Leading Through Design: My Philosophy
When I started my career in 2000, design was not the strategic force it is today. It usually showed up at the end to make something look polished. It was not focused on users, value, or outcomes. It was often just a checklist of “make it pretty.”
As I grew, I began asking different questions.
Why are we building this? Who is it for? Are we solving the right problem?
That shift from being a task taker to becoming a problem solver completely changed how I viewed the role of design and its impact on people and business.
Over the past 25 years, I have used design to grow businesses, improve experiences, reduce complexity, address technical debt, and unify teams, including bringing together more than 600 designers inside a Fortune 100 organization. Those experiences shaped how I lead today.
Start with Listening
Everything meaningful begins with understanding. It starts with listening to users, teams, and partners to uncover what truly matters.
Empower People
The strongest teams are those where everyone feels supported and empowered to do their best work.
Make Experience the Priority
The best outcomes happen when everyone in design, product, and engineering works together to create value for users.
Bridge Vision and Execution
Great ideas are only as good as their execution. Leadership is about connecting strategy to delivery, ensuring every detail aligns with the big picture.