Think you know the world’s most popular websites? Think again

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Good morning! Last year on June 2nd, more than 950 major brands posted an empty black square to their social feeds in an effort to be a part of #BlackoutTuesday, in which users filled social feeds with black squares as a sign of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

Very quickly, however, these companies were being taken to task for the disconnect between their social solidarity and their IRL actions. How big is your commitment to diversity and equality if your entire board and executive team are white? That disconnect between what brands say and what brands do has only become more glaringly obvious and made the empty black square shorthand for empty brand and corporate gestures.

I spoke to experts about the legacy of that day, and what brands should learn from it. Read more here.

—Jeff Beer

branding

Why #BlackoutTuesday became a symbol of empty brand gestures

A year later, the empty black boxes still aren’t enough.

creativity

This startup lets you make money like an Airbnb host—for screening movies

Christie Marchese launched Kinema to disrupt the movie business by allowing individuals to host movie screenings, both virtually and in person.

co.design

Think you know the world’s most popular websites? Think again

See the chaos of the internet in this ridiculously detailed world map.

a message from frito-lay

Frito-Lay Snack Index Finds Consumers Have ‘Two Summers in One’ Mentality

Salty snacks are the No. 1 food contributor to sales growth at retail, and in-person activities this summer are coming back – but some pandemic behaviors will stay. Learn more.

I believe a well-designed home is more powerful than Zoloft."

designer Jonathan Adler

work life

6 ways to reduce anxiety about going back to the office

If you’re feeling fearful about heading back to your office desk, you’re not alone. Here are some techniques that can help.

impact

This Styrofoam-like packaging is made of popcorn—not plastic

Packaging peanuts aren’t really peanuts, but they could really be popcorn.

news

Every parent and politician should watch Hulu’s trans athlete documentary ‘Changing the Game’

An urgent, timely documentary from Hulu follows several trans student athletes as they pursue excellence and authenticity amid great adversity.

remote work

3 solid strategies to fix terrible meetings in a hybrid workplace

Now that the work-world is faced with the increased friction of getting humans to come to the office, it won’t be long before “That meeting could have been an email” tweets are joined by “That in-office day could have been a Zoom meeting.”

co.design

New museum commemorating the Tulsa Race Massacre stirs controversy

Greenwood Rising is a high-profile attempt to tell a more complete version of the events before, during, and after the massacre—but it may also be a permanent reminder that demands for reparations are not being heard.

NEWS

Etsy buys Depop: What you need to know

E-commerce giant Etsy has announced that it is buying the secondhand fashion app Depop for $1.62 billion. Depop is an online marketplace that allows its users to buy and sell secondhand clothing and is especially popular with Gen Z consumers.

The company was founded in 2011 and since then has built a large following of young, eco- and ethical shopping-conscious users. Depop has over 30 million users across 150 countries.

Depop is just the latest company trading in used clothes to see a lot of action this year. In January secondhand fashion reseller Poshmark soared after its IPO.

However, while platforms like Poshmark and Depop are thriving on secondhand goods, there still remain questions over the sustainability benefits of such initiatives.

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Think you know the world’s most popular websites? Think again

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