My Journey as a Design Leader

Recently, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Kristie Craft for her podcast about design leadership. As I reflected on my career and experiences, I realized how much my journey has shaped my approach to design and leadership. Here are some key insights from our conversation:

Finding My Path in UX Design

My journey into design was unique. Growing up in India, I initially aspired to become a doctor, driven by my natural empathy and desire to help others. However, life had different plans. After moving to the United States about 26 years ago, I discovered UX design — a field that perfectly combined my empathetic nature with problem-solving skills.

UX design allowed me to improve people’s lives through thoughtful experiences while helping businesses thrive. It was the sweet spot I’d been searching for, and it set me on the path to becoming a design leader.

The Essence of Design Leadership

As I progressed in my career, I developed a leadership style centered on empathy, collaboration, and co-creation. I see myself as a servant leader, focused on enabling and empowering my team members to realize their full potential. My role is to create the space for them to do their best work, recognizing and nurturing the superpowers they might not even see in themselves.

Overcoming Challenges

One of the challenges I’ve faced as a design leader was establishing design as a function in companies where it wasn’t yet recognized. In these situations, I learned the importance of building trust and partnerships. Instead of imposing new processes, I found success in taking an empathetic approach — understanding existing workflows and positioning myself as a partner to help others excel in their roles.

Advice for Aspiring Design Leaders

For designers looking to move into leadership positions, I cannot stress enough the importance of soft skills. Beyond mastering the craft, focus on:

1. Storytelling and vision-sharing
2. Collaboration and co-creation
3. Influencing without authority
4. Building relationships across teams

Take on challenging projects, even if they seem daunting. Each experience builds your skill set and provides valuable perspectives that will serve you well in leadership roles.

Pivotal Moments

Life has a way of presenting challenges that shape us. For me, becoming a single mother in my mid-20s pushed me to take on roles I didn’t feel equipped for at the time. This experience taught me resilience and adaptability — skills that proved invaluable in my professional life.

More recently, taking on a complex role at a company with three different businesses under one umbrella taught me the power of communication and storytelling. By clearly articulating the value of design, I was able to build an organization of 30 people and create a culture that drove digital transformation and significantly moved the business forward. Since then, I’ve helped several small companies with similar needs.

My Design Philosophy

At the core of my design philosophy is empathy — not just for users, but for team members and business stakeholders as well. Coupled with a collaborative approach, this philosophy has helped me build strong partnerships and create aligned and motivated teams.

A Message to My Younger Self

If I could speak to my younger self, I’d say: Stay curious, work hard, and keep moving forward. Everything works out in the end.

As I continue my journey in design leadership, I’m grateful for the experiences that have shaped me and excited for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Every challenge is an opportunity to grow, learn, and make a positive impact through design. Listen to the podcast discussion for the complete conversation.

— S.B.