welcome to the work
After two decades in this industry, I’ve learned a lot. From humble beginnings and startup roots to big advertising and design leadership, I’ve seen things change and evolve in ways that help me be a better designer, leader, and mentor.
the case studies
Advertising
A range of case studies that showcase my advertising, experiential, and branding work.
ux/ui design
A collection of stories around the projects I worked on that were primarily related to Product or Design Thinking
HOW I WORK
Design leadership has changed over the past few years and the landscape is different than it was. I’ve noticed that there is a perception from non-design crafts that design is a “blocker”, not in budget, or that UX/UI isn’t what’s needed right now. All valid concerns, but relegating Design to an “add-on service” runs the risk of work that is functional, results-driven and usable, but not intuitive, brand consistent or accessible.
As Design Leaders, we now must become evangelists and educators as well as innovators. This means a our role description & responsibilities are evolving.
My Design Leadership Style
Advise team shape, skills, depth of craft and staffing
Advise on specialized activities like research, content design, DesignOps or prototyping.
Hire & build teams based on the business need
Create community for teams & support growth & mentorship
PEOPLe
Lead change management based on IC & Leadership experience
Align team culture & ways of working
Shape model for how the group designs & ships deliverables
Build engagement models for collaboration with other teams
Evangelize team capabilities to external & internal clients
PRACTICE
Bring domain expertise to the needs of the customer & business at every level
Proactively designing initiatives tied to biz goals
Apply knowledge set to the advantage of the organization
Encourage solutions beyond short-term & have a seat at the strategy table
STRATEGY
Expectation of execution skill is becoming more pronounced
Increases value for small, agile teams to have IC knowledge and Leadership wrapped in one
Grants hands-on approach to leadership vs only bureaucratic
Execution experience allows for faster estimation of work & can identify warning signs that are typically discovered by ICs
Execution
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP Examples
Hire the right people first, then keep them
It’s obviously important to hire the right person for the needs of the organization. But, I believe in staffing “multipliers” to my team; a multiplier will amplify a teams work, influence and outcomes. If that’s a hands-on SME in the weeds, you need a Lead Designer. They will be able to drive towards outcomes, but are less likely to be able to focus on driving practice or growing people. A lead would be a 1:1 multiplier.
A Design Director recognizes the value of innovation. Change starts at the top, requiring leaders to do some soul searching. Design leaders have a 1:Many multiplier ratio in teams. Being diligent and prescriptive in how you hire is one of the most critical areas of influence for success in a Design Team. Defining roles & responsibilities is just as important as doing the work.
TOOLS can’t fix it all, but mastery grants options
As technology constantly moves forward, new processes and products enter the market. Design Leaders must to recognize that industry tools like Figma are not the whole output of design. Its a tiny piece of the puzzle. Its a way to realize strategies, not define them. I recently went out and got my Figma Academy Certification. I may not use it everyday, but being a SME in the tool-space is an indispensable advantage as a leader. Even with AI, it’s about maintaining cautious, yet curious optimism to make sure the tool is as market-ready you are.
Tools aren’t everything. Make sure there are opportunities to broaden your team’s skills and have a roadmap that continues to up-skill. Eventually change happens at the leadership level and design will get a more permanent seat at the table.
Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away
-Antoine de Saint-Exupéry