Medium Articles
Essays on Systems, Design, and Thinking
AI Logos Aren’t the Problem — The Symbols Behind Them Are
The current wave of AI branding leans heavily on inherited metaphors of cognition, enlightenment, and synthetic consciousness. This essay analyzes how those visual tropes distort public understanding by conflating computation with sentience. The issue is not creativity, but symbolic discipline..
Friction and the Discipline of Thinking
As digital systems increasingly anticipate our needs, we risk outsourcing more than memory or navigation—we risk outsourcing judgment. This essay examines cognitive offloading, frictionless interfaces, and the structural conditions that weaken critical thinking over time. The issue is not intelligence, but architecture.
The Case for Reviving Craftsmanship in the AI Era
As generative tools accelerate production, the distinction between output and craft is becoming harder to see. This essay argues that craftsmanship—discipline, discernment, and structural thinking—remains essential in an AI-assisted world. Craft is not resistance to technology; it is the discipline that makes technology useful.
Will the Future Be Silent for Some?
In a world rapidly embracing Voice User Interfaces (VUIs) like Alexa, we must ask: are these technologies truly designed for everyone? In this article, I explore the biases inherent in voice recognition systems, using a real-world example to highlight their limitations. From human factors engineering principles to AI design flaws, I challenge the assumptions behind AI’s “intelligence” and argue that inclusivity needs to be the cornerstone of future tech design.
Designing a Tailored RFP Site for Faux Arts Design
In this article, I share the process of designing a custom RFP site for FAD, crafted to pitch her project to AMAN Resorts. From overcoming cultural design challenges to aligning with AMAN's minimalist luxury ethos, this piece explores how careful UX decisions led to a design that met the needs of both the client and the intended audience. It’s a deep dive into balancing aesthetic values with user-centered functionality in a high-profile project.
What Happens When Design Leads Strategy
Sometimes, design doesn’t follow strategy—it reveals it. In this article, I share how a website redesign for Dufour Collaborative unexpectedly triggered a full brand awakening. What began as a visual refresh turned into a redefinition of identity, messaging, and direction. Through UX thinking, SEO planning, and high-fidelity prototyping, I helped guide the client through a transformation they didn’t know they needed—until design showed them the way.
I Was Never Allergic to Penicillin
I was misdiagnosed as allergic to penicillin over 30 years ago—and that false label followed me across every medical record for decades. What started in a low-cost dental clinic became a lifelong medical assumption. I’ve finally uncovered the truth, but the journey revealed something deeper: how systems favor convenience over accuracy, and how race, tech, and silence all play a role in shaping our health narratives. This isn’t just about penicillin. It’s about how we’re seen—and unseen—in the records that define our care.