How we work
We help teams find the human problem in the business problem — so you build the right thing for the right reasons. There are four ways to work with us:
Discovery Sprint
Done-with-You Service | 4-8 weeks
Fast-track your next big decision with expert-led research and design
I work shoulder-to-shoulder with your team through a complete discovery process from research to tested concepts. We start by aligning on objectives and capturing your current assumptions about user needs. Then we validate those assumptions through interviews and other research methods. We'll come together in a 2-day workshop to share insights and brainstorm solutions. After the workshop, we will rapidly prototype and test our ideas and present the findings to leaders and stakeholders.
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Teams facing critical product decisions, new feature launches, or strategic pivots who need research-backed answers fast and want to test the value of human-centered design for their organization
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Research insights, strategic recommendations, validated concepts, and an implementation roadmap.
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Participate actively, provide context, and make decisions
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Lead research, facilitate workshops, support prototyping and testing, synthesize insights, and guide strategy
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Clear user research findings with actionable insights
Validated product/service concept(s) ready for development
Strategic roadmap with next steps and success metrics
Team alignment on user needs and business priorities
Discovery + Training
Done-with-You + Learning | 5-12 weeks
Want to make your team less reliant on outside consultants for discovery work? I can lead our Discovery Sprint while training your team to do this work independently. It starts with an objectives and assumptions session. Then I'll guide your team through hands-on user research, collaborative workshops, and prototype testing. Throughout the process, I'll coach team leaders on facilitation skills. I'll also provide methods and frameworks they can use for future projects.
Get the answers you need while building internal capability
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Teams who need discovery results now but want to build internal research and strategy skills, have team members eager to learn, and plan to do this type of work regularly.
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All Discovery Sprint outcomes plus trained team members who can repeat the process.
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Active participation with learning objectives, practice facilitation, and skill development
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Lead while coaching, transfer methods, and provide ongoing mentorship
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Research findings and validated concept(s)
Team members trained in user research methods
2-3 team leads who can facilitate design thinking workshops
Templates and frameworks for future discovery work
Learning plan for ongoing skills development
Workshop Facilitation
+ Training
Skills Building | 1-3 days or multiple sessions over 2-4 weeks
Collaborate on tough problems while building design thinking skills
I facilitate workshops where your team tackles real challenges while learning design thinking methods. We might work on research planning for an upcoming project, analyze findings from recent user interviews, or brainstorm solutions to a current product challenge. Throughout these working sessions, I train your team leaders in facilitation skills so they can run similar workshops independently. Each engagement is customized to your team's experience level and actual business challenges.
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Teams new to design thinking who want to build foundational skills, organizations needing facilitation for important collaboration sessions, and teams looking to develop internal capabilities
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Real progress on current challenges, practical design thinking skills, and enhanced team collaboration capabilities
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Active participation, practice facilitation, skill application
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Workshop facilitation, skill transfer, coaching on real problems
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Concrete progress on your current business or design challenge
Team members trained in essential design thinking methods
2-3 team leads equipped with facilitation skills for future workshops
Completed research planning, synthesis, or ideation workshops with concrete results
Templates and frameworks for future discovery work
Learning plan for ongoing skills development
Fractional Design Leadership
3-12 month engagements
I serve as your part-time Design Director or Chief Design Officer, leading multiple discovery initiatives and building design culture across your organization. I work shoulder-to-shoulder with your teams through multiple design iterations. I'll coach them on empathy building, research, problem definition, brainstorming, prototyping, and testing. Throughout, I'll establish sustainable processes and develop internal capabilities.
Embed design thinking leadership into your organization
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Organizations where design thinking is a strategic priority, that need ongoing design leadership and team development, and want to transform how their organization approaches innovation without a full-time hire
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Strategic design leadership, team development, process establishment, and cultural transformation
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Strategic partnership, resource allocation, organizational support
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Workshop facilitation, skill transfer, coaching on real problems
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Design thinking integrated into your product/service development process
Research and discovery capabilities established across teams
Team members trained as internal facilitators
Design strategy aligned with business objectives
Sustainable innovation processes that continue beyond engagement
How to choose
Start with Discovery Sprint if:
You have a specific product/service challenge that needs solving
You need research-backed decisions in the next 1-2 months
You want to test the value of human-centered design for your organization
Choose Workshop Facilitation
+ Training if:
You have a specific challenge that needs collaborative problem-solving right now
Your team is new to design thinking methods
You want experienced facilitation for important research or strategy sessions
Choose Discovery + Training if:
You want both results and long-term capability
You have team members eager to learn new skills
You plan to do this type of work regularly
Consider Fractional Leadership if:
Design thinking is a strategic priority
You need ongoing design leadership and team development
You want to transform how your organization approaches innovation
FAQs
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Design thinking is a collaborative approach to solving problems by understanding the real needs of the people you serve. It can be adapted by anyone, regardless of background or training. It uses proven methods to help diverse teams collaborate to create better products, services, and experiences.
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Online courses are great for learning the basics of design thinking principles and methodology. But to really learn human-centered design, you need to do it hands-on. I will customize training to the needs and objectives of your team and work shoulder-to-shoulder with you as we coach you through doing the work.
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Since the work is tailored to the needs of each team, I provide a proposal which outlines the approach cost. I can modify approach and timing based on your needs.
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I prefer to work with your team in your space so you can learn how best to use it for collaboration. If you don’t have a space or if your team is remote, we can help you find a training space. I prefer in-person collaboration, but if your team is geographically dispersed, I can work entirely online.
