 |
| |
|
|
|
Australia is by far the most car-centric place I’ve ever called home. Too often, I hear about cars hitting cyclists or pedestrians or people inside buildings. Many of these so-called ‘accidents’ stem from traffic engineering flaws: our streets are designed to encourage recklessness, prioritising speed over safety.
Our system has a standard response: fine the driver, sometimes imprison them. Punishment offers a kind of public reassurance, a sense that justice is being done. But as Kea Wilson argues elegantly in her recent opinion piece, the key to safer streets might lie in consequences, not punishment – a subtle but crucial distinction.
Wilson defines consequences as “the direct effect of an action; they’re guaranteed, and they teach a lesson.” When a driver hits a concrete bollard that separates a bike lane from the driving lane, the consequence is a wrecked car, an instant repair bill.
“No matter who you are or how much money you make, the only way to avoid the irrefutable physics of stationary concrete vs. fast-moving steel is, simply, not to hit the damn bollard. And if you know that in your bones, you’ll pay a little more attention every time you’re behind the wheel.”
She points out that punishment, especially when inconsistently enforced, creates fear rather than reliably change behaviour. In punishment-focused systems fear is, by definition, the deterrent – whether or not the driver is caught.
“Consequences are for the offender. They teach the offender a lesson. But punishments are for the offended. It makes the offended feel better. Consequences teach you responsibility for your action; punishments make you feel shame.”
I want to live in a world where speeding down a neighbourhood street will cost you a side mirror, or charging through an intersection too quickly will destroy your undercarriage. Consequential physics, not punishment.
Wilson thoughtfully provides two fundamentally different visions of road safety: one relies on fear and enforcement, while the other designs out recklessness and builds safety into the fabric of our streets.
– Kai
|
| |
|
Level up as a Friend of DD →
With a contribution of less than $2 per month, you get access to the DD Lounge where Friends of DD discuss the weekly newsletter and meet other readers. Plus you can turn off ads, receive special discounts, get access to the DD Index (a searchable catalogue of past issues) and other perks.
Dense Discovery is a weekly newsletter with the best of the internet thoughtfully curated, read by over 34,000 subscribers. Do you have a product or service to promote in DD? Find out more about advertising in DD.
|
| |
Beautiful Meeting Notes, No Bots SPONSOR
|
AI notepad for back-to-back meetings
Writing is thinking. If a bot is writing notes for you, it is thinking for you. Instead, Granola starts with your notes, and makes them better.
Download the Mac app. Your first 25 meetings are free.
|
|
| |
Apps & Sites
|
Open-source collaborative design tool
|
|
Penpot is a free, open-source, web-based design and prototyping tool that facilitates seamless collaboration between designers and developers by expressing designs as CSS, SVG and HTML.
|
|
Simple, affordable shared inbox
|
|
The good folks at Good Enough have launched another app: a shared inbox. Jelly lets you and your team send, receive and discuss emails in one tidy, shared environment. Like other apps from Good Enough, the simple, intuitive UI makes it fun and easy to use. What also stands out is the low price compared to some of the other helpdesk tools: $29/month for unlimited team members. Friends of DD enjoy a 25% discount during the first year.
Become a Friend to access specials like this.
|
|
‘deGoogled’ Android phones
|
|
I only just discovered /e/OS, an open source operating system with the goal to “create a privacy-focused mobile operating system that is free from Google’s influence and control”. It has an open-source Android OS core, with no Google apps or Google services accessing your personal data, while still being compatible with all your favourite Android apps.
|
|
|
A fascinating visualisation of seismic activity around the world. The project maps patterns of earthquake magnitude, depth, location and frequency which you can play on a timeline going back to the ’80s.
|
|
| |
Ground Rules: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
|
|
Advice for our time of precarity by marine biologist, policy expert and writer, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. (An excerpt from her book What If We Get It Right?)
|
Keep showing up.
This is not a spectator sport. It’s not just billionaires and politicians who will decide our future – it’s small business owners and students and citizens; it’s whoever steps up and whoever you bring along with you. Take breaks but keep going. We shape the future.
Bring your superpowers.
Be gentle with yourself on the ‘What are you good at?’ question. Put your insecurities aside and simply consider what you have to offer – in your personal life, professional life, and civic life. If we each harness our superpowers, that will actually enable the radical changes we need.
Join something.
Contribute your skills to an existing effort – make it possible. Build the website, raise the funds, recruit the talent, plan the events. As Bill McKibben puts it, “Faced with the kind of crises that we face, the most important thing that an individual can do is to not always be an individual.” Move from I to we.
Find your people.
Someone recently asked me, ‘Who are your people?’ And without a moment of hesitation, directly from my soul came these words: “My people are conjurers. They don’t stop at dreaming, they make something where there was nothing, something needed. They make magic in the real world.” It gives me goosebumps to think how lucky I am to get to say that sincerely. Support your people and love them, and hold on. Lean into possibility together.
Be a problem solver.
What this moment in history requires is a relentless focus on solutions. Whether your purview is finance, energy, urban planning, manufacturing, construction, law, food, administration, or transportation, there is nothing more attractive than a problem solver.
Choose your battles.
That’s how my dad put it. My mum prefers the cornier, “Do your best and don’t worry about the rest.” And it’s the best advice my parents have given me. Keep things in perspective by keeping at least one eye firmly on the future of life on Earth. Choose something to fight for, and, please, no friendly fire.
Nourish joy.
There are so many things that need to be done – don’t pick something that makes you miserable! It’s imperative to avoid burnout, so choose what enlivens and energises you. Take climate change seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously. The work can and should be gratifying and punctuated with joy.
Love nature.
And remember that you are a part of it. I can’t say it better than Rachel Carson: “Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”
(Did you know? Friends of DD can respond to and engage with guest contributors like Ayana Elizabeth Johnson in one click.)
|
|
| |
Books & Accessories
|
A (comic) handbook for change
A long-form comic book by an Australian author duo with a fun, creative way to show what effective, transformative and intersectional activism looks like. “In this original comic-book tour of a serious topic, Jeff Sparrow and Sam Wallman explore 12 powerful ideas distilled from the history of struggle for better lives, better working conditions, and a better world. They show how solidarity can be built across growing divisions – without compromising our values.”
|
|
The science behind our existence
Theoretical physicist, author and broadcaster Jim Al-Khalili offers a captivating exploration of the fundamental principles of physics, making complex ideas accessible while revealing how they shape our understanding of the universe. “Physics is revealed as an intrepid human quest for ever more foundational principles that accurately explain the natural world we see around us, an undertaking guided by core values such as honesty and doubt. The knowledge discovered by physics both empowers and humbles us, and still, physics continues to delve valiantly into the unknown.”
|
|
| |
Overheard on Threads
|
|
And to my great grandchildren I leave my 38,563 display fonts.
|
| |
Food for Thought
|
|
Kea Wilson argues that we need more meaningful consequences for reckless driving, not just punishments that cause suffering. The goal is to design a system where drivers learn from predictable and fair consequences rather than facing harsh penalties that disproportionately affect vulnerable communities. “We can design our world so the consequences for dangerous driving are predictable, fair, wide-reaching, and so undeniably meaningful to each individual that after motorists experience them even once, they would never willingly experience them again.”
|
|
|
Jamil Zaki with an important, timely reminder: cynicism is a harmful mindset that leads to depression and isolation, yet many people mistakenly associate it with intelligence. Instead of being cynical, we should adopt skepticism, which encourages curiosity and openness to the goodness in others. “If cynicism is a pathogen, we can create resistance to it with skepticism: a reluctance to believe claims without evidence. Cynicism and skepticism are often confused for each other, but they couldn’t be more different. Cynicism is a lack of faith in people; skepticism is a lack of faith in our assumptions. Cynics imagine humanity is awful; skeptics gather information about who they can trust. They hold on to beliefs lightly and learn quickly.”
|
|
|
I enjoyed this reflection by Marlowe Granados on the concept of personal taste: true taste comes from genuine passion and experience rather than superficial trends. She encourages readers to appreciate and celebrate those with distinctive taste instead of trying to conform to societal expectations. “The asinine conversations about what people signal by way of what they read or how they dress is really the death of what is beautiful about taste. The importance placed on symbols as a shortcut into creating an identity without any real lived experience, in fact, sells everyone short. Just because you can paint by numbers does not mean you’re an artist.” (via)
|
|
| |
Aesthetically Pleasing
|
|
From dilapidated power plants, abandoned medical facilities and amusement parks left in rusted ruin, Jonathan Jimenez, a.k.a. Jonk, captures the decay of human objects and the resurgence of nature. His newest photobook, Naturalia III, is now available. (via)
|
|
|
Designer and artist Max Drekker shares an extensive and ongoing stream of geometric and abstract art.
|
|
|
The stunning chapel Our Lady of Sorrows in Nesvačilka, South Moravia, is the result of a decade-long project to create a place of worship and a striking new focal point for the community.
|
|
|
One of those fonts I’d love to use on a poster: Monumental Grotesk is “a spiritual revival of letters originally designed to be carved from stone”.
|
|
| |
Notable Numbers
|
|
The world is still obsessed with energy drinks. Top brand Red Bull sold ~12 billion cans worldwide last year, pushing sales to a record of €10.6 billion (~$11.4 billion).
|
|
|
People tend to think there are more immigrants in their country than there really are. In the US, the average person believes that 33% of people were not born there. However, official estimates from government agencies show that the figure is just 15% – less than half as many. In Japan, people guess that 10% of the population are immigrants, but the accurate figure is around 2%.
|
|
|
American crude-oil production rose 1.5% in August to hit a record 13.4 million barrels a day. The US has been consistently producing more crude oil than any nation in history for the last six years, after overtaking Russia as the world’s top producer in 2018.
|
|
| |
Classifieds
|
|
Lost in travel plans? Not anymore! Stippl organises it all – itinerary, budget & more! Share your account name with us on Instagram for 1 month of Stippl Pro free!
Design Lobster brings you surprising stories from the world of design.
Want to sell the lovely thing you make to independent stores, without pushiness or pressure? Subscribe to Indie Retail Academy for 20% off artist-friendly scripts and templates.
Gift an unforgettable experience this holiday! Book a VAWAA – a 1:1 creative apprenticeship with master artists worldwide. Perfect for those who love travel, art and new skills.
|
|
Classifieds are paid ads that support DD and are seen by our 34,000 subscribers each week.
Book yours →
|
|
| |
The Week in a GIF
|
|
Reply with your favourite GIF and it might get featured here in a future issue.
|
|
| |
|
DD is supported by Friends and the modern family office of  .
|
| |
