Design Predictions for 2019

According to experts (from Microsoft, ADAY, Google, Ideo and more), design themes for next year will be more personal—in part as a backlash to people being “mere data points” in recent years. From products becoming more conscious and personalized to a shift away from “emotionally subdued design,” 2019 is looking to be a little more about humans. Read about the nine predictions at FastCo.

Link About It: This Week’s Picks

"Hearables," fungi, the history of both humanity and the bandana and so much more from the web

Fungi’s Many Life-Changing Uses While there are 144,000 discovered species of fungi on the planet, there could be many more—millions more, in fact. But finding fungi and sorting out whether or not they contain any useful chemical compounds comes down to chance. The serendipity, scientists argue, is what led to great discoveries like penicillin—so hope for similar-level finds persists. Recent tests may have uncovered compounds …

AirPods Will Overtake Smartwatches

Market forecasters believe they’ve confirmed the next big movement in wearable tech: ear-pods with the functionality of a smartphone. Essentially, it’s believed that ear-pods will take over smartwatch features and marketshare in under five years—thanks to upcoming patents on biometric measuring and Siri’s arrival in AirPods 2, among other updates. Directions, messaging, web browsing and more will become easier with the advancement of in-ear tech, …