➕ The Conditions 175
The Cost of Personalization, The Mac turns 40, Embracing ambiguity as a superpower, Honda's new concept logo...
+Issue 175
Product Design & UX
The Cost of Personalization via Humane by Design
Choice is seen as a tax on people’s time and attention. We make upward of 35,000 decisions each day, requiring mental energy that often leaves us feeling drained. AI-powered personalization promises a solution to decision fatigue that’s custom tailored to our preferences. However, personalization comes with trade-offs: it’s also used to shape, influence and guide our everyday choices and actions. When algorithms make autonomous decisions on our behalf, the visible options we have are hidden from us and we lose personal agency….
The Mac turns 40 — and keeps on moving
Apple’s longest-running product is an increasingly small part of the company’s business. And yet, it’s never been more successful.
AI & Machine Learning
Google’s Lumiere brings AI video closer to real than unreal
Five-second clips generated with Lumiere show how the AI tools can create video from a prompt with realistic motion.
How AI is reshaping Google’s search page
The company has been testing various looks and formats for AI-generated search results. Brands will have to adapt.
Digital Trust
Apple Isn’t Ready to Release Its Grip on the App Store
In response to new rules, the iPhone maker announced drastic changes for users in Europe. But criticism is mounting that Apple’s new system only recreates old problems.
Apple’s press statement
Dirty tricks or small wins: developers are skeptical of Apple’s App Store rules
While Apple’s new rules will let users sideload apps and download alternative app stores, they come at a cost for developers.
Design
If you want to be creative, you can’t be certain
Embracing ambiguity as a superpower.
Immanuel Kant — What is Beauty?
Why is beauty so important? It leads us to truth and goodness, says Immanuel Kant. How?
'Seeing the responses has been really uplifting': How designer Alexandria Vernon made the Wonka movie typography [via Creative Bloq]
And another inteview via logodesignlove
Branding
Honda has a new concept logo
The redesigned logo will only be seen on their next-generation electric vehicles (EVs) and is set to come out sometime in 2026. This new design drifts off Honda’s glossy, sleek style and goes for a modern take on the angular “H”, that traces back to 1961. One of the most interesting choices was to ‘ditch’ the surrounding border and focus just on the ‘H’ form.
According to Honda, their new emblem symbolizes "two outstretched hands," which stand for the company's dedication to enhancing mobility options. This new logo fits with the company's larger plan to evolve, persistently seek out new challenges and embark on a design makeover that may herald a new era for the brand.
Esper Bionics
Esper’s groundbreaking product garnered media attention and awards, including a Red Dot and a mention in Times magazine. The brand needed a rethink to help it on its mission of unlocking humanity’s full potential, Dimadima helped them deliver it.
Typography
Professor Phil Baines, 1958-2024
I wanted to acknowledge the passing of a great teacher and mentor of mine – Phil Baines, professor of typography at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design. He instilled in me a love for typography early in my education and his teachings and inspiration are something I still carry with me (as evidenced by the presence of a typography section is this newsletter). He will be sorely missed, but his influence is evident over a huge section of UK designers and beyond.