“Design is mostly just empathy, really” — A Q&A with Daniel Kårén

We sat down with Daniel Kårén — co-founder of Handsdown and the guy behind a lot of the systems thinking that keeps our design feeling solid. His background mixes behavioral science, visual storytelling, and a love of making things just work — not just in Figma, but in the real world too.

“Design doesn’t start in Figma. It starts with listening.”

Let’s start with the basics — how’d you land in design?

"Kind of sideways, honestly. I started with behavioral science — group dynamics, decision-making, all that good stuff. Super interesting, but it felt a bit… removed. Like we were studying people from behind glass instead of building stuff for them.

Design felt closer to real life. I got into it through visual comms, then slowly shifted into product and UX. Still the same curiosity — just a different toolkit."

Your work always feels super structured — where does that come from?

"I genuinely like structure — not because I’m a neat freak, but because it helps people move faster. Whether it’s a layout, a process, or a whole design system, I’m always looking for the messy bits and how to make things smoother and more human.

That’s also why I like working close to devs. If we’re not building it, what’s the point? If it’s not shippable, it’s not done."

What’s a project moment you’ve loved lately?

"Allergicentrum, for sure. We helped redesign their clinic site so it felt calmer, warmer — more human, less hospital.

It wasn’t a full rebrand. Just small shifts that gave the whole thing a bit more breathing room. And seeing people actually use it during allergy season and say stuff like “oh, that was easy” — that’s the kind of feedback that sticks."

You talk a lot about human-to-human design. What does that mean day to day?

"It’s just about remembering there’s a real person on the other side of whatever we’re making.

So instead of asking “Is this on-brand?”, we’re more like, “Would someone actually click this if they were tired and a little stressed out?” Same thing with flows — we try to meet people where they are, not where the sitemap says they should be.

It’s not about being nice. It’s about being useful."

What’s something you’re still figuring out?

"How to keep things simple without oversimplifying. How to bring warmth into really complex tools without making them feel fuzzy. And how to stay thoughtful when everything’s moving fast and mostly async.

We’ve found a pretty good rhythm — but honestly, it’s still a work in progress."

Any advice for folks earlier in their design journey?

"Listen more than you talk. Stay curious. Don’t get too attached to your work — it’s gonna change anyway.

And honestly? You don’t need to wait until you’re “senior” to ask good questions or step up. Big-picture thinking isn’t something you earn later — it’s something you practice now."