How I work...

Leading Designers

I learned many things from the leaders who supported me throughout my career. I’ve learned even more from the designers I’ve supported. I’d like to think I made all of this up on my own, but my approach to design leadership has been shaped and molded by others.

Keep it engaging.

I keep my teams “light” and engaged by fostering an open, collaborative culture where creativity thrives and ideas flow freely. I encourage humor, celebrate wins—big and small—and create a safe space where taking risks is welcomed and failure is seen as part of the process. I balance structured work with informal moments, whether through brainstorming sessions, design critiques, or casual check-ins, to keep the energy positive. By promoting autonomy, offering clear direction, and recognizing individual contributions, I help maintain high morale while ensuring the team stays focused and motivated.

Be the one who takes the heat.

I believe that as a leader, if there’s a fire somewhere, I’m the one keeping the team safe from the flames of politics and business nonsense. I’m creating the time to design the right things, and creating the space for designing things right. I beg, borrow and compromise for the time it takes to bring the best to the customer.

Be the voice you want them to be.

The work doesn’t always speak for itself. I know that articulating the value is just important as creating it. The designers I support become excellent advocates for their work by the examples I set in communicating my work and expectations of them. Be present, be clear and always be ready.

Everyone is a leader.

There’s a big difference between leading and managing, and my hopes is that every single designer I work with feels empowered to lead their design and their approach to solving problems.

I do the work too.

My role as a design leader isn’t always (and shouldn’t ever be) a sideline job. Removing yourself from the work makes you a poor advocate of it. I believe that pushing pixels and getting your hands dirty makes you a better leader.

Management Experience

Since 2005, I’ve been managing people. I’ve supported teams from 3 to 30. I’ve managed managers and individual contributors of multifunctional designers, product managers, creatives, marketing professionals and engineers.

Management Style

My management style can be described as collaborative, empathetic, empowering, and strategic, with a strong focus on team growth and fostering excellence.

I’m emotionally intelligent enough to be able to keep my feelings from influencing my decisions as much as possible, recognizing my own biases helps me manage the emotions of others when managing conflict and stress.

I’m adaptable. Change happens, and it happens often, and navigating change requires a bit of positivity without dismissing the chaos in creates. Building trust with my team is absolutely crucial when managing through changes.

And I build that trust through empathy, to relate to the specific needs of an individual. I know I’ve been where they’re at, and I use that to adapt my approach to getting them to where they want to be.

Performance Management

These tenets guide my leadership approach, ensuring that performance management fosters not only results but also a positive, growth-oriented culture where designers thrive.

Empowerment Through Clarity.

Performance thrives on clarity of expectations. I ensure my teams have a clear understanding of their roles, responsibilities, and goals by defining measurable objectives and providing actionable feedback. Designers perform best when they know the “why” behind their work and how it connects to larger business and user goals.

Growth-Focused Feedback.

Constructive feedback is an opportunity for growth, not criticism. I deliver feedback with a focus on actionable improvements while recognizing and amplifying strengths. By fostering a feedback culture that is consistent, timely, and empathetic, I help individuals continuously uplevel their craft and confidence.

Create opportunities for ownership and expect accountability.

Great design teams are built on a foundation of accountability. I encourage designers to own their projects from ideation to delivery while creating a safe environment for experimentation. I empower my team to take initiative and learn from successes and failures alike.

Silos create barriers for growth.

Collaboration is key to a team’s success, especially across design, product, and engineering. I prioritize open communication and alignment to ensure every designer understands how their work integrates with the larger team and organizational objectives. This fosters a shared responsibility for delivering outcomes.

Celebrate even the smallest wins together.

Recognizing accomplishments and reflecting on lessons learned drives motivation and engagement. I create opportunities to celebrate individual and team successes, while also focusing on areas of improvement through mentorship, professional development, and shared learning. This balance inspires innovation and sustained excellence.