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David Coveney

@davidcoveney.com
233 followers 160 following 1.1K posts

Publisher of Design Week, head dogsbody at Standfirst, forward looking technologist and a person who cares that the world is progressing in a way that's good for everyone.

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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 28/09/2026
School/college comms: "Don't forget to arrive for the parent's meeting at 5:15pm!" Wait? It's today? Feck... it's not in my calendar. Let me start organising, communicating with wife... Ten minutes later spot entry for Thursday at 5:15pm... Search old emails...it is, in fact, on Thursday. FFS.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 27/09/2026
I'm having a big clearout and found this old Samsung NC10 which not only powers up but even retains charge! I'm not sure what to do with it. Sell it to a mad enthusiast or give it to a tech museum? It's kind of cool in a way.
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katie @supermathskid.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I wrote "ouch" on a piece of paper and sent it through the photocopier. What happened next chilled me to the bone
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 24/09/2026
Worst train toilet ever. Tiny hole to use, but at least there's a solid handle to keep you steady. No hand rinse either. Avanti needs to get their act together.
Terrible toilet on Avanti train. Honestly should just be turned into a bike storage or something.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 23/09/2026
My secret talent is being able to easily catch even flying crane flies in order to evict them. I wish I'd have acquired this in my twenties. I'd have been sooo hot.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 23/09/2026
I'm in London tomorrow and my afternoon meeting has bailed on me at short notice. So if someone has a bit of space I can borrow or would like to have me on hand for some digital publishing or design PR advice then give me a shout! I have 4hrs!
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 23/09/2026
The energy consumption of some websites is way too high. Both front end and back-end.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 21/09/2026
My thesis is that the minute we shifted to mobile first design we basically ruined it. It's like the difference between vinyl covers and cd or playlist art. We tried to have more differentiation for @designweek.co.uk and it cost us a fortune in time.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 19/09/2026
Maybe Siiiir Jim Ratcliffe needs a subscription to an AI.
Gemini Q&A:

Hi. I'm a multi-billionaire. I migrated to Monaco because Britain taxes too much. Should I go on TV to say the country is on the slide and everyone will leave if taxes don't come down? Short answer please.

Gemini answered: 

No, you shouldn't. Broadcasting warnings about national decline while living in a tax haven almost guarantees intense public backlash rather than policy reform. To ordinary voters and lawmakers, a broadcast from Monte Carlo reads less like sound economic advice and more like a threat from an out-of-touch elite, which usually hardens political resolve against tax cuts.  
If your goal is to genuinely influence UK fiscal policy, quiet lobbying or supporting economic policy research carries far more weight than a high-profile media tour.
What specific outcome are you hoping to achieve—shifting public sentiment or directly influencing lawmakers?
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
This should be the moment people finally realise that Farage has turned them into fascists. If you’re choosing this dangerous inhumanity over the rescue work of the RNLI, you’ve lost your minds to racism and hatred.
Reform UK
Follow
@reformparty_uk
Charities' actions in aiding and abetting the invasion of our country will be illegal under
Reform UK.

Photo of Farage on Gb news
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 17/09/2026
My first car review, largely with a design perspective for obvious reasons. www.designweek.co.uk/design-revie... A lot of the photography is mine too, and happy with how it came out.
designweek.co.uk
Design review: The new Skoda Epiq
A design oriented review of Skoda’s new Epiq - a small to medium car with a well thought out if sober exterior coupled with a thoroughly pleasant interior.
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Haus of Decline @hausofdecline.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I think AI has already exceeded the intelligence of the type of person that believes AGI is imminent, which is why they believe AGI is imminent.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 17/09/2026
Sod it, I semi supported Ed Sheeran in being neutral (his choice 'n all that) but I've come to the conclusion that he's another posh boy who has no clue how risky it is to turn the other way in the face of fascism. And now Tommy Robinson has come out in support. Hah!
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 16/09/2026
As a candle at both ends kind of guy I often try to write articles for @designweek.co.uk late in the evening. Half the time I end drifting in and out of sleep so it ends up as a confusing mess, and occasionally a letter repeated a hundred times before I wake again. But also, great ideas turn up.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 14/09/2026
One of the most important things parliament can do right now.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 14/09/2026
I was at a big PR event again at the weekend, and I have to say that influencers all come across to me as far more hard working and committed than I ever expected. And they're as gorgeous in real life as they are in photos. And always quite charming. God, they're insufferable! /jk
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 10/09/2026
Tue Brook. I grew up poor.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 09/09/2026
I wrote a thing about the new iPhone Duo. I may have been in a grumpy mood when I realised I had to. www.designweek.co.uk/does-apples-...
designweek.co.uk
Does Apple’s new foldable iPhone Duo offer anything new
Apple has released its first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo. It’s a £1999 to
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 09/09/2026
I think we've all been there. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Valve failure on CalMac ferry saw uncontrolled escape of flammable gas
The "significant incident" happened last summer on a crossing from Arran with 82 passengers on board.
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Design Week @designweek.co.uk · 09/09/2026
From iconic album covers to five decades of brilliant design! ✨ A new London Design Festival exhibition is celebrating the incredible career of George Hardie. Read all about it: www.designweek.co.uk/george-hardi...
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Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Our undercover reporter, Chris Atkins, posed as a far-right journalist at the Reform Conference and got thrown out for asking difficult questions about Farage's corruption scandal @scatatkins.bsky.social
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 03/09/2026
I'm watching this on 4 streaming and it's brilliant. This is the most fun I've had watching TV in ages.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 03/09/2026
I fail to understand why anyone who is a genuine fan of music would use anything other than Tidal for their streaming. There. I said it. Now I've annoyed most of my followers...
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 02/09/2026
Rules are for wimps! Also, what a treat. There's joy in every day around here.
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Mark Braggins @markbraggins.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Haha, nice one @privateeyenews.bsky.social !
Extract from Private Eye: Bluesky also banned

THE government confirmed today that, despite being left off the initial list, Bluesky would be included in the social media sites banned for under 16s.

Said a Downing Street spokesman, "We're determined to protect impressionable teen minds from being exposed on Bluesky to friendly polite
conversation on topics ranging from the albums of Miles Davis to classic 70s Hollywood movies and the best era of Doctor Who."

He continued, "Filling teenagers' impressionable young minds with this genial chat is no way to prepare them for the hellish Al future that awaits them."
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 28/08/2026
I'm travelling to Italy to get an interview with two masters of car design. Who aren't Italian or working for an Italian firm.
An image from inside Manchester Airport where you can see children from behind who are looking at the Ryanair plane outside. Two young women on a bench are also looking away from the camera, one has her head on the other's shoulder.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 28/08/2026
Of course my connection has been cancelled. Northern has to be one of the most shockingly unreliable services in the country. I'd say the majority of my attempts to travel by train are impacted in some way that just adds anxiety. Thankfully there's another train fifteen minutes later.
Screenshot of a train ticket app showing a connection has been cancelled.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 28/08/2026
Got to love this coffee shop that spotted an opportunity to sell to travellers over a low fence.
A coffee shop on the other side of a railway station's fence with boards advertising their products along with an illuminated coffee sign.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 26/08/2026
I rationally knew that I'd almost certainly get an all clear following the removal of a spot of skin cancer, but the relief of getting it confirmed washed over me more powerfully than expected. Wear sun cream.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 26/08/2026
I lived in Spain, and when I was six Franco died. I remember the outpouring of grief but also didn't realise then that he was problematic and that my father was a Francoist. No wonder he read The Express when we lived in the UK...
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 22/08/2026
Optimist: the cup is half full Pessimist: the cup is half empty Designer: either make it two thirds full or two thirds empty, otherwise you're not showing intent
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 19/08/2026
This. Once I had someone claiming in a Facebook thread that I was AI. Why? I can only think it was because my arguments were balanced, cogent, and well-spelled. In his poorly educated world, that was an AI red flag!
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Helen Kennedy @helenkennedy.com · 17/08/2026
Bet you didn't imagine the Well Actually Humorless Killjoy would be one of the first Bluesky jobs lost to A.I.
lan Boudreau @ianboudreau.com • 14h
A lot of people don't know this, but when you brush a cat, you are legally required to show them the wad of cat hair that came off of them and tell them
"this is enough for another whole cat"
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Veratify @veratify.bsky.social
V found this claim is false. This is a well-known internet joke; there are no laws in any jurisdiction requiring pet owners to show cats their shed hair or say this phrase.
Real-time fact-checks on your feed:
https://veratify.ai
Errors or comments: info@veratify.ai
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 17/08/2026
Not at all convinced the world needs a Defender like this. It's a road car. For people who want to bask in second-hand toughness, but ultimately, it's fast, bad for pedestrians, and I completely 100% understand why JLR would build this for the kind of people who want it.
The Land Rover Defender Dakar special edition, because what you really need on the school run is a 4.4l turbocharged V8 with 635PS and massive wheels. It's a toughed out, wheel arch extended version of the Defender in a sand colour with a green roof and roof lights for lighting up everything ahead of you because that's important when you're nipping to the golf club.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 17/08/2026
From the Archives: How to Get Started in Motorsport - davidcoveney.com/59/how-to-get-star…
davidcoveney.com
How to Get Started in Motorsport
Getting into motorsport isn’t especially difficult, expensive, or even all that time-consuming. Of course - there are a few things you need to sort out first: Access to a car of some description. Always handy. Any car will do - there’ll be a motorsport to suit, though levels of preparation and costs may vary. A...
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 12/08/2026
OH DEAR GOD THE SUN IS GOING OUT! IS THIS THE APOCALYPSE?!
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 09/08/2026
Tip: if you only finger tighten the sprocket bolts, the chain falls off. No harm done, thankfully. Subscribe to Karting for Absolute Idiots for more hot tips 🤦
The underside of a Tillotson T4 senior kart showing the sprocket and axle assembly. The tyres are covered in grass because of having had to pull off the track in an abandoned session.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 09/08/2026
Count Binface's hair dryer pledge is the only design related statement we could find by any of the 34 Clacton by-election candidates. www.designweek.co.uk/is-count-bin...
designweek.co.uk
Is Count Binface’s pledge against a hand-dryer over a urinal more than just a joke?
In a political landscape currently dominated by interminable and tedious culture wars, it’s taken an intergalactic space lord to address a real issue facing the British public: awful interior UX.
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DESIGN THINKING! Comic @designthinking.lol · 06/08/2026
Good lord. The gall of this on multiple levels...
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 04/08/2026
I once did a talk about how social networks live and die, and it's usually friction combining with toxicity. Essentially, you cope with the toxicity until some friction, which could be as simple as resetting a password, means you just can't be arsed logging in again.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 02/08/2026
The fact that these people are clearly incredibly stupid gives me hope that we can push this malign power away in time.
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Design Week @designweek.co.uk · 02/08/2026
The Glasgow School of Art has published a major Strategic Outline Business Case Addendum detailing an enabling project to remove external scaffolding and secure the Mackintosh Building, seeking external partners to fund a complete reinstatement. Full story: www.designweek.co.uk/glasgow-scho...
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Rob Manuel @robmanuel.b3ta.com · 28/07/2026
Wrote two lines of Javascript to make news websites actually look like what they *feel* like to me
France and Spain are on fire due to climate change, but never mind that, driving is a nightmare for tall people like me – so which cars are best to help back pain?
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 28/07/2026
Get yourself an avatar by the official Design Week cartoonist for less than the cost of some AI tokens.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 28/07/2026
Riding in a Unimog based bus and I feel like I'm the only one here who's excited about this.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 26/07/2026
From the Archives: God Save The Queen! (Petrol Sniffer Style) - davidcoveney.com/120/god-save-the-q…
davidcoveney.com
God Save The Queen! (Petrol Sniffer Style)
No, we’re a patriotic bunch here in Blighty. Stiff upper lip and all that, what! But in motorsport we’re not known for our pomp. Just gets in the way of the Castrol, I say! However, in deference to our glorious yet ultimately powerless leader, something had to be done:
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HappyToast @happytoast.co.uk · 24/07/2026
I made some new cards. A6 £10 each, includes an envelope and p&p. Shout if you want one.
Some cards
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 23/07/2026
Respond and block. The act of a person in a bubble they must protect at all costs.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 21/07/2026
On holiday. We have a rented static caravan and I'm the only person in my family able to perfectly control the shower temperature. I've always been like that since I was a baby when a mysterious old woman visited our house and left a small doll behind. It's a curse I carry well.
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David Coveney @davidcoveney.com · 19/07/2026
We're watching this in a restaurant in Croatia...but they're streaming it and someone nearby has it on terrestrial. Vast majority are supporting Spain. It does make it easy to capture moments though....
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