I've never been able to think of my career in terms of roles.

I've always identified as a designer, seeing my work as a means of translating complex ideas into something visual, something tangible. But as time went on, I felt the need to expand that vision even further. I wanted to build more than visuals and solve for more than one client at a time. I wanted to build scalable systems, tools, and experiences that lived beyond a screen, beyond an aesthetic.

‍That shift has led me down a path of learning web development, software design, and AI. It is forcing me to rethink what creativity means in an era where machines are not just tools, but collaborators. It has made me ask bigger questions:

What does it mean to design not just for appearance, but for function?

How do we create products that don’t just serve users, but shape behavior?

What happens when creativity is not a discipline, but a system?

‍One of the people who has most influenced this shift in my thinking is John Maeda. He speaks about the intersection of design, computation, and entrepreneurship in a way that makes it clear:

The future belongs to those who can bridge disciplines, not just master one.

‍Through studying his work, I’ve come to see my career differently. It is not a fixed path, but a pathless path—a journey of continuous experimentation, learning, and reinvention.

‍These are the lessons that have shaped my thinking, and that continue to guide me as I move forward.

"The best designers aren’t just problem-solvers. They’re problem-explorers."

‍Most people build careers by solving known problems.

Designers solve visual communication problems.
‍Developers solve technical problems.
‍Entrepreneurs solve business problems.
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‍But the most interesting ideas emerge not from solving problems, but from exploring them. True innovation happens at the intersections—between design and computation, between art and business, between aesthetics and logic.

Many of the most impactful products today—AI-driven design tools, intelligent systems, automated workflows—weren’t created by someone following a predefined problem-solving formula. They were created by people who asked different questions, who explored what was possible rather than just fixing what was broken.

‍For years, I was solving problems in branding and identity design. But when I started working on Co-Living Iceland and Góða Ferð (my two current ventures), I realized I wasn’t just designing aesthetics—I was designing scalable systems that connect people and create new behaviors.

Instead of asking, How do I design a logo for this brand? I began asking, How do I create a platform that facilitates meaningful interactions? That shift—from aesthetics to function, from product to system—has changed everything.

What I’m Learning:

‍The most valuable careers are not about solving problems, but about finding new ways to define them, even in small ways.

The biggest opportunities exist at the intersection of disciplines, where different ways of thinking and doing collide.

The future of design is not just visual—it is interactive, intelligent, and ever-evolving.

"You don’t wait for things to happen—you prototype your way into the future."

‍Too many people wait. They wait for the right opportunity, the right job, the right moment to start.

But the truth is, the only way to figure out what works is to build something now, even before you feel ready.

‍John Maeda talks about how computation is a material, just like paint is to an artist or clay is to a sculptor. The only way to truly understand it is to make things with it.

‍This idea changed how I approach learning.

Instead of just studying web development, I started building real projects, testing ideas, experimenting with AI-driven tools. Instead of passively consuming information, I started applying it—building the first version of Góða Ferð, a ridesharing system for remote areas, and experimenting with how technology could enhance digital communities.

‍What I’m Learning:

‍Waiting for the perfect conditions is a form of procrastination. The only way forward is through action.

‍You don’t have to be an expert to build something valuable. In fact, building is the fastest way to become an expert.

‍Learning is best done through iteration, not just study. Every project is a prototype of something greater.

"What I want is to become a designer who thinks like a technologist, an entrepreneur who thinks like a philosopher."

‍The future belongs to those who can move between disciplines.

‍Naval Ravikant calls this specific knowledge — the rare, hard-to-teach knowledge that is uniquely yours, built at the intersection of disciplines that only you have explored. It cannot be taught in a school. It cannot be automated.

A designer who understands how code works will be more valuable than one who doesn’t.
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A developer who understands behavior and psychology will build better products than one who only knows syntax.
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An entrepreneur who understands philosophy will create companies with more depth than one who only understands profit margins.

I used to struggle with defining my work. Am I a designer, a technologist, an entrepreneur? But I now realize that the word ‘designer’ already holds it all. A designer is not just someone who makes things beautiful—they are someone who creates experiences, systems, and entire ways of thinking.

‍This shift is why I’m learning software development, why I’m studying AI, why I’m pushing myself beyond the boundaries of traditional design. Because technology is not just a tool—it is a material that will shape the next generation of human experiences.

What I’m Learning:

‍True innovation happens between fields, not within them.

‍The best designers are learning to code, and the best technologists are learning to think like artists.

‍The most valuable skills are those that combine disciplines in ways only you can.

"A life well-designed is one where you build, learn, and share with intention."

‍The best careers aren’t just about accumulating skills. They are about creating something valuable and sharing what you learn along the way.

‍John Maeda has always been as much a teacher as he is a creator. His work isn’t just about what he builds—it’s about how he shares his process, how he teaches others to think, how he brings people into the conversation.

I want to do the same.

That’s why I’ve started writing about my journey—about learning software development, designing digital systems, experimenting with AI. Because the people who share their insights become the ones who shape the industry.

What I’m Learning:

‍The fastest way to build credibility is to document and share your learning.

Writing is a tool for thinking more clearly, processing ideas, and attracting the right opportunities.

‍The best way to learn is to teach others what you know, even if you’re still figuring it out yourself.

Designing a Career, Not Just Choosing One

John Maeda’s biggest lesson for me has been this:

‍"The best careers aren’t planned. They’re designed, tested, and iterated."

‍Your future isn’t something you wait for. It isn’t something you stumble into. It is something you build—one project, one experiment, one bold decision at a time.

‍So, keep on designing.

Talk to you next time,
‍
Leiry.