Design is governance

Last week, designers celebrated my promotion at Little Spain at Hudson Yards. I bought everybody churros and ice cream.🍦Last year, I pushed back against promotions by focusing on my health. It is hard for me to voice how deeply sad and disappointed I was about my choice. I kept my head down and stopped people from recognizing my upward mobility. I was proven wrong when teammates recognized I was long overdue and at the wrong level. It's never about money, fame, or clout. I'm grateful to be treated as a human first, without corporate validation, and still earn respect from people.

This week, I'm sharing a story I presented to 40+ designers about not settling for less and insisting on the highest standards.

Once upon a time,

There lived a designer named Cat. Every day, she would go about her boring, simple, ordinary life, from user research to designing experiences.

One day, she returned from a vacation and discovered her life was turned upside down. Even with the perfect design for development handoff, her greatest fear came true. The designs do not match the release.