How I Work
I approach each new team with curiosity and adaptability, learning how it operates, the environment in which it operates, and adapting the team to what will work there.
Even though some methods change, these four elements are constant:
1. Craft & Standards
Great talent needs the right support to do their best work.
Clear quality bars
Critical thinking
Skill development
Protected time for discovery, research, and craft
Growing our voice: designers define what’s acceptable and what’s great
Coaching tailored to individual needs & goals
2. Strategic Partnership & Cross-Functional Process
Design's impact is limited by its influence. I position design teams as strategic partners, not just executors.
Speaking the language of the business
Building relationships before you need them
Empowering designers to lead
Adapting to organizational culture, or vice versa
Basic design literacy across cross-functional partners
Establishing a shared vision, then strategically lay out the path to get there
End-to-end systems thinking
3. User-Centered Practice
User research isn't a separate function that happens occasionally - it's how we ensure we're solving real problems.
Building research skills
Leveraging existing data
Using research strategically
Embedding Design Thinking into everything
Making insights actionable
Balancing user needs with business goals
4. Sustainable Culture
Culture isn't perks or ping-pong tables. We have fun, but what matters is whether people feel supported, challenged, and able to do meaningful work.
A collaborative working model
Tailoring growth to individuals
Clarity over uncertainty
Consistent learning
Balancing empathy with accountability
Setting high expectations, with coaching
These four areas work together.
None of these approaches succeed in isolation. The tactics adapt to each company. The principles remain constant.
I’ve turned these principles into repeatable systems.