D&T Issue 299

Hi there!

It’s issue #299 of DNT Weekly and as per usual the week has been eventful. Here’s what we’ve been reading of late.

OpenAI is preparing to release its first consumer hardware device in 2026, marking a significant shift from its software-only roots. According to reports, the company’s debut product — internally codenamed “Sweet Pea” — could take the form of AI-powered earbuds, potentially equipped with on-device processing and a screen-free design that integrates conversational intelligence into everyday life. Read more about it here. Read all about it here.

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Every four years, the Olympic Games capture the world’s attention—not just through athletic achievement, but through a complete visual identity that must resonate across cultures, languages, and generations. It’s one of the most demanding design challenges in the world: creating a brand that honors Olympic heritage while reflecting the unique spirit of a host city and region.

Service design is often used as a diagnostic tool. We sense-make. We map. We surface the gap between what an organisation intends and what people actually experience. We show where cracks are likely to form and then, often, we hand the work off. Ownership is optional. Authority is mostly implied.

UX folk can look forward to building products, not just drawing pictures of them.

An experiment in AI-native design governance.

The northern Dutch town of Franeker lays claim to one shining star – the oldest working planetarium in the world. But what’s remarkable about the trillion-to-one-scale orrery, driven by clockwork, is that it was handmade by a prosperous wool carder in the 1770s above his living-room ceiling. It’s a beacon of the Enlightenment in a domestic setting.

Cabins are now the battleground where airlines win or lose passengers, where comfort, design, and technology matter as much as price.