Designing the right thing, the right way

From day one, my studio has operated on a simple but powerful principle: designing the right thing the right way. This isn't just a catchy tagline. It's the foundation of why I started this studio and how I approach every single project that comes through our doors.

Let me break down what this actually means. This philosophy has two core phases, and I look at each through two lenses: the market and the process.

Design the Right Thing

The Market Lens

When I look at emerging markets like web3 and AI, I see a pattern that concerns me. The majority of projects launching in these spaces are technology-led, and it's almost always at the expense of the user.

High barriers to entry. Complex, confusing flows. Unforgiving interfaces that punish mistakes. These aren't just design flaws. They're symptoms of a fundamental problem: users are being put last.

I've seen this play out time and time again. Teams get so excited about the technology they're building that they forget who they're building it for. But I know there's a better way to decide what and how to build. That gap, between what's being launched and what users actually need, is exactly where I saw the opportunity to make a difference.

The Process Lens

When it comes to producing products that users genuinely love, there's a dangerous bias in the industry: speed and action over clarity.

Discovery is the stage that gets sacrificed first, especially by less mature teams and designers. The focus becomes "get to market ASAP" instead of "make sure what gets to market actually solves problems for the right users." I've watched countless teams skip this critical phase, rushing toward execution because discovery feels slow, uncertain, or unnecessary.

But here's what I know: investing in a proper discovery phase is what separates a shiny interface from a beautifully functional one. It's the difference between a product that looks good and a product that works exceptionally well for the people who use it.

Design the Right Way

The Market Lens

There's a dangerous tendency in product development to chase trends and copy competitors rather than building on robust, proven systems.

This usually shows up as a frantic rush to ship a shiny new feature because a competitor just launched something similar. Teams start working backwards from their competitor's end UI, reverse-engineering solutions without understanding the underlying strategy or whether it actually serves their own users' needs.

It's reactive design at its worst, and it's almost always at the expense of what your users actually need from you.

The Process Lens

When I apply this principle to our design process, it means something specific: start from the start.

I focus on working on the things I know will genuinely move the needle for both the business and the customers. I give the design the thought it deserves, the iteration, the innovation, the collaboration that creates something unique rather than something derivative.

This approach takes discipline. It means resisting the pressure to cut corners or follow the crowd. It means trusting the process even when speed is being prioritized around you.

Why I Stick to My Lane

This is why I stay committed to my own approach with the studio. I push for what I know works based on my experience, even when it would be easier to bend to market pressures or follow the latest design trend.

Because at the end of the day, my job isn't to make things that look like everyone else's. It's not to ship fast and fix later. It's not to chase technology for technology's sake.

My job is to make sure I'm always designing the right thing the right way.

That's the promise I made when I started this studio. And it's the standard I hold myself and my team to on every project we take on.