Design Leader's Portfolio
While much of my time is predominately focused on team building and design strategy, I continue to maintain my abilities in hands on user experience design. In my day to day I focus on process, workshops, and design reviews. I mentor and support my team, sharing best practices, leveraging tools like assessments and user research to create a high-performing engaged team. As a servant leader, I empower designers to achieve excellence and drive positive outcomes.
So what does that mean for a design leader's portfolio? I showcase how I conduct research, how I mentor designers in the design process, design systems. I iterate and produce a broad range of ideas on motivating and keeping designers engaged.
How I Manage Design
Servant Leadership:
You might be asking what is that. First and foremost, I focus on building up the team over myself. This requires developing empathy, giving support they need to develop and empower their own professional goals. I develop my teams as communities with purpose.
Bring Your Whole Self to Work:
Bringing your whole self means being authentic, humble, and acknowledging as humans we are imperfect. Check out Mike Rollins book by the same title.
How I Allocate My Time:
40% Strategy & Planning
30% People Management
30% Design/Delivery
How I Build and Maintain Design Orgs
A solid design culture is essential for attracting and retaining talented designers who produce quality work. I believe that people are a teams most valuable asset. I strive for an inclusive environment that promotes a shared purpose. This approach reduces the stress of working towards a goal that lacks personal meaning and instead promotes passion for the work at hand.
How I Keep It Fun
Creativity Challenges
Hack-a-thons, design challenges, and attending virtual design conferences all help distributed teams to meld and interact in a fun environment.
Social Channels
I encourage utilizing Slack or social channels to share their hobbies and interests with each other. Creating a virtual water cooler space to talk about their cooking, gardening, and pets is important.
Collab Time
Setting aside specific times designated for collaboration keeps meetings boxed enabling designers to get work done.