It all started with pushing pixels around a screen until it wasn’t just design, it was a connection. I was connecting with people. The more that I approached design as a relationship (instead of a transaction) with the audience, the more successful and impactful my design would become.
It was those relationships that fostered my imagination and fascination beyond the screen. I wanted to understand the fiber, and the emotional sinew that tied together my work and a person’s connection with it.
Over the years, my diverse experience opened many doors; each with challenging opportunities that would help me continue to grow as a designer and a leader.
I’ve developed a way of working – a set of principles, approaches and skills that I feel can help me be a great asset to any product or organization. I shape my roles based on what needs to be done and the people I support.
My Bread & Butter
Leadership & People Power
I build teams. I build-up talent. I bring together people under a shared vision and positive team culture. I promote success through positive leadership methods, and learning by example. I’m comfortable sharing thoughts and ideas with creatives and engineers alike.
Humanistic Design & Creative Intelligence
I help companies find solutions by embracing design and the power of understanding who the solution is for. When we sit down to create a solution for a business need, the first question I ask is always “what’s the human need behind it?”
Doing
Sure, sitting behind a desk and delegating is good for some. I can delegate like a beast. But nothing makes me happier than getting my hands dirty. Doing and being capable of doing what I ask others to do – it makes a difference.
My Toolkit
Lean Methodologies
I’ve found that working through problems with a set of assumptions instead of towards a set of requirements offers a better design return. I’m not focused on detailed deliverables. I’m looking to produce changes that improve the product in the here and now – build, measure, learn and repeat.
Agile Mindset
UX should be integrated within an agile framework and not exist outside of it. I believe its possible to make room for design within a sprint; supporting a continuous integration of value-driven design features. I believe that good UX can complement the software development lifecycle.
Design Systems
Every organization thrives on the need for scale, efficiency and consistency. Design systems can bring together shared ideas under a single design language that not only ensures that designers are on the same page, development teams will also benefit from these modular systems that encourage rapid product development and reusability.
Culture of Research
The success of any product relies on the ability to process both qualitative and quantitative data to either build assumptions or validate them. It’s important that any team, even without dedicated research resources, embrace the power of user research.