Today’s Highlights

• AI: AI Tutoring Achieves in 6 Weeks What Schools Do in 2 Years

• Design: We’re Obsessed With Some Fonts: Science Explains Why

• Science & Tech: SpaceX Starship: Mixed Success

• Founding: How to Create Ads that Don’t Feel Like Ads

• Product: Your Product’s Task Success Rate Whispers Essential Facts: Listen Early On 

• Today’s AI image: “New Recruits are Doing Great”

• Quote for the day: Any how

AI

AI Tutoring Achieves in 6 Weeks What Schools Do in 2 Years

A groundbreaking study in Nigeria has unveiled a remarkable leap in education: students using AI as an after-school tutor achieved learning gains equivalent to two years of traditional schooling in just six weeks.

This highlights the immense potential of AI-enhanced education, particularly in regions with limited resources.

All You Need To Know

• Blended Approach: Supported by the World Bank, the pilot program combined AI-driven tutoring with teacher-led guidance, with a strong emphasis on improving English language proficiency.

• Skills Boost: Participants not only excelled in English but also gained significant strides in AI literacy and digital skills. These improvements even carried over to their regular school exams.

• Bridging Gaps: The program was especially transformative for girls who were lagging behind, showcasing its ability to narrow gender disparities in education.

• More is More: The benefits multiplied with each additional session, suggesting that longer-term programs could deliver even greater outcomes.

Why is this a big deal?

This is among the first rigorous studies to demonstrate AI’s tangible impact in a developing country.

The key takeaway? AI works best as a sidekick to teachers, not a substitute.

By addressing teacher shortages and enhancing learning outcomes, AI tutoring could play a pivotal role in tackling the global education crisis, particularly in underserved regions.

Read More

Also in AI

• Apple’s AI News Feature Stumbles Over Fake Headlines: Publishing stories straight out of fiction

• Microsoft’s AI Discovers New Materials at Warp Speed: Meet MatterGen, the AI model that’s revolutionising materials science

• Mistral AI x AFP: Le Chat now speaks six languages, delivering real-time, verified news—multilingual and lightning-fast

• Krea AI’s 3D Magic: Turn images into editable 3D objects, ready to pop into real-time tools

• Princeton’s HAL: Benchmark smarter: HAL ranks AI agents on performance and cost across 11 tests

• Mirror Me’s Black Panther 2.0: Robodog sprints 100m in under 10 seconds

• Google Workspace AI Revamp: AI tools now bundled—$2 more a month. Gemini add-on dropped as Microsoft looms large

Design

We’re Obsessed With Some Fonts: Science Explains Why

Designers’ instincts about font pairings just got a scientific nod.

Researchers from Hanyang University in Seoul analysed over 8,000 two-font combinations and 3,000 triplets from Fontsinuse.com.

Published in Scientific Reports, the study provides a fresh lens on why some fonts naturally harmonise across mediums like websites, packaging, and album covers.

Sans-Serifs: The Typographic MVPs

• Sans-serif fonts, including Helvetica, Futura, and Univers, emerged as the undisputed champions.

• These clean, adaptable typefaces dominate design projects, serving as the foundational workhorses.

• Their flexibility allows them to pair seamlessly with a wide variety of secondary and tertiary fonts, making them indispensable in modern design.

Specialised Roles for Other Font Styles

• Serif, script, and decorative fonts, while less dominant, shine in specialised contexts.

• Serif fonts find their niche in print-heavy mediums like magazines, where readability is key.

• Advertising campaigns lean towards ornate and eye-catching designs, while mobile and tablet interfaces favour thicker fonts for screen clarity.

Top Pairings and Design Guidance

• The study identified Futura-Futura Condensed, Futura-Helvetica, and Helvetica-Times New Roman as standout pairings.

• However, the key takeaway is that context dictates the best combination.

• A reliable sans-serif base can adapt to various design needs, while secondary fonts add flair and character.

Why is this a big deal?

Typography is more than just aesthetics; it’s about crafting a visual tone that resonates with the content’s message.

This research marks an important step towards understanding font dynamics and offers practical insights for designers seeking to elevate their work.

In short, your Helvetica-Futura combo isn’t just stylish—it’s scientifically sound.

Read More

Also in Design

• Nintendo Switch 2: Bigger, Better, Still Magnetic

• Nokia’s Design Archive: A Nostalgia Trip for Phone Lovers

• Porsche and Honor’s Sleek Smartphone Collaboration: The Magic 7 RSR smartphone fuses Porsche’s luxury design with cutting-edge tech

• Designers: Listen to Whispers of Your Gut, Not Screams of Your Data

• Let’s Rethink “Primitives” in Design Systems: The term “primitives” feels vague; how about “roots” or “foundations” instead?

• UX Lessons from Trump’s Election: Government systems need a UX overhaul—think adaptable, user-friendly services over outdated bureaucracy

Science & Tech

SpaceX Starship: Mixed Success

SpaceX scored a win with its Super Heavy booster, successfully catching it mid-air for the second time.

This impressive feat was part of the Starship’s seventh test flight. However, the celebration was short-lived.

After the booster catch, SpaceX lost contact with the ship, which had separated and started its own ascent to orbit.

Anomaly Strikes in Space

While the booster did its job, the ship suffered a major setback. About 8.5 minutes into the flight, SpaceX lost telemetry signals.

The company later confirmed that an “anomaly” occurred with the upper stage, likely due to an oxygen/fuel leak that caused a pressure build-up.

As a result, the ship couldn’t complete its journey, and pieces of it were seen burning up during re-entry over the Turks and Caicos.

Musk’s Fixes for Future Flights

Elon Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) to reassure the public, explaining that the company would address the oxygen/fuel leak issue by adding a fire suppression system and increasing venting areas.

The Bigger Picture: A Transformational Year

The mission wasn’t just about catching boosters. SpaceX had loaded the Starship with 10 dummy Starlink satellites, aiming for its first payload deployment.

he test was intended to mark the beginning of a “transformational” year for the spacecraft, with numerous upgrades in avionics, navigation, and power systems.

What Went Right and What Went Wrong

While the booster catch was a success, the ship’s flight highlighted both progress and problems.

SpaceX had installed new heat tiles and reworked the ship’s structure to withstand re-entry, along with testing radar sensors for more accurate booster location tracking.

However, despite these advancements, the ship’s failure shows there’s still plenty of work ahead.

In short, SpaceX made a leap forward with the booster, but the ship’s flight proves that even the best-laid plans can go awry in the vastness of space.

Read More

Also in Science & Tech

• Nintendo Switch 2: Boasts a larger screen, rounded edges, wider kickstand, and horizontal Joy-Con connections

• Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket Reaches Orbit: After 25 years, Blue Origin has achieved orbit with its New Glenn rocket

• 2025 Tech Predictions: Rust in kernels, cloud product failures, and more open hardware

• Huntington’s disease puzzle cracked: DNA mutations act over decades

• Homo erectus thrived in deserts a million years ago—talk about adaptability!

Founding

How to Create Ads that Don’t Feel Like Ads

Nobody enjoys ads that scream, “I’m an ad!”

Our ad-detection senses are finely tuned, and we’re quick to hit that skip button. So, how do you create UGC that resonates, feels authentic, and drives action?

Let’s break it down with Darya Denny’s winning formula for the ultimate UGC video:

1. Reel Them In: The Hook

You’ve got 3–6 seconds to stop the scroll. Make it count!

• Do the unexpected: Grab attention with something quirky or surprising.

• Stay relevant: Ensure the hook ties directly to your product or message.

• Mix it up: Combine visual and verbal hooks to maximise impact.

2. Stir the Pot: Agitate the Problem

Once you’ve got their attention, make the problem hit home.

• Be relatable: Speak their language and build trust.

• Add authenticity: Small, unscripted moments (like a fruit spill) can make the content feel genuine.

• Share experiences: Position the creator as a trustworthy mate sharing real-life struggles.

Example: In a Dieux Skin UGC clip, the creator candidly admits one product didn’t work for her. This honesty builds credibility before introducing the solution.

3. Offer the Fix: Present Your Product

Now, swoop in with your product or service as the hero of the story.

• Show benefits clearly: Highlight features and results, like hydration or skin-plumping for acne-prone users.

• Be specific: Avoid vague claims; focus on tangible outcomes.

Read more

Also in Founding

• SaaS is shifting from ARR to Annualised Gross Profit

• The founder of TinyPilot, a bootstrapped hardware company, shares valuable lessons from selling the business for $598,000

• B2C billing systems, often overlooked as simple, actually involve complex challenges around compliance, flexibility, and customer retention

Product

Your Product’s Task Success Rate Whispers Essential Facts: Listen Early On 

Task Success Rate (TSR) is your go-to metric for gauging how well users navigate and complete tasks in your product or service.

What is TSR?

TSR is a straightforward formula that measures the percentage of tasks completed successfully:

TSR = (Successfully Completed Tasks ÷ Total Attempts) × 100

80–90% means smooth sailing—users are happy.

Below 70%: is a red flag—something’s not working.

Real-Life TSR Scenarios

Here’s how TSR plays out across different contexts:

1. E-commerce Checkout: Success means users complete their purchases.

2. Appointment Booking: Success is a flawlessly submitted form.

3. Help Centre Use: Success involves finding the right article to resolve an issue.

Measuring TSR: The Nitty-Gritty

Before diving into numbers, define what “success” looks like.

• Binary Success/Failure: Did the user nail the task? Works well for conversions like purchases.

• Partial Success: Did the user get halfway there? Ideal for tasks with ambiguous outcomes, like finding helpful info.

Ways to Gather TSR Data

1. Usability Testing: Watch real users tackle tasks. Identify challenges through observation and note-taking.

2. Analytics Tools: Use platforms like HotJar to track goal completion (e.g., form submissions).

   • Beware: Analytics alone won’t reveal what’s tripping users up.

3. Surveys: Ask users directly, “Did you complete your task?”

Read more

Today’s AI Image

“New Recruits are Doing Great”

Quote of the Day

Anyhow

"He who has a why to live can bear almost any how."

Friedrich Nietzsche

What we’re working on

🧞Your wish is my command