Automobiles have been around for well over a century. During that time, we’ve gotten pretty good at designing and building their basic components and controls: seats, doors, pedals, steering wheels, mirrors, etc. But when today’s automakers decide to make an electric vehicle (EV), they seemingly forget much of what they once knew, creating new versions of features that are objectively, obviously worse than the time-tested designs they replace.
We don’t just need electric cars, we need fewer cars - Greenpeace International
Ever since the first production car rolled off the assembly line more than 100 years ago, our love affair with automobiles has grown and grown.
Rivian Did It
The U.S. electric vehicle maker’s make-or-break model, the R2, is finally here — and it’s pretty fun to drive.
THE PEOPLE DO NOT YEARN FOR AUTOMATION
Software brain is changing the world, but most people still aren’t buying.
THE PEOPLE DO NOT YEARN FOR AUTOMATION
Software brain is changing the world, but most people still aren’t buying.
The Electric Vehicle Developmental State | Paolo Gerbaudo
BYD exemplifies transformations in Chinese industrial policy
the new product designer (and why we’re getting it wrong)
Powercircuits - Custom Mechanical and Electrical Engineering - Open Source Electric Mid-Drive
The build videos playlist
Open source is the electric vehicle of digital policy
Open source is very popular these days, not least due to the open-source strategy that the European Commission announced last week as part of the tech sovereignty package. While there is a lot to criticise about that strategy (exaggerated goals, misleading numbers etc), the one thing I would like to
Our Longing for Inconvenience
People are pining for old technologies—CD players, VCRs, Walkmans. What’s behind our longing for inconvenience?
Resetting on engineering expectations in the age of AI
I’m accepting new sponsorships for The Modern Leader for 2026. If you’re interested (or you think your company may be interested), you can learn more here.
EBike / EScooter modular DIY OpenSource electronics and software
Over the years I did own a few different EBikes / EScooters from different brands, and I always found limitations on all of them, mainly on the software. Knowing that in general, all EBikes and EScooters are equal, I decided to replace the original motor controller electronics and display of all my EBikes/EScooters, with my own modular DIY version and running my software.
Evolving Design Language in the AI Era: From Good to Great
Explore how the AI era reshapes design language, emphasizing objective critique over subjective opinions for successful outcomes.
Settings are not a design failure
The systematic thinking in our industry is that settings are the result of design failure. As designers, our goal is to create product experiences that don’t require any adjustment by the user. So offering customization options is often seen as a failure to make firm product decisions. I think there is a misunderstanding about what settings really are.
Everything is ugly, so go build something that isn't — Raiza Martin, Huxe (ex NotebookLM)