Design is responsibility, not just recognition

For me, design has always been an enabler for good. Or at least, it has the potential to be.

Over the years I’ve developed what I call a “designer’s view” — the ability to see that everything around us is designed. Sometimes intentionally. But often, thoughtlessly. And when that happens, it rarely serves the human.

One example has been on my mind a lot lately: the clothing of delivery drivers working for major food and grocery apps in our region.

It’s 40°C in Abu Dhabi. The sun is blazing. Yet the riders wear dark uniforms, sit on black bikes, and shield their phones with makeshift packaging paper so they don’t overheat.

I spoke to a few of them. The engine gets so hot it radiates like a stovetop. Wind doesn’t help. Shade is rare.

This is a design decision — or rather, a lack of one. And yet we know what works. In Emirati tradition, men wear white kanduras in the summer: light, breathable, reflective, heat-adaptive.

So here’s a simple idea, rooted in empathy and backed by evidence. Keep your brand colors on the food box or the logo — but give drivers white, heat-resistant, dirt-repellent uniforms. It’s still on-brand. More importantly, it’s on-mission, if that mission includes serving people, not just customers.

Because design isn’t just about recognition. It’s about responsibility.