Design Loops and Time Travel, Ep. 8: The TARDIS, UX, and Bigger-Than-It-Looks Systems
- Alex Dihel
- Aug 19
- 1 min read
From the outside, the TARDIS looks like a blue phone box.
Simple. Compact. Friendly.
Until you walk in… and realize it contains infinite rooms, galaxies, timelines, and at least one wardrobe malfunction.
Some interfaces are like that.
They look harmless.
A toggle.
A label.
A settings menu.
But behind them? An entire design system, four product teams, three legacy dependencies, and one very nervous developer whispering, “Please don’t touch that.”
Design isn’t just about the thing users see.
It’s about the structure behind it - the decisions, systems, and connections that make it work.
What the TARDIS teaches about systems design:
📦 Small containers can hide massive systems
🧩 A simple UI often maps to a very complex backend
🕳️ Oversimplifying can create usability wormholes
🔍 What feels intuitive is usually the result of invisible architecture
