Issue 1

5th April 2024

Hello everybody!
Welcome to the first issue of Product Design News, a free weekly publication for product, service, and UX designers. In short, I’m an Amsterdam-based designer (for more: ucmak.org)

About one year ago, I started learning Swift (a modern programming language mainly used on Apple platforms) and discovered many beautiful newsletters, which helped me immensely. So, I wanted to do the same thing in my domain. I hope this helps someone.

Volkan Ucmak

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The Role of Design

Talk about starstruck! While in Lisbon in 2010, I had the incredible opportunity to meet Don Norman, a true UX design legend and one of the field’s founding fathers. At 88, he’s still as sharp, witty, and passionate as ever, actively working to guide the next generation of designers.

Norman recently shared a thought-provoking video on the very topic of design respect. Here are some key takeaways:

• The Value of Expertise: The lack of distinction between professional designers and those with basic design thinking knowledge is a significant barrier to respect. Designers, Norman argues, need proper training.
• Beyond the Silo: In today’s specialised world, designers who possess a broad understanding of various fields are invaluable. This holistic perspective strengthens their design solutions.

Norman’s message is powerful. It reminds us of the importance of ongoing education and the impact designers can make when they bridge the gap between disciplines.

Linear design reset

Some of you already use Linear — an issue-tracking and project management tool designed specifically for product teams. Recently, they did a design reset, and then @karrisaarinen wrote a two-part article about that.

Taxonomy for a complex design system

There are tons of “theoretical” posts on design systems, most of which are for beginners, but it is rare to find complicated cases. This article is a gem from @alexdyulgerova and @robynlayton from the Vodafone UK Design & Experience team.

Apple’s new privacy rules explained

If your product is on one of Apple’s app stores, you must check the new privacy rules. @seanallen_dev made a great video on it.

Explore design ideas faster with Creatie.ai

Creatie.ai, a new AI-powered design tool, is gaining traction. While it’s not yet a full replacement for Figma or Sketch, it excels at rapid ideation. The platform covers all the bases: ideation, design, collaboration, prototype, and handoff. It’s all free if you’re interested in exploring its capabilities.

Please note: This publication is a newsletter. If you prefer to read it in your email, subscribe here.