DesignObserver

OpenAI has a goblin problem they can’t explain. “Never talk about goblins, gremlins, raccoons, trolls, ogres, pigeons, or other animals or creatures unless it is absolutely and unambiguously relevant.” Look, we’ve all been there. bit.ly/4usoNhR

Most designers are obsessed with what's next. Laura Sofia Cardozo is asking what we've forgotten. Our latest piece explores what Indigenous knowledge frameworks have to teach designers about continuity, memory, and responsibility. Part of our ongoing Sacred Valley series: bit.ly/49ktdPA

Populous, you’re going to be Populous. The global design firm announced long-time design lead Loren Supp has been tapped as Senior Principal and Head of Design, Western U.S. His past work includes sports stadiums, airports, and cultural venues, and he has expertise in integrating AI into professional practice. bit.ly/42A2nPK

A new museum billed “as the world’s first museum of AI arts,” is set to open June 20 in Los Angeles. Dataland is co-founded by Turkish-American media artist Refik Anadol and will be housed at The Grand LA, the Frank Gehry-designed complex in downtown Los Angeles’ Grand Avenue Cultural District. n.pr/4cSLRPO

Designers make better entrepreneurs than many may think, says Vivienne Castillo. “The traits that get pathologized in corporate environments (the tendency to question assumptions, to challenge briefs before executing them, to care about systemic implications when leadership wants tactical outputs) are the exact same traits that allow entrepreneurs to build things that matter,” she writes. bit.ly/4w3TMCD

McDonald’s (yes, the one with the French fries) made its Milan Design Week debut with a GIANT swimming pool-sized ball pit. I’m not kidding. The truly delightful installation is inspired by the work of Damien Hirst, again, not kidding, with the stated aim of “weaving together play, memory and critical reflection.” Could someone please share the notes from the meeting that approved this? I want to understand this alchemy. bit.ly/3QsY5qP

“I learned early on that to understand a city, you had to understand its architecture,” he says. “And by making architecture understandable, you could make urban life better for everyone.” More here: designobserver.com/?s=michael+bie…

Trailblazing designer and Design Observer co-founder Michael Bierut has been awarded the 2026 President’s Medal by the Architectural League of New York. A longtime partner at Pentagram, Bierut has spent more than four decades shaping how architecture is experienced through graphics. archleague.org

Kajsa Kedefors showed up at Art Basel Hong Kong, talked to the artists who embrace AI, the ones who call it "an annoying intern," and the ones somewhere in between. The artists weighed in. It's worth a read: designobserver.com/art-basel-hong…

An autonomous AI showed up at Art Basel, read the crowd's emotions, and made art in real time. No body, no studio, no angst. $333K at auction. Its name is Botto. The questions it's raising don't have easy answers — and that's exactly what makes it interesting.

Graphic design studies are now basically trade schools, teaching a skill the job market currently doesn’t seem to value, says designer Kathy Pham. “Since the Industrial Revolution, the world has come to think of technology as hardware, a product you need to learn, a hard skill,” she says. But what of taste? Context? Imagination? bit.ly/4mHtotZ

Chicago’s historic Merle Reskin Theater takes a bow. The 120-year-old Beaux Arts treasure is closing at the end of May. DePaul University, which owns and operates the theater, cites a budget crisis caused by the Trump Administration’s immigration policies, which have resulted in fewer tuition-paying foreign students. Also set to close: the DePaul Art Museum. bit.ly/4eDMWx7

The Honda Global Font was created to remedy inconsistencies in brand materials within global markets. Rumie Oishi leads Honda’s corporate branding, Sakura Taruno and Yuka Honma are typeface designers at Morisawa Inc., and Osamu Torinoumi, a typeface designer at JIYUKOBO Ltd., shares the long process of developing the font. “From the very beginning, I felt they demonstrated a sincere commitment to monozukuri craftsmanship in their approach to shape,” says Taruno. bit.ly/4tuStuE

Cutbacks at Disney have hit Marvel, with some 8% of its workforce on the chopping block. It is hitting the creative staff, specifically the visual development team, particularly hard. “I can’t comprehend it. These are the folks who have created the first visuals for every. Single. Marvel Studios film. Ever,” says @kortizart on X. “A really small team of people, some have been there for over a decade.” Thanks, Chat. deadline.com/2026/04/marvel…

And the award for the most cutting headline of the day goes to: “After the State Department overhauled the process for choosing an artist for the Venice Biennale, it gave control to a woman who previously owned a pet food store.” The New York Times. nyti.ms/3QkGnWp

Sony World Photography Awards has announced its 2026 winners. The competition welcomes submissions from photographers of all levels; this year, there were more than 430,000 submissions from more than 200 countries and territories. Come, look at the world! These images will set you right. Enjoy. bit.ly/4u4jAMZ

Everything old is new again: A modular construction kit based on Charles and Ray Eames’ iconic mid-century modern home will debut at Triennale Milano during Milan Design Week, via Dezeen. bit.ly/4cZRIUs

The United Nations human rights office has weighed in on the detention of Chinese dissident artist Gao Zhen, who was arrested for his “provocative satirical sculptures” of former leader Mao Zedong. “The case against him raises concerns with regard to retroactive application of criminal law and use of criminal sanctions to punish artistic expression, undermining the principle of legality,” the office said. The U.N. is calling for his immediate release. reut.rs/4cHsau6

Critic, curator, and professor of architecture Ana Miljački has been named the next head of the @MIT Department of Architecture. “I’ve been a member of the MIT faculty for 19 years,” Miljački says. “I have been humbled every day to take part in its collective, private, material, cultural, and pedagogical ambitions and realities.” In 2018, she founded MIT’s Critical Broadcasting Lab. Through the Critical Broadcasting Lab and in partnership with The Architectural League of New York, Miljački hosts the I Would Prefer Not To podcast, which delves into the ethical and social dimensions of practice. archpaper.com/2026/04/ana-mi…

April 9: A group of working film directors launched the Filmmaker Leadership Council in partnership with the movie-theater trade association Cinema United. The filmmaker-led organization aims to protect and expand the shrinking window for theatrical releases; circumventing studios’ push toward streaming. “Our industry is strongest when it works together to promote the singular experience of seeing a movie on the big screen,” says Cinema United chief Michael O'Leary. bit.ly/3O84MxL