STEP 01 — MY VALUES

Clear. Useful. Intentional. Human.

These are the words I keep running through my head while I design. They’ve become a quiet signature in the way I approach almost everything I make. They keep the standard high while still leaving room to learn, adapt, and figure things out along the way.

STEP 02 — HUSTLING FOR PATTERNS

Sites I use

  • Are.na
  • Behance
  • It’s Nice That
  • Mobbin
  • Awwwards

Designers + studios

  • Add current favorite
  • Add current favorite
  • Add studio on repeat

Channels

  • Design breakdowns
  • Creative coding
  • 3D / Blender
  • Front-end experiments

Pattern recognition is usually where I begin. Once I understand the requirements, I pull out the key ideas, look at comparable products and experiences, and study what keeps showing up — along with the things that feel unexpectedly different. Over the years I’ve collected a few resources I return to often. They’re never a fixed recipe; they just help me get a running start.

STEP 03 — LEARN FROM THE LONG FORM

book cover 01
book cover 02
book cover 03

When I do sit down with a book, I usually walk away with a new way of looking at something. Books slow the process down enough to give me the fundamentals, language, and context that quick references sometimes miss.

STEP 04 — WRITING MY POINT

Article / essay title goes here A short line about the idea, lesson, or argument. Another piece of writing Notes, reflections, process, or something you learned. Design notes from a rabbit hole A smaller thought that does not need to become a case study.

Sometimes finishing a project leaves me with another question. Something I want to understand better, an approach I want to unpack, or simply a thought worth putting into words. Writing it down helps me make sense of what I learned — and occasionally turns one project into the starting point for the next.