Strategy & Innovation
Design That Saves
This wasn’t a project about making things prettier. It was about making things work. Specifically, making design stop wasting everyone’s time and start pulling its weight in real business terms.
I started leading a team that was stuck in a pattern of high-effort, low-return delivery. Design cycles were bloated. Engineers were reworking basic UI constantly. Nobody trusted the design system, and “handoff” was basically just a shrug and a Figma link. There was no real alignment, just overlapping guesswork and a lot of Teams messages saying, “What’s the latest version of this?”
The most dangerous part? It all felt normal. People were moving fast, so nobody wanted to slow down and ask if this was the right way to work.
Role
Director/Vice President of UX
Duration
3 Years
Contribution
Design Operations Strategy, UX System Design, Cross-Functional Adoption
Target Audience
Regulated company where inefficiencies inflate costs and slowed product velocity
25% faster design-to-release cycle
Improving engineering velocity, allowing for more innovation
Lower COGS
Reduced support volume and design-driven issue prevention
Improved onboarding rates
Decreasing abandoned devices and service calls
Increased executive trust
Design tied directly to measurable business impact
PROBLEM
AN OVERHAUL WAS NEEDED ON INEFFICIENT DESIGN
Instead of pitching some big system overhaul, I started by fixing what hurt the most. Forms. Layouts. Components that had been copy-pasted into a thousand versions of the same screen. I worked with designers and engineers to agree on real patterns, not just visual matches. Then I made sure those patterns were usable in actual code, not just pretty Figma files.
Led the creation of a scalable design operations system, connected UX improvements to financial outcomes, and built a culture focused on efficiency.
APPROACH
FIXING THE MESS, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Instead of pitching some big system overhaul, I started by fixing what hurt the most. Forms. Layouts. Flows. Components that had been copy-pasted into a thousand versions of the same screen. I worked with designers and engineers to agree on design reviews, and not just "matching the designs." Then I made sure those reviews were creating action items, not just being done for the sake of another meeting.
01.
Centralized UX Workflows
Centralized UX Workflows
Centralized UX Workflows
Created a single source of truth where teams could collaborate, reuse components, and cut redundant work.
02.
Built an Efficient Design Ops System
Built an Efficient Design Ops System
Built an Efficient Design Ops System
Built the infrastructure and processes to standardize handoffs, reviews, and iteration cycles.
03.
Tied Cost-Saving Practices to Outcomes
Tied Cost-Saving Practices to Outcomes
Tied Cost-Saving Practices to Outcomes
Tracked where design changes directly reduced rework, shortened timelines, and saved resources.
04.
Framed Design Value in Financial Terms
Framed Design Value in Financial Terms
Framed Design Value in Financial Terms
Presented UX improvements to leadership with metrics that connected design to measurable business results.
We wrote documentation that didn’t suck. We tested components and flows in live products instead of sandboxes. We gave people fewer choices, on purpose. Every decision we documented was one less debate to have later.
Little by little, the system became something people used because it worked, not because they were told to.
OUTCOMES
WHEN DESIGN PROVES ITS WORTH
The results didn’t show up as some dramatic before-and-after slide. They showed up in quiet ways. Fewer bugs. Faster releases. Consistent collaborations between designers and engineers. Designers stopped redesigning things that already had answers. Engineers stopped asking the same questions over and over.
The new system showed that investing in UX operations created real savings, faster delivery, and stronger trust from leadership.
WHY IT MATTERS
COST SAVINGS AND BETTER EXPERIENCES CAN COEXIST
Many organizations treat design as a necessary expense instead of a growth driver. This initiative demonstrated that when UX is tied to measurable outcomes, it not only improves user experience but also cuts costs and strengthens business confidence. The result was a culture shift where design was valued as a strategic advantage.
More importantly, it created a culture where design was no longer a bottleneck or an afterthought and it became a partner in business performance. That shift continues to pay dividends long after the initial changes were made.
More Projects
Strategy & Innovation
Design That Saves
This wasn’t a project about making things prettier. It was about making things work. Specifically, making design stop wasting everyone’s time and start pulling its weight in real business terms.
I started leading a team that was stuck in a pattern of high-effort, low-return delivery. Design cycles were bloated. Engineers were reworking basic UI constantly. Nobody trusted the design system, and “handoff” was basically just a shrug and a Figma link. There was no real alignment, just overlapping guesswork and a lot of Teams messages saying, “What’s the latest version of this?”
The most dangerous part? It all felt normal. People were moving fast, so nobody wanted to slow down and ask if this was the right way to work.
Role
Director/Vice President of UX
Duration
3 Years
Contribution
Design Operations Strategy, UX System Design, Cross-Functional Adoption
Target Audience
Regulated company where inefficiencies inflate costs and slowed product velocity
25% faster design-to-release cycle
Improving engineering velocity, allowing for more innovation
Lower COGS
Reduced support volume and design-driven issue prevention
Improved onboarding rates
Decreasing abandoned devices and service calls
Increased executive trust
Design tied directly to measurable business impact
PROBLEM
AN OVERHAUL WAS NEEDED ON INEFFICIENT DESIGN
Instead of pitching some big system overhaul, I started by fixing what hurt the most. Forms. Layouts. Components that had been copy-pasted into a thousand versions of the same screen. I worked with designers and engineers to agree on real patterns, not just visual matches. Then I made sure those patterns were usable in actual code, not just pretty Figma files.
Led the creation of a scalable design operations system, connected UX improvements to financial outcomes, and built a culture focused on efficiency.
APPROACH
FIXING THE MESS, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Instead of pitching some big system overhaul, I started by fixing what hurt the most. Forms. Layouts. Flows. Components that had been copy-pasted into a thousand versions of the same screen. I worked with designers and engineers to agree on design reviews, and not just "matching the designs." Then I made sure those reviews were creating action items, not just being done for the sake of another meeting.
01.
Centralized UX Workflows
Centralized UX Workflows
Centralized UX Workflows
Created a single source of truth where teams could collaborate, reuse components, and cut redundant work.
02.
Built an Efficient Design Ops System
Built an Efficient Design Ops System
Built an Efficient Design Ops System
Built the infrastructure and processes to standardize handoffs, reviews, and iteration cycles.
03.
Tied Cost-Saving Practices to Outcomes
Tied Cost-Saving Practices to Outcomes
Tied Cost-Saving Practices to Outcomes
Tracked where design changes directly reduced rework, shortened timelines, and saved resources.
04.
Framed Design Value in Financial Terms
Framed Design Value in Financial Terms
Framed Design Value in Financial Terms
Presented UX improvements to leadership with metrics that connected design to measurable business results.
We wrote documentation that didn’t suck. We tested components and flows in live products instead of sandboxes. We gave people fewer choices, on purpose. Every decision we documented was one less debate to have later.
Little by little, the system became something people used because it worked, not because they were told to.
OUTCOMES
WHEN DESIGN PROVES ITS WORTH
The results didn’t show up as some dramatic before-and-after slide. They showed up in quiet ways. Fewer bugs. Faster releases. Consistent collaborations between designers and engineers. Designers stopped redesigning things that already had answers. Engineers stopped asking the same questions over and over.
The new system showed that investing in UX operations created real savings, faster delivery, and stronger trust from leadership.
WHY IT MATTERS
COST SAVINGS AND BETTER EXPERIENCES CAN COEXIST
Many organizations treat design as a necessary expense instead of a growth driver. This initiative demonstrated that when UX is tied to measurable outcomes, it not only improves user experience but also cuts costs and strengthens business confidence. The result was a culture shift where design was valued as a strategic advantage.
More importantly, it created a culture where design was no longer a bottleneck or an afterthought and it became a partner in business performance. That shift continues to pay dividends long after the initial changes were made.
More Projects
Strategy & Innovation
Design That Saves
This wasn’t a project about making things prettier. It was about making things work. Specifically, making design stop wasting everyone’s time and start pulling its weight in real business terms.
I started leading a team that was stuck in a pattern of high-effort, low-return delivery. Design cycles were bloated. Engineers were reworking basic UI constantly. Nobody trusted the design system, and “handoff” was basically just a shrug and a Figma link. There was no real alignment, just overlapping guesswork and a lot of Teams messages saying, “What’s the latest version of this?”
The most dangerous part? It all felt normal. People were moving fast, so nobody wanted to slow down and ask if this was the right way to work.
Role
Director/Vice President of UX
Duration
3 Years
Contribution
Design Operations Strategy, UX System Design, Cross-Functional Adoption
Target Audience
Regulated company where inefficiencies inflate costs and slowed product velocity
25% faster design-to-release cycle
Improving engineering velocity, allowing for more innovation
Lower COGS
Reduced support volume and design-driven issue prevention
Improved onboarding rates
Decreasing abandoned devices and service calls
Increased executive trust
Design tied directly to measurable business impact
PROBLEM
AN OVERHAUL WAS NEEDED ON INEFFICIENT DESIGN
Instead of pitching some big system overhaul, I started by fixing what hurt the most. Forms. Layouts. Components that had been copy-pasted into a thousand versions of the same screen. I worked with designers and engineers to agree on real patterns, not just visual matches. Then I made sure those patterns were usable in actual code, not just pretty Figma files.
Led the creation of a scalable design operations system, connected UX improvements to financial outcomes, and built a culture focused on efficiency.
APPROACH
FIXING THE MESS, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Instead of pitching some big system overhaul, I started by fixing what hurt the most. Forms. Layouts. Flows. Components that had been copy-pasted into a thousand versions of the same screen. I worked with designers and engineers to agree on design reviews, and not just "matching the designs." Then I made sure those reviews were creating action items, not just being done for the sake of another meeting.
01.
Centralized UX Workflows
Centralized UX Workflows
Centralized UX Workflows
Created a single source of truth where teams could collaborate, reuse components, and cut redundant work.
02.
Built an Efficient Design Ops System
Built an Efficient Design Ops System
Built an Efficient Design Ops System
Built the infrastructure and processes to standardize handoffs, reviews, and iteration cycles.
03.
Tied Cost-Saving Practices to Outcomes
Tied Cost-Saving Practices to Outcomes
Tied Cost-Saving Practices to Outcomes
Tracked where design changes directly reduced rework, shortened timelines, and saved resources.
04.
Framed Design Value in Financial Terms
Framed Design Value in Financial Terms
Framed Design Value in Financial Terms
Presented UX improvements to leadership with metrics that connected design to measurable business results.
We wrote documentation that didn’t suck. We tested components and flows in live products instead of sandboxes. We gave people fewer choices, on purpose. Every decision we documented was one less debate to have later.
Little by little, the system became something people used because it worked, not because they were told to.
OUTCOMES
WHEN DESIGN PROVES ITS WORTH
The results didn’t show up as some dramatic before-and-after slide. They showed up in quiet ways. Fewer bugs. Faster releases. Consistent collaborations between designers and engineers. Designers stopped redesigning things that already had answers. Engineers stopped asking the same questions over and over.
The new system showed that investing in UX operations created real savings, faster delivery, and stronger trust from leadership.
WHY IT MATTERS
COST SAVINGS AND BETTER EXPERIENCES CAN COEXIST
Many organizations treat design as a necessary expense instead of a growth driver. This initiative demonstrated that when UX is tied to measurable outcomes, it not only improves user experience but also cuts costs and strengthens business confidence. The result was a culture shift where design was valued as a strategic advantage.
More importantly, it created a culture where design was no longer a bottleneck or an afterthought and it became a partner in business performance. That shift continues to pay dividends long after the initial changes were made.