Hi Friends! I’m excited to share this week’s Designing Near Future. Here are the latest updates from the design industry, all in bite-sized, easy-to-digest pieces.

Breakdown of what’s in store today:

⭐ 6 Stories: The Newest Happenings in Design

💊 3 Resources: Secret Creative Resources That Pros Use

⚡ 1 Tip: The Triangle of Knowledge

Reading time: 4 minutes

⭐ Stories

1. Jaguar’s Rebrand Causes Pure Chaos on the Internet

Jaguar is ditching its iconic “growler” logo and gas-powered roots to relaunch as a luxury EV brand. The new gold-accented “exuberant Modernism” aesthetic has the internet in chaos (chances are you are actively following that on your favourite social media too). But here’s my take - Rebranding is inherently risky, it takes time to mature but Jaguar so far has won. Here’s why - For a brand which has never been about mass appeal, it’s got everyone talking and in the luxury world, that’s half the battle. (Source)

2. Rokid Takes on Meta Ray-Ban Glasses with Their New Product

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Rokid unveiled lightweight AR glasses designed for all-day wear, blending AI features like object recognition and translation. With over 300,000 global users already averaging 3 hours of daily use, it looks like Rokid is out to make AR feel more like a necessity than a novelty. (Source)

3. JVC’s Releases New Open-Earcuff Earbuds

JVC has introduced its Nearphones HA-NP1T, their take on open-ear, clip-on earbuds that prioritize safety and awareness. Unlike traditional earbuds that block out the world, these allow you to stay connected to your surroundings. Think of them as the anti-noise-canceling headphones, perfect for those who want a soundtrack to their day. Personally, I really enjoyed the industrial design work on them. (Source)

4. Adidas x AVAVAV’s Superfinger Sneakers Are Weird, Fun, and Rule-Breaking

Adidas and AVAVAV just dropped their Superfinger Superstar sneakers. Featuring detachable, four-toed rubber gloves that double as purses, these shoes are undeniably strange but equally fun. It’s a playful, rule-breaking collaboration that’s generating exactly the kind of buzz both brands thrive on. (Source)

5. Map Project Office Introduces Sonic Heirloom

London-based Map Project Office and Father studio unveiled Sonic Heirloom, a speculative design that turns live sounds into lasting memories. Using a recording puck and a brass bell housed in a glass vitrine, the device captures and replays treasured moments, adding depth over time with a unique sonic resonance. I think it’s a beautifully poetic way to preserve the intangible in a world that often forgets to listen. (Source)

6. What Does Your Job Say About Your Personality?

Could your job be shaping who you are, or did your personality choose your job? A fascinating study maps personality traits across 263 occupations, uncovering trends like why creative professionals lean toward openness (and sometimes chaos), or why managers tend to be emotionally stable. Even surprising outliers, like agreeable engineers, reveal how job demands shape the people in them. (Summary) (Research Paper)

💊 Resources

3 links to boost your creativity.

• Piskel is a free online editor for animated sprites & pixel art

• Web Design Museum exhibits thousands of screens and videos of old websites, mobile apps and software from 1990s to mid-00s

• If You Can't Answer These 6 Questions You Don't Have A Story shares a simple framework for writing great stories

⚡ Tip

The Triangle of Knowledge

Today’s tip borrows from the world of scriptwriting (which I think is a very good parallel to design narrative and creative writing). Great stories keep us hooked with one simple trick: secrets. The more unevenly information is distributed in a scene, the higher the tension. That’s the essence of the Triangle of Knowledge, a framework that plays with what each "mind" in the story knows.

Here’s how it works. Picture a triangle with these 3 points:

1. The Protagonist: What does the main character know or not know in this moment?

2. Another Character: Is someone withholding information, lying, or deliberately keeping the protagonist in the dark?

3. The Audience: What do we, the viewers/readers, know compared to the characters?

The magic happens when one of these three "corners" of the triangle is deprived of knowledge. Here are the tension-creating dynamics:

• Dramatic Irony: The audience knows more than the protagonist. We’re screaming at the screen, "Don’t open that door!"

• Shared Ignorance: The protagonist and the audience are equally clueless. A mystery unfolds, and we’re along for the ride.

• Character Advantage: Another character knows something the protagonist doesn’t. This creates suspense and raises questions about their motives.

For example:
In Breaking Bad, think of the scenes where Walter White lies to Skyler. We, the audience, know the truth behind his words (he’s building a drug empire), but Skyler doesn’t. This imbalance keeps us engaged, wondering if she’ll figure it out or what the fallout will be if she does.

How to Apply This Framework:

Next time you write a story (no matter in what context), ask yourself:

• Who knows the most?

• Who’s in the dark?

• How does this imbalance heighten the stakes?

Why I like this is because - tension isn’t just about what happens, it’s simply about who knows what.

Happy Designing! (or writing haha)