How I lead
For years, I measured my impact by the things I could create. Stepping into leadership changed that. I began to realize that some of my most meaningful work wasn’t happening on a screen. It was happening through the people around me, the confidence they were building, and what we could accomplish together.
Skip to the case studies- Minimum tenure on my team
2.5+ years
Minimum tenure on my team
- AI budget for each designer
Monthly
AI budget for each designer
- First PR for most new designers
Week 1
First PR for most new designers
From a support desk to leading a design team
I’ve designed brands that won regional ADDY awards and even founded a venture-backed startup. But one of the biggest challenges of my career came when I stepped into design leadership at Angel.
I joined Angel in August 2022 as a Senior Product Designer. Just two months later, the CEO and EVP of Experience asked me to take on a dual role as Product Manager and Senior Product Designer for Web. A year later, the EVP invited me to step into the role of Lead Product Designer, with a new challenge: build and lead the team.
I was excited for the opportunity, but I was also terrified. Would my team take me seriously? Just moments before, I had been their peer. What did it really mean to lead people, and more importantly, to lead them well?
Today, I report to the EVP of Experience and partner closely with the Head of Product on product direction. Over the past four years, I’ve helped shape Angel’s design system and consumer-facing brand aesthetic, while building a team of talented product designers.
Since 2024, I’ve also been championing AI adoption across our team and company. I’ve made it a point to lead by example, experimenting, building, prototyping, training, and sharing what I learn along the way. My goal has never been to simply introduce another tool. It’s been to demystify AI, remove the fear of getting started, and help others discover their own “aha moment” when they realize what’s possible.
But perhaps one of the most important things I’ve worked to change has nothing to do with design tools or technology. It’s how we work together. I’ve pushed to break down silos, encourage more open communication between designers and their product teams, and create an environment where collaboration, feedback, and shared ownership lead to better experiences.
Leadership philosophy
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a design leader is knowing when to step in and when to get out of the way. As a designer, my instinct is to jump in and help solve the problem. But as a leader, I’ve learned there’s often more value in giving someone the space and confidence to figure it out themselves.
When I read Liz Wiseman’s Multipliers in 2024, it put words to something I’d already been discovering through experience. I didn’t need to have all the answers. I needed to ask better questions, remove obstacles, challenge my team to think bigger, and trust them to own their decisions. It helped me become more confident in the kind of leader I wanted to be.
The work I’m proudest of is rarely the work that has my name on it.
What I believe
01
My team’s growth is my measure.
I measure my success by how much my designers grow. I want them taking risks, challenging ideas, thinking beyond the brief, and becoming more capable and confident along the way.
02
I lead with my team, not over them.
The best ideas come from working together. I give my designers a voice in decisions, encourage healthy debate, and trust their judgment. When a clear direction is needed, I’m comfortable making the call.
03
I lead by example.
I won’t ask my team to take risks I’m unwilling to take myself. I experiment, challenge myself, share what I’ve learned, and show up when someone needs a hand.
04
I own more than design.
My responsibility extends beyond leading designers. I partner with executive leadership to shape product direction, solve difficult problems, and take ownership of outcomes.
Empowered by AI, not replaced by it.
I don’t see AI as a way to replace talented people. I see it as a way to make them even more capable. My goal is to give designers the confidence, tools, and freedom to explore what’s possible while keeping their creativity and judgment at the heart of the work.
01
Make room to experiment
I give my designers the tools and freedom to explore AI in their own way. We share what works, what doesn’t, and what we’ve learned. Curiosity is encouraged, not perfection.
02
Multiply their strengths
Every designer brings something unique to the team. AI helps amplify those strengths, opening doors to new ideas, faster exploration, and possibilities we couldn’t easily pursue before.
03
People come first
AI is a powerful tool, but people make the decisions. We challenge its output, apply our judgment, and take ownership of what we create. Technology should elevate our craft, not define it.
What I do
01
Build the team
I own the hiring decisions and advocate for roles that help my designers grow. I spent two and a half years making the case for a Design System Lead. In 2026, one of my senior designers stepped into that role.
02
Set people up for success
I want new designers contributing from day one. Most submit their first pull request within their first week. From there, it’s about giving them the trust, ownership, and support to grow.
03
Make feedback part of the culture
Great work gets better when we challenge it together.
Team reviews
Weekly
Collective critique that raises the quality bar.
Peer reviews
Biweekly
Designers pair up to sharpen each other’s ideas.
1:1 coaching
Monthly
Personalized coaching focused on individual growth.
Each set of marks is one month, a mark per week.
04
Give others the lead
During my Junior-to-Senior Weeks, I become the junior designer. My senior designer sets the direction, establishes priorities, and leads the work. I follow their lead and help move things forward.
They lead.
I follow.
The principles in practice
The way I lead has been shaped by the teams I've built, the products I've shipped, and the difficult decisions I've had to make along the way. These four projects tell that story.
“Chris joined our OTT (TV) team and immediately hit the ground running with a clearly elevated experience. Chris is not only a marvelous designer, but a mentor for others and sower of exponential impact company-wide.”
Up next
How I craft
I still design alongside my team. See the work from Angel and beyond.
Explore how I craft