With 2021 about to fade into the distance, I thought it will be timely to give some thought to what comes next. I may probably not go as far to say that these are brand new resolutions- rather, these are things that I hope to practice to an even greater…

Reflecting upon the bigger puzzles in product design beyond my work — Being an individual contributor is often the starting point for many product designers in their careers. IC work requires you to manage an end-to-end design workflow and get your hands dirty. While the process may be arduous at times, there is certainly a salient sense of satisfaction when your brainchild…

How might we increase design maturity in businesses which are not inherently design-driven? I think this is a practical challenge that product designers face. — In the book Creative Selection by Ken Kocienda, the author notes that if there was one definitive statement which could be made about what design is, it will be — in Steve Jobs’ words — “design is how it works”. I think the simplicity of this statement is deceiving, for…

Looking beyond to another new decade. — In summary: He/she who has a why to live can bear almost any how. You will always be who you are when you keep thinking the way you think. Time is an asset. Don’t take it for granted. Your only fear should be the fear of regret. Focus on the things that…

Designing for an efficient & meaningful expense management experience — Note: This is an unsolicited design exercise. I have been using Seedly a lot to track my expenses. The other inefficient alternative which I previously engaged in for a while was to map out my expenses (cash, credit card etc.) all in one spreadsheet and plot out the trends. …

What does it mean to be an effective product designer? I define effectiveness as: Being a critical problem solver whose expertise not only lies in visual and/or interaction design but also in being able to flesh out core business concerns & factors Being excellent at cross functional collaboration & communication…

Accountability is suffering. Technically, there is no finish line. — COVID-19 is a time of reflection. It is when we actually get some time alone with ourselves, if we choose to, without distractions- our mobile phone, social media, Netflix, and the like. And the past month or so, I have been reflecting quite a bit with myself. Some days, I…

Reimagining how information is visualised and communicated. — Edit: After receiving actionable feedback since this article was posted for the first time, I have made a few key iterations to the redesign concept (refer to ‘Limitations & Reflections’ section below for updates)- v1.0 -Focusing on information visualisation and increasing intuitiveness of browsing experience v1.1 -Adding predictive layer of…

A designer’s journey. — Note: This article is not sponsored in any form or fashion by Figma, but a genuine reflection of my personal experiences and thoughts. Cheers! I’d been a Sketch user for 5 years and counting now. It was the go-to solution. It accompanied me through my university days, my startup adventures…