Design Leadership Approach
Director of Product Design – I create design organizations that scale products, empower teams, and drive business impact. I specialize in developing design frameworks that extend beyond my managerial capabilities.
Philosophy
As a Design Leader, my primary responsibilities include empowering designers to grow, innovate, and collaboratively shape business outcomes.
Design as Strategy
I align design vision with business growth.
Empowered Teams
My role is to grow leaders, not just designs.
Systems over Features
I build frameworks that scale across teams.
Culture as a Growth Engine
Strong rituals and values create high-performing orgs.
How I Lead Design
I don’t just manage design—I live it. For me, design leadership is about keeping things real: connecting with people, solving problems that actually matter, and building teams that feel seen, supported, and challenged to grow.
Product & Experience
01.
I always bring the user’s voice into the room, even when it’s uncomfortable for the business.
03.
I step back to see the bigger picture—how all the pieces of the product connect, where things overlap, and where we can make it smoother.
05.
I like to reframe problems in ways that open the door to new ideas instead of boxing us in.
02.
I connect the dots between company goals and design work so the team knows why what we’re doing matters.
04.
I push design systems that are actually useful—not just pretty libraries—so the team can move faster with less guesswork.
05.
Storytelling is my go-to tool. If the story doesn’t land, the design won’t either.
Team & Culture
01.
Attract and retain top design talent by building a culture rooted in psychological safety and bold creativity.
03.
Lead with inquiry, not answers—asking the right questions to spark ownership and deeper thinking.
05.
Normalize learning from failure—turning mistakes into case studies for growth instead of sources of fear.
02.
Prioritize and resource design efforts effectively, balancing speed, innovation, and polish.
04.
Foster a dual environment: safe enough for experimentation, challenging enough to stretch capabilities.
06.
Accelerate designer growth through IDPs (Individual Development Plans), mentoring frameworks, and structured feedback loops. (Suggestion: highlight IDPs—you’ve already built these, and few design leaders showcase them.)
About Me
I work on creating simple and smart designs that help people and businesses work better. I’m good at figuring out how things connect and making tools that are easy to use. I use programs like Figma, Miro, Adobe Creative Suite, and task management programs to create and manage design, and I know how to build design frameworks and organize design systems. I’ve also worked with helpful methods like Agile and SCRUM to make sure projects stay on track.
As Head of Design at MontageCMS, I lead a team of talented designers, researchers, and product managers. Together, we make tools to improve how people use our Stream and Studio platforms. Our tools help companies create content, save money, and expand their reach.
Before this, as Head of Product at Allen Media Group, I led HBCUgo and SportsTV. I worked with great teams of developers, designers, product owners, and analytics to find new ways to make sports streaming and entertainment / first look releases even better. I oversaw the design team and guided the entire design process from start to finish. We launched a new platform and tried exciting new ideas to improve online TV and streaming platforms.
