What I built, what I learned, and what I want next.

Every year has a theme. Looking back on 2025, mine was simple: make it work.

In my career, in my family, in my creativity, and in the moments where I felt stretched thin, this was the year of figuring out what mattered and what didn’t ... while letting that shape everything else.

A Year of Rebalancing

This year felt like one long exercise in dealing with change and improvising.

My family spent the year “making it work” in the best ways possible. I had a stretch as a stay-at-home dad (I loved it). Meaning the shift in my time, attention, and priorities changed more than I expected. I learned how much of a day is made up of small, meaningful moments ... and frankly how much you can streamline when it becomes a necessity.

We made the most of every part of this year. My wife is a rockstar, and my kiddo amazes me daily. After being without a dog for about three years, we also added a new one to our life. His name is Mac, and he’s brought us a whole new set of challenges (he’s a puppy after all) but also an immense amount of joy. He filled a void our family had felt for a long time and gave my daughter a level of responsibility and caregiving she’s been craving.

What I Learned as a Designer and Leader in 2025

If 2025 clarified anything for me, it’s this:

• Saying no is still one of the most impactful skills in design (and your life). Not as resistance, but more as a focus. Setting boundaries and for all aspects of your life allowing you to find ways to make real impact. Honestly, if I wouldn't have said no a few times over 2025, my year would have turned out a lot different.
• My thinking on AI and agentic systems keeps evolving.The more I build with them and use them in my own process, the more I see how fundamentally they’re reshaping our tools, workflows, and expectations. I can count only a few moments in my career where design felt like it was entering a new evolution. Right now, it feels like we’re standing on the edge of the next one. Some would say we’re already there, but for me, it still feels just over the horizon ... and it’s coming fast.

Rejoining Deloitte

In June, I rejoined Deloitte as a Senior Manager of Experience, this time focused on our enterprise software. Coming back in a new role forced me to rethink how I show up as a leader within the firm: how I guide teams, shape products, and bring clarity to ambiguity at scale.

Even though the role is new, it feels like I never really left. I may not be traveling to client sites every week anymore, but my “client” has simply changed. My focus is still user-centered product design. Only now, I get to see a product and a team continue to grow and evolve long after the R1.

I’m genuinely glad I didn’t take some of the other opportunities that came my way (I said NO). I’m happy to be back at Deloitte, and I can see a bright, long future here once again.

Rediscovering Writing in 2025

Even though I wasn’t as consistent with Field Notes as I wanted, writing gave me something I didn’t realize I needed: a place to put my thoughts.

My original goal was 12 weeks, and I hit that. I built another 12-week calendar and made it to week four. Sixteen Field Notes total in 2025, starting in mid-March. Not perfect, but enough to prove something to myself.

What surprised me most were the reactions. The comments, the DMs, the “I’m dealing with this too” messages … those meant far more than any metric. Writing reminded me that our careers and more directly, design leadership can feel isolating, but the challenges are shared.

It also reminded me why I love this industry. The posts about leadership, saying no, and AI sparked the most conversations. It was a reminder that many of us are wrestling with the same problems from different angles. And in turn, I learned even more from those I had continued conversations with.

My last Field Note was in July, and I’ve missed it. So I’m coming back to it (that's the plan).

Looking Ahead to 2026

If 2025 was the year of adapting, then 2026 is the year of intention.

Here’s where I want to go:

• More writing. Field Notes matters to me, and I want to show up consistently again. Weekly, no way ... but definitely more consistently. I'll be working on a calendar in January.
• Evolving how I lead. Sharpening my point of view, mentoring intentionally, and learning from the people around me. I don’t want to be the smartest person in the room (learned that from a great mentor of mine) ... I want to keep growing because of the team around me.
• Staying focused on health. I started this journey in 2025 and have done a decent job. 2026 is about building on it ... eating better, continuing to exercise (more), that puppy of mine has a LOT of walks in his future.
• Stretching creatively. Some projects may never see daylight, but they keep me sharp. They keep me curious and continually trying new things and learning, I want that to keep going into 2026.

If this year taught me anything, it’s that growth often comes from the messy, unexpected, improvised parts of life. And that’s exactly where I plan to build from next.

Until the next volume, thanks for joining me. 
- Andrew Preble