This morning I had a phone conversation with a “design luminary,” someone who used to lead the UX dept of a former company. It was just a catch up — and we both talked about our respective teams, challenges and processes.
There was much gossip about mutual friends too.
But what got me really excited was when we talked about our design philosophies — essentially she believes that the traditional model of a creative director’s vision executed by a team of designers doesn’t make for innovative experience design, and I’m in total agreement. I’ve ranted previously about the value of design reviews — one of the most basic positives of a more natural collaborative design process is that the team dynamic can really inspire iterative ways of thinking. I strive to be the kind of leader who trusts the team to do what they do best — and when they surprise me I get inspired. Its not about me being the alpha designer — its about making the best product we can.
