How might we advance design in a space resistant to change?

The Challenge

The Met Opera brought us on to replatform their legacy site to a modern foundation. The scope was narrow: preserve visuals, minimize UX changes. Historically, The Met engaged outside design agencies, viewing our strength as engineering only. This was our first chance to change that narrative.

I co-led the pitch, reframed our capabilities, and helped secure the work. The brief left little room for change, but I saw an opportunity to advance design—carefully, strategically, and with staying power.

The Situation

Perception of our design practice was limited. I joined as Associate Director of Design and the face of our design expertise. Early on, a stakeholder asked if I was “at the top” of our design org—prompting me to push for a formal title change internally, so that we reinforced our belief in design’s presence at the table.

I led discovery with our VP of Strategy and embedded two designers from my team into the work. We focused on surfacing user pain points, aligning business goals, and identifying high-leverage improvements that respected the brand while supporting usability.

My Role & Approach

I stepped in as the de facto head of design—before my title caught up. When a lead stakeholder at The Met asked, “Are you the top of your design org?” I knew that perception mattered. I advocated internally for a formal title change to signal the weight of our commitment and the seriousness of our presence.

I co-led discovery, partnering with our VP of Strategy to build a cross-disciplinary approach that covered user needs, content strategy, business goals, and sector benchmarks. I also embedded two of my designers into the work—not just as contributors, but as owners—and supported them actively through feedback, escalation, and narrative shaping.

I knew this client would be exacting. So I broke down success in stages, coached the team on what excellence looked like within constraint, and ensured that creative ambition was channeled toward strategic outcomes. I wasn’t asking them to shrink their vision—I was helping them aim it.

When things got hard—and they did—I shielded the team, aligned leadership, and stayed present as the connective tissue between client and internal teams. This was high-stakes work. We weren’t just designing screens—we were reshaping the perception of our design org from the inside out.

I lead workshops to clarify project goals and design constraints, and opened the room to broader thinking by taking the focus away from the Met and to the broader landscape. Pictured here: a workshop on competitor experiences.

Anticipated and Solved for Team Transitions: When a senior designer chose to leave mid-project, I supported her decision and quietly solved the staffing gap through my network—bringing in a successor before the handoff began. Continuity mattered, and we didn’t miss a beat.

Broke Logjams with Research: When design conversations reached gridlock, I proposed user testing to ground the conversation in evidence. I wrote and facilitated the plan, and used the synthesis to shift the conversation from opinion to opportunity.

Perception Shifted: A client once hesitant to include us in design now engages regularly, with feedback passed directly to our CEO. The most telling sign of progress? They keep talking to us—constructively, collaboratively, and consistently.

Team Strengthened: I paired designers with complementary skill sets, allowing them to support and stretch each other. I’ve remained the escalation path, ensuring the creative vision stays intact—even when the path to execution gets messy.