Things I Believe In
A personal manifesto covering beliefs about writing for oneself, minimalism, the power of small actions, simple software, inherent human goodness, patience, kindness, personal accountability, and pursuing meaning over productivity.
Background
- **Gui David** is a designer and writer who previously worked at Figma (the collaborative design tool) and was involved in the creation of its design system and plugin ecosystem. He now runs his own consultancy.
- **"Things I Believe In"** is a genre of post common in tech: a personal manifesto of professional principles. These posts often serve as a public compass for how the author thinks about craft, process, and collaboration.
- The piece reflects broader tensions in the design/tech world: between "craft" (polishing every pixel) and "impact" (shipping fast); between individual authorship and team systems; and between tools and the thinking behind them.
- David's views carry weight in design circles because Figma's rise reshaped how modern software teams work — so someone who helped build its culture is seen as having a tested perspective on how to make things well at scale.