Web design news

• Canva’s 5 New Tools Revealed

  05-05-2024 08:25 via webdesignernews.com
  Canva announced 5 new features to empower users to create impactful visual content. These features include AI-powered sorting for Whiteboard stickies, template translation in over 100 languages, improved Magic Write with faster generation speed, new interactive chart options, and the ability to publish Canva Docs as websites.
  
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• AI isn’t coming for your job, it’s coming for your justification

  29-01-2026 13:47 via thenextweb.com
  
  AI adoption is creating a clear divide among employees. Some see AI as a tool to increase their impact, while others see it as a threat to their role. So, where does the truth lie between these two mindsets? Let’s explore. AI doesn’t eliminate roles, it removes low-leverage work Over the past two years, we’ve seen a wave of layoffs often attributed to “AI replacing humans.” Among widely discussed cases, IBM openly stated that over 7,000 back-office roles may no lon
  
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• TNW Moves Its Flagship Conference to London

  29-01-2026 13:28 via thenextweb.com
  
  The Next Web (TNW) is making a bold move: its flagship conference is relocating to London, placing TNW’s main annual event at the centre of one of the world’s most powerful technology and investment ecosystems. The move marks a significant moment for TNW and signals a broader evolution of the brand’s global events strategy. A new concept: TNW Gathering Alongside the move to London, TNW is introducing a new global event concept: TNW Gathering. Designed as an intimate, invite-on
  
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• Beyond the click: How brands can influence visibility in AI-generated answers

  29-01-2026 12:24 via thenextweb.com
  
  The way people discover information online is quietly but fundamentally changing. Instead of scrolling through links and choosing which article to open, users are increasingly asking large language models to answer directly. Tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity don’t send people browsing; they synthesise information from multiple sources and deliver a ready-made response inside the interface. For brands and publishers, this creates a new problem: what does visibility mean when nobody clicks
  
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• Bonjour Visio: France turns digital sovereignty into policy

  28-01-2026 13:35 via thenextweb.com
  
  In a bold turn of phrase and deed, Paris has quietly told Silicon Valley “au revoir.”  On January 26, 2026, France’s Ministry of Finance announced that by 2027, all public servants will switch from U.S. video apps like Microsoft Teams and Zoom to a homegrown platform called Visio.  No more license renewals for Teams, Zoom, Webex, or Meet, just one unified, French-built solution.  In one stroke, a long-discussed slogan “digital sovereignty” has leapt
  
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• Virtuware’s Vision for Immersive Technology

  27-01-2026 15:57 via thenextweb.com
  
  Virtuware, a technology studio based in the United Kingdom, is focused on building thoughtful digital environments across virtual, augmented, and mixed reality. Its mission is to create accessible experiences considerate of how people spend time in immersive spaces. Through a blend of technical craftsmanship and human-centred design, the company approaches innovation as a means of supporting meaningful interaction and creative expression. The business began as a consulting practice founded by s
  
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• Early Results from the TNW Council Concierge Revealed

  27-01-2026 14:32 via thenextweb.com
  
  Shortly after launch, TNW Council is already seeing clear, early signals from its concierge model, signals that underline a fundamental truth often overlooked in the startup ecosystem: founders operating at €1 to 10 million and leaders scaling companies between €10 to 100 million are solving entirely different problems. From the first concierge-led conversations, a consistent pattern emerged. Founders in the €1 to 10M range are primarily seeking: practical growth strategies clari
  
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• Noora Saksa steps in as new Slush CEO

  27-01-2026 09:59 via thenextweb.com
  
  Slush, the Finnish nonprofit behind one of the most influential startup gatherings in Europe, has named Noora Saksa as its new Chief Executive Officer, a shift that indicates a strategic evolution for the organisation as it expands beyond its flagship event model. Saksa assumes the top role after years as Slush’s Chief Operating & Financial Officer and Head of Partnerships, where she managed core operations, finances, and ecosystem programmes. Her trajectory within the organisation re
  
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• Rainbow Weather raises $5.5M to refine real-time weather forecasting

  26-01-2026 13:41 via thenextweb.com
  
  Warsaw, Poland 26 January 2026 – Rainbow Weather has raised $5.5 million in seed funding to push weather forecasting further into the short-term, high-precision territory it believes the industry still underserves. The Warsaw-based climate tech startup focuses on hyperlocal, minute-by-minute forecasts, zeroing in on what happens in the next few hours rather than days out. The round was backed by a syndicate of investors, including Yuri Gurski, founder of Flo Health, one of Europe’s
  
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• Synthesia’s valuation jumps to $4B after $200M raise

  26-01-2026 12:45 via thenextweb.com
  
  London-based AI video startup Synthesia has raised $200 million in a Series E round, nearly doubling its valuation to around $4 billion and cementing its position as one of Europe’s most valuable AI companies. The round was led by Google Ventures, with participation from existing investors, underscoring continued appetite for applied AI products that have already found a clear commercial use. Synthesia builds generative AI tools that let companies create videos using AI-generated avatars
  
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• Bring Interactive Prototypes into Design, Jam & Slidees

  26-01-2026 08:31 via webdesignernews.com
  Today, we’re introducing the ability to embed Figma Make prototypes into Figma Design, FigJam, and Figma Slides, along with new editing tools that help you build and share your best ideas.
  
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• What is Clawdbot and why people are losing their minds over it?

  26-01-2026 08:29 via webdesignernews.com
  Like, remembered what you told it. Did real tasks. And messaged YOU when something important happened.
  
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• Top WordPress Plugins for 2026

  26-01-2026 08:28 via webdesignernews.com
  Picking the right WordPress plugins can make a clear difference in how your site works and how easy it is to maintain. In 2026, when tools, design trends, and online needs shift quickly, relying on strong, well-built plugins matters more than ever.
  
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• It’s hard to justify Tahoe icons

  26-01-2026 08:27 via webdesignernews.com
  I was reading Macintosh Human Interface Guidelines from 1992 and found this nice illustration:
  
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• The Rise of the Model Designer

  26-01-2026 08:26 via webdesignernews.com
  Hey there, we’re Ryan, Federico, and Robin, a trio designers who have noticed an undercurrent of change in the design world. AI is taking over software, and as it does, the demands on its designers are changing. AI is squishy and has a mind of its own, so designing AI-first products feels less like designing for print or HTML, and more like working with some kind of alien intelligence that crash-landed on Earth. The skills needed by designers are rapidly changing, and every
  
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• Designing with AI-readable design systems in Cursor

  26-01-2026 08:25 via webdesignernews.com
  Most tools promise speed. The real change is precision — when AI can finally follow your design logic instead of guessing it.
  
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• Designer’s toolkit for Claude Code

  26-01-2026 08:25 via webdesignernews.com
  Kyle Zantos is leading the new UX Tools Labs where he’s responsible for figuring out what matters for new design tools and workflows.
  
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• From 0 to Minimum Lovable Product

  26-01-2026 08:24 via webdesignernews.com
  How we balanced speed and quality to build MTCHMKR, a consumer-grade SaaS product for brand partnerships
  
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• From Design-First to Motion-Driven

  26-01-2026 08:23 via webdesignernews.com
  A look at how Dylan blends visual design, UX, and motion to build expressive, experience-rich websites, powered by tools like Webflow, GSAP, and curiosity.
  
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• Sustainable Web Design Tools

  26-01-2026 08:22 via webdesignernews.com
  By late 2025, the internet’s greenhouse gas output is projected to surpass the aviation industry. If you are reading this, you likely already know that “sustainable web design” has graduated from a niche ethical preference to a central operational requirement.
  
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• Mews raises €255M to accelerate AI and automation in hospitality

  24-01-2026 17:10 via thenextweb.com
  
  Amsterdam-based hospitality tech platform Mews has raised €255 million (about $300 million) in a Series D funding round as it pushes deeper into automation and AI-powered workflows for hotels around the world.  The round was led by EQT Growth with new participation from Atomico and HarbourVest Partners, alongside existing backers including Kinnevik, Battery Ventures and Tiger Global. The investment values the company at roughly $2.5 billion.  Founded in 2012 by Richard Valtr and
  
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• How Flippa Is Removing the Language Barrier from Global Deal-Making

  23-01-2026 17:23 via thenextweb.com
  
  For decades, access to high-quality deal flow and sophisticated M&A infrastructure has been largely designed for well-connected investors and industry giants. Small businesses and independent founders, particularly those operating outside English-speaking markets, may often find the barriers even higher. Language, geography, and limited access to networks could mean that opportunity stops at the border.  Amidst this trend, Flippa, a platform for buying and selling digital businesses, i
  
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• French fintech Pennylane raises €175M

  23-01-2026 14:10 via thenextweb.com
  
  Paris-based fintech Pennylane has just pulled off one of Europe’s most noteworthy funding rounds of the year, announcing €175 million in new capital to accelerate its push into artificial intelligence and expand its footprint across the continent. The round was led by growth investor TCV, with participation from Blackstone Growth and a group of existing backers that includes Sequoia Capital, DST Global, CapitalG and Meritech Capital.  What makes this raise stand out isn’t
  
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• Can AI replace the humanity of Classical Music?

  23-01-2026 12:23 via thenextweb.com
  
  In October 2021, the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn interpreted the first movement of Beethoven’s 10th unfinished symphony, which was completed with the use of artificial intelligence. A team of computer scientists, music historians, musicologists, and composers developed the ‘Beethoven AI’ to analyze Beethoven’s music style and life, using the sketches he left behind of the 10th symphony, plus works from other composers that had a notable influence on his life, such as Johann
  
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• Press start: How controllers shaped video game design

  22-01-2026 18:52 via webdesignernews.com
  Video games have come a long way since 1958, when American physicist William Higinbotham debuted Tennis for Two, a bare-bones tennis game played via aluminum controllers on an oscilloscope—a machine that displays electrical signals—at a public exhibition. Even as games moved into arcades and personal gaming systems, they remained relatively simple. From Pong (1972), to PAC-MAN (1980), to Super Mario Bros (1983), early games didn’t have much of a user interface. They had a
  
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• Beyond Generative: The Rise Of Agentic AI And User-Centric Design

  22-01-2026 18:51 via webdesignernews.com
  Developing effective agentic AI requires a new research playbook. When systems plan, decide, and act on our behalf, UX moves beyond usability testing into the realm of trust, consent, and accountability. Victor Yocco outlines the research methods needed to design agentic AI systems responsibly.
  
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• Solving Problems the Hard Way

  22-01-2026 18:49 via webdesignernews.com
  One of the most formative experiences in my career was working for a leader who did the hard work to shape a couple of workstreams, assign owners, and, most importantly, push us hard to build good habits and tempo. It wasn’t easy, by any means. We operated this way for a full year, and the results were incredible (and personally very rewarding).
  
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• Design Systems for Software Engineers

  22-01-2026 18:48 via webdesignernews.com
  A comprehensive guide to design system engineering (DSE): when it’s relevant, how AI changes things, and pointers for getting started. From Michael Abernethy, Principal Frontend Engineer at Rubrik
  
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• 8 core user intents driving AI interaction

  22-01-2026 18:47 via webdesignernews.com
  The majority of AI products remain tethered to a single, monolithic UI pattern: the chat box. While conversational interfaces are effective for exploration and managing ambiguity, they frequently become suboptimal when applied to structured professional workflows.
  
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• Atomic Design Systems: Why the Labels Don’t Matter

  22-01-2026 18:46 via webdesignernews.com
  Atomic design systems have emerged as a methodology for creating scalable and maintainable user interfaces. This comprehensive guide explores what atomic design is, examines whether atomic design is still relevant in 2025, and reveals how atomic design principles can be adapted beyond their original chemistry metaphor. Drawing from a decade of industry experience and direct insights from Brad Frost himself, this article provides practical guidance for implementing modern design systems that prio
  
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