Our ideas and insights on design 
, building software 
, creating products 
, and much more.
Micro Design Systems, Seven Years Later
A 2026 follow-up to the original 2019 post on modular design systems. What held up, what changed, and what we'd write if we were starting today. Covers design tokens, design engineers, and the quiet death of the design systems team.
The Language Games of Design
Ludwig Wittgenstein argued that words get their meaning from how they're used, not from what they refer to. Apply that to design systems and suddenly the component naming fights, the token drift, and the one-designer systems all look like the same problem.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.