As a design leader

I believe that storytelling and craftsmanship are the cornerstones of impactful design. Storytelling is both a guide for the design process and a powerful tool for communicating outcomes—helping designers frame their work as a journey that stakeholders can understand and champion. Rooted in my background in industrial design, where process and discipline were essential to creating quality physical products, I lead with a focus on deeply understanding problems before designing solutions. This ensures the design team not only meets complex user needs but builds trust with those who rely on our work.

Craftsmanship is also about fostering discipline and excellence within the team. From maintaining design systems to creating artifacts that serve as a source of truth, I prioritize practices that ensure design is a trusted and useful partner to product and tech teams. Collaboration is key in this process: it’s through listening, learning, and exchanging ideas that we can create solutions that resonate with users and align with organizational goals. My leadership philosophy is grounded in empathy, process, and empowering designers to grow through ownership and storytelling.

  • Storytelling is at the heart of how I approach design leadership. I encourage designers to think of every project as a narrative: a challenge arises, action is taken, and a solution emerges. This framework helps the design team build confidence, internalize the design process, and communicate their ideas effectively. A well-crafted story doesn’t just showcase a solution—it connects it to the broader organizational mission, ensuring alignment with strategic goals.

  • Craftsmanship isn’t just about producing polished designs; it’s about maintaining rigor and discipline throughout the process. My industrial design background instilled the importance of following a process to ensure quality. In product design, this means:

    • Deeply understanding the problem space, this was especially important in the complex domains I’ve worked in such as life sciences and finance.

    • Creating artifacts that serve as a reliable source of truth for cross-functional teams.

    • Upholding Figma hygiene and design system best practices and ensuring our work is actionable for tech teams.

    The design team becomes a trusted partner in enabling faster, more efficient development while maintaining a clear vision.

  • In environments where problems are nuanced and deeply contextual, collaboration is essential. I foster a culture where designers actively listen to experts, exchange ideas, and co-create solutions. A design team’s greatest value is its ability to bridge gaps—between user needs, business objectives, and technical constraints—by fostering mutual understanding across all stakeholders.