Design Team Leadership & Practice Building

Objective

When I joined Deloitte's AI & Data practice, product design didn't exist as a function. Technical delivery was happening without a design voice and it showed in adoption rates and user satisfaction. I built the design practice from the ground up.

The Design Process & Delivery

I championed the necessity of a dedicated design competency, securing cross-functional alignment and investment from leadership across Data, Strategy, and Implementation.

• Making the Case for Design: I demonstrated the risk of operating without design by building it into project proposals and presenting the ROI of design-led delivery to internal leadership.

• Building the Framework:I built a standardized design process, from user research and requirement validation through to testing and hand-off, and established a formal collaboration framework with technical and business teams.

• Mentoring from the Ground Up:I hired and mentored a team of specialized designers, setting performance standards and building a culture where craft and process held equal weight.

Outcome

Today, the design team is the connective tissue between technical execution and business outcomes at Deloitte's AI & Data practice, a function I built from nothing into a 12-person team that is now standard on every major engagement. Design maturity, quality consistency, and cross-functional collaboration are all measurably stronger as a result.

 The end-to-end design framework I established — from user research and requirement validation through to testing and hand-off.