First Thing Monday - Edition #102
Diverging and Converging with AI, a love of diagrams and a fiasco of bear-shaped speakers.
Hey pals,
Here’s a few things that I’ve been thinking about this week.
Diverging and Converging with AI
Lately, I've been thinking about my design and creative process. And like many, I've been dipping my toes in the AI pool, experimenting with how I can use it to improve my process.
I'm really interested in how AI tools can be used to help us with both acts of divergent and convergent thinking. And so, I've written a few thoughts about it on my new blog.
A love of diagrams
I've just finished beading Stuck, by Abby Covert, and I’m besotted. It’s a really practical, methodical read about using diagrams to overcome complexity, share a message, and make decisions.
I love a good diagram to describe something that 1000 words can't, and after reading this book I'm all inspired again to use more diagramming in my work, to get an idea across. Highly recommended.
Well considered AI UI
One of my favorite new AI tools is Perplexity.ai, and ai-powered search engine which has been described as the "Future of Search". It's as if Google and ChatGPT had a baby together. Part chat-bot, part search-engine. It's a really useful tool.
Unlike a lot of the AI products out there today, Perplexity have really thought about their appearances. You can smell the series-A funding kicking in, but it's interesting that we're starting to see a new maturity in the visual design of AI products out there. Even if Perplexity did outsource the design.
But it’s beautiful. Perplexity hired Smith & Diction for a re-brand and re-design. I loved their write-up about the new Perplexity brand, and their process to create it.
Lupe Fiasco and Google's AI collaboration
I recently found out about a collaboration between rapper Lupe Fiasco and Google to build a series of ai-powered tools for rappers, writers and wordsmiths. You can see more about it on their video.
This is an incredible case study into how a writer's process can augmented by AI. It’s also a great example of how AI user interfaces are evolving beyond the text input. Be sure to check out their demo at Text.fx
Speaker Swooning
And finally, I’m filing this under "Stuff I don't need but I definitely want" … how adorabe is this Be@rbrick portable speaker?
See you all next Monday!
Ben