Design builds trust or it erodes it. It includes people, or it leaves them behind. It makes power visible, or it hides harm in plain sight.

We’ve seen what happens when design is treated like decoration. We’ve been inside systems where silence was rewarded, complexity was used as cover, and harm was framed as progress. We chose not to stay quiet.

This manifesto is not a brand exercise. It is a line in the sand. A reflection of what we believe, what we refuse, and how we intend to keep showing up even when it’s hard.This is what it means to be a Hostile Sheep.

How we treat design

Design is not neutral. It reflects priorities, distributes power, and teaches people what to expect or what to accept.
We don’t treat design as decoration. We treat it as an act of care. Every decision is a chance to include someone or leave them out.
We believe trust is a design outcome. We prioritize clarity over cleverness, dignity over delight, and usefulness over novelty.
We don’t design around people. We design with those most affected.
We ask with care and listen with patience, because every answer builds something whether deliberate or not.

How we challenge systems

We don’t challenge systems for the sake of change. We challenge them to protect the people they overlook.
Harm often hides inside policy, process, and platform. We go looking for it.
We don’t assume scale is success or legacy means right. We ask who benefits, who’s burdened, and who’s missing.
We know we can't dismantle everything. But we can name what’s broken, protect those most affected, and build cracks where the light can get in.

How we build relationships

We don’t do transactional. We do trust.
We show up as partners, not vendors. We treat our clients like friends, because that’s who we want to work with.
Not everything we offer fits in a scope or slide. Some of it comes from how we show up.
We make time to listen, even when it’s not “on scope.” Because when you care about people, listening is the work.
We believe the strongest systems are held together by relationships. So we invest in them completely, consistently, and with care.

What we refuse to accept

We refuse to let complexity become an excuse for inaction.
We don’t accept harm just because it’s disclosed in the fine print.
We believe clarity is an act of care, even when it stings.
We don’t pretend neutrality is a virtue. Every decision has consequences.
We refuse to accept systems that serve power over people.
We refuse to ignore the wolves just because the herd is quiet.

There is a growing herd of Hostile Sheep. People inside systems, outside institutions, or working quietly at the edges. They choose clarity over comfort and care over compliance. They protect what matters, challenge what harms, and build what needs to exist.

If that resonates, you may be one of us and we'd love to work together. Let's build something better, with the people who need it the most.