Qualifications:
- Experienced designer, manager and mentor
- Analytical and detail-oriented with solid written and verbal communication skills
- Well-versed in user-centered design methods and techniques
- Proven ability to manage multiple tasks and lead cross-functional teams while maintaining quality
- Extensive experience with large-scale web design and development, native application design (iOS and Android), and responsive mobile solutions
Professional Experience:
Director of User Experience
2022 – Present
Egencia, Chicago, IL
Senior Product Designer
2020 – 2022
Egencia, Chicago, IL
Responsible for research and testing, user experience architecture, interaction design, visual design, and prototyping.
Director of User Experience
2018 – 2020
Virgil Holdings, Chicago, IL
Responsible for research and testing, user experience architecture, interaction design, visual design, and prototyping in a fast-moving, lean startup environment.
Partner closely with product and tech leads, and direct a team of two remote product designers.
Mobile User Experience Architect
2016 – 2018
Grainger, Chicago, IL
In this role, I was responsible for native application (iOS and Android) information architecture, interaction design, prototyping, research and design strategy in an agile development team. I partnered with visual design, product management and the engineering team to enhance and improve the user experience of the Grainger native applications.
User Experience Design Director, Product
2014 – 2016
Dom & Tom, Chicago, IL
Contributed to multiple client engagements as a user experience team lead. Project work included the development of a point of sale system and customer portal for a small startup, and designing a customer portal for filing and managing insurance claims for a Fortune 50 client.
Responsible for design strategy, information architecture, interaction design, visual design, and prototyping. Designed responsive solutions optimized for handset, desktop and tablet usage and partnered with the engineering team to develop a responsive live style guide.
Director, User Experience & Design
2009 – 2014
Cars.com, Chicago, IL
Directed a team of 30+ user experience professionals responsible for the user experience and design of the Cars.com consumer facing site and related properties (Cars.com, Pickuptrucks.com, Ask.cars.com, Kickingtires.com, M.Cars.com, and others).
In this role, I was responsible for high-level creative direction, design process and execution, hiring, and coaching/mentoring managers and individual contributors.
My team was directly responsible for user research and testing, interaction design, visual design, information architecture, prototyping, A/B testing and SEO strategy and optimization for popular online automotive properties and mobile applications that receive more than 25 million visits per month.
Group Manager, User Experience & Design
2008 – 2009
Cars.com, Chicago, IL
Led a user experience and design team of 10+ responsible for: visual design, interaction design, information architecture, user testing and research for the Cars.com web site, native app and related properties both consumer and business facing.
Art Director
2005 – 2008
Cars.com, Chicago, IL
Responsibilities included high-level art direction, development of style guide, application prototyping, wireframing, promotion and enforcement of brand standards for the Cars.com consumer site, original mobile site and related business-to-business offerings.
Web Designer
2000 – 2005
Cars.com, Chicago, IL
Responsible for the design of both consumer-facing and business-to-business solutions. Designed and maintained principal user interface elements on the Cars.com consumer site, provided art direction and transformed visual mock-ups into HTML/CSS.
Collaborated with engineers and other design staff to establish guidelines for HTML development, CSS implementation and organization.
Freelance Web and Graphic Designer
1996 – 2000
Self-Employed, West Frankfort, IL
Designed, developed, and maintained web sites for a variety of clients. Responsible for all art direction, visual design, photography, HTML development, video production, management of freelance employees and coordination of outside services.
Produced full color and spot color print pieces including: package design, signage, point-of-sale materials, large scale trade show graphics, mobile display graphics and billboards.
Graphic Designer / Video & Sound Editor
1995 – 1996
Imagery Advertising, Marion, IL
print projects including: product packaging, display advertising, B/W newspaper ads, sales flyers, business cards, stationary, and large format trade show graphics and billboards.
Produced and composited video graphics and animation using Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects and others. Created concepts and sketched storyboards for broadcast television commercials.
Graphic Designer
1993 – 1993
American Publishing, West Frankfort, IL
Daily creation of black and white and two-color newspaper ads and inserts for local and regional newspapers. Daily production of photo mechanicals and the use of traditional paste-up techniques to compose and layout newspaper pages.