#049 Circling back

Woke up and chose poetry

Spring is here.

Days are getting longer.

I finally have a moment to write.

My boy is now a toddler.

He eats by himself, wants to do things his way.

He continues to grow more independent every day.

He’s much easier to handle now (thanks to his mum)

so we’ve started crossing places off our ‘want-to-go’ list.

My camera roll is finally more than just baby pics.

A few good landscapes made the mix.

We’re also finally making our way through our TV show backlog.

Yet to watch Severance, but it won’t be until long.

Links still pile up in my ‘unsaved’ folder,

but now I skim, highlight and share, not just hoard them.

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Links worth clicking

• Brick - Rediscover your phone’s true purpose with a simple tap.

• The geography of Interface - Digital interfaces shape how we navigate online spaces, much like physical geography influences movement in the real world.

• How I think about visual design trends - Good designers steal, Great designers adapt

• Pulltube - Ultimate media downloader for mac

• Drafts - Quick-capture app for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch

• The compounding seeds of creativity - Creativity flourishes over time through consistent effort, curiosity, and a willingness to let ideas evolve.

• What we can learn from vintage computing - The charm of old computers lives on through enthusiasts who preserve, restore, and celebrate retro tech.

• “Founder Mode” and the Art of Mythmaking - Founders craft narratives that shape reality, balancing truth and myth to inspire belief in their vision.

• Having Taste - Taste isn’t just about preferences; it’s a cultivated, personal ethos that shapes how we see and engage with the world.

• Folio - Digital wallet app that allows you to scan and securely store documents and cards in one place.

• Sequel - Keep track of the movies, shows, games etc. you want to check out, all in one place.

• N10 - Attention Management App for Mac

• Empty Fasting - Delightfully focused app for your intermittent fasting practice.

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That’ll be all for this one. If you enjoyed reading this, please leave a Like, or Share it with someone you think will like it.

Also, you can follow me at Instagram for Musings, Twitter for Ramblings, and Command Space for work.

#048 Wrapping up 2024

One for the books.

2024 has been a year for the books—six newsletters and one full-grown baby boy!

This year, Shanay grew from a cuddly baby into a bundle of energy and wonder. Watching his personality take shape has been the most rewarding experience. The smiles, the mischief, and even the sleepless nights have made this year unforgettable. Add to that a long trip to India to spend quality time with his grandparents and extended family—eventful is an understatement.

Professionally, 2024 has been a year of growth and milestones. I managed to build my personal website, which has been a long-time goal. I was honoured to receive the ‘Rockstar Award’ at work—a recognition that feels particularly special in a year when I stepped away for six months on parental leave. Balancing work and life as a new dad has taught me the importance of showing up, both at home and in the office.

But perhaps what’s most fulfilling is building this newsletter, which still feels like my safe space. Writing and sharing pieces of my life (and links) with you all has been a rewarding creative outlet. Whether it’s rants or life reflections, seeing you engage and click on the links has been incredibly validating.

As we step into 2025, I’m eager to:

• Take more moments to be present with family.

• Share more of my thoughts and findings with you here on Hyperlink.

• Become a healthier version of myself so that I can tire my toddler out rather than the other way around.

Wishing you all a joyous and fulfilling start to 2025. Let’s make it a year to remember.

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#047 The longing for community

In a month or so, we will be hitting two years since we moved countries. New place, new home, new life, and a longing for a sense of community in an otherwise (literally) cold place.

My professional life is now dominated by sitting in front of a 27” monitor for most part of the week, bringing with it fewer reasons to step out. And that’s usually not good because my past waves of friendship have stemmed from my workplace. And as I move from one job to another, there are some folks I end up losing along the way, albeit very very unintentionally. Add to that having a baby who’s about to become a toddler. Where do we begin?

As I tried to keep up with my inbox last Sunday, Ann Friedman’s newsletter on community building couldn’t have popped up at a better time. Just the stuff I needed to read. Making friends takes effort, especially as we age. The newsletter mentions helpful tips that are otherwise mentioned in her book, ‘Big Friendship’ which is now on top in my ‘to-read’ shelf.

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Links worth clicking

• MaxFocus: Link Preview Extension - For all of those who don’t use Arc, you can open preview of clicked links without opening new tabs.

• The power of beauty in communicating complex ideas - Can designers defend pursuing beauty when communicating science or innovation?

• Design outside the computer - Your digital UI can come from physical world.

• Free Faces - A curated collection of typefaces that are available under a variety of free licences somewhere on the interwebs.

• tinyPod - A phone away from phone, it’s a fancy and functional case for Apple Watch, through which you can use your watch like a smartphone.

• NotchNook - Make your macbook’s notch more useful.

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That’ll be all for this one. If you enjoyed reading this, please leave a Like, or Share it with someone you think will like it.

Also, you can follow me at Instagram for Musings, Twitter for Ramblings, and Command Space for work.

#046 Picking one between two home countries

No one can pick just one

I have been living in the UK for over a year and a half now. Honestly, it hasn’t been that long, but it’s been long enough to call it our second home. Shanay was born here too. I’m currently visiting India on paternity leave, and I often get asked where I prefer living. And the only answer is - I don’t know.

Yes, I do ponder this quite a bit, and this post is an attempt to pen down all my thoughts and feelings on the matter. Let me start by listing a few reasons, beginning with those favouring the UK, as they are on top of my mind right now — clean air, great parks and green spaces, and better financial remuneration for my work. Overall, I'd say I enjoy a much better quality of life. Additionally, I am a textbook consumer, and some of the best consumer products in the market debut in the US and the UK. So that’s a nice bonus.

Now for the reasons favoring India — family, food, and convenience. Being born here, I have a well-established network of friends and family. Being closer to my parents as they age is something I frequently contemplate. Watching Shanay interact with so many relatives is heartwarming. The cost of convenience is incredibly low, enabling us to outsource many of our chores. I also happen to thrive in warm weather. If given a choice, I’d never layer up.

The reasons favouring India are all the things I miss about the UK, and the ones favouring the UK are all the things that are lacking in India. This makes choosing between the two extremely difficult. Ultimately, it boils down to where one stands in life, both personally and professionally, and what their priorities are at that moment. As of today, we have chosen the UK as our home for the reasons I mentioned.

While I’m here in India for a few months, I feel bittersweet as our departure date approaches, with family and friends being the only reason for the mixed emotions. Everything else has been quite frustrating. Every administrative process is bogged down by excessive paperwork and bureaucracy. The roads get washed out every monsoon. There's a pervasive "me-first" attitude, whether it's driving or getting on and off trains. Productivity per capita is low due to the most mundane shortcomings in public infrastructure.

Despite all this, India is still home, and that’s why it’s so hard to choose between the two.

All my immigrant friends, what’s keeping you where you are? Share in the comments below.

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Reading list

• Family values - Family is an iOS crypto wallet app. The author talks about their process of making something complex feel welcoming and familiar, through great interaction design.

• Great animations - What makes up great animations in user interface design?

• WITI - The pen edition - An old WITI dispatch that mentions the pen arsenals of a few people. I didn’t know a lot of those pens.

• Why do corporate art styles feel ‘fake’? - Well, there are reasons why.

• From generalist to specialist - This one’s a first from yours truly. This article talks about my transition from a generalist to a specialist design system designer role.

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That’ll be all for this one. Hope you enjoyed reading this. Share it with someone who you think will like Hyperlink by clicking on the button below👇 . Stay safe and see you'll in the next issue!

Also, you can follow me on Instagram for Musings, Twitter for Ramblings, and Command Space for work.

#045 New dad, New me

It's a changed world

Being a dad has been, well, overwhelming to say the least.

Our beautiful baby boy arrived on 14 Jan this year. And life had a major iOS 6 - to - 7 kinda software update. Unlike our phones, we had to make sure we didn’t drop this one.

Night and day have been the same. We became okay with potty and pee getting sprayed over us. Once I used to dread them, but now I empathise with parents travelling on flights with a baby. Takes courage.

Even the worldview has changed. Societal issues such as class divide, access to quality healthcare and education have affected me earlier as well. However, knowing that these issues can affect my child’s future and upbringing, they have become all the more important. Take accessibility for example. I am a lot more aware and mindful of features like step-free access, ramps, and elevators while travelling or just getting around. I tend to think a lot about how can I make this world a better, more inclusive, and more accessible place for my child to thrive in.

The definition of success, priorities, and productivity have also changed. And these might just be the key areas where it hit me the most. Till now, success has been a culmination of all my professional achievements (and bank balance). Priorities were set around how can I, as an individual, up-level the quality of life, while seeking overall contentment. Productivity was defined by to-do apps, calendar invites, bookmarks, and starred places on Google Maps. Being a new dad has re-calibrated these definitions, and helped me open up to a life that is no longer governed by professional goals disguised as personal achievements.

Success is now about celebrating smaller milestones for us as a family. It has been humbling to see our little one reach these milestones, and it has let me reflect, look back, and see how far we as a family have come. Priorities are now about spending quality time with family, nuclear as well as extended, and personal health. Productivity is no longer JUST about to-do apps, watchlists, and bookmarks. Sure, these will continue to exist, but not in a way where I would be upset if I didn’t abide by them. I continue to learn to be more patient, resilient, and a lot more flexible to breaking routines and schedules.

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Lots of links

I am on pat leave, and in all the chaos of raising a baby, I have managed to find some time to gather links.

• Johnny Decimal is a system to organise your life and enables you to find things quicker, with less stress, and with more confidence.

• Voice Map - Take self-guided audio tours in over 400 destinations

• UI Density - Author Matthew Strom explores the importance of balancing information density in user interfaces to enhance usability and user experience.

• Microcopy - A variety of examples and guidelines for effective microcopy in digital products.

• Put a squirrel on it - Matt Choi explores decorating the city with unconventional inserts that don’t do much, but add delight to the urban fabric.

• Jitter - Is a new web-based motion design tool. Much easier than after-effects.

• Daylight - A 120Hz refresh rate e-ink tablet, without blue light. The landing page is as cool as the device itself. View it on desktop if you can.

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That’ll be all for this one. Hope you enjoyed reading this. If you enjoyed reading this, please leave a Like, or share it with someone you think will like it.

Also, you can follow me at Instagram for Musings, Twitter for Ramblings, and Command Space for work.