Ethos
On Design and Responsibility
On Design and Responsibility
January 6, 2026
This text describes how I think about design and the principles that guide my work. It reflects a belief in context, collaboration, and responsibility, and in design as a craft shaped by systems, people, and time.
Design goes beyond form and function, beauty and ugliness. It shapes culture, helps us understand it, and gives meaning to everyday life. Or at least that’s what my more delusional self likes to believe.
I started designing professionally at sixteen. Twelve years later, I find myself questioning how and why I think about design the way I do. This is my first real attempt to translate those thoughts into words and share them with the world, or with the few who care enough to read.
Early on, I learned that my work only matters when it’s done collectively. Design doesn’t exist in isolation. Understanding the surfaces and materials it’s built on, in our case code, machines, and screens, is essential to doing the job well.
We don’t design just for screens. We design for how people interact with them. Building bridges between people and technology means simplifying complexity without dumbing it down. It’s about respecting people’s intelligence, their stories, their experiences, and their time.
Context is everything. We design for moments. When it works, that moment carries a positive emotion. Sometimes that comes from being there at exactly the right time. Sometimes it’s the extra care put into making an experience memorable. Other times, it’s as simple as an image that reminds someone of something good. A big part of the job is knowing which moments are worth designing, and which aren’t.
Every final decision is the result of collective thinking. I don’t believe in big reveals. The process should make the outcome inevitable, clearly showing why something exists and how it became what it is.
I see design as my craft, the thing I do because I can’t imagine doing anything else. I’m obsessed with it, and I try every day to get better and to understand it more deeply. Design isn’t art, but like art, good design comes from disciplined craftsmanship and a certain level of obsession.
This text describes how I think about design and the principles that guide my work. It reflects a belief in context, collaboration, and responsibility, and in design as a craft shaped by systems, people, and time.
Design goes beyond form and function, beauty and ugliness. It shapes culture, helps us understand it, and gives meaning to everyday life. Or at least that’s what my more delusional self likes to believe.
I started designing professionally at sixteen. Twelve years later, I find myself questioning how and why I think about design the way I do. This is my first real attempt to translate those thoughts into words and share them with the world, or with the few who care enough to read.
Early on, I learned that my work only matters when it’s done collectively. Design doesn’t exist in isolation. Understanding the surfaces and materials it’s built on, in our case code, machines, and screens, is essential to doing the job well.
We don’t design just for screens. We design for how people interact with them. Building bridges between people and technology means simplifying complexity without dumbing it down. It’s about respecting people’s intelligence, their stories, their experiences, and their time.
Context is everything. We design for moments. When it works, that moment carries a positive emotion. Sometimes that comes from being there at exactly the right time. Sometimes it’s the extra care put into making an experience memorable. Other times, it’s as simple as an image that reminds someone of something good. A big part of the job is knowing which moments are worth designing, and which aren’t.
Every final decision is the result of collective thinking. I don’t believe in big reveals. The process should make the outcome inevitable, clearly showing why something exists and how it became what it is.
I see design as my craft, the thing I do because I can’t imagine doing anything else. I’m obsessed with it, and I try every day to get better and to understand it more deeply. Design isn’t art, but like art, good design comes from disciplined craftsmanship and a certain level of obsession.