Freeform Creative
Building a Collaborative Design Practice
The Traditional Consultancy Model
Early in my design career I learned that the design consultancy world operated on a predictable hierarchy. Principals and firm owners positioned themselves as creative "savants," swooping into projects halfway through development to impose their vision. Directors and senior designers would invest months in consumer research and thoughtful problem-solving, only to have their work railroaded by disconnected leadership focused more on ego than user needs.
I'd experienced this frustration firsthand while successfully bringing in clients I was passionate about—audio companies, music brands, innovative manufacturers—only to watch someone else take creative control of the very projects I'd helped secure. The recession of 2009 gave me the personal push I needed to take a risk: what if there was a better way to work?
Challenge
By 2010, the design industry was dominated by traditional top-down consultancies that treated collaboration as a buzzword rather than a practice. Many firms operated in "cave time"—disappearing for weeks to work in isolation before revealing finished concepts to clients.
This approach created fundamental problems I wanted to solve:
Disconnected leadership: Principals making creative decisions without understanding consumer needs or problem context
Wasted talent: Skilled designers relegated to execution rather than strategic thinking
Innovation barriers: Hierarchical approval processes that killed breakthrough ideas
Client frustration: Limited visibility into creative process and decision-making
The design industry had become about individual ego rather than collective innovation. I needed to prove that a truly collaborative approach—where consumer insights drive decisions and talented individuals are empowered to lead—could deliver both better design and stronger business results.
Collaborative Design Practice Revolution
Rather than compete with traditional consultancies on their terms, I set out to create an entirely new model that put collaboration and consumer insights at the center of everything.
Empowered Team Culture
Build environment where breakthrough ideas come from research and collective insight, not hierarchy
Hire exceptional designers and give them ownership over strategic thinking
Create flat structure where best ideas win regardless of seniority
Consumer-Driven Innovation
Lead with user research and insights rather than aesthetic preferences
Test concepts with actual users throughout development process
Frame all decisions through consumer problem-solving lens
Transparent Client Integration
Involve clients directly in research, brainstorming, and design development
Travel together to visit consumers and understand problem contexts
Real-time collaboration on CAD, prototypes, and concept development
Innovation & Execution
The Collaborative Culture Breakthrough
While most consultancies treated UX/UI design and industrial design as separate disciplines, we developed end-to-end products that solved both aesthetic and interactive challenges simultaneously.
The Crane SmartDrop exemplified this approach. We evolved their award-winning Drop humidifier into their first IoT-enabled device, creating intuitive "tap to see, drag to adjust" capacitive touch controls while solving complex packaging constraints. The innovative wireframe stand design ensured optimal 36" mist output height while nesting inside sub-18" retail packaging—demonstrating how integrated thinking solved multiple problems with single solutions.
Building While Leading
As Founder and Creative Director, I led a team that grew from 1 to 10 people across two offices while maintaining our collaborative culture. The biggest challenge was scaling without losing the scrappy, client-integrated approach that made us successful.
From Scrappy to Sustainable
My early hiring mistakes taught me the importance of timing and cash flow management. Bringing on designers before securing consistent project pipeline meant covering salaries out of pocket during project gaps. Learning to balance team growth with sustainable revenue taught me operational discipline that became essential for later product leadership roles.
Integrated Client Partnership
Our relationship with Snap-on Tools exemplified our collaborative approach across multiple product lines. Rather than traditional client-vendor dynamics, we integrated their team into our creative process. We traveled together to visit automotive technicians, spent days in their offices running brainstorming sessions, and had their team in our studio reviewing CAD and prototypes in real-time.
Results
25+ products launched - From automotive tools to smart home devices to premium faucets
$180M+ projected client revenue - Conservative estimates based on disclosed client sales data
8-year sustainable growth - Maintained profitability while reinvesting in capabilities and talent
Industry recognition - Multiple design awards including PTEN "People's Choice" awards