The Special Sauce
Where Vision Meets Reality

Design Thinking
Innovation Management
Ideation Design + Facilitation

I am a Sense Maker.

I have a problem-framing heart and a maker’s mindset. I use visual tools—maps, frameworks, prototypes, and strategic stories—to help teams see the system, name what matters, and decide what to do next.

Design leadership and innovation management have been through-lines in my career across agencies, global companies, higher education, and my MFA work. I’ve led teams and partners through brand refreshes, new product and service concepts, and complex change efforts—always with an eye on human needs, measurable outcomes, and sustainable ways of working.

I design and facilitate workshops and design thinking sessions for a wide range of stakeholders: executives, faculty, designers, engineers, students, and community partners. Using a mix of structured exercises, visual thinking, and—when useful—generative AI as a sketching and sense-making tool, I guide groups from ambiguity to clarity and action.

My facilitation style is inclusive, engaging, occasionally adversarial in service of the work, and always grounded in respect for the people in the room. The goal is not just a “good session,” but shared understanding, tangible artifacts, and a clearer path forward.

If you’re interested in bringing this kind of work into your organization, you can learn more about my studio practice at tracykretz.com.

What this looks like in practice

Problem-Framing & Strategy Labs
Focused working sessions to make sense of a complex challenge—like a brand refresh, program launch, or transformation initiative. Together we map the current state, surface constraints and opportunities, and define a clearer problem statement, principles, and next steps.

Story & Communication Mapping Workshops
Collaborative sessions where we turn scattered stories, data, and stakeholder input into a shared narrative. We build visual maps of audiences, messages, and channels, then translate that into outlines for campaigns, case statements, or editorial calendars.

Prototype & Concept Sprints
Short, intense sprints (often 1–3 days) where teams move from ideas to rough prototypes: sketches, journey maps, scripts, low-fidelity mockups, or concept decks. The emphasis is on making ideas visible, testing assumptions, and learning fast—before big investments are made.

AI-Enabled Exploration Sessions
Hands-on labs where teams explore how generative AI can support (not replace) their work. We use AI as a sketching and sense-making tool—generating variations, scenarios, and prompts that help us clarify thinking, spot patterns, and imagine new options.

Cross-Functional Alignment Workshops
Sessions designed to get many voices in the same room—executives, faculty, staff, students, or partners—and move toward shared understanding. We use visual frameworks, structured dialogue, and co-created artifacts so people leave with a common language and a clearer path forward.