Why I Started This Design Blog: Building a Design Community

The Bracelet That Led to a Design Blog

One of my earliest memories of design started at the Scholastic Book Fair. I was six, wandering between stacks of neon posters and scented erasers, when a bright blue jewelry-making book caught my eye. Its cover showed a bracelet so intricate and glittering it felt like magic.

Armed with beads from the local art store and a roll of thin copper wire, I sat at the dinner table, determined to recreate that bracelet—multi-strand, raindrop beads suspended in midair.

I didn’t read the instructions. Of course I didn’t. I was six.

The final result looked nothing like the cover. And yet… it amazed me. Something about turning raw materials into something new sparked a feeling I’ve chased ever since. After that, I spent whole afternoons bending wire into strange shapes, exploring that first spark of emotional design—the kind that makes you feel something the moment you see it.

As we grow up, we all design more than we realize—macaroni art, science-fair trifolds, bedroom layouts, social media profiles, entire careers. Design isn’t limited to the arts; it’s the bold act of imagining what something could be, and then building toward it.

And I’ve learned that when designers are transparent about their process, everyone benefits. Seeing how someone creates something permits you to explore boldly, to break rules, and to follow a process that turns ideas into form.

That’s what I want this design blog to be: a place where the process is visible, not polished. A place where the work behind the work shows.

I’m building a design community—not just the kind with formal titles, but a community for anyone who shapes something in the world. Together, we can push each other, support each other, and stay accountable to the things we say we want to create.

And if I’m being honest with you, I’ve spent years mastering design in engineering, workflow, and systems. But professional blogging? That’s new territory.

So I’m sharing this journey publicly not because I have it all figured out, but because it keeps me honest—and because documenting the messy parts is its own form of design.

Here’s what I’m designing next:

• A ladder for my corporate career—one built to strengthen engineering design practices across teams.

• Tools for small-business owners to help them rise and thrive online.

• Support structures and opportunities for young women of color in STEM.

• And the everyday solutions I’ve needed myself—shared publicly in case someone else needs them too.

If you’re building something too—whether a business, a career, or your own corner of the internet—remember: a blog is just another design problem.

Define the need.

Explore the possibilities.

Choose the best path.

Test what you build.

Iterate.

That’s the whole game.

After six months of shaping this space behind the scenes, this design blog has become more than a professional edge. It’s a return to the feeling that started it all: the thrill of creating something that makes people feel a certain way.

Design has always been my way of understanding the world. This blog is my love letter to the human experience of building, shaping, and imagining. It’s my place to explore emotional design, systems thinking, and the creative courage needed to design a life that feels good to live.

To kick things off, I’m launching a flagship series called “How to Design.”I’m excited for you to come with me as I explore it.

If you want to follow this journey, subscribe below so you don’t miss the first article in the “How to Design” series.

If you’re building your own thing, tell me what you’re designing right now. Drop it in the comments or send me a message—I’d love to hear it.

If you believe in growing a design community, share this post with someone who’s exploring their own creative process. We build better when we build together.