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Street Artists Take On Monumental Infrastructure in ‘Impossible’ Photos [Ford]

On 04/06/2026, in art, creativity, design, digital photography, graphics, photography, by Daniel Christian

Street Artists Take On Monumental Infrastructure in ‘Impossible’ Photos — from thisiscolossal.com by Kate Mothes and Joseph Ford

Also see:

2025 Photo Awards Winner: Jonah Reenders — from booooooom.com by Jonah Reenders

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“How AI Could Transform, or Replace, the LMS” + other items re: AI in our learning ecosystems

On 03/13/2026, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, bots, CMS/LMS, colleges, community colleges, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, creativity, design, disruption, education technology, experimentation, Google, graphics, higher education, ideas, instructional design, intelligent systems, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, platforms, podcasting, productivity / tips and tricks, teachers, teaching & learning, tools, training / L&D, United States, universities, vendors, by Daniel Christian

How to Get Consistent, On-Brand Course Images from Any AI Image Tool — from drphilippahardman.substack.com by Dr. Philippa Hardman
A 3-step workflow that works every time — whatever AI tool you’re using

Most designers try to describe their way to an image. That’s the wrong approach. The goal is to show the tool the world it should be working in, then give it the minimum it needs to place your subject inside that world.

Every long, over-specified prompt is a sign that your visual inputs aren’t doing enough work.

The fix is an 3-step process which gives you superpowers in AI image generation…

How AI Could Transform, or Replace, the LMS — from futureupodcast.com by Jeff Selingo, Michael Horn, and Matthew Pittinsky

Tuesday, March 10, 2026 – For 30 years now, colleges have relied on the Learning Management System, or LMS, as a key portal for professors and students to teach and learn. It’s a tool that has helped colleges adapt to online learning and bring digital tools to classroom teaching. But generative AI seems poised to disrupt the LMS. And it’s unclear whether the LMS will evolve—or be replaced altogether. For this episode, Jeff and Michael talk with a pioneer of the technology, Matthew Pittinsky, about the lessons of past moments of tech disruption like the smartphone and cloud computing and about what could be different this time. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group.

Gemini, Explained — from wondertools.substack.com by Jeremy Caplan
5 features worth your time — tested and compared

Google’s AI, Gemini, has quickly become one of the AI tools I rely on most. It builds dashboards and creates remarkable infographics. It spins out comprehensive research reports in minutes that would once have taken days to assemble.

It’s improving every month. On March 13, Google announced Ask Maps, so you can query Gemini about things like “Which nearby tennis courts are open with lights so I can play tonight?” On March 10, Gemini added new integrations to build, summarize, and analyze your Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

In today’s post below: catch up on the Gemini features worth your time, candid comparisons with other AI tools, and answers to the questions I hear most.

How we’re reimagining Maps with Gemini — from blog.google
Ask Maps answers your real-world questions with a conversation, and Immersive Navigation makes your route more intuitive.

Today, Google Maps is fundamentally changing what a map can do. By bringing together the world’s freshest map with our most capable Gemini models, we’re transforming exploration into a simple conversation and making driving more intuitive than ever with our biggest navigation upgrade in over a decade.

Ask anything about any place
We’re introducing Ask Maps, a new conversational experience that answers complex, real-world questions a map could never answer before. Now you can ask for things like, “My phone is dying — where can I charge it without having to wait in a long line for coffee?” or “Is there a public tennis court with lights on that I can play at tonight?” Previously, finding this information meant lots of research and sifting through reviews. But now, you can just tap the “Ask Maps” button and get your questions answered conversationally, with a customized map to help you visualize your options.

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Cinematic Prompting Without IP [Cooper]

On 03/08/2026, in art, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, creativity, design, digital storytelling, emerging technologies, experimentation, graphics, multimedia, productivity / tips and tricks, by Daniel Christian

Cinematic Prompting Without IP — from heatherbcooper.substack.com by Heather Cooper
Stop saying “Blade Runner” style.

Beginner Prompt Structure
If you’re new to prompting, start with this framework:
[Subject] + [Description] + [Setting] + [Lighting] + [Style/Medium]

The advanced framework adds three layers:
[Lens] + [Subject + Action] + [Environment + Atmosphere] + [Lighting + Colour] + [Mood/Emotion] + [Technical Detail]

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Something Big is Happening [Shumer] + reflections on it by the BIG Questions Institute

On 02/18/2026, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, bots, career development, change, changing business models, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, corporate / business world, creativity, curriculum, dangers of the status quo, design, disruption, education, emerging technologies, experimentation, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, graphics, health, K-12 related, law schools, leadership, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, lifelong learning, pace of change, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, reinvent, skills, society, sociology, staying relevant, strategy, student-related, surviving, teachers, trends, United States, writing, youth, by Daniel Christian

Something Big Is Happening — from shumer.dev by Matt Shumer; see below from the BIG Questions Institute, where I got this article from

I’ve spent six years building an AI startup and investing in the space. I live in this world. And I’m writing this for the people in my life who don’t… my family, my friends, the people I care about who keep asking me “so what’s the deal with AI?” and getting an answer that doesn’t do justice to what’s actually happening. I keep giving them the polite version. The cocktail-party version. Because the honest version sounds like I’ve lost my mind. And for a while, I told myself that was a good enough reason to keep what’s truly happening to myself. But the gap between what I’ve been saying and what is actually happening has gotten far too big. The people I care about deserve to hear what is coming, even if it sounds crazy.

…
They’ve now done it. And they’re moving on to everything else.

The experience that tech workers have had over the past year, of watching AI go from “helpful tool” to “does my job better than I do”, is the experience everyone else is about to have. Law, finance, medicine, accounting, consulting, writing, design, analysis, customer service. Not in ten years. The people building these systems say one to five years. Some say less. And given what I’ve seen in just the last couple of months, I think “less” is more likely.
…

The models available today are unrecognizable from what existed even six months ago. The debate about whether AI is “really getting better” or “hitting a wall” — which has been going on for over a year — is over. It’s done. Anyone still making that argument either hasn’t used the current models, has an incentive to downplay what’s happening, or is evaluating based on an experience from 2024 that is no longer relevant. I don’t say that to be dismissive. I say it because the gap between public perception and current reality is now enormous, and that gap is dangerous… because it’s preventing people from preparing.

What “Something Big Is Happening” Means for Schools — from/by the BIG Questions Institute
Matt Shumer’s newsletter post Something Big is Happening has been read over 80 million times within the week when it was published, on February 9.
…
Still, it’s worth reading Shumer’s post. Given the claims and warnings in Something Big Is Happening (and countless other articles), how would you truly, honestly respond to these questions:

  • What will the purpose of school be in 5 years?
  • What are we doing now that we must leave behind right away?
  • What can we leave behind gradually?
  • What does rigor look like in this AI-powered world?
  • Does our strategy look like making adjustments at the margins or are we preparing our students for a fundamental shift?
  • What is our definition of success? How do the the implications of AI and jobs (and other important forces, from geopolitical shifts and climate change, to mental health needs and shifting generational values) impact the outcomes we prioritize? What is the story of success we want to pass on to our students and wider community?
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Kling 3.0 just launched. The best video model yet. [Cooper]

On 02/06/2026, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, communications, content development, aggregation, repositories, creativity, design, digital video, experimentation, graphics, human-computer interaction (HCI), media/film, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, tools, United States, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Kling 3.0 just launched. The best video model yet. — from heatherbcooper.substack.com by Heather Cooper
& workflows from Imagine Art 1.5 pro, Pixverse Real-Time Video & Genspark

In today’s edition:

  • Kling 3.0: Everyone a Director
  • Character consistency, native audio, 15-second generations & first results
  • Image & Video Prompts
  • Imagine Art 1.5 Pro, Genspark AI Workspace 2.0 & PixVerse Real-Time Video Workflows

Kling 3.0: Everyone a Director
Kling just dropped version 3.0, and it’s a legitimate leap forward for AI video production (Kling is the GOAT). After spending early access time testing the new capabilities, I can confirm this is the most significant update to video generation tools I’ve seen in months.

Key highlights:

  • Character & Element Consistency:
  • Flexible Video Production:
  • Native Audio with Dialogue & Singing:
  • Enhanced Image Generation:
  • Professional Output:
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How to Design with AI in 2026 (based on the most compelling research published in 2025). [Hardman]

On 01/22/2026, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, business, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, design, emerging technologies, experimentation, faculty/staff, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, teachers, teaching & learning, training / L&D, trends, UK, universities, vendors, workplace, by Daniel Christian

How to Design with AI in 2026 (based on the most compelling research published in 2025). — from linkedin.com by Dr. Philippa Hardman

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What can schools learn from Spotify Wrapped? [Stephanie T.]

On 01/22/2026, in accessibility / UDL, content development, aggregation, repositories, design, education, education reform, ideas, K-12 related, leadership, learning, learning ecosystem, parents/guardians, student-related, teachers, United States, usability, user experience (UX), user interface design, vendors, visualizing information, by Daniel Christian

From Stephanie T.’s posting out on LinkedIn

The lesson isn’t to make school reports more like Spotify Wrapped.

It’s to design reports that are accessible, timely, and readable — without losing the humanity that makes teacher insight meaningful.

If a report is too difficult to access, or arrives too late to matter, who is it really for?

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6 Ed Tech Tools to Try in 2026 [Gonzalez]; plus several other related postings

On 01/06/2026, in computer science, content development, aggregation, repositories, creativity, design, education, education technology, educational games / serious games, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, graphics, history, ideas, instructional design, journalism, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, mathematics, multimedia, music, neurodivergent/special needs, platforms, podcasting, STEAM-related, teachers, tools, United States, vendors, writing, youth, by Daniel Christian

6 Ed Tech Tools to Try in 2026 — from cultofpedagogy.com by Jennifer Gonzalez

It’s that time again ~ the annual round-up of tech tools we think are worth a look this year. This year I really feel like there’s something for everyone: history teachers, math and science teachers, people who run makerspaces, teachers interested in music or podcasting, writing teachers, special ed teachers, and anyone whose course content could be made clearer through graphic organizers.

Also somewhat relevant here, see:

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Some incredibly cool multimedia-based creativity — including some architecture!

On 11/12/2025, in architecture, art, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Asia, content development, aggregation, repositories, creativity, design, digital storytelling, graphics, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, multimedia, music, platforms, story, storytelling, tools, vendors, by Daniel Christian

BIG unveils Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art topped with ribbon-like roof — from dezeen.com by Christina Yao
.

Also from Dezeen:

MVRDV designs giant sphere for sports arena in Tirana — from dezeen.com by Starr Charles
.

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Announcements from Adobe — esp. focused on AI

On 10/30/2025, in Adobe, art, content development, aggregation, repositories, creativity, design, digital audio, digital photography, digital storytelling, digital video, experimentation, graphics, human-computer interaction (HCI), innovation, intelligent systems, media/film, multimedia, online media, platforms, play, productivity / tips and tricks, skills, story, storytelling, tools, United States, vendors, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

Adobe Reinvents its Entire Creative Suite with AI Co-Pilots, Custom Models, and a New Open Platform — from theneuron.ai by Grant Harvey
Adobe just put an AI co-pilot in every one of its apps, letting you chat with Photoshop, train models on your own style, and generate entire videos with a single subscription that now includes top models from Google, Runway, and Pika.

Adobe came to play, y’all.

At Adobe MAX 2025 in Los Angeles, the company dropped an entire creative AI ecosystem that touches every single part of the creative workflow. In our opinion, all these new features aren’t about replacing creators; it’s about empowering them with superpowers they can actually control.

Adobe’s new plan is to put an AI co-pilot in every single app.

  • For professionals, the game-changer is Firefly Custom Models. Start training one now to create a consistent, on-brand look for all your assets.
  • For everyday creators, the AI Assistants in Photoshop and Express will drastically speed up your workflow.
  • The best place to start is the Photoshop AI Assistant (currently in private beta), which offers a powerful glimpse into the future of creative software—a future where you’re less of a button-pusher and more of a creative director.

Adobe MAX Day 2: The Storyteller Is Still King, But AI Is Their New Superpower — from theneuron.ai by Grant Harvey
Adobe’s Day 2 keynote showcased a suite of AI-powered creative tools designed to accelerate workflows, but the real message from creators like Mark Rober and James Gunn was clear: technology serves the story, not the other way around.

On the second day of its annual MAX conference, Adobe drove home a message that has been echoing through the creative industry for the past year: AI is not a replacement, but a partner. The keynote stage featured a powerful trio of modern storytellers—YouTube creator Brandon Baum, science educator and viral video wizard Mark Rober, and Hollywood director James Gunn—who each offered a unique perspective on a shared theme: technology is a powerful tool, but human instinct, hard work, and the timeless art of storytelling remain paramount.

From DSC:
As Grant mentioned, the demos dealt with ideation, image generation, video generation, audio generation, and editing.

Adobe Max 2025: all the latest creative tools and AI announcements — from theverge.com by Jess Weatherbed

The creative software giant is launching new generative AI tools that make digital voiceovers and custom soundtracks for videos, and adding AI assistants to Express and Photoshop for web that edit entire projects using descriptive prompts. And that’s just the start, because Adobe is planning to eventually bring AI assistants to all of its design apps.

Also see Adobe Delivers New AI Innovations, Assistants and Models Across Creative Cloud to Empower Creative Professionals plus other items from the News section from Adobe

 

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Introducing Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, our state-of-the-art image model [Google]

On 08/28/2025, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, creativity, design, experimentation, Google, graphics, multimedia, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, tools, United States, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Introducing Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, our state-of-the-art image model — from developers.googleblog.com

Today [8/26/25], we’re excited to introduce Gemini 2.5 Flash Image (aka nano-banana), our state-of-the-art image generation and editing model. This update enables you to blend multiple images into a single image, maintain character consistency for rich storytelling, make targeted transformations using natural language, and use Gemini’s world knowledge to generate and edit images.

When we first launched native image generation in Gemini 2.0 Flash earlier this year, you told us you loved its low latency, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use. But you also gave us feedback that you needed higher-quality images and more powerful creative control.

Google’s new image model is BANANAS… — from theneurondaily.com by Grant Harvey

Here’s what makes nano-banana special:

  • Character consistency that actually works: Google built a template app showing how you can keep characters looking identical across scenes.
  • Edit photos (or drawings) with just words: Their photo editing demo lets you remove people, blur backgrounds, or colorize photos using natural language…and this co-drawing demo lets you draw and ask AI to fix it.
  • Actual world knowledge: Unlike other image models, this one knows stuff—like how the co-drawing demo turns doodles into learning experiences.
  • Multi-image fusion: You can now merge multiple images; fx, you can drag and drop objects between images seamlessly with their home canvas template.

 

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Andreessen Horowitz: The Top 100 [Gen AI] Consumer Apps 5th edition; + Copilot on Samsung TVs

On 08/28/2025, in Adobe, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Asia, bots, business, corporate / business world, design, digital audio, digital photography, digital storytelling, digital video, Europe, future, game-changing environment, global / globalization, Google, graphics, innovation, intelligent systems, media/film, Microsoft, multimedia, Natural Language Processing (NLP), NVIDIA, Open AI, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, technologies for your home, tools, TVs, United States, vendors, voice recognition / voice enabled interfaces, by Daniel Christian

The Top 100 [Gen AI] Consumer Apps 5th edition — from a16z.com

And in an interesting move by Microsoft and Samsung:

A smarter way to talk to your TV: Microsoft Copilot launches on Samsung TVs and monitors — from microsoft.com

Voice-powered AI meets a visual companion for entertainment, everyday help, and everything in between. 

Redmond, Wash., August 27—Today, we’re announcing the launch of Copilot on select Samsung TVs and monitors, transforming the biggest screen in your home into your most personal and helpful companion—and it’s free to use.

Copilot makes your TV easier and more fun to use with its voice-powered interface, friendly on-screen character, and simple visual cards. Now you can quickly find what you’re looking for and discover new favorites right from your living room.

Because it lives on the biggest screen in the home, Copilot is a social experience—something you can use together with family and friends to spark conversations, help groups decide what to watch, and turn the TV into a shared space for curiosity and connection.

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Artificial Intelligence in Vocational Education [Furze]

On 08/28/2025, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Australia, bots, career development, creativity, design, education, graphics, health, multimedia, passions, skills, social learning / networks, social media, student-related, teachers, vocational / trades, workplace, youth, by Daniel Christian

Artificial Intelligence in Vocational Education — from leonfurze.com by Leon Furze

The vocational education sector is incredibly diverse, covering everything from trades like building and construction, electrical, plumbing and automotive through to allied health, childcare, education, the creative arts and the technology industry. In Canberra, we heard from people representing every corner of the industry, including education, retail, tourism, finance and digital technologies. Every one of these industries is being impacted by the current AI boom.
…
A theme of the day was that whilst the vocational education sector is seen as a slow-moving beast with its own peculiar red tape, it is still possible to respond to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, and there’s an imperative to do so.

Coming back to GenAI for small business owners, a qualified plumber running their own business, either as a solo operator or as manager of a team, probably doesn’t have many opportunities to keep up to date with the rapid developments of digital technologies. They’re far too busy doing their job.

So vocational education and training can be an initial space to develop some skills and understanding of the technology in a way which can be beneficial for managing that day-to-day job.

And speaking of the trade schools/vocational world…

Social media opens a window to traditional trades for young workers — from washingtonpost.com by Taylor Telford; this is a gifted article
Worker influencers are showing what life is like in fields such as construction, plumbing and manufacturing. Trade schools are trying to make the most of it.

Social media is increasingly becoming a destination for a new generation to learn about skilled trades — at a time when many have grown skeptical about the cost of college and the promise of white-collar jobs. These posts offer authentic insight as workers talk openly about everything from their favorite workwear to safety and payday routines.

The exposure is also changing the game for trade schools and employers in such industries as manufacturing and construction, which have long struggled to attract workers. Now, some are evolving their recruiting tactics by wading into content creation after decades of relying largely on word of mouth.

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A solid, comprehensive guide to drawing tablets

On 07/12/2025, in art, creativity, design, graphics, productivity / tips and tricks, tools, vendors, by Daniel Christian

The No Bulls**t Guide To Drawing Tablets — from booooooom.com

SO WHICH DEVICE SHOULD YOU BUY?

If you’re anything like me, the answer is an iPad AND a drawing display. I heavily rely on both my desktop apps and Procreate, so limiting myself to only one device doesn’t cut it for my creative workflow.

However, it all comes down to personal preference and understanding which apps you rely on, whether portability is essential, how vital ergonomics are, and ultimately what you can afford. Once you answer those questions, everything falls into place.

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“What a beautiful visualization!”

On 07/12/2025, in art, creativity, design, digital audio, digital video, graphics, music, by Daniel Christian

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