Weekend Reads: Five Links
Meh. Shifting design's core value from technical skills to taste. Unintended harms, Ray Bradbury, and more—here’s some of this week's reads in one scroll.
As AI tools make design execution more accessible, the ability to discern meaningful solutions becomes the designer's most valuable asset.
Why Taste Is the Only Design Skill That Matters Now
I've been thinking a lot about the evolving role of designers in this new world we're entering. This article really resonated with me because it highlights something I believe is becoming increasingly valuable: discernment.
AI tools make the execution side of design more accessible and efficient, what stands out isn't technical skill but rather "taste" - that hard-to-define quality of knowing which option is actually meaningful or valuable in a given context.
It's fascinating to see this shift happening in real time.
Welcome to the era of MEH
Great read on our collective "meh" response to AI-generated creative work. It really captures something I've noticed in my own reactions to AI art and design - there's usually something missing when we know it wasn't created through human struggle and with little to no intention.
The piece makes a fascinating point about efficiency versus value. While AI is undeniably making graphic design and coding more efficient (which is great in many contexts), it's simultaneously creating this strange devaluation of digital creative work. Our emotional connection to the output is fading. Maybe that is ok? IDK.
Ray Bradbury: The Intellect Is a Great Danger to Creativity
I recently came across this video. Ray Bradbury's perspective on creativity and intellect. Its an 8 minute watch but what resonated with me was how he warns against overthinking our creative processes.
There's something really interesting about recognizing that sometimes our intellectual side can actually push back our most authentic creative impulses.
On a personal note, I met him when I was 9. He signed my copy of Fahrenheit 451. I wish I could have seen this talk IRL - but the video is great.
Ray Bradbury: The Intellect Is a Great Danger to Creativity via The Memory Hole on Substack
H Company
Interesting product group called H Company that's developing what they call "next-generation agents" - essentially AI systems designed to handle tasks automatically while creating better ways for humans and AI to work together.
Take a look at Runner H. Love the UX patterns.
Anthropic's approach to understanding and addressing AI harms
I've been researching AI safety frameworks and it's fascinating to see how the field is maturing. There's a growing recognition that we need structured approaches to evaluate potential AI harms across multiple dimensions - not just the obvious privacy concerns, but also psychological impacts, broader societal effects, and threats to individual autonomy.
What's encouraging about this framework is its balanced approach. It's not simply focusing on restrictions, it's trying to create a thoughtful equilibrium between safety guardrails and functional capabilities.
AI systems that are completely hamstrung by safety measures might be harmless but also useless - just be conscious about what you're building.
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