M

About

I make tools that help people get things done faster and easier

As a founding or first designer, I set up foundational pieces like a design system, user research practice, and a design process. I help untangle and fix design debt.

I design for consumers and business users; for responsive web, iOS, and products that live across multiple platforms.

I’m strongest in the following areas:

  1. Learning what to build and why. I can go out and talk to customers, do 1:1 interviews, run user tests, and write surveys. I can use analytics to evaluate designs and tell a story of how our product is being used.

  2. Prototyping and interaction design. I make prototypes at various levels of fidelity, from “Wizard of Oz”-style demos to interactive, code-based prototypes that accept and react to user input.

  3. Thinking in and building systems rather than standalone screens.

I care about asking the right questions to get to the root of a problem and validate solutions

If we can’t answer “why this?” and “how will we know it’s working?” then I’ll help us find answers.

I make and test prototypes because the feedback helps us learn and iterate quickly.

My best decisions are made based on evidence and logical reasoning. I like using frameworks to describe problems and evaluate options.

I believe that quality is in the details

I sweat “the other 80%” of work needed to ship. That means doing QA, finessing edge cases.

I help my team work as a cohesive unit rather than an assembly line. I do this by making it clear we're working toward a shared finishline, showing my process, asking for feedback at every step the of way, and communicating often to clarify ambiguity.

I think it's important to establish systems that remove friction and create a shared language for designers and engineers.

My background

I did engineering in undergrad and business in grad school.

A lecture about milkshkes inspired me to become a designer.

My first job was at an agency that built digital products and practiced user-centered design. I worked on projects for Startbucks, lululemon, Nike, and other top global brands.

After that I started a company where I designed a product used by retailers like Gap and Sur la Table. It was true 0-1 product design that involved doing customer discovery to validate the problem, and iterating through multiple products and business models.

Since then I’ve been part of product teams as the first or lead designer, working alongside founders and executives to make product decisions.

About this website

This site is a space where I can do the following:

  1. Practice writing
  2. Practice coding
  3. Tell my story
  4. Connect with likeminded people

If you’ve read this far and want to get in touch, feel free to drop me a line. My email is in the footer.

I made this site using Next.js (Pages Router), MDX, and Styled Components. The typeface I'm using is United Sans by Klim Foundry.