Bio

I’m a seasoned Design Leader who has dedicated her career to making everyone’s job easier and more fulfilling, while empowering them with the tools and resources to do their best work possible. Since 2001, I have led projects and programs from initial briefing to launch day and beyond, with direct responsibility for day-to-day management of strategy, concept and execution, accentuated with an overarching focus on the growth, professional development and well-being of the team members I am dedicated to serve. To me, design is about action. Great design is a culmination of strategy, creativity, empathy, execution, experience, iteration and innovation. It must benefit people, whether it be a product feature, a community experience or strategizing solutions to an organization's systemic issues. My range of expertise spans the areas of craft, leadership and operations. I have won awards for branding, advertising, copywriting, strategy, video, illustration, digital and environmental, experience design and enterprise software. In the leadership realm, I'm recognized for design operations, project planning + management, career development and goal-setting, cross-functional communication + collaboration, training leaders, ensuring craft consistency + excellence, mentorship + coaching, as well as non-profit management, visioning + strategy. From the leadership and operations side, I am active in multiple communities of practice. I serve as a professor of one of the DesignOps Assembly Learning Labs cohorts, and I also host the DesignOps Ed Salon webinar series for AIGA. I'm also very active in organizing and producing small- or large-scale experiences for non-profit and civic missions. In 2016, I was invited to join AIGA’s Design For Democracy committee for AIGA’s national Get Out the Vote campaign. In 2018, I began my service as co-chair, and in 2020 as chair. I currently serve as Secretary on the AIGA national board of directors. // PORTFOLIOS : Leadership + Operations Experience — https://www.leadteachempower.design — DesignOps + agency + enterprise software + consulting + community leadership Call-to-Action Portfolio — http://moreactionthanartifact.design — Volunteer work + community activism + speaking Art + Creative Direction Portfolio — http://francesyllana.com — Traditional creative + art direction + graphic design + copy // FEATURES + AWARDS HIGHLIGHTS : Print, Graphis, Communication Arts, Black Book AR100, Creativity34, UnderConsideration, The Dieline, GOOD Magazine, 99U, Type Directors Club