writing

most design portfolios show what was made. the ones that work show how decisions were made.

good design doesn't sell itself. understanding why a room doesn't move is half the job.

at some point the design work is mostly done by other people. figuring out what your job is after that takes longer than it should.

research can be thorough and still not change anything. the gap is usually in the synthesis.

you can't see your own blind spots. that's not a discipline issue — it's a structural one.

you did the interviews. they're still sitting in a folder. that's not a storage problem.

'I'd try it in blue' is not feedback. here's what is.

the reason your AI output is mediocre is usually the same reason your design briefs were mediocre.

what taste actually is, and why it's the one thing AI makes more important, not less.

AI takes the tedious work. that work used to be how people grew.

what it's actually like to lead on AI when you're not sure where it goes.

nearly ten years at one company. here's what staying actually looks like.

every design decision is a position. own it.