Instacart
Director, Head of Design for Customers, Advertisers, and International
Series G - I • Pre-IPO
2020-2022
Responsible for product design, research, and content design across two sides of Instacart's four-sided marketplace, representing over $1.5B in business across a 425+ person product org. Supported leading Ads org to 2x business growth while scaling the Ads design org from 2 to 14, led design business strategy for our newly founded International team, and directed 16-person Customers team through a significant strategy pivot.
Led Ads design org in setting the vision and crafting the experience for our zero-to-one Advertiser tooling product and consumer ads experience. Worked closely with VPs of engineering, sales, and product to build a strategy that quadrupled our product offerings. Presented quarterly to C-suite to ensure company-wide vision alignment.
Led Customers design org in several key launches: the rebrand launch of our Membership experience, strategy and product vision on four of our primary user Growth experiences, and the re-envisioning of our core user journey. Worked closely with several VPs and directors of product, engineering, and design to coordinate vision and strategy for these launches.
Led design org efforts to increase equitability and reliability of the interview process and training, grow leadership talent by redefining our manager training and mentorship program, and improve visibility of the team's work by architecting org-wide executive design crit.
Thumbtack
Director, Head of Design for Customers
Series E - F • Private
2017-2020
Named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2018
Responsible for product design, research, content, design systems, and design ops across Thumbtack's Customers business. Managed a team of 18 designers and design leaders across these functions, working closely with three directors of product and engineering in a 150+ person product org.
Led designers to craft innovative, high-quality product and brand experiences. Was responsible for the people, processes, and frameworks behind Customer’s design decisions as well as the user research that informed those decisions. Directed the team through numerous product launches, including Thumbtack’s rebrand across the product, standing up a new Design System, the alpha launch of Pro calendar and booking system, and Customer’s 2020 product vision.
Led recruiting to scale the entire Design org from 32 to 65 team members, established our internship program, and built our team culture and recognition programs to create one of the most highly engaged teams at Thumbtack.
Earnest
Manager, Product Design
Series A-C • Acquired
2015-2017
Responsible for leading product, marketing, and design (14+ team) while Earnest was between Heads of Design.
Lead Designer on Earnest's flagship student loan refi product, iOS app launch, and expansion of the personal loan product. Through experiences shipped, supported Earnest’s path to establishing an industry-leading NPS score, earning the #1 student lender spot on Credit Karma, and selection as one of the most innovative companies of 2016 by Fast Company and Forbes.
Led design initiatives to scale the app through a phase of 5x user growth via hands-on research, testing, iteration, and vision setting with the C-suite.
RelateIQ
Senior Brand and Product Designer
Series A-C • Acquired
2013-2015
First designer for brand and design systems. Led the team through a rebrand across the product as well as subsequent iterations. Was solely responsible for design of rebranded website, UX, identify, and photography.
Led the product design and research of several key features across workflow tooling, productivity features, and insights reporting. Partnered closely with sales and engineering to build highly effective and scalable solutions.
Colorado State University
Assistant Professor of “Engineering and Design”
2010
Created curriculum to teach the first software engineering fundamentals course to design program students. Worked alongside head of design department to establish the new material as an ongoing requirement of the design program.
Agency and freelance work
Lead Graphic Designer, Creative Director
2008-2014
Worked with a variety of agencies and clients to spearhead identity, branding, and creative development for online user experiences, e-commerce, touch-screen, and mobile interfaces.
Managed and creative directed small teams to execute on brand campaign strategies across a portfolio of clients.
Education
B.F.A. in Graphic Design, 2008
Concentration in Mechanical Engineering
Design Philosophy
The user problem is the key.
Otherwise, we default to designing for ourselves.
Don’t be too precious.
Users only experience design solutions that ship.
Think holistically, execute simply.
Understand how your work fits into the bigger picture, but design and ship incrementally.
Build an extensible foundation.
Discover repeatable solutions to the easy problems. Focus day-to-day on solving the hard problems.