Making products that are useful to people.
My unique career path has pivoted between design, product, and engineering thanks to an entrepreneurial instinct to run towards problems opportunities. The common thread has been using Design to deliver through ambiguity at any scale.
Design has an incredible power to give form to ideas. The process of listening, making, and collaborating unlocks critical thinking for everyone.
Design Principles
These mantras - which colleagues have heard me repeat - help guide consistent high-quality product decisions.
Ask, don't assume.
Bring a beginner's mindset to your work so you are open to evidence that confirms your view of the problem and validates your solution. So much of what we think we know is inference, and asking questions distinguishes real constraints from perceived limitations.
"If you want to go fast, go alone.
If you want to go far, go together."
Success is an infinite sum game that can be grown through collaboration. A great outcome depends on collaboration from experts with diverse skills and not a lone genius creator.
"Momentum is the best plan."
It's so much easier to pivot or accelerate if you're already in motion. A sealion balances a ball on its nose by intentionally moving the ball where it wants to go.
"Walk all the way around the tree to find the best fruit."
The solution in design often seems obvious but is usually the product of a rigorous process. In the rare event that you find a viable solution quickly, you still have the burden of proof to be sure.
The Design Process Is Storytelling
Good product design is good storytelling. Storytelling is about transformation. Users are transformed by your product. User Scenarios, Jobs-To-Be-Done, and Linear Issues all exist because they force critical thinking about user transformation (when used correctly).
To avoid some of the pre-conceived notions attached to these methods, and maybe the influence of Disney, I've recently begun leaning on a classic writing tool, the Story Spine. It maps very well to design:
Once upon a time there was ,
Every day __________,
One day __________,
Because of that __________,
Because of that __________,
Until finally __________,
And ever since that day __________.
An effective design depends on character development, conflict, and resolution; just like a compelling story. We need to understand our users (characters), frame their problems with evidence (development), ideate broadly on solutions (resolve conflict), and prove those solutions through testing (resolution).
Once upon a time there was User Persona,
Every day User Scenario ,
One day Problem Discovery ,
Because of that Hypothesis ,
Because of that Prototype ,
Until finally Solution Validation ,
And ever since that day Outcomes .
The true value of the Story Spine is unlocked when you use it in tandem with other design processes. There are many wonderful design frameworks to guide the design process such as the Double Diamond, Honeycomb, or The Loop™. These frameworks help designers navigate from ambiguity to clarity through a prescribed sequence of activities. There are more similarities than differences between them.
Many musicians will tell you that the loudest note in music is the rest note. Fine artists step back and squint their eyes. Athletes build recovery into their training. These moments of inaction provide intentional contrast to their respective processes. I've always thought design frameworks could assist designers more with the critical thinking that happens at junctures between each phase. The Story Spine provides a rubric for evaluating the continuity and efficacy of the work at each of these steps.
As a design leader, I focus on bringing together the right people at these inflection points to collaborate on making sure the narrative of the design makes sense. If the story makes sense, the design invariably follows.
Design Leadership Philopsophy
A design leader is both a functional expert, and a human leader, who can give the business a competitive advantage by design.
A good leader has a clarity of purpose and the ability to rally others toward that cause. I believe it is a privilege to lead because it means other people are investing themselves in your purpose.
Leadership Values
My leadership philosophy is inspired by lessons from nature, science, and history. There are highly effective leadership models in the animal kingdom that demonstrate the values I want to embody as a leader:
- mentorship
- psychological safety
- collaboration.
Blog post: Leadership Models in Nature
Management Framework
As a functional expert I created a framework for nurturing high-performing teams that I call Triple-C.
Culture
I believe culture can be designed by rewarding behavior that reinforces our values, intentional hiring, and clear performance management.
Supporting Elements
- Team Mission
- Values
- Hiring Process
- Performance Management
- Routines & Rituals
Craft
Making things that meet high quality standards requires learned skills applied in a repeatable process.
Supporting Elements
- Quality Standards
- Career Guides
- Continuing Education & mentorship
- Design Processes
- Skills: Visiual, Motion, Content
- Design Systems
Commerce
Design is a business function built on creativity. The acts of research, ideation, and delivery are used to make an impact.
Supporting Elements
- Design Strategy
- Evidence & Insights
- Product Vision
- Program management
- Team Budget