Father of two, married to a long suffering human woman, and I will probably kiss your dog on the mouth.
I've been a designer for over two decades now, leading design teams for half of that, and something clearly broke in my brain a long while back because I'm still doing it. I write books for fun, play video games, and collect vintage tobacco tins because I'm a Creative Director and I have weird hobbies, don't look so shocked.
AN ACERBIC AND MILDLY COMBATIVE VIEW OF MY PROCESS
(or)
HOW I APPROACH DESIGN AS A TRADE
You actually have to do the work.
Craft time, sticky note exercises, and trust falls are all fun designer-adjacent things to do with a team, but eventually you need to sit down in front of Figma, Photoshop, or on your neighbor's garage door - and actually start designing.
Do your research, learn from the discovery sprints, and get moving. I believe in a bias toward action, and have seen first hand how the political machinery of the "design exercise" can be cover fire for a lack of actual production.
Just get started, make something.
Good leaders aren't gatekeepers.
As a design leader, I pride myself on both managing each designer's preference, personality, and growth on a personal level - and when setting art direction, being clear with intent and stepping out of the way of good work.
As an individual contributor, my best work comes from good collaboration and an interest in all parties to solve a problem - not just decorate it. From when I've set the Creative Direction for "global" conferences, to when I've designed an email signature, the process is the same.
No design task is below me, as long as there's a purpose to it.
Don't over-explain, just ship.
I'll pitch you good design, but I'm not going to bore you with my decisions behind the typefaces. There are reasons for those decisions, of course, but with a bias to action, I'm more interested in building products, setting art direction, or defining our brand - getting the work done and done right.
The devil and his details go in the style guide, brand portal, and any teaching opportunities that arise, and believe me I'm happy to bore you with my thoughts on color, type, and photography styles. Believe me, I have thoughts.