🚀 What do a $2B no-code rocket ship, a $14B search shake-up, and a $5M analytics makeover have in common?
They all prove that smart UX design and AI integration are printing money this week – here's what you missed and why it matters.
Industry Moves
- Swedish AI startup Lovable rockets to $2B valuation with $150M mega-round. Lovable, which lets users build full-stack web apps from simple prompts, just closed a massive funding round led by Accel, jumping from $15M to $150M+ in just months. Translation: No-code/low-code AI development tools are officially having their moment, and VCs are betting big on democratizing app development.
- Apple eyes $14B Perplexity AI deal to break free from Google's grip. Apple is exploring its largest acquisition ever – a $14B deal for Perplexity AI that would dwarf their $3B Beats purchase. Internal discussions are early-stage but signal Apple's most ambitious AI move yet. The subtext: Apple wants to own its AI destiny instead of depending on Google for search intelligence.
- Riptide hits $500K in sales just two months after launching a new website by Lazarev.agency. Riptide, the bold electric skateboard brand blending power with serenity, has already crossed the half-million mark in sales just two months after unveiling their revamped website, designed and crafted by Lazarev.agency.
Product Spotlight
- Google Workspace just got personal. Google rolled out Gems integration across Workspace apps, letting users create custom AI assistants that cut down on repetitive prompts. This is productivity gold for marketers and copywriters who need consistent, brand-aligned outputs without the prompt fatigue.
- Tripadvisor said "authenticity over algorithms." Koto reimagined Tripadvisor's brand identity around real travel stories as the platform pushes into AI-enabled planning. Smart move – while competitors chase influencer polish, TripAdvisor doubles down on genuine user experiences that actually convert bookings.
Design & AI Insights
- Heritage brands can stay relevant without selling their soul. SomeOne's rebrand of St John's College Cambridge as the "Home of Big Ideas" proves you can bridge centuries of academic prestige with contemporary activism.
- Impact brands are thinking bigger than individual action. Ocean Bottle's refresh shifts from "you can make a difference" to "we can change systems." This messaging evolution matters for any brand tackling social or environmental challenges, collective impact resonates stronger than personal responsibility guilt.
- Character-driven design isn't just for kids' brands. Derek&Eric's Little Dish rebrand creates a character world that works for both parents (functional communication) and children (emotional connection). Multi-generational targeting done right.
Events To Monitor
- AI Summit @ Esri UC (July 15-17, San Diego): Deep dive into AI features within ArcGIS – essential for teams working on location-based products or spatial data visualization.
- Momentum AI San Jose (July 15-16, San Jose): Business-focused AI event with P&G and JLL speakers. Prime for executives figuring out enterprise AI integration without the developer jargon.
- ACM Designing Interactive Systems (July 5-9, Madeira): Sessions on AI in design and interactive tech. Perfect for design teams exploring how AI changes user interaction patterns.
This Week's Hot Takes from Lazarev.agency
Successful AI-powered products are the ones that treat AI as a constantly tuned collaborator. Real UX impact comes from iterating AI capabilities to fit user contexts, no one-size-fits-all or hands-off solutions here.
{{Oleksandr Golovko}}
The biggest UX design challenge of 2025 is keeping AI human. As brands like Tripadvisor double down on authentic stories, AI must stay in the background, powering efficiency, not hijacking empathy. So, who are the real winners? Those who make AI an assistant.
{{Anna Demianenko}}
✅ That's a wrap on this week's events.
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