CONTACT INFO
About ME
My background includes designing and launching successful products, owning a UX consulting firm, managing multiple clients at an agency with well-known brands, and leading UX teams. I design for industries and organizations including academic, automotive, finance, gaming, healthcare, insurance, retail, and telecommunications while delivering cross-platform solutions for iOS, Android, mobile web and desktop.
As an accomplished design executive, I know how to take companies to the next level by designing and delivering human-centered products and experiences that change the game for users.
Throughout my design leadership career of 15+ years, I have been creating products and services that reshape customer experience in meaningful and sustainable ways. My work has improved customer engagement, increased revenue in the millions, and captured industry recognition.
DESIGN PHILOSOPHy
Creating meaningful experiences with excellent design brings me so much joy. What makes something 'good'? Heuristics identify standards and the idealist in me believes we can elevate user-centered design experiences that bring true meaning to people's lives.
I'm grateful to have a holistic mindset ingrained in my being, as Aristotle said "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." User experience is holistic by nature so communication and collaboration with customers, content strategists, developers, marketing, designers, etc. is crucial. Simultaneously, I'm fully aware that my clarity of vision for a 'good' path can pivot at a moment’s notice with product constraints, timelines, or cost. These experiences helped me to influence change management while staying focused. My right and left brain are a mixed balance of creative design, data, research, KPIs, user-centered sketches, iterations, implementation and measurement.
I have led, mentored, and seen exemplary growth when working with UX teams. When hiring I look for two things: smart + nice. The rewarding part of leadership is providing tools to learn, inspiring with innovation, challenging growth, and then stepping back to see the magic happen.
service
Contributing to the community is in my nature and below are a few examples:
IAI Board of Directors
Established in 2005, the Information Architecture Institute was a community generated resource helping to shape how the world practices, teaches and learns information architecture. I served as the IAI Communications Director from 2015 – 2018. I was responsible to communicate the mission and value of the IAI, promote the field of IA and help spread the word about our events and valuable library resources.
UX-radio
I am the founder and host of the UX-radio podcast about Information Architecture, User Experience and Design where we talk with industry experts. This was created out of my own passion for learning and sharing inspiring conversations with an amazing network. The purpose of this show is to educate, inspire and provide valuable information architecture, user experience and design resources.
World Information Architecture Day
I had the unique opportunity to help shape the future of the global 2015 World Information Architecture Day (WIAD) and to add a positive impact on the field of Information Architecture as a whole.
I served as both the Los Angeles city leader in 2014 with ~250 attendees and the Global Executive Producer for World IA Day 2015 overseeing 24 countries in 36 cities with ~4,000 attendees.
New York Film Academy Game Design - User Research
I served as an adjunct faculty member at NYFA from February 2014 – March 2015 for three cohorts. Usability testing enables game developers to systematically identify and resolve issues that detract from the player experience. Students learn and practice formal usability testing using real test subjects. Students learn best practices for how to get valid, unbiased data and how to communicate findings to executives and development teams effectively.
TOOLS
Adobe CS, Figma, Mural, Miro, Sketch, Proto.io, Axure, InVision, Origami, Omnigraffle, Dreamweaver, Bootstrap, CSS, Visio, Usertesting.com, Treejack, and OptimalSort.
SPEAKING & PRESENTATIONS
Ford Design Leader Fireside Chat – September 2023
MLIS Guest Lecturer – UCLA, November 2018
Product for Good – Philosophie, October 2018
USC Riptide, Intersecting Creativity & Tech – AIGA, September 2018
MLIS Guest Lecturer – UCLA, June 2018
IA Summit – IA Slam, March, 2018
Driving Growth Through Customer Experiences – StitchLabs, Feb 2018
EuroIA – IA Slam, September 2017
Tech Ladies – Agile Heuristics, March 2017
Evenings at the Loft VLVT – Empathy & Design: Tools and the Design Process: Video Series, Dec 2016
Ladies that UX – Salary Gender Gaps; IAI Salary Survey and US Census Bureau, Nov 2016
Palisades High School Web Design Class – What is IA & UX? Oct 2016
Philosophie – Design Quality & Quickly, May 2016
Architecting Happiness – World IA Day Tampa, Feb 2015
AIGA UCLAx – UX for Dummies, Sept 2013
SoCal UX Camp – Mobile IA Workshop, Aug 2013
MERGE! Conference – Merging Passion and Profession, Jan 2013
Santa Barbara IA Slam – Santa Barbara UX Meetup, June 2012