Design philosophy
Over the years, I've helped establish design principles at several organizations—you can see the latest framework from Alight Solutions at:
design.alight.com
But beyond company-specific guidelines, I've developed my own foundations that guide how I build teams and approach design work. When I start working with someone new or begin forming a design team, these principles become our starting point. They reflect both my design philosophy and how I believe teams create their best work together.
What follows are the core beliefs and practices I bring to every collaboration—tested across different companies and refined through experience.
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Integrity in Practice: Begin with clear intent. I believe honesty in process creates honesty in outcome—it’s serves users better than polished emptiness. The work must reflect its purpose.
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Curiosity as Method: Questions before answers. I challenge assumptions, test boundaries, and stay in learning mode. Curiosity makes better designers, stronger systems, and more human experiences.
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Connection by Design: People are the point. Every decision builds trust, strengthens relationships, or improves someone's day. I design with and for others, never in isolation.
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Craft with Purpose: Reduce complexity while preserving depth, making work that's usable, scalable, and worth the effort. Functionality is the foundation, aesthetic build trust.
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Freedom through Systems: PGood systems create space, not constraints. I protect agency—mine and others'—by building frameworks that enable choices rather than dictate them, creating space for possibilities.
How We Work Together as a Team.
- We match energy wisely - Not everyone operates at the same level, and that's okay. We adjust our efforts to sustainable levels while maintaining standards.
- We delegate to gro - Taking on everything helps no one. We distribute work to develop others and protect our capacity for strategic thinking.
- We accept organizational limits - We can't change everything. We focus our energy where we can make real impact.
- We balance push and pull - Sometimes we challenge hard, sometimes we create space. Reading the room is as important as having the right answer.
- We share leadership broadly - Our thought leadership shouldn't stay in small circles. We actively share knowledge and invite others into our thinking process.