Laurie Baker never advocated an imitation of his architecture. He instead intended that his design principles would generate a truly Indian architecture. ‘Be honest and truthful in design, material usage, construction, costs, and about your own mistakes,’ he wrote as one of 20 guiding principles, which he duly respected in his projects. His last major commission started as the Navayatra community living centre, and became the Laurie Baker Centre for Habitat Studies (LBC), a place where his design ethos and philosophy live on.  The project started in 1994, when Baker was 77 years old. Keith Saldanha, an economist based in Canada, decided to relocate to the southern Indian state of Kerala and build a community centre dedicated to fostering creative abilities for children with special education needs. Having purchased a three‑and‑a‑half‑acre site in Vilappilsala, outside the city of Thiruvananthapuram, Saldanha named his project Navayatra, or ‘a new journey’, and reached out to Baker. He had heard of the British‑born Indian architect, whose full original name was Lawrence Wilfred Baker, because his work in the region had been gaining traction. Baker was rigorous in applying his own design principles (Laurie Baker Centre) The small yet densely populated state of Kerala, created in 1956, had become known as a ‘model of development’ in the ’70s. An extended period of political stability under the able stewardship of successive communist governments led to significant improvement of human development parameters, including health, education and housing, despite low economic growth. Baker’s cost‑effective design philosophy and work resonated with the holistic welfare ideology of then chief minister Chelat Achutha Menon, who commissioned him to design several welfare projects, despite his ‘unconventional’ building methods. After he retired in 1985, Achutha Menon founded the Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development (COSTFORD), a non‑profit, with Baker as its chief architect. His innovative approach to sustainable and cost‑effective architecture emphasised the use of local resources, labour and harmony with the natural environment. ‘Always study your site: its soil, topography, water, climate and neighbours (noisy temples, smelly factories, etc)’ was another of Baker’s principles. In his sketch for Navayatra’s masterplan, Baker meticulously noted the natural features; his proposal made the most of the complex topography, preserving the prominent granite rock formations as well as the scattered coconut and mango trees. The abandoned quarry pit was turned into a rainwater harvesting tank, which catered to the water requirement of the new centre all through the year. Functional spaces were housed on the high rock outcrops so that the natural drainage would not be disturbed and to curtail foundation costs.  Construction began in 1996, with a meandering pedestrian path connecting the different buildings. Each one is unique, but they are held together by the consistent use of exposed brick and the verdant landscape. The canteen hugs the rocky edges of the large granite quarry pit, with steps descending from its kitchen to the water body. The circular array of bedrooms in the guest house preserves the existing trees, while the undulating roof of the dormitory mimics the adjacent rock formations. The curved, perforated brick walls, while appearing irregular, are meticulously designed to respond to the site’s visual context and prevailing breezes. Baker’s rejection of rigid geometries made his spaces fluid, dynamic and adaptable. Each space appears to flow seamlessly into the next, a quality particularly exemplified in the dormitory.  Read Laurie Baker’s Reputations essay Discarded materials such as cut bricks, glass bottles, stone chips, timber pieces and broken tiles, all sourced within a 5km radius of Vilappilsala, were repurposed throughout the site, and local labour was employed. Baker had an in‑depth understanding of brick, timber and stone, which he deployed in myriad ways. He himself facilitated training, in collaboration with his engineer and constant companion PB Sajan. ‘Laurie Baker firmly refused ostentation and decoration for its own sake,’ recalls Sajan, ‘yet his buildings were never dull. There would always be an element of surprise, either in the use of an ordinary material or the geometrical interpretation of space. He believed in the intrinsic beauty of all things, living and non‑living.’     The spaces designed by Baker must be appreciated in light of his design philosophy. The 20 principles of architecture that he advocated in his writing and talks are an amalgamation of his Quaker beliefs and the Gandhian ideal of commitment to social justice and non‑violence; he believed architecture should be a non‑violent insert into the land and local ecology. This new aesthetic was refreshingly non‑invasive, even if it alienated some contemporary modernists. Baker’s innovative adaptation of local craft techniques was both playful and resourceful. His designs, frugal and pragmatic, were driven by a desire to be cost‑effective – rather than the expression of purely stylistic choices.  The programmatic needs of Navayatra evolved and translated into the construction of new structures, including accommodation for invited artists and a residential space for the client. There was no electrical connection on the site; all activities took place in the daytime. The extensive use of perforated walls helped to keep the spaces cool and well ventilated. The dormitory, on the higher western edge of the site, is the last structure Baker designed for Navayatra. It was the primary learning and living quarters for the tutors who conducted classes. Its semi‑open terrace, nestled in the undulating roof, proved an ideal learning and interactive space. Its completion in 2002 marked Baker’s last site visit to Navayatra.  PB Sajan continued work on the site, designing, for example, the two small structures along the pathway at the entrance, for which Baker gave his approval. Both were experiments to test concrete roof slabs using bamboo reinforcement instead of steel rods. The centre continued to function as a vibrant community space for a couple of years, but once Saldanha moved out, due to deteriorating health, managing Navayatra became difficult. At the same time, COSTFORD, still under the guidance of Laurie Baker, required a dedicated space. The architect welcomed Saldanha’s offer to sell Navayatra, with a view to turning it into an independent centre for learning that would focus on innovation and research in alternative building technologies, but financial constraints, as well as Baker’s failing health, delayed the process. Two years after Baker’s death in 2007, Kerala’s finance minister sanctioned 8 million rupees (£70,000) to purchase the land. The Laurie Baker Centre for Habitat Studies was inaugurated in October 2009; Sajan has since been the director of both COSTFORD and the LBC. The centre encourages the appropriate use of natural resources, disseminates non‑conventional and eco‑friendly design strategies, and provides hands‑on training in innovative construction methods. ‘The thrust is not to propagate a “Laurie Baker architecture” but to understand the sound principles behind his life’s work,’ explains KP Kannan, chairman of LBC and COSTFORD, ‘and apply them to questions of housing and inclusive development.’  Due to the steep spike in construction over the decade, Kerala faces an acute shortage of sand (because of uncontrolled sand mining), granite (quarrying of hills is rampant) as well as bricks (as suitable clay is becoming scarce). The LBC’s research on, and advocacy of, alternative and low‑energy construction materials has led them to turn to mud and bamboo, while continuing to explore the use and potential of recycled materials. Sajan and the COSTFORD team designed additional buildings for the LBC, including an office annexe and a four‑storey library used for research. They also added spaces for workshops and for treating bamboo to Baker’s original masterplan, and the entire centre has been availed of electrical and plumbing connections for a better work environment.  Built primarily with mud and bamboo, the new office annexe and library serve the functional purpose of the centre, but stand out from Laurie Baker’s original designs and fail to blend into his original masterplan, even though they do follow nearly all his design principles. Baker liked to advise to ‘use common sense and have fun designing’, but the playfulness feels absent, as these two new buildings are primarily concerned with showcasing construction techniques. As a result, they compromise on spatial quality. While all of Baker’s structures were strategically positioned in relation to one another, the library seems isolated; it is conspicuous instead of blending in with the older brick buildings and the landscape. The play of light and darkness, the fluidity of spaces and the meticulous attention to detail, which are the salient hallmarks of Laurie Baker’s designs, are also missing in these new additions. The temporary sheds used for training sessions and workshops could have been envisioned as thatched pavilions instead of pitched blue tarpaulins.  What makes LBC’s success, however, is the strength of its educational programmes: the sharing of knowledge about alternative building technologies with architecture students, and the willingness to build on existing research and their own archive, which is made accessible to all visitors. Students, professionals and construction workers all come here to learn about dry rubble stone masonry, building with mud, bamboo treating and joinery, brick arches and walls, including Baker’s much loved rat trap bond, as well as the preparation of lime plasters. The centre is interested in further researching water management and establishing a permanent material lab and research space for scholars and professionals. In his lecture ‘Truth in Architecture’ at Thiruvananthapuram’s College of Engineering in 1982, Baker critiqued the resource‑intensive architecture that was starting to mushroom in the city. The indiscriminate use of concrete, excessive ornamentation and overconsumption of resources were popularly understood as a marker of status. Baker foresaw the impending crisis that such excesses would trigger. What he anticipated has only accelerated. In the face of the climate emergency, Kerala confronts significant challenges, including diminishing natural resources and rising construction costs coupled with sluggish economic growth. Ahead of its time, Baker’s practice advocated a pragmatic and reasonable use of resources – ‘don’t rob national resources and do not use them extravagantly and unnecessarily,’ he wrote in his list of principles. To this day, Baker’s philosophy represents a vital rallying call to interrogate contemporary notions of modernity.  This article was featured in the May 2025 Circularity issue. Purchase your copy here

May 23, 2025Ravie LakshmananArtificial Intelligence / Vulnerability Cybersecurity researchers have discovered an indirect prompt injection flaw in GitLab's artificial intelligence (AI) assistant Duo that could have allowed attackers to steal source code and inject untrusted HTML into its responses, which could then be used to direct victims to malicious websites. GitLab Duo is an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered coding assistant that enables users to write, review, and edit code. Built using Anthropic's Claude models, the service was first launched in June 2023. But as Legit Security found, GitLab Duo Chat has been susceptible to an indirect prompt injection flaw that permits attackers to "steal source code from private projects, manipulate code suggestions shown to other users, and even exfiltrate confidential, undisclosed zero-day vulnerabilities." Prompt injection refers to a class of vulnerabilities common in AI systems that enable threat actors to weaponize large language models (LLMs) to manipulate responses to users' prompts and result in undesirable behavior. Indirect prompt injections are a lot more trickier in that instead of providing an AI-crafted input directly, the rogue instructions are embedded within another context, such as a document or a web page, which the model is designed to process. Recent studies have shown that LLMs are also vulnerable to jailbreak attack techniques that make it possible to trick AI-driven chatbots into generating harmful and illegal information that disregards their ethical and safety guardrails, effectively obviating the need for carefully crafted prompts. What's more, Prompt Leakage (PLeak) methods could be used to inadvertently reveal the preset system prompts or instructions that are meant to be followed by the model. "For organizations, this means that private information such as internal rules, functionalities, filtering criteria, permissions, and user roles can be leaked," Trend Micro said in a report published earlier this month. "This could give attackers opportunities to exploit system weaknesses, potentially leading to data breaches, disclosure of trade secrets, regulatory violations, and other unfavorable outcomes." PLeak attack demonstration - Credential Excess / Exposure of Sensitive Functionality The latest findings from the Israeli software supply chain security firm show that a hidden comment placed anywhere within merge requests, commit messages, issue descriptions or comments, and source code was enough to leak sensitive data or inject HTML into GitLab Duo's responses. These prompts could be concealed further using encoding tricks like Base16-encoding, Unicode smuggling, and KaTeX rendering in white text in order to make them less detectable. The lack of input sanitization and the fact that GitLab did not treat any of these scenarios with any more scrutiny than it did source code could have enabled a bad actor to plant the prompts across the site. "Duo analyzes the entire context of the page, including comments, descriptions, and the source code — making it vulnerable to injected instructions hidden anywhere in that context," security researcher Omer Mayraz said. This also means that an attacker could deceive the AI system into including a malicious JavaScript package in a piece of synthesized code, or present a malicious URL as safe, causing the victim to be redirected to a fake login page that harvests their credentials. On top of that, by taking advantage of GitLab Duo Chat's ability to access information about specific merge requests and the code changes inside of them, Legit Security found that it's possible to insert a hidden prompt in a merge request description for a project that, when processed by Duo, causes the private source code to be exfiltrated to an attacker-controlled server. This, in turn, is made possible owing to its use of streaming markdown rendering to interpret and render the responses into HTML as the output is generated. In other words, feeding it HTML code via indirect prompt injection could cause the code segment to be executed on the user's browser. Following responsible disclosure on February 12, 2025, the issues have been addressed by GitLab. "This vulnerability highlights the double-edged nature of AI assistants like GitLab Duo: when deeply integrated into development workflows, they inherit not just context — but risk," Mayraz said. "By embedding hidden instructions in seemingly harmless project content, we were able to manipulate Duo's behavior, exfiltrate private source code, and demonstrate how AI responses can be leveraged for unintended and harmful outcomes." The disclosure comes as Pen Test Partners revealed how Microsoft Copilot for SharePoint, or SharePoint Agents, could be exploited by local attackers to access sensitive data and documentation, even from files that have the "Restricted View" privilege. "One of the primary benefits is that we can search and trawl through massive datasets, such as the SharePoint sites of large organisations, in a short amount of time," the company said. "This can drastically increase the chances of finding information that will be useful to us." The attack techniques follow new research that ElizaOS (formerly Ai16z), a nascent decentralized AI agent framework for automated Web3 operations, could be manipulated by injecting malicious instructions into prompts or historical interaction records, effectively corrupting the stored context and leading to unintended asset transfers. "The implications of this vulnerability are particularly severe given that ElizaOSagents are designed to interact with multiple users simultaneously, relying on shared contextual inputs from all participants," a group of academics from Princeton University wrote in a paper. "A single successful manipulation by a malicious actor can compromise the integrity of the entire system, creating cascading effects that are both difficult to detect and mitigate." Prompt injections and jailbreaks aside, another significant issue ailing LLMs today is hallucination, which occurs when the models generate responses that are not based on the input data or are simply fabricated. According to a new study published by AI testing company Giskard, instructing LLMs to be concise in their answers can negatively affect factuality and worsen hallucinations. "This effect seems to occur because effective rebuttals generally require longer explanations," it said. "When forced to be concise, models face an impossible choice between fabricating short but inaccurate answers or appearing unhelpful by rejecting the question entirely." Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter  and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post. SHARE    

Cabin in Woods | © Egemen Karakaya Set on the Kozak Plateau near Pergamon in western Turkey, Cabin in Woods by Ediz Demirel Works presents a compelling investigation into the relationship between architecture, landscape, and inhabitation. Modest in scale but conceptually rigorous, the 36-square-meter structure explores dualities in materiality, spatial experience, and construction technique. Its design resists conventional tropes of vernacular mimicry, opting instead for conscious contrast. This architectural gesture neither disappears into the land nor dominates it but negotiates a dynamic tension between embeddedness and autonomy. Cabin in Woods Technical Information Architects1-2: Ediz Demirel Works Location: Kozak Plateau, Pergamon, Izmir, Turkey Area: 36 m2 | 387 Sq. Ft. Completion Year: 2025 Photographs: © Egemen Karakaya The identity of the structure is shaped by the interplay of two opposing tectonic approaches in terms of materials, construction techniques, production methods, and the contrast between locality and foreignness. – Ediz Demirel  Cabin in Woods Photographs © Egemen Karakaya © Egemen Karakaya © Egemen Karakaya © Egemen Karakaya © Egemen Karakaya © Egemen Karakaya © Egemen Karakaya © Egemen Karakaya © Egemen Karakaya © Egemen Karakaya © Egemen Karakaya © Egemen Karakaya © Egemen Karakaya Design Intent and Conceptual Framework The cabin occupies a terrace wall from a former vineyard, utilizing the dry stone retaining wall as a literal and conceptual foundation. This gesture roots the project within the existing agricultural topography, establishing a minimal intervention approach. Yet from this grounded base, the cabin rises as an artificial insertion. Its steel frame and corten cladding introduce a formal and material vocabulary foreign to the rural surroundings, underscoring a deliberate dialectic between context and object. At the heart of the project is a sunken conversation pit, an introspective space that anchors the plan and serves as the primary social node. This recessed area draws the inhabitant downward into the landscape, offering a tactile and spatial contrast to the protective shell above. The lowered core reframes domesticity in spatial terms, allowing for a gathering space that privileges horizontality, intimacy, and thermal mass. Around this core, other functional programs such as wet areas, storage, and circulation are deployed as appendages. Above, a mezzanine floor is delicately inserted within the steel shell, creating zones for sleeping and working without compromising the spatial clarity of the core below. Spatial Organization and Experiential Strategy Despite its compact footprint, the cabin achieves a high degree of spatial complexity. This is accomplished not through planimetric manipulation but through sectional richness and the careful calibration of views, light, and thresholds. A singular horizontal aperture cuts through the shell, framing a panoramic view of the forested hills. This gesture provides more than visual access; it actively orchestrates a dialogue between the interior and the broader ecological context. The facade, punctuated with small cantilevered openings, introduces sculptural moments that protrude into the landscape. These elements operate simultaneously as light sources, thermal breaks, and spatial cues. They animate the exterior envelope while mediating the inhabitant’s sensory experience from within. The strategy reveals an architectural sensibility attuned to the nuances of perception, perspective, and phenomenology. The sunken core, in particular, reinforces this experiential ambition. It is not merely a spatial curiosity but a site of temporal deceleration, a hearth-like void where fire, conversation, and reflection converge. In this sense, the project subtly reinvigorates domestic rituals through spatial articulation, encouraging modes of living that prioritize gathering and grounding over visual spectacle. Material Strategy and Construction Logic The architectural language of Cabin in Woods is structured around a deliberate contrast between local, irregular materials and prefabricated, controlled systems. The foundation, comprising a reinforced concrete slab cast directly into the existing dry stone terrace, extends the material logic of the landscape. This decision grounds the structure physically and symbolically, linking it to the region’s vernacular heritage. Conversely, the corten steel cladding and the structural steel frame are fabricated off-site and assembled locally. This bifurcation in construction methods aligns with the project’s conceptual division. The base engages the earth and honors the irregularity of place, while the shell expresses a technological detachment and formal precision. With its evolving patina and atmospheric depth, the use of corten adds a layer of temporal expression to the architectural language. It ages, oxidizes, and marks time, introducing a poetic dimension to the otherwise industrial envelope. Such a contrast is not merely aesthetic. It reflects a broader interrogation of architectural identity—how buildings can simultaneously belong, estrange, settle, and provoke. The tectonic opposition between ground and shell becomes a vehicle for this inquiry, inviting reflection on how architecture positions itself in relation to site and memory. Contextual and Critical Significance Beyond its immediate programmatic function as a short-term rental, Cabin in Woods engages with urgent disciplinary questions. How should contemporary architecture respond to rural contexts without defaulting to nostalgia? How can compact dwellings foster depth of experience without resorting to over-programming? And how might architecture embrace contradiction as a generative force rather than a problem to be resolved? Ediz Demirel’s response is measured yet assertive. Rather than dissolving into the landscape, the cabin asserts its autonomy while acknowledging the terrain. The project frames its site not as a passive backdrop but as an active participant in the architectural narrative. Its minimal footprint, precise detailing, and tectonic clarity demonstrate how small-scale interventions can yield disproportionately rich spatial and conceptual outcomes. Cabin in Woods Plans Floor Plan | © Ediz Demirel Works Section | © Ediz Demirel Works Elevations | © Ediz Demirel Works Details | © Ediz Demirel Works © Ediz Demirel Works Cabin in Woods Image Gallery About Ediz Demirel Works Ediz Demirel Works (EDWorks) is an Istanbul-based architectural studio founded in 2022 by Ediz Demirel. The practice focuses on small to medium-scale projects integrating design, construction, and development. EDWorks emphasizes material experimentation, site-specific strategies, and balancing traditional craftsmanship and contemporary tectonics. Notable projects include Cabin in Woods and Pergamon House in the Izmir region. The studio’s approach reflects a commitment to architectural clarity and contextual sensitivity. Credits and Additional Notes Design Architect: Ediz Demirel Site Architects: Ediz Demirel, Tuna Ökten

Observation Rocket Report: SpaceX’s expansion at Vandenberg; India’s PSLV fails in flight China's diversity in rockets was evident this week, with four types of launchers in action. Stephen Clark – May 23, 2025 7:00 am | 7 Dawn Aerospace's Mk-II Aurora airplane in flight over New Zealand last year. Credit: Dawn Aerospace Dawn Aerospace's Mk-II Aurora airplane in flight over New Zealand last year. Credit: Dawn Aerospace Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more Welcome to Edition 7.45 of the Rocket Report! Let's talk about spaceplanes. Since the Space Shuttle, spaceplanes have, at best, been a niche part of the space transportation business. The US Air Force's uncrewed X-37B and a similar vehicle operated by China's military are the only spaceplanes to reach orbit since the last shuttle flight in 2011, and both require a lift from a conventional rocket. Virgin Galactic's suborbital space tourism platform is also a spaceplane of sorts. A generation or two ago, one of the chief arguments in favor of spaceplanes was that they were easier to recover and reuse. Today, SpaceX routinely reuses capsules and rockets that look much more like conventional space vehicles than the winged designs of yesteryear. Spaceplanes are undeniably alluring in appearance, but they have the drawback of carrying extra weight (wings) into space that won't be used until the final minutes of a mission. So, do they have a future? As always, we welcome reader submissions. If you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets, as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar. One of China's commercial rockets returns to flight. The Kinetica-1 rocket launched Wednesday for the first time since a failure doomed its previous attempt to reach orbit in December, according to the vehicle's developer and operator, CAS Space. The Kinetica-1 is one of several small Chinese solid-fueled launch vehicles managed by a commercial company, although with strict government oversight and support. CAS Space, a spinoff of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said its Kinetica-1 rocket deployed multiple payloads with "excellent orbit insertion accuracy." This was the seventh flight of a Kinetica-1 rocket since its debut in 2022. Back in action ... "Kinetica-1 is back!" CAS Space posted on X. "Mission Y7 has just successfully sent six satellites into designated orbits, making a total of 63 satellites or 6 tons of payloads since its debut. Lots of missions are planned for the coming months. 2025 is going to be awesome." The Kinetica-1 is designed to place up to 2 metric tons of payload into low-Earth orbit. A larger liquid-fueled rocket, Kinetica-2, is scheduled to debut later this year. The Ars Technica Rocket Report The easiest way to keep up with Eric Berger's and Stephen Clark's reporting on all things space is to sign up for our newsletter. We'll collect their stories and deliver them straight to your inbox. Sign Me Up! French government backs a spaceplane startup. French spaceplane startup AndroMach announced May 15 that it received a contract from CNES, the French space agency, to begin testing an early prototype of its Banger v1 rocket engine, European Spaceflight reports. Founded in 2023, AndroMach is developing a pair of spaceplanes that will be used to perform suborbital and orbital missions to space. A suborbital spaceplane will utilize turbojet engines for horizontal takeoff and landing, and a pressure-fed biopropane/liquid oxygen rocket engine to reach space. Test flights of this smaller vehicle will begin in early 2027. A risky proposition ... A larger ÉTOILE "orbital shuttle" is designed to be launched by various small launch vehicles and will be capable of carrying payloads of up to 100 kilograms (220 pounds). According to the company, initial test flights of ÉTOILE are expected to begin at the beginning of the next decade. It's unclear how much CNES is committing to AndroMach through this contract, but the company says the funding will support testing of an early demonstrator for its propane-fueled engine, with a focus on evaluating its thermodynamic performance. It's good to see European governments supporting developments in commercial space, but the path to a small commercial orbital spaceplane is rife with risk. (submitted by EllPeaTea) Dawn Aerospace is taking orders. Another spaceplane company in a more advanced stage of development says it is now taking customer orders for flights to the edge of space. New Zealand-based Dawn Aerospace said it is beginning to take orders for its remotely piloted, rocket-powered suborbital spaceplane, known as Aurora, with first deliveries expected in 2027, Aviation Week & Space Technology reports. "This marks a historic milestone: the first time a space-capable vehicle—designed to fly beyond the Kármán line (100 kilometers or 328,000 feet)—has been offered for direct sale to customers," Dawn Aerospace said in a statement. While it hasn't yet reached space, Dawn's Aurora spaceplane flew to supersonic speed for the first time last year and climbed to an altitude of 82,500 feet (25.1 kilometers), setting a record for the fastest climb from a runway to 20 kilometers. Further along ... Aurora is small in stature, measuring just 15.7 feet (4.8 meters) long. It's designed to loft a payload of up to 22 pounds (10 kilograms) above the Kármán line for up to three minutes of microgravity, before returning to a runway landing. Eventually, Dawn wants to reduce the turnaround time between Aurora flights to less than four hours. "Aurora is set to become the fastest and highest-flying aircraft ever to take off from a conventional runway, blending the extreme performance of rocket propulsion with the reusability and operational simplicity of traditional aviation," Dawn said. The company's business model is akin to commercial airlines, where operators can purchase an aircraft directly from a manufacturer and manage their own operations. (submitted by EllPeaTea) India's workhorse rocket falls short of orbit. In a rare setback, Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) launch vehicle PSLV-C61 malfunctioned and failed to place a surveillance satellite into the intended orbit last weekend, the Times of India reported. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle lifted off from a launch pad on the southeastern coast of India early Sunday, local time, with a radar reconnaissance satellite named EOS-09, or RISAT-1B. The satellite was likely intended to gather intelligence for the Indian military. "The country's military space capabilities, already hindered by developmental challenges, have suffered another setback with the loss of a potential strategic asset," the Times of India wrote. What happened? ... V. Narayanan, ISRO's chairman, later said that the rocket’s performance was normal until the third stage. The PSLV's third stage, powered by a solid rocket motor, suffered a "fall in chamber pressure" and the mission could not be accomplished, Narayanan said. Investigators are probing the root cause of the failure. Telemetry data indicated the rocket deviated from its planned flight path around six minutes after launch, when it was traveling more than 12,600 mph (5.66 kilometers per second), well short of the speed it needed to reach orbital velocity. The rocket and its payload fell into the Indian Ocean south of the launch site. This was the first PSLV launch failure in eight years, ending a streak of 21 consecutive successful flights. (submitted by EllPeaTea) SES makes a booking with Impulse Space. SES, owner of the world's largest fleet of geostationary satellites, plans to use Impulse Space’s Helios kick stage to take advantage of lower-cost, low-Earth-orbit (LEO) launch vehicles and get its satellites quickly into higher orbits, Aviation Week & Space Technology reports. SES hopes the combination will break a traditional launch conundrum for operators of medium-Earth-orbit (MEO) and geostationary orbit (GEO). These operators often must make a trade-off between a lower-cost launch that puts them farther from their satellite's final orbit, or a more expensive launch that can expedite their satellite's entry into service. A matter of hours ... On Thursday, SES and Impulse Space announced a multi-launch agreement to use the methane-fueled Helios kick stage. "The first mission, currently planned for 2027, will feature a dedicated deployment from a medium-lift launcher in LEO, followed by Helios transferring the 4-ton-class payload directly to GEO within eight hours of launch," Impulse said in a statement. Typically, this transit to GEO takes several weeks to several months, depending on the satellite's propulsion system. "Today, we’re not only partnering with Impulse to bring our satellites faster to orbit, but this will also allow us to extend their lifetime and accelerate service delivery to our customers," said Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES. "We're proud to become Helios' first dedicated commercial mission." Unpacking China's spaceflight patches. There's a fascinating set of new patches Chinese officials released for a series of launches with top-secret satellites over the last two months, Ars reports. These four patches depict Buddhist gods with a sense of artistry and sharp colors that stand apart from China's previous spaceflight emblems, and perhaps—or perhaps not—they can tell us something about the nature of the missions they represent. The missions launched so-called TJS satellites toward geostationary orbit, where they most likely will perform missions in surveillance, signals intelligence, or missile warning.  Making connections ... It's not difficult to start making connections between the Four Heavenly Gods and the missions that China's TJS satellites likely carry out in space. A protector with an umbrella? An all-seeing entity? This sounds like a possible link to spy craft or missile warning, but there's a chance Chinese officials approved the patches to misdirect outside observers, or there's no connection at all. China aims for an asteroid. China is set to launch its second Tianwen deep space exploration mission late May, targeting both a near-Earth asteroid and a main belt comet, Space News reports. The robotic Tianwen-2 spacecraft is being integrated with a Long March 3B rocket at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China, the country's top state-owned aerospace contractor said. Airspace closure notices indicate a four-hour-long launch window opening at noon EDT (16:00–20:00 UTC) on May 28. Backup launch windows are scheduled for May 29 and 30. New frontiers ... Tianwen-2's first goal is to collect samples from a near-Earth asteroid designated 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, or 2016 HO3, and return them to Earth in late 2027 with a reentry module. The Tianwen-2 mothership will then set a course toward a comet for a secondary mission. This will be China's first sample return mission from beyond the Moon. The asteroid selected as the target for Tianwen-2 is believed by scientists to be less than 100 meters, or 330 feet, in diameter, and may be made of material thrown off the Moon some time in its ancient past. Results from Tianwen-2 may confirm that hypothesis. (submitted by EllPeaTea) Upgraded methalox rocket flies from Jiuquan. Another one of China's privately funded launch companies achieved a milestone this week. Landspace launched an upgraded version of its Zhuque-2E rocket Saturday from the Jiuquan launch base in northwestern China, Space News reports. The rocket delivered six satellites to orbit for a range of remote sensing, Earth observation, and technology demonstration missions. The Zhuque-2E is an improved version of the Zhuque-2, which became the first liquid methane-fueled rocket in the world to reach orbit in 2023. Larger envelope ... This was the second flight of the Zhuque-2E rocket design, but the first to utilize a wider payload fairing to provide more volume for satellites on their ride into space. The Zhuque-2E is a stepping stone toward a much larger rocket Landspace is developing called the Zhuque-3, a stainless steel launcher with a reusable first stage booster that, at least outwardly, bears some similarities to SpaceX's Falcon 9. (submitted by EllPeaTea) FAA clears SpaceX for Starship Flight 9. The Federal Aviation Administration gave the green light Thursday for SpaceX to launch the next test flight of its Starship mega-rocket as soon as next week, following two consecutive failures earlier this year, Ars reports. The failures set back SpaceX's Starship program by several months. The company aims to get the rocket's development back on track with the upcoming launch, Starship's ninth full-scale test flight since its debut in April 2023. Starship is central to SpaceX's long-held ambition to send humans to Mars and is the vehicle NASA has selected to land astronauts on the Moon under the umbrella of the government's Artemis program. Targeting Tuesday, for now ... In a statement Thursday, the FAA said SpaceX is authorized to launch the next Starship test flight, known as Flight 9, after finding the company "meets all of the rigorous safety, environmental and other licensing requirements." SpaceX has not confirmed a target launch date for the next launch of Starship, but warning notices for pilots and mariners to steer clear of hazard areas in the Gulf of Mexico suggest the flight might happen as soon as the evening of Tuesday, May 27. The rocket will lift off from Starbase, Texas, SpaceX's privately owned spaceport near the US-Mexico border. The FAA's approval comes with some stipulations, including that the launch must occur during "non-peak" times for air traffic and a larger closure of airspace downrange from Starbase. Space Force is fed up with Vulcan delays. In recent written testimony to a US House of Representatives subcommittee that oversees the military, the senior official responsible for purchasing launches for national security missions blistered one of the country's two primary rocket providers, Ars reports. The remarks from Major General Stephen G. Purdy, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration, concerned United Launch Alliance and its long-delayed development of the large Vulcan rocket. "The ULA Vulcan program has performed unsatisfactorily this past year," Purdy said in written testimony during a May 14 hearing before the House Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Strategic Forces. This portion of his testimony did not come up during the hearing, and it has not been reported publicly to date. Repairing trust ... "Major issues with the Vulcan have overshadowed its successful certification resulting in delays to the launch of four national security missions," Purdy wrote. "Despite the retirement of highly successful Atlas and Delta launch vehicles, the transition to Vulcan has been slow and continues to impact the completion of Space Force mission objectives." It has widely been known in the space community that military officials, who supported Vulcan with development contracts for the rocket and its engines that exceeded $1 billion, have been unhappy with the pace of the rocket's development. It was originally due to launch in 2020. At the end of his written testimony, Purdy emphasized that he expected ULA to do better. As part of his job as the Service Acquisition Executive for Space (SAE), Purdy noted that he has been tasked to transform space acquisition and to become more innovative. "For these programs, the prime contractors must re-establish baselines, establish a culture of accountability, and repair trust deficit to prove to the SAE that they are adopting the acquisition principles necessary to deliver capabilities at speed, on cost and on schedule." SpaceX's growth on the West Coast. SpaceX is moving ahead with expansion plans at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, that will double its West Coast launch cadence and enable Falcon Heavy rockets to fly from California, Spaceflight Now reports. Last week, the Department of the Air Force issued its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which considers proposed modifications from SpaceX to Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6) at Vandenberg. These modifications will include changes to support launches of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, the construction of two new landing pads for Falcon boosters adjacent to SLC-6, the demolition of unneeded structures at SLC-6, and increasing SpaceX’s permitted launch cadence from Vandenberg from 50 launches to 100. Doubling the fun ... The transformation of SLC-6 would include quite a bit of overhaul. Its most recent tenant, United Launch Alliance, previously used it for Delta IV rockets from 2006 through its final launch in September 2022. The following year, the Space Force handed over the launch pad to SpaceX, which lacked a pad at Vandenberg capable of supporting Falcon Heavy missions. The estimated launch cadence between SpaceX’s existing Falcon 9 pad at Vandenberg, known as SLC-4E, and SLC-6 would be a 70-11 split for Falcon 9 rockets in 2026, with one Falcon Heavy at SLC-6, for a total of 82 launches. That would increase to a 70-25 Falcon 9 split in 2027 and 2028, with an estimated five Falcon Heavy launches in each of those years. (submitted by EllPeaTea) Next three launches May 23: Falcon 9 | Starlink 11-16 | Vandenberg Space Force Base, California | 20:36 UTC May 24: Falcon 9 | Starlink 12-22 | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida | 17:19 UTC May 27: Falcon 9 | Starlink 17-1 | Vandenberg Space Force Base, California | 16:14 UTC Stephen Clark Space Reporter Stephen Clark Space Reporter Stephen Clark is a space reporter at Ars Technica, covering private space companies and the world’s space agencies. Stephen writes about the nexus of technology, science, policy, and business on and off the planet. 7 Comments

Why big tech B2B research doesn’t work for your startup.Startups are nothing like big companies. Their approach to UX research is, and should be, very different from what at big companies do.Startups live in the zero-to-one phase. Peter Thiel coined the term in his airport blockbuster book called —you guessed it— Zero-to-One. It defines the first phase in the life of a startup: from idea to live.While the terminology varies, most UX research can be classified into two groups:Generative researchEvaluative research“Generative research (sometimes called foundational, exploratory, or (as in this Field Guide) discovery research) helps researchers gain a deep and highly detailed understanding of the target audience, the market, and even internal project goals. […] Evaluative research is used to evaluate people’s responses to a product or solution.” — User InterviewsGenerative research is great at the start, to dive deep into user problems. Evaluative research is useful at getting feedback on existing prototypes or live products.Big companies separate them and mostly focus on evaluative research. While that works for them, it’s not useful during the zero-to-one phase. I’ll tell you why.Different size, different concernsYou see, big companies get big, not because they dupe investors, but because they find a market and a way to make the stuff it wants, at a profit. They have product-market fit, and now that they’re big, their goal is to improve their existing products.“Markets that do not exist cannot be analyzed: Suppliers and customers must discover them together.” ― Clayton M. Christensen, The Innovator’s DilemmaB2B startups, on the other hand, live in the zero-to-one zone. They have no market nor customer base. They haven’t found product-market fit. Once they do, their main concern becomes growth. Until then, their UX research should focus on deeply understanding user problems.What works for “Big Co.” won’t work for your startupThere’s a fallacy in the startup world of thinking that “oh, if it works for {insert big co. name} it’ll work for me!” — it might, but most likely it won’t. And it won’t work for a number of reasons.One reason is that Big Co. already has a user base that’s familiar with their product. Incremental changes can be compared against a control group and improvements or degradations can be measured. Startups don’t usually have that baseline and, if they do, it’s hard to determine whether a change in some number is statistically significant or random.Another reason is that Big Co. can deploy a team of researchers to carry out many customer conversations in parallel. A startup, however, usually has a single designer who has to book, conduct, summarize and share findings alone. Moreover, any time spent doing that is time away from other areas of design work.Thirdly, and like I mentioned before, Big Co. is not worried about disruptive innovation. They care about dominating their space by ever increasing their market share. They do this by gradually tackling adjacent problems to their core product, not by moving into different markets.What’s a startup to do?Startups are small and scrappy. That’s a double-edge sword. While it’s true they don’t have the resources of larger companies, their tiny size makes them nimble and allows them to pivot really fast in the light of new knowledge.Rather than building a convoluted infrastructure with many moving parts, I’m a big proponent of being practical. You probably already have all the tools you need to implement an effective strategic UX research process.A practical approach to strategic UX researchRather than splitting generative and evaluative research, or focusing primarily on the evaluative part, it’s helpful to organically combine both types and to do it continuously.By holding frequent check-ins with your customers, you build relationships that encourage them to share their challenges beyond mere product feedback. Identifying these challenges is key to strengthen your product’s value proposition.Sharing your findings with the rest of the team can spark conversations on framing user challenges as opportunities. Even if you’re a solo designer, you shouldn’t work alone.Simple goes a long wayInstead of investing in specialized tools that cost money and take time to learn, use Notion or Google Docs.Once you figure out what works and what doesn’t, you’ll be in a better position to choose a specific tool to improve your workflow.The approach I’ve been following for the past few years is simple:Make a list and reach out to existing customers (Notion, email)Have casual conversations, not interviews (generative + evaluative research)Have recurring check-insMaintain a simple database with insights (Notion)Share the knowledge with your team (Slack and team meetings)Use the tools you already have.Keep things simple and iterateA lot of guides focus on what so and so big company does to leverage research across a 2,000+ people product department. But like I mentioned, those processes don’t apply to the large majority of B2B startups.Rather than getting paralyzed thinking you need some perfect process, start simple, with the tools you already have and tweak things as you go.SourcesInformation, inspiration and co-creation — Elizabeth B.-N. Sanders, Ph.D, 2005Continuous discovery habits — Teresa TorresThe Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail — Clayton M. ChristensenScaling your B2B growth engine — Lenny’s newsletterWhich UX research methods — NN Group.Types of user research methods — User TestingThe zero-to-one research was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Recent advances in long-context (LC) modeling have unlocked new capabilities for LLMs and large vision-language models (LVLMs). Long-context vision–language models (LCVLMs) show an important step forward by enabling LVLMs to process hundreds of images and thousands of interleaved text tokens in a single forward pass. However, the development of effective evaluation benchmarks lags. It is still unclear how well current LCVLMs perform in long-context settings, what tasks they struggle with, and how robust they are to input length variation. Current benchmarks face the following problem: (a) Limited coverage of downstream tasks, (b) Insufficient coverage of image types, (c) Lack of context length control, and (d) Single context length. Various techniques have extended context windows for LVLMs, including longer pre-training lengths, position extrapolation, and efficient architectures. Models like Gemini-2.5 and Qwen2.5-VL have adopted these approaches alongside vision token compression methods to accommodate longer sequences. For evaluation, the Needle-in-a-Haystack task became a standard benchmark for testing LC ability by inserting information at specific depths within long texts. However, existing vision-language benchmarks remain limited, focusing only on NIAH variants or long-document VQA tasks. Even MileBench contains short-context tasks with an average length of only 9K tokens, failing to evaluate true LC capabilities across diverse vision-language applications. Researchers from HKUST, Tencent AI Seattle Lab, University of Edinburgh, Miniml.AI, and NVIDIA AI Technology Center have proposed MMLONGBENCH, the first comprehensive benchmark for evaluating LCVLMs. It comprises 13,331 examples spanning five downstream task categories, including Visual RAG and Many-Shot ICL, covering natural and synthetic image types. All examples are standardized across five input lengths from 8K to 128K tokens using a cross-modal tokenization scheme combining vision patches and text tokens. Through benchmarking 46 closed-source and open-source models, the research reveals that single-task performance poorly predicts overall LC capability, both model types struggle with LC tasks, and stronger reasoning models show better LC performance. Researchers construct LC by inserting gold passages containing answers among large sets of distracting passages retrieved from Wikipedia. For ViQuAE, gold passages from KILT are used, while InfoSeek uses lead sections from Wikipedia entity pages. Further, Wikipedia pages are split into 100-word passages, and retrieved distractors are added until reaching desired input lengths. Many-shot in-context learning tasks utilize four diverse image classification datasets: Stanford Cars, Food101, SUN397, and iNat2021, accommodating 500 images within 128K context windows. Cross-modal token counting combines text tokens using the Llama2 tokenizer with visual tokens processed through 14×14 patches and 2×2 pixel unshuffle compression, ensuring compatibility with modern LVLMs for evaluation. The evaluation on MMLONGBENCH across tasks and context Lengths shows that all models struggle, but closed-source models perform better. For the longest input length of 128K, all models struggle with long-context vision-language tasks, with GPT-4o achieving only 62.9 average performance. Gemini-2.5-Pro became the strongest performer, outperforming open-source models by 20 points except on ICL tasks. Further, Ovis2-34B model achieves a score of 41.6 on summarization, similar to GPT-4o (42.4). Qwen2.5-VL-32B achieves a SubEM score of 64.6 on VRAG, even better than Gemini-2.0-Flash. Models show generalization capabilities beyond their training context lengths, with Qwen2-VL-72B achieving a 51.9 average score at 128K despite a 32K training window. In conclusion, researchers introduced MMLONGBENCH, the first comprehensive benchmark for evaluating LCVLMs across diverse downstream tasks. It provides a rigorous foundation for diagnosing frontier model capabilities by covering five distinct task categories with unified cross-modal token counting and standardized context lengths. The evaluation of 46 models demonstrates that single-task performance unreliably predicts overall long-context ability, and frontier models face significant challenges in OCR accuracy and cross-modal retrieval. MMLONGBENCH is a standard evaluation framework to drive future research toward more efficient vision-language token encodings, robust position-extrapolation schemes, and improved multi-modal retrieval and reasoning capabilities. Check out the Paper and GitHub Page. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also, feel free to follow us on Twitter and don’t forget to join our 95k+ ML SubReddit and Subscribe to our Newsletter. Sajjad AnsariSajjad Ansari is a final year undergraduate from IIT Kharagpur. As a Tech enthusiast, he delves into the practical applications of AI with a focus on understanding the impact of AI technologies and their real-world implications. He aims to articulate complex AI concepts in a clear and accessible manner.Sajjad Ansarihttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/Enhancing Language Model Generalization: Bridging the Gap Between In-Context Learning and Fine-TuningSajjad Ansarihttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/Salesforce AI Researchers Introduce UAEval4RAG: A New Benchmark to Evaluate RAG Systems’ Ability to Reject Unanswerable QueriesSajjad Ansarihttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/Google Researchers Introduce LightLab: A Diffusion-Based AI Method for Physically Plausible, Fine-Grained Light Control in Single ImagesSajjad Ansarihttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/DanceGRPO: A Unified Framework for Reinforcement Learning in Visual Generation Across Multiple Paradigms and Tasks

Posted on : May 23, 2025 By Tech World Times Business  Rate this post Cubicle walls are more than just barriers separating workspaces—they influence office acoustics, aesthetics, and overall functionality. Selecting the right cubicle walls can improve employee focus, enhance workplace design, and create a more productive environment. Understanding the balance between sound control and visual appeal is essential for designing effective office spaces. Acoustics Office noise can be disruptive, reducing concentration and efficiency. Choosing cubicle walls with proper soundproofing helps maintain a quiet and focused work environment. The thickness of cubicle walls affects noise reduction, with thicker walls providing better sound insulation. Acoustic materials such as fabric-covered panels, foam inserts, and soundproof glass help absorb noise and minimize distractions. Additional acoustic solutions include desk-mounted privacy screens, carpets that reduce sound reflections, and strategically placed cubicles that avoid noisy office areas. Offices that prioritize acoustics create workspaces where employees can focus without being interrupted by surrounding noise. Aesthetics The design and visual appeal of cubicle walls contribute to the office atmosphere. A well-designed workspace fosters employee motivation and creates a professional environment. Different finishes, such as fabric-covered walls, glass partitions, or wood panels, offer varied aesthetic choices that complement office decor. Customization options allow businesses to integrate company branding, inspiring artwork, or greenery to enhance workspaces. Thoughtful lighting placement ensures that cubicle walls do not obstruct natural light, keeping the office bright and inviting. Choosing stylish cubicle walls creates an appealing environment where employees feel engaged and productive. Modular Options Modern offices require flexibility, and modular cubicle walls provide adaptable solutions that can be adjusted as workplace needs evolve. Modular walls allow for easy reconfiguration, making them a cost-effective choice for dynamic office layouts. Sliding or foldable walls, movable partitions, and interlocking panel systems give businesses the ability to change office layouts without extensive remodeling. Modular designs also help create multi-functional workspaces, accommodating both collaborative and private work areas. Investing in modular cubicle walls ensures that the office remains adaptable to future changes and growth. Conclusion Choosing cubicle walls that improve acoustics and aesthetics results in a more comfortable and efficient workspace. Soundproof walls enhance focus by reducing noise distractions, while stylish designs create an engaging work environment. Modular options offer flexibility, allowing businesses to adjust office layouts as needed. By selecting the right cubicle walls, companies can build workspaces that support productivity, creativity, and employee well-being.  Tech World TimesTech World Times (TWT), a global collective focusing on the latest tech news and trends in blockchain, Fintech, Development & Testing, AI and Startups. If you are looking for the guest post then contact at techworldtimes@gmail.com

For many, it's the biggest and most nerve-wracking night in the creative calendar. D&AD held its 63rd awards ceremony last night (Thursday 22 May) at London's Southbank Centre and handed out a record-breaking 668 Pencils across all categories. Most significantly, three coveted Black Pencils—the highest D&AD accolade—were awarded to groundbreaking work that exemplified the year's themes of commercial impact and narrative excellence. With no quota system for Pencil awards, D&AD maintains its reputation for uncompromising standards. In some years, no Black Pencils are given out at all, making the awarding of three a significant achievement for these winners: Designing Paris 2024 by W Conran Design won in Graphic Design for its innovative approach to sports marketing. The judges highlighted how the design created a unifying yet distinctive feel that successfully merged heritage elements with modern sporting aesthetics. A$AP Rocky - Tailor Swif by Iconoclast LA won in Music Videos, exemplifying the year's emphasis on narrative storytelling. The winning work featured long-form storytelling where music was integral to the narrative structure rather than an afterthought, demonstrating how narrative arcs can transcend different mediums and artistic disciplines. Spreadbeats by FCB New York won in Digital Marketing for what the agency described as "Innovation through nostalgic technologies." This work aligned with a trend of brands cleverly inserting themselves into events, sports, and games through inventive approaches. Commercial and creative This year's judging process marked a major evolution in D&AD's approach. Jurors emphasised the critical importance of commercial viability, seeking work that demonstrates tangible business impact and drives meaningful behavioural change rather than celebrating creativity for its own sake. In other words, if there was ever a danger that agencies would make work primarily to win awards rather than serve the client, that's now history. In 2025, you have to do both. "This year's awards celebrated the power of design not just as a form of art but as a catalyst for commercial success and behavioural change," noted Dara Lynch, CEO of D&AD. "The idea is that innovative ideas must possess both aesthetic appeal and tangible impact." The Black Pencil winners perfectly embodied this philosophy. For instance, W Conran Design's 'Designing Paris 2024' was recognised for illustrating how design thinking can transform an entire city's attitude and behaviour. Judges from the Graphic Design category praised it as "a breakthrough for sports marketing and traditional sports marketing aesthetics," noting its playful yet scalable approach that successfully blended heritage with contemporary sport. The return of craftsmanship Alongside commercial effectiveness, jurors were looking for exceptional craft. From Radio and Audio to Film, their message was clear: in an increasingly automated creative landscape, looking good simply isn't enough. "The resurgence of craftsmanship stands as a reminder that in an era of automation, true excellence lies in the thoughtful execution of ideas," Dara explained. "It's not enough just to look good; true creative excellence must also leave a lasting impression." This was particularly evident in D&AD's new Creator Content category, where judges called for clearer definitions of craft excellence and higher standards in content creation. The winning entries all demonstrated work that creates meaningful impact and genuinely engages audiences. Global Participation The 2025 D&AD Awards achieved unprecedented global reach, with entries submitted from 86 countries worldwide—the highest number in the awards' history. This international participation resulted in over 30,000 pieces of work from 11,689 total entries. "It's exciting to see so many brands and companies refreshing their identities," said D&AD trustee Lisa Smith, global executive creative director at Jones Knowles Ritchie. "Judging has been challenging. Too many entries follow the same established design codes and trends, making everything start to look and feel alike, regardless of category. The work that stood out was the kind that breaks away from the expected: inspiring, well-crafted, and truly fit for purpose." The awards ceremony also recognised outstanding agency performance across various specialisations. FCB New York claimed the prestigious title of Advertising Agency of the Year, while Serviceplan Design was named Design Agency of the Year for the first time. DIVISION continued their remarkable winning streak, earning Production Company of the Year for the fifth consecutive year. In the network categories, Serviceplan took home Independent Network of the Year, while FCB was also named Network of the Year. Apple received recognition as Client of the Year, acknowledging its commitment to creative excellence across its marketing initiatives. Presidential recognition The 2025 D&AD President's Award went to Koichiro Tanaka, founder of interdisciplinary creative boutique Projector. Chosen by D&AD President Kwame Taylor-Hayford, Tanaka was recognised for his pioneering work at the intersection of storytelling, interactivity, and craft, which helped define a formative era in digital creativity. "I'm very honoured," Tanaka said. "To receive this award from D&AD, which has lived longer than I have, and to feel part of its long story is now something I live with. Being recognised with care and an open heart is a special thing to me." Kwame, who is co-founder of Kin, explained his choice: "Koichiro Tanaka's pioneering work at the intersection of storytelling, interactivity, and craft helped define a formative era in digital creativity. His career journey, bold ideas, and meticulous attention to detail have been a constant source of personal inspiration." Beyond the three Black Pencils, the ceremony awarded three White Pencils, 48 Yellow Pencils, 176 Graphite Pencils and 434 Wood Pencils. Additionally, four Future Impact Pencils were awarded, recognising work that demonstrates potential for significant positive change. The diverse range of winning work spanned 44 categories, from traditional advertising and design to emerging areas like Gaming & Virtual Worlds and the newly introduced Creator Content category. Craft categories collectively garnered 198 Pencils, underscoring the year's emphasis on exceptional execution. The complete list of Pencil-winning work and shortlisted entries are showcased on the D&AD website, while the official D&AD Rankings will be released alongside the digital D&AD Annual. These rankings provide definitive tables of the most successful companies, networks, countries and clients based on the awards results.

For the past few years, Six One Indie has been delivering stellar showcases that highlight an often overlooked category of games: indies. Though these titles might be made by smaller teams working on a much smaller budget compared to their AAA counterparts, you'd be wrong to think they don't contain every bit the charm and artistry of those promoted all across your social media timelines--and the games below serve as irrefutable proof.Though the team at Six One Indie featured nearly 50 games in its May showcase--the entirety of which you can watch here--we decided to round up just a few dozen of our favorites. From cozy titles like Bobo Bay to the hilariously bizarre Dinoblade, these are some of the indie that we immediately added to our Steam wishlist. Shadows of Chroma TowerShadows of Chroma Tower combines stylish, high-contrast art direction with "the best features of dungeon crawlers and ARPGs" to create a frenetic experience you can play by yourself or with friends. You'll be able to join factions, choose from five classes and six professions, upgrade a robust skill tree, and truly tailor your experience as you make your way up the tower in search of the game's big bad. Mouse: P.I. For Hire"Steamboat Willie-meets-John Wick" is probably one of the strangest combination of words I've ever used to describe a game, but when it comes to Mouse: P.I. For Hire, it just makes sense. In it, players take on the role of Jack Pepper, a hyper-violent private investigator with a strong right-hook and an arsenal of weapons at his disposal, one of which is quite literally a ray gun that causes heads to explode. Its gritty, blood-splattering content is in stark contrast to game's visuals, which draw inspiration from 1930s cartoons, making the whole experience even more over-the-top. All that plus some neo-noir vibes and a jazzy soundtrack make this a game all you shooter fans should definitely keep an eye on. LeilaUbik Studio's Leila is one of the handful of games Six One Indie showed off that is available now--and for only $12, I might add. The hand-animated, story-driven puzzle game sees you relive a woman's "fragile memories" as she undergoes a deeply personal and transformative journey. It's worth noting that Leila features strong adult themes and some body horror, so don't go in expecting something "cozy." However, if you're looking for a dark, cerebral experience, this might be a great pick. Muffles' Life SentenceMuffles' Life Sentence is another game that is already available to play on Steam for the low price of $0, so there's really no reason to not give it a lil' whirl. The "darkly quirky" RPG take place in a prison where inmates are "remade" to match their crimes, and features gameplay stylings that are sure to delight fans of Paper Mario or Undertale. DinobladeSometimes, you can come up with an extremely cool idea for a game just by taking two really cool ideas and mashing 'em together. Such is the case with Dinoblade, a new action RPG that sees players take on the role of a young, blade-wielding Spinosaurus who must fight off other dinosaurs in order to prevent an extinction. It's ridiculous, yes, but what's not ridiculous is how much developer Team Spino commits to the bit--the game looks extremely cool and seems like it'll be a blast for fans of over-the-top action titles like Devil May Cry. Bobo BayHave you ever wished you could stay in Sonic the Hedgehog's chao gardens just a bit longer? Bobo Bay might be the game for you. The pet simulation title sees you care for, collect, breed, train, and accessorize adorable little creatures, all while readying them up for fun competitions such as races and wrestling matches. Though the game isn't scheduled to release until next year, those interested can play its alpha build now. Oscuro Blossom's GlowIf you're looking for a delightful-looking puzzle platformer accompanied by gorgeous, 2D, illustrative art, you should check out Oscuro Blossom's Glow. In it you play as Selene, a young girl with the ability to emit light; naturally, this power helps her traverse the lush woodlands she find herself in by creating life, dispelling creatures, and more. The game currently has a demo available to play over on its Steam page. Truth ScrapperInsertdisc5, the studio behind 2023's indie gem In Stars and Time, is back with a new game that looks every bit as lovely as its predecessor. In Truth Scrapper you play as Sosotte, a member of the Truth Scrapper guild who is sent to investigate a mysterious sinkhole that has destroyed the community's "sense of will." The only problem? The vast majority of your memories reset at the end of each day, and you're the one responsible for choosing which ones stay and which ones to abandon. 1000 Deaths1000 Deaths is a "gravity-bending 3D platformer" that features some truly fun visuals and an early 2000s, Adult Swim feel. However, to relegate it to just another platformer is a disservice, as 1000 Deaths also features a unique spin: the ability for players to make choices that completely alter the game's mechanics, story, and level design. This chaotic, hardcore, action game aims to set the stage for some fun speed-running opportunities--if its players can stay alive. Sound interesting? Fortunately, you can check out 1000 Deaths' demo now. Cast n ChillA massive departure from the previous entry on this list, Cast n Chill features a far more relaxing gameplay loop. The cozy idle game sees its players explore serene lakes, rivers, and ocean with their loyal pup, their only goal being to catch some fish. As they play, they'll get the chance to upgrade their gear, granting them the ability to reel in more impressive catches. It's a low stakes experience accompanied by some truly picturesque pixel-art, and best of all, you can play the game's demo right now. Future Vibe CheckEven if you've played automation games before, I can almost guarantee that you've never played one quite like this. In Future Vibe Check, players are tasked with slowly building a factory that doesn't just create products--it creates music, too. As they rebuild the given area, the structures they place create their own unique sounds whenever energy courses through them. Curious as to how that will play out? Fortunately, you can try Future Vibe Check's demo now. Scratch the CatFor all the Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Sly Cooper, Croc, and other 3D mascot platformer fans out there, here's a new game to keep on your radar. In Scratch the Cat, players take on the role of DJ Scratch, a sleek-looking cat who is on a journey to reclaim his stolen records. The adventure game features some remarkable visuals that are absolutely on par other games in the genre, and seems like it'll be ripe with collectibles, unique bosses, and plenty of ways to traverse and explore. Jump the TrackBilled as an "explosive comedy that blends visual novel with pachinko," Jump the Track looks like an incredibly charming game with plenty of style and humor. When not dishing out some pinball action, the game unfolds in an almost comic book-style way, as it tells the story of Sam, "a young dreamer struggling in the gig economy" whose fortune might just change tonight. Jump the Track currently has a demo available to play on Steam, as well as an extremely close release date: May 28, 2025. Rogue EclipseIn Rogue Eclipse, players get the chance to traverse stunning seas of stars and comets as they take down starfighters, armadas, and otherworldly behemoths. That said, it's not just a flight-based shooter, as Rogue Eclipse features an "epic roguelike campaign" as well. Developer Huskraft calls the game "easy to learn, tricky to master, and impossible to put down," and after this first-look, it's easy to see why. Guilty as Sock!One of the more bizarre games in the showcase, Guilty as Sock! looks incredible and I cannot wait to force my friends play it with me. The multiplayer, court simulator sees you and your pals jump into a chaotic trial where each person plays a sock puppet bound to a specific role--lawyer, judge, etc.--and must then present evidence cards that help support their agenda. While your friends testify, you can choose to throw paper balls and mock them in an attempt to shake them up and sway the verdict in your favor--it'll be up to the judge to call the behavior out, or encourage it. All in all, it's some real Among Us-style nonsense that I will absolutely be playing later this week, thanks to its new demo. Rue ValleyRue Valley is yet another title on this list with a demo I downloaded immediately. The gritty-looking narrative RPG follows a man trapped in a time loop and whose choices are bound by his mental state; if he is introverted, for example, even if you want him to go up and talk to a woman at a bar, he might not be able to muster up the courage. It will then be up to you to figure out how to deal with his various mental hurdles, form relationships with complex characters, and break out of the loop. Carimara: Beneath the Forlorn LimbsThere were a lot of game shown at Six One Indie's May showcase that featured some truly fantastic art direction, and Carimara: Beneath the Forlorn Limbs is absolutely one of them. The bleak, horror-adjacent title sees players take on the role of the Cariamara, a mysterious figure whose mission is to conjure up ghosts and answer their questions using a deck of cards. Described as a "short and creepy fairytale," this one might not be for the easily perturbed--but looks potentially delightful for those of us who love disturbing little creatures and moody, PS1-era visuals. A Week in the Life of Asocial GiraffeHave you ever just wanted to be left alone? That's precisely how this giraffe feels, and is the conceit behind A Week in the Life of Asocial Giraffe. In it, your goal is simple: avoid all social contact. However, the citizens of Friendly City do make things a bit harder thanks to their chatty nature. It is up to you to help our giraffe friend do all his chores and live his best life, all while avoiding people by solving point-and-click puzzles and utilizing stealth. If you're looking to give it a go, the game's demo is now live on Steam. InkshadeAnother visually remarkable entry on this list, Inkshade is turn-based tactics game that sees players take control of strange wooden miniatures that are "wrapped in a web of locked rooms and orchestrated by an otherworldly game master." The end goal of Inkshade is to guide these tokens to a mysterious realm known as the abyss, but they'll first need to conquer the continent, procure an airship, and sail through "cursed skies," and none of that will be easy. However, if you're interested in giving it a shot, you can play the game's demo now. One Way HomeBased on its trailer, One Way Home reminds me a lot of Limbo or Inside, albeit with realistic visuals, more horror, and some cool "choose-your-own" adventure elements. The game follows Jimmy Taylor, a 12-year-old boy who gets involved in a car accident on his walk home from school. When he comes to, Jimmy finds himself thrust into a mysterious version of his world that, while seemingly devoid of humans, is filled to the brim with monstrosities and disturbing visuals. What ensues is a tense-looking puzzle platformer in which player-choice dictates the skills, locations, enemies, and endings Jimmy stumbles upon--and thanks to its new demo, you can get a first glimpse at how this will all play out now. Kabuto ParkWith its playful visuals and adorable premise, Kabuto Park looks perfect for those seeking a game with a bit of whimsy and childlike wonder about it. At its core, the game revolves around bugs: finding them, catching them, training them, and ultimately winning the Summer Beetle Battle Championship with them. As players bug-catch and battle, they'll also gain the ability to upgrade their equipment, allowing them to find even "rarer, stronger, and shinier little friends" to use in the game's card-based competitions. Sounds cute, right? If you think so, I've got great news for you: the game comes out on May 28. Oh and if you're feeling really antsy, you can play the demo right now. Quite a RideIt's just you, your bicycle, a half-charged cellphone, and one very good boy against the world in the upcoming psychological horror game Quite a Ride. In it, you play as someone whose quick trip to their friend's house is derailed by the sudden presence of a dense, oppressive fog filled with eldritch horrors. As such, you have no choice but to keep pedaling--even as the beings following you grow so close you can hear them breathe and the world shifts around you. And though this and the game's beautiful, Pacific Northwest vibes are already enough to make me extremely interested in it, Quite a Ride also has another thing going for it: collective progress. This means that player's collective, global efforts will change the game over time by introducing new characters, locations, and secrets. We'll see if I am actually brave enough to play it, but wow am I eager to try. OddbatOddbat likens itself to Celeste in that it is an extremely challenging platformer filled with secrets and over 700 unique levels. That said, it is immediately obvious that its personality, humor, and style are all its own. In Oddbat, you play as a vampire on a mission to perform an elaborate ritual. However, you'll need to drain the blood of seven bosses and make your way through five unique dungeons to do so. Naturally, you'll need to rely on one of your most iconic vampiric powers--the ability to become a bat--to help you accomplish your goals. With its cheeky tone and monochromatic color scheme, Oddbat looks to be shaping up into a viciously fun and stylish platformer.