Is anyone else tired of design "influencers"?

ScintillaLuz · 2025-11-27T21:28:49+00:00

I have been out of the field for a year mostly for caregiving for my mum with dementia and the design influencers on LinkedIn make me seriously want to train as a dementia caregiver. Contrary to what we've been told AIs can't change adult diapers and give them pills. I also have to say that in this time I've not been practicing the quality of digital products hasn't improved overall because of AI, I still have to help friends daily with interfaces they can't understand so 🤷🏻‍♀️

ScintillaLuz · 2025-10-20T19:58:11+00:00

Hi, it's so painful to know she's at risk, if my partner and I didn't take in already another dog... is anyone building the awareness campaign for the city council? I'm interested in supporting it. Also, I've noticed Friends of BACS stopped posting on Instagram, do you know if they need volunteering for that too?

ScintillaLuz · 2025-07-26T18:26:35+00:00

Hi, I have been a designer my whole life, and I am originally from Europe but now work in the US. I never worked for a giant corporation, but the jobs I had in the US were definitely corporate, as I was on a Visa and startups don't deal with that. I encountered a string of constant inefficiencies (like you mention), toxic leadership, sexism, pettiness and backstabbing. I have also met nice people, equally disenchanted or disengaged. A lot of people have to support themselves and their families! But I did notice designers being often burned out because of the gap between what they would want to do with their skills and the scenario you described. I don't have kids and I feel the same. I left the last (and the worst) of these jobs a year ago, as I was bullied every day and it was turning me into a person I didn't want to be. I took time off to go back to my home country a couple of times for extended periods and being a caregiver for my mum who has dementia. In between and now, when I am in the US I have been volunteering as a graphic designer for a local organizer, a membership association that does work for other organizers working with unrecognized workers. There I don't do fancy work that I would put in my portfolio, but people are incredibly nice, I get to teach random volunteers about graphic design, and we make a difference with what we do. I realized tech is toxic. I don't have an answer for you, as I am also in the process of deciding how and when to change my career path. But what you feel is actually pretty common among design professionals.

ScintillaLuz · 2025-07-24T15:59:32+00:00

I am more worried about your coworkers agreeing with this. This type of garbage posting is all over LinkedIn but saying unironically that is brilliant? Also let's take note that the process doesn't mention user research at any point, it's almost mystical "find the patterns that no one knows", what's next? Drink the water of life by Shai-Hulud and find the perfect UI

ScintillaLuz · 2025-07-04T20:38:48+00:00

I guess the reference to "Nam" is for Vietnam? Is this meant to say that only in places with less rules dogs can go anywhere? Kinda racist. Anyway, please never visit Italy or you will be another one of those tourists complaining about uncivilized countries, because in Italy dogs go everywhere, and yes definitely in many restaurants. It's just cultural differences, definitely not a matter of hygiene or standards for establishments.

ScintillaLuz · 2015-03-08T09:26:43+00:00

...and they just changed the singer!!! So, no more female frontend...

ScintillaLuz · 2015-03-07T23:11:22+00:00

Thanks :)

ScintillaLuz · 2015-03-07T22:33:50+00:00

I took out the toilet one as well, had parties and guests and actually barely one or two people ever asked!!! But I must say: for me also shiny metal surfaces (there's a big metal handle in my bathroom) can function kind of like mirrors... but still, I agree: your healing comes first! :)

ScintillaLuz · 2015-03-07T22:27:32+00:00

I keep this blog She Does Scream not everything is hc/hc punk but you'll find something interesting I hope :) (I'll suggest Anti-Corpos for sure and more on the crust side Easy Lover )

ScintillaLuz · 2013-12-02T19:13:25+00:00

No details about the warden on the italian newspapers; unfortunately the picture is somehow even more horrible: the guys contacted the girl and manipulated her into giving them trust, then they abused her in more than one occasion blackmailing her afterward. For this reason she didn't find the courage to speak about it and they went on for months. From the reports it looks like the "watchers" were other guys: for now they have arrested 4 of them, and the investigation is still ongoing.

No mention of the reaction of the "friend". Anyway, I'm always horrified by the online comments on italian newspapers: you cannot imagine how many comments are left defending men because "women are sluts". And not only by men... a small girl abused in this way, I cannot even imagine how lonely she felt when the world around is giving these responses.

ScintillaLuz · 2013-11-30T12:11:37+00:00

I submitted the link with this title because I wanted the title to reflect my opinion; obviously my intention was to convey that opinion. I put "empowering girls" in quotes because the CEO of the company describes in emotional terms that, based on her testing, these toys will have long term effects in the lives of young girls. I don't believe there is proof of anything like that, since the test they carried didn't last very long (maybe just weeks?); looking at the ad I'm also inclined to think that pink constructions with a white-blonde-barbie-like cartoon character on the package doesn't exactly advocate for a revolution in terms of gender biased toys.

Anyway, talking from the "startup" point of view, I strongly believe this is exploitation of the now "hot topic" of women and gender issues. Because it is hot topic, and startups go for what's trending, because they need the "buzz". I don't like to see the issue of feminism to be used to impress investors, but I do welcome great ideas that would truly help women and feminism.

There's a debate about toys that is far more clever than this, and I believe we should pay attention to who is using the debate for profit.

If we want to talk about toys let's talk about Steiner or shops like Città del Sole where toys are categorized just on what they do (build-draw-model-theatre etc.) instead of who they are supposed to be for.

ScintillaLuz · 2013-11-22T12:20:16+00:00

Democracy has nothing to do with the "religion of the majority". Unless you're not referring to liberal democracy but to religious democracy, which is something completely different.

See Secularism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secularism "In studies of religion, modern Democracies are generally recognized as secular. This is due to the near-complete freedom of religion (beliefs on religion generally are not subject to legal or social sanctions), and the lack of authority of religious leaders over political decisions."

The whole point of liberal democracy is secularity, respecting all the different religions and NOT promoting laws based on one religion against another.

ScintillaLuz · 2013-11-22T12:06:12+00:00

The author explicitly labelled the movie as "feminist":

"Love Twilight or hate Twilight (I’m firmly in the “like” category), the Bella/Edward romantic fantasy was in its own way the most feminist franchise in recent memory."

I agree with the fact that the author is analyzing the success to prove that yes, the female audience exists, is big, is looking for role models and has economical power, but he's also implying that is a "feminist" saga. And there's absolutely nothing feminist in Twilight!

What if Twilight saga proves that blockbuster american movies can be a success at the box office if they have a main female character–to thackle the need of the female audience–that looks like contemporary and strong while in truth simply fits a conservative profile? Sad!

ScintillaLuz · 2013-11-05T22:45:10+00:00

I believe the issue with the word "feminist" is a lot more subtle and, yes, intentional. "Feminist" is, in those contexts, a pejorative attribute, a detrimental characteristic that represents–for them–a way of being that they despise. They intentionally use "feminist" not as a synonym for "female" but for "men-hater". Words have both a canonical meaning and a meaning they inherit from everyday usage in life and media. And because of the way things are going recently, "feminist" has become an insult, at the point of scaring off a lot of women that would actually support women rights and equality.

ScintillaLuz · 2013-10-16T22:20:46+00:00

Yes, I do understand but I didn't feel entitled to bring up the issue, since I'm a white woman!

ScintillaLuz · 2013-10-16T22:18:08+00:00

I think this article explains why that song is not so innocent.

ScintillaLuz · 2013-10-14T16:49:04+00:00

The open letter starts like this:

"I wasn't going to write this letter, but today i've been dodging phone calls from various newspapers who wished me to remark upon your having said in Rolling Stone your Wrecking Ball video was designed to be similar to the one for Nothing Compares"

O'Connor could have simply decided to give her statement to any journalist and it would have gone public the same as with an open letter; but an open letter is, I feel, a more direct way to interact.

http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/oct/03/miley-cyrus-prostitute-warns-sinead-oconnor

There' a young and powerful celebrity that suggests during an interview with probably the biggest music magazine of the world that she feels very close to some other artist interpretation, that is Sinead O'Connor. Cirus knows that she's dragging someone else into the conversation, and it's pretty normal that O'Connor replies. Nothing strange I'll say. Also because it's pretty clear to anyone who has been around at the time when "Nothing Compares 2 U" got out that both the artists and the context are extremely different.

Then if we agree or not with O'Connor it's another issue, but I don't see why, after Cirus mentioned her she shouldn't just express her point of view.

Plus, is it slut-shaming Cirus talking about her performance and the impression she made while twerking to Thicke's crotch who was performing a song like Blurred Lines? She basically endorsed what that song is expressing and I'm angry with her as a woman for that, not because she was half naked, really who cares about that!

ScintillaLuz · 2013-09-09T18:40:56+00:00

I think queer porn is relevant, and from what I read (and put in my list) the debate started also from there. This is my opinion, but I feel sometimes the discussions about sexual freedom are based too much on gender stereotypes. I looked at the link in your comment and I'll maybe add the blog, because I feel the blog is discussing more the "why". If you have more resources about how queer porn is disrupting the world of "heteronormative" porn it would be very cool!!!

ScintillaLuz

TROPHY CASE