Developing My Personal Product Language

"Issue": 021

Inspired by Virgil Abloh’s Harvard Graduate School of Design lecture, I wanted to take the time to write out my “personal product language”. I think I take a similar approach to my writing, I often look at my writing from a product lens.

This is ever evolving, this isn’t a guide by any means. What is below is simply version one.

---

• The 0 -> .5 version of the product, should be able to show the vision

• Write for the technologist, build for the user

• Be clear enough to text the details / edits

• Rarely be inspired by other products, there are better places to draw from

• Don’t build something you’re not the user of… like why….

• Create a moment

• Product is a reflection of cultural direction

• Minimalism is fucking dead

• Show what the future is today

• Don’t build if you don’t have a definitive view

• Turn private truths into public discussion

• Meditate

• This is the age of the auteur

• Be philosophically grounded

• Build a world around the product

• It’s all about creating a bridge to touch someone