Why employers keep asking designers for communication and problem solving, and why good design starts with knowing what you need to know.

Peirce, Saussure and Morris in plain language, and what each one changes about the way you draw and judge an icon.

Five explicit criteria for telling a trend from a fad, plus the step most arguments skip: naming exactly what you're classifying.

What actually makes something a trend, how micro, meso and megatrends differ, and the four kinds of drivers that push change.

Futurism, Constructivism, Dada, De Stijl, Bauhaus and Surrealism: what each one made, and which habits ended up in your toolkit.

A classic improv decalogue, read as a guide for design critiques, workshops and teamwork, including where the rules need adjusting.