What does a design director do?

Title: Dorelle Rabinowitz, Senior Design Director at Adobe Acrobat

1. Introduction:

• Dorelle Rabinowitz is the Senior Design Director at Adobe Acrobat, leading a team responsible for setting high standards in craft and design.
• She empowers her team to interpret feedback and make the products visually appealing and functional.
• Her work involves navigating a hierarchical structure with multiple stakeholders and opinions.

2. Role and Responsibilities:

• As a design director, Rabinowitz oversees the design and refinement of Adobe Acrobat tools and experiences.
• She focuses on how the products look and work for a seamless user experience.
• Rabinowitz helps her team interpret feedback, ensuring their empowered involvement in the design process.

3. Team Projects and Collaboration:

• Rabinowitz's team is working on enhancing Adobe Acrobat's tools and functionalities to meet the ever-evolving needs of creative professionals.
• Collaboration and communication tools play a vital role in her work. She uses these tools to track tasks and maintain notes for individual team members.

4. Micro Expressions and Communication:

• Rabinowitz mentions the importance of micro expressions in communication. Clients can derive insights and understand her thoughts based on these subtle facial expressions.
• This non-verbal communication plays a significant role in building relationships and understanding client expectations.

5. Taking Credit for Your Work:

• Rabinowitz learned an important lesson from a mentor, encouraging her to never let someone else take credit for her work.
• Although she now focuses on giving credit to her team, she passes on this advice, especially to women, as they are often taught to be modest and avoid assertiveness.

6. Challenges and Adobe Acrobat's Evolution:

• Adobe Acrobat's complex nature presents challenges, as it serves disparate users with different needs.
• The product's original design and purpose led to varied usage patterns. However, Rabinowitz and her team aim to transform it, incorporating new possibilities and incorporating generative AI.

7. Dream Project:

• Rabinowitz has a personal project in mind, inspired by her experiences as a camp counselor.
• Though finding time is challenging, she has outlined the project and written a few chapters, using camp stories as the backdrop.

In summary, as a senior design director at Adobe, Dorelle Rabinowitz leads the design team responsible for enhancing Adobe Acrobat's tools and experiences. She empowers her team, interprets feedback, and ensures the highest standards of craft and design. Rabinowitz emphasizes the importance of micro expressions, taking credit for one's work, and the challenges of working on a complex product like Adobe Acrobat. She also shares her dream project, centered around her experiences as a camp counselor.