Design isn't just pretty pictures.

Design isn’t just pretty pictures. It’s the invisible force determining how you interact with everything around you. After 15 years in the trenches, I’ve got stories to tell.

Welcome to the first ever David Fi’s “Everything is Designed” newsletter.

My Design Journey

For 15 years, impostor syndrome tagged along as I navigated the design industry. Despite my childhood passion (designing UIs on paper, playing with Corel Draw 5 at age 5, and building my first website at 14), I questioned if I belonged when entering the professional world.

Now, I’m finally gaining the perspective to see what truly works - what direction a career, project, or business should take to succeed. This clarity didn’t happen overnight. No boot camp or intensive course teaches what experience does.

My path took me from 21-year-old junior designer to creative manager of an international team of 10 at a multinational global tech provider, while maintaining my own freelance side hustles with international clients.

Why Share Now?

After accumulating all these experiences and valuable insights, keeping them to myself feels wasteful. The challenges you face? I’ve been there. The questions keeping you up at night? I’ve asked them too.

This newsletter is my way of passing along what I’ve learned so you can navigate your own design journey with a bit more confidence and a few more shortcuts.

Design Shapes Everything

I’ve been passionate about design since I first picked up a pencil. Though I now probably write and send more emails than drawings, design remains the core of who I am and defines how I live.

Rather than letting these years of experience fade away, I want to share my insights and discoveries with you. Together, we can elevate design culture inside organizations and see how it drives growth when things are done the right way.

We designers are driving agents – connecting the dots between technology, users, and organizations. We transform tools into stories and experiences that move people to action.

Look around – the iPhone in your pocket, traffic signals on your commute, typography in your favorite book – designers shaped these touchpoints that influence your daily interactions.

As Brian Reed said, “Everything is designed, but few things are designed well.” That’s our opportunity – when creative minds enter the room to guide you through the unknown to desirable futures. Are you ready to go through the wormhole? Let’s move forward.

What to Expect

Unlike most newsletters that pack multiple topics into each issue, I’m taking a different approach. Each week, I’ll focus on just ONE nugget of valuable insight, exploring it in depth rather than skimming the surface of many topics.

I believe this focused format will allow us to truly dive deep into important ideas, giving you something substantial to consider and apply to your work. And don’t worry - each newsletter is designed to be read in less than 5 minutes, respecting your time while still delivering real value.

If these insights sparked something in you, share them with other creative leaders, founders, marketers, or anyone who values innovation. Because transformative ideas deserve to spread beyond boundaries.

Remember: While Everything is Designed, only the bold design their own path. Let’s be bold together.