many reckonings. A global pandemic amplified and exacerbated the many forms of inequality we see in our communities — racial, economic, health and cultural. We saw, with renewed clarity, the…

Fraser Morton, a mixed-media journalist, filmmaker & founder of Far Features, an independent media production company, talks about using times of disruption as a springboard for creative experimentation.

Now is the time

There has never been a better time to invest in independent, experimental, creative, socially-oriented work. If you have a project you have always wanted to get done — now is the time.

The interconnectedness of people and global economies, our broken relationship with the natural world, racial injustice, health inequality — the list of realisations is endless. This is a time of radical awakenings for many, what professor Otto Scharmer describes as…

With more designers and agencies adopting a position of purpose, it’s harder to stand out and truly demonstrate a unique creative angle. Abb-d Choudhury, founder of Driftime®, writes about why he chose to reposition his business and undergo a radical shift towards people and planet-focused outcomes. Here are some ideas and tips for those looking to instill design and organisational ethics in their companies.

In the wake of climate change, social injustice, and wanting to create a more equitable world, purpose-driven design practices are springing up everywhere. Designers want to add meaning to the work they do and boost impact…

The tumult of 2020 transformed the way people live and interact with each other. This encompasses all the common social norms — including patterns of behavior, communications, and attitudes. Now people often speak of the ‘new normal.’

As designers and developers, we are obliged to create experiences that are better than normal. For us, it’s important to never lose the wider ethical perspective; seeing changing circumstances not as a drawback, but an opportunity for a better shared future. This future has to be envisioned and designed, and we hope that everyone will participate. …

Creating a web project that stands out requires a deep understanding of typography and fonts. Our selection of manuals and video tutorials will help you create effective font pairings, make long reads more readable, and fine-tune your text layouts.

Font Pairing Almanac