{"id":7184,"date":"2025-08-05T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/?p=7184"},"modified":"2025-08-04T23:30:22","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T06:30:22","slug":"weekly-design-links-8-5-25","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/weekly-design-links-8-5-25\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Design Links \u2013 8\/5\/25"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

These posts are rarely sponsored, but Adobe Express<\/a> reached out and offered me a free year for sharing a story. The thing is, I already pay for Adobe. I don\u2019t need the free year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, I probably wouldn\u2019t be where I am today without Adobe\u2019s creative tools. They\u2019re not paying me to say that, that\u2019s just how I feel. So instead, I\u2019m giving away a free year of Adobe Express to a reader. All you need to do is interact with this post in some way\u2014like, share, comment, email, DM, whatever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That week off was needed, but I\u2019m back, feeling recharged, and this is a solid batch. Enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week’s post is sponsored by Adobe Express<\/a><\/sub><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Adobe<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Various Medical illustrations 2024-2025 by Hola Holga
<\/a>A selection of my medical-themed illustrations and editorial work, created for Noema Magazine, The Lancet, BBC Science Focus, The Pharmaceutical Journal, El Diario, Impact Media Verlag, and personal projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surreal botanical illustration by Mary Maka
<\/a>A series of botanical illustrations on the border between observations of real nature and imagination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Web Design\/UX\/UI<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Design Patterns For AI Interfaces
<\/a>Designing a new AI feature? Where do you even begin? From first steps to design flows and interactions, here\u2019s a simple, systematic approach to building AI experiences that stick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The photographer with 60,000 undeveloped images of rock history \u2018waiting to come back to life’
<\/a>Charles Daniels took intimate pictures of his friends the Rolling Stones, Hendrix and others \u2013 but few have seen the light of day until now<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teen-Agers in Their Bedrooms, Before the Age of Selfies
<\/a>Adrienne Salinger\u2019s cult photography book from the nineties makes a comeback<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Industrial Design<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure>
\"\"<\/figure>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Holofan<\/a>
Our innovation has the ability to create hyper-realistic 3D holographic visuals that will leave the audience mesmerized. No special glasses, and no screens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, a Wall Desk That\u2019s More Designer Than Dorm Room
<\/a>a minimalist, thoughtfully-crafted solution that blends into your space rather than stick out like an afterthought<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s in a fob? The surprising complexity of designing car keys
<\/a>It is an interesting subject \u2013 the fob. The way a consumer first interacts with a car is also one of the least relevant details of the driving experience. Yet, it serves as a handshake: A good design will communicate brand values, even status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Aqara G410 Is a Smart Doorbell and Home Hub in One
<\/a>The G410 strikes a careful balance between modern tech and design subtlety. Available in three color options, its form factor is sleek and polished, with a premium plastic build that feels durable in hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Books<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Girl Gangs, Zines, and Powerslides: A History of Badass Women Skateboarders By Natalie Porter
<\/a>Porter shines a spotlight on the unsung women, BIPOC pioneers, and queer trailblazers who helped propel skateboarding to the Olympics, highlighting the need to validate the stories of older women often ignored by the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graphic Design\/Branding<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Best of the Bone
<\/a>the brand\u2019s bare bones philosophy; stripped back, purposeful, and quietly full of character<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technology\/Tools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

FlashDepth: Real-time Streaming Video Depth Estimation at 2K Resolution
<\/a>A versatile video depth estimation model should be accurate and consistent across frames, produce high- resolution depth maps, and support real-time streaming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kompressor<\/a>
For ease of use, you can drag n’ drop to convert between over 50 supported image formats like JPEG, HEIC, PNG, WebP, AVIF, camera raw images, Photoshop files, windows, and Mac icons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

split-flap board by Gregory Dolder
<\/a>Create eye\u2011catching, retro split\u2011flap announcements on your Apple\u202fTV\u2014dynamic lines, real flap sound, full customization, no subscription required<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Random<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

An Algorithm for a Better Bookshelf
<\/a>Managing the strategic positioning of empty spaces<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sponsored Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Adobe<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Good Design Is Worth Paying For<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adobe offered me a free year of Adobe Express<\/a>, no strings attached. I\u2019m not being paid to write this, but I am<\/em> giving away a free year of Express to one of you. More on that at the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while DIY tools like Adobe Express are great (especially if you\u2019re moving fast or working solo), nothing beats having a real designer involved. Someone who can help shape the way your brand feels<\/em>\u2014not just how it looks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Design isn\u2019t decoration. It\u2019s communication. It\u2019s structure. It\u2019s how you signal to the world that your product, service, or business is worth paying attention to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Adobe Express<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been playing with Express for the past few weeks. It\u2019s surprisingly good for quick visuals\u2014social posts, flyers, pitch decks, even branded merch mockups. The templates don\u2019t feel overly generic, and it\u2019s fast enough to use in between bigger design cycles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It won\u2019t replace a real designer, but if you\u2019re in the early days of a project or want to keep your visuals consistent without a lot of overhead, it\u2019s a solid option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want a free year of Adobe Express?<\/strong>
I\u2019ve got one code to give away. I\u2019ll pick a random reader. Just interact with this in some way. Like, share, comment, email, DM\u2013just let me know you are out there and interested.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

These posts are rarely sponsored, but Adobe Express reached out and offered me a free year for sharing a story. The thing is, I already pay for Adobe. I don\u2019t need the free year. In fact, I probably wouldn\u2019t be where I am today without Adobe\u2019s creative tools. They\u2019re not paying me to say that, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7216,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[139,43,11,13,15,14,10,74,17,49,21,20,19],"class_list":["post-7184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-creative-links","tag-adobe","tag-books","tag-branding","tag-graphic-design","tag-illustration","tag-industrial-design","tag-photography","tag-random","tag-technology","tag-tools","tag-ui","tag-ux","tag-web-design"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/split-flap-board.jpg?fit=1286%2C723&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7184"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7222,"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7184\/revisions\/7222"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}