What Is Ikigai? (And Why Mine Is Design)

What is Ikigai?

It’s a Japanese concept that means “a reason for being.”

People often describe it as the overlap between:

• What you love

• What you’re good at

• What the world needs

• What you can be paid for
  

When those align, work doesn’t feel forced.

It feels natural.

For me, Ikigai is design.

And I used to feel weird saying that out loud.

Because it sounds big. Personal. A little exposed.

But it’s the simplest way I can explain it.

Design is where my brain goes to feel okay.

When something looks off, cluttered, or harder than it needs to be,

I feel it immediately.

Tension.

Friction.

Noise.

After years of doing this, it’s automatic.

Making things clearer, calmer, more intentional — brings relief.

For me.

And for the people using it.

I love it because it feels natural.

I’m good at it because I’ve done it long enough.

People need it because confusion creates friction.

And it has value because clarity moves things forward.

This is the work I can sit with, even on tired days.

The work that doesn’t exhaust me.

The work that grounds me.

I don’t do it for trends or titles.

Bringing visual order to chaos just feels natural.

Like home.

That’s what Ikigai feels like.

Not loud.

Not dramatic.

Just aligned.

What’s yours?