Philosophy

Design Philosophy

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." — Antoine de Saint Exupéry, a French writer and aviator

I believe that the world of design extends beyond mere tasks and completed projects. It hinges on the power of authentic design leadership, which centers on instilling in designers a sense of ownership in their work. This journey towards becoming exceptional designers happens organically as they feel personally invested in their creative pursuits. I hold the conviction that people perform at their best when they are not just told what to do but are thoughtfully guided and coached. In my role as a leader, I take pride in fostering this sense of ownership and collective vision, because, at its core, design is a collaborative art guided by a shared purpose.

Principles

I don’t have design principles that govern aesthetic (that changes with preferences over time and between customers). My principles serve to guide behavior and approach to tackling challenges.

👔 Gracious Professionalism

I’m personable and professional. I lean into challenges with the client's experience in mind: their time, their money, & their trust.

💪 Strong Opinions, Loosely Held

I form early opinions that I am confident in but I’m not overly attached to. I’m a learner at heart, but bias towards action.

🐵 Genuinely Curious

I eagerly seek what I need to understand business goals, user needs, and technical specs in collaborative ways. I understand why. I ask lots of questions.

💖️ People Over Pixels

I do my best to understand different perspectives. I consider how decisions impact individuals as well as the corporate whole.

✅ Ready for Change

I expect change throughout the design process and plan accordingly, ready and willing to adapt in a moment's notice.

🚴 Obsessed with Better

I continually push hard to raise the bar on design quality, process, tools, and presentation of work. I want more and expect more.

Process

While our best of plans never survive first contact, starting with a plan grants the ability to adapt when met with the inevitable unknown.

Understanding the people and the problem from multiple angles—best done through a research plan—is the first and most important step. This leads to some form of ideation to help understand the environment further, followed by prototyping practical and possible solutions, then analyzing the value of those solutions with the business and users. Finally, it's important to partner with the engineering team to deliver the best agreed upon solution in a well documented manner. As you'll observe in the case studies I've included, this process isn't always text-book due to circumstances—and that's okay—because the value to the user, the business needs being addressed, and the customer's experience are what matter most in the end.