My Design Manifesto

Manifestation and Integrity

Above all else, I value honesty and integrity. If I can’t trust you as a person, how can I trust your product?

But integrity goes beyond just are you telling me the truth? It refers to how you interact with other people — when you’re out to dinner and the restaurant is short staffed, do you add to your stressed out waitress’ terrible day, or do you recognize that this is a situation beyond her control and bring humility and grace to the situation?

When you see an image that you love and want to share on Instagram, do you credit the creator? Do you take the extra moment to figure out who created the image? Or does it get passed off as your own, or just a silent share?

If you’re out with friends and you hear an awesome idea from a friend, does that idea get passed off as your own in future conversations, or do you share that your friend, Emma, had something great to share with you? Who gets the credit in a moment where stealing the spotlight feels harmless?

If you’re wondering how on earth this relates to design, bear with me. It matters. Integrity matters. Original ideas and work are a currency that I think we are risk of losing as the internet allows us to hide behind screens, to pass work off as our own, to work anonymously. But creating things that we are proud of, that we want to stamp our name on, that matters. Building products that come from a place of truth, from authenticity, and from genuine interest and curiosity manifest user experiences that mirror the same.

One of the lesser-known, and less-often shared beliefs of mine is the power of manifestation. While I would rarely describe myself as a woo-woo person, I have seen the power of what happens when you put positive vibes out there, when you ask the universe for something that you truly want, when it comes from a place of vulnerability. And when this is done, I believe that the universe will answer you.

Design that works towards the physical manifestation of of a designer’s goals is the most authentic, successful product design that exists. A designer that wants to create a better experience for their user, that wants to improve the human experience, that wants to foster human interaction, creates this through building products that have integrity and it’s core.

If you designed for what you believe in, for what you care about, what could you create?