Asking Why

I needed to understand “Why?”

I used to be silent. I didn’t ask the questions that were nagging at me.

I kept my head down, working dutifully as in-house corporate designer for a decade.

After years of designing style guides, UI screens & packaging systems, I wasn’t growing or learning anymore. Because I needed, desperately, to know “Why.”

🥇 Why was our brand (Thomas & Friends) the #1 preschool entertainment brand?

👶🏼 Why were such a trusted, timeless property that parents loved sharing with their kids?

🚂 Why were we successful in homes and in toy aisles & how did we measure that success?

It turns out, I was in the wrong line of work to find the answers I craved.

So I changed course.

First, I pursued UX strategy to better build digital products that would make meaningful impact.

This work grew to encompass understanding & guiding the entire consumer journey every step of the way. At one point, I was even flying to grocery stores across America to research family shopping habits.

It took years of growing, doing it wrong, learning & then doing it better.

I leaned into my pivot.

Today, after a whirlwind of strategy clients, teams & projects, I’ve spent as many years agency-side strategist as client-side creative.

Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that it all started with asking questions.

If you’re feeling stuck, dare to ask “Why.”

And don’t stop til you’re satisfied.

#askwhy
#growth