I used to always have the notion that great designs came from sound equipment, like the ergonomic chair, the 27-inch monitor, and the Post-it notes arranged just so. Now I know it can come just as easily from a sunlit train in Northern Italy or some tiny airbnb desk in  Manila that doubles as a kitchen counter.

Hi. I’m a UI/UX designer. I don’t have a home, but I have a portfolio. I haven’t owned a couch in years, but I’ve helped redesign dashboards for billion-dollar companies, sometimes barefoot, sometimes jetlagged, always curious.

Here’s what they don’t tell you when you go nomadic:

Design becomes deeper as you start building. Not because you have more time or better focus, but because you see things that most people don’t see. How do people in Argentina use mobile wallets differently from people in Japan? You are constantly noticing things around you to find some inspiration and creativity. Why does a user in rural Thailand hesitate on a signup form? What does “intuitive” mean when you switch cultures every three weeks?

You start realising that UI is the surface. UX is the soul. And empathy, the real kind, not the buzzword, can’t be faked when you’re on the road, watching real people struggle through real flows.

But let me be honest. It’s not all romantic.

Occasionally, the Wi-Fi connection drops in the middle of a client call. Sometimes you have to explain your timezone six times before a meeting gets booked. Sometimes the café you’ve been designing in turns into a salsa club at 6 p.m.

And sometimes in the middle of a rushed prototype or a usability test with someone who doesn’t speak your language, you wonder what you’re doing, why you gave up stability. Why are you designing error states with one foot in a backpack?

Then you hit “present,” show the team your work, and someone says, “Wow, that just feels right.”

And just like that, it’s worth it.

I don’t have a fixed workspace, but I’ve never felt more grounded in what I do. Design is universal. But the way we experience it? That’s beautifully, maddeningly local.

So I keep moving. Keep learning. Keep designing.