My Design Philosophy

AI brain fry, exhaustion, mental health problems, loneliness; the list is endless. Stress and anxiety cost our global economy $1 trillion annually (WHO, 2022).

Clearly there is something not quite working in our modern systems.

I believe we, as humans, are valuable enough to be more than just one variable in our own worlds.

My design philosophy and values are grounded in Stanford design legend McKim (1959): design for the whole human; which means designing for humans, and for need. To me, this inheritly means both ethics and empathy as a starting point.

Human-centered systemic design can help solve our deepest systemic and societal problems. I look our physical, digital and social systems as one, because designing just one piece of it won't serve the whole human.

That means an integrated understanding of
Architecture (neuroarchitecture)
Urban design
Biophilic design
Tech (for humans, not against us)
Neuroscience (cognitive, social & affective)
Psychology
and some other disciplines.

When we understand our subtle reactions in our multi-layered complexities, we can design for better brain health, innovation and cognitive resilience.