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Levels of Abstraction • Doubleshot

The aesthetic effect of mystery in design.

Liam Spradlin Liam Spradlin
Oct 22, 2025 3 min read
Levels of Abstraction • Doubleshot

After a hiatus this September, Doubleshot is back. Thanks to everyone who’s newly (or remained) subscribed since the last issue!

Last week, I published a new episode of Design Notes in which I talk to Zürich-based architect, artist, creative coder, and designer Fabian Bircher. His work spans a lot of disciplines, which highlights how his creative practice relies on a dialogue between creativity, technology, and function. A major theme in his work—and in this episode—is the aesthetic effect of mystery in design; how obscuring or occluding the right parts of the environment at the right time can create a stronger impact than revealing everything at once. This theme is what inspired the notes in this issue of the Doubleshot.

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