Is it summer yet?

Summer's settling in. We got Owen signed up for a new school for TK and kicked off our summer project, redoing our patio. I'm really excited to hang out outside more, at least until it gets wickedly hot. I made a [playlist for being outside](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1FwZ7mToCoeZKp) and it's the perfect soundtrack for right now. Let's jump into some links. ### Design Town I've been deep in my own design process lately, partly because of AI and partly in spite of it. I wrote about it in [AI for Designers](https://mattfelten.com/articles/ai-for-designers) recently. A lot of what I've been reading has been circling the same question, what changes (or doesn't) when our tools are changing? - Here's a [great list of polish details](https://jakub.kr/writing/details-that-make-interfaces-feel-better?ref=sidebar) for UI that everyone crafting interfaces should look at. And on the planning side, [five research questions](https://adobe.design/stories/process/five-research-questions-that-provide-the-foundation-for-good-design?ref=uxdesignweekly) from Adobe that are a solid gut check for whether you're designing from evidence or vibes. - If you're using AI in your work, Figma launched [Skills](https://www.figma.com/community/skills), basically a way to let AI agents work directly on your Figma canvas. And [Mockdown](https://www.mockdown.design/) has been a really helpful tool for iterating on wireframe-like interfaces with agents. - If you're *designing* AI features, I really like this [AI taxonomy](https://dropleaf.app/d/AlXez8scbd?ref=sidebar). It breaks "AI" into six functional types, which has made it a lot easier for me to think about which type I'm working on and what the goals are. ### The Inevitable AI Part I still think the hype is outsized to the value and the industry is full of grifters. And who knows what the long term effects will be ([it doesn't look good](https://layoffs.fyi)). But also, I'm using AI and genuinely finding good uses for it. It's a weird place to be right now. - Opinions on AI can seem pretty polarized, and part of that is because [some people just want to believe in magic](https://www.baldurbjarnason.com/2026/the-two-worlds-of-programming/?ref=sidebar). And I kinda get it. Who among us hasn't tried to use The Force? - Is the [AI bubble bursting](https://hughhowey.com/the-ai-bubble-is-bursting/?ref=sidebar)? Who really knows, but there are some signs we're [not really seeing the productivity we're being sold](https://www.answer.ai/posts/2026-03-12-so-where-are-all-the-ai-apps.html). - Sean Goedecke on [not knowing if his job will exist in ten years](https://www.seangoedecke.com/will-my-job-still-exist/?ref=sidebar). I feel that and have been depressingly wondering the same thing. ### Stray Links - [Spectre I](https://www.deveillance.com/). An anti-surveillance device that jams nearby microphones. This is some cyberpunk shit and it's wild that we need this now. - [12 tips for a great family movie night](https://austinkleon.substack.com/p/12-tips-for-a-great-family-movie). I need to kick this off. We're also trying to start game nights. Owen's smoking us at Dominos right now... - [The Cube Rule](https://cuberule.com/). A unified theory of food classification. Cereal isn't soup. It's nachos. Obviously.