As a widely experienced UX product design and research leader, I am a creative and strategic problem-solver, customer-focused and self-motivated. I have a proven track record of delivering impactful products, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and managing multiple people, priorities, and projects through ambiguity, living at the intersection of business, technology, and user behavior.
In addition to design, research, and strategy, I build teams, educate colleagues, forge connections, empower people, and start meaningful conversations to get results in an ever-changing technology landscape.
Along the way, I value my colleagues with whom I look forward to pushing some boundaries every day; to doing good work for good causes; to learning new things early and often; and to playing as much music as possible.
Areas of skill and experience
Usability research and testing
Product design strategy
Interaction design
Cross-functional team collaboration
User advocacy
Communication
Wireframing and prototyping
Information architecture
UX project and people management
Design thinking
Design Systems
Coaching and mentoring
Diplomacy and negotiation
Extensive experience with the usual tools: Figma, Axure, Sketch, Mural, Adobe, Atlassian, etc.
HTML/CSS/JS
Visual design and art direction
Audio and video production, post-production, and motion graphics
A modicum of humor and whimsy
My process and philosophy
Process.... when possible and appropriateWhether alone or with a team I try to follow a fairly common design process - because it works. First, we understand the space, identify the users, and make sure we properly define the right problems to solve. Next, we ideate, collaborate, prototype, test, and iterate until we have identified the best option for solving those problems. Then we build it and get it in front of people, ready to test and repeat any of the phases as needed.
NOT my actual UX mottoOften one or more of these phases lack clear definition - working with and through ambiguity is part of the role. Like Agile, design process is rarely as simple or straightforward as it sounds, and we need to deal with the realities within which we are working, and sometimes educate our own product teams. An important role for UX is being a constant reminder that:
Our users are going to have an experience with our product one way or another... it will go better for everyone if we design for the experience we want them to have
Design is a team sport; good ideas and new perspective can come from anywhere
Every member of a product team should have responsibility for and input to designing an experience
Almost without exception, you are not your user!
This is why so much of UX is improvisation. From altering an ideal process to fit the realities of a specific team, to switching up methodologies on the fly (or inventing new ones), to actively listening during user discussions and varying from the script to gather the best insights... you need to think on your feet. Pretty much all truthful and accurate answers in UX start with 'It depends.'
Beyond The Work
Chartering AkatoastsEvolving into a product design manager and UX leader, first at Akamai and now at Grainger, has been deeply fulfilling. Along the way, I was a founding member of the Akatoasts Toasmasters club to help build confidence and presentation skills (including my own) across the company. I was part of club leadership for many years and achieved the coveted Triple Crown award, completing three Toastmasters awards in a single club year. All of these efforts combined gave me the confidence to dip my toes in the presentation waters at UXPA Boston, Enterprise UX, and Akamai’s Tech Summit, as well as leading Girls Who Code activities in the classroom.
Faster Forward: ROCKamai!Because music is also an abiding passion of mine, I founded the Akamai Jam Group, which from 2015-2022 gathered over 80 Boston-area members, hosted dozens of jam sessions with visiting Akamaites from all over the world, and performed some fairly epic and fun-filled live events as "Faster Forward." We even did a few pandemic "distributed performances" for our annual Tech Summit conference, held remotely in 2020.
Boomsoss making a lot of noiseI also continue to play music live as often as I can, most commonly with my funky, improvisational cover bands Space Monks and Boomsoss - we take songs you know and make them a little bit different every time, playing globally all the way from Boston to Southern New Hampshire. I can also be found in smaller spaces and coffeehouses around Eastern MA with some incarnation of my more acoustic project Rodeohead and its offshoots. I will always and forever be at risk of starting a new band at any company who hires me.
A lot of managersFinally, on a personal note, I am the token male in a household with 7 women (or at least females): My wife is an ordained UU Minister and president of the board of the Acton News Initiative, my daughter is a psychology-oriented thespian on the cusp of college, our three remaining chickens provide eggs and kinetic lawn art, the last bunny keeps her own council, and the dog is our general ruler.I am the very model of astrict Gestalt practitioner
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