There’s an age-old question that goes something like this: Do you live to work or work to live? That question has seldom been pondered by so many as in the past year. People asking themselves: What is the value or a job or career? What does stability look like? What…

“The content needs to be approachable. We can’t use bank speak, we need to use human terminologies that actually resonate. And it also matters how we approach the problem set.” — Shane Berry, Head of Design at LendUp/Mission Lane Cartoons and movies predicted we’d be living in space by now…

What is the most important part of design research? Recruiting participants! Educator and design expert Jon Kolko walks through how to develop a research plan, define the right participants, work with a screener (or use participant intercepts and social media for broader groups), how many people you need to interview…

When we set out to consider the new frontier of education, the world was contemplating — and rapidly responding to — the great unknown. With vaccine distribution ramping up to record highs and many educational leaders planning to resume in-classroom teaching this spring, we are entering a moment when it…

Human-centered design, design thinking, design strategy, user experience, UI, innovation…“Design” has been a buzzword for over a decade now. Companies want design. But are they ready for it? At Modernist, we work with a variety of (mostly large) clients, and there are some consistent indicators that predict whether creative projects…

Many designers are intimidated by writing — but language is fundamental to crafting a design strategy. Design is a craft-based discipline. We make things — traditionally, these have been physical, tangible objects — crafting furniture out of wood or steel, or printing posters with paper and ink. As design evolved…

Education used to set the pace for industry. Universities were hallowed grounds for scholars to experiment with world changing ideas and inventions. Along the line the tables turned — with industry innovations largely outrunning university ones. Graduating students began entering the workforce with inadequate real-world skills, lacking experience collaborating with…

Design research is about spending time with real people and using their experiences as the center of influence for our designs — rather than shaping them based on technical and market trends. In this video on design strategy and research, Modernist COO Jon Kolko — expert designer, strategist, educator, author…

Thanks for your interest in writing for Modernist Studio’s Medium publication! Submission Guidelines * 300–1500 words * Optimistic in tone * Solutions-focused * Clear thesis * Topic areas: design, innovation, AI, software, UX/UI, etc. * Focus on: design systems, leveling the playing field for diverse audiences and user groups * Submissions can be word-driven (e.g. a blog/article) or…