Design Leadership
“A team is not a group of people that work together. A team is a group of people that trust each other.”
~ Simon Sinek
My design teams …
Pantheon | San Francisco | 2024
New Relic | Barcelona, Spain | 2021
VUDU / Walmart | Silicon Valley | 2018
Leading designers is like fueling innovators. It's not realistic to "manage" talent, instead partner in their evolution by providing support, guidance, challenge, and influence. Evolution is a keyword here. Design progresses at a warp-speed pace; tools, processes, trends need consistent attentive education. Daunting indeed, designers enjoy distraction-free direction from an incognito leader whom they trust. In turn, to earn that loyalty, fuel engagement, and produce progressive, creative work, it's foundational to have a design leader who "gets it" and "gets them."
Responsibility
Recruit talent
Retain talent
Produce quality, data-informed design with velocity
Manage up
Manage down
Diversity & Culture
Passionate about recruiting and mentoring next generation underserved and marginalized designers
I look for raw talent, culture-fit, respect for differences, and shared common goals
Inspiration
Give respect and space to thrive without micro-management
Challenge, educate & support designer needs
Lead by example by being the leader I want my leadership to be.
Mantra
I believe in the following …
Good design - It’s good business
Data-informed design - Validate it
Empathetic listening - #1 skill in UX
Continue learning - Or be left behind
Good citizenship - With everyone
Smile & drive - The journey is the destination
