Build Places, Not Products
Lucas Crespo
Build places, not just products: software should feel like somewhere you want to be. Art direction—texture, mood, and a clear visual north star—shapes every decision and makes products stand out. That focus can demand engineering trade-offs, but it creates experiences people prefer.
13 Sep 2025
We solved the engineering for our painted-sky backgrounds. More importantly, we discovered something: Art direction is product architecture. It makes trade-offs clearer, keeps the experience coherent, and gives people a reason to choose your product in a world where AI can generate the median in seconds.
Faced with these requirements, we could have said, “Let’s use a gradient instead.” Or better—just white. But would a gradient make you want to open your inbox? Would a white background give you that feeling of outside air inside the app?
It’s tempting to build functionality and sprinkle “design” on top. But when you have a visual north star from the beginning, you go the other way around.