Dana Smitham✳A little more about me.
My why
I care about how
people experience things.
A fresh perspective.
I’ve spent my career paying attention to people: what they need, what frustrates them, what makes something click.
A confusing interaction. An unnecessary step. A product that makes someone feel like they’re the problem. I feel those frustrations deeply. Good design can make someone’s day easier, and sometimes do a lot more.
That instinct shapes how I lead, too. I want to understand the person behind the role and help them find work that brings out something they didn’t know they had.
Seeing someone grow into a responsibility they once thought was out of reach? That stays with me.
Inspiration doesn’t stay in one lane.
Travel, cooking, and experiencing different cultures give me fresh ways to think. I pick up ideas along the way and bring them into how I design, lead, and help people grow. These are a few that have stayed with me.
From everyday life / 01
A little better, every day.
Kaizen is a Japanese approach to continuous improvement. I bring that idea to my team: notice what’s working, learn from what isn’t, and get a little better each day. Progress doesn’t always need a big reveal.
From everyday life / 02
Give simplicity a purpose.
Kanso is a Japanese principle of simplicity. It reminds me to ask what earns its place, in a product or in how a team works. Remove what gets in the way so people can focus on what matters.
From everyday life / 03
Get your ingredients ready.
Mise en place is the French cooking practice of getting your ingredients and tools ready before you begin. I take the same approach to design: gather the insights, understand the constraints, and give the team the context to start well.