Experience

Muck Rack

• United States
• Software Development
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Director, UX

  • Apr 2022 - 1 year 9 months



Employbridge

• United States
• Staffing and Recruiting
• 700 & Above Employee

• Director, UX

  • Sep 2020 - Apr 2022

  Established EmployBridge’s first internal UX team by defining the UX team’s vision, values, team structure, job descriptions, career framework and design principles and hiring 12 UX researchers, designers, and writers in under 12 months. Partnered with Product Management and EmployBridge business stakeholders to establish target KPIs and value creation targets (EBITDA) across the entire user journey. Conducted mixed methods research with users to: discover key frustrations and… Show more Established EmployBridge’s first internal UX team by defining the UX team’s vision, values, team structure, job descriptions, career framework and design principles and hiring 12 UX researchers, designers, and writers in under 12 months. Partnered with Product Management and EmployBridge business stakeholders to establish target KPIs and value creation targets (EBITDA) across the entire user journey. Conducted mixed methods research with users to: discover key frustrations and pain points across the Candidate application process which informed the design and testing of 7 prototypes to explore preferences and uncover potential usability issues or points of confusion. Selected and implemented a UX research repository which allowed teams across the company to deliver consolidated user insights derived from discovery and validation research; the resulting insights informed prioritization of the 2021 and 2022 product roadmaps. Partnered with the Engineering team to our first design system and collaboration model. Established and oversaw UX team budgeting, including hiring plans, software licenses, and research incentives and travel expenses. Partnered with an external brand agency to define our brand strategy and expression (visual and verbal) tracks of work which resulted in: synergies with the archetype research conducted by the UX team; a brand expression applicable to a broad range of implementations across marketing and product experiences; and a voice and tone that resonates with our wide range of user types. Show less



Shiftgig

• United States
• IT Services and IT Consulting
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Product Design Director

  • Sep 2019 - Sep 2020

  Chicago, Illinois Led Product Design for Deploy, Shiftgig’s enterprise platform (B2B web app and B2C and B2B native mobile apps) that empowers a staffing agency’s workforce to claim work they are qualified for and interested in. Iterated Deploy with extensive input from buyers and end users (internal staffing agency teams and workers). Enhanced Shiftgig’s design system with a focus on: building the missing components needed for an enterprise SaaS product; and refining existing components to… Show more Led Product Design for Deploy, Shiftgig’s enterprise platform (B2B web app and B2C and B2B native mobile apps) that empowers a staffing agency’s workforce to claim work they are qualified for and interested in. Iterated Deploy with extensive input from buyers and end users (internal staffing agency teams and workers). Enhanced Shiftgig’s design system with a focus on: building the missing components needed for an enterprise SaaS product; and refining existing components to address accessibility issues and align with Android and iOS best practices. Accelerated design delivery in 2 months from “just-in-time” to an average of 2.5 sprints ahead of the Engineering teams in order to allow more time for user research and design exploration. Show less



Uptake

• United States
• Software Development
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Senior Manager, UX Design

  • Jun 2017 - Sep 2019

  Greater Chicago Area Led a UX team of designers and researchers to conceptualize and build the first iteration of Uptake’s first SaaS product focused on generating actionable insights for heavy industrial assets (e.g., wind turbines, manufacturing presses, power plants) through the analysis of streaming asset data and historical maintenance records. Led UX (Research, IxD, Visual Design) for Customer Success, the team responsible for configuration of Uptake’s enterprise-level B2B products and the design of… Show more Led a UX team of designers and researchers to conceptualize and build the first iteration of Uptake’s first SaaS product focused on generating actionable insights for heavy industrial assets (e.g., wind turbines, manufacturing presses, power plants) through the analysis of streaming asset data and historical maintenance records. Led UX (Research, IxD, Visual Design) for Customer Success, the team responsible for configuration of Uptake’s enterprise-level B2B products and the design of bespoke B2B applications for customers using Uptake’s platform. Responsibilities include: • Guided product design across 4 industries (transportation, energy, manufacturing, and government) and over 10 customers • Supported Pre-Sales and Sales teams through the creation of prototypes and the review of SOW documents • Defined and advocated for a standardized product design process grounded in user research • Collaborated with the Product org to evolve Uptake’s product strategy and roadmap based on customer requests • Recruited, hired, and staffed FTEs and contractors Provided prioritization guidance to the design system and data visualization teams to ensure their work aligned with use cases from the core Uptake product and Customer Success add-on modules. Defined a core set of Interaction Design competencies which were then used by other UX disciplines (data viz, UX research) to develop their own set. Show less



Freelance

• User Experience Director

  • Mar 2015 - May 2017

  Chicago, Illinois Led user experience on several USAA projects at Critical Mass, including an AI and ML strategy and a new auto loan approval experience (March 2017 – May 2017). Consulted with Foxtrot's founders to improve the usability of their mobile app and to identify opportunities where Foxtrot could begin to differentiate itself from similar delivery-focused services (March 2015).



SapientNitro

• United States
• Advertising Services
• 500 - 600 Employee

• Creative Director, Experience Design

  • Aug 2015 - Feb 2017

  Greater Chicago Area As the head of Experience Design practice for SapientNitro’s Chicago office, led the design of user-centered multi-channel brand experiences and products from strategy through execution. Built in one week and then directed a nimble cross-disciplinary product design team to concept, user test, design, and build experiences within McDonald’s mobile app; Led the Chicago UX team’s recruiting, hiring, team training, and career growth initiatives.

• Associate Creative Director, Experience Design

  • Apr 2012 - Jul 2015

  Greater Chicago Area I led multiple teams on SapientNitro's Fiat Chrysler Automobile account (digital agency of record): Experience Design Director (Dodge); Creative Lead for all of FCA's mobile web sites and apps. Select responsibilities and achievements include: • Advocated for more customer research and analytics reports in order to better understand customers’ attitudes, expectations, and behaviors, and make data-driven design decisions. • Defined FCA's responsive design strategy and implementation… Show more I led multiple teams on SapientNitro's Fiat Chrysler Automobile account (digital agency of record): Experience Design Director (Dodge); Creative Lead for all of FCA's mobile web sites and apps. Select responsibilities and achievements include: • Advocated for more customer research and analytics reports in order to better understand customers’ attitudes, expectations, and behaviors, and make data-driven design decisions. • Defined FCA's responsive design strategy and implementation plan • Led a team responsible for moving 4 of 5 FCA mobile websites into the top 10 of JD Power's Automotive Website Study; this achievement earned SapientNitro a $450,000 performance bonus. • Mentor my direct reports through their annual objective setting, project assignments, and career development • Successfully promoted three direct reports to senior associate or manager positions • Lead recruiting and hiring initiatives for the Experience Design team • Collaborate with Creative Leadership to establish objectives and key initiatives for the Experience Design team • Lead creative teams in new business pursuits Select clients include: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Fiat, Ram), Illinois Lottery, Mike's Harder, Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University)

• Manager, Information Architect

  • Mar 2010 - Apr 2012

  Chicago, IL Partnered with business users, technical teams, creative teams, and executive stakeholders to: * collaborate with account teams to plan and design for a multi-channel customer experience strategy (online, mobile, kiosk); * facilitate user-centered design sessions and large key stakeholder presentations; * document and prioritize detailed functional and non-functional business requirements; * shape information architecture and visual design of the experience, balancing user… Show more Partnered with business users, technical teams, creative teams, and executive stakeholders to: * collaborate with account teams to plan and design for a multi-channel customer experience strategy (online, mobile, kiosk); * facilitate user-centered design sessions and large key stakeholder presentations; * document and prioritize detailed functional and non-functional business requirements; * shape information architecture and visual design of the experience, balancing user needs against technical capabilities; * ensure the final creative meets business goals and usability and accessibility requirements while creating a consistent user experience across the site Mentored junior-level information architects through goal planning and review of work deliverables Select clients include: Target, McDonald's, Victoria's Secret, Chrysler, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital



Yes& | Lipman Hearne

• Advertising Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Associate Creative Director, Interactive

  • Dec 2000 - Mar 2010

  As creative lead for our interactive group, responsibilities include: the oversight of Lipman Hearne interactive designers and freelance interactive designers; and collaboration with the account team, writers, developers, print designers on the brand team, and colleagues in the interactive group. Work directly with clients during the RFP response period, project intake meetings, site strategy sessions, and content workshops, as well as assist with project management and client… Show more As creative lead for our interactive group, responsibilities include: the oversight of Lipman Hearne interactive designers and freelance interactive designers; and collaboration with the account team, writers, developers, print designers on the brand team, and colleagues in the interactive group. Work directly with clients during the RFP response period, project intake meetings, site strategy sessions, and content workshops, as well as assist with project management and client relationship tasks. Grew the interactive practice from one employee to five employees Restructured entire interactive process from RFP response and budgeting through site implementation Spoke at conferences about user experience design, usability testing, and content management systems Other responsibilities include: user interviews, competitor analysis, content strategy, information architecture, wireframes, site plans, concept development and production including creation of site assets and final Photoshop templates, quality assurance reviews of final deliverables Select clients: University of Chicago Booth School of Business, University of Miami, MacArthur Foundation Show less



Gerhardt & Clemons

• Designer

  • Sep 1999 - Dec 2000

  Managed all aspects of a project from creating production schedules through concepting, client presentations, final art production and print supervision. Projects included corporate brochures, direct mail, corporate identity for clients such as LaSalle Banks, Tishman Speyer Properties, Loyola University, and Delnor-Community Hospital.