Has Duolingo’s Year in Review outshone Spotify Wrapped?
Weekly curated resources for designers — thinkers and makers.
“Since Spotify Wrapped dropped almost a decade ago, there’s been a growing demand for data-driven year-in-review features. These summaries have evolved into cultural touchstones, offering more than just statistics — they provide moments of self-reflection and shareable pride.
While Spotify celebrates music, other platforms have embraced the concept for their niches, and Duolingo’s Year in Review is no exception. By turning language learning into a gamified, sharable experience, Duolingo has created its own version of Wrapped that’s fun, whilst highlighting the joy of progress and the power of celebrating educational milestones.”
Has Duolingo’s Year in Review outshone Spotify Wrapped? →
Make user research a core driver of organizational success →
[Sponsored] Written by UX leaders for UX leaders, Maze's new playbook explores key shifts in user research and how to elevate the practice from a support function to a strategic partner. Learn how to lead your team through change and unlock new opportunities.
Editor picks
Why do people criticize Jaguar’s rebranding? →
Cultural convergence and the shift to minimalism.The next era of design is intent-driven →
How adaptive UIs are transforming design.Another year, another Figma pricing update →
Figma is changing its pricing strategy… again.
The UX Collective is an independent design publication that elevates unheard design voices and helps designers think more critically about their work.
State of UX in 2025: a love letter about change →
Make me think
The most surprising tech champions of 2024 →
“Lesser-known tech companies were rewarded by changing headwinds outside the West this year. India’s homegrown EV industry, a Chinese video game that became a soft power success, and a U.S.-based walkie-talkie app that proved unexpectedly popular in Kenya are some of Rest of World’s most surprising winners in global tech in 2024.”Power of metaphors in human-AI interaction →
“Digital companions are currently the dominant metaphor for understanding AI systems. However, as the field of generative AI continues to evolve, it's crucial to examine how we frame and comprehend these technologies. This isn't merely an academic exercise—it will influence how we develop, interact with, and regulate AI.”A linkless internet →
“We are at a moment in the history of the web in which the link itself – the countless connections made by website creators, the endless tapestry of ideas woven together throughout the web – is in danger of going extinct. So it’s pertinent to ask: how did links come to represent information in the first place? And what’s at stake in the movement away from links toward AI chat interfaces?”
Little gems this week
The phone to save us from our phones →
Yes, I would buy a Jaguar Type 00 →
Tools and resources
How Ladder onboards and keeps users engaged →
Quick onboarding, progressive disclosure, and more.How to explore a product like Sherlock? →
A diamond in the crown of all testing techniques: exploratory testing.Understanding priority →
Or the next step to go from UX to Product Design.
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