I design and build from the same seat.

Eleven years of owning product surfaces at small companies, which in practice meant being the person setting the design direction, not just responding to briefs. I was usually the one making the product judgment calls, not waiting for someone else to frame them.

I build in code now, so I can ship the interface I design. Building in code shortened the distance between intent and reality.

Design's role in the room

At a small company, design earns its seat through product judgment. Without that, people treat it as decoration. I've had to make the case in the work: push back on scope when the product needed it, align fast enough to ship, and treat an interaction question as a product question. I carry that judgment into the teams I work with.

Outside of work

I travel, chase local food, and pay attention to places that stay with me. That instinct feeds the work: notice what feels alive, then bring the useful parts back to product design.