DESIGN MANIFESTO

Working with me

Solve the problem,
beautifully + efficiently

I believe in products that look good and work well, and I strive to achieve this with my design process aiming for a harmonious balance between aesthetics & performance.

Kaizen

The word ‘Kaizen’ means continuous improvement. Never settle for mediocrity—There's always room to make our designs better, one iteration at a time.

Details, details, details
A lot of details !

It's the little things that make a big difference. From spacing, typography, component sizing to micro-copy, each element should be meticulously crafted.

I share a document with them. I first created this document in 2018 and shared it with a select group of colleagues. Since then, I have continuously improved and tweaked it to suit the needs of different teams and to incorporate what works best for the current group of colleagues.

This is what it's like working with me.

I’m always looking for interesting people to work with.

If you ever want to work with me, here are a few things you should know:

How I operate

  • I’m quite demanding with work. I expect a higher rate of iterations when we’re working on a problem. I also expect high quality – both in your thinking and in your execution.

  • I’m high-touch at work, and I prefer working together in person. When we work on a project, you can expect frequent exchanges of ideas, directions and inspiration.

  • I’m quite hands on as a designer. You’ll find me jamming on design files, discussing matters in comments and sharing articulate feedback on the tiniest of details. When we work, I’m zoomed in and no detail is too small. I expect sincere work of the highest quality when we sit down to discuss feedback. I don’t review poor quality work. Don’t cheat your craft.

  • I give very detailed feedback on the work. I also love discussing it with you. If I haven’t explained my feedback well enough, I encourage you to question me till you’ve understood it.

  • I will fight to protect your focus. You’ll have a clear idea of your priorities and timelines.

  • I communicate key information quickly – with urgency and clarity. You can rest assured that you wouldn’t have to operate in state of anxiety or confusion.

  • I expect preparation from you when we have a meeting. I do the same. I also cancel the meeting and give time back when either you or I have not prepared.

  • I don’t like shoddy writing. You owe clear writing to the people you work with. It’s so easy to fix nowadays (with all the free tools available) that there’s no excuse for being bad at it. Poor writing is a sign of poor attention to detail – writing basic product copy, Slack messages, updates and so on. I expect you to take this very seriously.

  • I prefer to be aware of how things are progressing, and if & when they’re blocked. I appreciate async but timely updates.

  • I don’t like following up. If I have to remind you about something we’ve discussed before, it’s too late.

  • I like it when you do your homework and bring clear questions to me so that I can help you with decisions.

  • I love bullet points. That’s how I communicate.

  • Progress over processes.

  • No status quo. I don’t like doing something a certain way because that’s how we’ve done it in the past. If something doesn’t work anymore, we change it. We evolve.

  • Low agency is a disease. When people get stuck and don’t do anything about it, it sets inertia. If you know the answers, go execute. Don’t get stuck and wait. Develop agency to get stuff done.

  • Don’t complain about problems if you haven’t tried to solve them or sought help from someone who can help solve them. Complaining without action is the same as giving up.

  • When you’re not feeling it, take time off. I don’t keep a tab on how long you’re gone for, I just expect you to be back 100% when you return.

  • I have great respect for the willingness to learn and improve. I have good tolerance for low skills but high intent. I have very low tolerance for low skills with low intent.

  • I prefer candor and informality. I make jokes and keep things light. I like to do serious work without being too serious.

  • I like to connect with my team outside work as well, so you’d see me take interest in your hobbies and other activities purely out of curiosity. Also if you’re interested, I love traveling, collecting watches, taking photos, watching football and writing.

  • I don’t like people who spread negativity. I prefer to address the issues instead of venting about them.

  • I love when you question things – processes, ideas, projects, priorities, decisions, direction, strategy… anything.

Communication

  • I prefer fast turnaround and acknowledgement on written communications. A quick 'got it' or 'on it' type acknowledgment lets me know that things we're discussing are moving forward. This is important so I don't have to keep a mental note to remind everyone later.

  • If you suggest a meeting or discussion, please try to block my calendar with a list of things you want to discuss. Agenda is important so I have some time to think about them.

  • Be proactive.

Logistics

  • I appreciate having clear personal space boundaries, and I will respect yours.

  • I enjoy having longer, open-ended discussions over dinner or drinks after work at least once a month.

  • I make an effort to take weekends off to recharge and spend time with family and friends. Essentially if anything's urgent, ping me anytime.

Work Updates & Sync (needs update)

  • When sharing your progress, please be as specific as possible. Instead of saying "WIP in Project XYZ," provide details such as "10% circulated with the team; setting up a meeting tomorrow to discuss next steps." This level of specificity will avoid the need for follow-up questions.

  • New: Progress updates should fall into one of 10/50/99% statuses. Call out alerts, problems, blockers, or expected challenges. It's even better if you can give a short context summary for me as well.

Micromanagement

  • I enjoy working through problems together, but I expect you to come prepared with a few ideas and to have done your homework. Be clear about the specific area in which you need my help. This way, the conversation is not one-sided.

Feedback

  • I'll give you direct feedback, whether it's good or bad.

  • Good or bad you'll be first to know it from me. If you're doing a good job; I'll point and let you know that you're on track. If you're doing a great job, I'll express my gratitude both privately and publicly!

  • However, there are a few reasons why my feedback for you might come out negative:

    • You work didn't meet my expectations - it was poorly constructed, incomplete, or inadequate.

    • You're giving up too soon and are not showing enough grit. You're not exploring enough ideas that may demonstrate your creativity.

  • If you feel I'm not listening to you - your ways of working, capabilities, projects of interest, I apologise. Message me immediately and we'll discuss this.

Your feedback for me

  • Commit to providing me direct feedback

  • I'll admit I'm not great with processes but I try to be. My working style has been called 'militant' in nature by few (or most, I don't know). I am also strict when it needs to be. All in all, I have flaws — you'll learn about those more as you keep working with me. However, I will try to fix them if they're affecting our team, culture, or work. So, feel free to be as transparent and open about it with me. Call it out to me if I fuck up.

  • I respond well to feedback. Our relationship will only get better if you do this well.

Open feedback based collaboration

  • Collaborate with me closely for defining responsibility. Set clear ways of working, alignment and practices to follow.

  • If someone is doing a great job, call it out; ensure that recognition is shared publicly.

Few more things

  • Leadership ≠ manager. I don't believe that one has to be a manager (or, a "title") to show or exercise leadership. It can come from any of you; in some aspects, more than your managers (including me).

  • New: I also don't like folks who are just managers. If you're not creating something tangible regularly, you will fade away.

  • Bias towards action. I'll prefer progress reviews over process of progress meetings.

  • Bias towards sharing work early. I like to get involved in (and involve in case it's something I'm working on) as early and frequently as possible. I don't like bottled up feedback towards the end of a working sprint.

  • Honesty. 10+ years of work experience teaches you to see through bullshit. Be honest in every conversation we have if we want to have a long lasting relationship.

  • I can be hyperbolic. I'm mostly excited about a lot of topics, projects at work - always. I might also dump them on you and not follow-up. Flag it out, when that happens. I'm working on it.

First Principles

I’d enjoy working with you if

  • You’re ambitious and interested in personal growth.

  • You welcome direct and honest feedback.

  • You operate with high agency, urgency and optimism.

  • You show extremely high ownership and often go beyond the stipulated duties.

  • You communicate clearly and quickly.

  • You’re resourceful. You can do a lot with little.

  • You take a lot of initiative.

  • You show up. Consistently. Day after day after day.

DESIGNING FOR HUMANS