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The Observatory

Come for the inspiration, stay for the joy. Curated by Design Observer editors and contributors for our community of more than 20,000 makers, thinkers, leaders, and wayfinders, this weekly roundup features essays, news, opinion, global insights, and pithy observations on design and life. It’s guaranteed to stir the creative spirit.

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In your inbox, one a week

Ellen McGirt|Holiday Gift Guide

Visions of sugar-plums

A year-end reflection on design’s evolving role—plus a thoughtful holiday gift guide featuring books to inspire curiosity, craft, and creative leadership.

Ellen McGirt

Dispatches from Design Week in Hong Kong

A necessary reminder of the role that design, and designers, must play in building a better world.

Ellen McGirt

“I don’t think writers are sacred, but words are.”

Honoring Tom Stoppard, the master of language and ideas whose six-decade career offers designers and creators a model for courage, curiosity, and craft.

The Design of Business with Ellen McGirt

Redesign your approach to leadership and innovation with The Design of Business (formerly Equity Observer), a twice-weekly newsletter from award-winning journalist Ellen McGirt.

Read more about it.

Ellen McGirt|Essays

Gratitude? HARD PASS

We ask too much of gratitude.

Ellen McGirt|Democracy

New kids on the bloc?

Equity, race relations, preserving Black history, and saving democracy are top of mind.

Ellen McGirt|Essays

The advertising industry has work to do

Troubling testimony from Black talent in advertising shows an industry struggling with inclusion.

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• Critical advice from leaders and experts driving equity, innovation, and sustainability
• AI trends decoded to manage risks and seize opportunities
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To get a sense, check out the Design Observer Twenty: The Redesigners, a now annual list of remarkable people, projects, and big ideas solving an urgent social need.