design by us

Luigi + Ravi
design by us

Every Monday, Luigi and Ravi debunk how product, marketing, and design are shaping the way humans behave through our world. Think about it, we are unconsciously doing things everyday only because someone designed it that way (probably +20 years ago). Episodes, vary from informal chats, topic series, and special guests 🌎

  1. 112 | App Icon Design with Michael Flarup

    01/08/2024

    112 | App Icon Design with Michael Flarup

    In this episode, Luigi and Ravi speak with Michael Flarup, icon designer, game developer, and fascinating creator. Michael discusses the significant yet often overlooked role of app icons in our lives, particularly their impact on our interaction with technology. Michael has dedicated a big part of his career to making some of the most ‘iconic’ app icons, which lead him to author the iOS and macOS App Icon books (you can find them below). Throughout the episode, they explore the intersection of art and utility in app icon design. Michael shares why he dedicated his career to this space, providing insights into his creative process and when it is time to rethink your app icon. The app icon is the user's first interaction with a product, making it a great opportunity to enhance the user’s connection with your product. Finally, they discuss Michael’s ventures beyond digital design and his experience in making video games, including insights from his upcoming title "Dinolords". Referenced: The iOS App Icon Design Book: https://flarup.shop/products/the-ios-app-icon-book The macOS App Icon Design Book: https://flarup.shop/products/the-macos-app-icon-book Article - The Comeback of Fun: https://applypixels.com/blog/comeback Article - The Hunt for the Squircle: https://applypixels.com/blog/the-hunt-for-the-squircle Templates and resources: https://applypixels.com/ Northplay YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@northplay App icon book: https://www.appiconbook.com/ Dinolords game: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2587620/Dinolords/ Michael on X: https://twitter.com/flarup Support Design By Us: Find more content and support us on Patreon: https:/www.patreon.com/designbyus Where to find Luigi and Ravi: Check out: byus.design

    55 min
  2. 109 | Game Design: A Deep Dive into Gran Turismo

    11/13/2023

    109 | Game Design: A Deep Dive into Gran Turismo

    In this episode, Luigi and Ravi dive into the world of Gran Turismo's game design. They begin with the inception of the iconic series, highlighting Gran Turismo 1's remarkable journey. Additionally they discuss how hardware optimisation sets the design of the game, from 300 polygons in early games to 500,000 in Gran Turismo 5. They also discuss Gran Turismo Sophy, an AI that sees the virtual environment as a dynamic map, using machine learning algorithms to adapt to various conditions. Luigi and Ravi explore the intersection of game design and technology, discussing Vision GT, VR's role, and the balance between fantasy and authenticity. Finally, they wrap up with a critical analysis of game design principles, citing Rahul Vohra's insights and expressing disappointment with Gran Turismo 7's missed opportunities. Support Design By Us: Check out: ⁠⁠byus.design⁠⁠ Find more content and support us on Patreon: ⁠https:/www.patreon.com/designbyus⁠ Follow designbyus on Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/designbyus_fm⁠ Where to find Luigi and Ravi: Follow Luigi on Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/luigi_dintrono⁠ Follow Ravi on Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/raviisoccupied⁠ Referenced: Video game progression: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae_zvm0-CQU&t=929s⁠ How GT Sophy actually works: ⁠https://www.gtplanet.net/how-gran-turismo-sophy-actually-works-more-details-on-polyphony-digital-and-sony-ais-new-technology/⁠ Fans react to GT7: ⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/granturismo/comments/12ao265/greed_isnt_the_root_of_gt7s_bad_game_design_kaz_is/⁠ The cool story about simulation: ⁠https://venturebeat.com/games/how-dangerous-race-driving-helped-sonys-kazunori-yamauchi-design-gran-turismo-6-interview/⁠ Rahul gives a bit on Game Design: ⁠https://a16z.com/game-design-not-gamification-for-great-products/#:~:text=Game⁠ design is not gamification.,have to understand human motivation Ferrari GT: ⁠https://www.gran-turismo.com/gb/news/00_5276938.html⁠

    42 min
  3. 107 | Shazam: From SMS To Spectrograms

    10/23/2023

    107 | Shazam: From SMS To Spectrograms

    In this episode, Luigi and Ravi dive into a brief story about Shazam’s user experience evolution. A journey that began in 2002 and reached new heights with Apple's acquisition in 2018. Shazam's ingenious design simplified the user experience, addressing music discovery and a vast song database. Explore how a simple text-based interface transformed the way we identify songs. Luigi and Ravi also discuss the technological marvel that powers Shazam, from acoustic fingerprinting to spectral analysis. Learn how it turned complex audio data into song names with a single button press. Finally they discuss the future of music discovery, similar to the Music Genome Project and its impact on music curation. Support Design By Us: Follow designbyus on Twitter: https://twitter.com/designbyus_fm Find more content and support us on Patreon: https:/www.patreon.com/designbyus Where to find Luigi and Ravi: Check out: byus.design Follow Luigi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/luigi_dintrono Follow Ravi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/raviisoccupied Referenced: Ishkur’s Guide to Music: https://music.ishkur.com Everynoise: https://everynoise.com/engenremap.html Music Genome Project: https://community.pandora.com/t5/Community-Blog/MGP2-What-s-Next-for-the-Music-Genome-Project/ba-p/120065 The Toptal article Ravi kept talking about: https://www.toptal.com/algorithms/shazam-it-music-processing-fingerprinting-and-recognition Shazam Kit: https://developer.apple.com/shazamkit/ Story of Shazam’s team: https://medium.com/swlh/the-story-of-shazam-the-startup-days-6bccebd17d84 How Shazam works: https://youtu.be/b6xeOLjeKs0?si=h8TF4GdHdmlyGl21 Spotify’s AI recommendation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGntmcy_HX8

    37 min
  4. 106 | Crafting the Future of Mixed Reality with Dr. Nikhil Jacob

    10/16/2023

    106 | Crafting the Future of Mixed Reality with Dr. Nikhil Jacob

    In this episode, Luigi and Ravi are joined by the visionary Dr. Nikhil Jacob as we embark on a journey into the world of mixed, virtual, and augmented reality. Nikhil is a researcher in human computer interaction, iOS developer, author, and a forward thinker trying to empower creators to push the boundaries of mixed reality experiences. We dive into Nikhil’s content creator journey in the spatial computing era, where the digital and physical realms converge. He shares his firsthand experience of navigating the spatial computing development experience, and why it represents great opportunities for the creative problem-solvers in the world. We also discuss which platform is better positioned to succeed in the mixed reality market between Apple and Meta. Finally, we discuss the nature of reality where the digital and physical world blur, future of human interaction, and which could be the killer app for this platform. Referenced: Nikhil’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2p6W2C-fLuibH7G8uVbuNg Nikhil’s Book - The Next Big Skill: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Next-Big-Skill-Nikhil-Jacob-ebook/dp/B0CH7HT1QW Nikhil’s Course - Reality Uni: https://www.realityuni.com/ Meta Codec Avatar: https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/28/22751177/facebook-meta-codec-avatar-real-time-environment-rendering-neural-interface Apple Vision Pro: https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/ Meta’s Oculus: https://www.meta.com/gb/quest/quest-pro/ Support Design By Us: Follow designbyus on Twitter: https://twitter.com/designbyus_fm Find more content and support us on Patreon: https:/www.patreon.com/designbyus Where to find Luigi and Ravi: Check out: byus.design Follow Luigi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/luigi_dintrono Follow Ravi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/raviisoccupied

    40 min

About

Every Monday, Luigi and Ravi debunk how product, marketing, and design are shaping the way humans behave through our world. Think about it, we are unconsciously doing things everyday only because someone designed it that way (probably +20 years ago). Episodes, vary from informal chats, topic series, and special guests 🌎

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