My Design Philosophy (and How to Find Yours)

In 2019 someone asked me, “So… what’s your design philosophy?” The question took me by surprise. I don’t think anyone’s ever directly asked me that before. In a bit of a stupor, I vaguely remember clamoring on about something that resembled more of a design process than a philosophy.

That awkward encounter led me to sit down and think through their question in more detail: the fundamental nature of design, and the parts that shape my approach to digital work. I came out of it with five principles, which I said weren’t comprehensive and would likely evolve. A few of them pull against each other, so each of those now comes with a rule for choosing. After them are the steps to find your own.

Why having a design philosophy matters

“The fundamental principles of web design are the same, whether you’re a boutique agency or Squarespace. What differentiates the two ideologies is a complex expression of humanity, empathy, and experience.” I wrote that in December 2020.

It matters more now. In 2024 I wrote, “As code becomes more democratized, it’s taste, not tech, that will matter.” In October 2026, Fieldwork asked a bunch of AI models for a pottery studio site with “unique personality and taste,” and they basically all handed back the same one. What you get first is the model’s default. The taste part is still on you.

That same month I shared a post by Kal, who turned his design principles into skills his engineers use. That’s a good bar for your own: could someone else apply them to a decision without you in the room?

1. Design is purposeful

Design solves problems: everything else is art. That might seem like a bold statement, but think of it like this:

• Art is personal. Art is subjective. Art is emotional. Art doesn’t care whether you like it or not. Art ≠ Design.
• Design is objective and data-driven. Design loves numbers, metrics, and solutions. Design sees opportunities and iterates towards goals and outcomes.

But both design and art can (and should) be creative. Art uses creativity to express new ideas and thoughts. Creativity for creativity’s sake. Design uses creativity for purpose: to work within constraints and better solve problems.

Taste still has a job. In 2025 I shared a Scott Adams line: “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Design is knowing which ones to keep.” Taste makes the options. The purpose decides which ones stay.

2. The details are not the details

You may have heard the famous quote from Charles Eames that says, “The details are not the details. They make the design.” If you’ve been a part of a team that builds products for digital, you know this to be true.

Everything matters. From copy to interface to animations to onboarding, all of these (and much more) make up the user experience. Spending time to think through a user’s path and empathizing with them through every step aren’t details anymore; they’re necessities.

We must think through problems deeply and whittle away clutter. Simplifying a product down to its essence and purpose is hard. But minding the details along the way will get you there faster.

That sits awkwardly next to my January 2024 mantra: “Ship the thing instead of obsessing over details that don’t move the needle.” Both hold, because they’re different details. A confusing label or an error message that doesn’t say what to do next is on the user’s path. Fix it. A spacing value only the team would notice can wait. Not sure? See if fixing it moves a number you track. I said it about newsletters in 2024: “Kill the vanity metrics and stick to things that move the needle.”

3. Collaboration and inclusion over everything

The best work I’ve ever done has been on a team. It’s simple: different viewpoints, different opinions, and different solutions typically yield better results.

Fostering a safe and inclusive environment will build trust, and the best ideas usually show themselves when there is space to explore without judgment. Humility and communication go a long way, too.

In 2024 I shared a memo Steve Jobs sent to NeXT employees in 1986, and the first highlight I pulled was, “Prioritize time for uninterrupted work. Sometimes collaboration = distraction.” The two don’t cancel out. Bring people in to frame the problem and to critique the work. The making in between gets the uninterrupted time.

4. Keep an eye on the big picture

It’s easy to get lost in the minutiae of the daily grind. But success isn’t necessarily found in how many deliverables your team pumped out during the week. Sometimes progress is made through process, and that can mean taking a step back.

If the project is moving forward and your team is motivated and growing their skillsets, that’s a win for all parties.

Keeping an eye on the big picture also means keeping an eye on expectations. Mismanaged expectations can lead to problems when trying to deliver, both professionally and personally.

5. Design must evolve

Design doesn’t live in a vacuum. Especially if you’re building a product or website. They are living, breathing, ever-changing entities.

You not only owe it to your users to listen to their feedback, but you owe it to the craft to evaluate, iterate, and evolve. If something isn’t working or could be better, make it your responsibility to improve it. After all, the only constant is change.

That means shipping before it’s perfect. In 2023 I put it as, “Ship now, refine later. Iterate > Stagnate.” The same year I wrote that waiting for the “perfect” time to launch “only delays the inevitable, sometimes worse.” Ship once it solves the problem it’s for, list of fixes and all. Before that, feedback only tells you what you already know.

How to develop your own design philosophy

Your design philosophy will be different from mine, and it should be.

1. Answer the question out loud, then write it down

When I was asked, I described a process, and it took sitting down afterward to work out the real answer. Write your answer down. If it reads like steps (research, wireframes, prototypes, testing), you’ve described what you do, not why. A philosophy says what makes design good: “Design solves problems: everything else is art.”

2. Write down what you already keep saying

I’ve kept saying the same things since 2019. I’ve posted some version of “Art ≠ Design” in 2020, 2023 and 2025. In 2023 I wrote, “Simplification is key. It’s not about adding more; it’s about removing the clutter to reveal the essence of your product.” In 2024 it was just, “It’s the details. It’s always the details.”

Look through your old critiques, posts, design reviews and feedback to teammates. The lines that repeat are your principles. I stopped at five and said they weren’t comprehensive.

3. Make each one something you could argue with

Rewrite each line until it names something you’d say no to. “Keep things simple” never settles anything. “Every screen gets one primary action” does, the day someone asks for a second button.

4. Keep the ones that change a real decision

Run each principle against a decision you made recently. If it wouldn’t have changed anything, rewrite it or drop it. Where two pull against each other, like details and shipping in mine, write down when each one wins.

5. Revisit it when your work changes

99% of my design happens in code now. In July 2026 I wrote that “the libraries I choose, the components I build, and effort put into enforcing uniformity and structure… that’s a taste call, too.”

Mine are still in their 2019 wording. The details principle is where code shows up: the details now include libraries and components. When your tools or role change, find where each principle lands in the new work. Rewrite the ones you can’t place.

A philosophy that changes decisions

In 2019 I answered the question with a process, then sat down and wrote these five. Take a decision you have this week and make it with yours in front of you. Any principle that changes nothing goes first on the rewrite list.

More on knowing who you’re designing for: customer avatar development. Want more on design strategy and business principles? Subscribe to my newsletter.

FAQ

What does design philosophy mean?

A design philosophy is what you believe makes design good: the reasons behind your decisions rather than the steps you follow to ship. Mine is the five principles above.

What is the difference between design philosophy and design process?

Process is the steps: research, wireframes, prototypes, testing. Philosophy is why you take them.

How do you write a design philosophy?

Write down the lines you keep repeating, make each one specific enough to disagree with, test it on a real decision, and decide which one wins when two conflict.

What are some examples of design philosophies?

Dieter Rams: “Good design is as little design as possible.” Mine includes “Design solves problems: everything else is art” and “The details are not the details.”

Why is having a design philosophy important?

In October 2026 I wrote, “Generation is cheap, editing is the craft.” The section on why it matters has the rest.