I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes someone actually care about something. I’ve been coaching my son’s soccer team, and he’s the youngest out there. And he’s a bit of a wildman. He’s chasing kids instead of the ball, squirting water on his friends mid-game, fully in it… just not always in the way […]
One of the most meaningful lessons I’ve learned came from outside of design. Years ago, an acting coach I worked with talked a lot about ego. About how it often disguises itself as strength. Knowing. Certainty. Control. On camera, though, none of that reads as strength. The camera sees what you’re protecting. What you’re hiding […]
One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned in creative work is that you have to lean into the unknown. It is uncomfortable. Especially in professional settings where certainty is often mistaken for competence. There is pressure, on both sides, to arrive with answers already formed. To know exactly what the brand should be, where it […]
— Dr. Ralf Speth, former CEO of Jaguar Land Rover It’s common to feel surprised by the cost of good design. You see a number and instinctively compare it to other options. Faster options. Cheaper options. Things that promise to get you to the end result with less friction. That reaction is understandable. Especially when […]
Mood boards are often treated as a collection of things that look good. Personal taste. Aesthetic preferences. Visual inspiration gathered early on to set a mood. That approach misses what makes them useful. In my work, mood boards are not about taste. They are about direction. By the time we reach this stage, the work […]
Earlier in my career, I used to get lost when I designed. Not because I lacked ideas. Quite the opposite. A brand can go in a million beautiful directions, and once you open that door, everything feels possible. Fonts, colors, layouts, concepts. All strong. All viable. All competing for attention. Without a clear foundation, deciding […]
Do you have to sacrifice fortune to lead with heart—or the other way around, or can you do both? For a long time, I thought you couldn’t have both—that choosing integrity and connection meant letting go of financial success. It’s easy to feel caught between the two, and sometimes it can even lead to judgment […]
As we start a new year, I’ve been reflecting on how to approach things with more authenticity and vulnerability. I’ve always prided myself on embracing growth, but this year, I want to focus on embracing imperfection—and not just that, but really showing it. I’ve been listening to music more lately, especially with my son, who’s […]
