The Rise of Home-Cooked Software, Authenticity & Imperfection, and When to Start a Design Studio

The 52" monitor, home-cooked software, claude code, vibe coding, personal tools, craft, authenticity and imperfection, authorship and taste, designing without scale, having an independent design practice, freelancing vs studios, building a career on your own terms. Tesla Optimus Fail https://www.reddit.com/r/teslamotors/comments/1pfzxt0/tesla_optimus/ Dell's Big Boy https://www.engadget.com/computing/dell-unveils-a-massive-52-inch-6k-ultrawide-curved-monitor-at-ces-2026-140024842.html People Building with Claude Code https://x.com/claudeai/status/2009666254815269313?s=20 Ryo Lu's OS https://os.ryo.lu/ Gabriel Valdivia's Big Calendar https://x.com/gabrielvaldivia/status/2008259086614409438?s=20 David McGillivray is a designer and creative director in upstate New York, designing for early stage tech companies through his own practice . He also co-founded Offhours and runs Corners , an art and design store in the Catskills. Jacob Heftmann is a Los Angeles-based surfer and graphic designer . He is currently the Design Director at Grilli Type . Previously he was on the faculty at Parsons and founded XXIX and Index in New York City. Artwork by Pablo Delcan Music by Mondo Boys Artwork typeface; GT Standard Mono by Grilli Type www.worksbutmakesnoises.com