Design Leadership

“You won’t remember the product design …you’ll remember the people. Your team and energy are your portfolio.”

~ Me

My teams …

 

Pantheon | San Francisco | 2024

 

New Relic | Barcelona, Spain | 2021

 
2020 Vudu Design Team

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

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  • 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

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  • 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.

 

I believe in …

  • 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

 

Mantra

Produce meaningful, customer-focused, and data-informed design at velocity while being a premier cross-functional partner.