Weekly Links — 26th August 2026

🕰️ Ten Minute Focus

• Sterling Cooper built your UX process. We need to redefine it in the age of AI and systems. — Ditch your Mad Men UX playbook; AI demands a mid-century reset.
• What The Matrix got wrong about AI (so far) — AI won’t be Skynet; it’s already here, asking nicely for your trust.

Branding

• ’Hands are the protagonist’: Stefhany Y Lozano on communicating with fingers and gestures in her paintings — Forget words, this artist proves hands are the true protagonists of expression.
• Creatives are deeply divided over the new Instagram logo, and I think that points to a broader issue — Instagram’s logo drama reveals a deeper, uncomfortable truth about design’s purpose.
• The Great Caffeine Heist, Brought To You By Gander — Decaf just got a cinematic upgrade, proving bland doesn’t have to be boring.
• Design Scoop — Bravo’s Sweet Cheeks branding is a masterclass in playful, sophisticated packaging.
• When bike brand Brompton needed a refresh, Studio Blackburn didn’t mess around—they headed straight to the factory floor — Brompton’s brand refresh went straight to the factory floor, forging metal into identity.

Design

• Kononenko Architectural Bureau — Minimalism meets bold type: This architecture site is a masterclass in digital presence.
• How to choose a UI font (and 10 Inter alternatives) — Tired of Inter? These two font criteria will save your UI from typographic mediocrity.
• It really wasn’t your fault, Coyote — ACME’s design critiques are hilariously brutal, reminding us perfection isn’t always the goal.
• Cipher — Precision meets possibility: This studio’s portfolio is a testament to bold creative exploration.
• LIKOVA — A business center’s website as inspiring as the space itself? Mission accomplished.
• Nobody wants a blank page. Nobody touches a perfect one. — Nobody wants to start from scratch, but nobody wants a finished product either.

Motion

• The Motion Awards X: This One Belongs to All of Us. — Motion Awards X is celebrating 20 years by making it easier for everyone to enter.
• Gucci Brand Film | Spring (Jieru) Tang. — Gucci’s latest brand film is a visually stunning exploration of spring’s artistry.
• De Váscolo a VAS — Studio VAS turns twenty, celebrating a name change that’s deeply rooted in its past.

AI

• Artificial Intelligence: Glossary — Finally, an AI glossary that speaks designer, not computer science jargon.
• How to make your design system agent-ready — Keep your design system from becoming AI’s worst nightmare: Don’t put it all in one file.
• Lindsay Adler on why a photographer’s perspective will matter more in the future, not less — As AI rises, photographers become even more crucial for sharpening creative vision.
• Oimachi — This Copenhagen studio is blending branding, development, and AI visibility with innovation.

Misc

• When The Boys Came Out To Play by John Mackel — Irish trad music and Belfast nights: a photographer captures raw, authentic moments.
• 28 down, 16 more to go — Hike update: 28 down, 16 to go. Sometimes a ’short stroll’ is part of the journey.
• 27 down, 17 more to go — Sunrise, coffee, and 16°C: Another day, another 40km conquered on this epic trek.

Nerd Alert

• Run Rob Run: Building a Music-Reactive Goo with Three.js and WebGPU — Building a music-reactive 3D world: This tutorial dives deep into WebGPU and Three.js.
• CSS Navigation Matching, Early Days — CSS Navigation Matching promises declarative control for seamless cross-document transitions.
• Creativity at Enterprise-Scale, Without Compromise: The OFF+BRAND. Story — OFF+BRAND. crafts enterprise-scale web experiences that don’t compromise on impact.
• Relighting Images with Depth Maps and Three.js — Relight flat images into dynamic surfaces using depth maps and WebGPU magic.
• A look at the geolocation HTML element and how it works — The element is here to simplify getting user location directly in HTML.