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Karl Koch

Equal parts designer & developer

Design Engineer at DDG DuckDuckGo

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Today

I’m currently the inaugural (opens in new tab) Design Engineer at DuckDuckGo, leading the design and frontend of our AI-Assisted Answers (opens in new tab) as part of our core Search (opens in new tab) product.

Featured Projects

Recent Writing

Music

Principles

Less, but better

Focus on simplicity and quality in product design, avoiding feature bloat and superfluous decoration.

Humans, not ‘Users’

Design for real people and their needs, not abstract ‘users.’

Facts, not assumptions

Base design decisions on research, data and experience, not guesses.

Honesty above metrics

Prioritise doing the right thing over just optimising metrics, or moving the needle.

Conversations, not monologues

Engage in two-way dialog with customers, don't just broadcast.

Handshakes, not handovers

Collaborate closely across teams, avoid silos and handoffs.

Function over form

Prioritise practical usability and value over just aesthetics.

Process, not guesswork

Follow a systematic design and development process.