Forget perfect grids. The next wave of design is anti-everything.
DA—006
It’s in the scroll. The weird little moments that feel more than they “make sense.”
Lately I’ve been noticing how much social media sets the tone for everything else. The visual language that starts in our feeds—anti-design, “I don’t give a f***” attitude, chaotic type, broken layouts—is quietly reshaping branding, posters, packaging, even websites. You can see it leaking out into the world. Like the feed became the moodboard.
This isn’t about being trendy. It’s about attention. Design that performs in 0.3 seconds. That feels more authentic because it’s messy. The perfection-police can’t keep up with the speed, and honestly, that’s kind of the point.
It’s not the death of craft. But it might be a shift in what craft looks like.
Not slower. Just smarter about where people are actually looking.
What you might have missed this month 👇
Designing a confusing poster for a jazz event
Never been a fan of the whole “design should be simple and legible” thing. Who said everything needs to be easy to read? Design can be wild, decorative—even straight-up illegible—if that’s what the concept calls for. It’s not about keeping it clean; it’s about delivering energy and purpose.
Read on Design Academy
I got hired by Apple because of this style
I never stuck to one style. I was too curious — jumping from minimal to maximal, abstract to ornamental. My portfolio looked chaotic, but it was me.
Seven years later, Apple reached out. They wanted exactly the style I’d been working on. A playlist cover — straight from my Victorian obsession.
Maybe I’ll make a video about an illusion of ‘signature style’ one day.
They said I design with my feet, so I made it a trend
What Does the Client Pay For—Thinking or Execution?
Design doesn’t always need to shout — sometimes the smartest ideas whisper. That’s why I’m into visual puns. They’re like creative brain workouts: playful, layered, and full of hidden meaning.
Some folks do this so well — go check out their work on instagram 👀 @javier_jaen @suckertom @yuxtapoems
Got Crabs project is live
🦀🦀🦀 Got Crabs, a quirky food truck in North Cornwall, needed a logo that captured their brand’s playful and cheeky personality, which I did.
I can do that with AI
If you’ve followed my work, you know what’s possible when you really lean into Gen AI. It can do an incredible job — illustrations, visual concepts, effects, mockups, even hand lettering. But the cracks start to show with a real design brief.
Our budget is low, but our hopes are high
You know the drill: “We want it to look amazing… but our budget is basically vibes.” One of those clients was actually a friend (yep, betrayal hits harder when it’s personal). He needed labels for his in-house juice range — 4 flavours — but wanted it to look good and cost absolutely nothing. So here’s how I played it: took the “budget,” translated it into hours (spoiler: not many), and went full speed — zero overthinking, max efficiency.
More things worth your time 👇
How Apple designer and A.I. designer will force A.I. in your life
Why society hates creative people