Static images don't show motion. You can't inspect real product structure. You don't see how interfaces evolve over time. You rarely understand what actually works in production. So I decided to go deep. I reviewed every major design reference platform I could find - not just the popular ones - and analyzed how they actually help in real-world work. The conclusion?
We've both fought against needless promotional content before and lamented that frontier AI platforms are falling into the same pattern. As designers and users, we've learned that "free" usually means putting up with interruptive, slightly creepy ads that feel more like a tax than a benefit - a frustration tax that now colors how we approach free‑tier services and now AI tools.
Designed by artists and designers from across the globe, each wallpaper comes in a variety of screen resolutions and can be downloaded for free. A huge thank-you to everyone who shared their designs with us - this post wouldn't be possible without your kind support!
Helping people to reconnect with old memories, viewers are transported to their local corner shop, school playgrounds and childhood cupboards. "I think this project has struck a chord because there's a particular interest in hand drawn designs of the past in the current age of AI where human effort is at an all-time low. Now the first thought is 'I'll get AI to do that', rather than commissioning an illustrator," says Chris.
Infused with history, the slab cannot help but suggest the old West's frontier clichés, for such ephemera as classic wanted posters, political broadsides, cautionary warning signs, and more generic commercial applications. Cattivo is a brand-new 18-font family that, when used in any weight and size, cuts through nostalgic predictability and provides a welcome alternative to such popular Egyptian-style slab serifs as Stymie and Memphis.
Blackletter typefaces elicit many contradictory emotions depending, of course, on the context in which they are used and the manner in which they are composed. Sometimes they bark commands - STOP or BEWARE. Other times they are comforting in an ecclesiastical way - Christmas and Easter greetings. During World War II Blackletter was menacing for those in occupied lands who read it as exclusionary - as in FORBIDDEN or DANGER; others accepted it as patriotic
The main problem with the existing homepage was that, besides the most recent posts, other content, once it aged and 'fell off' the front page, was then difficult to discover. The new design makes more use of available screen 'real estate', is visually much richer, and reorganizes 18 years of posts, so that even older long-forgotten posts are more easily found.
A graphic designer that isn't limited to working in 2D, Ward Goes has been working in aluminium of late. His recent solo show in Rotterdam, Literally Anything, was full of things that moved beyond the screen or printed page, including some wonderful metal signage and archival storage. The exhibition at Alley Space was the result of the designer's decision to pursue more tactical investigations alongside his commissioned work at the start of 2025.