Journal
Writing on systems, in three series.
17 essays
The Framework
Twelve dimensions in four forces. An introduction, the four forces, then one essay for each dimension.
- 00 · Introduction Donovan Dynamics: Designing with Dimensional Clarity
- Force 1 · Fundamentals Fundamentals: What Every System Is Made Of
- Force 2 · Orientations Orientations: How Systems Express Themselves
- Force 3 · Coordinates Coordinates: How Systems Are Positioned
- Force 4 · Membranes Membranes: How Systems Connect and Protect
- Dimension 1 · Information Designing for Clarity: How Structure Shapes Meaning
- Dimension 2 · Energy The Flow Factor: Designing Momentum Into Your Experience
- Dimension 3 · Space Form Follows Focus: Rethinking Digital Space
- Dimension 4 · Time Designing with Time: Sequence, Feedback, and Emotional Pacing
- Dimension 5 · Pitch Emotional Altitude: The Role of Tone in Product Design
- Dimension 6 · Spin What’s the Angle? Designing with Narrative Framing
- Dimension 7 · Yaw Knowing When to Pivot: Designing for Change Without Chaos
- Dimension 8 · Longitude Design at Scale: Building Systems that Stretch but Stay Coherent
- Dimension 9 · Latitude Layered Logic: Designing with Depth, Roles, and Hierarchies
- Dimension 10 · Elevation The System Above the Screen: Seeing Your Product from 10,000 Feet
- Dimension 11 · In Deep Systems: Designing for Introspection, Focus, and Care
- Dimension 12 · Out Signal Over Noise: Designing for Expression, Visibility, and Reach
5 essays
Applied
The framework turned on real products, places and moments.
- April 9, 2025 AI Journalism as a Service
- April 9, 2025 Drone Mapping as a Service
- April 9, 2025 Digitizing Store Interiors
- April 16, 2025 Mapping the Metaverse: A Strategic View Through Donovan Dynamics
- April 16, 2025 Coachella Through the Lens of Donovan Dynamics
7 essays
A History of Tomorrow
A series on where artificial intelligence came from, and what the people who built it thought they were building.
- Part 1 · The Human Record The Human Record: What We Give the Machine
- Part 2 · Training Training: From Sand to a Learned System
- Part 3 · Transformers Transformers: Meaning in Context
- Part 4 · Encoders Encoders: Translating Experience into Representation
- Part 5 · Models Models: A Structure of Learned Possibilities
- Part 6 · Inference Inference: The Pattern in Motion
- Part 7 · Stewardship Stewardship: What We Choose to Build