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CRAIG WESTON / DESIGNER · AUTHOR · CURIOUS HUMAN
Thoughtful
by design.
Curious
by nature.
I’m Craig Weston. I design digital products for people with better things to do than fight a confusing interface. I also write about UX and Japanese folklore, because apparently one rabbit hole wasn’t enough.
DESIGN MEETS CURIOSITY 01 / 04
日本 · 美と物語A PERSONAL DIGITAL JOURNAL · 2026
“Curiosity is a perfectly reasonable hobby. Mine just keeps turning into books.”
DESIGN IS A PRACTICE. CURIOSITY IS A WAY OF LIFE.A PLACE TO BEGIN
Different interests.
One curious mind.
Here to solve a tricky product problem, inspect a case study, or meet a Japanese ghost? All perfectly sensible reasons. Pick a direction.
01 / APPROACHHow I think.Human-centred design, research and Japanese principles.Explore the approach ↗
02 / WORKWhat I make.MatchPoint, research workshops and interactive product ideas.See selected work ↗
03 / WRITINGWhat I write.UX principles, Japanese history, folklore and strange old stories.Browse the books ↗
THE PERSON BEHIND THE WORKDesigner. Problem solver.
Designer. Problem solver.
Building what matters.
I started in software engineering before finding my way into product design and management. That means I care about the code, the business decision and, above all, the poor soul trying to use the finished thing. Good design ought to make life easier, not require a small instruction manual and a stiff drink.
A few days around the lakes and waterfalls of the Lake District will remind you that the world works rather well without a notification badge. It’s also why cleaner technology and reducing emissions matter to me: the things we build should leave something better behind.
Featured publication · User experience
UX is dead.
Long live UX.
AI can now make a convincing interface before the kettle boils. Unfortunately, it can also make the wrong interface just as quickly. My book is about the people, questions and design fundamentals that stop that happening.
FROM THE BOOK · CHAPTER 1
“Making is cheap. Being wrong is still expensive.”
01 / PRODUCT PHILOSOPHY
HUMAN FIRST, ALWAYS.Design is
about people.
Not pixels.
The interesting design work happens before anyone chooses a shade of blue. What are people trying to do? Why is it difficult? Who decided this needed six steps? Start with the awkward questions, then make the answer feel effortless.
Explore user-centred design ↗01 / EMPATHYUnderstand the human problem
Observe, listen, reframe. Don't mistake an assumption for an insight.
02 / SYSTEMSMake complexity feel simple
Connect discovery with architecture, content and interaction.
03 / CRAFTMake every detail earn its place
Respect accessibility, performance, hierarchy and motion.
02 / JAPANESE INFLUENCE
余白 Y O H A K U
Beauty in what
we leave out.
Japanese art and everyday thinking taught me to look for what can be left out. A little space, a meaningful pause, a detail placed just where it belongs. In design that can mean one less button. Away from my desk it can mean a quiet walk, a lake, and a phone that stays in my pocket.
THE INFLUENCE BEHIND THE WORK ↗余白 · よはく · The unfilled space that shapes a composition
THE COLLECTION / JAPAN: HISTORY, MYTH & TRADITION
Nine volumes.
A world of stories.
Meet the ghosts, monsters, samurai and rather peculiar neighbours of old Japan. Nine illustrated volumes, because the folklore is endless and my bookshelf has apparently signed a waiver.
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Folklore / Vol. 02
Yokai of Old Japan, Volume Two
30 More Spirits, Demons and Shapeshifters
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SPECIAL / EDITION
The anthology
Japan, collected.
An illustrated journey through history, myth and tradition.
Author cataloguePrefer the whole collection? Explore the illustrated anthology, or browse Craig Weston’s entire author catalogue on Amazon.
A good interface should not require the user to develop a second career in detective work.
A NOTE FROM THE DESIGN DESKGood projects begin with good conversations