a design company built upon"balancing rigorous, data-driven processes with a sense of romance." After teaching himself code at a young age, John curated his interest in the internet and technology to found the pioneering digital design firm, Handsome.
In the early days, I was deeply involved in every aspect of the process. I was coding, designing and most importantly, learning and being inspired. I quickly realized the importance of human-centered design and the power of beauty in user experiences. It wasn’t just about making things work or basically look good; it was about creating experiences that resonated with people on a deeper level.
It’s close to my heart because it addressed such an important issue – addiction recovery. But what made this project special was how we approached it; we didn’t set out to make the best, most effective “opioid addiction” campaign. Instead, we took a step back, took a clear look at the problem and the goal, asked ourselves what wasn’t being done, and we created something new. Something that connected directly from insight to message to medium to impact in a way that hadn’t been tried before.
In a world where so much work is about squeezing more out of the same ideas, we’re focused on finding that new fruit, that different approach that leads to something truly extraordinary. This isn’t just about being different for the sake of it – it’s about delivering real value by doing what others aren’t even considering. Creativity is one of the most powerful tools we have, and it’s something that can’t be “generated” artificially.
It’s about understanding that differentiation doesn’t just apply to major, macro-level changes; it can and should happen at every level, from the smallest details to the overall strategy. There’s a misconception that being different means making drastic, sweeping changes, but often it’s the subtle, thoughtful differences that set great design apart.
I’m always looking for opportunities to challenge the status quo and create something truly novel and truly great.