#Review: Designers are Oxymorons by Azmina Poddar

Reading Designers Are Oxymorons felt a bit like holding a mirror to every chaotic, inspired, contradictory moment I’ve ever associated with creativity. The book leans into the idea that design is a perpetual paradox—messy yet meaningful, uncertain yet full of possibility—and I found myself nodding along more often than I expected. Its exploration of 16 oxymorons is clever and often insightful, especially when it dives into how generative AI has shifted the creative landscape. I appreciated how the author embraces the “beautiful mess” of the designer’s mind without trying to oversimplify it.

That said, there were points where the writing felt slightly overextended, as if the book was trying too hard to capture every nuance of ambiguity at once. A few sections circle back to ideas already explored, which occasionally dilutes the punch of its stronger observations.

Still, the reflective tone and the blend of philosophy, practicality, and humour make it an engaging read. For me, the true strength of this book lies in its honesty—it doesn’t pretend creativity is neat. Instead, it invites you to sit comfortably in the contradictions and recognise that design, like life, thrives in that tension.

Find this book here.