Design as thinking

I’ve never really seen design as surface-level work. For me, it’s a way of thinking. A way of exploring, questioning, testing, and making sense of things. Sometimes that leads to something visual or tangible, and sometimes it doesn’t. These posts sit in that space. They’re less about outputs, and more about how design helps reach towards understanding, direction, or a better outcome.

Make it professional, make it pop 20^th of April 2026 “Make it look professional.” “Make it look good.” “Make it pop.” None of these are especially clear design instructions. But they are often useful all the same.
Easy, facile answer machines 10^th of March 2026 My problem with AI is that design, strategy, and consultancy depend on awkward questions, uncomfortable truths, and human judgement, not just easy answers.
The reverse stone soup challenge 22^nd of September 2025 There’s a folk tale about Stone Soup. There's a particular design challenge that I think of as its reverse.
On asking why, copying, and outcome bias 12^th of May 2022 I seem to go through a cycle of thinking I ask ‘why’ way too much, and then, shortly after, that I don’t ask ‘why’ nearly enough.
Design as goal reaching not problem solving 13^th of July 2020 Instead of problem solving, I now view design as an ongoing goal-reaching activity. The difference for me is that the context is bigger, the constraints require more thought, but the results are much greater — and more meaningful — in their impact.
Design is uncomfortable 28^th of May 2020 Design is uncomfortable. At least I frequently find it uncomfortable. Anyone who has sat in front of a blank page will know something of this.
Nothing new 28^th of May 2020 In my work there is always an urge to tread new ground, to discover, to create what’s never been created or seen before. However, that's often not what is needed, and there's the often quoted fact that everything is a remix, that there is nothing new under the sun.
Where are you Siri? 24^th of April 2020 I talk to my phone, my wrist, my iPad and, occasionally, my computer. I ask them to remind me of things, I ask what the weather will be like, I ask them to time something for me. Sometimes I ask them something more complex, and, sometimes, they help with that too.