So here is something to contemplate on. Everybody wants to become rich. But if everybody becomes rich, nobody is going to be actually rich.
The word “rich” is a comparative adjective. It implies that others are poor. When we say Jeff Asshole Bezos or Elon Retard Musk are rich, it means they have more than others. Significantly more!
So if we go by this definition, being rich simply means having more than the others. As a consequence, if everybody has the same amount of stuff, then the very definition of the word “rich” will lose its meaning.
Semantically speaking we can’t be all rich or can we?
Have you noticed how good design solves a problem and is usually quite noticeable? Great design, on the other hand, seamlessly integrates into the user experience, becoming almost invisible. 👏🏼🎉
This leads to the paradox of good design, which I contemplated a while ago.
In other words, great design fades into the background, letting the user focus on the purpose or task at hand rather than the design itself.
This could be one of the reasons why there are so many unrecognised good designers.
As I’m going through my old writings, I rediscovered this short piece that I wrote back in 2017. It was my reaction to some of Elon Musk’s claims back then about going to Mars to save humanity. I’m somehow surprised by how little this piece has aged and how relevant it still is today.
Unfortunately, not much has changed since 2017—except maybe that Elon’s vision of going to Mars, and many other claims, seems somehow more like business-driven market manipulation rather than an actual serious endeavour to go to Mars to save mankind.
After delving into Hans Rosling’s book Factfulness, I can’t help but feel a mix of reluctant optimism and a lingering sense of impending doom. Sure, the book does a great job of showing us that the world isn’t as terrible as we might think, and that there’s data to prove humanity’s progress. But at the same time, it also highlights a rather grim reality: billions of people are striving for a lifestyle that our planet’s limited resources might never be able to sustain.
And let’s not forget our tendency to squabble over ideologies and beliefs that only serve to divide us further. In the end, while Factfulness offers a glimmer of hope, it also serves as a stark reminder of the uphill battle we face.
Still, I’d recommend giving it a read—if only to arm yourself with a bit more knowledge to navigate this complicated world.
🍎📲💥 There’s been a wave of criticism around Apple’s new Liquid Glass UI — especially among designers.
But I can’t help but wonder: how much of it is genuine concern for accessibility and usability, and how much is performative outrage or virtue signaling?
Let’s not forget — this is a demo, not a finished product. Judging an under-construction UI as if it’s final is like complaining about a leaky roof before the roof is even built.
Yes, accessibility matters. Yes, legibility matters. But perhaps the louder concern should be elsewhere:
Autocorrect that still struggles.
Dictation that fumbles.
Voice recognition that underdelivers.
AI features that feel half-baked.
These are the core experiences that need urgent attention. Maybe it’s time we shift focus away from the gloss and toward the fundamentals.
“It’s somehow paradoxical that one of the most important characteristics of a good design, its unobtrusiveness, renders it harder to notice or appreciate.”
– Martin
Good design is somehow invisible, which contributes to the common perception of design as a discipline that is somehow unimportant or easy to do. It’s somehow paradoxical that one of the most important characteristics of a good design, its unobtrusiveness, renders it harder to notice or appreciate.
Bad design, on the contrary, because it is more noticeable and easier to spot, gets associated with design as a profession, contributing to the more critical view of design as a useful discipline.
“If you base all your design decisions on data only, your designs will be only as good as your data is.”
When working on design projects, whether it’s for my clients or myself, I like to remind myself that:
Data can be inaccurate and misleading. It is better to assume that not all data you get is always 100% accurate.
Be aware of biased interpretations of data. Data can often be intentionally skewed by those presenting it to us.
I try to make decisions based on my intuition, experience, knowledge, and other sources of information. I rarely rely on data alone.
So my advice would be: use data to verify your hypotheses or to justify your points when relevant, but be careful to rely on data as your only source of information, as it can backfire on you. It’s healthy to be slightly sceptical of given data, especially when unsure where it came from. And always watch for biased interpretations and question your sources.
📖 If you want to dig deeper on this topic, here are some articles worth reading:
“Pride comes before the fall. Remember, the lack of confidence is your enemy, but so is overconfidence. “
The best way to design amazing product is to stay curious and keep your ego at bay. Always ask questions when unsure, be inquisitive, and don’t assume that you know everything that needs to be known because most likely you don’t.
“Any understanding of the world is incomplete. Be open to new interpretations and perspectives as it can help you to move beyond existing solutions.“
Philosophers are well aware that any understanding of the world is incomplete. As a product designer, I like to remind myself of this simple truth about our world, especially when reviewing older research findings or design solutions.
We need to embrace change and adapt as new information and perspectives emerge. We should question the key decisions from the past and challenge the existing solutions when they stop making sense. It could be that circumstances have changed, and what was a sensible solution before is no longer the one.
