465 - Sean Thompson

Sean Thompson is a Boulder, Colorado-based product designer and leader. He is currently at Loom, where he focuses on enhancing team-wide craftsmanship and exploring future investment areas for asynchronous, high-fidelity communication.

A designer from an early age, he was drawn to the field by his love of minimalism, invention, and the idea of building something from nothing and fostering a community around it.

Before Loom, he was an early and long-time member of the Twitter design team (RIP 💀) and loves gravel biking and photography as ways to detach from the screen and be more mindful.

Twitter (X) → x.com/cyanhex
Threads → threads.net/@cyanhex

Sean's Minimalist Workspace Tour

Workspace Items

• Carrie Lantern by Norm Architects
• Trail Tumbler by Kinto
• OB4 by Teenage Engineering
• Rise Bookstand by Sun at Six
• Copenhage 90 Desk by Hay
• Natural Mug by Hasami
• Soft Edge Chair by Hay
• Tech Pack by Topo

What is the most recent item added to your space?

My orange OB4 from Teenage Engineering 🟧

How do you spark creativity?

I like to write out ideas as stories and connect different business and human needs into something to react to—ideally provocative and inspiring—and collect anything aesthetically or conceptually relevant.

This approach helps me overcome hurdles to establishing the confidence and calm required to think deeply about something in an excited way. If I don’t believe in it, the good ideas will not flow.

What does a typical day look like?

Early in the morning, I get out into nature on my gravel bike, followed by some light reading and meditation. However, I’ve become more content with this routine sometimes falling flat on days when I sleep in or have too much on my mind.

At Loom, we’re fortunate that the product and how essential our coworkers treat it as a medium help us really cut down on the need for non-collaborative meetings (status updates, work shares, etc), so I have more focus time than ever in my career.

My happiest days are composed of a really inspiring conversation or two followed by intense solo or paired design work (remote pairing is so fun!).

After work, I’m usually eager to get outside for a walk before the sun sets, connect with a friend or two, with no other expectations for myself.

What do you appreciate most about WFH life?

Before working from home, I struggled with the repetitive nature of the commute and the time it took from me.

Similarly, while I love connecting with others, offices often push you beyond your social threshold, leaving me exhausted and stressed at times.

Working from home lets me make a cup of coffee slowly, conserving my energy for the work I enjoy and for the people and passions that are part of my life when I’m not working.