Exceptional design begins by working backwards from people.
I’ve led design at some of the world’s most customer-obsessed companies, blending human insight with bold ideas and fast execution. My leadership centers on empowering teams, building lovable, scalable experiences, and aligning design with business outcomes. I connect dots across complex journeys, foster strong cross-functional partnerships, and stay endlessly curious—always learning and evolving.
Over time I've developed perspective that guides my leadership:
- People First, Always.
- Hands-On Leadership, Team-Driven Results.
- Build Bold. Move Fast.
- Insight-Led Design, Strategic Impact.
- Design is the Glue.
- Curious by Design.
- Teams Make the Magic.
My Leadership Playbook
Reporting to and collaborating with with leaders who've worked at Google, Meta, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and other industry giants has been a masterclass in my growth as a designer and leader. Every collaboration has sharpened my view of what success looks like and equipped me with a proven, adaptable leadership toolkit.
1. People First, Always.
Over the years, I’ve honed a human-centered design toolkit that spans digital product and physical experience—and deeply internalized Amazon’s renowned “working backwards” and customer-obsessed approach to building what truly matters. I focus on the full end-to-end customer journey, ensuring we’re solving not just touchpoint issues, but system-level challenges that impact the overall experience.
2. Hands-On Leadership, Team-Driven Results.
I roll up my sleeves to bring teams together through interactive, iterative formats like workshops that drive alignment and spark bold ideas. I empower my team to aim high, take on ambitious goals, and become influential change agents across the business—always focused on elevating the customer experience.
3. Build Bold. Move Fast.
I aim for bold, lovable experiences that inspire teams and push thinking forward—while balancing that with the urgency to ship, learn, and deliver value quickly. At Amazon, I refined this mindset through tools like PRFAQs and the “crawl, walk, run” framework—helping teams envision the ideal while moving fast to test and iterate. Great design lives at the intersection of aspiration and action.
4. Insight-Led Design, Strategic Impact.
I believe the most effective design starts with deep human insight—and ends with measurable business outcomes. By grounding strategy in customer needs, I align design with organizational goals to drive innovation, clarity, and growth. Design is more than a function; it’s a mindset and a multiplier—accelerating delivery, shaping culture, and creating lasting competitive advantage through experience.
5. Design is the Glue.
I build deep partnerships across product, engineering, operations, and brand to translate vision into cohesive, scalable solutions. Design’s unique vantage point—spanning holistic, end-to-end customer journeys—allows us to see across silos, spot patterns, and connect dots in meaningful ways. Being journey-centric helps ensure we’re solving the right problems in the right sequence. My role often serves as the connective tissue, aligning cross-functional stakeholders around the customer experience and driving momentum from idea to execution.
6. Curious by Design.
What I love most about design and leadership is that there’s always more to learn. I stay curious, seek out emerging practices—from AI-enhanced workflows to advanced service design—and continuously evolve how teams create, collaborate, and scale innovation. Having worked across industries from healthcare to travel to finance, I bring a broad perspective and a growth mindset to every challenge, always learning, always pushing forward.
7. Teams Make the Magic.
I hire for curiosity, collaboration, craft, and kindness—building diverse, inclusive teams that think strategically and deliver exceptional work. I lead with empathy and create psychological safety, investing in clear career paths, mentorship, and growth opportunities that align personal strengths with business outcomes. At One Medical, this approach drove multiple promotions, the rise of new leaders, 100% desired retention through significant change, while helping the business with 2× membership growth and an industry-leading NPS of 92.
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© 2025 Austin Hastings
Human-Centered Design Leadership