Designing the Design Process: Lessons from Grammarly’s VP of Design
What happens when the design process itself becomes the biggest blocker to creativity?
In this talk from Hatch Conference, Collin Whitehead, Head of Brand Studio at Grammarly, shares why designers often burn out—not because of the craft, but because of broken processes. From the psychology of the planning fallacy to creating empathy between design and engineering, Collin reveals how great teams design their process as carefully as their products.
🎯 In this session you’ll learn:
Why bad process kills creativity (and how to fix it)
How to apply “mise en place” thinking to your design workflow
The psychology behind bad planning and overcommitment
How Grammarly rebuilt design culture through collaboration and empathy
Simple rituals to create alignment across teams
This talk was recorded live at Hatch Conference 2025, a gathering for senior designers and design leaders in Berlin.
🔗 Learn more about Hatch: https://hatchconference.com
In this talk from Hatch Conference, Collin Whitehead, Head of Brand Studio at Grammarly, shares why designers often burn out—not because of the craft, but because of broken processes. From the psychology of the planning fallacy to creating empathy between design and engineering, Collin reveals how great teams design their process as carefully as their products.
🎯 In this session you’ll learn:
Why bad process kills creativity (and how to fix it)
How to apply “mise en place” thinking to your design workflow
The psychology behind bad planning and overcommitment
How Grammarly rebuilt design culture through collaboration and empathy
Simple rituals to create alignment across teams
This talk was recorded live at Hatch Conference 2025, a gathering for senior designers and design leaders in Berlin.
🔗 Learn more about Hatch: https://hatchconference.com