Overview
I am a design leader, focusing on usability and adding the most value for users within the constraints of the business and budgets.
Core Values
Although I oversee the vision and execution for user experiences, I thrive on managing and mentoring designers and researchers. Empowering my team and removing any obstacles they encounter so they can do their best work is a constant driver for me.
Experience
In 2022 I joined The Home Depot, as a UX Manager for the Browse Community in the online space. Working for the 5th largest retailer in the USA is an honor, and managing some of the highest visibility spaces on homedepot.com is a role I take very seriously. My team works to build and refresh experiences for our customers to solve their problems, while enhancing our business and value. I am lucky to work with a large group of intelligent and creative people not only in UX but also in Engineering, Product Management and Leadership.
For 5 years I was the UX Lead and Manager at the University of Washington Office of Research (ORIS), which is the online software Researchers and Grant Administrators use to support the University’s multi-billion research industry. Their charge is to reduce administrative burden, so Researchers can spend more time on the research and less doing paperwork.
Before that, I freelanced as a UX Designer, helping companies large and small dip into the world of user-experienced design. Although I worked with a wide range of consumer companies, my main area was in the pro audio market, designing apps for their products. The goal was turning hardware into software, enabling people to be mobile while setting up car stereos, entire auditorium or stadium speaker installations, or even just control a set of speakers for a small outdoor band.
I also spent some enlightening time as a contractor for the DoD - working at the JBLM Army/Airforce base in Washington. We used hands-on research methodologies to refresh and redesign mental health apps and websites for soldiers and their families.
In my physical product design experience (Industrial Design) I successfully developed over 40 products in the consumer/professional audio, medical, and mental health industries, resulting in a patent and several product awards. I’ve had all the titles possible from Junior Industrial Designer through Industrial Design Director.
Education
I hold a BSD in Industrial Design from Arizona State University, a certificate from General Assembly Seattle for UX Design, and frequently attend training in design and team management.