What led you into design?
When I was a teenager, I was obsessed with behind-the-scenes content about film production design. It blew my mind that everything, from a small bag of chips lying in the corner to the furniture in the background, had been meticulously chosen and placed with intent. The way all those elements came together to convey the story and create the overall aesthetic fascinated me. In one of these making-of films, a production designer explained how the candy wrappers in a scene, which had less than a second's screen time, had been designed specifically for the film. That level of detail truly inspired me.
Even though I had always been creative, I had never been particularly interested in or good at the visual arts, and I had thought of it mainly as a form of self-expression. These behind-the-scenes films helped me realize, for the first time, how art could be directed and curated to form an experience that could be shared with others - reaching beyond the artist’s individual emotions. I decided I also wanted to shape experiences that could be enjoyed and utilized by others, and that marked the beginning of my journey into design.
What does a typical day look like?
My days are fairly structured, as having a rhythm helps me make space for creativity in other areas of my life. I usually get up early and start with the gym, as doing something for myself sets a positive tone for the day. Back home, I heat up one of my meal-prepped burritos for breakfast. I currently have 17 garlic butter steak and egg burritos stocked up in my freezer, and I can't get enough of them!
At Attio, our workday starts with a short daily sync, after which we focus on individual projects. Despite the company being fully remote, my colleagues are always accessible, making it easy to collaborate when needed. A tight feedback loop keeps our work consistent and high-quality, and every conversation sharpens my ideas in progressive ways.
I used to eat lunch at my desk and push through the day without resting, but recently I’ve learned the importance of temporarily stepping away. Now I make sure to close my laptop during lunch and head out for a walk, often listening to a podcast or audiobook to switch gears before the afternoon and stay balanced.
After work, I shift back into more personal forms of creativity, whether that be creating websites, sewing clothes, or going to art events in the area. I find people dedicated to their own practices deeply inspiring, and engaging in those communities will always make my day.
What's your workstation setup?
My desk setup is fairly simple, designed to minimize distractions while also show personality by keeping my favorite objects nearby. I keep my art books within reach for quick inspiration, or to look at whenever I need a break.
Where do you go to get inspired?
I draw a lot of inspiration from art books. Offprint is my favorite event of the year, and visiting a local art book store is a must when travelling to a new city. Whenever I step into a bookshop it’s almost impossible to leave empty-handed, and over the years I’ve collected enough books to create a small library, which I feel lucky to be able to sit beside every day.
Whenever I open one of these books, I feel like I'm stepping into a different world. I love seeing how the content, curation, and editorial design come together to create a coherent narrative. While a lot can already be learned by perusing through the individual pieces showcased in the book, I find even greater value in stepping into the editor's shoes and trying to understand how the editorial decisions were made.
Immersing myself into the book's philosophy creates another layer of depth when taking inspiration, as I can adapt not just the aesthetics but also the spirit behind it into my own work as well.
What product have you recently seen that made you think this is great design?
To me, anything with a strong DNA is admirable to begin with. We live in a world with so many choices, that narrowing down in itself is an art - and not one many can master. I discovered this archive of space age electronics a couple years ago, and quickly grew to respect its dedication to building a cohesive collection of funky, playful, yet clean objects. I hope to own a couple someday.
What pieces of work are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of various freelance and personal projects. These have given me space to express myself visually and add a personal touch.
Having lived in four countries, I’ve sometimes found it challenging to maintain a strong sense of identity, as humans naturally adapt to their surroundings. Through visually oriented personal projects, I’ve been able to explore what resonates with me beyond cultural labels, rebuild a sense of self, and define an identity that holds true regardless of my environment. The portfolio website I created in 2023 was the first time I felt like I had a digital identity that genuinely reflected who I am, and even two years later, I can still relate to many of the elements that I included in it.
When I'm working on marketing websites, I enjoy applying the same process of uncovering and expressing identity, only this time for products.
These days, I find it hard to find a tech marketing website that truly leaves an impact or that I can recall after closing the tab. Although it is much more time efficient to copy the format of an existing site, I believe there is also value in stepping back and doing the deeper work of thinking through what truly sets the product apart. By gaining a clear understanding of the product's identity, taking inspiration from outside the domain, and introducing unconventional yet authentic elements, it’s possible to create something that will resonate with a loyal audience over a longer period of time.
As generative technology becomes more advanced and accessible, my hope is that we, as a community, continue to value reflection and intentional design, choosing depth and authenticity over speed and convenience.
What design challenges do you face at your company?
We recently launched Apps, a public SDK that lets developers build integrations on top of Attio. Through this, developers can now build apps such as our Linear integration, which allows people to log customer requests directly within Attio.
Because we hold a high bar for quality, we want all integrations to feel like a natural extension of the Attio experience. To support this, we provide a public SDK of components that third-party developers can build with.
Designing these components has been similar to creating a design system for a large organization. On one hand, we need to track what the community is building and introduce new patterns when existing ones fall short. On the other, we need to enforce enough constraints to ensure consistency across the platform. This challenge is heightened by the fact that the users are not designers and may lack UX expertise.
To address this, we manually review every submitted app, attempt redesigns using our components, and formalize new patterns when recurring needs arise. We also have lengthy discussions about what must be programmatically restricted versus what can remain a soft guideline in documentation.
Over time, our goal is to refine this into a system that balances flexibility with consistency, empowering developers to build apps that not only enhance workflows but also feel like a seamless part of Attio.
What music do you listen to while designing?
Any advice for ambitious designers?
Your skill is valuable, and you have the right to be fairly compensated for your work. Don't be afraid to ask for a higher rate, and don't be afraid to charge more for any extra time spent on a project. ;)
Anything you want to promote or plug?
Continuing on the space age theme, I am in love with the shoe brand Grounds. I'll leave this one short, as the shoes speak for themselves! ✶
📸 Profile photo by Laila Cohen Studio
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