Most stories entertain. The best ones do something more. They change you. Not in a grand, life-altering way—no one reads a book and instantly becomes a different person. But the right story can make you see something you hadn’t noticed before. It can nudge you toward a decision you’ve been avoiding or plant a question that refuses to go away. Some stories make you uncomfortable in the best way. They hold up a mirror and force you to confront something you’ve been pretending not to see. Others remind you of what’s possible—what you could …
Who’s In Charge—You or Your Screen?
Technology gets blamed for everything—our short attention spans, our wasted hours, our inability to sit in silence for more than ten seconds without checking our phones. But technology isn’t the problem. It just makes it really easy to be aimless. When you know what you want, technology is a tool. It helps you learn faster, connect better, and build things that matter. But if you don’t know what you want, technology fills the gap. It floods you with distractions, suggestions, and algorithms that quietly nudge you into spending your life …
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The Lies That Keep Us Stuck
I once believed I had an Instagram problem. Too much scrolling, too little doing. The solution? Obvious. Delete the app, set screen time limits, maybe develop some self-control. But instead, I told myself a different story: "I’m curating my feed for inspiration." Inspiration for what? For the life I was too busy watching other people live? We do this all the time. We take behaviors that sabotage us and wrap them in justifications that make them easier to live with. "I work better under pressure" is just a poetic way of saying "I …
When Instinct Takes Over
When I switched from being a designer to design recruitment, I had no idea what I was doing. I’d spend hours analyzing portfolios, second-guessing every hiring decision, and overthinking feedback. It felt like a game where everyone knew the rules except me. Now? I can glance at a portfolio and know—almost instantly—whether the designer is a fit. It’s not magic. It’s time. Experience stacks up, layer by layer, until what once required conscious effort becomes automatic. Like how a chef doesn’t need to measure spices, or a musician can …
How I Lost a Great Designer Over $2,000
I still remember the email. Short. To the point. "Hey, I really wanted to work with you, but I’ve decided to take another offer. They matched my expectation." Just like that, a designer I’d been wooing for weeks slipped away. Over $2,000. The Setup It was a perfect match. The designer was exactly what my client needed—sharp thinker, strong portfolio, great cultural fit. The company was equally great—a fantastic team, a product that excited the designer, and solid long-term career growth. The offer was fair. Good, even. But the …
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The Real Job of a Designer: Solving Problems, Not Just Providing Solutions
As a designer, I’ve learned the hard way that your first job isn’t to jump straight into a solution. It’s to understand the problem—inside out. And I mean, really understand it. We’re not here to just throw ideas at the wall and hope something sticks. Anyone can scribble a concept on a whiteboard. Hell, I've done it. But the real value lies in the ability to grasp the heart of the issue. That’s what makes you different. You’re hired for your skills to comprehend—to dig deeper than the surface-level problem and communicate it in ways that …
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