GoKawiil
Tech News
A commentary piece argues that products and services are typically designed for an 'average' user, often excluding people at the margins. It suggests that examining who has been left out of design decisions can reveal opportunities for innovation.
A commentary argues that AI evaluations—the tests determining whether an AI feature is ready to launch—are typically run solely by engineers and product managers using scripts and dashboards. The author contends this excludes designers, who bring a different, underused perspective to judging AI product readiness.
An entrepreneur who trained as an architect describes applying lessons from building design to founding a real estate technology company. The founder says the core insight was noticing that apartment hunters in New York were frustrated by confusing listings and overly polished photos that misrepresented units. The piece outlines a framework of starting with user needs, prioritizing function before aesthetics, and using constraints to sharpen product decisions.
A designer's essay argues that core design practices—iteration, gathering feedback, and connecting disparate ideas—remain essential regardless of how advanced AI tools become. The piece responds to growing anxiety among designers, engineers, researchers, and product professionals who feel threatened by weekly releases of new AI tools that appear to automate parts of their work.
A new essay on product design argues that as software commoditizes thanks to AI, functional quality alone no longer separates products. Instead, the piece claims brand, design and overall user experience—what the author calls 'taste'—are what now distinguish successful products, citing commentary from Anu Atluru and Steve Jobs on exposure to great work as a way to develop this instinct.
In an essay, Linear's team describes how the company has built its product by prioritizing founder and team intuition developed through customer conversations and experience, rather than relying mainly on data-driven processes. The piece argues that two teams with the same technology and customers can produce very different products because of differing perspectives and values.
At a Fast Company panel moderated by senior editor Liz Stinson, product and design leaders from Brooks Running, Block and Spotify discussed how artificial intelligence is reshaping the process of building products consumers want. The conversation centered on balancing faster AI-assisted workflows with genuine consumer appeal amid growing market competition.
Formas has released Cartesian, an AI-powered 3D modeling tool aimed at architects and product designers. Users can describe an idea in words, sketch it, or drag in a reference image, and the tool generates a precise 3D model without requiring traditional CAD skills.
Kage is a new tool that lets users submit a website URL, which it then captures and analyzes for design elements. After review, the site's design patterns are added to a searchable library that can be converted into prompts for AI design agents.
John Ternus, who succeeded Tim Cook as Apple's chief executive, posted a simple 'hello' on X to mark the transition. The reply section quickly filled with users pitching hardware ideas and design changes, reflecting Ternus's background leading Apple's engineering teams.
Tim Cook is completing his final day as Apple's chief executive after 15 years in the role, with John Ternus set to officially become CEO the next day. Cook will transition to executive chairman of Apple's board, continuing to manage the company's relationships with President Trump and the Chinese government while supporting Ternus in other areas as needed.