So I don’t really have a “process” in the traditional sense.
Or, more specifically, it doesn’t have six-steps with diagrams and workshops. I'm not going to "leverage synergies" or "synthesize insights into actionable frameworks." That’s all gibberish at best, gobbledygook at worst
How I work
I have conversations
Most call this "discovery". I just want to talk. Ask questions, answer questions, talk about the Pitt, talk about whatever. I'm trying to understand what you're looking for.
I allow space for the solution to reveal itself
I go for a walk / build a magnet tile tower with my son / watch Arrival again. "The Work" is important but ideas don't only come from research or sitting at my desk obsessing over your project (though I may do that too). I'm a firm believer that ideas are typically there for the taking, we just need space to let them surface.
I sketch in my head
Most of the design happens before I touch software. By the time I open any program, I've already solved it mentally. Then I make it real.
I work fast, THEN I obsess
First drafts come quickly because I've already worked through the concept. Then I spend days (sometimes weeks) obsessing over kerning, hierarchy, and whether that blue is actually the right blue.
I trust my instincts over frameworks
After 15+ years, I know when something works. I can't always explain why in a kickoff, but I can show you once it exists.
Every project gets what it needs
Some projects need strategy first. Some need a visual direction to react to. Some need both at once. I don't follow a prescribed process. I figure out what each project actually needs.
I don't do process theater
No "strategic insights" that repackage what you already told me. No frameworks to justify billable hours. Just clear thinking and work that solves the problem.