The ZEST Framework: A cheat sheet for Creative Leadership

As designers, we’re used to making. Hands-on, obsessing over every pixel, decision or detail. Our value is tied to what we personally create. But when you step into a leadership role, everything shifts. Suddenly your job is not just to design and do the work, it’s making sure you set others up in the best environment to do their best work.

That means guiding, mentoring, setting standards and creating the conditions where others can thrive. You’re responsible for the work, but even more so for the team behind the work. And no one really teaches you how to do that. It’s not just a promotion or a new title. It’s a complete mindset change.

For me personally, this shift was quite a challenge. I had to unlearn a lot: the instinct to fix things myself, to be involved in every detail, to stay close to the craft in the way I always had. At first I thought I had to lower my standards when juniors didn’t approach the work the way I would. But I learned it’s not about getting them to do it like me, it’s about unlocking them to do something only they could. It’s not lowering the bar, it’s raising it for each individual. And that starts with trust. Learning to zoom out and see the bigger picture. Not only caring about my taste, but how to pull people to new levels in their own creative expression.

Director roles are certainly not for everyone. A lot of designers I know rather stay deep into the work and craft, not the corporate ‘management crap’. Love that. I’m all for it. But for those making the jump, it can be disorienting. That’s why I started to pen down what I discovered to work for me. It resulted in creating a framework, to give myself and others a bit of guidance. Something I could use to check in when I felt lost, and keep growing into the kind of leader I want to be.

See it as a reflection through trial and error and what I learned from working with brilliant minds way smarter than I’ll ever like to be. How I liked to be led, what I value, and how I want to show up as a creative, as a teammate, as a human.

The ZEST Framework

This cheat sheet is built around four key dimensions of creative leadership: zing, empathy, stretch and taste. Each reflects a core part of how I approach leading teams and shaping work. Where most leadership frameworks focus on authority, process or performance, ZEST is different. I focus on creative energy, emotional intelligence and the taste that elevates good work into meaningful work.

Z for Zing

The energy that sets the tone and moves things forward.

Zing is about momentum. It’s the spark you bring to the room, an energy that’s exciting, infectious and fun. It’s vibrant and magnetic. Energy shows up in how you communicate, how you critique and how you celebrate progress. Knowing when to push. Holding the vision high, even when things get messy.

• Start with a clear directional why, to put energy where it matters
• Set high standards with optimism, not pressure
• Bring excitement and curiosity into the room from the start
• Know when to energize the room and when to pull back
• Enthusiasm sets the tone, helps you sell, and gains trust in the work
• Check in to support and unblock, not to hover or add urgency

E for Empathy

The human layer that builds trust, understanding and clarity.

Empathy is what turns management into leadership. It’s listening, observing, and tuning into what your team really needs. Whether that’s space, feedback, resources, direction, or just time. Empathy isn’t about being soft. It’s about being attuned. If people feel seen, they show up fully.

• Make space for honest questions and conversations
• Model vulnerability so others feel safe doing the same
• Find small wins, even when things are tough
• Take time for 1:1s, don’t just listen but remember and act
• Balance ambition with care
• Understand what drives each team member, and what holds them back

S for Stretch

Growth through challenge, discomfort and ownership.

Stretch is about facilitating calibrated discomfort. Pushing people just beyond what they’re confident in, while signaling you’ve got their back. It’s where growth lives. Let go, give room, set the frame and let others surprise you. Push your team, but do this with zing and empathy.

• Delegate with purpose, not as a dumping ground
• Let junior team members present and take the stage
• Encourage experimentation, not perfection
• Build a feedback culture that’s direct and honest but constructive
• Offer guidance without just giving away the solution
• Give people room to fail, collectively reflect on it and learn as a team

T for Taste

The compass for clarity, originality and creative excellence.

As a leader your taste shapes the floor and the ceiling for the work. In today’s new world of automation and sameness, taste is more important than ever. It’s what makes something feel distinct, intentional, and right. It’s not just about what looks good, but knowing when something aligns with the idea, the brand, and the audience. Taste is a tool to guide others and build a shared standard of excellence. It isn’t about what’s out there, but a vision of what’s yet to be.

• Share strong references and standards
• Stay culturally tuned in, taste is shaped by what you absorb
• Don’t settle for fine, you set the bar
• Curate inputs: not just moodboards, but thinking too
• Obsess over the details that matter
• Train your team’s eye, not just their output

Making it work

ZEST isn’t meant to be a theory. It’s meant to be used: in reviews, in 1:1s, in moments of tension or uncertainty. It’s a lens to help you lead when things feel vague. These aren’t stages you climb through and leave behind, but dimensions you keep cycling through as your team evolves, projects shift, and your leadership matures. Sometimes you’ll need to dial up Zing to re-energize momentum. Other times, you’ll need to lean into Empathy when morale dips. Or bring in more Stretch to help someone grow into something new.

Ask yourself the following questions weekly:

Zing: Have I brought enthusiasm, energy and clear direction to the team this week?

Empathy: Do I understand where each person is at, emotionally and practically?

Stretch: Have I created space for someone else to grow or take ownership?

Taste: Have I raised the bar on quality, craft and clarity, in the work and how we talk about it?

Simple ways to embed it into your team culture:

Zing in Kick-Offs
Start with a clear 'why' behind the new things to tackle and frame challenges as opportunities to explore so the team feels energised to discover, not just deliver.

Empathy with 1:1s Carve out space to ask: What’s working for you right now? What’s not? How can I unblock you?

Stretch in Friday Retros Ask the team: What did we try that was new this week? What challenged us? Is there anything we should be doing, that we can't right now?

Taste with Work Reviews Go beyond “I like it”. Push: Does it align with the brand, with the idea, with the audience? Where can we sharpen? What’s the extra 10% we can infuse to elevate the work?

When I started writing this, I wanted something that felt honest and built from the studio floor, not a boardroom. Something that reflected my own journey, the mistakes, the questions, the shift in mindset and what I’ve learned about leading creative work in a way that still feels human.

If you’re stepping into leadership, or finding your way through it, I hope this gives you something to hold onto, or at least a place to start. Just remember: teams don’t need to be bossed around. They just need someone who gives a damn.

Let’s add some zest!

By Joost Huver