Coaching for design leaders.
For heads of design and design directors leading a function through the shift to AI, who want a candid outside perspective from someone who has sat in the same chair.
Who it's for
You're good at what you do, and possibly excellent. But the ground is moving. Budgets are under pressure, AI is changing what your team spends its time on, and some of your stakeholders still see design as a service department rather than a strategic one. You're being asked to lead through a change that nobody has quite done before.
I've led design inside large Australian organisations, and I ran an agency for a decade before that. I know the difference between an organisational problem and a you problem, and I can help you tell them apart - and then do something about both.
What we might work on
- Making the case for design at executive level, in terms the business cares about
- Deciding what your team should stop doing, keep doing and start doing as AI takes on more of the production
- Reshaping roles and career paths so good people can see a future for themselves
- Leading a team that's anxious about AI, without pretending everything will be fine
- Your own next step, and where you want to be in a few years
How we work together
One-to-one coaching
Regular sessions, monthly or fortnightly, with topics set by you. A consistent outside perspective as your situation changes.
On-demand advice
No retainer or fixed schedule. You get in touch when something comes up - a decision, a difficult conversation or a situation you'd like a second opinion on.
Team programmes
For organisations that want to develop design leadership across a group of leads, in small cohorts.
Why me
Over 25 years in design, including a decade running Thirst Studios and building practices inside large organisations. I've spoken at UX Australia and UX New Zealand, and I was cited in O'Reilly's Lean Enterprise.
I also build with AI tools most days and ship my own products, so when we talk about what's changing, it comes from doing it rather than reading about it.
I won't simply agree with everything you're already thinking. Sometimes the most useful thing I can do is point out what you're not seeing. I try to do that directly, and kindly.
Let's talk
If you're leading a design team through all of this and could do with someone in your corner, I'd be glad to hear from you.