Design Leadership

My leadership style is rooted in servant and transformational leadership, and I believe in the following:

  • Good design is good business

  • AI amplifies creativity, not replaces

  • Keep learning — or get left behind

  • Design with data, validate with users

  • Lead with empathy — listening is UX’s #1 skill

  • Smile & drive — the journey matters as much as the destination

“You won't always remember the design, you will remember the people.”

Pantheon - San Francisco (2022 to 2025)

New Relic - San Francisco, Barcelona (2021 to 2022)

Walmart / Vudu - Silicon Valley (2015 to 2020)

2020 Vudu Design Team

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."

Leadership

  • Recruit talent

  • Retain talent

  • Produce quality, data-informed design with velocity

  • Manage up

  • Manage down

Culture & Diversity

  • 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

Respect

  • 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.