“We doubled our marketing team, and still fell behind.” That’s what one founder told me in January, frustrated after months of hiring, onboarding, and budgeting…only to lose ground anyway. In 2025, the old formula of “more people equals more results” just isn’t working.  Let’s face it, traditional hiring is broken. It’s costly, time-intensive, and built for a world that no longer exists. Training takes months, and even the best employees can’t be experts in everything. And scaling up or down? That’s nearly impossible when your budget is tied to headcount.  That said, full-time employees are still the heart of any great company. Their creativity, dedication, and drive are what push businesses forward. So, what is a leader to do?  That’s where the right agency comes in. Not to replace your team, but to amplify it. An agency partner keeps your business agile and efficient, filling in gaps without replacing your team. Instead of overloading in-house employees, an agency can bring specialized expertise exactly when and where it’s needed, without adding overhead.   5 reasons to amplify your team with an agency  Here’s why teaming up with an agency could be the right move in 2025.  1. Access to a dream team   When you work with an agency, you’re not gaining just one person, you’re tapping into an entire squad of experts. Need killer copy, smart SEO strategies, or top-notch data insights? They’ve got you covered.   Building a team like that in-house takes time and money, but an agency delivers it all, with minimal onboarding. This means your employees can focus on the big picture goals while the agency handles the specialized execution that drives results.   2. Smarter spending  Hiring is expensive. Salaries, benefits, equipment, training…it adds up fast. Then there’s turnover—46% of employees plan to job hunt in the next three months, and replacing an employee costs about 50% of their annual salary. That number jumps to 100% for higher-level roles.   Agencies, on the other hand, come with clear, predictable costs. They’re not about cutting corners; they’re about making smart investments. You get the best of both worlds; high-level expertise without the financial risk of full-time hires.  3. Staying ahead of the game  The marketing world never stops moving, and you must be ready to pivot at a moment’s notice. Agencies, like social media-focused marketing agency Firebelly, are built for this​​. They constantly test new tools and strategies, so you don’t have to.   I recently spoke with Duncan Alney, founder and CEO of Firebelly Marketing, about how businesses today can’t afford to fall behind. “As a social media marketing agency, we’re focused on staying ahead of the industry’s trends and news. Marketing shifts too quickly, and in-house teams are already stretched thin,” Duncan shared. “Firebelly brings the advantage of real-time insights and adaptability, things that are nearly impossible to maintain internally.”   Your team can focus on longer-term growth while your agency keeps you on the cutting edge.  4. Scalability, when you need it  Businesses aren’t predictable. Maybe you’ve got a product launch coming up, or maybe it’s a slow season. Agencies ramp up or scale back as necessary, taking the pressure off your team. It’s like having a safety net that adjusts as you go.  5. Hit the ground running  Hiring and training new employees takes time, and sometimes you need results ASAP. Agencies come in ready to go. They bring proven systems, expertise, and results. Instead of waiting months to see progress, you build momentum right away.  As a marketer and business owner, I’ve seen firsthand how agencies can transform businesses ready to level up their marketing. The right agency can bring expertise, speed, and flexibility to the table, working alongside in-house teams. This isn’t about replacing your employees, it’s about giving them the support they need to shine.   Before you post that next job opening, ask yourself: Could an outside partner help you achieve your goals faster and with less risk?  In 2025, the smartest way to build from within might be by looking outside. 

In the peaceful countryside of Zayas de Báscones, Spain, a new winery by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos is quietly emerging. The Bodegas Dominio d’Echauz winery is designed to be more than just a site for making wine. Once finished, it will function as an archive, a research lab, and a sanctuary focused on preserving and studying rare grape varieties. This thoughtful approach blends modern architecture with a mission to protect local wine heritage, making the winery an important space for both production and conservation in the region. Designer: Fran Silvestre Arquitectos Unlike many wineries built for scale, this project takes a more modest, thoughtful approach. The planned curved white structure will follow the natural lines of the surrounding vineyards, making it feel like a seamless part of the landscape. Despite its understated appearance, the building stands out for its innovative use of materials and focus on sustainability. The winery will be built mainly from hempcrete blocks—a mix of hemp fibers, lime, and water—known for being both strong and environmentally friendly. These blocks will form two curved walls, adding both stability and a gentle visual appeal. A single-pitch metal roof will top the structure, while Diathonite, a cork-based insulating mortar, will coat the walls, floors, and ceilings to improve insulation throughout. These materials work together to create a unified, seamless look while delivering strong thermal performance. This helps keep the interior temperature stable, which is essential for wine aging and can reduce or even remove the need for mechanical cooling or heating. The winery’s minimalist white color scheme and natural finishes align with Fran Silvestre’s broader design philosophy. Here, these choices are both practical and beautiful. The white cork render reflects sunlight, helping the building stay cool during Castile’s hot summers. Its low profile keeps the structure discreet, blending it into the landscape. Despite its simplicity, the design leaves a lasting impression. Inside, the space is organized for efficiency. Grapes enter at one end, move through fermentation, and age in oak barrels before bottling. The layout also provides space for tasting, gatherings, research, and storage. These thoughtful design choices highlight the winery’s true mission. Rather than focusing on mass production, the space is dedicated to micro-vinification—small batches that explore the preservation and potential of rare grape varieties. Developed with Vitis Navarra, the project aims to protect grapes at risk of extinction, creating a living genetic archive rather than chasing high output. In the context of shifting climates and changing tastes, these lesser-known varietals could shape the future of winemaking. The first collection, called Basajaun after a Basque forest spirit, symbolizes the winery’s role as a quiet guardian of natural and cultural heritage. When finished, the winery will be more than just a place for wine; it will stand as a living archive of sustainability and stewardship. The post Spanish Winery Made From Hempcrete Blocks Is Setting A New Standard For Sustainability & Wine Heritage first appeared on Yanko Design.

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In a move that casts a shadow across Apple’s upcoming Worldwide Developer’s Conference, OpenAI has announced that it will purchase io, the AI startup founded by acclaimed former Apple designer Sir Jony Ive, who helped create the iMac, iPod, and iPhone.  The deal sees Ive’s hand-picked io team of talented Apple alumni merge with OpenAI. Ive himself stays out the $6.5b deal. He will retain independence at his company LoveFrom but will be taking on “deep design and creative responsibilities across OpenAI and io.” Toward the human interface for AI The intention is to design the user interfaces for AI-enabled machines that will define the future of tech. (I hate to say “I told you so.“) “This is an extraordinary moment,” declares the OpenAI press release announcing the deal. “Computers are now seeing, thinking and understanding. Despite this unprecedented capability, our experience remains shaped by traditional products and interfaces.” While OpenAI doesn’t quite go so far as to say the move means AI is about to enter its iPhone moment, the company quite clearly believes this to be the case. Ive famously left Apple in 2019, working as an advisor for a while until he ceased working for the company completely, just before beginning io. “I have a growing sense that everything I have learned over the last 30 years has led me to this moment,” said Ive. Apple echoes are everywhere For a veteran Apple watcher, there’s a lot of echoes within the announcement. Even the press release has an Apple-like resonance, headed up by a tasteful picture of Ive with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Longtime Apple watchers really should not ignore these echoes. Ive and his hand-picked team of historically important former Apple design talent, including Evans Hankey and Tang Tan, will take over design and creative at OpenAI to build AI-enabled devices people can use to make things. If that sounds familiar, think back to Apple founder Steve Jobs and his description of computers as “bicycles for the mind.” That sounds like what OpenAI now intends to make. It isn’t just an intimation of Apple, it’s all about muscling into similar innovation space. “I hope we can bring some of the delight, wonder and creative spirit that I first felt using an Apple Computer 30 years ago,” said Sam Altman. You can watch a short video featuring Altman and Ive discussing their plans here. A change in the balance Of course, Apple has its own relationship with OpenAI, but the appointment of its acclaimed former designer to the company will change the balance of power — particularly as Apple itself is struggling with artificial intelligence. To put the deal into some kind of context, analyst firm Gartner expects worldwide genAI spending to reach a total of $644 billion in 2025, an increase of 76.4% from 2024. This spend includes a huge increase in sales of AI devices, particularly servers and smartphones.  “By 2026, generative design AI will automate 60% of the design effort for new websites and mobile apps,” writes Gartner Market Databook, which anticipates that by 2026, over 100 million humans will “engage robo-colleagues (synthetic virtual colleagues) to contribute to enterprise work.” An analyst perspective So, what does Gartner think the deal means for OpenAI, Apple, and the future of tech?  I spoke with Chirag Dekate, Gartner VP and analyst for quantum technologies, AI infrastructures, and supercomputing. He thinks the arrangement will put OpenAI in competition with all the big hardware players in tech, and, perhaps more importantly, reflects an evolutionary step in AI, one that ends up with far more intelligent devices that feel natural to use. I reproduce his analysis below, as it’s far too wide in scope to paraphrase. What does this deal mean for OpenAI? Dekate: “This marks a next phase of evolution for OpenAI. Market trends as indicated by Google at their I/O event yesterday, Meta, and other innovators, are clear: Leadership in AI is not just about building powerful models anymore, it’s about shaping the entire experience around AI. Bringing Jony Ive on board to design AI-native hardware shows that like Google, Meta, and peers, OpenAI is serious about creating devices where the tech and the design work hand in hand. “Until now, Open AI was reliant on its peers and ecosystems in the cloud to diffuse AI into products and experiences. With this acquisition, Open AI, rather than relying on others to bring its models to life, is stepping into the driver’s seat. OpenAI wants to craft the physical touchpoints of AI themselves, devices that feel intuitive and indispensable in everyday experiences. “This acquisition is also a strategic move. With this kind of vertical integration, OpenAI is positioning itself to go head-to-head with the likes of Google, Meta, and Tesla, not just on software, but on how we experience AI in the real world.” How will this impact Apple and its user base? Dekate: “This is an interesting moment for Apple. With Ive, the company’s longtime design visionary, helping build the next generation of AI devices outside of Apple, it could introduce new ways for people to interact with technology, possibly in ways that challenge Apple’s current product thinking. Today’s iPhone experience — and, more broadly speaking, the Apple experience — leaves a lot to be desired. It is expensive, clunky, and feels dated, especially around AI. “Here the lack of AI nativity within Apple is clear and experienceable for most Apple users. Android experiences from Samsung, and Google Pixel offer more AI native infusion in a way Apple doesn’t. For Apple users, it means more options on the horizon. If OpenAI and Ive succeed, we could see the emergence of new layers of abstraction-designed AI devices that rival Apple’s in terms of experience and aesthetics but are more innovative and ready for AI-native era in a way Apple’s current products aren’t. “That said, Apple isn’t standing still. They’re likely to ramp up their own AI integration, maybe even explore new device categories to stay ahead. It’s not a threat to Apple’s ecosystem yet, but it is a reminder that in an AI-native era, yesterday’s leaders may not be always have an advantage if they do not have AI-native cores.” What’s the bigger picture for the industry? Dekate: “This collaboration is part of a broader shift: AI is moving from digital and into the physical world. We’re seeing it with Google’s robotics and XR efforts, Meta’s smart glasses, Tesla’s Optimus, and Nvidia’s AI platforms. OpenAI’s potential move into devices and physical AI is an accelerant. “The future isn’t just smarter software; it’s intelligent devices that feel natural to use. The industry is heading toward AI-first hardware, designed from the ground up for seamless, human-like interaction. And in that world, design matters more than ever. “As AI becomes part of how we live and work, the companies that can make that experience intuitive, elegant, and even joyful, like Ive has done in his past, will lead the way.” You can follow me on social media! Join me on BlueSky,  LinkedIn, and Mastodon.

The Innocn 49-inch OLED ultrawide monitor is an eye-catching monitor, and I'm a big fan. But some concerns may mean that Mac owners should choose something else.Innocn 49Q1R review: This thing definitely dominates a deskI know that might not make a lot of sense, especially when I explain all of the things I like about this monitor. It's surprisingly affordable with some impressive specs, and it's changed the way I work.It's also been a revelation when gaming, albeit with some limitations that aren't the monitor's fault. There's something to be said for playing an immersive game on a monitor that fills your vision. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Total construction starts fell 9% in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.03 trillion, according to Dodge Construction Network.  Nonresidential building starts declined by 3%, residential starts dropped 4%, and nonbuilding starts decreased by 22%. On a year-to-date basis through April, total construction starts were down 3% from last year. Nonresidential starts were down 10%, residential starts were down 5%, while nonbuilding starts were up 8%. For the 12 months ending in April 2025, total construction starts were up 2% from the year ending in April 2024. Nonresidential starts were up 1%, nonbuilding starts rose by 5%, and there was no change in residential starts. Related on Archinect: Architecture industry saw 'accelerated decrease in billing activity' in April, says AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index“Broad-based monthly declines in construction starts represent a troubling signal for the sector,” said Dodge Construction Network chief economist Eric Gaus. “While no...

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If you haven’t heard, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered is an unequivocal success. After shadow-dropping last month, it crossed 216,000 concurrent players on Steam (despite also being available on PC Game Pass). It would surpass four million players in four days and become the third best-selling game in the United States for 2025. Circana’s latest data for video game spending in the US has since confirmed that it topped sales charts for April 2025. Executive director and analyst Mat Piscatella added that it topped sales across PC, Xbox and PlayStation. But that’s not all. Oblivion Remastered sold more copies in its first month than the original did in its first 15 months combined. Full-game dollar sales are also higher than Oblivion’s first 14 months combined. Considering that the latter launched in March 2006 and sold over three million by January 2007, it’s safe to say that the remaster has beaten that, which is once again impressive considering it’s on Game Pass. Check out our review of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered for more details. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Remastered was the best-selling game of the month, instantly becoming the 3rd best-selling game of 2025 year-to-date. It was the best-selling title across each of the PlayStation, Xbox and PC platforms.— Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2025-05-21T13:05:09.090Z The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Remastered sold more units in Apr 2025 than The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion achieved across its first 15 months in market combined following its March 2006 debut and generated more full game dollar sales than the original’s first 14 months combined.— Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2025-05-21T13:05:09.091Z