No. 001 — December 14th, 2022

Hello Reader,

Inside the Coterie is a bi-weekly dispatch of insights and resources that make a difference in your design practice.

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📖 What we're reading

I.
This article on how to organize content relative to their importance has a very interesting take on typographic hierarchies.

​Read more​
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II.
We've always wondered if something was missing in the way we learn. In a very standardized education system, it can be quite easy to miss out on what truly makes us unique. This article looks behind the curtain on this issue.

​Read more​
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III.
Having strong visual cohesion in a design system (especially with iconography) is important for creating unity and improving user experience. It helps users understand how different elements within the system relate to one another and work together.

​Read more​

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🎧 What we’re listening to

I.
This podcast, "Awkward Silences" is packed with informative episodes on conducting effective user research campaigns. We loved this episode on onboarding UX.

Listen on Spotify | Google Podcasts​
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​II.
Ada and Amy love talking about what's happening on the tech product scene. In this episode, they keep us updated and engaged with recent happenings in crypto as they chat about Sam Bank-Friedman and his actions at FTX, the prior-second-largest crypto exchange.

Listen on Spotify | Google Podcasts​
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III.
Listening to music while working long hours can help us get into a flow state. Extra-long playlists are very useful for this. Here's a vibe you can try during your next design marathon. It's called "stay in flOw"

Listen on Spotify | Youtube Music​
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⚡ What we’re making

Today's featured coterifolk is Ife Aminu. Ife is an amazing visual designer and illustrator who loves telling vivid stories through her work. She creates strong visual identities and designs solutions to business problems.

Her portfolio sports a diverse range of skills including graphic design, art direction, creative direction, advertising, brand and visual identity design, brand strategy, illustration and iconography, typography layout, marketing design, and storyboarding.

See more of what Ife is making​

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🧰 What we’re using

I.
AI is all the rage these days and OpenAI, a leading innovator in the space, launched a powerful large language model called ChatGPT. In its own words,

This is a fantastic or worrisome development depending on who you ask. I personally find it undeniably helpful as a research assistant.
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​Go check it out​
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​II.
This tool is super handy for previewing fonts based on attributes and characteristics you can set ranging from expressive to technical to familiar and more.

​Go check it out​
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📺 What we’re watching

I.
What is it like designing in a different country with different mental models and wayfinding systems? This video takes us through how Japan's internet looks and behaves.
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​Go take a look​
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II.
"If you can design one thing, you can design everything."
We are huge fans of Massimo and Lella Vignelli, a multidisciplinary design couple with a history of pioneering truly bold work over decades. Here's a tribute video showcasing some of their persevering work.
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​Go take a look​

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Until next time folks,
​Caleb.

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PS: Got content ideas for this newsletter? Leave 'em here.

About this newsletter: You are receiving this email because you subscribed on asadsgn.com, or attended one of our virtual or physical events. This newsletter is a bi-weekly digest of design content and learnings constantly shared amongst coterifolk who are designers with a beginner's mindset. Feel free to unsubscribe at any time.