Design is often measured by what people can see — the polished UI, the clever interactions, the final handoff file that makes everything look “done.” But the real work? The work that actually makes the product better? That part usually doesn’t show up on a slide.
Let’s talk about it.
The moment I started naming components with purpose — not just “Card 03 v2” — my design work got better. Naming brings clarity. It helps engineers understand hierarchy, helps other designers reuse patterns, and helps me think in terms of systems, not screens.
I don’t name things to organize Figma.
I name them to organize thinking.
A good screen doesn’t help if the logic between screens is broken.
I’ve spent hours just mapping out button behaviors, empty states, or what happens when merchants do something unexpected. That’s invisible work. But when you skip it? The product feels inconsistent. Confusing. Fragile.
When I worked on theme customization logic, the goal wasn’t to give merchants every option. It was to give them the right options. Too much freedom leads to chaos. Too little leads to frustration.
So I spent real time asking:
These decisions don’t show up in a mockup — but they shape the entire experience.
Documentation isn’t just a handoff file. It’s a design artifact.
I write to clarify thinking. To sync with devs. To avoid rework.
I’ve had situations where a few clear words in a design spec saved days of confusion — or helped a stakeholder finally “get” why we made a decision.
The invisible work isn’t glamorous. It’s not tweetable.
But it’s what makes your design durable.
It’s what makes devs trust you.
It’s what makes a product feel intentional.
And it’s the kind of design I care about most.
