Design Pulse Vol. 17
This week’s design stories capture a spectrum: from institutions rethinking legacy to brands experimenting with culture and impact. Together, they reveal how design continues to negotiate the space between recognition and reinvention.
RPI Rebrands for Its Next Century
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute embraced a bold new identity, introducing custom letterforms anchored by a generative bar — a flexible device that expands into patterns like Venn diagrams, waveforms, and binary code. It’s a reminder that even historic institutions can evolve without losing their DNA.
? Read more at RPI News
Inside Figma’s Post-IPO Weirdness
Two weeks after going public, Figma is balancing quirky culture with Wall Street scrutiny. Maker Week, crocheted quilts, and doodle-covered walls live alongside the pressures of scale and shareholder expectations. Can the darling of design stay playful in the public markets?
? Read more at The Standard
Design Beyond Awards, Toward Impact
Stocks Taylor Benson has stepped away from design awards, redirecting resources to pro-bono “Good Deeds” projects. The move critiques the industry’s trophy-chasing and reasserts design as a tool for communities rather than juries.
? Read more at Design Week
AI Isn’t Design’s Real Problem
Fast Company argues sameness—not AI—is design’s greatest challenge. Where tools and styles converge into uniformity, AI could paradoxically be the way out, generating difference where human processes fall into repetition.
? Read more at Fast Company
Detroit Eyewear Goes Sustainable with CCS
Detroit-based eyewear brand GODNII partnered with graduates from the College for Creative Studies to prototype a new sustainable collection. Using local materials and recycled waste streams, the project explores how design education and industry can co-author a more ecological future.
? Read more at CCS Detroit
Top Brand Activations at Lollapalooza 2025
This year’s festival showcased more than 30 brand activations, from Venmo lounges and Airbnb perks to Patrón cocktails and Dove beauty labs. At Lollapalooza, the stage belongs as much to brands as it does to musicians.
? Read more at BizBash
Closing Reflection
From universities to IPO tech firms, from studios to festivals, the throughline is clear: design is being asked to hold tradition and experimentation in the same frame. The question isn’t whether design can keep up, but whether it can lead with enough imagination to set the rhythm for culture.
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