Team Leadership
BUILDING UX FROM THE GROUND UP
When I was hired on "UX" was thought of as little more as the people who pushed some pixels around to hand off to the developers. The team consisted of a seasoned veteran and a brand new designer. They were trying to solve user problems but lacked a seat at the table.
With no voice they were not given the chance to make the impact they were going for but that didn't stop them. In a company with such a user base where accessibility wasn't a nice-to-have it was a must, not focusing on the customer's needs and wants was a liability.
Role
UX/Product Leader
Duration
Over 3 Years
Contribution
Research, Strategy, Design, Operations
Target Audience
Stakeholders seeking UX system maturity
UX Embedded Across the Org
Product and Engineering now rely on UX for upstream planning, not just downstream execution
Research Pipeline Established
75% increase in actionable user feedback across web, mobile, and embedded platforms
Design System Operationalized
Single source of truth used across 25+ platforms
Elevated Perception of UX
Reduced design-to-release cycle time by 25%
PROBLEM
NO FEEDBACK LOOPS, NO RESEARCH REPOSITORY, AND NO WAY TO PROVE UX VALUE
I begin this journey by taking time to listen to the small UX team's struggles, interviewing stakeholders, and outlining initial goals. I wanted to be realistic in what we could achieve in the near-term but also push myself to get outside my comfort zone as well. There were no feedback loops, no research repository, and no way to prove UX value. What I did have was support from my team and leadership. Now it was time to build a strategy and align it with what would show a return on their investment in me.
Built the UX team from scratch, led strategy, and integrated research into every stage of the product lifecycle.
APPROACH
STARTING FROM SCRATCH TO BUILD A USER-CENTRIC TEAM
We started small but deliberate. I needed some key people in place to drive success so the company would notice quickly that we were much more than pixel pushers. I started by adding one more senior designer and another fresh-faced designer. I was then able to convince leadership of the value we'd get from a dedicated research team and added an experience senior research and another new researcher.
01.
Built the Right Team Structure
Built the Right Team Structure
Built the Right Team Structure
Added a research arm to the UX team while also bringing on a couple more talented designers to help me get established.
02.
Embedded UX in the Product Lifecycle
Embedded UX in the Product Lifecycle
Embedded UX in the Product Lifecycle
Introduced design sprints, reviews, and checkpoints so UX was involved from the start instead of added at the end.
03.
Launched Scalable, Ethical Research
Launched Scalable, Ethical Research
Launched Scalable, Ethical Research
Created a research pipeline with regular testing and user feedback, giving the team reliable data to guide decisions.
04.
Operationalized for Scale
Operationalized for Scale
Operationalized for Scale
Developed a design system and documentation that standardized components, reduced rework, and kept the growing team aligned.
Next focus was building culture. We embedded user research into the product lifecycle and built pipelines for continuous feedback. For the first time, the company started focusing on user data and not opinions to drive product design decisions. UX earned a seat at the table, not because we demanded it, but because stakeholders saw results.
OUTCOMES
DELIVERED & PROVE OUR VALUE RIGHT FROM THE START
The new UX team quickly demonstrated its value. Products shipped faster with fewer costly redesigns. Teams relied on research instead of opinions, which reduced friction across departments. Leadership recognized UX as a strategic driver, and the team became a trusted partner in shaping product direction.
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
25
75
%
%
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
CREATED AN ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION
Three years later, the team wasn’t just bigger…it was better. The foundation we built continues to support innovation, and the culture shift has outlasted individual projects. This wasn’t just team building; it was a shift in how the entire company built their products.
In s short amount of time we built credibility, capability, and a culture of design in a company that had never treated UX as essential. By showing how research and design improve both user outcomes and business metrics, skeptics became advocates.
Today UX has a permanent seat at the table. The systems, processes, and team structure created during this project continue to deliver value well beyond the initial effort.
More Projects
Team Leadership
BUILDING UX FROM THE GROUND UP
When I was hired on "UX" was thought of as little more as the people who pushed some pixels around to hand off to the developers. The team consisted of a seasoned veteran and a brand new designer. They were trying to solve user problems but lacked a seat at the table.
With no voice they were not given the chance to make the impact they were going for but that didn't stop them. In a company with such a user base where accessibility wasn't a nice-to-have it was a must, not focusing on the customer's needs and wants was a liability.
Role
UX/Product Leader
Duration
Over 3 Years
Contribution
Research, Strategy, Design, Operations
Target Audience
Stakeholders seeking UX system maturity
UX Embedded Across the Org
Product and Engineering now rely on UX for upstream planning, not just downstream execution
Research Pipeline Established
75% increase in actionable user feedback across web, mobile, and embedded platforms
Design System Operationalized
Single source of truth used across 25+ platforms
Elevated Perception of UX
Reduced design-to-release cycle time by 25%
PROBLEM
NO FEEDBACK LOOPS, NO RESEARCH REPOSITORY, AND NO WAY TO PROVE UX VALUE
I begin this journey by taking time to listen to the small UX team's struggles, interviewing stakeholders, and outlining initial goals. I wanted to be realistic in what we could achieve in the near-term but also push myself to get outside my comfort zone as well. There were no feedback loops, no research repository, and no way to prove UX value. What I did have was support from my team and leadership. Now it was time to build a strategy and align it with what would show a return on their investment in me.
Built the UX team from scratch, led strategy, and integrated research into every stage of the product lifecycle.
APPROACH
STARTING FROM SCRATCH TO BUILD A USER-CENTRIC TEAM
We started small but deliberate. I needed some key people in place to drive success so the company would notice quickly that we were much more than pixel pushers. I started by adding one more senior designer and another fresh-faced designer. I was then able to convince leadership of the value we'd get from a dedicated research team and added an experience senior research and another new researcher.
01.
Built the Right Team Structure
Built the Right Team Structure
Built the Right Team Structure
Added a research arm to the UX team while also bringing on a couple more talented designers to help me get established.
02.
Embedded UX in the Product Lifecycle
Embedded UX in the Product Lifecycle
Embedded UX in the Product Lifecycle
Introduced design sprints, reviews, and checkpoints so UX was involved from the start instead of added at the end.
03.
Launched Scalable, Ethical Research
Launched Scalable, Ethical Research
Launched Scalable, Ethical Research
Created a research pipeline with regular testing and user feedback, giving the team reliable data to guide decisions.
04.
Operationalized for Scale
Operationalized for Scale
Operationalized for Scale
Developed a design system and documentation that standardized components, reduced rework, and kept the growing team aligned.
Next focus was building culture. We embedded user research into the product lifecycle and built pipelines for continuous feedback. For the first time, the company started focusing on user data and not opinions to drive product design decisions. UX earned a seat at the table, not because we demanded it, but because stakeholders saw results.
OUTCOMES
DELIVERED & PROVE OUR VALUE RIGHT FROM THE START
The new UX team quickly demonstrated its value. Products shipped faster with fewer costly redesigns. Teams relied on research instead of opinions, which reduced friction across departments. Leadership recognized UX as a strategic driver, and the team became a trusted partner in shaping product direction.
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
25
75
%
%
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
CREATED AN ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION
Three years later, the team wasn’t just bigger…it was better. The foundation we built continues to support innovation, and the culture shift has outlasted individual projects. This wasn’t just team building; it was a shift in how the entire company built their products.
In s short amount of time we built credibility, capability, and a culture of design in a company that had never treated UX as essential. By showing how research and design improve both user outcomes and business metrics, skeptics became advocates.
Today UX has a permanent seat at the table. The systems, processes, and team structure created during this project continue to deliver value well beyond the initial effort.
More Projects
Team Leadership
BUILDING UX FROM THE GROUND UP
When I was hired on "UX" was thought of as little more as the people who pushed some pixels around to hand off to the developers. The team consisted of a seasoned veteran and a brand new designer. They were trying to solve user problems but lacked a seat at the table.
With no voice they were not given the chance to make the impact they were going for but that didn't stop them. In a company with such a user base where accessibility wasn't a nice-to-have it was a must, not focusing on the customer's needs and wants was a liability.
Role
UX/Product Leader
Duration
Over 3 Years
Contribution
Research, Strategy, Design, Operations
Target Audience
Stakeholders seeking UX system maturity
UX Embedded Across the Org
Product and Engineering now rely on UX for upstream planning, not just downstream execution
Research Pipeline Established
75% increase in actionable user feedback across web, mobile, and embedded platforms
Design System Operationalized
Single source of truth used across 25+ platforms
Elevated Perception of UX
Reduced design-to-release cycle time by 25%
PROBLEM
NO FEEDBACK LOOPS, NO RESEARCH REPOSITORY, AND NO WAY TO PROVE UX VALUE
I begin this journey by taking time to listen to the small UX team's struggles, interviewing stakeholders, and outlining initial goals. I wanted to be realistic in what we could achieve in the near-term but also push myself to get outside my comfort zone as well. There were no feedback loops, no research repository, and no way to prove UX value. What I did have was support from my team and leadership. Now it was time to build a strategy and align it with what would show a return on their investment in me.
Built the UX team from scratch, led strategy, and integrated research into every stage of the product lifecycle.
APPROACH
STARTING FROM SCRATCH TO BUILD A USER-CENTRIC TEAM
We started small but deliberate. I needed some key people in place to drive success so the company would notice quickly that we were much more than pixel pushers. I started by adding one more senior designer and another fresh-faced designer. I was then able to convince leadership of the value we'd get from a dedicated research team and added an experience senior research and another new researcher.
01.
Built the Right Team Structure
Built the Right Team Structure
Built the Right Team Structure
Added a research arm to the UX team while also bringing on a couple more talented designers to help me get established.
02.
Embedded UX in the Product Lifecycle
Embedded UX in the Product Lifecycle
Embedded UX in the Product Lifecycle
Introduced design sprints, reviews, and checkpoints so UX was involved from the start instead of added at the end.
03.
Launched Scalable, Ethical Research
Launched Scalable, Ethical Research
Launched Scalable, Ethical Research
Created a research pipeline with regular testing and user feedback, giving the team reliable data to guide decisions.
04.
Operationalized for Scale
Operationalized for Scale
Operationalized for Scale
Developed a design system and documentation that standardized components, reduced rework, and kept the growing team aligned.
Next focus was building culture. We embedded user research into the product lifecycle and built pipelines for continuous feedback. For the first time, the company started focusing on user data and not opinions to drive product design decisions. UX earned a seat at the table, not because we demanded it, but because stakeholders saw results.
OUTCOMES
DELIVERED & PROVE OUR VALUE RIGHT FROM THE START
The new UX team quickly demonstrated its value. Products shipped faster with fewer costly redesigns. Teams relied on research instead of opinions, which reduced friction across departments. Leadership recognized UX as a strategic driver, and the team became a trusted partner in shaping product direction.
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
25
75
%
%
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
CREATED AN ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION
Three years later, the team wasn’t just bigger…it was better. The foundation we built continues to support innovation, and the culture shift has outlasted individual projects. This wasn’t just team building; it was a shift in how the entire company built their products.
In s short amount of time we built credibility, capability, and a culture of design in a company that had never treated UX as essential. By showing how research and design improve both user outcomes and business metrics, skeptics became advocates.
Today UX has a permanent seat at the table. The systems, processes, and team structure created during this project continue to deliver value well beyond the initial effort.