Team Leadership
BUILT A UX TEAM THAT CHANGED THE BUSINESS
BUILT A UX TEAM THAT CHANGED THE BUSINESS
When I joined the company, UX was treated like decoration. Two designers were doing what they could, but no one saw their work as critical. In a business where users relied on accessible communication tools, that attitude wasn’t just wrong. It was a risk.
Problem
The company had no UX strategy or research foundation, and design was treated as decoration.
Role
Built UX function from zero, embedded research into product lifecycle, and led organizational strategy.
Solution
Strategic hiring, launched research operations, created scalable processes, and proved UX value through results.
Impact
75% increase in research-backed launches, 30% faster cycles, and UX became a strategic business driver.
UX Embedded Organizationally
Product and Engineering shifted from treating UX as downstream decoration to upstream strategic partner
Research Pipeline Established
75% increase in actionable user feedback across web, mobile, and embedded platforms
Design System Operationalized
Single source of truth deployed across 25+ platforms, eliminating design inconsistencies and reducing dev friction
Cycle Time Acceleration
25% reduction in design-to-release cycles through research-backed decision making and systematic processes
PROBLEM
NO TEAM, NO RESPECT
The company had just been bought by private equity. There was no UX strategy. No research practice. No design system. Product teams made decisions based on executive opinions, then shipped features that didn’t work for real users. Teams moved slowly, wasted resources, and shipped inconsistently across platforms. Compliance risk was rising. Revenue was being lost. Morale was already low.
And the users were paying for it.
Built the UX team from scratch, led strategy, and integrated research into every stage of the product lifecycle.
APPROACH
STARTING FROM SCRATCH
I was brought in to build something from the ground up. I hired the team. I created the research function. I changed how product teams made decisions. I didn’t ask for a seat at the table. I helped rebuild the table so UX would be part of every conversation going forward.
01.
Purposeful Hiring
Purposeful Hiring
Purposeful Hiring
I added experienced design leaders who could think strategically and build trust. I also brought in new talent to challenge habits and bring a fresh perspective. We built a team that could operate independently and communicate clearly with engineers, product leads, and executives.
02.
Creating a Research Pipeline
Creating a Research Pipeline
Creating a Research Pipeline
We didn’t just talk to end users. We included internal voices as well, including interpreters, customer support, communication agents. Their insights had been ignored for years. We used their experience to shape product decisions and back up every recommendation with evidence.
03.
Embedding UX into Product
Embedding UX into Product
Embedding UX into Product
We introduced design checkpoints, structured feedback cycles, and regular user testing. If a team wanted to ship, they had to prove it worked for the people who needed it most. UX became part of the build, not the polish at the end.
04.
Building a Consistent Design System
Building a Consistent Design System
Building a Consistent Design System
Before, every product team had its own visual language. Developers built their own components. Users got inconsistent experiences. I led the effort to create a shared system that worked across 20+ products. It saved time, reduced bugs, and made the work feel unified.
This wasn’t just process improvement, it was organizational reprogramming. We embedded user research so deeply into the product lifecycle that removing it would cripple the progress. For the first time, the company started focusing on user data instead of executive opinions. UX earned respect by delivering results that generated revenue for stakeholders.
OUTCOMES
THE LONG AND BUMPY ROAD
We struggled with roadblocks from FCC mandated restrictions. It limited us from getting to our customers and getting feedback without extensive manual effort. We powered through and learned from our failures, while celebrating the wins.
In the end I built a team that I am proud of. We built a culture of trust and did work that a team twice as large would have trouble doing. We reduced cycle times, increased customer interactions, and provided leadership with insights that just weren't there before I started.
When the company hit a financial wall, leadership changed. I stepped in as interim CPO and helped lead the cost-cutting effort. We made hard choices. I did not protect my own position. I was eventually cut along with other senior leaders.
The UX team kept operating at full strength.
They didn’t survive because someone fought for them. They survived because the systems we built worked. The research pipeline, design practices, and shared language were already baked into the product process.
The team didn’t need me to continue delivering value.
75
%
Increase in User feedback collected
Increase in User feedback collected
Accessibility became a default expectation rather than an afterthought
Accessibility became a default expectation rather than an afterthought
30
%
Decrease in Design-to-release cycles
Decrease in Design-to-release cycles
The UX team stopped being “those people who make things pretty” and became trusted strategic partners.
WHY IT MATTERS
BUILT A FOUNDATION
You don’t prove the value of UX by asking for respect. You prove it by making the work so essential that the business can’t function without it.
We built something that worked without a champion. It didn’t collapse after layoffs. It didn’t stall when leadership changed. It became muscle memory for how the company operated.
That’s the goal.
More Projects
Team Leadership
BUILT A UX TEAM THAT CHANGED THE BUSINESS
BUILT A UX TEAM THAT CHANGED THE BUSINESS
When I joined the company, UX was treated like decoration. Two designers were doing what they could, but no one saw their work as critical. In a business where users relied on accessible communication tools, that attitude wasn’t just wrong. It was a risk.
Problem
The company had no UX strategy or research foundation, and design was treated as decoration.
Role
Built UX function from zero, embedded research into product lifecycle, and led organizational strategy.
Solution
Strategic hiring, launched research operations, created scalable processes, and proved UX value through results.
Impact
75% increase in research-backed launches, 30% faster cycles, and UX became a strategic business driver.
UX Embedded Organizationally
Product and Engineering shifted from treating UX as downstream decoration to upstream strategic partner
Research Pipeline Established
75% increase in actionable user feedback across web, mobile, and embedded platforms
Design System Operationalized
Single source of truth deployed across 25+ platforms, eliminating design inconsistencies and reducing dev friction
Cycle Time Acceleration
25% reduction in design-to-release cycles through research-backed decision making and systematic processes
PROBLEM
NO TEAM, NO RESPECT
The company had just been bought by private equity. There was no UX strategy. No research practice. No design system. Product teams made decisions based on executive opinions, then shipped features that didn’t work for real users. Teams moved slowly, wasted resources, and shipped inconsistently across platforms. Compliance risk was rising. Revenue was being lost. Morale was already low.
And the users were paying for it.
Built the UX team from scratch, led strategy, and integrated research into every stage of the product lifecycle.
APPROACH
STARTING FROM SCRATCH
I was brought in to build something from the ground up. I hired the team. I created the research function. I changed how product teams made decisions. I didn’t ask for a seat at the table. I helped rebuild the table so UX would be part of every conversation going forward.
01.
Purposeful Hiring
Purposeful Hiring
Purposeful Hiring
I added experienced design leaders who could think strategically and build trust. I also brought in new talent to challenge habits and bring a fresh perspective. We built a team that could operate independently and communicate clearly with engineers, product leads, and executives.
02.
Creating a Research Pipeline
Creating a Research Pipeline
Creating a Research Pipeline
We didn’t just talk to end users. We included internal voices as well, including interpreters, customer support, communication agents. Their insights had been ignored for years. We used their experience to shape product decisions and back up every recommendation with evidence.
03.
Embedding UX into Product
Embedding UX into Product
Embedding UX into Product
We introduced design checkpoints, structured feedback cycles, and regular user testing. If a team wanted to ship, they had to prove it worked for the people who needed it most. UX became part of the build, not the polish at the end.
04.
Building a Consistent Design System
Building a Consistent Design System
Building a Consistent Design System
Before, every product team had its own visual language. Developers built their own components. Users got inconsistent experiences. I led the effort to create a shared system that worked across 20+ products. It saved time, reduced bugs, and made the work feel unified.
This wasn’t just process improvement, it was organizational reprogramming. We embedded user research so deeply into the product lifecycle that removing it would cripple the progress. For the first time, the company started focusing on user data instead of executive opinions. UX earned respect by delivering results that generated revenue for stakeholders.
OUTCOMES
THE LONG AND BUMPY ROAD
We struggled with roadblocks from FCC mandated restrictions. It limited us from getting to our customers and getting feedback without extensive manual effort. We powered through and learned from our failures, while celebrating the wins.
In the end I built a team that I am proud of. We built a culture of trust and did work that a team twice as large would have trouble doing. We reduced cycle times, increased customer interactions, and provided leadership with insights that just weren't there before I started.
When the company hit a financial wall, leadership changed. I stepped in as interim CPO and helped lead the cost-cutting effort. We made hard choices. I did not protect my own position. I was eventually cut along with other senior leaders.
The UX team kept operating at full strength.
They didn’t survive because someone fought for them. They survived because the systems we built worked. The research pipeline, design practices, and shared language were already baked into the product process.
The team didn’t need me to continue delivering value.
75
%
Increase in User feedback collected
Increase in User feedback collected
Accessibility became a default expectation rather than an afterthought
Accessibility became a default expectation rather than an afterthought
30
%
Decrease in Design-to-release cycles
Decrease in Design-to-release cycles
The UX team stopped being “those people who make things pretty” and became trusted strategic partners.
WHY IT MATTERS
BUILT A FOUNDATION
You don’t prove the value of UX by asking for respect. You prove it by making the work so essential that the business can’t function without it.
We built something that worked without a champion. It didn’t collapse after layoffs. It didn’t stall when leadership changed. It became muscle memory for how the company operated.
That’s the goal.
More Projects
Team Leadership
BUILT A UX TEAM THAT CHANGED THE BUSINESS
BUILT A UX TEAM THAT CHANGED THE BUSINESS
When I joined the company, UX was treated like decoration. Two designers were doing what they could, but no one saw their work as critical. In a business where users relied on accessible communication tools, that attitude wasn’t just wrong. It was a risk.
Problem
The company had no UX strategy or research foundation, and design was treated as decoration.
Role
Built UX function from zero, embedded research into product lifecycle, and led organizational strategy.
Solution
Strategic hiring, launched research operations, created scalable processes, and proved UX value through results.
Impact
75% increase in research-backed launches, 30% faster cycles, and UX became a strategic business driver.
UX Embedded Organizationally
Product and Engineering shifted from treating UX as downstream decoration to upstream strategic partner
Research Pipeline Established
75% increase in actionable user feedback across web, mobile, and embedded platforms
Design System Operationalized
Single source of truth deployed across 25+ platforms, eliminating design inconsistencies and reducing dev friction
Cycle Time Acceleration
25% reduction in design-to-release cycles through research-backed decision making and systematic processes
PROBLEM
NO TEAM, NO RESPECT
The company had just been bought by private equity. There was no UX strategy. No research practice. No design system. Product teams made decisions based on executive opinions, then shipped features that didn’t work for real users. Teams moved slowly, wasted resources, and shipped inconsistently across platforms. Compliance risk was rising. Revenue was being lost. Morale was already low.
And the users were paying for it.
Built the UX team from scratch, led strategy, and integrated research into every stage of the product lifecycle.
APPROACH
STARTING FROM SCRATCH
I was brought in to build something from the ground up. I hired the team. I created the research function. I changed how product teams made decisions. I didn’t ask for a seat at the table. I helped rebuild the table so UX would be part of every conversation going forward.
01.
Purposeful Hiring
Purposeful Hiring
Purposeful Hiring
I added experienced design leaders who could think strategically and build trust. I also brought in new talent to challenge habits and bring a fresh perspective. We built a team that could operate independently and communicate clearly with engineers, product leads, and executives.
02.
Creating a Research Pipeline
Creating a Research Pipeline
Creating a Research Pipeline
We didn’t just talk to end users. We included internal voices as well, including interpreters, customer support, communication agents. Their insights had been ignored for years. We used their experience to shape product decisions and back up every recommendation with evidence.
03.
Embedding UX into Product
Embedding UX into Product
Embedding UX into Product
We introduced design checkpoints, structured feedback cycles, and regular user testing. If a team wanted to ship, they had to prove it worked for the people who needed it most. UX became part of the build, not the polish at the end.
04.
Building a Consistent Design System
Building a Consistent Design System
Building a Consistent Design System
Before, every product team had its own visual language. Developers built their own components. Users got inconsistent experiences. I led the effort to create a shared system that worked across 20+ products. It saved time, reduced bugs, and made the work feel unified.
This wasn’t just process improvement, it was organizational reprogramming. We embedded user research so deeply into the product lifecycle that removing it would cripple the progress. For the first time, the company started focusing on user data instead of executive opinions. UX earned respect by delivering results that generated revenue for stakeholders.
OUTCOMES
THE LONG AND BUMPY ROAD
We struggled with roadblocks from FCC mandated restrictions. It limited us from getting to our customers and getting feedback without extensive manual effort. We powered through and learned from our failures, while celebrating the wins.
In the end I built a team that I am proud of. We built a culture of trust and did work that a team twice as large would have trouble doing. We reduced cycle times, increased customer interactions, and provided leadership with insights that just weren't there before I started.
When the company hit a financial wall, leadership changed. I stepped in as interim CPO and helped lead the cost-cutting effort. We made hard choices. I did not protect my own position. I was eventually cut along with other senior leaders.
The UX team kept operating at full strength.
They didn’t survive because someone fought for them. They survived because the systems we built worked. The research pipeline, design practices, and shared language were already baked into the product process.
The team didn’t need me to continue delivering value.
75
%
Increase in User feedback collected
Increase in User feedback collected
Accessibility became a default expectation rather than an afterthought
Accessibility became a default expectation rather than an afterthought
30
%
Decrease in Design-to-release cycles
Decrease in Design-to-release cycles
The UX team stopped being “those people who make things pretty” and became trusted strategic partners.
WHY IT MATTERS
BUILT A FOUNDATION
You don’t prove the value of UX by asking for respect. You prove it by making the work so essential that the business can’t function without it.
We built something that worked without a champion. It didn’t collapse after layoffs. It didn’t stall when leadership changed. It became muscle memory for how the company operated.
That’s the goal.