Desk of Tobias von Schneider

The unexamined life is not worth living — From the Desk of van Schneider — Edition №259

Last week I wrote about "Style is the answer to everything", a short personal meditation on style and a subtle nod to one of my favorite poems by Charles Bukowski. If you missed it, I highly recommend you read it. You can now read it here on my

by Tobias van Schneider

There’s more than meets the eye

You see the edited Instagram post. Not the countless photos and strained angles it took to get that shot. You see the launched product. Not the dozens of failed ones that never saw the light of day. You see a shark attack in the headlines. Not the thousands of people

by Tobias van Schneider

Design in Egypt 🇪🇬 featuring Nora Aly

Our latest interview in the Design Around the World series continues our journey through Egypt, this time with Cairo-based freelance designer, Nora Aly.

by Tobias van Schneider

In search of something slightly better

Our life is an endless feed of opportunities. In search of them, we swipe by them.

by Jon Vio

How to design a case study page (tutorial)

As creative people, we know that presentation means everything. Yet when it comes to presenting our own work, we tend to sell ourselves short.

by Tobias van Schneider

Honoring the life and work of book cover designer, Adalis Martinez

If you read modern fiction, you’ve probably seen one of Adalis Martinez’s book cover designs, or have one your shelf.

by Katie Kirsch

You could plan your life, or you could design it

The human-centered design process — from empathy and research to rapid prototyping, iteration, and so forth — often helps us to bring meaning, joy and discovery into other people's worlds. But what if this same design mindset could be used to design ourselves and our lives?

by Tobias van Schneider

Can a utility brand be an emotional brand?

An emotional tech product is a lifestyle product. It doesn’t necessarily solve a problem. It’s there for entertainment. It’s not a product that people need, it’s a product they choose. Think Netflix, TikTok or Instagram.

by Jon Vio

How to make a great work page for your portfolio: A Semplice tutorial

Your Work page (often your homepage), is your first impression. It tells the story of your work when you're not there to do it. And with Semplice, there are many ways to tell that story.

by Tobias van Schneider

Inspiring portfolios from freelance designers

As a freelance designer, you are your own brand. So it's always interesting to see how independent designers position themselves through their portfolio.