Designer Profiles: Lesley Fleishman
Meet Lesley Fleishman. She is the Vice President of Product Design at Five.
Briefly describe your career path, including the reasons behind job changes and shifts.
I'll take it from the top.
In 2001, I graduated from Washington University in St Louis with a BFA in Communication Design. There was a recession, and it was an awful time to look for a first job. I wanted to work in digital, but got my big break in packaging design. You have to start somewhere.
At Estee Lauder, I moved from packaging to merchandising design on the visual side, and then on the industrial design side. I also moved from NYC to Paris. I can’t say they didn’t treat me well. Somewhere deep in makeup tester land I realized I was most interested in watching consumers interact with my designs, and figured out UX should be my next big thing. I decided the quickest way to career change would be grad school.
From 2007 to 2009, I earned an M.Des. in Interaction Design at Carnegie Mellon. Then there was another recession. Cool. Luckily digital was still booming. I got my second big break at Huge. I happily applied everything I learned in grad school to my process. The projects were challenging and the culture was exciting.
I was really curious about startup life, so in 2012 I became the Design Director at OpenSky (now Alibaba). I loved the product and the team, but as it turns out, the hectic nature of early stage startups was not for me. Live and learn.
After that, I became employee number four at Work & Co. where I spent three years. The craft and skill level was unbelievable. We made really beautiful things for really exciting clients (and users). After a few years I started craving a more long-term, immersive product experience.
In 2016, I became Group Experience Director at Learnvest/Northwestern Mutual. Learnvest's badass female leadership was refreshing and empowering. I helped grow a design team from 8 to 80 over three years. We overhauled all of the digital experiences. After a few years, it seemed like a good time to move on.
Today, I am V.P. of Product Design at Five. I'm back in agency-land, and this time building a NY office for a European-based agency. Five is all talent, no ego. It's a great fit and I'm loving it.
What excites you about being a designer?
I just really like making things, and if that thing can be useful and enjoyable, even better. Sometimes the things I make are tackling wicked problems. Sometimes I'm just helping people shop online. As long as it's purposeful and someone needs it, I'm game. We’ll do it smarter and better than anyone else.
What are the challenges that the design field faces today?
Ethics is a big one. It's hard to peel back all the layers of what you're making, and make sure it's "good" to the core—questionable business models, "tricks" of engagement, sources of funding, data privacy and security. It’s important to pause and ask those tough questions.
What advice would you give someone starting out in their career today?
I would tell people to work hard, and ignore the noise. Focus on your craft first over everything else. Then critical thinking, process, stakeholders, and lastly politics, if necessary. A lot of people do that in reverse, and that leads to poor career outcomes. A lack of craft, critical thinking, or process is always found out in the end. You'll only get so far.
What’s the most inspirational thing you've seen / read / heard recently?
One of my clients is building a skyscraper and I've been learning about column-free design, green architecture certifications, and new terms like “topping out”. I get inspired by all of my clients. That's why I love what I do.
What’s your favorite NYC bagel spot?
Lurv bagels. I'm partial to Bergen Bagel — the original location in Brooklyn. My business card actually boasts “Lesley could eat a bagel Five days a week.” (Every business card at Five has a personal statement including the word “Five”.)
What’s your favorite place to escape in NYC?
Prospect Park. Hands down. I’ve lived next to it for over 10 years and still discover new plants, animals, ravines, bridges, special events, etc. It’s a magical place of respite for me and my family, and I feel so lucky to live a few blocks away.
