The Shell-Out 🐢 | Tom Ayling 🐢 | Substack

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Recent posts

Butter, Cavemen, and Banana Milk

and turds, of course

Oct 7, 2025 • Tom Ayling 🐢

Stuff I found this summer

And returning after a break

Sep 2, 2025 • Tom Ayling 🐢

Rainbows, Squiggles, and Expensive Chairs

Google's plan to make phones less boring, mid-century chair art, design rules that actually work, and more cool design finds.

Jun 3, 2025 • Tom Ayling 🐢

Mirrors, Sandwiches, and Phone-Holes

Don’t forget the chisels, too.

Apr 22, 2025 • Tom Ayling 🐢

Rust, Film, and Pixel-Peepin’

Discover the best film-look camera app, AI tools, space mission patches, risograph animation, and more in this month’s creative roundup.

Mar 15, 2025 • Tom Ayling 🐢

Designing Space Mission Patches

Discover how Katherine Bjelke creates space mission patches that blend storytelling, symbolism, and design to capture the essence of exploration.

Feb 9, 2025 • Tom Ayling 🐢 and Katherine Bjelke

The Shell-Out 🐢

The Shell-Out 🐢

Your informal monthly dose of cool stuff from the world of visual design and tech. Expect a light-hearted, turtle-paced journey through UX/UI, branding, and product design ✨

Monthly Shell-Out

Snoots, Berries, and White Cabbage

Blackberry phones in 2026, Simpsons greyhounds, found shopping lists, and find out why I'm staring at you like this.

Feb 3 • Tom Ayling 🐢

Albert, Blackletter, and Piss

Six cool things from the world of design last month

Dec 2, 2025 • Tom Ayling 🐢

Sharp Teeth, Blend Modes, and Good Hugs

Five design finds celebrating human creativity: stunning illustration, mysterious motion design, purposeful craft, and handmade warmth. What made me…

Nov 4, 2025 • Tom Ayling 🐢

Butter, Cavemen, and Banana Milk

and turds, of course

Oct 7, 2025 • Tom Ayling 🐢

Stuff I found this summer

And returning after a break

Sep 2, 2025 • Tom Ayling 🐢

Rainbows, Squiggles, and Expensive Chairs

Google's plan to make phones less boring, mid-century chair art, design rules that actually work, and more cool design finds.

Jun 3, 2025 • Tom Ayling 🐢

Mirrors, Sandwiches, and Phone-Holes

Don’t forget the chisels, too.

Apr 22, 2025 • Tom Ayling 🐢

Rust, Film, and Pixel-Peepin’

Discover the best film-look camera app, AI tools, space mission patches, risograph animation, and more in this month’s creative roundup.

Mar 15, 2025 • Tom Ayling 🐢

Articles

Designing Space Mission Patches

Discover how Katherine Bjelke creates space mission patches that blend storytelling, symbolism, and design to capture the essence of exploration.

Feb 9, 2025 • Tom Ayling 🐢 and Katherine Bjelke

Turtley UX is now The Shell-Out

But the turtles are here to stay.

Mar 18, 2024 • Tom Ayling 🐢

Rethinking the Web: How Arc Breathes New Life into Browser UI/UX

A Refreshing Approach to Browsing after Years of UI/UX Stagnation.

Nov 14, 2023 • Tom Ayling 🐢

I went to the Design for Planet Festival

The bits I enjoyed from the 2-day eco-extravaganza 🌍

Oct 25, 2023 • Tom Ayling 🐢

Why I Won't Make 'Addictive' Products.

Ethics over engagement - why I'm opting out of the race to the ethical bottom 🍑

Oct 17, 2023 • Tom Ayling 🐢

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