Hi Friends! I’m excited to share this week’s “Designing Near Future” edition with you. Welcome to the 30 new members that joined this month.

I took a break from the newsletter to focus on two important speaking engagements in March. One with San Jose State University and one with Kansas State. I was invited at both these colleges to give a talk and aptly enough I spoke about the future of design and the designer of the future.

If you are interested in checking out the lecture here is a public link to my talk at KState. (Scroll to 12:00 for the talk)

Here’s a breakdown of what’s in store today

⭐ 1 Shift: How Retro Modern Design is Becoming the New Cool

⚡ 1 Tip: 6 Basic Design Principles That are Easily Forgotten

💊 3 Resources: Secret Creative Resources That Pros Use

Reading time: 4 minutes

⭐ Shift

How Retro Modern Design is Becoming the New Cool

Design trends come and go, but sometimes old styles make a comeback in a new and exciting way. This week, I'm noticing a fascinating trend called "Retro Modern." It's like taking something from the past and giving it a modern, futuristic twist.

Companies are taking nostalgic, vintage-looking designs and combining them with the latest technology to create products that feel both familiar and cutting-edge. This trend is happening with all sorts of products, from cars to electronics, demonstrating that what was once old is not just new again—it's better.

Alright, let’s dive in.

1. Reimagining Mobility with a Nostalgic Twist

The consumer automotive industry has been a bit resistant to adopt new trends despite concept cars constantly challenging what a modern day vehicle looks like. After all, why change things when they aren’t broken. Despite this, young companies like Rivian and giants like Hyundai are leading the charge when it comes to adopting an ownable design language in a sea of sameness. The Rivian R3, for instance, combines the rugged charm of classic adventure vehicles with the latest in electric vehicle technology, presenting a package that appeals to both the eco-conscious and the “nostalgically” inclined. It is reminiscent of Lancia Delta or a 1980’s VW Rabbit. Meanwhile, the Hyundai N Vision 74 concept pays homage to the company's heritage models while incorporating futuristic hydrogen fuel cell technology. Hyundai is going back to its roots of sharper, more boxy looking vehicles and I’m all for it. What is different this time is that these cars are successfully able to blend the best of the past and the future.

PS. The Rivian even has physical buttons (haptic scroll wheels) than simply relying on the screen. Thank you Rivian designers.

The story doesn’t end here, Lancia confirmed that they are bringing back the iconic Delta in 2028 in a recent interview. Toyota just revived the Land Cruiser with loads of throwback Easter eggs for 2024, a blog commented, “on appearance alone, it's the most desirable Land Cruiser in decades.” And lastly, while not by any means an academic evaluation of this trend, this little comment describes the change : The market is full of nondescript jellybeans. Consumers are just looking for some differentiation.

2. Retro Aesthetics in Modern Tech Products

The nostalgia and the appeal of retro modern design has permeated into tech products as well, creating a unique category that appeals to both tech aficionados and those with a penchant for vintage styles. The Teenage Engineering OP-1 is a prime example, a synthesizer that, despite its seemingly simple braun inspired design reminiscent of the early days of electronic music, packs a punch with modern tech. It's no wonder it has been the most sold electronic gear on Reverb for the 5th year straight moving beyond a niche collectible to a market leader.

The LG Standbyme Go monitor brings the nostalgic appeal of an old-school TV design into 2024 with its portable, briefcase form factor. Very weird but cool. The Polaroid I-2 camera and the Samsung Music Frame Speaker show another facet of the Retro Modern design trend, focusing on sensory experiences—sight and sound. The Polaroid I-2 brings back the magic of instant photography with a design that nods to the early 2000s, allowing for a tactile, engaging way to capture memories. On the other hand, the Samsung Music Frame Speaker combines retro furniture-like aesthetics with modern audio technology, offering almost a momento that enhances any living space.

3. Bringing Yesterday’s Warmth to Today’s Digital World

After looking at automotive and product, I naturally turned to the digital world to find if this trend is brewing across all domains. While still in it’s infancy, retro looks different when it comes to the digital world. Passionfruit is a great example of a SaaS website that has a distinct aesthetic that still feels familiar. Similarly, Astroforge, which is a new asteroid mining company, has gone back to the 80s era of vibrant retro-futurism for their website. Breakfast, a studio based in LA also boasts a modern website with a unique retro art style. Lastly, the most important representation of this style (in my humble opinion) is Claude.ai. While ChatGPT’s interface feels clean and maybe somewhat emotionless, Anthorpic’s Claude clearly showcases intentionality in it’s branding and chat interface. Good job Anthropic designers.

Where are we headed?

I find myself increasingly drawn to this Retro Modern shift, not just as a design enthusiast but as a consumer. There's something deeply satisfying about interacting with products that remind us of the past while delivering the performance and convenience we expect from contemporary technology.

As we move forward, I'm excited to see how designers and manufacturers continue to explore and expand the boundaries of what are already established psychological cues. I am also excited to see that innovation doesn't always mean abandoning what came before. Instead, it can mean building upon it, enhancing it, and, in the process, creating something that resonates on a deeper level. And to me, that's the epitome of cool.

Hey real quick, I put a lot of effort into sharing only the best for my subscribers. Share this newsletter with a friend and join 1770+ creatives Designing the Near Future, Here is a link.

⚡ Tip

6 Basic Design Principles That are Easily Forgotten

In design, there are six special rules that help make things easy to use and nice to look at, whether it's on a computer, a toy, or anything else. The fact that these can apply to any domain of design means that sometimes they can be taken for granted.

I personally find these as a great reminder in my practice as an Industrial Designer. Here we go:

1. Visual Hierarchy: This principle is about organizing and prioritizing the elements on a page, product or system in a way that clearly indicates their importance. It guides the user's attention to where it's most needed, ensuring they can find what they're looking for quickly and easily. Techniques to establish visual hierarchy include using size, color, contrast, and placement. For example, larger elements are seen as more important than smaller ones, and bold colors can draw attention faster than muted ones.
   

2. Contrast: Contrast helps to differentiate elements on the page, product or object, making the content, instructions or elements more readable and the interfaces more navigable. It's not limited to colors; contrast can also apply to sizes, shapes, and textures. High contrast between elements can make them stand out, while low contrast might be used for less important or background information.
   

3. Balance: Balance involves arranging elements so that the visual weight is distributed evenly across the layout or a product digital or physical;. This can be achieved through symmetrical or asymmetrical designs. Symmetrical balance is where elements are mirrored on either side of a central line, creating a formal and organized appearance. Asymmetrical balance uses different elements of varying visual weight to create an interesting and dynamic composition. Balance is crucial for creating a stable and harmonious design that is pleasing to the eye.
   

4. Consistency: Consistency across a user interface ensures that users don't get confused as they navigate through different parts of the application, website or physical product. It involves using the same styles or visual language for similar elements, such as buttons, textures and fonts, and following the same design patterns throughout the user experience. Consistency helps in building user trust and reduces the learning curve, making the interface more intuitive.
   

5. Simplicity: Simplicity is about eliminating unnecessary elements and focusing on what's essential. A simple design can make a user interface, product or visual graphic more understandable and easier to use. It involves minimizing the number of colors, fonts, shapes, and textures to only what is necessary. Simplicity aids in highlighting the most critical information and actions, leading to a cleaner and more efficient user experience.
   

6. Interaction Feedback: Interaction feedback is the response given by the interface or a product when a user performs an action. Feedback can include visual cues, animations, or sounds that acknowledge user actions, such as clicking a button or completing a form. Feedback is crucial for communication with the user, letting them know that their actions have been recognized and processed by the system. Good interaction feedback can significantly enhance the user's sense of control and predictability when using a digital or physical product.

As you can guess, these design principles, when applied thoughtfully, can greatly improve the functionality, usability, and aesthetic appeal of a user interface, product or in some cases visual graphics.

Happy Designing!

💊 Resources

3 links to boost your creativity.

• Laws of UX. Best UX practices explained simply.

• User Onboard is a well curated database of how popular apps onboard users

• This Youtube Video talks about the writing framework that helped the hosts build +$10M Newsletters. I find this incredible for my own writing online.