Mitch Watts
@mitchellwatts.com
Dad, husband, and product designer. I'm passionate about creating helpful tools & delightful experiences. → mitchellwatts.com
I sometimes imagine that a digital screen is like a petri dish of pond water. It's composition of interface elements sort of like microorganisms: reacting to energy & stimulus, being poked and prodded by other elements/users in the system, & adapting to when the shape of their environment changes.
April 1, 2025 at 3:57 PM
I sometimes imagine that a digital screen is like a petri dish of pond water. It's composition of interface elements sort of like microorganisms: reacting to energy & stimulus, being poked and prodded by other elements/users in the system, & adapting to when the shape of their environment changes.
I, like many, have grown exhausted by the Japandi interior design aesthetic.*
I, like many, am too invested in the Japandi lifestyle to stop.*
I, like many, weep.*
*first world problem(s)
I, like many, am too invested in the Japandi lifestyle to stop.*
I, like many, weep.*
*first world problem(s)
March 31, 2025 at 2:37 PM
I, like many, have grown exhausted by the Japandi interior design aesthetic.*
I, like many, am too invested in the Japandi lifestyle to stop.*
I, like many, weep.*
*first world problem(s)
I, like many, am too invested in the Japandi lifestyle to stop.*
I, like many, weep.*
*first world problem(s)
Today I'm available for new full-time opportunities and will consider contract roles. If you know of Sr. Product Designer or UX Designer roles, then I would love to hear from you.
My website → www.mitchellwatts.com
Context: a private equity acquisition impacted most of the jobs in our digital org
My website → www.mitchellwatts.com
Context: a private equity acquisition impacted most of the jobs in our digital org
Mitch Watts
I'm a Product designer who focuses on user experiences, continuous discovery research, and enhancing design systems.
www.mitchellwatts.com
March 5, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Today I'm available for new full-time opportunities and will consider contract roles. If you know of Sr. Product Designer or UX Designer roles, then I would love to hear from you.
My website → www.mitchellwatts.com
Context: a private equity acquisition impacted most of the jobs in our digital org
My website → www.mitchellwatts.com
Context: a private equity acquisition impacted most of the jobs in our digital org
Found myself today reminiscing on the days of sharing design on Forrst and later, Dribbble. While the design industry felt less mature, it also felt more intimate, engaging, and helpful.
But all I can do is reminisce, because communities that recapture that spirit seem fleeting.
But all I can do is reminisce, because communities that recapture that spirit seem fleeting.
February 24, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Found myself today reminiscing on the days of sharing design on Forrst and later, Dribbble. While the design industry felt less mature, it also felt more intimate, engaging, and helpful.
But all I can do is reminisce, because communities that recapture that spirit seem fleeting.
But all I can do is reminisce, because communities that recapture that spirit seem fleeting.
Reposted by Mitch Watts
The Sigma BF is very neat. A bit of an indictment against Leica that they keep making things more fussy and complicated rather than this: a reduction to the essence of what makes a camera. It’s truly a case study in minimalism.
Wonderful stuff.
Wonderful stuff.
February 24, 2025 at 3:44 AM
The Sigma BF is very neat. A bit of an indictment against Leica that they keep making things more fussy and complicated rather than this: a reduction to the essence of what makes a camera. It’s truly a case study in minimalism.
Wonderful stuff.
Wonderful stuff.
Pro-tip for professionals who need to have a portfolio: keep a work journal! Organize it by project/feature/product with screenshots, artifacts, key conversations, and metrics.
✔ Record of your work
✔ Easy case study material
✔ Tracks accomplishments over time
✔ Receipts for performance reviews
✔ Record of your work
✔ Easy case study material
✔ Tracks accomplishments over time
✔ Receipts for performance reviews
February 18, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Pro-tip for professionals who need to have a portfolio: keep a work journal! Organize it by project/feature/product with screenshots, artifacts, key conversations, and metrics.
✔ Record of your work
✔ Easy case study material
✔ Tracks accomplishments over time
✔ Receipts for performance reviews
✔ Record of your work
✔ Easy case study material
✔ Tracks accomplishments over time
✔ Receipts for performance reviews
Spinning up a new case study for my website. 😌
February 18, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Spinning up a new case study for my website. 😌
Reposted by Mitch Watts
p much client I've ever worked with, the root of most inefficiencies in projects is the fact they're always in goddamn meetings.
They don't even have time to do their own job, let alone the extra needed to make us as useful as possible.
They don't even have time to do their own job, let alone the extra needed to make us as useful as possible.
its always "ai reducing the amount of code you write" or "ai reducing the number of tickets you have to respond to" never "ai reducing the number of meetings you have to attend". get your priorities straight people smh
im starting to feel the slow transition from "i write software" to "i usually write software with a lot of meetings in between". is this what the beginning of the end looks like?
February 18, 2025 at 11:45 AM
p much client I've ever worked with, the root of most inefficiencies in projects is the fact they're always in goddamn meetings.
They don't even have time to do their own job, let alone the extra needed to make us as useful as possible.
They don't even have time to do their own job, let alone the extra needed to make us as useful as possible.
Man, I don’t think any band has been as good a representative of their genre as Metallica. What an awesome entry point into metal.
And I’ve been a metalhead since I was a teenager. Their first four albums still crush.
And I’ve been a metalhead since I was a teenager. Their first four albums still crush.
February 16, 2025 at 2:31 AM
Man, I don’t think any band has been as good a representative of their genre as Metallica. What an awesome entry point into metal.
And I’ve been a metalhead since I was a teenager. Their first four albums still crush.
And I’ve been a metalhead since I was a teenager. Their first four albums still crush.
Happy to report that Titanfall 2 more than holds up. It still holds the title of best first person shooter video game.
February 13, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Happy to report that Titanfall 2 more than holds up. It still holds the title of best first person shooter video game.
Reposted by Mitch Watts
I wrote a blog post on how to build a macOS menu bar utility in #SwiftUI using MenuBarExtra, customize its icon, hide it from the Dock, and add a quit option:
nilcoalescing.com/blog/BuildAM...
nilcoalescing.com/blog/BuildAM...
Build a macOS menu bar utility in SwiftUI
Learn how to build a macOS menu bar app in SwiftUI using MenuBarExtra, customize its icon, hide it from the Dock, and add essential features like a quit option.
nilcoalescing.com
February 13, 2025 at 7:24 AM
I wrote a blog post on how to build a macOS menu bar utility in #SwiftUI using MenuBarExtra, customize its icon, hide it from the Dock, and add a quit option:
nilcoalescing.com/blog/BuildAM...
nilcoalescing.com/blog/BuildAM...
Not to brag, but my son slept for an 8 hour stretch last night. Which is the longest undisturbed period of sleep we’ve had in 7 months. 😮💨
February 11, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Not to brag, but my son slept for an 8 hour stretch last night. Which is the longest undisturbed period of sleep we’ve had in 7 months. 😮💨
Ever stand in the shower & try to ELI5 something? An eloquent, simple way to describe a hobby, or your job?
Really makes you self-reflect when answering, “how well practiced and knowledgeable am I in this topic?”
So for me, all of the above. But for the plot of HALO, Combat Evolved.
Really makes you self-reflect when answering, “how well practiced and knowledgeable am I in this topic?”
So for me, all of the above. But for the plot of HALO, Combat Evolved.
February 10, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Ever stand in the shower & try to ELI5 something? An eloquent, simple way to describe a hobby, or your job?
Really makes you self-reflect when answering, “how well practiced and knowledgeable am I in this topic?”
So for me, all of the above. But for the plot of HALO, Combat Evolved.
Really makes you self-reflect when answering, “how well practiced and knowledgeable am I in this topic?”
So for me, all of the above. But for the plot of HALO, Combat Evolved.
Reposted by Mitch Watts
If you’re in line to sack Patrick Mahomes, STAY IN LINE
February 10, 2025 at 1:53 AM
If you’re in line to sack Patrick Mahomes, STAY IN LINE
Watching Mahomes get sacked, then sacked again. Then intercepted?
Absolutely cathartic.
Absolutely cathartic.
February 10, 2025 at 12:45 AM
Watching Mahomes get sacked, then sacked again. Then intercepted?
Absolutely cathartic.
Absolutely cathartic.
Designing my website live, unrefined, and available for anyone to see its unfinished state felt counter intuitive at first. I’m vulnerable; fearful that displaying a rough & subpar experience (albeit temporarily) will leave a lasting negative first impression.
Yet it’s my best portfolio site yet.
Yet it’s my best portfolio site yet.
February 9, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Designing my website live, unrefined, and available for anyone to see its unfinished state felt counter intuitive at first. I’m vulnerable; fearful that displaying a rough & subpar experience (albeit temporarily) will leave a lasting negative first impression.
Yet it’s my best portfolio site yet.
Yet it’s my best portfolio site yet.
Since discovering the “Wristwatch Revival” YouTube channel I’m now slowly falling in love with analog watches. Which is a shame, because I bought an Apple Watch Ultra 2 not long ago.
Curious… how difficult it might be to learn the hobby? 👀
Curious… how difficult it might be to learn the hobby? 👀
February 8, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Since discovering the “Wristwatch Revival” YouTube channel I’m now slowly falling in love with analog watches. Which is a shame, because I bought an Apple Watch Ultra 2 not long ago.
Curious… how difficult it might be to learn the hobby? 👀
Curious… how difficult it might be to learn the hobby? 👀
Reposted by Mitch Watts
For the kids growing up today, using web search for most things is going to feel like using an abacus in the age of calculators…
Growing Up AI-First
Pondering how kids might navigate the world post-ChatGPT
spyglass.org
February 6, 2025 at 4:26 PM
For the kids growing up today, using web search for most things is going to feel like using an abacus in the age of calculators…
Reposted by Mitch Watts
Developer successfully runs ‘Doom’ on Apple’s Lightning to HDMI adapter
Developer successfully runs ‘Doom’ on Apple’s Lightning to HDMI adapter
You’ve probably heard someone say “but can it run Doom?” That’s because running Doom on the most unexpected platforms and devices has become a fun challenge among developers. Now someone has done something really surprising: they’ve run Doom on an Apple…
9to5mac.com
February 6, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Developer successfully runs ‘Doom’ on Apple’s Lightning to HDMI adapter
Stunners being dropped by Apple Guy, per usual. Half of my wallpapers are powered by this guy.
February 3, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Stunners being dropped by Apple Guy, per usual. Half of my wallpapers are powered by this guy.
Increasingly wonder if it’s worth my time to learn additional UI and prototyping apps for mocking up experiences, or if in the same amount of time I could just learn to code.
Answer seems obvious after typing that out.
Answer seems obvious after typing that out.
February 3, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Increasingly wonder if it’s worth my time to learn additional UI and prototyping apps for mocking up experiences, or if in the same amount of time I could just learn to code.
Answer seems obvious after typing that out.
Answer seems obvious after typing that out.
Reposted by Mitch Watts
*Launch Day*
The Art of Fauna is now available on the App Store! 🥳
It's a puzzle game based on historical animal drawings, with a strong focus on accessibility. 20% of proceeds are donated to nature conservation organisations.
Download:
apps.apple.com/app/apple-st...
Learn more 🧵
#TheArtOfFauna
The Art of Fauna is now available on the App Store! 🥳
It's a puzzle game based on historical animal drawings, with a strong focus on accessibility. 20% of proceeds are donated to nature conservation organisations.
Download:
apps.apple.com/app/apple-st...
Learn more 🧵
#TheArtOfFauna
February 3, 2025 at 8:55 AM
*Launch Day*
The Art of Fauna is now available on the App Store! 🥳
It's a puzzle game based on historical animal drawings, with a strong focus on accessibility. 20% of proceeds are donated to nature conservation organisations.
Download:
apps.apple.com/app/apple-st...
Learn more 🧵
#TheArtOfFauna
The Art of Fauna is now available on the App Store! 🥳
It's a puzzle game based on historical animal drawings, with a strong focus on accessibility. 20% of proceeds are donated to nature conservation organisations.
Download:
apps.apple.com/app/apple-st...
Learn more 🧵
#TheArtOfFauna
In this day and age, do employers read cover letters from job applicants?
I have many friends and some family who are searching for a new job, and some have questioned how essential it truly is to provide a cover letter.
I have many friends and some family who are searching for a new job, and some have questioned how essential it truly is to provide a cover letter.
January 31, 2025 at 8:29 PM
In this day and age, do employers read cover letters from job applicants?
I have many friends and some family who are searching for a new job, and some have questioned how essential it truly is to provide a cover letter.
I have many friends and some family who are searching for a new job, and some have questioned how essential it truly is to provide a cover letter.
One of the best things a designer can do is to surface "system status" to end users. Its clearly resonating to users of DeepSeek to see how it reasons to answer a prompt.
I particularly enjoyed Dario's footnote about DeepSeek exposing its chain-of-thought, where o1 hides it darioamodei.com/on-deepseek-...
January 29, 2025 at 11:10 PM
One of the best things a designer can do is to surface "system status" to end users. Its clearly resonating to users of DeepSeek to see how it reasons to answer a prompt.