📝 Issue #445: 17 Tools I Can’t Design Without, Mozilla VPN, Turning Complex Data Into Compelling Stories, New USSF Logo, and more…

What is good design? Well, it depends on who you ask. Carly Ayres asked people who design products at Google what they think makes good design. The responses were varied, from the design of a bicycle, to an orange. They all had one thing in common: they don’t feel designed, they just work.

As the world grows increasingly politicized, and your private data is bought and sold online, the demand for VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) that protect your privacy is on the rise. Mozilla’s long awaited VPN has launched for Windows, Android, and iOS, with Mac and Linux to follow. Plans start at $4.99 per month.

In our semi-regular feature we explore the practices of different designers via their toolboxes. In the latest edition our editor, Ben Moss talks us through the apps and resources he relies on when designing and building websites, from a vector design app, to a reliable font library, and his favorite task tracker.

Toasted Analytics is a simple, fast, privacy-friendly analytics dashboard that unlike Google Analytics isn’t blocked by ad-blockers. And because it’s cookie-free, you can drop the cookie-warning banner that’s ruining your site’s UX. Plans start from approximately $2.60/month and there’s a free 30-day trial.

Effective design relies on data to persuade users to engage. But you can’t just put the data in front of people and expect them to do all the work. Data needs to be transformed into a compelling narrative in order to make a connection. Rachel Krause offers a 5-step process for transforming facts into stories.

Hyperlog is a fantastic tool for developers who want to promote themselves. The app analyses the repositories you love, and displays them in a portfolio, with the best work front and centre. There’s even an embeddable widget to showcase your skills on your own site. You can join the public beta now.

Designer Yukio Ota has devoted his life to symbols, and in this fascinating overview Logo Design Love takes a look at LoCos, his international, written language made out of symbols that combine to represent concepts. It’s an essential read for any designer who creates, or works with icons.

Fancy trying your hand as a blogger? Wavium is a new tool that lets you build a blog, with a newsletter, with zero dev knowledge, in under five minutes. It’s a great option for designers who don’t want to code. The core functionality is free forever, premium add-ons like custom domains are coming soon.

We’ve been chuckling about the new USSF (United States Space Force) logo since the official seal was unveiled in January. But Star Trek jokes aside, is the new USSF logo actually any good as a design in its own right? Lilly Smith talks to five design experts and asks them for their view on the logomark.