My parents used to run an ice cream shop in Bernal Heights.

Not enough people, it seems, love ice cream. The shop wasn't successful, and it has been gone for many years now. But, when I asked my parents, "What would you do differently if you could do it all over again?"

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"Not a thing."

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At that time, I couldn't understand why they would feel that way about a business which pushed my family to economic strain.

While they ran that shop, they met all sorts of people, learned new ideas, practiced unfamiliar ways of thinking, and were exposed to the vastly diverse range of attitudes held by the many locals and visitors of Bernal Heights.

That experience is something of immeasurable value to them. It was challenging, but in the end, they figured things out. They keep moving, converting the hardship they've endured into strength for their journey in life.

To me, that is what design is about: learning things, trying different approaches, understanding people, seeing the world from a vast range of perspectives. Such is what captivates me about design. This world has so much to offer, and if we spend our lives within our own box/sphere/cylinder/cone, we will miss most of it. I want to use design to experience the world, to listen to and tell stories, to create and to love the world I live in.