My Style
What can I say about my style when it comes to my work? First off, I love the work! I am passionate about it and truly believe that Design Thinking and consumer-centered design has and will continue to change the digital world! I believe everyone should work this way and I have the boundless energy, drive and experience to prove it.
When it comes to how I lead, the newly-minted term of ‘Servant leader’ comes to mind, but I think it is so much more than that. I believe in people! I believe that if you are doing this job professionally that you have all the physical skills and technological know-how to be incredible at it - the point is to never stop growing, never stop searching and never stop trying to be better. I believe in truth. I want an open dialogue about challenges, concerns, triumphs and trajectory. I think being aware when doing design work allows us to collectively steer clear of catastrophe and control our own destinies, especially as the people that we work with learn more about Design Thinking and consumer-centered design. I believe in transparency. People just want to know what’s going on and, no matter how challenging it might be, they will feel better knowing. I believe in flat teams where I am just a member that has a different set of responsibilities because I know we are stronger as a whole than any one of us individually. I believe in a shared sense of purpose. We are all in it together and we succeed or fail by the bond that binds us as a team.
Most of all, I believe in mentorship. I believe it is my job to share the things that I have learned along my path so that members of my team don’t do exactly what I would do, but understand the different ways to approach our work, different ways to think about it and, given the trust and support to decide what suits them best, will ultimately prosper because of it! I literally want them to be better than I am at this job when they reach my position. I’m a consumer too and want them to use their skills to make the digital world a smarter and more intuitive place than I have left it!
Some Kind Words from Amazing People
Mya Sciabarrasi
User Experience Designer at Optum
“Chris’s biggest strengths and unique capabilities is to be able to cultivate an energetic team dynamic where people can feel like they can not only be themselves and perfect “their craft” but also speak their mind. In a world where group-think often leads to missing out on potentially better solutions, Chris’s ability to advocate for the user in a room full of people who are up against a tight deadline or budget cut, provides him a reputation that he will go the extra mile to find a mutually beneficial solution...”
“Chris is an absolute rock star; he is a fantastic manager, a thoughtful leader, and an inspiring mentor. His diverse background and skill set allows him to effectively communicate across business, design, research, development and more. Chris drives product success... he turns product owners into user advocates, he approaches complex business problems in a creative fashion, but most importantly he makes projects fun and engaging for his team.”
Mitch Collum
Sr. Quantitative Researcher at Akamai
Zahr Lyttle
User Experience Designer at Optum
“Working with Chris has been a great experience both professionally and personally. Chris demonstrates passion in all the work he does, and is a prime example of a servant leader. I’m impressed by his incredible ability to identify value and strongly advocate for users, along with how he communicates the importance of these elements across teams and fields.”
“Leader is the phrase that comes to mind when I think about Chris. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Chris on a project, during which Chris was not only a UX Lead that I report to but also was a coach and mentor. Above all, I was impressed with Chris’s ability to command a room and get people on board with new ideas even when people were initially against it. Chris would be a true asset as a team member or a leader for any team, Chris earns my highest and most heartfelt recommendation. ”
Jason Lam
User Experience Designer at Optum