This week, we had a chuckle at this post on Quartz imagining the worst ways to ask users to input their phone numbers. Thinking of the worst ways to do something is an interesting task. We’re always so focused on the opposite—making forms (and other web elements) as clear and easy-to-use as possible. Now this has us wondering if maybe thinking about the worst way to do things would be a useful exercise to help us understand what not to do and identify user pain points. Stay tuned to hear if we try this on a project…

The folks over at Taco Bell released a new logo this week. Earlier this Fall we wondered whether the minimalist trend has reached it peak, and this release certainly suggests that it is definitely not always the answer. The changes to the logomark aren’t a crime against design, but that typography is so boring—the stacked version in particular doesn’t scream “Taco Bell” to me. There may be more branding elements to come, so we’ll look to see if there’s something missing that will make everything make sense, but in the meantime seems like this one is a miss from our perspective.

This week also signaled the release of Starbucks’ red cups, which is apparently something that folks’ get really worked up about, or at least they did last year. We discussed the unity cup last blog, and it seems like my prediction that people would be outraged was (thankfully) incorrect. Perhaps a reaction to last year’s criticism that the cups weren’t properly “holiday” themed, these thirteen illustrated designs created by customers worldwide definitely represent winter and the holidays. Personally, I’m counting down the days to summer, but recognize that I’m not necessarily the majority and some people do like to celebrate the cold! On that front, Starbucks definitely hit the mark.

And finally, please enjoy these clips of baby iguanas being chased by snakes set to some great background music. Nature, y’all.