You’ve drawn fifty versions of the same screen — and you still hate every one of them. Begrudgingly, you pick three, show them to your product manager, and hear: “Looks cool, but the idea doesn’t work.” Sound familiar? In this article, I’ll unpack why designers fall into detail work at the wrong moment, examining both process pitfalls and the underlying psychological reasons, as understanding these traps is the first step to overcoming them. I’ll also share tactics I use to climb out of that trap. Reason #1 You’re Afraid To Show Rough Work We designers worship detail. We’re taught that true craft equals razor‑sharp typography, perfect grids, and pixel precision. So the minute a task arrives, we pop open Figma and start polishing long before polish is needed. I’ve skipped the sketch phase more times than I care to admit. I told myself it would be faster, yet I always ended up spending hours producing a tidy mock‑up when a scribbled thumbnail would have sparked a five‑minute chat with my product manager. Rough sketches felt “unprofessional,” so I hid them. The cost? Lost time, wasted energy — and, by the third redo, teammates were quietly wondering if I even understood the brief. The real problem here is the habit: we open Figma and start perfecting the UI before we’ve even solved the problem. So why do we hide these rough sketches? It’s not just a bad habit or plain silly. There are solid psychological reasons behind it. We often just call it perfectionism, but it’s deeper than wanting things neat. Digging into the psychology (like the research by Hewitt and Flett) shows there are a couple of flavors driving this: Socially prescribed perfectionismIt’s that nagging feeling that everyone else expects perfect work from you, which makes showing anything rough feel like walking into the lion’s den. Self-oriented perfectionismWhere you’re the one setting impossibly high standards for yourself, leading to brutal self-criticism if anything looks slightly off. Either way, the result’s the same: showing unfinished work feels wrong, and you miss out on that vital early feedback. Back to the design side, remember that clients rarely see architects’ first pencil sketches, but these sketches still exist; they guide structural choices before the 3D render. Treat your thumbnails the same way — artifacts meant to collapse uncertainty, not portfolio pieces. Once stakeholders see the upside, roughness becomes a badge of speed, not sloppiness. So, the key is to consciously make that shift: Treat early sketches as disposable tools for thinking and actively share them to get feedback faster. Reason #2: You Fix The Symptom, Not The Cause Before tackling any task, we need to understand what business outcome we’re aiming for. Product managers might come to us asking to enlarge the payment button in the shopping cart because users aren’t noticing it. The suggested solution itself isn’t necessarily bad, but before redesigning the button, we should ask, “What data suggests they aren’t noticing it?” Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you shouldn’t trust your product manager. On the contrary, these questions help ensure you’re on the same page and working with the same data. From my experience, here are several reasons why users might not be clicking that coveted button: Users don’t understand that this step is for payment. They understand it’s about payment but expect order confirmation first. Due to incorrect translation, users don’t understand what the button means. Lack of trust signals (no security icons, unclear seller information). Unexpected additional costs (hidden fees, shipping) that appear at this stage. Technical issues (inactive button, page freezing). Now, imagine you simply did what the manager suggested. Would you have solved the problem? Hardly. Moreover, the responsibility for the unresolved issue would fall on you, as the interface solution lies within the design domain. The product manager actually did their job correctly by identifying a problem: suspiciously, few users are clicking the button. Psychologically, taking on this bigger role isn’t easy. It means overcoming the fear of making mistakes and the discomfort of exploring unclear problems rather than just doing tasks. This shift means seeing ourselves as partners who create value — even if it means fighting a hesitation to question product managers (which might come from a fear of speaking up or a desire to avoid challenging authority) — and understanding that using our product logic expertise proactively is crucial for modern designers. There’s another critical reason why we, designers, need to be a bit like product managers: the rise of AI. I deliberately used a simple example about enlarging a button, but I’m confident that in the near future, AI will easily handle routine design tasks. This worries me, but at the same time, I’m already gladly stepping into the product manager’s territory: understanding product and business metrics, formulating hypotheses, conducting research, and so on. It might sound like I’m taking work away from PMs, but believe me, they undoubtedly have enough on their plates and are usually more than happy to delegate some responsibilities to designers. Reason #3: You’re Solving The Wrong Problem Before solving anything, ask whether the problem even deserves your attention. During a major home‑screen redesign, our goal was to drive more users into paid services. The initial hypothesis — making service buttons bigger and brighter might help returning users — seemed reasonable enough to test. However, even when A/B tests (a method of comparing two versions of a design to determine which performs better) showed minimal impact, we continued to tweak those buttons. Only later did it click: the home screen isn’t the place to sell; visitors open the app to start, not to buy. We removed that promo block, and nothing broke. Contextual entry points deeper into the journey performed brilliantly. Lesson learned: Without the right context, any visual tweak is lipstick on a pig. Why did we get stuck polishing buttons instead of stopping sooner? It’s easy to get tunnel vision. Psychologically, it’s likely the good old sunk cost fallacy kicking in: we’d already invested time in the buttons, so stopping felt like wasting that effort, even though the data wasn’t promising. It’s just easier to keep fiddling with something familiar than to admit we need a new plan. Perhaps the simple question I should have asked myself when results stalled was: “Are we optimizing the right thing or just polishing something that fundamentally doesn’t fit the user’s primary goal here?” That alone might have saved hours. Reason #4: You’re Drowning In Unactionable Feedback We all discuss our work with colleagues. But here’s a crucial point: what kind of question do you pose to kick off that discussion? If your go-to is “What do you think?” well, that question might lead you down a rabbit hole of personal opinions rather than actionable insights. While experienced colleagues will cut through the noise, others, unsure what to evaluate, might comment on anything and everything — fonts, button colors, even when you desperately need to discuss a user flow. What matters here are two things: The question you ask, The context you give. That means clearly stating the problem, what you’ve learned, and how your idea aims to fix it. For instance: “The problem is our payment conversion rate has dropped by X%. I’ve interviewed users and found they abandon payment because they don’t understand how the total amount is calculated. My solution is to show a detailed cost breakdown. Do you think this actually solves the problem for them?” Here, you’ve stated the problem (conversion drop), shared your insight (user confusion), explained your solution (cost breakdown), and asked a direct question. It’s even better if you prepare a list of specific sub-questions. For instance: “Are all items in the cost breakdown clear?” or “Does the placement of this breakdown feel intuitive within the payment flow?” Another good habit is to keep your rough sketches and previous iterations handy. Some of your colleagues’ suggestions might be things you’ve already tried. It’s great if you can discuss them immediately to either revisit those ideas or definitively set them aside. I’m not a psychologist, but experience tells me that, psychologically, the reluctance to be this specific often stems from a fear of our solution being rejected. We tend to internalize feedback: a seemingly innocent comment like, “Have you considered other ways to organize this section?” or “Perhaps explore a different structure for this part?” can instantly morph in our minds into “You completely messed up the structure. You’re a bad designer.” Imposter syndrome, in all its glory. So, to wrap up this point, here are two recommendations: Prepare for every design discussion.A couple of focused questions will yield far more valuable input than a vague “So, what do you think?”. Actively work on separating feedback on your design from your self-worth.If a mistake is pointed out, acknowledge it, learn from it, and you’ll be less likely to repeat it. This is often easier said than done. For me, it took years of working with a psychotherapist. If you struggle with this, I sincerely wish you strength in overcoming it. Reason #5 You’re Just Tired Sometimes, the issue isn’t strategic at all — it’s fatigue. Fussing over icon corners can feel like a cozy bunker when your brain is fried. There’s a name for this: decision fatigue. Basically, your brain’s battery for hard thinking is low, so it hides out in the easy, comfy zone of pixel-pushing. A striking example comes from a New York Times article titled “Do You Suffer From Decision Fatigue?.” It described how judges deciding on release requests were far more likely to grant release early in the day (about 70% of cases) compared to late in the day (less than 10%) simply because their decision-making energy was depleted. Luckily, designers rarely hold someone’s freedom in their hands, but the example dramatically shows how fatigue can impact our judgment and productivity. What helps here: Swap tasks.Trade tickets with another designer; novelty resets your focus. Talk to another designer.If NDA permits, ask peers outside the team for a sanity check. Step away.Even a ten‑minute walk can do more than a double‑shot espresso. By the way, I came up with these ideas while walking around my office. I was lucky to work near a river, and those short walks quickly turned into a helpful habit. And one more trick that helps me snap out of detail mode early: if I catch myself making around 20 little tweaks — changing font weight, color, border radius — I just stop. Over time, it turned into a habit. I have a similar one with Instagram: by the third reel, my brain quietly asks, “Wait, weren’t we working?” Funny how that kind of nudge saves a ton of time. Four Steps I Use to Avoid Drowning In Detail Knowing these potential traps, here’s the practical process I use to stay on track: 1. Define the Core Problem & Business Goal Before anything, dig deep: what’s the actual problem we’re solving, not just the requested task or a surface-level symptom? Ask ‘why’ repeatedly. What user pain or business need are we addressing? Then, state the clear business goal: “What metric am I moving, and do we have data to prove this is the right lever?” If retention is the goal, decide whether push reminders, gamification, or personalised content is the best route. The wrong lever, or tackling a symptom instead of the cause, dooms everything downstream. 2. Choose the Mechanic (Solution Principle) Once the core problem and goal are clear, lock the solution principle or ‘mechanic’ first. Going with a game layer? Decide if it’s leaderboards, streaks, or badges. Write it down. Then move on. No UI yet. This keeps the focus high-level before diving into pixels. 3. Wireframe the Flow & Get Focused Feedback Now open Figma. Map screens, layout, and transitions. Boxes and arrows are enough. Keep the fidelity low so the discussion stays on the flow, not colour. Crucially, when you share these early wires, ask specific questions and provide clear context (as discussed in ‘Reason #4’) to get actionable feedback, not just vague opinions. 4. Polish the Visuals (Mindfully) I only let myself tweak grids, type scales, and shadows after the flow is validated. If progress stalls, or before a major polish effort, I surface the work in a design critique — again using targeted questions and clear context — instead of hiding in version 47. This ensures detailing serves the now-validated solution. Even for something as small as a single button, running these four checkpoints takes about ten minutes and saves hours of decorative dithering. Wrapping Up Next time you feel the pull to vanish into mock‑ups before the problem is nailed down, pause and ask what you might be avoiding. Yes, that can expose an uncomfortable truth. But pausing to ask what you might be avoiding — maybe the fuzzy core problem, or just asking for tough feedback — gives you the power to face the real issue head-on. It keeps the project focused on solving the right problem, not just perfecting a flawed solution. Attention to detail is a superpower when used at the right moment. Obsessing over pixels too soon, though, is a bad habit and a warning light telling us the process needs a rethink.

Human organs could be bioprinted for transplants within 10 years, according to Lithuanian startup Vital3D. But before reaching human hearts and kidneys, the company is starting with something simpler: regenerating dog skin. Based in Vilnius, Vital3D is already bioprinting functional tissue constructs. Using a proprietary laser system, the startup deposits living cells and biomaterials in precise 3D patterns. The structures mimic natural biological systems — and could one day form entire organs tailored to a patient’s unique anatomy. That mission is both professional and personal for CEO Vidmantas Šakalys. After losing a mentor to urinary cancer, he set out to develop 3D-printed kidneys that could save others from the same fate. But before reaching that goal, the company needs a commercial product to fund the long road ahead. That product is VitalHeal — the first-ever bioprinted wound patch for pets. Dogs are the initial target, with human applications slated to follow. Šakalys calls the patch “a first step” towards bioprinted kidneys. “Printing organs for transplantation is a really challenging task,” he tells TNW after a tour of his lab. “It’s 10 or 15 years away from now, and as a commercial entity, we need to have commercially available products earlier. So we start with simpler products and then move into more difficult ones.” Register Now The path may be simpler, but the technology is anything but. Bioprinting goes to the vet VitalHeal is embedded with growth factors that accelerate skin regeneration. Across the patch’s surface, tiny pores about one-fifth the width of a human hair enable air circulation while blocking bacteria. Once applied, VitalHeal seals the wound and maintains constant pressure while the growth factors get to work. According to Vital3D, the patch can reduce healing time from 10–12 weeks to just four to six. Infection risk can drop from 30% to under 10%, vet visits from eight to two or three, and surgery times by half. Current treatments, the startup argues, can be costly, ineffective, and distressing for animals. VitalHeal is designed to provide a safer, faster, and cheaper alternative. Vital3D says the market is big — and the data backs up the claim. Vital3D’s FemtoBrush system promises high-speed and high-precision bioprinting. Credit: Vital3D Commercial prospects The global animal wound care market is projected to grow from $1.4bn (€1.24bn) in 2024 to $2.1bn (€1.87bn) by 2030, fuelled by rising pet ownership and demand for advanced veterinary care. Vital3D forecasts an initial serviceable addressable market (ISAM) of €76.5mn across the EU and US. By 2027-2028, the company aims to sell 100,000 units. Dogs are a logical starting point. Their size, activity levels, and surgeries raise their risk of wounds. Around half of dogs over age 10 are also affected by cancer, further increasing demand for effective wound care. At €300 retail (or €150 wholesale), the patches won’t be cheap. But Vital3D claims they could slash treatment costs for pet owners from €3,000 to €1,500. Production at scale is expected to bring prices down further.  After strong results in rats, trials on dogs will begin this summer in clinics in Lithuania and the UK — Vital3D’s pilot markets. If all goes to plan, a non-degradable patch will launch in Europe next year. The company will then progress to a biodegradable version. From there, the company plans to adapt the tech for humans. The initial focus will be wound care for people with diabetes, 25% of whom suffer from impaired healing. Future versions could support burn victims, injured soldiers, and others in need of advanced skin restoration. Freshly printed fluids in a bio-ink droplet. Credit: Vital3D Vital3D is also exploring other medical frontiers. In partnership with Lithuania’s National Cancer Institute, the startup is building organoids — mini versions of organs — for cancer drug testing. Another project involves bioprinted stents, which are showing promise in early animal trials. But all these efforts serve a bigger mission. “Our final target is to move to organ printing for transplants,” says Šakalys. Bioprinting organs A computer engineer by training, Šakalys has worked with photonic innovations for over 10 years.  At his previous startup, Femtika, he harnessed lasers to produce tiny components for microelectronics, medical devices, and aerospace engineering. He realised they could also enable precise bioprinting.  In 2021, he co-founded Vital3D to advance the concept. The company’s printing system directs light towards a photosensitive bio-ink. The material is hardened and formed into a structure, with living cells and biomaterials moulded into intricate 3D patterns. The shape of the laser beam can be adjusted to replicate complex biological forms — potentially even entire organs. But there are still major scientific hurdles to overcome. One is vascularisation, the formation of blood vessels in intricate networks. Another is the diverse variety of cell types in many organs. Replicating these sophisticated natural structures will be challenging. “First of all, we want to solve the vasculature. Then we will go into the differentiation of cells,” Šakalys says. “Our target is to see if we can print from fewer cells, but try to differentiate them while printing into different types of cells.”  If successful, Vital3D could help ease the global shortage of transplantable organs. Fewer than 10% of patients who need a transplant receive one each year, according to the World Health Organisation. In the US alone, around 90,000 people are waiting for a kidney — a shortfall that’s fuelling a thriving black market. Šakalys believes that could be just the start. He envisions bioprinting not just creating organs, but also advancing a new era of personalised medicine. “It can bring a lot of benefits to society,” he says. “Not just bioprinting for transplants, but also tissue engineering as well.” Want to discover the next big thing in tech? Then take a trip to TNW Conference, where thousands of founders, investors, and corporate innovators will share their ideas. The event takes place on June 19–20 in Amsterdam and tickets are on sale now. Use the code TNWXMEDIA2025 at the checkout to get 30% off. Story by Thomas Macaulay Managing editor Thomas is the managing editor of TNW. He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers. Away from work, he e (show all) Thomas is the managing editor of TNW. He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers. Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse). Get the TNW newsletter Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week. Also tagged with

Property in Palm Springs | © Peter Thomas via Unsplash Are you ready to take the first step towards property investment success? Planning your financial future requires careful thought, especially if you’re starting. This article is about creating a personalized approach for first-time property investors. Let’s explore proven strategies to guide your investment journey. Start with Clear Investment Goals The first step in building a property portfolio is defining your investment goals. Are you seeking long-term wealth creation, steady rental income, or both? Pinpointing your goals allows you to choose properties and locations that align with your vision and financial expectations.  Dive deep into market research to identify areas that fit your budget, offer growth potential, and meet your objectives. Setting clear, measurable goals minimizes risks and keeps you focused and motivated throughout your investment journey. A strong sense of direction is crucial for long-term success. Research and Understand Market Trends Before making any decisions, dedicate time to researching and understanding property market trends. Learn about high-growth areas, rental demand, and future infrastructure developments that could impact the values. Delve into data on suburbs that show consistent capital growth or offer untapped potential for future development.  Align these insights with your financial capacity and desired investment outcomes to make informed choices. The more you understand market trends, the better you can navigate risks and seize opportunities, ultimately improving your potential returns. Budget Planning and Financial Readiness Take a close look at your finances to determine how much you can comfortably invest without overstretching. Include not only upfront costs like deposits and legal fees but also ongoing expenses such as maintenance, property management, and insurance.  Engage with multiple lenders to discuss your borrowing capacity and identify favorable financing options tailored to your needs. By creating a realistic budget that accounts for all costs, you can ensure that your investment is sustainable. Proper financial planning is essential to building a strong foundation for long-term success. Diversify for Stability © Linmiao Xu via Unsplash © The Bialons via Unsplash A well-diversified property portfolio offers stability and reduces risk, shielding you from market fluctuations. Invest in different real estate types, such as residential, commercial, or mixed-use spaces, across various locations to spread your exposure. Diversification ensures that a downturn in one market won’t derail your entire portfolio’s performance.  For example, combining properties in emerging suburbs with those in established areas can balance growth and steady returns. Diversification is a cornerstone strategy for building a resilient portfolio that aligns with short-term gains and long-term financial security. Leverage Tax Benefits and Incentives Governments often provide various tax benefits and incentives for property investors, which can enhance your overall returns. Research the deductions available for expenses like interest payments, maintenance costs, and depreciation. These benefits can significantly reduce your investment costs and improve your profitability.  Stay informed about government programs or initiatives that encourage investments in specific areas or types of properties. Effectively utilising tax benefits can help you maximise returns while minimising financial burdens, giving your portfolio a competitive edge. Take Help from Professional Firms Partnering with experienced professionals can make your investment journey more efficient and stress-free. Professional firms help you identify properties that align with your goals and provide valuable insights into market conditions and financing options. Their expertise extends to areas like portfolio management and long-term strategic planning, ensuring that your investments remain on track.  Collaborating with specialists reduces the likelihood of costly mistakes and allows you to focus on making confident, informed decisions. The support of experts can be invaluable in navigating the complexities of property investment. Start Small, but Think Big Begin your property investment journey with a single, well-chosen property to minimise risks while gaining valuable experience. Starting small allows you to learn the nuances of property management, market dynamics, and financial planning without feeling overwhelmed. Focus on building equity in your first property, which you can later leverage for future investments.  As you gain confidence, use this equity strategically to expand your portfolio over time. A gradual, well-planned approach ensures sustainable growth while safeguarding your financial stability. Tailored Strategies for First-Time Investors Tailored strategies allow first-time investors to approach property investment with clarity and confidence. Begin by evaluating your financial position, investment goals, and risk tolerance. A personalised plan ensures that every step you take aligns with your unique situation and objectives. For instance, if your primary goal is rental income, focusing on high-demand areas with stable tenant markets might be ideal.  Tailored strategies empower first-time investors to succeed in building a property portfolio. Clear goals, market insights, and expert guidance remain essential for achieving long-term success. Diversifying your investments, leveraging tax benefits, and embracing digital tools can significantly boost your portfolio’s growth. Take the first step and begin building a prosperous financial future that works for you. Real Estate by ArchEyes Team Leave a comment

The rapid rise of AI agents is sparking both excitement and alarm. Their power lies in their ability to complete tasks with increasing autonomy. Many can already pursue multi-step goals, make decisions, and interact with external systems — all with minimal human input. Teams of AI agents are beginning to collaborate, each handling a specialised role. As their autonomy increases, they’re poised to reshape countless business processes. Tech giants are heralding them as the future of the web. At Microsoft’s Build conference this week, the company declared that we have entered “the era of AI agents.” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman joined the event, proclaiming his lab’s new Codex tool as “a real agentic coding experience.” He called it “one of the biggest changes to programming that I’ve ever seen.” Beyond the hype, practical applications are rapidly emerging. AI agents are already assisting with various tasks, from code generation and cyber threat detection to customer service enquiries and shopping marketing campaigns.  Before long, they could become comprehensive executive assistants — managing your emails, calendar, and projects. But to harness the opportunities, people need to prepare now. Cihangir Kocak is helping them do just that. A principal business and AI strategist at HP, Kocak guides organisations through digital transformation. He believes AI agents will unleash a new wave of opportunities. “We are going to a future where everyone will have an AI agent as an assistant,” he says. At TNW Conference this summer, Kocak will host two sessions on AI agents. On June 19, he’ll deliver a keynote on their rise. The next day, he’ll join Joost Bos, Senior AI Engineer at Deloitte, for a masterclass titled “Agentic AI: Architecting the Future of Business.” Ahead of the event, he shared a few of his tips. 1. Understand what AI agents can do AI agents evolve large language models (LLMs) from passive responders into active problem-solvers. With tools, memory, and defined goals, they can complete complex tasks on their own. “Large language models act as the brains and AI agents as the hands, which means they can also act,” Kocak says. “They can do things for you autonomously.” Agents can also collaborate. One might source products, another handle logistics, a third build your website, and a fourth write the marketing copy. In future, businesses may need their own agents to interact with others. Your AI assistant could collaborate with them to book the best service for your needs. Free courses from the likes of Hugging Face, Salesforce, and Microsoft are good starting points to explore the possibilities. After getting an understanding of the basics, you can put them into practice.  2. Start experimenting Kocak expects AI agents to rapidly reshape workplaces. “I believe that within five years, everything will be changed because of AI agents,” he says. “It might be even much less than five years — maybe two to three years.” Many companies are already shifting numerous tasks from humans to AI. In the near future, the people that they do recruit may require experience of working with AI agents. “Soon, a lot of these companies will ask for people who can work with AI agents,” says Kocak. His advice? “Get your hands dirty. Play with it, experiment with it — but do it consciously.” One tool he recommends is LM Studio, a desktop app for running LLMs locally. But his key recommendation is simply getting started. “Just do something to get a feel of it. Once you have that, it’s time for the next step.” 3. Find use cases After testing some tools, Kocak suggests identifying where they can add value. He advises looking for tasks where AI can free up your time — and start small. “What costs you the most time? What don’t you like to do? When you figure out those things, you can look at how AI agents can help you.” Kocak uses local LLMs for privacy-sensitive tasks, and ChatGPT for public ones — like drafting LinkedIn posts in his own voice. “It saves at least half of my time,” he says. 4. Focus on the data The real magic of AI agents emerges when they’re personalised with your choice of data. Generic tools like ChatGPT can handle broad tasks. But if you want something tailored, agents trained on your choice of data can offer sharper performance. That internal knowledge can turn a generic agent into a bespoke powerhouse. “What makes an AI solution special is when you feed it with your own data,” says Kocak. “Then you will have a solution that can operate differently than anything else.” 5. Maintain human oversight Although AI agents can act autonomously, human oversight remains vital. Agents are powerful, but not flawless. Giving them too much freedom is risky. “It’s wise to have a human in the room,” he says. “The future will be AI agents plus humans — that will be the most beneficial combination.” 6. Stay secure As AI tools become more accessible, security concerns are mounting. Among the threats are data leaks, adversarial attacks, and agents going off the rails. There’s also the risk of losing a competitive edge.  “External parties can take your data and send it to their servers,” says Kocak. “They can then use all sensitive data in your conversations to optimise their models.” Many risks can be reduced by deploying open-source, local models — especially for sensitive data and use cases. “If you really want a competitive advantage, you need to run and own your AI. That sets you apart,” says Kocak. He adds that people shouldn’t be fearful, but conscious. Closed-source, cloud-based tools such as ChatGPT remain useful — but sensitive data and tasks may require more secure alternatives. “Just be aware of what information you enter. And remember there is another, better option, of running your large language model locally.” 7. Embrace the future As the industrial revolution and factory automation did before them, AI agents will transform jobs. Some roles will disappear — but new ones will emerge. A welder could become an operator of robotic welders. A data entry clerk might oversee AI agents. Kocak is optimistic about the possibilities. “Our core capabilities as humans — like being creative, finding solutions out of the box, and empathy — will come to the forefront.” These tips are just a glimpse of what Kocak will provide at TNW Conference. If you want to check out his sessions — or anything else on the event agenda — we have a special offer for you. Use the code TNWXMEDIA2025 at the ticket checkout to get 30% off. Story by Thomas Macaulay Managing editor Thomas is the managing editor of TNW. He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers. Away from work, he e (show all) Thomas is the managing editor of TNW. He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers. Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse). Get the TNW newsletter Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week. Also tagged with

Google's latest artificial intelligence (AI) feature in Search, AI Mode, is now getting multiple new capabilities. Announced at Google I/O 2025 on Tuesday, the Mountain View-based tech giant is now making the AI-powered end-to-end search experience more capable and useful. The mode is getting new features such as a reasoning mode, Live Search, agentic capabilities to reserve a table at a restaurant, and new shopping tools. The AI Mode in Search and the new features will currently only be available in the US.AI Mode in Search Gets SmarterIn a blog post, the tech giant detailed the new features coming to AI Mode. It is a comprehensive version of AI Overviews, where users can ask complex queries which would otherwise require running multiple searches. AI Mode uses a query fan-out technique, where it breaks down user queries into subtopics and runs multiple search queries simultaneously to find and show the relevant information.Google said that starting this week, AI Mode and AI Overviews in the US will be powered by a custom version of Gemini 2.5. While AI Mode does not require a sign-up process in the US, these new capabilities will only be available to select users via Search Labs. Notably, the company plans to add features and capabilities from AI Mode into the core Search experience.A new Deep Search feature is being added to AI Mode, which will allow users to receive “even more thorough responses.” Using deep research capabilities, it can run hundreds of search queries, collate the information, and create “an expert-level fully-cited report in just minutes.”Another interesting new feature is Search Live. This version of Search lets AI Mode access the camera of a device, and based on what it sees, it can answer queries verbally in real-time. Users can conversationally ask for information about objects, landmarks, and places as long as they appear in the camera feed.Google is also bringing Project Mariner's agentic function to AI Mode. With this, the AI-powered search experience can assist users with purchasing event tickets, making restaurant reservations and booking appointments. For instance, if a user wants to book tickets for a sporting event, the tool will analyse ticket options, look at real-time pricing, fill out forms, and show users relevant ticket options. Users can then confirm the details and manually make the purchase. Google is working with Ticketmaster, StubHub, Resy and Vagaro for this feature.AI Mode in Search is also becoming more personalised. Google said the Gemini-powered tool will soon offer suggestions based on the user's past searches. Users can also connect AI mode with other Google apps to help it gain more context about their preferences. This capability can be turned off at any time.Shopping Features in AI ModeApart from the abovementioned capabilities, AI Mode in Search is also introducing multiple new features to improve the shopping experience of users. It now shows visual search results, helps users virtually try on new clothes, and uses AI agents to help users buy a product when it is retailing at their preferred price.By combining Gemini with Google's Shopping Graph, the new AI mode can sort through 50 billion product listings to find relevant options for users. Whenever users make a product query, it will show a browsable panel of images and product listing, which is personalised to their preferences.The tech giant says that users can make highly specific and complex requests, and the AI Mode will still be able to narrow down the options to find products that fit the description. This means even if users do not know the technical term for the product they're looking for, the AI tool can still pinpoint it using its visual description.Just by uploading a full-length photo of themselves, users can now virtually try on billions of apparel listings. Google says the feature is powered by a custom fashion-based image generation model that understands the human body and how clothes fold, stretch, and drape on different bodies.Finally, AI Mode is also getting a new agentic checkout system that helps users in purchasing products. Whenever a user is on the checkout page of a product (within the AI Mode interface), they will see a “track price” option. Tapping it will allow them to see a slider with the minimum and maximum price of the product and a recommendation for the ideal price. Users can set the slider as per their preference, and the AI will notify them whenever the product is retailing for said price.Then, users can just tap the “buy for me” button in the notification, and AI Mode will automatically add the item to their cart on the merchant's website and complete the checkout process by paying via Google Pay. This agentic checkout feature will be rolling out in the coming months in the US. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Further reading: Google IO 2025, AI Mode, Google Search, Google, AI, Artificial intelligence, AI Agent Akash Dutta Akash Dutta is a Senior Sub Editor at Gadgets 360. He is particularly interested in the social impact of technological developments and loves reading about emerging fields such as AI, metaverse, and fediverse. In his free time, he can be seen supporting his favourite football club - Chelsea, watching movies and anime, and sharing passionate opinions on food. More Related Stories

The cobbled streets and centuries-old university halls of Leuven recently served as a picturesque backdrop for the Materialise 3D Printing in Hospitals Forum 2025. Belgium’s Flemish Brabant capital hosted the annual meeting, which has become a key gathering for the medical 3D printing community since its launch in 2017. This year, 140 international healthcare professionals convened for two days of talks, workshops, and lively discussion on how Materialise’s software enhances patient care. The Forum’s opening day, hosted at Leuven’s historic Irish College, featured 16 presentations by 18 healthcare clinicians and medical 3D printing experts.  While often described as the future of medicine, personalized healthcare has already become routine in many clinical settings. Speakers emphasized that 3D printing is no longer merely a “cool” innovation, but an essential tool that improves patient outcomes. “Personalized treatment is not just a vision for the future,” said Koen Peters, Executive Vice President Medical at Materialise. “It’s a reality we’re building together every day.” During the forum, practitioners and clinical engineers demonstrated the critical role of Materialise’s software in medical workflows. Presentations highlighted value across a wide range of procedures, from brain tumour removal and organ transplantation to the separation of conjoined twins and maxillofacial implant surgeries. Several use cases demonstrated how 3D technology can reduce surgery times by up to four times, enhance patient recovery, and cut hospital costs by almost £6,000 per case.      140 visitors attended the Materialise 3D Printing in Hospitals Forum 2025. Photo via Materialise. Digital simulation and 3D printing slash operating times  Headquartered a few miles outside Leuven’s medieval center, Materialise is a global leader in medical 3D printing and digital planning. Its Mimics software suite automatically converts CT and MRI scans into detailed 3D models. Clinicians use these tools to prepare for procedures, analyse anatomy, and create patient-specific models that enhance surgical planning. So far, Materialise software has supported more than 500,000 patients and analysed over 6 million medical scans. One case that generated notable interest among the Forum’s attendees was that of Lisa Ferrie and Jiten Parmar from Leeds General Infirmary. The pair worked alongside Asim Sheikh, a Consultant Skullbase and Neurovascular Neurosurgeon, to conduct the UK’s first “coach door osteotomy” on Ruvimbo Kaviya, a 40-year-old nurse from Leeds.  This novel keyhole surgery successfully removed a brain tumor from Kaviya’s cavernous sinus, a hard-to-reach area behind the eyes. Most surgeries of this kind require large incisions and the removal of substantial skull sections, resulting in extended recovery time and the risk of postoperative complications. Such an approach would have presented serious risks for removing Kaviya’s tumor, which “was in a complex area surrounded by a lot of nerves,” explained Parmar, a Consultant in Maxillofacial Surgery.    Instead, the Leeds-based team uses a minimally invasive technique that requires only a 1.5 cm incision near the side of Ravimbo’s eyelid. A small section of skull bone was then shifted sideways and backward, much like a coach door sliding open, to create an access point for tumor removal. Following the procedure, Ravimbo recovered in a matter of days and was left with only a 6 mm scar at the incision point.  Materialise software played a vital role in facilitating this novel procedure. Ferrie is a Biomedical Engineer and 3D Planning Service Lead at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. She used mimics to convert medical scans into digital 3D models of Ravimbo’s skull. This allowed her team to conduct “virtual surgical planning” and practice the procedure in three dimensions, “to see if it’s going to work as we expect.”  Ferrie also fabricated life-sized, polyjet 3D printed anatomical models of Ravimbo’s skull for more hands-on surgical preparation. Sheikh and Parmar used these models in the hospital’s cadaver lab to rehearse the procedure until they were confident of a successful outcome. This 3D printing-enabled approach has since been repeated for additional cases, unlocking a new standard of care for patients with previously inoperable brain tumors.  The impact of 3D planning is striking. Average operating times fell from 8-12 hours to just 2-3 hours, and average patient discharge times dropped from 7-10 days to 2-3 days. These efficiencies translated into cost savings of £1,780 to £5,758 per case, while additional surgical capacity generated an average of £11,226 in income per operating list. Jiten Parmar (right) and Lisa Ferrie (left) presenting at the Materialise 3D Printing in Hospitals Forum 2025. Photo via Materialise. Dr. Davide Curione also discussed the value of virtual planning and 3D printing for surgical procedures. Based at Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital in Rome, the radiologist’s team conducts 3D modeling, visualization, simulation, and 3D printing.  One case involved thoraco-omphalopagus twins joined at the chest and abdomen. Curione’s team 3D printed a multi-color anatomical model of the twins’ anatomy, which he called “the first of its kind for complexity in Italy.” Fabricated in transparent resin, the model offered a detailed view of the twins’ internal anatomy, including the rib cage, lungs, and cardiovascular system. Attention then turned to the liver. The team built a digital reconstruction to simulate the optimal resection planes for the general separation and the hepatic splitting procedure. This was followed by a second multi-colour 3D printed model highlighting the organ’s vascularisation. These resources improved surgical planning, cutting operating time by 30%, and enabled a successful separation, with no major complications reported two years post-operation. Dr. Davide Curione’s workflow for creating a 3D printed model of thoraco-omphalopagus twins using Mimics. Image via Frontiers in Physiology. VR-enabled surgery enhances organ transplants   Materialise’s Mimics software can also be used in extended reality (XR), allowing clinicians to interact more intuitively with 3D anatomical models and medical images. By using off-the-shelf virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headsets, healthcare professionals can more closely examine complex structures in an immersive environment. Dr. David Sibřina is a Principal Researcher and Developer for the VRLab team at Prague’s Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKEM). He leads efforts to accelerate the clinical adoption of VR and AR in organ transplantation, surgical planning, and surgical guidance.  The former Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree explained that since 2016, IKEM’s 3D printing lab has focused on producing anatomical models to support liver and kidney donor programmes. His lab also fabricates 3D printed anatomical models of ventricles and aneurysms for clinical use.  However, Sibřina’s team recently became overwhelmed by high demand for physical models, with surgeons requesting additional 3D model processing options. This led Sibřina to create the IKEM VRLab, offering XR capabilities to help surgeons plan and conduct complex transplantation surgeries and resection procedures.      When turning to XR, Sibřina’s lab opted against adopting a ready-made software solution, instead developing its own from scratch. “The problem with some of the commercial solutions is capability and integration,” he explained. “The devices are incredibly difficult and expensive to integrate within medical systems, particularly in public hospitals.” He also pointed to user interface shortcomings and the lack of alignment with established medical protocols.  According to Sibřina, IKEM VRLab’s offering is a versatile and scalable VR system that is simple to use and customizable to different surgical disciplines. He described it as “Zoom for 3D planning,” enabling live virtual collaboration between medical professionals. It leverages joint CT and MRI acquisition models, developed with IKEM’s medical physicists and radiologists. Data from patient scans is converted into interactive digital reconstructions that can be leveraged for analysis and surgical planning.  IKEM VRLab also offers a virtual “Fitting Room,” which allows surgeons to assess whether a donor’s organ size matches the recipient’s body. A digital model is created for every deceased donor and live recipient’s body, enabling surgeons to perform the size allocation assessments.  Sibřina explained that this capability significantly reduces the number of recipients who would otherwise fail to be matched with a suitable donor. For example, 262 deceased liver donors have been processed for Fitting Room size allocations by IKEM VRLab. In 27 instances, the VR Fitting Room prevented potential recipients from being skipped in the waiting list based on standard biometrics, CT axis measurements, and BMI ratios.                          Overall, 941 patient-specific visualizations have been performed using Sibřina’s technology. 285 (28%) were for liver recipients, 311 (31%) for liver donors, and 299 (23%) for liver resection. Living liver donors account for 59 (6%) cases, and split/reduced donors for 21 (2%).           A forum attendee using Materialise’s Mimics software in augmented reality (AR). Photo via Materialise. Personalized healthcare: 3D printing implants and surgical guides  Beyond surgical planning and 3D visualisation, Materialise Mimics software supports the design and production of patient-specific implants and surgical guides. The company conducts healthcare contract manufacturing at its Leuven HQ and medical 3D printing facility in Plymouth, Michigan.  Hospitals can design patient-specific medical devices in-house or collaborate with Materialise’s clinical engineers to develop custom components. Materialise then 3D prints these devices and ships them for clinical use. The Belgian company, headed by CEO Brigitte de Vet-Veithen, produces around 280,000 custom medical instruments each year, with 160,000 destined for the US market. These include personalised titanium cranio-maxillofacial (CMF) implants for facial reconstruction and colour-coded surgical guides. Poole Hospital’s 3D specialists, Sian Campbell and Poppy Taylor-Crawford, shared how their team has adopted Materialise software to support complex CMF surgeries. Since acquiring the platform in 2022, they have developed digital workflows for planning and 3D printing patient-specific implants and surgical guides in 14 cases, particularly for facial reconstruction.  Campbell and Taylor-Crawford begin their workflow by importing patient CT and MRI data into Materialise’s Mimics Enlight CMF software. Automated tools handle initial segmentation, tumour resection planning, and the creation of cutting planes. For more complex cases involving fibula or scapula grafts, the team adapts these workflows to ensure precise alignment and fit of the bone graft within the defect. Next, the surgical plan and anatomical data are transferred to Materialise 3-matic, where the team designs patient-specific resection guides, reconstruction plates, and implants. These designs are refined through close collaboration with surgeons, incorporating feedback to optimise geometry and fit. Virtual fit checks verify guide accuracy, while further analysis ensures compatibility with surgical instruments and operating constraints. Once validated, the guides and implants are 3D printed for surgery. According to Campbell and Taylor-Crawford, these custom devices enable more accurate resections and implant placements. This improves surgical alignment and reduces theatre time by minimising intraoperative adjustments. An example of the cranio-maxillofacial implants and surgical guides 3D printed by Materialise. Photo by 3D Printing Industry Custom 3D printed implants are also fabricated at the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute in Bologna, Italy. Originally established as a motion analysis lab, the institute has expanded its expertise into surgical planning, biomechanical analysis, and now, personalized 3D printed implant design. Dr. Alberto Leardini, Director of the Movement Analysis Laboratory, described his team’s patient-specific implant workflow. They combine CT and MRI scans to identify bone defects and tumour locations. Clinical engineers then use this data to build digital models and plan resections. They also design cutting guides and custom implants tailored to each patient’s anatomy. These designs are refined in collaboration with surgeons before being outsourced to manufacturing partners for production. Importantly, this workflow internalizes design and planning phases. By hosting engineering and clinical teams together on-site, they aim to streamline decision-making and reduce lead times. Once the digital design is finalised, only the additive manufacturing step is outsourced, ensuring “zero distance” collaboration between teams.  Dr. Leardini emphasised that this approach improves clinical outcomes and promises economic benefits. While custom implants require more imaging and upfront planning, they reduce time in the operating theatre, shorten hospital stays, and minimise patient transfers.  After a full day of presentations inside the Irish College’s eighteenth-century chapel, the consensus was clear. 3D technology is not a niche capability reserved for high-end procedures, but a valuable tool enhancing everyday care for thousands of patients globally. From faster surgeries to cost savings and personalized treatments, hospitals are increasingly embedding 3D technology into routine care. Materialise’s software sits at the heart of this shift, enabling clinicians to deliver safer, smarter, and more efficient healthcare.  Take the 3DPI Reader Survey – shape the future of AM reporting in under 5 minutes. Read all the 3D printing news from RAPID + TCT 2025 Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to keep up with the latest 3D printing news.You can also follow us on LinkedIn, and subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry Youtube channel to access more exclusive content.Featured image shows 3D printed anatomical models at Materialise HQ in Leuven. Photo by 3D Printing Industry.

pixel_dreams - Fotolia News Security tests reveal serious vulnerability in government’s One Login digital ID system A ‘red teaming’ exercise to simulate cyber attacks on the government’s flagship digital identity system has found that One Login can be compromised without detection By Bryan Glick, Editor in chief Published: 16 May 2025 12:37 External security tests on the government’s flagship digital identity system, Gov.uk One Login, have found serious vulnerabilities in the live service, Computer Weekly has learned. A “red teaming” exercise conducted in March by IT security consultancy Cyberis discovered that privileged access to One Login can be compromised without detection by security monitoring tools. According to Cyberis, red teaming tests the resilience of systems by simulating the tactics, techniques and procedures of cyber attackers to show how well an organisation can detect and respond to an incident. Computer Weekly has been asked by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) not to reveal further details of the vulnerability while the Government Digital Service (GDS) seeks to fix the problem. Compromising the highest levels of access to a system risks exposing personal data and software code to any cyber attackers able to exploit the vulnerability. A government spokesperson said: “Delivering best practice, we routinely conduct red teaming exercises to test security infrastructure. Where issues are found, we work urgently to resolve them.” The existence of a serious current vulnerability will raise further concerns over the security of One Login, which is intended to be the way that citizens prove their identity and log in to most online government services. There are already six million users of the system, and it is used to access more than 50 online services. Last month, Computer Weekly revealed that GDS was warned by the Cabinet Office in November 2022 and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in September 2023, that One Login had “serious data protection failings” and “significant shortcomings” in information security that could increase the risk of data breaches and identity theft. GDS said the concerns were “outdated” and arose “when the technology was in its infancy in 2023”, despite One Login being used at that time to support live services. “We have worked to address all these concerns as evidenced by multiple external independent assessments. Any suggestion otherwise is unfounded,” said a spokesperson, at the time. A whistleblower first raised security concerns about One Login within GDS as long ago as July 2022. The issues identified included system administration being performed through non-compliant devices with a risk of transmitting security vulnerabilities, such as malware or phishing attacks, that could compromise the live system. The NCSC recommends that system administration for key government services should be conducted from a dedicated device used only for that purpose, known as a privileged access workstation (PAW), or alternatively to use only “browse down” devices, where the security level of the device is always the same or greater than the system being managed. The whistleblower warned that a lack of PAWs and use of browse-up administration were significant risks. Computer Weekly subsequently revealed that the One Login team has yet to fully meet NCSC guidelines – the system only complies with 21 of the 39 outcomes detailed in the NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) – an improvement on the five outcomes it successfully followed a year ago. The One Login development team is also yet to fully implement the government’s Secure by Design practices, although GDS said the system “meets these principles”. Earlier this week, we further revealed that One Login had lost its certification against the government’s own trust framework for digital identity systems, after a key technology supplier allowed its certification to lapse and, as a result, One Login was removed from the official accreditation scheme. In a meeting with private sector digital identity providers this week (Wednesday 14 May), DSIT secretary of state Peter Kyle explained how One Login will underpin the forthcoming Gov.uk Wallet, which will be used to deliver digital versions of key government documents, such as driving licences. Kyle talked about the “rapid journey” he hopes the government will take in delivering digital identity services for citizens and stressed the importance that such systems are “delivered safely [and] securely”. The government spokesperson added: “Gov.uk One Login follows the highest security standards for government and private sector services – including dedicated 24/7 eyes-on monitoring and incident response. As the public rightly expects, protecting the security of government services and the data and privacy of users to keep pace with the changing cyber threat landscape is paramount.” Questions are also being asked in Parliament about the security of One Login. In recent weeks, Liberal Democrat peer and digital spokesman Tim Clement-Jones and Conservative peer Simone Finn have separately submitted Parliamentary questions to DSIT asking for reassurances about the system. Finn asked whether the government has “quantified the likelihood and potential impact of insider threats, unauthorised privileged access, and production environment compromise within One Login”. In response, DSIT minister for the future digital economy and online safety, peer Maggie Jones, said: “The Gov.uk One Login team collaborates closely with the NCSC to assess and mitigate risks associated with insider threats, unauthorised privileged access, and production environment compromise, aligning with the Cyber Assessment Framework outlined in the Government Cyber Security Strategy 2022-2030. “While assessments of insider threats have been made, copies of these assessments will not be placed in the Library of the House, as they are part of ongoing security measures and internal governance processes.” Clement-Jones asked: “What steps [the government is] taking to address security issues in the One Login digital identification system?” Jones replied: “One Login follows the highest security standards for government and private sector services. As the public rightly expects, protecting the security of government services and the data and privacy of users to keep pace with the changing cyber threat landscape is paramount. “Security best practice is followed with a number of layered security controls which include: Security clearances for staff with ‘Security Check’ clearance required for all developers with production access; identity and access management controls that block staff from viewing or altering personal information; a secure by design and compartmentalised system architecture; technical controls around building and deployments; logging and monitoring to alert on access to environments that contain personally identifiable information; and robust procedures for addressing any unauthorised or unaccounted for access.” Speaking to Computer Weekly about the security concerns, Clement-Jones said: “How is the government’s flagship digital identity system failing to meet standards so badly, given that it is expected to shortly form an essential part of our immigration controls? We need answers and quickly.”  Read more about One Login Companies House goes live with One Login ID verification – People can verify their identity with Companies House using Gov.uk One Login as the central government body becomes the 36th service to start using the digital identity system. GDS goes serverless to bring personalisation to online government services with One Login – GDS has opened up about the reasons why it’s opted for a serverless infrastructure to underpin One Login, and how it hopes the system will provide UK citizens with a more personalised experience. One Login digital identity project makes headway – Government services are lining up to work with the GDS on its One Login digital identity system, according to its director of digital identity, Natalie Jones. In The Current Issue: UK MoJ crime prediction algorithms raise serious concerns Interview: Markus Schümmelfeder, CIO, Boehringer Ingelheim Download Current Issue GraphQL as an ‘essential protocol’ for AI-API orchestration – CW Developer Network Mind the insight-to-impact gap, Qlik captures analytics ‘in the moment’ – CW Developer Network View All Blogs

Baby KJ after a gene-editing infusion with researchers Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas and Kiran MusunuruChildren’s Hospital of Philadelphia A baby boy with a life-threatening genetic condition has become the first person to receive a bespoke CRISPR gene-editing treatment, giving a glimpse into what the future of medicine might look like. It’s the first time anyone has been given a gene-editing treatment designed to correct a disease-causing mutation found only in that individual, Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, told a press briefing. “He’s showing some early signs of benefit,” she says, but it is too soon to tell how well the treatment worked. Advertisement The researchers published the details as soon as possible in the hope that it will inspire others, says team member Kiran Musunuru at the University of Pennsylvania. “We very much hope that showing that it’s possible to make a personalised gene-editing therapy for a single patient in several months will inspire others to do the same,” he says. “I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that this is the future of medicine,” he says. “This is the first step towards the use of gene-editing therapies to treat a wide variety of rare genetic disorders for which there are actually very few treatments currently in development at all.” The boy, KJ, inherited mutations in each of his two copies of a gene for a liver enzyme called CPS1. Without this enzyme, ammonia builds up in the blood when proteins, including ones we eat, are broken down, damaging the brain. More than half of children born with a CPS1 deficiency die, says Ahrens-Nicklas. Get the most essential health and fitness news in your inbox every Saturday. Sign up to newsletter She and Musunuru have been developing treatments for this kind of condition that target the liver, allowing them to rapidly create a base-editing therapy – a form of CRISPR – that corrects one of KJ’s two copies of the CPS1 gene. The team contacted US regulators early on. “They recognised that this was an unusual circumstance,” says Musunuru. “KJ was very, very sick, and there wasn’t time for business as usual. When we formally submitted our application to the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] when KJ was 6 months of age, the FDA approved it in just one week.” KJ was given a low dose of the treatment in February 2025 when he was 6 months old, followed by larger doses in March and April. He is now able to eat more protein than before, despite taking lower amounts of other medications to manage his condition. Ideally, children would be treated even earlier to prevent the long-term damage conditions such as CPS1 deficiency can cause. As New Scientist reported last year, Musunuru aims to one day edit human genes before birth. Other gene-editing therapies are designed to work for many people, regardless of the specific mutation causing their condition. For instance, the first ever approved gene-editing treatment, for sickle cell disease, works by turning on the production of fetal haemoglobin, rather than by correcting the mutations in adult haemoglobin that cause the condition. Despite being a “one-size-fits-all” treatment, it still costs £1,651,000 per course of treatment in England. KJ with his family after the treatmentChildren’s Hospital of Philadelphia Personalised treatments are likely to be even more expensive. Musunuru says he can’t put a number on KJ’s treatment, because the companies involved did much of the work for free. But the price will come down, he thinks. “As we get better at doing this, economies of scale will kick in and you can expect the cost to come down orders of magnitude,” he says. One reason personalised gene-editing treatments haven’t been developed before is that regulators have regarded therapies targeting different mutations in the same gene as separate, meaning companies would have had to restart the approval process from scratch for every different mutation. But there is now a move towards what is called a platform approach, where regulators will give broad approval to a therapy for a condition, whichever mutation is targeted. “Platform-based approaches, like genome editing with CRISPR – as we’re seeing with KJ’s treatment – offer a scalable way to treat even the rarest diseases,” says Nick Meade at the Genetic Alliance UK, a charity that helps people with rare diseases. “This at last makes treatment a realistic prospect for thousands of families.” Journal reference:New England Journal of Medicine DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2504747 Topics:crispr

Real-world journeys that blend digital, physical, and emotional touchpointsAt the very beginning, there were no templatesWhen e-commerce first took off, every website was a handcrafted experience. Brands hired developers to code their stores from scratch, pouring hours into every layout decision and line of code. It was messy, expensive, and full of quirks — but each site had a personality. No two stores looked alike, and that uniqueness helped brands stand out (for better or worse).Then came the era of standardization. Platforms like Shopify and Magento made it easy to spin up an online store in hours, not months. Templates took over, and with them came the rise of best practices, grid systems, and polished uniformity. This shift was supported by principles like Jakob’s Law, which tells us that users spend most of their time on other sites — so experiences should feel familiar. It was the golden age of efficiency — just not of originality. But now, the pendulum is swinging back. More and more brands are breaking free from the template mold, crafting distinctive, memorable experiences that turn browsing into something closer to brand theatre. Conversion matters — but so does character.Luxury is leading character-based e-commerceWhile living in Shanghai, I saw firsthand how luxury brands embraced digital experiences without compromising their identity. Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Prada proved that people were willing to buy high-ticket items online, long before it became the norm. I still remember the buzz when someone in Shanghai bought a Ferrari online. It was a wake-up call: e-commerce had matured.Luxury brands, especially in China, began investing in beautifully crafted websites that didn’t just sell — they told stories. They became pioneers of what best-in-class online shopping could feel like. Before diving into broader industry examples, let’s look at a few luxury sites that show how to combine simplicity, usability, and brand immersion.Louis Vuitton offers a seamless journey through thousands of products while maintaining an elegant, editorial aesthetic. It’s a smart balance of information density and calm navigation that respects the user’s cognitive load.Celine made a bold move with a unique left-side navigation that breaks convention without breaking usability — bringing core controls within easy reach and inviting curiosity through layout.Dior invites you to explore the craftsmanship behind its products before nudging you toward e-commerce. This thoughtful sequence taps into the Peak-End Rule: people remember the emotional peak and the ending, not every step. Dior ensures both are on-brand and memorable.Louis Vuitton’s website combines seamless site loading with elegant visuals and best in class navigation.Celine came up with a unique left side navigation.Dior wants you to first see how their bags are handcrafted before even going into the ecommerce section.Delightful Experiences Powered by Modern TechToday (in 2025), designing great e-commerce experiences is both more challenging and more exciting than ever. Why? Because we now have more tools at our disposal — AI-powered chatbots, recommendation engines, immersive video, and more. But technology alone isn’t enough. It takes smart experience design to turn these tools into something customers truly value.Dior — Recovering from “Out of Stock” with GraceWhen a friend of mine rushed to Dior’s website after seeing their new foundation stick on TikTok, it was already sold out. Instead of a dead end, the site invited her to leave her email for a restock alert. The next day, she received an email with a direct link to her shade, picked “pick up in store,” and shortly after, got a personalized WhatsApp message from a Beauty Advisor. Dior turned a moment of friction into an orchestrated omnichannel success story — from anonymous browser to known customer (capturing someone’s email on your site should be one of your key objectives).Dior’s “Alert me” CTA leads to an email capture.Oysho — Communicating Lifestyle & QualityOysho is a masterclass in how to blend emotional connection with functional UX. The website immerses you in a world of wellness, movement, and slow fashion. It’s not just about the products; it’s about how you’ll feel wearing them. Their art direction — light-filled photography, calm color palettes, and minimal design — reinforces a brand identity centered on mindful living.From a UX perspective, the site is quietly brilliant. Returning users immediately see their order status, creating a sense of continuity (and reducing anxiety). Gift-wrapping flows and personalized messages add thoughtful delight, while back-in-stock alerts close the loop with zero friction.Gifting options on Oysho include a personal message, gift wrapping and not including the cost of the purchase. Very thoughtful.The site does an excellent job of communicating the functional benefits of their clothing — like breathable or high-resistance fabrics — using clean, unobtrusive icons. These subtle visual cues enhance decision-making without adding friction, creating a sense of trust and product clarity. It’s a design tactic Uniqlo also uses effectively, especially for their tech-enhanced basics, where innovation needs to be conveyed clearly but without overwhelming the shopper.Oysho strikes a perfect balance between inspire and shopping.In doing so, Oysho taps into the Aesthetic-Usability Effect — the perception that beautiful interfaces are more usable, which increases patience and satisfaction even when minor issues arise.Uniqlo — The Online/Offline QueenUniqlo continues to quietly disrupt the fashion world with a digital ecosystem that just works. The brilliance lies not in bells and whistles, but in a frictionless, service-oriented approach that integrates online convenience with in-store immediacy.Here’s what sets Uniqlo apart:Check store inventory in real-time, down to color and size — even when you’re in-store. Using the app, you can scan a product tag to instantly see which sizes or colors are available nearby.Reserve online, pick up in store the same day — a perfect blend of impulse and instant gratification.RFID self-checkout in physical stores is almost magical: just drop your clothes into the checkout tray, and everything is automatically scanned. No barcodes. No awkward folding. Just out.Membership benefits are effortlessly cross-channel — simply scan your member code from the app, and you’re recognized whether shopping online or in person. It’s a seamless loyalty experience that doesn’t ask customers to jump through hoops.Behind all this is a Uniqlo does this beautifully, absorbing backend complexity to offer a surprisingly intuitive customer journey.Making the checkout very simple while capturing the users membership information to connect offline to online experiences.Same day click and collect make it convenient to order online things that I can pick up later when I go out for lunch with is close to a Uniqlo store and don’t have to wait for it to be delivered to my home.Starbucks — Best-Value Membership ExperienceStarbucks has created a digital flywheel powered by simplicity and consistency. Everything revolves around one app. It’s your loyalty card, your payment tool, your order-ahead assistant, your offer inbox — and your direct line to perks. It all feels effortless, but that’s precisely the point. Compare that to other retailers who force you to log into a website just to check your points — assuming you even remember your password. Starbucks eliminates those micro-frustrations entirely.And because it’s a native app, it taps into core mobile capabilities — like GPS for finding nearby stores, integrated payment, and real-time push notifications — without ever feeling like it’s trying too hard. This kind of thoughtful integration is exactly what makes omnichannel UX feel natural, fluid, and genuinely useful.The loyalty system is brilliantly simple: earn one star per dollar, unlock rewards. That’s no accident — it’s the Endowed Progress Effect at play. By giving users visible progress toward a reward, they’re far more likely to stay engaged and repeat behavior.Even better, the app is context-aware. It remembers your preferences, tailors offers, and knows your go-to store. It’s a prime example of personalization that empowers, not overwhelms.Starbucks Loyalty Points System — You always get rewardedNike — Personalization at ScaleNike has been one of the standout players in making personalization feel purposeful. Their site and emails adapt to your browsing and buying habits, surfacing just the right styles, sizes, and drops at the right time.This isn’t just smart targeting, Nike speeds up decision-making and makes the experience feel curated rather than crowded.Nike Personalised Newsletter ScreenshotMovie Theatres — What Not to DoTo truly appreciate great digital experiences, sometimes it helps to look at the frustrating ones. Buying a movie ticket online can still feel like dropdown-menu bingo: toggle between times, dates, locations, screen sizes, and seat availability until you’ve clicked yourself into submission. Then brace for upsells, fees, and a confusing confirmation page.And yet — movies are all about emotion, immersion, and excitement. Why doesn’t the digital journey reflect any of that? Imagine a platform that knows your favorite genres and actors, recommends the perfect showtimes, remembers your seat preferences, and rewards you with season passes or early access to premieres. Why not offer family bundles, VIP red carpet nights, or mood-based movie suggestions?There’s so much opportunity here to create something magical. Instead, most theatre sites treat ticketing like a utility — transactional, impersonal, and joyless. It’s a missed chance to design for passion.Closing ThoughtsWhile we now have more advanced tools than ever — from AI and real-time data to responsive frameworks — great customer experiences still don’t happen automatically. It takes skilled UX and CX designers to ask the right questions, map the right journeys, and infuse every digital touchpoint with brand identity and human insight.The best e-commerce experiences today don’t just convert. They connect. They inspire. They make people feel something. And that’s where design makes all the difference.Great CX isn’t just built. It’s designed — thoughtfully, intentionally, and with the end user at heart.Here a couple of resources that are worth exploring.Blurring boundaries: The online-offline fusion in Tech & Durables retailIn-Store & Online: Designing For the Changing Behaviors of Today's ShoppersNielsen Bridges Online and Offline Behaviors with Innovative Cross-Platform Offering5 brands that nail the art of omnichannel UX was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

13 May, 2025 Clare Dowdy finds out how the iconic car brand taps into the appetite for personalisation among the super-rich, and the incredible range of options these customers can decide on. At Rolls-Royce’s site in West Sussex, visitors are asked to put on a purple overall-style jacket. Nothing unusual there, it’s routine at manufacturing facilities to be handed a coat. But this jacket is made by Norton & Sons of Savile Row. If you weren’t picked up from the station in a Roller and driven up the drive past the 65 box-cut lime trees to the factory’s front door (as I was), then the jacket might be your first whiff that things are done differently here. A constellation of the night sky picked out in tiny lights on the headliner (ceiling) of a new car This factory has cornered the – admittedly niche – market in bespoke one-off motor cars, an object that is becoming increasingly desired by the very wealthy. From the welcoming reception desk to the pristine production line, from the embroidery workshop to the private dining room, the atmosphere is deferential. These people know their target audience. At Rolls-Royce, it’s all about making customers feel special. For example, staff know customers like to mark important anniversaries. So a customer can decide to celebrate the day they made their first billion by having the exact constellation of that night sky picked out in tiny lights on the headliner (ceiling) of their new car. This makes particular sense if you have a chauffeur, as you get a great view of the headliner from the back seat. That service isn’t on offer to off-the-peg Rolls-Royce customers, but to those who pay the extra to have their car personalised. The home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, outside Chichester And though it takes around three years to make an individualised car, demand is going up. Called Bespoke and Coachbuild, this service provides customers with a one-off Rolls-Royce, as they can choose their own detailing, materials, marquetry, patterns and paint colour. With Coachbuild, they can even dictate the shape of the car. That’s a four-year process. There was a surge in bespoke commissioning during the pandemic, when billionaires, like the rest of us, were twiddling their thumbs at home. These hand-crafted projects are increasingly complex, high-value and – all-importantly – high-margin. Meaning they need a lot of design input. So in January, Rolls-Royce earmarked £300million to extend its Bespoke and Coachbuild capabilities at Goodwood, outside Chichester. “Clients want more intriguing levels of bespoke, so we needed more space,” the RR spokesperson explains on my visit. Hence the new facility. Production takes place at the Goodwood site, designed by Grimshaw Architects, and opened in 2003 When RR’s Goodwood site, designed by Grimshaw Architects, opened in 2003, 300 staff made just one car a day. Now there are 2,500 staff at the site, producing 28 cars a day. Rolls-Royce was founded in the UK in 1904. Since 2003 it’s been part of BMW Group, when the German company acquired the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars marque. And that’s where Martina Starke comes in. Having joined BMW in 2001, she left her role as head of BMW Designworks’ Munich studio to become general manager of RR’s Bespoke Design in Goodwood in 2024. She oversees more than 30 designers, who collaborate with the engineers, craftspeople and artisans of Bespoke. These designers have backgrounds in 3D, colour trim, textiles, fashion, automotive and industrial design. Three designers work in the accessory design team, which can include creating anything from chess sets to picnic hampers “They not only create products, they create experiences and moments of wonder for our clients,” she says of the team. “I guide and support them as they look into the lifestyle of our clients to understand and capture their personal taste – so we can curate their beautiful masterpieces with material, colours and craftmanship.” She describes the work of Bespoke as storytelling. “My job is to nurture these stories as they come alive. They ask for something emotional and made for them – it’s a personal product.” But first the client must settle on the brief. This is either discussed at Goodwood, or with a designer and salesperson based at one of the company’s private offices in New York, Seoul, Dubai and Shanghai. The Middle East is the largest Bespoke region by average value per motor car, closely followed by North America and Europe. The ambition is to have a private office in every region, as having designers based in these key markets allows RR to react fast, Starke adds. These designers have a four-month induction course at Goodwood before they go into the field. Customers can choose their own design to have embroidered onto seats “There’s a conversation with the customer to understand what the idea is,” Starke says. So apart from headliners depicting the night sky, a customer might ask for a particular rose from their garden embroidered into the headliner, “or the face of your child, or dog, or horse painted in your vehicle so you have the loved ones with you in the car.” While imagination is limitless, the engineers need to confirm that it’s feasible. “If it’s possible, we might do several iterations. In the end we visualise the perfect wish,” Starke says. The fruits of this process include solid 18-carat gold sculptures, mother-of-pearl artworks, and holographic paint finishes. One client in Japan is having a cherry blossom design embroidered onto their headliner with 250,000 stitches. And when it comes to colour options, RR has 44,000 to choose from. But if the client can’t find the one they want, RR can make it up for them. This service was invaluable for the client who wanted the car exterior to match the colour of their dog’s fur. The private office at the Rolls-Royce site in Goodwood “What they really like is that we bring together the design and the craftmanship,” Starke says. “When they come to Goodwood and look at the woodwork or leather shop, they can touch, experience and understand it. When you have this high level of craftmanship it’s a different connection to people. It connects you to the makers.” This type of customisation is sought by clients who define luxury as something deeply personal to them, she adds. Starke’s department includes a three-strong accessory design team. “We’re not competing with other car brands, we’re competing with other luxury brands,” the spokesperson explains. Pieces in the accessories range include pens, luggage and dog leads Accessories designer Nick Abrams shows us a new magnetic chess set, which will sit along other pieces in the accessories range including pens, luggage and dog leads. This chess set costs €29,000, pre-tax. But of course, the client could customise it. All these opportunities for what Starke calls meaningful personal expression tap into a global trend. “Individualisation is growing because people want the storytelling. It’s self-expression, encapsulating your taste and philosophy,” she says. The exterior of Phantom Goldfinger, created to honour the 1964 James Bond film, Goldfinger Timandra Harkness is a broadcaster and author of Technology is Not the Problem explains why hyper-personalisation is a trend that’s still growing. “We live in an age increasingly obsessed with identity: consumers want what they buy to express who they are.” Now, mass production means most people in advanced economies can afford nice things, so merely wearing tall boots or gold lace isn’t enough, according to Harkness. “Standing out from the crowd today means buying things that only a few people can have, because they are artisanal, or limited-edition, or personalised. “Because mass production has put even luxury products within reach of the mass market, personalisation offers a way to stand out from the crowd,” she says. The interior of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Scintilla What does that mean for the top end of the market? “Bespoke products have added value: customers will pay a premium to own a commodity that nobody else owns, and that says something about them.” In 2024, RR’s one-off Arcadia Droptail was reported as costing its anonymous buyer $31million. 100 years ago, merely owning a car was a sign of wealth and status – and probably meant you could afford to employ a driver, Harkness points out. “Today it’s not even enough to drive a top-of-the-range car, so the wealthiest consumers need other ways to look – and feel – special. And feeling special is as important as outward signals,” she adds. “Nobody else will know this car matches your dog’s fur, but you will, and that will remind you every time you see it that nothing is too good for you, or your dog.” With the expansion of its personalisation capabilities, RR is betting on the continuation of this trend. If they’re right, then that will be good for the company and good for its designers. The interior of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Goldfinger Design disciplines in this article Industries in this article Brands in this article What to read next The car after the storm – Jaguar unveils new concept EV Automotive Design 3 Dec, 2024