Hi! My name is
Stephan Takken
Managing designer
Driven by a passion for improvement and exceptional experiences, I excel in structured, detailed approaches, adapt to chaos, prioritize strong relationships, I have about 20 years design experience, and 7 years as manager.
Ernest
Designer @GitHub
Stephan is easily one of the best design managers I have worked with. He is a skilled designer and leader who isn't only an excellent hands-on designer but a great leader who fosters an environment where the team is empowered to do their best work.
I worked day-to-day with Stephan for about a year on the BPI project, where he was the design lead. During that time, I saw his influence in creating structure, transforming the quality of our design deliverables, and the team's product development process.
He has a huge passion for his work and fosters a positive team culture of collaboration, feedback, and delivering quality results.
I was impressed with how he approaches high-level problems, his structured and detailed process, his excellent communication abilities, and how he takes bets on people.
He is an outstanding leader and has greatly influenced my career.
Any organization would be lucky to have him.
Eli
CEO @Gold Standard Consulting
His work on the project has been very, very impressive. He brought an extremely useful structure and process to the project, both for managing internal timelines with engineering and for managing reviews and approvals with the client. In about a week he took everyone from anxious about how we'd manage the workload, to feeling calm and in control.
The level of structure, detail and top notch work must be impressing the client. There are some very important stakeholders and I couldn't be happier that he's the main contact that they work with.
Lennard
@Freelance designer
In the field of optimising user experiences and leading design teams, Stephan is a true expert. He has the ability to ask the right questions, to quickly understand challenges and to create efficient solutions. Aside from that, he’s fun to work with and you can trust his consistent, reliable way of working. When he was my manager, I was a freelancer, but he made me feel like a true member of the team. Thanks : )
Overall, I am passionate about managing projects and teams, and I am always eager to take on new challenges and opportunities to learn and grow.
My motivation
I am motivated by the challenge of helping projects or teams to maximise their potential. I find fulfilment in coaching, and mentoring individuals, helping them become the best version of themselves. In addition, I enjoy structuring things around me. Defining and improving ways of working, streamlining department processes, and ensuring smooth day-to-day operations.
What I'm good at
Being able to oversee projects from inception to completion, and seeing a team come together to achieve a common goal, is incredibly satisfying. I take pride in my ability to identify areas for improvement, establish efficient processes, and create a positive work environment where individuals can thrive. I'd almost forget to mention, but I'm also very much a hands-on designer! Roll up those sleeves and get it done.
Relationships
I also understand the importance of effective communication and collaboration across different departments and stakeholders, and I prioritize building strong relationships to ensure everyone is aligned and working towards the same objectives.
