What if artificial intelligence could collaborate like a team of expert developers, each specializing in different aspects of a project? Below, Cole Medin breaks down how Claude Code’s new “Agent Teams” are pushing the boundaries of AI collaboration, allowing multiple agents to work together in real time on complex coding tasks. Imagine a scenario where […]
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Why is it that every time you’re ready to snag the latest and greatest gadget, it’s suddenly nowhere to be found? That’s the frustration many gamers are feeling with the Steam Deck, Valve’s handheld gaming powerhouse. NerdNest breaks down how a perfect storm of factors, ranging from supply chain chaos to skyrocketing demand, has left […]
The post Why Steam Deck is Out of Stock : Valve Weighs Supply, Costs & Next Steps appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.
Your wrist might be the most underutilized piece of real estate you own. Most smartwatches promise everything at your fingertips, tracking steps and heart rate while delivering notifications in real time. But what happens when you need to fix something physical, tighten an actual screw, or open a stubborn bottle? That digital magic suddenly feels pretty limited. Remember that bonkers Smartlet concept from CES that tried cramming an Apple Watch AND a Rolex on your wrist? Weird execution, brilliant insight. The watch strap has serious potential as a wrist-borne utility belt, and Woods Design seems to have cracked the code with something actually wearable.
The TiLink is a 24-in-1 titanium bracelet that doubles as a watch strap, creating this interesting yin-yang of capabilities. Compatibility spans across all watches with lug widths between 18-26mm, which means the TiLink can attach to the Apple Watch as well as Garmin, Samsung, Google Pixel, and analog watches. One side tracks your biometrics and messages, the other has screwdrivers, wrenches, a magnifier, and a fire starter machined from aerospace-grade titanium. Full transparency: you’re probably not getting through airport security without some explaining, and this definitely isn’t for minimalists. But for EDC enthusiasts who love flaunting their gear, or anyone who believes in being prepared for whatever life throws at them, this bracelet does something clever. Instead of just holding your device, the strap itself becomes the utility belt, merging analog preparedness with digital functionality in one surprisingly balanced package.
Designer: Russell Wu (Woods Design)
Click Here to Buy Now: $179 $259 (31% off) Hurry! Only 15 left of 300. Raised over $139,000.
Woods Design chose GR5 titanium, the aerospace-grade stuff that shows up in aircraft components and surgical implants. The entire bracelet weighs just 138.8 grams despite packing 24 tools across 230.5mm of length. That’s lighter than most steel watches while being significantly stronger and completely corrosion-resistant. Every link gets CNC-machined for precision, which means tight tolerances and smooth articulation that stays consistent over time. The 35mm width sounds chunky on paper but makes sense once you see how the tools integrate into each module. Your Apple Watch will become obsolete e-waste in five years while this thing keeps working indefinitely.
Three flathead screwdriver sizes (SL3, SL4, SL5) integrate directly into the bracelet structure, covering everything from eyeglass screws to home appliance panels. Hex bit holders accept both 4mm precision bits and 6.35mm standard bits, giving you genuine versatility instead of that fake multi-tool marketing where one size supposedly handles everything. The 4mm bit extension bar reaches recessed screws in tight positions without needing adapters or workarounds. You can swap bits on the fly, choosing configurations based on what you actually need that day. Eyeglass adjustments, toy repairs, electronics tinkering, small hardware fixes, all the annoying little tasks that require tools you never have handy.
An adjustable wrench covers M4 to M8 nuts and bolts, replacing an entire wrench set with one modular link. Traditional hex wrenches deliver solid torque but disappear into drawers and take up pocket space. Mini versions fit on keychains but lack leverage and get lost in couch cushions within days. This integration gives you proper wrench functionality without the carry hassle. The spoke wrench includes three sizes (3.6mm, 3.9mm, 4.4mm) for common spoke nipples, which tells me they actually consulted cyclists during design. Roadside wheel truing without carrying a separate tool bag changes the calculation for anyone who rides regularly and has dealt with wonky spokes mid-ride.
A built-in magnifier handles small text, component inspection, or marking verification without pulling out your phone and fumbling with zoom controls. The eternal pen requires zero refills, won’t leak ink all over your stuff, and stays permanently attached so it can’t vanish. I’m honestly uncertain how often I’d write with a bracelet pen, but jotting quick notes or reminders beats typing on a phone screen when your hands are already busy. The double-hole survival whistle produces louder, sharper sound than standard single-hole designs, making it effective for emergencies, signaling in crowds, or outdoor scenarios. Being permanently integrated means you can’t lose it, unlike those keychain whistles that fall off within a week.
Fire starting capability feels niche for urban carry but makes perfect sense for actual preparedness. The striker produces sparks without fuel or batteries, and a rubber o-ring seals the compartment against moisture. For camping, hiking, emergency kits, or survival situations, having a fire starter that physically cannot run out of fuel beats carrying lighters or matches. For everyday city life, you’ll probably never use it. Here’s where the modular design earns its keep: remove the links you don’t need, keep what you actually use. The bracelet adapts to your reality instead of forcing you to carry someone else’s idea of essential tools.
A nail file smooths rough edges or tidies nails when needed. Wire gauge holes measure five common sizes (3.5mm, 3mm, 2.5mm, 2mm, 1.5mm) accurately without needing dedicated calipers. The bottle opener works exactly as expected, which sounds mundane until you need one and realize your entire keychain, wallet, and pockets contain zero bottle-opening capability. These small inclusions prevent those specific frustrating moments where you’re almost prepared but missing one crucial thing. They fill the gaps between major tools without adding bulk or complexity.
Two optional modules extend the system further. A liquid compass uses premium white mineral oil for smooth operation and minimal temperature sensitivity, staying functional across a wide range of conditions. Sliding it off the bracelet and placing it on the ground eliminates magnetic interference from other tools, giving you accurate readings. When GPS satellites become unreliable or your phone battery dies at the worst possible moment, having mechanical directional finding matters. Tritium tube slots (1.5mm x 6mm) accept glow inserts that work continuously for 25 years without batteries, charging, or external light exposure. That’s legitimate low-light visibility plus understated aesthetic appeal for people who appreciate functional details.
Apple Watch connectors transform the entire premise. Any Apple Watch model attaches and locks securely into place without extra tools or complicated procedures. This creates a genuine hybrid: your watch handles notifications, fitness tracking, payments, and connectivity while your band contains physical tools for fixing actual things. Digital and analog utility coexist on the same wrist, each handling what it does best. When you need to check your heart rate and tighten a loose screw within the same five minutes, having both capabilities right there makes a surprising amount of sense. That being said, the Watch integration isn’t mandatory – you can still wear the TiLink as a regular bracelet too, keeping your smartwatch unencumbered by these massive new responsibilities.
Each link connects and disconnects cleanly for tool-free size adjustment. Add links for a looser fit, remove them for tighter wear, customize tool selection while you’re at it. The precision machining ensures every link articulates smoothly and maintains consistent tolerances, which matters for something rubbing against your wrist all day. You’re essentially building a custom toolkit that also happens to be a watch band, selecting exactly the modules you’ll actually use instead of carrying a pre-configured set that includes stuff you’ll never touch.
As with every EDC, this watch strap has a time and place, and I’m not entirely sure if wearing this universally would work (the same way carrying a Swiss Army Knife everywhere is a tad risky). For example, airport security will absolutely flag this. TSA agents see a metal bracelet with integrated tools and fire-starting capability, they’re pulling you aside for additional screening. Office environments, malls, and public transit systems might consider it too tactical depending on where you live. But for EDC enthusiasts, makers, cyclists, outdoor types, or anyone who regularly encounters small problems requiring tools, wrist-mounted organization beats pocket clutter or carrying bags just for gear. Woods Design built something that respects both form and function, achieving a balance that’s surprisingly rare in products that usually sacrifice one for the other.
Pricing starts at $179 for early backers, hitting $199 at standard retail for the titanium version. Quality titanium watch bands that do nothing except hold your watch regularly cost $150 to $300, so you’re paying a comparable rate for the band itself while getting 24 integrated tools as a bonus. An aluminum version exists at $89 for people who want the functionality without premium material costs. Individual modules run $19 each if you prefer building your configuration gradually or testing the concept before committing to a full bracelet. Single modules come with paracord so you can wear them immediately as standalone pieces.
Click Here to Buy Now: $179 $259 (31% off) Hurry! Only 15 left of 300. Raised over $139,000.
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Meta talks about XR glasses as companions for your social life. Snap a photo, answer a call, ask an AI what you are looking at. The PlayStation XR Glasses concept spins that idea toward a different center of gravity. Here, the glasses are not about broadcasting your world. They are about pulling the PlayStation universe closer, shrinking the distance between you, your console, and the screen that usually sits across the room.
Here, XR is not a spectacle. It is a subtle layer that folds into your existing PlayStation life. Imagine a virtual screen hovering above your TV stand, system notifications floating at the edge of your vision, a familiar PS logo resting by your temple like the Start button you have pressed a thousand times. The fantasy is not about replacing your PS5, but about letting its world follow you from couch to desk to bed, quietly, through something that looks like ordinary eyewear.
Designer: Shirish Kumar
The frames carry the same visual language as the PS5 and DualSense controller, all smooth curves and deliberate angles that look cohesive sitting next to your console. That blue accent lighting running along the temples is pure PlayStation branding, the kind of detail that works because it feels earned rather than slapped on. The folding hinge reveals those iconic button symbols when you open the arms, which is a nice touch that reinforces you are holding a gaming device that happens to look like eyewear. Whether Sony’s actual industrial design team would ever build something this sleek is another question entirely, but as a design exercise, it holds together.
There is a front-facing camera tucked under the lenses for object tracking and AR overlays, auto-adjusting lenses that darken outdoors and clear indoors, embedded sensors for a heads-up display, gesture controls for navigation. The PS logo on the temple supposedly works like a button, tap for Start and hold for Home, mirroring your muscle memory from the controller. All of that sounds good on paper. The real question is what you actually do with these once they are on your face. Existing PlayStation games would almost certainly run as a virtual screen floating in your field of view, basically a private monitor you wear instead of stare at. True AR gameplay where Aloy from Horizon is dodging around your coffee table requires games built specifically for that, and Kumar does not show or describe any of those experiences.
What this concept does well is stake out a different philosophy for XR glasses. Where Meta wants social connectivity and Apple is aiming for spatial computing as a productivity play, this imagines gaming-first hardware that extends an existing ecosystem rather than trying to create a new one. Whether that is enough to justify another screen in your life is the question every XR device has to answer eventually. For now, it is a polished look at what Sony could build if they decided lightweight AR glasses were the next logical step after VR headsets and portable screens.
The post PlayStation XR Glasses Concept Makes a Strong Case for Gaming-Focused AR Wearables first appeared on Yanko Design.
Living in a tiny home means embracing creative solutions to spatial challenges. Backcountry Tiny Homes understands this reality better than most, which is why their latest model, The Park, introduces a rooftop terrace to the equation. This 30-foot tiny house features a comfortable, storage-packed interior crowned by an outdoor space that fundamentally changes how residents interact with their compact dwelling. The rooftop is accessed from outside using a removable ladder, making it practical once the home finds its permanent or semi-permanent location. The design acknowledges that any expansion of living space in such tight dimensions becomes a major bonus, offering residents a private outdoor retreat without increasing the ground-level footprint.
The Park sits on a triple-axle trailer measuring 30 feet by 8.5 feet, positioning it as a relatively compact option within the tiny home market. Despite its modest footprint, the home accommodates one to four people depending on the configuration chosen. The flexible layout adapts to different living situations, whether serving as a solo retreat or housing a small family. Backcountry Tiny Homes designed the interior with abundant storage solutions woven throughout the space, addressing the perpetual challenge of keeping compact living areas organized and functional without feeling cluttered or cramped.
Designer: Backcountry Tiny Homes
Pricing for The Park reflects the level of completion buyers prefer. The turnkey version comes fully finished at $136,100, ready for immediate occupancy with all systems installed and design elements complete. Those wanting more control over aesthetics can choose the unfurnished model at $72,200, which includes all essential systems but leaves finishes and furnishings to the owner. The shell option, priced at $122,575, appeals to experienced builders who want the structural foundation while maintaining maximum customization freedom. Each tier carries the model reference number BCP3085MB.
Backcountry Tiny Homes brings credibility to their designs through lived experience. The Hampstead, New Hampshire, company is woman-owned and operated, specializing in mobile tiny home design and construction. The team doesn’t just build these homes; they live in them. This perspective shapes every decision, from structural engineering to cabinet placement. They recognize that the mechanical systems and framing matter just as much as the visible design elements, perhaps even more so in spaces where everything must work harder.
The rooftop terrace distinguishes The Park from conventional tiny home designs by transforming underutilized vertical space into a functional outdoor room. This elevated area provides residents with a private space for relaxation, entertaining, or simply enjoying their surroundings. The feature reflects a sophisticated understanding of how people actually want to use their tiny homes, not merely inhabit them. It addresses the common sacrifice of outdoor living space that often accompanies downsizing to a mobile dwelling.
The company’s team consists of carpenters, engineers, artists, and dreamers who understand that successful tiny home design requires both technical precision and creative vision. The Park represents this balanced approach, demonstrating that vertical expansion can solve horizontal limitations while maintaining the mobility and affordability that draw people to tiny living in the first place. The model stands as part of Backcountry’s broader lineup, showcasing their commitment to innovative solutions for compact living challenges.
The post The Park Tiny Home Elevates Compact Living with Rooftop Terrace first appeared on Yanko Design.
Blizzard announced today that it is introducing the Warlock as a playable character to Diablo II: Resurrected. It brings the first new class in 25 years to this remaster of the original RPG. It’s part of the Reign of the Warlock DLC, which is available today and will run you $25. It also includes some other updates to the base game, including new items and a new pinnacle boss encounter against the Colossal Ancients. For those players who don’t already own the base game, you can also pick up the Infernal Edition of D2R for $40, which includes the new content.
When D2R launched in 2021, it was an impressively faithful recreation of the game that so many Blizzard fans continued to adore over the years. Bringing in a whole new player class is a big win for those players who have stuck with the game in its contemporary era.
If D2R isn't your jam, though, Warlock is also being added to both Diablo 4 in its upcoming Lord of Hatred expansion this April and to Diablo Immortal. So aside from Diablo 3 not getting much love, just about all fans of the franchise will have a chance to get into the demon-summoning groove. Blizzard's 30th anniversary showcase video has all the details about what the other Diablo titles have in store during this year.
Blizzard has been keeping the news and updates rolling over the past few weeks in honor of the company's 35th anniversary. One of the more notable updates came for team hero shooter Overwatch, which lost the 2 in its name, but gained five more heroes in its big update yesterday.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/diablo-ii-resurrected-is-adding-warlock-as-a-brand-new-player-class-000130003.html?src=rss
Repair and assembly are usually framed as chores, tasks to be completed as quickly as possible, so we can move on to something more enjoyable. The bi:ts tool challenges this perception by transforming the act of tightening a screw into something closer to play. Instead of feeling like labor, the experience becomes tactile, intuitive, and surprisingly satisfying.
At the heart of the product is a joystick-inspired interface, borrowed from the language of game controllers. Rather than twisting your wrist repeatedly or navigating complicated buttons, you control the rotation using just your thumb. Push the joystick forward to rotate right and tighten, pull it back to rotate left and loosen. The mapping is so natural that it removes the hesitation many novices feel when they pick up a tool. There is no overthinking, no remembering instructions, just instinctive movement.
Designer: Changhwi Kim
Somewhere between the words “bit” and “beat,” the product invites you to find your own working rhythm. The motion feels less like a mechanical task and more like interacting with a game, where each rotation becomes a small, satisfying action. For someone new to DIY, even figuring out which direction to turn a screw can feel like a mission. The intuitive joystick mapping eliminates that friction, allowing the user to focus on the activity itself rather than the instructions.
This approach also reduces the learning curve often associated with automatic drilling machines. Power tools can be intimidating, especially for first-time users, but bi:ts lowers that barrier. Its lightweight build and ergonomic grip make it comfortable to hold, while the rounded edges soften the traditional perception of tools as harsh, industrial objects. Instead, the device feels friendly and approachable, more like a gadget than a piece of heavy hardware.
The design language reinforces this sense of playfulness. Bright, cheerful colors add a pop of personality, whether the tool is in use or simply hanging in the corner of a room. It is the kind of object that does not need to be hidden away in a toolbox. In fact, its aesthetic presence encourages visibility, almost like a design accessory rather than a purely functional item.
Practical details are thoughtfully integrated into the form. A loop at the top allows you to slip your hand through it, preventing accidental drops and keeping the tool within easy reach when you need both hands for something else. When you are done, the same loop makes it easy to hang the device for storage.
At the bottom, a smartly integrated niche stores different drill heads. This eliminates the need to search for separate parts or risk losing them. Everything fits neatly into the base, keeping the system sleek, compact, and ready for the next task.
bi:ts ultimately reframes what a tool can be. Instead of something intimidating or tedious, it becomes something engaging, almost playful. It suggests a future where DIY assembly, even something as routine as putting together IKEA furniture, can feel less like a chore and more like a small, satisfying game.
The post The Joystick-shaped Screwdriver That Makes Repairing/DIY Projects Fun and Intuitive first appeared on Yanko Design.
There’s something undeniably elegant about watching how birds move through the air, wings spread wide and catching the wind with effortless grace. BKID Co took that natural brilliance and translated it into something Seoul’s parks desperately needed: shade structures that look stunning and can actually stand up to a typhoon.
The Seoul Wing project isn’t your average park canopy. Sure, we’ve all huddled under those generic metal shelters that look like they were ordered from the same catalog every city uses. But these installations feel different. They’re sculptural, organic, and honestly pretty mesmerizing when you see them from above. The way those overlapping panels mimic feathers creates this flowing, almost kinetic quality even when they’re completely still.
Designer: BKID Co
What makes this design particularly clever is how BKID solved multiple problems at once. Anyone who’s tried to design outdoor structures knows the challenge: make it light enough to install without massive equipment, strong enough to survive extreme weather, and attractive enough that people actually want to use it. Most designers pick two out of three. BKID managed all of them.
The secret lies in that polyurethane mesh structure. It’s the kind of material innovation that doesn’t get enough attention because it’s not flashy, but it’s absolutely critical. Traditional shade structures either use heavy solid panels that require serious engineering support, or lighter fabrics that tear apart in strong winds. This mesh strikes that perfect middle ground. It’s resilient enough to flex during a storm rather than fighting against the wind, which is exactly what makes bird wings so effective during turbulent flight.
The installation photos tell an interesting story too. You can see the team working with surprisingly straightforward tools and methods. There’s no crane that requires blocking off half the park for a week. The modular approach means these structures can go up relatively quickly, which matters when you’re working in public spaces where every day of construction disrupts people’s routines.
Size-wise, these shelters accommodate groups of ten or more, which changes how people can use park spaces. Instead of everyone crowding under small umbrellas or hunting for that one decent tree, families and friends can actually gather together comfortably. That social aspect of design often gets overlooked in favor of pure aesthetics or technical specifications, but it’s crucial for public infrastructure.
The wind resistance feature deserves special attention. Seoul, like many Asian cities, faces serious weather challenges. Typhoons aren’t occasional inconveniences but regular threats that can destroy inadequate structures. Traditional park furniture either gets dismantled before every storm or ends up as expensive debris. The Seoul Wing design acknowledges this reality head-on. Those wing panels aren’t just decorative choices but functional elements that redirect wind flow rather than blocking it entirely.
Looking at the sketches alongside the final installation reveals BKID’s design process. Those early red-line drawings show numerous iterations exploring different angles and proportions. The final form maintains that initial inspiration while refining every detail for real-world performance. It’s biomimicry done right, not just slapping a nature theme onto conventional structures but truly understanding and applying natural principles.
The color palette keeps things simple with clean whites and grays, letting the form itself do the talking. In parks filled with green vegetation and seasonal color changes, that neutral approach makes sense. These structures become elegant backdrops rather than competing for attention, while their distinctive shapes still make them recognizable landmarks within the park. What’s refreshing about this project is how it elevates something as mundane as park shade into legitimate public art. We’re seeing more cities recognize that functional infrastructure doesn’t have to be boring. When done thoughtfully, everyday objects can enhance urban environments while serving their practical purposes beautifully.
The Seoul Wing represents where public design should be heading: solutions that honor natural systems, serve community needs, and bring genuine beauty to shared spaces. It’s not about creating Instagram moments, though these certainly photograph well. It’s about respecting park visitors enough to give them infrastructure that’s both useful and uplifting. Next time you’re sweating under some uninspired park shelter, remember these wing-shaped canopies in Seoul. Better design is possible. We just need more clients willing to commission it and more designers brave enough to look beyond the usual solutions toward what nature has already figured out.
The post Seoul Just Built Wing-Shaped Shelters That Survive Typhoons first appeared on Yanko Design.
Yanko Design’s weekly podcast, Design Mindset, continues to bring raw, unfiltered conversations about what it really means to work in design today. Episode 18, Powered by KeyShot, tackles a topic many Indian designers experience but rarely discuss openly: the uncomfortable gap between what brands promise about design investment and what actually happens behind closed doors. Each week, the podcast peels back the layers of design practice, exploring not just the creative work but the professional realities that shape it.
This week’s guest, Ayush Singh Patel, brings a perspective shaped by years at the intersection of ambition and reality. Currently Associate Director of Industrial Design at Noise, where he leads audio and accessories categories, Ayush previously spent time at boAt Lifestyle, leading five sub-brands and contributing to the design of everything from wireless headphones to smartwatches to grooming products. His experience spans the full product lifecycle, from concept to launch, but more importantly, he’s navigated the complex dynamics of being an in-house designer in India’s explosive consumer tech ecosystem. What unfolds in this conversation is a candid examination of derivative design, creative ownership, and what it takes to push for genuine innovation when the system is built for speed and cost efficiency.
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The conversation opens with a striking admission from Ayush: “I joined brands that proudly call themselves design driven, expecting to lead innovation. Instead, I found myself in meetings where the brief was literally make it look like this western brand, but make it cheaper. That’s not design leadership, that’s glorified localization. The real question isn’t whether Indian brands invest in design. It’s whether they invest in their own design vision or just outsource the thinking and ask internal teams to clean up the execution.”
Ayush’s own hiring story reveals how this dynamic begins. He wasn’t selected for his industrial design expertise or technical knowledge. “All they liked was the kind of portfolio work that I put out on Instagram and Behance, and they liked those pretty images. So there was no technicality in my interviews. They just wanted that sort of outcome for their products.” It took nearly a year and a half to convince stakeholders of what he could actually contribute beyond aesthetics. His first real opportunity came through rendering. In 2018-2019, e-commerce was entirely image-based, and conceptual renders performed exceptionally well. “Anything that was sold online on platforms like Amazon or Flipkart was truly image-based, right? Everything was about how glorified of a concept you can showcase.” The results were immediate: sales increased because customers were convinced to buy what they perceived in those images, not the reality of the products. This success created the opening for deeper design involvement.
Once sales growth validated design’s commercial impact, Ayush introduced CMF (Color, Material, Finish) as the next frontier. “I came and said there’s a thing called CMF design. So you can start with something as small as color. You don’t have to pay a lot of money, you can talk to the Chinese manufacturers, you can add those colors. And then obviously, it will change the game completely, because now people will have more options to buy from.” The Indian market’s aesthetic inexperience became an advantage. Consumers were looking for cheap technology that looked different, and without established reference points for good or bad aesthetics, bold CMF choices stood out on crowded e-commerce platforms.
The impact was substantial. “Through colors, we crossed over that thing where design can be weighed down, not in terms of aesthetics, but colors. And that’s what made the company grow from almost 90 crore revenue to 200-300 crore revenue.” The next step involved tweaking aesthetics of Chinese-sourced products with small mold modifications. “The reception from the customers was bonkers. It did not lead to as much sales because obviously it drove the costs a little high. But the way people understood that there’s something beyond buying a product from China and launching it, they saw in and out development, right? Someone cared about every bit of visuals that went out. There were specific colorways, people were somehow glorifying luxuriousness.” This gradual proof of concept finally convinced leadership to commit resources. From 2022 onwards, the company began developing its own products, marking a shift from localization to original design.
Ayush’s philosophy directly contradicts traditional design education. “I’ll say something controversial here. Since design school, you’re somehow pushed to think outside the box, which is obviously a place where you can actually drive some sort of innovation. But if you work in a company that’s going for mass production, catering to large audiences at a fast pace, these consumers are not normal consumers. They’re not faithful to you. There are so many brands in the same market, so you have to innovate as fast as possible. And obviously, if you understand the market, innovation comes with time.” The solution challenges design orthodoxy: “The shortest way for you to reach innovation is change the outer aesthetics. If you think outside the box, you incur a lot of R&D costs. That will go through numerous approvals, numerous discussions back and forth from your manufacturing units. And that’s basically a lead time of one and a half to two years. In that time, there’ll be five to ten competitors who will come and go.”
The practical framework becomes clear: “We realized it’s a place where we need to set up our process in which we think inside the box, because an earphone or a speaker will look like an earphone or speaker. That’s the example I give to any person I ever hired. If you’re trying to design a car, it will look like a car. You cannot make it look like a plane.” The design process itself had to be restructured to bypass sketching and go straight to 3D. “There’s no point for us to sit down and make a sketch and me going to a founder who has nothing to do with the design process, who doesn’t care about why it takes you so much time. He only cares about: have you made something for me that I can produce.” Perhaps most revealing is Ayush’s assessment of what the job actually entails: “Design is the easy job. Design is literally five percent of what I actually do. Ninety-five percent is, irrespective of whether it’s a design by me or my team, I have to go and meet so many people from different teams who don’t care about what it took you to make this design. And just go there and be open-ended to receiving any kind of feedback and just sell that design. Being a great designer doesn’t mean you can design something, it’s how well you can sell it to other people.”
The copy-paste culture creates fundamental challenges for original work. “When there’s no good design, there’s no bad design, then there’s only the design that is known. So what you see is what you can weigh. Any person who’s beyond design will never be able to appreciate that as something new. And for a company that’s super price-critical, for a company that wants to innovate every six months, they’ll only want a bet that’s tried and tested.” When given explicit instructions to copy, Ayush developed a strategy of creative resistance: “I’ll be put in a position by a certain CXO or member I’m reporting to, basically laid out saying copy this. And I would come up being smart enough, trying to make a window, and I’d say okay, I’ll copy this, but I’ll give you my understanding of what it should look like. And then I would be basically thrashed, and they would say no, I told you to copy this. So I would end up going as close as it is to the inspiration, but I was still trying to stay away from it. The winning situation for me is how well can I sell that this looks like that, but it’s not the same, but this will work for you.”
The impact on designers working in these environments is profound. “We’re basically finishing up all the resources left for aesthetics, because there’s no innovation to back it up, right? So there will be a time where I’ll end up using all the innovations in terms of CMF at that given price tag. And the next people who take my position will not have anything left to innovate on. The people who I hire as interns or full-timers will come and explore the same thing that we did three years back. You’re following the same pathway that I did ten years back or five years back. So you’re bound to make the same mistakes to reach there.” His advice to his team reflects the only path he’s found to sustained growth: “The only way you can cultivate creativity is by doing something beyond what you’re getting paid for. I would just ask these people working with me to spend more time outside. The real work for a designer begins after the nine to five. Once you go back home, the kind of people you interact with, the kind of platforms you sit on, maybe Yanko Design, maybe Behance, any platforms that can somehow make you ask a question. People used to ask me, how are you able to execute things so fast? I optimized my working by making so many mistakes in my personal projects that I can go to my office next morning and do the same thing in half an hour.”
For Ayush, the path to changing the industry starts with designers finding their voice. “I think for designers to speak up. In a room, I’ve been the biggest introvert my entire life. But I realized if I don’t speak up, no one will care about design. And it’s on the place of basically shouting design, not just talking about it. Being in a place where you can speak up, and just taking that narrative, just start with being the face of design in the company. Maybe you’re in a junior role or a senior role, start sharing opinions. Even the people working within my team at the moment are very shy in terms of sharing opinions to a founder or to a person from a different team. They’ll slide in my DMs and say, this is what I feel. And I say you should be open about it. If you don’t share it, they will never respect your opinions.”
The fundamental shift needed is in how designers are perceived. “At the moment, designers are seen as skills rather than creators. That’s the one narrative that I’m completely against and I try to push off. People should start seeing you as creators, because if they believe you’re a skill, then they’ll always try to guide you to do a certain thing, maybe copying designs or just following exactly what they’re asking you to do. In that process, you’ll burn out faster than anything because you’re trying to follow someone else’s vision of something. You’re just becoming a tool in between. Better than being a tool, you become a creator when you start speaking out and defending everything you’ve learned.” When challenged to prove an in-house team could outperform an expensive European consultancy, Ayush’s answer centers on empathy and collaboration: “An in-house team can always win through a solution which I call just talking to people. Any person who’s somehow involved in the process, if you truly talk to them and empathize and learn their side of work in the process, then you can create a solution that’s not only good-looking but also satisfying their needs.” His mentoring philosophy distills to a single essential quality: “The cheat sheet is, how much do you love it? That’s the biggest cheat sheet. If you’re not in love with it in India, you will not sustain. And a love beyond boundaries, a love that cannot be sacrificed, a love that you never turn away from.”
The conversation reveals an uncomfortable truth about design investment in India’s fast-growing consumer tech sector. The issue isn’t whether companies use the word “design” in their marketing or mission statements. The question is whether they empower internal teams to think or simply execute, whether they’re building design capabilities or just design departments. Ayush’s journey from rendering specialist to R&D leader demonstrates that change is possible, but it requires designers to be strategists, salespeople, and advocates as much as creatives. It demands proving commercial value repeatedly, speaking up even when it’s uncomfortable, and cultivating skills outside of work hours that will never appear in any job description.
For designers navigating similar environments, Ayush’s experience offers both validation and a roadmap. The constraints are real, the frustrations legitimate, but within those limitations, there’s still room to push boundaries, build trust, and gradually shift the conversation from “make it cheaper” to “make it ours.” You can connect with Ayush on LinkedIn or book a mentoring session with him on ADPList, where he’s been recognized as one of the top ten mentors multiple times.
Design Mindset premieres every week, bringing honest conversations about what it really takes to build a design career in today’s industry. Episode 18 is Powered by KeyShot, the 3D rendering and visualization software helping in-house design teams compete with the visual quality of global agencies.
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The post “Stop Treating Designers as Tools”: Ayush Singh on Ownership, Burnout and Speaking Up in Indian Brands first appeared on Yanko Design.