About me
About Me
My heart beats for all things human behavior. Creating purposeful, enjoyable experiences based on human need is the proverbial cat's pajamas. Speaking of pajamas, I seek only remote roles. Speaking of cats, hiring me is hiring a cat (and dog) lady of epic proportions so be prepared for my animal companions to make an appearance during our video calls. And speaking of remote, I live in the mountains of Colorado, so you may also catch a glimpse of a moose, bear, fox, or hummingbird!
Experience
I began my design journey in the early 2000s creating printed newspaper ads when websites weren't yet mainstream. I had a feeling this thing called the Internet was going to be a big deal so I jumped on the train. That train eventually led me to UX because I craved understanding about how my designs were impacting lives. I eventually transitioned into leadership roles, where I could help operationalize and evangelize the Product Design discipline, align teams, and enhance my design craft.
I'm fortunate to have spent time across enterprise, startups, and nonprofits — launching and refining products, driving revenue, introducing and streamlining UX operations, optimizing digital ecosystems, leading design teams, and partnering cross-functionally with accessibiliity, analytics, content design, research, engineering, product, marketing, business stakeholders, and others to create data-driven and empathy-first experiences that improve lives and generate business profit.
Philosophy
My years spent listening, learning, failing, and succeeding have taught me some primary lessons by which I now lead.
Partnership is Key
Our products and our perspectives are better forged in the spirit of collaboration and partnership — where UX is included and inclusive. Everyone wins when designers walk a mile in the shoes of our partners and when our partners adopt a user-centered mindset. I encourage this through shared ideation, alignment, understanding, and ownership.
Question Assumptions
Question why, and welcome questions in return. Design rationale matters, feedback is a gift, and healthy debate strengthens products. Opportunities emerge when we're willing to respectfully challenge assumptions.
Lead with Clarity, Calm, Candor, and Celebration
I do my utmost to foster a safe and positive environment--an oasis from chaos--where teammates can count on being heard, respected, communicated with in candor, and celebrated. Teams function best when trust is abundant, we feel safe admitting our mistakes so we can learn together, and we can genuinely enjoy our wins.
The Power of Operational Excellence
I believe operational efficiency is a fundamental part of UX success and is in fact user experience itself at a different scale. When workflows, governance, communication, and delivery processes are thoughtfully designed, teams spend less time navigating friction and more time solving meaningful problems.
See the Forest and the Trees
We must be able to see both the forest and the trees. Our job is not simply to advocate for users or to focus solely on business objectives. Our responsibility is to find the opportunity to advance both. Zoom out, then in, then out again. Strong solutions emerge when empathy, strategy, and practicality overlap.
Mission
What I choose to do for work isn't just a paycheck. It has a impact on the world and is an extension of my ethics. I focus my skillset towards causes and companies that I believe make the world a better place and make it easier for people to live in that world.
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