Design and coffee have always been side by side in my work — one as the thing I do, the other as the thing I reach for when I’m stuck doing it. But over time, I’ve realized they’re more connected than I thought.
Coffee has a lot to teach about design. Not just as a ritual, but as a lens. A way of thinking.
Here’s what I mean.
Good coffee isn’t rushed.
Whether you’re making a pour-over or even just waiting for your espresso shot, there’s always that moment where you just have to wait — not force it. Design’s the same. Sometimes ideas need time. Sometimes feedback needs to land. Sometimes you need to walk away before you can come back and see the answer.
Not every problem gets solved in the sprint it was assigned.
The best coffee has clarity. You can taste the notes, feel the balance, notice what’s missing. That’s exactly what I aim for in my design work — not flash, not visual noise, just structure with intention.
Whether I’m building a theme for large-scale Shopify merchants or helping teams untangle messy UX flows, I’m always asking: Is this clear? Is this helping? Is this adding noise or removing it?
Good design and good coffee don’t shout.
They’re balanced, thoughtful, and quietly effective.
You don’t need 20 tools to make a good cup.
You need a few right things and to understand how they work together.
Design’s no different. I’ve worked in environments where we had full creative freedom — and others where legacy systems, business goals, or merchant needs shaped every decision. Either way, constraint is never the enemy. It’s what forces clarity. It’s what turns preferences into principles.
Some of the best UX decisions I’ve made happened because I had to work within limitations — not despite them.
Some of my best decisions didn’t come while designing.
They came while drinking coffee.
Not because coffee gives answers — but because it creates space.
That short pause between tasks? That step back before over-polishing a screen? That sip before replying to feedback? It’s not wasted time. It’s where understanding sharpens. That’s the moment where I see the thing I missed while I was too close to the work.
Design happens in the doing.
But clarity often shows up in the pause.
Your taste in coffee changes the more you drink it.
At first, anything works. Then you start to notice detail. Then you realize: it's not just about strength or flavor — it’s about balance, aftertaste, clarity, complexity.
Design’s the same.
You start with making things “look good.” Then you notice hierarchy. Then interaction. Then systems. Then you realize you’re not designing for screens — you’re designing for decision-making. For behavior. For trade-offs.
That’s what coffee taught me about design:
It’s not about what you can do. It’s about what you choose to do.
