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In order to power Meta’s massive AI data center being built in northeastern Louisiana, the local utility company has proposed building three new natural gas power plants. It’s a move that “flies in the face of Meta’s climate commitments,” Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, wrote in a letter sent to Meta on Wednesday and shared exclusively with Fast Company. The Senate committee is launching an inquiry into Facebook and Instagram’s parent company over this fossil fuel expansion, seeking information about how the move squares with Meta’s claims that it is currently net zero across its global operations, and its aim to reach net zero emissions across its value chain by 2030. “Meta’s decision to power its data centers with fossil fuels while claiming net zero status is deeply troubling. This isn’t leadership—it’s greenwashing. Families are already paying the price for climate inaction through higher insurance costs,” Whitehouse said in a statement to Fast Company. “Meta’s backslide from its own climate pledges risks triggering broader economic harm at a time when we urgently need corporate responsibility.” Meta’s mega AI data center Meta’s forthcoming data center will be the company’s largest, a $10 billion, four million square foot facility in Richland Parish, Louisiana. Meta expects construction to be complete in 2030, and has said it will “play a vital role in accelerating our AI progress.” Meta is working on the project with the local utility provider, New Orleans-based Entergy—which has requested expedited state approval to build three combustion-turbine gas plants in order to generate 2,300 megawatts of electricity. In a statement to Fast Company, Entergy said natural gas “is the lowest reasonable cost option available that can support the 24/7 electrical demands of a large data center like Meta,” and that neither solar or wind would provide enough reliable, around-the-clock energy. The site is also near Haynesville Shale, “one of the most abundant natural gas shale plays in the United States.” The Louisiana Public Service Commission is still reviewing Entergy’s proposal for the new gas plants. Meta’s data center climate promises As part of Meta’s climate commitments, the company has invested in both carbon removal and clean energy projects. It says it will continue this work amid the Louisiana data center project and its need for three new natural gas plants. Entergy’s new natural gas generators are expected to come online between 2028 and 2029. Entergy says future upgrades to those generators could incorporate carbon capture. Meta says it’s exploring carbon capture technology at an Entergy power plant in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and that it’s working with Entergy to bring at least 1,500 megawatts of new renewables to the grid. In 2024, Meta announced a solar farm project in Louisiana with electricity company RWE that will provide 374 megawatts of power. The company says that since 2020, it has offset its global electricity use by buying renewable energy portfolios to “match” its own electricity consumption, and that it will do the same with the new Louisiana data center. The EPW Committee’s concerns The Environment and Public Works (EPW) committee’s inquiry says these moves are vague and “offer little reassurance” about the data center’s climate impact. “Meta has not shown that the planned generation from its solar plant will match its data center electricity load and displace equivalent fossil fuel generation. Neither Entergy nor Meta have disclosed details about the carbon capture project or the amount of Meta’s financial contribution, raising doubt as to whether Meta is meaningfully offsetting its emissions,” Whitehouse’s letter reads. “And Meta’s construction of new gas plants risks locking in future fossil fuel assets; a responsible corporate actor would show how these plants will be soon phased out or equipped with carbon capture.” These gaps, he adds, “raise concerns that Meta’s commitment to achieving net zero emissions is not genuine.” Through its inquiry, the EPW is requesting various documents from Meta, including analyses and calculations about the data center’s expected energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions; Meta’s intended carbon capture funding (and whether it’s contributing to a new carbon capture project or an existing one); details on how much carbon the company will remove from the atmosphere; and if Meta will install carbon capture at these new gas-fired plants. It’s also seeking data to support Entergy’s assertion that natural gas is the only power option, and justifications for why renewables with battery storage weren’t a feasible alternative. The inquiry also asks for analysis to show whether all of Meta’s actions—the new gas plants, solar capacity, and carbon capture—align with the company’s net zero goals. Whitehouse has requested responses by May 28, and though Meta is not legally required to reply, the inquiry puts added public pressure on the data center project—which has already received scrutiny from environmental and consumer protection advocates. The broad impact of AI data centers Though coal is considered the dirtiest fossil fuel, natural gas comes with its own environmental harms. Burning natural gas emits carbon dioxide, and, when it leaks out of pipes before it’s burned, it emits methane, an especially potent greenhouse gas. In 2022, burning natural gas for energy accounted for 35% of the country’s total energy-related CO2 emissions, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Scientists and environmental experts have urged the U.S. to reduce its reliance on natural gas, even as demand for it has grown in recent years. The increasing use of AI, which will require new energy sources, is only adding to that demand. The surge in AI also poses a risk to the energy grid, and could raise Americans’ energy bills. Entergy’s planned fossil fuel expansion for Meta’s Louisiana data center could put local utility customers at risk of absorbing “hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars, of additional costs,” one energy consultant told Business Insider. AI requires massive amounts of energy to operate, and if those energy demands outstrip what the grid can provide, residents will likely see both higher energy costs and more risks of outages. Utility customers across the country have already seen these impacts, as well as increased demands on the grid. In Oregon, residential rates have increased 50% in the past five years in part because the state is the fifth largest market for data centers in the nation. Some say the lack of renewable energy exacerbates this issue. Entergy Louisiana has “almost no renewable power in its system,” per a recent Floodlight article; at the same time, financial consulting firms have projected a 90% increase on electricity prices for Entergy customers between 2018 and 2030. The The President administration has also hampered renewable energy by slashing funding and shutting down projects under development, even though experts say wind and solar are the cheapest and fastest sources of new energy to deploy. (Meta donated $1 million to The President’s inauguration—part of a wave of Big Tech companies appealing to the administration—and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg hosted an inauguration party for the president.) Senator Whitehouse recently introduced legislation, called the Clean Cloud Act, that would set emissions performance standards for data centers, and also use their revenue to help consumers save on utility bills. View the full article

Foreign minister signals Berlin will commit to 3.5% in ‘hard’ military spending and 1.5% for infrastructure by 2032View the full article

Why relying on referral traffic may create an SEO weakness that can undermine long-term growth. The post How Referral Traffic Undermines Long-Term Brand Growth appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Like other famous structures of similar dimensions, the 48-story Transamerica Pyramid, a revolutionary ‘70s modernist skyscraper and San Francisco icon, has a bit of history buried beneath its ground floor. Unsplash A recently unearthed time capsule, buried in 1974 and discovered during a recent round of renovations, offers a picture of San Francisco’s past. The site of the structure—then a parking lot—was initially part of the original shoreline of the city that reeked of historical significance, from the city’s growth as a shipping and banking capital. The capsule even contains a recipe for Pisco Punch, a cocktail that was invented at the nearby Bank Exchange Saloon, site of the city’s original stock exchange. Part of an exhibit in the building lobby opening May 18, the time capsule’s contents are timeless: pictures of the building’s steel frame beginning to stretch skyward, or vintage news clippings and images of the city after its last ’60s flowering. But within the cylindrical steel capsule, which looks a bit like a large propane tank, there’s also a narrative about building in America, and how that’s radically changed in the last 50 years. The battle over the permitting and construction of the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco from 1969 to 1972 offers a flashback to a different time in development, real estate, and construction. The tower was proposed and built in just three years, a sprint compared to the time it takes today to build a signature part of a city skyline. Construction alone for the One World Trade in New York City took eight years; the Comcast Tech Center in Philadelphia, which had issues with cracks in some of the steel frame, took five years; and the St. Regis in Chicago took four years. An analysis of high-rise buildings by Construction Physics found building speeds decreased significantly over the past century, in many cases extending the time it takes to finish by roughly 50%. Buildings are more complex and require more permitting today, including complicated environmental review processes. This time-consuming process of development has led to backlash against what opponents call stifling building regulations. It has also led to more engagement from architects around code reform issues including elevator rules and exit stairs, and the formation of the abundance agenda, a center-left push by pundits like Ezra Klein to get the nation building fast again. “The pace of the approval and the construction here is unbelievable,” says developer Michael Shvo, who paid $650 million to acquire the Transamerica Pyramid in 2020, at the depths of the COVID office freeze.. “The ​​Mayor was very determined to get this thing approved, and Transamerica was very determined to get a building built, and with all the controversy, once they got the green light, they ran as fast as possible. They built it in two years, we couldn’t do that today.” A more humane debate Transamerica was then a massive business conglomerate with interests in banking, financial services, and insurance. According to former public relations staffer John Krizek, who worked for Transamerica during the pyramid’s construction and ultimately created the time capsule, the back-and-forth between protestors and developers at the time was more humane, more respectable, and more amusing. The conversation around the Transamerica Pyramid was, at the time, a larger debate about images, architecture, and aesthetics. The tower was not just a unique shape, but would tower above the skyline. It was to be the city’s tallest building, and wouldn’t be surpassed until 2018’s Salesforce Tower. Artists and community members protested the building for aesthetic reasons, and general distrust of large corporations. Posters passed around the city at the time proclaimed “San Francisco Gets the Shaft” or “Artists Against the Icicle.” The city’s then planning director called the pyramid, designed by architect William Pereira, “inhumane.” During early street protests in front of the company’s office, Transamerica execs sent secretaries to bring ice tea to the protestors lining up outside. During another protest, Krizek and his colleagues printed up fake fortune cookies at a nearby Chinatown bakery, frantically stuffing messages like “Transamerica–Not a square outfit” or “People who protest pyramid seek Che-ops publicity.” Krizek recalled that the company was determined to break ground in December 1969. The building plan was announced in January of that year, and there was a tax break worth approximately $750,000 expiring at the end of December. Since Krizek and his coworkers knew that as soon as the company was given approval to build, there would be an appeal, they planned to move fast and break ground before paperwork was filed. To head off any challenges, they staged a tractor and truck near the site and sent someone to pick up the approval during the midday lunch break; they were able to get a time-stamped photo of someone digging at site while those opposing the project saw their appeal delayed as staffer enjoyed their lunch. “The emotions around this building, I’ve never seen this for any other building in the world,” says Shvo. “The debates today are more practical; this structure will block my view or cast a shadow. You can’t say that about this building, it was a pyramid designed to let the light down to the street level. It didn’t block views, the only thing people could complain about was this idea of the Manhattanization of San Francisco.” Originally, Pereira’s design was meant for a new building for ABC in New York City. The network passed on the project, deeming the design too futuristic, and went with another architect’s vision. Today, the Transamerica Pyramid stands as an icon in San Francisco, with 80% of the space leased in a challenging office market. The building ABC picked instead? It’s since been demolished. View the full article

A meta description is what you‘re reading right now—a page description that can appear in search results. View the full article

Students are still setting fire to their Chromebooks for TikTok—and now they’re facing the consequences. Fast Company first reported on the #ChromebookChallenge trend last week, following a series of school evacuations caused by students igniting laptop fires. The fires are started by inserting items such as pencils, paper clips, and pushpins into the charging ports of school-issued Chromebooks. This can cause the battery to overheat, potentially sparking a fire or explosion that releases toxic fumes. The #ChromebookChallenge reportedly began in Connecticut and has since spread rapidly. Newington High School was the first to evacuate students on May 1 after a laptop caught fire and the fire department was called. Since then, two students at Southington High School were arrested in connection with a separate laptop fire on May 7. The teens were charged with reckless burning, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and second-degree breach of peace. On May 8, a Plainville middle school student was hospitalized for smoke inhalation and is now facing criminal charges for deliberately causing the incident. That same day, Belleville High School in New Jersey was evacuated after a laptop fire started outside a classroom. Responding officers and firefighters found a charred Chromebook just outside the building. A 15-year-old student has since been charged with arson and criminal mischief. The trend has spread westward: As of late last week, Denver Public Schools had received 30 reports of students attempting to ignite their laptops, according to Axios. The Colorado Springs Fire Department has reported at least 16 similar incidents. With no sign of the trend slowing, schools across the country—including in California, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Washington—have issued warnings about the reckless challenge. Parents and guardians are also being urged to talk to their children about fire safety and the dangers of blindly following social media trends. A TikTok spokesperson tells Fast Company that it takes down content that violates the platform’s Dangerous Activities and Challenges policy. The company is currently working closely with the National PTA to fund programs in high schools about online safety and civility. In addition, searching for the term “Chromebook challenge” on TikTok brings up a safety warning: “Some online challenges can be dangerous, disturbing, or even fabricated,” it reads. “Learn how to recognize harmful challenges so you can protect your health and well-being.” However, the trend is still circulating under other hashtags, such as #ChromebookDurabilityTest and #FStudent. Many of these videos go viral, garnering thousands of views and comments from fellow students and baffled adults. The clips often feature a sound bite from fitness podcaster Ben Azoulay: “The F students are inventors,” Azoulay says. “They’re so creative that they couldn’t sit in class.” Now they’re sitting in jail cells. View the full article

Want to enjoy your job a little more? Maybe you need a BFF at work. According to Gallup, having a best friend at work increases job satisfaction, innovation, engagement, and productivity, and it decreases your chances of leaving the company. But can that friend ever be your boss? “You may think, If I’m going to have a friend at work, shouldn’t it be the CEO? Why not go for the top and get the most benefits from the friendship?” says Steve McClatchy, author of Leading Relationships: Build Meaningful Connections, Eliminate Conflict, and Radically Improve Engagement. “Gallup is telling us that we should have a best friend at work, but it doesn’t say that best friend should be your boss.” Being friends with the boss is more complex than being buddies with a colleague. To understand the difference, McClatchy says you need to understand the definition of friendship. “Friendship is always working in each other’s best interest,” he says. “In that case, I would not ask my boss for an extra weekend vacation, because that wouldn’t be in the boss’s best interest. No matter how they walk that thin line with an employee who reports to them, they can always be accused of playing favorites, whether it’s true or not.” Being friends with an employee is a slippery slope for the boss, too. McClatchy compares it to the best player on the sports team being the coach’s favorite. “The benefit of that friendship is a commitment to excellence, never letting that person down, and always having their back,” he explains. “But how do the rest of the teammates perform when one player is the favorite? You get extreme output from that one player, but if the output from the other players goes down, does it warrant that?” To determine the type of relationship you can have with your boss, McClatchy says it’s important to understand the levels of maturity within friendships. Level 1: Acknowledging Each Other The first level of friendship is acknowledging each other. This is the most basic stage of friendship, where we recognize being in the presence of someone we know. It’s about making eye contact, greeting each other in an appropriate way, and responding to communication as expected. While level one seems easy, McClatchy says your ego can get in the way. “When you’re competing, your ego is your greatest asset,” he says. “It’s your greatest liability in relationships. If you’ve ever won or lost in a relationship, you don’t have one. The ego loves power, because it ensures survival.” When the ego feels bruised, microaggressions can get in the way at this level, such as withholding recognition, being passive-aggressive, or ignoring someone. If you can’t achieve level one, the friendship has ended before it even began. Level 2: Exchanging Facts and Honoring Agreements The second level of maturity involves exchanging facts and honoring agreements. To be successful, you need to share information without twisting it to fit your agenda. You also need to do what you say you are going to do. In an employee-employer relationship, the employee needs to live up to their agreements, which is their job description. If you fail to follow through, you need to acknowledge it and apologize. McClatchy calls this level trust in action, and it can get tricky with boss friendships. In addition, bosses sometimes need to break agreements, and they may not feel a need to apologize because they’re used to having power. Before you call somebody a friend, make sure they follow through on what they say they’re going to do. And if they break their commitments, they should be able to swallow their ego and apologize. If the relationship fails at level two, McClatchy says it is not an essential relationship, and you should revert to having only level-one interactions. Level 3: Sharing Opinions The third level is where you can lose a relationship if you or the other person are not mature enough to see the world from a different perspective, says McClatchy. “Maturity is understanding that other people don’t see the world the same way you do,” he says. “It’s understanding that opinions come from information and experience. I have opinions today that I didn’t have 10 years ago.” Friendships at this level mean you can disagree with someone and still respect them as a person. It also means you can seek to understand their opinion, explain your own opinion, and discuss how the difference could impact your relationship. This can be problematic if your boss has a my-way-or-the-highway approach to leading. If the relationship fails at level three, McClatchy recommends keeping interactions to level two: sticking to small talk and avoiding triggering topics. Level 4: Strengths and Weaknesses People like to play to their strengths and work around their weaknesses. In friendship, that means being willing to do that for another person, says McClatchy. “No one likes to be criticized or have their weaknesses pointed out,” he says. “Admitting mistakes is uncomfortable and puts the ego on high alert. The ego’s job is to meet your needs. The problem is when someone can’t admit when they need help or input. If you can’t learn from the people around you, you will not achieve the fourth level of friendship maturity.” Failure at level four includes denying or blaming someone else for your mistakes, not apologizing when you should, or withholding positive feedback. If level four cannot be achieved, McClatchy says you’ll need to stick to the previous levels. Level 5: Understanding Motivations The fifth level of interaction is when you understand what motivates and demotivates another person and you use this information in their best interest. “I understand your goals, your aspirations, your values, and I use that information to help you to benefit from you,” says McClatchy. “This is what a best friend is all about. This is somebody who’s going out of their way, and they care as much about your success as they do their own.” You cannot get to level five with somebody and not consider them a friend; it’ll happen by default, says McClatchy. However, it’s difficult to get to level-five maturity with your boss because you have to navigate a direct-reporting relationship. “The power structure can’t be ignored,” says McClatchy. “When I’m the boss, I determine your raise and pay promotions. Right now, when I say something funny, you laugh a little harder. You’re getting a paycheck. I don’t know where the friendship begins and where the power structure ends.” If you somehow get to level five and a strong friendship emerges with your boss, McClatchy says it’s best to figure out a way to get rid of the power structure so you can enjoy your friendship and the business benefits from you not reporting to each other. “We rarely get to 100% trust, confidence, and maturity at work,” says McClatchy. “But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t know what it is. As you explore your relationships, think about acknowledgment and recognition, facts and agreements, opinions, strengths and weaknesses, and motivation. The key is that they’re all about treating others with respect and dignity, whether you’re best friends or not.” View the full article

Around a decade ago, Chad Dale watched as some of his friends started to leave Seattle. “They wanted to stay in an urban environment, but the city was too expensive for them to have all the things that they wanted to have,” Dale says. His friends who were beginning to have kids wanted backyards and guest rooms for visiting in-laws; they looked for single-family houses in the suburbs. But Dale, a developer, wondered whether there could be a different solution. What if he and several friends joined together to build their own apartment building—and all lived in the same place? Some friends had already bought a vacation home together on nearby Whidbey Island, and they liked the sense of community there. That house, with a single bathroom used by eight people, wasn’t designed for communal living. But Dale realized that it would be possible to construct a new building based on the values that they shared. He and his wife, along with 10 other families—including two from the Whidbey Island project—started plotting what the development could look like. They decided to build apartments in a range of sizes, from 500 square feet to 2,000 square feet, based on what each family needed. They also wanted to include 24 units that could be rented out to others. And the development would be filled with shared space. When they found a lot for sale in Seattle’s Phinney Ridge neighborhood, they also bought a full-size lot next door to use as a huge yard for all of their children. “Everybody shares in the cost of that through rents,” Dale says. “But more importantly, there’s a betterment that happens because there are other kids there. You’re not bummed that you’re sharing, you’re happy—the experience is improved.” The building, completed in 2023, has several other shared spaces that go beyond what a typical apartment building offers. A huge rooftop deck includes a large greenhouse with dining tables inside and a firepit outside. (The building, appropriately, is named Shared Roof.) There’s a guest suite that residents can use for visitors. A soundproof room is designed for kids to practice drums or play in bands. An on-site gym goes beyond a standard shared fitness room to include the best equipment; the building financed that effort by renting the space to personal trainers, so it’s used by the outside community as well as residents. Residents also share resources like tools. “The goal is to live together and then determine what else we want to share,” says Dale. “We’ve talked about everything from electric bikes to a pickup truck. If you use the pickup truck three times a year, it’s not worth it. And it’s annoying when you have to go rent from U-Haul. But if you have 35 groups using it three times a year, then maybe it makes sense.” The friends wanted to make the building as sustainable as possible, and it’s now on track to get LEED Platinum certification, the highest rating from the green building platform. Solar panels mounted over the roof double as a canopy for the deck space. The building has heat pumps and ventilation systems that recover energy, along with energy-saving electric heat pump dryers. On the ground floor, Dale worked to find new businesses that would add to the neighborhood—a bakery, a tap room for a brewery, a wine shop, and an Italian restaurant. The retail space surrounds a courtyard that’s open to the public. From the outside, it looks like a fairly standard apartment building. Inside, it’s clearly different: The friends who invested in the project each made their own choices about how they wanted their own apartment to look. “None of the units stack,” says David Fuchs, principal at Johnston Architects, which designed the building. “They’re all different shapes and sizes.” Inside, everyone got to choose from several different finishes, so the apartments are unique. The financial arrangement is also unique. “We realized very early that if you’re going to ask people who could otherwise be purchasing their own piece of property to live in an environment like this, then you also need to provide a way for them to be an investor, because oftentimes that’s a significant component of their retirement income or of their nest egg,” Dale says. “So we came up with the solution to allow folks to be investors as well as tenants.” They calculated that the return from the investment could potentially be similar to the return from owning and selling a single-family home. Three outside investors also joined the project without planning to live on-site. Each of the original families had the option to invest as much as they wanted in the project; the final investments ranged from $50,000 to millions. Because of that, it made sense to have the families pay market-rate rent and then separately earn investment income from the building. (Twenty percent of the other units are offered at a more affordable rate to moderate-income tenants, through a city program that offers a tax break to developers who include affordable apartments.) Initially, the concept was a tough sell to banks. “When we started, I was so excited about the idea that I’d go out and tell everybody, ‘Look, we’ve got this crazy idea where we’re going to have tenants who are also owners,’” Dale says. “And for the most part, I just got blank stares from the groups that I was trying to get financing from, like, ‘What the hell are you talking about?'” He realized that he needed to explain it differently: An LLC owns the building, and the LLC has members, as in most apartment buildings. The difference is that some of the members are also tenants. Starting with a core group of longtime friends as tenants transformed the feeling of the building. “The people who live here now treat each other wildly differently than in a typical apartment building,” he says. “They treat the building differently. And then that all rubs off to the people who aren’t [investors] as well. Walking around in this space, people are happier. They’re engaged with each other.” Apartment living is underrated, Dale says. If someone wants social interaction, it’s immediately available. If something breaks, the building manager can deal with it instead of the tenant. “In the U.S., we’ve got a funny way of idolizing single-family homeownership,” he says. “Apartment living is pretty incredible. In terms of function and livability, it’s actually maybe the best way to live, particularly when you’re in an environment where there are other people that you enjoy being around.” View the full article

Knowing the calorie content of foods does not help people understand which foods are healthier, according to a study I recently coauthored in the Journal of Retailing. When study participants considered calorie information, they rated unhealthy food as less unhealthy and healthy food as less healthy. They were also less sure in their judgments. In other words, calorie labeling didn’t help participants judge foods more accurately. It made them second-guess themselves. Across nine experiments with more than 2,000 participants, my colleague and I tested how people use calorie information to evaluate food. For example, participants viewed food items that are generally deemed healthier, such as a salad, or ones that tend to be less healthy, such as a cheeseburger, and were asked to rate how healthy each item was. When people did not consider calorie information, participants correctly saw a big gap between the healthy and unhealthy foods. But when they considered calorie information, those judgments became more moderate. In another experiment in the study, we found that asking people to estimate the calorie content of food items reduced self-reported confidence in their ability to judge how healthy those foods were—and that drop in confidence is what led them to rate these food items more moderately. We observed this effect for calories but not for other nutrition metrics such as fat or carbohydrates, which consumers tend to view as less familiar. This pattern repeated across our experiments. Instead of helping people sharpen their evaluations, calorie information seemed to create what researchers call metacognitive uncertainty, or a feeling of “I thought I understood this, but now I’m not so sure.” When people aren’t confident in their understanding, they tend to avoid extreme judgments. Because people see calorie information so often, they believe they know how to use it effectively. But these findings suggest that the very familiarity of calorie counts can backfire, creating a false sense of understanding that leads to more confusion, not less. My coauthor and I call this the illusion of calorie fluency. When people are asked to judge how healthy a food item is based on calorie data, that confidence quickly unravels and their healthiness judgments become less accurate. Why it matters These findings have important implications for public health and for the businesses that are investing in calorie transparency. Public health policies assume that providing calorie information will drive more informed choices. But our research suggests that visibility isn’t enough, and that calorie information alone may not help. In some cases, it might even lead people to make less-healthy choices. This does not mean that calorie information should be removed. Rather, it needs to be supported with more context and clarity. One possible approach is pairing calorie numbers with decision aids such as a traffic light indicator or an overall nutrition score, which both exist in some European countries. Alternatively, calorie information about an item could be accompanied by clear reference points explaining how much of a person’s recommended daily calories it contains (though this may be challenging because of how widely daily calorie needs vary). Our study highlights a broader issue in health communication: Just because information is available doesn’t mean it’s useful. Realizing that calorie information can seem easier to understand than it actually is can help consumers make more informed, confident decisions about what they eat. What still isn’t known In our studies, we found that calorie information is especially prone to creating an illusion of understanding. But key questions remain. For example, researchers don’t yet know how this illusion interacts with the growing use of health and wellness apps, personalized nutrition tools, or AI-based food recommendations. Future research could look at whether these tools actually help people feel more sure of their choices—or just make them feel confident without truly understanding the information. Deidre Popovich is an associate professor of marketing at Texas Tech University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work. View the full article

Graduate students interested in an academic career after graduation day have often been told they need to be open to moving somewhere they may not want to live. This advice is because of how hard it is to get a tenure-track professor position. These days, this advice may be less relevant as graduate students are increasingly pursuing and ending up in careers outside of academia. Where graduate students want to settle post-graduation has potential consequences for communities and states across the country that depend more and more on a steady stream of skilled workers to power their economies. Locations seen as undesirable may struggle to attract and retain the next generation of scientists, engineers, professors, and other professions filled by today’s graduate students. We are sociologists who are examining some of the factors that influence graduate students’ educational and career paths as part of a research project supported by the National Science Foundation. In March 2025 we distributed a survey to a sample of U.S.-based graduate students in five natural and social science disciplines: physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, and sociology. As part of our survey, we asked students to identify states they would prefer to live in and places where they would be unwilling to go. To some extent, our findings match some past anecdotes and evidence about the varying number of applications received for academic positions across different states or regions. But little data has directly assessed students’ preferences, and our survey also provides some evidence that some states’ policies are having a negative impact on their ability to attract highly educated people. Most preferred, most unwilling For our study, we built our sample from the top 60 graduate programs for each of the five disciplines based on rankings from U.S. News & World Report. We received responses from nearly 2,000 students. Almost all of these students—98%, specifically—are pursuing PhDs in their respective fields. As part of our survey, we asked students to identify locations where they would “prefer” to live and also those where they would be “unwilling” to live after finishing their graduate program. For each of these questions, we presented students with a list of all states along with the option of “outside of the United States.” Just looking at the overall percentages, California tops the list of preferred places, with 49% of all survey-takers stating a preference to live there, followed by New York at 45% and Massachusetts with 41%. On the other hand, Alabama was selected most often as a state students said they’d be unwilling to move to, with 58% declaring they wouldn’t want to live there. This was followed by Mississippi and Arkansas, both with just above 50% saying they’d be unwilling to move to either state. Clusters of preference While the two lists in many respects appear like inversions of one another, there are some exceptions to that. Looking beyond the overall percentages for each survey question, we used statistical analysis to identify underlying groups or clusters of states that are more similar to each other across both the “prefer” and “unwilling” questions. One cluster, represented by California, New York, and Massachusetts, is characterized by a very high level of preference and a low level of unwillingness. About 35% to 50% of students expressed a preference for living in these places, while only 5% to 10% said they would be unwilling to live in them. The response of “outside of the United States” is also in this category, which is noteworthy given recent concerns about the current generation of PhD students looking to leave the country and efforts by other nations to recruit them. A second cluster represents states where the preference levels are a bit lower, 20% to 30%, and the unwillingness levels are a bit higher, 7% to 15%. Still, these are states for which graduate students hold generally favorable opinions about living in after finishing their programs. This cluster includes states such as Colorado, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey. A third group of states represents locations for which the rate of preference is similar to the rate of unwillingness, in the range of 10% to 20%. This cluster includes states such as Minnesota, Delaware, and Virginia. The fourth and fifth clusters consist of states where the rate of unwillingness exceeds the rate of preference, with the size of the gap distinguishing the two clusters. In the fourth cluster, at least some students—5% to 10%—express a preference for living in them, while around 30% to 40% say they are unwilling to live in them. This cluster includes Florida, Montana, South Carolina, and Utah. Almost no students express a preference for living in the states contained in the fifth cluster, while the highest percentages—40% to 60%—express an unwillingness to live in them. This cluster includes Alabama, Kansas, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. Signs of current politics Many factors influence our preferences for where we want to live, including family, weather, and how urban, rural, or suburban it is. The politics of a community can also influence our perceptions of a place’s desirability. Indeed, political factors may be of particular concern to graduate students. In recent years, some states have taken a more hostile stance toward specific academic disciplines, institutions of higher education in general, or professions that are of interest to graduate students. While states such as Florida and Texas have been leading such efforts, many others have followed. Interestingly, our statistical grouping of states finds that students’ unwillingness to live in states such as Texas, Florida, Georgia, and Ohio is higher than we would expect given those states’ corresponding preference levels. For example, about 10% of students selected Texas as a place they would prefer to live in after graduation. Looking at other states with similar preference levels, we would expect about 10% to 20% of students to say they are unwilling to live in Texas. Instead, this percentage is actually 37%. Similarly, 5% of students say they would prefer to live in Florida. Other states with this preference rate have an unwillingness rate of around 35%, but Florida’s is 45%. Although our data does not tell us for sure, these gaps could be a function of these states’ own policies or alignment with federal policies seen as hostile to graduate students and their future employers. These findings suggest that communities and employers in some states might continue to face particularly steep hurdles in recruiting graduate students for employment once they finish their degrees. Christopher P. Scheitle is an associate professor of sociology at West Virginia University. Katie Corcoran is a professor of sociology at West Virginia University. Taylor Remsburg is a graduate research assistant in sociology at West Virginia University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

Drop comes as US president says ‘serious negotiations’ are under way with TehranView the full article

Site Kit by Google is a free WordPress plugin that connects your site to important tools like Analytics, Search Console, and Ads. After installing, it’s easy to verify your accounts, after which you see data in your dashboard. That data is nice to have, but it has limits, especially if you need detailed reports. Table of contents What is Site Kit by Google and why use it? What does it look like? What Google services can you connect? Managing Analytics in Site Kit by Google What’s Enhanced Conversion tracking? Key Metrics widget for quick performance insights Is Site Kit by Google enough for your goals? Should you use Site Kit by Google? What is Site Kit by Google and why use it? Site Kit by Google is a fundamental analytics tool that helps you answer questions like: How many people are visiting your site? What page do they land on first? Which keywords did they search to find you? Are your ads earning clicks? With Site Kit, Google puts the data right into WordPress, so you don’t need to go digging around different platforms to seek your data. The tool gets its data straight from each service, and shows the most important data in clear graphs, tables, and a flexible, customizable Key Metrics widget. Who is it for? (and when it’s not enough) But Site Kit is not the analytics tool to rule them all in WordPress land. It covers the basics well, but it won’t work for everyone’s goals. What it does do is make it incredibly easy to set up and run various Google Analytics accounts. Site Kit by Google works well for: WordPress users who want to track basic performance People who prefer not to use extra plugins or code Site owners who manage everything themselves But it may feel limited if you: Run ads at scale and need conversion-level insight Use custom events or eCommerce tracking Want to control every aspect of your website’s scripts and tags It covers the basics well, but it’s not built for advanced setups. What does it look like? After installing and connecting Site Kit, you’ll find a new menu item in your WordPress dashboard. Clicking this will lead you to the dashboard where most of the statistics and settings live. You’ll also notice a new drop-down menu when you visit posts on your site. Thanks to this drop-down, you can quickly see statistics for this specific article without having to open Analytics. Overview dashboard The Dashboard gives you an overview of how your site is performing. Of course, depending on what services you connect your site to, you might see something like this: Traffic and engagement insights from Google Analytics Clicks and impressions from search traffic provided by Search Console An overview of the top-performing pages Earnings from Ads or AdSense, if you run ads, that is Site speed performance powered by PageSpeed Insights An overview of how different groups compare, for instance, new vs. returning visitors Some sections also show trend indicators like arrows or percentage changes compared to the previous period. This will help you spot trends and act upon them. Click on any source to open a more detailed view in the corresponding Google tool. Key Metrics widget You can set up the Key Metrics section the way you want. Site Kit will ask you a couple of questions about your site’s goals and what you want to focus on. Then, it will suggest metrics to show at the top of the dashboard. You can choose which blocks you want to see, such as top converting traffic sources, new visitors, recent trending pages, and much more. Admin bar stats After Site Kit is active, you’ll also see a small dropdown at the top of your WordPress admin bar when you’re viewing your site. Click it, and you’ll get a mini-report showing page-specific stats, including search impressions, clicks, and traffic over time. What Google services can you connect? Once installed, you can connect the following tools. Two of them — Search Console and Google Analytics 4 — are enabled during the initial setup. You can connect: Google Analytics 4 Search Console AdSense Reader Revenue Manager Google Ads Tag Manager Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Site Kit will add your GA4 tag automatically, after which it shows data such as: The number of visitors Sources of sessions (organic search, direct, referral) Average engagement rate Session durations The data shown is summarized, so if you want custom reports or event tracking, you need to open GA4. Google Search Console After installing and connecting, you’ll get some key data from Search Console right inside your WordPress dashboard: The queries people searched to find your site Number of clicks and impressions Unique visitors from search Page-level performance in search This kind of data is very helpful for content optimization purposes and to inform your SEO strategy. AdSense/Ads (monetization) If you use Google’s systems to run ads, Site Kit can show data on ad impressions, top-earning pages, and estimated revenue from auto ads, for instance. Simply connect the services to see the data. Remember that it doesn’t replace the AdSense dashboards, but it does give you quick insights. Reader Revenue Manager Reader Revenue Manager is a Google tool for adding subscription and contribution options to your website. It’s designed for publishers and content creators who want to monetize their content through reader support, such as recurring memberships or one-time donations. With Site Kit, you can connect Reader Revenue Manager to your WordPress site in just a few clicks. Once linked, it adds the necessary code to your site automatically, so you don’t need to add tags or install it manually. This feature is optional in Site Kit and is mostly used by publishers offering paywalled or premium content. PageSpeed Insights Site Kit runs a PageSpeed test directly inside WordPress. In the PageSpeed Insights section, you’ll see both lab data and field data. Lab data is based on simulated testing in a controlled environment and helps you identify performance issues during development. Field data, on the other hand, reflects how real users experience your site across different devices and network conditions. Together, they provide a balanced view of how your pages perform. The report shows load performance scores, data on Core Web Vitals (like LCP and CLS). It also gives suggestions for improving speed. But it only tests your homepage and doesn’t include custom settings. For full reports, you can still visit PageSpeed Insights separately. Tag Manager You can link a Google Tag Manager container through Site Kit. This lets you manage third-party scripts (like Facebook Pixel or custom tracking tags) from one place. The plugin doesn’t give you a full interface for editing tags — you’ll do that inside the Tag Manager platform. Managing Analytics in Site Kit by Google For most site owners or managers, Analytics and Search Console are the most important Google tools. Site Kit makes it easy to set those two services up properly. Of course, you can also use existing accounts. Enhanced measurement support GA4 also has Enhanced Measurement, which tracks scrolls, outbound links, file downloads, and other actions automatically. If you activate these in your GA4 property, Site Kit can track them. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to choose which ones to turn on from inside WordPress; you need to go into your GA4 settings for that. Event tracking and tag insertion Site Kit doesn’t support event setup or tracking reports inside the WordPress dashboard. If you need full control over events, you have to use GA4 directly or use Tag Manager to set up the custom events. Limitations of Analytics in Site Kit You’ll probably understand by now that Site Kit is not a replacement for GA4 — it’s a neat tool that gives quick insights and nothing more. You don’t get access to funnel reports, attribution models, or filters. You can’t edit events or see predictive metrics, and there’s no support for GA4 audiences or Google Analytics 360. What’s Enhanced Conversion tracking? With Enhanced Conversions, you can connect Google Ads clicks to leads or form submissions. This improves the reporting of these events when users are on different devices or block cookies. After setting this up, Site Kit will detect form submissions and pass the data to Google Ads. Site Kit currently supports some of the most popular WordPress contact form plugins, such as Contact Form 7, WPForms, and Ninja Forms. However, if you use an unsupported custom form, Site Kit can’t automatically add enhanced conversions. Again, Site Kit has many limitations in this area. For instance, it doesn’t support purchase-based eCommerce conversions or offline conversions. It also doesn’t support pixel-level tracking, third-party forms, popups, and embedded forms. So, it’s specifically designed for simple lead form submissions. Key Metrics widget for quick performance insights Key Metrics are a very valuable addition as they give quick insights into data of your choosing. They’re quick to understand but not very in-depth. For key strategy decisions, you’re going to need more data. This widget pulls together important GA4 and Search Console data into a block on your dashboard. You can choose which metrics to show and reorder them. To change your selection, click the Change metrics button in the corner of the Key Metrics section. You can also rerun the question from the Site Kit admin settings. Each metric includes a figure and a trend comparison from the previous period. For example, you may see engagement is “up 6%” compared to the last 28 days. Click any of them to open the full source report in GA4 or Search Console. The widget has limitations. It doesn’t show custom events or real-time reporting, campaign attribution breakdowns, or GA4-specific collections like audiences or conversions. The widget and Site Kit, in general, are for broad insights, not advanced analytics. Is Site Kit by Google enough for your goals? Site Kit is a good starting point for most WordPress users. It brings together valuable Google data without having to do much work. But whether it’s enough depends on whether you need to get from your analytics and tracking tools. SEO and content insights Site Kit is not an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO. However, you can get data from Search Console that will help you understand how people find your website in the search results. With this, you’ll form an understanding of which content works well and how your site performs in the search results. However, as mentioned, it’s not an SEO plugin, so you need to install a tool like Yoast SEO to do much of the heavy lifting. Plugins like these help with most SEO tasks, like fixing technical issues, adding structured data, and improving your content. Monetization If you’re running ads, Site Kit shows basic ad metrics like impressions, estimated earnings, and top-earning pages. It helps you monitor your ads without having to log into another app. It doesn’t support advanced ad setups, and you can’t manually place ads. It’s also not possible to optimize layouts based on behavior or run A/B tests to find the best ad format. If you’re working with multiple ad networks, you’ll need a tool that can do a lot more than Site Kit. Marketing analytics For reporting basics, Site Kit will do just fine. You can see trends in users, sessions, referral sources, and engagement time — all brought to you by Google Analytics 4. However, Site Kit doesn’t give access to campaign statistics, UTM tracking, or event-based funnels. It also doesn’t offer the option to set goals or segment traffic by behavior. For these kinds of insights, you need to dive straight into GA4 or use a more in-depth reporting tool. If you run marketing campaigns, track conversions, or use CRM tools, Site Kit won’t provide enough data. eCommerce and advanced use cases For eCommerce, Site Kit won’t cut it. It doesn’t integrate with WooCommerce and doesn’t offer a revenue tracking option. It also doesn’t have access to carts, products, transactions, or customer behavior. There’s no way to measure things like average order value or conversion rates. For advanced eCommerce tracking, you need to set this up in GA4 directly or use other methods to access this data. Site Kit doesn’t support this at all. Should you use Site Kit by Google? Site Kit is a good option if you want a free tool to view traffic, search, and performance statistics without having to set up a bunch of tools. It’s very easy to use and useful enough for small websites. If you’re running a huge publication or an online store, need to track custom campaigns, or manage a large number of ad accounts, Site Kit won’t cut it. That’s not to say it’s useless for those cases. One of its biggest draws is that it makes setting up GA4, Search Console, Ads, and Tag Manager accounts incredibly easy. It’s a great starting point to build your analytic toolkit upon. The post What is Site Kit by Google? A guide for WordPress users appeared first on Yoast. View the full article

Companies complain of uncertainty around trade deal and the plan to reduce levies on metals and cars View the full article

Figures come as economy faces impact from Donald The President’s tariffs View the full article

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Do I need to rush to buy a new car for my job? I have a long-term job where I didn’t need a car until a few months ago, when I began transporting stuff for a new project about 2-3 times a week. Unfortunately, my car recently broke down beyond repair. Fortunately for me, I live in a bike-friendly area and can also easily take public transit to work. Because of where I live and personal finance goals, I do not want to buy a new car right away. But now there’s this dilemma about who is going to transport project stuff. I have asked about a courier service and really hope one can be set up soon (but sometimes things take a while). In the meantime, my colleagues are stuck transporting stuff and are being inconvenienced. I truly value my job and colleagues, and work hard to make sure things run smoothly at our workplace. So, am I in the wrong for my decision to put off buying a car? I don’t want my lack of car to be everyone else’s problem … but I also don’t want to rush into a financial decision because I’m worried about this task at work. I’ve felt really embarrassed by this whole situation! Ideally, no one would know how I get to and from work and whether or not I feel it’s an appropriate time to purchase a new vehicle. More context: Having a car was not in my official job description so unless it was in other paperwork, I don’t think it’s technically a requirement for my position. And the “stuff” named above cannot be transported via public transit or a bike. Nope, you don’t need to rush to buy a car, or even buy one at all if you decide you prefer not to. Having a car doesn’t sound like a requirement of your job; you happened to be able to do this task because you had one, but now you don’t. Just lay out the situation for your boss if you haven’t already, so they aren’t thinking this is about to resolve itself in a week or two: “I was happy to do this when I had a car, but I want to make sure it’s clear that I’m not going to have one for the foreseeable future, so this isn’t something I’ll be able to resume doing unless I can somehow expense transportation.” The fact that it’s falling on coworkers meanwhile is something they’ll each need to work out themselves, but it doesn’t obligate you to do anything differently. After all, if you hadn’t had a car when this first came up, I doubt you would have felt obligated to run out and buy one. This can get handled now however it would have if that had been the situation all along. 2. What should be handled by HR versus managers? What falls within what an HR department should do, and what falls within the regular duties of managers? I’m the sole HR person at a smallish (66-person) company that is fully remote. I recently heard that one of our managers, Kurt, had proposed requiring his team to have their cameras on at all times. This is ridiculous, impractical, and at odds with our company culture. Fortunately, his team pushed back hard, and it was dropped. I mentioned to Kurt’s boss that I wanted to talk to Kurt, since not only did he appear not to understand our company culture but I also had some serious concerns about their team that need to be addressed. I am extremely qualified to help with both of those. Kurt’s boss, Melissa, was offended. From her perspective, this is a management issue and HR has nothing to do with it. Melissa said she would handle it, and it was definitely not an HR issue. From my perspective, it is an HR issue. It’s against our company norms, and it suggests deeper issues with Kurt and his team. But maybe that really is a purely management issue? Should HR normally be involved in coaching and training, or is that the purview of the manager? For background, Melissa and I have both been with the company for many years, and are on the same level. I come from a corporate background, but Melissa hasn’t worked in management anywhere except here. Which is to say, neither of us really knows what’s considered normal! This is not the first time we have butted heads about issues. Staff will often come to me directly with interpersonal issues, because I am more approachable than Melissa. She gets frustrated that staff go to me for guidance. From my perspective, that’s just part of my job. And to be honest, it’s something that I really enjoy. An awful lot of HR is paperwork, it’s nice to deal with actual humans sometimes. But Melissa is somewhat territorial. So, am I wildly out of my lane? Should I steer people back to their managers when they have a problem, or is it normal and appropriate for me to get involved? In an ideal world, this kind of stuff would be handled by managers, who would consult HR for guidance if needed. Only if a manager wasn’t handling it effectively on their own should HR get involved. If Melissa wants to handle it herself and appears to be doing it effectively, you should let her. As HR, you’re there as a resource for managers (and their teams) if they need you — you can flag issues, offer coaching and guidance when needed, ensure laws are being followed, etc. — but the goal should be for managers to manage their own teams unless there’s some specific reason why they can’t or aren’t (and if that’s the case, you might step in, but even then part of the goal would be for you to work with the manager to equip them to better handle that stuff themselves in the future). You can certainly talk with Melissa about how she’s handling things with Kurt and about what the outcomes are, and you have some leeway to poke around to ensure the result is indeed that Kurt gets better aligned with your company culture. But it makes sense for Melissa, his manager, to take the lead on handling it. 3. What should I say in peer evaluations? My org always seems to be updating their annual review practices. I’m glad they’re always aiming to improve this process, but we seem to have new guidelines about what feedback they want every year and I’m not sure what they’re really looking for. Last year I could just email my boss a few sentences about my experience working with a team member. This year there’s a structured form with four sections and three empty bullet points under each. The sections are: 1. What is your colleague doing well? 2. How can your colleague’s strengths be maximized? 3. What would you like to see more or less of from your colleague? 4. What advice do you have for your colleague? The first section is no problem, my team is functional and we have a kind, thoughtful manager who gives us autonomy so there are plenty of examples of team members doing good work. But the other three sections feel murkier to me. For #2, if I don’t have any new ideas, is it okay to say, “I think my colleague’s skills are being well deployed”? For #3 I imagine diplomacy is the way to go, not “I wish my colleague didn’t ‘think out loud’ so much but I just tune it out for the most part.” Same vibe for #4? I don’t assume that my approach to work is the only good/valid way, so unless there are real issues or the employee themselves has asked me for advice on a specific matter I’m inclined to just write, “Keep up the good work!” Is it helpful to get replies like this as the manager? Is there another way I should be thinking about or approaching these questions? Yeah, this is too much to ask of peers. #1 and #3 would be fine, but the rest of this gets into asking for assessment and feedback that managers should be the ones providing (which they can do in part by assessing and synthesizing the feedback received from #1 and #3). I’d think about what feedback you want to offer, regardless of what the specific questions are, and then offer that and only that. You’re not locked into the framing of their questions just because they’ve presented them this way. If you want to mention that you’d prefer your colleague not think out loud so much, feel free to — but you don’t need to say it just because question #3 is there. In some companies, you could count on a skilled manager to relay that feedback appropriately — including deciding if it was even necessary to relay at all — while in others it would get relayed in a way you didn’t intend (“Jane says you think out loud too much”). So say only as much as you want to say, and go vague for the rest of it (like “nothing comes to mind” or “nothing additional to add,” or so forth). 4. Can I use an offer to try to get a second offer? I worked for a company focusing on federal contracts until all the contracts were terminated and I was laid off in March. For the last six weeks or so, I’ve been consulting with Company A for 10 hours per week, doing work almost identical to what I was doing before I was laid off (just not on federal contracts). After a few rounds of interviews, I feel fairly confident I’m about to get a job offer for a full-time position with the local city government. I’d much rather work full-time for Company A, mostly because it’s work I want to do, while the job with the city is only tangentially related to work I want to do. Can I use the offer from the city to see if Company A wants to hire me full-time? During my consulting interview with Company A, they asked if I would be interested in a full-time role as they were thinking they might need to hire full-time in the future. If this is something worth trying, what should I say to them? If they say no, I will take the job with the city and finish out my current project with Company A, but I wouldn’t be able to continue consulting with them. Yes! Be straightforward: “I’ve had a full-time offer that I’m considering, but I know you’d mentioned that you might hire full-time at some point. My strong preference would be to work for you if a full-time role became available. I need to respond to the offer by (date) but I wanted to first check with you about whether full-time work is a possibility.” 5. Salary negotiation success story After a feedback session last month with my new grand-boss, I screwed up my courage and asked if I could say one more thing. I told her that the main reason people leave our company is offers of more money with less work, and that I was paid so little compared to the area cost of living that I was just approved for a government low income mortgage program. She took it seriously and said she’d talk to HR. A week later, she told me HR had done their market analysis and claimed we were paid in line with the area. However! She disagreed and she asked for my input on her email pushing back against them, because my team does a lot more than normal for our title/role. Today, grandboss and great grandboss called me in and told me I was getting a 5% bump — and I am still eligible for the annual percentage-based merit raise next month. I know my teammate got called in before I did, too. I guess pushing back against HR worked! Thank you for all your advice. I’ve never advocated for a salary adjustment like this and didn’t think it would work in my company. I’m so happy! The post do I need to buy a new car for my job, what should be handled by HR versus managers, and more appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

Regulators preparing to cut capital requirements that are the target of vigorous criticism from Wall StreetView the full article

Inditex put cash into subsidiary before sale for ‘not significant’ sum to company now selling near-identical productsView the full article

Mandating UK equities in tax-free accounts would destroy any culture of investing we already haveView the full article

Rivers and reservoirs are far below average — with the lowest levels in the North View the full article

Conservative leader seeks to exploit Nigel Farage’s ‘weak spot’ on fiscal disciplineView the full article

Key Takeaways Main Street Opportunities: Main Street provides a unique backdrop for launching small businesses, allowing for community engagement and personal customer connections. Diverse Business Ideas: Consider various business models, including retail shops (gift, clothing, antique, stationery), cafés, bakeries, and service-based businesses (cleaning, landscaping, fitness centers). Essential Market Research: Conduct comprehensive market research to understand local demographics and optimize your business model, ensuring alignment with community needs. Effective Marketing Strategies: Leverage local advertising, social media, and SEO to enhance visibility, attract customers, and build a solid online presence. Considerations for Success: Pay attention to location, foot traffic, and legal requirements while establishing sustainable operations that adapt to community trends. Navigating Challenges: Be aware of economic factors and competition from larger chains, and develop innovative strategies to differentiate your business and foster customer loyalty. If you’re dreaming of starting a small business that captures the essence of your community, Main Street is the perfect place to turn that dream into reality. With its unique charm and local character, small businesses thrive in this environment, offering you a chance to connect with customers on a personal level. Overview of Main Street Small Business Ideas Main Street serves as an excellent backdrop for small business ventures, providing distinct opportunities and community engagement. You can explore various business models that leverage local charm while catering to your target audience. Consider starting a retail store focused on niche products, such as handmade crafts or organic foods. This business idea allows you to build relationships with customers and promote community loyalty. Opening a cozy café or restaurant offers another avenue for innovation and customer service, capitalizing on local tastes and preferences. Service-based businesses, like a cleaning service or landscaping company, provide essential offerings in your area. You can streamline operations by establishing a strong online presence through a website and social media, enhancing your marketing strategy and customer acquisition efforts. Utilizing market research is crucial for understanding your local demographics and optimizing your business plan. Identify potential funding options, such as loans, angel investors, or crowdfunding, to ensure sufficient capital for startup costs. Select a suitable legal structure for your business, whether that be an LLC, sole proprietorship, or corporation, to safeguard your assets and manage taxes effectively. Networking remains vital for small business success. Engage in community events or local business incubators to meet mentors and seek legal advice that can enhance your growth strategy. Incorporate branding strategies to differentiate your offerings and develop a solid sales funnel focused on repeat customers. Finally, stay aware of local permits and licensing requirements to avoid legal complications. You can thrive on Main Street by embracing these small business ideas and strategies, ensuring your enterprise evolves with your community’s needs. Popular Small Business Ideas for Main Street Main Street offers numerous opportunities for small businesses to thrive. Here are some popular ideas that can cater to your target audience and create a vibrant local presence. Retail Shops Opening a retail shop can attract locals and tourists alike. Consider these popular options: Gift Shop: Sell unique items such as handmade crafts, local artwork, and specialty gifts. This attracts shoppers looking for memorable souvenirs. Clothing Store: Offer a range of apparel, including custom-made and locally designed clothing. Consider incorporating a consignment section for second-hand options, appealing to eco-conscious consumers. Antique or Thrift Store: Specializing in vintage items or second-hand goods caters to a niche market. This type of store performs well in tourist-heavy areas where people seek unique finds. Stationery Store: Market a variety of products like paper goods, crafting supplies, and unique stationery items. This small but profitable venture can cater to hobbyists and students alike. Cafés and Bakeries Cafés and bakeries hold immense potential for creating a social hub on Main Street. Explore these options: Coffee Shop: Serve high-quality coffee and pastries. Create a welcoming atmosphere for customers to gather, work, or socialize. Bakery: Offer freshly baked goods, aiming for both local clientele and tourists. Specials on seasonal items can boost sales and attract repeat visitors. Brunch Spot: Establish a café that serves brunch. Focus on local ingredients to heighten appeal while building community relationships. Tea Room: Introduce a relaxing space offering a diverse selection of teas along with light snacks. Target a niche audience seeking a unique experience. Service-Based Businesses Service-based businesses are essential to community life and can range widely. Consider these ideas: Cleaning Service: Start a residential or commercial cleaning business. Target busy professionals or homeowners seeking convenient solutions. Landscaping Service: Offer landscaping design and maintenance services. This venture can cater to both residential and commercial clients, enhancing local properties. Fitness Center: Open a small gym or studio specializing in yoga, pilates, or fitness classes. Focus on building a community around health and wellness. Event Planning: Provide services for planning weddings, parties, and corporate events. This allows you to leverage local relationships and create memorable experiences for clients. These ideas represent just a fraction of the opportunities available on Main Street. Conduct market research to refine your business model, identify your target audience, and establish a solid growth strategy. Utilize digital marketing and SEO to reach your customers effectively while building a strong brand presence. Considerations for Starting a Main Street Business Starting a Main Street business requires careful planning and strategic decisions. Consider these crucial aspects to maximize your chances of success. Location and Foot Traffic Select a location with high visibility and foot traffic. Businesses situated in busy areas attract more customers, increasing your sales potential. Explore options like mobile cafés, strategically placed vending machines, or storefronts designed to engage passersby. High foot traffic often correlates with higher revenue, making this consideration vital for your business model. Understanding Your Market Conduct market research to grasp the local community’s needs and interests. Your target audience consists of residents and visitors, so tailor your offerings accordingly. Identifying gaps in the market, such as unique retail shops or specialized services, helps craft a compelling business idea. Align your products or services with community demand to foster customer loyalty and increase chances of long-term growth. Utilize customer feedback and analytics to continually refine your strategy and enhance customer acquisition efforts. Marketing Strategies for Main Street Businesses Effective marketing strategies enhance visibility and attract customers in a local setting. Focusing on both local advertising and a strong online presence forms the backbone of your growth strategy. Local Advertising Local advertising builds relationships within the community. Consider these tactics: Flyers and Brochures: Distribute well-designed flyers in nearby businesses or residential areas to showcase your products or services. Community Events: Sponsor or participate in local events. Engage with potential customers by offering promotions or samples. Collaborations: Partner with neighboring businesses for joint promotions. This can enhance visibility and broaden your target audience. Leveraging local publications or radio stations can also yield significant reach within your community. Social Media and Online Presence A strong online presence is crucial for customer acquisition. Focus on these elements: Website: Create a user-friendly website that showcases your services. Include essential information like location, hours, and contact details. SEO Strategies: Optimize your website for search engines. Use keywords related to your business to increase traffic and attract the right audience. Social Media Platforms: Utilize platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to engage with customers. Post regularly and interact with followers to foster loyalty. Email Marketing: Build an email list to keep your customers informed about promotions and events. Craft compelling newsletters to maintain interest. By integrating local advertising with a robust digital marketing approach, you enhance your small business’s chances of success and long-term growth. Challenges Faced by Main Street Businesses Main Street businesses encounter several significant challenges that can impact their sustainability and growth. Understanding these challenges helps you navigate the complexities of running a small business in today’s environment. Economic Factors Economic conditions heavily influence small businesses. Changes in banking laws led to the consolidation of community banks, which historically provided crucial funding. Many small businesses now face difficulties accessing capital, often relying on high-cost online lenders. According to recent analyses, businesses owned by people of color are particularly affected by these changes. The COVID-19 pandemic further stressed small business sectors, exposing vulnerabilities and leading many to the brink of closure. Economic policies generally favor corporate monopolies over small enterprises, creating uneven competition. To thrive, you must develop a robust business plan that includes funding strategies like bootstrapping, crowdfunding, or seeking small business grants. Competition with Larger Chains Larger retail chains present substantial competition for Main Street businesses. Their financial backing often allows them to offer lower prices, better marketing visibility, and more extensive product selections. This competitive edge can deter customers from choosing local options. You can counter this by focusing on unique branding strategies and engaging deeply with your target audience. Building a strong online presence through social media, SEO, and digital marketing is vital. Utilizing effective customer acquisition strategies ensures you attract and retain clients, turning them into loyal supporters. Innovative product development, exceptional customer service, and community engagement can differentiate your small business from the larger chains. Conclusion Starting a small business on Main Street can be a rewarding journey filled with opportunities. By tapping into the unique charm of your community you can create a space that resonates with locals and visitors alike. Focus on building relationships and understanding your customers’ needs to tailor your offerings effectively. Embrace innovative marketing strategies to enhance your visibility and foster loyalty. Remember that while challenges may arise you can differentiate your business through exceptional service and a strong brand identity. Stay proactive by keeping up with local regulations and market trends to ensure your business thrives in this dynamic environment. Your passion and dedication can turn your small business dream into a vibrant reality on Main Street. Frequently Asked Questions What are the advantages of starting a small business on Main Street? Starting a small business on Main Street allows for personal connections with customers, access to a supportive community, and the charm of a local setting. Entrepreneurs can tailor their offerings to meet community needs and build lasting relationships, which enhances customer loyalty and drives sales. What types of small businesses are ideal for Main Street? Main Street is well-suited for retail shops like gift stores and boutiques, cozy cafés or bakeries, and service-based businesses such as cleaning or landscaping. These options allow entrepreneurs to cater to both locals and visitors, enhancing community engagement. How can I effectively market my Main Street business? To market your Main Street business, utilize local advertising, social media, and a user-friendly website. Engage in community events and collaborate with nearby businesses. Combining these strategies can significantly boost visibility and customer retention. What factors should I consider when selecting a location for my small business? Choose a location with high visibility and foot traffic to attract customers. Analyze the local demographic and ensure your business aligns with community interests. Thorough market research will help you identify the best spot for growth and profitability. How can small businesses compete with larger chains? Small businesses can compete by focusing on unique branding, offering exceptional customer service, and building strong community relationships. Developing innovative products and actively engaging with customers can set you apart from larger retail chains. What are the challenges faced by Main Street businesses? Main Street businesses often struggle with competition from larger retailers and limited access to capital, especially for minority-owned businesses. Economic conditions and shifts in consumer behavior, such as those from the COVID-19 pandemic, can also pose significant challenges. What funding options are available for small businesses? Funding options for small businesses include traditional loans, grants, crowdfunding, and community investment programs. Research each option and consider local resources aimed at supporting small entrepreneurs. Why is market research important for small businesses? Market research helps you understand the local community’s needs and interests, allowing you to tailor your products or services effectively. It can identify market gaps, inform your business strategy, and enhance customer satisfaction, ultimately driving growth. Image Via Envato This article, "Creative Main Street Small Business Ideas to Ignite Your Entrepreneurial Spirit" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Main Street Opportunities: Main Street provides a unique backdrop for launching small businesses, allowing for community engagement and personal customer connections. Diverse Business Ideas: Consider various business models, including retail shops (gift, clothing, antique, stationery), cafés, bakeries, and service-based businesses (cleaning, landscaping, fitness centers). Essential Market Research: Conduct comprehensive market research to understand local demographics and optimize your business model, ensuring alignment with community needs. Effective Marketing Strategies: Leverage local advertising, social media, and SEO to enhance visibility, attract customers, and build a solid online presence. Considerations for Success: Pay attention to location, foot traffic, and legal requirements while establishing sustainable operations that adapt to community trends. Navigating Challenges: Be aware of economic factors and competition from larger chains, and develop innovative strategies to differentiate your business and foster customer loyalty. If you’re dreaming of starting a small business that captures the essence of your community, Main Street is the perfect place to turn that dream into reality. With its unique charm and local character, small businesses thrive in this environment, offering you a chance to connect with customers on a personal level. Overview of Main Street Small Business Ideas Main Street serves as an excellent backdrop for small business ventures, providing distinct opportunities and community engagement. You can explore various business models that leverage local charm while catering to your target audience. Consider starting a retail store focused on niche products, such as handmade crafts or organic foods. This business idea allows you to build relationships with customers and promote community loyalty. Opening a cozy café or restaurant offers another avenue for innovation and customer service, capitalizing on local tastes and preferences. Service-based businesses, like a cleaning service or landscaping company, provide essential offerings in your area. You can streamline operations by establishing a strong online presence through a website and social media, enhancing your marketing strategy and customer acquisition efforts. Utilizing market research is crucial for understanding your local demographics and optimizing your business plan. Identify potential funding options, such as loans, angel investors, or crowdfunding, to ensure sufficient capital for startup costs. Select a suitable legal structure for your business, whether that be an LLC, sole proprietorship, or corporation, to safeguard your assets and manage taxes effectively. Networking remains vital for small business success. Engage in community events or local business incubators to meet mentors and seek legal advice that can enhance your growth strategy. Incorporate branding strategies to differentiate your offerings and develop a solid sales funnel focused on repeat customers. Finally, stay aware of local permits and licensing requirements to avoid legal complications. You can thrive on Main Street by embracing these small business ideas and strategies, ensuring your enterprise evolves with your community’s needs. Popular Small Business Ideas for Main Street Main Street offers numerous opportunities for small businesses to thrive. Here are some popular ideas that can cater to your target audience and create a vibrant local presence. Retail Shops Opening a retail shop can attract locals and tourists alike. Consider these popular options: Gift Shop: Sell unique items such as handmade crafts, local artwork, and specialty gifts. This attracts shoppers looking for memorable souvenirs. Clothing Store: Offer a range of apparel, including custom-made and locally designed clothing. Consider incorporating a consignment section for second-hand options, appealing to eco-conscious consumers. Antique or Thrift Store: Specializing in vintage items or second-hand goods caters to a niche market. This type of store performs well in tourist-heavy areas where people seek unique finds. Stationery Store: Market a variety of products like paper goods, crafting supplies, and unique stationery items. This small but profitable venture can cater to hobbyists and students alike. Cafés and Bakeries Cafés and bakeries hold immense potential for creating a social hub on Main Street. Explore these options: Coffee Shop: Serve high-quality coffee and pastries. Create a welcoming atmosphere for customers to gather, work, or socialize. Bakery: Offer freshly baked goods, aiming for both local clientele and tourists. Specials on seasonal items can boost sales and attract repeat visitors. Brunch Spot: Establish a café that serves brunch. Focus on local ingredients to heighten appeal while building community relationships. Tea Room: Introduce a relaxing space offering a diverse selection of teas along with light snacks. Target a niche audience seeking a unique experience. Service-Based Businesses Service-based businesses are essential to community life and can range widely. Consider these ideas: Cleaning Service: Start a residential or commercial cleaning business. Target busy professionals or homeowners seeking convenient solutions. Landscaping Service: Offer landscaping design and maintenance services. This venture can cater to both residential and commercial clients, enhancing local properties. Fitness Center: Open a small gym or studio specializing in yoga, pilates, or fitness classes. Focus on building a community around health and wellness. Event Planning: Provide services for planning weddings, parties, and corporate events. This allows you to leverage local relationships and create memorable experiences for clients. These ideas represent just a fraction of the opportunities available on Main Street. Conduct market research to refine your business model, identify your target audience, and establish a solid growth strategy. Utilize digital marketing and SEO to reach your customers effectively while building a strong brand presence. Considerations for Starting a Main Street Business Starting a Main Street business requires careful planning and strategic decisions. Consider these crucial aspects to maximize your chances of success. Location and Foot Traffic Select a location with high visibility and foot traffic. Businesses situated in busy areas attract more customers, increasing your sales potential. Explore options like mobile cafés, strategically placed vending machines, or storefronts designed to engage passersby. High foot traffic often correlates with higher revenue, making this consideration vital for your business model. Understanding Your Market Conduct market research to grasp the local community’s needs and interests. Your target audience consists of residents and visitors, so tailor your offerings accordingly. Identifying gaps in the market, such as unique retail shops or specialized services, helps craft a compelling business idea. Align your products or services with community demand to foster customer loyalty and increase chances of long-term growth. Utilize customer feedback and analytics to continually refine your strategy and enhance customer acquisition efforts. Marketing Strategies for Main Street Businesses Effective marketing strategies enhance visibility and attract customers in a local setting. Focusing on both local advertising and a strong online presence forms the backbone of your growth strategy. Local Advertising Local advertising builds relationships within the community. Consider these tactics: Flyers and Brochures: Distribute well-designed flyers in nearby businesses or residential areas to showcase your products or services. Community Events: Sponsor or participate in local events. Engage with potential customers by offering promotions or samples. Collaborations: Partner with neighboring businesses for joint promotions. This can enhance visibility and broaden your target audience. Leveraging local publications or radio stations can also yield significant reach within your community. Social Media and Online Presence A strong online presence is crucial for customer acquisition. Focus on these elements: Website: Create a user-friendly website that showcases your services. Include essential information like location, hours, and contact details. SEO Strategies: Optimize your website for search engines. Use keywords related to your business to increase traffic and attract the right audience. Social Media Platforms: Utilize platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to engage with customers. Post regularly and interact with followers to foster loyalty. Email Marketing: Build an email list to keep your customers informed about promotions and events. Craft compelling newsletters to maintain interest. By integrating local advertising with a robust digital marketing approach, you enhance your small business’s chances of success and long-term growth. Challenges Faced by Main Street Businesses Main Street businesses encounter several significant challenges that can impact their sustainability and growth. Understanding these challenges helps you navigate the complexities of running a small business in today’s environment. Economic Factors Economic conditions heavily influence small businesses. Changes in banking laws led to the consolidation of community banks, which historically provided crucial funding. Many small businesses now face difficulties accessing capital, often relying on high-cost online lenders. According to recent analyses, businesses owned by people of color are particularly affected by these changes. The COVID-19 pandemic further stressed small business sectors, exposing vulnerabilities and leading many to the brink of closure. Economic policies generally favor corporate monopolies over small enterprises, creating uneven competition. To thrive, you must develop a robust business plan that includes funding strategies like bootstrapping, crowdfunding, or seeking small business grants. Competition with Larger Chains Larger retail chains present substantial competition for Main Street businesses. Their financial backing often allows them to offer lower prices, better marketing visibility, and more extensive product selections. This competitive edge can deter customers from choosing local options. You can counter this by focusing on unique branding strategies and engaging deeply with your target audience. Building a strong online presence through social media, SEO, and digital marketing is vital. Utilizing effective customer acquisition strategies ensures you attract and retain clients, turning them into loyal supporters. Innovative product development, exceptional customer service, and community engagement can differentiate your small business from the larger chains. Conclusion Starting a small business on Main Street can be a rewarding journey filled with opportunities. By tapping into the unique charm of your community you can create a space that resonates with locals and visitors alike. Focus on building relationships and understanding your customers’ needs to tailor your offerings effectively. Embrace innovative marketing strategies to enhance your visibility and foster loyalty. Remember that while challenges may arise you can differentiate your business through exceptional service and a strong brand identity. Stay proactive by keeping up with local regulations and market trends to ensure your business thrives in this dynamic environment. Your passion and dedication can turn your small business dream into a vibrant reality on Main Street. Frequently Asked Questions What are the advantages of starting a small business on Main Street? Starting a small business on Main Street allows for personal connections with customers, access to a supportive community, and the charm of a local setting. Entrepreneurs can tailor their offerings to meet community needs and build lasting relationships, which enhances customer loyalty and drives sales. What types of small businesses are ideal for Main Street? Main Street is well-suited for retail shops like gift stores and boutiques, cozy cafés or bakeries, and service-based businesses such as cleaning or landscaping. These options allow entrepreneurs to cater to both locals and visitors, enhancing community engagement. How can I effectively market my Main Street business? To market your Main Street business, utilize local advertising, social media, and a user-friendly website. Engage in community events and collaborate with nearby businesses. Combining these strategies can significantly boost visibility and customer retention. What factors should I consider when selecting a location for my small business? Choose a location with high visibility and foot traffic to attract customers. Analyze the local demographic and ensure your business aligns with community interests. Thorough market research will help you identify the best spot for growth and profitability. How can small businesses compete with larger chains? Small businesses can compete by focusing on unique branding, offering exceptional customer service, and building strong community relationships. Developing innovative products and actively engaging with customers can set you apart from larger retail chains. What are the challenges faced by Main Street businesses? Main Street businesses often struggle with competition from larger retailers and limited access to capital, especially for minority-owned businesses. Economic conditions and shifts in consumer behavior, such as those from the COVID-19 pandemic, can also pose significant challenges. What funding options are available for small businesses? Funding options for small businesses include traditional loans, grants, crowdfunding, and community investment programs. Research each option and consider local resources aimed at supporting small entrepreneurs. Why is market research important for small businesses? Market research helps you understand the local community’s needs and interests, allowing you to tailor your products or services effectively. It can identify market gaps, inform your business strategy, and enhance customer satisfaction, ultimately driving growth. Image Via Envato This article, "Creative Main Street Small Business Ideas to Ignite Your Entrepreneurial Spirit" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

An often-overlooked competitive advantage in business isn’t your technology stack, market share, or even your talent pipeline—it’s your leadership team’s customer obsession. As someone who recently merged marketing, customer success, and renewals under one umbrella, I’ve experienced how customer obsession can transform an organization. However, from the C-suite to entry-level roles, we’re all navigating complex responsibilities, deadlines and metrics. These competing priorities make it easy to lose sight of what truly matters to the business: the customers who make our work possible. By putting customers at the heart of every decision, regardless of the role, you establish a foundation that naturally delivers results. This is why it is so important for executive teams to champion this customer obsession perspective—it empowers everyone else to do the same! Customer-focused leadership leads to customer-centric goals which leads to a truly customer-obsessed company culture. What customer-focused executive leadership teams do differently What does customer obsession look like in practice? The processes vary based on role as leaders address their own areas of focus, but here are a few examples to get the wheels turning. Customer-focused executive leaders: Spend significant time with customers—not just with friendly references or during sales calls, but with frustrated users and lost accounts Create direct feedback channels that bypass typical corporate filters Measure what matters to customers, not just what’s easy to track internally Reward employees who advocate for customer needs, even when those needs create short-term challenges These behaviors signal unmistakably to everyone—from frontline employees to fellow executive leaders—that the customer experience isn’t just another corporate initiative, but the foundation of company culture. That all-important ripple effect When the entire executive leadership team models customer focus, it spreads throughout the organization. Marketing develops messaging that resonates with actual pain points versus staying laser-focused on internal product features. Product development prioritizes improvements that deliver meaningful value. Support teams receive the resources needed to resolve issues effectively. As I mentioned, I’ve experienced this transformation myself. After integrating customer success with marketing and renewals, we gained truly mind-blowing insight into the complete customer journey. This unified view enabled us to identify friction points that were all but invisible when these functions operated in silos. Organizations with customer-centric leadership consistently outperform peers in customer satisfaction, retention and lifetime value. Executive leaders who prioritize customer needs create an environment where employees feel empowered to advocate for those same needs—they set the tone for the entire company culture. Practical steps on the way to customer centricity Becoming truly customer-focused requires more than good intentions. I’ll admit it, this is a big shift. It could even mean making serious changes in how the company gathers, analyzes and acts on customer feedback. So, yes, it can feel daunting but take it from me, it’s very doable and very worth it. Here are some practical steps to consider: Revise executive meeting agendas to start with customer insights Implement cross-functional customer journey mapping with executive participation Create direct feedback mechanisms between customers and leadership Redesign incentive structures to reward customer-centric behaviors In my experience, customer-focused companies take steps to ensure these practices are part of their leadership approach. They understand that competitive advantage flows from this orientation—not as a happy accident but as a direct consequence. The ultimate competitive moat Right now, products and services are undergoing rapid commoditization. That’s hard to keep up with, but I believe customer experience is the most defensible competitive advantage. An executive leadership team that understands this can make a massive difference in the company’s competitive positioning. Again, this shift extends way beyond the executive team. When employees see that customer satisfaction genuinely matters to company leadership, their engagement and motivation increase dramatically. This alignment creates a (very rewarding!) cycle where employee experience and customer experience reinforce each other, building a competitive moat that rivals will struggle to cross. So, let your rivals keep focusing on internal metrics. That moat will keep getting wider as you build something stronger. Melissa Puls is the chief marketing officer and SVP of customer success and renewals at Ivanti. View the full article

Figma prototypes have been the go-to for years. For digital product designers crafting clickable mockups of apps, this powerhouse design platform hasn’t just gained popularity—it’s become the indispensable tool of choice. Nearly every app, website, or digital experience that didn’t make you rage-quit was likely prototyped and rigorously tested in Figma before a single pixel was coded. The platform’s dominance is no accident. Figma prototypes help product teams communicate direction, test early ideas, and align stakeholders around what’s being built. At design consultancies like ours, they’ve played a critical role in due diligence where we stress-test client concepts before writing a single line of code—saving countless development hours and budget dollars. All of that is important, because the first version of any design is usually wrong. It’s based on assumptions about what users want or how they’ll behave. And if you ship based on those assumptions, you risk launching a broken experience that tanks in the market. That’s why prototyping for validation has been industry standard. And Figma has been the undisputed champion in the game the past 5+ years. But with the blistering pace of AI, we may be approaching the end of the clickable prototype era as we know it. AI can do more Until now, prototypes were the fastest way to go from idea to experience. But new AI tools are starting to change that because they can: Generate user interface (UI) from a single prompt. UI is what you see and interact with on a screen, like buttons, menus, and layouts. Simulate logic, state, and user paths. This shows how a digital product would work—how it reacts to choices, keeps track of information, and guides users through different steps. Auto-populate realistic data and content. This instantly fills in a design with lifelike text, names, images, or numbers to show how it would look and feel in context. Create testable product flows. AI tools can do this without manually connecting screens, letting you quickly explore how a user would move through the product. We’re not talking about wireframes anymore. We’re talking about high-fidelity simulations that look and feel like real software. Tiny testbeds for behavior. And they’re being spun up in actual seconds. Instead of designing screens, we’re starting to describe outcomes. We’re shaping intent—and AI is helping us fill in the rest. This is not just a faster way to prototype. It is a leap forward in how we go from an idea to something you can touch, click, and test. But make no mistake, it’s not replacing designers. Instead, it’s shifting their role—freeing them from repetitive tasks so they can focus on what really matters: understanding users, shaping strategy, and making sure the experience is not just functional, but human. Communicate a vibe, not visuals There’s a new term floating around in product circles: vibe coding. It’s the idea that instead of specifying exactly how something should look or function, we start by telling the AI the feeling we want a product to evoke. For example: “Make it feel luxurious and calm, like checking into a boutique hotel.” “Should feel fast, responsive, and trustworthy—like booking a ride on Uber.” And the AI? It generates an interface, interactions, even tone of voice—based on that emotional brief. It’s not perfect (yet). But it gets scarily close. For designers and product leaders, this unlocks a wild new dimension: communicating vibe, not just visuals. You become a creative director of experience, not just a user experience lead pushing pixels. It’s a shift from mechanics to meaning. From layout to language. But let’s be real: The tools aren’t quite there yet. They’re close. But not close enough to fully replace the fidelity, intentionality, and nuance that a designer brings to a clickable prototype. AI misses the thoughtful transitions. The user context. The subtle decisions that are often the difference between something that works and something that clicks. That said—it won’t be long before that’s possible. Designers will evolve We think we’ll see a hybrid approach emerge where designers don’t disappear, they evolve. Our predictions include: AI-generated prototypes to quickly test concepts and assumptions Clickable flows to align teams and create confidence High-fidelity design systems built after AI confirms demand AI copilots supporting live ideation, usability testing, and iteration We’ll move from building UI blocks to shaping systems and behaviors. We’ll direct the choreography of an experience, rather than drawing every step. Still, it’s time to lean in. At Crema, our designers are still using Figma, and we’re still building prototypes. But we’re also exploring what’s next—because we believe in the power of using the right fidelity at the right time to move ideas forward. If you’re leading a product team, this shift matters. Because the tools we use to test the viability of our ideas are about to get a serious upgrade. George Brooks is CEO and founder of Crema. View the full article

Bayesian capsized last year when strong winds knocked it over, killing British tycoon and six others View the full article