I start every problem the same way: by finding who's frustrated and why. Not what's broken, but who it's breaking for. That's usually where the real brief is hiding.

I also think most design problems are communication problems in disguise. Fix the thinking, and the design tends to follow.

Off screen, I paint, cook for more people than I planned for, and play one album on repeat until it's part of my personality. Most of my better ideas start somewhere that isn't a screen.