Last week, our community engaged in rich discussions centered around the intersection of sensory experiences and visual design, as well as the technical challenges faced by designers. Members shared insights on how certain courses can enhance design skills, while others debated the complexities of creating mobile-friendly visuals. The conversation about maintaining readability on smaller screens was particularly lively, reflecting a common challenge in today’s mobile-centric world.
This Week’s Hot Topics
Chasing a smell with color
A fascinating discussion about how designers can visually represent scents. It’s intriguing to see how senses intersect and influence creative choices. Read more
F9 betrayed me again
This thread delves into the frustrations of keyboard shortcuts going awry, a relatable headache for many designers. Read more
Hamburger icon origin, plus a naming mystery
Explore the history and unexpected trivia behind the ubiquitous hamburger icon, sparking debates about its naming. Read more
Which courses actually boost campaign visuals
Members are sharing their experiences with courses that have genuinely improved their visual campaigns. A worthwhile read for those looking to upskill. Read more
Keeping hero art readable on mobile
A practical discussion on ensuring hero images remain effective and legible on mobile devices. Essential for any designer working in today’s mobile-first world. Read more
Take care and have a productive week ahead. Looking forward to seeing more of your creative contributions!
And i’ve had luck mapping citrus scents to bright, high-luminance yellows with a tiny teal accent for “fresh,” then testing the palette in grayscale to make sure it still reads on small screens — think of teal as the squeeze of lime that cuts the sweetness. Small caveat: avoid color-only cues; pair a simple icon or pattern and double-check contrast with https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/.
On a fragrance label project, I mapped “clean” vs “rich” using temperature and chroma, then layered a soft grain or vertical gradient to imply diffusion — lavender tested clearer without leaning only on purple. In quick A/Bs, herbal notes clicked faster when a low-chroma warm edge framed a cooler center. Small caveat: dark mode can flip the read, so I tweak contrast and keep a neutral anchor; @rdavis98 your teal accent works well for that.
Quick tip: for “mobile-friendly visuals,” I pick hues in OKLCH (https://oklch.com) and keep intensity on the L axis, then suggest diffusion with a soft radial blur so it still reads on tiny screens. In print the blur can disappear, so I swap to a subtle dot halftone. @rdavis98 I’ve found APCA over the swatches catches readability issues faster than grayscale.
But i map top/mid/base notes by stacking color layers with blend modes — Screen for airy top notes, Overlay for the heart, Multiply for the base — then pull saturation back about 10% so it holds up in dark mode and on small screens. Since you mentioned “maintaining readability,” I quick-test the palette on 20% and 85% L backgrounds; if a note muddies, I only nudge L so the scent character stays intact.