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Annotated

Annotated

Thinking about the overlaps between culture, commerce, ethics, design, people and technology, one messy idea at a time.

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Splitting Atoms & Splitting Hairs

Atomic design got us from thinking about pages to thinking about components, but we don't need to keep carrying the periodic table around.

atomic designdesign systems

The value is in the difficulty

On building software, vibe coding, and what happens to market prices when the barriers fall

software developmentproduct marketing

Interaction Costs: The High Price of Low Usability

How Balsamiq's recent redesign broke rapid wire-framing.

product designusability

I work, I think?

How AI may quietly dismantle the feedback loop that turns inexperienced people into competent ones, and why my work matters to me.

artificial intelligencework ethos

Stop asking users what they want — and start watching what they do.

People's opinions about themselves and the things they use rarely match real behaviour.

The point is to understand

Machines can’t make sense of the world for us. Generating content that looks like knowledge isn't the same as producing it. We lose everything by confusing the two.

Fidelity scales inline with certainty

Fidelity in design isn’t about how finished something looks — it’s about knowing when something is ready to be finished.

The AI recruitment ouroboros

AI is breaking the simple act of getting a job.

Artificial IntelligenceRecruitment

The worst designer I've ever worked with was also the most productive

When companies mistake volume for value, and incentivise outputs over outcomes.

Bring squiggle birds to your workshops

A simple silly and powerful drawing exercise that unlocks creative thinking instantly in workshops about complex things

The product designer's paradox

How UX design’s quest for more influence led to its quiet subordination

Business leaders don’t care about design (and that’s a good thing)

Or why your boss was probably right not to support your design ideas.