The Harlem Shake is a nearly perfect internet meme because it almost perfectly erases its origins.

via How the Harlem Shake Went from Viral Sideshow to Global Phenomenon | The Verge.

The Mail Online now outperforms The New York Times, The Guardian, and pretty much every other online news property in terms of unique visitors. It generated almost $40 million last year, an increase of 500% since 2008.

via Lessons From The Web’s Most Ruthlessly Addictive Site | Co.Design.

Google calls it the “Zero Moment of Truth,” or ZMOT, and although Facebook doesn’t have a name for it, they’re shooting for the zero moment too. For Google, this is the moment before you get to the store or go online to buy something; it’s when you first start to search.

via This Is How Your Brain Deals With Google And Facebook Ads – BuzzFeed.

Any designer will tell you that their design has no personal attachment to them. This may be partially true.

via The Art Of The Critique — Medium.

There’s also a yearning, even among upstarts, to be identified as heritage brands. As the editors point out: “Brand logos that–however remotely–borrow designery attributes from emblems, blazons, and family crests, play on heritage, and it seems somewhat secondary whether the brands they represent have one or not.” So if you’re looking to impart a “vintage” patina on a brand, all you have to do is slap an emblem on some T-shirts–and voilà, instant history.

via The Hottest Trend In Small-Biz Branding: Old-Timey Logos | Co.Design.