410 / Design: frictionless, flawless, forgettable

Issue 410 essay on why design looks samey, drawing on Ezra Klein and Debbie Millman's conversation about drab modern built environments and the market's pull toward the inoffensive.

Beige header band with a Walter Benjamin quote and artwork credit at left, logo at top left, artwork image at right. Single-column body with logo, large intro text, indented pull quotes and inline links. Minimal imagery, no visible CTA buttons.