abigail borden

My Style

It’s important to me that prospective clients and colleagues understand how I engage with the world inside and outside of work. It took me a long time to find and trust my voice in a way that facilitates effective dialog and collaboration. I try my hardest to leave places, projects, and people better than I found them.

As a Human

  • I use design thinking in my life choices.
  • I believe vulnerability is the only way to authenticity.
  • I do my best to spend more of my time creating than consuming.
  • At least two thirds of my brain is occupied by curiosity so I’m never bored.
  • I try to meet people with openness, not judgement no matter what their beliefs are.
  • Humor and play are essential for my creative process.
  • I believe that humans have the capacity to do better and be better.

As a Designer

  • I can’t do my job if I don’t know what I’m solving for.
  • I talk to my users and use the products I work on.
  • Getting started is more important than being perfect.
  • There’s always room for more delight in our everyday experiences.
  • My skills can’t evolve without critique.
  • There’s no such thing as a “rockstar” - there are just people who work well and work hard.
  • Context matters. It's impossible to design something well without understanding how it fits into the system.

As a Leader

  • I clear a paths, I don’t micromanage.
  • I work hard to build rapport, morale, and psychological safety so that my team can reach its full potential.
  • I ask and encourage lots of questions.
  • I communicate in plain English, not acronyms and jargon.
  • No work is beneath me if my team needs help.
  • I believe that “I’m slammed” means someone is not communicating, not delegating, or not managing their time well.
  • Leadership is about service not power.