Archive
More articles, on design, building software, creating products, and much more.
The Problem of Creative Scaling
The skill that got you promoted is the skill that's killing you. Why creative leaders hit a wall when their org doubles, and what the job actually becomes on the other side.
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.
Dear (Future) Designer: Don't Learn How To Code
The pressure to learn to code is persistent bad advice. What you actually need is literacy, not fluency — and the list of things worth learning is shorter than you think.
When to Hire a Design Partner, and When to Hire In-House
The choice between a design partner and a senior in-house hire isn't a tradeoff between two versions of the same role. They do meaningfully different jobs. Here's how to decide which one your team actually needs.
What AI Actually Changes in Product Design
The discourse has collapsed into either 'AI eats design' or 'AI is nothing new.' Both are wrong. What actually changes, what doesn't, and how designers should adjust.
A Design Principle Should End an Argument
Most design principles are too vague to decide anything. Here's how to write principles that actually get used — starting from real decisions instead of aspirational words.
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.
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.
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.
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.