Hello!

I’m a product design person. I love finding the big idea, shaping a collective vision, and doing what it takes to put things into the world. I enjoy people and organizations that have the courage to embrace new ideas and demand design excellence.

Current: Dwellwell Former: Resideo, Honeywell, Method, Smart Design & Symbol Technologies

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My background, the short story

I started out in early days of the web helping launch a leading web design firm during the first dot com boom in San Francisco. I moved with the internet into hardware-software product design and development. Since then, I’ve worked with large enterprises, startups, and leading agencies. I’ve worked in-house and as a consultant. I’ve been a solo designer, a team leader, and a design executive. Through it all I’ve helped ship product for consumers and professional customer across a wide range of markets. For me, in the end, it’s all about delivering great product and customer experiences.

How I think about great design

Focus on People
Good design has a clear purpose and benefit for people and their everyday lives. Focus on understanding the customer and their needs, situation and aspirations.

Build on a Big Idea
It’s hard to make something great without a big idea to build on. Find the big idea and express it through every facet of the customer journey.

Keep it Simple
Simple is hard to do. Getting there is a process of stripping down to the core essentials and adding back things that truly matter and make a difference.

Create Rhythm
Product experience, especially software, is never done. It’s a continuous cycle of building, learning, iterating and trying out new ideas. The important thing is to build and improve team momentum, focus and spirits.

Express Soul
A product should be more than purely functional. Work to bring emotion to the interactions, express personality through even the smallest detail, and bring it all to life.

How I think about creative collaboration

Make Others Successful
Creativity and design are a collaboration. Helping others, understanding their goals and perspectives and bringing people together are fundamental to building trusting relationships and effective teams.

Think to Make, Make to Think
Design is a mix of ideas and craft. Sketch an idea, make a prototype, share it and see if it works. Making stuff helps everyone think through the problem and find a better solution.

Own the Surface
Design doesn’t stop at implementation. Good designers know and work with their material, be it plastic, metal, wood, data, content, or code. The deeper you go the more you can ensure design intent becomes real.

Good Ideas Come from Anywhere
The hard part is listening, keeping an open mind and recognizing a good idea when it floats by. Have big eyes and big ears. Don’t let ego get in the way of insight and inspiration.

Yes, And
Build on the thinking of others. Feed their creativity and your own. Not everyone has to agree on everything but disagreement needn’t lead to conflict.