My favorite part of being a designer is sitting with someone as they use a product I designed and watching their face light up. I believe that building products with love and care shows respect to the humans who will end up using these products and in some small way makes the world a better, more inclusive place.
As an individual designer I was able to design several products a year and I found that rewarding. As my career progressed I sought ways to further impact the products my company was producing and this led me into design management. While I often have less day to day impact on a design, I find the broader impact on the product very rewarding and I get a lot of satisfaction from building and mentoring designers on my team.
Outside of my day to day I have been involved with IxDA and General Assembly mentoring the next generation of design talent in our city. Beyond design you are likely to find me at a Sounders game, pub, restaurant or art gallery in various neighborhoods throughout Seattle. And though I love living in Seattle, nothing beats traveling to somewhere new and gaining a broader perspective on the world.