one moment...

retrieving personality...

  • I'm
    Darrell
    Estabrook
  • I create, lead & love design.

Design solves real problems
and engages people.

Today’s a great day to design.

I make big
ideas visible.

When people have an idea, I use the best tools suited at that point in the process to foster collaboration and to create useful products.

I leverage research as a means of setting context and informing design decisions. In the end, innovation happens through great design, experimentation, and cross-functional talents.

I've worked on over 100 client projects—oh the stories I can tell about design...

Things I create

  • From concepts to interface designs with realistic, testable prototypes.
  • Apps & Websites—enterprise-sized to compact widgets.
  • Design systems, documented and living.
  • Publications & Presentations (the real kind...).

Read about my approach on turning data into insights.

I lead people
upward.

I believe everyone is able to contribute creatively when given the right opportunity.

For clients, I involve them in the creative process. In the end, they hold the strategic purpose for their business, and I hold the design skill.

For design teams, I foster continual learning and accountability. The exploring designer is a flourishing designer.

Ways I lead

  • Use workshop sessions and design studios to explore and define business and customer needs.
  • Involve the client in pencil-down design reviews (read as: more options, less big reveals).
  • Integrate the creative process into Agile software teams.
  • Bring a collaborative and individual mentoring approach to a design team’s professional development.
  • Hold frequent design team critique sessions.
  • Bring design thinking approaches to non-design areas of the organization.

Read about my philosophy on hiring designers.

I see design
everywhere.

I love learning from designs that work and from those that need work. Much of what we produce can be strengthened because we easily lose sight of our main purpose.

I bring these observations to light to make the design process accessible to business leaders as well as other designers.

Plus, design is flat-out exciting!

What drives me

  • Seeing people understand the value of design.
  • Clarifying purpose as a precursor to designing.
  • Making strong design choices.
  • Strengthening weak designs.

Read my critique on the Domino’s Pizza mobile experience.