5 books that shaped the design approach of Airbnb’s Jon Gold | Figma Blog
Jem Gold’s design approach combines systems thinking, human-centered technology, disciplined focus, mindfulness, and functional programming. The five books she recommends show how design can be treated as a generative process—one that connects creative practice with engineering and tools that augment human ability. ## Designing Programmes: Design as a System - Karl Gerstner’s *Designing Programmes* presents design as a process that generates assets rather than relying on humans to create every final output manually. - Though focused on layouts, logos, and typography, its ideas remain relevant to modern UI and design systems. - Gold values the concept of a flexible pipeline that people can shape, with the system producing consistent results. ## 10% Happier: Creating Space for Better Decisions - Dan Harris’s memoir about meditation influenced Gold’s design process and outlook. - Meditation helps her avoid immediate, visceral reactions and take time to investigate the best response. - She especially appreciates Harris’s skepticism toward mystical or “woo-woo” claims, making the book a practical introduction to meditation. ## The Dream Machine: Computers as Creative Partners - *The Dream Machine* explores J. C. R. Licklider’s vision of “man-computer symbiosis,” in which computers enhance human intelligence. - It describes researchers who rejected IBM’s slow, punch-card-based model of computing in favor of interactive systems people could enjoy using. - Gold identifies with their rebellious belief that technology should augment human creativity rather than merely automate routine tasks. ## Deep Work: Protecting Creative Focus - Cal Newport’s *Deep Work* argues that social media fragments attention and prevents sustained, original thinking. - Gold responded by eliminating social media for a month and scheduling dedicated blocks for creative projects. - When she felt the urge to check distractions, she replaced the habit with activities such as running or reading. - The practice helped her preserve focus and create space for ideas to develop. ## Functional Programming: Building from Small Primitives - *Professor Frisby’s Mostly Adequate Guide to Functional Programming* introduces functional programming through a short, approachable, free online book. - The paradigm breaks problems into small, composable units that can be rearranged and combined. - Gold applies this principle to design systems: instead of starting with a large page and breaking it down, designers can begin with basic primitives and build upward. - This approach connects programming concepts directly to scalable, reusable design work. Together, these books recommend a design practice built from composable systems, deliberate attention, skepticism, and technology that expands human creativity.
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