The five best design links, every weekday

Friday12/12

1

terriblesoftware.org

AI can write your code; It can’t do your job

The companies building AI are spending billions to acquire engineers, not replace them. Here’s why your job is safer than you think.

2

designprompts.dev

AI-powered design style explorer

Explore 31+ design styles rendered from the same data. Get AI-ready prompts to recreate any aesthetic in your own projects.

3

book.sv

Book.sv

Input books you've read and receive recommendations on what to read next from an AI model.

4

nngroup.com

Prompt to design interfaces

Create better AI-prototyping designs by using precise visual keywords, references, analysis, as well as mock data and code snippets.

5

renderghost.leaflet.pub

Stop asking users what they want; start watching what they do

People’s opinions about themselves and the things they use rarely match real behavior.

The Sidebar Newsletter

5 Design Links in Your Inbox Every Weekday

Thursday12/11

1

8bitcn.com

8bitcn/ui

A collection of 8-bit styled components for your next project.

2

stickertop.art

Laptop sticker art

A unique collection of laptops adorned with creative stickers from around the world.

3

htmhell.dev

The role of the ‘lang’ attribute

A collection of bad practices in HTML, copied from real websites.

4

neal.fun

Size of life

Compare the size of living things, in a nicely designed experience.

5

thorsell.io

Estimates: a necessary evil?

Estimates come in various disguises, but when you peek under the trench coat there is always the same old question.

Wednesday12/10

1

pjonori.blog

Public design systems are worth it

It’s incredibly valuable to make a design system available to all–no matter what the bean-counters say.

2

inspo.page

Website inspo gallery

Inspirateion curated at the component level. Browse UI patterns, layouts, animations, and more.

3

pangrampangram.com

The barcode as a design object

Very few graphic inventions have shaped the visual landscape of our everyday lives as quietly and ubiquitously as the barcode.

4

chrome.dev

CSS Wrapped 2025

22 powerful new CSS features that landed in Chrome this year.

5

blog.jim-nielsen.com

Icons in menus everywhere

For those who do not accept the philosophy of “put an icon in every menu item by default”.

Tuesday12/09

1

wallpaper.com

The best album covers of 2025

A plethora of new releases this year look as good as they sound. Here’s Wallpaper's top ten.

2

theguardian.com

Martin Parr could make a chip shop as mighty as a cathedral

A brilliantly human photographer who celebrated the overlooked, finding beauty the mundane.

3

replaceyourboss.ai

AI CEO

Algorithmic thought leadership, with instant decisions, and zero ego. Replace your boss before they replace you.

4

figma.com

What does it mean to be a designer in the age of AI?

As workflows shift what happens to job titles—and the ways of working and sense of identity that comes with them?

5

alwaystwisted.com

Generating utility classes from design tokens using style dictionary

Seamless design-to-development workflows and collaboration, including snowflakes.

Monday12/08

1

bit.ly

Designing Design Systems BookSponsored

Everything you need to know about design systems in one place.

2

jarango.com

Three lessons from the work of Frank Gehry

Reflecting on the master architect’s legacy and its relevance to current UX.

3

aeon.co

Generative AI has access to a small slice of human knowledge

Huge swathes of human knowledge are missing from the internet. By definition, generative AI is shockingly ignorant too.

4

apple.com

Apple unveils the winners of the 2025 App Store Awards

Recognizing 17 apps and games for their technical ingenuity and lasting cultural impact.

5

justoffbyone.com

The math of why you can’t focus at work

Interruptions, recovery time, and task size: three numbers that determine if you’ll get real work done.

Friday12/05

1

fastcompany.com

121 brands that matter in 2025

Companies that have demonstrated an ability to connect their business to their fans and culture more broadly.

2

emesstyle.com

10 usability heuristics & AI principles

Master usability heuristics and AI design principles through interactive examples.

3

tensorlabbet.com

It’s hard to feel the AGI

A reality check from leading researchers.

4

smashingmagazine.com

Designing for stress and emergency

Practical guidelines on designing time-critical products that prevent errors and improve accuracy.

5

adamsilver.io

Can you make toast messages accessible?

Toast notifications are fundamentally inaccessible and should be abandoned rather than improved. Here’s why.

Thursday12/04

1

scopeofwork.net

On factory tours

How factory tours connect people to how things are made, despite rising barriers.

2

drive.google.com

Trends 2026 - Google Drive

A drive folder with 2026 Trends reports from multiple companies, consultancies, and research groups.

3

properprompts.ai

Proper prompts

Streamline your workflow and generate high quality AI assets that you can actually use in real world projects.

4

people-work.io

The junior hiring crisis

AI is removing the apprenticeship ladder. Here’s what that means for students, early-career professionals, and the tech industry’s future.

5

chrisyoong.com

Debunking the Alt text character limit

100, 150, or 200? The arbitrary limit can be built into input fields and automated tooling.

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