Full Circle

Re-reading Andy Hertzfeld's account of Bill Atkinson's algorithm for rendering rounded rectangles on the Lisa brought me back to the foundational moments of digital design. Bill's recent passing feels like the closing of a profound chapter in technology's creative evolution.

He was never officially a "designer" in the traditional sense, yet embodied something far more essential: a genuine understanding that great technology is fundamentally about human experience. Like Steve Jobs, Atkinson recognised that technical brilliance and aesthetic sensibility are not separate disciplines, but deeply interconnected expressions of problem-solving.

What fascinates me is how we're witnessing a remarkable transformation in design engineering. Emerging tools and intelligent code generation are systematically dismantling the rigid boundaries between design and development. Designers are becoming more technical, engineers more design-aware, creating a fluid ecosystem where creativity and implementation dance together.

We now live in a world where any designer can prototype an interaction, generate the underlying code through intuitive AI assistants, and rapidly iterate—all without losing the nuanced human touch that makes experiences truly compelling. We're not just blurring lines; we're creating a new language of digital craft where technical skill and design taste are equal partners.

The future of design stands tall; bridging disciplines, democratising creation, and proving that the most revolutionary work happens at the intersection of human imagination and technological possibility.