Branding

YouTube’s New Hue

YouTube recently refined their brand color to a magenta gradient. Why did they change their established and recognizable color?

Robyn, visual design lead, says that it was one of the most outdated elements of YouTube, and understanding that this red had become famous, they strived for evolution, not revolution. The decision was also driven by technical issues and research.

Amy, visual design lead, mentioned that the red color had become diluted and overused, so YouTube should have a unique color.

In developing their new color, they first aligned on possible solutions with their brand values: welcoming, engaging, dynamic, and unified. To give YouTube a sense of motion, they decided to create a gradient.

They also collaborated closely with the UX team to integrate the new color into the design and make it accessible across platforms.

Case Study

How Airline Checkouts Make You Pay More for The Same Seat

Built for Mars has conducted an in-depth 2 months long research investigating dark patterns of airline companies employ to charge their clients more.

They use tactics like concealing additional costs until the final checkout and presenting add-on options by default. They also don't fully disclose what services are absent in their pricing plan, increasing the user’s cognitive load.

Resources

Fresh Design Resources

iPhone 15 Pro Mockups Vol.02from $28

Showcase your designs seamlessly with iPhone 15 Pro Mockups

by Сraftwork Studio in Mockups

from $28

Tech MacBook Pro 16 Mockupsfrom $28

High-class tech mockups of the MacBook Pro 16 created with a passion for automobiles

by Сraftwork Studio in Mockups

from $28

Vertex

Free

Collection of 16 blue glass 3D illustrations that combine smooth, flowing forms with soft, ethereal lighting

by Сraftwork Studio in 3D Assets

Free

Teknologfrom $30

It’s a statement of progress, innovation, and the limitless possibilities of technology.

by Blank Studio in Fonts

from $30

Presentation Cards Set

Free

Collection of 40 mobile and web covers and mockups for showcasing product designs and creative work

by Сraftwork Studio in Presentations

Free

Inspiration

Curated Design Websites

1. Invertase | Transform Developer Experience.

2. Blocks | Collection of monochromatic design explorations.

3. V7 | AI Document Processing & Data Labelling.

4. Michael Filipiuk | Design Partner.

5. Monica | ChatGPT AI Assistant | GPT-4o, Claude 3.5, Gemini 1.5

Tutorials

How to be great at systems thinking

Systems thinking is one of the most in-demand skills among product designers. But what does it really mean? It is about understanding how things are connected, how they interact, and how changes in one part of a system can affect the entire system.

When you design a product, you need to tie it to the user's mental model of how similar tools work. It is also necessary to take a step back and consider how it would affect the product as a whole, and avoid creating isolated solutions for each problem, as solving individual problems will make the system more complex. The system should have as few units as possible that do as much as possible.

Navigating the #1 fear when presenting your work

Ian Wharton, Storytelling Coach & CEO of Aide Health, explains that your ability to present your work can help you on your way to making a bigger impact at work or starting your own business.

You may have some fears, such as "What if someone interrupts me?” But your confidence in your work and respect for the question will set you apart as a senior designer.

How Service Design Will Evolve with AI Agents

NNG experts consider how the AI agent will affect user dynamics and redefine user metrics in the future.

Users can delegate their tasks to AI, changing the traditional user journey. AI entities are becoming more autonomous, challenging service designers to consider not only human interaction, but also interaction between humans and AI agents.

Accessible but never boring

The first and second parts of the article explain the value of accessibility at Wise. For example, the design team shared their approach to color selection: they basically test and iterate a lot to find the balance between visual appeal and accessibility. For typography, the team chooses clear, legible fonts and adjusts sizes to ensure readability on all devices.

“Opening your product up to those who couldn’t previously use it is 100% attainable, and 100,000% worth it”

Launch

Framer Studio

Framer has introduced its own design studio focused on migrating your product to Framer, working with Framer experts to bring your vision to life.

Library

UX Resources & Bookmarks Library

A huge curated library of UX resources & bookmarks that can help you on your UX design journey. Created by Simonas Maciulis

Design systems

Design system 104: Making metrics matter

At Craftwork, we believe that designers should treat design systems as products. In Figma's Design Systems series, Figma designers explain the best practices for measuring the success of a design system.

Design systems can save companies significant time and money; Figma's scientific team found that designers complete tasks 34% faster with a design system than without.

Key metrics for measuring success include library and component usage (and detachment rate), documentation effectiveness, and consistency measures. It is important to translate metrics into actionable data and set clear goals that are aligned with business objectives.