For over a decade, I’ve been the person in the room pointing out the “Emperor’s New Clothes” of the design world. We’ve reached a point where “Product Designer” has become synonymous with “Figma Operator,” and frankly, the industry is suffering…

In the world of high-level design strategy, we often see a specific image recirculated: a glass Heinz bottle labeled “Design” and a plastic squeeze bottle labeled “User Experience.” The implication is that the plastic bottle is “better” because it is…

In the executive suite, the term “Minimum Viable Product” (MVP) is often used, but frequently misunderstood. An MVP is not a “lite” or broken version of a final product. Rather, it is the most lean version of a solution that…

In the design industry, titles often act as a shorthand for experience, but they rarely tell the full story of a professional’s impact. For leadership, seniority isn’t about years spent in a seat; it is about the complexity of the…

In a high-velocity product environment, whiteboarding is often mistaken for a simple brainstorming session. However, for design leaders, it is a critical operational tool used to visualize complex systems, map user journeys, and align cross-functional stakeholders before a single pixel…

On September 24, 2024, I was contacted by a U.S.-based recruitment agency regarding a remote Senior Service Designer contract for the Canadian public sector – Government of Alberta. The requirements were specific: quarterly in-person sessions, a six-month duration, and a…

Design Thinking is frequently misunderstood in the corporate world as a series of creative workshops or a collection of colourful sticky notes. For a Design Executive, however, Design Thinking is not an event – it is a rigorous strategic framework…