The Superpower of a Strong Design Team: Driving Growth and Transformation
A strong design team is more than aesthetics—it’s a strategic growth driver. By uniting silos, simplifying complexity, humanizing innovation, and accelerating decisions, design connects human needs with business goals. Companies prioritizing design see increased customer retention, stronger brand equity, faster time-to-market, and seamless cross-functional alignment. Design isn’t optional; it’s essential.
What Design Leaders Can Learn from Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. wasn’t a designer, but his leadership offers timeless lessons for design leaders. From crafting a vision rooted in purpose to fostering inclusivity and leading with empathy, his principles align deeply with human-centered design. By embracing resilience, thinking systemically, and empowering teams, design leaders can honor his legacy while shaping a more inclusive future.
Cultivating Leadership Through Key Meetings
In this post, I share three essential meetings every Design leader should prioritize: Daily Design Reviews, Skip-Level One-on-Ones, and Cross-Functional Experience Reviews. These meetings foster alignment, transparency, and leadership within design teams, empowering senior managers and ensuring continuous feedback, growth, and collaboration throughout the design process.
Embedding Customer-Centricity into the DNA of Your Organization
Organizations must adopt a holistic view of the customer journey to embed customer-centricity. Design leaders align teams around a shared vision, integrating feedback and fostering collaboration. This approach drives growth, enhances brand loyalty, and reduces operational costs by proactively addressing issues across touchpoints, creating long-term value for customers and the business.
Rest as a Strategy: How Stepping Back Leads to Big Ideas
In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to overlook the power of rest, especially when we feel pressure to constantly achieve. Yet, rest is essential to high performance, creativity, and well-being. Over time, I’ve learned that rest isn’t a luxury—it’s a critical tool for success in all areas of my life. Whether it’s through taking mindful breaks at work, carving out moments for family, or prioritizing self-care for my health, I’ve realized that stepping back gives me the clarity and energy I need to thrive. Embracing rest has allowed me to show up fully for my work, my family, and myself, and it’s a practice I’ve come to see as foundational to long-term growth and fulfillment.
The Art of Squeezing It All In
Discover inspiration, strategies, and insights for living a multi-dimensional life. Explore topics on balancing career and family, finding creativity amidst chaos, and redefining success on your own terms. Whether you're a parent, designer, artist, or someone navigating the complexities of modern life, this blog offers practical advice and authentic stories to help you grow, connect, and make an impact. Join me in embracing the beauty of messy progress and carving out space for what truly matters.
Harnessing Diversity: Lessons from a Design Leader
Resilience is forged through experience, shaped by challenges, and strengthened by the richness of our identities. As an immigrant and design leader, navigating new environments and adapting to unfamiliar cultures have been my greatest teachers, honing my ability to empathize with diverse contexts and build thoughtful, high-performing teams.
Lessons on Leadership I learned from my first manager
Jean Cattell, my first design manager and a legendary Director of Design at The Field Museum, profoundly shaped my journey as a designer and leader. Through her fierce advocacy, high standards, and human-centered approach to leadership, Jean taught me lessons that continue to guide me today. In this tribute, I reflect on her impact and share three timeless principles she embodied: fostering autonomy to build belonging, understanding the power of contribution to drive performance, and setting the tone for good behavior. Read on to discover how Jean's legacy can inspire design leaders and teams to thrive.
Tell me about yourself — the interview question that can make or break.
Turn the dreaded "Tell me about yourself" into your standout moment. Skip the buzzwords and craft an authentic narrative that highlights your unique skills, values, and leadership style. Use a mind map to identify what sets you apart, connect your past experiences to your future goals, and share relatable stories that make you memorable. Tailor your response to your audience and rehearse until it feels effortless. Ready to leave a lasting impression? Check out our guide for tips to elevate your introduction.
Gaining credit - Our design journey into expanding Venmo
In this case study, I take you behind the scenes of the Venmo Credit Card launch, exploring how we transformed user insights into a product that seamlessly integrated into Venmo’s ecosystem. From balancing simplicity with powerful functionality to aligning cross-functional teams around a shared vision, this journey highlights the strategic decisions, creative problem-solving, and design principles that made the Venmo Credit Card a success. Dive into the challenges we faced, the lessons learned, and the impact of a user-centered approach in redefining how Venmo users connect with their finances.