Blog
Notes on design, software, craft, and product thinking.
What to do about ambiguous design problems
Why, when facing an ambiguous design problem with no clear definition, the most powerful thing you can do is start moving in any direction.
What we get wrong as designers
It feels good to be right, and seeking right ideas is more comfortable than seeking wrong ones. But regularly trying to be right (to validate our ideas) only shuts us off from what's actually right and best.
Defining your own career path
Why the answer to every career question is 'it depends'—and how defining your path means looking inward at who you really want to be.
Where do IC designers go once they peak?
On why senior individual-contributor designers shouldn't have to move into management to grow—and how the industry can build a real IC leadership track.
Design edge cases and where to find them
Four strategies for surfacing the edge cases that hide in any product, from extreme scales to accessibility, technology, and user intentions.
What it means to be a designer who's creative
Why creative design is not art: it lives at the intersection of uniqueness and value, propelled by constraints rather than freed from them.
A better way to compare yourself
Why comparing yourself to those you admire can be productive instead of discouraging, broken down into five mindset shifts.
Oh shit, my weekend project turned into an App Store Best New App
How a quick weekend app for sharing book quotes, Snaplight, got featured by Apple—and the lessons that matter more than star ratings.