Brendan A. Fitzpatrick.
I love a gnarly product problem — and the team it takes to crack it.
The work — research, IA, prototypes, visual design — gets done by me, not delegated. I help organizations design what surrounds the product too: the strategy, the team, the conversations. The product is downstream of all of it.
At IBM Cloud I originated Platform.next, the cloud-as-code strategy now shaping the business. I was also an early in-house voice on designers using AI to do the work and on designing AI experiences for enterprise customers — most directly through Watsonx. Before that, FCB Chicago. Before that, a Christmas Eve handoff of an envelope of cash from the real sausage king of Chicago.
I’m also a partner in Best Practice (design consultancy) and BARF GARDEN (creative collective), and ship indie products on the side — Static Radio, Loom, Emojio Composer.
A few working beliefs.
Make, don’t just direct.
I keep my hands on the work — research, IA, prototypes, visual design — alongside the people I’m leading. Knowing the work intimately is what makes the strategy credible and the leadership real.
Design what surrounds the work, not just the work.
Experiences, contexts, strategies, teams, conversations, culture, the business itself. The product is downstream of all of it.
Business value is design value.
Delivering business outcomes matters as much as user value or any best practice we bring to the table. The best work serves both — and design accountable to both is the kind I want to be part of.
Unite to get it done.
The world sees us as one team and our product as one experience across channels, not a collection of functions. Bring engineering, product, design, and customers around shared goals; the silos take care of themselves.
Cultivate the conditions for good work.
Psychological safety, sustainable pace, and continuous learning aren’t a perk — they’re the foundation. Leading from behind the curtain is most of the job.
Brendan has mastered the design leadership behind the curtains approach — always positive and supportive, without compromising on important design principles and achieving awesome outcomes. Director, IBM Cloud Platform Experience
