My career has been focused on the design and creation of systems. Branding, experiential, advertising; any system that needs design or any design that needs a system. In that time I have found good design takes a little bit of risk, a little bit of pragmatism and a lot of persistence. There are two principles that best summarize how I approach design, teaching and leadership.
Chaos and order
Creativity is messy, and designers need that messiness to explore, play and make new connections that result in transformative solutions. When leading design teams, I encourage this freedom. Until we need to communicate the ideas to a larger audience. In steps order. Order establishes the boundaries that we need to push against and bounce off of, to bend and eventually break if that’s what’s needed. Design cannot innovate without boundaries. In fact, I believe the most successful design solutions emerge from the push and pull between chaos and order.
Be authentic
Authenticity is key in making any design solution resonate with the audiences and the brand. There are many ways to say it, but the effects are the same: when we are honest and truthful in the design solutions we produce, we make work that people connect with, embrace and embody. Companies look to design for authentic expressions of their core values, and customers look for brands that reflect who they are. As a creative leader it is my responsibility to ensure the creative solutions I build answer both of these needs.