Practicing CRAFT: Keeping Ahead of the Machine
As designers face the uncertainty of AI-driven change, the question isn’t whether machines will take over — it’s whether we’ll remember what it means to be human. That’s why I rely on what I call CRAFT — a set of principles that keep design anchored in human intelligence.
C — Curiosity
If curiosity killed the cat, it at least died eight more times, happily.
Ask more questions than you answer. Curiosity has powered my entire career. I’ve often said that staying curious is what keeps us relevant. Whether it’s exploring how to “speak machine” or understanding a user’s unspoken need, the best design starts with not knowing — and being okay with that. It’s not about having all the answers. It’s about loving the questions.
R — Responsibility
Hierarchy is reinforced by exclusion; teamwork is reinforced by inclusion.
Consider the ripple effects of your work. In tech, it’s easy to move fast and break things. But I’ve always felt that design requires a deeper sense of stewardship. Every decision we make creates impact — intended or not. Whether in product teams or policy discussions, I’ve witnessed the value of inclusivity. Good design cares not just about how things work, but who they work for.
A — Aesthetics
Aesthetics aren’t just for the eye. They’re for the soul.
Create beauty with integrity. People often think of aesthetics as decoration. But for me, beauty is about presence — being fully engaged in the process. My early work in generative art was about understanding that code can be expressive, emotional, even soulful. I draw inspiration from the Japanese principle of ma — the space between things. It reminds us that simplicity, restraint, and clarity have deep power. Aesthetics should never distract. They should connect.
F — Fluency
Code and care — when they come together — that’s the new craft.
Speak the language of both code and compassion. In today’s world, we need to understand both how people feel and how machines work. That’s why I wrote How to Speak Machine. Technical fluency doesn’t mean being a software engineer — it means knowing just enough to make informed choices, to ask good questions, to partner across disciplines. When designers understand computation, they become better translators between systems and humans. And when technologists understand empathy, they build better tools.]
T — Thoughtfulness
Uphill thinking is where the breakthroughs live.
Slow down when it matters. We live in a culture of speed. But faster isn’t always wiser. I’ve shared in the past about “uphill thinking” — the idea that the harder, slower path often yields the most meaningful results. AI pushes us toward efficiency, but design asks us to pause. To consider. To listen. Thoughtfulness is how we protect the soul of our work.
So CRAFT isn’t just a checklist — it’s a posture. It’s how we hold ourselves steady in a world that’s constantly shifting. It reminds us that the designer’s edge isn’t in outpacing machines, but in out-humaning them — by choosing empathy over efficiency, questions over conclusions, and care over convenience.
