Observations on designing good bookstores and our relationship to the literary world. — There is a Japanese term for someone like me, a noun specifically to describe my condition: Tsundoku — someone who collects unread literature. You know those types. We can’t walk by a bookstore without saying hi to the hardcovers, we have a million excuses for why we should buy at…

How to modulate pace and alter emotions in user experience — Two weeks before our intended stay at Aman Kyoto, we received an email from the hotel requesting our arrival and departure details, asking us if transportation to and from anywhere can be arranged ahead of time, whether certain foods disagree with our preferences or allergies, and if fresh linens should…

A personal reframing of success and impact — My parents, the ever-optimistic legal guardian of the outcome of my life, kept repeating a message to me every time my career comes up over dinner. “Think big — don’t do the small things.” They have this idea of me as a pushover, that I say yes to everything and…

Or, just me reliving the good ol’ days at Stanford — I graduated from the MS Design Impact program at Stanford University in 2019 and started teaching/researching/consulting in Thailand (I wrote about some my experiences here). Since then, the world has changed dramatically — we had a pandemic, quiet quitting, global boiling, and other positives too — and so has the…

A brief concept note on the intent of a space — When I run innovation workshops for corporate clients— you know, of the HCD variety — I almost always follow up with office hours to check in on team projects and answer lingering questions. Because of this, I would end most workshops with a presentation of ideas and prototype plans, with…

A random train of thought about systems and our relationships with waste. — A few days before I left for a short vacation, I went to the supermarket and decided to start eating breakfast again. Like in general. I got granola (which was BOGO) and some Hokkaido milk (my favourite). In fact, I bought two types of milk in small glass containers (recyclable…

A train of thought on heroism as a change agent from the Dubai Future Forum 2022 — “Why do we like dystopias so much?” An audience member posed this question at a discussion on the 2nd day of the Dubai Future Forum, titled “Can We Decolonize the Future?”, hosted by award-winning science fiction author Dr. Nnedi Okorafor and Futures Lead Alisha Bhagat from Forum for the Future…

Thoughts on the pandemic, an excerpt. It’s been a long few years. Who would’ve thought we would make it this far? …

A visual reflection of the design POV-implementation gap — It was early February 2022 and the streets of Bangkok was abuzz with the vibes of Design Week, the annual urban festival that gathers designers across disciplines to show (off) their work around town. I made a promise to myself to use this event as a platform to explore my…