Apolline Daimaru

The founder’s question isn’t just “what problem am I solving?”

It’s “Can my users name this problem yet, or do I have to name it for them?”

If they can name it, you’re in a race. You need to be faster, better, and cheaper than the alternatives they already see.

If they can’t, you’re in a different game. Your first job isn’t building the product. It’s... See more

New discoveries often have to be conceived initially as variations of existing things,

even by their discoverers

, because there isn't yet the conceptual vocabulary to express them.

If you invent something new, you must also invent the language that allows others to talk about it.

The main design challenge was this: Granola feels calm and steady to use, but the people using it have fast-paced, high-energy work lives. How do you make a brand that acknowledges (and celebrates) that reality, but still feels like a calm presence inside it?

We landed on something approachable and optimistic, a bit rough around the edges, but sharp... See more

As we move further into the Post-Algo era, I think we’re going to see a clearer divide between the design industry and mainstream design culture. Not in a gatekeeping way, but in how taste is formed, protected, and shared.

For the mainstream, AI-generated design will quickly become aspirational. People will decorate their homes increasingly based on... See more

I’ve spent the last 20 years working in and around design media, brand, and emerging technology, mostly trying to make new ideas feel understandable before there was language for them.

A lot of people talk about AI as a productivity upgrade. Faster this. Faster that. But that framing has never clicked for me.AI is powerful, but power without direction is like a hamster spinning on wheels without moving forward. Taste is how you wield these tools to create work that matters.