i recently began introducing myself as flo, a designer again (vs. design engineer!)

labels make us legible—for better or worse. words are powerful and identities evolve over time. precision is worth striving for

my day-to-day is split between orchestrating coding agents, working in canvas tools, and using good ol' pen + paper. we designers aren't defined by our tools, but the stories we tell ourselves inevitably shape our worldview

try something, build something, write something, then ask: does this feel right? it's okay to change our minds

i'm a designer who loves to tinker and build. code is another tool in my kit, and software designers should understand the materials we work with. that doesn't necessarily mean i should be the one writing production PRs all day

must every designer now be a design engineer? absolutely not! and that’s a good thing

different roles consist of different tasks. sometimes the lines blur and there's something wonderful in the overlap. other times, it's helpful to clearly compartmentalize context + responsibilities across functions

it's now table stakes for designers to prototype with code. many designers are also building their own tools + playgrounds

times are changing, but the underlying principles stay the same. still metabolizing these thoughts. curious how other folks are feeling : )

Originally posted on X.