Design has been domesticated into a polite, portfolio-friendly profession—sanitised, aestheticised, stripped of its teeth. But design was never meant to be safe. It was meant to expose, to question, to disrupt.

Apple used to speak softly, now it shouts. The iPhone 17 Pro’s new typography is bold, extended, and loud. But in chasing power, has Apple sacrificed the restraint that made its design language timeless? Our latest article unpacks this visual shift and critiques how the company’s typographic voice has grown too heavy for its own harmony.

A manifesto for mindful design education. It calls for a return to craft as the foundation of judgement, ethics, and creativity in an automated world, reminding us that true innovation begins with care, reflection, and human discernment.

Contemporary education for prioritising compliance over creativity, reducing students to passive recipients of knowledge. Influenced by thinkers like Ruskin and Freire, we argues that this mechanisation makes AI appear intelligent while genuine creativity suffers. To reclaim education, we must foster imagination and critical thinking in learners.

What if the best model for education wasn’t a school at all, but a calling?
Jesus didn’t build classrooms — he built disciples. His model of formation was voluntary, costly, and rooted in lived practice, not compliance. In my new essay, I explore how returning to this spirit of discipleship could heal the failures of modern schooling and restore calling, commitment, and character to education.

In a world where design education risks drowning in theory, this essay makes a radical call: put feeling back at the heart of design. Drawing on John Ruskin’s timeless wisdom, the Bauhaus, Bridget Riley, and today’s studios, it argues that true design is not about thinking more cleverly but about seeing, sensing, and feeling more deeply. A must-read for educators, students, and practitioners who believe design should be alive, honest, and profoundly human.

In an era captivated by fleeting trends and hollow profits, the voice of John Ruskin, the 19th-century artist, writer, and social critic, resonates with striking clarity. His words, steeped in a reverence for truth, beauty, and justice, offer a compass for navigating our fragmented world. I recently spoke with Companion Lefteris Heretakis, a designer, educator, and podcaster based in Valencia, Spain, whose 30 year career in visual communication design and higher education has been profoundly shaped by Ruskin’s teachings. Drawing on The Elements of Drawing and The Seven Lamps of Architecture, Lefteris shared a vision for revitalising art and design education, urging us to heed Ruskin’s call: “There is no wealth but life.” Our conversation revealed how Ruskin’s principles can guide us towards a future rooted in ethical imagination and quiet, meaningful action.

The Future of Design Education: A Conversation with Jac Batey In a recent episode of Design Education Talks for The … More