Welcome To Friday Fives, Vol. 265
This week we’re flying new flags, Threading the needle, reminiscing on spheres, cooling down with color, and debating discounts.
With the release of Threads, Instagram’s new rival to Twitter, there is debate over what its swirly logo resembles. A range of guesses includes everything from spaghetti to the letter G, and a curly piece of hair. Although it is probably a fun, memorable take on the @ symbol, it definitely has us laughing at the meme where the logo replaced Homer Simpson’s ear. The Simpsons really have done everything first.
A flag: a pertinent symbol for identity, and an easily identifiable one if done right (e.g. think of the specific blue and yellow hues of the Ukraine flag). That’s why states such as Utah, Minnesota, and Maine are considering changing theirs (we’ve got our fingers crossed for a lobster). The Economist says to follow these four criteria for flag design: keep it simple, use meaningful symbolism, be distinctive, and avoid lettering. Happy waving, designers.
It’s 2023, and we are officially watching entertainment from a 580,000 square feet dome. Sphere, as it’s more formally named, is Las Vegas’s new entertainment venue (seating up to 18,000 people) wrapped with the largest LED screen in the world. Still, its acclaim hasn’t convinced people it’s not an eye sore. If there’s one thing we agree with it’s this tweet.
Pantone just added 224 colors to their Formula Guide that they’re calling, “the most popular color families of the next decade.” It includes some interesting new insights such as a desire for spicier and deeper shades of orange so they added a wider selection of radiant, bright tones. They also discovered environmentally-conscious attitudes may have sparked desire for bright shades of green. According to Pantone, the selection of new colors reflects the trends of culture and social influences according to Pantone, so it sounds like the next decade might literally be a whole lot brighter.
If you were on the hunt for a good deal this week, you might have meandered to Amazon’s Prime Day. The UX design resembles that of extremely chaotic old-timey supermarket advertising spreads with photography and red discount tags, but a UX designer thinks there might actually be some method to the madness. By creating a whole spread of deals-at-a-glance, you feel the joy of stumbling onto a great find. It’s like a digital treasure hunt, just more painstaking and not for kids.
