Weekly Links — 15th July 2026

🕰️ Ten Minute Focus From Kickoff To First Concept: How To Turn Brand Strategy Into Visual Direction -- The strongest visual concepts don’t start in Figma. They start with the right questions. Explore the pre-concept phase of brand identity design, where teams research brand context, uncover hidden assumptions with stakeholders, and turn shared dire... Designing For Distressed Users: Why Mental Health Apps Shouldn’t Follow Every UI Fashion -- Many UI trends are designed to capture attention and signal innovation, but those goals often conflict with the needs of mental health apps: reducing cognitive strain, fostering trust, and providing a sense of refuge. Kat Homan introduces an evalu... Branding PUMA looks to the 90s for Stockport County 2026/27 home kit -- The new home kit returns to a deeper shade of royal blue, drawing direct inspiration from some of the club’s most recognisable kits worn during the 1990s. Darker than recent PUMA designs, the choice of shade aims to reconnect with…