How I Work: Cathie Urushibata, Creative Director of Shake Shack
Cathie Urushibata, based in L.A, is the Creative Director at Shake Shack. Design by Barbara Cadorna.
Cathie Urushibata, Creative Director of Shake Shack, has a personal worldview that lines up with the Shack Shack mission statement, Stand for Something Good. That’s why she writes daily post-it notes affirmations for her five-year-old daughter’s lunchbox, serves on the board of a nonprofit that uses creativity to nurture historically marginalized youth, and ensures that her team is designing to the best of their capabilities.
Now based in Los Angeles after years in New York City, Urushibata leads the creative teams at the company that started out as a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park and grew into a global restaurant fixture. She has spent more than a decade designing the aesthetic of Shake Shack, and now leads a team that is building its business identity. Read below to learn about how Urushibata works — and her ambition to make a neon art show for Shake Shack, to pair with the brand’s unique neon look. (Yes, please!)
Cathie Urushibata lives in Los Angeles and works New York hours. Image c/o Cathie Urushibata.
Rise and Shine
My morning routine changed dramatically when I moved out to L.A. during the pandemic. I’m now remote and work East Coast hours since the rest of my team is based out of New York City.
I'm up pretty early so that I can be online by 6 a.m. my time. Once I’m ready and dressed, I’m in my kitchen putting on my Airpods and listening to NPR’s Up First while I make myself breakfast and coffee. In the summer, I gravitate towards Fage Greek yogurt with sliced roasted almonds and honey, but in the winter months, my go-to is Quaker Oats Quick 1-Minute Oats with seasonal fruit. One of my favorite coffee beans is California-based Red Bay Coffee’s Coltrane, which I brew in my DeLonghi coffee maker. I then write a little Post-it Note to put on my five-year-old daughter’s lunch. Mid-year she asked me to do this, since some of her friends were getting notes from their moms. It’s a real challenge to come up with something different every day without sounding like a deck of affirmation cards. Sometimes, I end up drawing a doodle instead. It’s funny because she can’t really read yet, so I have to keep in mind that the lunch aides are reading her this note.
Urushibata writes post-it notes with a positive message for her daughter’s lunchbox.
Work Uniform
This has also changed due to remote work and living in a different city environment. But I keep it casual and comfortable. I have to admit, I do not wear jeans as often as I used to. I tend to wear striped/graphic tees or a button down. I also love a good coveralls from brands like Dickies and Everlane. For photo shoots, comfy shoes are a must. I switch back and forth between my Nike Air Max sneakers and classic Vans slip-ons.
How I Structure My Day
When I get to my desk, I’ll check my emails and calendar, then cross-reference my ongoing to-do list and prioritize things accordingly. It’s important for me to carve out time if I need to focus on a particular project, and all the while be available to my team for feedback and dialogue on Microsoft Teams. Usually, there are a lot more meetings happening mid-week since people are in-person at the office.
It’s quiet around 9 a.m. my time when it’s lunch time on the East Coast, so that’s when I like to take a walk. I live near a park, so I do a loop around the perimeter, and if I need to clear my head even more, I go around twice or walk the adjacent block.
My lunch time is dependent on my meeting schedule, so you may see me on video eating leftovers or snacking away. (By the way, my beverage and snack game has become much stronger, and my fridge and pantry need to be fully stocked since working from home. My favorites are matcha lattes with oat milk, Masala Chai, Spindrift seltzer, and all the snacks from Trader Joe’s).
Toward the end of the day, I catch up on my work since it’s quieter. Fridays are also great since there are way less meetings, which allows more white space. I then may take another walk and/or run errands in the late afternoon before picking up my daughter from her after-school program.
Playlist Favorites
My usual playlists contain music without words. It helps me to stay focused. Lately, I’ve been gravitating towards jazz, instrumental covers or something chill like Air, The XX, or Domi & JD Beck. Or, if I need something with more energy, Daft Punk, A Tribe Called Quest or Beyoncé are always my go-to.
Tools of the Trade
Since I work from home, I wanted to make sure my workspace was comfortable and productive. I have the Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desk and Aeron desk chair. For video calls, I prefer my Sony Dynamic MMR-V500 headphones. I use an Apple Display to tether my work laptop, a Kensington Trackball mouse for my left hand and a Wacom pen tablet for my right hand. I recommend the trackball, if anyone is suffering from carpal tunnel. Splitting up my hand usage with the left hand was a real game changer for me. Although this set up always intimidated the IT team whenever they had to come by to help with tech issues. For non-tech tools, I still need to write things down. I love using a lay flat notebook and gel ink pens from Muji.
The view from Shake Shack’s Union Square office in New York City. Image c/o Chase Daniel.
Dream Studio
A big open white space with good light and windows with a view of the beach or city skyline. There would be a dedicated space for a mood board wall to hang up inspiration or WIP concepts, like I had in art school. Then there’s another section with a long shelf of design and art books with a comfortable sofa that’s surrounded by plants. And of course, a dedicated snack bar and drink station.
One Unique Thing About My Work Process
I wouldn’t call this unique, but I would say in my role, you need to know how to give productive and intentional feedback to your team whether it is design or performance related. Part of my responsibility is to oversee the team and its output, so I need to make sure they’re designing to the best of their capabilities and nurturing their development.
Providing feedback takes practice, and as the person giving the feedback, there are several things I keep in mind.
Share the feedback in a timely manner, that way it is fresh and people can learn and move on from it.
Explain the “why.” Don’t just critique the artwork. It’s helpful to explain what’s not working. Is it hitting the goal? Is it on brand? Is it pushing the design forward? If it’s their performance, the same rules apply. Explain the why and share the specific example(s) of what needs to be improved and how to improve it. It may not be fun to give feedback, but you have to remember these teaching moments will (and should) help the person grow and develop.
How you deliver the feedback. Think about how you would want to receive this feedback. Also keep in mind how the person best receives feedback. Is it during a 1:1, a quick call, or a drive by at their desk when in person?
Feedback is reciprocal. Allowing the person to share their thoughts and have a discussion will benefit both parties. Your team’s feedback on the work, process and you is crucial to the ecosystem of the team.
Gain trust. Like any relationship in life, you need to build up trust with the person you’re working with. Otherwise, your words or actions can be meaningless.
Urushibata works remotely from LA, near Hermosa Beach. Image c/o Cathie Urushibata.
Mantra
Keep calm and carry on.
My Brightest Idea that Never Saw the Light of Day
No pun intended, but I’ve always wanted to do a neon art show for Shake Shack. Each of our restaurants showcases some type of neon, either a green burger icon or our mission statement, Stand For Something Good. It’s a nod to the classic road burger stand and part of our branding. I would love to collaborate with various neon artists to do an art show.
To-Do List Item That Keeps Me Up At Night
Being a working mom is tough, so I can either be worrying about deadlines for work or making sure I signed up my daughter for the right dance class. But knowing my alarm will go off at 5:30 a.m. for work is an incentive to make sure I get a good night’s rest.
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