Expanding the scope of “digital terroir”
There's a disappointing lack of quality writing aimed at high-level design ICs and "player-coach" design leaders.
More issues
The value proposition of design systems for a mature enterprise
The value that a design system brings to an early-stage product or a small organization is clear, but what about large enterprises with a long history and a myriad of products?
Can the value of a new design system outweigh the challenges of driving adoption and overcoming the status quo?
Lowering your standards vs. picking your battles
There’s too much work to do, and too little time. Too few designers. Too little energy.
Odds are, you can’t singlehandedly design every interface, flow, social post, landing page, icon, illustration, logo, and whatever else your project needs. No matter how large your team, there will always be
One-way doors in design
Some decisions are easily reversible; others are one-way doors.
I prefer the former. There’s comfort in having a safety net. I like to be able to say, “I think this idea will work, but if it doesn’t, we can always roll it back.”
One-way doors are risky, but
Local maximum and global maximum
When making design decisions, we should stay aware of whether we’re pursuing a local maximum or a global maximum.
Think of a project you’re working on that involves some tricky decisions. Now visualize that project as a mountain, with the summit being the ideal version of that project
Why are design decisions so hard?
The blank screen is intimidating. Without the constraints inherent in designing for the physical world, we’re restricted only by what the browser or OS can render.
This is exhilarating, but also kind of scary. With infinite potential solutions to any problem, how do we choose the right one? Is
An anecdote on the real-world importance of UX research
“Can you make sure they add sounds to the next version?”
I’m standing in an aisle of a Wal-Mart in suburban Florida, scrambling to open up my notebook as the rest of my team walks out the door onto the bus. I’m still not entirely sure what’s
Design is hospitality
Design is a form of hospitality.
Done well, design should be welcoming. It should invite users into the world it creates, making them feel at home. This is true for websites, apps, books, posters, album covers — you name it.
Most design is about reducing friction: reducing the friction to find
Two beautiful Bibles
Having been a Christian for years, I own several Bibles. I appreciate that this is a luxury uncommon in the history of the faith; for a long time, it was rare to own a single Bible, and for longer than that it was rare to access to Scripture aside from
Remote work rituals
Wake up. Shower. Eat breakfast.
Go upstairs: home office. Turn on computer. Wait for computer to boot up.
Go downstairs to kitchen. Start electric tea kettle. Fill up bottle of water.
Tea kettle taking too long. Check phone. Browse Twitter.
Tea kettle done! Pour water into mug, add teabag, add