Elon Musk’s Tesla earnings call has become a cultural event

Business 4/24 1:30P Rob Walker

Like a Taylor Swift midnight album drop, the Tesla earnings call is a moment of shared, almost communal, focus. Branded is a weekly column devoted to the intersection of marketing, business, design, and culture.

AI-powered engineering: A modern must-have

Business 4/24 8:27A ALTAIR

Altair explains how AI-powered engineering can help you stay ahead of the market and deliver unmatched value—no matter what you’re designing Today’s world operates at a furious pace. Modern technology, including landscape-altering technology like...

Anti-woke activists are coming for ESG and DEI. Here’s what dedicated leaders can do

Business 4/24 4:30A Jesse Meschuk

Human capital advisor Jesse Meschuk says the disappearance of DEI and ESG jobs doesn’t have to mean that DEI and ESG initiatives disappear from your business’ priorities, but it takes a broad commitment from within.  Not long ago, environmental...

New York City is finally getting the street life it deserves

Business 4/24 4:30A Diana Budds

This summer, restaurants will erect permanent outdoor dining structures, reshaping the way people interact with the city in the process. For the past four years, New York City’s streets have become the unexpected site of a grand architectural...

The principle architect of Chik-Fil-A’s culture says no one cares about your leadership skills if...

Business 4/24 4:00A Mark Miller

Skills matter but don’t be deceived, says Mark Miller. Unless you harness your skills in tandem with the right heart, your skills become irrelevant. Have you ever known a leader who appeared to have it all: vision, creativity, passion, a knack...

Bang & Olufsen is selling a $55,000 CD player. You read that right

Business 4/24 2:00A Zachary Petit

First designed in 1996, the 9000c is still a work of art. It may seem like music fans today have a choice between two extremes: the beloved yet laborious ritual of listening to vinyl—or the convenience of streaming platforms, where instant...

How to design the perfect Deadpool movie trailer

Business 4/23 10:43A Jeff Beer

The new ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ first look fits the Ryan Reynolds formula like a skintight black and red superhero suit. It s no secret that the narrative around the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been decidedly bleak since last fall when the...

These classic Eames pieces got a makeover straight out of the designers’ sketchbook

Business 4/23 8:00A Grace Snelling

The iconic Hang-It-All and Molded Plywood Lounge Chair with Wood Base are released in new colorways. When renowned industrial designer Ray Eames sat down to conceptualize a new piece of furniture, often alongside her husband, Charles, she used...

5 signs you should definitely look for a new job

Business 4/23 6:03A Judith Humphrey

Sometimes you can modify your current role to find greater satisfaction. But these signs say you need a new job altogether. We all encounter challenges at work . Some of them are simply obstacles that must be overcome. Do so, and your job...

3 key strategies to take you from manager back to being an individual contributor

Business 4/23 4:00A Matthew C. Meade

There are key strategies to help you identify when your managerial position no longer aligns with your personality or skill set. Throughout my career working in various firms on Wall Street I ve encountered exemplary managers who prioritized team...

Hawaii’s lawmakers are targeting problematic vacation rentals that push out low-income residents

Business 4/22 9:19A Associated Press

One nonprofit estimates almost 2,000 households have left the state. Amy Chadwick spent years scrimping and saving as a single mother of two to buy a house in the town of Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui . But after a devastating fire...

This $12 billion high speed rail will connect Las Vegas and Los Angeles and lay ‘the foundation for...

Business 4/22 8:36A Associated Press

The goal is for the line to be up and running for the LA Olympics in 2028. Work is set to begin Monday on a $12 billion high-speed passenger rail line between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area, with officials projecting millions of ticket-buyers...

UAW’s stunning victory at a Tennessee VW factory could spell union wins at other southern plants

Business 4/22 7:35A Associated Press

The win at the foreign-owned plant proved all the pundits wrong. The United Auto Workers overwhelming election victory at a Volkswagen plant in Tennessee is giving the union hope that it can make broader inroads in the South , the least unionized...

The American Climate Corps designed the next great government logo

Business 4/22 7:00A Zachary Petit

The new agency looked to the past for its modern branding. U.S. government brand identities are a mixed bag. Once you’ve put the NASA meatball and National Park Service badge on a special shelf, you’re left with a voluminous aerie of eagles, and...

Why giving shoppers an easy way to return items has become retail gold

Business 4/22 6:00A Yasmin Gagne

Companies like Walmart and Optoro are building loyalty by improving the returns experience. It seems counterintuitive: To sell more products, stores are focusing on the returns process. A quick and easy returns process can built consumer trust,...