I was always fascinated by the way a human brain thinks, works, and the way we process and retain information. My experience has taught me that a good design is not created in a moment of inspiration or a bubble. It is an iterative process requiring collaboration between multiple teams and your end-users.
It is easy to get attached to initial design solutions and forgo research and testing but this rarely works. First solutions are often wrong because in the early stages it is hard to know enough about the problem you are attempting to solve. It is important to first answer the 5 Ws (Who, What, Where, When, and Why) before tackling the How.
I believe that successful design projects stem from good communication and keeping the end-user in the forefront. And when I'm not doing design, I spend most of my time outdoors, going on a hike, little bit of Jiu-Jitsu, photography and always learning how to cook better.