I’ve been on the road this past week, but I’ve got a fresh batch for you, short and sweet. The team at Adobe Express is teaming up with me to give one lucky reader a free year of the product. Share, link, and comment for your chance to snag it.
This week’s post is sponsored by Adobe Express
Art
shunshun
Drawings
Web Design/UX/UI
The evolution of five of Adobe’s iconic icons
How time and circumstance have transformed these legendary in-app symbols
Marketing/Video
IBM NorthPole
Our launch film for IBM Research showcases the new AIU NorthPole chip and Map Project Office’s minimalist server units. Designed as a series of modular sequences, the film goes on an insightful journey from the data centre to the heart of the unit, revealing the cutting-edge chip within.
Industrial Design
Victorinox’s Latest Collector’s Knife Is Built for Elegance
The body of the knife features a smooth, white-speckled Corian handle… This gives the tool a clean, polished look that contrasts beautifully with the distinctive pattern of the main blade, which is forged from ultra-high-quality Damasteel. With a Svavner pattern running across its surface and a Rockwell hardness rating of 60 HRC, it offers both visual intrigue and practical durability.
Teenage Engineering Debuts a Customizable Electric Moped
Known for its innovative, minimalist design language and cult-favorite gadgets, the company has collaborated with fellow Swedish brand Vässla to create the EPA-1, a stylish, customizable electric moped that blends modern tech with urban mobility.
Work
Make things happen by Cap Watkins
…if someone on the design team had ever come to me to ask why this designer got all the “good projects,” that’s exactly what I would have told them. The projects weren’t good. They were made good.
The Age of the Super IC by Hardik Pandya
You need a special breed of ICs who can learn, understand, adopt, and then build for a new technology faster and better than most. These are what I call the Super ICs.
Random
Overtourism in Japan, and How it Hurts Small Businesses
Why being super popular is not the goal of most small businesses
This wild retro game unleashes a novel artistic enemy
ZOE Begone! is pure hand-drawn chaos.
Sponsored Content
Good Design Is Worth Paying For
Adobe offered me a free year of Adobe Express, no strings attached. I’m not being paid to write this, but I am giving away a free year of Express to one of you. More on that at the end.
If you’re doing anything public, starting a business, building a brand, making a thing, you need design. Not just decent-looking stuff, but design that feels intentional. Design helps people understand you, trust you, and remember you.
And while DIY tools like Adobe Express are great (especially if you’re moving fast or working solo), nothing beats having a real designer involved. Someone who can help shape the way your brand feels—not just how it looks.
Design isn’t decoration. It’s communication. It’s structure. It’s how you signal to the world that your product, service, or business is worth paying attention to.
About Adobe Express
I’ve been playing with Express for the past few weeks. It’s surprisingly good for quick visuals—social posts, flyers, pitch decks, even branded merch mockups. The templates don’t feel overly generic, and it’s fast enough to use in between bigger design cycles.
It won’t replace a real designer, but if you’re in the early days of a project or want to keep your visuals consistent without a lot of overhead, it’s a solid option.
Want a free year of Adobe Express?
I’ve got one code to give away. I’ll pick a random reader. Just interact with this in some way. Like, share, comment, email, DM–just let me know you are out there and interested.