FOUNDING DESIGNERS: In demand, misunderstood Taste, storytelling, aesthetics, and creative authenticity are everywhere right now. Designers are leading much of this work in startups, and demand for them is as high as I've ever seen it. There's no shortage of opinions (mostly from non-designers) about how this work should be done and valued. But there's far less conversation among designers themselves. The language has evolved, but the role is still largely misunderstood. I remember the same cycle a decade ago when I was starting a company as a designer—the onus is still on the designer to define their own path: - What is the right structure? What does a great company to join look like? - Do you have to want to eventually be Head of Design, or is staying an IC okay? - Are you also supposed to drive marketing/storytelling? Write production code? With AI changing the expectations, are you expected to be an engineer too? - And beyond the scope of the work, there's the isolation of likely being the only designer in the company. How do you get feedback and improve your craft? I'm hosting a series of informal gatherings, beginning with small dinners in SF later this month (and then NYC and more), for people considering founding designer roles. A few who've done it before, a few embarking on it. The goal is honest conversations about what the role actually requires, what it can become, and connections to companies looking for this kind of person. If you're interested, DM me or register at the link below.

I made a Liquid Glass Level similar to the one in iOS 26.2 with Play. You can tap on the screen to randomize the BG color and see how the Glass reflection changes. › Real Liquid Glass › Detects when iPhone is flat › Change between Clear & Regular Glass Try it out in your iPhone here ↓ appclip.createwithplay.com/3… Handcrafted, not vibe-coded.

widgets on the wall

The winners have arrived! 🏆 We’re thrilled to present the 2025 #AppleDesignAwards winners. #WWDC25 Check out the year’s best in app and game design: apple.co/ADA2025

Just built my first little micro site using Vercel(v0). It’s a simple hex code converter that gives you RGB, CMYK, and even the nearest Pantone. Perfect for designers who are tired of eyedropping and switching from program to program.Check it out here: v0-hex-to-rgb-converter.verc…

This Wednesday I’m moderating an in-depth conversation with @henrymodis about being the founding designer of Perplexity—from pre-PMF through running a killer team of industry-leading creatives Henry’s perspective is relevant to: - founders who want to build great design teams and culture - designers who want to create new companies from the ground up - technologists who want to better understand how design meets AI in practice at a formidable startup We’ll compare notes on my time at Facebook with his time at Google, Quora, and now Perplexity. Our conversation kicks off a series of firesides with design leaders at the frontier of AI. The fireside chat will be held at @southpkcommons at 10:30 Wednesday and is open to SPC members and founders. DM for access.