Designing and Being Human
This past year changed me.
I shipped some of the best work of my career — building systems, making accessibility real, and stepping into a Principal role at SoFi.
At the same time, I made another human.
And that kind of thing doesn’t just add to your life — it reshapes you.
I don’t think about design the same way anymore.
I used to care a lot about being a great designer.
Now I know I am one.
What matters more is how I influence, how I shape direction, and how I help others do their best work.
I used to pride myself on being a workhorse — moving fast, getting things done.
Now AI does a lot of that.
So I’ve shifted into something better: thinking more deeply, asking better questions, and focusing on the problems that actually matter.
“So I’ve shifted into something better: thinking more deeply, asking better questions, and focusing on the problems that actually matter.”
I used to think of craft as visual execution.
Now I see it everywhere —
in how I design,
how I collaborate,
how I speak,
even how I prompt.
I still think in systems.
But I also see the beauty in the mess.
The messy financial lives of our members.
The mess of my own life as a mom of two.
The uncertainty in the design industry right now.
It’s all evolving.
And evolving things are alive.
And that’s where the interesting work is.
I can run a project with my eyes closed.
What’s new is helping others run it with me —
so we can move faster, think better, and have more impact together.
I’ve always believed design is a way to enhance humanity —
to help people thrive, find clarity, and even joy.
That belief hasn’t changed.
If anything, it feels more important now.
This past year also broke me a bit.
And I’m in the process of building myself back — differently, more intentionally.
In a way, it feels similar to what’s happening in design right now.
We’re all figuring out what we become next.