Writing
40 essays on design, technology, and building products for the physical world — 2011 to today.
2026
2025
2024
- Just AskGreat careers are built on a foundation of bold asks. Asking is simple, yet it’s one of the most transformative tools we have. It’s not about entitlement or demanding—it’s about advocating for your…November 23, 2024 · 1 min read
- The Application of Great TasteDesign is the application of great taste. Taste is a great word because it’s subjective, flexible, and deeply human. Great taste means different things to different people at different times. In an…October 17, 2024 · 1 min read
- 15 Service Design PrinciplesAfter nearly 15 years of designing services that integrate digital and physical experiences, I wanted to articulate the key principles I’ve learned and applied in my work. My goal here is to presen…June 17, 2024 · 2 min read
- Site update: check out my workI’ve finally got around to updating this site to include a work section and I’m adding case studies right now. It’s been fun to build and be reminded of some of the incredible projects I’ve been lu…April 27, 2024 · 1 min read
- How anyone can bring big ideas to lifeDraw to communicate powerful stories. Use these simple to learn techniques. I’ve always a mediocre drawer. Despite working in creative fields for my whole life, my freehand sketches are crude at be…February 26, 2024 · 3 min read
- Departing Lime and what’s nextLast August I left what I’ll always look back on as a dream job: leading the design team at Lime. It was a role where I was responsible for software design and overarching experience of the global …January 13, 2024 · 3 min read
- Perplexity’s high bar for UX in the age of AI2023 ushered in a new age of computing. The focus of generative AI has so far been largely on the underlying tech. Meanwhile, most AI products tack closely to the chat interfaces launched by the fo…January 10, 2024 · 7 min read
- Bringing back my blogI’m writing again on my personal blog this year. Bear with me while I move content over from Medium and my previous site. The old site went down when my old Midphase hosting account disappeared. Th…January 10, 2024 · 1 min read
2019
2018
- How we’re designing the future of hospitality at SonderThis post originally appeared on Medium These are some of the design opportunities we’re focused on today and will be for years to come 2018 has been a year of meaningful change on the Sonder desig…December 31, 2018 · 5 min read
- Why I left Uber to join SonderAfter 4.5 years at Uber, I just finished week one at my new home. This post originally appeared on Medium Last week my run at Uber ended. Deciding to leave a company that I’d learned so much from a…April 20, 2018 · 7 min read
- Get Me Home MoreA story on how we design the Uber Freight app to help make truck drivers work lives better. This post originally appeared on Medium When work began on Uber Freight a year and a half ago, I was exci…March 21, 2018 · 4 min read
- Designing Through ChangePredictability and a feeling of progress towards a goal is something we all want. When something happens outside of your control and forces a change in course, it can be hard. My team experienced t…January 3, 2018 · 6 min read
2017
- Travis: Our Chief Problem SolverThis post originally appeared on Medium There are so many stories to reflect on from working with Travis over the last three and a half years. From my first interactions with him at our Friday Grow…June 21, 2017 · 2 min read
- Keeping calm and caffeinated on the roadThis post originally appeared on Medium Making coffee in the morning. Above all, this is the thing that grounds me (ha!) and gets me ready for the day. The Chemex pour over is my go-to method. This…June 3, 2017 · 2 min read
2015
- Designing the Uber Cash ExperienceDesigning magical experiences is a local effort. Uber was imagined as a private driver that appears at the tap of a button. And, since your private driver would never ask you to hand over money at …September 16, 2015 · 6 min read
- The Best Career Advice, Uber AllesCatch me now as I fall into what might be a trap: praising and linking to internet content marketing. I have to though, because the blog is so relevant for tech workers and has had a dramatic influ…January 22, 2015 · 1 min read
2013
- Farewell New York, Hello California!6 years and 5 months ago I packed my life in two bags and a carry-on to go and live in a city I’d never been to. Following my girlfriend to NYC for her school, I was excited about the chance to see…October 25, 2013 · 1 min read
- Forget Consistency Across PlatformsDesigning versions of a product for web, mobile web, iOS, and Android isn’t something you should normally do at the same time. But, right now I’m doing just that for Hometalk and it was making me l…October 3, 2013 · 2 min read
- Be a Better Designer: CodeThe internet has been pushing for designers to learn how to code ever since print designers moved into user interface. Those arguments have always centered around how designers should know the limi…September 1, 2013 · 2 min read
- What’s the Worst that Can Happen?If you can name and visualize your fears, they’re usually not as horrifying as you’ve imagined. Here’s a trick to use whenever you’re confronted with a significant decision: Ask yourself what’s the…May 7, 2013 · 3 min read
- Branded InteractionsOne or two key functions. Well designed apps master their core interactions. The best are unique and become associated with the brand itself. You could even call them branded interactions. Clear Cl…March 4, 2013 · 5 min read
- Write Like a DesignerHow do you do your best work? This is what works for me: By the end, I should have something I’m happy with. Deviate from those steps and the work suffers. Sticking to that process is important for…February 12, 2013 · 3 min read
- Almost Flat DesignFlat design is both hot and controversial in world of user interface. Microsoft led the charge to introduce it to the masses and many others have followed suit: LayerVault, The Next Web, and more. …January 23, 2013 · 3 min read
- Tech in 1995: The Last Time the 49ers Were in the Super BowlThe San Francisco 49ers are back in the Super Bowl for the first since since January 29, 1995. That’s 18 years since Steve Young and Jerry Rice smoked the Chargers 49-26 in Miami. The world was a d…January 21, 2013 · 1 min read
- This is CoffeeJanuary 18, 2013 · 1 min read
- Cooking Rice and Creating HappinessI was married last summer and as a gift, a Zojirushi rice cooker came into my life. We requested it, basically because I knew it was the Cadillac of rice cookers, but I didn’t know how much I would…January 7, 2013 · 2 min read
2012
- Draw More Attention to Your Email with an AvatarSunrise is an app that emails you a daily digest of your upcoming day. The team is a couple of ex-Foursquarers and were inspired by Timehop, both of which I love for their attention to small design…December 12, 2012 · 1 min read
- Chrome Web Store Vector LogoI needed this today, so I put it together and am posting here for you to use. Download the Chrome Web Store logo in vector format.December 10, 2012 · 1 min read
- The Interface that IPOedKayak went public on Friday and wound up raising $91m in the process. I remember looking at Kayak in 2007/2008 for inspiration since they had the best example of “AJAX filtering”. They had a slider…July 23, 2012 · 1 min read
- Design Should DisappearA well designed product is a bridge between technology and the user. It makes a connection that otherwise wouldn’t be there. Products serve a utility and overly designed ones, that try to draw atte…June 18, 2012 · 1 min read
- Design For The Device and the IntentDesign has always been an exercise that happens in context: classic artists have paint and canvas limitations to consider, architects need to know the capabilities of their materials, and today’s i…June 4, 2012 · 2 min read
- Make Mobile Design Easier With DropboxI’m not shy with my love for Dropbox. It makes life easier in many different ways and it’s always great to find a new, unexpected benefit. The Problem With Designing for Mobile The context of where…May 21, 2012 · 1 min read
- Your Product Needs an Engine of GrowthSo you’ve built a first release of your product and you’re ready to get it into the hands of users. The feature set seems solid for this first iteration, but is it? If you haven’t put together a so…February 20, 2012 · 6 min read
- Walled Gardens and Ill-Informed OpinionsDiamond in the Rough is a jewelry company that recently launched a redesigned site and refreshed brand. My team and I did the design and development of the site and it features what has proved to b…February 13, 2012 · 2 min read
- Getting Educated in the New YearRecently I’ve been working hard to learn how to do some basic back-end programming. There are a ton of tools out there to use and the time seems right to try to build these skills. Here are two I’m…January 4, 2012 · 1 min read
2011
- The Best Tools for Your Company Name SearchYesterday I wrote about picking a company name and some questions to ask yourself when you’re in that process. Whenever we have new a new product or concept we’re putting together, the two tools we…December 22, 2011 · 2 min read
- 3 Questions to Ask Yourself When Choosing a Startup NameChoosing a name for your startup is a big decision. Once you’ve chosen a name, it’s hard to change both legally and in the minds of your users, so be sure to think it through at the start. Here are…December 21, 2011 · 2 min read