Ideas Not Products

The process I follow is simple and in all honesty, it isn’t mine. Over the years I’ve had trouble labeling what I do. It was only until recently when one of my teammates quantified it into words that it clicked. In essence, I do the work to develop things that fall into a 5 part hierarchy that I apply to everything I do: Make a connection, Spark Curiosity, Bridge the Gap, Have their back, and Show success.

It’s not a linear arc or a formula rather a conversation starter. In a nutshell, I think everyone - from UX designer to PM to engineer to customer - everyone is a storyteller. Like everyone, I’m the sum of my history. The friends I’ve made, the things they’ve taught me, the things I’ve learned - everything informs my view on the world. It’s the same thing that cues our own curiosity and makes it all the more important to respect the views of others. The more we listen and learn from each other, the more different our paths and stories, the more meaningful solutions can be. If we see ourselves in the stories or solutions we experience, only then can we have a conversation about the impact that thing could make on our lives. To that end, here’s a piece I created as a welcome to the design organization in C+AI. This piece has been seen by every designer to enter our world for the past year or so and the response has been nothing short of inspiring.