# Journal

- [Featured in Dribbble's Client-Approved Branding Agencies of 2026](https://rohankumar.pro/journal/featured-in-dribbbles-client-approved-branding-agencies-of-2026) — Dribbble has featured me in Client-Approved Branding Agencies in 2026, a list of branding studios and independent designers recommended for the work their clients approved.
- [When Companies Turn Off Your Smart Devices](https://rohankumar.pro/journal/when-companies-turn-off-your-smart-devices) — Companies can remotely shut down devices you paid for. From Revolv and Spotify Car Thing to Humane AI Pin and Belkin Wemo, this video explores planned obsolescence, cloud-dependent products, software ownership, and why smart devices can become useless while the hardware still works. We also look at Matter, Home Assistant, and Right to Repair.
- [I feel so stupid for not using AI](https://rohankumar.pro/journal/i-feel-so-stupid-for-not-using-ai) — What a ChatGPT ad taught me about knowing your field, and why a tool is only as powerful as the person using it.
- [Branding is a journey of earning more goodwill](https://rohankumar.pro/journal/branding-is-a-journey-of-earning-more-goodwill) — Everyone says branding is a journey. But a journey of what? My answer: earning goodwill.
- [Every brand's first principle should be: we don't bullsh*t you](https://rohankumar.pro/journal/every-brands-first-principle-should-be-we-dont-bullsht-you) — Trust isn't built by yapping. It's built every time a customer realizes your claims match reality.
- [AI is actually a client's problem, not a designer's problem](https://rohankumar.pro/journal/ai-is-actually-a-clients-problem-not-a-designers-problem) — Why a designer's first job is helping clients understand what AI can do, and what it can't.
- [Why taste is the one skill AI can't replace in designers (and how to build it)](https://rohankumar.pro/journal/why-taste-is-the-one-skill-ai-cant-replace-in-designers-and-how-to-build-it) — Everyone says taste is what AI can't replace. But what is taste, really, and how do you build it?
- [Why minimalism works: cognitive fluency](https://rohankumar.pro/journal/why-minimalism-works-cognitive-fluency) — A concept from design psychology that explains why simple design feels trustworthy, and where it stops working.
- [Design to express, not to impress](https://rohankumar.pro/journal/design-to-express-not-to-impress) — Most designers already know how to express themselves. They just stopped, because nothing in the system rewards it.
- [Why brandmarks are getting riskier to design](https://rohankumar.pro/journal/why-brandmarks-are-getting-riskier-to-design) — Simple, unique logos were always rare. My take on why type logos keep rising, and what a heated Reddit discussion added.