The Journey: Reflection – Creative Empathy as a Product Design and UX Leader
NOTE: This is a personal reflection of my second year as a Product Design and UX Leader. Where the learning curve was more like a rollercoaster. I’ll share the highs, the lows, and the “oh no” moments of this journey, along with the key lessons I picked up. Whether you're here for some insider insights or just a little inspiration, I hope you find something useful. Based on my experience, your situation may vary (mainly because everyone experiences things differently).
Looking back on my second year as a leader in Product Design and User Experience (UX), #IUnderstandItNow (@Lethalshooter voice) that it was a year rich in learning, development, and oh-that's-what-that-means moments that deepened my appreciation for the journey. This year wasn't just about making things look pretty (though, let's be honest, that's still a fun part)—it was about expanding the limits—of myself, the team, and our outcomes.
It all felt a lot like building with LEGO—every piece was carefully selected, connected, and sometimes rebuilt when things didn't quite fit. As Pharrell Williams, from The LEGO Piece by Piece Movie, famously said,
"All I saw was talent and beauty. Everybody has that."
This year, we embodied that spirit. We didn't just create polished designs; we constructed a vision, one brick (or pixel) at a time, making sure it all clicked together (ain't nothing like a Northstar) for something usable and intuitive for the end user (one iteration at a time).
Here's a glimpse into some of the impactful moments and insights I've gained. Perhaps they'll resonate with those of you on a similar path or at least make you nod in agreement and say, “Same or maybe not, Lol!”
Putting a UX Vision Before Your UX Process
The first year of my leadership, I spent a lot of time tweaking processes, trying to make everything more efficient. But here’s the kicker: a truly impactful UX strategy doesn’t start with the process—it starts with a clear and inspiring vision. This vision is the beacon that guides us when the going gets tough, helping us steer through the maze of design decisions and deliver solutions that matter.
““Daring leaders work to make sure people can be themselves and feel a sense of belonging.””
Having a vision in place doesn’t just align the team on what we’re building; it keeps us anchored to the larger business goals. And let’s be honest—design isn’t just about making things pretty. It’s about making things meaningful. If our vision is strong enough, our designs will always have a deeper purpose that’s not just functional but also serves our users in ways that exceed their expectations.
Better Meetings (Yes, It’s Possible!)
Clear Purpose and Goals: Every meeting now has a clear agenda. No more wandering into discussions like lost sheep. We know why we're there and what we're going to accomplish.
Set Time Limits and Action Steps: One of my favorites—timeboxing. Each meeting has a clear ending time and tangible action items to follow up on. No more endless discussions that bleed into the next meeting. We’re efficient and effective, and we actually #getshitdone.
Less "Status Update" Meetings: Let’s face it—status update meetings are the meetings equivalent of small talk. They don’t really move the needle. So, we’ve swapped them out for digital tools that allow us to check in on progress quickly, saving our face-to-face time for critical decision-making and brainstorming.
These tweaks have made a massive difference in how we communicate and collaborate. Now, when we meet, we mean business.
Validation Early and Often: The Secret to Sanity
One of the best lessons I've learned? Test early and often. Why wait until the end of a project to find out something's not working? We've saved ourselves time, money, and headaches by gathering feedback early—through various methods (for example, usability testing, interviews, etc.)
Scaling Design Systems
If there was a "big project" this year, it was expanding our design system. Scaling a design system isn't just about making it bigger—it's about making it useful and more intuitive for others to understand and reuse. Scaling a design system reminded me of those massive LEGO projects. You don’t build it all at once; you start with the foundation. We added modular components (the reusable bricks) and built clear guidelines (the instruction manual), ensuring consistency and flexibility. And yes, like any good LEGO set, sometimes we had to take pieces apart to get it just right (progress over perfection).
Clear Foundations: We started by setting a solid foundation with clear guidelines and tools that helped us maintain consistency while keeping flexibility at the core.
Modular Components: We zeroed in on creating reusable design elements—because who doesn't love saving time and keeping things consistent? Reusable components helped us streamline our workflow and ensure that ourdesigns stayed as sleek as our processes.
Governance and Collaboration: We laid down some solid guidelines to make sure new designs align with the existing system. Collaboration? Absolutely crucial. Working with teams from across the board kept us aligned and, let's be honest, kept us from reinventing the wheel every time (Let me be clear: this is not as easy as 1,2, or 3 — However, it is worth the challenge)
Design System Metrics (KPIs): To ensure our design system was really working, we implemented key metrics to measure its impact (to list a few that you may want to look at: Adoption Rate, Efficiency Gains, and User Feedback). From adoption rates to efficiency gains, we tracked how well the system was integrated and how it contributed to consistency across products.
Teams use the system to refine and improve it continuously. These strategies helped us create a design system that didn't just support our growth—it enabled it, and these metrics kept us on track.
Team Empathy: The Glue That Holds Us Together
Expanding the team also meant intentionally seeking a better understanding of each other's strengths, challenges, and goals. We leaned heavily into empathy, and wow, it made a difference (Well, speaking from my personal approach as a “coach” and leader).
““Empathy at work is about connecting with others to understand them better. It’s about trust, care, and helping people be their best selves.””
Fostering empathy created a stronger, more connected team that collaborates naturally.
Personal Development: Learning Never Stops
Leadership (especially when it is not something you actively seek— just enjoying collaborating and coaching, the opportunity shows itself. Yeah, "one could argue it is the same thing," I beg to differ)—however, it is a journey either way. Just as LEGO keeps releasing new sets, I kept building my leadership skills. From Dare to Lead to The Practice, every book I read is like a new brick to the evolving model of my leadership (One day and piece at time). I am committed to growing along the way. Here are a few books that shaped my thinking this year:
Books I Read:
Dare to Lead by Brené Brown — This one really changed my outlook on vulnerability and trust within a team. "Trust is built in the smallest of moments."
Think Again by Adam Grant — Reminded me always to question my assumptions and stay open to new perspectives (even when I think I'm right, I should always allow myself and others to try and have the opportunity to fail fast and learn quickly). "We listen to views that make us feel good, instead of ideas that make us think hard."
How to Listen by Oscar Trimboli — Taught me that listening isn't just about hearing words; it's about understanding intent and engaging deeply. "Active Listeners notice what is said. Deep Listeners explore what is unsaid."
Design Thinking by Steve Branson — Great for integrating user-centered design into our product development. (There is no one shoe that fits all. Sometimes, it is good to go back at times to go forward)
Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 by Jim Collins and William Lazier — Helped me think long-term about building a sustainable team.
The Art of Dealing with People by Les Goblins — Because, let's face it, good communication can solve almost anything.
The Practice by Seth Godin — Reinforced the importance of consistent, deliberate effort in creative leadership.
The Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett — Offered a treasure trove of leadership wisdom.
The Airbnb Story by Leigh Gallagher — This book took me inside one of the world's most innovative companies. The story of Airbnb's rise from a small startup to a global powerhouse was a reminder that thinking outside the box and being adaptable is key to success. "Great companies are built on a strong culture of creativity and collaboration."
Empathy Works by A. Sophie Wade — This one resonated with me on a level as I tried to build a culture of empathy within the team. "Shifting from transactional to human-centric management, mindsets, and methods to deal with the faster pace of business developments, continuing uncertainties, more complex issues, and an increase in multidimensional projects.”
Conclusion
Year two as a Product Design and User Experience leader has been an amazing journey of success, personal development and teamwork. The pivotal point in the team's maturity was the importance of setting clear goals, improving our methods, and understanding customer needs. We've created a solid base for continuous self-development and encouraged a culture of empathy, working together, and creativity.
Key Takeaways:
Lead with a vision—it keeps everything (and everyone) on course. That Northstar ain't no joke.
Meetings should be purposeful and productive, not just routine.
Validate ideas early to save time, money, and sanity.
Tie UX research directly to business goals for maximum impact.
Build scalable design systems that evolve with your needs.
Embrace empathy—it's the secret ingredient to a strong team.
I'm excited for the journey ahead—no doubt there are still more lessons to come; I guess I better start planning because lack of planning doesn't “constitute an emergency on the team or others”. Now, onto the next build! Oh, FYI, if you're jumping in at Year 2, don't miss Year 1—it's all about processes. Trust me, you'll want to see how the groundwork was laid before hitting the fun stuff.