Our ideas and insights on design , building software , creating products , and much more.
Series
Timeless Wisdom, Modern Products
Timeless philosophical concepts have a lot to offer modern product design. From Aristotle's pursuit of balance to Heidegger's insights on seamless experiences, these articles connect deep thinking with practical design.
The Art of Disappearing Tech
How Heidegger's philosophy of 'being' can reshape the way we design digital experiences, pushing us to create technology that fades into the background and helps people live more authentically, rather than overwhelming them with distractions.
From Plato to Pixels
Explore how ancient philosophy can inform modern product design by diving into Plato's concept of ideal forms. Learn how to strive for perfection, balance aesthetics with functionality, and create meaningful user experiences by applying timeless philosophical insights to today's design challenges.
Cultivating Virtue in Design
Discover how Aristotle's virtue ethics can shape modern product design. Learn how to create products that encourage users to build good habits, find balance, and pursue long-term well-being. By applying Aristotle's philosophy of the golden mean, you can design products that promote personal growth, foster moderation, and contribute to meaningful, flourishing user experiences in today's digital world.
Modern Design and its Empathy Crisis
Where Are The Humans?
In an age of AI-driven design and reductive personas, we've lost sight of the human at the heart of experience. This essay explores design's empathy crisis and offers a path forward through genuine human connection, challenging us to choose care over convenience and proximity over abstraction.
A Design Truth, Uncovered
What Bed Linen Can Teach Us About Usability
From Nordic duvet covers with corner hand pockets to fitted sheets with orientation tags, everyday bed linen reveals profound lessons about product design. Discover how small, thoughtful innovations in mundane household items mirror the principles of exceptional user experience design—and why complacency is the enemy of progress.
Making Design Impossible to Ignore
On Design Evangelism
Design Evangelism, though less explored than its developer counterpart, is crucial for advocating the value of good design within organizations. This article delves into the four key roles of design evangelists—advocating, educating, collaborating, and inspiring—to empower teams and elevate design's impact.
Leading Creative Teams at Scale
The Problem of Creative Scaling
Discover strategies for creative leaders to scale their impact in hyper-growth organizations by focusing on high-impact problems and leading through others.
Applying Microservices Architecture to Design
Micro Design Systems: Breaking the Monolith
Modular design systems will scale better, make design faster, and be less likely to fail. By applying the microservices architecture to design systems, we can create purpose-driven, interconnected services that grow with our products.
Why Communication Beats Coding for Designers
Dear (Future) Designer: Don't Learn How To Code
Learn how to communicate with our engineering counterparts instead. Writing code and understanding code are two very different beasts. And only...
Improve Your Design by Embracing Literal Touchpoints
Dear (Future) Designer: Understand Why Touch Matters
Fitts's Law is a fundamental principle that predicts interaction time based on target size and distance. Understanding this simple yet powerful concept helps designers create interfaces that are not just beautiful, but effortlessly usable.
Design for everyone, not just the average user
Dear (Future) Designer: Accessibility Is Not A Feature
Accessibility is not something you add on top of a finished design. It is not a toggle. It is not a checklist you complete at the end. Accessibility is a quality of the design itself.