What’s Happening: Twitter Blue, Elon Musk’s newly instated monthly “verification” subscription plan, quickly unraveled and caused a wave of verified accounts impersonating celebrities and companies. The chaos begs the question: where did the blue check come from, and why is it such a coveted status symbol?

The Download: Ever since Elon Musk acquired Twitter for an astonishing $44 billion, every single move of the Tesla and SpaceX founder has generated a flurry of headlines. In a few short weeks, the tech entrepreneur ordered immediate layoffs of half the company, fired executives by email, instituted overnight product deadlines, and instructed employees to be “more hardcore” in an all-hands. He also announced his new vision for Twitter Blue, a paid monthly subscription that allows any account to receive the coveted blue checkmark and offers early access to select new features he plans to roll out in the coming months.

Almost immediately, Twitter Blue triggered mass confusion and chaos. A deluge of accounts with blue checkmarks quickly began impersonating celebrities, corporations, and politicians on the platform with tweets posted under the guise of authenticity, some hilarious and others not so much. Twitter quickly halted the service while scrambling for a workaround, soon debuting a gray “official” badge meant to differentiate the authentic accounts of public figures from impersonators. Those, too, were paused while Musk worked out the kinks.

The authority a blue checkmark affords—and its complicated design legacy—may explain why the launch of Twitter Blue devolved into chaos. Twitter introduced the blue “verified” badge in 2009 after Kanye West and Shaquille O’Neal complained about impersonation on the platform. The design, which features a white checkmark on a light blue circle with a scalloped edge, was attached to accounts Twitter’s team verified as genuine, meaning it belonged to a company or public figure. Though verification weeds out fake accounts, critics argue it introduced a new social class of Twitter users, described by Musk as “lords and peasants.” The badge has become a virtual status symbol, though verified users are often disparagingly referred to as “blue checks.”

How did Twitter land on the blue checkmark as an icon of authenticity? Though its origin is difficult to trace, one theory suggests the mark represents the first letter of veritas, the Latin word for “truth.” Another theory holds that it’s simply an easier way of writing X—a universal symbol beloved by Musk—as it requires one pen stroke instead of two. The form has become particularly popular in branding—according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the checkmark’s use in logos has tripled since the 1970s, distinguishing graphics for the likes of Verizon and Norton. Nike’s iconic swoosh, meanwhile, is often mistaken for one.

The scalloped background also carries weight, perhaps evoking the emblem adorning the tip of Montblanc pens or Salvador Dalí’s playful, undulating logo for Spanish candy Chupa Chups. It also nods to the seal, an outdated way of marking a document as official. Circular seals were once applied by impressing wax on paper, with excess material seeping out and creating a wavy edge. Though the shape was unintentional, it proved popular among universities that adopted their seals in the 20th century and maintain them to this day.

Design history aside, the mark is an effective visual cue. Similar checks have been picked up by Instagram, Facebook, and former president Trump’s Truth Social platform, albeit in red. Twitter users rely on the verification badge to gauge whether or not information is coming from a vetted news source or so-called authority figure. Until Musk incorporates more steps to prevent impersonations and parodies, the validation afforded by a blue checkmark has all but evaporated and the website is a much less reliable source of information. With spooked companies pulling advertising as parody accounts do them dirty, the Twitter Blue debacle spells trouble for a platform that has long thrived as a news dissemination service.

In Their Own Words: “Twitter’s current lords and peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bullshit,” Musk said in a now-deleted tweet. “Power to the people! Blue for $8/month.”

Surface Says: The rollout of Twitter Blue has been bumpy at best and Elon’s critics are rightfully piling on, but no matter how you feel about the eccentric billionaire, it might be wise to hold the “Twitter is dead” discourse given how quickly he scaled Tesla and SpaceX. Maybe we’ll look back on this as Twitter’s reinvention era.

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Calico Wallpaper has always aimed to move art beyond the frame and into everyday spaces through vibrant custom-fit murals tailored to each interior. Even though Rachel Cope, who co-founded the Brooklyn-based brand with her husband, Nick, is an artist herself, the duo often brings other talents into the fold. (Previous collaborators: Faye Toogood, Meyer Davis, Sabine Marcelis, Ini Archibong, and even their daughter, Willow.) The latest is Kelly Behun, the lauded interior designer who, through a hands-on approach, devises artful yet inviting interiors layered with vintage design classics, collectible one-offs, and no shortage of sunlight.

Behun dreamed up two collections originating from her fascination with light, particularly its alluring dance, endless interplay, and the hypnotic effect light and shadow leave on our surroundings. “Bask” replicates sunlight filtering through architecture on a summer day, somehow both blurring and enhancing edges and corners. Its counterpart, “Sylvan,” captures sunlight’s rhythmic dance in a forest, mimicking the shadows cast by trees on snow-covered mountains to expose the topography underneath. Each explores how light impacts interiors throughout the day, a phenomenon Behun knows well. “The opportunity to capture moments in [light and shadow’s] choreography was too exciting to pass up.”

After studying architecture around Europe, the Lebanese-Polish sisters Tara and Tessa Sakhi established a multidisciplinary studio between Beirut and Venice, where they experiment with a diversity of recycled materials to craft sensorial interactions between interiors and collectible design. Each project the duo takes on—whether a public installation honoring Lebanon’s collective memory after the deadly Beirut explosion or a series of sculptural vessels mixing Murano glass and metal waste—is imbued with connection and compassion, seeking to create a sense of belonging in an often fragmented world.

Surface hosted the 57th installment of our Design Dialogues series in partnership with Jaeger-LeCoultre to celebrate the heritage Swiss horology brand’s newly opened Reverso 1931 Cafe in Manhattan—and the 90th anniversary of its namesake timepiece. This edition, moderated by Surface senior editor Ryan Waddoups, featured Stephen Harrison, the chief curator of the Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute, lettering artist Alex Trochut, and perceptual artist Michael Murphy.

The latter two spoke about their practice and participation in Jaeger LeCoultre’s Made of Makers program, which invites world-class artists to collaborate with the brand’s expert artisans to explore the intersection between the creative industries and horology. When the conversation wrapped up, guests enjoyed pastries specially designed by Paris-based chef Nina Métayer.

When was it? Nov. 3

Where was it? The Reverso 1931 Cafe, Manhattan

Who was there?Arielle Assouline-Lichten, David Weeks, Ara Thorose, Anne-Laure Ritter, and more.

When asked how he would describe the overhaul of the Sonoma Valley home he refers to as the Ridgeview renovation, San Francisco-based architect Michael Hennessey replies, “radical transformation.” He’s not exaggerating.

It would be easy to assume the home is a new build. The cement plaster facade is serene yet timeless, an effect expanded upon by the home’s deference to the surrounding landscape. Forging a connection between the home and its site overlooking the rolling hills of wine country was of particular importance to Hennessey, who says the existing structure “could have very easily been designed for a flat suburban lot.” The architect and his team embarked on an extensive process to make the home more suited to its location, scaling down the towering profile and opening up the interior with windows offering panoramic views. The end result is a sophisticated, retreat-like dwelling worthy of its idyllic environs.

When: Until Jan. 7

Where: Galerie Max Hetzler, London

What: Known worldwide for placing the self-coined “theater of public life” under scrutiny, the Brooklyn-based artist now turns her creative lens to the theater of coupledom. In the canvases presented for her solo exhibition debut, she features recurring characters in their daily routines appearing close yet distant, rendered in emphatic brushstrokes that impart an immediate feeling of urgency.

John Foley spent the better part of this year reflecting on what made Peloton, the buzzy purveyor of gamified stationary home exercise bikes and treadmills, such a success. The disruptive, multibillion-dollar fitness brand he founded a decade ago resonated with consumers thanks to its focus on digital content and a fitness-meets-gaming aspect that ingratiated customers desperate to forge human connections during quarantine. Though Peloton was seen as a pandemic darling, sales froze as life returned to normal and gyms reopened. A major restructuring eliminated thousands of jobs. Its stock tumbled, showrooms closed, and inventory piled up in warehouses.

Having resigned as CEO in February and executive chairman in September, Foley is returning to the direct-to-consumer space with the launch of Ernesta, a rug brand co-founded with former Peloton staffers Hisao Kushi and Yony Feng. Slated to launch in the spring, the company plans to sell 50 styles of custom-cut, machine-made rugs in five colorways at prices comparable to West Elm and CB2. Much like its community-minded predecessor, Ernesta—the name is a mashup of Ernest Hemingway and “Nesta,” Bob Marley’s middle name—will encourage buyers to engage with the brand on social media by posting before-and-after shots of material samples and transformed spaces.

Montalba Architects is an award-winning practice, producing select architecture and urban design projects throughout the world. By embracing a humanistic approach that considers not only a client’s needs, but also the cultural and economic environment, solutions are realized that are contextual and visionary in their intent and appeal.

Surface Says: What’s impressive about Montalba’s wide-ranging body of work is that no project feels the same as another. Each is a unique collaboration between client, architect, and environment.

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