As a leader who came from outside the design-degree world, I am passionate about opening up the design gates to all who are interested in the process. And turns out, this makes better products.

Opening up the whys and hows of human-centered design (HCD) practice garners support, enthusiasm and understanding from users, business stakeholders and cross-functional team members alike. To that end, I have a few core beliefs that drive my approach to design work:

• I believe in bringing everyone into the process while meeting them at their level and not getting overly “designer-y” in any activities involving those newer to the HCD process.

• I believe that the more connected we can be to our users, our mission, and each other, the more successful our experiences will be.

• I believe that snacks and fun are the way to help people get to success - and want to do it again next time.