# 100 design articles: Lessons on thinking, AI, and creative friction A designer's four-year journey through writing, authenticity, and resisting AI's seductive ease - **Source:** [UX Collective - Medium](https://brifing.si/source/5c6bdc88-e150-4203-af43-069801e37dd9) - **Published:** 2026-09-17 - **Topic:** [Design & UX](https://brifing.si/c/design) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/d9b5fefb-f629-49d7-a8c4-b680ece41d09 ## The writing milestone The author completed 100 design articles over four years, defying initial doubts about sustaining the practice. This archive captures evolving perspectives on design, personal growth, and industry shifts. The collection serves as both professional legacy and personal mirror, revealing how thinking patterns changed through disciplined writing. ## AI as the Shoggoth The article frames generative AI as a Lovecraftian 'Shoggoth' - a seemingly helpful but ultimately alien force in creative work. This metaphor captures the tension between AI's frictionless output and the lost value of human struggle. The author notes how even experienced designers risk outsourcing their thinking to these 'instruction-following' systems. ## Singapore Airlines catalyst A turning point came during the author's tenure as head of design at Singapore Airlines. Fearing the loss of nuanced organizational experiences, they began writing as an act of preservation. This personal motivation later evolved into professional joy, with unexpected benefits like viral articles and international speaking invitations. ## Rituals over tools The writing practice developed specific conditions: nightly 2-3 hour windows in a child's bedroom using smartphone keyboards. Surprisingly, this constraint fostered flow states. While testing various tools, the author settled on Google Keep for drafts and Canva for visuals - prioritizing simplicity over feature-rich options. ## Atomic design breakthrough An early viral piece reimagined atomic design principles through Charles Eames' Power of Ten framework. The 2022 article sparked widespread LinkedIn and Medium discussion, demonstrating how technical concepts gain traction through fresh analogies. However, subsequent pieces returned to normal engagement levels, teaching the value of consistency over virality. ## Editorial reality check Publication editors became unexpected allies in maintaining quality. Their ability to detect AI-generated 'slop' forced accountability when the author experimented with AI assistance. This professional relationship provided both quality control and forgiveness during creative dry spells, balancing high standards with human understanding. ## Estonian connections Writing about Design 4.0 unexpectedly led to a keynote at Tallinn Design Festival, connecting with Estonia's design community. Such serendipitous professional opportunities emerged consistently - from Miroverse features to DOC platform inclusions - proving writing's power to build unexpected professional bridges. ## The joy principle French design education instilled the value of 'playful poetry' in creative work. The author found that articles born from genuine curiosity (like predicting Pantone colors or Star Wars design takes) often resonated most. This aligns with their observation that designer mood directly impacts output quality - joy isn't incidental but instrumental. ## Authenticity over alignment The articles became a space free from stakeholder constraints or team alignment needs. This freedom allowed contrarian views on topics like Figma conventions and AI's role in design. While attracting occasional negative comments, this authenticity helped build a distinct voice and loyal readership over time. ## Creative forgiveness The practice required accepting unproductive periods - sometimes weeks without publishable content. Rather than forcing output, the author learned to temporarily set aside writing during mental blocks. This self-forgiveness, combined with editorial trust built over years, sustained the practice through inevitable creative valleys. ## Tribe building Four years of writing cultivated an international 'design tribe' beyond local networks. Through reposts, mentions, and newsletter features, the work reached unexpected audiences and collaborators. This organic community became both validation and propulsion system for continued creative exploration. ## Friction's value The ultimate lesson counters AI's seamless promises: creative growth happens in the struggle. Like Michael Bierut's 100-Day Project, sustained practice - not perfect output - builds thinking muscles. As AI reshapes design, the author argues for preserving the 'virtuous struggle' that reveals who we are and what we believe. ## Sources covering this story - https://uxdesign.cc/rethinking-writing-in-the-world-of-design-and-ai-1c70188b3998?source=rss----138adf9c44c---4 — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._