How I work

Building a solid foundation starts with discovery

In the context of business, the goal of design is to create a visual solution to an existing problem. The problem might belong to users, the business, or exist in the product itself, though it often sits at the intersection of all three.

A solid foundation starts by understanding what problem is actually being solved. Before colours, layouts, typography, I find it important to clarify the underlying goals, constrants and tradeoffs. When the problem isn't well-defined, design risks becoming merely more than expensive decoration.

In my experience, design works best when user needs, business objectives and technical realities are considered together, and not in isolation. Ignoring any of these can mean that while designs look good in Figma, they break down in production.

From there, design becomes an exercise in clarity. Simple messaging aimed at communicating intent quickly.

So, a strong foundation allows everything to follow easier. Clear patterns, consistent structure and intentional decisions. With a strong foundation grounded in research, teams can iterate quickly, and scale with confidence.

Designing with constraints

Constraints exist when building real products. Timelines, budgets, technical limitations, existing systems, etc all shape what’s possible, and good designers cannot ignore these realities.

Rather than seeing constraints as blockers, I treat them as inputs. Understanding technical boundaries, business priorities and delivery timelines early help narrow the problem space and leads to more focused and practical solutions.

For me, this means collaborating closely with engineering and product teams from the start. Conversations about feasibility, performance and maintainability influence design decisions just as much as visual direction.

Constraints also encourage clarity. Limited space, limited time or limited functionality force difficult choices. These choices often lead to simpler, more intentional outcomes (and less revisions). Instead of trying to solve everything at once, design becomes about prioritising what matters most and removing what doesn’t.

Design that scales

Design that works once isn’t enough. As businesses grow, teams will naturally change and the tools and processes we use evolve.

Scaling also means thinking beyond individual screens. States, edge cases, accessibility and performance all become more important as products reach more users and more use cases. Design decisions made early have long-term impact, which is why I try to consider how my designs will look, feel and operate in the months and years to come.