AI Training Data Is Poisoning Design Trends. Here's How to Spot It
As generative AI tools flood the design industry, their training datasets are creating a homogenised aesthetic. We investigate how outdated samples are flattening creativity and what designers can do about it.
Tunc Karadag
July 2026
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Figma Config 2026: AI Takes Over, But Are Designers On Board?
Figma’s Config 2026 shift to an "AI-first" model prioritises automation and dev tools over core design mechanics. This sparked backlash from UX/UI designers, who feel Figma is chasing flashy trends while ignoring basic quality-of-life updates like better grids and page organisation.
The Loneliness Algorithm: How Design Choices Erode Our Social Bonds
Infinite scroll and algorithmic curation were engineered for engagement, not connection. These UX patterns are quietly rewiring our capacity for deep relationships, replacing community with consumption.
Users Stop Reading Privacy Policies, Leading to Consent Fatigue
Repetitive consent experiences have created a crisis of disengagement. As users face dozens of privacy decisions daily, research reveals which UX patterns actually foster informed choices and which just train us to click 'Accept.'
Why Dark Mode Feels Better (But Might Not Be)
Dark interfaces dominate modern design, celebrated for reducing eye strain and looking sophisticated. But cognitive science tells a different story about readability, focus, and what our eyes actually prefer.
How Klarna Engineered the Psychology of Painless Spending
Buy Now, Pay Later apps have mastered the art of invisible payment infrastructure. We dissect Klarna's interface design choices and reveal the behavioural psychology making instalment debt feel effortless.
Recursive Self Improvement
And why you should buy (and do) the things you like now
How 'Monk Mode' Became Gen Z's Answer to Always-On Culture
A digital generation raised on connectivity is embracing radical disconnection. The rise of 'monk mode '- extended periods of deep focus and social withdrawal signals a fundamental shift in how young professionals approach productivity and presence.
AI Training Data Is Poisoning Design Trends. Here's How to Spot It
As generative AI tools flood the design industry, their training datasets are creating a homogenised aesthetic. We investigate how outdated samples are flattening creativity and what designers can do about it.
Why Do AI-Generated Algorithmic Interfaces Feel Wrong?
AI-optimized interfaces may be mathematically efficient, but they often violate the psychological principles humans expect. I examine why algorithmic design creates friction, even when the data suggests it shouldn't.
Why AI Design Tools Are Quietly Replacing Junior Designers and What Actually Comes Next
AI tools promise efficiency, but design studios face a paradox: automation can create bottlenecks that require the expertise it appears to eliminate. This raises questions about what is happening to entry-level design work and how future designers will develop professional judgement.
How Passive Data Collection is Reshaping UX Research
As users grow weary of surveys and interviews, researchers are turning to ambient behavioural signals from keystroke dynamics to micro-interactions to understand product experience without asking a single question.
Why Gen Z is Rejecting Performative Productivity
After a decade of glorifying the grind, a cultural shift is underway. Young professionals are abandoning side hustles not out of laziness, but as an act of resistance against late capitalism's demand for constant monetization.